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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Paul Epstein describes how global warming increases the chance of tornadoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/07/an-era-of-tornadoes-how-global-warming-causes-wild-winds/241639/"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/07/an-era-of-tornadoes-how-global-warming-causes-wild-winds/241639/</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>Australia’s Prime Minister Julie Gillard announced that beginning a year from now any company which produces 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year will be taxed $25 (American) a ton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The government plans to return at least part of the money to consumers to compensate them for increased energy and food bills (and to win over some of the 60% who oppose the plan).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>In 2015 a market-based trading scheme for carbon will be introduced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Among major emitters Australia has been second only to the US in resisting action on climate change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14096750"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14096750</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Further information from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">NY Times</i> follows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The plan includes significant support for renewable energy, and will favor less polluting industries (though natural gas continues to be included in those, against the findings of the Cornell study which determined that fracked gas is the worst energy
source for ghg emissions among the fossil fuels).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/business/global/australia-proposes-carbon-trading-plan-again.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/business/global/australia-proposes-carbon-trading-plan-again.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y</font></a></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The drought in the Southern US will drive beef prices much higher this fall (and for some time to come).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0708/South-s-extreme-drought-could-be-felt-at-supermarkets-soon"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0708/South-s-extreme-drought-could-be-felt-at-supermarkets-soon</font></a></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>An article in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Nature</i> reports that the oceans and soil are becoming less capable of absorbing excess carbon, and that a positive feedback is releasing increasing amounts of nitrous oxide and methane from the
soil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110713/sc_afp/environmentclimatewarmingscienceco2forestsoceans"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110713/sc_afp/environmentclimatewarmingscienceco2forestsoceans</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">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Tropical deforestation is responsible for over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, far more than thought previously, according to an article in
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Science</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>On the other hand, forests are potentially a more powerful carbon sink than we have realized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>They now sequester about a third of ghg emissions and could handle more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/forests-revealed-as-climate-giants/story-e6frg6so-1226095027486"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/forests-revealed-as-climate-giants/story-e6frg6so-1226095027486</font></a></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The US government estimate of the social cost of carbon is $21/ton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A new study holds that the true cost could be as high as $900/ton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=economists-find-flaws-federal-estimate-climate-damage"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=economists-find-flaws-federal-estimate-climate-damage</font></a></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>In Copenhagen, 37% bicycle to school or work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>In the US generally, it is .6%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We need to view bicycles as serious transportation alternatives, not just as recreation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://e360.yale.edu/feature/on_biking_why_cant_the_us_learn_lessons_from_europe/2425/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YaleEnvironment360+%28Yale+Environment+360%29"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://e360.yale.edu/feature/on_biking_why_cant_the_us_learn_lessons_from_europe/2425/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YaleEnvironment360+%28Yale+Environment+360%29</font></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font size="3" face="Calibri">
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