·:[ 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.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today launched a Web page for consumers with information on how to dispose of certain drugs, including several high-potency opioids and other selected controlled substances. These medicines have the potential to be harmful, even deadly, in a single dose if taken by someone other than the intended person.

The FDA recommends that these medicines be disposed of by flushing down the sink or toilet. The goal is to keep them away from children and others who could be harmed by taking them accidentally.

Medicines not listed should be thrown away in the household trash after mixing them with some unpalatable substance, such as coffee grounds, and sealing them in a bag or other container. Another option is to dispose of them through drug take back programs, if federal and state law permit.

“The safe disposal of medicines from the home after they are no longer needed is an important concern for the FDA,” said Douglas Throckmorton, M.D., deputy center director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

All medicines listed have disposal instructions in their professional prescribing information; however, this information is targeted to health care professionals. The Web page provides clear instructions for consumers on whether a medicine should be flushed or disposed of in the trash.

Throckmorton also said, “The FDA is working with other groups to improve the use of several drug disposal methods, including drug take back programs. However, for some potent medicines that can cause harm or death if inadvertently taken by family members, the FDA currently recommends flushing them down the sink or toilet to immediately and permanently remove them from the home. Simple precautions like these can reduce the likelihood of accidental and potentially dangerous exposure to unused medicines.”

The FDA worked with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop the first consumer guidance for proper disposal of prescription drugs. The ONDCP federal guidelines were first issued in February 2007. The 2009 version of the federal guidelines is available at http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf.

For more information:

• Disposal by Flushing of Certain Unused Medicines: What You Should Know
• Medicines Recommended for Disposal by Flushing

Via Resource Shelf.

Energy Explained
From e-mail:

Energy Explained , a new web portal launched today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), celebrates Energy Awareness Month with the most comprehensive energy education resource available from the U.S. Government.

The site explains where gasoline comes from, what determines the price of electricity, how much renewable energy the United States uses, and hundreds of other energy topics.

“Energy touches us in many ways every day, from the electricity that lights our homes to the fuel we use in our cars,” said EIA Administrator Richard Newell. “Energy Explained uses plain language and clear graphics to help explain a sometimes complex, but vital subject.”

Energy Explained allows easy navigation between major energy topics:

• What Is Energy?
• Use of Energy
• Energy and the Environment
• Nonrenewable Energy Sources
• Renewable Energy Sources
• Secondary Energy Sources

Source: Energy Information Administration

FuelEconomy.gov provides a mobile version of their site at fueleconomy.gov/m. The mobile site provides:

• Fuel economy ratings for all cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. back to model year 1985
• Annual fuel cost estimates
• Annual petroleum use (barrels of domestic and imported petroleum)
• Carbon footprint (tons of carbon dioxide emitted annually)

Read the full story in Research Information.

Web 2.0 technologies have fundamentally changed the way that many people share personal information. It might be an exaggeration to say that everyone is constantly twittering, blogging their daily thoughts, or uploading their holidays snaps to Flickr but there is an increasing number of people who are. Even those who aren’t publishing vast quantities of their own information are often using these technologies to follow the goings-on of family and friends.

The potential of Web 2.0 technologies for collaboration and communication in a more professional setting has also been widely recognised, with the ‘two point oh’ moniker being added to a host of organisational types and professional activities. However, within the world of scholarly publishing, despite the huge potential of Web 2.0 technologies for the transforming of the research and publishing process, adoption is seemingly a slow affair. The question is, are academics waiting for the right tools, or are they just too stuck in their ways?

Via Docuticker.

State Green Economy Profiles
Source: National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices

As governors across the country look at ways they can help build a green economy in their state, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) has commissioned Collaborative Economics Inc. (CEI) to prepare a profile of each state’s green economy. State profiles can be found by clicking on the map above. This data is designed to provide a detailed, empirical account of each state’s existing assets across multiple green sectors and serve as a foundation for identifying future growth areas and related needs. The profile is based on a methodology presented by CEI (PDF; 2 MB) at the NGA Center’s Green Economy State Roundtable in April.

Via Docuticker.

