[GWSG] New water power; bigger fires; prayer day; Pope on coal; US wind power; sustainability tools; black balling reservoirs

[Tilley, Al]

1.  A water turbine design from Oxford U is being piloted by Kepler Energy in England.  It produces power from shallower, slower water than current designs, is expected to cost less than offshore wind, and is scalable.  The slow turbine speed is expected to limit damage to marine life.  http://ecowatch.com/2015/08/10/tidal-energy-fence/?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=34fefec73e-Top_News_8_10_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-34fefec73e-85965093



2.  A hotter world has changed the nature and frequency of forest fires, endangering those who fight them.  The story inks to a 12 min. video, Unacceptable Risk, on changing conditions in Colorado.    http://e360.yale.edu/feature/with_climate_change_a_terrifying_new_normal_for_western_firefighters/2902/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YaleEnvironment360+%28Yale+Environment+360%29



3.  Pope Francis has joined Orthodox Christians in declaring September 1 an annual World Day of Prayer for the environment.  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/10/pope-creates-global-prayer-day-for-the-environment



4.  Carl Pope tells the story of the decline of coal.  He led the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign which helped close or prevent over 200 US coal plants (so far).  http://ecowatch.com/2015/08/11/carl-pope-clean-power-plan/?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=dc482a6edd-Top_News_8_11_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-dc482a6edd-85965093



5.  Peter Sinclair brings together two articles which show how robustly wind power is growing in the US.  The Power Purchase Agreement price in 2014 was 2.35 cents/kWh; the industry employed 73,000 US workers in 2014.  http://climatecrocks.com/2015/08/10/winding-up-wind-to-meet-climate-challenge/   Last year the US led the world in wind energy production.   http://cleantechnica.com/2015/08/11/micro-wind-turbines-still-play-us-wind-energy-vaults-lead/?utm_source=Cleantechnica+News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=21473edc7e-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b9b83ee7eb-21473edc7e-331994013



6.  Governments and corporations are making use of new tools to foster sustainability, including data analytics, digital expansion of the workforce, the circular economy, and education of CEOs.  http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/aug/11/sharing-city-seoul-microsoft-andela-segovia-the-plant-wei-pan-ibm



7.  96 million black polyethylene balls now cover the surface of a California reservoir.  They are expected to prevent 300 million gallons of water a year from evaporation, and to prevent algae growth.  http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2015/aug/11/shade-balls-reservoir-la-water-conservation-drought-california  ?

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