News roundup

One of the things I prefer to do is keep up on news, both because it gives me a sense of the narrative as it unfolds and because it makes it less likely that my advisor will pop out with some piece of news he thinks I ought to know about that I don't. I thought since I tend to be a bit burned out on Friday anyway, I might dedicate Fridays to pulling together what news mattered that week, with commentary if I feel like it. This will probably be a combination of articles I actually thought were important and articles I thought were funny. I leave it to you to guess which is which.

UN chief challenges world to agree tougher target for climate change (Guardian, June 1)
In other words, head of UN framework convention on climate change calls for world to set even more stringent carbon target than the one we're already not going to make.

Climate change seen worsening weed problem (UPI.com, June 1)
Just in case you didn't have enough to worry about. (See also ragweed allergies on the rise due to climate change.)

The new weather is going to make food prices soar (Fast Company, June 1)
Article suggests it's already happening in China.

Carbon emissions at highest level ever; data shows they are growing (theenergycollective.com, June 1)
Carbon emissions up; film at 11.

China energy: supply vs. demand (Financial Times beyondbrics blog, May 31)
China has a heavily regulated electricity market, with prices sometimes lower than costs. It just approved a hike in prices, which is a step toward reform.

New NASA map reveals tropical forest carbon storage (JPL, May 31)
NASA maps the 247 billion tons of carbon stored in forests, and it's durn pretty.

California leads US in clean energy (Orange County Register, May 30)
Based on an index that uses 70 factors and might conceivably be useful to me at some future date...

India takes unique path to lower carbon emissions (moneycontrol.com, May 30)
India trying out a novel efficiency-based twist on market-based mechanisms, trading credits earned by energy savings. Not sure what to think of this.

New Jersey quits RGGI, bans coal plants (Environmental Leader, May 27)
You win some, you lose some? The RGGI is a the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a north east state regional cap and trade program. There's been a lot of hype about these kinds of sub-national regional carbon pricing arrangements, but they've also been running into a lot of trouble.