Daily Roundup: April 6, 2010

Dangerous Work: An explosion at a Massey coal mine in West Virginia killed at least 25 workers yesterday. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said that the disaster could affect future U.S. policies related to coal-sourced energy. Greenwire

Slick Write-Offs: Despite banking $52 billion in profits, Exxon Mobil paid no U.S. income taxes last year. Instead, the company placed funds into lobbying efforts ($27 million) and offshore shelters. Forbes and Media Matters

Cleaner Money: India’s government announced that it will charge a tax on coal, both domestic and imported, in a move that’s expected to raise $660 million within a year for clean-energy initiatives. ReVolt

Military Mandate: A new poll of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans shows that 79 percent of those who’ve fought in post-9/11 wars believe that ending U.S. dependence on foreign oil is important to national security. A vast majority of them also hopes that Congress passes clean-energy and climate-change laws. Meanwhile, the Air Force is exploring biofuel options. VetVoice and Scientific American

Hot-Tempered: New research suggests that global warming could make humans more violent. National Geographic

--Avital Binshtock