Clorox to Phase Out Deadly Chlorine Gas

Anya Kamenetz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:04:01 -0500

MIT, Volkswagen's In-Car Personal Robot Thinks You're Driving Like a Maniac

Anya Kamenetz — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:50:01 -0400

An MIT Media Lab robot (not AIDA) via glemak on Flickr

My parents already treat the GPS on their car like it's a person: "Shh! She's talking!" Now researchers at the MIT Media Lab, in partnership with Audi, want to take that relationship one step further with AIDA, the "Affective Intelligent Driving Agent."

$3.4 Billion Smart Grid Upgrade is the Biggest Clean-Energy Piece of Obama's Stimulus

Anya Kamenetz — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:15:35 -0400

Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. was awarded $200 million.

The Case of the Dumb Smart Meters

Anya Kamenetz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:17:51 -0400

Should Green Tech be Open Source?

Anya Kamenetz — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:15:09 -0400

Obama is hoping for some big climate handshakes in separate talks with China and India next month--including the announcement of India's first cap-and-trade scheme. While the big talking point will be setting CO2 limits at levels developing countries can swallow, India's raised an interesting side issue. They want a global fund to buy out the patents for green technologies and distribute them for free.

Head in the Tar Sands? The New York Times Runs Anti-Peak Oil Op-Ed

Anya Kamenetz — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:19:51 -0400

Oil-Coated Ruddy Duck in the San Francisco Bay, by wolfpix, on Flickr

Pickens Drops Wind Plan, Cites Transmission Costs

Anya Kamenetz — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:53:05 -0400

T. Boone Pickens has dropped his much-ballyhooed plan, chronicled in our pages, to build the world's largest wind farm, in favor of a handful of smaller wind farms scattered around the Midwest.

The Microgrid Stimulus Package

Anya Kamenetz — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:30:38 -0400

Via NPR's Planet Money blog, a savvy reader puts together his own personal stimulus package by becoming part of the microgrid:

Clay from Maryland writes:

5 Steps To Building Your Microgrid Dream House

Anya Kamenetz — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:30:47 -0400

Small-scale, local power--the microgrid--is a big part of the path to sustainable energy (for more detail, read Why the Microgrid Could Be the Answer to Our Energy Crisis in the July/August issue). With today's rates and rebates, typical systems pay for themselves in just a few years, and in 43 states you can even sell excess power back to the utility when you're not using it. The only barrier now is figuring out how to plug in your house. Here are the steps you need to take to get in on the microgrid action in your own home.

Educational Entrepreneur, Most Creative Person Shai Reshef Gets Round of Applause at the UN

Anya Kamenetz — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:57:16 -0400

A briefing room at the United Nations yesterday morning made a very official setting for an announcement about the international, high-tech, and almost free future of higher education. Shai Reshef, featured in our Most Creative People list, has begun accepting enrollment for his innovative nonprofit online university.