Pricey and dicey: Cheap natural gas isn't the only thing making coal a less economical option right now -- and additional regulations can't take all the blame either. Getting coal out of the ground is becoming more expensive, because coal companies have already mined the most accessible deposits. Washington Post

Cloud-watching for a cause: Professor Carlos Coimbra gets paid to watch clouds float by. Well, that and he has created a computer modeling system that can predict cloud movements with 20 to 40 percent more accuracy than the typical cloud model used today. Why care so much about clouds? Paired with photovoltaic systems, the new model could improve the efficiency of solar power. Dreamy... The New York Times

Ready, aim, spit!: From more than six feet away, the aptly named archer fish can knock its prey off plants and into the water by spitting at them, and for years how the fish could spit with such velocity has baffled scientists. Until now. An Italian research team has determined that the fish basically turns itself into a water pistol by pressing its tongue against its mouth in a gun-barrel shape and squeezing water from its gills. BBC

Back to normal: China suspended plans for 26 new nuclear plants after the Fukushima disaster, but now the country is ready to start building again, hoping to acquire 30 percent of its energy from nuclear power and renewables sources by 2016. The Guardian

Aggressive therapy: If you're not nervous about geoengineering -- the alternative to cutting carbon emissions -- well, you probably should be. David Keith, who's thought quite a bit about these ideas describes geoengineering as chemotherapy for the planet and that "No one should like it. It's a terrible option." We believe there's a First Nations tribe in Canada right now that couldn't agree more. Foreign Policy

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