Energy, features and articles | Educational Science

Jun 16, 2017

New Biofuel Could Work in Regular Diesel Engines

A new way of refining biodiesel so that it works in standard diesel car engines could help broaden the use of renewable fuels, according to scientists. Biodiesel made from plant material could present a more eco-friendly alternative to the fossil-fuel-derived diesel, or petrodiesel, that is currently used. In the European...

Aug 28, 2017

Trump Touts 'Clean Coal': What Is It, Really?

At a recent rally in Phoenix, President Donald Trump spoke about opening a new coal mine in Pennsylvania, and referenced clean coal. But what does it really mean when politicians throw out this term? We've ended the war on beautiful, clean coal, he said on Aug. 22. It's just been...

Feb 9, 2018

Facts About Fracking

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking, is a drilling technique used for extracting oil or natural gas from deep underground. Fracking is a hotly debated environmental and political issue. Advocates insist it is a safe and economical source of clean energy; critics, however, claim fracking can destroy drinking water supplies, pollute...

Jun 5, 2020

Russia declares emergency after 22,000 tons of oil spill in the Arctic Circle

Twenty-two thousand tons (20,000 metric tons) of oil products leaked from a Russian industrial power plant into a river in the Arctic Circle on May 29. Russian president Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency in the region around the Ambarnaya River, in eastern Russia, due north of Mongolia. According...

Jun 5, 2020

Satellites spot major oil spill in the Arctic Circle (photos)

An image taken from space of an oil spill in the Arctic Circle. Oil is depicted in this animation (shown in red) traveling in the Ambarnaya River on May 31 and June 1. (Image credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2020), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)Two European satellites...

Aug 9, 2020

Oil spill off Mauritius is visible from space

The Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius is on the brink of an environmental catastrophe after a bulk carrier struck a coral reef off its coast in late July, an accident that has led to a large oil spill visible from space. The accident could lead to an even greater...

Mar 29, 2021

Indonesian oil refinery ignites into towering inferno

A massive fire has broken out at one of Indonesia's largest oil refineries, creating a towing inferno and dark plumes of smoke and toxic fumes. Some experts say lightning could have sparked the fire and explosion. At least 20 people have been injured, five of whom are in intensive care...

Apr 19, 2021

What was the Deepwater Horizon disaster?

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, killing 11 people. Two days later, the rig capsized, and the damaged pipe below the rig began spewing oil into the surrounding water. Oil continued to spill from the pipe for 87 days, releasing an...

Feb 8, 2022

How COVID-19 sent energy prices soaring in the UK

After months of volatility and concern, it was revealed that energy costs for the average household in the UK will increase by £693 this year. A steep rise, it came as wholesale gas prices jumped to about 300% higher than at the beginning of 2021. These are historically high levels,...

Feb 15, 2022

What is crude oil?

With the energy crisis roiling the world, sending fuel prices and other costs soaring, you may wonder where your energy comes from. Crude oil, in particular, is a pretty useful substance. Around the world, just over 95 million barrels of the stuff are used every single day, according to Statista,...

Oct 14, 2022

Keystone XL Pipeline Will Cause Damage Beyond Spills (Op-Ed)

Danielle Droitsch is director of the Canada Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). She contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Back in 2007, while I was working and living in Alberta and focused on the protection of watersheds, I organized a canoe expedition down...

Oct 14, 2022

New Way to Make 'Green Diesel' from Coal

Scientists have improved the technique for transforming coal into green diesel, potentially making the process economically feasible to bring the fuel to a pump near you. Coal fuel is seen by some as a potential bridge between the limited supply of oil and alternative fuels, many of which aren't ready...

Nov 24, 2022

Steelmaking doesn’t need to come with CO2 emissions anymore, and SSAB has the technology

Steel manufacturing is a critical industry, creating the building blocks for so much of the world. But the steel industry also comes with considerable impacts, producing as much as seven percent of global CO2 emissions, thereby contributing significantly to global climate change. SSAB has found a cleaner way to produce...