[GWSG] We're #13; Amory's points; gw coop; record change rate; $100b; thermokarst lakes; Googling CH4; WA solar permits

[Tilley, Al]

1.  An ACEEE scoring of 16 nations on energy efficiency placed Germany first, the US thirteenth.  http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Global-Ranking-for-Energy-Efficiency-US-Near-Bottom-Germany-Near-Top?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily
The report itself:  http://aceee.org/portal/national-policy/international-scorecard

2.  In under 3 minutes the Rocky Mt. Institute explains why solar and wind ramp up so quickly.  For one thing, if you build a natural gas plant it will produce a certain amount of energy every year.  If you build a pv factory, it will produce energy producers every year.  http://climatecrocks.com/2014/07/18/why-solar-is-taking-over/   In under 4 minutes, Amory Lovins goes on to explain why we need not wait for cheap bulk energy storage to transition to renewables.  http://climatecrocks.com/2014/07/19/the-myth-of-energy-storage-vs-baseload/

3.  Stress from climate disruption can lead to cooperation as well as conflict.  Examples are the international cooperation over water supply from the Colorado and Mekong rivers.    The article begins by questioning some of the links claimed between climate stress and conflict.    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diana-liverman/what-if-climate-change-tr_b_5599886.html

4.  Based on a new study State of the Climate in 2013, the head of NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center says that “the climate is changing more rapidly now than it has at any time in the historical record.”  “More than 400 scientists from 57 countries contributed to the report.”  http://news.sciencemag.org/climate/2014/07/report-climate-changing-more-rapidly-any-point-record  Further details from the report:  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/18/3461677/noaa-state-of-the-climate-warmer/

5.  The BRICS nations have established a bank with $100 b to fund infrastructure and sustainable development.  http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/2014/07/20/brics-100bn-sustainable-development-bank-launched-by-worlds-largest-developing-economies/

6.  While melting permafrost releases methane and contributes to heating, a thermokarst lake over millennia becomes a net carbon sink.  http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/47608

7.  Google Street View cars are now equipped with methane sensors, and some Google city maps are already indicating methane releases.  http://blogs.nature.com/news/2014/07/google-maps-methane-leaks.html

8.  WA State just lowered the cost of its residential solar power by standardizing and simplifying the permitting process.  http://grist.org/news/washington-state-just-lopped-up-to-2500-off-the-cost-of-solar-panels-heres-how/?utm_source=syndication&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed
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