Today's Climate: November 16, 2009

US, China Cuts Now Key to Reaching Climate Pact (Washington Post)

The scaled-back climate strategy endorsed by President Obama and other leaders could put pressure on the U.S. and China to resolve the biggest stumbling block to an agreement — how much they will cut emissions in the next decade. Obama is in Beijing this week.

Russia's Medvedev Warns of Climate Catastrophe (Reuters)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev today warned that climate change posed a "catastrophic" threat in some of the sharpest comments yet on a subject the Kremlin has often seemed reluctant to confront.

Dutch First in Europe to Adopt Green Tax for Cars (Independent)

The Dutch government is about to make the Netherlands the first European country to introduce a per-kilometer green tax to replace its annual road tax on cars.

UN Chief: Climate Deal Key to Fighting Hunger (Reuters)

The United Nations opened its world food summit today by saying that a climate change deal in Copenhagen next month is crucial to fighting global hunger as rising temperatures threaten farm output in poor countries.

Biodiversity: Insurance Against Hunger Amid Climate Change (Guardian)

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso writes that to ensure food security the world needs to encourage crop diversity and establish a science-based red-alert system for the planet.

New Greenpeace International Chief Puts Focus on People (AP)

Kumi Naidoo, a South African who fought apartheid as a teenager and lead global campaigns to stop poverty and protect human right, took over today as executive director of Greenpeace International.

Britain Urges Europe to Adopt UK-style Climate Law (Business Green)

The British government has teamed up with a number of green groups to promote the UK's Climate Change Act across Europe as part of a campaign to get other countries to introduce similar legislation.

The 2 Faces of China's Giant Coal Industry (Guardian)

While the world's countries struggle to reach a treaty on climate change, Chinese miners and scientists are ramping up production in Mongolia and finding new ways to burn and bury carbon that will shape the policies of the world's biggest polluting nation.

China Solar Panel Maker Plans US Plant (Business Week)

China’s Suntech Power today announced plans for its first American manufacturing plant. The facility, to be in the Phoenix area, is to begin production within a year.

Using CO2 to Extract Geothermal Energy (MIT Technology Review)

Could carbon dioxide generated by power plants find a second life as a working fluid to help recover geothermal heat from kilometers underground?

Climate Change Raises Exelon CEO’s Profile in Washington (Chicago Tribune)