All explainers
Explainer
A Brief History of Nuclear Accidents Worldwide
Serious accidents at nuclear power plants have been uncommon—but their stories teach us the importance of nuclear safety.
Explainer
The Elusive Permanent Repository
Waste accumulates at U.S. nuclear power plants as the process of choosing a site for a geological repository has stalled.
Explainer
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The NRC. What do they do, how do they work, and how effective are they?
Explainer
Water for Nuclear
The nuclear power cycle uses water in three major ways: extracting and processing uranium fuel, producing electricity, and controlling wastes and risks.
Explainer
Water for Power Plant Cooling
In the United States, 90 percent of electricity comes from conventional thermoelectric power plants – coal, nuclear, natural gas and oil – that require cooling.
Explainer
Water for Natural Gas
Producing electricity from natural gas has implications for our water resources.
Explainer
The Renewable Electricity Standard
A primer on a national renewable electricity standard, including its mechanisms and the benefits that it can provide.
Explainer
How the News Media Help the Koch Brothers and ExxonMobil
The press routinely cites climate contrarian think tanks without reporting their ties to the fossil fuel industry
Explainer
Environmental Impacts of Solar Power
The potential environmental impacts associated with solar power depend on the technology, which includes two broad categories: photovoltaic solar cells and concentrating solar thermal plants.
Explainer
Environmental Impacts of Geothermal Energy
The environmental impacts of geothermal energy vary depending on the technology used to generate electricity and the type of cooling system utilized.
Explainer
Environmental Impacts of Wind Power
Wind power generates electricity without toxic pollution or global warming emissions, but it does have some environmental impacts that should be recognized and mitigated.
Explainer
Environmental Impacts of Hydroelectric Power
Hydroelectric power includes both massive hydroelectric dams and small run-of-the-river plants, both of which have associated environmental impacts.