This week, the Obama administration approved financial support for two new nuclear reactors in Georgia—the first plants built in the United States since the 1970s. Do nuclear power’s virtues (zero greenhouse emissions) outweigh its vices (cost and waste disposal)? That's the question posed to a group of academics and policy wonks on The New York Times' Room For Debate ......read more
Pentagon way-out research arm DARPA and Predator dronemaker General Atomics are teaming up to turn algae into jet fuel. The Defense Department announced the $20 million deal earlier in the week. The idea is to "demonstrate and ultimately commercialize the affordable production" of an algae-based surrogate for JP-8 jet fuel by 2010. The work is going to be spread all over the country,......read more
Many years ago I visited a magical place in northern California called the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center. It was founded in the 70’s as a think tank for environmental innovation (cum heirloom seed bank) and one of its founding directives was to promote the arts as a means for exploring the natural world and visioning a sustainable future for humankind in which prosperity and......read more
The LA Times reports today that the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the nation's strictest-ever smog limits this morning, a move that could put large parts of the country in violation of federal air quality regulations. The EPA proposed allowing a ground-level ozone concentration of between 60 and 70 parts per billion, down from the 75-ppb standard adopted under President George......read more
A new, free web software released late last year by Google makes seeing how much energy your home is using as easy as opening a web browser. Google PowerMeter collects information from utility smart meters and in-home energy management devices, then visualizes it on the user's personalized iGoogle homepage, showing people how much energy their home is using - and what's using it. So......read more