The Daily Climate

Solutions

Head to Head: Are California's emission rules for new cars reasonable?

The California Air Resources Board mandate that one in seven new cars sold by 2025 be "zero-emission" is utopian public policy fueled by green fantasies housed in a frame of pure crony capitalism. But think of the savings! Sacramento Bee 02 Feb

Japan losing hope for its pricey 'dream reactor.'

Japan’s long and expensive pursuit of a super-efficient nuclear reactor — a model once touted as the key to its energy future — now teeters on the brink of failure amid new government concerns about its runaway costs. Washington Post 01 Feb

GE sees more casualties in wind and solar.

General Electric Co. expects increased competition and a reduction in subsidies by cash-strapped governments to lead to more companies exiting the wind and solar power businesses, but the industrial behemoth still sees growing long-term demand. Reuters 01 Feb

New risks for nuclear plants.

Nuclear reactors in the central and eastern U.S. face previously unrecognized threats from big earthquakes, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday. Experts said upgrading the plants to withstand more substantial earth movements would be costly and could force some to close. Wall Street Journal 01 Feb

Can cleaner cooking and solar power help solve energy poverty in Africa?

The U.N. has declared 2012 the "year of sustainable energy for all," including the more than one billion people who have no electricity. Scientific American 01 Feb

Sustainable energy is answer to wider crisis: EU's Hedegaard.

Energy efficiency offers one of the best tools for tackling the world's debt and social crises as sustainable development comes in from the margins to the mainstream of economic debate, the European Union's climate chief said on Tuesday. Reuters 01 Feb

Politics

Ministers 'misled MPs over need for nuclear power stations.'

Ministers misled parliament over the need to build a new fleet of nuclear power stations, distorting evidence and presenting to MPs a false summary of the analysis they had commissioned, a group of MPs and experts alleged in a report published on Tuesday. The Guardian 01 Feb

Congress would replace Obama as Keystone decider under bill.

Three Senate Republicans plan to introduce legislation that would give Congress the authority to approve TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s Keystone XL pipeline, which has been denied a permit by President Barack Obama. Bloomberg News 01 Feb

Poland eyes changes to renewable support plan.

Coal-reliant Poland aims to increase support for biogas and solar generation through the end of the decade while cutting support for investment in wind and other renewable generation, a government official said on Tuesday. Reuters 01 Feb

Pipeline hearings: Native groups want money, environmental assurances.

A week of hearings into the potential effects of the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline ended Tuesday with questions about how much indigenous people can trust the process designed to weigh pros and cons of the controversial $5.5-billion project. Edmonton Journal 01 Feb

California adopts strict new car standards, updates zero-emissions vehicle mandate.

California air quality officials Jan. 27 adopted new standards requiring automobile manufacturers, over the next 13 years, to reduce ozone-forming emissions from cars and light-duty trucks by 75 percent from 2014 levels. Bloomberg BNA 01 Feb

Premier bows to motorists on unleaded fuel.

The state government has caved in to criticism of its decision to ban regular unleaded petrol from July 1, a week after a cabinet leak revealed it had planned to proceed with the ban despite advice it would drive up petrol prices. Sydney Morning Herald 31 Jan

Other News

Editorials

Buyers will be key to state goal of cleaner cars.

The California Air Resources Board has pushed the envelope yet again. But the history-bending rules will do what they are designed to do – reduce pollution and cut greenhouse gases – only if the public buys the new clean cars in the volumes predicted. That's the big uncertainty. Sacramento Bee 01 Feb

Mr. O'Malley's misguided effort to aid Maryland wind projects.

Gov. Martin O’Malley wants to erect wind turbines off Maryland’s coast, eventually generating perhaps a third of the state’s electricity. But it’s a bad deal for nearly everyone in Maryland — including people who believe, as we do, in moving away from fossil fuels. Washington Post 31 Jan

Taking the long view on the world's energy supplies.

Now researchers are warning that energy sources we normally think of as innocuous could affect the planet's climate too. If we start to extract immense amounts of power from the wind, for instance, it will have an impact on how warmth and water move around the planet, and thus on temperatures and rainfall. New Scientist 31 Jan

Mileage regulations are good for air and for California.

The cries will surely come, and were already being heard last week: "We can't afford more government interference now! Let the private sector work! This is more job-killing regulation!" In the (useful) cliche of the moment, go call a wahhhmbulance. Pasadena Star-News 30 Jan

Edano should be open about energy plans.

It would be best if we could get along without nuclear power generation. Our experience this summer could provide a model for how Japan can move toward a future without nuclear power. It is, therefore, vital that the government’s preparations are sound. Asahi Shimbun 29 Jan

California air board's vision of green cars requires huge new sources of electicity.

