The Natural Resources Defense Council played an influential role in the EPA’s recently announced rule to limit carbon emissions from existing US power plants. The group of seasoned environmentalists reportedly used their Washington connections and forward thinking to get out ahead of the issue. “They were the first out of the gate,” said Adam Kushner, a former top legal official at the E.P.A. “And the first out of the gate frames the debate.” The piece includes an interesting NRDC history lesson for those unfamiliar with the group’s background. [New York Times]

Climate scientists are about to receive a wealth of new data transmitted from the first ever NASA mission to collect CO2 data from space at the global level. The spacecraft – launched last week – will be able to monitor regional carbon concentrations and identify carbon sinks. “While ground stations have been monitoring carbon dioxide concentrations, OCO-2 will be the first spacecraft to conduct a global-scale reading over several seasons.” [NASA]

German industrial giant Bosch opened a new factory in Russia’s Saratov region to manufacture residential and industrial gas boilers in the 2.5 to 6.5 megawatt range. “We are confident in the Russian economy, despite the slowdown, and will maintain and expand our presence here,” said Bosch’s president for Russia and the CIS, Gerhard Pfeifer. [Moscow Times]