Today’s Climate: August 27, 2010

More Major U.S. Corporations Join Boycott of Alberta Oilsands Fuels (Canadian Press)

Another four major U.S. companies — Walgreens, Gap, Timberland and Levi Strauss — are joining the move to either avoid or completely boycott fuel produced from Alberta’s oilsands.

Experts: Drilling Ban May Not Be Needed Any More (AP)

A ban on deepwater drilling may no longer be needed now that the oil industry appears to have developed safer drilling regimes, an expert panel said Thursday in a report to the commission investigating the spill.

No Alarms Activated On Oil Rig, Official Says (Wall Street Journal)

A BP executive who was visiting the bridge of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig the day the well blew out said he didn’t hear or see any alarms go off in the minutes before it exploded.

New Report Documents More Coal Ash Contamination (Coal Tattoo)

As the Obama administration prepared to begin public hearings on its proposed regulation of the handling of toxic coal ash, environmental groups released a new report that documents more water contamination from ash dumps across the country.

33 Miners in Chile Are Alive, but Stuck for Months (AP)

For 33 men found alive after 17 days trapped deep in a copper and gold mine, the toughest challenge now may be preserving their sanity during the months it may take to carve a tunnel big enough for them to get out.

Shell Tests Method to Reclaim Oil Sands Waste (Reuters)

Royal Dutch Shell said on Thursday it was starting up a demo project to test a new method of speeding up reclamation of toxic waste ponds at oil sands operations.

Enbridge to Build Another Oilsands Pipeline (Montreal Gazette)

Enbridge has inked an agreement to build a $370-million, 95-kilometer oil pipeline connecting new Suncor Energy production to its existing system.

Judge: LA Port’s Clean Trucks Program Can Proceed (AP)

A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Port of Los Angeles can regulate trucks that haul goods in and out of its property to reduce air pollution around the country’s busiest port complex.

Climate Aid Reaches $30 Billion Goal, But Is It New? (Reuters)

Aid promises from rich nations to help poor countries slow global warming are reaching the $30 billion goal agreed in Copenhagen but analysts say much of that is old funding dressed up as new pledges.

Fires Cost Russia ‘300 Billion Dollars’ in Deforestation (AP)

Wildfires have cost Russia $300 billion in forest loss, environmentalists said on Thursday, explaining the scale of the disaster by Vladimir Putin’s "absurd" changes to forestry law.

China Clean Energy Plan Hinges on Coal Price (Reuters)

China’s $736-billion push to harness nuclear, wind, solar and biomass energy hinges on making the cleaner fuels competitive with cheap and CO2-intensive coal without derailing surging industrial growth.

China Builds Base to Tap Deepsea Energy: State Media (Phys.org)

China will build a multi-million-dollar research base on its east coast as it steps up its efforts to search for energy sources and rare earths on the ocean floor, state media said.

Indonesia Seeks Huge Payout for Oil Spill (AFP)

Indonesia is seeking more than a billion dollars’ compensation for environmental damage from an oil spill at a Thai-run rig off Australia’s northwest coast, a report said Thursday.