NPR Topics: Energy http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1131&ft=1&f=1131 Energy Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Energy http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1131&ft=1&f=1131 Personalizing Solar Power Researchers are hoping to improve solar energy installations by coupling a solar panel to an efficient hydrolysis unit that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. Daniel Nocera of MIT says the approach could lead to personal solar power units that could get many houses off the grid. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613254&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613254&ft=1&f=1131 Researchers are hoping to improve solar energy installations by coupling a solar panel to an efficient hydrolysis unit that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. Daniel Nocera of MIT says the approach could lead to personal solar power units that could get many houses off the grid.

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]]> California Requires TVs To Be More Energy Efficient Power-hungry TVs will be banned from store shelves in California after state regulators adopted a first-in-the nation mandate to lower electricity demand. On a unanimous vote, the California Energy Commission on Wednesday required all new televisions up to 58 inches to be more energy efficient beginning in 2011. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:09:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120526762&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120526762&ft=1&f=1131 Power-hungry TVs will be banned from store shelves in California after state regulators adopted a first-in-the nation mandate to lower electricity demand. On a unanimous vote, the California Energy Commission on Wednesday required all new televisions up to 58 inches to be more energy efficient beginning in 2011.

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]]> Top Executives Launch Electric Car Coalition A group of executives from more than a dozen auto, transportation and energy companies launched a new coalition Monday to urge the federal government to make a major investment in electric transportation. Their goal is to bring 100 million electric cars to the road by 2030. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:37:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120478052&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120478052&ft=1&f=1131 A group of executives from more than a dozen auto, transportation and energy companies launched a new coalition Monday to urge the federal government to make a major investment in electric transportation. Their goal is to bring 100 million electric cars to the road by 2030.

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]]> Buffett's Rail Buy Seen As Bet On Coal, Economy Warren Buffett's decision to take full control of the nation's second largest railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., suggests the billionaire investor sees new potential in freight transport, economists say. Trains often carry coal or containers filled with imported goods. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120321379&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120321379&ft=1&f=1131 Warren Buffett's decision to take full control of the nation's second largest railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., suggests the billionaire investor sees new potential in freight transport, economists say. Trains often carry coal or containers filled with imported goods.

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]]> Recharging Portable Electronics One Step At A Time The next time your batteries need a recharge, try taking a walk. A tiny Cleveland startup is trying to capture the renewable energy of your footsteps — no outlet required. Its device is called the Personal Energy Generator, or PEG, and it's about the size of a flashlight. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:03:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120236697&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120236697&ft=1&f=1131 The next time your batteries need a recharge, try taking a walk. A tiny Cleveland startup is trying to capture the renewable energy of your footsteps — no outlet required. Its device is called the Personal Energy Generator, or PEG, and it's about the size of a flashlight.

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]]> Building A Better Lightbulb The U.S. Department of Energy is offering $10 million to the first individual or company to develop an energy-efficient LED replacement for the standard 60-watt incandescent bulb. DOE lighting program manager James Brodrick discusses the L Prize, and what makes a better bulb. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120174318&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120174318&ft=1&f=1131 The U.S. Department of Energy is offering $10 million to the first individual or company to develop an energy-efficient LED replacement for the standard 60-watt incandescent bulb. DOE lighting program manager James Brodrick discusses the L Prize, and what makes a better bulb.

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]]> Health Issues Follow Natural Gas Drilling In Texas Vast new natural gas fields have opened up thanks to an advanced drilling technique. While natural gas is a cleaner burning fuel than coal or petroleum, extracting it is still hard, dirty work. Some people who live near the massive Barnett Shale gas deposit in north Texas, have complaints. Health and environmental concerns are prompting state regulators to take a closer look. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120043996&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120043996&ft=1&f=1131 Vast new natural gas fields have opened up thanks to an advanced drilling technique. While natural gas is a cleaner burning fuel than coal or petroleum, extracting it is still hard, dirty work. Some people who live near the massive Barnett Shale gas deposit in north Texas, have complaints. Health and environmental concerns are prompting state regulators to take a closer look.

