The Daily Climate: Calif. Sues Bush Admin., New Nuke Makes Progress in UK, more

by Emily Gertz

Published December 31, 2008 @ 08:43AM PT

The final day of 2008 isn't slow on climate and sustainability news:

California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown has filed suit against the Bush administration, saying that a recent rule change illegally gutted provisions of the Endangered Species Act by excising the role of science in decisions made by federal agencies. The state took the action because it has both the legal right and the moral responsibility to protect California's environment and resources, said Ken Alex, senior assistant attorney general. "These regulations are illegal. It's consistent with the Bush administration's attack on science," Alex told Julie Cart of the Los Angeles Times.

Worried about the economy? Keep chickens. That's the trend in UK cities, where micro-poultry farming has taken off. ""Fresh eggs every day and the most entertaining pets you could wish for," Vicki Gilmore from Edinburgh told The Guardian's Kirsty Scott. Financial stress is apparently leading people to look for a pet that delivers extra value.

Also in the UK, a plan for a new nuclear plant has taken one small step forward. Energy firm Npower has secured a connection to the country's grid for its proposed Wylfa B nuclear power plant on the Welsh island of Anglesey. Local community and union leaders have backed the project; the current Wylfa station, which employs 800, is 37 years old and due for closure soon. But a member of People Against Wylfa B says that the decommissioning itself would take over a century and provide many jobs. Via BBC News.

An Air New Zealand Boeing 747 jet took a two-hour flight today fueled by a mixture of jet fuel and biofuel created from an African weed called jatropha. "The flight more than doubled the air time of the first biofuel flight—a 40 minute jaunt between London and Amsterdam in February," reports David Biello for SciAm.com. "The plane climbed to an altitude of 35,000 feet and the engine performed normally, according to chief pilot Capt. David Morgan."

And the rest of the day's news highlights:

Stern hope over US climate deal (BBC News)

Green Living: Lush founder revels in funding of anti-aviation activists (Reuters)

Ship Captain Sentenced For Dumping Oil, Plastic In Ocean (KIRO TV)

In Egypt, Alternative Energy Goes Mainstream (Business Today Egypt)

16 members of the US Climate Action Partnership (US-CAP) -- including GE, GM, Environmental Defense, Nature Conservancy -- send joint letter to Congress and the incoming Obama Administration to promote energy efficiency, clean energy investment (World Resources Institute)

Brazil: Chico Mendes lives on, 20 years after his death (Global Voices Online, from Dec. 26)