Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.6.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
USDA: climate change could devastate US agriculture (via USA Today)
Preparing for the rising tide across New England (via CLF Scoop)
How climate change impacts America’s energy infrastructure (via WRI Insights)
Warm weather forces changes ahead of Iditarod race (via New York Times)
Boston mayor calls on city to prepare for climate change (via Reuters)
New York Governor seeking home buyouts in flood zones (via New York Times)
Alaska climate taskforce hasn’t met since 2011, documents show (via The Guardian)
EMISSIONS
UK emissions fall seven percent in 2011 as gas use plunges (via BusinessGreen)
White House weighs emissions rules for power plants (via Wall Street Journal)
EPA: power plants accounted for two-thirds of US industrial emissions in 2011 (via The Hill)
CARB chair Mary Nichols discusses state carbon trading (via Greentech Media)
RENEWABLES
Solar PV installations hit 32GW in 2012, 35GW projected for 2013 (via CleanTechnica)
Wind could power nine million homes in Eastern Europe (via BusinessGreen)
Europe’s first wind-powered province touts renewables as key to recovery (via BusinessGreen)
New German wind installations expected to top “up to 3.5GW this year” (via Recharge)
Norway expects onshore wind lift-off (via Recharge)
Wind energy fund plans $320 million IPO with UK government backing (via Reuters)
Novel designs are taking wind power to the next level (via MIT Technology Review)
US solar will eclipse wind in 2013, says Duke Energy (via Bloomberg)
Midwest gets into clean tech investing with energy foundry (via Greentech Media)
Beyond tax incentives: how to make solar attractive to universities (via Good)
ENERGY POLICY
Time for change: China flags peak in coal usage (via Sydney Morning Herald)
Canada set to cut direct spending on fossil fuel sector (via Reuters)
Seattle and San Francisco consider divesting from fossil fuels (via Grist)
OIL
Deep-sea drilling muddles political waters (via New York Times)
Canada not ready for major offshore spill, says environmental agency (via Reuters)
North Dakota’s Bakken Oil finally hits the East Coast (via Bloomberg Businessweek)
As profits sag, BP girds for “trial of the year” (via Forbes)
TRANSPORTATION
China to roll out cleaner fuel standards, says government (via Reuters)
Better Place to shut down US, Australian operations (via Forbes)
Americans now spending most on gas since early 1980s (via Washington Post)
Toyota recycles hybrid batteries into energy management systems (via CleanTechnica)
Boeing 787 batteries: what’s causing their “thermal runaways?” (via Christian Science Monitor)
UPS deploys 100 commercial EVs in California (via Green Car Congress)
Volt owners are almost equally Republicans & Democrats (via CleanTechnica)
ENVIRONMENT
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron hit all-time low water levels (via Weather Underground)
Some parts of Texas approaching worst-ever drought (via Star-Telegram/AP)
Wyoming explores oil-gas regulations for groundwater testing (via Casper Star-Tribune)
KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS
Alberta may offer more environmental initiatives to smooth way for Keystone XL (via Yahoo! News/Reuters)
Debunking Nature’s arguments in favor of Keystone XL (via Grist)
GREEN BUSINESS
How to get your CFO to love your sustainability director (via GreenBiz)
Alaskan Brewing Company runs on energy generated by its own beer (via AP)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
MIT engineers develop process to treat produced water from natgas wells at low cost (via Green Car Congress)
Shale industry moves to ship fracking waste via barge down Ohio River (via DeSmog Blog)
Former PA Governor Rendell intervened on behalf of gas driller in Texas contamination case (via StateImpact Texas)
VEHICLE-TO-GRID
Connecting EVs to the grid – NREL takes the lead (via CleanTechnica)
Pentagon places $20 million bet on vehicle-to-grid technology (via Greenwire)
POLITICS
Waxman to push for Congressional climate hearings (via The Hill)
Can Congress ever agree on climate change? An interview with Henry Waxman (via Washington Post)
Obama to nominate CEO of REI for Interior Secretary (via Washington Post)
OPINION
How can we prepare for climate change without screwing poor people? (via Grist)
Work less, save the planet? (via Mother Jones)
Analysts: energy policy not keeping pace with technology (via Houston Chronicle)
Will climate change be President Obama’s legacy? (via EarthTechling)