1.5C Rise in Temperature Enough to Start Permafrost Melt, Scientists Warn

Guardian: A global temperature rise of 1.5C would be enough to start the melting of permafrost in Siberia, scientists warned on Thursday. Any widespread thaw in Siberia's permanently frozen ground could have severe consequences for climate change. Permafrost covers about 24% of the land surface of the northern hemisphere, and widespread melting could eventually trigger the release of hundreds of gigatonnes of carbon dioxide and methane, which would have a massive warming effect. However, any such melting...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/21/temperature-rise-permafrost-melt
Enclosure: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Environment/Pix/pictures/2013/2/21/1361466593873/Frost-crystals-at-the-ent-008.jpg

Japan: After Fukushima: families on the edge of meltdown

Observer: Perhaps one day Aiko and Kenji Nomura will laugh about the Birthday Cake Incident. It happened last autumn. Aiko, a care worker from the city of Koriyama in Japan's Fukushima prefecture, was celebrating her 35th birthday. Her husband Kenji decided to surprise her. On the way home from his job at the post office, he picked up the biggest cake he could find. It was filled with whipped cream and decorated with pink roses. "I couldn't help myself," recalls Aiko. "Kenji had a huge smile on his face,...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/24/divorce-after-fukushima-nuclear-disaster
Enclosure: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Observer/Pix/pictures/2013/2/20/1361359488440/after-fukushima-008.jpg

UK to face EU court over Green Deal tax breaks

BusinessGreen: The European Commission has confirmed it will take the UK to court in an attempt to force the Treasury to impose the full rate of VAT on energy-saving goods, warning tax breaks will not help deliver the aims of the government's flagship Green Deal energy efficiency scheme. The commission issued a statement this morning confirming it will refer the UK to the EU Court of Justice over the practice of imposing reduced VAT rates on green goods. The UK Treasury charges a lower five per cent rate...

URL: http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2249686/breaking-uk-to-face-eu-court-over-green-deal-tax-breaks?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Breaking%3A+UK+to+face+EU+court+over+Green+Deal+tax+breaks

Financial markets inherently biased against clean energy, warn analysts

BusinessGreen: Clean energy firms might be lobbying the wrong ministers when they seek market reforms to help drive green investment. Rather than focusing on energy policies, they should be seeking to reform the "institutionally fossilist" financial markets. That is the stark message contained in a new report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), which uncovered a litany of biases in financial regulation that tilt markets in favour of conventional energy and could potentially hold back the flow of investment...

URL: http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2249651/financial-markets-inherently-bias-against-clean-energy-warn-analysts?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Financial+markets+inherently+biased+against+clean+energy%2C+warn+analysts

Crunch Time Looms for Decision on Keystone Pipeline

Epoch Times: Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline is shaping up to be a pivotal issue for President Barack Obama, with pro-oil groups arguing that it is critical to national security and environmentalists declaring it a dangerous contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Obama highlighted climate change in his State of the Union Address, saying that rising temperatures and extreme weather events have made action inevitable. "For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change,"...

URL: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/crunch-time-looms-for-decision-on-keystone-pipeline-350583.html
Enclosure: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/images/stories/large/2013/02/20/Distance+view+of+tar+sands-92363089-590x323.jpg

EU member states say biofuels limit needs more thought

Reuters: Limits must be imposed on the use of biofuels made from food crops, leading EU member states France and Britain said on Friday, while questioning the detail of a Commission proposal for a 5 percent cap. Concern that some biofuels create more problems than they solve led to a major policy shift in September when the EU executive announced plans to limit the use of crop-based biodiesel and bioethanol to 5 percent of total transport fuel consumption. Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger on Friday...

URL: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100484618

Warning on Scotland's climate change targets

Scotsman: SCOTLAND will continue to fail climate change targets alm­ost every year under the SNP's policies for achieving its green ambitions, environmentalists warn. The Scottish Government's latest draft report outlining how it will reach each annual goal from now until 2027 shows that the policies it currently contains will only make it possible to hit this year's ?annual carbon emissions reduction target. Ministers maintain that if all their proposals in the draft are also implemented – and they succeed...

URL: http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/warning-on-scotland-s-climate-change-targets-1-2807434

Exploring Climate Resilience and Energy Sense

New York Times: I visited Los Angeles this week to discuss new approaches to environmental communication with students and faculty at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability of the University of California, Los Angeles. I also joined two of the university`s professors - the climate scientist Alex Hall and the environmental historian Jon Christensen - for an onstage Zócalo Public Square discussion of this question: "Should we just adapt to climate change?" (The answer of course is...drumroll...no.) I...

URL: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/exploring-climate-resilience-and-energy-sense/?partner=rss&emc=rss
Enclosure: http://zocalopublicsquare.org/zocalo_video/media/2013_Q1/zocalo_130220.mp4

Republicans to Obama: Approve the Keystone pipeline

CNN: As Washington grapples with how to reduce the nation's deficit, Republicans are again pointing to the Keystone XL pipeline as a project that would boost the economy and ultimately make dents in paying off the federal debt. Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota called on President Obama to approve the full transnational pipeline that would bring oil from Canada's tar sands down to the Gulf of Mexico. "Mr. President, it takes more than a sound bite to get the economy going, but in this...

URL: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/23/republicans-to-obama-approve-the-keystone-pipeline/
Enclosure: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130222211136-hoeven-story-top.jpg

India: 'Climate change to hit crop yield'

Indian Express: There is going to be a major shift in crop pattern across the state and the yields of different agriculture and horticulture crops will be reduced owing to climate change over the years, according to agriculture scientists. Scientists in the field of climate change met at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, (UAS-B) on Thursday to discuss adaptive strategies to meet challenges of climate change. According to Prof M B Rajegowda, Agro-meteorologist at UAS-B, temperatures are likely...

URL: http://newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/article1475737.ece

Boston Grapples With The Threat Of Storms And Rising Water

National Public Radio: Since the drubbing that Superstorm Sandy gave the Northeast in November, there's a new sense of urgency in U.S. coastal cities. Even though scientists can't predict the next big hurricane, they're confident that a warmer climate is likely to make Atlantic storms bigger and cause more flooding. Cities like Boston are in the bull's-eye. From atmospheric scientist Kerry Emanuel's 6th-floor office at MIT, you can look out at Boston and the snow-covered Charles River as it snakes through the city...

URL: http://www.npr.org/2013/02/22/172702424/boston-grapples-with-the-threat-of-storms-and-rising-water?ft=1&f=1025
Enclosure: http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2013/02/22/boston-8d3b9c373e810eb960a8da24f7d7fa9409ffd5bf-s3.jpg

Sailors to help measure plankton

BBC: Scientists are enlisting sailors and fishermen to help with what they hope will be the world's biggest study of plankton in the oceans. Plankton are microscopic organisms, key to the marine food chain, but research suggests they are in decline. Researchers at Plymouth University's Marine Institute want seafarers to help measure the quantity of plankton. The results will "help us understand how life in the oceans is changing", said project leader, Dr Richard Kirby. Scientists fear that...

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21547272#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
Enclosure: http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66024000/jpg/_66024165_secchidiskinuse.jpg

Not-so-smart ALEC: How the lobbying group uses bad data to fight clean energy

Grist: Renewable energy is clean, sustainable, non-polluting, reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, improves the health of communities surrounding power plants, and protects the natural environment. Who could be against it? Answer: The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a lobbying group that is active in drafting and advocating controversial state legislation. It`s not just interested in energy: In recent years ALEC has supported Arizona's restrictive immigration legislation, the "Stand...

