Topic: Global Warming Talk - Energy and Global Warming News for December 2: Why Texans see …

Recent announcements by the United States and China to cut carbon dioxide emissions are propelling India to make its own commitment to slow greenhouse gas emissions and go to the upcoming Copenhagen climate summit with a firm proposal on reductions. But President Obama's pledge for the United States to cut emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and an offer by China to lower by 40 percent its carbon intensity — that is, carbon dioxide emissions relative to the size of its economy — have put new, unexpected pressure on India, a senior government official said Tuesday. In South Asia, average yields in 2050 will drop about 50 percent from 2000 levels for wheat because of climate change and fall 17 percent and 6 percent, respectively, for rice and corn, according to a study by the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute, or IFPRI, financed by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. Treasury Building, Secretary Timothy Geithner sought advice from a small handful of energy CEOs and climate policy experts on how to scale up investments in clean energy technology. The storm surrounding the state of the economy comes as progress on energy and climate legislation grinds to a halt, at least until President Obama returns from the global climate summit in Copenhagen this month. By revamping the power grid, Dong Energy, Better Placeâs partner and the biggest utility in Denmark, wants to power the anticipated fleet of electric cars with wind energy, which already supplies nearly 20 percent of the countryâs power. read more

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