A new study out of the University of Delaware shows that wind and solar power may be more viable than previously thought. A power system might be run almost entirely off renewable energy sources, a possibility that will become more and more cost-effective as price for infrastructure fall.
Just look at the price of oil and you have to conclude that a great investment would ... a trolley. A return to denser communities that can be reasonably served by economical mass transit makes total sense.
Gov. Jay Nixon has nominated Republican Bill Kenney to the Missouri Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, possibly ending a potential political block to Democratic PSC Commissioner Steve Stoll’s nomination. Nixon also named several other prominent political figures to other key boards.
Sun and wind electricity cannot be stored on a large scale at present. Without storage, and without backup generators burning fossil fuels, it could be cold and dark at night. Solving the problem of intermittency is critical to the energy future of the world.
Energy issues such as oil production, pipelines, green energy and coal have become central to this year's presidential contest, but -- even at a time of severe weather events such as Hurricane Sandy and last summer's severe drought -- climate change has not emerged as an issue.
The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved Ameren's new energy efficiency programs, which will be the largest energy efficiency plan in the history of Missouri. Customers will begin to see opportunities to save energy beginning in January 2013. Recycling refrigerators will be one part of it.
WASHINGTON – Gas prices, subsidies, budget deficits and energy “tax hikes” were the politically charged themes Thursday as Senate Democrats and Republicans clashed on an unsuccessful effort to rescind tax breaks for the largest oil firms.
WASHINGTON – The Keystone XL pipeline may get all the attention, but the $2.8 billion expansion of the "Flanagan South" route carrying Canadian oil through Missouri and Illinois has a more immediate impact on the two states, officials say.
WASHINGTON – The controversy over the Keystone XL pipeline took another turn Thursday when President Barack Obama flew to Oklahoma to proclaim that he had directed his administration to make the southern part of a project “a priority.”
WASHINGTON – In a vote closely watched by industry and environmental groups, both of Missouri’s senators backed an unsuccessful amendment Thursday to allow Congress to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada.
Keystone pipeline · Gas prices · Strategic petroleum reserve · Boutique fuels · South Flanagan pipeline · Climate change · Environmental sustainability
Claire McCaskill · Roy Blunt · John Shimkus · Jay Nixon · Gregory Wilson · Michael Kintner-Meyer · Jim Umen · Steve Stoll · Peter Kinder · Bill Kenney
Enbridge · Ameren · Renew Missouri · Missouri Public Service Commission
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Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.
When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.
Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice today when he announced that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s sculptured bust will be formally installed in the Capitol at 1 p.m.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Author M.M. Costantin, who has lived near the Loop for more than 40 years, compiled a photo book that shows Delmar when it was bustling, when it was dangerous and when it came back to life.
They arrived four years ago as fifth-graders, behind in their work and not used to rigorous classes, but they've advanced rapidly and have a strong academic grounding for high school.
The Beacon's Mary Delach Leonard and Rob Koenig extensively covered flooding in 2011 in Missouri. Now this coverage is compiled in an iBook. Read the stories.
Organizers aren't trying to replace the rib fest, but music lovers will be able to find tangy sustenance as they listen to such greats as Mavis Staples (pictured), Big George Brock, Trombone Shorty, Kim Massie and Marquise Knox take the stage.
Isley, a world-class guitarist as well as a gifted songwriter, communicates and connects swith an audience on an intimate level at "An Evening of Music and Discussion." He is hosting the event on Thursday in O'Fallon, Mo.
Like many artists, dancer Antonio Douthit hears a different drummer. But the drumbeat that changed his life at 16 wasn’t in his head. It wafted from a window on Washington Avenue. Douthit comes home for a May 25 performance in "Spring to Dance."
Donna Korando is the Beacon's arts and features editor. You can contact her at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Twenty winners will split a million dollars and a wide array of professional services after this year's Arch Grants competition. Victors will also see one-on-one business mentoring in their prize package. The diverse group includes everything from biotech concerns to fashion enterprises.
Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.
The Academy of Science-St. Louis hosts tours of EarthDance, an organic farm, and the Monsanto Agronomics and Breeding Facility May 21-22. The workshop is meant to prompt discussion and answer questions about these two competing philosophies of food production.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Vernon Bowman's challenge to Monsanto Co.'s patent on its Roundup Ready soybean seeds was billed as a David vs. Goliath contest. Goliath won and won big. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an Indiana soybean farmer had violated Monsanto's patent on its genetically engineered soybean seeds.
Sally Altman is the Beacon's Health and Science editor. You can contact her at saltman@stlbeacon.org.
You have to know your audience: McDonald's regulars don't need free-range chicken or a certain breed of beef; a second-chance high school needs personally motivated students as opposed to people ordered to attend and low-income Democrats by and large don't want a cigarette tax.
Last week, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura sacrificed his crown as the King of America. He faced an individual decision to play against the best in the nation or the best on the planet. Find out what happened at that world-level tournament.
Our world sees rapid change in many ways -- how we view women, races, sexual minorities and other populations, for instance. While a daily delivery of new and different can be exhausting, it can force us to reflect and consider how to move forward, often incrementally, toward what is good and what bring value to our lives.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's Voices editor. You can contact her and submit opinion pieces for possible publication at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.