Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is the new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee after ousting longtime Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.), 137-122, in a secret ballot vote of the entire House Democratic Caucus today.

With Waxman’s victory, many expect the Beverly Hills Democrat to bring a liberal voice to the podium and work with President-elect Barack Obama on energy policy, environmental protection and health care.

“We are at a unique moment in history,” Waxman told reporters. “We have an opportunity that maybe comes along only once in a generation, and I think the Democratic caucus agreed with me that we must meet that challenge and move forward on those important policies.”

Indonesia will plant 100 million trees this year to try to limit the country’s rampant deforestation, an official said yesterday.

The country, which has lost about 70 percent of its original frontier forest, planted more than 100 million trees last year, exceeding its goal of 79 million, said forestry ministry spokesman Masyhud, who uses one name.

“The realization of planting in 2007 shows that the public is enthusiastic … we hope it can become the culture of the community,” Masyhud said.

CHICAGO — Residents of the Windy City know that buying a townhouse in the Loop area or a tidy two-bedroom cottage in the Bungalow Belt often means trading energy efficiency for historic charm. Yet the downside to drafty houses amounts to more than cold rooms in the winter and warm ones in the summer. The city’s aging buildings are also a major contributor to Chicago’s carbon footprint, because such buildings require significantly more energy to heat, cool and power.

“It’s by far the biggest part of our overall emissions, and we’re committed to bringing as many buildings as we can up to code,” said Larry Merritt, a spokesman for the Chicago Department of the Environment, the agency charged with implementing the recently adopted Chicago Climate Action Plan. The plan initially commits the city to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, with cuts targeted in four key sectors: buildings, transportation, energy, and waste and industrial pollution.