Report Estimates Climate Change Adaptation Costs, Impacts to Utilities
Source: National Association of Clean Water Agencies

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and the Association of the Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) released a report today detailing the impacts climate change can have on wastewater and drinking water utilities and estimating the adaptation costs for these critical facilities to be between $448 billion and $944 billion through 2050. The associations, which represent the nation’s public wastewater and drinking water agencies, urged Congress and the Obama administration to recognize that climate change is fundamentally about water and to implement policies that will help utilities take timely actions to adapt.
…
Climate change impacts to wastewater and drinking water utilities, which provide critical economic, public health, and environmental benefits, include sea level rise and extreme flooding that can inundate and incapacitate treatment facilities; water quality degradation and increased treatment requirements; water scarcity and the need to develop new drinking water supplies; and lower flows in drought conditions that can affect the operation of treatment facilities.

Adaptation strategies involve integrating aspects of the constructed and natural water cycle through “water portfolio management” that provides utilities flexibility to craft sustainable approaches to suit their specific needs. Water conservation, new water conveyance and storage, desalination, and wastewater reuse are options to help utilities adapt. In addition, green infrastructure solutions that mimic the natural environment can be used to address stormwater flows at a lower cost while providing the ancillary benefits of providing habitat, recharging aquifers, and enhancing water quality.

+ Full Report (PDF; 2.6 MB)

Via Docuticker.

Plastic Bottle Recycling Reaches Record High of Over 2.4 Billion Pounds Annually
Source: American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR)

Plastic bottle recycling by consumers increased 75 million pounds in 2008 (up 3.2%), to reach a record high of more than 2.4 billion pounds for the year, according to figures released jointly today by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR).

The 19th annual National Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report also found that the results reflect a continuing increase in the pounds of bottles collected for recycling each year since the industry survey began in 1990. The recycling rate for plastic bottles rose nearly 3 percent to reach 27 percent.
…
Over the last two decades, America’s plastics and recycling industries have invested over $2 billion in developing technologies and the infrastructure to recycle plastics in communities across the nation. Most recently, these efforts have focused on increasing awareness of recycling opportunities among consumers and expanding access to away–from–home recycling bins.

APR, which represents more than 90 percent of the postconsumer plastics recycling capacity in North America, has initiated a series of recycling workshops and webinars for recycling officials to help increase the volume of plastics available for recycling. In addition, APR works closely with packaging and consumer product companies on design for recycling of new containers and works with industry to minimize contamination of the recycling stream.

+ Full Report (PDF; 115 KB)

Via RFF Library Blog.

Via RFF Library Blog.

Via RFF Library Blog.

Via RFF Library Blog.

Brookings Institution / by Craig Pirrong
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2009/09_cap_and_trade_market_oversight_pirrong.aspx

[From introduction] The original concept of cap-and-trade envisioned that the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions would be capped and rights to emit would be traded. But it is inevitable that there will be demand to trade instruments other than emissions rights themselves. Specifically, there will be a demand to trade derivatives on emissions rights…

the current regulatory environment is extraordinarily hostile to derivatives generally, and to carbon derivatives particularly. Indeed, several proposals have been introduced to constrain or eliminate various types of derivatives trading, including proposals to:

• Impose limits (e.g., speculative limits) on the uses of these products, or on the amount of trading certain kinds of entities can undertake;
• Restrict where and how derivatives are traded, with a decided preference for trading on organized exchanges;
• Constrain arrangements for the allocation of performance risk, with a decided preference for “clearing” derivatives transactions through central counterparties (“CCPs”);
• Ban certain derivatives altogether.

The American Clean Energy and Securities Act (ACESA), passed by the US House of Representatives in June, includes provisions mandating many of these restrictions.

All of these proposals are misguided, some extremely so. They are predicated on a widespread misunderstanding of what derivatives are, how they work, and the reasons that firms trade them…In this chapter I will support them by going back to basics, describing what derivatives are, why they are used, how they are traded, the abuses they are subject to, and the most efficient ways to constrain those abuses.

Via RFF Library Blog.

Congressional Budget Office / Testimony before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U. S. Senate : Statement of  Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director
http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10561

[From Director's Blog] Today I testified about the economic effects of legislation aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, drawing on a report that CBO released a few weeks ago.

Reducing the extent of climate change would entail substantial reductions in U.S. emissions and in emissions from other countries over the coming decades. Achieving such reductions in this country would probably involve some combination of three broad changes: transforming the U.S. economy from one that runs on carbon-dioxide-emitting fossil fuels to one that increasingly relies on nuclear and renewable fuels; accomplishing substantial improvements in energy efficiency; and implementing the large-scale capture and storage of carbon dioxide emissions.