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]]> NASA Launches Mission To Track Polar Ice By Plane Climate scientists are about to lose a satellite that helped show how global warming affects the Earth's polar ice caps. A replacement won't be in orbit until at least 2015, so NASA will use a DC-8 aircraft instead to track whether the process of melting and subsequent sea-level rise is accelerating. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:24:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114299675&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114299675&ft=1&f=1131 Climate scientists are about to lose a satellite that helped show how global warming affects the Earth's polar ice caps. A replacement won't be in orbit until at least 2015, so NASA will use a DC-8 aircraft instead to track whether the process of melting and subsequent sea-level rise is accelerating.

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]]> Obama Announces Massive Power Grid Upgrade The president unveiled a $3.4 billion plan to transform the nation's electrical infrastructure to a "smart grid." The White House says the upgrade would save energy and promote renewable energy sources. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114204680&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114204680&ft=1&f=1131 The president unveiled a $3.4 billion plan to transform the nation's electrical infrastructure to a "smart grid." The White House says the upgrade would save energy and promote renewable energy sources.

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]]> China Spends Billions In A Global Spree For Oil The global recession appears to have accelerated a shift in China's growing role in world energy markets. China has taken advantage of low prices to snap up energy resources around the planet and ensure future economic growth. So far this year, China has purchased an estimated $15 billion in oil and gas supplies worldwide, already double last year's figure. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:56:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114178349&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114178349&ft=1&f=1131 The global recession appears to have accelerated a shift in China's growing role in world energy markets. China has taken advantage of low prices to snap up energy resources around the planet and ensure future economic growth. So far this year, China has purchased an estimated $15 billion in oil and gas supplies worldwide, already double last year's figure.

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]]> Scientists: Biofuel Laws May Harm Environment Researchers writing in the current issue of <em>Science</em> believe they have found an error in existing biofuel laws that could actually make climate change worse. They say these rules inadvertently encourage deforestation, which in turn contributes to global warming. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114055974&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114055974&ft=1&f=1131 Researchers writing in the current issue of Science believe they have found an error in existing biofuel laws that could actually make climate change worse. They say these rules inadvertently encourage deforestation, which in turn contributes to global warming.

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]]> Iran Agrees To Draft Deal On Uranium Supplies Diplomats say the deal would see Iran ship most of its enriched uranium to Russia, stripping Tehran of most of the material it would need to make a nuclear weapon. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:23:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113992905&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113992905&ft=1&f=1131 Diplomats say the deal would see Iran ship most of its enriched uranium to Russia, stripping Tehran of most of the material it would need to make a nuclear weapon.

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]]> U.S. Chamber Disclosure Report No Hoax At a news conference Monday, a fake group announced that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reversed course to endorse climate change legislation, an issue that has divided its membership. Chamber officials interrupted the meeting to expose the hoax. But in an announcement that wasn't fake, the chamber disclosed a dramatic jump in its lobbying activity. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113957462&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113957462&ft=1&f=1131 At a news conference Monday, a fake group announced that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reversed course to endorse climate change legislation, an issue that has divided its membership. Chamber officials interrupted the meeting to expose the hoax. But in an announcement that wasn't fake, the chamber disclosed a dramatic jump in its lobbying activity.

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]]> Without Pigs, Cairo Looks For Solar Garbage Fix Early this summer, amid fears of the spread of swine flu, the Egyptian government ordered the slaughter of some 250,000 pigs in Cairo. The pigs used to eat much of the city's garbage. Now a non-profit organization called Solar Cities is looking to put all that extra organic waste to use&mdash;-by turning it into natural gas. Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113911984&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113911984&ft=1&f=1131 Early this summer, amid fears of the spread of swine flu, the Egyptian government ordered the slaughter of some 250,000 pigs in Cairo. The pigs used to eat much of the city's garbage. Now a non-profit organization called Solar Cities is looking to put all that extra organic waste to use—-by turning it into natural gas.

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]]> Forecasting Climate Change Legislation With Congress focused on Afghanistan, the economy and health care, will there be any action on domestic climate policy before the Copenhagen climate summit in December? Eileen Claussen, of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, talks about what to expect in the coming months. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113870296&ft=1&f=1131 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113870296&ft=1&f=1131 With Congress focused on Afghanistan, the economy and health care, will there be any action on domestic climate policy before the Copenhagen climate summit in December? Eileen Claussen, of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, talks about what to expect in the coming months.

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