A Green and Dirty Gift

A Green and Dirty Gift

As lawmakers scurried to keep the government open and head home for the holidays, they wrapped spending and tax deals into a costly measure that highlighted our nation’s mismatched energy policies. Specifically, this monster bill extended and restored tax incentives...
My Brush with Elon Musk

My Brush with Elon Musk

About five years ago, a close friend of mine and I had an idea for a television news program. As luck would have it, my friend had gone to high school with a guy who, at the time, just happened to be the president of NBC. We arranged to have drinks at a fancy hotel...
Greening America’s Energy Workforce

Greening America’s Energy Workforce

Oil permeates the whole economy. Even if you telework in a solar-powered home and tote your groceries home by bicycle, the price of petroleum affects what you spend on goods and services. This impact, of course, is uneven. The collapse from $105 per barrel last summer...
A Driving Force

A Driving Force

Back in 1898, New York City hosted a global environmental summit. Flummoxed, the assembled experts disbanded early without agreeing on workable solutions. What daunting crisis brought about this precursor of today’s big UN climate conferences? Fast-growing...
Solar-Powered Friars

Solar-Powered Friars

If you visit the Franciscan Friars Conventual of Ellicott City, Maryland, you’ll notice a large solar array standing in one of their fields. The friars have dramatically reduced their electricity bill, but that’s not the primary reason they invested in renewable...