The markets responded positively to the news last week of a euro zone deal to try and turn around their two-year financial crisis. Marcus Mabry, editor-at-large of the International Herald Tribune, which is the international edition of The New York Times, tells us how he expects the markets to continue to go this week and to be on the lookout at Italy, which could be the next euro zone country to be in financial trouble. Charlie Herman, business and economics editor for WNYC and The Takeaway, looks at the upcoming G20 Summit in France this week, and if they can come up with a framework to deal with Europe's economic troubles.

Within a week, the northeastern United States was hit by both an earthquake and hurricane. Following Hurricane Irene, four million homes and businesses lost electricity. According to experts like Dan Genest of Dominion Virginia Power, turning the lights back on will be no easy task. He told the AP that "one broken pole can take six to seven hours to repair."

Last week, President Barack Obama unveiled his strategy for a staged troop withdrawal out of Afghanistan. He followed the announcement with a plan to focus more attention on rebuilding the home front. We asked our listeners how they would put the estimated $10 billion per month that the country currently spends in Afghanistan to better use here at home. We received a ton of great responses, many of them focused on the exploration and development of green technologies.

Does the ethanol industry still need government subsidies? That is the question that will be debated in the Senate with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) forcing a vote on a measure to repeal ethanol tax credits. Ethanol supporters argue that the alternative energy source should not be targeted, but cutting the subsidies could save the federal government billions. Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, reports.

The battle over environmental regulations has reached a fever pitch in Kentucky. The EPA is proposing a package of major policy rules aimed at curbing emissions from coal-fired plants, drawing widespread opposition from business interests. Backers of the Kentucky's coal mining industry are fighting the EPA over regulations, with some going so far as saying Kentucky should be a "sanctuary," protected from all EPA regulations.

The crisis in Japan has finally hit home for stock markets around the world. Investors are concerned that electronics manufacturers, who import chips from Japan could be affected by lapses in the supply chain. Two of Japan's top companies, Honda and Toyota have halted production at their Japanese plants and Detroit is highly dependent on parts from Japan. At the same time, the disaster in Japan has raised questions about the energy industry here in the United States. 

Greg Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission briefed reporters at the White House on Tuesday, saying that a nuclear emergency like the one in Japan could not happen in the United States. “Based on the type of reactor design and the nature of the accident we see a very low likelihood, really a very low probability that there’s any possibility of harmful radiation levels in the United States or in Hawaii, or in any other U.S. territories," he said.

However, Washington is edge about what to do about our own nuclear power sources here in the U.S. Todd Zwillich, Washington correspondent for The Takeaway got reaction from the Capitol.

The world is witnessing first-hand the potential dangers of nuclear energy, as Japan faces the threat of a nuclear meltdown at several power plants, including the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, just 140 miles north of Tokyo. An explosion rocked the plant in the following Friday's earthquake. President Obama has been pushing nuclear energy as part of his new and clean energy policy, but the current events in Japan could be a setback. How will the disaster affect the industry?

Back in 2008, the price of a barrel of oil rose to $133, and prices at the pump topped $4 per gallon. As the economy slowed, and demand for oil dropped, the price did as well. However, the cost of oil has risen to just over $90 a barrel, as confidence in the economic recovery grows stronger and the price of filling up your car is expected to keep rising throughout 2011. What will happen to our economic recovery if we hit the psychological benchmark of $100 per barrel or higher this year?

New "current cruisers," the first mass-marketed plug-in electric cars, will hit the market next month. For utility companies, their arrival is cause for both excitement and anxiety. Plugged into a socket, the Nissan Leafs and Chevrolet Volts can draw as much energy from the grid as a small house. Will the early adopters – and their neighborhoods – wind up in the dark?

Where are the similarities between presidents number 39 and 44?

Besides a focus on energy policy and putting solar panels on top of the White House, there are also deeper connections. Both Democrats rose quickly to power on the heels of an unpopular Republican presidency. They both faced an economy in crisis.  And they both spent a lot of time in office learning one important lesson, it's nice to have good ideas — but it's better to be able to sell them. 

In today’s tough economic times, we frequently talk about conserving energy, cutting down on waste and living more frugally.

Despite these good intentions, a new study in the American Chemical Society's journal indicates that the food Americans throw out or leave in fields to rot wastes the equivalent of 350 million barrels of oil a year. That's about 70 times the amount of oil in the BP Gulf oil spill.

Russia is attempting to stake out both literal and diplomatic territory over the division of natural resources in the Arctic region.  

A deadly gas pipe explosion in San Bruno, California last week left at least four people dead and nearly 40 houses destroyed. The company being held responsible is Pacific Gas & Electric, better known as PG&E. It could be more than a year before investigators determine precisely what caused the explosion. For years, however, California residents have accused PG&E of irresponsible safety practices.

The Senate still has a few things to do before it goes on August recess. From the "spill bill" to Elena Kagan, Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich has the latest from Capitol Hill.

Last night the documentary "Gasland" aired on HBO. The film focuses on the health and environmental dangers involved in drilling for natural gas. It's the work of director Josh Fox, who started the project after his family in Northeastern Pennsylvania was offered nearly $100,000 from an energy company to take their 19.5 acres of land for hydraulic fracturing. Fox traveled to towns across America where land, water, animals and people have been negatively impacted by natural gas drilling.

As energy legislation makes its way to Capitol Hill, lawmakers are beginning to hint at how they'll work together. Sen. John Cornyn said that he is ready to work with Democrats to deal with some of our environmental concerns. However, it is unlikely that senators like Cornyn will accept the president's comprehensive energy and climate change legislation.

While oil is subject to environmental disasters and oscillating prices, the prices of natural gas remains relatively cheap and seemingly less risky. This morning, Royal Dutch Shell announced plans to buy Pennsylvania's East Resources Inc., one of the biggest explorers of a natural gas field that stretches from New York to West Virginia.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill may very well become the most costly environmental disaster in history. The total costs are still unknown but some estimate it could be in the billions of dollars. BP is already spending between $6 and $7 million a day on efforts to cap the leak and cleanup the spill. By comparison, the Exxon Valdez spill — which was less damaging than the Deepwater Horizon — cost Exxon $3.8 million in clean up and damage costs, and $500 million in punitive damages.

There are many reasons people can find to dislike big oil companies. They reap huge corporate profits, while gas prices at the pump climb and strain our wallets; oil pollution destroys our natural world; and now the catastrophic spill in the Gulf of Mexico threatens everything from wildlife to fisherman. We talk with John Hofmeister, the former president of Shell Oil, who says the government is at fault for the companies' bad reputations.