[GWSG] No advice wanted; nukes outshone; Chinese solar; misleading sec'y; new trend threatens slr; ice core news on CH4

[Tilley, Al]

1. The Trump administration has disbanded the Advisory Committee for the National Climate Assessment. The group will continue with their guidance for the 2018 Assessment and issue it without the government's approval. Their report on the Assessment is expected to be used to guide actions such as vulnerability studies and building code revisions.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/20/the-trump-administration-just-disbanded-a-federal-advisory-committee-on-climate-change/?nid&utm_term=.26bc57717825  The committee's dissolution could be part of a suppression of the Climate Assessment itself. While required by law every four years, the Assessment was delayed for years by the Bush administration until action was forced by a successful lawsuit. https://thinkprogress.org/trump-dismisses-climate-policy-advisers-263b52ddeb5e/



2. At expected rates of growth, solar power will equal nuclear power in capacity (though not in output) by the end of this year. By 2022 solar capacity will double nuclear power's.  https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/global-solar-capacity-set-to-surpass-global-nuclear-capacity



3. China has added the equivalent of over half the total US solar capacity in the last two months, already exceeding their 2020 target of 105 GW. They are likely to remain the world's largest producer of solar power.  https://futurism.com/china-just-exceeded-its-2020-target-for-solar-installations/



4. A new study concludes that ExxonMobil (a private enterprise council member of the unspeakable ALEC) knew since at least 1979 that to limit warming to 2C would sharply limit the use of fossil fuels. The corporation, now under investigation for deceiving investors, misled the public for decades, including the years under the leadership of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.  https://phys.org/news/2017-08-exxonmobil-climate-laid.html



5. The NY Times reports an atmospheric warming trend which could raise sea levels significantly, and passes on a recommendation that we develop alternative sources of energy.  (August 22, 1981.) http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/22/us/study-finds-warming-trend-that-could-raise-sea-levels.html



6.  A study of Antarctic ice cores suggests that we have less to fear from polar methane release than we had thought, but are putting more methane in the atmosphere from fossil fuels than we had believed-by 25% or greater. "This means we have even more leverage to fight global warming by curbing methane emissions from our fossil fuel use."  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170824121433.htm  ?

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