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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>Using nickel as a catalyst—a trick of sea urchins—carbon can be removed from liquids or gasses readily, cheaply, and completely, and stored as (say) calcium carbonate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The trick might be used with fossil fuel combustion gasses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21320666"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21320666</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>Over the last 3 months wind delivered 25% of Spain’s power, more than any other source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Germany is adding more wind than expected and is on track for 40% renewable power by 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/04/windfarms-break-energy-record-spain"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/04/windfarms-break-energy-record-spain</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">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>First Solar will sell power from its 50 megawatt New Mexico thin film solar farm for just under $.06/kilowatt hour (perhaps as a loss leader).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>That is about half the cost of power from a new coal plant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Thanks to Brian Paradise for calling my attention to the First Solar project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/new-mexico-solar-deal-details-suggest-parity?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-February6-2013"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/new-mexico-solar-deal-details-suggest-parity?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-February6-2013</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Crystalline silicon modules sell for $.65-$.75 a watt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A new crystalline silicon plant in New Hampshire is producing silicon wafers at a third the cost of older silicon technologies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/1366-technologies-opens-new-factory-paves-road-to-cheaper-solar-pv?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-February6-2013"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/1366-technologies-opens-new-factory-paves-road-to-cheaper-solar-pv?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-February6-2013</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>Greenhouse gas emissions from US power plants fell 4.6% in 2011, thanks in part to the coal plants taken off line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/us-usa-climate-emissions-idUSBRE91412V20130205?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/2013/02/05/us-usa-climate-emissions-idUSBRE91412V20130205?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">
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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>The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative of 9 northeastern states has set a new target of 45% reduction on a 2005 base by 2014, with a further 2.5% annual reduction until 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Revenues from the cap and trade program are used for green energy initiatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The new targets reflect the current success of the program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The RGGI expects the average energy bill to increase less than 1% by 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/States-announce-deal-to-cut-greenhouse-gasses-4258367.php"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/States-announce-deal-to-cut-greenhouse-gasses-4258367.php</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>Amory Lovins maintains that in spite of what the President has taken to saying we do not need technological breakthroughs to convert to renewable energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>He makes the point that it is far easier to develop new power from renewables than from fossil fuels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amory-lovins/climate-change-no-breakth_b_2654248.html"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amory-lovins/climate-change-no-breakth_b_2654248.html</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>Climate change is already costing us sorely, and it will only get worse until we complete the transition to renwable power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-scary-truth-about-how-much-climate-change-is-costing-you-20130207?page=1"><font color="#0000ff" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-scary-truth-about-how-much-climate-change-is-costing-you-20130207?page=1</font></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font size="3" face="Calibri">
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