Today’s Climate: May 12, 2010

Senate Climate Bill Unveiled but Fate Uncertain (Reuters)

A new Senate bill to be unveiled today would impose new limits on CO2 pollution from factories, utilities and vehicles, while expanding heavy-polluting domestic oil production and nuclear power generation.

Bill Would Allow States to Veto Offshore Drilling (AP)

The Senate’s long-awaited climate bill would allow states directly affected by offshore drilling to veto drilling plans of nearby states if they can show significant negative impacts from an accident.

Big Oil to Get More Grilling as Oil Gushes in Gulf (Reuters)

Top oil executives face a second day of grilling by U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday over a deadly well rupture that unleashed a huge oil slick and the specter of environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Salazar Rolls Out Plan for Offshore Safety Agency, Seeks More Congressional Help (The Hill)

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced on Tuesday that he is creating a new independent agency within his department to oversee offshore oil-and-gas safety and environmental protections.

Political Patience Wanes as Gulf Oil Spill Grows (AP)

Political patience was whittling away for BP executives who can’t stop a broken underwater well from pouring oil into the Gulf where crews tried the latest solution — submerging a second containment box designed to funnel the gusher to a waiting tanker.

Availability Of Booms To Contain Oil Spill A Concern (Dow Jones)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the availability of oil containment booms is a concern, as states around the Gulf of Mexico are increasingly using them to prevent oil from reaching their shores.

Massey Directors Opposed By Funds (Wall Street Journal)

A coalition of public pension funds is recommending the ouster of three Massey Energy board members, saying the safety committee members failed to carry out their duties in light of the April 5 coal mine explosion in which 29 workers were killed.

Australia Parliament Debates Amended Green Power Laws (Reuters)

Laws to overhaul Australia’s renewable energy scheme were introduced into parliament on Wednesday in a move that should reassure industry and underpin billions of dollars in investments.

India’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Grew 52% From 1994 to 2007 (Bloomberg)

India’s greenhouse gas emissions grew 52 percent in 2007 from 1994 on expansion of the energy and transport sectors and growth in industry.

Africa Refining Strategies for Int’l Negotiations on Climate Change (Xinhua)

Representatives of the Conference of the 10 African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) met on Tuesday to streamline Africa’s negotiating team and refine its strategies in global climate negotiations.

Expanded Offshore Wind Farms to Power 1.4 Million Extra Homes (Business Green)

The agency that controls the UK sea bed, the Crown Estate, today announced that it has agreed to extend the first and second wave of offshore wind farms to provide more than 2 GW of additional capacity, enough to power 1.4 million extra homes.

Norway Should Limit Arctic Soot to Slow Warming (Reuters)

Norway should limit soot from emerging Arctic industries such as oil or shipping that risk accelerating a thaw of ice around the North Pole caused by global warming, a report said on Tuesday.

The Gas Co., GM to Collaborate on Hydrogen Project (AP)

The Gas Co. and General Motors have teamed up on a pilot project to test hydrogen refueling technology for fuel cells.