URL: http://grist.org/climate-energy/not-so-smart-alec-how-the-lobbying-group-uses-bad-data-to-fight-clean-energy/
Enclosure: http://grist.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/dog-dunce-cap-hp.jpg?w=250&h=231

Urbanites combat climate change with rooftop farms

MSNBC: President Obama brought the issue of climate change out of exile during his State of the Union address by issuing a demand for Congress: if they don`t act swiftly, he will. But as Congress continues to lightly mull a plan of action, urban visionaries John Stoddard and Courtney Hennessey of Higher Ground Farm are cultivating their own solution to environmental problems. "In our vision we`ve got this amazing green roof that produces food and then also has these great environmental benefits, one...

URL: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/02/23/urbanites-combat-climate-change-with-rooftop-farms/
Enclosure: http://msnbctv.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/b6d53920db8a21c4280e9715a9180e72_large1.jpg?w=400&h=300

Miami among 'most at risk' for sea-level rise, federal report says

WLRN: Coastal flooding will worsen in Miami if climate change patterns continue, according to a federal draft report. Florida -- and Miami in particular -- should prepare for habitat destruction, loss of cropland, increased salt-water intrusion, worsening coastal flooding, and a host of related disasters if climate change and sea level rise patterns continue, according to findings in a federal "draft climate report." The recently released, 30-chapter "Climate Assessment Report" was overseen by the National...

URL: http://wlrn.org/post/miami-among-most-risk-sea-level-rise-federal-climate-change-report-says
Enclosure: http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wlrn/files/201302/miami%20flooding%20maxstrz.jpg

Iran discovers more uranium ore and chooses sites for new nuclear plants

Guardian: Iran has announced the discovery of new deposits of raw uranium to feed its nuclear programme and has identified sites for 16 more nuclear power stations, just days before talks with Western powers over its disputed atomic programme. The Iran Atomic Energy Organisation report cited by the state news agency, IRNA, on Saturday said the deposits had been found in "southern coastal areas" and had trebled the amount outlined in previous estimates. There was no independent confirmation but Western...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/23/iran-discovers-uranium-nuclear
Enclosure: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/2/23/1361627755403/Iranian-president-Mahmoud-009.jpg

Department of Defense Launches Attack on Climate Change

CleanTechnica: The U.S. Department of Defense has been among the most aggressive leaders on climate change action under the Obama Administration, and they have just stepped it up to the next level. Last week, DoD released the new Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap, its blueprint for addressing the effects of climate change in a national security context. That includes global impacts such as geopolitical consequences, conflict acceleration and competition for food, water and other life-sustaining resources, as well...

URL: http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/23/climate-change-and-national-security-addressed-in-new-report/

GOP can be part of climate change solution

Daily Camera: A carbon tax bill that gives revenue back to households? Now we're getting somewhere. That's what Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) placed on the table when she and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced plans to introduce "carbon-fee-and-dividend" legislation. Their proposal places a fee on coal, oil and natural gas at the first point of sale and then rebates a substantial part of the revenue to the public as monthly "dividends," either by check or electronically. At a recent press conference to...

URL: http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_22648948/gop-can-be-part-climate-change-solution

Post-election Obama backers hitting donors

United Press International: A leading government watchdog says the transition of U.S. President Barack Obama's re-election team into an advocacy group to promote his agenda "just smells." Obama for America, which has become Organizing for Action, is trying to raise $50 million from a small group of elite donors, The New York Times reported Saturday. Those involved in the effort say at least half of OFA's budget will come from donors who give at least $500,000. Donors' names will be voluntarily disclosed every few months,...

URL: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/02/23/Post-election-Obama-backers-hitting-donors/UPI-81191361645022/

China's countrymen struggling with a 'sick' Mother Earth

Telegraph: But along the snow-specked valley that meanders out from this remote industrial hub in northwest China, the real danger appears to be coming not from above but from below. "The pain is chronic and it is hard to tell when it will start,' said Lei Deli, a 60-year-old resident of Minqin, one of half a doze villages along Gansu province's East Dagou canal where locals complain of inexplicable and crippling leg pains. "Sometimes it goes away for a whole month. But when it really hurts, I can't walk...

URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9890119/Chinas-countrymen-struggling-with-a-sick-Mother-Earth.html
Enclosure: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02490/china-pollution_2490581b.jpg

Low lake levels have Michigan harbors scrambling to keep waterways navigable

Detroit News: So much of Pentwater's well-being hinges on the channel -- the 2,500-foot-long entryway from Lake Michigan to the harbor. The channel brings in boats. The boats bring in visitors. The visitors bring in money. And the money sustains the village's shops, restaurants and vacation rental business. The channel is the main factor in the annual boom that sees the local population grow from its normal 600 to 700 to roughly 5,000 in the summer. Local officials in the village south of Ludington are struggling...

URL: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130223/METRO/302230338/Low-lake-levels-Michigan-harbors-marinas-scrambling-keep-waterways-navigable?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE
Enclosure: http://cmsimg.detnews.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C3&Date=20130223&Category=METRO&ArtNo=302230338&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Low-lake-levels-Michigan-harbors-marinas-scrambling-keep-waterways-navigable

EU’s Attempt to Curb Carbon Emissions Limps On

Climate News Network: The European Union's failing carbon market has been thrown a lifeline by the European Parliament's Environment Committee. It has backed the Commission's plan to prop up the price of a ton of carbon by withdrawing an oversupply of credits from the market. Carbon trading is one of the major EU policies designed to combat climate change. But a combination of successful lobbying by industry bodies, political interference and lack of economic growth has brought the scheme close to collapse, so that...

URL: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/eus-attempt-to-curb-carbon-emissions-limps-on-15643?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed
Enclosure: http://www.climatecentral.org/images/sized/images/uploads/news/2-22-13_CNN_carbon-425x239.png

Radioactive waste leaking from tanks at Washington state nuclear site

Reuters: Six underground storage tanks at a nuclear facility in Washington state are leaking radioactive waste, but there is no immediate risk to human health, officials say. The newly discovered leaks, at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, come one week after the US energy department revealed that radioactive waste was found to be escaping from one tank at Hanford. The seeping waste adds to decades of soil contamination caused by past storage tank leaks at Hanford and threatens to further taint groundwater...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/23/radiactive-waste-leak-washington-state
Enclosure: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/2/23/1361614966869/The-Hanford-Nuclear-Reser-010.jpg

India's rice revolution: Chinese scientist questions claim of massive harvests

Guardian: China's leading rice scientist has questioned India's claims of a world record harvest, following a report in last week's Observer of astonishing yields achieved by farmers growing the crop in the state of Bihar. Professor Yuan Longping, known as the "father of rice", said he doubted whether the Indian government had properly verified young Indian farmer Sumant Kumar's claim that he had produced 22.4 tonnes of rice from one hectare of land in Bihar in 2011. Yuan, director-general of China's...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/23/india-rice-revolution-questioned
Enclosure: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Observer/Pix/pictures/2013/2/22/1361564821247/rice-in-nalanda-bihar-ind-010.jpg

Corn ethanol challenged

Living on Earth: Corn based ethanol makes up 10% of the fuel mix in the US and EPA has approved a 15% mix. But last year 20 ethanol producers closed up shop. Wallace Tyner, an energy economist at Purdue University explains to host Steve Curwood why small ethanol producers simply can't turn a profit. Transcript CURWOOD: The current gasoline we put in our cars - E10 - contains 10 percent ethanol. Corn-based ethanol helps provide income for American farmers, and a federal mandate for ethanol aims to reduce global...

