News Roundup
‘The Deepwater Horizon disaster caused headlines around the world, yet the people who live in the Niger delta have had to live with environmental catastrophes for decades’
via Nigeria’s agony dwarfs the Gulf oil spill. The US and Europe ignore it | Environment | The Observer.
‘Louisiana Reuters – British energy giant BP Plc agreed on Wednesday to President Barack Obama’s demand to place about $20 billion in a special fund to pay damage claims from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.’
via BP agrees to $20 billion fund for spill claims | Reuters.
‘WASHINGTON — Fifty-six days, millions of gallons of oil and countless hours of cable television second-guessing later, President Obama finally addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Tuesday night to declare war.’
via News Analysis – With Call to Arms, Obama Seeks to Shift Arc of Oil Crisis – NYTimes.com.
‘WASHINGTON – A climate and energy bill being pushed in the Senate would cost American households 22 to 40 cents a day — less than the cost of a first-class postage stamp, the Obama administration said Tuesday.’
via EPA: Climate bill costs less than postage stamp – Yahoo! News.
‘Fully 86 percent of our respondents said they wanted the federal government to limit the amount of air pollution that businesses emit, and 76 percent favored government limiting business’s emissions of greenhouse gases in particular. Not a majority of 55 or 60 percent — but 76 percent.’
‘Reuters – Investment in new European wind farms is likely to hold steady in 2010, adding a further 13 percent to capacity, but funding problems cloud the outlook, the European Wind Energy Association EWEA said on Monday.’
via EU wind power grows steadily, funding issue looms | Reuters.
‘Reuters – Prices for permits allowing power plants to emit the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the U.S. East fell to a record low in a quarterly auction, the regional market said on Friday, reflecting low demand for electricity.’
via U.S. East carbon prices hit record low in auction | Reuters.
‘Reuters – The White House on Tuesday threatened a presidential veto if Congress passes a measure to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.’
via White House eyes veto if Senate curbs EPA climate power | Reuters.
‘Reuters – China has outperformed Western countries in new energy and other clean technologies thanks to its focus on commercialization, rather than the technology itself, said Melissa Guzy, China managing director of VantagePoint Venture Partners VPVP.’
via Chinese cleantech firms outperforming U.S. and Europe | Reuters.
‘Reuters – The European Union is to radically overhaul its approval system for genetically modified GM crops from next month, opening the way to large-scale GM cultivation in Europe, draft proposals seen by Reuters on Friday showed.’