energy

The Global Climate Outlook: Bad

Hamilton Nolan · 11/10/15 03:20PM

Scientists have long said that we must try to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius or less if we want to preserve much of our way of life. According to new estimates, it’s not looking good.

Hamilton Nolan · 12/30/14 09:05AM

Thanks to energy drilling operations, northern New Mexico is now covered by "a permanent, Delaware-sized methane cloud."

Oil Is So Cheap Now. So What?

Hamilton Nolan · 12/01/14 11:16AM

While you slackers were all spending quality time with your families, the global oil markets were plummeting! This is good news, perhaps. Or maybe bad news? Let's explore how this will save—or possibly destroy—our world.

Kill the Oil Companies Before They Kill Us

Hamilton Nolan · 11/03/14 12:42PM

There is a new U.N. report on climate change. Its warnings are very, very dire. It is time that the public comes to terms with the choice we face: keep fossil fuels in the ground, or face doom. Oil companies, like it or not, must be forced to change or be killed.

America's Nuclear Waste Is Just Sitting All Over the Place

Hamilton Nolan · 10/25/13 04:00PM

A quarter century ago, the US government decided that Yucca Mountain, Nevada would be where we would store all of our deadly nuclear waste. So where is our deadly nuclear waste today? Oh, just spread out all over the place.

Get Ready for More Blackouts

Hamilton Nolan · 08/13/13 08:57AM

When Hurricane "Superstorm" Sandy hit New York, a large part of Manhattan— the wealthiest place east of the Taj Mahal— was without power for weeks. At least it wasn't unfashionable. According to a new report, blackouts are becoming the new normal.

Wind Energy Apocalypse on the Horizon, Says One Person

The Oiler · 04/07/13 11:25AM

What's the last time you heard from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar? Not recently, you say. Well, that's because he's been busy cooking up a plot to destroy America increase the amount of energy our country gets from wind turbines. Salazar told the Associated Press he's confident America's largest wind energy project, Cape Wind, will break ground this year off the coast of Massachusetts.

Hamilton Nolan · 01/02/13 11:30AM

The only ingredient in energy drinks that matters is caffeine. Just drink coffee, it's cheap.

Should We All Be Doing Inhalable Caffeine, or What?

Hamilton Nolan · 02/20/12 09:47AM

The FDA is going to investigate whether the "Aeroshot" canisters of inhalable caffeine are actually safe. When you hear about widely available and totally unregulated drugs like this that are available with absolutely no medical supervision whatsoever to any kid who wanders into a convenience store, it makes you ask: is that stuff any good?

Obama Delays Decision on Filthy Tar Sands Pipeline

Jim Newell · 11/10/11 05:17PM

Lefty protesters have scored another (temporary) victory: The Obama administration has decided to delay its decision on building the Keystone XL pipeline until, most likely, after the next election.

Bachmann's Plan to Drill the Everglades Not Winning Many Fans

Jim Newell · 08/31/11 03:11PM

One of President Michele Bachmann's plans for beefing up American energy independence would be to drill the Everglades. Again, that's "drill the Everglades," as a supposed means of extracting mass quantities of fossil fuels. This idea may be just terrible enough to disgust some of her fellow Tea Partiers.

The Justin Bieber Inhaler Makes Coal-Induced Asthma Fun!

Seth Abramovitch · 05/12/11 12:50AM

At Coal Cares — a new initiative from Peabody Energy, the world's largest coal company — you can order cool inhalers for your asthmatic kids, so long as you live within 200 miles of a coal plant. I'm partial to The Bieber, but there's an inhaler here for every taste — even one studded in fake Swarovski crystals! If it all sounds too good (or too awful) to be true, that's because it is. The entire coalcares.org website is a fake, created by The Yes Men — those Swiftian agitators with a talent for mounting elaborate practical jokes. Peabody, however, is very real, and an army of their lobbyists are currently attempting to block what would be the EPA's "first-ever national standards for mercury, arsenic and other toxic air pollution from power plants" — legislation that could prevent 120,000 new cases of childhood asthma per year. As the Bieb might say, that's kinda lame. [coalcares.org, image via Coal Cares]