Energy

Bloomberg Business | — “Apple is embracing renewable energy with an $848 million commitment to obtain electricity from a solar farm that’s big enough to power its offices in California, along with 52 retail stores and a data center. Bloomberg’s Michael di Capua and Bloomberg Businessweek’s Brad Stone speak on “Bloomberg West.”” Bloomberg Business: “Apple […]

Climate Change

The More Coal & Oil we Burn, the worse the Southwest Megadrought

contributors

NASA Goddard | – “NASA scientists used tree rings to understand past droughts and climate models incorporating soil moisture data to estimate future drought risk in the 21st century.” NASA | Megadroughts Projected for American West

Climate Change

Can Republicans succeed by running on Polluting Planet & New Cold War?

contributors

By Michael T. Klare It’s a ritual long familiar to observers of American politics: presidential hopefuls with limited international experience travel to foreign lands and deliver speeches designed to showcase their grasp of foreign affairs. Typically, such escapades involve trips to major European capitals or active war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. New Jersey Governor […]

Climate Change

Keystone of Corruption: The Money Pipeline from Big Oil to Congress

contributors

By Kitty Stapp NEW YORK (IPS) – With battle lines sharpening over the stalled Keystone XL pipeline, a new analysis details the intense industry lobbying of both houses of the U.S. Congress since 2013 – to the tune of 58.8 million dollars by five refinery companies alone. According to MapLight, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organisation […]

Banking

Putin on the Nile: an Isolated Russia Seeks friends in Egypt w/ offer of Nuclear Plant

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation paid a state visit to Cairo on Tuesday, consulting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on a range of economic and foreign policy issues. The meeting was seen by many observers as underlining the desire of Egypt to become less dependent […]

Climate Change

Abandoning Diesel: Battery-powered train brings low-carbon commuting to UK

contributors

Reuters | — “The first battery-powered passenger train to run on Britain’s tracks in over 50 years completes a five-week trial in a bid to prove the viability of more eco-friendly alternatives to diesel-powered locomotives. Mia Reakes went aboard.” Reuters: Battery-powered train brings low-carbon commuting to UK

Featured

Iran’s Khamenei throws support to a Practical Nuclear Deal with West

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s clerical leader, gave a speech on Sunday in which he said he supports an agreement with the West on Iran’s nuclear enrichment program that is practical and can be achieved, but added, “I will not accept a bad deal.” The speech is being seen […]

Energy

EPA: Keystone XL would have a ‘significant’ impact on climate

contributors

The Tree | — Intro The arguments for rejecting the construction of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline just got stronger: this time its about carbon emissions. On last Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) challenged the State Department to revisit its environmental impact analysis of the pipeline, saying that developing Canada’s tar sands “represents […]

Energy

Can Plants teach us how to make Better Solar Panels?

contributors

CCTV America | — “Even with the robust sales, solar panels aren’t terribly efficient, converting only about 10-15 percent of the sun’s rays into useable and storable energy. A group of scientists are hoping to improve that and they are inspired by nature. CCTV America’s Jessica Stone reported this story from Albany, New York.” CCTV: […]