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topics in Energy

Energy and the Environment

Cartoon View: The puzzling Volt problem

Essay: When the winter cold kills

Instant Guide: The mutant bacteria that turns seaweed into fuel

Fact Sheet: Get ready for... poo-powered lights?

Analysis: The furnace of the future: Computer servers?

Burning Question: Can fracking cause earthquakes?

Controversy: Exxon's 'disastrous' Yellowstone oil spill

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Energy and the Environment : Essay

A snow covered road in coastal Maine: Some families in the Pine Tree State simply don't have enough money to keep the heat on all winter.

When the winter cold kills

Posted on February 17, 2012, at 11:54 AM

A frigid Maine winter, says Dan Barry, can turn lethal when the fuel oil runs out

Energy and the Environment : Instant Guide

Scientists have made a new breakthrough in harvesting seaweed that potentially makes it a viable alternative biofuel.

The mutant bacteria that turns seaweed into fuel

Posted on January 23, 2012, at 1:01 PM

Kelp is a desirable alternative to land-farmed biofuels, but scientists have had trouble harvesting it. Now, with specially outfitted E. coli, they may be able to

Energy and the Environment : Instant Guide

Using a compound already used in a number of self-cleaning materials, researchers have developed fabric that cleans itself when exposed to sunlight.

The clothes that clean themselves in sunlight

Posted on December 20, 2011, at 2:20 PM

Forget washing machines. Scientists have created a fabric that kills germs and sheds dirt with the aid of sunlight

Energy and the Environment : Fact Sheet

The green glow of the Philips bio-light comes from bioluminescent bacteria, which are fed nutrients from human waste.

Get ready for... poo-powered lights?

Posted on November 29, 2011, at 3:32 PM

Electronics company Philips has a plan to fuel glowing green bulbs with the waste from your toilet

Energy and the Environment : Analysis

A computer server room: A radical new concept proposes that heat-generating servers replace traditional furnaces in everyday Americans' homes.

The furnace of the future: Computer servers?

Posted on November 28, 2011, at 1:05 PM

Computer data centers are energy-hogs that generate a ton of heat. Why not take advantage of that warmth, say researchers

Energy and the Environment : Burning Question

A drill site in Pennsylvania: Deep underground drilling for oil and natural gas may be putting stress on fault lines and contributing to a flurry of earthquakes.

Can fracking cause earthquakes?

Posted on November 14, 2011, at 8:30 AM

A sharp increase in Oklahoma's seismic activity has many wondering if underground drilling is responsible

8 Comments

Energy and the Environment : Instant Guide

Despite the logistical challenges, constructing a solar farm on Mount Everest could ultimately be cost-effective, according to new research.

Could Mount Everest be the future of solar power?

Posted on October 14, 2011, at 3:17 PM

New research suggests that cold, high-elevation climates like the Himalayas are superior to deserts for harvesting solar energy

12 Comments

Energy and the Environment : Instant Guide

Old-school solar panels (above): A new flexible, carbon-based technology might allow solar cells to be woven into clothing that generates electricity on the move.

Coming soon: Solar cells you can wear?

Posted on September 30, 2011, at 12:48 PM

Forget rigid solar panels. Scientists have created a new photovoltaic carbon flexible enough to be worn

6 Comments

Energy and the Environment : Analysis

An oil pipeline in Alaska (not pictured) ruptured over the weekend, spilling thousands of gallons of oil onto The Last Frontier.

BP's new oil spill in Alaska: 'Reckless'?

Posted on July 19, 2011, at 5:53 PM

The beleaguered company that was pummeled over its massive Gulf oil disaster is grappling with another (arguably preventable) spill

6 Comments

Energy and the Environment : In-depth briefing

$An oilfield worker during a "fracking" operation in eastern Colorado: Massive reservoirs of natural gas have been found beneath the ground in America, but some say it may be too costly to extract it.$

The new gas boom

Posted on July 15, 2011, at 12:07 PM

The U.S. has a mammoth deposit of natural gas that could fuel the country for decades. Can it be safely extracted?

Energy and the Environment : Controversy

Oil-coated grass pokes out of a section of the Yellowstone River in Montana: Since an Exxon pipe burst Friday, more than 40,000 gallons of oil have flowed into the waterway.

Exxon's 'disastrous' Yellowstone oil spill

Posted on July 5, 2011, at 1:38 PM

The oil giant loathed by many environmentalists is feeling the heat for spilling 1,000 barrels of oil into the pristine Yellowstone River

9 Comments

Energy and the Environment : Opinion Brief

Navale Shale Oil reserve drills for natural gas in Colorado: Some researchers believe the fuel is not as eco-friendly as once thought.

Can natural gas really prevent an 'energy nightmare'?

Posted on June 27, 2011, at 2:55 PM

Investors are bullish on the domestically abundant fossil fuel, but they may want to temper their optimism in light of unsettling new revelations

8 Comments

Energy and the Environment : Opinion Brief

A hybrid car is plugged into a charging station in San Francisco, Calif.: Electric cars may have bigger carbon footprints than their gas-guzzling competitors, according to a new study.

Are electric cars actually bad for the environment?

Posted on June 14, 2011, at 10:30 AM

New research suggests that you have to drive an electric car a long, long way for it to be greener than a gas-guzzling vehicle

26 Comments

Energy and the Environment : Instant Guide

A natural gas drilling rig in Pennsylvania: Some researchers believe the fuel is not as eco-friendly as once thought.

Natural gas: As bad for the environment as coal?

Posted on April 13, 2011, at 2:33 PM

Some sources of natural gas don't deserve their green reputation, says a new study. In fact, unearthing gas might actually heat up the planet more than coal emissions

Energy and the Environment : Instant Guide