Energy & Fuel

Climate-Unfriendly Coal May Be Losing Ground in U.S., But Not Worldwide

When it comes to climate change, coal’s carbon emissions mean trouble. But as Backgrounder explains, if the once-powerful coal industry is on the decline in the United States, the fuel’s still finding favor worldwide. And that’s bad news for the Paris climate accord’s hopes of gaining control of runaway warming. The story behind the “exaggerated death” of coal.

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Plant Trackers Help Mark Coal’s Decline

Keeping tabs on the increasingly frequent closing of U.S. coal-fired electric power plants is an important way to follow developments on the larger climate change beat. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox points to several mapping databases that help make the job far easier — whether watching the industry in the United States or abroad.

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Court Takes Up Energy Companies' Appeal Over Baltimore Climate Suit

"The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal by energy companies including BP PLC, Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp and Royal Dutch Shell PLC contesting a lawsuit by the city of Baltimore seeking damages for the impact of global climate change."

Source: Reuters, 10/05/2020

Long-Delayed Trump USGS Study Finds That Climate Threatens Polar Bears

"After stalling for months, a top Trump official released a polar bear study by government scientists Friday that highlights the endangered animals’ vulnerability to climate change and the fact that proposed oil drilling in Alaska would probably encroach on their habitat, causing more stress."

Source: Washington Post, 10/05/2020

Trump Plan To Allow Seismic Blasts In Atlantic Oil Search Appears Dead

"The Trump administration’s plan to drill off the Atlantic Coast for the first time in more than half a century is on the brink of collapse because of a court development Thursday that blocked the first steps to offshore oil and gas exploration, as well as the president’s recent actions that undermine his own proposal."

Source: Washington Post, 10/02/2020

Trump Official Stalls Polar Bear Study That Could Affect AK Drilling

"A top official at the Interior Department has delayed the release of a study that shows how oil and gas drilling in Alaska could encroach upon the territory of polar bears — which are already struggling for survival as a warming planet melts their habitat — according to documents obtained by The Washington Post."

Source: Washington Post, 10/01/2020

"‘Super-Enzyme’ Speeds Up Breakdown of Plastic, Researchers Say"

"A new cocktail of enzymes that speeds up the degradation of plastic offers a step forward in finding a new form of recycling that is faster, is more affordable and works on a larger scale than current methods, British and American researchers said this week."

Source: NYTimes, 09/30/2020

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