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Natural resources

Two people wearing uniforms and blue helmets carry out maintenance at an oil well

Putting the ‘scare’ in scarcity conflicts: Part II

Critical State

This week, Critical State’s Deep Dive looks at a new paper that investigates how people react to resource price shocks in countries where resource economies are already highly developed, using survey data from oil-rich Kazakhstan.

Borneo rainforest

In Borneo, healthy people equals healthy forests

Health & Medicine
The 180,000-carat Bahia Emerald weighs 840 pounds and has been the subject of a contentious court battle between a colorful crowd of gem traders, miners and a real estate tycoon all vying for the prized jewel - once valued at $372 million.

A massive emerald from Brazil: Worth $900 million? Or nothing?

Business
Kings of the American Road, then and now. 40 years after the Arab Oil Embargo, American driving habits are slowly changing.

America may finally be learning the lessons of the 1970s oil shock

Environment
Kings of the American Road, then and now. 40 years after the Arab Oil Embargo, American driving habits are slowly changing.

America may finally be learning the lessons of the 1970s oil shock

Environment
The World

DOE Looks for Orphan Wells

The federal government is pushing new efforts to deal with an old problem – abandoned oil and gas wells. In Pennsylvania, there may be as many as 100,000 orphan wells. If the wells were not sealed properly, they could explode.

The World

DOE Looks for Orphan Wells

The government is taking to the air in search of abandoned oil and gas wells.

The World

China Water Scarcity

Around the world, projections are being made about food production in China in the coming century. Critical to the question of growing food is the availability of the water that irrigates it. Lucie MacNeill reports from China on the state of water in the world’s most populous nation, and what may be done to avoid […]

The World

Science Note/Aquatic Insects and Solar Panels

A puzzling ecological problem is buzzing about: aquatic insects seem to prefer solar panels to water.

The World

Central Park Drilling

Will drilling in the heart of NYC lead to oil or is it just a foolish pipe dream?