Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Category Archives: Energy

WaPo – Russian operation hacked a Vermont utility – updated

Correction to WaPo story via Washington Post – Russian government hackers do not appear to have targeted Vermont utility, say people close to investigation – “U.S. officials are continuing to investigate the laptop. In the course of their investigation, though, they have found on the device a package of software tools commonly used by online criminals… Continue Reading

Earthquake Track

“Earthquake Track was created to make understanding earthquakes easier. It contains information on earthquakes since the year 1900. New earthquakes usually appear on the site within a few minutes. All Earthquake Data Courtesy USGS” Today: 5.7 magnitude earthquake near Hawthorne, Nevada, United States Today: 5.6 magnitude earthquake near Nereju Mic, Vrancea, Romania See also related… Continue Reading

The Induced Earthquake Database

“The Induced Earthquake Database (TIED) is the largest and most up-to-date database of earthquakes proposed to have been induced or triggered by human activity. The data are freely available to view online or can be downloaded in Microsoft Excel format for your own analysis. We endeavour to keep the database up to date and accurate.… Continue Reading

Pew – Most Americans favor stricter environmental laws and regulations

“More Americans say environmental regulations are “worth the cost” than say such regulations come at too steep a price, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. These views come amid speculation about what President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees may mean for future regulatory policy. A majority of U.S. adults (59%) say stricter environmental laws… Continue Reading

EPA Launches Clean Water Act Jurisdictional Website

Clean Water Act Approved Jurisdictional Determinations – “This site is currently in beta testing. Please send us your feedback. See the Frequent Questions for more information. This website presents information on approved jurisdictional determinations (JDs) made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Water… Continue Reading

Congressional caucus of conservative Republicans seek to revoke over 200 regulations

House conservatives want Trump to undo regulations on climate, school lunches and Uber – “The House Freedom Caucus list covers 232 regulations, including funding for smoke-free public housing and paid sick leave for federal contractors.” From the caucus mission statement of this invitation-only group formed in 2015: “The House Freedom Caucus gives a voice to… Continue Reading

Will Government Science from agencies be deleted from public sites?

Motherboard – Researchers are preparing for Trump to Delete Government Science From the Web Written by Jason Koebler, December 13, 2016 – “When Donald Trump takes over the federal government on January 21, his administration will also gain complete control over much of the .gov suite of websites, which currently hosts a treasure trove of… Continue Reading

EPA Report – Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas

U.S. EPA. Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas: Impacts from the Hydraulic Fracturing Water Cycle on Drinking Water Resources in the United States (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-16/236F, 2016. “This final report provides a review and synthesis of available scientific information concerning the relationship between hydraulic fracturing activities and drinking water… Continue Reading

24/7 Wall St – America’s 25 dying industries – America’s 25 thriving industries

“Valued at nearly $20 trillion, the U.S. economy is the largest in the world. Maintaining a competitive edge necessitates remaining diversified and dynamic. While this means that some U.S. industries thrive, others inevitably decline or are rendered obsolete. As certain industries fade, so do hundreds of thousands of American jobs. 24/7 Wall St. analyzed employment… Continue Reading

Energy Dept. survey by Trump transition targets staff on climate issues

Washington Post: “The transition team has asked department officials to identify which employees have worked on forging an international climate pact, raising concerns that Donald Trump’s team may be singling out people who have helped implement certain policies under President Obama….The Trump transition team has issued a list of 74 questions for the Energy Department,… Continue Reading

National Intelligence Council – Global Trends 2030

“Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds is the fifth installment in the National Intelligence Council’s series aimed at providing a framework for thinking about the future. As with previous editions, we hope that this report will stimulate strategic thinking by identifying critical trends and potential discontinuities. We distinguish between megatrends, those factors that will likely occur… Continue Reading

Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens to remove diesel vehicles by 2025

C40Cities news release: “Diesel vehicles will be removed from Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens by 2025, as part of unprecedented effort by mayors to improve the quality of air for their citizens. These pioneering cities also pledged to incentivise alternative vehicles and promote walking and cycling infrastructure. The market-shifting commitment was made today at… Continue Reading