·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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Below are my five most recent bookmarks on Delicious. There’s a link at the end if you want to join my network. Page down to read the most recent blog posts.

Environmental News Bits is also on Twitter (click the link to the left to follow ENB there). I often retweet interesting stories there without posting them here. Now you can see them here too. Page down to read the latest blog posts.

Global Climate Change is NASA’s eyes on the Earth. It provides vitals signs for the planet, as well as evidence, causes, effects, and solutions to climate change.

Climate Kids is NASA’s guide to climate change for kids. Climate Kids provides games, answers to big questions, and videos. It also contains resources for educators.

Read the full story at Mother Nature Network.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will set up the new Climate Service to operate in tandem with NOAA’s National Weather Service and National Ocean Service.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a significant new use rule (SNUR) for multi-walled carbon nanotubes under Section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act .

The proposed rule does not identify all types of companies or organizations that would be affected, but it does say manufacturers, importers, or processors of the tubes (NAICS codes 325 and 324110), such as chemical manufacturing and petroleum refineries, could be.

If the rule is finalized, anyone intending to manufacture, import, or process multi-walled carbon nanotubes for an activity that is designated as a significant new use would have to notify EPA at least 90 days in advance, giving the agency time to evaluate the intended use and prohibit it, if necessary.

Pesticides play an important role in controlling insects, weeds, and diseases on farms and in urban landscapes. The areas treated for pests are often shared by pollinators. The Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship has developed a six-page brochure with tips to protect honey bees and other pollinators.

Read the full post at Grist.

Is it me or were the Super Bowl commercials this year unusually ugly, misogynistic, and, worst of all, unfunny?  Some of America’s biggest corporations seemed to be trying to play to Teabag America, and the results were as bitter as the teabaggers themselves. Amidst the dreck was a commercial from Audi featuring the “green police.”

Climate Change and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS): Looking to 2020
R41049 – January 26, 2010
http://opencrs.com/document/R41049/

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): Selected Regulatory and Legislative Issues
RL34201 – January 13, 2010
http://opencrs.com/document/RL34201/

Water Infrastructure Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
R40216 – January 11, 2010
http://opencrs.com/document/R40216/

Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer
RL34511 – January 04, 2010
http://opencrs.com/document/RL34511/

The Illinois Environmental Protection Director Doug Scott is encouraging Illinois youth to apply for the annual Governor’s Green Youth Awards.  The Award recognizes outstanding environmental protection and conservation projects created and developed by Illinois students.

Classes or individual students currently enrolled in K – 12 school, scouts, 4-H or others, and who have participated in an environmental project started no earlier than 2008 are eligible for the award.

The project must involve one or more of the following categories:  waste reduction; prevention/reduction of pollution in the air (climate change/global warming), land or water; restoration, preservation or enhancement of natural areas; and energy or water efficiency.

“If you have recently participated in an environmental or conservation project, I encourage you to apply for a Governor’s Green Youth Award to receive recognition,” said Director Scott.  “I appreciate teachers who support these projects, as they reinforce to Illinois’ youth the value of helping to protect Illinois’ environment.”

An application and additional information about the program are available from the Illinois EPA web site at:  http://www.epa.state.il.us/green-youth/index.html, or by calling Deirdre McQuillen at 217-558-0073 or email Deirdre.McQuillen@illinois.gov.  The deadline for applications is Friday, March 19, 2010.

The Awards ceremony will be held on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.  Winners will receive a ticket to the Museum, in addition to their award.

Examples of past winning projects include:

• Waste Reduction:  a school-wide recycling program that encouraged not only recycling but also waste reduction and environmental education
• Reducing Water Pollution:  a storm sewer stenciling project
• Restoration/Preservation:  the creation of a wetland area
• Energy Efficiency:  school-wide energy audit and facilitation guide

Read the full story in the Chicago Tribune.

If you want to know what led a bunch of shivering teenagers to sort through the trash behind Prosser Career Academy one recent, icy day, try to get your head around this statistic:

Every day, kids in the Chicago Public Schools district throw out nearly a quarter of a million lunch and breakfast trays made of polystyrene foam. That’s more than 1 million a week, about 5 million a month.

And those trays are just the start of a river of trash from school meals that ends up in landfills, including nacho-stained containers, half-empty milk cartons, plastic cookie wrappers and plastic tubs that will sit in thick polyethylene bags for centuries without biodegrading.

The Prosser students, led by biology teacher Marnie Ware, found their Belmont-Cragin-area school created 1,500 pounds of cafeteria garbage a day over five periods, including breakfast.