URL: http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=13-P13-00008&segmentID=4
Enclosure: http://www.loe.org/content/2013-02-22/bigstock-Corn-Field-38549026.jpg

Coal country bank first to report carbon footprint to shareholders

Mother Jones: There's a growing interest among enviros these days in combating climate change with direct offensives against the fossil fuel industry, sights locked on its bottom line. The idea is that while we scramble to invent more efficient light bulbs and throw up solar panels, we also chip away at the mountain of money that gives the industry its power, by turning shareholders on to the idea that unwise investments can make them accomplices in global warming. Activist investment is nothing new, of course,...

URL: http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2013/02/coal-country-bank-first-report-carbon-footprint-shareholders
Enclosure: http://mjcdn.motherjones.com/preset_16/coal-shovel-money-mj.jpg

California's second carbon auction gets higher price

Sacramento Bee: California's fledgling cap-and-trade carbon market is becoming more familiar to the companies that have to participate in it - and that's showing up in the price they're paying for the right to pollute. Carbon emission allowances sold for $13.62 a ton this week during the state's second-ever carbon auction, the California Air Resources Board reported Friday. The price at Tuesday's auction was considerably higher than the first state-run sale last November, when carbon sold for barely above...

URL: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/23/5210552/californias-second-carbon-auction.html

Satellite Tracking of Middle East Aquifers Points to the End of ‘Data Denial’

New York Times: Jay Famiglietti, one of the authors of an important new study on the rapid depletion of aquifers under the Tigris and Euphrates river basins, has posted an excellent overview of the work and its context for policy, and noted that he and other authors are preparing for a two-week "water diplomacy" tour to discuss their findings in the affected region. The project shows how improving systems for observing and analyzing environmental trends are brightening prospects for better management of resources...

URL: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/23/satellite-tracking-of-middle-east-aquifers-points-to-end-of-data-denial/?src=twrhp
Enclosure: http://youtu.be/YQ7F6PxWOts

US government mulls $16bn plea deal for BP over Deepwater - report

Reuters: The US government and Gulf Coast states are reportedly considering offering BP Plc a deal under which the company will pay $16bn to settle civil suits stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The deal would cover the company's potential penalties under the Clean Water Act and payments under the natural resources damage assessment, the Wall Street Journal said, citing sources familiar with the discussions. It was unclear if the deal had been formally offered to BP; both the company and...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/23/bp-deepwater-horizon-settlement-deal
Enclosure: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/2/22/1361558896757/BP-Deepwater-Horizon-disa-010.jpg

Utah, a Nature Lover’s Haven, Is Plagued by Dirty Air

New York Times: Utah has long been known as an outdoor lover's utopia. The skiing and mountain biking are among the best anywhere. And the snow-clotted mountains that tower around Salt Lake give this city a mythic quality during winter. But lately, the Wasatch Front, the corridor of cities and towns where most Utahans live, has acquired a reputation for a less enviable attribute: bad air. For the last few years, the area has been grappling with one of the nation's most vexing pollution problems, where atmospheric...

URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/us/utah-a-nature-lovers-haven-is-plagued-by-dirty-air.html
Enclosure: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/02/24/us/AIR/AIR-articleLarge.jpg

British farmers face hardship as floods wipe out crops in 'worst ever year'

Guardian: Stephen Watkins farms in Elgar country. He has 400 hectares, or nearly 1,000 acres, in the Worcestershire countryside that boast sprawling views of the Malverns, the brooding hills that inspired the composer to capture the essence of rural England in music. With a picture-perfect Victorian farmhouse replete with Aga and two black Labradors, Watkins seems to be living the good life. He farms sheep, winter wheat, spring barley, mint, coriander, parsley, spinach, hand-picked peas, onions, lettuce...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/23/weather-battered-farmers-hope-food-security-will-help
Enclosure: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/2/23/1361632253747/Farmer-Steve-Watkins-010.jpg

Good riddance: 112th Congress had worst environmental record ever

Mother Jones: "The best that can be said about this session of the 112th Congress is that it's over," League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski said this week. The sentiment comes in reaction to the League's 2012 Congressional Scorecard, released on Wednesday, which showed that in a year that saw record breaking heat waves, drought, wildfires, Hurricane Sandy, and other climate-change fueled disasters, the Republican-led House of Representatives came out with the worst environmental record ever....

URL: http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2013/02/112th-congress-league-of-conservation-voters-score-worst-ever
Enclosure: http://mjcdn.motherjones.com/preset_16/capitallightning_1.jpg

Siberia Could Experience Widespread Permafrost Thaw Due To Global Warming

RedOrbit: More evidence is pointing to the nightmare scenario that global warming is taking a toll on our planet. Oxford University scientists say that a global temperature rise of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit could thaw the ground over a large area of Siberia, threatening the release of carbon from soil. If the thawing of Siberia`s permafrost occurs, it could see that over 1,000 gigatons of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane are dished out into the atmosphere, adding an even larger global warming...

URL: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112789978/global-warming-permafrost-thaw-siberia-022313/
Enclosure: http://www.redorbit.com/media/uploads/2013/02/Vlasta-Kaspar.jpg

Md., D.C. utilities pay paper mills burning ‘black liquor’ for alternative fuel credits

Washington Post: When Maryland and the District set floors requiring electric utilities to use increasing amounts of renewable energy, environmentalists cheered the prospect of money going to new solar and wind projects. But today, several years after the legislation went into effect, it has had an unexpected outcome. Thanks to a wrinkle in the definition of renewable, the lion's share of the money used to meet those standards is flowing to paper companies that burn "black liquor,' a byproduct of the wood-pulping...

URL: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/md-dc-utilities-pay-paper-mills-burning-black-liquor-for-alternative-fuel-credits/2013/02/22/440078da-696b-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html
Enclosure: http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/11/02/Magazine/Images/MG-Return%20of%20salmon%20to%20Elwha%20River%2039of571351846629.JPG

Choices loom for Obama on climate change

Associated Press: President Barack Obama, who rarely uttered the words "climate change" or "global warming" during the second half of his first term and during his re-election campaign, has re-inserted it boldly back into his lexicon. In his fifth State of the Union address before Congress, Obama sounded like he did in his first, urging lawmakers to limit gases blamed for global warming "for the sake of our children and our future." Those words followed his inaugural address, in which he said: "We will respond...

URL: http://www.wisconsingazette.com/national-gaze/analysis-choices-loom-for-obama-on-climate-change.html
Enclosure: http://www.wisconsingazette.com/images/dailies/2013-02-21/Earth-Western-Hemisphere.jpg

United Kingdom: Fears fracking could be "fast tracked"

Telegraph: The Growth and Infrastructure Bill, currently going through the House of Lords, could allow exploration for shale gas to be considered as of "national significance', meaning the Government can override local authorities to grant planning permission. The National Trust, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Friends of the Earth, the Town & Country Planning Association, Wildlife Trusts and Greenpeace have joined up to fight the change in the law. Baroness Young of Old Scone, an independent peer,...

URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9888565/Fears-fracking-could-be-fast-tracked.html

Melting permafrost: Scientists warn of dangers of trapped carbon

Spiegel: Research published Thursday in the journal Science says that even slightly warmer temperatures could start melting permafrost, which in turn threatens to trigger the release of huge amounts of greenhouse gases trapped in ice. The frosty dungeon hides a dark secret. At least a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere's landmass is frozen and, like a vault, it holds 1,700 gigatonnes of carbon. This unimaginably high quantity of carbon comes from countless generations of creatures that have lived and died...

