Robber fly - Nature photographer Thomas Shahan specializes in amazing portraits of tiny insects. It isn't easy. Shahan says that this Robber Fly (Holcocephala fusca), for instance, is "skittish" and doesn't like its picture taken.

Eye-popping bug photos

Nature by Numbers (Video)

"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) -
"The Quantum Factor" – Apr 10, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Galaxies, Universe, Intelligent design, Benevolent design, Aliens, Nikola Tesla (Quantum energy), Inter-Planetary Travel, DNA, Genes, Stem Cells, Cells, Rejuvenation, Shift of Human Consciousness, Spontaneous Remission, Religion, Dictators, Africa, China, Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Animals, Global Unity.. etc.) - (Text Version)


“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

(Live Kryon Channelings was given 7 times within the United Nations building.)

"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)

"Recalibration of Free Choice"– Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth, 4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical) 8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“… 4 - Energy (again)


The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!

Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much….”



"Fast-Tracking" - Feb 8, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Reference to Fukushima / H-bomb nuclear pollution and a warning about nuclear > 20 Min)

Obama unveils landmark regulations to combat climate change

Obama unveils landmark regulations to combat climate change
In a bid to combat climate change, US President Barack Obama announced the Clean Power Plan on Monday, marking the first time power plants have been targeted by mandatory regulations on carbon dioxide emissions in the US.
Google: Earthday 2013

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Oil slump not necessarily bad news for climate

Yahoo – AFP, Catherine Hours, Celine Serrat, 14 Feb 2015

Advocates of wind say unit costs of their technology are falling, which makes
turbines better able to withstand a fall in fossil energy (AFP Photo/Shaun Curry)

Paris (AFP) - Since the 1970s, the renewable energy sector has usually trembled each time oil goes through the "bust" phase of the commodity cycle.

When crude was dear, users became interested in wind, solar and hydro.

But when oil became cheap, they gorged on it once more, turning their backs on novel, cleaner but costlier alternatives.

Today, oil is again in the doldrums. It plunged by 60 percent in price between June 2014 and January, falling to just over $40 a barrel, before pulling back to around $60 today.

The question whether gas and coal will
track oil in its extreme price movements
is unresolved for now (AFP Photo/Patrik
Stollarz)
So does this herald another crisis for green energy, further complicating the fight against carbon pollution?

Not necessarily, say observers.

Lower oil prices may indeed lead to more emissions in the transport sector, where electric vehicles have struggled to penetrate even at times of high pump prices, they say.

Transport accounts for around 14 percent of the world's annually tally of greenhouse-gas emissions.

As the cost of petrol (gasoline) falls, "people drive more, and tend to buy thirstier cars," said Pascal Canfin, a climate expert at the World Resources Institute (WRI) think-tank.

Fossils vs. renewables

But the picture is different when it comes to energy production, which contributes to 35 percent of world emissions.

"In most (electricity) markets, renewables are not competing with oil, they're competing with natural gas and coal," said Alden Meyer, an analyst at a US NGO, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

The question whether gas and coal will track oil in its extreme movements is unresolved for now, said Canfin.

But already, more and more high-end oil projects -- deeper-water and marginal fields and tar sands, for instance -- are being shelved.

Oil investment around the world is likely to fall this year between 10 and 15 percent, the specialist bank Evercore IS forecasts.

Advocates of wind say unit costs of their technology are falling, which makes turbines better able to withstand a fall in fossil energy.

In 2014, 51,477 megawatts of wind-generated capacity were added, a record increase of 44 percent over the previous year, according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the industry's lobby.

"Not only the low prices but also the cost stability of wind power makes it a very attractive option for utilities, independent power producers and companies who are looking for a hedge against the wildly fluctuating prices of fossil fuels," argues GWEC chief Steve Sawyer.

Stranded assets

Another risk factor for fossils is climate policy, said Dimitris Zenghalis of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Unbounded fossil consumption "is incompatible with climate objectives," Zenghelis said bluntly. "If you're an investor, you have to take that risk into account."

UN members on Friday completed a new round of negotiations towards a planned climate deal to be sealed in Paris in December.

The pact aims to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial levels.

The prime concern for investors, said Zenghelis, is "stranded assets" -- long-term fossil projects that could be scrapped.

According to research published last month in the science journal Nature, a third of all oil reserves, half of gas and over 80 percent of coal reserves must be left untouched until 2050.

This would be the sole way to meet the global 2 C target, according to the study, led by specialists at University College London.

Targets for climate action include reducing the subsidies for fossil fuels, which according to the International Energy Agency (UEA) amounted to 550 billion dollars in 2013, and imposing taxes on carbon pollution.

If governments use lower oil prices to
 overhaul their fossil subsidies or
 introduce environmental taxes, then the 
fall in prices will be excellent news for
 the climate (AFP Photo/Philippe Huguen)
Another goal would be to boost energy efficiency.

"If governments use lower oil prices to overhaul their fossil subsidies or introduce environmental taxes, then the fall in prices will be excellent news for the climate," said Stephane Hallegatte, a senior economist at the World Bank.

Historically, though, green policies typically get sidelined when oil prices fall.

Governments usually prefer to reap the benefits of a short-term economic lift.

And they are loath to stir unpopularity with the public or opposition from powerful lobbies by introducing energy levies.

This time, though, the conditions seem more favourable: the science about the dangers of fossil pollution -- just published by the UN's expert panel -- is clear, and public awareness is high.

"Politically, now this is a very good time to do it," said Zenghelis.

"It just remains to be seen whether policymakers will take advantage of it."

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