[GWSG] Climate grief, optimism; electric planes; forget C tax; solar trackers; off-grid chargers; the ECS; 2018 retrospect; DC to be 100% renewable; House CC panel; Jax to plan for SLR

Sat Dec 29 08:10:29 EST 2018

1. 62% of Americans are worried about the climate but 65% never or rarely talk about it. Young people, especially, are grieving for the world we are in the process of losing. Several groups are being organized to help them cope with it. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/climate-grief-growing-emotional-toll-climate-change-n946751
[https://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2018_46/2647981/ss-181115-california-wildfire-01_3964a1cf1eb7f94f055105a64e5c8856.1200;630;7;70;5.jpg]<https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/climate-grief-growing-emotional-toll-climate-change-n946751>

'Climate grief': The growing emotional toll of climate change<https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/climate-grief-growing-emotional-toll-climate-change-n946751>
www.nbcnews.com
The reports came amid a string of powerful natural disasters, including some that wiped out entire communities, such as Paradise, California, incinerated by the Camp Fire, and Mexico Beach ...

2. Fast Company gives Six Glimmers of Climate Optimism for the End of a Dark Year. They generally concern things we now have the means to do and are rousing the necessary will to accomplish. https://www.fastcompany.com/90282038/6-glimmers-of-climate-optimism-for-the-end-of-a-dark-year
[https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_1280,f_auto,q_auto,fl_lossy/wp-cms/uploads/2018/12/p-1-90282038-why-2018-was-actually-a-good-one-for-climate-progress.jpg]<https://www.fastcompany.com/90282038/6-glimmers-of-climate-optimism-for-the-end-of-a-dark-year>

6 glimmers of climate optimism for the end of a dark year<https://www.fastcompany.com/90282038/6-glimmers-of-climate-optimism-for-the-end-of-a-dark-year>
www.fastcompany.com
It was a year of frightening reports on the future of our planet. But sustainability experts are still feeling optimistic about some of the strides we’ve made this year. In 2018, we learned from ...

3. A couple of companies are working on electric airplanes. Savings on fuel and maintenance ensure a future for electrical air travel. https://climatecrocks.com/2018/12/26/eviation-electrics-will-take-to-the-sky-in-2019/
[http://img.youtube.com/vi/Y8PMr3O3CO0/0.jpg]<https://climatecrocks.com/2018/12/26/eviation-electrics-will-take-to-the-sky-in-2019/>

Eviation – Electrics Will Take to the Sky in 2019 | Climate Denial Crock of the Week - climatecrocks.com<https://climatecrocks.com/2018/12/26/eviation-electrics-will-take-to-the-sky-in-2019/>
climatecrocks.com
The aircraft they have in mind would handle short routes of 335 miles or less — think New York to Boston or London to Paris. EasyJet, a budget airline that specializes in shorter flights, said the new aircraft would cover 20% of its passenger journeys.

4. People generally support the energy transition but have been hostile to the idea of putting a price on carbon to accomplish it. The French rioted against a tax on gasoline, and people in all but two counties in the state of Washington voted against setting a price on carbon in the second attempt to establish one. Perhaps it is time to turn to those means which have worked—renewable energy targets, regulations of emissions, building codes which promote energy efficiency, provision of energy efficient transportation—and save the carbon tax for later when we attack the tough industrial sources. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/27/opinion/carbon-tax-climate-change.html?emc=edit_th_181228&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=436283741228
[https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/12/27/opinion/27Gillis/27Gillis-facebookJumbo.jpg]<https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/27/opinion/carbon-tax-climate-change.html?emc=edit_th_181228&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=436283741228>

Opinion | Forget the Carbon Tax for Now<https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/27/opinion/carbon-tax-climate-change.html?emc=edit_th_181228&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=436283741228>
www.nytimes.com
It’s politically toxic. There are other ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

5. Solar power is cheap. A solar tracker can cut that cost by 75%. https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/27/the-solar-tracker-global-growth-rate-is-stunning/
[https://cleantechnica.com/files/2018/12/Alion-Energy-has-a-new-lightweight-trackerSource-CWThurston.jpg]<https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/27/the-solar-tracker-global-growth-rate-is-stunning/>

The Solar Tracker Global Growth Rate Is Stunning | CleanTechnica<https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/27/the-solar-tracker-global-growth-rate-is-stunning/>
cleantechnica.com
The multi-billion dollar global demand for solar trackers is red hot, and expected to continue to glow red for at least the next five years, according to the latest market forecast.

