EPA: Power plants main global warming culprits

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The most detailed data yet on emissions of heat-trapping gases show that U.S. power plants are responsible for the bulk of the pollution blamed for global warming.

Power plants released 72 percent of the greenhouse gases reported to the Environmental Protection Agency for 2010, according to information released Wednesday that was the first catalog of global warming pollution by facility. The data include more than 6,700 of the largest industrial sources of greenhouse gases, or about 80 percent of total U.S. emissions.

According to an Associated Press analysis of the data, 20 mostly coal-fired power plants in 15 states account for the top-releasing facilities.

Gina McCarthy, the top air official at the EPA, said the database marked "a major milestone" in the agency's work to address climate change. She said it would help industry, states and the federal government identify ways to reduce greenhouse gases.

The Obama administration plans to regulate emissions of heat-trapping gases under existing law. A proposed regulation to address pollution from new power plants could be released as early as this month. Eventually, the EPA will have to tackle facilities already in operation. The largest emitters will be the first in line.

The largest greenhouse gas polluter in the nation in 2010, according to the EPA's data, was the Scherer power plant in Juliette, Ga., owned by Southern Company. That coal-fired power plant reported releasing nearly 23 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, in 2010.

Two other power plants owned by Southern were the second- and third-largest polluters nationally: the Bowen plant in Bowen, Ga., and the James H. Miller, Jr. power plant in Quinton, Ala.

American Electric Power, another large coal-fired power producer, has three power plants in the top 20. They are in Rockport, Ind., Cheshire, Ohio, and St. Albans, W. Va.

"This is just another way to identify the largest coal-fired power plants in the country," said AEP spokesman Pat Hemlepp. "We always assumed we would be No. 1 in greenhouse gas emissions or No. 2 behind Southern Co. Us and Southern are the two largest consumers of coal."

The other states with high-polluting power plants are Texas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wyoming, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky.

Refineries were the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with 5.7 percent of the reported total. The top states in greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and from refineries were Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and Indiana.

Congress required industries to report their emissions as part of a 2008 spending bill. Until now, the agency has estimated greenhouse gas emissions by industry sector.

___

Online:

EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Data: http://1.usa.gov/zO2wd7

___

Follow Dina Cappiello on Twitter: (at)dinacappiello

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-11-Greenhouse%20Gases/id-f7694ec90e014dd99a3fc7303ee1cc56

times square drew peterson earthquake new years eve times square 2012 new years eve ball drop 2012 holidays prosperity

Toshiba's Excite X10 tablet is as thin as it is tall

By Rosa Golijan

Toshiba

Toshiba's Excite X10 tablet?has been floating around the world for a while, but it is finally coming to the U.S.?? and boy, will it turn some heads.

Why? Well, mostly because it's tough to ignore the X10's thin and tall looks. The ten-inch tablet has a thickness of only 0.3 inches after all.?(Oh, and it's reasonably light as well ??about 1.18 pounds.)

My obsession with the X10's looks aside, let's talk specs.?

The X10's display ??which is covered in super tough Corning Gorilla Glass ??is backlit, offers ten-finger multi-touch support, and has a 1280 x 800 resolution.?The tablet has a Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 processor (that's 1.2 GHz of horsepower), comes in 16GB and 32GB configurations, includes a 2MP front-facing camera, has a 5MP rear-facing camera (with an LED flash), and offers an assortment of ports including Micro USB and Micro HDMI.

Oh, and there are also a gyroscope, an accelerometer and GPS capabilities as well as eCompass and ambient light sensors.

The Toshiba Excite X10 will set you back $530 if you're getting the 16Gb model and $600 if you opt for the 32GB version. It should become available in the first quarter of 2012.

Related stories:

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts, or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/09/10075923-toshibas-excite-x10-tablet-is-as-thin-as-it-is-tall

art basel 2011 straight no chaser straight no chaser bcs standings bcs standings douglas fir jim boeheim

Acer Iconia Tab A700 hands-on (updated: now with more video!)

