Sam Eaton is an independent radio and television journalist. His reporting on complex environmental issues from climate change to population growth has taken him all over the United States and the world.
California hopes to generate about a third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. But it's finding the hard part is tying all that new green power into the existing grid. Sam Eaton reports.
Electric utilities are reporting an unprecedented drop in power use, and the concern stretches beyond the economy. Sam Eaton reports the drop may indicate U.S. families are heeding calls to conserve.
The watchdog group Public Citizen is asking a court to throw out a rule concerning hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen. Abolishing the ruling would help a new administration issue a new one. Sam Eaton reports.
A German solar energy company wants to buy General Motors' Opel unit for $1.25 billion. GM says Opel isn't for sale, but Sam Eaton reports it may just be a matter of time before innovation is delivered from the outside.
In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger convenes a two-day summit today on climate issues with over 600 officials and activists attending. Sam Eaton reports how this could be helpful globally.
Earlier this year, T. Boone Pickens announced a grand plan to build the world's biggest wind farm and help wean the country off gasoline. Now that natural gas prices have tanked, he's putting the plan on hold. Sam Eaton reports.
Retail sales for October hit their weakest levels in more than three decades, with luxury stores taking the biggest hit. Marketplace's Sam Eaton reports that there's a psychological shift underway that may reshape the retail landscape.
Consumer confidence for October plunged to its lowest level ever, and some predict the worst holiday shopping season in more than two decades. Sam Eaton reports some retailers may be hurt more than others.
Big computer companies like IBM and Intel have announced major investments and technological breakthroughs in solar panels in recent months. Sam Eaton reports money is the main driver behind the revolution.
The number of energy bills Congress has passed comes to exactly zero. So if $4-a-gallon gas and oil at $125 a barrel isn't enough of a crisis to get lawmakers going, what is? Sam Eaton reports.
