SolveClimate.com: Today's Climate Headlines

July 6, 2009

Stacy Morford — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:46:32 -0700

Oxfam: Hunger Rises as Climate Change Causes Crop Failure (Guardian)

Hunger may become the defining human tragedy of the century as the climate changes and hundreds of millions of farmers already struggling to grow enough food are forced to adapt to drought and different rainfall patterns, a report from Oxfam warns.

Blair: G8 Should Put that Good Will to Use on Energy Issues (Guardian)

"If we focus on clear, practical, and achievable goals, major reductions can be made in order to ensure that, whatever the precise interim target, the world will fashion a radical new approach," writes former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

South Korea to Spend $85B on Green Industries (Reuters)

South Korea will invest $84.5 billion, or 2 percent of its annual GDP, in environment-related industries over the next five years, the presidential office said today.

Nigeria: Country Faces Hard Times With Less US Need for Oil (This Day)

Nigerian government officials warn that their economy, largely depend on crude oil exports, may witness a major shrink in five years time because planned changes in U.S. consumption unless it aggressively pursues a policy of diversifying its revenue sources.

Ex-BP Chief: Make State-Run Banks Invest in Renewables (London Times)

State-controlled banks such as Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group should be forced to invest in renewable energy projects to kick-start a transition to a lower-carbon economy, former BP chief John Browne says.

California Solar Subsidy Program Approaches Limit (Los Angeles Times)

A key state Senate committee is expected to vote on a bill that seeks to quadruple the amount of electricity consumers with roof panels may sell. The solar industry supports it; PG & E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric oppose the bill.

Energy-Pioneering Austrian Town Exports Its Model (AFP)

After 20 years investing in renewable energy, the small Austrian town of Guessing, a model of energy self-sufficiency, is spreading its pioneering technology far and wide.

China To Start Work on 20 GW Wind Farm (Reuters)

China will begin construction of a $17.6 billion wind power project in Gansu province this month dubbed “the Three Gorges Dam on the land.” Its 20 gigawatts will be part of a major push to boost renewable energy and cut the nation's reliance on coal, Xinhua reports.

Congress Must Restore Strength to Climate Bill (Boston Globe)

As the Senate takes up climate legislation this week, John Kassel, president of the Conservation Law Foundation, urges it to restore the strength a real cap and better tools to foster renewable energy and efficiency – flaws inflicted by House negotiations.

Oil Companies Buying Bankrupt Ethanol Plants (Energy Business Daily)

The pressure is on to get the refiners to reduce emissions, so they are exploring new ways to meet these environmental standards ban. The hunt for bargains is on.

Texas Quakes Drawing La. Energy Agency’s Attention (Times Picayune)

A series of minor earthquakes in Texas has raised the specter of tremors in northwest Louisiana, where a natural gas discovery has launched a gold-rush style drilling boom. Louisiana's Department of Natural Resources has its ear to the ground for more rumblings.

Montana Considers Cashing in on 1.2B Tons of Coal (AP)

Montana officials are on track to seek bids this fall to mine a massive reserve of state-owned coal near the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation — a deposit with enough fuel to feed the U.S. coal appetite for a year.

Xinjiang Unrest: The Oil and Gas Connection (Financial Times)

Xinjiang in western China is a province rich in natural resources, a fact not unconnected with the violence that has killed 140 people in the past few days. The region’s oil and gas riches have been a growing source of tension between Uighurs and Han migrants.

Sweden Introduces Climate Labeling for Food (EurActiv)

Sweden is developing standards to help consumers make conscious choices about the impact of their decisions on global warming. Products with at least 25% greenhouse gas savings will be marked in each food category.

Studies: Climate Change May Be Benefiting Poison Ivy (Providence Journal)

Poison ivy is showing signs of being one of the big winners from climate change. Carbon dioxide acts almost as a growth hormone for the itchy weed.

Ocean Acidity? One UK Scheme Suggests Adding Lime (Guardian)

One of 20 innovative schemes proposed at a two-day search for the best ideas to tackle climate change in the UK proposed putting lime in the ocean to reduce acidity.

