Houston Chronicle (12/2) reports, “Lawmakers on Wednesday began examining an array of ways to combat global warming, amid signs that the carbon dioxide emissions trading plan known as cap-and-trade may be faltering in the Senate. “We need to dispense with this somewhat blind loyalty to economy-wide cap-and-trade,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (NGP Photo) of Alaska, one of a handful of Republicans who has signaled she might support a climate change bill. “We need to be encouraged to look to all of the alternatives, and, unfortunately, so many of them have just been kicked to the side with the discussion about cap-and-trade. We've kind of boxed ourselves in.” Murkowski's comments at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing came just days before President Obama heads to international climate negotiations in Copenhagen.

Thomas J. Pyle writes in the Washington Examiner (12/2), “At the height of its construction this past summer, the largest solar plant in the United States employed 400 workers. Now that it's complete, the DeSoto Solar Center in Arcadia, Florida, stakes claim to two – yes two – full time “green jobs.” 

FITS News (12/2) reports, “U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham was in favor of a massive new energy tax before he was opposed to it, according to the White House’s Director of Energy and Climate Change Policy, Carol Browner.

E&E News (12/2, subs. req’d) reports, “Top Obama administration officials and Democratic lawmakers staunchly defended global warming science today.

The Hill (12/2) reports, “Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), a major architect of Senate climate change plans, on Wednesday said there are already GOP supporters of the legislation.

E&E News (12/3, subs. req’d) reports, “Farmers have more to gain than lose from a cap-and-trade regime for greenhouse gases, despite estimates that they could see significantly higher production costs, according to a new analysis from the Agriculture Department. 

NY Times (12/3) reports, “Growth in clean energy industries and in green jobs has been considerably slower and bumpier than anticipated, industry experts say.

Washington Times (12/2) reports, “The fight over climate science is about to cross the Atlantic with a U.S. researcher poised to sue NASA, demanding the release of the same kind of information that landed a leading British center in hot water over charges that it skewed its data.