(These comments were submitted by David Roberts, staff writer for Grist.) To understand the promise of renewable energy for the U.S. military, it helps to start as far from Washington, D.C. as possible. (This is true for most forms of understanding.) Start far from the politicians, even from the military brass, far from the rooms where big-money decisions are made, far out on the leading edge of the conflict, with a small company of Marines in Afghanistan's Sangin River Valley. Not long ago, for a three-day mission out of a forward operating base in Afghanistan, each Marine would have humped between 20 and 35 pounds of batteries. One of the reasons Marines are so lethal in such small numbers today is that they are constantly ... Continue reading →

Monday, May 21, 2012 | Last Updated: 2:49 p.m. Continue reading →

The embattled chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, announced on Monday that he is resigning from his post at the NRC, noting that now is the “appropriate time” to step down. His resignation is effective upon the confirmation of his successor. Jaczko, a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has been at the center of a political firestorm since late last year when the other four NRC commissioners complained to the White House that he has bullied staff, verbally abused women, and hindered communications at the agency, which oversees the nation’s 104 nuclear plants. The commissioners testified before Congress, questioning Jaczko’s leadership, which they said created a chilled environment at the agency. The controversy seemingly quieted down at the start ... Continue reading →

The Oil Industry and Politics May 20, 2012 C-SPAN | Washington Journal Amy Harder author of "Your Cheatin' Heart" published Friday in National Journal about what she calls the oil industry's "special relationship" with the GOP, and how big oil is working with the Obama Administration. Topics .. Read More Amy Harder author of "Your Cheatin' Heart" published Friday in National Journal about what she calls the oil industry's "special relationship" with the GOP, and how big oil is working with the Obama Administration. Topics included money from the oil industry in politics, how money to both parties contributes to regulatory capture, and the long history of the relationship between Republican Party and the oil industry. She also responded to telephone calls and electronic communications. ... Continue reading →

(These comments were submitted by David Roberts, staff writer for Grist.) To understand the promise of renewable energy for the U.S. military, it helps to start as far from Washington, D.C. as possible. (This is true for most forms of understanding.) Start far from the politicians, even from the military brass, far from the rooms where big-money decisions are made, far out on the leading edge of the conflict, with a small company of Marines in Afghanistan's Sangin River Valley. Not long ago, for a three-day mission out of a forward operating base in Afghanistan, each Marine would have humped between 20 and 35 pounds of batteries. One of the reasons Marines are so lethal in such small numbers today is that they are constantly ... Continue reading →

What GAO FoundOlder electricity generating units—those that began operating in or before 1978—provided 45 percent of electricity from fossil fuel units in 2010 but produced a disproportionate share of emissions, both in aggregate and per unit of electricity generated. Overall, in 2010 older units contributed 75 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions, 64 percent of nitrogen oxides emissions, and 54 percent of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel units. For each unit of electricity generated, older units collectively emitted about 3.6 times as much sulfur dioxide, 2.1 times as much nitrogen oxides, and 1.3 times as much carbon dioxide as newer units. The difference in emissions between older units and their newer counterparts may be attributed to a number of factors. First, 93 percent of the ... Continue reading →