[GWSG] UK emissions in 19th cent.; climate poll; reframing action; flying car; from desert to farm; SunShot winner

[Tilley, Al]

1.  The UK's carbon dioxide emissions fell almost 6% last year to the lowest level since the 19th Century (save the coal strikes of the 1920s).  The country intends to close all coal-fired power plants by 2025.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/06/uk-carbon-emissions-drop-to-lowest-level-since-19th-century-study-finds



2.  Yale's Program on Climate Change Communication finds that 70% of US citizens know climate change is happening and want to see something done, but less than half consider that it is troubling them presently, and many think scientists are in disagreement about the sources of climate change..  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/mar/06/americans-are-confused-on-climate-but-support-cutting-carbon-pollution



3.  In the face of a federal government hostile to climate action, and a citizenry propagandized to cynicism about the climate situation, many local governments are framing their climate action to escape the resistance.  "Who is going to say dirty water and dirty air are not problems?"  https://theconversation.com/red-state-rural-america-is-acting-on-climate-change-without-calling-it-climate-change-69866  For similar reasons, planning for sea level rise in North Carolina was facilitated by speaking of flooding instead of sea level rise.  "Resilience" is a word which can sidestep a lot of propaganda.  In using vague frames, though, we risk sidestepping the main issue.  http://www.slate.com/articles/business/metropolis/2017/03/cities_are_throwing_out_climate_change_in_favor_of_resilience.html



4.  The Ehang 184 is a driverless electric drone which can transport one passenger and a bag about 31 miles, recharging in two hours.  It will go into service in Dubai next summer to taxi people about the city and is undergoing trials for use in Las Vegas.  https://climatecrocks.com/2017/03/06/electric-air-taxi-to-debut-in-dubai/



5.  By controlling drainage through swales, the 330 acres of Tamera in southern Portugal has been transformed in ten years from an area threatening to become a desert to a fertile landscape.  The permaculture principles, and specifically the low impact development approach to drainage, are widely applicable.  https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/mar/07/tamera-portugal-permaculture-water



6.  Supercharged CO2 can replace steam to improve significantly the power conversion efficiency of concentrating solar power plants.  Because the machinery is not as heavy as the standard steam turbine, the process is also cheaper.  The new technology, developed under the SunShot initiative of the Department of Energy, is being piloted in San Antonio with a ten megawatt plant.   https://energy.gov/eere/success-stories/articles/eere-success-story-supercharging-concentrating-solar-power-plant  ?

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