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?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tweeted on Tuesday: “Speaking of prostitutes, big oil’s top call girl Sen Inhofe wants to kill fuel economy backed by automakers, small biz, enviros, & consumers,” the New York-based environmentalist wrote Tuesday on Twitter. [Politico]
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced Tuesday that the city was looking for a pilot “state of the art facility” that could handle a maximum of 450 tons of trash per day — out of a total of 10,000 tons currently in need of disposal — with plans to double that capacity if successful. [NYT]
Obama will be in North Carolina the morning after Super Tuesday. The White House says the president will highlight the government’s fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. [AP]
Japan is in “final-stage” talks with the U.S. on cutting its imports of Iranian crude oil, Japan’s foreign minister said Wednesday, as the country seeks an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Iran that it says will damage its economy. [WSJ]
One year after BP chief executive Robert Dudley apologized at a conference for his company’s massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. One year later at the same conference, Dudley is not speaking, and BP makes only a small appearance on the entire five-day schedule. [National Journal]
More natural gas-powered vehicles will hit the market soon, as rising gasoline prices, booming natural gas production and proposed tax credits make them a more attractive option. But they’re a long way from being a common sight in U.S. driveways. [AP]
Senate Republicans blocked progress Tuesday on a $109 billion transportation bill, leaving unsettled whether Sen. Mary Landrieu will get a vote on her amendment to give the Gulf states 80 percent of any Clean Water Act fines assessed in the 2010 BP oil spill. [Nola]
“As the Republican presidential primary race drags on, the politics of global warming seem ever more divorced from scientific reality. The process of scientific inquiry, meanwhile, offers yet more warnings about what might happen if fractured climate politics stymie long-term action.” [Washington Post]
Sen. Dean Heller is taking the road less traveled among GOP candidates: The Nevada Republican says he’s better for clean-energy interests than his chief Democratic rival. [Politico]