EARTH MAGNETIC FIELD weakening 10x faster lately ... Natural disasters less costly so far this year than last ... California telling cities to prepare for water cuts. TX city started rerouting treated sewage water to resident taps ... Current climate talks more successful than Copenhagen '09 summit: former UN expert ... US, EU, 12 more govts in WTO opened negotiations on trade deal aimed at ending tariffs on clean energy, enviro goods ... EPA Chief: "legitimate concerns" over major Clean Water Act proposal ... White House threatening veto of energy, water spending bill ... US, China signed agreements on coal, CCS tech. US, China agreed to share info on how each is developing GHG emissions reduction targets. Sapphire Energy, Sinopec's algae-derived oil project selected for US-China Eco Partnership program ... EPA proposing air pollution update to 30-yr old standards for grain elevators ... Groups urging court to halt Cal approval of bee-killing pesticides. Mosquito pesticide blamed for Mass. bee die-off ... LED market set to reach $14.4B this year: Digi Times ... China waived EV purchase tax ... Leo Motors (LEOM) MOU for China factory ... KiOR (KIOR) missed $1.88M loan payment. Exploring sale ... Polysilicon spot prices expected to climb up to $23/kilogram in 3Q14. Greater demand from China, delays on several polysi plant projects ... Kyocera filed solar tech patent infringement claim against Hanwha Q Cells Japan ... Xinyi Solar (Hong Kong) expects 140% profit rise yoy in 1H14. Solar glass supplier ... Goldwind (China) selling 165.5Mw wind farm in Australia for $299M to new JV with China comp ... Germany to amend green energy law at EU's request ... Sao Paulo to hold regional energy auction later this year for solar PV, wind, biogas, biomass ... Suzlon approved for $547M new bonds ... ABB got $400M order to supply NSP Maritime Link with HVDC powerline between Canada, N Am grid ... Top Scot judges backed Scot govt decision (2 yrs ago) to approve Viking Energy's 370Mw wind project in Shetlands ... UK power regulator chose Blue Transmission consortium to own, op offshore transmission link for 389Mw wind project in E Irish Sea ... Carbon cycling in N Atlantic fed by iron dust from Sahara: study ... UK climate committee cited flooding, overheating risks: report ... As ice melts earlier, migratory birds travel north sooner: study ... US Supreme Court justices concerned about enviro lawsuits filed after legal deadline ... EPA proposal for phasing out heat-trapping coolants ... Palm oil expansion threatens Africa's great apes: study ... BP Gulf spill caused fish defects: study ... OH signed mutual aid agreement with Canada province to fight invasive species in Lake Erie ... Powder River Basin coal producers face new S Korea tax ... Watchdog office rounding up EPA staff passports ... TX utility planning 3 new NG power plants ... GE, Suncor deal to reduce oil sands GHG emissions, water use ... EU threatening to renew US biodiesel tariffs 5 more years ... 52Mw solar project in N Carolina with Duke Energy, George Washington U, G. Washington U Hospital, American U. Jinko Solar panels. Construction start this summer ... Apple reportedly bought 100 acres for 3rd solar farm for NC data center. 17.5Mw for $55M. '20 completion ... Study found new shale gas wells leak more methane than old ones ... BBC told reporters to significantly curb airtime given climate change deniers to balance coverage toward truth ... Amyris (AMRS) partnering with Brazil airline for renewable jet-fueled intl flights. 10% blend ... UAE chose Honeywell's UOP tech for $800M renewable av jet fuel refinery project ... Vermont to get state's 1st B100 pumps. Collection facility for used cooking oil. $3.75/gal for B100 at pump ... NG use in US could rise 19-31% next 5 yrs from wave of industrial projects slated for construction ... "Sponge-like" silicon may be major advance in batt tech. Can hold 10x more energy than graphite. PNNL work ... "People" opposed to Obama efforts to clean air, slow global warming buying $5K kits to blow more soot out of their diesel engines. (Great living Americans, A? O those good 'ole country boys. Bet they get their kids to do it too. For their grandkids. Oy.) ... Alberta not on track to meet 6-yr-old GHG reduction targets ... EDF, IFC to develop off-grid electrification in sub-Saharan Africa ... NRG Home Solar expanding US ops to Connecticut ... Chicago new rooftop solar discount program. 25% off through summer ... Banks Renewables got $20M from RBS to build 7.5Mw wind farm ... Nordex (Germany) sold 2 wind projects - 27.5Mw - in France to GN Investment. Online mid-'15 ... Showa Shell unit to supply 8.1Mw solar for Brit plant. Sept construction start. CIGS panels.