URL: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/new-science-research-shows-dangerous-carbon-lurking-in-permafrost-a-885052.html
Enclosure: http://www.spiegel.de/images/image-464227-breitwandaufmacher-ldrl.jpg

New opportunities: EV maker seeks suppliers; Wind energy RFP

Electric Vehicles International (EVI) seeks vendors as it ramps up in preparation for increased demand in 2013.
Xcel Energy subsidiary Northern States Power Co. - Minnesota has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for up to 200 MW of nameplate wind generation in the upper Midwest.

URL: http://green-energy-news.com/content/fundopps.html

Groups Flock to White House to Talk ‘Fracking’ Rules

The Hill: Environmental advocates and representatives from the oil-and-gas industry are flocking to the White House following the submission of a draft rule that would govern the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing on public lands. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in January pulled a long-awaited proposed rule to regulate hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking," after receiving a flood of public comments and push-back from industry. A new draft was sent to the White House on Jan. 22,...

URL: http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/pending-regs/284283-groups-flock-to-white-house-to-talk-fracking-rules-

New Study to Examine Health Impact of Alberta Oil Sands

Edmonton Journal: An independent study will soon be launched into the health effects of the oilsands on nearby communities. Partially funded by the provincial and federal governments, the study will be overseen by University of Calgary sociology professor Cora Voyageur and will re-examine cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan, a native community about 220 kilometres north of Fort McMurray. Links to other health issues, including autism, will also be explored as researchers try to determine if contaminants from industrial...

URL: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/study+examine+health+impact+Alberta+oilsands/7987729/story.html
Enclosure: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/3480354.bin

EU imposes blanket tariff on U.S. bioethanol

Reuters: The EU will place a duty on all U.S. bioethanol imports to the 27-nation bloc from Saturday, in a move that has prompted Washington to express "serious concerns" and that comes as both sides prepare to launch negotiations on a free-trade deal. The European Union will levy a 9.5 percent tariff on all bioethanol coming from the United States, the bloc's Official Journal said on Friday, concluding a 15-month investigation that argued U.S. bioethanol was being dumped, or sold below cost. Since...

URL: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/22/eu-us-bioethanol-idUKL6N0BLDKX20130222

BP Spill Pact Excluded Billions in Possible Loss Claims

Bloomberg: Bill Floyd, owner of an upscale seafood restaurant near downtown Houston, is a poster-child for the type of damage claim BP Plc (BP/) left out of its $8.5 billion settlement for the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. When the energy company's blown-out Macondo well dumped more than 4 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, Floyd saw his costs for fresh shrimp, crab and oysters almost double overnight while his sales flat-lined. "Ninety percent of our menu comes...

URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-22/bp-spill-pact-excluded-billions-in-possible-loss-claims.html
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What Will Obama's 'Green Quarterback' Mean for Keystone XL?

CBC: U.S. President Barack Obama is poised to nominate his "green quarterback," a longtime air quality expert who has been a champion for tougher carbon emissions standards, as head of the powerful Environmental Protection Agency. Gina McCarthy, who currently heads the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, reportedly has the inside track to replace Lisa Jackson, who officially stepped down from the agency last week. The 58-year-old McCarthy's ascension proves the president is serious about battling...

URL: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/02/21/pol-cp-epa-gina-mccarthy-obama-nominee-keystone-xl.html
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Report: Flaws in US EPA Drilling Pollution Data

Associated Press: Limited data and unreliable estimates on air pollution from oil and natural gas production is hindering the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to police the drilling boom, the agency's internal watchdog said in a report released Thursday. Inspector General Arthur Elkins Jr. said the EPA has failed to directly measure emissions from some pieces of equipment and processes, and some estimates it does have are of "questionable quality." "With limited data, human health risks are uncertain, states...

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Report-Flaws-in-EPA-drilling-pollution-data-4298903.php
Enclosure: http://1.usa.gov/XPdsCr

Protesters Demonstrate Against Planned Tar Sands Mine in Eastern Utah

Salt Lake Tribune: More than 100 protesters pounded drums, marched in a circle and decried a proposed fuel-producing tar sands mine in eastern Utah -- drawing curious onlookers under the dome of the state Capitol Thursday evening. The demonstration wasn't aimed at any particular piece of legislation but instead was focused on a planned operation between Vernal and Moab by Alberta-based U.S. Oil Sands. The Utah Division of Oil Gas and Mining gave the approval for the first stage of the mine in January. It will cover...

URL: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55877417-90/sands-tar-mining-oil.html.csp

Conflict about historic responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions

ScienceDaily: The commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be allocated based on countries' historic responsibility for the emissions. This logic was recognized early on in climate negotiations. But the countries are still disputing how it should be interpreted and applied. When the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted in 1992, "historic responsibility" was established -- that is, the countries that release the most greenhouse gases also have a greater responsibility...

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222102650.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

How Wood Smoke is Dirtying Alaska's Air

National Public Radio: In Fairbanks, Alaska, residents are using wood stoves to heat their homes during the frigid winter months. But, smoke created by these wood burners is contributing to some of the worst air pollution in the country. Cathy Cahill discusses air quality in the Last Frontier.

URL: http://www.npr.org/2013/02/22/172696690/how-wood-smoke-is-dirtying-alaskas-air?ft=1&f=1025
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Louisiana coast facing grim reality

Advocate: Stunning new data not yet publicly released shows Louisiana losing its battle with rising seas much more quickly than even the most pessimistic studies have predicted to date. While state officials continue to argue over restoration projects to save the state's sinking, crumbling coast, top researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have concluded that Louisiana is in line for the highest rate of sea-level rise "on the planet." Indeed, the water is rising so fast that...

URL: http://theadvocate.com/news/5247778-123/la-coast-facing-grim-reality
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Ice Melt Means Uneven Sea Level Rise Around the World

Climate Central: Scientists say the sea level rise caused by climate change during the rest of this century will not affect all parts of the world equally, because of the ways sea, land and ice interact. They say parts of the Pacific are likely to see the highest rise. This region is where many low-lying island countries most vulnerable to sea level rise, like the Seychelles, are already struggling. Their peoples will need evacuation if the scientists' high-end predictions are correct. Northern Europe, on the...

URL: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/ice-melt-means-uneven-sea-level-rise-around-the-world-15640?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed
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Obama Administration Moves Forward on Climate Change Without Congress

U.S. News and World Report: President Barack Obama is tired of waiting for Congress to move on legislation to reduce carbon emissions, and his administration is poised to move forward on actions to do just that—including a move that will effectively eliminate the possibility of any new coal plant opening in the United States, experts say. "We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence," Obama said...

URL: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/02/22/obama-administration-moves-forward-on-climate-change-without-congress
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Canada: With Keystone In Limbo, Alberta Launches Carbon Contest

Climate Central: The Canadian province of Alberta is home to the country's booming oil and gas industry, and is a key power base for Canada's Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. The rapid development of unconventional oil and gas resources, also known as "oil sands,' in Alberta has turned that province into an engine of economic growth in Canada, and has led to controversy in the U.S. Domestically, Alberta is perhaps best known as the origin of the controversial Keystone-XL Pipeline, which would transport...

URL: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/alberta-sponsors-35-million-carbon-innovation-challenge-15645?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed
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Understanding extreme weather in an era of climate change

Ars Technica: The US has clearly seen some pretty extreme weather events over the last year. These events have caused both billions of dollars in property damage and endless arguments over how much can be attributed to climate change. Even as scientists work on the problem of attribution, the public has often made up its mind on what's to blame. To try to bring some sanity to the discussion, the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science hosted a session on US weather extremes. Although...

