Clean Start: March 20, 2012

Welcome to Clean Start, ThinkProgress Green’s morning round-up of the latest in climate and clean energy. Here is what we’re reading. What are you?

Residents and businesses from southeast Texas north through western Missouri braced for flooding Tuesday after a violent band of storms brought heavy rain, hail and at least one tornado, with more of the same forecast for the next several days. [AP]

Analyst Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service, a leading source of data on petroleum costs, said that based on experience and current trends, talk of gas prices soaring to $5 is just politically fueled hype. [Louisville Courier-Journal]

The March heat wave continues to shatter longstanding records from the Upper Midwest to the Northeast, with more than 2,200 warm temperature records set during the month so far. [Climate Central]

“These are temperatures for the first day of summer rather than the first day of spring,” says Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips. It’s “un-Canadian.” [Calgary Herald]

The Coast Guard plans to conduct an exercise today involving a simulated oil spill at its Portsmouth, Virginia base. [Times Dispatch]

Hundreds of elementary students whose school was heavily damaged by a tornado that left behind open ceilings and pummeled school buses will return to class in temporary space Wednesday, nearly three weeks after the deadly storms. [Chicago Sun-Times]

The global aviation industry could run up losses of over $5 billion this year if oil prices spike by more than anticipated in light of the tensions building up over Iran’s nuclear program, the industry’s trade group said Tuesday. [Washington Post]

Heavy rain fell across parts of the nation’s midsection Monday, forcing at least one motorist stranded in high water to call for help, while others braced for storms that could bring hail and tornadoes over the next few days. [AP]

A devastating “mini-tornado” tore through the Australian city of Townsville on Tuesday, ripping roofs off houses, snapping trees in half and injuring 13 people as wild weather pounded northern Australia. [Telegraph]

Citing the extreme weather pattern and the Philippines‘ experience on typhoon Frank, which brought multi-million pesos’ worth of devastations to life, property, infrastructure and agriculture, Climate Change and Energy Program of World Wildlife Fund for Nature has stressed the need to come up with strategies on how to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. [Philippine Information Agency]

A tornado southwest of San Antonio caused widespread damage as a line of thunderstorms created street flooding across the region, officials said Tuesday. [Reuters]

The U.S. current account, the broadest measure of trade, will be in surplus within 10 years as the country produces more natural gas and crude oil, according to Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie. [Businessweek]

The Chinese solar panel manufacturer Trina Solar Limited is launching a new solar power initiative for schools, health clinics and other community service organizations. [Triple Pundit]

Inuit whale hunters and environmentalists are joining forces to oppose Shell Oil plans to drill for petroleum off Alaska’s north coast this summer. [NPR]

Federal energy regulators on Friday tamped down another barrier raised by a group opposed to the development of a wind energy project proposed for south of Glenrock, Utah. [Billings Gazette]

Gasoline prices are continuing their march again this week, rising nearly 4 cents to an average of $3.867 a gallon nationally for self-serve regular, the Energy Information Administration just reported. [USA Today]

U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) touted legislation he introduced to allow for oil and gas drilling of Virginia’s coast at a luncheon for local leaders. [Staunton Virginia News Leader]

House Republicans are preparing to grill Energy Secretary Steven Chu this week over $1.6 billion in loans to finance two massive solar energy projects planned for the desert Southwest, saying investigators have found evidence suggesting the administration cut corners in order to get the loans approved. [ABC News]