Biomonitoring: EPA Could Make Better Use of Biomonitoring Data, by John Stephenson, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. GAO-10-419T, February 4.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-419T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10419thigh.pdf

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Panel suggests 100 Ways Buildings Can Be Greener [Free registration may be required]
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/science/earth/02green.html?ref=todayspaper

HUD Announces the first Recovery Act Green Retrofit Grant for Multi-Family Housing
http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/states/new_york/news/HUDNo.2010-01-12a

Urban Green Council [pdf]
http://www.urbangreencouncil.org/greencodes/

Cities Go Green
http://www.citiesgogreen.com/

U.S. Green Building Council: LEED
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19

Charlottesville: A Green City
http://www.charlottesville.org/index.aspx?page=2098

Designing buildings in a sustainable and environmentally friendly fashion continues to be an important issue for urban planners, architects, and public officials. With that in mind, a panel of experts convened by the City Council and Mayor Bloomberg of New York issued a set of substantive recommendations on how to make Gotham City’s building codes more environmentally sound.  Many cities have taken part in such initiatives over the past decade or so, and these recommendations included a set of rules for insulating skyscrapers and also placing temperature controls in individual apartments. Of course, this will most likely increase the cost of building renovations or new construction, and it is anticipated that there will be a significant outcry from various trade organizations and construction companies. Before starting this process, the city made sure that members of these industries were represented on the panel. The mayor and others have commented that these recommendations are crucial in terms of reducing the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030. [KMG]

The first link will take users to a news article from this Monday’s New York Times about the recommendations of this panel. The second link leads to a related press release from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) about an initiative to retrofit multi-family housing through the Green Retrofit Program. Moving on, the third link whisks visitors to the homepage of New York City’s Green Codes Task Force Proposal. Here visitors can learn about their various proposals and code suggestions. The fourth link leads to the very helpful CitiesGoGreen website, where visitors can learn about different sustainability solutions for persons working in local government. The fifth link leads to a site provided by the U.S. Green Building Council, which provides information about the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. The last link leads to the city of Charlottesville’s official “green” homepage. It’s a great place to learn about their green initiatives and related matters.

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Over its long history, the U.S. Geological Survey has taken many, many, photographs. In the course of their various geological studies and explorations, persons in their employ have documented volcanic explosions, mining projects, and dams. This website contains 30,000 photographs from 1868 to the present, and many of these images have never been published in any form. New users can get started by clicking one of the subject areas on the left-hand side of the homepage. These areas include “Earthquakes”, “Mines, Mills, Quarries”, and “Mount St. Helens”. Visitors can also perform basic keyword searches, and they might wish to try out words like “dolomite”, “karst”, or “Colorado”. Also, the site has an excellent “Portrait Gallery”, which contains images of famed geological pioneers, such as Chares Van Hise. [KMG]

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

As biofuels grow in importance, there is more interest in finding places where professionals, scientists, and policymakers with a passion for the subject can come together and exchange ideas. CABI, a non-profit science-based development and information organization, has created this website to allow just that to happen. What can you do on the site? Well, for starters you can peruse the “What’s in the News” area to learn about timely reports from different news outlets and scholarly sources regarding biofuels technology. Dedicated users should sign up on the site so that they can create their own group to discuss shared interests with other colleagues on the site and so that they may create a profile. The site also has a blog, a section dedicated to relevant publications, and a RSS feed of activities from registered users. [KMG]

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Science is quite cool, but you don’t need to tell this to the dedicated team at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  Their website, Cool Science, entertains questions of all kinds, encourages young scientists to “get their hands dirty”, and also provides educators with a range of resources, including interactive media features, lesson plans, and lab exercises. These materials are contained with six primary sections: “For Educators”, “Biointeractive”, “For Curious Kids”, and “Ask A Scientist”.  Educators of all stripes can use the “For Educators” area to focus in on resources organized by type, topic, grade level, and also to sign up for the resources RSS feed. Moving on, the “Biointeractive” area features archived video lectures, virtual labs, and another series of animations on stem cells, cancer, and immunology. There’s a great deal to explore here, and it’s a site that anyone with an interest in science will want to share with others. [KMG]

Read the full story in the Los Angeles Times.

It’s the mystery under the kitchen sink.

Exactly what’s in floor cleaner? What’s stain remover made of? And what effects, if any, might they have on human health or the environment?

Environmental advocates want to know, and they asked a court Thursday to use a 1971 New York state law to force such manufacturers and Procter & Gamble Co. and Colgate-Palmolive Co. to reveal just what makes up such household staples as Ajax, Ivory soap and Tide.

The cleanser industry — which recently ramped up voluntary efforts to unveil product ingredients — says that the legal case is unwarranted, and that fears about health risks are misinformed.

Read the full story from Miller-McCune.

The race to know how nanoparticles affect living things is on, even as the use of those particles is increasing exponentially.

Read the full story in the Chicago Tribune.

Alarmed by research linking chemicals used to make Scotchgard and Teflon to cancer, liver disease and other health problems, the federal government spent the last decade pressuring manufacturers to phase out the stain-resistant compounds.

But scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently discovered that a different industry — metal plating — is dumping high levels of the chemicals into sewers in Chicago and Cleveland, and likely is doing the same thing in scores of other cities.

