Todd Woody

For nearly a decade, carbon emissions from vehicles in the US had been falling, and fuel economy had been rising. But then, two years ago this week, the Japanese tsunami knocked out the Japanese auto industry. That triggered a global parts shortage, halting assembly lines around the world. And the knock-on effect was to temporarily reverse the gains in greenness, according to a report released today by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) of rocks deep underground to extract their tightly held reserves of oil and gas is controversial for its impact on the environment, particularly water sources. But it’s been an article of faith that the ensuing boom in natural gas production is good for climate change. Natural gas-fired power plants emit about half as much carbon dioxide as coal.

2012 was a very good year for sunshine. Photovoltaic installations in the US jumped 76% in 2012 to a record 3,313 megawatts (MW) as turmoil among Chinese manufacturers pushed down the price of photovoltaic panels. They fell 41% in the fourth quarter of 2012 from a year earlier, according to a report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association.

What to do with the natural gas glut produced by the US fracking boom?

The numbers are in on 2012 and it was not the best of years for renewable energy, according to a report released today by market research firm Clean Edge.

When the US subsidiary of German photovoltaic panel maker SolarWorld led a successful campaign to impose tariffs on its Chinese rivals last year, it portrayed the move as saving American jobs from rapacious competitors.

There’s a lot of talk about the US’s aging infrastructure—crumbling highways, deteriorating pipelines and the such. Likewise, the nation’s power plants are getting on in years, according to a recent report by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) that signals the shape of future energy consumption and by extension the impact on global markets.

Chinese solar company Suntech has staved off bankruptcy. At least for another two months.

Some numbers to keep insurance executives reaching for the Ambien in the dead of the night: Extreme weather driven by climate change cost the US insurance industry $32 billion in 2011. Superstorm Sandy alone led to some $25 billion in insured losses last year, the warmest on record. And today climate scientists released a study showing global temperatures have hit a 4,000-year high.

Last year Chinese solar giant Suntech revealed that it may been the victim of a €560 million ($730 million) fraud allegedly perpetuated by its partner in a European joint venture called Global Solar Fund (GSF). Today, Suntech announced it had settled litigation against the partner—by acquiring his stake in GSF.

For those who fret over the US trade deficits and China’s dominance of the solar industry, here’s some good news: The US is in the black with a massive $1.6 billion green technology trade surplus with China.

Is Suntech too big a Chinese brand to fail?

Geothermal energy has long been a great green hope for weaning the world from fossil fuels and promoting energy independence. Unlike solar and wind farms, geothermal energy plants generate electricity continuously, providing a dependable, nearly carbon-free source of power.