News bites: Diesel’s health toll, Ikea’s logging under scrutiny, and more

The New York Times reports that the World Health Organization has determined that diesel fumes cause lung cancer.

“The W.H.O. decision, the first to elevate diesel to the 'known carcinogen' level, may eventually affect some American workers who are heavily exposed to exhaust. It is particularly relevant to poor countries, where trucks, generators, and farm and factory machinery routinely belch clouds of sooty smoke and fill the air with sulfurous particulates,” the Times reports.

The Los Angeles Times explores environmental groups’ allegations about furniture giant Ikea’s logging practices, and the company's rebuttal.

The Wall Street Journal looks at a solar industry study that predicts growth in the U.S. panel market.

From their piece:

The U.S. market for solar panels is likely to double in 2012, thanks to government policies and falling prices, although new tariffs on panels imported from China could contribute to slower growth in 2013, according to a new study.

U.S. developers are likely to install about 3,300 megawatts of solar panels this year, nearly double the amount installed in 2011, according to the study released Wednesday by the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research.

The Houston Chronicle reports that federal energy analysts have lowered estimates for oil and gasoline costs for the remainder of 2012.