Illinois is one of six US states that allows communities to aggregate and specify their energy purchases. Now 91 - comprising 1.7 million people - have used that power to buy 100% renewable electricity.
First the UK made a mess of wind and let Denmark take the prize. And now, writes Godfrey Boyle, the government's prevarication is risking our lead in another key renewable energy sector - marine power.
Unlike many US politicians the Pentagon is a firm believer in climate science. But although it foretells climate devastation on a global scale, reports Steve Horn, it has no credible plan to cut its own gigantic fossil fuel burn.
Fracking operations produce radioactive waste derived from naturally occurring uranium and thorium - until now, safely buried deep underground. And right now the industry has neither a plan, nor the technology, to deal with it.
Political support for fracking is not just about energy, writes Paul Mobbs. It reflects the greater ecological and resource crisis at the root of our current economic woes - and only postpones the essential shift to a new kind of economy.
The US's fossil fuel industry is scared at the growth of solar power, and its ever-declining market cost. So it's fighting back, reports Trip Van Noppen, doing its best to quash solar growth by imposing new costs and restrictions.
The besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza now enjoys the prospect of energy independence - a huge gain as fuel supplies to Gaza have restricted by Israel and Egypt. The big question - will Israel allow the gas field's development?
The solar industry is going great, with tens of gigawatts of new capacity planned for 2014 alone. But as Jonathon Porritt writes, the solar revolution could be going even faster - with smart, consistent policies for solar power in Europe and Japan.
The suffering is far from over in Iraq, reports Felicity Arbuthnot. It's new dictator is being supported by massive shipments of horrific weapons, while the country remains poor and devastated country, and a covert US re-invasion is under way ...
The UK's nuclear decommissioning authority has a problem - what to do with over 100 tonnes of plutonium. Jim Green evaluates the NDA's options, and sees another generation of nuclear white elephants in the making.
Electricity usage in the US has been declining since 1993, writes Steven Nadel. Among the reasons for the fall, improved energy efficiency is emerging as a key factor, especially post-2007.
Two Councils at the front line of fracking protests - Greater Manchester and West Sussex - have pension funds investing in the major fracking operators - while decisions on planning applications to frack are pending.
Fossil fuel interests are calling all the shots in the US Congress, writes Ralph Nader. Now is the time for Al Gore and other wealthy 'Greens' to finance a strong lobby for the climate in Washington DC. The cost? Just $25 million a year would pay for 100 lobbyists.
The Big Oil CEO's day job is to promote fossil fuel extraction and deregulate the industry. But when his $5 million property was threatened by a nearby fracking rig - he joined a lawsuit to block it.
The Keystone XL pipeline was dealt a blow in a Nebraska court this week when a key enabling law was ruled 'unconstitutional' - bringing the controversial project to a standstill in the state.
