New news in Kansas wind development (Hays Daily News). Six very wind-rich Kansas counties are talking about grouping together in some sort of compact to promote wind development (Trego, Wallace, Sherman, Thomas, Gove and Logan). In part, their approach will be to develop and control the infrastructure needed to get wind resources to market.
Imagine if during the last century, farmers’ co-ops had been able to build and control at least some of the railroads. Pretty cool, huh? Wind is a new resource, with new development patterns, and new social and economic organizations have the chance evolve as a result. Built on old ones, of course.
Kansans win EnergyStar awards. Emporia students build an EnergyStar rated home (Emporia Gazette), and the Koch Industries office building in Wichita wins national EnergyStar award (Wichita Eagle).
Midwest floods show signs of global warming. (Reuters) Quotable: “Floods like those that inundated the U.S. Midwest are supposed to occur once every 500 years but this is the second since 1993, suggesting flawed forecasts that do not take global warming into account, conservation experts said on Tuesday. “Although no single weather event can be attributed to global warming, it’s critical to understand that a warming climate is supplying the very conditions that fuel these kinds of weather events,” said Amanda Staudt, a climate scientist with the National Wildlife Federation.”
Earth-friendly fuels station opens in Lawrence (LJWorld). The EPA, local dignitaries (politicians), Maril’s biodiesel-obsessed husband, and hundreds more turned out for the grand opening of the new Zarco station in Lawrence. Pretty cool place. Currently only one of its kind in the nation - here in KS! We’re so cool.
Some Suzlon wind turbine blades cracking (WSJournal Environmental Capital blog). Whoops. Evidently in their quick ramp up to get their blades to the US wind market, Suzlon did not do adequate testing for the U.S. grid, or for our gusty winds. The manufacturer is reinforcing the blades and making repairs.
Creation care (USA Today). 67% of Americans say they care about the environment because it is God’s creation.
Wind and transmission in OK. Update on wind farms proposals and transmission line development in neighboring Oklahoma (Enid News). Lots of information about Lenexa-based Trade Winds, the corporation that owns the Lincoln County wind farm along I-70 in Kansas - for a photo essay on that wind farm (by CEP’s Jason), see here.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
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