California is taking a bold step toward transforming the automobile industry with its highly ambitious new rules mandating a steady increase in the sales of ultralow and zero-emission vehicles. Contra Costa Times 29 Jan

In defense of clean energy.

After months of standing by as Republicans tried to gut environmental laws and discredit his clean energy initiatives, President Obama blasted Republicans for their single-minded commitment to fossil fuels, argued the case for a diversified energy strategy and dared to talk about climate change. New York Times 28 Jan

Green energy isn't always good energy.

Wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal seem mostly benign -- in part because they are still a small part of the energy equation. But when green gets big, it can be controversial. Christian Science Monitor 28 Jan

Opinion

Once, men abused slaves. Now we abuse fossil fuels.

Pointing out the similarities (and differences) between slavery and the use of fossil fuels can help us engage with climate change in a new way. The Guardian 03 Feb

Paul Krugman's toxic shock syndrome: Mercury madness.

The new EPA mercury regulations appear to be but another Obama administration salvo in an unrelenting war against fossil energy in general, coal in particular, where the largest casualties will be businesses, jobs and household electricity budgets. Forbes 03 Feb

Stop harassing the Koch brothers.

The facts are clear: Koch Industries does not have a financial stake in the pipeline. Politico 03 Feb

Can the UK achieve its carbon targets without nuclear power?

I personally feel there is too much idealism in the argument that we can completely do without nuclear energy. But perhaps the Germanys of this world will prove me wrong? The Guardian 02 Feb

Government must step in from the sidelines of shale gas debate.

Only by fully addressing the real environmental and safety concerns, backed up by rigorous analysis and evidence, will people have confidence that the exploration and eventual production of shale gas is a safe and reliable source that can legitimately address some of the UK's energy needs. Business Green 01 Feb

Clean-energy hostages.

"Let the fossil fuels go, or the wind industry gets it in the wallet." That’s the threat congressional Republicans need to convey to their colleagues across the aisle to stop the Obama war against fossil fuels. Washington Times 01 Feb

When did "climate change" transform into "clean energy"?

What happened to “climate change” and “global warming”? Tacoma News Tribune 01 Feb

D.C.'s Keystone Kops.

Impediments to domestic energy security are not technical or economic but comically political. Baltimore Sun 30 Jan

Cheap natural gas jumbles energy markets, stirs fears it could inhibit renewables.

Suncor/flickr

For the past three years, promoters of shale gas and environmentalists opposed to coal-fired power plants have hailed the sudden abundance of U.S. natural gas as a bridge to a renewable-energy future. Washington Post 03 Feb

How the stimulus revived the electric car.

Daremoshiranai/flickr

One success the Obama administration can duly claim is the rebirth of the electric-car industry in the United States. The question is: Will it last? ProPublica 03 Feb

How the Sierra Club took millions from the natural gas industry — and why it stopped.

Mainstream environmental groups have struggled to balance local concerns about traditional pollution with planet-sized worries over climate change, and how to work with corporate America without being seen as selling out. Time Magazine 03 Feb

India's panel price crash could spark solar revolution.

In India, electricity from solar is now cheaper than that from diesel generators. The news - which will boost India's "Solar Mission" to install 20,000 megawatts of solar power by 2022 - could have implications for other developing nations too. New Scientist 03 Feb

Town turns off wind, opts for solar energy.

At a time of accelerating production of both wind and solar energy, Duxbury officials have decided to buy solar energy produced elsewhere and take their own wind project off the table. Boston Globe 03 Feb

Oil industry sees no threat from electric car.

The biggest oil companies in the world have calculated that few, if any, of today's drivers will see electric cars outnumber gasoline and diesel models in their lifetimes. Reuters 03 Feb

Walmart jumps to top of green power users list.

The Environmental Protection Agency puts out a green power list every few months ranking companies by how much clean energy they use, and in the latest list, a new name broke into the top three: Walmart. MarketPlace 03 Feb

New generation of nuclear reactors could consume radioactive waste as fuel.

A generation of "fast" nuclear reactors could consume Britain's radioactive waste stockpile as fuel, providing enough low-carbon electricity to power the country for more than 500 years, according to figures confirmed by the chief scientific adviser to the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The Guardian 03 Feb

Federal government opens more ocean to wind projects.

Enthusiasm for offshore wind projects may have cooled among developers in the United States these days, but the Obama administration is still trying to make a ribbon of wind farms off the Atlantic Coast a reality. New York Times 03 Feb

Middle East trails again in green-energy growth.

Talk of a Middle Eastern green-energy boom is likely to prove no more than a mirage, with little hope of the region saving clean-technology companies from the shrinking project pools of Europe. Reuters 03 Feb

Republicans urge feds to scrap climate rule for new power plants.

