Royal Dutch Shell

Feeding the globe's insatiable energy appetite is a highly dangerous business. And, unfortunately, events like the BP oil spill are not once-in-a-generation freak accidents. Here, we take a look at the biggest energy-related accidents in 2011.

Greenpeace activists have interrupted drilling operations on Gazprom's Prirazlomnaya Arctic oil platfform.

Here are two very different advanced biofuel strategies: Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRE) is producing algae from byproducts at one of its commercial ethanol plants to make biodiesel, and Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS) is developing biocatalysts to produce advanced biofuel and pharmaceuticals and to remove carbon from smokestacks.

The politics of biofuel subsidies are on full boil in Washington, D.C.

Fossil-fuel extractors don't usually bring to mind energy alternatives, but in the past few years Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A), Europe's largest petroleum producer, has invested £1 billion (about $1.65 billion) in alternative energy development.