Iowa City, Iowa, has been selected as one of five sustainable communities pilot projects in the United States as part of a partnership between EPA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Smart Growth pilots are part of EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s initiative to bring HUD, DOT and EPA together in areas where there are formerly contaminated sites, transportation infrastructure investments and the need for affordable housing.

“We are proud that one of our communities has been chosen for this pilot,” said Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 Administrator. “We hope this sustainable communities pilot will help us learn how to bring new life to communities while preserving the environment. We especially praise the city for their efforts. Local government makes the key land use decisions. We look forward to working together in the future.”

Iowa City was chosen for the flood-impacted Riverfront Crossings District and the redevelopment potential of the brownfields, petroleum brownfields, underground storage tank sites, vacant properties, and other underused sites. The goal of this project is to create strategies to identify, clean up, and redevelop these properties into a revitalized Riverfront Crossings District. Iowa City has already completed the groundwork necessary to successfully redevelop the Riverfront Crossings District. The city is working with EPA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and state partners to develop a vision for the District’s redevelopment.

Currently, the District contains a mix of student housing, auto-oriented commercial businesses and industrial use sites. Iowa City plans to revitalize the District by developing walkable urban neighborhoods that will provide a mix of affordable housing, ground floor retail and office space, pedestrian-oriented streetscapes, entertainment and recreation facilities and public open space, trails, and other open space amenities along the Iowa River. Transportation investments for a light rail system are pending.

The remaining four sustainable communities pilots are located in Boston; Indianapolis, Ind.; Denver, Colo.; and National City, Calif.

The technical assistance provided through these sustainable community pilots will serve as a model for future partnerships between EPA, HUD and DOT to address blight and sustainable redevelopment throughout the nation.

For more information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities go to: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership

For more information on EPA’s Smart Growth Program go to: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

Read the full story in Waste Age.

As the United States begins to emerge from a recession, and job creation steps into the forefront of the national discussion, state and federal legislators are focusing on industries with long-term growth potential. The electronics recycling market is growing, and the right federal e-waste legislation can stimulate “green collar” job creation. Therefore, current e-waste laws need to be analyzed for best practices, and a grading system must be put into place.

Read the full commentary in Waste Age.

You probably remember the movie “Field of Dreams.” It starred Kevin Costner as a farmer who believed that if he built a baseball stadium in the back forty, people would come to watch games. No market studies or economic analysis were needed. Just a cornfield and a dream.

Disposal bans follow a similar logic. Banning a material from disposal — be it grass clippings, a computer or plastic bottles — will cause a recycling system to immediately spring into place for those products. The banned material is now guaranteed a useful afterlife.

Of course, these bans are just an extreme form of the strategy employed by most state recycling laws. Those laws do a good job of creating supplies of materials but usually fail to create corresponding markets for them. However, disposal bans differ in that they have the ability to do far more harm than good. As a recent report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), “Managing Electronics Waste: Issues with Exporting E-Waste,” shows, serious problems are created when well-intentioned people act without considering the consequences.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced three steps to support communities’ efforts to provide their citizens’ with economic opportunity while reducing impacts on the environment.  The actions will encourage state and local government to make their communities more sustainable by strategically aligning their environmental, transportation and housing investments.

The steps EPA announced today are:

• The creation of a new Office of Sustainable Communities to encourage communities to take an integrated approach in making environmental, housing and transportation decisions.
• A new pilot grant program designed to help three states – New York, Maryland and California – use their clean water funding programs to support efforts to make communities more sustainable.
• A pilot program to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites, known as brownfield sites, in coordination with communities’ efforts to develop public transportation and affordable housing.

Today’s announcements build on the work EPA is doing with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The partnership is focused on ensuring that housing and transportation goals are met while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development, and helping to address the challenges of climate change.

The brownfields pilot program announced today represents a key step in that partnership. Together, EPA, HUD, and DOT have selected five pilot sites across the country where there is a convergence of public transit and the need for affordable housing. Cleaning and reusing this land and providing new housing choices will create jobs and new economic opportunities. The five sites selected for the Sustainable Communities Partnership Pilots are the Fairmount Line in Boston; the Smart Growth Redevelopment District in Indianapolis; the La Alma/South Lincoln Park neighborhood in Denver; the Riverfront Crossings District in Iowa City, Iowa; and the Westside Affordable Housing Transit-Oriented Development in National City, Calif.

The Office of Sustainable Communities that EPA announced today will help create neighborhoods that offer good jobs, educational opportunities, safe and affordable homes and transportation options while minimizing their impact on the environment. The Pilot Technical Assistance Program for Sustainable Communities will further that goal by encouraging states to use their Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan program to better support communities that adopt sustainable strategies, like transit-oriented, mixed-use development.

