Energy and Environment News Roundup – 2.19.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
EMISSIONS
EU Parliament approves plan to bolster carbon trading market (via New York Times)
EU gets behind ETS, but carbon price falls (via Recharge)
Researchers prove air pollution causes heart attacks (via Forbes)
Minnesota coal plans cut mercury emissions in half (via Duluth News Tribune)
KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS
Oil sands mining uses up almost as much energy as it produces (via InsideClimate News)
Rupert Murdoch reveals Keystone XL opposition on Twitter (via Houston Chronicle)
CLIMATE
UN says Arctic needs protection from resource rush as ice melts (via The Guardian)
Climate contraction: less snow, more blizzards (via AP)
RENEWABLES
Renewable energy standards hitting blockades (via energyBiz)
Record year for US wind increases demand for service technicians (via Sustainable Business)
Two bills promoting geothermal energy reintroduced in US Senate (via Renewable Energy World)
Clean energy is a net positive on North Carolina utility rates, says report (via Energy Manager Today)
Biggest solar farm in eastern US coming to North Carolina (via Sustainable Business)
Is Iowa paying to help other states meet renewable goals? (via Midwest Energy News)
Proposed Nebraska incentives for wind energy up in the air (via Omaha World-Herald)
Washington State utility breaks wind energy generation record (via Renew Grid)
GRID
China’s army tied to hacking against US grid, energy industry (via New York Times)
A new electricity model for the US grid (via Energy Collective)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
German doubts about fracking could prove costly (via Reuters)
Poland to ease environmental rules slowing shale exploration (via Bloomberg)
US natural gas exports could spur manufacturing (via Energy Collective)
Natural gas use for transport rises 26% from 2008 to 2011 (via Facts of the Day)
Investors are subsidizing natural gas consumers – but it won’t last (via Christian Science Monitor)
ENVIRONMENT
Arctic sea ice volume plunges over a third in less than 10 years (via Mongabay)
Floating islands to the rescue for Midwest runoff pollution (via New York Times)
OIL
US shale oil reviving East Coast refineries (via Boston Globe)
TRANSPORTATION
Electric cars unevenly green around world – study (via EarthTechling)
Chinese car companies likely Fisker investment partners (via Los Angeles Times)
Can 10,000 charging stations make New York City America’s top EV market? (via CleanTechnica)
Is tomorrow the most important day ever for Tesla Motors? (via Green Car Reports)
GREEN BUSINESS
The case for natural capital accounting (via GreenBiz)
NUCLEAR
A strategy to prevent the next Fukushima (via New York Times)
US nuclear generation drops for two years running (via Facts of the Day)
POLITICS
Why Republicans should embrace the reality of climate change (via Forbes)
Gore pans climate change media coverage (via Politico)
Could Chris Christie bring the GOP around on climate? (via Mother Jones)
OPINION
At climate rally, some signs of fraying in a movement’s big tent (via Grist)
The politics of emissions: Keystone is an easier target than US coal-fired power plants (via Globe and Mail)
Climate rally: how a pipeline became public enemy no. 1 (via Christian Science Monitor)
“Energy independence” alone won’t boost US power (via Council on Foreign Relations)
Problems with precision and judgment, but not integrity, in Tesla test (via New York Times)
9 in 10 French favor renewables but perceive high costs