[GWSG] Beyond Meat; tropical sink; <95%?; Scots plan for 100%; 2014 hottest year; EU discusses Tobin tax

[Tilley, Al]

1.  Beyond Meat and other firms are producing new vegetarian ground beef substitutes close to hamburger in taste and mouth feel, superior in nutrition, and much easier on the climate.  http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/culinary/Replacing-Meat-Plant-Based-Meats-Vegetarian.html  New US government dietary guidelines are expected to take environmental impact into account in their recommendations, and to emphasize more plant-based foods, less meat—particularly, less beef.  http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DIETARY_GUIDELINES_ENVIRONMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

2.  Tropical forests provide more of a carbon sink that had been thought.  Land vegetation absorbs about 30% of CO2 emissions, and tropical forests account for over half the forests’ share.  Mid-latitude forests had been thought to be the major player.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150102084700.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28Latest+Science+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

3.  In “Playing Dumb on Climate Change,” Naomi Oreskes sketches the history of the scientific convention that two events may not be linked causally unless there is a 95% confidence that they are not associated by chance.  The standard leads scientists to be overly cautious in their public statements even when dangers are quite clear.  (Sub. req’d.)  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/opinion/sunday/playing-dumb-on-climate-change.html?emc=edit_tnt_20150103&nlid=43628374&tntemail0=y

4.    Not only could Scotland be fossil fuel free by 2030 through renewable projects already in the pipeline, but that course would be cheaper and safer than developing fossil fuel power with CCS as the government plans.  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/05/scotland-fossil-fuel-free-by-2030-says-report  Scotland already expects to generate 100% of its electricity renewably by 2020.  The European Union will announce details of a single European energy market, an Energy Union, later this year.  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/05/3607904/wind-power-surges-in-2014/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=cptop3&utm_campaign=cptop3&elq=~~eloqua..type--emailfield..syntax--recipientid~~&elqCampaignId=~~eloqua..type--campaign..campaignid--0..fieldname--id~~

5.  The Japan Meteorological Agency has announced 2014 as an easy winner for hottest year in modern record.  NOAA and NASA are expected to make similar announcements.  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/05/3607735/2014-hottest-year-by-far/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=cptop3&utm_campaign=cptop3&elq=~~eloqua..type--emailfield..syntax--recipientid~~&elqCampaignId=~~eloqua..type--campaign..campaignid--0..fieldname--id~~  The World Meteorological Organization has supported the finding in a provisional report.  http://planetsave.com/2015/01/01/world-record-breaking-2014-weather-and-climate/

6.  French President Francois Hollande has advocated a Tobin tax on financial transactions with the proceeds to support climate action.  Eleven countries of the EU had discussed implementing such a tax over the objections of England and others, but among those eleven France had voiced reservations previously.  The Tobin tax has for decades been suggested as a way to finance an energy transition.  (Unusually aggressive popups on this site.)  http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/french-president-francois-hollande-shifts-position-on-tobin-tax-money-for-environment/articleshow/45768675.cms
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