July 4-5, 2009

Stacy Morford — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:55:35 -0700

India: Watered Down Climate Declaration Likely at G8 (Reuters)

The world's worst polluters, meeting during the G8 summit in Italy this coming week, will likely agree on a token joint declaration because President Obama will be chairing the meeting, Indian officials say. The members plan to hold talks Tuesday.

Both Parties Try to Cash In on Climate Bill Vote (CQ Politics)

Within hours of the House passing sweeping climate legislation, the party fund-raising letters were already going out. Both parties are trying to use the landmark legislation to their advantage.

China Considering New Air Quality Rules (Reuters)

China is considering new air quality regulations as it looks to build on its success clearing Beijing's skies during the Olympics, environmental officials.

Energy Bonds Among 20 Radical Ideas for Climate Action (Guardian)

The British public could invest their savings in the UK's renewable energy revolution with energy bonds, similar to what they’ve done in the past with war bond, and reap the financial rewards of helping to save the planet, under one of several ambitious proposals being discussed this weekend.

China, India Protest US Carbon Tariff Plan (Financial Times)

China joined a growing clamor of complaint about the U.S. climate bill’s addition of a carbon tax on imports from countries without their own emission caps, warning it could set off a global trade war.

Older Cars Fouling DC Air (Washington Post)

Vehicles in the Washington, D.C., area are an average of six months older than they were in 2005. The increase, from about 7.9 to 8.4 years, is enough to push the region perilously close to violating its limits for traffic-related pollutants, regional planners say.

Power Costs Cloud Outlook for NY Coal Plant (Buffalo News)

Environmental groups and the would-be developers of a coal-fired power plant are squaring off in Jamestown, N.Y., over what one environmentalist describes as “a completely unnecessary plant disguised as a carbon capture experiment.”

Rep. Minnick's Climate Bill Vote May Cost Him (Idaho Statesman)

Voting with the GOP might seem like an easy political choice for Rep. Walter Minnick. The Democrat represents a conservative region. But it could become a problem when he needs clout to help Idaho.

US Climate Bill Could Make Canada Act (Montreal Gazette)

Irresistible pressure is building on Canada to bring in a serious plan to reduce our greenhouse-gas emissions, and the embarrassment factor is now in play, a Montreal Gazette editorial says.

The Cleantech Race Is on, and China Knows It (New York Times)

If the United States doesn’t want to lose the green technology race, President Obama can’t put the energy/climate bill on the back burner to focus solely on health care. They go together, Thomas Friedman writes.

USDA Organic Label Under Fire (Los Angeles Times)

Relaxed federal standards and a surge in consumer demand have made organics big business. But consumers aren’t always getting the chemical-free foods they expect. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has pledged to protect the label despite pressure to lower standards to certify more products as organic.

Street Farmer Grows Real Food in a ‘Food Desert’ (New York Times)

Will Allen, with his 14 greenhouses crammed into a two-acre lot in a poor section of Milwaukee, is turning the inner city into the next front in the good-food movement.

July 3, 2009

Stacy Morford — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:52:42 -0700

Emissions Must Peak by 2020, US Says in G8 Draft (Bloomberg)

The U.S. is joining other developed countries for the first time in saying global greenhouse gases should peak by 2020 and the average worldwide temperature shouldn’t rise more than 2 degrees Celsius, according to a draft from the Group of Eight industrialized nations.

Canada, Japan Blocking Copenhagen Progress? (Business Green)

Sir David King, former UK science adviser, accused Canada and Japan of blocking progress towards a meaningful international climate deal. "Copenhagen is faltering at the moment," he said.

EPA Allows TVA to Dump Coal Ash in Alabama (AP)

The nation's largest utility can dump millions of tons of coal ash from a Tennessee spill into an Alabama landfill, federal regulators determined, despite criticism that the plan is unfair to one of Alabama's poorest counties.

Kennedy: President Breaks Hearts in Appalachia (Washington Post)

“If ever an issue deserved President Obama's promise of change, mountaintop mining is it,” Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. writes. “Mining syndicates are detonating 2,500 tons of explosives each day – the equivalent of a Hiroshima bomb weekly – to blow up Appalachia's mountains.”

Carbon Chief Suspended Amid Reports of Dodgy Deals (Business Green)

Papua New Guinea's Office of Climate Change director was suspended following reports that he issued unofficial carbon credits from forestry projects worth millions of dollars.

