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Converting Coal Power Plants to Nuclear Gains Steam

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On a planet aspiring to become carbon neutral, the once-stalwart coal power plant is an emerging anachronism. It is true that, in much of the developing world, coal-fired capacity continues to grow. But in every corner of the globe, political and financial pressures are mounting to bury coal in the past.

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Seattle City Council passes resolution opposing transportation of coal through Seattle for export, measures for mitigating impact

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The Seattle City Council unanimously passed Resolution 31379 stating Seattle’s opposition to the transportation of coal through Seattle. There are currently four coal exports under permit review in the Northwest that collectively could increase US coal exports by 150 million tons of coal annually.

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Study projects thermoelectric power in Europe and US vulnerable to climate change due to lower summer river flows and higher river water temperatures

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Projected changes in summer mean usable capacity of power plants in the US and Europe for the SRES A2 emissions scenario for the 2040s (2031–2060) relative to the control period (1971–2000). A study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that thermoelectric power plants (i.e., Source: van Vliet et al. Click to enlarge.

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Black carbon is a much larger cause of climate change than previously assessed; about twice previous estimates, and 2/3 the effect of CO2

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The report’s best estimate of direct climate influence by black carbon is about a factor of two higher than most previous work. This includes the estimates in the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment, which were based on the best available evidence and analysis at that time.

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West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd: Coal Must Embrace The Future

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” “ Some have even suggested that coal state representatives in Washington should block any advancement of national health care reform legislation until the coal industry’s demands are met by the EPA, ”, wrote Byrd. West Virginia is home to about 22,000 coal miners, down from 62,500 in 1979.

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MIT researchers conclude fundamental changes in the US energy-innovation system are needed to meet challenges of climate change and energy supply

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A three-year study by a team of researchers based at MIT has concluded that fundamental changes are needed in the US energy-innovation system. For each year of delay it will be necessary to “bend the curve” of carbon emissions that much more sharply if the worst consequences of climate change are to be averted.

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Washington Governor Issues Executive Order Directing State Actions to Reduce Greenhouse Gases; Consideration of California Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Highway Electrification

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Washington Gov. Gregoire issued her executive order, entitled “Washington’s Leadership on Climate Change,” after testifying at the US Environmental Protection Agency’s public hearing in Seattle on the regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.