Energy16

‘One Yard Line’ For Cape Wind?

April 28, 2011

Jim Gordon, the developer of Cape Wind, recently spoke at Columbia University about his experience working to get the first offshore wind farm in the US built.
The Middle East Dries Up—Another Case Study in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

April 26, 2011

As seductive as it is, depleting non-renewable aquifers to grow food is fundamentally unsustainable for the long term, as Saudi Arabia and other nations are finding out. According to a recent article by Lester Brown, in the 1970s the world’s largest oil producer realized it could use oil-drilling technology to tap deep underwater aquifers and—amazingly,…
Pennsylvania’s Gasland Spill

April 25, 2011

Pennsylvania well spills tens of thousands of gallons of fracking fluid into a nearby creek; Gasland director Josh Fox talks to Columbia University about renewable energy.
Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

April 20, 2011

Louisiana’s wetlands — the largest system in the United States — are shrinking at an alarming rate.
Fracking Panel Comes to NYC

April 8, 2011

In an effort to present various views on hydraulic fracturing, a panel of experts spoke to the public at Barnard College in New York City last Tuesday night. Known colloquially as fracking or hydrofracking, hydraulic fracturing has been regarded by many as a potential threat to New York City’s drinking water supply. The mere possibility…
Of Earthquakes and Nuclear Reactors

April 6, 2011

As Japan’s nuclear meltdown catastrophe continues in the wake of the March 11 magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, Japanese power company executives and officials face an increasingly challenging situation. Tuesday morning, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) — the company operating the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant — dumped more than 11,000 gallons of radioactive seawater into…
Earth Hour: Making it Count

March 28, 2011

The past Saturday 26 of March, people in 131 countries switched off their lights for an hour at 8:30pm local time to celebrate Earth Hour as a way to express their concern about the planet. Major iconic buildings and landmarks went dark, including the Empire State Building in NYC, the Beijing National Stadium (The Bird’s Nest),…
White Paper Release: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India

March 22, 2011

In honor of World Water Day, Columbia Water Center is releasing a new White Paper: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India. The paper presents the results of Columbia Water Center’s study of the severe groundwater crisis in the Mehsana region of Northern Gujarat, India. The study concludes that the current pattern of groundwater exploitation…
Ethanol’s Impacts on Our Water Resources

March 21, 2011

Ninety-five percent of ethanol in the U.S. comes from corn, but corn-based ethanol is controversial because of the amount of land required to grow the crops, and because of its effect on food prices and water resources.

‘One Yard Line’ For Cape Wind?

April 28, 2011

Jim Gordon, the developer of Cape Wind, recently spoke at Columbia University about his experience working to get the first offshore wind farm in the US built.
The Middle East Dries Up—Another Case Study in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

April 26, 2011

As seductive as it is, depleting non-renewable aquifers to grow food is fundamentally unsustainable for the long term, as Saudi Arabia and other nations are finding out. According to a recent article by Lester Brown, in the 1970s the world’s largest oil producer realized it could use oil-drilling technology to tap deep underwater aquifers and—amazingly,…
Pennsylvania’s Gasland Spill

April 25, 2011

Pennsylvania well spills tens of thousands of gallons of fracking fluid into a nearby creek; Gasland director Josh Fox talks to Columbia University about renewable energy.
Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

April 20, 2011

Louisiana’s wetlands — the largest system in the United States — are shrinking at an alarming rate.
Fracking Panel Comes to NYC

April 8, 2011

In an effort to present various views on hydraulic fracturing, a panel of experts spoke to the public at Barnard College in New York City last Tuesday night. Known colloquially as fracking or hydrofracking, hydraulic fracturing has been regarded by many as a potential threat to New York City’s drinking water supply. The mere possibility…
Of Earthquakes and Nuclear Reactors

April 6, 2011

As Japan’s nuclear meltdown catastrophe continues in the wake of the March 11 magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, Japanese power company executives and officials face an increasingly challenging situation. Tuesday morning, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) — the company operating the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant — dumped more than 11,000 gallons of radioactive seawater into…
Earth Hour: Making it Count

March 28, 2011

The past Saturday 26 of March, people in 131 countries switched off their lights for an hour at 8:30pm local time to celebrate Earth Hour as a way to express their concern about the planet. Major iconic buildings and landmarks went dark, including the Empire State Building in NYC, the Beijing National Stadium (The Bird’s Nest),…
White Paper Release: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India

March 22, 2011

In honor of World Water Day, Columbia Water Center is releasing a new White Paper: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India. The paper presents the results of Columbia Water Center’s study of the severe groundwater crisis in the Mehsana region of Northern Gujarat, India. The study concludes that the current pattern of groundwater exploitation…
Ethanol’s Impacts on Our Water Resources

March 21, 2011

Ninety-five percent of ethanol in the U.S. comes from corn, but corn-based ethanol is controversial because of the amount of land required to grow the crops, and because of its effect on food prices and water resources.