February 7, 2012, 12:05 AM
With new state regulations demanding an increase in the number of clean and green cars, the future is looking bright for electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf. The problem is, most electric cars can’t go more than about 100 miles without being recharged. But a team of Stanford...
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July 7, 2011, 12:05 AM
A broken light bulb could prove seriously hazardous to your health – and not just from stepping on jagged glass. A new study indicates that when a compact fluorescent bulb is broken, mercury is released in a vapor. And the bulb will continue to release vapor for more than 10 weeks. ...
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May 13, 2011, 12:05 AM
By June 10, nuclear power plant operators must verify under oath that they have updated and adopted additional safety and equipment procedures mandated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after the 9/11 attacks. The bulletin, issued Wednesday at a conference sponsored by the industry's...
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May 2, 2011, 12:05 AM
Growing pot is not as green as you might think. A new study suggests California grow rooms burn about 8 percent of the power used by homes in the state. A single joint represents 2 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, an amount equal to running a 100-watt light bulb for 17 hours, according to...
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January 18, 2011, 12:05 AM
As California prepares a new transportation infrastructure for electric cars, automobile manufacturers are looking for ways to make sure these next generation cars are made from sustainable sources. So, engineers at Toyota are saying they now are close to doing that: by developing an electric...
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December 20, 2010, 12:05 AM
Say goodbye to your 100-watt incandescent light bulbs. On Jan. 1, it’ll become increasingly challenging to find one on a store shelf in California. That’s because the state has ordered a phaseout of the high energy-consuming light bulb. The state is pressing to have the old...
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November 15, 2010, 12:05 AM
Although both California and Japan have long used geothermal energy on a small scale, its appeal to policy makers and investors is growing. Green-energy ventures like Google's are sinking millions into exploiting the vast reservoirs of steam and heat energy that lie beneath the earth...
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November 12, 2010, 5:39 AM
California is not the only major world economy working to restrict the amount of greenhouse gas emissions it contributes to the atmosphere. Several countries have implemented policies to achieve reductions in their fossil fuel consumption, and Japan is no exception. In June, I accepted a...
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October 1, 2010, 12:05 AM
In a race for federal stimulus money, California regulators have approved two more large-scale solar power plants. That brings the number of plants to seven, with nearly 3,000 megawatts of combined power. In Imperial County, the Imperial Valley Solar Project will generate 750 megawatts....
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July 13, 2010, 12:05 AM
In the search for new sources of energy, California policymakers may need to look to the birds. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday on a company interested in building chicken litter-fueled power plants in poultry-producing states. The company, Fibrowatt LLC, is based in Langhorne...
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June 2, 2010, 12:04 AM
When it comes to political metaphors, “David vs. Goliath” doesn’t really serve to describe the power imbalance in the contest for Prop. 16, the public-energy initiative on the California ballot Tuesday. Perhaps “David vs. Godzilla” gives a better notion of the...
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April 12, 2010, 12:04 AM
Three thousand miles away, Californians can look with pity at the recent tragedy at Massey Energy Co.'s Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia. The disaster there stands as the most recent reminder of the risks associated with harvesting the country's abundant coal deposits. Flickr photo by...
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April 2, 2010, 12:03 AM
A state senator from Los Angeles – and candidate for superintendent of public instruction – is demanding that a Bay Area community college stop fighting the planned construction of a natural gas power plant near campus. Photo by Mark WarnerSen. Gloria Romero Using her...
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April 1, 2010, 12:09 AM
In a word: politics. The Obama administration's plan for new offshore drilling conspicuously avoids the North Atlantic and West Coast. That means "Obama will only ruin the coast of red states," as Wonkette slyly noted. "States that voted for John McCain get to enjoy oil...
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March 8, 2010, 12:04 AM
A recent energy study determined that 60 percent of states have the potential to be "energy self-reliant." This refers to the ability of states to meet their entire energy needs using sources within their own borders. The study culled through data and reports to determine the...
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