US, Canada, Mexico, 3 other countries formed coalition to reduce methane, HFCs and soot emissions. $15M initial funding; $12M from US, $3M from Canada. These pollutants are short-lived - a few days to ~12 years - unlike CO2 which lasts up to 100 years in atmos. The short-lived contribute ~1/3 to global warming.
Interior approved Shell's spill plan for new Arctic drilling. May start this summer.
Upside to China pollution: more snow in Sierra Nevada.
Study: coal-to-NG switch will yield low emission advantages because of methane leakage at well, in transmission.
Europe going to push for world environment agency at Rio conference this summer.
Rockefeller's Standard Oil at one time was worth >$1T before the 1911 breakup into 34 companies. What can I say, I like history.
Last year lobbyists spent $3.79B to influence policy. $17M/day. I like facts too.
Tax credit for wind failed in Congress last Thursday. While 13GW of wind generation in IL waits to get connected to the grid.
>1/5th Cape Wind proposed generation still unsold.
New hydro plant to be built in Peru.
UN planning solar energy for 33M people in Africa, Asia.
Lockheed Martin to develop biomass facility in Alberta.
Are current NG prices a trap? After utilities convert from coal, LNG export infrastructure gets built and trucks and buses convert to NG will the prices zoom up like oil? Just thinking outloud.
China today barking at Iran over stopping oil shipments to some Euro countries. And warning Syria about the civil war. So. China stepping up.
You have to enrich uranium 238 to 90% or better for weapons. 20-30% for energy generation. Will the UN inspectors now in Iran be able to report truthfully how much Iran's uranium is enriched?
O yea, Israel has ~200 nukes.
Back to clean energy, >1.5M EV charging stations will be available in US in 5 years, 7.7M worldwide. Revenues for makers of the equipment will reach >$4.3B then. $400M in '11.
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