Sen. Boxer Sets Hearings Starting Next Week on Climate (National Journal)

Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer has scheduled a four-pack of hearings in the next two weeks to draft climate legislation this summer and continue an ambitious Democratic push to get a plan through Congress this year.

Federal Cliffside Power Plant Expansion Lawsuit Dismissed (Charlotte Observer)

A judge dismissed a federal environmental lawsuit challenging Duke Energy's construction of a $2.4 billion addition to its Cliffside coal-fired power plant, saying the same issues are being decided in state court.

Lessons from the Cello Energy Biofuel Fraud Case (Earth2Tech)

As far as speed bumps for cellulosic ethanol ventures go, this one’s a doozy: Jurors have ordered Cello Energy, a biofuel startup run by Alabama’s former ethics chairman and backed by a big Silicon Valley investor, to pay more than $10 million in a fraud case.

Planned US Nuclear Recycling Facility Faces the Ax (Nature)

The Obama administration has quietly cancelled plans for a large-scale facility to recycle nuclear fuel. The move may prove fatal to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, set up by George W. Bush.

Renewable Energy Financing Rebounds – in Europe (Wall Street Journal)

Bankers are funding renewable energy projects again – at least in Europe, according to new second-quarter figures from New Energy Finance. But there is reason to believe the U.S. situation is better than the numbers indicate – and the European situation is worse.

Green Power Takes Root in the Chinese Desert (New York Times)

As the United States takes its first steps toward mandating that power companies generate more electricity from renewable sources, China already has a similar requirement and is investing billions to remake itself into a green energy superpower.

Santa Monica: Hide Solar Panels from View (Los Angeles Times)

Santa Monica has held itself up as a model of innovative energy policies, but the City Council now says equipment must be installed "in the location that is least visible from the street" on certain properties.

Coal Country: The Film Big Coal Does Not Want You to See (Huffington Post)

Coal Country, a hard-hitting documentary on the cradle-to-grave process of generating coal-fired electricity, hits theatres next week, and even though the film lets the industry tell its side of the story, Friends of Coal is preparing a show of protesters.

July 2, 2009

Stacy Morford — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:44:09 -0700

Sen. Boxer Sets Hearings Starting Next Week on Climate (National Journal)

Southern Co. Dominates Climate Lobbying (Center for Public Integrity)

Southern Company, the nation’s largest electric power generator, also had the largest force of lobbyists among the hundreds of businesses and interest groups that were seeking to influence the landmark climate change legislation that just passed the House.

Records Show Exxon Continued Funding Climate Deniers (Guardian)

ExxonMobil, the world's largest oil company, continued to fund lobby groups that question the reality of global warming, despite a public pledge to cut support for such climate change denial, a new analysis shows.

UN, WTO Call for Trade Shift to Slow Climate Change (EurActiv)

More open trade could lead to growing greenhouse gas emissions if nothing is done to shift "business as usual" trade practices and encourage the exchange of new low-carbon technologies, the WTO and UNEP said in a joint report.

Mayor’s Goal: Coal-Free Los Angeles by 2020 (Mercury News)

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, sworn in for a second term, said he would attempt to eliminate the city’s reliance on coal—which provides 40 percent of its power—by 2020.

Kerry: Senate Could Pass Climate Bill But Reject Treaty (Bloomberg)

Even if the Senate approves climate legislation, it might not have the 67 votes needed to ratify an international accord incorporating the U.S. commitments, Sen. John Kerry told Bloomberg.

U.S., California to Reduce Ship Emissions (Los Angeles Times)

Federal and California regulators are targeting one of the biggest sources of air pollution, big diesel-powered ships. Ocean-going vessels that enter California ports must now switch to fuel with lower sulfur content, and EPA proposed similar rules for U.S.-flagged ships.

WWF: US, Canada Last Among G8 in Curbing Warming (Boston Globe)

With only five months left before a summit on climate change, none of the Group of Eight nations is doing enough to curb global warming, WWF says.

Obama's Climate Leadership Faces Test at G8 Forum (Reuters)

President Obama faces a foreign test on Climate policy next week at a forum that could boost the chances for a UN pact this year. The U.S. president chairs a meeting of the world's top greenhouse gas emitters at the G8 summit July 9.

