Today’s Climate: May 14, 2010

EPA Finalizing Emissions Rule that Would Lessen Impact on Small Businesses (Washington Post)

The EPA announced Thursday that it is finalizing a rule aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions from the largest emitters in the U.S., a proposal that would soften the regulation’s impact on small businesses.

Pressure Mounts on BP as Obama Eyes ‘Next Steps’ (Reuters)

Political pressure mounted on Friday for BP to show progress plugging a massive oil leak while residents of coastal Florida, Mississippi and Alabama learned the growing pool of oil would not strike their beaches before late on Saturday.

BP Hopes Tube Will Siphon Oil to Tanker (AP)

Undersea robots were trying to thread a small tube into the jagged pipe that is pouring oil into the Gulf of Mexico in BP’s latest attempt to cut down on the oil spill that has pumped out more than 4 million gallons of crude.

Canadian Legislators Grill BP Over Arctic Drilling (Reuters)

Exasperated Canadian legislators grilled the head of BP’s Canadian unit on Thursday, concerned about the risks of the company’s plans to drill in Arctic waters after the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Salazar Names 2 to Oversee Agency Restructuring (AP)

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Thursday he has named two high-level officials to oversee a restructuring of an agency that oversees offshore drilling.

Carbon Plan’s Price Controls May Hurt Nuclear, Barclays Says (Bloomberg)

Measures to prevent price spikes in a proposed U.S. carbon market may hold back construction of new nuclear plants and thwart the development of technologies that capture emissions from coal plants, London-based Barclays said.

Review of IPCC Workings Gets Underway (BBC News)

A review into the workings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that was set up by the InterAcademy Council has begun in Amsterdam.

India’s Environment Minister to Keep Position (Wall Street Journal)

India’s environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, will be keeping his position after apologizing for his comments that India’s government was "paranoid" about Chinese investment, a spokesman said Thursday.

GE, Vestas Fall Behind in China’s ‘Tough’ Wind Market (Bloomberg)

The combined market share for wind companies in China, such as GE and its European rivals Vestas and
Siemens AG, fell to 14% last year from 71% in 2005, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Supreme Court Upholds Decision that Voided Coal Plant Permit (Arkansas News)

The state Supreme Court today upheld a ruling by the state Court of Appeals that voided Southwestern Electric Power Co.’s permit to build a coal plant in Southwest Arkansas.

Feds Say WA Plant Deal Not Enough to Reduce Smog (AP)

The Washington Department of Ecology is finalizing a deal to reduce pollution at a major coal plant using measures that two federal agencies say won’t reduce haze at a dozen national parks and wilderness areas in Washington and Oregon.

Gov. Doyle Signs Energy Efficiency Bill (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Gov. Jim Doyle on Thursday signed into law an energy-efficiency bill creating a $100 million revolving loan fund for manufacturers to make changes to cut energy costs.

UK Nuclear Power Back On Table as Lib Dems Relent (Reuters)

Britain’s new coalition government has agreed to let new plant plans go to a parliamentary vote, paving the way for approval, although the appointment of an anti-nuclear energy minister could create future obstacles.

Suspension from Kyoto Carbon Trading Looms for Bulgaria (AFP)

Bulgaria will likely be suspended from carbon emissions trading as of June 30 for failing to comply with recommendations by the UN, Environment Minister Nona Karadzhova said Thursday.

Study: Lizard Extinction a Threat of Global Warming (Time)

Populations of lizards have been lost on five continents over the past few decades, due to global warming. Scientists predict that by 2080 nearly 40% of all lizard populations and 20% of lizard species could vanish.

Nissan’s Leaf Battery Maker Targets Cost of Less Than $9,000 (Bloomberg)

Nissan, which will start selling its Leaf electric car this year, aims to cut the cost of the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack to less than $370 per kilowatt-hour to make a profit from the model.