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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The Sierra Club reports that plans to construct 150 coal plants have now been abandoned in the US since 2001, many under legal pressure from the Sierra Club and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>41 plants remain in active development or construction, while 50 are scheduled to be decommissioned in the next few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The story links to a list of the cancelled plants. </font><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/04/us-utilities-sierraclub-purdue-coal-idUSTRE7135GO20110204?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29"><font size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/04/us-utilities-sierraclub-purdue-coal-idUSTRE7135GO20110204?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29</font></a></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Mark Hertsgaard’s new book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Hot</i> emphasizes the need for climate change adaptation as well as mitigation by the end of this decade, and provides examples of success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/books/review/Stephenson-t.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y"><font size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/books/review/Stephenson-t.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y</font></a></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Drought and increased weather variability year to year will hamper crop yields in Europe by midcentury.
</font><a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/2011/110208/full/nclimate1042.html"><font size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.nature.com/nclimate/2011/110208/full/nclimate1042.html</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>India is undertaking a National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/surinder-sud-climate-resilient-farming/424308/"><font size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/surinder-sud-climate-resilient-farming/424308/</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A drought in China threatens the wheat crop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/business/global/09food.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1"><font size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/business/global/09food.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>World food prices are already at record highs, and that influenced the protests in Egypt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.pri.org/business/global-development/egyptian-protests-climate-change-and-global-food-prices2609.html"><font size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.pri.org/business/global-development/egyptian-protests-climate-change-and-global-food-prices2609.html</font></a></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Adapting such infrastructure as highways and drainage to climate change can provide stability and thus economic security, according to a British report.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12384389"><font size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12384389</font></a></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The California utility SCE has asked for approval of 20 solar projects totaling 250 megawatts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>All winning bids came in at under the price of natural gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Solar has become a hedge against rising utility costs. (The cost comparisons include subsidies for both solar and natural gas; were the subsidies, including externalized environmental costs, to disappear, I imagine that solar would look much better.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/02/solar-pv-becoming-cheaper-than-gas-in-california?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-February9-2011"><font size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/02/solar-pv-becoming-cheaper-than-gas-in-california?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-February9-2011</font></a></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">6.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The insurance industry is having a hard time anticipating destructive weather patterns, and the damage they cause, as the climate warms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>They have built a wind tunnel in South Carolina capable of holding nine homes to test their durability in severe storms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Rain and fire stressors are included.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>
The companies hope to recommend changes to building codes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/09/us-insurance-climate-idUSTRE7182XG20110209?pageNumber=1"><font size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/09/us-insurance-climate-idUSTRE7182XG20110209?pageNumber=1</font></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font size="3" face="Calibri">
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