More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership

More information on EPA’s Smart Growth program: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, would like to invite 6th-8th graders residing in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin to participate in the U.S. EPA Climate Change Art Challenge. The contest asks students to create a drawing or a painting that responds to the question, “What is Climate Change?” on their own – without a teaching prompt from adults. The purpose of the contest is to see what 6th-8th graders think climate change is, based on what they already know. The artwork will be educational for the EPA, parents, and teachers, showing us what children are learning about climate change from the media, parents, and in schools.

Entries must be one-dimensional, must be no larger than 11” X 17” and must be mailed or shipped with completed Entry Form. To apply, visit the EPA website: http://www.epa.gov/region5/air/airinfo.html. Winners will be chosen based on the most creative and representative depictions of climate change. All participants will receive a certificate of recognition. First- and second-place winners will receive award plaques and winning art will be posted on the U.S. EPA Region 5 Web site in April 2010. For more information, please contact Cynthia Meyer at meyer.cynthia@epa.gov or (312) 886-5868, or Elizabeth McWhorter at mcwhorter.elizabeth@epa.gov or (312) 353-5069. All entries must be received by the EPA no later than Monday, March 22, 2010.

Read the full post at Mother Nature Network.

In the heart of Los Angeles, oil is being produced. Not the dirty, black variety you have to drill for, but the clean, green kind that can be manufactured … anywhere.

At an exclusive event last Thursday night, OriginOil unveiled its breakthrough technology to transform algae, a promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum. After years of research and development, the company is ready to go commercial with their new technology.

Read the full story in Biomass Magazine.

The biofuels and biomass industries received nothing but good news Feb. 3, with the release of the long-awaited renewable fuel standard (RFS2) final rule, the first report generated by President Barack Obama’s Biofuel Interagency Working Group, and the Biomass Crop Assistance Program proposed rule .

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection received the results of tests conducted on leachate from three landfills in Maine – Augusta, Brunswick and Bath.  Those results show that pharmaceutical drugs disposed of in household waste do end up in the liquid that drains or ‘leaches’ from a landfill…which then runs the risk of contaminating ground water and surface water supplies.

“These test results back up what we believed to be true and that is that left over prescription drugs that people throw away really don’t ever go away,” says Mark Hyland, Director of the Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management. “This is one reason we want pharmaceutical companies to do their part in taking back medication that people are no longer using and dispose of it properly.”

When prescription drugs are no longer needed they are typically: thrown in the trash, stashed in medicine cabinets – where you run the risk of accidental poisoning,  flushed down the toilet – only to travel through wastewater treatment facilities essentially untreated, misused, or the cause of drug related crimes.

Leachate is typically sent from the landfill to a wastewater treatment plant where pharmaceuticals may pass through virtually untreated and go directly in the river.  Wastewater treatment plants are designed to remove human waste not pharmaceutical drugs.  Pharmaceuticals which end up in water bodies can have negative impacts on fish and aquatic organisms.

DEP chose to test Augusta, Brunswick, and Bath because they are landfills that take in a lot of household waste, but haven’t historically taken in sludge from wastewater treatment plants – which DEP felt could skew the test results.  Types of drugs found in the leachate water were consistent in all three landfills and include antidepressants, antibiotics, steroids, as well as heart, asthma and pain medications.

Representative Ann Perry of Calais is sponsoring a bill that would have pharmaceutical companies which distribute drugs in Maine, also be responsible for collecting and properly disposing of unwanted drugs.   This is an effort that the DEP, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Safety, and the Attorney General support.  The agencies feel the legislation would save money by reducing health care, public safety, and environmental costs.

Read the full story in the Calgary Herald.

Researchers have engineered a microbe that produces biodiesel directly from plant waste and grasses, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Nature.

Read the full post at Green Car Congress.

An updated life cycle assessment (LCA) of soybean production and products commissioned by the United Soybean Board found multiple energy and environmental benefits of current US soybean farming and processing. Currently, the data included in the Department of Energy’s US Life Cycle Inventory is based on three years, 1998 to 2001. This LCA project is based on US agricultural data for the 2001-2007 period. It also contains actual data on soybean processing, commonly known as crushing, that was not previously available.

Read the full story in the Des Moines Register.

Federal regulators say corn ethanol and soy biodiesel are greener than first thought, clearing the way for the fuels to meet new greenhouse-gas emission standards.

Read the full post at Green Car Congress.

ABB has developed a water treatment technology that cleans oily wastewater — by far the largest waste product in oil and gas production — quickly, cost-effectively and energy-efficiently.

Read the full story from the Worldwatch Institute.

Bacteria that convert plants into diesel could become a widely available method for creating alternative fuels at commercial prices within the next two years.

U.S. researchers announced progress last week in converting sugars directly into biodiesel by modifying the Escherichia coli bacterium (E. coli). Their biodiesel, a fossil fuel alternative, can be transported in diesel pipelines and burned in standard diesel engines, releasing far fewer greenhouse gases than conventional diesel.

Read the full post at Green Car Congress.

Mitsubishi Corporation and Weyerhaeuser Company signed a Strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the possibilities of collaborating in the biomass-to-energy business.

