Energy and Environment News Roundup – 6.20.13
A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.
EMISSIONS
Revised EU carbon market fix passes first hurdle (via RTCC)
Obama readying emissions limits on power plants (via New York Times)
Energy risk: the forgotten half of America’s carbon cuts (via Energy Collective)
GOP senators slam significant change to “social cost” of carbon (via The Hill)
US Forest Services study finds urban trees remove air pollution, save lives (via Phys.org)
NUCLEAR
Japanese nuclear regulator announces safety guidelines overhaul (via New York Times)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
NREL provides open-source system for large-scale energy data collection (via Energy Manager Today)
Energy performance of 60,000 buildings now open to public (via Sustainable Business)
Energy use in US apartments drops nearly 40% (via Greentech Media)
RENEWABLES
Top wind power countries in world per capita (via CleanTechnica)
China and Japan drive Africa renewables investment (via Bloomberg)
Renewables offer least-cost option for Africa energy shortages (via Renew Economy)
Germany energy storage incentive could push PV market further (via Renewable Energy World)
Siemens to develop biofuel from steel industry gases (via BusinessGreen)
Optimizing small wind turbines (via Renewable Energy World)
US state-level renewables push is waning (via Reuters)
2013 state solar policy rankings show most solar-friendly states (via CleanTechnica)
COAL
NW residents’ support for coal dropping (via Oregon Public Broadcasting)
CLIMATE
Global warming threatens Africa food, Asia water within lifetime (via Bloomberg)
Germany insurance claims for flood damage may hit $8 billion (via Reuters)
New US climate strategy coming within weeks (via Reuters)
Ancient pollen in Brazilian rainforest offers climate clues (via BBC News)
Recent trends in climate change indicators (via Energy Collective)
6 of the world’s most extensive climate change adaptation plans (via InsideClimate News)
Report: building resilience to climate-fueled extreme weather “woefully underfunded” (via The Hill)
Mayors launch fight for climate change resiliency (via Energy Collective)
NATURAL GAS/FRACKING
Israel to keep most its natural gas for domestic use (via Reuters)
Shale gas long-term US success poses interim challenges (via EnergyWire)
US gas reserves down amid shale boom (via Breaking Energy)
3.5MW of new US generation capacity added in May, 72% is natural gas (via Facts of the Day)
Study finds consensus on shale drilling’s biggest risks (via Phys.org/Akron Beacon Journal)
ENVIRONMENT
Philippines financial capital bans plastic bags (via Phys.org)
Study maps likely wildlife migration corridors as climate warms (via Yale e360)
Biologists worried by starving migratory birds tied to climate change (via Washington Post)
Wind-wildlife group begins building bird-death database (via Midwest Energy News)
Seabirds face big problems as sea levels rise (via Mongabay)
Southwest US mega-drought: a bad omen for global forests (via Yale e360)
TRANSPORTATION
New gas mileage rules will reshape what Americans drive (via Green Car Reports)
Power consumption on Ecotricity’s UK’s electric highway increases 45-fold (via CILT-UK)
Why Tesla thinks it can make battery swapping work (via MIT Technology Review)
US researchers create “green” battery using wood (via United Press International)
OIL
Norway opens Arctic border area to oil drilling (via Bloomberg BusinessWeek)
GRID
EPRI software quantifies value of energy storage (via Energy Manager Today)
Will summer blackouts doom the Texas boom? (via Forbes)
GREEN BUSINESS
Americans buy green to save money, not the climate (via Mother Jones)
OPINION
Is Japan solar’s real deal? (via Renewable Energy World)
The time for climate action is now (via Los Angeles Times)
Increased “social cost” of carbon could affect Keystone XL (via CBC News)
The 10 dumbest things ever said about global warming (via Rolling Stone)
Four ways the government subsidizes risky coastal rebuilding (via ProPublica)
Is NYC’s climate plan enough to win the race against rising seas? (via InsideClimate News)