My testimony emphasized several points:

• The economic impact would depend importantly on the design of the policy. Decisions about whether to reduce greenhouse gases primarily through market-based systems (such as taxes or a cap-and-trade program) or primarily through traditional regulatory approaches that specify performance or technology standards would influence the total costs of reducing emissions and the distribution of those costs. The costs would also depend on the stringency of the policy; whether other countries imposed similar policies; the amount of flexibility about when, where, and how emissions would be reduced; and the allocation of allowances if a cap-and-trade system was used.
• Reducing the risk of climate change would come at some cost to the economy. For example, CBO concludes that the cap-and-trade provisions of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, would reduce GDP below what it would otherwise have been—by roughly ¼ to ¾ percent in 2020 and by between 1 and 3½ percent in 2050. By way of comparison, CBO projects that real (that is, inflation-adjusted) GDP will be roughly two and a half times as large in 2050 as it is today, so those changes would be comparatively modest. In the models that CBO reviewed, the long-run cost to households would be smaller than the changes in GDP because consumption falls by less than GDP and because households benefit from more time spent in nonmarket activities. Moreover, these measures of potential costs do not include any benefits of averting climate change.
• Climate legislation would cause permanent shifts in production and employment away from industries that produce carbon-based energy and energy-intensive goods and services and toward industries that produce alternative energy sources and less-energy-intensive goods and services. While those shifts were occurring, total employment would probably be reduced a little compared with what it would have been without such a policy, because labor markets would most likely not adjust as quickly as would the composition of demand for different outputs.
• CBO has estimated the loss in purchasing power that would result from the primary cap-and-trade program in H.R. 2454, incorporating both the higher prices that households would face and the compensation they would receive (primarily through the allocation of allowances or the proceeds from their sale). CBO’s measure omits some channels of influence on households’ well-being that cannot be readily quantified, and it appears that the measure probably understates the true burden to a small degree. As estimated, the loss in purchasing power would be modest and would rise over time as the cap became more stringent, accounting for 0.2 percent of after-tax income in 2020 and 1.2 percent in 2050. Households in the lowest fifth of households when arrayed by income would see gains in purchasing power in both 2020 and 2050, because the compensation they would receive would exceed the costs they would bear. However, households in the middle fifth would see net losses in purchasing power amounting to 0.6 percent of after-tax income in 2020 and 1.1 percent in 2050.

Via Docuticker.

Global Climate Change Policy Tracker: An Investor’s Assessment
Source: DB Climate Change Advisors (Deutsche Bank Group) and Columbia Climate Center at the Earth Institute, Columbia University

This report, “Global Climate Change Policy Tracker: An Investor’s Assessment” (Climate Tracker), provides investors with an analysis of climate change policies and assigns a risk rating to 109 countries, states and regions based on key government mandates and supporting policy frameworks. The report was produced by DBCCA, working with the Columbia Climate Center at the Earth Institute, Columbia University.

The “Climate Tracker” is the first publicly-available analysis of its kind. It incorporates results of a model prepared by Columbia Climate Center researchers that estimates the impacts on carbon emissions of each of 270 major climate policies, and aggregates them at country, regional and global levels. The “Climate Tracker” provides a risk rating of countries and regions based on their relative attractiveness to investors. It is designed to help investors identify the best risk-adjusted returns in climate change investment opportunities around the world.

+ Executive Summary [PDF; 382 KB]
+ Detailed Summary of Targets by Region & Country [PDF; 474 KB]
+ Detailed Analysis of Targets by Region & Country [PDF; 1.74 MB]

Via Docuticker.

Health Problems Heat Up: Climate Change and the Public’s Health
Source: Trust for America’s Health

Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) released a new report today that finds only five states have published a strategic climate change plan that includes a public health response. This includes planning for health challenges and emergencies expected to develop from natural disasters, pollution, and infectious diseases as temperatures and sea levels rise.

The Health Problems Heat Up: Climate Change and the Public’s Health report examines U.S. planning for changing health threats posed by climate change, such as heat-related sickness, respiratory infections, natural disasters, changes to the food supply, and infectious diseases carried by insects.

