Russia has charged Greenpeace activists with piracy for trying to climb onto a Gazprom drilling platform in the Arctic. The charges “carry a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of 500,000 rubles (about $15,500)”. [Fuel Fix]

China’s National Development and Reform Commission has said that both consumers and refiners will need to bear some of the cost of stricter fuel standards. “‘Currently, the situation of the atmospheric environment in China is grim,’…tiny particulate matter in the air has ‘harmed the health of the population and has had an impact on society and harmonious stability,’ it said.” [Wall Street Journal]

Google’s push to go greener through renewable electricity purchases – most recently, its purchase of all electrical output from the 240-megawatt Happy Hereford wind farm in Texas – may end up positioning the company as an electricity broker. “It may be only a matter of time before Google becomes a force in the power markets, whether it intends to or not.” [Quartz]