Today's Climate: April 24, 2009

UN Offers US Leeway on Climate Proposal Deadline (Reuters)

Countries such as the United States can come up with ideas for a U.N. climate pact beyond an April 24 deadline, the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat said today .

Democrat Group Calls for Free Utility Pollution Credits (New York Times)

The closed-door negotiations involve about a dozen of the committee's moderate and conservative Democrats who are concerned that the Waxman-Markey climate bill pushes too fast to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Industry Ignored Its Own Scientists on Climate (New York Times)

“The role of greenhouse gases in climate change is not well understood,” an industry coalition told politicians in the 1990s. But a court document shows the group’s own scientists said the role of GHGs in global warming could not be refuted.

Bolivia: ‘Water People’ of Andes Face Extinction (Guardian)

The Uru Chipaya of Bolivia outlasted the Inca empire and survived the Spanish conquest, but they say they now face extinction by climate change. The river that has sustained them for millennia is drying up.

Climate Denier Abuses Founding Fathers (Constitutional Accountability Center)

Los Angeles Times writer Jonah Goldberg is entitled to his policy views on global warming, but until he brushes up on our Constitution, he should really leave the Founders out of his rants.

How the UK Reversed Its Coal Policy (Guardian)

“This is a complete rewrite of UK energy policy. Instead of a laissez-faire system where companies told government what they wanted to build and where, government has decided that reducing climate change emissions cannot be left to the market.”

UK’s Tiny Steps in a Marathon (Guardian)

The UK still has a long way to go, but this week's climate decisions in the budget and CCS rule inch it toward the big target, says economist Nicholas Stern.

G8, Poor Nations Sign Biodiversity Deal (Reuters)

Environment ministers from major rich and developing nations sealed a deal on Friday to try to slow the rate of species loss around the world but failed to make a breakthrough in climate change negotiations.

Rep. Dingell Predicts Energy Bill Passage (Politico)

Michigan Congressman JohnDingell, the former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, talks about writing a meaningful energy bill, working with Rep. Henry Waxman, and the future.

Soros Backs $50M for Large-Scale CCS (Earth2Tech)

Powerspan Corp. has just pocketed $50 million in new financing for CCS projects, courtesy of a heavy-hitting group of investors that includes George Soros.

Exelon Plans Largest US Urban Solar Plant on Chicago’s South Side (Sun-Times)

There’s a catch: The project is contingent upon Exelon getting a federal loan guarantee for up to 80 percent of its cost under the federal stimulus package