+ Full Report

Via Docuticker.

Exposed: Groundbreaking report details climate change hotspots in US Southeast
Source: Oxfam America

A number of “hotspots” of vulnerability to climate-related hazards exist in the US southeast, according to a new groundbreaking study released today by Oxfam America. The report, Exposed: Social Vulnerability and Climate Change in the US Southeast, is the first of its kind to combine hazards associated with climate change with social variables, revealing the people and places that will most likely to be hit worst by climate change.

“Climate change will impact everyone, but not everyone will be impacted equally,” said Oxfam America President Raymond C. Offenheiser. “Social factors like income and race do not determine who will be hit by a natural disaster, but they do determine a population’s ability to prepare, respond, and recover when disaster does strike. This report will serve as a critical tool to help us identify especially vulnerable communities and invest wisely in their climate resiliency and preparedness.”

The study covers 13 states in the US southeast from Arkansas to Virginia, measuring the underlying social and demographic characteristics of populations and how some of those characteristics negatively affect their ability to cope with climate change-related hazards, such as flooding, drought, hurricane force winds and sea-level rise. Poverty is deepest in the rural South where more than one in four people live in counties with persistent poverty, and it is therefore one of the country’s most socially vulnerable regions to climate change.

+ Full Report

View a few of the amazing pictures at Mother Nature Network.

Every year, the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife magazine team up to put on an international showcase of the best wildlife photography from across the globe: The Veolia Environnment Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. Here are just a few photographs from the 2009 exhibition.

See also The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition.

Via Docuticker.

Managing Electronic Waste: Issues with Exporting E-Waste (PDF)
Source: Congressional Research Service (via Federation of American Scientists/Secrecy News)

Although there may be limited data regarding how e-waste is managed, the consequences of export to countries that manage it improperly are becoming increasingly evident. In particular, various reports and studies (by the mainstream media, environmental organizations, and university researchers) have found primitive waste management practices in India and various countries in Africa and Asia. Operations in Guiyu in the Shantou region of China have gained particular attention. Observed recycling operations involve burning the plastic coverings of materials to extract metals for scrap, openly burning circuit boards to remove solder or soaking them in acid baths to strip them for gold or other metals. Acid baths are then dumped into surface water. Among other impacts to those areas have been elevated blood lead levels in children and soil and water contaminated with heavy metals.

The impacts associated with e-waste exports have led to concerns from environmental organizations, members of the public, and some Members of Congress.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently released its third annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, which ranks U.S. states according to adoption and implementation of energy efficiency policies.

The scorecard examines state’s performance in six energy efficiency policy areas: (1) utility-sector and public benefits programs and policies, (2) transportation policies, (3) building energy codes, (4) combined heat and power, (5) state government initiatives, and (6) appliance efficiency standards. It also documents the best practices and leadership roles that states are playing in national efforts to reduce energy use.

This year, the scorecard found that the top 10 states doing the most to implement energy efficiency were California (1), Massachusetts (2), Connecticut (3), Oregon (4), New York (5), Vermont (6), Washington State (7), Minnesota (8), Rhode Island (9), and Maine (10). In addition, the average state energy efficiency score improved from 15 to 17 points (out of 50) when compared with last year’s average score. The “most improved” states, which climbed at least eight spots from last year’s rankings, include Maine, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, South Dakota, and Tennessee.

For states further down the list, the successful practices, examples, and information highlighted in this scorecard can serve as a roadmap for getting started with energy efficiency.

The database is searchable by state or by policy, and documents state activities in the energy efficiency policy areas covered in the scorecard. For detailed information about energy efficiency initiatives at the state level, visit ACEEE’s State Energy Efficiency Policy Database on the Web at http://www.aceee.org/energy/state/index.htm.

The 2009 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard is available for free download at http://www.aceee.org/pubs/e097.htm; hard copies may be ordered through a link on the download page.

2010 Environmental Monitoring and Data Quality Workshop
April 12-16, 2010, Louisville, KY • The Brown Hotel
www.regonline.com/2010emdqworkshop to register or for more information
EMDQworkshop@geologics.com

The DoD Environmental Data Quality Workgroup is pleased to announce the 7th annual DoD Environmental Monitoring & Data Quality Workshop, which includes technical training sessions, technical presentations, a plenary session featuring distinguished speakers, a Q&A forum, component meetings, a poster session, an update on the DoD ELAP, and networking opportunities with members of the environmental community. This workshop is open to all interested environmental professionals involved with DoD sites or projects including representatives from the DoD services, other federal agencies, state, local, and tribal governments, academia, and the private sector.

