08/03/11 9:47am

Article By: energyNOW News Roundup

energyNOW! publishes a daily roundup of top news and opinion on energy and the environment. Inclusion of articles does not mean endorsement.

CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT/EMISSIONS

Durban talks unlikely to strike climate deal: UN (via Reuters)

July 2011 heat records double those of last year (via Treehugger)

Ancient glacial melting show small amount of subsurface warming can trigger rapid collapse of ice shelves (via Science Daily)

Record warm nighttime temperatures: a closer look (via Climate Central)

POLITICS

Salazar, Murkowski head to Alaska ahead of spending bill fight (via The Hill's E2 Wire)

Democrats try to pivot to jobs agenda (via The Hill)

Green groups launch blistering attack on US debt deal (via Business Green)

Energy programs brace for deep spending cuts after debt deal (via Environment 360)

Could a carbon tax emerge from the debt ceiling crisis? (via Treehugger)

KEYSTONE XL

Corrosiveness of oil sands an unproven science (via Reuters)

Dene first nation opposes Enbridge tar sands pipeline (via DeSmog Blog)

FRACKING/NATURAL GAS

Worries over water as natural gas fracking expands (via NPR)

U.S. NUCLEAR

NRC Is Ready to Act on Earthquake, Flood Protection, Members Say (via Bloomberg)

Senator to US nuclear regulators: try to get along (via Reuters)

Vermont finds contaminated fish as nuclear debate rages (via Reuters)

AUTOS/BIOFUELS

Nissan Leaf’s new vehicle charger lets your car power your house (via Inhabitat)

Electric superiority: Leaf sales hit 931, Volt at 125 in July (via Autoblog Green)

GM launches Chevy green zones program, solar-powered EV charging stations (via Energy Boom)

NIST: ethanol-loving bacteria accelerate cracking of pipeline steel (via Green Car Congress)

261 charging stations installed in Portugal, 1,350 coming soon (via Autoblog Green)

Study: electric vehicles are way too dirty in China (via Autoblog Green)

GRID

Four ways to make smart meters work for customers (via Green Tech Media)

Tendril to help with smart-grid test in Montana (via Green Bang)

GREEN TECH

Clean energy patents show yearly rise, quarterly fall (via Environmental Leader)

Google sponsors $1.65 million NASA green flight challenge (via Autoblog Green)

US Dept of Commerce says cleantech exports add jobs (via The Energy Collective)

How sustainability is driving growth in IT, telecom and cleantech (via Green Biz)

A growing market for cleantech: data centers (via GigaOM)

London farm tower: sustainable skyscraper meets 20 percent of city food demand (via Inhabitat)

Federal energy efficiency legislation slowly moving forward, but will the clock run out? (via The Energy Collective)

WIND/SOLAR/RENEWABLES

Barclays to help fund K Road's solar power projects (via Reuters)

China heats up solar market with new feed-in tariff (via Business Green)

$1 bn mega-project will connect N. Sea wind farms to grid (via Green Bang)

Demand for wind demand rises with Germany’s nuclear phase out (via Clean Technica)

Greenhouse gas emissions from large hydropower reservoirs far lower than currently assumed (via Treehugger)

Making solar power work at night with mirrors, salt, and a hillside (via GOOD)

The large-scale solar gold rush draws to an end (via The Energy Collective)

Water storage, critical for non-wind power (via Clean Technica)

Federal officials investigate eagle deaths at DWP wind farm (via The Los Angeles Times)

Wind corridor could speed projects (via Argus Leader)

ABB to install world’s largest offshore high-voltage direct current system (via Energy Boom)

OIL

Report recommends tapping Arctic refuge by drilling at its edge (via Nasdaq)

OPINION/ANALYSIS

Storm chaser: Sen. Durbin carries on lonely fight against climate change (via Grist)

Amid debt crisis, dirty senators defend oil subsidies (via Think Progress)

What’s next for clean energy (via Grist)

How much is your home worth with solar? (via GigaOM)

Wind generating capacity is distributed unevenly across the United States (via EIA.gov)

These are just some of the stories we're following today. Be sure to check our Twitter & Facebook for any breaking news or stories that aren't on this list.