In the search for a clean, planet-friendly fuel, the startup Qteros has discovered and refined a microbe it calls the Q Microbe that turns biomass -- switchgrass, wood chips, grass, corn stover or even municipal liquid waste -- into ethanol.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The EPA announced plans to create tougher rules to reduce air pollution from U.S.-flagged ships Wednesday, the same day new fuel regulations for ocean-going vessels went into effect in California. A day earlier, the state finally received a long sought-after waiver that allows it to regulate vehicle tailpipe emissions in its efforts to address climate change.

Inexperience can be a tremendous asset when it provides the opportunity to look at an problem with fresh eyes. Asking the naive question may lead to initiatives that will save companies money while also reducing environmental impacts.

Behavioral economists will tell you that the simple act of placing an electricity consumption meter in plain view can substantially cut a home's energy use. The same goes for real-time miles-per-gallon meters in cars, which change the way we drive. When the price of costly activities isn't hidden from us, we're more likely to pursue those activities prudently.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- Consumer products with labels displaying the amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated from production through disposal will hit store shelves in Australia next year thanks to a partnership between Australian environmental group Planet Ark and U.K.-based Carbon Trust, the organization that developed the international labeling standard.

NAPLES, Fla. -- The biorefinery will be built on 24 acres at Dow’s site in Freeport, Texas, where it will use carbon dioxide produced at a nearby Dow manufacturing facility. Algenol applied for $25 million in stimulus funds to cover half the project's costs.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- The Carbon Trust expanded eligibility of an interest-free loan program that will dole out £100m (US$165.6 million) over the next two years to help small- and medium-sized businesses replace old and inefficient equipment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Friday’s historic House vote on the climate change bill will go down as one of the most important votes of our era. Congress has taken a vital step toward launching the first national action plan to address climate change, and moving America down the vitally needed path to a new economy.

Sunil Paul thinks big. He also is well-connected in D.C. and has an exquisite sense of timing. He released his report Gigaton Throwdown in the company of green jobs czar Van Jones and key players from Energy Secretary Steve Chu’s brain trust on the eve of the House vote on the climate bill.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A new regulation adopted today will force more than a dozen California landfills to design and install equipment that captures methane gas created by decomposing solid waste.

The Waxman-Markey bill is a giant step in transitioning toward a low-carbon economy, but it will not, as some proponents claim, solve the grave problem of U.S. oil dependence.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a speech delivered from the Rose Garden today, President Barack Obama called the American Clean Energy and Security Act a chance to curb greenhouse gas pollution while also significantly boosting long-term employment and business opportunities. A vote on the bill is scheduled for tomorrow.

Deciphering corporate utility bills presents a challenge for the uninitiated, but understanding the rate structure will offer clues to how much companies can save through energy efficiency.