Earth Equity News

New Faces in Top European Climate, Environment, Energy Posts. By James Kanter, NYTimes, November 30, 2009. "The guard is changing at the European Commission in Brussels where, President Jose Manuel Barroso has named his new 27-member team -- including a newly created post for climate action. The European Parliament still must approve the decisions during hearings in January. Mr. Barroso, who made his announcements Friday, named Connie Hedegaard the bloc's first climate action commissioner. Ms. Hedegaard has been serving as climate and energy minister for Denmark... Stavros Dimas, the unassuming but determined Greek who has served as European Union's environment commissioner over the last five years, and who has earned widespread admiration from the environmental community, did not have the support of the current government in Athens to serve a second term and will leave his post. Janez Potocnik, a former minister for European affairs for Slovenia and currently the European Union commissioner for research, will replace him... Mr. Barroso named Günther Oettinger, the current minister-president of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, to replace Andris Piebalgs as the European Union's commissioner for energy. Mr. Piebalgs takes over the portfolio for overseas development."