Eco-Arsonist Sentenced to Nearly 22 Years - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com

Marie Mason, a 47-year-old environmental activist, was sentenced Thursday to nearly 22 years in prison for a 1999 arson attack at Michigan State University’s Agriculture Hall that caused more than $1 million in damage.

The incident was prosecuted in a Michigan federal court as a domestic terrorism case, and U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney referred to Ms. Mason’s acts as an “abandonment of the marketplace of ideas.” Prosecutors had recommended a 20-year sentence. Judge Maloney went higher: 21 years and 10 months.

Green growth puts climate spend in focus | Financial 24

The United States, Europe and other nations will spend about $100 billion (68.1 billion pounds) on projects to fight climate change under economic stimulus plans, raising questions about how much support the industry needs.
Spending money through a recession to boost jobs is well established, but the long term value-for-money of current support for clean energy is questioned.
Political and business leaders have called for green growth spending over the next two to three years to boost fossil fuel alternatives and cut carbon emissions, and create jobs and help a sector wilting in the downturn.
Many energy alternatives including wind and solar are not yet cost-competitive with fossil fuels, and so need incentives.

Winter so far is coldest in Dublin since 1991, says Met Éireann - The Irish Times - Thu, Feb 05, 2009

Amid grim news on almost every front, it appears parts of Ireland are also experiencing the coldest winter in 18 years.