Obama may not attend Rio Earth Summit, administration official says - 44 - The Washington Post

In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, U.S. special envoy on climate change Todd Stern said that when it comes to the prospect of Obama attending the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, “I don’t have any understanding that the president has any intention of going.”

Panetta said he regretted cost to taxpayers for trips home to California - The Washington Post

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Monday that he regrets that his frequent flights home to California on a military jet have cost taxpayers more than $800,000 since July. He gave no indication, however, that he would end the weekend commutes.  [But won't these trips cause tornadoes, AIDS, and kidney stones in 2050?]

“For 40 years that I’ve been in this town, I’ve gone home because my wife and family are there and because, frankly, I think it’s healthy to get out of Washington periodically just to get your mind straight and your perspective straight,” said Panetta, who maintains a residence with his wife, Sylvia, on their walnut farm in Monterey, Calif.

ENDS Europe | Ireland off-course for its 2020 carbon target

Ireland is not on track to meet its 2020 carbon reduction target, according to projections published by its Environmental Protection Agency on Monday. Emissions from agricultural activities are expected to be a particular problem

First Solar Will Cut 30% of Workforce, Shutter Plants - Bloomberg

First Solar Inc. (FSLR), the largest thin- film panel maker, will cut 30 percent of its workforce, about
2,000 jobs, as demand in Europe slows faster than the company can expand in emerging markets in Asia. The shares surged.

Siemens Windmill Woes Clip Investor Return as Delays Persist - Bloomberg

The wind power industry is struggling with low margins and investment risks that are being exacerbated by cuts in European
subsidies, Felix Ferlemann, the head of Siemens’s wind-power division, said at a conference in Copenhagen yesterday.