Read the NBR team's thoughts about the economics of environmental trends. Then post your comments.

Debating Clean Energy on Capitol Hill

posted by Stephanie Dhue, Correspondent on May 18, 2009

The "American Clean Energy and Security Act" is a complex proposal. Lawmakers who weren't crazy about the "cap and trade" idea to begin with today complained about seeing the 932 page proposal first time late Friday, ahead of this afternoon's mark-up. The big change is that utilities and other large emitters of carbon will no longer pay for their initial... + More

Turning Landfill Gas into Energy

posted by Dana Bate, Field Producer on April 22, 2009

So what does it mean for a home to be "green"? Well, if it is going to be certified by one of the national green building programs - such as US Green Building Council's "LEED for Homes" or NAHB National Green Building Program - the home needs to be evaluated by an accredited third party to make sure it meets... + More

Turning Landfill Gas into Energy

posted by Jeff Yastine, Senior Correspondent on December 26, 2008

"Landfill methane" is what I call a "huh?" story. As in..."Huh? What's that?" Methane is a true "natural gas," produced as a by-product in the breakdown of organic matter. If you've ever read a newspaper headline about grazing cows being an environmental threat and contributing to global warming worries - it's because cows are... + More

Of Weddings and Zipcars

posted by Dana Greenspon, Field Producer on August 15, 2008

I'm a planner. Always have been, probably always will be. Case in point: My wedding is in two weeks, and already I'm scheming as to where my future husband and I might "settle down." I know, I know, let's worry about saying the "I Dos' first, right? Cut me some slack. Dreaming up our future abode is infinitely more... + More

My Journey to the "Tibet of Japan"

posted by Lucy Craft, Reporter on August 8, 2008

Japan comes up small beer when it comes to size -- in square mileage, it's no larger than the state of California -- and foreign coverage of this country is overwhelmingly concentrated in Tokyo. But even so, a single city does not a country make. Theres no shortage of business stories playing out across the Japanese archipelago, which is why it was thrilling ... + More

Building Green Buildings

posted by Dana Greenspon, Field Producer on July 3, 2008

When a lot of people hear the words "green building," they think of slapping some solar panels on the roof or using wind energy to power the electricity. Fini. But in doing tonight's story, I found that building green shouldn't mean just replacing your energy sources with alternative energy. Green buildings should use less energy... + More

The Fruits of Soybean Oil Labor

posted by Diane Eastabrook, Chicago Bureau Chief on June 5, 2008

Cooper Power Systems is an example of how American ingenuity can help make the planet more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The soy-based coolant the company developed a decade ago for electric power transformers is the result of some very forward-thinking engineers. Patrick McShane was one of those engineers. After... + More

Cellulosic Ethanol

posted by Jeff Yastine, Senior Correspondent on May 14, 2008

Cellulosic ethanol is one of those energy techologies that's very exciting to explore, but the excitement has to be tempered with a hard look at the costs of production and how those costs stack up relative to other fuels. There's still a lot of debate about whether the true "carbon costs" of producing cellulosic ethanol might... + More

Trash to Gas?

posted by Dana Greenspon, Field Producer on May 12, 2008

Ethanol bashing is all the rage these days. If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, you know why. Food prices are rising faster than they have in decades, and one factor – among many – is that corn crops once used for food and animal feed are now being converted into corn-based ethanol. For my "Green Options" story (which... + More

Genetically Modified Crops

posted by Diane Eastabrook, Chicago Bureau Chief on May 12, 2008

As a reporter well into my second decade of covering news, it is always fascinating to watch a story evolve. I covered bioengineered crops, also known as genetically modified organisms, when they hit the market a little more than a decade ago. Gmos aimed to revolutionize farming by creating hardier and more innovative... + More