VOA News - Eastern Europe Faces Freezing Temperatures and Russian Gas Cut-Off

Bulgarians are not the only East Europeans frustrated during this unseasonable cold winter. There have been reports of people freezing to death across the region, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas via Ukraine.

Russia says neighboring Ukraine is holding up the transport of Russian natural gas to Europe. Moscow cut all gas supplies to the West last week in a pricing dispute with Ukraine. Kyiv blames Moscow for the supply disruption.

In Hungary, where reserves are running low, officials say some 40 people have died this month from frigid temperatures, often because heating systems do not work properly due to a lack of natural gas pressure.

More deaths have been reported across Eastern Europe, where many people are now searching forests for wood to use as heating fuel.

Environmental Capital - WSJ.com : The Nuclear Option: European Gas Dispute Gives Nukes Fresh Legs

The European hand-wringing holds lessons for the U.S. as well. Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton told the Senate yesterday that energy security has to be a vital part of U.S. foreign policy, both to reduce dependence on foreign oil and to fight climate change. She called for more nuclear power in the mix.

Which could explain why one hyperactive European country has been largely quiet throughout the two-week gas crisis: France. It went nuclear decades ago to ensure domestic energy supplies, and gets about 80% of its power from nuclear plants.

Germans to invest £20bn in new UK nuclear plants - Times Online

Germany's two largest power companies joined forces yesterday and announced an ambitious plan to build at least four nuclear reactors in the UK at an estimated cost of £20 billion.

The plants, the first of which is set to enter service within ten years, will provide at least six gigawatts of new generating capacity, the equivalent of 10 per cent of the generating capacity of all Britain's existing power plants.

'India need to be part of climate change agreement'- Global Warming-Earth-The Economic Times

WASHINGTON: The US Secretary of State-designate, Hillary Clinton, has said countries including India must be made part of any agreement on climate change and announced that the Obama Administration would appoint a Climate Change Envoy for the purpose.

[Via Benny Peiser]