Bildt is not alone in studying the geopolitical consequences of climate change at the top of the world and elsewhere. The U.S. and Russian navies are also looking hard at how the projected disappearance of polar "summer ice" in a decade or two will influence their strategy and maritime practices and perhaps alter a relationship that is still marked by big-power rivalry and distrust.

It’s a hard argument to refute. Eventually, I decided that the only way to respond was with some variation of the following: “You’re right. It’s your turn. Grow as dirty as you want. Take your time. Because I think America just needs five years to invent all the clean-power technologies you Chinese are going to need as you choke to death on pollution. Then we’re going to come over here and sell them all to you, and we are going to clean your clock — how do you say ‘clean your clock’ in Chinese? — in the next great global industry: clean power technologies. So if you all want to give us a five-year lead, that would be great. I’d prefer 10. So take your time. Grow as dirty as you want.”

The Mounties confirm a bomb went off between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. this morning near Pouce Coupe, not far from the site of a July 2 bombing.

Meanwhile, a new generation of auto entrepreneurs is rising, committed to building greener modes of transportation in new ways. They’re scrambling for billions in government aid intended to jump-start production of vehicles that burn little gasoline – or no gasoline at all.

Consequently, the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries have been shut down. The Kaduna Refinery, though functioning, has no crude to process because the Warri plant, which feeds it, is shut down due to damages to major pipelines.

The suggestion that natural gas is worthless may be extreme, but it is an indication of the challenge the industry faces. Market experts continue to expect weak prices for natural gas as a surge in unconventional gas discoveries, such as shale plays, pour on to an already-flooded market. Add in unpredictable weather and a slower-than-forecast economic recovery, and the outlook doesn't get much brighter.

In fact, it is hydrogen sulfide, rather than killer asteroids or some other interstellar death-bringer, that has possibly become the go-to kill-shot of most mass extinctions in Earth's history.

Anti-poverty campaigners at the World Development Movement (WDM) also said the controversial plan could be responsible for up to 60,000 more people suffering from drought in Africa.

The Solar Impulse HB-SIA is designed to fly both day and night without the need for fuel and without producing any pollution. The plane, which is scheduled to make its first flight later this year, was built to stay airborne for several days operating just on the power emitted by the sun and captured by its solar panels. The goal and challenge of the craft is to show the viability of renewable energy.

The battery’s greatest strength is its price competitiveness against the more widely used crystalline silicon solar cell. The manufacturing cost for thin-film solar cells is half that for crystalline silicon cells.

With carefully targeted subsidies and regulations, Britain could build 29 gigawatts of capacity compared to a global total of 66 gigawatts by 2020, giving it 45 percent of the offshore power market, said the Carbon Trust. By comparison, Germany would have 12 gigawatts by 2020, the group said.

The Energy Report caught up with newsletter writer and analyst Lawrence Roulston, who recently launched the GreenTech Opportunities newsletter. In this exclusive interview with The Energy Report, Roulston gives us his thoughts on developments that are happening in the alternative energy field, and ideas for profiting in a changing world.

Despite a push from the governor and an increase in the number of so-called flexible-fuel vehicles on the road — which can run on either gasoline or a mostly ethanol blend — sales of E85 have dipped in recent months, beyond the normal decline in winter months.