Economy & Business

"Five of the biggest names in American business have formed a group to accelerate the development and use of plant-based plastic."

"For many people, ecotourism evokes a picnic in Muir Woods in California, perhaps, or counting endangered sea turtles on a Costa Rican beach or spending the night in a tree house with gibbons in Laos. Andrew Blackwell, a Brooklyn-based author and journalist, sees it differently. His idea of an interesting trip is less about beauty than environmental devastation."

"U.S. crude oil futures fell on Friday for the fourth day in a row, hitting their lowest levels in nearly eight months and extending losses to a fifth week, as weak U.S. jobs data, soft Chinese manufacturing and the deepening euro zone crisis sparked a broad market selloff. "

"Chinese manufacturers of towers for wind turbines received unfair subsidies and must now pay duties of 13.7 to 26 percent, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday in a preliminary decision in a case brought by four American manufacturers of the towers. The decision, the third trade case decided this year in favor of American wind and solar manufacturers, will be followed by another in the coming weeks on whether Chinese companies engaged in dumping the towers in the United States at prices below the cost of making them."

"Energy companies are nervously following the investigation of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s alleged corruption in Mexico. While the link between the energy industry and the retail behemoth isn't obvious, attorneys who advise oil and gas companies say the U.S. government will focus more on petroleum companies as a result of the Wal-Mart investigation."

"Job growth in the nation's coal fields has taken a hit amid tough market conditions for U.S. coal and competition from natural gas, according to a review of federal employment statistics."

"BEIJING --  China’s Commerce Ministry accused the United States government on Thursday of violating free-trade rules through support for six renewable energy projects, but did not identify the projects or the trade rules that had allegedly been violated. It was the latest volley in a widening conflict between the two countries over clean power.

The United States and China, the world’s two biggest energy users, have pledged to work together to develop renewable sources. But they accuse each other of improperly subsidizing or protecting their manufacturers.