Top Stories
UK house insurance premiums to rise
dramatically as climate change increases flood risk.—reliability
high.
"Climate change will increase the risk of flooding in the UK, which
could lead to dramatic rises in insurance premiums for homeowners
and businesses and make some areas of the country uninsurable, the
Association of British Insurers has warned. ... The insurance
industry has already warned that it may not insure new
developments in flood plains if the properties were granted planning
approval against Environment Agency advice." Story at The
Guardian. [This
is a bigger relative problem in Great Britain, where famously no point
is more than about 75 miles from the sea, but a bigger absolute problem
in the U.S. or China which have more coastline and more people living
on it. In addition to flooding connected to sea level rise, increasing
rainfall intensity is real, and is expected to increase with
further warming. River flooding
results.]
Report: oil company carbon liabilities are
huge risk for investors.—reliability high.
"BP’s £11 billion loss is only part of the financial damage facing oil
companies, according to a report published by the WWF and the
Co-operative Financial Services (CFS). Oil companies such as BP and
Shell could be facing billions of pounds in future carbon liabilities
as the cost of carbon rises, says the report, but lack of carbon
reporting means many investors are unaware of these liabilities and the
risk they pose. Carbon liabilities, currently undisclosed, could become
the sub-prime toxic assets of the future, says the report." See BusinessGreen
story. PDF of report here.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Energy Efficiency Still the Primary Focus of
Green-Minded Firms.—reliability high.
"The report, "Sustainability in business today: A cross-industry
view," is based on surveys of 48 sustainability executives at companies
across five sectors, and finds that there is no single way that firms
are looking to go green. Definitions, methods and even levels of
engagement vary from company to company, according to the survey; but
what the report finds is that businesses are taking sustainability to
heart more than ever before." Highlights of report. See GreenBiz
story. Access the full report here.
Wind Power Installations Drop to 2007 levels.—reliability
high.
"The U.S. wind industry added only 700 megawatts (MW) in the second
quarter of 2010 for a total of 1,230 MW during the first half of 2010,
according to a mid-year 2010 market report from the American Wind
Energy Association (AWEA). This translates into a drop to date of 57
percent and 71 percent from 2008 and 2009 levels, respectively. ... The
report also indicates that even with more than 5,500 MW under
construction and a more active second half of year, AWEA projects that
2010 installations will likely be 25 percent to 45 percent below 2009
installations, depending on policy developments. ... According to AWEA,
power purchase agreements are difficult to obtain due to the drop in
overall electricity demand, lower natural gas prices, and no clear
national renewable energy policy." New coal and natural gas capacity
may exceed new renewable capacity in 2010 for the first time in three
years. Story at Environmental
Leader. PDF of AWEA report here.
Science and
Economics
Ten key indicators show global warming
'undeniable'.—reliability high.
"Melting glaciers, more humid air and eight other key indicators show
that global warming is undeniable, scientists said on Wednesday, citing
a new comprehensive review of the last decade of climate data. ...
Released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as
"The 2009 State of the Climate Report," the new report draws on the
work of 303 scientists from 48 countries, including data from last
year." See Reuters
story. Access the report here.
[The 10-page "Report
at a Glance" (PDF) summary is very accessible -- recommended
reading.]
Geek Corner
Phone Apps for Energy Conservation.—reliability
medium.
"Below is a list of apps for smart phones that could help you control
and save energy used in your home. Let us know if you've found
some that are worthy of adding to the list. I’m staying away from
apps that require too much manual entry, as I've found from personal
experience that people just don’t use them." Seven listed, one of which
is itself a list of apps. From mapawatt.
