This just in from Climate Counts, the nonprofit group that scores consumer products companies on their green track records: consumer companies are getting greener, but they are still a pretty carbon-intensive lot. On Wednesday, the group was to release its second annual ranking of 56 consumer companies on how they measure greenhouse gas emissions, their plans to reduce them and how fully they disclose those activities. Its intention is to persuade consumers to use the scores in deciding which brands to buy.

The Sierra Club sent letters Tuesday threatening to file suit to stop construction of eight coal-fired power plants in six states because, the environmental group claims, they violate the Clean Air Act. "This is the first major ramification on the ground from the (Washington) D.C. circuit kicking out the Bush administration's rules in February," said Bruce Nilles, director of the Sierra Club's effort to stop coal power plants.

A website is allowing people across Ireland to calculate their carbon footprint. Speaking at the launch, Environment Minister John Gormley said that everybody had a role to play in tackling climate change. Mr Gormley said: "Finding your carbon count number is only the first step. "The big commitment that we want people to make is to reduce and to manage their carbon emissions so that together we can reduce Ireland's carbon emissions and tackle climate change."

Orange juice, light bulbs and the humble potato will now display labels telling shoppers the size of each product's carbon footprint, Tesco has announced. Tesco says the labels will help their shoppers make more informed choices A range of 20 products will bear the Carbon Trust's Carbon Reduction Label allowing customers to compare the carbon impact of the items in their shopping trolley. The scheme follows the trial of the labels on other products including Walkers crisps and Innocent drinks.

A European Union proposal to auction all carbon dioxide perm its rather than hand some out for free would cost Germany 113 billion euros($175.6 billion) in the eight years through 2020, according to industry group VIK. Both industrial and household consumers would bear the cost as energy providers raise tariffs to counter higher permit prices, VIK spokesman Roland Schmied said. Business clients would shoulder87 billion euros of the burden, while households would contribute 26.3 billion euros, he said.

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