TOP STORY
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Champion of the Environment and Clean Energy, Dies at 77
"He was a great champion of progressive causes, and his death is a great loss, particularly for health care reform...His legacy on “Protecting the Environment and Promoting Energy Efficiency” is below. How many Senators would even mention “energy efficiency” among their achievements?" [Grist]
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More Sun for Less: Solar Panels Drop in Price
"For solar shoppers these days, the price is right. Panel prices have fallen about 40 percent since the middle of last year, driven down partly by an increase in the supply of a crucial ingredient for panels, according to analysts at the investment bank Piper Jaffray."
Water-Use Saga: The return of Glen Canyon
"The 170-mile Glen Canyon in Arizona was dammed in 1965. The Colorado River backed up, creating one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, Lake Powell, etching about 2,000 miles of shoreline as it flooded the main canyon and nearly 200 side canyons....A drought beginning in 1999 caused a 145-foot drop in Lake Powell’s water level by 2005, exposing the once-submerged canyons to sunlight, air, and public view." [Christian Science Monitor]
U.S. Biofuel Boom Running on Empty
"The biofuels revolution that promised to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil is fizzling out. Two-thirds of U.S. biodiesel production capacity now sits unused, reports the National Biodiesel Board. Biodiesel, a crucial part of government efforts to develop alternative fuels for trucks and factories, has been hit hard by the recession and falling oil prices." [Wall Street Journal]
After 150 Years, Whither Oil?
"This week marks the 150th anniversary of the first oil well drilled in Titusville, Pennsylvania by “Colonel” Edwin Drake. The commodity would prove essential to the development of modern societies, enabling communications, travel and trade on a global scale. But its central role is now facing unprecedented challenges." [Green Inc.- New York Times]
