Today’s Climate: June 8, 2010

Reid, Pelosi Head for Climate Clash (The Hill)  

Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are headed for a clash over climate legislation, as Reid is poised to move an energy bill to the Senate floor that would not include a cap-and-trade program.

Obama Wants to Know ‘Whose Ass to Kick’ Over Oil Spill (AFP)

In an interview to air Tuesday on the "Today" show, Obama followed criticism that his talk on the oil spill has not been tough enough by saying he spoke with fishermen and experts on the catastrophic spill "so I know whose ass to kick."

U.S. Rules for New Drilling Permits May Be Ready Tuesday (Reuters)

The U.S. Interior Department may issue new safety and environmental requirements as soon as Tuesday for oil companies that want to drill in shallow waters, a department official said.

NM High Court: Emissions Cap Proposal May Proceed (AP)

The New Mexico Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for a state regulatory panel to resume consideration a petition to establish a cap on greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

Western U.S., Canadian Carbon Market Faces Scaled-Back Start (Bloomberg) 

A proposed cap-and-trade program for the western U.S. and parts of Canada is likely to start out smaller than planned because some state governments don’t have laws in place to join the regional emissions market.

10 Years Needed to Seal Climate Cuts, Says UN Chief (AFP)

The world community may need another 10 years to agree on carbon cuts deep enough to roll back global warming, the UN’s pointman for climate change warned on Monday. 

Ending Fossil-Fuel Aid Will Cut Oil Demand, IEA Says (Bloomberg)

Fatih Birol, the International Energy Agency’s chief economist, called on leaders of the Group of 20 Nations to fulfill their pledge to end fossil-fuel subsidies, a move he said will cut oil demand and greenhouse-gas emissions.  

E.U. to Announce Tighter Controls on Biofuels (New York Times)  

The European Commission will seek to salvage its beleaguered biofuels policy on Thursday by announcing a quality-certification process for biodiesel and ethanol and clarifying limits on fuels from sensitive areas like forests and partly drained peat lands.

W.Va. Legislators Await Coal Slurry Report (AP)

A West Virginia University study on whether the underground injection of coal slurry is harmful to human health could be presented to legislators in July. The report is expected to conclude that coal slurry contains chemicals people shouldn’t drink.

Japan Can Seek Deeper Cuts in CO2 by 2030: Panel (Reuters) 

Japan, the world’s fifth-biggest greenhouse gas emitter, can target deeper cuts in CO2 emissions than first thought, a trade ministry panel said on Tuesday.

Hundreds of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Planned for California (Los Angeles Times) 

Coulomb Technologies plans to install 4,600 electric car charging stations for free around the country, and California is slated to get about a third of them.

EPA Swings Open Doors of Energy Star for Data Centers (Earth2Tech)

The EPA announced this morning that stand-alone data centers, as well as buildings that house large numbers of data centers, can now qualify for the Energy Start label if they rank in the top 25% of their peers in the agency’s rating system.

First Solar Unable to Meet Demand (Sustainable Business)

U.S. thin-film solar company, First Solar will be unable to meet demand this year, a senior executive said on Saturday.

Green Firms From China Get an Index (Wall Street Journal)

Silicon Valley VC firm VantagePoint, which is a major shareholder in electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors among other alternative-energy and technology start-ups, launched the 35-company China Low Carbon Index on Saturday.

China Guodian Sees Quadrupling of Renewable Sources (Reuters)

China Guodian Corporation, one of China’s top five power generation groups, expects renewable energy sources to make up 40% of its installed capacity by 2020 from about 10% now, an executive said on Tuesday.

Methane Suspected in W.Va. Gas Well Blast (AP)

A crew drilling a natural gas well through an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle hit a pocket of methane gas that ignited, triggering an explosion that burned seven workers, state and company officials said Monday.