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.
Google – The New Eye in the Sky for Protecting Forests? (Mongabay)
Google will next year launch a program that will allow Internet users to spot and report deforestation to a global forest monitoring agency.
Electric-Car Maker Tesla Said to Be Planning IPO (Los Angeles Times)
California’s Tesla Motors, the six-year-old start-up, reportedly is filing for an IPO soon. It would be the first IPO among the crop of electric-car firms that has sprung up in recent years.
Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Up in 2008 Model Year (AP)
The fleet of new cars and trucks sold to U.S. consumers averaged 21 mpg in the 2008 model year, a modest increase over the previous year, the EPA reported.
Greenland Ice Loss Behind 1/6 of Sea-Level Rise (New Scientist)
Greenland lost 1500 cubic kilometers of ice between 2000 and 2008, making it responsible for one-sixth of global sea-level rise. Even worse, there are signs that the rate of ice loss is increasing.
Acid Oceans Leave Fish at More Risk from Predators (BBC News)
Ocean acidification from global warming could cause fish to become "fatally attracted" to their predators, according to new scientific research.
Shoppers Going Green Despite Struggling Economy (Reuters)
Despite the worst U.S. recession in decades, sales of sustainable products have continued to grow, experts say, with shoppers willing to spend a few more dollars in a bid to become more green.
