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    <font size="+1"><i>September 30, 2017</i></font><br>
    <br>
    <b><a
href="https://energy.gov/articles/secretary-perry-urges-ferc-take-swift-action-address-threats-grid-resiliency">Secretary
        Perry Urges FERC to Take Swift Action to Address Threats to Grid
        Resiliency</a></b><br>
    SEPTEMBER 29, 2017<br>
    WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry
    formally proposed that the <b>Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
      (FERC)</b> take swift action to address threats to U.S. electrical
    grid resiliency.  Pursuant to his authority under Section 403 of the
    Department of Energy Organization Act, the Secretary urged the
    Commission to issue a final rule requiring its organized markets to
    develop and implement reforms that would fully price generation
    resources necessary to maintain the reliability and resiliency of
    our nation's grid.<br>
    <font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://energy.gov/articles/secretary-perry-urges-ferc-take-swift-action-address-threats-grid-resiliency">https://energy.gov/articles/secretary-perry-urges-ferc-take-swift-action-address-threats-grid-resiliency</a></font><br>
    .<br>
    <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/09/polluter-shill-perry-asks-independent-ferc-prop-uneconomic-coal-and-nuclear">Polluter
        Shill Perry Asks Independent FERC to Prop Up Uneconomic Coal and
        Nuclear Plants</a></b><br>
    WASHINGTON, D.C. - Donald Trump's Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry,
    today <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://energy.gov/articles/secretary-perry-urges-ferc-take-swift-action-address-threats-grid-resiliency">asked
      FERC - an independent agency - to bail out the declining coal and
      nuclear industries</a>, a move that's intended to placate
    corporate polluters that can't compete with cleaner, cheaper energy
    sources like solar, wind, and energy efficiency. Citing no immediate
    threat to the grid's resilience or reliability, Perry brazenly
    requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
    direct grid managers to prop up aging coal and nuclear plants, which
    will force electricity customers to pay billions upon billions of
    dollars to keep these old facilities open while newer, cleaner, and
    cheaper technologies are available. Perry's directive, if acted upon
    by FERC, would completely disregard stakeholder processes. It is a
    clumsy attempt to drive the Trump administration's efforts to force
    customers to pay more to bailout America's remaining uneconomic coal
    and nuclear plants and help their billionaire polluter allies.<br>
    <b>In response, Mary Anne Hitt, Director of Sierra Club's Beyond
      Coal campaign, released the following statement:</b><br>
    "Make no mistake, Perry is shamelessly trying to force electricity
    customers to pay billions of dollars to prop up old, dangerous, and
    uneconomic coal and nuclear plants. With this action, he's simply
    doing the bidding of the fossil fuel industry. Perry is ignoring the
    fact that FERC is an independent agency tasked with listening to
    stakeholders to fix actual problems with the grid, not imaginary
    ones that only benefit a few uncompetitive industries - namely coal
    and nuclear.<br>
    <b>"The Federal Power Act clearly states that FERC cannot favor one
      energy source over others in its rulemakings,</b> and Perry's ask
    - without evidence or common sense - seeks to prop up dangerous coal
    and nuclear plants that can no longer compete in the wholesale
    market. We are prepared to take to court any illegal rule that props
    up dirty fossil fuel plants or weakens clean energy's market
    access."<br>
    <font size="-2"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/09/polluter-shill-perry-asks-independent-ferc-prop-uneconomic-coal-and-nuclear">http://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/09/polluter-shill-perry-asks-independent-ferc-prop-uneconomic-coal-and-nuclear</a></font><br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <b><a
href="https://theenvironmentonline.com/europes-hot-fiery-summer-linked-to-global-warming-study-shows-insideclimate-news/">Europe's
        Hot, Fiery Summer Linked to Global Warming, Study Shows –
        InsideClimate News</a></b><br>
    The Environment Communications Ltd<br>
    Europe's Hot, Fiery Summer Linked to Global Warming, Study Shows
    InsideClimate News The extreme heat, which fed wildfires and a heat
    wave so ...<br>
