Economy & Business

The Summer Olympics which begins Friday, July 27, 2012, in London proudly aims to be the greenest Olympics ever. It's a lofty goal. But critics challenge whether it will succeed, or whether any Olympics can avoid negative environmental impacts.

"Perhaps the most unsung patch of heaven in New York City is a tiny sliver of riverfront parkland tucked between a metal-recycling yard and a giant wholesale produce market, on the far side of a six-lane highway and a pair of active freight train tracks. Hunts Point Riverside Park, a 1.4-acre speck in the South Bronx, opened a few years ago on what had been a filthy, weedy street end."

"The United States is posting rapid growth in the waste of natural gas in new oil fields where the fuel is either burned or vented into the atmosphere.  Experts say the process damages the environment and fails to maximize the return to investors."

"The American Farm Bureau, with its 6 million 'member families' and carefully cultivated grassroots image, talks a good game. In the pitched battle over US farm policy—with agribusiness giants on one side, and small family farmers, organic and local food advocates and environmentalists on the other—the Farm Bureau positions itself as the voice of the farmer."

"Pacific Gas and Electric Co. suggested to managers before the San Bruno pipeline explosion that downgrading more than 2,300 natural-gas leaks - and potentially not fixing them - would save the company nearly $5 million, according to an internal document obtained by The Chronicle."

"Apple Inc rejoined the EPEAT environmental ratings system on Friday, acknowledging that its decision to stop participating in a program that rates the green credentials of electronic products was a mistake."

"A dispute between Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge Inc. and a small Colorado operator is flaring into a political showdown over whether U.S. domestic production will be squeezed out by oil sands crude flowing from across the northern border."

"Despite promises from the nuclear industry to regulators and consumers that they learned from mistakes of the past, the nation's first two nuclear reactor projects built from scratch in 30 years are headed toward hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overruns and months, if not years, of delays."

"The wind power industry, which has been one of the nation’s fastest growing energy sectors, is facing layoffs and factory closings as a federal subsidy nears an end."