URL: http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/02/understanding-extreme-weather-in-an-era-of-climate-change/
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Despite Lingering Drought, USDA Predicts A Flood Of Grain

National Public Radio: Economists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, gazing into their crystal ball, see American farmers planting and harvesting huge amounts of corn, soybeans, and wheat this year. They're predicting a record harvest of corn: 14 billion bushels, up nearly 40 percent over last year's drought-crippled level. With supply up, prices will fall. The USDA thinks that the price of the average bushel of corn could fall by a third. And soybean production and price are expected to follow a similar track. Of...

URL: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/02/22/172694212/despite-lingering-drought-usda-predicts-a-flood-of-grain?ft=1&f=1025
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In Drought-Stricken Heartland, Snow is No Savior

New York Times: After enduring last summer's destructive drought, farmers, ranchers and officials across the parched Western states had hoped that plentiful winter snows would replenish the ground and refill their rivers, breaking the grip of one of the worst dry spells in American history. No such luck. Lakes are half full and mountain snows are thin, omens of another summer of drought and wildfire. Complicating matters, many of the worst-hit states have even less water on hand than a year ago, raising the specter...

URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/23/us/in-drought-stricken-heartland-snow-is-no-savior.html
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A 1.5 C Temperature Rise Could Release Greenhouse Gases in Permafrost

Yale Environment 360: A global temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius could unleash more than 1,000 gigatons of carbon and methane currently trapped beneath Siberian permafrost and accelerate global climate change, a new study says. In a study conducted in a frozen cave in Siberia, researchers analyzed stalactites and stalagmites which, since they form only when rainwater and snowmelt drip into the caves, provide a glimpse into 500,000 years of changing permafrost conditions. According to their findings, records...

URL: http://e360.yale.edu/digest/slight_temperature_rise_could_release_methane_trapped_in_siberia_permafrost/3775/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YaleEnvironment360+%28Yale+Environment+360%29

As billion-dollar BP court case nears, scientists count cost to Gulf of Mexico

Guardian: Dolphin calving season has just begun in the Gulf of Mexico and marine biologists are reporting an alarming trend. Between 2000 and 2009, an average of 25 to 30 dolphins were found dead on the beaches of the Gulf each year. This year, 13 dead dolphins were found between 13 January and 14 February alone; 11 were aborted or newborns. Biologists have been following this trend for three years, since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster claimed 11 lives and triggered the worst oil spill in US history....

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/22/bp-oil-spill-gulf-mexico-court
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Network to push scientific case for organic farming

SciDevNet: An international platform to strengthen and coordinate research on organic farming, and help benefits trickle down to organic farmers, the majority of whom are in developing countries, was launched in Germany last week (15 February). The idea for the network emerged on the sidelines of the UN negotiations at the Rio+20 summit last June. It is coordinated by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM). The network, dubbed the Technology and Innovation Platform of IFOAM...

URL: http://www.scidev.net/en/agriculture-and-environment/news/network-to-push-scientific-case-for-organic-farming.html?utm_source=link&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=en_agricultureandenvironment
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Siberia permafrost thaw warning

BBC: Evidence from Siberian caves suggests that a global temperature rise of 1.5C could see permafrost thaw over a large area of Siberia. A study shows that more than a trillion tonnes of the greenhouse gases CO2 and methane could be released into the atmosphere as a result. An international team has published details in the journal Science. The evidence comes from analysis of stalactites and stalagmites in caves along the "permafrost frontier". This is where ground begins to be permanently...

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21549643#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
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Rumored Energy pick stirring fears on left

The Hill: President Obama's rumored choice for Energy secretary is giving heartburn to some in the environmental movement. Ernest Moniz, a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and familiar presence in Washington, has emerged as the front-runner to replace Steven Chu as Obama's energy chief. That's not sitting well with green advocates, who say Moniz's support for natural gas is at odds with the risks of "fracking," the controversial drilling process, and the need for tough steps to...

URL: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/284331-rumored-energy-pick-stirs-fears-on-left

Siberian stalactites point to permafrost thaw

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Climate change Large regions of the planet's permafrost could be vulnerable to thawing if the average global temperature rises just 1.5 degrees more, a new analysis of stalactites and stalagmites in Siberian caves suggests. With climate projections currently suggesting the global climate could warm by more than 2°C over the next century, the new results highlight concerns about the potential for permafrost thawing to amplify climate change by releasing carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere....

URL: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/02/22/3695985.htm
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Japan to Operate Offshore Wind Turbines With Tepco, J-Power


Japan will begin operating two offshore wind turbines this year as it tries to diversify its energy mix and develop turbine technologies.

URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/japan-to-operate-offshore-wind-turbines-with-tepco-j-power?cmpid=rss

ElectraTherm Commissions Green Machine in Czech Republic at Biogas Plant.

The installation of the Green Machine is the first of its kind to connect the machine at the beginning of the heat loop, providing the Green Machine with higher waste heat temperatures to increase power output, while maintaining proper heat input to the anaerobic digesters.

URL: http://green-energy-news.com/nwslnks/clips213/feb13020.html

Momentum Dynamics Develops All-Weather Wireless EV Charging.

"Momentum Dynamics is the only company to demonstrate the capacity to transfer electricity wirelessly at very high power levels through more than 4 inches of liquid water, solid ice, and snow."

URL: http://green-energy-news.com/nwslnks/clips213/feb13022.html

Intelligent Energy and Suzuki Motor Corporation Announce Completion of Ready-to-Scale Fuel Cell Production Line in Japan.

The production line marks the successful transfer of proven semi-automated production technology, developed and utilized by Intelligent Energy. This represents the next stage in high volume production of fuel cell systems with associated reduction of manufacturing and assembly costs as well as improved cycle times and enhanced product quality.

URL: http://green-energy-news.com/nwslnks/clips213/feb13019.html

Ecofys Study: Water Heaters Help Wind Turbines.

The project funded by Bonneville Power Administration and Northwest Power and Conservation Council tapped flexibility in some customer loads to provide energy storage, at a far lower cost than competing storage technologies such as batteries.

URL: http://green-energy-news.com/nwslnks/clips213/feb13021.html

Samsung SDI and Xtreme Power Announce Partnership to Develop Innovative Energy Storage Solutions

The BESS will focus on combing utility scale energy storage with wind generation. Potential uses for the BESS include mitigating intermittent fluctuations of a number of nearby wind turbines, regulating the distribution bus voltage, serving as spinning reserve, and providing frequency support during the loss of generation.

URL: http://green-energy-news.com/nwslnks/clips213/feb13018.html

Wind Blows German Power Swings to Five-Year High


Germany is getting more power than ever before from sources dependent on wind and sunshine, pushing short-term price swings to the biggest in five years and boosting volume as utilities increase trading.

URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/wind-blows-german-power-swings-to-five-year-high?cmpid=rss

Solar in Canada: Telling the Good News Story


Provincial governments across Canada are assessing how to integrate solar into their energy mixes. The recent decline in costs for solar installations are making it more attractive for governments with Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan currently reviewing the potential of solar as part of their energy supplies. This makes it an opportune time

URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/02/solar-in-canada-telling-the-good-news-story?cmpid=rss

SolarCity Teams Up with Honda: Who's Your Non-Solar Co-Marketing Partner?


