EPA, DOE Announce Changes to Energy Star Certification (EPA)
The EPA and DOE today announced changes to the Energy Star product certification process to ensure that only products meeting the program requirements can receive an Energy Star label.
Some Republicans Say Open to Climate Bill (Reuters)
Some prominent Republican senators expressed openness on Tuesday to a U.S. climate bill that might be introduced next week and that would need bipartisan support to have any chance of advancing.
Salazar Unveils Arctic Drilling Research Plan (AP)
Federal scientists have until Oct. 1 to decide what additional research is needed to determine the effects of offshore oil and gas development in the Arctic Ocean, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said.
Menendez: Offshore Drilling Plan Imperils His Climate Bill Vote (The Hill)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), an offshore drilling opponent, said he is unlikely to support coming climate legislation unless it alters White House plans that open the Atlantic coast to oil-and-gas leasing.
Senators Consider Gas Tax as Part of Climate Bill (Los Angeles Times)
Leading voices in the Senate are considering a new tax on gasoline in the range of 15 cents a gallon, as part of an effort to win Republican and oil industry support for the climate bill.
Officials: Computer Error Affected Mine Scrutiny (AP)
A computer error prevented the West Virginia coal mine where 29 workers died in an explosion from receiving a warning about safety violations and a demand that the operator improve conditions in 90 days, federal officials said.
Washington Sues to Revive Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Plan (Bloomberg)
Washington state, home to a former U.S. nuclear weapons plant undergoing cleanup, has sued the Obama administration to stop it from abandoning plans for the Yucca Mountain radioactive waste repository in Nevada.
Wis. Lawmakers Drop California Vehicle Emissions in Bill (AP)
Wisconsin Democrats have revised a sweeping renewable energy bill, dropping requirements calling for new vehicle emission standards and low-carbon fuel.
Stick to Kyoto Protocol Targets, China Tells West (China Daily)
The Kyoto Protocol should not be replaced by any new agreement being proposed by developed countries as it is intended to evade their responsibilities in reducing emissions, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Jairam Ramesh: I Will Be Chief Climate Negotiator (IANS)
A month after Shyam Saran, India’s key negotiator on climate change left office, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said he will be leading the country’s climate talks in international negotiations.
Australia Arrests Chinese Crew of Grounded Coal Ship (Reuters)
Australian police arrested two senior crew members of a Chinese coal ship that ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, charging them with damaging the reef by failing to sail a correct course.
Solar Installatioins in Germany Reach 3.8GW in 2009 (PV Tech)
Germany installed 3.8 GW of solar PV systems in 2009, a 60% increase over 2008, according to the German Federal Network Agency.
Climate Change Could Raise Cost of U.S. Allergies (Reuters)
Climate change could push the cost of U.S. allergies and asthma beyond the current $32 billion annual price tag, conservation and health groups reported on Wednesday.
Melting of Canadian Arctic Ice Sheet Accelerating, Study Finds (Los Angeles Times)
The Devon Island ice cap, which sprawls over more than 5,500 square miles in the Arctic latitudes of Canada, has been shrinking at an increasing rate since 1985, an analysis of nearly 50 years of data concludes.
Evanston Takes Look at Wind Turbines in Lake Michigan Project (Chicago Tribune)
If some officials in Evanston, Illinois, have their way, dozens of giant wind turbines could tower above the waves of Lake Michigan, generating enough electricity to power the city’s 30,000 homes.
U.S. to Host Western Hemisphere Clean Energy Meet (Reuters)
Government ministers from more than 30 countries in the Americas will meet in Washington this week for a two-day conference as part of an Obama administration effort to boost cooperation on energy and climate change.
