Energy and Environment News Roundup – 8.19.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
UN panel finds humans 95% likely cause of climate change (via The Hill)
More frequent heat waves by 2020 “almost certain” (via Climate Central)
Global flood damage could exceed $1 trillion annually by 2050 (via Mother Jones)
Climate change brings another flood onslaught in Pakistan (via Pakistan Daily Times)
Worst Colorado River drought in century prompts feds to cut Lake Powell releases (via Deseret News)
Many Floridians face rising tide of flood insurance costs (via Sun Sentinel)
KEYSTONE XL/TAR SANDS
Interior Department says Keystone XL could harm parks, wildlife (via The Hill)
TransCanada acknowledges tar sands crude could sink if spilled (via EnergyWire)
Steyer launches $1 million anti-Keystone XL ad push (via The Hill)
RENEWABLES
Despite slowdown, China to hold wind power market leadership to 2020 (via Renewable Energy World)
Czech lawmakers axe renewable energy support (via Recharge)
European climate policy drives wood pellet boom in North Carolina (via News Observer)
New hydropower laws could add 60GW of clean energy to US grid (via CleanTechnica)
Investors welcome new environmental standards for solar (via BusinessGreen)
Energy cane “could yield five times more ethanol than corn” (via Environmental Leader)
Texas claims cheapest solar installations as prices drop nationwide (via Houston Chronicle)
California Solar Initiative aims to preserve project resources as funding ends (via Energy Manager Today)
EMISSIONS
Australia’s carbon markets to survive federal election (via Bloomberg)
California to discuss additional compliance options for cap-and-trade program (via Bloomberg BNA)
Waste carbon dioxide could be used as energy (via RTCC)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Shale gas company halts fracking at British site (via New York Times)
Shale grab in US stalls as falling values repel buyers (via Bloomberg)
Methane leakage from Utah gas rigs higher than EPA estimates (via RTCC)
Aubrey McClendon is back, with deals in the Utica (via Forbes)
GREEN BUSINESS
Sweden named “most sustainable country in the world” (via BusinessGreen)
Auto manufacturers aim to produce vehicles at sustainable facilities (via Energy Manager Today)
Investors slow to embrace sustainability, Accenture says (via Environmental Leader)
US rare earths mining rush enters its “survival moment” (via Greenwire)
OIL
Shale gas and oil production soaring in 2013 (via Houston Chronicle)
Experts clash on estimates of oil spilled into Gulf (via Houston Chronicle)
TRANSPORTATION
America’s new vehicles are more fuel efficient than ever (via Greentech Media)
Electric car charging at work: The next big push (via Green Car Reports)
Is Tesla Model S the best way to sell politicians on EVs? (via Green Car Reports)
Hybrids take 7% of California market in 1H 2013; PHEVs 0.7%, EVs 1.1% (via Green Car Congress)
GREEN BUILDING
USGBC report highlights growth in green building industry (via Bloomberg BNA)
Arizona hosts world’s largest net-zero energy building (via CleanTechnica)
GRID
UK’s first large-scale battery storage project goes live (via Renew Grid)
Designing grid batteries to live long and prosper (via Greentech Media)
Distributed generation grabs power from centralized utilities (via Forbes)
Trees vs. transmission: Utility arborist seeks better approach (via Midwest Energy News)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
EIA publishes state fact sheets on residential energy consumption and characteristics (via US EIA)
Smart windows just got a lot smarter at saving energy (via Breaking Energy)
How much is a Nest thermostat worth? (via Breaking Energy)
ENVIRONMENT
We’ve covered the world in pesticides – is that a problem? (via Washington Post)
In West’s expanding tinderbox, questions about development (via Stateline)
10,000 homes threatened as Idaho wildfire spreads to 92,000 acres (via NBC News)
Bare trees are a lingering sign of Hurricane Sandy’s high toll (via New York Times)
OPINION
The future China chooses will dictate the future of Earth (via The Guardian)
Can climate science be rendered conservative-friendly? (via Grist)
Can hacking the stratosphere solve climate change? (via NPR)
Could suburbs become the future of renewable energy? (via ClimateWire)
Is Washington in a “post-policy era”? (via Washington Post)
Obama Administration rushes to expand fracking on public lands despite frightening evidence (via Climate Progress)