Best of the Week, Part One: The G-8 nations reach a half-hearted climate accord; GM contemplates more electric cars; and Forbes says Green is good business.

Richest Nations Pledge to Halve Greenhouse Gas: The leaders of the G-8 nations announced a watered-down climate accord Tuesday which will cut greenhouse gas emissions fifty percent by the year 2050. Unlike previous agreements, however, the cuts will be based on current emission levels, not the 1990 baseline of earlier accords. It assumes the participation of China and India, who are not G-8 members. On top of those issues, the new accord seems to give a big vote of confidence to so-called “clean coal” technologies — something which will likely prove a non-starter with environmentalists. (New York Times)

GM Marching to a New Beat — Expect Mutiple Volt Versions: So has General Motors gotten the memo, after all? After a crusty Wall Street Journal article questioning the company’s overall marketing strategy, the GM press is suddenly full of encouraging news. First came word that GM might be eyeing a Stateside version of the Beat minicar. Now there are rumors of a light truck along the lines of the Montana (now sold in Latin America). On top of this, GM is hinting that the Volt may come on more “variations” than previously expected. We’ll see. (GM-VOLT Blog)

Germany wants to build 30 windfarms: French energy giant Areva will step in to help Germany meet an ambitious renewable energy goal: 30 offshore windfarms by 2030. Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee says the two thousand turbine project will be built-out in the Baltic and North seas, and should produce about 11,000 megawatts. The first windfarm should go live off off Borkum Island later this year. (Physorg.com)

Tesla Roadster takes 30 hours to charge from a standard wall socket: Owners of the new Tesla Roadster might want to consider having their garages or carports rewired. Engadget reports this morning that standard 120 volt wall sockets won’t really be up to the job, taking up to 30 hours to fully juice Tesla’s state-of-the-art battery pack. A 220 volt/80 amp circuit should get it done in 3 to 3.5 hours, with a more modest 220v/40a socket talking up to 7 hours. Save that 120v extension cord for your electric lawnmower. (Engadget)

More Bang For Your Efficiency Buck: Forbes has a great overview of the move toward efficiency in the business world. It’s not all about saving the Earth: squeezing resources is having a welcome effect on cost management as world markets sputter. Singled out: UPS’ adoption of new route-planing technologies; trucking company Schneider National’s fleet speed limits; and more traditional energy saving measures, such as cool roofs, CFL lighting, and business energy audits. (Forbes)

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