Possible training categories for this workshop include:

• Streamlining of UFP-QAPP
• Systematic Project Planning
• Best Practices for DoD QSM
• IS (Incremental Sampling)
• LOD/LOQ/LCS: Determining and Understanding

Call for Papers
Abstracts for technical presentations and posters are being solicited in the following areas (Deadline January 15, 2010):

• DoD Emerging Contaminants
• Indoor Air Vapor Intrusion
• Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP)
• Laboratory Analysis and Performance; Data Management and Sharing
• Project Planning / Implementing UFP-QAPP
• Data Quality and Usability
• Field Sampling and Analysis
• Quality Systems Implementation
• Environmental Monitoring for Remedial Technologies

Read the full story at Ars Technica.

A collection of scientific societies has sent an open letter to all US Senators, reiterating their individual statements on climate change, and offering to provide more information as legislation to limit carbon emissions moves forward.

Read the full story at Ars Technica.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is telling the US Chamber of Commerce to get over a parody site that turns the trade group’s opposition to greenhouse gas legislation on its head. It might make the chamber look foolish, but the site is described as classic “fair use.”

Via Docuticker.

Fewer Americans See Solid Evidence of Global Warming
Source: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

There has been a sharp decline over the past year in the percentage of Americans who say there is solid evidence that global temperatures are rising. And fewer also see global warming as a very serious problem – 35% say that today, down from 44% in April 2008.

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Sept. 30-Oct. 4 among 1,500 adults reached on cell phones and landlines, finds that 57% think there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades. In April 2008, 71% said there was solid evidence of rising global temperatures.

Over the same period, there has been a comparable decline in the proportion of Americans who say global temperatures are rising as a result of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Just 36% say that currently, down from 47% last year.

The decline in the belief in solid evidence of global warming has come across the political spectrum, but has been particularly pronounced among independents. Just 53% of independents now see solid evidence of global warming, compared with 75% who did so in April 2008. Republicans, who already were highly skeptical of the evidence of global warming, have become even more so: just 35% of Republicans now see solid evidence of rising global temperatures, down from 49% in 2008 and 62% in 2007. Fewer Democrats also express this view – 75% today compared with 83% last year.

Via Docuticker.

Maker of Rayon Clothes Barred from Deceptive “Bamboo” Claims
Source: Federal Trade Commission

Just because bamboo is green does not mean that companies who purport to make clothing and other textiles from processed bamboo can make unsupported “green” claims. The Federal Trade Commission today announced a settlement with a company that allegedly falsely claimed its rayon products are made of bamboo fiber, retain bamboo’s antimicrobial properties, and are biodegradable.

Under the settlement, the company has agreed that it will not make any future bamboo claims unless they are true and backed by reliable evidence, and that it will no longer claim that the clothing and bath products it sells are made of bamboo fiber – when they actually are made of rayon processed from bamboo plants.

+ In the Matter of The M Group, Inc., also doing business as Bamboosa…
+ Have You Been Bamboozled by Bamboo Fabrics?
+ How to Avoid Bamboozling Your Customers

Read the full story at Ars Technica.

The Green Grid, which helps the IT industry manage its energy use, has analyzed current and pending energy regulations in Europe, and concluded that datacenter managers need to be proactive about limiting their energy use and plan expansion carefully.

Via Resource Shelf.

From the Article:

The University of Florida, Cornell University and a handful of other schools have been awarded $12.2 million to build a social/collaborative network for scientists and researchers. The idea is to make it easier to find research and like-minded researchers in an effort to speed new discoveries.

The project, funded via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will initially take of the form of networks within each of the 7 founding schools but within two years could expand across the country. Eventually, the network will go worldwide, grant recipients hope.

[Snip]

Technologies used to support the effort will include VIVO, an open source discovery tool out of Cornell used to search for research information. It will also exploit concepts of the Semantic Web, Tim-Berners Lee’s vision for an even more useful Web that enables better sharing of data.

