Dec 20 My understanding is that it takes .75 gallons of fuel to make one gallon of ethanol. If this is true, why is this fuel source so widely acclaimed as a great idea? Question/Comment: There are two issues I’d like to see you tackle that I have not seen anyone in the media deal with. The first has to do with the sensibility of ethanol as a renewable fuel source. My understanding is… Continue reading
Dec 19 Recommendation Nears for Listing Polar Bear as ‘Threatened’ By PBS News Hour One year ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took up a proposal to list the polar bear as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act -- a decision that enjoys public support but also stands to impact a range of… Continue reading
Dec 18 Watch Biologists Struggle to Save the Spotted Owl Lee Hochberg reports on the battle between biologists and loggers over the northern Spotted Owl. The animal has been on the Endangered Species List for the past 17 years, but is not recovering as expected. Continue watching
Dec 18 Watch Energy Bill Puts Focus on Fuel Reform The House passed an energy bill Tuesday that sets more demanding fuel efficiency standards for automobiles and calls for increased production of renewable sources of fuel. The bill was passed by the Senate last week. Energy and climate experts assess… Continue watching
Dec 17 Watch Bali Climate Conference Ends With Compromise The U.N. climate change conference ended in Bali Saturday with a last-minute deal that sets the terms of a "roadmap" for a new climate change treaty. The talks were described as emotional, with discontent directed toward U.S. objections to specific… Continue watching
Dec 14 Senate Passes Energy Bill Without Oil Tax Hikes By PBS News Hour The Senate passed a pared-down energy bill Thursday night that raises fuel economy standards for the first time in more than three decades and mandates a six-fold boost in ethanol use by 2022. Continue reading
Dec 12 Watch GPS-based System May Improve Air Travel The Federal Aviation Administration has unveiled a new air traffic control system, ADS-B, that incorporates the Global Positioning System to more accurately track airplanes in flight. Tom Bearden examines ADS-B, which the FAA has promised will make air travel safer… Continue watching
Dec 11 Watch Experimental Malaria Vaccine Shows Promise in Africa Malaria kills one African child about every 30 seconds. Now, a vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shows promise in reducing the rate of severe malaria by as much as 50 percent. Susan Dentzer reports… Continue watching
Dec 10 U.S., China Reject Emission Caps at Bali Summit By Admin, PBS News Hour Both the United States and China -- the world's biggest polluters -- have rejected the idea of including specific emissions limits in the final document that will come out of the talks at the United Nations climate change conference in… Continue reading
Dec 07 Watch Engineers Lend Technical Aid to Developing Countries Spencer Michels reports on how the 8,000 members of the non-profit group Engineers Without Borders are using their technical skills to bring clean water, sanitation and other engineering projects to communities in developing countries. Continue watching