[GWSG] Rhinoceroses; Miami & slr; Obama on Paris; targets and tracks; flooding rises; B of E warning; solar @ 5c/kWh

[Tilley, Al]

1.  Peter Sinclair was led by Pope Francis's address to congress to recall a poem and essay from Thomas Merton, whom the Pope mentioned.  Merton was a monk at the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky, where he at times went into seclusion.  He is among the Catholic contemplatives who have been students of Zen.  The writings hold a lot of meaning for those of us who find ourselves at times in the midst of climate rhinoceroses.   http://climatecrocks.com/2015/09/25/thomas-merton-the-popes-eco-poet/



2.  A member of the Miami-Dade County Commission recounts what is being done to plan for and cope with sea level rise in Miami and urges further action.  http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article36631944.html



3.  Chris Hayes interviewed the mayor of South Miami on his frustration with the climate deniers in public office (or, like Jeb Bush, trying to get there).  He stated that the sea level in Miami has risen five inches in the last five years.  Since they are only a few inches from compromising their drainage, and not much more from losing their water supply, the rate is quite alarming.  The clip is "He's both a scientist and a politician."  http://www.msnbc.com/all



4.  Here's another look at the story on Miami's current rate of sea level rise, which broke last February: 1.27" a year for the past five years.  It's still one study based on one tidal gauge (though the mayor's assertion makes me pay fresh attention).  The mean global rate of rise is now about an inch a decade and increasing.   http://www.wired.com/2015/02/rising-sea-levels-already-making-miamis-floods-worse/  Wikipedia discusses current global sea level rise.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level_rise



4.  Rolling Stone accompanied President Obama on his Alaskan trip and interviewed him on climate.  His stance is that while the agreements reached at the Paris talks are not likely to be adequate to the problem, it is necessary to begin with meaningful and concerted international action, intending to tweak the targets until they are sufficiently stringent.  http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/obama-takes-on-climate-change-the-rolling-stone-interview-20150923?page=18



5.  The emissions commitments made in anticipation of the Paris UN talks would keep us close to the track for limiting warming to 2C for about seven years.  (By that time we should have faced the necessity to clamber down to the 1.5C path.)  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/28/3706024/paris-co2-pledges/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cptop3



6.  As hurricane Joaquin threatens the East Coast with heavy rain on top of the current heavy rain, a new study indicates that the risk of flooding is increasing significantly with rising sea levels and rising precipitation rates.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/28/scientists-say-new-york-city-already-faces-much-worse-flood-risks-due-to-rising-seas/



7.  In a speech to Lloyd's of London the governor of the Bank of England warned that our financial stability depends on our actions to counter climate change.  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/29/carney-warns-of-risks-from-climate-change-tragedy-of-the-horizon



8.  The average power purchase agreement for utility-scale solar energy is now five cents per kilowatt-hour, making solar power cost competitive in the power market.  The price has dropped 70% since 2009.  http://cleantechnica.com/2015/09/30/average-utility-scale-solar-price-in-u-s-falls-to-5%C2%A2kwh/?utm_source=Cleantechnica+News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=8bd7c9bfc5-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b9b83ee7eb-8bd7c9bfc5-331994013  ?

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