Today’s Climate: June 28, 2010

G-20 Climate Pact Erases Word ‘Voluntary’ from Efforts to Cut Oil-Firm Subsidies (Los Angeles Times)

In a last-minute turn in global climate talks, negotiators at the G20 summit agreed over the weekend to omit the term ‘voluntary’ when describing efforts to trim government subsidies to oil companies worldwide.

UN Chief Calls on Rich Countries to Honor Promise of Climate Financing (Xinhua)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called on industrialized countries "to make good on their promises" for financing the developing countries in their efforts to fight against climate change.

U.S. Promises $136 Mln in Climate Aid to Indonesia (Reuters)

The U.S. will spend $136 million over three years on environment and climate change programs in Indonesia, according to a statement issued by the White House on Monday.

Bingaman: ‘Difficult to See’ 60 Votes for Climate Change Bill (The Hill)

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said it is unlikely the Senate can pass legislation that imposes limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

Shell CEO Sees Deepwater Drilling Continuing on Need for Energy Supplies (Bloomberg)

Royal Dutch Shell’s CEO Peter Voser said the oil spill in the Gulf, the biggest in U.S. history, is unlikely to halt deepwater drilling.

Oil Spill Hits Mississippi Shore (Reuters)

Thick oil from BP’s Gulf of Mexico spill washed ashore in Mississippi for the first time as tropical storm Alex moved into the Gulf, posing a threat to the cleanup operation.

Flotilla of Barges Used as Oil Barricade (AP)

Mired in a daily battle against the oil soiling Louisiana’s shorelines, marshes and wetlands, locals in a barrier island town are pushing ahead with a novel plan to block the crude’s path with a flotilla of barges.

BP Oil Spill Costs Hit $100 Million/Day (Reuters)

BP said it had spent $300 million on its Gulf of Mexico oil spill response effort in the past three days, hitting the $100 million/day spend rate for the first time and bringing its total bill to $2.65 billion so far.

Louisiana Applauds Judge’s Offshore Drilling Ruling (McClatchy Newspapers)

U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman, the Ronald Reagan appointee who last week overturned the Obama administration’s six-month ban on deepwater oil exploration, has become a bit of a folk hero in Louisiana.

Sen. Robert Byrd Dies at 92 (Politico)

The Senate has lost one of its legends with the death of Robert C. Byrd, an orphan child who married a coal miner’s daughter and rose from the hollows of West Virginia coal country to become the longest serving senator in U.S. history.

Concerns Raised Over Carbon Capture (ABC News)

A new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience reveals that leakage of sequestered CO2 through carbon capture and storage could cause atmospheric warming, sea level rise, acidification and elevated CO2 concentrations in the ocean.

Japan Starts Talks with India on Nuclear Power (AFP)

Japan began the first round of talks with India in Tokyo Monday on exporting nuclear power generation technology made by technology giants such as Toshiba and Hitachi, the foreign ministry said.

Tesla IPO: What It Means for the Green Car Biz (Earth2Tech)

The debut performance of electric car firm Tesla Motors on the stock market on Tuesday is expected to deliver a signal about the degree of public confidence in electric vehicles at this early stage of the market, and the role that IPOs will play in financing next-gen cars.

A New Wind Blows Between Israelis and Palestinians (Israel 21c)

Two companies, Israel Wind Power based in near Tel Aviv and Brothers Engineering Group from Bethlehem in the West Bank, have announced their intention to cooperate in the building and selling of wind turbines in the West Bank region and beyond.