[GWSG] C tax use; US in 2012; c.c. & drought; c.c. & US econ.; Aus. heat; climate summit?; solar savings; cooler?; NYer art.; Met pred.

[Tilley, Al]

1.  Part of a carbon tax should be used internationally to underwrite climate disasters.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-morris/who-should-pay-the-costs-_b_2412058.html

2.  2012 set a heat record for the US, with all states above average temperatures.    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/08/hottest-on-record-2012-america  42% of the contiguous 48 states was under drought conditions in 2012.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/09/us-usda-drought-idUSBRE90812X20130109?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29  The drought threatens to render the Mississippi River unnavigable.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-guzman/climate-change-and-the-sh_b_2412743.html

3.  An article in Nature calls into question the usual argument for the association of climate change and drought.  http://www.enn.com/climate/article/45426?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ClimateChangeNews-Enn+%28Climate+Change+News+-+ENN%29

4.  Economist Joseph Stiglitz has stated that climate change is the most important issue facing the US economy.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/08/joe-stiglitz-climate-change-economy_n_2432744.html

5.  The current heat wave in Australia has led their meteorology office to add a new color to heat maps, purple for temperatures over 52° C, 125.6° F.  Both the heat wave and the widespread fires  are drawing political comment in the country.   http://www.climatecentral.org/news/epic-heat-and-wildfires-torch-australia-15444?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed

6.  President Obama is considering a national climate summit to develop a national strategy (which will probably not depend on congressional action).  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/09/barack-obama-climate-summit

7.  A utility operating with at least 34% renewable energy can add $35.80 per megawatt hour to their capacity and operational value by using concentrating solar with 6 hours of heat storage.  The savings comes from lessened use of natural gas, which has emissions benefits as well.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130108123036.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

8.  Melting polar ice sheets could cool the earth’s surface significantly after midcentury, according to an unpublished paper by James Hansen.  (The added heat continues to accrue in the oceans.)  http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21728995.200-sea-level-rise-could-lead-to-cooler-stormier-planet.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Cmagcontents

9.  The current New Yorker has a good article on adapting cities to climate change.  If you don’t subscribe, here is a snapshot of the article from Grist.  http://grist.org/climate-energy/climate-proofing-cities-not-something-conservatives-are-going-to-be-good-at/

10.  The UK’s Met office has lowered its global heating predictions for the next few years, with some of the excess heat going into the oceans.  The heat is expected to flow back into the atmosphere from the oceans beginning in 2020.  http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23060-has-global-warming-ground-to-a-halt.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Cclimate-change
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