Nobel winner urges protection for key forests in UN talks. Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai on Wednesday urged upcoming talks on climate change to focus on protecting forests, especially rich treelands in the Congo Basin, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. [News Source]

UK experts give blackouts warning. Some energy experts warn the UK could face an unacceptable risk of major blackouts in less than 10 years unless policy is improved. [News Source]

Science in the meltdown. The looming global recession has meant less money for start-ups in industries ranging from green energy to biotech. [News Source]

COG sets ambitious goals to cut carbon emissions. Washington Council of Governments officials have set the bar high with goals of dramatically reducing emissions 80% by 2050. [News Source]

Regional panel approves plan to reduce greenhouse gases. With 1.6 million new residents and nearly as many new jobs projected for the Washington region in the next two decades, local officials are struggling to cope with already polluted air and water and still absorb expected growth. [News Source]

Renewables to top gas as power source by 2015: IEA. Renewable energy, such as wind, solar and hydropower, will overtake gas to become the second largest source of electricity behind coal by 2015, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday. [News Source]

Energy revolution vital. Without an energy revolution to create cleaner power, global greenhouse gas emissions will rise to a level that could increase temperatures by six degrees by the end of the century, triggering catastrophic climate change. [News Source]

Dirty coal to remain world’s top power source: IEA. Coal, the dirtiest source of fuel, will remain the world's main source of power until 2030 and nuclear will lose market share, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday. [News Source]

Study: Global warming could be costly for Calif. (AP via Yahoo! Finance) California could face as much as $3.9 billion in annual damages caused by wildfires, rising sea levels and extreme weather events if not enough is done to combat global warming, according to a report released Thursday. [News Source]

Va. climate change group wants financial incentives for energy conservation (Richmond Times-Dispatch) The state Commission on Climate Change today adopted its first recommendations for addressing global warming in Virginia. The panel said the General Assembly should create financial incentives for power companies to conserve energy. Another recommendation called for phasing in requirements that commercial buildings be more energy efficient. The panel will consider additional recommendations this ... [News Source]

UN: Brown clouds over Asia worsen global warming (AP via Yahoo! News) A thick brown cloud of soot, particles and chemicals stretching from the Persian Gulf to Asia threatens health and food supplies in the world, the U.N. reported Thursday, citing what it called the newest threat from global warming. [News Source]