    <font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://theenvironmentonline.com/europes-hot-fiery-summer-linked-to-global-warming-study-shows-insideclimate-news/">https://theenvironmentonline.com/europes-hot-fiery-summer-linked-to-global-warming-study-shows-insideclimate-news/</a></font><br>
    <br>
         <br>
    <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/29/methane-emissions-cattle-11-percent-higher-than-estimated">Methane
        emissions from cattle are 11% higher than estimated</a></b><br>
    The Guardian<br>
    Bigger livestock in larger numbers in more regions has led to
    methane in the air climbing faster than predicted due to
    'out-of-date data'<br>
    ... methane emissions from livestock have risen most sharply in the
    rapidly developing regions of Asia, Latin America and Africa. By
    contrast, the increase has slowed sharply in the US and Canada. In
    Europe, emissions of the gas have declined.<br>
    A sharp rise in methane pollution could jeopardise the goal -
    enshrined in the 196-nation Paris climate pact - of capping global
    warming below 2C, ..<br>
    "Such a target will become increasingly difficult if reductions in
    methane emissions are not also addressed strongly and rapidly,"<br>
    <font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/29/methane-emissions-cattle-11-percent-higher-than-estimated">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/29/methane-emissions-cattle-11-percent-higher-than-estimated</a></font><br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.resilience.org/stories/2017-09-29/tropical-forests-are-no-longer-carbon-sinks-because-of-human-activity/">Tropical
        Forests are 'No Longer Carbon Sinks' because of Human Activity</a></b><br>
    By Daisy Dunne on Sep 29, 2017 04:05 am<br>
    Tropical forests now emit more carbon than they are able to absorb
    from the atmosphere as a result of the dual effects of deforestation
    and land degradation, a new study says. The research challenges the
    long-held belief that forests act as "carbon sinks" by storing more
    carbon than they emit due to natural processes and human activity.<br>
    <font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.resilience.org/stories/2017-09-29/tropical-forests-are-no-longer-carbon-sinks-because-of-human-activity/">http://www.resilience.org/stories/2017-09-29/tropical-forests-are-no-longer-carbon-sinks-because-of-human-activity/</a></font><br>
    -<br>
    <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/28/alarm-as-study-reveals-worlds-tropical-forests-are-huge-carbon-emission-source/.">Alarm
        as study reveals world's tropical forests are huge carbon
        emission source</a></b><br>
    Forests globally are so degraded that instead of absorbing emissions
    they now release more carbon annually than all the traffic in the
    US, say researchers<br>
    The world's forests have become so degraded that they are no longer
    carbon sinks but rather carbon sources, The Guardian reports, citing
    a study published in Science on Thursday:  <br>
    To get more accurate data, scientists combined 12 years of satellite
    data with field studies. They found a net carbon loss on every
    continent. Latin America – home to the Amazon, the world's biggest
    forest – accounted for nearly 60% of the emissions, while 24% came
    from Africa and 16% from Asia.<br>
    Overall, more carbon was lost to degradation and disturbance than
    deforestation. The researchers stressed this was an opportunity as
    well as a concern because it was now possible to identify which
    areas are being affected and to restore forests before they
    disappeared completely.<br>
    <font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/28/alarm-as-study-reveals-worlds-tropical-forests-are-huge-carbon-emission-source/">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/28/alarm-as-study-reveals-worlds-tropical-forests-are-huge-carbon-emission-source/</a>.</font><br>
    -<br>
    <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28092017/tropical-forest-logging-fires-carbon-sink-climate-change-study">Death
        by 1,000 Cuts: Why the Forest Carbon Sink Is Disappearing</a></b><br>
    In the world's tropical forests, carbon loss from small-scale
    disturbances like fires and minor logging is adding up, researchers
    say.<br>
    <font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28092017/tropical-forest-logging-fires-carbon-sink-climate-change-study">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28092017/tropical-forest-logging-fires-carbon-sink-climate-change-study</a></font><br>
