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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>On July 3 I reported that the Department of Transportation ¡°<span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri">now requires that climate change mitigation and adaptation be integrated into transportation planning.¡±<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Thanks to Lad Hawkins for forwarding the DOT¡¯s June 2011 ¡°Policy Statement on Climate Change Adaptation,¡±<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>which requires such planning of ¡°DOT modal administration,¡± but only ¡°encourages state, regional, and local transportation agencies to consider climate change impacts in their decision making, as well.¡±<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Lad remarks that this is curious since states use a lot of federal money for highways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><font size="3" face="Calibri">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A pilot program in Houston using new grid technology and smart meters with displays in people homes led 71% of the participants to practice greater energy economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>97% say they will continue to use it. </font></span><a href="http://www.energy.gov/news/10444.htm"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.energy.gov/news/10444.htm</font></span></a><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Archaea, an oceanic single celled microbe which was identified only in 1992 and is the most abundant organism on the planet, could account for a significant part of the oceans¡¯ nitrous oxide production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>N©ü0 is a potent greenhouse gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/333033/title/Marine_microbes_prove_potent_greenhouse_gas_emitters"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/333033/title/Marine_microbes_prove_potent_greenhouse_gas_emitters</font></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>China has adopted a national feed-in tariff for solar energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>It is initially set to buy energy at $.18/kWh and will go down a bit for projects approved after next July.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.environmental-finance.com/news/view/1895"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.environmental-finance.com/news/view/1895</font></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>MIT has developed a new design for concentrating solar power with molten salt storage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Instead of putting the focal point at the top of a tower, it is near the ground, greatly reducing the costs for plumbing and equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The best case cost for such power is $.07/kWh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/03/idUS411434760020110803"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/03/idUS411434760020110803</font></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Nature</i> article warns of the instability of the West Antarctic ice sheets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v4/n8/abs/ngeo1194.html?lang=en?WT.ec_id=NGEO-201108"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v4/n8/abs/ngeo1194.html?lang=en?WT.ec_id=NGEO-201108</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>More details, and a recording of Richard Alley singing about the WAI:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/08/antarctic-ice-and-future-sea-level-rise-big-questions.ars"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/08/antarctic-ice-and-future-sea-level-rise-big-questions.ars</font></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font size="3" face="Calibri">
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