June 27, 2008
Court Says No Deadline for EPA on Global Warming (Guardian)
A federal appeals court refused Thursday to make a resistant Bush administration speed up a decision on whether greenhouse gases and global warming threaten public health and welfare.
Citing Need for Assessments, U.S. Freezes Solar Energy Projects (New York Times)
Faced with a surge in the number of proposed solar power plants, the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, expected to take two years.
Companies that Mass Marketed PCs Turn to Photovoltaics (Scientific American)
Although solar cell technology for converting the sun's power into electricity has improved steadily in recent years, high costs and inefficiencies have kept it from being a serious replacement for fossil fuels.
Hawaii: Solar Water Heaters Become a Legal Requirement (New York Times)
Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican, has signed into law a bill requiring the solar water heater
systems in homes starting in 2010.
EU Reaches Landmark Deal to Cap Airline Emissions (International Herald Tribune)
The European Union reached a landmark agreement Thursday to cap emissions from aircraft, raising the stakes in an increasingly ferocious battle with the United States over how to regulate global greenhouse gases.
Harness Volcano Power, Energy Experts Say (London Daily Telegraph)
Volcanoes and hot springs could supply up to 25 per cent of America's power needs, energy experts have said.
US to Plough $1.3bn into Carbon Capture (BusinessGreen.com)
Department of Energy is looking for partners to help commercialize clean coal and carbon capture systems to the tune of $1.3bn.
House Approves More Funds for Thriving Public Transit (Los Angeles Times)
As commuters increasingly turn to bus and rail lines because of soaring gasoline prices, public transit--long the poor relation of American travel--is finally getting respect, and money.
Tropical Ocean Sucks Up Vast Amounts of Ozone (New Scientist)
An important mechanism for sucking ozone and methane out of the atmosphere has been discovered over the tropical Atlantic. The finding reveals how the two greenhouse gasses are kept in check by natural chemical reactions.
