Environmental Leader Archive of Past Articles

Is Coal Bed Methane a Safe and Realistic Option for Coal?

August 30, 2016December 5, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

Roughly 13 percent of the land in the lower 48 states has coal in the ground. Practically all of that has methane in it. The goal of those who see this as an untapped resource is to make a greater use of the fuel. Others say that it will never be environmentally benign.

Lessons Between the Lines in Fed’s Final Guidance for Evaluating Climate Change Impacts in NEPA Documents

August 30, 2016December 5, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

By Bryan LeRoy and David McGrath, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips On August 1, 2016, after nearly six years and two drafts, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a final version of its guidance for considering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the effects of climate change under the ... Read more »

Lost Value Costing of Trash Builds a Bridge to the Circular Economy

August 29, 2016December 5, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

One of the most talked about topics in the sustainability world today is the Circular Economy and its goal of making materials infinitely reusable - eliminating the concept of waste.

Is Ethanol Better or Worse for the Environment?

August 29, 2016December 5, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

Ethanol may be good for the agricultural community that gets to divert crops to supplement gas but it may not be too good for the environment. That's according to a study just released from the University of Michigan, which says that crops used to make biofuels only about 37 percent of the carbon that is later released into the atmosphere.

Can Coal Reinvent Itself? Can it be Economically Converted to Other Fuels?

August 26, 2016December 5, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

With the global community turning increasingly to more sustainable fuels, the coal industry is left wondering what it must do to stay alive. One idea that surfaces time-and-again is whether coal can be converted to a transportation fuel or to natural gas, which makes it useful and perhaps cleaner.

Now that Coal Companies are Troubled, Who Should Pay for Environmental Cleanups?

August 25, 2016December 5, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

Regardless of how their troubles started, coal companies still have to clean up their sites. But the companies are bankrupt, just who should pay. At least company is getting off with a liability of 15 cents on the dollar: Peabody Energy. Fair?

Why Environmental Managers, Investors Love Circular Economy Technologies

August 25, 2016January 30, 2017 by Jessica Lyons Hardcastle

Circular economy technologies, which reduce waste or convert waste to valuable new products, received $668 million in funding from 2011 through the first quarter of 2016.

Duke Energy Takes Solar Shot at Modest Commercial Businesses

August 24, 2016December 5, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

When it comes to accessing the new energy market place, Duke Energy has a made a key move — going after the smaller-to-mid-sized commercial solar markets, which it thinks has huge potential. Today, the Charlotte-based utility announced it will be making significant investments in REC Solar, including personnel.

Carbon Footprinting: Helping Investors Ask the Right Questions

August 23, 2016April 4, 2017 by Ken Silverstein

Last year marked a turning point for the investment community in acting on carbon in their investments. By the time of the Paris Climate Summit in December, 110 investors representing over $10 trillion in assets under management had committed to reporting the carbon footprint of their funds on an annual ... Read more »

Exxon’s Algae Investments May Be Good for Business, and Public Relations

August 23, 2016November 29, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

Exxon Mobil Corp.'s investment in algae biofuels may turn out to be good for business, and public relations. The oil giant, under pressure from states attorneys general and shareholders about what it had previously known about climate change, is letting the general public know about its forays into clean energy.

Huge Step for Zero-Carbon Replacement of Diablo Canyon

August 19, 2016December 6, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

Operating California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant past its 2025 license expiration would cost more than twice what many had anticipated, and significantly more than replacing it with energy efficiency and renewable resources, according to an analysis submitted today to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by the plant owner.

The Granddaddy of the Climate Change Movement is Trying to Save Nuclear Energy in California

August 19, 2016December 6, 2016 by Ken Silverstein

Nuclear power has a powerful advocate: James Hansen, the grandfather of the climate change movement. His latest move is to step on behalf of Pacific Gas & Electric's Diablo Canyon, which is set to retire in 2025.

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