‘TRENTON, NJ— The New Jersey solar market hit a new milestone this week when it eclipsed the 1 gigawatt (GW) mark for total installed solar electric capacity. This is enough solar electricity to power 139,000 homes. New Jersey now ranks third in the nation in solar energy installations, according to a new study released last week, thanks to declining system prices and the strong, consistent support from the state’s policymakers, including its robust net metering policies and the U.S.’ first Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program, an innovative market-based incentive for solar generation.’

via New Jersey Solar Market Hits 1 Gigawatt Milestone | SEIA.

‘Mathematical societies and institutes around the world are participating in “Mathematics of Planet Earth,” or MPE, this year. They aim to study the math that underpins geologic and biological processes on our planet as well as encourage more math researchers to tackle these problems.’

via Strength in Numbers: Mathematicians Unite to Tackle Climate Change and Other Planetary Problems – Yahoo! News.

‘TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese utility that owns the tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant says it has detected a record 740,000 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in a fish caught close to the plant.’

via Fish Near Fukushima Reportedly Contains High Cesium Level.

‘On Feb. 21, the Sebastopol City Council voted to ban the wireless meters, which Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has been installing throughout Northern and Central California since 2006. Anyone caught hooking up a SmartMeter within Sebastopol city limits would face a $500 fine.’

via Sebastopol in standoff over SmartMeters – SFGate.

‘In 2010, China’s ministry of finance suggested levying a carbon tax of 10 yuan ($1.60) per ton in 2012, to rise to 50 yuan ($8) per ton in 2020. Experts have suggested a tax of 500 yuan, or $80 per ton.’

via China takes climate change initiative | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME.

‘President Barack Obama is preparing to tell all federal agencies for the first time that they should consider the impact on global warming before approving major projects, from pipelines to highways.’

via Obama Will Use Nixon-Era Law to Fight Climate Change – Bloomberg.

‘President Barack Obama is preparing to tell all federal agencies for the first time that they have to consider the impact on global warming before approving major projects, from pipelines to highways.’

via Obama Will Use Nixon-Era Law to Fight Climate Change – Bloomberg.

‘The Obama administration continued its push to ramp up renewable energy projects on public land, approving three new projects on Wednesday, including what would become the largest solar power plant in the world.’

via Federal government approves world’s largest solar power plant. – latimes.com.

‘In what’s regarded as Thailand’s most important tiger sanctuary, wildlife rangers report mounting evidence of gangs setting traps with fresh meat, laced with poison, as bait.’

via BBC News – Deadly poison threat to tigers.

‘TOKYO — Japan said Tuesday that it had extracted gas from offshore deposits of methane hydrate — sometimes called “flammable ice” — a breakthrough that officials and experts said could be a step toward tapping a promising but still little-understood energy source.’

via An Energy Coup for Japan – ‘Flammable Ice’ – NYTimes.com.