Economy & Business

"Billy Talen to stand trial for preaching on bank's environmental record accompanied by choir members wearing toad hats"

"The growing fracking industry is 'yielding gushers' of campaign donations for congressional candidates—particularly Republicans from districts with fracking activity—according to a new report from the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington."

"Chevron, Exxon and BP among companies most responsible for climate change since dawn of industrial age, figures show"

"WASHINGTON -– Walmart, the world's largest retailer, has received positive press in recent years for its promises to go green. The company began issuing an annual Global Responsibility Report in 2005. It announced plans to slash emissions in its supply chain in 2010. The company pledged this year to expand the use of renewable energy. But according to a report released Wednesday, Walmart's green pledges remain more hype than reality."

"World governments meeting in Poland from Monday are likely to make only modest progress in reaching a 2015 deal to fight climate change, with concern over economic growth at least partially eclipsing scientists' warnings of rising temperatures."

"The ongoing U.S. oil boom has flooded the Gulf Coast with domestic crude to levels not seen in decades, creating a homegrown oil glut in the nation's refining center just as the Obama administration prepares to rule on a pipeline that would add a torrent of heavy Canadian crude to the same region."

"The country's largest nuclear plant operator, Exelon Corp., has publicly fought to torpedo the wind industry's coveted production tax credits, calling them financial threats to its reactors in the Midwest. But the Chicago-based utility is also cashing in on those credits, known as PTCs."

"Exelon's third-quarter earnings results released last week show the company benefiting from the tax incentives that provide wind developers with $23 for every megawatt-hour of electricity they produce. Details about which of Exelon's 44 wind projects generate the PTCs are private."

"Bird watching, hunting or just picnicking. Whatever the reason, visits to the nation's 561 wildlife refuges are big business."