Business & Politics

Photo via NY Daily News

It's beyond well-known by now that crucial mistakes and shoddy cost-cutting measures were instrumental in bringing about the tragedy at the Deepwater Horizon drill site. But it's still rather alarming to look at them back-to-back-to-back -- New Orleans Times-Picayune reporter David Hammer probed the hundreds of hours of testimony, the innumerable legal documents, and official reports to locate the handful of key errors that were responsible for the disaster. In his report, he reveals the 5 human errors and single mechanical failure that directly lead to the BP Gulf spill. And yes, almost all of them could have been rather easily avoided.

Business & Politics

Photo via MSNBC's Cosmic Blog

It's an interesting question for followers of both politics and climate issues: How would things have turned out if Obama had thrown his weight behind clean energy legislation instead of health care reform? Would we now be looking at a freshly passed law designed to map out the future of the American energy economy and to stimulate job growth in sustainable sectors -- while curbing greenhouse gas pollution and ramping up renewables? Would Democrats have benefited from focusing on the economy instead of health care, and enjoy a rosier outlook than the bleak one that currently looms over the November elections?

What would be different if Obama had chosen energy?

Travel & Nature

Image credit: ruurmo/Flickr

Everything from fungus to parasites, pesticides to disease, pollution to habitat loss, has been blamed for the startling—often sudden—declines in bee populations worldwide. Though a wide range of possible causes have been identified, a reliable solution has yet to be implemented.

Now, another possible factor has been identified: Shifting seasonal changes brought on by climate change.

Science & Technology

Photo: Flickr, CC

Adding 3MW Turbines
Europe's largest onshore wind farm, which is located in East Renfrewshire in Scotland, is about to get even bigger. ScottishPower Renewables is planning to add 75 turbines to the existing 140, increasing the capacity of the wind farm from the current 322 megawatts to 539 megawatts. Read on for more details.

Business & Politics

Credit: pgegreenenergy

The Center for American Progress has ranked the Top 10 states for policies that promote energy efficiency. The report cautions, however, that even those states on the list haven't fully tapped into the power of using less power.

Design & Architecture

Photo: Flickr, CC

Might Expand to Other Countries
Speaking of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle", IKEA Sweden wants to make it easier for owners of old IKEA furniture to give it a second life. Against their own commercial interest, the company is offering a free online platform where sellers and buyers can find themselves, and they aren't even taking a cut of the transactions. Read on for more details.

Business & Politics

Watch the full size video on Planet Green

Today, on Planet 100, oil billionaires use cash to squash climate change legislation in California, the Women in Green Forum encourages more women to consider a green career path, and David Letterman interviews Bill McKibben.

Science & Technology

photo: Adam Tinworth via flickr

Two new illustrations about how the US has stiff competition around the world in renewable energy: New York Times reports on how China has beaten the United States in building the first major offshore wind farm outside of Europe; SmartPlanet highlights a report showing that Europe was responsible for 80% of new solar PV systems installed in the world last year.