[GWSG] Oil prices down; heat up; US C up; utilities challenged; S. Miami secedes; EU adopts cuts

[Tilley, Al]

1.  A Living on Earth interview describes why the drop in crude oil prices is causing the cancellation of new tar sands projects and may halt the development of the Koch brothers’ Alberta Tar Sands.  The less we use, the cheaper it gets, and the less profitable it becomes to use extreme extraction methods.  Thanks to Brian Paradise for the link.  http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=14-P13-00042&segmentID=1
Luckily, wind and solar power are becoming so cheap that they might run oil off the cliff.  An electric car would make an appropriate vehicle.  You could pick one of the fifteen now available in California. http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/23/kia-soul-ev-2015-hits-californian-market-rated-93-miles-range-105-mpge/?utm_source=Cleantechnica+News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=008969e87a-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b9b83ee7eb-008969e87a-331994013   But beware of lifting the restrictions on US crude exports, which would increase production pressures.  http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20141020/us-oil-exports-would-worsen-global-warming-government-auditors-say  Finally, the market, which got us into this mess, cannot be trusted to get us out.  We must put a direct price on carbon.  If you have not read Naomi Oreskes’ fine book This Changes Everything now would be a good time.

2.  This September was the hottest one on record.  So were May, June, and August.  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/10/20/3581850/hottest-september-on-record/

3.  US carbon emissions rose 2.5% last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration.  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/21/us-fossil-fuel-obama-climate-change-energy-heat  The rise estimate is unlikely to include realistic figures on methane emissions, which have been ignored by the EPA. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/10/22/how-much-methaneisleakingfromfrackinginfrastructure.html  So where are the methane regulations we were promised for this fall?  http://grist.org/climate-energy/we-were-promised-methane-regulations-where-are-our-methane-regulations/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Daily%2520Oct%252022&utm_campaign=daily

4.  Grist’s David Roberts argues that “Our power utilities are structured to oppose our social and environmental goals.”  Since those goals will become only more persistent, the utilities will have to transform their business model by creating value for their customers.  http://grist.org/climate-energy/rooftop-solar-is-just-the-beginning-utilities-must-innovate-or-go-extinct/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Daily%2520Oct%252022&utm_campaign=daily

5.  The city commission of South Miami, FL, has voted to split South Florida off to form a separate state so that it could fully engage the prospect of sea level rise, as the current state government has failed to do.  Tom Larson suggested the topic.  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/10/22/3582766/florida-city-secession-sea-level-rise/?elq=~~eloqua..type--emailfield..syntax--recipientid~~&elqCampaignId=~~eloqua..type--campaign..campaignid--0..fieldname--id~~

6.  The EU has adopted a target of cutting emissions 40% on a 1990 base by 2030, with 27% renewable energy and a 27% increase in energy efficiency improvement.  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/24/eu-leaders-agree-to-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-40-by-2030
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