STUFF

Vattenfall to invest 1B Euro into hydropower in France.

U of ND research center has produced jet fuel from coal/biomass mix.

GE, other investors funded Sustain X with $14.4M to continue developing compressed air energy storage tech. $5.4M earlier came from NSF and DOE. They keep air at near-constant temp during compression and expansion which significantly improves efficiency.

After reading the Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, I agree with the dissenting opinion that the reason for the crisis was that, by the time of implosion, 1/2 of US mortgages were subprime or even worse loans because of govt housing policy and lack of oversight (my one addition to the dissenting opinion). So we have to look at how that happened. And permanently fix it.

Ford canceled plans for minivan hybrids, EV's. But plan to build >100k hybrids/EV's/yr. GM dropped Volt price < $40k.

USGS: over last 3 decades, Rocky Mountain snows melted sooner than in centuries past (tree ring records). Both north and south Rockies were warmer. This year's snowpack a recent anomaly, but inside the trend.

AEP predicts need to shutter 25% of US coal fleet.

Intl Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico to announce they have developed wheat varieties with "near immunity" to stem rust that has been devastating crops from Africa to Mideast.

NRC chief reportedly shielded info to sway Yucca decision. Tsk tsk.

Appeals court ruled for Massey over US on Upper Big Branch.

NOAA hopes to spark offshore fish farming with new policy.

DOE pledged $36M for advanced fuels/chemicals.

NASA launched $400M satellite to measure ocean salinity.

Canada won't sign Kyoto Protocol extension.

Molten salt cooled graphite moderated nuke reactor use the least steel and concrete, cheapest way to go. And then there's thorium.

Exxon bought 2 Marcellus shale NG comps for $1.69B. >300k leased acres.

Not since '73 has world energy use increased in % as much as in '10. Up 5.6% over '09. Coal up 7.6%, NG up 7.4%.

Petrobras to produce 6mb/d by '20 - triple in decade.

DOE putting up $70M for geothermal drilling research, mapping.

And if we all could fart less, we could reduce GHG emissions _____%/yr.

Happier trails, pards.