So, the mystery quad-core tablet shown off by Acer at CES has a name... kinda. The Tegra 3-powered unit is the oft rumored and leaked Iconia Tab A700, though, we were told repeatedly that this is just a technology demo and not a consumer product -- so don't be surprised if you never see an A700 come to market. Underneath the hood is a 1.3GHz quad-core Tegra 3 and a full gig of RAM for pushing a customized version of Ice Cream Sandwich to its 10.1-inch 1080p "IPS quality" panel. The most glaring difference between Google's stock experience and Acer's version of Android is the "ring" -- a lockscreen launcher with a selection of shortcuts available depending on which direction you drag your finger in. The textured back felt quite nice to the fingers, though it sports a healthy amount of heft that might worry some fans of lightweight devices. As far as ports go, you're looking at an HDMI-port, microSD and micro USB -- the latter of which can actually be used to charge the device. Huzzah! (Update: After originally telling us the tablet could be charged via micro USB they came back to us and said they had to double check that one). Check out the gallery below for a few more impressions.

Update: Head on after the break for a quick hands-on video.

Gallery: Acer Iconia Tab A700 hands-on

Continue reading Acer Iconia Tab A700 hands-on (updated: now with more video!)

Acer Iconia Tab A700 hands-on (updated: now with more video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/1Mr10Da6M9Q/

bedlam cotto vs margarito 2 cotto vs margarito cotto vs margarito miguel cotto cotto ncaa bowl games

Drug dealer jailed for $700 debt killing

Updated January 09, 2012 18:28:50

A drug dealer has been sentenced to 12 years jail for fatally shooting a Perth man over a $700 debt.

The killer, who cannot be identified, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mario Perrin, 39, at his Dianella home in October 2010.

The pair had been exchanging abusive texts and Mr Perrin had dared the man to show up at his house to collect the money he owed him for drugs.

Mr Perrin was shot in the head when the man fired a loaded gun three times.

In sentencing, the judge expressed concern about the increasing use of violence to enforce drug debts.

Supreme Court Justice Lindsay Jenkins said a message had to be sent to people who commit such crimes that they will be dealt with severely.

The man had stood trial for murder but midway through the case pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

At the time of the plea change, Mr Perrin's sister said the family had been broken by what had happened.

Semmima Saylor said the killer knew what he was doing.

"You walk into someone's house with a loaded firearm and you pull the trigger, surely you don't honestly think you're not going to do some serious injury or death," she said.

Outside court today, Mr Perrin's mother Maureen Saylor welcomed the sentence.

"It doesn't matter how long he gets, it's not going to bring our son back but we're happy with the sentence," she said.

"He comes out, he sees his children, his parents, we don't see our son."

Mrs Saylor said the case was made more difficult because the killer initially denied responsibility for the shooting.

"He put us through 13 months of us coming to court sitting there pleading not guilty then out of the blue he pleaded guilty; that was a shock to us," she said.

"I don't know how any person can sit there and say they are not guilty then all of a sudden they're guilty."

The killer will have to serve ten years before he can be released on parole.

Topics: courts-and-trials, murder-and-manslaughter, drug-offences, perth-6000

First posted January 09, 2012 15:04:20

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-09/drug-dealer-sentenced-over-fatal-shooting/3764270

protect ip act spear of destiny rock hill sc kate middleton pregnant national book awards jessica sutta sexiest man alive 2011

Legal road ahead uncertain for accused Tucson shooter (Reuters)

PHOENIX (Reuters) ? A year after a deadly shooting spree that left Representative Gabrielle Giffords battling for her life, the accused gunman remains shut up in a prison hospital amid wrangling over his fitness to stand trial.

College dropout Jared Loughner is charged with murdering six people and wounding 13 others, including Giffords, who was shot through the head and is recovering.

Loughner was found by two medical experts to have schizophrenia, disordered thinking and delusions, and the 23-year-old was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial at a May hearing.

