<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 New York City Council hearing on the challenges posed by sea level rise and storm surge drew a large crowd and praise for facing the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.thevillager.com/?p=1382"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.thevillager.com/?p=1382</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Development plans in Boston are running up against sea level rise projections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/east_boston/2012/01/activists_warn_of_potential_se.html"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/east_boston/2012/01/activists_warn_of_potential_se.html</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>According to Munich RE insurance losses from climate and weather related events have been climbing steadily since 1980.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>They refer to 2011 as the Year of the Tornado. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Florida coastal property is at such risk from sea level rise and hurricanes that reinsurance is likely to become impossible to buy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>At some sites the annual costs of insuring for flood damage is already about equal to the value of the home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/337368/title/Insurance_payouts_point_to_climate_change"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/337368/title/Insurance_payouts_point_to_climate_change</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The Brazilians now enthusiastically buying Miami condos are insured primarily by Citizens Property, which shifts the liability to anyone who holds an auto or home insurance policy in Florida.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The national flood insurance is a trillion dollars in the hole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>American insurers have been fleeing coastal properties but have been for the most part silent on the implications of climate change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2012/01/04/climate-risks-insurance-and-next-financial-meltdown?utm_source=GreenBuzz&utm_campaign=3403d7c84a-GreenBuzz-2012-01-05&utm_medium=email"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2012/01/04/climate-risks-insurance-and-next-financial-meltdown?utm_source=GreenBuzz&utm_campaign=3403d7c84a-GreenBuzz-2012-01-05&utm_medium=email</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>A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Science</i> report on the groups working toward the 5<sup>th</sup> Assessment Report of the IPCC, due in 2013, indicates that the picture is a bit worse, but not greatly worse, than that in the 4<sup>th</sup>
AR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Particularly, sea level rise and methane release projections are expected to increase moderately, sea level rise from all causes to 61-73 centimeters (24-29 inches) by 2100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>(The projection is surprisingly low; I look forward to seeing the studies behind it.)
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6063/1616.1.full"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6063/1616.1.full</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>Solar power from photovoltaic cells serves to provide energy in the middle of the day when prices are high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>As pv fills the need the price spike is likely to migrate toward sundown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Three California concentrating solar power projects with power storage will help reduce that later spike, directly reducing the need for natural gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/business/energy-environment/building-storehouses-for-the-suns-energy-for-use-after-dark.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25&pagewanted=all"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/business/energy-environment/building-storehouses-for-the-suns-energy-for-use-after-dark.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25&pagewanted=all</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Fracking has rendered natural gas so cheap that pv power has trouble competing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>(A carbon tax needs to change that.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144526652/solar-panels-compete-with-cheap-natural-gas"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144526652/solar-panels-compete-with-cheap-natural-gas</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Wind power fluctuations are hard to predict, but some progress is being made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.eenews.net/public/climatewire/2012/01/04/2"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.eenews.net/public/climatewire/2012/01/04/2</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>Habitat for Humanity is making a national effort to build homes to LEED standards through such practices as smart ducting, sufficient insulation, envelope sealing, and energy efficient appliances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The additional cost is typically $2,000 per home, and the savings in energy bills is substantial enough to return that in a couple of years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>This should help counter the misconception that green building is for the wealthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/story/2012-01-03/habitat-green-homes/52369176/1"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/story/2012-01-03/habitat-green-homes/52369176/1</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><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Xinhua</i> reports that China will levy a tax on carbon before the end of the current five-year plan in 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The tax will begin at about $2 a ton and increase gradually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2135448/reports-china-tax-carbon-emissions-2015?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Reports%3A+China+to+tax+carbon+emissions+by+2015"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2135448/reports-china-tax-carbon-emissions-2015?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Reports%3A+China+to+tax+carbon+emissions+by+2015</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><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The oil industry is backing Vote4Energy to influence the 2012 elections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A parody ad is at the end of the linked story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/04/and-now-the-oil-industry-caucus/"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/04/and-now-the-oil-industry-caucus/</font></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font size="3" face="Calibri">
</font></span></p>
</font></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>