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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Rooftop solar is cheaper than utility rates in 48 of the 50 largest US cities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Over the 25 year life of the system the return on investment is likely to be greater than that of a stock index fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The advantages are calculated on a 5% 25 year loan for a 5kw system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/energy/2015/01/report-rooftop-solar-already-cheaper-than-utility.html"><font color="#0563c1" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/energy/2015/01/report-rooftop-solar-already-cheaper-than-utility.html</font></a>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Deutsche Bank estimates that solar power will have reached grid parity in 80% of the global market by 2017.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The rate of conversion to solar power is already high and climbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/solar-grid-parity-world-2017"><font color="#0563c1" size="3" face="Calibri">http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/solar-grid-parity-world-2017</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>South Korea has launched the second largest cap and trade system (after the EU’s) as part of a plan to reduce emissions 30% by 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/12/3610553/south-korea-cap-and-trade/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=cptop3&utm_campaign=cptop3&elq=~~eloqua..type--emailfield..syntax--recipientid~~&elqCampaignId=~~eloqua..type--campaign..campaignid--0..fieldname--id~~"><font color="#0563c1" size="3" face="Calibri">http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/12/3610553/south-korea-cap-and-trade/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=cptop3&utm_campaign=cptop3&elq=~~eloqua..type--emailfield..syntax--recipientid~~&elqCampaignId=~~eloqua..type--campaign..campaignid--0..fieldname--id~~</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A Nature Climate Change paper argues that the social cost of carbon should be six times higher than the estimate used by the US administration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Raising the estimate would influence the cost-benefit analysis of policies and lead to more aggressive action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060011557"><font color="#0563c1" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060011557</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>A group of homeowners supplied with smart thermostats and reminded of the money saved by cutting usage failed to lower consumption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Others informed of the health benefits of cutting energy usage dropped their consumption markedly—by 19%, among those with children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Few people are aware of the health impact of burning fossil fuels or of climate disruption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2015/01/energy-savings-health-benefits"><font color="#0563c1" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2015/01/energy-savings-health-benefits</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The Obama administration has released the first draft of methane regulations, aimed at new equipment and calling for voluntary monitoring and reporting from the industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The most significant features of the plans are the target (40-45% reduction of methane emissions by 2025 on a 2012 base) and the fact that the process of regulating methane is underway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/14/new-methane-regulations/?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=8d8f89c0e2-Top_News_1_14_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-8d8f89c0e2-85965093"><font color="#0563c1" size="3" face="Calibri">http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/14/new-methane-regulations/?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=8d8f89c0e2-Top_News_1_14_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-8d8f89c0e2-85965093</font></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Methane emissions in the LA Basin are 61% higher than government estimates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></font></font><a href="http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-methane-emissions-20150114-story.html"><font color="#0563c1" size="3" face="Calibri">http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-methane-emissions-20150114-story.html</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Since the 2012 methane emissions estimates must be unreasonably low, thanks in part to industry pressure, a 40% reduction of that base by 2025 will be quite a cut indeed if the emissions
are honestly monitored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Voluntary monitoring is not a sound idea.</font><o:p></o:p></p>
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