Read the full post at Green Car Congress.

The University of Queensland, Australia (UQ) and US-based Amyris Biotechnologies Inc., a synthetic biology company focused on developing renewable hydrocarbon biofuels (earlier post), are partnering to explore potential business opportunities for the conversion of sugarcane into renewable jet fuel.

Read the full post at Green Car Congress.

Israel-based Evogene Ltd. is establishing field trials in Texas, USA and northeastern Brazil for the evaluation of its proprietary castor bean lines. These castor bean lines, designed for higher yield and growth on semi-arid land, are being developed by Evogene to serve as a sustainable and cost efficient second-generation feedstock for biofuel production.

President Barack Obama today announced a series of steps his Administration is taking as part of its comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy, and its promise of new industries and millions of jobs.

At a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors from around the country, the President laid out three measures that will work in concert to boost biofuels production and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a rule to implement the long-term renewable fuels standard of 36 billion gallons by 2022 established by Congress.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a rule on the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) that would provide financing to increase the conversion of biomass to bioenergy. The President’s Biofuels Interagency Working Group released its first report – Growing America’s Fuel. The report, authored by group co-chairs, Secretaries Vilsack and Chu, and Administrator Jackson, lays out a strategy to advance the development and commercialization of a sustainable biofuels industry to meet or exceed the nation’s biofuels targets.

In addition, President Obama announced a Presidential Memorandum (linked below) creating an Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage to develop a comprehensive and coordinated federal strategy to speed the development and deployment of clean coal technologies. Our nation’s economy will continue to rely on the availability and affordability of domestic coal for decades to meet its energy needs, and these advances are necessary to reduce pollution in the meantime. The President calls for five to ten commercial demonstration projects to be up and running by 2016.

President Obama said, “Now, I happen to believe that we should pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill.  It will make clean energy the profitable kind of energy, and the decision by other nations to do this is already giving their businesses a leg up on developing clean energy jobs and technologies. But even if you disagree on the threat posed by climate change, investing in clean energy jobs and businesses is still the right thing to do for our economy.  Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is still the right thing to do for our security.  We can’t afford to spin our wheels while the rest of the world speeds ahead.”

“Advancing biomass and biofuel production holds the potential to create green jobs, which is one of the many ways the Obama Administration is working to rebuild and revitalize rural America,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Facilities that produce renewable fuel from biomass have to be designed, built and operated. Additionally, BCAP will stimulate biomass production and that will benefit producers and provide the materials necessary to generate clean energy and reduce carbon pollution.”

“President Obama and this Administration are strongly committed to the development of carbon capture and storage technology as a key part of the clean energy economy.  We can and should lead the world in this technology and the jobs it can create,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

“The actions President Obama has taken today will create jobs, slash greenhouse gas emissions and increase our energy security while helping to put America at the leading edge of the new energy economy,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “The renewable fuel standards will help bring new economic opportunity to millions of Americans, particularly in rural America. EPA is proud to be a part of the President’s effort to combat climate change and put Americans back to work – both through the new renewable fuel standards and through our co-chairmanship with the Department of Energy of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage.”

Background on today’s announcements:

Renewable Fuels Standard. EPA has finalized a rule implementing the long-term renewable fuels mandate of 36 billion gallons by 2022 established by Congress. The Renewable Fuels Standard requires biofuels production to grow from last year’s 11.1 billion gallons to 36 billion gallons in 2022, with 21 billion gallons to come from advanced biofuels.  Increasing renewable fuels will reduce dependence on oil by more than 328 million barrels a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than 138 million metric tons a year when fully phased in by 2022.  For the first time, some renewable fuels must achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions – compared to the gasoline and diesel fuels they displace – in order to be counted towards compliance with volume standards. To read the rule: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels/index.htm

Biomass Crop Assistance Program. USDA has proposed a rule for Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) to convert biomass to bioenergy and bio-based products.  USDA provides grants and loans and other financial support to help biofuels and renewable energy commercialization. BCAP has already begun to provide matching payments to folks delivering biomass for the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation of biomass to eligible biomass conversion facilities.  To read the rule: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=ener&topic=bcap

Biofuels Working Group. In May, President Obama established the Biofuels Interagency Working Group – co-chaired by USDA, DOE, and EPA, and with input from many others – to develop a comprehensive approach to accelerating the investment in and production of American biofuels and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.  Today the Working Group released its first report:  Growing America’s Fuel – a new U.S. Government strategy for meeting or beating the country’s biofuel targets. The report is focused on short term solid government solutions supporting the existing biofuels industry, as well as accelerating the commercial establishment of advanced biofuels and a viable long-term market by transforming how the U.S. Government does business across Departments and using strategic public-private partnerships. To read the full report: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/growing_americas_fuels.PDF

