Topic: Friends of the Earth

After the tsunami, Japan may exit atomic age

A year ago, Japan depended on its 54 reactors for 30 percent of its electricity; only two of them remain open. Japan could become the first industrial society to enter the postnuclear age. 

Environmentalists demand more answers from Shell after Scotland oil spill

Although Shell has apologized for the North Sea spill, which has yet to be contained, the oil company's belated release of information is still drawing criticism from environmentalists.

As China's prosperity grows, so do its trash piles

In cities across China, trash scavengers are more prevalent than recycling trucks. Low environmental awareness has led to mounting trash woes in major urban areas.

Senate votes to end ethanol tax breaks: What it means

A Senate vote to eliminate $6 billion in tax breaks for ethanol producers is a strong sign that ethanol is losing allies and Congress is increasingly open to getting rid of tax breaks.

Nuclear power in US: public support plummets in wake of Fukushima crisis

Several polls show that Americans are once again wary of nuclear power. Before the Fukushima disaster, support for nuclear power had hit record highs in the US.

Cancún climate change deal falls flat, Kyoto Protocol on life support

Two weeks of Cancún climate change talks ended Saturday, with a vague deal to help poor countries deal with climate change and the original Kyoto Protocol all but dead.

'Sarah Palin's Alaska' may be 'flippin' fun,' but will it be any good?

The trailer for TLC's upcoming show, 'Sarah Palin's Alaska,' is out, featuring themes of family, fun, and freedom. It functions well as a political ad, too.

Frankenfish - modified salmon - considered for approval in US

Frankenfish: Critics are concerned about the safety of the food to humans and the salmon's effect on the environment.

Climate-energy bill debuts in Senate, but prospects are dim

A climate-energy bill – one intended to appeal to enough factions to proceed through the Senate – was unveiled Wednesday after months of negotiations. But it recently lost its Republican sponsor, complicating its future.

Sarah Palin nature series ruffling environmentalist feathers

An environmental group is mounting a campaign to get TLC’s corporate parent to drop Sarah Palin and her new nature series. But has the group watched any of the channel’s other programming lately?

The EU-green complex: How the EU funds green lobby groups

Senate climate bill may drop cap and trade

A compromise climate bill being developed in the Senate may drop controversial cap and trade legislation passed by the House.

No water? No problem for these Jordanian farmers.

By finding new markets for vegetables that require little water, a handful of Jordanian farmers are proving that agriculture can prosper in a dry land.

Copenhagen summit: Major powers broker compromise

The US, China, India, South Africa, and Brazil agreed to a voluntary climate pact. President Obama acknowledged that 'we have much further to go.' The deal did not produce commitments on emissions reductions.

Palestinians accuse Israel settlements of diverting water

Israel settlements use more than four times as much water as Palestinians and the absence of a peace agreement is stalling negotiations to improve the situation.

Can Nike and Wal-Mart save the Amazon?

An ambitious commitment by some of the world's largest companies not to buy beef or leather products from the Brazilian Amazon may falter if a strong monitoring system isn't put in place.

Climate-change supercomputer causes pollution storm

Beef producers, the next cutting edge for rain forest conservation?

Dig the coal, bury the carbon

New coal-fired power plants will capture CO2 and inject it into the earth.

Could cap-and-trade create another economic bubble?

Should green-minded Norway invest in Canadian oil-sands?

Last week, Greenpeace failed in its bid to force Norway's StatoilHydro to abandon a $2 billion investment in a project that it says produces 10 timesthe greenhouse gases as North Sea drilling.

Sweeping climate-energy bill clears first big hurdle in Congress

The compromise measure would mandate reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions and require greater use of renewable energy. The Senate could be a major stumbling block.

Can Obama's clean energy plan save the climate?

In a major economic speech Thursday at George Mason University, President-elect Barack Obama called for doubling domestic production of alternative energy over the next three years.

Rule OK’s chemical tankers through cities

The railroad regulation is one of the latest ‘midnight rule changes’ by the outgoing administration.

Australia's climate plans aim low

Australia pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 5 to 15 percent below 2000 levels by 2020, targets that are far less than what scientists say is necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change.