Friday, January 3, 2014

Friday Five: January 3, 2013

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my environment gave to me: 
Nine politicians dancing around regulation to protect our health...
EPA fails to deliver coal ash rules 5 years after catastrophic spill
"Miraculously, nobody was injured when 5.4 million cubic yards of piled, sodden ash broke loose on Dec. 22, 2008. But the slide, which destroyed three homes, damaged dozens of others, and poured into two tributaries of the Tennessee River, has required a $1 billion cleanup, with $200 million more to go. That bill will be paid by the 9 million residents of the Tennessee Valley — including more than a quarter of a million households in Central and Western Kentucky — at the rate of 69 cents per month per person through 2024."

Eight maids a milking in an area where we couldn't milk before...
Climate change works wonders in Leh
"If the farmers are thrilled, climate scientists strike a somber note. They say the eruption of vegetables and fruits at an altitude of 11,000 feet is a clear indication that global warming is catching up in the Himalayas, its long-term consequences unclear but one which could spell trouble for the region. The farmers are however, having none of it. As far as they are concerned, it is a boon and are determined to make hay, while the sun shines literally. They have started cultivating vegetables and fruits in earnest including cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon, bottle gourd, tomato and capsicum."

Ten lords a leapin' over themselves to jump on the renewable bandwagon now that...
Why Michigan's Republican governor supports clean energy - or does he?
"More than half of the electricity in Michigan is generated by burning coal. Michigan doesn’t have coal. But anyone who has been there in winter knows that it has plenty of wind. Why send your money elsewhere to buy coal, when you can generate energy with the resources you do have? In a rare confluence, both the Sierra Club and the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum cite with dismay the same statistic: that Michigan spends $1.2 billion per year on out-of-state coal. And they even use it to make the same point: that Michigan should instead develop its own natural resources. As wind power keeps getting cheaper, they argue that it will both save Michiganders money and put them back to work."

Five gold rings - well, actually, only one: the sun, that is now besting even natural gas in value to the consumer...AND...
Massive solar plan for Minnesota wills bid over gas
"In an unprecedented ruling, a judge reviewing whether Xcel Energy should invest in new natural gas generators vs. large solar power arrays concluded Tuesday that solar is a better deal. If the finding by Administrative Law Judge Eric Lipman is upheld by the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Edina-based Geronimo Energy plans to build about 20 large solar power arrays on sites across Xcel’s service area at a cost of $250 million."

A partridge in a pear tree that can travel most of its trips without having to plug in, fill up, or make a refueling stop of any kind!
Ford to show solar-powered car at electronics show
"Rather than recharging through an electrical outlet, the C-Max Solar Energi harnesses the power of the sun by using a concentrator that acts like a magnifying glass to direct rays to solar panels on the roof. Ford research shows that the sun could provide enough power to cover up to 75% of all trips taken by an average driver. It also could provide a viable alternative for electric vehicles in regions where there is bountiful sun and a scarcity of recharging stations."

Happy Friday!

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