    -<br>
    <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2017/09/27/science.aam5962">Tropical
        forests are a net carbon source based on aboveground
        measurements of gain and loss</a></b><br>
    <b>Abstract</b><br>
    The carbon balance of tropical ecosystems remains uncertain, with
    top-down atmospheric studies suggesting an overall sink and
    bottom-up ecological approaches indicating a modest net source. Here
    we use 12 years (2003–2014) of MODIS pantropical satellite data to
    quantify net annual changes in the aboveground carbon density of
    tropical woody live vegetation, providing direct, measurement-based
    evidence that the world's tropical forests are a net carbon source
    of 425.2 ± 92.0 Tg C yr–1. This net release of carbon consists of
    losses of 861.7 ± 80.2 Tg C yr–1 and gains of 436.5 ± 31.0 Tg C
    yr–1. Gains result from forest growth; losses result from
    deforestation and from reductions in carbon density within standing
    forests (degradation/disturbance), with the latter accounting for
    68.9% of overall losses.  <font size="-1"><a
        class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2017/09/27/science.aam5962">http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2017/09/27/science.aam5962</a></font><br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <b><a
href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/beyond-bleach-mold-is-a-long-term-problem-after-flood-and-disasters/">Beyond
        Bleach: Mold is a Long-term Problem After Flood and Disasters</a></b><br>
    The fungus can grow, undetected, in just a couple days<br>
    One of the biggest issues surrounding flooding after natural
    disasters is mold, a problem that can stay with a structure long
    after floodwaters have receded. Considering that over 17 percent of
    homes already have some physical condition that contributes to leaks
    and that mold grows in temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit
    and 100 degrees F, there is no wonder that we see mold and mildew
    problems after a disaster that brings flooding in homes and
    buildings...<br>
    Molds are fungi. Dampness supports mold and can create an unhealthy
    living space for people. When present in large quantities, all molds
    are allergenic and potentially harmful. <a
href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/08/29/the-health-consequences-to-expect-from-hurricane-harveys-floods/?utm_term=.20ad5352205d">Mold
      was implicated in the deaths</a> of four Southern University at
    New Orleans professors after Hurricane Katrina, and mold remained a
    persistent problem in thousands of homes even after cleanup...<br>
    Many people want to reach for bleach when they first see mold. While
    bleach can be effective in killing mold on nonporous surfaces such
    as tile and porcelain, it does not work on wood and other porous
    material, such as drywall. On those surfaces, bleach can actually
    encourage more mold growth. Bleach does not prevent the regrowth of
    new colonies when materials stay damp...<br>
    <font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/beyond-bleach-mold-is-a-long-term-problem-after-flood-and-disasters/">https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/beyond-bleach-mold-is-a-long-term-problem-after-flood-and-disasters/</a></font><br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <font size="+1"><b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/09/30/reporting-on-climate-change-the-mother-of-all-r/196147">This
          Day in Climate History September 30, 2013</a> -  from D.R.
        Tucker</b></font><br>
    September 30, 2013: Media Matters reports: "After reviewing the
    latest evidence from a major climate change report -- released in
    full on Monday -- the prominent consulting group
    PriceWaterhouseCoopers concluded that climate change is the 'mother
    of all risks.' But while many businesses recognize climate risks,
    the media often cloud these risks by framing climate change in terms
    of 'uncertainty,' according to a recent study. This can lead to a
    disconnect between scientific understanding and public perception,
    and a misguided contentment with inaction."<br>
    <font size="-1"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/09/30/reporting-on-climate-change-the-mother-of-all-r/196147">http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/09/30/reporting-on-climate-change-the-mother-of-all-r/196147</a></font><br>
    <br>
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