Life’s a bitumen nightmare as cities get hotter than hell. The argument that the world's urban population exploding from 900 million to 3.4 billion in little more than 50 years has had a negligible impact on the earth's temperature is due for a reappraisal. [News Source]

UN climate change chief escapes the heat. Any hope that climate change sceptics had of claiming the scalp of the United Nations climate change chief, Rajendra Pachauri, seems to be melting away. [News Source]

Pinpointing emissions at their source. The recent Copenhagen climate talks faltered in part over how to verify that nations are actually reducing their carbon emissions. That’s creating a burgeoning global business for a Silicon Valley company. [News Source]

Oil groups mount legal challenge to Schwarzenegger’s tar sands ban. A lobby group that includes BP and Shell in its membership has launched a legal challenge against low-carbon legislation in California that in effect rules out the use of oil from Canadian tar sands. [News Source]

Energy plan would put Austin among nation’s greenest cities. A plan to boost Austin's reliance on renewable energy would make it one of the nation's greenest cities. That stature, however, comes at a cost: Bills would increase an estimated 20 percent over the next decade. [News Source]

Aviation industry in eye of climate-change storm. When it comes to greenhouse gases from airplanes, even Buckingham Palace recognizes it has to be seen doing the right thing. [News Source]

Oceans’ acidity rate is soaring, claims study. Rapidly rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere mean that the rate of ocean acidification is the fastest since the age of the dinosaurs, which became extinct 65m years ago, scientists believe. [News Source]

Greenland ice loss driven by warming seas: Study. Greenland’s continent-sized icesheet is being significantly eroded by winds and currents that drive warmer water into fjords, where it carves out the base of coastal glaciers, according to studies released Sunday. [News Source]

Schwarzenegger’s climate change legacy may be in trouble. Governor's fading light is dimming prospects for action against major polluters in California and elsewhere. [News Source]

Bangladesh rejects £60m of climate aid from UK. The Bangladeshi government is refusing to accept a £60m donation from Britain to help it cope with the impact of global warming, because of a dispute over how the money will be provided. [News Source]

UN panel approves 32 China wind farms, blocks six. A United Nations climate panel approved 32 Chinese wind farms for carbon financing under the Kyoto Protocol late last week, but blocked another six after rejecting eight similar projects in December. [News Source]