[GWSG] Victoria 25% green by 2020; 400 ppm 4 mya & now; a new climate; Germany misreported; Ollie the printed bus

[Tilley, Al]

1.  Victoria, a heavily populated state in SE Australia, has set a target of 25% renewable electricity generation by 2020, up from 14% currently.  The state intends to raise the target to 40% by 2025.  http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jun/15/climate-change-victoria-aims-to-generate-25-of-electricity-via-renewables-by-2020



2.  The Antarctic has the last observation station to record 400 ppm of CO2.  The last time the earth had such levels was four million years ago.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/16/antarctic-co2-hits-400ppm-for-first-time-in-4m-years



3.  A series of shattered records related to global heating indicate that we are in a new and poorly understood state of the climate, according to several leaders of the scientific community.  "There are likely to be plenty of surprises, some of which will be nasty."  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/17/shattered-records-climate-change-emergency-today-scientists-warn



4.  US news often pictures Germany's energy transition as unsuccessful and unpopular, and as motivated by deluded fear.  None of that is true, and some US reporting is blatant propaganda.  https://climatecrocks.com/2016/06/20/germanys-energy-transition-overwhelmingly-popular-despite-deniers/



5.  Local Motors of Arizona and IBM Watson Internet of Things have begun public transportation service in Washington, DC, with Olli, a self-driving, 3D-printed electrically powered Smart Bus.  You can summon the bus with an Uber-style app, converse with it about the area and route, and give it your destination.  The bus collects transportation data and will discuss its decisions with you.  Construction is intended to require ten hours of printing and an hour of assembly.  Dozens of cities in more than fifty countries are interested in Olli.  http://ecowatch.com/2016/06/19/self-driving-bus/  Ollie carries up to twelve passengers and is being piloted on private roads.  A human monitors several busses remotely.  http://www.tomsguide.com/us/ollie-3d-printed-self-driving-bus,news-22860.html  Ollie costs $299,000, has a top speed of 12 mph, travels 32 miles between charges, and will be introduced to the U of Nevada-Las Vegas campus later this year.  It is about 50% printed and 50% traditionally manufactured, including windows and tires.  http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/self-driving-minibus-olli-steering-toward-unlv  ?

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