That solar energy has its supporters is news to no one. But that some might mandate its use for average citizens, and fine them $1,500 for noncompliance, might seem a bit over the top. Well that is precisely the case in Marburg, Germany, where the city council recently required its residents to not only place solar panels on all new home construction, but has even mandated their implementation on existing homes that undergo simple repairs. Yes, believe it or not, for merely putting in new insulation or repairing a roof, Marburg residents must also instal expensive solar panels to [...]

Is the use of nuclear power becoming more popular around the world?  Well according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the answer appears to be Yes -- and the most interesting developments are happening in Eastern Europe.  According to the Journal, nuclear energy has several advantages for this region.  There are, for instance, a number of half-developed sites from the Soviet era which already exist and can be safely upgraded.  In addition, a number of governments have provided sovereign guarantees on new plants, and there several Eastern European nations have determined to reduce dependence on Russia, [...]

To craft a bill that has the support of both off-road vehicle enthusiasts along with environmentalists, is no small task, but that is precisely what Congressman Buck McKeon has been able to do with his bill to protect Yosemite Park. Comments the Congressman: "Well, it's always difficult to strike the right balance between environmental protection and economic development. In crafting HR 5149, I took as my starting point the premise that the people who live in the area, the ones who will be most affected by the legislation, should be the ones who have the greatest say. So I [...]

Global warming alarm was back in the news recently when the Natural Resources Defense Council claimed that hotter temperatures will soon lead to sharp rises in air pollution. But according to Joel Schwartz writing for Tech Central Station, these claims ignore some obvious facts. For starters, the NRDC used emissions levels from the mid-1990's to predict future smog, even though those levels have dropped by 25 to 50% over the last 10 years alone and will continue to plummet. But when you also consider the national average of smog alerts has also declined tremendously over recent decades during a [...]

Is the world running out of oil. Well according to the National Center for Policy Analysis, such pessimistic assumptions about oil are nothing new. In 1855, Kier’s Rock Oil advised consumers to, quote, “hurry, before this wonderful product is depleted from Nature’s laboratory.” Indeed, seven oil shortage scares occurred before 1950. Predictions of an oil famine also were rampant during the Arab Oil embargo of the 1970s, but in each of these cases, the scares were followed by gluts of cheap oil. In actuality according to the National Center, reserves of oil have never been higher. And when all [...]

Energy from the sun is free. But producing the solar cells that can convert that sunlight into electricity is certainly not, and that's one reason why solar power is so expensive.  Now however, some researchers in Italy are working on a new solar cell that mimics the way plants conduct photosynthesis.  Instead of using expensive silicon-based semiconductors, the new cells use nanotechnology with different substances absorbing the light and then transporting its electrons.   With the overall cost of solar power now about ten times higher than that of generating electricity from the burning of fossil fuels, this is one [...]

Could global warming dry up the Amazon rainforest?  Well some researchers at Harvard University recently reported that Brazil's rainforests "could disappear" by the year 2050 from global warming.  But according to Dr. Willie Soon of the George C. Marshall Institute, these predictions rely upon computer models that simply don't square with real world observations.  The models, for example, indicated there should have been more rainfall over the Sahara Desert from 1901 to 1996, but the exact opposite has happened.  Ditto for the western U.S.  When you also consider that recent studies have shown rain increasing over the Amazon basin, [...]

Where do so-called "bio-fuels" like ethanol fit into America's energy future?  Well according to commodity market analyst David Juday there are both downsides, and upsides to its widespread use:  "Ethanol is a fuel grade alcohol made from fermenting sugars and starches present in crops like corn, sugar cane, or wheat straw. The benefits of ethanol are that it increases gasoline octane and reduces some harmful emissions.  That's one reason 2 percent of all motor fuel in the U.S. had some ethanol mixed in it last year. The drawbacks are that ethanol reduces mileage, can add to smog, and is [...]

Should environmental groups shy away from receiving corporate financial support to carry out their earth-friendly causes?  Well some, like John Stauber of the Center for Media and Democracy believe the money can have a corrupting influence, and calls it "a Faustian bargain, at best."  But according to AbetterEarth.org, at least one group that is funded solely by corporations is doing a remarkable job of cleaning up our nation's waterways.  The group, Living Land and Water, uses thousands of volunteers to clear tons of garbage from rivers across the eastern U.S., and is a prime example of how environmentalists and [...]

Would getting rid of SUV's dramatically reduce our oil consumption?  While some believe the answer is yes, an article by Alan Reynolds of the CATO Institute suggests otherwise.  According to Reynolds, the market share of small, fuel-efficient cars increased only slightly between 1975 and 1988, yet average mileage increased significantly from 13 miles per gallon to more than 22.  Even more telling, the share of small cars now on the road is significantly less than in past decades, yet overall efficiency has only declined by 1.3 miles per gallon due to improved technology.  So apparently, there's a lot more [...]