  Sometimes it feels like solar installers have to make their own way in the world, but as SolarCity has just shown, that's really not true at all. In case you missed it, SolarCity and Honda recently announced that they would be partnering to offer SolarCity products to Honda car buyers in 15 states states. In addition, Honda — a profitable company

URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/02/solarcity-teams-up-with-honda-whos-your-non-solar-co-marketing-partner?cmpid=rss

A Bright Future for the CLEAN LA Solar Program


The CLEAN LA Solar Program is off to a strong start as Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) received applications for 107 megawatts (MW) of potential solar projects during the program's opening week. Early interest in the CLEAN LA Solar Program — which allows local businesses, residents, and organizations to install local, renewable en

URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/02/a-bright-future-for-the-clean-la-solar-program?cmpid=rss

Innovative Foundations Installed at Potential Site of Large Offshore Wind Farm


One of the world's largest offshore wind farms came a step closer to reality in recent weeks as suction-installed foundations for the project left their Irish shipyard to begin their journey to the site of the Dogger Bank wind farm, 125 kilometres off the UK's east coast. The structures, known as bucket foundations, can reduce costs as there is no

URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/02/innovative-foundations-installed-at-potential-site-of-large-offshore-wind-farm?cmpid=rss

The Case for Solar REITs


Expanding the development of renewable energy facilities, such as solar power, has become a growing domestic priority in recent years. In 2012, $30 billion was invested in renewable energy in the U.S. However, the sunset of existing tax incentives may stunt industry growth. With partisan gridlock at an all-time high and natural gas prices at record lows, the industry needs novel ways to facilitate the continued growth of renewables.

URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/the-case-for-solar-reits?cmpid=rss

Is China Now the 'New' Germany of PV Demand?


The second half of 2012 proved to be a pivotal point in the PV industry. It finally cemented the rise of China as a major force in global PV demand, complementing its place as a leader in the upstream supply side.

URL: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/is-china-now-the-new-germany-of-pv-demand?cmpid=rss

Give grassroot groups a real say on what comes next in development

Guardian: For 13 years international development policy has rested on a set of goals written in "relative casualness". So casual was the manner of the small team working out of a basement office of the UN in New York that they initially "forgot" to include an environment goal – what became millennium development goal (MDG) seven on environmental sustainability. Those targeted by the MDGs, and from 2015 by their successor when the MDGs expire, do not forget the importance of the environment. More than 100...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/feb/22/grassroot-groups-say-on-development
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Saudi Arabia invites companies to bid for colossal renewables contracts

BusinessGreen: Green businesses have welcomed the official launch of Saudi Arabia's massive renewable energy procurement programme, which could see 54GW of new capacity added to the grid by 2032. The government-backed K.A. CARE (King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy) yesterday unveiled a white paper detailing the tender processes for new solar PV and solar thermal power plants, wind farms, geothermal facilities and waste-to-energy plants. The first three rounds of contracts are now expected to...

URL: http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2249977/saudi-arabia-invites-companies-to-bid-for-colossal-renewables-contracts?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Saudi+Arabia+invites+companies+to+bid+for+colossal+renewables+contracts
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Fracking Our Farms: A Tale of Five Farming Families

EcoWatch: [Author's note: On Sunday, Feb. 17, I marched with the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) at the Forward on Climate rally in Washington, DC. At one point, our banner, "Cook Organic Not the Planet," caught the eye of a dairy farmer. He approached. I handed him a flyer and launched into my pitch about how organic agriculture has the power to bring dangerous carbon dioxide levels back down to the safe level of 350 parts-per-million. He nodded politely, then stopped me short with this "If they frack...

URL: http://ecowatch.org/2013/fracking-our-farms/
Enclosure: http://ecowatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cookorganic.jpg

Chinese Air Pollution Triggers Steep Rise in Nitrogen Deposition

Yale Environment 360: A spike in Chinese air pollution over the last three decades has caused a 60 percent increase in the levels of nitrogen pollutants that ultimately end up back on the nation's land and in its water, a new study has found. In an analysis of 270 monitoring sites across the country, researchers found that the annual deposition of nitrogen, as measured in precipitation, had increased from 13.2 kilograms per hectare in 1980 to about 21.1 kilograms per hectare in 2010. Scientists say so-called nitrogen...

URL: http://e360.yale.edu/digest/chinese_air_pollution_triggers_steep_rise_in_nitrogen_deposition/3774/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YaleEnvironment360+%28Yale+Environment+360%29

Keystone XL decision will define Barack Obama's legacy on climate change

Guardian: Very few of us have the opportunity in life to look forward to our legacy. However, sometimes events occur that we just know will shape how history will judge us. One of those events is about to happen to President Barack Obama. This year, his administration is expected to make a decision on whether to allow the construction of a massive pipeline that would be used to export tar sands from Alberta, Canada. The so-called Keystone XL pipeline would essentially bisect the United States to bring the...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2013/feb/22/keystone-xl-pipeline-barack-obama-oil-sands
Enclosure: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2013/2/22/1361537055424/Barack-Obama--008.jpg

EU and China stumble towards solar trade war

Reuters: China's leadership transition is complicating talks to resolve a multi-billion-dollar dispute with the European Union over solar panels, pushing both sides closer to placing punitive tariffs on each others' exports and risking a trade war. The newly appointed chief of China's Communist Party Xi Jinping is set to take over the presidency at a national congress in March. But the full line-up of government officials is not yet in place and China's current commerce minister is likely to step down...

URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/21/us-eu-china-trade-idUSBRE91K0J920130221?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29
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Evangelical Environmentalists

Ecologist: Erik Swanson might just be the future of American environmentalism. A 21-year-old biology major at Wheaton College, a prestigious institution near Chicago, Swanson leads a student environmental group, organises recycling drives, and runs a community garden that supplies organic produce to the campus food service. An outdoorsy type who's passionate about climate change, Swanson spends his summers working on environmental projects, and hopes one day to become a professional ecologist. Swanson sounds...

URL: http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1819960/evangelical_environmentalists.html

"Don't let them eat steak!" Will China ban barbecues?

BusinessGreen: People, it's time to get serious. As we've all learnt from in-no-way-exploitative shows such as Intervention, Jeremy Kyle, and... er... The Simpsons, the first step in solving any problem is admitting its existence. So kudos to China for having the cojones to tackle the smog that has choked its cities in recent times, forcing residents to don facemasks or simply stay inside while what has been termed "Airmageddon" or the "Airpocalypse" gets on with reducing traffic to a standstill. Authorities...

URL: http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/the-sceptic-tank-blog/2249859/-dont-let-them-eat-steak-will-china-ban-barbecues?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=%22Don%27t+let+them+eat+steak%21%22+Will+China+ban+barbecues%3F

Supply, demand, and activism: What should climate movement do next?

Grist: I`ve been writing a lot about the activist campaign to block the Keystone XL pipeline. Much of that writing has been devoted to pushing back against the squadron of Very Serious People who want to poo-poo the campaign as mistargeted, misguided, and futile. But whether you like the campaign or not, it`s too late for second-guessing at this point. The fight is underway; it`s already freighted with symbolism. Within the next few months, the Keystone decision will be made, for good or ill. Then the...

URL: http://grist.org/climate-energy/supply-demand-and-activism-what-should-the-climate-movement-do-next/

Growth and sustainability: are they really at odds with each other?

Guardian: A few years ago when I asked a senior manager of a well known British firm whether sustainability was on the agenda, he replied: "Of course, sustainability of our product portfolio and growth is of major concern to us." Ah. Not the kind of sustainability I had in mind! The desire to maintain growth and profitability are at the forefront of most managers minds and always have been. Sustainability, in the sense that we need to find a way to manage our planet's resources for generations to come seems...

URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/sustainability-growth-profits-top-brands
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Climate change costs are hitting home

Hunterdon County Democrat: PSE&G wants to spend a staggering $4 billion over the next decade to harden its electric and gas systems against the impact of severe storms like Sandy and Irene, a sum that works out to about $500 per person in New Jersey. "This is a cost of climate change, pure and simple," says Jeanne Fox, a commissioner on the Board of Public Utilities, which oversees the utilities. It`s a pity we cannot send the entire bill to the flat-earthers who are willfully deaf to the chorus of warnings from the...

URL: http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2013/02/climate_change_costs_are_hitti.html
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Miracle grow: Indian farmers smash crop yield records without GMOs

Grist: What if the agricultural revolution has already happened and we didn't realize it? Essentially, that's the idea in this report from the Guardian about a group of poverty-stricken Indian rice and potato farmers who harvested confirmed world-record yields of rice and potatoes. Best of all: They did it completely sans-GMOs or even chemicals of any kind. [Sumant] Kumar, a shy young farmer in Nalanda district of India`s poorest state Bihar, had - using only farmyard manure and without any herbicides...

URL: http://grist.org/food/miracle-grow-indian-farmers-smash-crop-yield-records-without-gmos/
Enclosure: http://grist.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/rice-yields.jpg?w=470&h=313

Drought forecast to linger, spread in Plains, West

Associated Press: Climate experts say the drought affecting more than half of the nation will persist in the Great Plains and West through the spring and spread over more of California, Texas and Florida. Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln released their latest predictions Thursday. Currently, 56 percent of the continental U.S. is covered by some form of drought. That's an...

URL: http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DROUGHT_SEVERITY?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-02-21-14-15-17

Deforestation, wetlands loss in Brazil and Indonesia generated 45b tons of CO2 in 20 years

Mongabay: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched a global set of statistics on carbon emissions from deforestation, agriculture and other forms of land use for the 1990-2010 period. The dataset, which is part of the FAO's database of statistics known as FAOSTAT, is based on FAO estimates of forest biomass, deforestation, and crop cover. The data is listed by country and region. Unsurprisingly, the FAOSTAT GHG dataset shows that high deforestation countries generated the...

URL: http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0222-faostat-land-use-emissions.html
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Coldness triggers northward flight in monarch butterflies

ScienceDaily: Each fall millions of monarch butterflies from across the eastern United States begin a southward migration in order to escape the frigid temperatures of their northern boundaries, traveling up to 2,000 miles to an overwintering site in a specific grove of fir trees in central Mexico. Surprisingly, a new study by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School published in Current Biology, suggests that exposure to coldness found in the microenvironment of the monarch's overwintering...

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141259.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29
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Prolonged Drought Threatens Western Water Supplies

Climate Central: Time is running out to avert a third summer of drought in much of the High Plains, West and Southwest, federal officials warned Thursday. Without repeated, significant bouts of heavy snow and rain in the remaining days of winter, a large part of the country will face serious water supply shortages this spring and summer, when temperatures are hotter and average precipitation is normally low. The drought already ranks as the worst, in terms of severity and geographic extent, since the 1950s....

URL: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/drought-poses-growing-threat-to-western-water-supplies-officials-warn-15638?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed
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Poll: Climate change a priority, but GOP, Dems split on renewables, emissions

The Hill: About one-third of people in the United States say action on climate change is "essential" in 2013, according to a USA TODAY/Pew Research Center poll released Thursday. Thirty-four percent of people in the poll called taking action on climate change "essential this year." Thirty-nine percent said climate change needs to be addressed in the next few years, while 19 percent said nothing should be done and 8 percent had no opinion. Republicans who were polled rejected two major options for mitigating...

URL: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/284167-poll-climate-change-a-priority-but-republicans-democrats-split-on-renewables-emissions

Caves point to thawing of Siberia

ScienceDaily: Evidence from Siberian caves suggests that a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius could see permanently frozen ground thaw over a large area of Siberia, threatening release of carbon from soils, and damage to natural and human environments. A thaw in Siberia's permafrost (ground frozen throughout the year) could release over 1000 giga-tonnes of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, potentially enhancing global warming. The data comes from an international...

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143910.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29
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Climate Change Could Affect Monarch Butterfly's Migration, Study Says

U.S. News and World Report: Global climate change could have a profound impact on the migration pattern of the monarch butterfly, according to a new study. These butterflies, which fly 2,000 miles south from North America to the mountains of Mexico every fall and back again in the spring, would simply keep flying south if they didn't feel chilly winter weather, researchers found. The study was published Feb. 21 in the journal Current Biology. "The monarchs need the thermal microenvironment at the overwintering sites...

URL: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/02/21/climate-change-could-affect-monarch-butterflys-migration-study-says

Poll: Climate Change A Top Concern For Latinos

Fox News Latino: Meat-and-potatoes issues like jobs and immigration may take most headlines, but Latinos do have other issues on their priority list -- like climate change. The latest polling data shows that Latinos are helping to lead the charge in addressing the issue of global warming. Following President Obama's comments about climate change in his state of the union address, a national poll was conducted by the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) to gauge how Latinos responded. "In light of state...

URL: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2013/02/21/poll-climate-change-top-concern-for-latinos/
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Controversial palm oil project concession in Cameroon is 89 percent 'dense natural forest'

Mongabay: Satellite mapping and aerial surveys have revealed that a controversial palm oil concession in Cameroon is almost entirely covered by "dense natural forest," according to a new report by Greenpeace. The activist group alleges that the concession, owned by Herakles Farms, is under 89 percent forest cover. The U.S.-based corporation intends to build a 70,000 hectare palm oil plantation in a region surrounded by four protected areas, including Korup National Park, but has faced stiff criticism from...

URL: http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0221-hance-herakles-gp-report.html
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John Kerry Speech Ominous for Keystone XL Pipeline

Associated Press: In yet another potentially ominous sign for TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline, John Kerry used his first major address as secretary of state on Wednesday to make an urgent call for comprehensive action on climate change. "We as a nation must have the foresight and courage to make the investments necessary to safeguard the most sacred trust we keep for our children and grandchildren: an environment not ravaged by rising seas, deadly superstorms, devastating droughts and the other hallmarks of...

URL: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/02/20/kerry-climate-change-warning.html
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Frontrunner to lead EPA vows more action on climate change

The Hill: The front-runner to fill the vacancy atop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pledged to push ahead with actions to confront climate change during a wide-ranging speech Thursday. "As President Obama said, climate change is a priority -- and we are going to take action," Gina McCarthy, the EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, told attendees at the Georgetown Climate Center Workshop in Washington, D.C. Obama is reportedly leaning toward tapping McCarthy as the...

URL: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/284305-frontrunner-to-lead-epa-vows-more-action-on-climate-change

Geoengineering by coalition to mitigate global warming

ScienceDaily: Solar geoengineering is a proposed approach to reduce the effects of climate change due to greenhouse gasses by deflecting some of the sun's incoming radiation. This type of proposed solution carries with it a number of uncertainties, however, including geopolitical questions about who would be in charge of the activity and its goals. New modeling work from Carnegie's Katharine Ricke and Ken Caldeira shows that if a powerful coalition ever decided to deploy a geoengineering system, they would...

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221143940.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

Will Climate Hawk Kerry Have the Courage to Reject the Keystone XL Pipeline?

EcoWatch: A month ago I wrote that the "confirmation of climate hawk Kerry as Secretary of State may doom dirty Keystone XL Pipeline." Now John Kerry has delivered his first big foreign policy speech as Secretary of State and he shows no sign whatsoever of backing down from the moral urgency that has made him a true climate champion. Watch this video which captures the passion behind Kerry`s words: Here's the key excerpt (from prepared text): The stories we need to tell--of standing up for American...

URL: http://ecowatch.org/2013/kerry-reject-keystone-xl/
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Fracking Emissions Get Review After EPA Watchdog Report

Bloomberg: Federal environmental regulators said they will more closely study air emissions from hydraulic fracturing after the agency's auditor concluded current information is insufficient to make policy decisions. The Environmental Protection Agency has already begun an inter-agency study of methane, air toxic and other pollutants released when oil and gas are tapped using the process, called fracking, Gina McCarthy, the head of the agency's air office, said in a letter to the Inspector General's office,...

URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-21/fracking-emissions-get-review-after-epa-watchdog-report.html

Activists warn of industrial palm oil expansion in Congo rainforest

Mongabay: Industrial oil palm plantations are spreading from Malaysia and Indonesia to the Congo raising fears about deforestation and social conflict. A new report by The Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK), dramatically entitled The Seeds of Destruction, announces that new palm oil plantations in the Congo rainforest will soon increase fivefold to half a million hectares, an area nearly the size of Delaware. But conservationists warn that by ignoring the lessons of palm oil in Southeast Asia, this trend could...

URL: http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0221-hance-congo-palm-oil.html
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New Report Warns of Canada's Looming 'Carbon Trap'

Canadian Press: A new report warns of the perils to the Canadian economy of relying too much on the oilsands. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives study says Canada is heading towards a "staples trap," whereby the more quickly bitumen is exported, the less diversified and productive the economy becomes. The study's authors also warn of a looming "carbon trap" in which the Canadian economy is so closely linked to carbon-producing industries that it becomes difficult to adopt measures to deal with climate...

URL: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/dependence-on-the-oilsands-could-hurt-canada-s-economy-report-warns-1.1165546#ixzz2LXSsKM7p
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Science Over Politics: Cuomo’s Delay on Lifting Fracking Moratorium is Applauded

EcoWatch: Yesterday, Anthony Ingraffea, president of Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE), and Seth B. Shonkoff, executive director of PSE, sent a letter applauding Gov. Cuomo`s decision to delay lifting the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing until the science is complete. Dear Governor Cuomo: Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE) applauds your move to delay your decision on lifting the moratorium on shale gas development in New York until the science...

URL: http://ecowatch.org/2013/science-over-politics-cuomo-delay-fracking/
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Indonesia plans to expand palm oil, cocoa plantations to Nigeria

Xinhua: Indonesia and Nigeria have agreed to cooperate in opening plantations for palm oil, cocoa and other commodities in the African country, an Indonesian minister said here on Wednesday. Indonesian Industry Minister MS Hidayat made the statement after he accompanied President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to visit Nigeria last week. "Nigeria has offered land for us, no matter how large we need, because it needs to cooperate with us in the agro-base industry, such as developing palm oil, cocoa and other...

URL: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.asp?id=125290

USDA forecasts record U.S. corn and soy, lower prices

Reuters: The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday projected a rebound in U.S. corn and soybean yields in 2013 that, along with high planted acreage, opens the door to record-large crops and for prices to tumble from 2012/13 levels. The USDA forecast the U.S. corn crop at 14.350 billion bushels, up 35 percent on the year, and soybean output at 3.405 billion bushels, up 13 percent. "A number of factors suggest that corn and soybean yields will be likely to return to trend," Joseph Glauber, the USDA's...

URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/22/us-usda-outlook-idUSBRE91L01120130222?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29
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Nearing a Tipping Point on Melting Permafrost?

Climate Central: Nearly a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere's land surface is covered in permanently frozen soil, or permafrost, which is filled with carbon-rich plant debris -- enough to double the amount of heat-trapping carbon in the atmosphere if the permafrost all melted and the organic matter decomposed. According to a paper published Thursday in Science, that melting could come sooner, and be more widespread, than experts previously believed. If global average temperature were to rise another 2.5°F (1.5°C),...

URL: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/nearing-a-tipping-point-on-melting-permafrost-15636?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed
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Experts Look Ahead to California REDD

Ecosystem Marketplace: In November 2010, the Governors of California, Chiapas and Acre -- all members of the Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF) -- signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote collaborative efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). Through the MOU, the REDD+ Offset Working Group (ROW) was created February 2011, tasking 11 technical experts with providing guidance on the policy, legal framework and performance standards participating governments should...

URL: http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=9603&section=news_articles&eod=1
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Warming Climate Yields Another Warm January: NOAA

Climate Central: January of 2013 continued the unbroken string of months with above-average global surface temperatures, tying with 1995 as the ninth-warmest such month on record since instrument records began in 1880, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Thursday. This marked the 335th straight month above the 20th century average, and the 37th straight warmer-than-average January. The last cooler-than-average January occurred in 1976, and the last cooler-than-average month occurred...

URL: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warming-climate-yields-another-warm-january-noaa-15635?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed

Icy Siberian caves show tiny warming, may mean big thaw

Reuters: Ancient records from icy caves in Siberia show that a small amount of global warming can thaw vast areas of frozen ground and release harmful stores of greenhouse gases, a study showed. Any melt of permafrost, or permanently frozen soil that covers almost a quarter of the northern hemisphere from Alaska to China, can also destabilize everything from oil and gas pipelines to buildings and roads. "Global climates only slightly warmer than today are sufficient to thaw significant regions of permafrost,"...

URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/21/us-climate-permafrost-idUSBRE91K1B820130221?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29

Ductless Minisplit Performance During Cold Weather

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Does it make sense to turn up the thermostat setting when the weather turns cold?

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[](http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/guest-blogs/ductless-minisplit-performance-during-cold-weather)

I tried an experiment this week during our cold snap. We've kept the door closed to the first floor ell (bedroom and bath) and let it run cold, because the Fujitsu wasn't sized to heat that space too. I opened the door early in the cold snap, and let the heat pumpHeating and cooling system in which specialized refrigerant fluid in a sealed system is alternately evaporated and condensed, changing its state from liquid to vapor by altering its pressure; this phase change allows heat to be transferred into or out of the house. See air-source heat pump and ground-source heat pump. go, leaving it set on 70°F. What I found was that overnight the main space went to 66°F, and the upstairs and back bedroom were 3° to 4°F lower.

My calculated heat loss in these conditions is about 24,000 BTUBritish thermal unit, the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water (about a pint) one degree Fahrenheit in temperature—about the heat content of one wooden kitchen match. One Btu is equivalent to 0.293 watt-hours or 1,055 joules. /hour, and the heat pump is rated at about 17,000 BTU/hour at about 10°F. You'd think it would not be able to keep up.

URL: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/guest-blogs/ductless-minisplit-performance-during-cold-weather

EU carbon trading survives key vote

United Press International: The beleaguered EU carbon emissions trading system survived a key vote in the European Parliament this week, in which MEPs agreed to "backloading." The Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, ENVI, voted by a substantial margin Tuesday to endorse the European Commission's call to backload, or withhold, 900 million tons of carbon allowances that were set to be auctioned for the 2013-15 period. The total -- amounting to about one-quarter of the planned auction --...

URL: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2013/02/22/EU-carbon-trading-survives-key-vote/UPI-30341361509320/