Today’s Climate: June 16, 2010

EPA: Climate Bill Costs Less Than Postage Stamp (AP)

A climate and energy bill being pushed in the Senate would cost American households 22 to 40 cents a day — less than the cost of a first-class postage stamp, the Obama administration said Tuesday.

Climate Bill Lacks Momentum Even After BP Spill, Democrats Say (Bloomberg)

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is unlikely to create enough momentum to pass a comprehensive climate bill sought by Pres. Obama, say leading Senate Democrats.

Obama to Demand BP Pay for Oil Spill Damage (Reuters)

Pres. Obama, seeking to counter an image of detached leadership of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, will demand on Wednesday that BP set aside billions of dollars to pay damages from the catastrophe.

After Blasting BP, Obama Now Faces Its Leaders (AP)

Fresh from admonishing BP before the world, Pres. Obama now gets his moment with the oil company’s leaders. It will be on his turf and, he vowed to an angry nation, on his terms.

Two Chevron Protesters Arrested at Oil Spill Hearing (McClatchy Newspapers)

Two protesters were taken into custody Tuesday by Capitol Police during a hearing of a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee at which the chairmen of five major U.S. oil companies testified.

Scientists: Oil Leaking Up to 2.52M Gallons Daily (AP)

Scientists provided a new estimate for the amount of oil gushing from the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday that indicates it could be leaking up to 2.52 million gallons of crude a day.

Obama to Name Bromwich to Revamp Minerals Management (Bloomberg)

Pres. Obama named former Justice Department official Michael Bromwich to revamp federal management of offshore oil and gas exploration as part of an effort to clean up an agency the president says was plagued by corruption.

Court: Planned NM Uranium Mine Not on Navajo Land (AP)

A New Mexico-based uranium producer plans to move forward with a mining operation in the western part of the state after a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that its land is not part of Indian Country.

UK Can Purge All Carbon Emissions by 2030: Report (Reuters)

Britain can eliminate all its carbon emissions by 2030 by overhauling its power supply, national diet and transport, a report by the UK’s Center for Alternative Technology said on Wednesday.

U.K. to Remove Barriers to Nuclear Power, Energy Minister Says (Bloomberg)

Nuclear power can play a key role in the U.K.’s future mix of fuels for electricity generation, Energy Minister Charles Hendry will tell executives from Electricite de France SA, Centrica Plc and other utilities.

China Nuclear Firm Denies Leak, Admits Tube Cracks (AFP)

The operator of a nuclear power plant in southern China has acknowledged possible cracks in fuel tubes but, contradicting Hong Kong authorities, denied that any radiation had leaked out.

Massey Says Teams Find Crack in W.Va. Mine’s Floor (AP)

Exploratory teams have found a crack that could have allowed methane gas to pour through the floor of the West Virginia mine where 29 men died in the nation’s worst coal mining explosion in 40 years, owner Massey Energy said Tuesday.

British Diplomat Says Canada Overstating Progress in Climate Fight (Canwest News)

Environment Minister Jim Prentice found himself upstaged on Tuesday, following a speech about cracking down on coal plant pollution, as a foreign diplomat suggested the Canadian minister was overstating the the nation’s progress in fighting climate change.

Dong Energy Opens UK’s Latest Offshore Wind Farm (Business Green)

The UK’s offshore wind energy revolution continued yesterday with the official opening of the 172MW Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary off the Essex coast.

Schneider: Electric Vehicle Charging System Deal With Parkeon (Wall Street Journal)

French electrical equipment maker Schneider Electric and urban mobility specialist Parkeon said Wednesday they have signed an agreement for the development of an electric vehicle charging system.

Whale Poop Fights Climate Change: Study (AFP)

Southern Ocean sperm whales are an unexpected ally in the fight against global warming, removing the equivalent carbon emissions from 40,000 cars each year thanks to their feces, a study found on Wednesday.