Today’s Climate: May 3, 2010

UN: No Comprehensive Climate Deal this Year (AP)

Yvo de Boer, the UN chief negotiator on climate change, said there will not be a comprehensive deal to fight global warming this year.

BP Ready to Pay "Legitimate" Oil Spill Claims: CEO (Reuters)

BP is ready to pay all legitimate claims relating to the oil spill caused by the accident at its Gulf of Mexico undersea well, CEO Tony Hayward told National Public Radio on Monday.

Obama Seeks to Reassure as Oil Slick Nears Coast (AP)

Pres. Obama is trying to reassure fishermen and others on the Gulf Coast that the government is doing all it can as masses of oil from a pipeline rupture endanger fisheries, oyster beds and beaches.

U.S. Presses BP to Stop Gushing Gulf Coast Oil Leak (Reuters)

Pres. Obama sharpened his criticism of BP on Sunday, saying the oil giant is "responsible for this leak" and will be "paying the bill," as he pressed the company to find a way to shut off the gushing well.

Salazar: Pulling Back on Oil Production Would Have ‘Huge’ Economic Impact (The Hill)

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar indicated Sunday that the federal government does not plan to pare back current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, even as it moves to ensure that development proceeds with new safeguards.

FBI Probe of Massey Coal Is Said to Focus on Possible Bribery (Bloomberg)

Massey Energy Co., dealing with the death of 29 miners at one of its West Virginia coal mines, is being investigated by the FBI for possible bribery of state and federal inspectors, a person familiar with the probe said.

Suspension of AB321 Headed to State Ballot (San Francisco Chronicle)

Today, a group heavily backed by Texas oil giants Tesoro Corp. and Valero Energy Corp. plans to submit signatures for an initiative seeking to suspend AB32 until California’s unemployment rate improves dramatically.

Lawsuits Take Aim at America’s First Offshore Wind Farm (Environment News Service)

A stack of lawsuits is piling up against the federal government in response to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s April 28 decision to approve the Cape Wind project, America’s first offshore wind farm. 

Mexico, Germany Urges Action on Climate Change (AP)

Germany and Mexico have called on world leaders to get international negotiations back on track and reach concrete results by the end of the year, as they opened a climate change conference in Germany on Sunday.

Tuvalu PM Pessimistic on Climate Summit (China Post)

Tuvalu PM Apisai Ielemia said Saturday that he is not optimistic about signing a deal at this year’s UN climate change summit in Mexico in December.

Rudd Makes Australian Mining Tax Mainstay of Election Platform (Bloomberg)

Australian PM Kevin Rudd will base his election campaign this year on his plan to provide for a growing and aging population by tapping profits from mining companies after abandoning action on climate change.

Proposed Shelton Biomass Plant Stirs Opposition (AP)

A proposed $250 million, 600-MW power plant in Maryland that would burn wood waste to generate electricity is facing opposition from citizens, who say the plant’s pollution would harm human health and the environment.

Sanyo Eyes $2.13 Billion for Rechargeable Batteries, Solar Cells (Reuters)

Sanyo plans to invest around $2.13 billion on rechargeable batteries and solar cells in the next three year to focus on the energy and environment businesses, the Nikkei said on Monday.