In addition to the University of Florida and Cornell, also involved in the project are Indiana University, Weill Cornell Medical College, Washington University in St. Louis, the Scripps Research Institute and the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico.

Source: CIO

Via Docuticker.

Energy Trends; Highlights on Consumer Energy usage (PDF; 325 KB)
Source: Nielsen
From Nielsen Wire blog:

While there are many motivating factors behind the green energy movement, for the average American “saving money” topped the list according The Nielsen Company’s latest Energy Trends report. Eighty percent of the 32,000 respondents polled cited cutting costs as their main motivation for conserving energy.

Overall, the study shows that many consumers have adopted more environmentally friendly habits, while others have not acted as quickly. “The current momentum surrounding green initiatives and reduced energy consumption presents utilities and home improvement companies with a golden opportunity,” says Jonathan Drost, Account Executive, Energy for The Nielsen Company. “When going green is cost effective, such as opting for Energy Star appliances or government incentive programs, customers migrate in that direction. The biggest hurdle for energy companies is educating the consumer on things like Smart Grids, Energy Efficiency programs and Renewable Green Energy.”

The GLOBE Scientists Blog is an online journal where the Dr. Peggy LeMone, GLOBE Chief Scientist, posts her thoughts, comments, and philosophies about a variety of science topics. The blog provides students the opportunity to share comments and discuss the topics with each other. The most recent post, entitled The Vocabulary of Science, discusses scientific vocabulary within the context of climate change.

The Energy Savers blog provides a place for consumers to learn about and discuss energy efficiency and renewable technologies at home, on the road, and in the workplace. This blog supports the Energy Savers site of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Web site. The most recent post, entitled What Is Your Energy-Saving Success Story?, asks readers to share their energy conservation accomplishments. Energy Savers is also on Facebook.

Via Docuticker.

Vice President Biden Unveils Report Focused on Expanding Green Jobs And Energy Savings For Middle Class Families
Source: Office of the Vice President

Vice President Biden today unveiled Recovery Through Retrofit, a report that builds on the foundation laid in the Recovery Act to expand green job opportunities and boost energy savings by making homes more energy efficient. Joining the Vice President today were Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy; Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor; Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and Karen Mills, Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

At a Middle Class Task Force meeting earlier this year, the Vice President asked the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to develop a proposal for Federal action to lay the groundwork for a self-sustaining home energy efficiency retrofit industry. In response, CEQ facilitated a broad interagency process with the Office of the Vice President, eleven Departments and Agencies and six White House Offices to develop recommendations for how to use existing authority and funding to accomplish this goal. These recommendations are described in detail in the Recovery Through Retrofit Report.

+ Full Report (PDF; 496 KB)

Via Docuticker.

Report Examines Hidden Health and Environmental Costs Of Energy Production and Consumption In U.S.
Source: National Research Council

A new report from the National Research Council examines and, when possible, estimates “hidden” costs of energy production and use — such as the damage air pollution imposes on human health — that are not reflected in market prices of coal, oil, other energy sources, or the electricity and gasoline produced from them. The report estimates dollar values for several major components of these costs. The damages the committee was able to quantify were an estimated $120 billion in the U.S. in 2005, a number that reflects primarily health damages from air pollution associated with electricity generation and motor vehicle transportation. The figure does not include damages from climate change, harm to ecosystems, effects of some air pollutants such as mercury, and risks to national security, which the report examines but does not monetize.

Read full report for free online. (National Academies Press)

Via Docuticker.

Strengthening U.S. International Energy Assistance to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improve Energy Security
Source: RAND Corporation

This study provides information on U.S. international energy-assistance programs, a potentially important tool for addressing the challenges of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and increasing U.S. energy security. International energy assistance may provide a low-cost, effective opportunity to reduce future growth in greenhouse gas emissions and oil consumption before current development patterns become increasingly locked in throughout the developing world. The report reviews U.S. government energy-assistance trends and strategies, along with similar data for Germany, which has a different, highly coordinated approach to planning and implementing energy assistance. Recent studies that address U.S. energy and climate policy are also reviewed to gain insights that can inform efforts to improve U.S. energy assistance. Recommendations for further investigation include assessing the effectiveness of U.S. and other approaches to providing energy assistance to determine the reasons for any differences in effectiveness; comparing the longer-term benefits of supporting energy-sector policy reform with the shorter-term benefits of supporting more-specific technical assistance or investment projects; and assessing the advantages and disadvantages of focusing more U.S. energy assistance on fewer recipients.

