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Michigan Oil Spill Forces Residents To Evacuate

  By Health & Environment, OIL

July 31st, 2010 On Monday, a disastrous leak in one of the world’s largest pipeline systems gushed over 1 million gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River, located in southwest Michigan. Already, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has declared the area a disaster zone, quickly activating State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to ensure all state resources are devoted to oil spill response. “From my perspective, the response has been anemic,” Granholm. . . CONTINUE

Pipeline Leaks In Alaska’s Oldest Oil Field

  By Health & Environment, OIL

Thursday, 22 July 2010 8:37AM ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – An estimated 630 gallons of oil has leaked from a buried pipeline in Alaska’s oldest operating oil field, state environmental officials said Wednesday. The leak was discovered at the Swanson River oil field in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge south of Anchorage, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said. The field, which produces both oil and natural gas, is operated. . . CONTINUE

Business Groups Ask Obama for New Electric Vehicle Task Force

  By Electric Vehicles

Zach McDonald A coalition of business interests yesterday called for the creation of two new government groups to facilitate efforts to get one million plug-in cars on the road by 2015. In a letter to president Barack Obama, the Electric Drive Transportation Association, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and two other trade groups praised the White House for its efforts to promote EVs but said that “the critical, immediate next. . . CONTINUE

Volkswagen taps Tesla co-founder for electric vehicle push

  By Electric Vehicles, Technical Innovations

Volkswagen laid out its plan for electric vehicles as well as industry domination yesterday. The company hopes to sell 10 million cars per year, worldwide, by 2018, which would put them right at the top of the sales charts. So how are they going to do it? Interestingly, VW has partnered up with a pioneer of electric vehicles to achieve their goals. The company is relying on its Electric Research. . . CONTINUE

Toyota-Tesla: new electric Rav4 and Lexus RX

  By Electric Vehicles

Toyota Prius, Rav4, Lexus RX, and “a supercar” The age of the electric supercar is fast approaching, with Audi’s upcoming e-tron and the recently-revealed Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell leading the way. New reports out of the US this week suggest that the world’s number one carmaker, Toyota, is looking to join the fray. Toyota boss Akio Toyoda, inspired by a spin in the Tesla Roadster, has approved advanced research into. . . CONTINUE

Small-Scale, more efficient, Urban Wind Turbines

  By Alternative Energy, Technical Innovations

Virtually silent, fully enclosed, Tesla – bladeless wind turbines on the way High efficiency wind turbine based on jet engine technology Schooling fish inspire new approach to wind farming – to 10 times more efficient Reno and Boston Put Wind Turbines on City Hall Roofs Jun 3, 2010, By Russell Nichols, Staff Writer From the roof of Reno’s City Hall, two 1.5 kilowatt wind turbines designed with special hoops to. . . CONTINUE

Deep Water Horizon Oil spill, clean-up workers getting sick

  By General Corruption, Health & Environment, OIL

BERNARD LAGAN, May 31, 2010 In the US, which assumes no engineering challenge is beyond conquer – nor does it lack the private capital to achieve it – the brackish rouge beneath the waves that is slowly strangling the Louisiana shore not only stains the sea and the sands, that creeping black is also gutting confidence, upturning myths and ruining reputations. When Americans learned at the weekend that British Petroleum. . . CONTINUE

Wind Power Project Comes To Small Town America

  By Alternative Energy

by Nino Marchetti, June 1st, 2010 While the development of large scale renewable energy projects is well and good for large population centers, some might argue that future types of energy sources like solar and wind will not truly see their potential until they come to small town America. If this is indeed the case, Painesville, Ohio and its new corporate renewable energy partner NexGen Energy, very well could be. . . CONTINUE

Oil Spill focuses our attention on foreign oil

  By Alternative Energy, OIL

By T. Boone Pickens – 05-20-2010 Without minimizing the environmental issues involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, let’s focus on the economics of the situation. This accident has not disrupted the 19 million barrels of oil we used every day in April – 12.3 million of which was imported oil. In the weeks since the accident, crude oil prices have actually dropped about $15 per barrel – which. . . CONTINUE

Wind and Solar Energy on the Rise

  By Alternative Energy

Former president Bush promotes renewable energy UK on Course to Reap Massive Renewable Energy Harvest 8 States Offering Homeowners Solar Energy Rebates Ohio and Oklahoma Lawmakers Approve Clean Energy Bills Wind Energy Becoming More Competitive Indiana Seeks Opportunities At Texas Wind Conference Xcel Energy to Buy 250 Mw from Colorado Wind Farm Kan. Could Have 30000 Green Jobs by 2012 Oklahoma House Approves Renewable Energy Target Texas hits renewable energy. . . CONTINUE

BP’s Slick Greenwashing

  By General Corruption, Health & Environment, OIL

The petroleum giant tried to sell itself as a green industry leader. That was just an oily tactic. By James Ridgeway | Tue May. 4, 2010 5:30 AM PDT For the last decade, BP has been busily engaged in a multi-million-dollar greenwashing campaign. Changing its name from British Petroleum to BP, the company adopted a new slogan, “Beyond Petroleum,” and began a “rebranding” effort to depict itself as a public-spirited,. . . CONTINUE

Solar power more competitive as costs drop

  By Alternative Energy, Technical Innovations

Apr. 25, 2010, By STEVE EVERLY, The Kansas City Star The prospects for solar energy in the Midwest are brightening. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The Midwest gets plenty of sunshine – more than Germany, which uses more solar power than any other country. Kansas City has the same percentage of annual sunshine as San Antonio, for example, and Dodge City, Kan., has as much as Miami. And the big cost. . . CONTINUE