Solid as a rock, sort of: If you must deal with a grounded oil rig, it's best to deal with a grounded oil rig that isn't leaking. Shell's Kulluk rig, which ran aground in Alaska during a storm earlier this week, is apparently still holding all of its 143,000 gallons of diesel. Phew. Associated Press

Sun signs: Solar power can't be that bad of a bet: Warren Buffett's investing in it. His MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company just bought two big California photovoltaic projects for more than $2 billion. Forbes

Thar she blows!: Hey, we're going to keep building wind turbines after all! Congress extended a tax credit for wind production that helps keep the growing industry going. The extension is just for one year, but it'll prevent wind power from taking a nosedive. Bloomberg

Sometimes you get bees with vinegar: On Tuesday, Congress continued to put off a vote on whether to give Sandy victims $9 billion in federal emergency relief. After receiving a sharp-tongued lashing from politicians across New York and New Jersey, the House has scheduled the vote for tomorrow. A larger amount -- $60 billion -- could be approved later this month. USATODAY

Tell us how you really feel: New York State's Health Department came to the conclusion that hydrofracking was probably safe enough to go forward in the state -- and then didn't tell anybody. So, of course, someone leaked the report to the New York Times. A state spokesperson then told the newspaper that the report, from early 2011, is out of date. New York Times

Boo Boo in Jellystone: A federal government investigation into the 2011 oil spill in the Yellowstone River found that Exxon Mobil Corp. could have limited damage if it had responded to the spill more quickly. Basically, the company should have turned off the flow of oil into the pipe as soon as it knew there was a rupture. Duh, but sounds familiar. Associated Press

So...what are you in for?: Not only is the African country Mauritania banning the use of plastic bags, but anyone caught manufacturing or importing one could go to jail for a year. Better check your luggage for any strays before getting off the plane in Nouakchott. BBC

You can never go home again: The grylloblattid is an insect that lives on the icy edges of glaciers, which, yah, is weird, especially since it began its existence as a species many, many, many years ago in tropical forests. Now as their habitats melt away, it's not clear where these peculiar little ice crawlers are going to go to next. NPR

Chop shop: When driving to the Everglades, make sure to pick up your anti-vulture kit from the national park authorities. The kit's tarp and bungee cords will come in handy when saving your ride from vulture poop and claws. The big birds have been going after cars, tearing off parts like windshield wipers and rubber seals for sunroofs and windows. Miami Herald

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