STUFF

Research consortium got $4.8M from ARPA-E a while ago to see if they could genetically combine algae and bacteria with tobacco to produce oil. They're getting oil from leaves now.

S Africa put off taxing CO2 until '15. Metals producers crying.

Fed appeals court reopened lawsuit seeking to suspend DOE's fees for stalled nuke waste program.

Ten major chem comps debuted guidelines for accounting for, reporting their GHG emissions.

Wild Earth Guardians suing DOI to halt coal mining at 7 mines in 4 western states.

Study: Asian, African dust influences west US rain/snow.

Report: extreme poverty, lack of govt enforcement have led to substantial enviro degradation in Amazon, Andes. Climate change will only make it worse.

Nebraska parched. Neb senator proposed climate study bill. Parts of TX shrivelled.

UK Parliament opened inquiry into growing skepticism over climate change.

Antarctic ice cores show higher CO2 levels probably caused ancient melting. (CO2 from what ancient source? Volcanos? Human fires?)

US Army pursuing sustainability on multiple fronts.

Cal rebooted EV rebate program with $4.5M.

Alberta falling short of emissions reduction targets.

House Repubs question pace of NRC's post-Fukushima nuke power safety push.

Conservation group added marine policy post in Gulf of Mex.

Ex-Massey president pled guilty to conspiracy charges after deadly mining explosion. Implicated CEO.

Tackling global warming could boost econ: EPA official. (Do we need a study to get "could" to "would"?)

NY investment chief won clean power concession from DTE Energy. Looking for more.

Report: spies stole info from 23 NG companies. (Probably fracking secrets.)

Union: EPA report highlights safety probs at Exxon's Louisiana refinery.

Study: widespread health probs from treating polluted runoff for drinking water.

Duke won't be repaid for Dem convention credit line.

Child apologized for taking Yosemite twigs. (For God's sakes.)

UN: global seafood consumption has outpaced population rise.

Study: wild bees pollinate more efficiently than domesticated populations. (Release the enslaved bees.)

DOJ charged 15 with scamming BP spill fund.

NRC spared sequestration furloughs. So far.

Report: US investment could make offshore wind turbines cost competitive by '30.

Canada opened up more of Arctic frontier to oil exploration.

Ford sued over misleading mileage claims for hybrids.

Study: states should support long Amtrak routes.

Study links childhood asthma to BPA.

Army Corps excavating for toxic chems in posh DC neighborhood.

"Antiquated" NM water laws should be changed as climate change looms: experts.

Pope Benedict brought attention to enviro issues.

NREL's biomass analysis screening tool eases, greatly quickens 1 of thorniest tasks in biofuels industry - determining cell wall chem to find plants with ideal genes.

WSJ published "alarmist" piece on Cal grid as victim of "looming crisis" brought on by state's growing reliance on wind and solar. ("Under the table" journalism?)

Georgia Power kicked off 210Mw solar program (GPASI) for next 3 yrs. Small to medium size for 45Mw each of next 2 yrs. 60Mw/y for utility scale. 15 aps in 90 minutes. GP doing it voluntarily. No state RPS or 3rd party power purchase agreements.

Program tracking US "green" jobs to be scrapped - faulted by Repubs - by Bureau of Labor Stats from sequestration.

In next 10 yrs, over 300Gw of unsubsidized solar could be deployed across US. But many utilities remain unaware. Story on XCel Energy's MN solar proposal. Like 29 other states, MN a utility-regulated state. Privately-owned utilities as govt-sanctioned monopolies with guaranteed customers and profits. 3 things for distributed solar:
1. study of solar rooftop potential on all bldgs,
2. publish map of available capacity on utility distribution systems,
3. long-term declining solar incentives until price parity with all power gen.

Duke may expand into rooftop solar as wider use of PV panels by customers cuts into demand in el.

U Conn professor's patented technique key to solar tech. Nanosized antenna array - "rectannae" - theoretically capable of harvesting over 70% of sun's elmag radiation and converting to power. Potential breakthrough with selective area atomic layer deposition.

Amonix, Solar Junction combining efforts on concentrated PV solar efficiency gains, lower costs.

Global solar PV demand in '12 just short of 30Gw. Annual growth rate fell to 10-yr low.