QUICK NEWS, November 26: WHY PEOPLE DENY CLIMATE CHANGE; THE FORCE OF SOLAR; POWER ELECTRONICS MARKETS TO BOOM

WHY PEOPLE DENY CLIMATE CHANGE Here's Why People Don't Believe In Climate Change

Natasha Bertrand, November 25, 2014 (Business Insider)

“…[More than one-quarter of Americans] don't believe that the planet Earth's climate is changing, even though 97% of scientists believe it is…[The] most common response was that they had not noticed a change in the weather around them, and that the weather was actually getting colder where they lived [according to Believers, Sympathizers, & Skeptics from the Public Religion Research Institute and the American Academy of Religion]…The second most common response was that temperatures are not rising because of human actions, instead they are just fluctuating as part of a larger natural cycle…[though] there is plenty of evidence that humans have contributed to changes in global temperatures…The third most popular response, with 12% of deniers selecting it, is that there is not enough scientific evidence…A small minority of skeptics (4%) responded that they have alternative theories…2% said they believe God is in control and 5% believe [it is all propaganda]…” click here for more

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THE FORCE OF SOLAR Solar power charging ahead in America

Trevor Hughes, November 24, 2014 (USA Today)

“America is building so much solar power that 10% of the country's energy needs could be generated by the sun in 15 years…[though the country presently] gets less than 1% of its energy from the sun. But the country also tripled its solar generation capacity in three years, and increased it tenfold from 2007 to 2013 [according to Star Power from Environment America]… Solar installations come in many forms, from the small panels installed above streetlights in New Jersey to the backyard panels serving homes in Vermont or the cooperative solar ‘farms’ built in the desert canyons of Colorado…Solar fans say the sun's energy is cleaner than burning fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change, and can be installed in every state…The report says the country's rapid increase in solar installations is due in large part to individual states' efforts…Last year alone, California helped customers install 620 megawatts of solar power, a 73% increase from a year earlier...[T]he rapid increase in installations has driven costs down faster than anyone expected…” click here for more

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POWER ELECTRONICS MARKETS TO BOOM Power Electronics Market to Rise 77% to $23 Billion for Discrete Components in 2024; Silicon will remain predominant with an 87% share, but new SiC and GaN technologies will be the fastest-growing – at 30% and 32% annual rates respectively…

November 19, 2014 (Lux Research)

“Power electronics – used to convert and manage electricity in devices ranging from mobile phones to pumps and motors – will grow to a market worth $23 billion for discrete components in 2024, up from $13 billion today according to Sizing-up the $23 Billion Discrete Power Electronics Market in 2024 from Lux Research…Consumer electronics and IT will account for 48% of the market in 2024, or about $11 billion… The transportation market, worth nearly $1.2 billion in 2024, will be the big driver for both SiC and GaN…[but] SiC and GaN remain a small total share of the market. For SiC, high costs will make SiC transistors less viable in many applications, while GaN's adoption will be held back by delayed product roll-outs and capacity expansions…” click here for more

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