With Loughner consigned to treatment at a federal prison hospital in Springfield, Missouri, the trial proceedings are in limbo.

A appellate court is currently weighing whether to uphold or reverse federal judge Larry Burns' decision giving doctors four more months to restore him to competency.

Also at issue is whether the doctors can continue to force antipsychotic medication on Loughner, who was found to be unable to comprehend the proceedings against him and to assist in his own defense -- the twin legal tests of competency.

Since the ruling, defense attorneys have repeatedly sought an immediate stop to the drug regime, arguing that Loughner's constitutional due-process rights were being violated and there was no legal basis to continue the forced medication.

They have also fought efforts to extend his stay in the Missouri facility.

But legal experts say precedent suggests the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is weighing the arguments, is likely to allow Loughner to continue treatment.

"I would just be amazed if they overturned the trial judge," said Stephen J. Morse, a professor of law and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

IMPROVING IN HOSPITAL

As the legal battle goes on, federal prosecutors said that Loughner appears to be improving from the out-of-control man evicted from the competency hearing in May by Burns for a confused verbal outburst.

Marshals dragged him from the room after he interrupted proceedings, shouting "she died in front of me," perhaps a reference to a deluded belief that he had killed Giffords. Watching the outburst, Loughner's mother wept inconsolably.

Since then, prosecutors credit treatment and use of anti-psychotic drugs. Christina Pietz, the primary psychologist treating Loughner, has said he is not the same individual that she encountered at the prison's mental health unit.

At that time Loughner threw a chair and lunged and spat at his attorneys, believing they were conspiring against him, "blackmailing and extorting him for money," Pietz testified.

During a spate without medication, she said Loughner went for 50 hours without sleep and that a blister caused by pacing subsequently infected his foot and leg. He would sob uncontrollably and throw his feces on his clothes and bed.

Pietz said Loughner still shows signs of being delusional, but no longer reports hearing voices or expresses the desire to kill himself. Conversations are easier. The smirk captured in a haunting booking photograph taken after his arrest is gone.

She said Loughner now makes eye contact with her during her sessions that range from 10 minutes to an hour each weekday.

Pietz said Loughner now realizes that Giffords is alive, and he is sorry for the killings.

"He understands that he's murdered people," she told the court in late September. "He talks about that. He talks about how remorseful he is for that.

"He understands the implications of what he did, the impact of what he did."

Roxanna and John Green, the parents of the youngest shooting victim, nine year old Christina Taylor Green, told ABC News they had no plans to attend Loughner's court proceedings.

"I don't think about him," Roxanna Green told "Nightline" anchor Cynthia McFadden. "I think of, that she was, like, in a car accident."

Asked what their reaction would be if the incompetent-to-stand-trial ruling stood and Loughner simply remained incarcerated, the Greens said they could accept it.

"As long as he never hurts anyone ever again, and is never able to get out ... I would be O.K. with that," said Roxanna Green.

If Loughner did end up convicted of murder and executed, would the Greens take some comfort from his death?

"Not really," said John Green, who is a supporter of the death penalty, according to Roxanna Green's new book. "It's not going to bring my girl back."

LOW THRESHOLD FOR COMPETENCY

Legal experts say it is quite common for defendants suffering from schizophrenia to be restored to competency and proceed to trial. That is just a matter of time.

"The level of competency is not very high," said Lynda Frost, planning and programs director for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at the University of Texas-Austin. "It's a minimal level of functioning and most people can be restored."

Experts say that the Loughner's stay can continue to be extended for a "reasonable period of time" to make him mentally fit. But the time is not open-ended.

If he proceeds to trial, experts say Loughner's attorneys likely will use an insanity defense. His attorneys could not be reached for comment.

If not, he is likely to spend his life confined to a hospital.

"If he can't be restored, then eventually prosecutors are going to have to bite the bullet and then have a judge commit him," said Roy Spece, a law professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson, who has followed the case. "My best guess is that he will end up civilly committed until he dies," he said.

