Department of Energy

Mon, 2011-02-07 06:13Chris Mooney
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Criticism Intensifies of New Mexico’s Climate Denying Energy Secretary, Harrison Schmitt

harrison schmitt, astronaut

Harrison Schmitt has had an impressive and storied career: Apollo astronaut and moonwalker, U.S. Senator,  Ph.D. geologist. Since his recent appointment to head the New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources, however, much attention is being focused on Schmitt’s highly unconventional views about climate change.

It’s not just that Republican Governor Susana Martinez’s new pick for the state’s top energy and environment role is a climate denier. It’s the highly politicized nature of his views and past statements--and just how wrong he is about technical matters in climate science--that’s particular stunning.

Read more: Criticism Intensifies of New Mexico’s Climate Denying Energy Secretary, Harrison Schmitt
Fri, 2008-12-19 15:36Page van der Linden
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Nightmare On Coal Street: The Video

Earlier this week, President-elect Barack Obama announced his picks for his energy team, with Dr. Steven Chu to head up the Department of Energy.

Dr. Chu is not the happy holiday gift the "clean coal" folks were hoping for.

The blogosphere has been abuzz with something Chu said about coal in an alternative energy talk he gave at UC Berkeley in April 2007. The video of the talk is nearly two hours long, but we snagged the important bit, where he talks about coal.

Read more: Nightmare On Coal Street: The Video
Thu, 2008-12-11 07:13Chris Mooney
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Chuse Science

Late yesterday, reports started zinging around suggesting that the Obama transition team was ready to announce its energy and environment leaders.

By now it's clear they are the following: former New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection commissioner Lisa Jackson will head up the Environmental Protection Agency; current Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory director Steven Chu will become Secretary of Energy; and Clinton administration EPA head Carol Browner will fill a newly created post, that of White House "climate czar." In addition, Nancy Sutley, the current City of Los Angeles "deputy mayor" for Energy and Environment (and, of these four, the person with the thinnest Wikipedia profile), will come in as chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Read more: Chuse Science
Wed, 2008-12-03 11:11Kevin Grandia
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US Government Releases 2007 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released its 2007 Greenhouse Gas Emissions report today, outlining the the latest trends in US energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

You can go here to download a full copy of the DOE's "Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2007" (PDF) report.

Here's some of the highlights:

 

 

 

  • Total greenhouse gas emissions in 2007 were 1.4 percent higher than in 2006.
  • The increase in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions in 2007 resulted primarily from two factors:

1. Unfavorable weather conditions requiring more home heating and cooling, and

2. A greater reliance on fossil fuel energy from coal and natural gas

  • Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions rose from 7.1 million metric tons in 2006 to 7.2 million metric tons in 2007 - a one year increase of 1.4%
  • 81% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States was related to energy usage in 2007
  • The main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, has risen continually (except for a minor fall in 2006) since 1990
  • The United States will account for 19.6% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions in 2030
Read more: US Government Releases 2007 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report
Tue, 2008-06-17 12:12Bill Miller
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Solutions: New trading funds highlight expanding role of wind in global warming struggle

Two new Exchange Traded Funds, filed within days of each other with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, will focus on companies that provide products and services to the wind-energy industry, such as turbine makers and utilities with wind farms.

Wind energy reduces carbon dioxide emissions and cuts natural gas and water use. Of particular interest to investors, wind power is unaffected by price swings in natural gas, coal and uranium — all of which soared this year.

The new filings reflect the deepening role of wind in the battle against climate change.

Read more: Solutions: New trading funds highlight expanding role of wind in global warming struggle
Wed, 2008-03-12 10:13Bill Miller
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Coal-power boom falters in stampede to alternative sources

The race to coal-fired plants is falling behind the competition as global warming drives the steady shift to more planet-friendly fuels.

About 45 coal-fired power plants were either cancelled or delayed in the past 12 months, according to the US Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, reversing the craving for coal plants.

Read more: Coal-power boom falters in stampede to alternative sources

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