News bites: U.K. warns about future spills, BP shares go up after report and more

The oil spill commission’s critical report did not affect shares of BP stock.

“Shares in BP opened higher on Thursday despite a U.S. presidential commission criticizing the oil company’s contractors and regulators as well as BP for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill,” the BBC reports.

There will be no more smart meters in one California county. Smart meters monitor a home’s energy use so that consumers can make decisions about when they use energy.

“Citing alleged health effects from electromagnetic waves, a county in the North San Francisco Bay Area has criminalized the installation of ‘smart’ electric meters,” Greenwire reports.

“The Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance yesterday that deems the installation of smart meters a public nuisance in some areas.”

And Koch Industries is suing over a fake press release that said the corporation is changing its stance on climate change.

“Koch Industries Inc. has filed a federal lawsuit in Utah seeking the identities of the people behind a media hoax that claimed the company was shifting its financial commitments for climate change research and advocacy to more environmentally friendly groups,” The Associated Press says.

“The lawsuit by the Wichita-based firm stems from a bogus website and fake news release issued last month that falsely announced the company was discontinuing its funding for organizations such as Americans for Prosperity and others whose positions on climate change no longer matched those of the company’s leadership.”