In the news: C40 Cities summit, household energy standards, antarctica melting, no Europe ice age, Bush and fuel efficiency

Mayors, bankers, CEOs, and Bill Clinton: C40 Cities have been holding their second summit in New York for the past three days.

Under a plan developed through the William J. Clinton Foundation, participating banks would provide up to $1 billion each in loans that cities or private landlords would use to upgrade energy-hungry heating, cooling and lighting systems in older buildings.

The loans and interest would be paid back with savings accrued through reduced energy costs, organizers of the initiative said at a news conference in Manhattan. Typically, such upgrades can cut energy use and costs by 20 percent to 50 percent, they said.

More about C40 Cities here. There's also an interview with Bill Clinton at the first link.

Study: new energy standards needed for household items.

Large parts of Antarctica melting, says satellite. "[...] at least once in the last several years, masses of unusually warm air pushed to within 310 miles of the South Pole and remained long enough to melt surface snow across a California-size expanse."

Theory of a European mini-ice age dispelled. Looks like Europe's just going to get plain old hotter with the rest of us.

Bush calls for work for higher fuel efficiency. "Environmental groups, which have long called for substantial increases in the government-mandated fuel standards, expressed skepticism that the administration would enact new standards without Congressional action, and dissatisfaction that Mr. Bush had not offered specifics. And Representative Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts and the chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, called the announcement 'a stall tactic.'"

Photo by Flickr user ehpien.