Latest climate and renewable energy news

So much news is coming out, particularly about the speedy development of renewable energy, that I cannot keep up. Here are brief notes:

Climate Change
There are diseases hidden in ice, and they are waking up.
Long-dormant bacteria and viruses, trapped in ice and permafrost for centuries, are reviving as Earth’s climate warms.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361634098

Increased scrutiny of climate-change models should be welcomed.
The apparent slowdown in global warming has provided a spur for better understanding of the underlying processes.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361634093

Modest climate change bill draws sponsors from both sides of the aisle.
A small but increasingly vocal group of Republicans is embracing the reality of global warming and taking small steps to press the issue in Congress.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-995200128361634108

Health and climate change
The World Health Organisation’s director-general describes climate change as ‘the fifth horseman’ of the apocalypse, as doctors are encouraged to speak out more about illness and death caused by extreme weather.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2017/05/06/health-and-climate-change/14939928004580

Is Climate Changing Cloud Heights? Too Soon to Say
A new analysis of 15 years of NASA satellite cloud measurements finds that clouds worldwide show no definitive trend during this period toward decreasing or increasing in height. The new study updates an earlier analysis of the first 10 years of the same data that suggested cloud heights might be getting lower.
http://www.enn.com/climate/article/51190

Medical scientists report on the impact climate change is having on health.
John Abraham The Guardian
As a climate scientist, I spend time and energy studying how fast the Earth is warming and what is causing the warming.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-995200128361633609

The great climate silence: we are on the edge of the abyss but we ignore it
Clive Hamilton
We continue to plan for the future as if climate scientists don’t exist. The greatest shame is the absence of a sense of tragedy
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/05/the-great-climate-silence-we-are-on-the-edge-of-the-abyss-but-we-ignore-it

Sustainability
‘We must leave Earth in 100 years’
THE world’s smartest man says the future of humanity requires us to colonise another planet – and we have to do it soon.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/stephen-hawking-warns-that-humans-must-leave-earth-in-100-years/news-story/4b979ea1ab2d0fe6f3eb68f45b0d25c0

Bangladesh coal plant could cause 6,000 early deaths.
A giant coal-fired power plant approved by Bangladesh could drastically worsen air pollution for millions and cause the early deaths of 6,000 people over its lifetime, Greenpeace said Friday.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361632465

Could towing icebergs to hot places solve the world’s water shortages?
The idea of towing an iceberg from Antarctica to the UAE sounds fantastical, but might not be entirely beyond the realms of plausibility
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/05/could-towing-icebergs-to-hot-places-solve-the-worlds-water-shortage

We would need 1.7 Earths to make our consumption sustainable.
The U.S. is the second least sustainable country in the world. Trump could make it even worse.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361633432

Scientists take on greenhouse gas challenge.
Ingenuity in laboratories worldwide is harnessing microbes, water and hot air to produce different types of renewable energy from greenhouse gas.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361632292

Following Recent Surge, Wind Now Generates 5.5 Percent of U.S. Electricity
The U.S. wind energy industry experienced its fastest first-quarter growth since 2009, installing 2,000 new megawatts of capacity — enough to power about 500,000 homes — on its way to producing 5.5 percent of the country’s electricity.
http://www.enn.com/energy/article/51187