Today's Climate: November 21-22, 2009

Obama Ready to Offer Target for Cutting CO2 (Guardian)

The Obama administration has been consulting international negotiators and key players on Capitol Hill about signing up the U.S. to a provisional CO2 target in Copenhagen, now less than three weeks away.

White House Adviser Rejects Idea of Limited Climate Package (Wall Street Journal) 

Pres. Obama's top climate adviser has rejected an idea gathering steam from GOP senators of a more modest federal climate bill that would apply mandatory emissions reductions only to electric utilities.

Top U.N. Scientist Laments U.S. Pace on Climate Actions (Greenwire)

The UN's top climate scientist does not expect any breakthroughs on global warming next week when Pres. Obama hosts Indian PM Manmohan Singh, because the U.S. has not acted to curb its emissions.

The Climate Research Unit Emails and The Pentagon Papers (Gather) 

The 1,000-plus hacked emails from the East Anglia Climate Research Unit reveal a 10-year pattern of manipulating data, sabotaging journals and obstructing Freedom of Information requests by authors of the UN IPCC reports.

Australia: Labor Turns Up Climate Heat on Coalition (AAP)

Australia's showdown on emissions trading has been delayed by at least one more day with the federal government indicating a final offer won't be put to the coalition until Tuesday.

Central America Demands Billions in Climate Damages (AFP)

Central American nations will demand $105 billion from industrialized countries for damages caused by global warming, the region's representatives said on Friday.

OPEC's Badri Calls for Copenhagen Compensation (Reuters) 

Poorer oil-producing countries should be compensated for lost revenues if climate talks in Copenhagen agree to cut the use of oil, OPEC Secretary-General Abdallah al-Badri was quoted as saying.

Environment Minister: Canada Needs 40 years to Stabilize Emissions (Canwest News Service)

Acting on climate change is urgent, but Canada needs 40 years to succeed in its own part of a global plan to stabilize global warming emissions, Environment Minister Jim Prentice has said.

California Utility Wins OK for More Transmission (Reuters) 

A key California agency has cleared a proposal by the utility Southern California Edison for a $537 million, 150-mile transmission line. The project is seen as vital to accommodate electricity from renewable resources.

Oil Sands Pipeline to West Coast Gains Backing (Globe and Mail) 

Commercial support is building for a new pipeline to carry oil sands crude on its way to Asia, as Canada's energy industry seeks diversification from the U.S. market and an escape valve from potentially punitive climate regulations.