Colorado Drilling Rigs Near '60s Nuke Site (Denver Post)

After decades of controversy, natural-gas drilling rigs are popping up around the 1969 Rulison atomic blast site south of Rifle — a failed experiment in using a nuclear bomb to boost natural-gas production. A DOE proposal would allow them closer to town.

Exelon Delays Texas Nuclear Plant (AP)

Power generator Exelon Corp. says it has called off plans for now to build a new nuclear plant in Texas because of worries over the economy and the limited availability of federal loan guarantees.

Cleantech Industry Emerging in U.S. South (Cleantech Group)

The South is growing a cleantech industry, with deals including billion-dollar polysilicon plants and stealthy new university spin offs. Tennessee's governor, Georgia Tech and Oak Ridge National Lab are a few of the reasons.

Handful of Players Seen Ruling Solar Roost (Reuters)

Solar panel makers from California to China are gearing up to capture a slice of the growing U.S. market for utility-scale solar power plants, but just a handful of players are expected to snap up most of the business in the coming years. A Look at the list.

Financial Woes Chill Iceland's Hydrogen Economy (New York Times)

The financial crisis that brought Iceland to the brink of bankruptcy has postponed this volcanic island's ambitious dream of ditching fossil fuels and transforming itself into the world's first hydrogen-based economy.

From the Sewage Plant, The Promise of Biofuel (Yale Environment 360)

Researchers throughout the world are working to produce biofuel from algae. But a few are trying a decidedly novel approach: Using an abundant and freely available source — human waste — to make the fuel of the future while also treating sewage.

July 1, 2009

Stacy Morford — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:01:11 -0700

Rep. Waxman in LA Hospital, But ‘Feeling Much Better’ (CQ Politics)

Rep. Henry Waxman, the California Democrat at the center of the climate bill battle, was admitted to an L.A. hospital for tests after falling ill shortly after the House passed his ACES bill, staff members say.

India Will Reject Greenhouse Gas Emissions Targets (Reuters)

India will not set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will instead focus on fighting poverty and boosting economic growth, the environment minister says.

Salazar: 13 Solar Plants On Public Land By 2010 (Red, Green & Blue)

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar set a goal of 13 “commercial-scale” solar projects under construction on public land in the West by the end of 2010, and a production goal of 100,000 megawatts of solar electricity.

Ontario Nuclear Plans Suffer from Sticker Shock (Globe & Mail)

The Ontario government is suspending its bidding for a new nuclear power plant over something everyone who has made a big purchase eventually confronts: sticker shock.

Sweden To Lead Climate Change Fight as EU President (Radio Free Europe)

As Sweden takes over the EU presidency today, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt says Stockholm's top priority will be to curb carbon dioxide emissions.

Amnesty Int’l Documents Big Oil Damage in Niger Delta (Guardian)

A report from Amnesty International quotes sources suggesting that in the last 50 years at least 9 million barrels worth of oil have leaked into land and rivers of the Niger Delta. It singles out Royal Dutch Shell and blames the oil industry the region’s upheaval.

Green Tech Venture Capital Stages a Comeback (Greentech)

More than $1.2 billion in venture capital investments in 85 startups during the second quarter of 2009 signals a recovery in the green tech sector. A look at the deals.

Coal India Seeks Faster Approvals for Production (Bloomberg)

Coal India Ltd., the world’s biggest coal producer, wants mining approvals sped up to help it boost production. The country aims to add 13,000 megawatts of new electric capacity annually.

Yahoo! Abandons Carbon Offsets in Favor of Efficiency (GreenBiz)

Yahoo! announces that it is abandoning its plans to go carbon neutral by purchasing carbon offsets and will instead focus its climate strategy on reducing the energy used by its data centers.

Massachusetts Draws Zones for Coastal Wind Farms (Boston Globe)

Dozens of wind turbines could sprout within sight of the Massachusetts shoreline under a first-of-its-kind state blueprint being released today that holds the promise of generating both electricity and controversy.

California Solar Program on Track for '09 (Mercury News)

Despite the worst economic downturn in decades, California's multibillion-dollar program to expand solar power production — the country's largest — remains on track to install as much new energy this year as last, the California PUC says.