Presidential Memorandum for a Comprehensive Federal Strategy on Carbon Capture and Storage. Charting the path toward clean coal is essential to achieving the Administration’s clean energy goals, supporting American jobs and reducing emissions of carbon pollution.  Rapid development and deployment of clean coal technologies, particularly carbon capture and storage (CCS), will help position the U.S. as a leader in the global clean energy race.  The President’s memorandum establishes an Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage to develop a comprehensive and coordinated federal strategy to speed the development and deployment of clean coal technologies.
The Task Force will be co-chaired by representatives of from DOE and EPA and include participants from at least 9 different agencies and offices.   The Task Force shall develop within 180 days a plan to overcome the barriers to the deployment of widespread affordable CCS within 10 years, with a goal of bringing five to ten commercial demonstration projects on line by 2016.  The plan should address incentives for CCS adoption and any financial, economic, technological, legal, institutional, or other barriers to deployment.  The Task Force should consider how best to coordinate existing federal authorities and programs, as well as identify areas where additional federal authority may be necessary.  The Task Force shall report progress periodically to the President, through the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. To read the full memorandum: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-a-comprehensive-federal-strategy-carbon-capture-and-storage

Read the full story at Green Building News.

Educators often talk about teachable moments — opportunities to encourage students to think critically about and learn from a current event or issue.

When planning a sustainable school, educators and designers can develop a high-performance building that not only achieves LEED Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification but also generates learning opportunities in a wide range of curricula, including math, science, information technology, social studies and environmental education.

Key factors in achieving these dual goals are a committed owner and project team, an integrated design process, an understanding of the fundamentals of sustainability and the incorporation of visible design features and energy and water measurement devices that display data for students to see and use.

Read the full post at Earth911.

Put down whatever you’re eating for this one. Green Earth Technologies, a Connecticut-based consumer goods manufacturer, is turning otherwise useless cow fat into motor oil, or, as the company calls the end product, G-Oil.

Already approved by the American Petroleum Institute, G-Oil is the green, but equally efficient, alternative to petroleum-based motor oil.

Read the full post at Earth911.

Last year’s Super Bowl face off between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers drew a whopping 95.4 million viewers, ranking second behind 2008’s record-setting game.

If history tells us anything, it’s that Sunday will be a big day for football parties as Peyton and the Colts take on the Cinderella-story New Orleans Saints.

So while planning that party for 20 guests, don’t forget the drinks, the chips and dip and your eco-footprint. Here are four simple tips to green your Super Bowl Sunday:

Read the full story at Earth911.

Devoting the month of February as a time to recognize African Americans’ contributions to society began with Carter G. Woodson in the early 1920s.

After spending his childhood working on Kentucky coalmines and finishing high school at the age of 22, Woodson went on to earn his doctorate at Harvard University. Reading the history books, he was dismayed at the lack of attention paid to African American history.

So we thought we’d compile our own list of African Americans acting as stewards of the environment. Watch out for these eco-warriors because this won’t be the last time you hear about them.

Read the full story at Earth911.

Have you prepared yourself for the onslaught of pink paper hearts and haphazard cupid arrows that is about to ensue? Yeah, we really haven’t either.

But like it or leave it, Valentine’s Day is a great time to do an eco-refresh on your love life, even if you’re not attached.

Read the full story at Earth911.

Batteries, batteries everywhere and…not a drop to drink?

Forgive the failed metaphor. The point here is that batteries, both the kind that you toss after one use (single-use batteries) and the kind you can reuse (rechargeables), are an everyday essential in countless applications. Remote controls, cordless phones, power tools, toys, handheld games, digital camera, flashlights, smoke detectors (you get the idea).

Unfortunately, with all this consumption comes a great deal of waste. Each year, Americans throw out almost 180,000 tons of batteries, with a majority of these being the single-use variety.

On the other hand, rechargeable batteries use is on the rise. In fact, the U.S. EPA estimates that more than 350 million rechargeable batteries are purchased annually in the U.S.

So, with our increasing need for portable power, which kind is the best for you? Is there a “better” battery?

With assistance from Roots & Shoots, the Jane Goodall Institute’s global environmental and humanitarian youth program, Green Works, the Clorox Company’s line of natural cleaners, has announced the 2010 Green Heroes Grant Program.

The program will award six grants, totaling $60,000, to individuals, organizations, and schools across the United States that are making their communities a greener place to live.

People can nominate green community projects and their leaders for a Green Heroes grant by submitting a photo and short essay about the project or person at the Green Works facebook page. Nominations will be accepted between January 19 and February 18, 2010.

A $15,000 first prize and a $5,000 runner-up grant will be awarded in each of three categories: Youth Leader/Organization — individual youth leaders between the ages of 13 and 17 working with youth-led nonprofit organizations; Adult Leader/Organization — individual leaders age 18 and over working with nonprofit organizations; and School Organization — innovative environmental programs that are coordinated by a school or a teacher. Programs in the School Organization category can receive grants to help further develop their projects along with a special educational experience from Roots & Shoots for their school.

