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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>59% of 298 US cities in an ICLEI poll are planning for climate adaptation; the global figure is 68%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>US and Latin American cities report unusual difficulty finding funding. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The US has less planning in progress than other surveyed regions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/survey_us_cities_report_increase_in_climate_impacts_lag_in_adaptation_planningworldwide-progress-on-urban-climate-adaptation-planning"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.icleiusa.org/blog/survey_us_cities_report_increase_in_climate_impacts_lag_in_adaptation_planningworldwide-progress-on-urban-climate-adaptation-planning</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Another briefer ICLEI report lists how climate change has challenged a list of US cities and their action plans.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.icleiusa.org/action-center/learn-from-others/local-governments-extreme-weather-and-climate-change-2012"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.icleiusa.org/action-center/learn-from-others/local-governments-extreme-weather-and-climate-change-2012</font></a>
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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>The ELF is a solar and human powered plastic tricycle made in Durham, NC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>It will charge from solar cells in its roof or in two hours from a standard outlet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The range is 30 miles on the electric engine, or indefinite if you are pedaling, and its top speed is 20 miles per hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>It is not the solution to all personal transportation needs, even to most urban needs, but the ELF could fit some niches, and might inspire some new niches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=13-P13-00002&segmentID=4"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=13-P13-00002&segmentID=4</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
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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 US National Climate Assessment, due by law every four years (though finessed in the Bush administration), makes it clear that we need to pursue both adaptation and mitigation vigorously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/12/us-scientists-effects-global-warming"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/12/us-scientists-effects-global-warming</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>More detail on the report and comment on the political climate from The Hill:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/276769-federal-report-finding-unambiguous-warming-fuels-calls-for-tougher-action"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/276769-federal-report-finding-unambiguous-warming-fuels-calls-for-tougher-action</font></a><o:p></o:p></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>Stefan Rahmstorf reflects on the current state of sea level rise research in a two –part essay on the Real Climate site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>He concludes that process-based models are insufficiently developed to give us a clear picture of likely rise during the next century (though they are improving), and require inclusion of empirical data for accuracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.realclimate.org/"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.realclimate.org/</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>By imitating the scales on a firefly’s abdomen, light from an LED can be increased by up to 55%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Presumably, the power required for a given light level is similarly decreased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/news/509806/fireflies-inspire-brighter-leds/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_source=newsletter-weekly-energy&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20130114"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.technologyreview.com/news/509806/fireflies-inspire-brighter-leds/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_source=newsletter-weekly-energy&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20130114</font></a><o:p></o:p></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>An Australian journalism lecturer describes how the government narrative on climate changed in the 1990s so that they lost 20 years of opportunity for change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The US has a parallel story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/how-we-lost-20-years-on-climate-change-action-10745"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://theconversation.edu.au/how-we-lost-20-years-on-climate-change-action-10745</font></a><o:p></o:p></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>Tidal power could provide about 20% of England’s electricity, according to a new study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>15% would be from barrages and 5% from turbines placed in tidal streams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Other coastal areas have similar opportunities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20983645#"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20983645#</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Cutting emissions earlier rather than later will have a significant impact on coastal flooding late in this century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>We have sufficient heat built up already so that the effects will be negligible in 2030 and small in 2050.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23070-benefits-of-emissions-cuts-kick-in-only-next-century.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Cclimate-change"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23070-benefits-of-emissions-cuts-kick-in-only-next-century.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Cclimate-change</font></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font size="3" face="Calibri">
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