[GWSG] Resilience; flooding & health; solar cars; the Bio-Hybrid; whales & otters & kelp; heating plot; moving clouds

[Tilley, Al]

1.  New York's definition of resilience is "the ability of a system to withstand shocks and stresses while still maintaining its essential functions."  A sound vulnerability study forms the base of a resilience plan.  The article is a brief overview of resilience planning with an emphasis on climate and energy.     http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2016_06_30_elevating_the_priority_of_resilience_in_new_climate_reality



2.  Coastal populations, older and more affluent than more inland groups, are the most likely to be cut off from necessary health care by flooding.  Resilience planning, which has concentrated on the limited access of less affluent areas to health care, should recognize the vulnerability.  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/uomm-hid071116.php



3.  China's Hanergy has constructed four concept cars powered by sunlight striking their solar panels, thin film with an efficiency of 31.6% (and hopes for greater efficiency in the future).  The lithium batteries have a range of about 200 miles.  http://www.ecowatch.com/solar-powered-electric-car-to-conquer-range-anxiety-charges-while-you--1908226258.html



4.  For individual transportation around town, Germany's Schaeffler has piloted the Bio-Hybrid, an electric bicycle/car/moped design.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2016/jul/05/is-it-an-e-bike-is-it-an-e-car-no-its-a-bio-hybrid



5.  Kelp removes a significant amount of carbon from the atmosphere.  However, sea urchins can destroy kelp forests if not controlled by sea otters, who can fall prey to killer whales if commercial fishing destroys the great whales who are their usual food source.  Our ability to sequester carbon through promoting the growth of kelp depends on preserving great whales.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/10/sea-otters-global-warming-trophic-cascades-food-chain-kelp   Heat can also kill kelp, as it has in Australia.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/07/australias-vast-kelp-forests-devastated-by-marine-heatwave-study-reveals



6.  A 12-month running average surface temperature plot shows the steady rise of earth's heating.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2016/jul/11/we-just-broke-the-record-for-hottest-year-9-straight-times



7.  Recent shifts in cloud patterns toward the poles and an increase in cloud heights serve to augment warming.  http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warming-is-shifting-around-earths-clouds-20516?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed  ?

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.unf.edu/pipermail/gwsg/attachments/20160712/08444552/attachment.html