1) With less than three weeks until the U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen, "a rapid-fire succession of countries are unveiling national plans" to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions. A top U.N. official said the organization has plans from every industrialized country except the United States. U.S. climate change envoy Todd Stern said the administration was still deciding whether to release a proposal (New York Times).

2) Shell Oil's request to drill in Alaska's Chukchi Sea is on hold while the company responds to public criticism of the plan. Shell President Marvin Odum denied that his company asked for a delay, but a letter from an Interior Department agency suggests otherwise (AP). Odum's comments came after a congressional hearing that focused on whether Congress or the Interior Department should have authority over setting buffer zones for offshore oil and gas drilling (Environment & Energy Daily -- subscription).

3) The "unlikely partnership" between Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on climate change legislation goes back years, to when the senators first got to know each other. They have since worked on numerous pieces of legislation together (The Hill).

4) Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who was among the first lawmakers to spearhead efforts on climate change legislation, has "emerged as a vocal opponent of the climate bill." The senator maintains that the efforts in both the administration and Congress are too partisan. Others speculate that senior staff changes or Arizona politics could be playing a role in his thinking (Politico).

5) Almost no major Republican Senate candidate in the 2010 midterm elections is in favor of cap-and-trade legislation. Experts say climate change has "become part of a litmus" test "for GOP candidates and those who had previously supported such a policy have had trouble selling their candidacy to the conservative voters." Republicans facing pressure over their previous support include Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Delaware Rep. Mike Castle (Greenwire).

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