Russ McBee

Today, Al Gore gave a speech at George Washington University in which he called for a massive push to transform our energy economy; he audaciously suggested that we can and must convert 100 percent of our electricity generation to clean sources within a mere ten years. By relying on solar, wind, and geothermal for all of our electricity, he said ...

Three stories showed up today, and none of them should come as a surprise: 1) Today is the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska event; on this day in 1908, something (either a small asteroid or a small comet) exploded in the air over Siberia. Although it never impacted the ground, and the object itself was only a few meters across, the blast ...

Today, GOP obstructionists in the Senate filibustered a bill which would have provided tax incentives to build out renewable energy sources and which would have extended tax credits for individuals to purchase plug-in hybrid automobiles. The bill would have cost $17 billion over ten years, which is roughly the same amount the Pentagon wastes on ...

Because of the resurgence of nuclear power, uranium mining claims in the western US have skyrocketed from 2,000 in 2001 to over 43,000 last year. Those claims are now encroaching on the Grand Canyon and other western monuments: On public lands within five miles of Grand Canyon National Park, there are now more than 1,100 uranium claims, ...

This is very cool: One of the first large cargo ships in 100 years to cross the Atlantic with the help of the wind will set off from European shores this month on a voyage which is due to make maritime history. When the 10,000-tonne Beluga Skysail is well clear of the land, it will launch a giant kite, which wind tunnel tests and sea trials ...

Within the coming years, one (or both) of the following phenomena will force us to apply the brakes to our reckless production of carbon dioxide and our insane habit of burning hydrocarbons for fuel: 1) Peak oil will limit the amount of hydrocarbons we have to burn, and/or 2) Global warming will cause such dramatic shifts in human civilization ...

This Bloomberg article (via Andrew Eder) goes into quite a bit of detail about TVA's current and past nuclear program. This part caught my eye (although I don't know how these estimates were derived): Investment banking consultant Gary L. Hunt, president of Global Energy Advisors in Sacramento, California, estimates the cost of building a ...

Two fights in Congress over energy policy have produced good news and bad news. First, the good news: Senators late Thursday rejected a proposal to allow limited natural gas development in waters off the mid-Atlantic coast despite a long-standing drilling moratorium. A proposal to let Virginia seek a waiver to the drilling ban for a large ...