Shooting victim Eric Fuller, a Navy veteran who was struck in the back and knee in the shooting spree, is against the death penalty and sees Loughner as a sick man. He's not seeking vengeance or punishment for Loughner.

"I might feel differently if the bullets had hit me in the spine, say, and I were paralyzed," Fuller told Reuters. "I would be out for his scalp."

(Editing by Tim Gaynor, Greg McCune and Peter Bohan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120106/us_nm/us_shooting_arizona_loughner

julia gillard pecan pie the hobbit trailer prometheus trailer red velvet cake recipe josh krajcik porphyria

Saints open playoffs with 45-28 win over Lions

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) looks for a receiver as Detroit Lions defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (93) pursues during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) looks for a receiver as Detroit Lions defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (93) pursues during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees throws during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Detroit Lions Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks for a receiver as New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) pursues during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Detroit Lions strong safety Amari Spievey (42) breaks up a pass in the endzone to New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (12) during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, in New Orleans.(AP Photo/Bill Haber)

Detroit Lions strong safety Amari Spievey (42) breaks up a pass in the endzone to New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (12) during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are pouring on the points, racking up the wins and rewriting the record books nearly every time they play.

Things sure are rollin' on the river.

Brees led an unstoppable offense by throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns, and New Orleans dominated the second half for a 45-28 NFC wild-card victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday night.

New Orleans broke the postseason mark for total yards with 626, beating the record set 49 years ago.

"We were pulling out all the stops," Brees said. "We play aggressive. We're not going to apologize for that. That gives guys in the huddle a lot of confidence. We're not going to pull the reins back. It's pedal to the medal."

Brees hit on 33 of 43 passes while throwing for the most yards in a regulation playoff game. He highlighted his night with three completions of at least 40 yards.

"We just focus on winning. We're not focused on yards and records," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I'm serious when I say that."

As usual, the quarterback had plenty of help from an offense that set an NFL record for yards from scrimmage this season (7,474), outgaining Detroit on the ground 167 yards to 32. The Saints (14-3) will travel to San Francisco (13-3) for next Saturday's second-round game.

Matthew Stafford threw for 380 yards and three TDs for the Lions (10-7), who simply could not keep pace in their first playoff appearance since the 1999 season. They have lost seven straight postseason games.

"It's a learning experience for the whole team. We'll get better. We'll be back," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "Obviously it hurts right now."

All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson had 12 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns in his playoff debut for Detroit, but that was not nearly enough as the Saints' defense responded in the fourth quarter with two interceptions by Jabari Greer.

"We did make the playoffs this year and that's a great accomplishment," Johnson said. "We have some things to work on and we will. We know what we have to do to make the next step."

The teams combined for 1,038 yards, tying an NFL playoff record set by Buffalo and Miami on Dec. 30, 1995. The Superdome will likely host a much different contest on Monday night, when defensive stalwarts LSU and Alabama meet for the BCS national title. Fans in the dome cheered wildly for the LSU band as it played before the game and at halftime, then enjoyed a second half that culminated in what they hope will be the first of two Big Easy celebrations in three nights.

Pierre Thomas finished with 66 yards and one touchdown rushing, while Sproles added 51 yards, two scores and several other clutch plays.

Marques Colston overcame an early fumble with seven catches for 120 yards, including a 40-yarder to set up Jimmy Graham's short TD grab.

Robert Meachem had four catches for 111 yards, including a 56-yard score. Devery Henderson added a 41-yard touchdown reception.

New Orleans showed guts and got a little good fortune on a decisive 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter. The Saints ran Sproles around the left end on fourth-and-2 at the Lions 40 and gained 3 yards. Soon after, Brees' pass as he was clobbered by Nick Fairley went right through the hands of defensive back Aaron Berry.

Berry would regret that drop two plays later as Sproles bolted 17 yards to make it 31-21.

