The spotlight was on the U.S. in this week's climate news, with the surprise election of Republican Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts on Tuesday. Brown's win stripped the Democrats of the 60-seat "super majority" in the Senate, and sparked widespread speculation about how the power shift could affect the success or failure of climate legislation in the U.S. — and, ultimately, here in Canada.
Business leaders in the U.S. responded to those concerns with a call to action. On Thursday, the CEOs of more than 80 prominent American companies — including Exelon, Virgin America, eBay and PG&E — released an open letter calling on President Obama and members of Congress to "move quickly to enact comprehensive climate and energy legislation that will create jobs and enhance U.S. competitiveness."
Himlayan glaciers continue to melt, though not as rapidly as predicted in 2007 by the IPCC Photo: Courtesy Keso (Flickr.com)
2009 Christopher Booker Prize. Photo: Courtesy George Monbiot
A final note to anyone thinking of running for next year's prize: there won't be one. Monbiot says it's because he just "can't face the thought of wading through all that rubbish again."
(Frankly, neither could we.)
