‘Members of the Obama Administration have embarked on a “listening tour” in rural America this summer, but let’s hope the visits involve more than listening. This is a moment for the Administration’s top officials to engage farmers, ranchers and rural residents in a robust exchange of ideas about their role in a new American economy.’
News Roundup
William S. Becker: Obama's Farm Team
July 9th, 2009Dr. James Hansen: G-8 Failure Reflects U.S. Failure on Climate Change
July 9th, 2009‘It didn’t take long for the counterfeit climate bill known as Waxman-Markey to push back against President Obama’s agenda. As the president was arriving in Italy for his first Group of Eight summit, the New York Times was reporting that efforts to close ranks on global warming between the G-8 and the emerging economies had already tanked’
via Dr. James Hansen: G-8 Failure Reflects U.S. Failure on Climate Change.
Pickens's pullback could signal shift in the wind | Reuters
July 8th, 2009‘BOSTON (Reuters) – Oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens’s step back from his plan to build the world’s largest wind farm in Texas shows how a brutal recession could change the way the United States invests in renewable energy.’
via Pickens’s pullback could signal shift in the wind | Reuters.
Russia can't hit 80 percent emission cut target | Reuters
July 8th, 2009‘L’AQUILA, Italy (Reuters) – Russia will not be able to achieve the G8 goal of cutting carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, the Russian delegation’s sherpa said on Wednesday.’
via Russia can’t hit 80 percent emission cut target | Green Business | Reuters.
G8 agrees to limit global warming; China, India resist | Reuters
July 8th, 2009‘L’AQUILA, Italy Reuters – The G8 agreed on Wednesday to try to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent, but it failed to persuade China and India to join a bid to halve world emissions.’
via G8 agrees to limit global warming; China, India resist | Green Business | Reuters.
Green protest at Italian power stations – Yahoo News
July 8th, 2009‘ROME AFP – The Greenpeace group said that more than 100 of militants on Wednesday climbed the chimneys of four coal power stations across Italy to demand tough action on the environment by the Group of Eight summit.’
CHINA-WIRE » Developing nations eligible to share “climate friendly technology”
July 7th, 2009‘At the third preparatory meeting of the “Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate” held recently, the partaking parties voiced their desire to develop and disseminate new, low-carbon energy technology and climate-friendly technology through the forging of global partnership.
In drastic contrast to this situation, however, the U.S. House of Representatives in June unanimously voted to make it a U.S. policy to prevent the Copenhagen Treaty from “weakening” U.S. intellectual property rights on a wind, solar and other eco-friendly technologies.’
via CHINA-WIRE » Developing nations eligible to share “climate friendly technology”.
CHINA-WIRE » China hikes 2011 solar power target
July 7th, 2009‘China is aiming for an installed solar power capacity of 2 gW by 2011, nearly a 15-fold jump from the 140 mW capacity it had at the end of last year, according to people familiar with the matter.’
CHINA-WIRE » Nuclear power to rise 10-fold by 2020
July 7th, 2009‘China is planning for an installed nuclear power capacity of 86 gigawatts (gW) by 2020, up nearly 10-fold from the 9 gW capacity it had by the end of last year, two people familiar with the matter said.’
Nuclear could benefit from U.S. climate bill | Reuters
July 7th, 2009‘NEW YORK Reuters – The U.S. climate bill, a centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s green agenda, could stall in the Senate unless it contains incentives to help the nuclear power industry build the next generation of reactors.’
via Nuclear could benefit from U.S. climate bill | Green Business | Reuters.