Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.14.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
EMISSIONS
China, Mexico leading fight on climate change with new CO2 laws (via Bloomberg)
Emissions limits could cut climate change damage by two-thirds (via Reuters)
Beijing’s hazardous air pollution sparks Chinese media anger (via BBC News)
CLIMATE
Monthly heat records have increased fivefold globally (via Phys.org)
Australia’s top climate commissioner: climate inferno “encroaching on entirely new territory” (via Mother Jones)
Inaugural GLOBE international climate summit convenes in London (via BusinessGreen)
US report warns climate change already happening, could raise temperatures by 10 degrees (via The Hill)
Climate change set to make America hotter, drier, more disaster-prone (via The Guardian)
Delaware turns to climate scientist to develop climate change projections (via News-Journal)
RENEWABLES
UK clean tech innovators being left high and dry on venture capital (via BusinessGreen)
China to join International Renewable Energy Agency (via Green Car Congress)
Why crowd funding could disrupt how solar power is created (via GigaOm)
Renewable standards add less than 5% to US electricity bills (via Greentech Media)
Technology helps wind industry overcome “start-stop” hurdles (via ClimateWire)
Tax credit moves wind industry to ramp up construction plans (via Houston Chronicle)
Los Angeles utility set to launch 100MW solar feed-in-tariff program (via CleanTechnica)
Solar energy turns brownfields into brightfields (via Energy Collective)
OIL
US oil glut is depressing, confusing prices (via EnergyWire)
Fracking sparks second look at US oil shale boom (via The Hill)
Shell gets massive involuntary aid package from Alaska, US Coast Guard, and you (via Grist)
EPA says Shell violated air permits for Arctic ships (via New York Times)
TRANSPORTATION
Electric vehicle battery market to hit $22 billion by 2020, China to be global production leader by 2015 (via Green Car Congress)
Commercial flight first to use fuel produced from natural gas (via Houston Chronicle)
US military bets $20 million on 500 electric vehicles for EV-to-Grid initiative (via CleanTechnica)
Tesla delivering Model S, but cash crunch judgment waits for financials (via Green Car Reports)
NATURAL GAS
US delays finalizing report linking fracking to water pollution (via Reuters)
Would exporting the US natural gas surplus help or hurt the economy? (via New York Times)
Poll shows more Americans want tough fracking regulations (via Energy Collective)
ENVIRONMENT
Global food crisis will worsen as heat waves damage crops, research finds (via The Guardian)
USDA declares winter wheat belt drought disaster area (via Climate Central)
TAR SANDS
Report fails to settle concerns over oil spill risk to Ogallala Aquifer (via InsideClimate News)
GRID
National Grid gathers partners for smart grid pilot (via Energy Manager Today)
Texas electricity use dropped 2.7% in 2012, says ERCOT (via Forth-Worth Star Telegram)
Maryland legislative panel ponders smart-meter alternative (via Baltimore Sun)
NUCLEAR
Japan seeks to reverse nuclear power phase-out commitment (via The Guardian)
DOE says new nuclear waste repository possible for Washington State in 2048 (via Tri-City Herald)
COAL
Coal prices and production in most basins down in 2012 (via US EIA)
Opponents seek to derail Montana coal line (via Seattle Times/AP)
OPINION
A sweltering planet’s agenda (via Washington Post)
Should America exploit energy exports? (via National Journal)
A new grand strategy for the US, build around sustainability (via Grist)
Green jobs 2.0: re-framing clean energy politics around a climate-informed economy (via Climate Progress)
Fiddling while Rome burns – the $5 trillion cost of climate delay (via The Independent)
OTHER NEWS
An additional listing of clean energy and climate news is posted at Climate Progress