6. Envision produces off-grid solar systems to charge electric vehicles. New York City is installing fifty of them, mostly in parking lots. They are slow but could have your car charged by the time you are off work. https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/27/nyc-adds-50-envision-off-grid-solar-ev-charging-stations/
[https://cleantechnica.com/files/2018/12/pr-092217-charging-stations-3.jpg]<https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/27/nyc-adds-50-envision-off-grid-solar-ev-charging-stations/>

NYC Adds 50 Envision Off-Grid Solar EV Charging Stations<https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/27/nyc-adds-50-envision-off-grid-solar-ev-charging-stations/>
cleantechnica.com
Envision Solar males a self-contained solar-powered EV charging station that is portable and completely off the grid. That means it can be towed to where it is needed and set up without digging ...

7. The equilibrium climate sensitivity measures the heating we can expect from a given amount of greenhouse gas emissions. It appears to be toward the high end of our estimates. https://climatecrocks.com/2018/12/27/climate-video-year-in-review-the-most-important-number-in-climate-change/
[https://www.bing.com/th?id=OVF.4ntAQ2SvoPpnSPXOjzMSQg&pid=Api]<https://climatecrocks.com/2018/12/27/climate-video-year-in-review-the-most-important-number-in-climate-change/>

Climate Video Year in Review: The Most Important Number in Climate Change<https://climatecrocks.com/2018/12/27/climate-video-year-in-review-the-most-important-number-in-climate-change/>
climatecrocks.com
Visit the post for more.

8. An article in the Harvard Business Review looks at the sustainability stories from 2018.  https://hbr.org/2018/12/the-story-of-sustainability-in-2018-we-have-about-12-years-left
[https://hbr.org/resources/images/article_assets/2018/12/Dec18_27_892021588.jpg]<https://hbr.org/2018/12/the-story-of-sustainability-in-2018-we-have-about-12-years-left>

The Story of Sustainability in 2018: “We Have About 12 Years Left” - hbr.org<https://hbr.org/2018/12/the-story-of-sustainability-in-2018-we-have-about-12-years-left>
hbr.org
The battle against single-use plastic heats up, starting (somewhat oddly) with straws. Sometimes weird things hit a tipping point. For a combination of reasons, including a viral video showing a ...

9. Washington, D.C., intends to be 100% renewably powered by 2032, and to have a zero emissions public transportation system by 2045. The District appears to have the most ambitious targets in the country. The worst buildings, many of them large public structures, will re retrofitted for energy efficiency. https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/28/100-renewable-energy-bill-passes-in-washington-dc/
[https://cleantechnica.com/files/2012/09/washington-capitol-From-Autoblog-Green.jpg]<https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/28/100-renewable-energy-bill-passes-in-washington-dc/>

100% Renewable Energy Bill Passes In Washington, DC<https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/28/100-renewable-energy-bill-passes-in-washington-dc/>
cleantechnica.com
The District of Columbia (Washington, DC) City Council voted before Christmas in favor of passing the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 which implements a 100% renewable energy target ...

10. The US House special committee on climate change is being revived under Florida representative Kathy Castor. The committee “will tackle the crisis head on. Failure is not an option.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/28/karen-castor-house-committee-climate-change
[https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/1d6b67b53a0ed332fedc1ee885637782866a1b17/0_0_3526_2116/master/3526.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&s=47ca8ed89bf1a7e92a42b83ff96d0772]<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/28/karen-castor-house-committee-climate-change>

Karen Castor named to lead restored House panel on climate change | US news | The Guardian<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/28/karen-castor-house-committee-climate-change>
www.theguardian.com
The House Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi, has appointed the Florida representative Kathy Castor to lead a special committee on climate change that will be reinstated in the new Congress.

11. The Jacksonville, FL, City Council is appointing an Adaptation Action Area Workgroup to deal with “coastal flooding, storm surge, and sea level rise.” The government of my home city has in the past resisted any attempts to recognize and deal with our vulnerability to climate change. We are now beginning to face our future. The Florida Times-Union has been active in initiating discussion of our growing drainage problems, and the Regional Council attempted to plan for sea level rise before the discussion was ended; they and others have contributed to the beginning of a process of planning long overdue. https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20181228/with-drainage-problems-rising-jacksonville-plans-panel-on-flooding-sea-level
[https://www.jacksonville.com/storyimage/LK/20181228/NEWS/181227394/AR/0/AR-181227394.jpg]<https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20181228/with-drainage-problems-rising-jacksonville-plans-panel-on-flooding-sea-level>

With drainage problems rising, Jacksonville plans panel on flooding, sea level - News - The Florida Times-Union - Jacksonville, FL<https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20181228/with-drainage-problems-rising-jacksonville-plans-panel-on-flooding-sea-level>
www.jacksonville.com
Jacksonville officials want a new city panel to recommend steps to manage flooding issues that have multiplied in growing numbers of neighborhoods as those areas develop.

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