August 18, 2008

Republicans Skeptical of Pelosi's Offshore-Drilling Proposal (Wall Street Journal)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's proposal Saturday to make expanded offshore drilling part of a new Democratic energy bill got a skeptical reaction from Republicans. [Subscription Required]

“Clean Coal” Lobbying Jumps to $4.65M (Earth2Tech)
The lobbying arm of coal-reliant companies that are calling for “cleaner coal” jumped up to a sizable $4.65 million for this year, according to recent data from the Center for Responsive Politics, nearly doubling its lobbying efforts from last year.

Australian, U.S. Scientists Copy Nature to Produce Hydrogen (Bloomberg)
Australian and U.S. scientists said they have copied a process found in plants that uses sunlight to make hydrogen from water, potentially a cleaner and lower-cost method of making the gas for use in fuel cells.

A Push to Increase Icebreakers in the Arctic (New York Times)
A growing array of military leaders, Arctic experts and lawmakers say the United States is losing its ability to patrol and safeguard Arctic waters even as climate change and high energy prices have triggered a burst of shipping and oil and gas exploration in the thawing region.

Australian Business Baulks at Energy Targets (Bloomberg)
Australian businesses want national and state governments to dump mandatory targets for renewable energy, saying it will cost AUS$60 billion ($52.5 billion) and undermine exports, the Australian Financial Review reported.

Return of the Native Oak Helps Birds to Survive Climate Change (London Times)
Garden birds are being protected from the effects of climate change by an alien tree, researchers have found. Turkey oaks were native to Britain until they were driven out by an ice age 120,000 years ago.

Environmental Group Questions Extent of California’s Climate Change Program (Grist)
EarthJustice is challenging the legality of the draft release of California's climate change program, A.B. 32, which it says uses the 2020 greenhouse gas emissions limit as the ceiling instead of a reduction minimum.

In Rural New York, Windmills Can Bring Whiff of Corruption (New York Times)
The wind industry has arrived in force in upstate New York, promising jobs, tax revenue and cutting-edge energy. But some residents say the companies have brought with them an epidemic of corruption and intimidation.

Jellyfish Invasion: Britain to Fight Them on the Beaches (Independent)
The growing threat from swarms of jellyfish around Britain's coast is to be investigated for the first time by British and Irish scientists. Using the latest technology, researchers are planning to tag jellyfish to explore their life cycles and movement in a project known as Ecojel.