Nominations in each category should focus on showing how the group’s or individual’s efforts are new or unique and are making a difference in their respective communities. Judges will evaluate entries for their innovation, impact, and growth opportunities.

Following the online nomination period, a panel of judges from the Green Works team and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots will review all submissions to determine five finalists in each of the three categories. From March 18 through April 18, 2010, the public will have the opportunity to vote online for their favorite individual, organization, or school. The top two vote recipients in each category will receive a Green Heroes grant.

For more information about the Green Heroes Grant Program, including official contest rules and entry guidelines, visit the Green Works facebook page.

School bus manufacturer IC Bus has announced the 2010 America’s Greenest School contest.

Students across the United States are invited to submit an entry (e.g., a photo collection, music, a video, an essay, or photos of a diorama, collage, or piece of artwork) that illustrates their ideas for making their school a greener place.

IC Bus will select ten finalists and the public will then select the winner through online voting. The winner will be announced the week of Earth Day 2010 and the school of the winning entrant will win a hybrid school bus from IC Bus (a $150,000 value), a green audit of their school from a LEED Accredited Professional, and approximately $20,000 for their school to use toward a “green” makeover.

This report from Info-Tech lays out the most widely practiced methods of measuring the energy used by your computing facilities, as well as the productivity of your data centers.

Growing computing and storage requirements coupled with rising electricity costs and mandates for high availability mean that the power and cooling of IT server infrastructure is becoming increasingly expensive. In some cases, power and cooling costs can rival or exceed the cost of the infrastructure itself. Capturing and analyzing efficiency metrics can improve management decision-making in several areas:

• Make sense of energy usage data and identify areas of opportunity.
• Calculate the real Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of infrastructure components (i.e. including energy costs).
• Provide a baseline for calculating the Return on Investment (ROI) of new energy-saving initiatives.
• Improve capacity planning for power and cooling infrastructure.
• Avoid costly brownouts and service interruptions.
• Meet corporate priorities for “green” initiatives.

As part of President Obama’s commitment to more effective and open government, the public can more quickly access federal regulations at Regulations.gov, thanks to comments received during the Regulations.gov Exchange online forum held last year.  Regulations.gov provides one-stop public access to information related to current and forthcoming regulations issued by the federal government.

The eRulemaking Program made the following specific-site improvements to Regulations.gov:

• a new rotating panel of images and video clips offering a preview to the latest Web site changes
• a dashboard of regulatory documents housed on Regulations.gov
• a new A-Z index of rules and proposed rules categorized by topic
• instructional video-clips highlighting site functions
• improvements to the site’s homepage and search wizard

In addition, the eRulemaking Program has re-launched its Regulations.gov Exchange online forum to allow the public to explore proposed new designs and features, provide comments, and engage with other site visitors and the eRulemaking Program staff.  The public can also link to the Regulations.gov Twitter page to further support visitors’ participation in Regulations.gov and their government.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is the managing partner of the inter-agency eRulemaking Program, which operates Regulations.gov.

More information: http://www.regulations.gov

As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to increasing energy efficiency and reducing costs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today the creation of the State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network.  This network is meant to help states achieve maximum cost effective energy efficiency improvements in homes, offices, buildings and industry by 2020.  Strengthening energy efficiency initiatives across the country helps to save money and protect the environment at the same time.

“In the clean energy future, energy efficiency is action number one.  We can cut greenhouse gases and protect our environment at the same time we save money for homeowners, schools and businesses,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “With strong federal support, our state partners can realize these benefits even faster than expected and move aggressively into a clean, affordable energy future.”

“Expanding energy efficiency is one of the quickest, most cost-effective ways we can address climate change and grow America’s economy,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.  “The State Energy Efficiency Action Network will help provide states with the technical and policy support they need to invest in energy efficiency, saving energy and money for families and businesses across the country.”

The SEE Action Network will be led by DOE and EPA. Through the network, DOE, EPA and other member organizations will assist states with their energy efficiency initiatives, including residential efficiency programs, financing solutions, and improving availability of energy usage information.  It will address the full range of challenges to implementation by providing targeted technical assistance to states in order to reach ambitious national energy goals to greatly improve our nation’s economy and environment.

The SEE Action Network will drive energy efficiency by using a broad set of goals developed in the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, but will strive to reach these goals five years earlier than originally envisioned.  These goals range from establishing state-of-the art billing systems that provide consumers with consistent information on their energy use and costs to developing strong state policies to ensure robust energy efficiency practices.

The new SEE Action Executive Group will meet for the first time in early March. A number of working groups will continue to meet throughout the year to deliver results on specific goals.

The National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency is a public-private initiative that began in the fall of 2005 to create a sustainable, aggressive national commitment to energy efficiency through collaborative efforts of gas and electric utilities, utility regulators, state agencies and other partner organizations.

