The planet could face a freeze worse than an Ice Age starting in as little as 10,000 years, giving future societies a headache the opposite of coping with global warming, scientists said on Wednesday.

The proposed medium-term national renewable energy policy for Pakistan will pave the way for the development of renewable projects under a transparent process for reducing transaction costs, delays, and frustrations by potential investors.

Global institutional investors holding more than $6 trillion in assets pushed policymakers on Tuesday to quickly hash out a binding agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean technology.

More than 130 big investors, including London Pensions Fund Authority, want countries to agree to reduce the climate- warming emissions by 50 percent to 80 percent by 2050.

Farmers want a special deal in global climate negotiations to make sure they are not saddled with excessive costs for curbing Greenhouse gas emissions, the head of the world's leading farming lobby said on Tuesday.

A rock found mostly in Oman can be harnessed to soak up the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide at a rate that could help slow global warming, scientists say.

When carbon dioxide comes in contact with the rock, peridotite, the gas is converted into solid minerals such as calcite.

Protesters forced the evacuation of an Australian power station on Friday, attempting to chain themselves to a coal conveyor-belt and ratchet up pressure on an industry blamed for half the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.

If California expands its renewable power generation to be a third of electricity delivered in the state by 2020, it may cost $60 billion, the state's utility regulator said in a report issued on Thursday.

Concerted action towards an imminent large-scale greening of the economy

Parikshit Shrivastava

China is seeking to seize the initiative in talks on cutting the world's greenhouse gas pollution, pressing rich nations even as global financial turmoil and Barack Obama's victory recast climate change diplomacy.