Utility Plans to Trade Golf Course for Solar Arrays (Atlantic City Press)

RC Cape May, the owners of B.L. England power plant, wants to build one of New Jersey's largest solar arrays on what is now its nine-hole golf course.

New Material Could Improve Carbon Capture (Scientific American)

To capture the carbon dioxide generated by coal plants, chemical companies like Dow Chemical Co. and energy giants like Alstom SA have been betting big on liquid solvents like amine, a corrosive derivative of ammonia that has a thirst for binding with CO2.

Conservatives: ACES Supporters Betrayed GOP Principles (New York Times)

Conservative commentators are blasting the eight Republican House members who voted yes on the climate bill, calling them betrayers of GOP principles.

Bingaman on Energizing the Senate Climate Bill (Politico)

As the fight over climate and energy legislation moves to the Senate, the political climate is heating up for New Mexico Democrat Jeff Bingaman. Politico interviews the senator about his expectations.

Greens denounce 'Knight of the Chainsaw' (London Times)

Environmental groups are demanding that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth withdraw the award of a knighthood to a Malaysian tycoon accused of making his fortune from the destruction of tropical rainforests.

Friedman on Climate Bill: Just Do It (New York Times)

Thomas Friedman writes of the climate bill: “It stinks. It’s a mess. I detest it. Now let’s get it passed in the Senate and make it law.” Even a weak price on carbon will make a difference, Friedman writes.

June 30, 2009

Stacy Morford — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:42:41 -0700

Chaos, Arm-Twisting Gave Pelosi a Climate Bill Win (Politico)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gambled big with a close vote on the climate bill and pulled off one of the most important legislative victories of her career, a win she views as a personal vindication.

EPA Proposes New Air Quality Standards for NO2 (Green Car Congress)

EPA has proposed revisions to the nitrogen dioxide air quality standard, the first adjustment since 1971. The proposed changes reflect the latest science on the health effects of exposure to NO2, formed by vehicle and factory emissions and can lead to respiratory disease.

US Works to Speed Solar Development in Southwest (AP)

The U.S. will fast-track efforts to build solar power facilities on public land in six Western states, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says. He signed an order setting aside more than 1,000 square miles for study to determine where solar power stations should be built.

Report: Shell Becoming Most CO2-Intensive Oil Co. (Dow Jones)

Royal Dutch Shell is on track to become the most carbon intensive international oil company because of its focus on unconventional oil resources like Canadian tar sands, according to a study published by a coalition of environmental groups.

What Energy Companies Wants from a Climate Bill (Morning Call)

With the climate bill past the U.S. House, PPL and other energy companies are focusing on the Senate in hopes of easing provisions that call for expanded use of renewable energies and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions – while keeping their free allocations.

New Renewable Energy Agency HQ Goes to Abu Dhabi (RTT)

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates was chosen as the headquarters for the new International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), despite criticism of its high carbon footprint.

Green Groups to Sue Over RBS Investments (Financial Times)

UK environmental groups launched what could be a landmark lawsuit against the Treasury to force it to ensure that taxpayers’ money invested in the Royal Bank of Scotland supports only projects that satisfy minimum green and human rights standards.

Obama Toughens Rules for Some Lighting (Washington Post)

The Energy Department issued new standards for lighting that would save $4 billion a year in energy by boosting the efficiency of fluorescent tubes common in office buildings and reflector lamps used in recessed fixtures.

Republican Rep. Explains His Yes Vote on ACES (Mark Kirk)

As a Navy veteran, I think is time to set America’s policy towards defunding Middle Eastern dictatorships by cutting our foreign oil bill, giving our troops less to worry about, Republican Congressman Mark Kirk writes in explaining his yes vote on the climate bill.

UK Prime Minister: 1 Million Green Jobs by 2017 (Guardian)

Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposed an additional 400,000 green jobs and highlighted carbon capture demonstration plants and a commitment to build 1,000 wind turbines.

Developing Economies Get Serious About Energy Efficiency (Wall Street Journal)

A few developments suggest some of the world’s most inefficient energy users are tightening up how they use their resources, with important implications for keeping a brake on crude prices down the road.

Rice: Carbon Tax Better than Cap-and-Trade (CleanTech)

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice advocated in favor of a carbon tax over the cap-and-trade system proposed in America's energy and climate bill.

