Today's Climate: January 15, 2010

Investors Urge Governments to Take Immediate Action on Climate Change (Guardian)

Over 450 investors controlling $13 trillion of assets have urged governments to pre-empt a climate treaty and take immediate action on global warming, or risk losing the opportunity to establish a low-carbon economy.

Australia Opposition Opens Election Fight on Climate (Reuters)

Australia's conservative opposition has opened its campaign for this year's elections, targeting climate change as a key battleground in its attempt to stop Prime Minister Rudd from gaining a second term.

Inhofe: I'm the Planet's #1 Worst Enemy (The Hill)

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) apparently isn't satisfied with his #7 ranking in Rolling Stone's list of the "planet's worst enemies." He told KFAQ radio in Tulsa: "I should have been number one."

UK Won't Use Recession to Meet Emission Cut Goals (Reuters)

Britain will not rely on the CO2 emissions reductions made due to a weaker economy to meet its climate targets, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said.

Arctic Permafrost Leaking Methane at Record Levels, Figures Show (Guardian)

Scientists say methane emissions from the Arctic have risen by almost one-third in just five years, a discovery that highlights the risks of a dangerous climate tipping point.

MSU Experts Help East Africa Model Climate Change (AP)

Experts at Michigan State University are working to develop climate data that will help East African farmers pick crops that can take the heat.

Scientists Push "Doomsday Clock" Back A Minute (Reuters)

A group of scientists, which includes 19 Nobel laureates, pushed back the hands on the symbolic Doomsday Clock by one minute citing hopeful developments in nuclear weapons and climate change.

Car Giants Giving False Hope of Emission-Free Future, Report Says (The Times)

Car companies are raising false hopes of emission-free motoring in order to continue profiting from large, fuel-hungry vehicles, according to a University of Oxford study.

A123 Systems In Battery Supply Pact With Fisker Automotive (Dow Jones)

A123 Systems reached a multi-year agreement to supply batteries to start-up Fisker Automotive for the U.S. automaker's Karma plug-in hybrid, scheduled to launch late this year.

California Toughens Up Biofuel Standards (Business Green)

California regulators this week approved tough new standards governing the carbon intensity of bioethanol, which will force producers to account for the lifecycle emissions that result from the production of biofuels.