The Weekly Planet: Pipeline safety, metal from space, more

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet -- here's news you don't want to miss.

Pipeline safety operating on the honor system
The New York Times examined the small federal agency in charge of monitoring the safety of oil pipelines. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration suffers from a lack of inspectors and resources. But the agency has also been criticized for a heavy reliance on self-reporting from oil companies and weak penalties.

Looking for a cause for climate change? Don't blame the clouds
Current community member JanforGore shared a story from The Daily Climate about new findings that undermine a controversial study that suggests cloud cover is behind temperature changes across the globe. The scientist behind the original cloud paper has been accused of cherry picking data to arrive at his conclusion, and the editor of the journal that originally published the report has resigned.

Precious metals from above
Ever wonder where the gold or platinum you're wearing originated? According to Discovery News, it could have come from outer space. Geologists have long wondered how the Earth's crusts is laced with metals like gold and platinum that should have migrated to the Earth's core when it formed. New research has give more weight to the theory that precious metals, and possibly water, were introduced to the Earth by meteorites crashing into the surface of the planet.

Is your gmail killing the planet?
Probably not, according to Mother Jones. While the data centers used by companies such as Google consume a significant amount of power, the impact spread over individual users is miniscule. The real energy use comes from the hardware you use. So if you're concerned about your energy usage, consider turning your computer off for a few more hours each day, but don't worry about deleting your archived data. After all, you never know when you'll need that cat macro from 2005.

Google invests in poo power
Speaking of Google, Discovery News reports the company is investing in alternative forms of energy, investing in a system that converts methane from pig waste into energy. The prototype is located west of Winston-Salem, N.C., and burns methane from hog waste to power a turbine and produce electricity. OK, there has to be a spam joke in there somewhere.

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