[GWSG] BC plan; transition analysis; sheet dynamics; water waster; land rush; buckled roads; cities report; new pv sources

[Tilley, Al]

1.  Vancouver has developed a 9 part plan to deal with increasing heat, storms, and sea level rise.  It will be revisited every 5 years.  The city expects to save billions by planning ahead.  http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver%20plans%20face%20climate%20change%20head/6968006/story.html

2.  Marten Scheffer, a Dutch mathematician, is modeling climate tipping points using dynamical systems.  Among the systems susceptible to sudden state transitions are the monsoons, the polar ice sheets, and forest systems.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/opinion/the-climate-change-tipping-point.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

3.  NPR interviewed some scientists who study the Antarctic.  Subjects include ice sheet dynamics (e.g., rivers which flow uphill) and the biological changes as the West Antarctic melts.  The featured star is the Texas-sized Pine Island Glacier, now moving at a foot an hour. http://www.npr.org/2012/07/20/157113398/melting-the-worlds-biggest-ice-cube?ft=1&f=1025

4.  Half the water withdrawal in the US goes to cool power plants, and more for oil and gas production.  The current drought highlights the benefits of using of such water-frugal sources of power as concentrating solar, pv, wind, and geothermal.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/opinion/will-drought-cause-the-next-blackout.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120724

5.  The US has opened 285,000 acres in 6 states to fast track development of solar power, and another 19 million acres to normal permitting.  The plan blocks development on 78 million acres.    http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/24/us-usa-solar-zones-idUSBRE86N1GJ20120724?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29

6.  Changing weather is taking infrastructure such as roads, rails, subways, drainage, and power stations beyond their design limits.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/us/rise-in-weather-extremes-threatens-infrastructure.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

7.  Climate Central has released a report on the ways small to medium sized cities are developing clean energy sources.  http://newenergycities.org/powering-the-new-energy-future-from-the-ground-up-profiles-in-city-led-clean-energy-innovation

8.  The Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have developed a process to produce photovoltaic power at low cost and high efficiency from any semiconductor.  The new process promises less polluting and more easily solar power, “accelerating” the usage of solar energy.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120726180307.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29
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