Meter Reading: Over a Billion in Offshore Bids, How AC Could Warm the Earth, and More

Photo credit should read DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images

Two Indian painters work on a billboard advertising an air-conditioner in Calcutta, 05 June 2003.

In Rising Use of Air-Conditioning, Hard Choices – “As air-conditioners sprout from windows and storefronts across the world, scientists are becoming increasingly alarmed about the impact of the gases on which they run. All are potent agents of global warming.” — New York Times

LCRA board signs general manager to three-year contract – “Recognizing her leadership in a year that would have challenged seasoned chief executives, the board of the Lower Colorado River Authority signed first-year general manager Becky Motal to a three-year contract on Wednesday.” — Austin American-Statesman

Gulf Lease Sale Draws $1.7 Billion in Winning Bids – “The U.S. held its first oil- and gas-lease sale for the central Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon spill, drawing $1.7 billion in winning bids from energy companies, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday. The central Gulf of Mexico is widely considered the region’s most promising drilling location, but new offshore lease sales were stalled after the 2010 rig accident, which killed 11 and caused the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.” — Wall Street Journal