<html dir="ltr"><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style id="owaTempEditStyle"></style><style title="owaParaStyle"><!--P {
MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px
}
--></style>
</head>
<body ocsi="x">
<div style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; DIRECTION: ltr; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: x-small">
<div></div>
<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Tahoma">
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A PNAS study observes that tipping points may be conditional upon regulatory actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>That is, a transition to runaway warming might be avoided by regulated changes in human behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The conclusion is to beware of blocking regulation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/2031088/human_rules_may_determine_environmental_tipping_points/index.html?source=r_science"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/2031088/human_rules_may_determine_environmental_tipping_points/index.html?source=r_science</font></a></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
<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">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>In a new unpublished paper, James Hansen and two associates emphasize the necessity to calculate more precisely the energy imbalance of the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Improvements would include accurate assessment of aerosols in climate calculations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The authors estimate that aerosols are now masking approximately 50% of the additional heat supplied by atmospheric gasses (page 2); others have said 25%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Also, existing models do not deal well with ocean mixing, necessary to calculate how earth will reach equilibrium after added heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The discussion of sea level rise on pages 12-14 uses historical data to indicate about 20 meters of sea level rise for each degree rise in global temperature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Beginning with section 3, page 18, the paper argues that existing climate models yield unrealistically slow responses to forcing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A discussion of implications begins on page 43.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Approximately 350 ppm of CO2 would stabilize the climate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Releases of methane from rotting permafrost and methane hydrates could frustrate attempts to achieve that goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The rate of sea level rise is likely to accelerate in the next few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>It may be necessary to achieve a slightly negative energy imbalance to stabilize sea levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2011/20110415_EnergyImbalancePaper.pdf"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2011/20110415_EnergyImbalancePaper.pdf</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">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The US Department of Energy is supporting two German companies with $2.1 in loan guarantees in a project to build a record 1,000 megawatt solar thermal plant in California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The DOE has also provided <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>over $1 billion in support for each of two other CA projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The state has adopted a target of 1/3 renewable energy by 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/18/us-usa-solar-doe-idUSTRE73H5FU20110418"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/18/us-usa-solar-doe-idUSTRE73H5FU20110418</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The troughs in the first new plant employ simplified, cheaper, and more efficient construction technology, and are air cooled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>That cuts water use by 90%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.energy.gov/news/10276.htm"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.energy.gov/news/10276.htm</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The DOE has provided $21 billion in loan guarantees for 22 clean energy projects in 14 states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110418/ap_on_bi_ge/us_california_solar_project"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110418/ap_on_bi_ge/us_california_solar_project</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>Ponds can provide convenient surfaces for solar arrays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>When solar arrays are coupled with hydroelectric reservoirs, the dam acts as a power backup for times when the solar array is not producing, and the water cools the unit, increasing its efficiency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Droughts can interrupt hydropower, but not solar. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/20/business/energy-environment/20float.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/20/business/energy-environment/20float.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span></font></font> </p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="calibri">5.
</font></span>The backlog of orders for solar panels has reached 12 gigawatts in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The American market doubled in 2010 and is expected to double again this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/04/12gw-solar-pv-backlog-in-us-confirms-growth-promise??cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-April20-2011"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/04/12gw-solar-pv-backlog-in-us-confirms-growth-promise??cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-April20-2011</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>Some California utilities are publishing maps indicating where in their grid demand is high and infrastructure stressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>In those areas distributed solar is especially welcome and perhaps supported by the utility with minimal connection costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2011/04/if-you-like-solar-tell-your-utility-to-publish-this-map?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-April20-2011"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2011/04/if-you-like-solar-tell-your-utility-to-publish-this-map?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-April20-2011</font></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font size="3" face="Calibri">
</font></span></p>
</font></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>