Souter Departs Supreme Court With Solid Environmental Legacy (New York Times)

When Justice David Souter retired from the Supreme Court, environmental interests lost one of their most dependable votes.

Study: Seagrass Loss Reveals Global Coastal Crisis (Reuters)

Mounting loss of seagrass in the world's oceans, vital for the survival of endangered marine life, commercial fisheries and the fight against climate change, reveals a major crisis in coastal ecosystems, a report says.

Scientists: Higher CO2 Makes Some Crops Toxic (Reuters)

Staples such as cassava on which millions of people depend become more toxic and produce much smaller yields in a world with higher carbon dioxide levels and more drought, Australian scientists say.

Is Drilling To Blame For Texas Quakes? (NPR)

People in North Texas worry about tornadoes, not earthquakes. That's not the case in Cleburne, just south of Fort Worth. So far this month, they have had six quakes; some wonder if they're related to drilling of a recently discovered natural gas deposit.

June 29, 2009

Stacy Morford — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:54:03 -0700

Obama Warns on Climate Bill Tariffs (Baltimore Sun)

President Obama praised the House climate bill vote but expressed reservations about a provision that would slap tariffs on imports from countries that do not similarly crack down on greenhouse gas emissions.

Nuclear Industry Trying to Hijack Clean Energy Forum? (Guardian)

The nuclear power industry has been accused of trying to muscle in on plans to establish a global body to represent the renewable energy industry at a key meeting in Egypt today.

Browner's Husband Lobbied for Florida Oil Drilling (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

Carol Browner's role as Obama's top adviser on major environmental issues could be clouded by her husband's role last year as chief lobbyist for the group behind the latest push for more oil drilling off Florida's coast.

Scientists: UK Energy Bills 'Too Low' to Combat Climate Change (Guardian)

Consumers will need to pay more for energy if the UK is to have any chance of developing the technologies needed to tackle climate change, a group of leading scientists and engineers write in a Royal Society study to be published today.

Back to Petroleum: BP Shutters Alternative Energy HQ (Guardian)

BP has shut down its alternative energy headquarters in London, accepted the resignation of its clean energy boss and imposed budget cuts in moves likely to be seen by environmental critics as further signs of the oil group moving "back to petroleum."

Murky, Expensive Future for Coal Ash Disposal (Chattanooga Times)

The cost of cleaning up the TVA's massive ash spill has averaged $1 million a day and will continue for months, but the costs in health, lost property value and a necessary shift to more expensive ash-storage methods has yet to be tallied.

Clash Over Drilling in the Allegheny National Forest (Erie News-Times)

A controversy of who controls how, when, where, and if oil and gas wells may be drilled on land in the Allegheny National Forest is poised to blow like the oil gushers that first drew speculators to the region.

Australia’s Opposition Leader Backs Off on Emissions Vote (Canberra Times)

The Government's controversial emissions trading scheme could win parliamentary support this year, after opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull appeared to back down on demands debate be put off until next year.

Land Hunger Eats Into Kenya’s Fragile Forest (Financial Times)

Kenya’s Mau forest, a drainage basin at the country’s ecological heart, is being destroyed by subsistence farmers, starving cash crops that are crucial to Kenya’s long-term viability.

Sri Lanka To Develop Renewable Energy (Bernama)

The Sri Lankan government says it has designed a national energy plan for the development of wind and biomass to meet 10 percent of the island's energy needs with renewable energy by 2016.

Algae Farm Aims to Turn CO2 Into Fuel (New York Times)

Dow Chemical and Algenol Biofuels, a start-up company, are set to announce Monday that they will build a demonstration plant that, if successful, would use algae to turn carbon dioxide into ethanol as a vehicle fuel or an ingredient in plastics.

Krugman: Elected Leaders Betraying the Planet (New York Times)

Paul Krugman writes of the House climate bill debate last week: "As I watched the deniers make their arguments, I couldn’t help thinking that I was watching a form of treason — treason against the planet."

Why President Obama Must Visit Appalachia (Huffington Post)

It is time for President Barack Obama and CEQ chief Nancy Sutley to make their first visit to a mountaintop removal moonscape and coal slurry impoundment and bear witness to the impact the administration's regulatory strip-mining policies have on coalfield residents.