QUICK NEWS, February 5: The Faces Of Climate Change; The Top U.S. Community Solar Program
The Faces Of Climate Change ‘The Human Element’ makes the impacts of climate change feel real; A photographer documents how global warming is already affecting people’s lives
Carolyn Gramling, February 4, 2019 (Science News)
“…Should discussions of climate change appeal directly to people’s emotions, whether fear or anger or even hope? Or are data-driven discussions the way to go? …The Human Element, a documentary starring photographer James Balog, aims directly for the gut by putting a human face on the impacts. The movie, now streaming online, shows how human-caused climate change is intersecting with people’s lives…[It] is framed through the four ancient elements: earth, air, fire and water…People, Balog suggests, are a fifth element — a force of nature, too. People are driving climate change, and their lives are being altered by it…
…[It captures] the desolation of a family standing in knee-deep water inside their home in [Hurricane] Irma’s aftermath…The air segment focuses on how humans are altering [and polluting] the atmosphere…In the fire segment, Balog photographs firefighters as they wearily but valiantly tackle [a California fire] …Finally, the earth segment brings Balog to the coal-mining country of Kentucky and Pennsylvania…[and] paints a grim picture of how a fading industry…[The Human Element] doesn’t dwell for long on actual climate science…[but the stories and images are] an effective, powerful way to communicate the impacts of climate change.” click here for more
The Top U.S. Community Solar Program Why Minnesota’s Community Solar Program is the Best
John Farrell, 17 January 2019 (Institute for Local Self-Reliance)
Minnesota’s community solar program hit a record 505 megawatts of operational capacity in January 2019…In recent news, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved an adder to compensation rates for residential subscribers in October, boosting subscriptions by 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for projects started in 2019 or 2020…[and it appears] the project queue (including new applications, projects in study, projects in design/construction, and energized projects) rebounded to over 900 megawatts by December 1st, after falling…to about 800 megawatts earlier this year. The adder will come on top of the revised compensation scheme for new projects in 2018––based on the value of solar…
…[Xcel Energy data shows] more than 10,000 residential customers (92% of all subscribers) are saving money with a shared solar subscription…Although the vast majority of the program’s capacity serves commercial customers (87%), nearly one-third of the total program capacity in March 2018 (about 100 megawatts) actually serves public entities like schools. In other words, community solar helps broaden those who benefit from solar by enabling individuals and public institutions to save money with solar…” click here for more
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