Climate Energy

Bachmann promises $2 gas, unicorns

When I was in the fourth grade I took a lot of crap for not voting for Ty for class president, because he said he would give us double recess and free ice cream. I found those claims doubtful, and also Ty was kind of a dick, so I didn't vote for him, but everyone else did and they made fun of me. What I'm saying is, if you believe Michele Bachmann's claim that she can get gas back under $2 a gallon, then you should break out your Bieber tee and your juice box, because you are essentially an eight-year-old with a peer pressure problem. And you're going to be waiting a long time for that ice cream.

Critical List: Exxon could lose a big Gulf oil lease; alligator fat makes good biofuel

Exxon could lose its lease on one of its biggest oil finds ever.

Bill McKibben explains why Keystone XL protesters will wear Obama '08 buttons.

Isn’t there some place to put a big wind farm that won't threaten endangered species of birds? (Spoiler: No. Or anyway, not South Texas.)

Obama administration moves against Alaska oil drilling

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is moving to grant increased protection to areas within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Mythbusters: debunking the claim that fuel economy standards ‘kill people’

Opponents of fuel-efficiency standards say the push toward smaller cars increases traffic fatalities, but it could be big cars that pose a danger.

Animated film from 1957 predicts explosion in energy use

The only thing about this 1950s educational cartoon that’s more remarkable than its stylishness is how badly it botches its core prediction. It projects that between 1957 and 1975, electricity use in the U.S. would increase four-fold. But America's electricity consumption didn't quadruple from 1950 levels until 1989. Cartoons, we trusted you! How could you get it so wrong?

Rick Perry wants to frack Iowa

At an Iowa campaign stop, Rick Perry told voters that he's not aware of any instances when fracking contaminated groundwater.

Mountaintop-removal mining is unpopular even in coal country

A strong majority of Appalachians oppose mountaintop-removal coal mining -- 57 percent -- according to a new poll conducted in the region.

Hundreds of miles of new pipelines to carry Pennsylvania gas

How big is natural gas in Pennsylvania? This big, according to the Associated Press:

More than half of the interstate natural-gas pipeline projects proposed to federal energy regulators since the beginning of 2010 involve Pennsylvania — at a cost estimated at more than $2 billion.

After North Sea oil spill, Shell plans to continue Arctic drilling

The Interior Department acknowledges the effects of climate change in the region but approves more drilling for fossil fuels there.

It's time to shed more light on solar's potential

As journalists cover record spikes in electricity demand, why are they ignoring solar photovoltaics?