Science vs. politics. A respect for context should have led reporters and commentators to emphasize that the problems of James Hansen at NASA were as nothing compared to the problems of William Happer. [News Source]

Sempra drops coal power projects. Sempra Energy said it abandoned plans to build coal-fired power plants in Nevada and Idaho in the face of strong opposition. [News Source]

Seattle Steam switching from gas to wood fuel. One of modern-day Seattle's biggest suppliers of heat plans to switch from natural gas to wood. [News Source]

NASA will encourage `culture of openness’ about scientific data. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced new guidelines on information Thursday that allow top agency scientists to speak out on such controversial issues as global warming. [News Source]

NASA offers new media policy after censorship flap. NASA unveiled a new policy for dealing with the media on Thursday, after accusations it had censored space agency scientists on global warming and the origins of the universe. [News Source]

RWE plans 1 bln euro clean-coal power plant. Utility RWE plans to invest a billion euros (US$1.20 billion) in the world's first large-scale power station based on clean-coal technology. [News Source]

Gregoire signs alternative fuels bill. Beginning in 2008, it requires Washington fuel suppliers to ensure that two percent of the diesel is biodiesel and two percent of the gasoline is ethanol. [News Source]

Are shifts in Earth’s crust causing New Orleans to sink? Hurricane Katrina focused attention on another long-term problem: The city and the region around it are sinking. [News Source]

Unexpected warming in Antarctica. Winter air temperatures over Antarctica have risen by more than 2C in the last 30 years, a new study shows. [News Source]

Balloon data confirms Antarctic warming trend. A new analysis of the past 30 years of records from nine research stations reveals that the air above the entirety of Antarctica has warmed by as much as 0.70 degree Celsius per decade during the winter months. [News Source]

Antarctica’s atmosphere warming dramatically, study finds. The air over Antarctica has warmed dramatically over the past 30 years, according to a new study of archived data collected by weather balloons floated over the icy continent. [News Source]