Green Groups Come Down on 'Clean Coal'

(NEWSER) - Clean coal is a myth, and the companies selling it “have their heads stuck in the mine,” Thomas Kostigen writes on MarketWatch. Although Americans generate close to 50% of their energy from coal, the technology is so yesterday—and the industry is not poised to move forward. It “should be looking to invest in its own replacement,” Kostigen writes, “because someone somewhere is going to invent it, and then where will they be?” More»

We need urgent action, Gore warns

(NEWSER) - Al Gore doesn't want a White House job, but he does have advice for Barack Obama: Use the bailout plan to transform the Big Three automakers. As vice-president, Gore rolled out a billion-dollar program to pay for fuel-efficient Detroit vehicles—"but as soon as they felt they were off the hook, they pulled the plug and walked away," Gore tells Newsweek. Now Obama can transform Michigan into a hybrid electric car hub, he says. More»

Multimedia presentation will cross 24 time zones

(NEWSER) - For those who just can't get enough Al Gore, this might be overkill even for you: The former vice president will attempt to take over the globe this week, by way of a 24-hour worldwide multimedia presentation aimed at winning over climate-change skeptics. "24 Hours of Reality" will have an emphasis on the link between climate change and "cataclysmic" weather, and will come to life as a presentation by Gore that will air every hour for 24 hours through 24 time zones this Wednesday to Thursday, Reuters reports. More»

He criticizes decision to stop push for tougher smog rules

(NEWSER) - Et tu, Al? Former VP Gore joined the chorus critical of President Obama today in a short blog post headlined "Confronting Disappointment." Gore focused on the president's environmental moves, specifically the surprise decision not to impose tougher smog rules . But he also noted that the decision came amid high-profile protests at the White House about a planned oil pipeline from the Gulf Coast to Canada. More»

Shark fin soup is the hot ticket in Asia

(NEWSER) - Here’s a story sure to rain on your Shark Week parade: A Brazilian environmental advocacy group is suing a Brazilian seafood exporter, alleging that it has been capturing sharks, cutting off their fins, and throwing the severely wounded creatures back into the water. Removing a shark’s fin is illegal in Brazil, but the demand for shark fin soup is so strong in Asia, and particularly China, that trade in the fin is booming, the BBC explains. More»