Via Docuticker.

Audit Report: The Department’s Management of the ENERGY STAR Program (PDF; 263 KB)
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General

As evidenced by the commitment of $300 million in Recovery Act funds, the ENERGY STAR Program plays an important role in the U.S. efforts to reduce energy consumption. We initiated this audit to determine whether the Department had implemented the actions it announced in 2007 to strengthen the Program.

Results of Audit
The Department had not implemented planned improvements in the ENERGY STAR Program. Our audit revealed that officials had not:

• Developed a formal quality assurance program to help ensure that product specifications were adhered to;
• Effectively monitored the use of the ENERGY STAR label to ensure that only qualifying products were labeled as compliant; and,
• Formalized procedures for establishing and revising product specifications and for documenting decisions regarding those specifications.

In our judgment, the delay in the Department’s planned improvements in its management of the ENERGY STAR Program could reduce consumer confidence in the integrity of the ENERGY STAR label. Such loss of credibility could reduce energy savings, increase consumer risk, and diminish the value of the recent infusion of $300 million for ENERGY STAR rebates under the Recovery Act.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a survey to help strengthen stormwater regulations and reduce stormwater discharges from newly developed and redeveloped sites.  Stormwater discharges can harm water quality through increases in stormwater volume and pollutant loadings into nearby waterways.

Generally, as sites are developed, less ground area is available for rain to soak into, which increases stormwater volume.  This stormwater flows across roads, rooftops and other surfaces, picking up pollutants that then flow into waterways. The draft survey would require detailed information about stormwater management and control practices, local regulations, and baseline financial information.

EPA plans to propose a rule to control stormwater from newly developed and redeveloped sites and to take final action no later than November 2012.  In support of this rulemaking, EPA is proposing to require three different groups to complete questionnaires about current stormwater management practices: 1) the owners, operators, developers, and contractors of newly and redeveloped sites; 2) the owners and operators of municipal separate storm sewer systems; and 3) states and territories.

The proposed survey will be open for public comment for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/rulemaking

Via Docuticker.

What Happened to the Seasons?
Source: Oxfam, UK

The timing of rain, and intra-seasonal rainfall patterns are critical to smallholder farmers in developing countries. Seasonality influences farmers’ decisions about when to cultivate and sow and harvest. It ultimately contributes to the success or failure of their crops. Worryingly, therefore, farmers are reporting that both the timing of rainy seasons and the pattern of rains within seasons are changing. These perceptions of change are striking in that they are geographically widespread and because the changes are described in remarkably consistent terms. In this paper, we relate the perceptions of farmers from several regions (East Asia, South Asia, Southern and East Africa, and Latin America) of how seasons are changing, and in some cases, how once distinct seasons appear to be disappearing altogether, and the impacts that these changes are having. We then go on to ask two critical questions. Firstly, do meteorological observations support farmers’ perceptions of changing seasonality? Secondly, to what extent are these changes consistent with predictions from climate models? We conclude that changing seasonality may be one of the major impacts of climate change faced by smallholder farmers in developing countries over the next few decades. Indeed, this may already be the case. Yet it is relatively unexplored in the literature. We also suggest some of the key adaptation responses that might help farmers cope with these changes.

+ Direct link to document (PDF; 221 KB)

Via Docuticker.

Fossil Fuel Production Up Despite Recession
Source: Worldwatch Institute

World production of fossil fuels-oil, coal, and natural gas-increased 2.9 percent in 2008 to reach 27.4 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) per day. In the first half of the year, producers strained to meet global demand, but when the recession took hold later in the year the market was swamped by excess supply. Energy prices reflected this shift: oil peaked at $144 per barrel in July, then fell to $34 per barrel in December. Continuing a decade-long trend, most of the growth was in the Asia-Pacific region, where production grew 6.3 percent.

Although the global economic crisis has caused a temporary slump in demand, the longterm trend is clear: fossil fuel consumption in developing countries has surpassed that in industrialized countries. With four times the population and a vast demand for economic development to raise standards of living, developing countries will see energy use rise further.

