Earth Talk | Water-powered cars?

Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that cars can be modified to run on water. How is this possible? – Diane McMorris, Rockport, Maine There are a number of online marketing offers of kits that will convert your car to “run on water,” but these should be viewed skeptically. These kits, which attach to the car’s engine,…

Earth Talk | Population and warming

Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: To what extent does human population growth impact global warming, and what can be done about it? – Larry LeDoux, Honolulu, Hawaii No doubt human population growth is a major contributor to global warming, given that humans use fossil fuels to power their increasingly mechanized lifestyles. More people means more demand for oil,…

The stakes on clean-energy legislation

Contributors

A study from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy puts the lie to the wild predictions from partisans that the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act will end up costing you hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year in extra energy costs.  “This revised analysis directly underscores the important contribution energy efficiency…

Rick Webb | A lot of hot air?

Contributors

Highland New Wind Development declares itself to be the “Greenest Wind Farm in the World.” See: Highland New Wind website. A month ago, HNWD development made national news when its public-relations firm announced that Virginia’s first utility-scale wind project was ready to start construction. That was a blatant misrepresentation. HNWD does not have a building permit,…

News from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Chris Graham

Friday, July 17 – Press briefing by Tony Blinken, national security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, on the vice president’s upcoming trip to Ukraine and Georgia Thursday, July 16 – Press gaggle with Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton – Vice President Biden highlights Recovery Act progress in Virginia – Statement from the president on…

Newsworthy

Chris Graham

Friday, July 17 – Virginia Bioinformatics Institute researchers present systems biology as a clinical approach to cancer Thursday, July 16 – eVA passes $20B purchase mark – ACLU praises Newport News for action allowing tea party Thursday, July 16 – eVA passes $20B purchase mark – ACLU praises Newport News for action allowing tea party…

Earth Talk | Thinking green

Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: What kind of job opportunities might be opened up by the new federal emphasis on green projects? – Dick Wetzler, St. Paul, Minn. If it’s a U.S. industry that has the potential to be cleaner and greener, chances are the Obama administration has already set aside some stimulus money for it. In February…

Page Shields | Can coal be clean?

Letters

With all of the controversy surrounding the construction of a coal plant in Wise County, VA it bears repeating that coal is not clean energy. The phrase “clean coal technology” fosters hope that scientists will find a way to take harmful elements, especially carbon, out of coal. Unfortunately this is a lost hope as the…