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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>Patrick Parmenteau sends this on the tax and dividend plan linked in the last news list:
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“Aside from the fact that here is no realistic chance of a carbon tax going anywhere as long as the R’s control the House, there are significant structural and conceptual problems with the ‘tax and dividend’ approach
Hansen advocates. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Personally, I favor the upstream, rising tax on carbon content as a preferred policy instrument but it won’t bring renewables to scale all by itself. Here are a couple of links people might want to
check out to delve into the details. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Mark Muro, Brookings<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2012/10/31-carbon-tax-muro"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2012/10/31-carbon-tax-muro</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>David Roberts, Grist<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/ten-reasons-a-carbon-tax-is-trickier-than-you-think/"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://grist.org/climate-energy/ten-reasons-a-carbon-tax-is-trickier-than-you-think/</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Thanks to Patrick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The articles beneficially complicated my thinking on the issue.
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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>Nebraska is using a depleted natural gas reservoir to test holding compressed air for use to store 100-300 megawatts of energy. A 110 megawatt facility is operational in Alabama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Energy storage will render a grid based on wind and solar energy more dependable.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://columbustelegram.com/news/local/nppd-hopes-compressed-air-can-create-electricity/article_bded82de-cf4a-11e1-99d3-001a4bcf887a.html"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://columbustelegram.com/news/local/nppd-hopes-compressed-air-can-create-electricity/article_bded82de-cf4a-11e1-99d3-001a4bcf887a.html</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Two of the companies developing Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) are LightSail Energy and General Compression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.lightsailenergy.com/"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.lightsailenergy.com/</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.generalcompression.com/index.php/what"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.generalcompression.com/index.php/what</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A CAES project in Germany, internationally backed, hopes to achieve 70% energy conversion efficiency by conserving the heat generated when the air is compressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.rwe.com/web/cms/en/365478/rwe/innovation/projects-technologies/energy-storage/project-adele/"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.rwe.com/web/cms/en/365478/rwe/innovation/projects-technologies/energy-storage/project-adele/</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The German project escapes using natural gas to heat the air when it is decompressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>WindSoHy also conserves the heat and further avoids natural gas by using hydrogen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.windsohy.com/"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.windsohy.com/</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Thanks to Tom Larson and to the Sierra Club Global Warming Chairs List for these leads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 41.25pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Parsons, Stevens, Habitat for Humanity, and the DC Department of Housing and Community Development have collaborated on building a net zero affordable duplex employing passive design.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/collaborative-brings-affordable-green-home-to-deanwood/2012/12/20/d462c270-4882-11e2-820e-17eefac2f939_story.html?hpid=z9"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/collaborative-brings-affordable-green-home-to-deanwood/2012/12/20/d462c270-4882-11e2-820e-17eefac2f939_story.html?hpid=z9</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 41.25pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The US has listed two ice-dwelling seals as endangered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/21/us-usa-seals-listing-idUSBRE8BK18920121221?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/21/us-usa-seals-listing-idUSBRE8BK18920121221?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 41.25pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The West Antarctic is warming three times as fast as the earth in general, and twice as fast as scientists had thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121223152408.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/2012/12/121223152408.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The most immediate threat of increased sea level rise comes from the breakup of the floating ice shelves which impede the movement of the ice sheets toward the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20804192#"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20804192#</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 41.25pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Home air conditioning has cut premature deaths in the US by 80% since 1960.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>It is a challenge to develop sustainable air conditioning, especially for areas such as India, where the number of days with temperatures over 90° is expected to soar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-home-air-conditioning-cut-premature-deaths-on-hot-days-80-percent-since-1960/2012/12/22/5b57f3ac-4abf-11e2-b709-667035ff9029_story.html?hpid=z3"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-home-air-conditioning-cut-premature-deaths-on-hot-days-80-percent-since-1960/2012/12/22/5b57f3ac-4abf-11e2-b709-667035ff9029_story.html?hpid=z3</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">
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