Today's Climate: September 7, 2009

Irish Commission Recommends Carbon Tax on Gas (Irish Times)

Ireland’s Commission on Taxation is recommending a carbon tax of about 8 cents per liter on gas and diesel starting in the government's December budget.

Dengue Fever Becoming Unstoppable (Manila Bulletin)

The mosquito-borne disease dengue fever is becoming unstoppable due to climate change, according to global health experts who advised nations to institute more aggressive elimination drives to stem the disease that kills 24,000 people worldwide every year.

Trade War Looms in Solar Space (Reuters)

China and the West, long at odds over trade in steel and auto parts, risk being sucked into a dispute over protectionism in renewable energy equipment such as solar panels.

Natural Gas Hits a Roadblock in New Energy Bill (New York Times)

The natural gas industry is having trouble making its case to Congress as lawmakers, influenced by the coal industry, write an energy bill to tackle global warming.

Company Fights Climate Change Ruling by UK Employment Tribunal (Guardian)

A controversial decision by a UK employment tribunal that some company practices can discriminate against employees with strongly held views on climate change will be challenged in court.

We All Blew It (Carl Pope/Huffington Post)

Collectively we — the environmental community, progressives, and the Obama administration — blew it on the Van Jones case. When the lynch mob started forming a month ago, we didn't take it seriously enough.

Climate Change Boosts UV Risk (AFP)

Climate change will disrupt Earth's ozone layer, boosting ultraviolet radiation in the deep southern hemisphere and reducing UV in far northern latitudes, a University of Toronto study warns.

Maryland Residents Oppose Coal Ash Dumping Plan (Baltimore Sun)

Constellation Energy’s plan to deposit up to 650,000 tons of coal ash a year in a chemical company landfill is generating opposition from nearby Maryland residents who fear the toxic ash could blow into their neighborhoods or foul a river less than a mile away.

Japan PM-Elect Backs 25% Greenhouse Gas Cut (Reuters)

Japan's prime minister-elect said today that he will forge ahead with a tough 25 percent cut in emissions by 2020, despite growing opposition from industry which says the target will hurt the world's No. 2 economy.

India to Set Industry Efficiency Targets by 2011 (Reuters)

India hopes to set up by December next year energy efficiency targets for more than 700 industrial units, which account for 40 percent of India's fossil fuel use, the country's head of energy efficiency said today.

Seas 'Threaten 20 Million in Bangladesh' (BBC)

Up to 20 million people in low-lying Bangladesh are at risk from rising sea levels in the coming decades, according to new research.