Stafford tried to get some of that back quickly, throwing deep for Titus Young, but Greer ran under it and picked it off. Four plays later, Brees spotted Meachem behind blown coverage for his long score to make it 38-21.

The Lions became only the second visiting team all year to lead at halftime in the Superdome, where the Saints were unbeaten during the regular season.

"So going into halftime at a deficit, we just realized, 'Listen, just bear down, one play at a time, one drive at a time,'" Brees said, "and I think we scored on every drive in the second half. I guess that's what you hope for."

New Orleans has won nine in a row overall.

The Saints opened the second half by driving 78 yards to take their first lead on Brees' 31-yard pass to Henderson. New Orleans then widened its lead to 24-14 with a 92-yard drive that included what may have been a favorable spot on Colston's third-down grab at the Saints 18. Later, Brees converted a risky dive over the pile on fourth-and-1 at the New Orleans 38 to sustain the drive before finding Colston for a 40-yard gain to the Detroit 3. Brees hit Graham for a score on the next play.

"It was fourth and inches and we felt like we had a rhythm going," Brees said. "Obviously it was a gutsy call but we've been known to make those types of calls."

The Lions fought back with a quick 80-yard scoring drive highlighted by Stafford's 42-yard completion to Johnson at the Saints 2, setting up Stafford's dive for the pylon on a bootleg that made it 24-21 late in the third quarter.

Detroit could not have planned a much better start to its first playoff game since the '99 season.

Stafford completed five of his first six throws for 70 yards, starting with a 22-yard completion to Johnson on the second play from scrimmage. A 10-yard strike to reserve tight end Will Heller gave the Lions a 7-0 lead.

New Orleans responded by quickly driving into Lions territory, but Colston was stripped by Stephen Tulloch on the 18-yard line and Justin Durant recovered. It was a rare lost fumble for the Saints, who had an NFL low and franchise record low five during the regular season.

New Orleans found the end zone on its next drive to tie it at 7, but Stafford led the Lions right back downfield, hitting Johnson in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard score.

The Saints then fumbled a second time in Detroit territory when Brees was stripped just before throwing by defensive end Willie Young and the ball squirted to Durant for his second recovery. Durant wanted to return it, but the play was inexplicably blown dead. What might have been a touchdown return instead became a stalled drive.

The Saints thought they had tied it when Colston's catch in the back of the end zone was ruled a touchdown, but it was overturned on replay and New Orleans wound up settling for John Kasay's 24-yard field goal and a 14-10 halftime deficit.

Notes: Bernie Kosar still holds the record for yards passing in a playoff game, though his game in 1986 went to overtime when he reached 489 for Cleveland against the New York Jets. ... Detroit's leading rusher was Kevin Smith with only 21 yards. ... The Lions rushed the ball only 10 times and their longest gain was 9 yards. ... The Saints surpassed 500 total offensive yards in five regular season games, with the playoff game being the sixth. ... Brees finished the regular season with seven straight 300-yard or more passing games and easily continued the streak against the Lions.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-08-Lions-Saints/id-ad4bff0f79be48488f19b47408779e0f

voting sharon bialek call of duty elite dragonfly courtney stodden drake take care herman cain accuser

AT&T Galaxy Note confirmed at CES, carrier branding and four-button controls

Well, well, it looks like Samsung has let the cat of the bag a hair early. The company's Galaxy Note is indeed headed to AT&T, confirmed by several posters in the public area of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The banner appears to be a Photoshop job rather than an actual device photo, since there's no 4G LTE indicator to be found. The AT&T branding is prevalent, however, leaving little doubt that the device will in fact be making its way to Ma Bell. More details will surely come to light during tomorrow's Samsung press conference, and we'll be back with a hands-on shortly after.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T CES banner

AT&T Galaxy Note confirmed at CES, carrier branding and four-button controls originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/O0JOrLlEcSA/

heavy d dead heavy d dead alaska weather alaska weather election results gop debate live gop debate live