[GWSG] SF Bay adapts; S FL saltier; EU opinion; gig off RI; wind-solar; AUS carbon tax; GOP voters support EPA

[Tilley, Al]

1.  The Bay Conservation and Development Commission, a state planning agency for the San Francisco area, is in a battle with the business community over plans to limit building in areas threatened with sea level rise.  http://www.npr.org/2011/10/06/141102224/calif-agency-considers-climate-change-in-its-plans?ft=1&f=1025  The Bay area is the first US region to respond to climate change in shaping development.  http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2011/10/bcdc-sea-level-plan-passes.html    The BCDC is working to both mitigate and adapt to climate change.  http://www.bcdc.ca.gov/planning/climate_change/climate_change.shtml

2.  Draining of the Everglades and sea level rise are contributing to the increasing salinity of South Florida’s water supply.  It is “a looming catastrophe.”  http://www.climatecentral.org/news/as-sea-level-rises-everglades-become-more-vital-to-south-floridas-survival?utm-source=feedburner&utm-medium=feed&utm-campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed

3.  89% of Europeans consider climate change either a fairly serious (21%) or very serious (68%) problem.  78% consider it an opportunity for jobs and economic development.  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/10/07/international/i074025D84.DTL

4.  Deepwater Wind has submitted a plan to build a 1,000 megawatt offshore wind farm in Rhode Island Sound.  It would serve several states.  http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/10/plans-submitted-for-1000-megawatt-offshore-wind-farm??cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-October12-2011  The first offshore project was Danish, in 1991.  Since then they have grown in size and are generally further offshore.  Over 14 nations are mounting projects.  The linked article details the risks and challenges.   http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/10/planning-for-the-challenges-of-offshore-wind?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-October12-2011

5.  Two companies are partnering to offer a hybrid wind-solar system for home use.  A solar tracking mechanism delivers 35% more power than fixed solar panels.  The 6 panels and the tracker are mounted on the wind turbine tower.  http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/10/wind-solar-hybrid-system-set-for-release-this-month?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-October12-2011

6.  Australia appears ready to pass an ambitious carbon trading and tax plan with the target of an 80% drop in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  The tax will be rebated to consumers.  The Conservative party has vowed to repeal the plan if they return to power, and the issue has been heavily propagandized.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/12/australian-carbon-tax-passed

7.  58% of Republican voters oppose attempts to block EPA action on pollution from power plants.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/12/us-usa-environment-poll-idUSTRE79B6ZN20111012?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29  The EPA confirmed that it will finalize new power plant emissions standards by November 16 in spite of opposition from 25 states who joined in a law suit to delay the move to control mercury emissions (among others).  The global warming implications of the new regulations arise from the move to cancel some part of the externalization of the costs of fossil fuels.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/11/us-usa-epa-mercury-idUSTRE79A6BW20111011?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29
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