<html dir="ltr"><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<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" face="Calibri">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Reuters supplies a thumbnail sketch of the developing knowledge of global warming.
</font><a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/12/01/us-climate-history-idUKTRE7B02DA20111201"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/12/01/us-climate-history-idUKTRE7B02DA20111201</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>For the full story, see Spencer Weart’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">
The Discovery of Global Warming, Revised and Expanded Edition</i> (Harvard UP, 2008).
</font></font></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" face="Calibri">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>An article in Science reports that the Antarctic ice sheet formed 33 million years ago when atmospheric CO2 dropped 40%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The upper limit for ice sheet formation is 600 ppm of CO2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>(350 ppm is the best current figure for preserving what we have; the present level is 397 ppm.)
</font><a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112433569/decrease-in-co2-levels-linked-to-polar-ice-sheet-formation/index.html"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112433569/decrease-in-co2-levels-linked-to-polar-ice-sheet-formation/index.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">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Passive house construction techniques, developed in Germany, add about 10% to construction costs but mean small or no utility costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/realestate/zero-energy-construction-crosses-the-ocean.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/realestate/zero-energy-construction-crosses-the-ocean.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all</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>Global CO2 emissions rose 5.9% in 2010 as total emissions increased at a record level, and have risen 49% since 1990 when the Kyoto Protocol went into effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111204144648.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_environment+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+News+--+Top+Environment%29"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111204144648.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_environment+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+News+--+Top+Environment%29</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>President Obama and former President Clinton jointly announced a $4 billion program to support energy efficiency renovations in an array of government and industrial buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Thanks to Brian Paradise for the topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>
</font></font><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/02/we-cant-wait-president-obama-announces-nearly-4-billion-investment-energ"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/02/we-cant-wait-president-obama-announces-nearly-4-billion-investment-energ</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>Evidence is gathering that we are becoming a hotter, drier planet, one less hospitable to agriculture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2011/12/climate-drought"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2011/12/climate-drought</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">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Arctic heating has been double that of the global average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>“Record-setting changes” in the Arctic may already be having effects elsewhere, making it easier for arctic winds to reach further south in the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/unusual-winter-weather-may-be-connected-to-rapid-arctic-climate-change-report-warns/2011/12/04/gIQAUdQYUO_blog.html"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/unusual-winter-weather-may-be-connected-to-rapid-arctic-climate-change-report-warns/2011/12/04/gIQAUdQYUO_blog.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">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> Scientific American</i> observes that climate negotiations have not kept pace with what we are learning about the changing climate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=climate-negotiations-fail"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=climate-negotiations-fail</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The Durban talks appear to lack the urgency appropriate to our situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16080539"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16080539</font></a><font size="3" face="Calibri">
</font></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">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A study at Queen’s University finds that the cost of solar power is often overestimated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Prices have fallen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The newer panels lost only .1-.2% of their capacity yearly, instead of the 1% usually assumed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The bulk price for solar panels in the world market is now under $1 a watt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207132916.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207132916.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29</font></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font size="3" face="Calibri">
</font></span></p>
</font></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>