More information on the SEE Action Network: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-programs/seeaction/index.html

More information on reports and tools for states advancing energy efficiency: http://www.epa.gov/eeactionplan

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

Pretreating polycarbonate plastic may be the key to disposing of bisphenol A (BPA) in an eco-friendly way, scientists have found. Their new study is in the American Chemical Society’s Biomacromolecules, a monthly journal.

Mukesh Doble and Trishul Artham note that manufacturers produce about 2.7 million tons of plastic containing BPA each year. Some studies have suggested that BPA may have a range of adverse health effects, sparking the search for an environmentally safe way of disposing of waste plastic to avoid release of BPA. Doble, Ph.D., is a professor in the biotechnology department at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chennai, India.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

A new study on the surface chemistry of silver-colored, mercury-based dental fillings suggests that the surface forms of mercury may be less toxic than previously thought.

A report on the study appears online in American Chemical Society’s journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.

A one-stop source for biogeographic information collected from U.S. waters and oceanic regions is now available from the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Program.

The OBIS-USA website offers a unique combination of tools, resources, and biodiversity information to aide scientists, resource managers and decision makers in the research and analyses critical to sustaining the nation’s valued marine ecosystems.

OBIS-USA was established in 2006 in cooperation with the U.S. National Committee for the Census of Marine Life a committee composed of renowned marine community leaders. OBIS-USA – a partnership of state, federal and scientific organizations — is the United States’ contribution to the International Ocean Biogeographic Information System, an effort led by the Census of Marine Life to provide “open access” to global biodiversity data on the myriad of marine life that inhabits the ocean.

“The world’s ocean is critically important, not only because of how it influences the climate, but also because it provides the resources for commercial, recreational, cultural, scientific, conservation, and national security activities,”” said John Mosesso, OBIS-USA co-lead. “At the same time, the ocean is threatened by a variety of changes, including warming temperatures, increasing ocean acidity, invasion by non-native species, overharvesting, and loss of habitat for species of concern.”

OBIS-USA provides data and functional tools to address key questions and information needs related to scientific understanding of sustainable and resilient ecosystems, marine spatial planning, climate change, ocean acidification, invasive species, and managing the nation’s fisheries. To address these ocean threats requires access to critical information on marine biodiversity, Mosesso noted.

OBIS-USA data holdings comprise millions of individual records supplied by marine data sponsors from across the nation. The site provides a work space for visitors to search and manipulate that data. This is accomplished in collaboration with data providers to produce a compilation of data in a common format. Data are interoperable and can be consistently viewed and applied by researchers, decision makers and resource managers.

Users can search and download data and metadata describing when and where species were observed or collected. The site’s offerings are available through an atlas (where users can review and select specific data sets). Individual or composite data sets (user-created selections from the entire holdings) may be viewed through several functions, including:

• data dashboard – provides a pictorial view of data attributes that lets users assess their utility;
• data richness – assesses how well the data are populated for selected elements;
• data quality – provides key data collection information;
• duplication status – indicates if a data set may contain duplicate records;
• general metadata – displays the Federal Geographic Data Committee data record;
• geographic coverage – displays data collection sites spatially;
• participants – names OBIS-USA participants, with the option to connect back to the atlas, dashboard, and metadata functions; and
• taxonomic depth – table shows the levels of taxonomic hierarchy for each organism.

OBIS-USA goals this year include an increase to over 10 million total data records and expanded functionality to address needs such as integration with non-biological data and further capability regarding species distributions.

To learn more about OBIS-USA, including growing its list of data and exploring partnerships, contact the NBII’s Mark Fornwall or John Mosesso.

Coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey, the NBII is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation’s biological resources.

Read the full story in the St. Petersburg Times.

Police Chief Chuck Harmon said he is removing dozens of new energy-efficient cars from his patrol fleet because the vehicles are unsuitable for transporting suspects.

The 2009 Chevrolet Impalas were scheduled to be rolled into the department’s fleet last month as part of a cost-saving measure that would have saved the city thousands of dollars each year in vehicle and gas fees.

Instead, they’ve sat mostly untouched for weeks as city officials debated what to do with the ergonomically challenged, less secure vehicles.

Read the full story in the New York Times.

The task force’s recommendations include rules for insulating skyscrapers and a plan to install thermostats in individual apartments.

Read the press release.

Depending on how they are handled, discarded electronic products and components – or e-waste, as they are collectively known – can represent either a major environmental dilemma or a massive potential economic windfall.

If treated properly, much e-waste may be reclaimed or recycled for future use and converted into a significant new revenue stream. Improperly treated e-waste, on the other hand, poses a massive threat to the world’s ecosystem and can result in contamination to the soil, air, and water, while also exposing workers, nearby residents, and wildlife to a multitude of health hazards.

A new market study by ABI Research, “e-Waste Recovery and Recycling,” forecasts that the worldwide market for e-waste recovery will grow from $5.7 billion in 2009 to nearly $14.7 billion by the end of 2014, representing a CAGR of 20.8% over the forecast period. This figure represents money generated through reclamation of valuable materials from e-scrap.