[GWSG] AGU squad; retrofits; tidal power; IEA rept.; NY's 80% goal; Top Ten; CO2 to temp; ; SFWMD slr plans; cc and toxins

[Tilley, Al]

1.  The American Geophysical Union is organizing climate scientists willing to counter the climate disinformation machine with consensual views.  http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2010/11/political_action_climate_scien.html  In a second move, John Abraham, producer of the Lord Monkton critique of a couple of months ago, has organized a group of (at this point)36 climate scientists willing to confront propagandists.  It is difficult and personally unrewarding to confront those who are careless of what they say so long as it supports their interests.  The scientists who are willing to engage the polemicists earn our appreciation.  They are likely to find the US House of Representatives among their venues.    http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/11/gop-climate-investigations-issa-barton-sensenbrenner

2.  Vice President Biden and the Department of Energy have announced the test phase of the Recovery through Retrofit program.  The three constituents of the program are a computerized analysis of a home’s energy efficiency (45 inputs, leading to a score of 1-10 and recommendations for retrofit work—it is intended to be administered by a qualified home energy assessor and takes about an hour to complete); a program to lend money for the recommended retrofit work at low rates over a period of up to 20 years; and a commissioning procedure to ensure the effectiveness of the retrofit work.  The program is due to be implemented in 2011 following pilot work in ten selected cities.  http://www.energy.gov/news/9784.htm  The Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades provides guidance and standards for retrofit providers.  http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/retrofit_guidelines.html

3.  The English Proteus 1000 tidal stream power generator is ready for commercial deployment.  The device should generate at least 1,000 megawatt hours a month.  http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/11/proteus-np1000-tidal-energy-device-ready-for-commercial-deployment?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-November10-2010  The devices are not yet in production.  I could find nothing about projected energy costs.  The generator is said to be sufficient to serve 500 homes.  http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?sectionCode=130&storyCode=2057968

4.  The International Energy Agency in its annual report World Energy Outlook reports that in the past year the cost of achieving stabilization at 450 ppm of CO2 has increased by $1 trillion.  Keeping below 2° C of warming would require eliminating the subsidies for fossil fuels (currently at almost six times the subsidies for renewable energy, according to the report) and an aggressive program of transition to renewable energy sources.  Existing plans and commitments to energy transition are found to be inadequate to achieve the goals.  http://www.iea.org/press/pressdetail.asp?PRESS_REL_ID=402

5.  The New York state government has released a plan to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/science/earth/10climate.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

6.  Top Ten USA, organized by the World Wildlife Fund, is the US version of Top Ten sites now operating in 15 European countries and China.  It lists the ten most energy efficient products in a wide range of categories.  http://www.toptenusa.org/

7.  A study in Science traces changes in temperature 40 million years ago to atmospheric carbon variance.  The study contradicts the proposal that carbon increase had followed temperature rise in the period.  http://www.sciencecentric.com/news/10111134-extreme-global-warming-the-ancient-past.html

8.  The South Florida Water Management District is moving to plan for sea level rise. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-sea-level-rise-south-florida-20101109,0,5651053,full.story

9.  Climate change can increase the toxicity of substances already in the environment and release further toxins.   http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101109/full/news.2010.593.html