Originally posted at Ecocentric.

The fragile and complex relationship between water and energy resurfaced this summer at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s infamous Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Northern Alabama.

On 40 different days in July and August the three reactors at the Browns Ferry plant – which together withdraw about 15 million gallons per hour from the Tennessee River to meet cooling needs – were forced to run at about half power.  Why? The reason might surpr ... Read Full Article»

Originally posted at Ecocentric.

Methane: the chemical compound that can’t get no respect.  While carbon dioxide receives the bulk of attention for causing global warming, poor little methane is relegated to the list of "other" greenhouse gases, even though it’s far more potent than its spotlight-hogging cousin.  And while carbon dioxide is glamorously emitted as we drive fast cars and power up the electrical grid, methane is spewed into the atmosphere through less dignified sources like cow belches and piles of rotting manure.

Methane’s role in the gulf spill disaster has likewise been overshadowed by that irresistible mix of hydrocarbons: oil.  Remember, the Deepwater Horizon rig ... Read Full Article»