A round-up of the top climate and energy news. Please post additional links below.
Renewables “help jobs and growth”: The renewable energy industry supports 110,000 jobs in the UK and could support 400,000 by 2020, a report says. [BBC]
Barack Obama has launched a new green re-election site hoping to make up with environmental voters ahead of next November’s vote. Environmentalists for Obama is aimed at organizing green voters, who have had a complicated relationship with the Obama White House. [Guardian]
The extended closure of the San Onofre nuclear plant due to safety concerns has led some to speculate — or hope — that the plant will be shuttered for good, but the chief nuclear officer for plant operator Southern California Edison said he doesn’t believe the problems signal the plant’s demise. [Los Angeles Times]
The UK and US will work together to develop “floating” wind turbines to harness more offshore wind power at a potentially lower cost, the government said on Monday. [Guardian]
Why is Jon Huntsman going rogue? Having utterly flopped in the Republican primaries, the former Utah governor now seems intent on trashing the party. [Daily Beast]
China’s leaders are finding it’s a lot tougher to create a world-beating electric car industry than they hoped. [Associated Press]
For seven decades, Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned oil monopoly and a mainstay of the government’s revenue, regulated itself — which is a polite way of saying it could do pretty much as it pleased. [New York Times]
Demand for solar panels in Germany, the world’s largest market for the equipment, may hold up until the third quarter, according to the biggest builder of sun- powered plants. [Bloomberg]
Previous in TP Climate Progress
Language Intelligence: Lessons on persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga
Study Finds Surprising Arctic Methane Emission Source http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/earth20120422.html#
Plumes o methane from hydrates that didn’t disappear
somehow before circulating in the ocean currents and collecting under the new winter ice? There is a crack
in the wishful thinking about the hydrates.
If methane does circulate with the currents then summer melt will allow the paths to the air!
Starting in 4 hours! Watch it live
Planetary Resources Inc. “Special Event” Livestream
“Learn about our mission and how we plan to revolutionize current space exploration and help ensure humanity’s prosperity for generations to come.”
http://planetaryresources.in/
It is these kind of new prospects which could be a puzzle in the solution to earth environmental destruction.
So far its been well thought out.
http://vimeo.com/40234826
German new electric cars on the street since middle of 2011 (chart)
http://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/autoindustrie/bild-827816-343110.html
Oil sands vote based on climate change….
Climate Portals shared a link.
about an hour ago
Smith’s views on climate change may have turned tide | Energy | News | Financial Post
business.financialpost.com
It was Alberta’s own version of the Civil War, pitting Conservatives against conservatives. And the Conservatives won. The Progressive Conservatives, that is
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/04/24/smiths-views-on-climate-change-may-have-turned-tide/?__lsa=a95462b3
Why should I be happy Smith won in Alberta? According to the article, it was Smith’s views (she won) that were wacky:
“And then there was Smith’s own bozo eruption when she insisted the jury was still out on the science of human-induced climate change. That got her loudly booed from the audience at a leaders’ debate hosted by CBC.
That may have been the turning point, the moment when Albertans wondered with some alarm what it would be like to have a premier who would potentially embarrass the province on the world stage by denying global warming. It wasn’t just our reputation at stake but our economy that relies on exploiting, selling and shipping bitumen from the oilsands.”
She didn’t win…
Opinion: Wacky weather shifting voters away from GOP’s climate stance
http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2012/04/gop-weather-disconnect
April 24, 2012
Another reason perhaps to cut back on meat?!:
Mad-Cow Case Confirmed in California Cow ( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303592404577364161418169628.html )
My post on prions:
Prions in the wild, CWD-Chronic Wasting Disease, and Prion Diseases in Animals and Humans – Updated ( http://diseaseclimate.blogspot.com/2012/03/prions-in-wild-cwd-chronic-wasting.html )
The FDA saying milk CANT transmit it kinda makes me nervous. I haven’t seen where that is true and there seems to be evidence to the contrary.
sorry USDA not FDA.