[GWSG] Ghg fm food; toxic astroturf; fading oysters; ES list; solar homes; US temps up; 50-400 mw; 8.3% growth; greedy solar banks

[Tilley, Al]

My error sent this thing out to an old list, with everyone's address.  My sincere apologies.

1.  Lamb produces over 40 times more greenhouse gas emissions per serving than does lentils.  A small cheeseburger is about the ghg equivalent to driving ten miles in a car.  Eating meat accounts for about 4.5% of our national ghg emissions.  http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/18/a-climate-hazard-medium-rare/

2.  A study using Canadian undergraduates found that they were swayed by Astroturf websites disputing climate change science even though they recognized that the arguments on the site were weak.  The identified funding source had no impact on their opinions.  http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/07/astroturfing-a-major-challenge-to-climate-change.ars

3.  A Woods Hole study finds that harvesting of shellfish for food will be severely impacted by ocean acidification within the next 10-50 years, with poorer areas suffering most from the loss of a food source.  Then, as with Somalian piracy, the misery is likely to be shared with the rest of us.  http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/17/ocean.acidification/

4.  Energy Star has commenced a “most efficient” list of products in the top 5% of their field.  http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=most_efficient.me_index

5.  The Team Massachusetts submission for the Solar Decathalon of home design is a 996 square feet design which incorporates sliding panels to allow for adaptation of the home to new family configurations and temporary needs.  (Nice video.)  http://blog.energy.gov/blog/2011/07/14/team-massachusetts-brings-fourth-dimension-solar-decathlon   The site links to Team Florida’s modular house.

6.  The average annual temperatures in the US have gone up.  Heidi Cullen comments on the implications.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/opinion/20cullen.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212

7.  When a San Antonio TX municipal utility began taking bids for a 50 mw solar plant, they found the prices so low that they upped the plant to 400 mw.  The company will mothball a coal plant.  http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/07/50-mw-of-solar-make-that-400?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-July20-2011

8.  The US clean energy economy, with 2.7 million jobs, expanded 8.3% last year.  The median wage is $44,000.    http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2011/07/where-to-find-jobs-in-energy-efficiency?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-July20-2011

9.  Banks have been inflating the value of solar leasing projects to gain larger tax writeoffs.  Home installations of pv cost about $4.50/watt; the banks have been claiming $8/watt.  http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2011/07/big-banks-inflate-solar-project-value-to-boost-tax-credits?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-July20-2011
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