Today’s Climate: June 24, 2010

White House Cancellation Frustrates Backers of Senate Climate Bill (Greenwire)

A White House decision to punt a pivotal energy and climate meeting slated for this week has supporters of a global warming bill concerned that it could be even tougher to clear legislation this year.

Climate Advocates Plan $11 Million Ad Campaign Targeting ‘Key Senators’ (The Hill)

Environmental groups and some liberal advocate organizations plan to announce an $11 million ad campaign Thursday to bolster support for Senate passage of climate change and energy legislation.

Poll: Obama’s Ratings Fall Amid Gulf Oil Spill (Reuters)

Pres. Obama’s job performance rating has dropped to the lowest level of his presidency as Americans grow less confident in his leadership, according to an opinion poll published on Wednesday.

Interior: Drilling Moratorium Could Be Refined (AP)

A new order imposing a moratorium on deepwater drilling could be refined to reflect offshore conditions, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday.

BP Resumes Oil Siphon at Leak (Reuters)

BP resumed collecting oil from its leaking Gulf of Mexico well on Thursday after a temporary setback while a poll showed the environmental disaster is draining public confidence in Pres. Obama.

BP Relied on Faulty U.S. Data (Wall Street Journal)

BP and other big oil companies based their plans for responding to a big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on U.S. government projections that gave very low odds of oil hitting shore, even in the case of a spill much larger than the current one.

U.S. Administration Appeals Decision Blocking Drill Ban (Reuters)

The Obama administration on Wednesday appealed a court ruling that blocked its six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling, after a judge said it was not adequately justified.

Labor Secretary Faults Coal Mine Scrutiny Process (AP)

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis on Wednesday said her department needs to scrap and replace its "badly broken" process for identifying the nation’s most dangerous mines.

States See Mixed Demand for Appliance Rebates (Wall Street Journal)

States have paid out less than half the money set aside for rebates on energy-efficient household appliances, disappointing retailers and manufacturers that had hoped for a repeat of the hot demand fueled by last year’s cash for clunkers auto scheme.

Gloves Off in California Over Greenhouse Gas Law (Reuters)

California environmentalists opened fire on Wednesday on a measure approved for the state’s November ballot that would roll back a landmark law regulating greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate, Financial Crisis To Be on G20 Agenda: Leak (Canadian Press)

The environment is grabbing a growing part of the G20 summit agenda, despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s hopes of strictly limiting the discussions to the global economy.

New Australian PM Backs Price on Carbon (Reuters)

New Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Thursday she believed in climate change and would push for a national price on carbon but much more consultation with industry and voters was crucial.

U.K. Needs a ‘Meaningful Carbon Price’ for Investors, Energy Minister Says (Bloomberg)

The U.K. needs a "meaningful carbon price" to underpin investment in cleaner energy, Chris Huhne, head of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, said in a speech today.

Global Gas Demand to Rise 25% by 2020: Shell Exec (Reuters)

Global gas demand is still set to increase by one quarter by 2020, despite uncertainty about the recovery of industrial demand for the relatively clean-burning hydrocarbon, a Royal Dutch Shell executive said on Thursday.

How Corals Could Survive Climate Change (LiveScience)

The ability of Caribbean corals to withstand the threat of warmer oceans may depend on where the corals’ parents grew up, a new study out of Penn State University suggests.