E2 Morning Roundup: House Dems press EPA to stand firm on mountaintop mining. Plus, the oil spill commission vs. the White House, Christine O’Donnell on drilling, and much more

The Nuclear Information and Resource Service and other groups are holding a telephone briefing Thursday “to discuss how Constellation Energy’s decision to pull out of Calvert Cliffs-3 nuclear reactor project is the latest setback for the ‘nuclear renaissance’ in the U.S. and will have negative implications for the remaining two top federal loan guarantee reactors applicants in Texas and South Carolina.”

On tap Thursday II: Liberal think tank to attack Big Oil-backed university research

The Center for American Progress will issue a report that goes after industry-backed research at several major universities, alleging the arrangements lack “basic standards to protect academic independence and research objectivity.”

According to a summary of the findings, analysis of the research contracts reveals that “The world’s largest oil companies have funded at least $800 million of potentially compromised energy research at American universities over the last decade.”

“Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell, and ExxonMobil — members of a group of major energy firms informally known as ‘Big Oil’ — have underwritten research at top-tier universities with few contractual protections for objectivity or scholarly independence,” according to CAP, which will call for tougher scientific integrity standards governing such arrangements.

U.N. climate chief pushes rich nations on carbon cuts

The United Nations’ top climate change official wants wealthy countries to get their acts together ahead of upcoming talks in Mexico.

Reuters reports:

“Rich nations must spell out their plans for cutting greenhouse gases more clearly to enable U.N. talks in Mexico to agree the cornerstone of a pact to slow global warming, the U.N.’s climate chief said.”

“Christiana Figueres said the annual November 29-December 10 meeting in Mexico would fall short of a U.N. treaty to combat climate change, saying countries learnt there was no “magic bullet” for a quick new U.N. accord at a Copenhagen summit last year.”

“She urged rich nations to clarify promises to cut greenhouse gases, many of which have not been written into domestic laws, and also admit they were too weak to avert damaging climate change.”

In case you missed E2 Wire yesterday

Check out some of our Wednesday posts:

Ethanol backers and critics find fault with EPA E-15 decision

EPA approves the use of higher ethanol blend in some cars after ‘extensive’ tests

European Union won’t endorse deepwater drilling freeze

NOAA launches $27.6 million climate ‘supercomputer’ center

Interior eyes faster offshore wind project permitting

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