India Environment Minister Suggests Major Shift in Climate Position (Times of India)
India’s environment minister, in a letter to the prime minister, suggested that India junk the Kyoto Protocol, delink itself from G77 and take on greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments under a new deal without any counter guarantee of finances and technology.
Big Polluters Make Progress in Climate Talks, But Not on Financing (AP)
Delegates of the 17 largest polluters, meeting in the Major Economies Forum over the weekend, reached “a lot of agreement” but not on how to fund climate mitigation and adaptation in developing nations, UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said.
UK Families Face Nuclear Tax on Power Bills (Guardian)
UK officials have a secret plan to tax electricity consumers to subsidize the first new nuclear reactors in 20 years. The levy would add £44 to an annual bill of £500 and contradicts promises that the industry would no longer benefit from public subsidies.
Not So Efficient? Audit Questions Energy Star Monitoring (New York Times)
The Energy Department has concluded in an internal audit that it does not properly track whether manufacturers that give their appliances an Energy Star label have met the required specifications for energy efficiency.
Spread of New Diseases: The Climate Connection (Yale Environment 360)
As humans increasingly encroach on forested lands and as temperatures rise, the transmission of disease from animals and insects to people is growing.
Energy Industry Deeply Split on Climate Bill (New York Times)
As the Senate prepares to tackle global warming, the nation’s energy producers, once united, are battling one another over policy decisions worth hundreds of billions of dollars in coming decades.
Australian Government to Resubmit Climate Plan (Bloomberg)
Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said, after the opposition proposed changes, including increased compensation for coal-fired power stations.Emissions trading talks constructive, says Wong
Environmental Concerns Delay Desert Solar Projects (Los Angeles Times)
Several companies seek to build renewable-energy facilities on public land — a goal backed by the White House — but the slow permit process and fears over imperiled species have hindered construction.
China’s Stimulus Has Solar Companies Salivating (Wall Street Journal)
For all of the excitement about U.S. government backing for renewable energy, it’s China’s stimulus spending that has the attention of many solar companies.
Australians to Be Allowed to Fortify Coastal Homes (Reuters)
Australians living beside some of the country’s finest beaches will be allowed to fortify their beachfront homes against rising seas and storms, as climate change increasingly threatens the heavily-populated east coast.
British PM: Leaders Must Broker Climate Deal in Person (Reuters)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged world leaders to intervene to rescue flagging climate talks by brokering in person a deal to combat global warming in Copenhagen.
EPA Administrator Says ‘EPA Is Back on the Job’ (NPR)
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson talks about how the EPA’s position on climate change has shifted toward real action since the Obama administration took over.
1800s-Era Sea Logs Chart Course Of Climate Change (NPR)
Climatologists don’t just use the latest, cutting-edge data to map the future of weather. Now they’re cracking open logbooks kept by sailors during the early, harrowing naval voyages of the likes of Capt. Cook and Charles Darwin.
