October 10, 2008
UN: Financial Chills are Ill Wind for Climate (AP)
The financial turmoil rippling across the globe will set back efforts to fight climate change, drying up capital that could help poorer countries upgrade to clean energy technology, the UN climate chief has warned.
Alaska: Great Wealth, Thanks to Big Oil and Government Handouts (Los Angeles Times)
Alaska is awash in billions of surplus dollars from the current high oil prices and a tax hike on the oil industry, but it remains at the forefront of states feeding at the federal trough.
Good Week, Bad Week for Solar Industry (AP)
Pres. Bush signed off on an eight-year extension of solar energy tax incentives last week. But the renewables industry depends on equity and credit to complete projects as well, and the credit market has frozen.
Maritime Organization Seeks to Cut Air Pollution From Oceangoing Ships (New York Times)
The International Maritime Organization has adopted stringent new controls on airborne pollution from the world’s 300,000 oceangoing vessels.
France Eyes CO2 Opt-Outs for Industry (Reuters)
The EU's French presidency has sought to defuse mounting opposition to EU climate goals by offering opt-outs for some industries and countries that fear economic damage, angering green groups.
Nature Loss 'Dwarfs Bank Crisis' (BBC News)
The global economy is losing more money from the disappearance of forests -- $2 trillion to $5 trillion each year -- than through the current banking crisis, according to an EU-commissioned study headed by a Deutsche Bank economist.
Smoke Detected at Japanese Nuclear Complex (AP)
Smoke was detected today at a Japanese nuclear power complex that suffered a major accident a decade ago, but the operator has said there was no release of radioactivity.
