[GWSG] US CO2 drops; solar garden; price of C; NE PPA; sea ice down; Ant. past; PHIUS+; OR wave power

[Tilley, Al]

1.  US CO2 emissions are back to 1992 levels.  Methane released in the capture and use of natural gas may be cancelling out the drop in CO2.   http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/17/a-20-year-low-in-u-s-carbon-emissions/?partner=rss&emc=rss

2.  A solar garden is a solar array designed to supply power to several homes—that is, community supported energy.  Colorado recently legalized solar gardens; the allowed 4.5 megawatts sold out in 30 minutes.  (The linked site has copious pop-ups.)
  http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_21340100/xcel-flooded-solar-garden-applications

3.  Australia’s Tim Flannery observes that by next year 33 nations and 18 sub-national jurisdictions will have a carbon price in place.  20% of world carbon emissions will be under the regulations.  http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=786023

4.  Next year, 6 New England states plan to secure new power purchase agreements for a large amount of renewable power, requiring new transmission capacity.  http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2012/08/new-england-governors-plan-massive-renewable-energy-procurement-for-end-of-2013?cmpid=WNL-2012-08-22

5.  The Arctic is headed towards a new low in sea ice this year, and should inspire a further shortening of the estimate of years until the Arctic is ice-free in summer.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19330307#<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19330307>  The loss of sea ice makes extreme weather events more likely—droughts, heat waves, and other effects of alterations in the jet stream.  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/08/22/727501/arctic-death-spiral-how-it-favors-extreme-prolonged-weather-events-such-as-drought-flooding-cold-spells-and-heat-waves/

6.  Antarctic ice cores reveal that melting similar to today’s occurred in the past, and that the current warming began about 600 years ago (but has accelerated lately).  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19348427#  Humans are almost certainly behind present Antarctic warming.  http://www.climatecentral.org/news/new-report-most-warming-in-antarctic-human-caused-14854/

7.  The Energy Department and the Passive House Institute have developed a certification program, PHIUS+, for Net Zero Energy Ready homes.  http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=787

8.  The first wave power station has been licensed off the coast of Oregon.  The 1.5 megawatt station uses waves to drive a piston which forces sea water through a turbine.  http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=155437&p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=1726810
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