Waxman expected to advance Obama's climate agenda as new energy committee chairman. Rep. Henry A. Waxman captured a post that has significant implications for President-elect Barack Obama's environmental agenda, including curbing global warming and developing alternative fuels. Los Angeles Times
New rule would discount warming as risk factor for species. The Bush administration is finalizing changes to the Endangered Species Act that would ensure that federal agencies would not have to take global warming into account when assessing risks to imperiled plants and animals. Washington Post
Death bloom of plankton a warning on warming. Vanishing Arctic sea ice brought on by climate change is causing phytoplankton to bloom explosively and die, a phenomenon that is likely to create havoc among migratory creatures that rely on the ocean for food, Stanford scientists have found. San Francisco Chronicle
Is it time for a green bottom line? Ecological economists say that rather than patching up the current economic system, we should take the crisis as a wake-up call that endless growth just isn't possible on a finite planet. Calgary Herald
Car battery needs to keep going and going. One of the buzzwords at the Los Angeles Auto Show is "electrification." It's a future where cars run solely on battery power. Morning Edition
Lack of investment clue to Detroit's demise. Spotting the next big thing is vital in the volatile car industry, as Toyota has proven with its hugely successful petrol-electric Prius. Its rivals have learnt the hard way that their decisions to scrimp on one particular investment are now seen as a costly mistake. BBC
Salaryman-turned-activist keeps island nation Tuvalu in the picture. Shuichi Endo has set himself a monumental task: Photograph 10,000 residents of the tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu, nearly the entire population. He started the project last year to draw attention to the impact global warming is having there. Japan Times
What beetles know about climate change in Western U.S. A top researcher at the California Academy of Sciences has accidentally discovered new evidence of climate change in the western United States. He's one of the foremost beetle researchers in the world, and he believes the insects have a lot to teach us. San Francisco KGO-TV
Insurance companies counting the costs from global warming. Climate change is increasing risks for insurers, with companies raising premiums and increasing reserves to deal with the expected increased frequency and severity of storms. ABC News
Enviros: Look at climate change in coal impact assessment An environmental group says the Bureau of Land Management should conduct a broader analysis of possible climate change effects on the Powder River Basin before it issues more coal leases. Associated Press
Planes, trains or automobiles? Climate villains revealed. Which has the worst effect on the climate: cars, planes, ships, or trains? According to new research, it's cars--at least for now. New Scientist
Coal-fired plant needed in Sandakan. Sabah has no choice but to accept a 300mW coal-fired plant in Sandakan to ensure sufficient power supply in the state’s east coast, an assemblyman told the State Assembly here on Tuesday. Kuala Lumpur Star
Interior Dept. wants hand in greenhouse gas emissions rules. The Interior Department could play an unprecedented role in shaping the new administration's attempts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Politico
Europe takes first step towards minerals Arctic policy to protect energy security. Europe today moved to join the scramble for the vast mineral riches of the Arctic being opened up by global warming, declaring for the first time that the region's resources could help stem anxiety about Europe's energy security. London Guardian
Africans to stick together in climate change talks. African countries have agreed to negotiate as a bloc in talks on a new global warming treaty, a move meant to give the continent highly threatened by climate change a greater say in the future pact. Associated Press
