‘BRASILIA, Brazil – A judge on Wednesday temporarily halted bidding on a controversial hydroelectric dam in the Amazon, a move hailed as a “small victory” by movie director James Cameron, who has taken up the fight against the project.’

via Cameron: ‘Victory’ in Brazil halting dam – Yahoo! News.

‘(Reuters) – Bolivia accused the United States and Denmark on Saturday of cutting aid to the South American country as punishment for its fierce opposition to the Copenhagen Accord for fighting global warming.’

via U.S., Denmark cut climate aid after summit: Bolivia | Reuters.

‘PRAGUE — The United States and Russia opened what they called a new era in their tumultuous relationship on Thursday as they signed an arms control treaty and presented a largely united front against Iran’s nuclear program, marking a sharp change since they broke over the Georgia war two years ago.’

via Russia and U.S. Sign Nuclear Arms Reduction Pact – NYTimes.com.

‘(Reuters) – A solar-powered airplane designed to fly day and night without fuel or emissions successfully made its first test flight above the Swiss countryside on Wednesday.’

via Solar-powered plane soars above Switzerland | Reuters.

‘WASHINGTON — President Obama said Monday that he was revamping American nuclear strategy to substantially narrow the conditions under which the United States would use nuclear weapons.’

via Obama Limits When U.S. Would Use Nuclear Arms – NYTimes.com.

‘WASHINGTON — President Obama and his Russian counterpart, President Dmitri A. Medvedev, have broken through a logjam in their arms control negotiations and expect to sign a new treaty in Prague next month that would slash American and Russian nuclear arsenals, officials from both nations said Wednesday.’

via Russia and U.S. Report Breakthrough on Arms Pact – NYTimes.com.

‘Governments from northern, western, central, southern and eastern Europe signed a declaration today pledging to reduce the adverse health impact of environmental threats in the next decade. The text was endorsed by 53 Member States attending the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Parma, Italy on 10-12 March 2010.’

via WHO/Europe – European governments adopt comprehensive plan to reduce environmental risks to health by 2020.

Copenhagen, Dec 19, 2009.

After the delegates have been awake for a day and a half, and in some cases longer, they were subjected to an extended two hours forty minutes adjournment for what must have been some behind the scenes wheeling and dealing to try to reel in the countries objecting to the proposed deal. Without mention, the Danish Prime Minister was removed as Chair of the proceedings, after his awkward performance through the night.

Copenhagen, Dec 19, 2009

U.K.’s Ed Miliband’s suggestion of allowing those countries who object to register their objection officially, yet still ratify the proposal document, in order that the international climate funding could begin, was rejected. The flustered Prime Minister of Denmark, chairing the proceedings, seemed on the verge of throwing in the towel. U.K.’s Ed Miliband, sensing the possible demise of the talks could be at hand, started banging something gavel-like frantically, next he was recognized, and called for adjournment, which was granted. Perhaps Miliband can interject some additional legal manipulations into the arsenal of Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen, who is clearly in over his head trying to regulate this complex meeting using consensus rules to which he is unaccustomed.

The talks have been in adjournment for nearly an hour now.

Report by James George

‘MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY, Calif. – Far from Copenhagen’s turbulent climate talks, the sea lions, harbor seals and sea otters reposing along the shoreline and kelp forests of this protected marine area stand to gain from any global deal to cut greenhouse gases.’

via Acid oceans: the ‘evil twin’ of climate change – Yahoo! News.