McClatchy Washington Bureau | 11/12/2008 | U.S. reports huge Alaska energy reserve — and it's not oil

WASHINGTON — Frozen crystals packed with concentrated natural gas and buried 2,000 feet below the permafrost on Alaska's North Slope could become the next major domestic energy source, according to an assessment released Wednesday by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The study finds that in the North Slope, frozen methane-and-water crystals known as hydrates contain as much as 85.4 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. That's enough to heat 100 million homes for as long as 10 years, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said.

Environmental Capital - WSJ.com : Enter, Stage Left: Think Tank Outlines Obama Energy Plan

...What’s missing from the picture? About 70% of the electricity in the U.S. today. The blueprint calls for a “Manhattan Project” to crack the secret of clean coal; until then, dirty coal is taboo. “In the meantime, the United States should not build new power plants that are unable to manage carbon emissions,” the report says.

Not every energy idea gets play in the report: “Building a Vibrant Low-Carbon Economy” makes no mention of nuclear power.

Polar Bear Lifejackets?

Swedish design group ADDI has come up with an cutting-edge polar bear lifejacket design concept to help polar bears navigate the changes in their habitat.