[GWSG] New Sec'y General; renewables over coal; Nat'l Geo. programs; CH4 sources; Stern warning

[Tilley, Al]

1.  Ant?nio Guterres appears to be prepared to deal well with climate issues if, as is likely, he becomes Secretary General of the UN this January.  http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2016/nov/commentary-a-promising-pick-for-un-secretary  Guterres, a socialist and former prime minister of Portugal, would be something of a surprise pick of the Security Council.  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/26/antonio-guterres-takes-step-closer-to-becoming-un-secretary-general



2.  The International Energy Agency reports that renewables have replaced coal as the largest source of electricity globally.  The Agency expects renewables to account for 28% of global energy by 2021.  https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2016/october/iea-raises-its-five-year-renewable-growth-forecast-as-2015-marks-record-year.html  The Huffington Post supplies some reactions to this indication that the energy transition is well underway.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/renewable-energy-production-2015_us_58104a39e4b001e247df4ac1



3.  Both Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary "Before the Flood" and this year's continuation of the series "Years of Living Dangerously" will air on the National Geographic channel Oct. 30.  Additionally, "Before the Flood" will stream free from several sites.  http://www.ecowatch.com/leonardo-dicaprio-before-the-flood-2062971522.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=3a1e7c344a-MailChimp+Email+Blast&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-3a1e7c344a-85965093



4.  The sources of the increasing methane in the atmosphere have been analyzed.  Industry has been underreporting its emissions by almost half, but the greatest source of the increase is microbial activity in the tropics.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/26/what-is-causing-the-rapid-rise-in-methane-emissions  The article uses the 100-year warming impact of methane relative to CO2.  Over a twenty-year term it is 86 times stronger; over time that drops as CH4 converts to CO2.  The shorter term is more appropriate for planning.  https://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/04/ipcc-warns-methane-traps-much-heat-thought/



5.  British economist Nicholas Stern points out that a low-carbon future is the "only one available."  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/27/10-years-on-from-the-stern-report-a-low-carbon-future-is-the-only-one-available  ?

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.unf.edu/pipermail/gwsg/attachments/20161027/1c611f00/attachment.html