Energy/Environment

All Energy/Environment

June 2013 was world's fifth-hottest June on record, says NOAA

June 2013 broke monthly records over much of northern Canada, western Russia, southern Japan, the Philippines, part of southwestern China, and central southern Africa.
Idyllwild fire grows to more than 35 square miles

Idyllwild fire threatened a popular tourist destination Thursday and destroyed at least six houses and mobile homes. Tensions heightened late Wednesday after winds shifted, causing the Idyllwild fire to change course and head in the direction of Idyllwild, an artist community and hiking destination in the San Jacinto Mountains.
Heat wave spreads across US. When will it end?

The largest heat wave of the summer has spiked dangerously high temperatures across large swaths of the country for days. Relief from the heat wave is within sight, but cooler weather can't come soon enough.
Two years after Fukushima, Japan eyes return to nuclear power

New safety regulations are clearing the way for a return to nuclear power in Japan, two years after an earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Power plant implosion: Florida utility dynamites old plant

Power plant implosion levels a 1960s power plant in Fort Lauderdale to make way for a new power plant that runs on natural gas. The power plant implosion took 450 pounds of dynamite and 90 controlled explosions Tuesday morning.
Ash borer beetle shows up in Iowa (again)

Ash borer beetle, first spotted in Iowa three years ago, has now appeared in a second location in the state, officials announced Tuesday. Most ash borer beetle infestations have been caused by people unknowingly moving infested firewood, nursery plants and sawmill logs across county and state lines.
NYC to LA in 45 minutes? Tesla Motors CEO says 'Hyperloop' could do it.

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is throwing his weight behind a 'Hyperloop' network of pneumatic tubes that could transport travelers at high speeds along a magnetic-levitation track. The 'Hyperloop' could take someone from New York to Los Angeles in 45 minutes and New York to Beijing in just 2 hours, according to the Tesla CEO.
Idyllwild fire a 'rapidly changing animal'

Idyllwild fire burned seven homes in the mountains west of Palm Springs, Calif., late Monday and early Tuesday as the fire more than doubled in size. The Idyllwild fire was mostly moving away from small communities and toward the desert, but officials said a shift in wind could easily sweep it back toward homes.
Baby panda twins born at Zoo Atlanta

Panda twins were born at Zoo Atlanta Monday, the first twin pandas born in the United States since 1987. Zookeepers were expecting only one cub and were surprised when the giant panda named Lun Lun gave birth to baby panda twins.
The dirty coal behind Germany's clean energy

Germany's energy portfolio may not be as green as you think, Grealy writes. Coal-fired power plants made up 52 percent of Germany's electricity demand in the first half of 2013, while output from natural gas and wind turbines is falling.
Gas prices: why $2 gas isn't happening anytime soon

Gas prices rose 4 percent in the US this week, according to AAA. Despite a boom in North American oil production, gas prices won't be approaching $2 anytime soon.
Fracking research: What's behind EPA's abandoned studies?

Fracking studies have pit the Environmental Protection Agency against the oil and gas industry, which says the agency has over-reached on fracking and that its science has been critically flawed. The recent closing of EPA fracking investigations has some environmentalists worried that the agency is feeling the effects of industry pressure and tight budgets.
Fukushima nuclear plant likely leaking contaminated water into ocean

The nuclear power plant at Fukushima has been leaking contaminated water into the ocean for the two years since the accident that saw three of the plants six reactors suffer a meltdown, according to the head of the Nuclear Regulation Authority in Japan.
Fracking at the corner of energy abundance and water scarcity

Fracking for oil and gas amid water scarcity has created a public-private crossroads, with both sides attempting to further their goals, Warren writes. Nowhere is the water-energy nexus so apparent as it is in the fracking (hydraulic fracturing) for oil and gas.
Katmai bears star in nature's 'Jersey Shore'

Katmai bears are the star of an Internet 'reality show' based in the Katmai National Park and Preserve in remote Alaska. Eight web cams have been set up at various parts of the park to livestream the daily life and drama of the park's famed Katmai bears.
Gas prices expected to soar. What gives?

Gas prices will rise dramatically in the near term, analysts predict. Many attribute it to a rise in oil prices, but the gas prices spike has more to do with gasoline fundamentals, writes Styles.
Lac-Megantic train crash: How it will change Canadian oil

The Lac-Megantic train crash, among other recent oil mishaps, is making it difficult for Canada to put a good face on their oil resources. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said parts of Quebec look like a 'war zone' following last weekend's Lac-Megantic train crash.
Nuclear power tries its sea legs

Russia has announced plans to build a floating nuclear power plant by 2016.
Typhoon Soulik: China, Taiwan brace for season's first typhoon

Typhoon Soulik, the first of the year to hit the region, was headed towards China and Taiwan Friday. Officials cancelled dozens of international flights and evacuated more than 1,000 people from a coastal village vulnerable to typhoon Soulik.
Popocatepetl volcano covers Mexico City in volcanic ash

Popocatepetl volcano spewed a 2-mile-high cloud of ash over Mexico City over several days of eruptions. Volcanic dust from the Popocatepetl volcano has coated cars in Mexico City and thicker accumulations coated crops, homes, and sidewalks in towns closer to the volcano.