James Lee Witt, former FEMA director co-founder of ProtectingAmerica.org, said on Thursday’s The Daily Rundown that the development of a national catastrophe funds could go a long way to alleviate increasing costs of recovering from horrific weather events. Read More
Green/Energy
More From Energy
Michelle Obama, Angela Merkel among world’s most powerful women
Designer Tory Burch, singer Beyonce Knowles, and comedian Ellen DeGeneres also made the Forbes list, which is comprised of 100 women from around the world. Read More
Massive tornado rips through Oklahoma, dozens killed
A devastating tornado that tore through Moore, Okla., killed at least 24--and the death toll was expected to climb. The latest information, and how you can help. Read More
Project aims to track big city carbon footprints
Every time Los Angeles exhales, odd-looking gadgets anchored in the mountains above the city trace the invisible puffs of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases that waft skyward. Halfway around the globe, similar contraptions atop the Eiffel Tower and elsewhere around Paris keep a pulse on emissions from smokestacks and automobile tailpipes Read More
Policy problems plague GOP efforts to rebuild winning coalition
The GOP has no shortage of issues to address as it works to rebuild the party brand. But does Republican policy on the economy and the environment appeal to the average American? Read More
Police open criminal investigation into Texas fertilizer blast
An EMS paramedic who responded to the blast has been arrested for possession of a pipe bomb, but authorities would not comment on whether that was connected to their investigation. Read More
Time to wake up: Republicans boycott vote on EPA nominee
We learned that we are about to pass 400 parts per million in the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. That may not mean anything to you it certainly didn't mean anything to me. So here's the context for it. Read More
US work-related deaths top 150 a day, finds AFL-CIO report
Roughly 150 people died due to work-related illness or injury in 2011, according to a new report the AFL-CIO released on Tuesday. Fatal workplace injuries claimed 13 lives per day, while work-related illness and disease killed an additional 137 people daily. Read More
Al Gore has a Nobel, an Oscar, and a big empty house
The man who "used to be the next president of the United States" now has several hundred million dollars. But is there still a sense that something's missing? Read More
NOW Today: Better off?
He's most recently made headlines for selling his TV network and for blaming President Obama's poor Denver debate performance on the altitude. Or even before that, for winning a Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar. But former Vice President Al Gore may always be remembered for the one thing he didn't win: the 2000 Presidential election. Read More
Texas officials on fertilizer plant explosion: Nothing to see here
As the evidence of regulatory failures mounts, state officials insist that "the system worked." Read More
House GOP: National Science Foundation grants should ‘secure the national defense’
The chair of the House Science Committee wants to be able to decide what the National Science Foundation funds. Read More
Chris’ list: Top electric vehicle models
USA Today ranked the most efficient electric vehicles by combined electric and gas miles per gallon. Read More
Businesswomen thinking big by going small
The latest comprehensive data from the U.S. Census shows that between 1997 and 2007, companies owned by women grew at almost double the rate of their male counterparts. Read More
Earth Day: Soot is a global killer. Time to sweep it up
Around the world, air pollution claims 3.2 million lives each year. Soot is the main culprit, and the Obama administration is taking overdue steps to control it. Read More
Opinion: A unique moment for energy and earth
Smart policies will be key to meeting the defining challenge of the next generation—how to sustainably provide billions of people with reliable, affordable, secure access to energy. Read More
Opinion: Passing the responsibility of conservation on to our children
There are many ways to involve kids in conservation efforts. Read More
The world – and MSNBC – go ‘green’ for Earth Day
The world will officially celebrate the 43rd Earth Day on Monday, but events and activities have been occurring all over the world - and will continue through the end of the month - to raise awareness about the environment. Read More
Texas, Arkansas remain blighted by recent ecological disasters
The cleanup continues from an oil spill in Mayflower, Ark., and a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, but little is being done to prevent similar disasters from occurring elsewhere. Read More
Exploded fertilizer plant had prior regulatory issues
The West Fertilizer Co., which had previously been fined by the EPA for failure to comply with federal safety regulations, was rocked by a massive explosion Wednesday night that left more than 160 people wounded and killed as many as 15. Read More