[GWSG] Land use; CH4 control; interpersonal probs; cc & race; fast neutrons; PG&E community solar

[Tilley, Al]

1.  Land use change-particularly the conversion of forests to farm land-is causing almost as much warming as other anthropogenic sources.  http://www.sciencemag.org/content/347/6221/516.2.full?utm_src=email
Positive land use changes provide opportunities to lower emissions and develop carbon sinks.  The US has the highest potential because it has done so little.  Reducing food waste and moderating consumption of such high emissions food as beef might form part of a land use program.  http://cleantechnica.com/2015/02/02/land-use-tweaks-can-halve-co2-emissions-gap%e2%80%a8%e2%80%a8/?utm_source=Cleantechnica+News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=465ba3f78b-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b9b83ee7eb-465ba3f78b-331994013



2.  The government's proposed efforts to control methane emissions include only voluntary controls for existing sites but do set standards for the first time.  http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/02/01/255102/epas-methane-crackdown-to-come.html



3.  A Nature Climate Change article drawing on a survey of climate believers and deniers concludes that the two groups derive part of the strength of their opinions from denigration of the other group.  Climate solutions which bypass the polarization are most likely to succeed.   Action can be organized around a mutual desire to minimize sea level rise and its damages, for example, or around the benefits of a revenue neutral carbon tax.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/02/new-research-suggests-climate-skeptics-and-believers-really-really-dont-like-each-other/
The article opposes climate believers to climate deniers.  I prefer to speak of climate affirmers or  activists; belief should have nothing to do with it.  Either you know something about it or you don't.  If you believe in any scientific theory, watch out, for it will change before your eyes as someone comes up with new data or reinterprets old data.



4.  This specifically Black take on climate disruption emphasizes the role racism plays in determining who suffers where, and describes a program working toward justice.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-copeland/from-climate-oppression-t_b_6594692.html



5.  The US Department of Energy has issued a solicitation for $12.5 billion in loan guarantees for advanced reactors.  Many of those designs will be fast neutron reactors, but we should not be backing those because they are expensive and dangerous, in the opinion of The Hill's piece.  Thanks to Cherrill Heaton for the story, and for pointing to some of the strong rebuttal in the comments.  http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/231483-go-slow-on-fast-reactors



6.  Pacific Gas and Electric is offering customers the option to get 50 or 100% of their power from community solar installations.  The option carries an extra charge of 2-3%, which the utility expects to fall over time.  PG&E covers about 2/3 of California.  Only about a quarter of rooftops are suitable for solar panels because of problems with shading and structural difficulties.  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/02/04/3619320/pg-and-e-gets-into-community-solar/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cptop3&elq=~~eloqua..type--emailfield..syntax--recipientid~~&elqCampaignId=~~eloqua..type--campaign..campaignid--0..fieldname--id~~
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