Dirty Coal Gets Filthy in Kansas with $2.5 Million Bribe

Senator Boxer Announces Two Climate Bills to Be Introduced in January (Gristmill)

Sen. Boxer has announced that she will introduce two new climate bills in January. One would create a $15 billion grant program to support clean energy, while the other would direct the EPA to develop a cap-and-trade system by amending the Clean Air Act.

Democratic Leaders Demand Business Plan Before Auto Aid Vote (Detroit Free Press)

Congress has kicked the auto industry’s request for a $25-billion loan back to Detroit, demanding more information by Dec. 2 about how the companies would use the money to survive before considering any bill.

Democrats Oust Longtime Leader of House Panel (New York Times)

Rep. Henry A. Waxman has wrested the chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee from Rep. John D. Dingell in a coup that is expected to accelerate passage of climate legislation backed by President-elect Obama.

Court Voids Shell's Beaufort Sea Drilling Plan (Reuters)

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked a major oil-drilling program in the Beaufort Sea, ruling that federal officials failed to address environmental impacts when they granted permission to Shell Oil to drill wells over a three-year period.

Wal-Mart Buying Wind Power for Texas Stores (Austin American-Statesman)

Wal-Mart has invested in a wind energy farm in West Texas that will generate enough power to light 15% of its Texas operations.

Brazil's Once Booming Ethanol Sector Hits Brakes (AP)

The global financial crisis has put the brakes on the Brazil biofuels boom, drying up foreign investment and domestic credit, stalling new projects and prompting cash-strapped ethanol producers to indefinitely postpone expansions.

Poll: World Wants Green Action, Despite Costs (Christian Science Monitor)

Sixty-nine percent of those polled in 21 countries say utility firms should be obliged to use more renewable resources, even if this would increase their monthly bills.