Today’s Climate: July 5, 2010

Rough Weather Curtails Some Gulf Cleanup Work (AP)

Cleanup crews across the Gulf of Mexico surveyed damage done by last week’s hurricane while contending Sunday with choppy seas that idled many of the boats dedicated to keeping oil from hitting vulnerable beaches and marshes. 

BP Oil Spill Costs Rise Above $3 Billion (Reuters) 

BP says that it has now spent more than $3 billion in attempts to stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and to settle damage claims.

BP Has Steady Sales at Defense Department Despite U.S. Scrutiny (Washington Post)

The Defense Department has kept up its immense purchases of aviation fuel and other petroleum products from BP even as the oil company comes under scrutiny for potential violations of federal and state laws related to the Gulf spill.

BP Could Get Backing from Mideast Firms: Report (Reuters)

Troubled oil giant BP could get a reprieve from Middle East financial institutions looking to make a strategic investment in the company, a UAE-based newspaper reported on Sunday, citing informed sources.

Dutch Review Raises Concerns About Climate Report (Wall Street Journal)

A new review of the UN ‘s top climate science agency supports the organization’s basic warnings about the dangers of global warming, but raises several concerns about an IPCC report that has sparked criticism in recent months.

France to Shut Half Its Coal-Fed Power Plants, Curb Energy Use (Bloomberg)

France will shut about half its coal-fired power stations by 2015 under a plan to lower energy consumption, cut carbon emissions and more than double the share of energy from renewable resources by 2020.

China to Host Climate Talks Before Mexico Meeting (Reuters)

China will host an extra round of international negotiations in October aimed at fostering agreement over a new climate treaty, the UN’s top environment official said in remarks published on Monday.

China Fears Consumer Impact on Global Warming (New York Times)

Chinese and Western energy experts worry that China’s energy challenge could become the world’s problem — possibly dooming any international efforts to place meaningful limits on global warming.

Conservationists Protest Malaysia Coal Plant Plan (AP)

Conservationists criticized a plan Monday to build a coal-fired power plant in an environmentally fragile state on Borneo island, but energy officials said the project will provide a much-needed electricity supply boost. 

Melting Ice Fields Pose Serious Threat to Water Supply in Asia (The Irish Times)

Ice on the Qinghai plateau is retreating at the rate of 7% every year. There are fears that in 25 years, 80% of the glacial area in Tibet and surrounding areas could be gone. 

Is Large-Scale Biomass Threatening 8,700 UK Jobs? (Renewable Energy Focus)

A new study reveals that the increasing development of large-scale wood fired biomass energy plants in the UK could put 8,700 jobs at risk and risk a 1% increase in UK carbon emissions. 

Study: Wyoming Wind Energy Is Relatively Cheap (AP)

Wind developers can produce some of the cheapest wind energy in the West in Wyoming, according to a new study, but the cost advantage decreases when one accounts for delivering the power to West Coast markets. 

German Coalition Backs Longer Nuclear Life (Reuters)

Support for a longer-than-expected extension of the lifetime of Germany’s nuclear plants is growing within the country’s ruling coalition, a German magazine reported.

Abengoa Surges After Solar-Plant Builder Wins $1.45 Billion Loan Guarantee (Bloomberg)

Abengoa SA surged the most in 20 months in Madrid trading after the company won a $1.45 billion loan guarantee from the U.S. government to build a solar-power plant in Arizona.