Japan is officially turning its nuclear reactors back on after shunning the energy source in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. It’s a difficult decision, but one that’s expected to give a much-needed boost to the country’s fragile economy.

Millions of Chinese citizens were left without safe drinking water over the weekend after an oil pipeline ruptured.

ExxonMobil claims to have produced a greener fracking fluid. Will it be green enough to convince Europe to tap its sizable reserves of shale gas?

South Africa has the world’s eighth largest reserves of shale gas. Can it extract them without running afoul of the problems that have plagued its mining industries?

Apocalyptic warnings about climate doom may help greens capture public attention, but they also generate “denialism, fatalism, and polarization.”

One senior Russian official believes Moscow is set to ink a long sought-after gas deal with Beijing next month. We’ve been told such an agreement was close for more than a decade, but Russia has more reasons now than ever before to seek a new natural gas customer.

Methane emissions are a big contributor to climate change, and America’s cows are the largest single source of it. Researchers have some nifty ideas to help—everything from dietary supplements to gas-collecting backpacks.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel signed off on some important reforms to her country’s broken green energy policies today. Germany still faces a longer-term renewables problem, but watering down the energiewende is a step in the right direction.

The massive unpaid gas bill that Ukraine owes to Russia is due today. Kiev’s new Prime Minister has publicly repudiated Gazprom’s recent 80 percent gas price increase, but Ukraine has precious little leverage in this fight.

Good afternoon, TAI readers! We trust you’re enjoying you’ve had a relaxing and productive weekend so far. Take the time this Sunday to look back on what you may have missed on the site over the past week: