Energy and Environment News Roundup – 10.10.13

A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.

CLIMATE 

By 2047, coldest years may be warmer than hottest in past, say scientists (via New York Times)

Melting permafrost is creating “drunken forests” around Arctic (via Climate Progress)

Saudi efforts to weaken IPCC report in Stockholm exposed (via RTCC)

Can cities solve climate change? (via Scientific American)

Mining, fossil fuel firms talk about embracing climate change adaptation (via SNL Energy)

Florida considers creating alternative to federal flood insurance (via Miami Herald)

FEDERAL SHUTDOWN 

90% of America’s nuclear regulators will be furloughed today (via Gizmodo)

Energy industry beginning to feel federal shutdown’s bite (via Anchorage Daily News)

RENEWABLES 

World’s largest wealth fund may become green energy investor (via Renew Economy)

Q3 portfolio review: A bottom for clean energy developers? (via Renewable Energy World)

GE boosts wind turbine output up to 5% with industrial Internet technology (via CleanTechnica)

EPA drafts scaled-back renewable fuels goal (via National Journal)

Pennsylvania discourages renewable energy as climate solution (via Philadelphia Business Journal)

New York’s SUNY Cortland College using 100% renewable energy (via EarthTechling)

Will Oregon test project bring offshore wind to the West Coast? (via ClimateWire)

EMISSIONS 

Carbon markets cut emissions 17x cheaper than subsidies (via CleanTechnica)

Study finds setbacks in carbon capture projects worldwide (via New York Times)

EU already close to meeting 2020 emissions goal (via Reuters)

Early repeal of carbon price system could cost Australia $2 billion (via Australian Financial Review)

Shell exec says oil companies might become carbon capture ones (via MIT Technology Review)

Fossil fuel divestment campaign growing, says study (via Grist)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Europe votes to tighten rules on drilling method (via New York Times)

GRID 

UK, Denmark advance grid link-study (via Recharge)

Canada unveils energy storage research program (via Renew Grid)

Less than 1% of residential electricity customers will adopt dynamic pricing by 2020 unless utilities act aggressively (via Navigant Research)

AB327 signed into law with net metering warning from Gov. Brown (via Greentech Media)

ENERGY POLICY 

Citibank: Utilities are dinosaurs waiting to die (via GreenBiz)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Study: Efficiency leads to “amazingly good energy news” (via Midwest Energy News)

San Francisco publishes open data on energy use in city buildings (via Sustainable Industries)

KEYSTONE XL 

Alberta’s current carbon strategy no match for Keystone’s emissions (via InsideClimate News)

Influence in America: TransCanada’s Keystone XL lobbying activities (via DeSmog Blog)

TRANSPORTATION 

New vehicle fuel economy continues to increase (via US EIA)

ENVIRONMENT 

Chicago’s investment in cleaner, greener water (via Huffington Post)

POLITICS 

Germany’s Greens turn frosty toward any alliance with Merkel (via Reuters)

OPINION 

Are there any major world financial institutions that don’t want to act on climate? (via Climate Progress)

Could weather forecasting be the secret to energy management? (via Greentech Media)

Are biofuels contributing to the dead zone? (via Treehugger)

Battle over Binz: An anomaly, or first shot in a drawn-out war? (via E&E Daily)

How to divest from fossil fuels, no matter the size of your piggy bank (via Grist)

Fall Garden: 6 Container Gardening Ideas

Spiral Fall Garden

Are you planning your fall garden? We've got some container garden ideas whether you have a little space or a lot!

Container gardens are a great way to maximize space or grow food when you have no lawn. They can also help keep crops out of contaminated urban soils, even if you do have a yard. The best part? Container gardens can also be beautiful. Instead of planting rows, farm-style, you can artfully arrange or build your containers to give your garden variety, whether it's a big back yard or a tiny balcony.

If you're not sure what to plant in your fall garden, check out this article we shared earlier this week, which includes a helpful video on fall garden planning. It may be too late where you are to start your fall garden from seed, but you can purchase seedlings and still grow some of your own food this fall!

Ready to get planting! Here are 6 container ideas for your fall garden!

1. Herb Spiral

Got bricks? Add a couple of bales of hay, and stack them to create a beautiful spiral herb garden for fall. You can plant herbs or small seasonal veggies in your spiral.

2. Wine Box Container Garden

Got a wine box handy? Don't toss it! Old wine boxes make beautiful planters for smaller fall garden additions like herbs and green onions.

3. Self Watering Container from a Plastic Bottle

This is probably the least pretty of our container garden ideas, but it's super handy. If you tend to kill your plants, a self-watering container can help save your plants!

4. Chalkboard Pot

Give an old pot a fresh face with a little chalkboard paint. You can use chalk to label the pots for your fall garden, then wipe the chalk away to write new labels as the seasons (and the plants you're growing) change.
5. Reclaimed Drawers Vertical Garden

Old dresser drawers and a reclaimed ladder make a beautiful, functional vertical planter for your fall garden needs. Planting vertically like this allows you to have more plants in a smaller space, and runoff from the higher up plants will nourish the ones below them.

6. Raised Bed Garden

Got a back yard but bad soil or a big weed problem? A raised bed gets your plants out of the ground. A basic raised bed is easy to build to exactly the size that you need, so you can configure yours to accomodate whatever space you have.

Are you planning a fall garden this year? Tell us about what you're planting and what containers you're excited to use!