US hits solar snooze button. Yes, the United States created the solar cell industry and literally launched it into space 50 years ago. And yes solar PV is going to be one of the largest job-creating industries of the century, projected to grow from “from a $20 billion industry in 2007 to $74 billion by 2017.” And yes today America has precisely one of the top ten PV plants, with plummeting market share, as the figure above makes all too painfully clear. — Grist

Super Tuesday for the EU. Tomorrow’s been dubbed Super Tuesday for EU climate policy, with the EU Parliament set to vote on proposals that follow up the climate change legislation proposed at the start of the year. But what was once touted as a cutting-edge vision has turned into a tough sell. By the end of last week, Polish leaders announced they’d added a sixth country, Greece, to the coalition they’ve been building against parts of the plan – creating a large enough minority to block a decision. — Climate Feedback

Sarah Palin’s toxic paradise. There’s no reason to doubt Sarah Palin’s sincerity when she talks about her commitment to family and–more specifically–special-needs kids. When she introduced her son, who has Down syndrome, to the audience at the Republican convention, the family tableau drew cheers. And she issued a promise. “To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message for you,” she told the crowd. “For years, you’ve sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters, and I pledge to you that, if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.” — The New Republic

Capitalism to the rescue. Can the venture capitalists at Kleiner Perkins reduce our dependency on oil, help stop global warming and make a lot of money at the same time? — New York Times