Today’s Climate: September 15, 2010

U.S. Drilling Ban "Unlikely" to Be Extended: Official (Reuters)

The Obama administration is unlikely to extend its six-month ban on deepwater drilling because of the progress the industry has shown since the massive spill in the Gulf, an Interior Department official said on Tuesday.

States are Climate Battlegrounds (Politico)

Opponents to limits on greenhouse gas emissions see the fights in California and New Jersey as the next step in the fight over global warming policy after the demise of federal cap-and-trade legislation on Capitol Hill.

Pace of EPA’s Clean Air Act Rulemakings Turns Heads (Greenwire)

In 18 months, U.S. EPA has — among other things — stiffened standards for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide for the first time in decades, revamped smog regulations and issued the first climate rules under the Clean Air Act. And more rules are on the way.

Wyoming Fracking Rules Would Disclose Drilling Chemicals (ProPublica)

New rules going into effect Wednesday will place Wyoming at the forefront of the national push to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.

Alberta. Oilsands Cleanup Cost in Billions, Report Says (Ottawa Citizen)

Alberta taxpayers could be on the hook for more than $14 billion in cleanup costs if oilsands companies don’t live up to their commitments to reclaim thousands of hectares of land, warns a new report.

Shell Starts Output at Canadian Oil-Sand Expansion (Bloomberg)

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europe’s largest oil company, started production at the 100,000 barrel-a-day expansion of its oil sands development in Canada.

BP Cited for North Sea Safety Failings (Reuters)

UK safety regulators criticized BP’s safety training procedures in the North Sea just months before the blownout BP well in the Gulf caused America’s worst ever oil spill.

Enbridge Allowed to Start Midwest Oil Pipeline by End of Week, U.S. Says (Bloomberg)

Enbridge Energy Partners LP will be allowed to restart a key oil pipeline supplying the U.S. Midwest by the end of the week, following the repair of a rupture, a federal official said.

China Plans to Monitor Firms’ Environment Impact (AFP)

China said it will require listed firms in polluting industries to publish environmental impact reports annually as the government steps up efforts to hit an energy efficiency target.

U.S. to Host Major Economies Climate Forum in New York (Reuters)

The U.S. will host a meeting of the world’s biggest economies in New York to discuss climate change on Monday and Tuesday, the State Department said.

UK: Fears £9 Bln Clean Coal Program Could Be Drastically Scaled Back (Guardian)

The UK Treasury is reviewing the government’s £9bn clean coal program amid growing fears in the energy department that it will be drastically scaled back.

Binding EU Energy Efficiency Target Can Save EUR78B/Year: Study (Wall Street Journal)

A EU goal to increase energy efficiency by 2020 should become binding to help the bloc save EUR78 billion a year and reduce its energy dependence, a study showed Wednesday.

EU Considers Setting Aside Carbon Permits for New Emissions Technologies (Bloomberg)

The EU may set aside carbon allowances in its cap-and-trade program for companies that invest in new emission-reduction technologies, Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said, calling it an "innovation accelerator."

EU Reexamines Forestry’s Climate Role (Carbon Positive)

The European Commission last week opened a consultation on whether land-based activity, the LULUCF sector in Kyoto Protocol jargon, should be included in the EU’s 2020 emissions reduction effort.

Hyundai, Kia Plan 2,500 Electric Vehicles by 2012 (Reuters)

Kia Motors, South Korea’s No.2 carmaker, plans to produce 2,000 units of its new electric vehicles by 2012, an executive at its affiliate Hyundai Motor said on Tuesday.

Women Agree with Science on Global Warming More Than Men Do (LiveScience)

Women are more likely than men to support the scientific consensus on the reality of global warming caused by humans, according to a new survey.