Energy and Environment News Roundup – 8.21.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
CLIMATE
A new way to make climate treaties work from Stanford and Switzerland (via Stanford News)
5 terrifying statements in the leaked climate report (via Mother Jones)
USGS moves to create climate change vulnerability database (via The Hill)
How hospitals can help fight climate change (via Midwest Energy News)
COAL
Coal ship breaks apart off South Africa’s east coast (via Reuters)
Declining value of coal just killed another export terminal (via Climate Progress)
Fishing industry says coal facilities threaten salmon (via Sustainable Business Oregon)
What coal trains would cost Seattle (via Sightline Daily)
RENEWABLES
Wind power business potential in India ranked 5th globally (via Panchabuta)
Australian government says renewables future no more costly than fossil fuels (via Renew Economy)
Japan approves 19GW of commercial solar in 2012 after incentives (via Renewable Energy World)
Solar manufacturers may boost capacity as demand surges (via Bloomberg)
World’s largest community wind farm forms in Texas (via Sustainable Business)
Small wind power popping up everywhere (via EarthTechling)
US Army stares down sequestration to ramp up renewables recruiting drive (via Renewable Energy World)
All eyes on California: Should “smart inverters” be mandated for solar? (via Renew Grid)
Colorado solar zones first up for auction (via EarthTechling)
In Texas, Big Wind jumps on new transmission (via EarthTechling)
Construction begins on 218MW Texas wind project (via Renew Grid)
Michigan town buys wind energy cheaper than coal power (via Michigan Live)
ENERGY POLICY
Data centers become battleground in war between fossil fuels, renewables (via Greenwire)
What’s holding consumers back from buying green power? (via GreenBiz)
Texas-sized power bills dwarf electricity use in other states (via Houston Chronicle)
NUCLEAR
300 tons of contaminated water leak at Fukushima nuclear plant (via New York Times)
ENVIRONMENT
Google Street View will document changes to world’s coral reefs (via Yale e360)
Peak water in the American West (via Science Blogs)
Wildfires across the American West push spending past $1 billion (via San Francisco Chronicle/AP)
War of words builds over possible regulation of lead bullets (via The Hill)
Critics say California relies on outdated approach to fire prevention (via Los Angels Times)
Seven animals imperiled by the Keystone pipeline (via Mother Jones)
OIL
Eagle Ford shale oil production jumps 60% in June (via Houston Chronicle)
Exxon pipeline rupture oil spill amount is still guesswork (via InsideClimate News)
GREEN BUSINESS
Shoppers around the world more likely to pick greener goods (via BusinessGreen)
The biggest, greenest office buildings in the United States (via Inhabitat)
Three thousand teams enter EPA’s “Battle of the Buildings” (via Energy Manager Today)
Diners say they’ll pay more for sustainable restaurant meals (via Environmental Leader)
2014 Chevy Volt $5,000 price cut pushed along by Internet searches (via Autoblog Green)
NATURAL GAS
Mapped: where natural gas is in Texas (via StateImpact Texas)
Natural gas pipeline explodes in Oklahoma (via Reuters)
GRID
China grid says half of $100 billion high-voltage network underway (via Reuters)
Can a tweak to Texas’ energy market unlock demand response? (via Greentech Media)
POLITICS
Sen. Collins popular in Maine, buoyed by green policy positions (via The Hill)
OPINION
How to talk to your Republican dad about global warming (via Mother Jones)
Energy reform starts outside the Beltway (via Huffington Post)
Can solar PV help balance Europe’s electricity grid? (via Renewable Energy World)
How extreme will future heat waves be? Choose your own adventure (via The Guardian)