House Republicans yesterday asked the Obama administration to withdraw a pending rule that would implement the first-ever standards on greenhouse-gas emissions from new power plants, saying it would “impose additional energy costs on a struggling American economy.” Houston Chronicle 03 Feb

Ed Davey confirmed as new Energy Secretary.

The former Liberal Democrat Business Minister steps into the role of Energy and Climate Change Secretary following the resignation of Chris Huhne earlier today. The Telegraph 03 Feb

Feds: Mid-Atlantic wind farms take step forward.

The view off the mid-Atlantic shore in the next decade could include giant wind turbines generating electricity for homes in several states if federal efforts to speed approval for the projects shave years off the process as officials intend. Associated Press 03 Feb

Clean-tech industry facing lean times after Solyndra.

After the bankruptcy of the solar energy company Solyndra, the clean-tech industry is facing leaner times, in part because of cheaper natural gas prices, the effects of the financial crisis and China's growing solar industry. Fresh Air 03 Feb

As EU ramps up biofuels, climate debate intensifies.

Finland's Neste Oil has just finished converting a plot of land reclaimed from the sea into the biggest biodiesel refinery in Europe. But as the EU reconsiders whether biofuels are better for the environment, a potential shift in EU policy could undermine the refinery's profitability. Wall Street Journal 03 Feb

Could cheap gas slow growth of renewable energy?

The boom in cheap natural gas in this country is good news for the environment, because relatively clean gas is replacing dirty coal-fired power plants. All Things Considered 03 Feb

Plans for wind farms off N.J. coast advance with federal ruling.

The five-year-long effort to build wind farms off New Jersey's southern coast took another step forward Thursday, when federal officials said the turbines wouldn't have a major environmental impact on the mid-Atlantic seaboard. Bergen County Record 03 Feb

Feds green-light offshore wind for Maryland.

Lighting Maryland homes with power from giant turbines off Ocean City moved closer to reality Thursday as federal officials announced they are ready to go forward with leasing vast areas along the Mid-Atlantic coast for wind farms. Baltimore Sun 03 Feb

New York’s solar balance sheet.

Despite uncertainties in the solar energy market, New York officials should support the “steady and measured growth” of solar power in the state as part of a balanced renewable energy strategy, a new report recommends. New York Times 03 Feb

Sierra Club took $26M from natural gas.

The Sierra Club took $26 million from one of the nation's largest natural gas companies for three years while at the same time hawking natural gas as a clean, green energy source, the group admitted Thursday. Politico 03 Feb

For Republicans, Keystone pipeline is central to agenda.

Just six months ago, Keystone for many Americans was the state nickname for Pennsylvania. But now Keystone, the Canadian pipeline, has become a centerpiece of the Republican economic and political agenda, and the party’s preferred truncheon against President Obama. New York Times 02 Feb

Off the grid in the city.

SOL Austin

SOL Austin, an acronym for Solutions Oriented Living, is an attempt to upend the American subdivision. It is intended not just to be sustainable in its design and materials, but “net zero” — in other words, it would produce all the energy it consumes. Moreover, this small development is also doing its part to take on the problems of economic and social injustice. New York Times 02 Feb

House GOP transportation bill at odds with Boxer's.

House Republicans rolled out a $270 billion transportation bill Tuesday that would open the California coast to oil drilling and eliminate most bicycle and pedestrian programs. And that's just for starters. San Francisco Chronicle 02 Feb

The coming U.S.-China solar war.

If you're buying solar panels or running a business installing them, life is good, but if you own a company that actually makes solar equipment in the U.S., you're looking at a lot of red ink. That's because solar power is getting much cheaper. Time Magazine 02 Feb

Greening of building sector on track to deliver trillions in savings by 2030.

Architecture 2030, a building sector research and advocacy group, issued a report last week asserting that the greening of the U.S. building sector is on track to deliver far more energy savings than government officials predicted only a handful of years ago, with important implications for the country's energy and climate picture. Inside Climate News 02 Feb

North Queensland ethanol plant gets green light.

Work could soon begin on a proposed bio-energy plant at Toobanna after receiving approval from the State Government. According to Minister for Local Government and Planning Paul Lucas, the plant will be the first multi-functional sugar, ethanol and electricity generation plant in Australia. Queensland Business Review 02 Feb

Fears for jobs as ethanol producer stops work on plant.

The NSW ethanol mandate will be "appropriately enforced," the Premier has assured Australia's biggest ethanol producer, Manildra, after the company reacted to his decision to dump a ban on regular unleaded fuel by suspending the expansion of its Nowra plant. Sydney Morning Herald 02 Feb