News bites: Climate change threatens wolverines, and possibly Huntsman

The Daily Caller looks at whether former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s past support for greenhouse gas curbs will sap his support among the GOP base. Huntsman, a Republican, recently resigned as President Obama’s ambassador to China, effective at the end of April, and may run for president himself.

But the Caller notes that his “biggest problem” with the conservative base “would be his devotion to cap and trade policies.”

“And never was it on display more prominently than when then-Gov. Huntsman signed the Western Climate Initiative (WCI),” the site reports.

The piece adds: “The WCI is an alliance of states and provinces along the western edge of North America seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lay the groundwork for a regional cap and trade system.

“Hunstman signed onto the initiative in 2007, and was one of only two Republican governors to do so. The other was former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.” The story then details other actions and statements that could hinder him, such as his emphasis on climate change at a nomination hearing for the ambassadorship.

The Associated Press, meanwhile, looks at a report that could bolster TransCanada’s proposed oil sands pipeline.

“A proposed oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast could substantially reduce U.S. dependency on oil from the Middle East and other regions, according to a report commissioned by the Obama administration,” AP reports.

“The study suggests the 1,900-mile pipeline, coupled with a reduction in overall U.S. oil demand, ‘could essentially eliminate Middle East crude imports longer term.’ The $7 billion project would carry crude oil extracted from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Texas,” the story adds.