For six years running, coal has led the growth in fossil fuel production. In 2000, it provided just 28 percent of the world’s fossil fuel energy production, compared with 45 percent for oil. But by 2008, coal production reached 9.1 Mtoe per day, representing a third of fossil energy production and a 0.7 percent increase over 2007. The growth in China’s coal consumption since 2000 dwarfs that of all other countries combined. India, second in growth, added less than an eighth as much coal consumption as China during that period.

Via Docuticker.

2010 Annual Fuel Economy Guide Now Available
Source: U.S. Department of Energy

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy today unveiled the 2010 Fuel Economy Guide, which gives consumers important information about estimated fuel costs and mileage standards for model year 2010 vehicles.
…
Fuel-efficient models come in all types and sizes, so consumers can save thousands of dollars over a vehicle’s lifetime without sacrificing performance. Model year 2010 fuel economy leaders include a wide range of hybrid models, from compact cars to sport-utility vehicles.

Each vehicle listing in the Fuel Economy Guide provides an estimated annual fuel cost. The estimate is calculated based on the vehicle’s miles per gallon (mpg) rating and national estimates for annual mileage and fuel prices. The online version of the guide allows consumers to input their local gasoline prices and typical driving habits to receive a personalized fuel cost estimate.

+ Full Document (PDF; 530 KB)

Hedrick Smith Productions has created a discussion guide and DVD clip reel from the PBS FRONTLINE special POISONED WATERS that aired nationwide on April 21, 2009. The package will include a DVD with five-minute excerpts from the show and a 26-page educational booklet fitted into a DVD case. Together, the discussion guide and video clips are designed to stimulate public discussion of crucial issues and effective solutions for water protection and restoration.  It is intended for teachers, students, regulators, administrators, activists and anyone else interested in improving water quality. It will be available at no charge for a limited time.   Please visit the PBS FRONTLINE Web site at www.pbs.org/frontline/poisonedwaters for the full PBS broadcast and more information about the program.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new information on EPA and state enforcement of hazardous waste and air regulations.  In addition, the EPA posted data that allows the public, for the first time, to compare toxic releases with compliance data from facilities.  This is part of EPA’s ongoing commitment to increase transparency and promote the public’s right to know by improving access to available data.

EPA made available new summary reports and data from 2004 through 2008 on EPA and state enforcement program performance with Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements.  The reports include online graphs, trend information on enforcement and compliance in each state, and comparative reports.  Data such as compliance monitoring activity, violations discovered, enforcement actions taken, and penalties assessed are available.

EPA also updated the agency’s Enforcement and Compliance Online (ECHO) Website to allow users to view current information on facility compliance with water, air, and hazardous waste requirements in relation to pollutant release data from EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory and National Emissions Inventory databases.  This provides the public with more information on the overall environmental footprint of each facility.

In the agency’s reviews of both EPA and state enforcement program performance, it identified several concerns with some programs, including uneven enforcement response, failure to identify high priority violators, and inadequate penalty assessment.  The recommendations that EPA made on how to address these concerns are now available through the ECHO website.

ECHO allows users to find permit, compliance monitoring, violation, enforcement action, and penalty information over the past three years.  ECHO provides communities with important enforcement and compliance information about regulated facilities.  Included in the new information released today is a list of commonly asked questions about the CAA and RCRA programs, such as air quality, pollutant releases, state performance, and overall compliance rates.

The compliance data posted today tells only one part of the story and does not relate directly to overall hazardous waste management or air quality, which have improved in the United States over the past 30 years as the result of local, state, and federal implementation of environmental programs.

More information on RCRA data: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/data/results/performance/rcra/index.html
More information on CAA data: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/data/results/performance/caa/index.html
More information on ECHO:  http://www.epa-echo.gov/echo/

I just received this message from the EPA State and Local Climate Energy Program. It includes announcements  of more than $96 million in funding opportunities for state, local, and tribal governments from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that can be used to support climate and energy initiatives including vehicle technology, energy efficiency, renewable energy, green building, waste management, training, and education. For full eligibility and application details, please visit the links provided below.

National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program–$64 million
EPA requests proposals for the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Through this program, EPA seeks projects that will achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions in terms of tons of pollution produced and diesel emissions exposure, particularly from fleets operating in designated poor air quality areas. Eligible entities include regional, state, local, or tribal agencies or port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality, and nonprofit organizations. Up to 80 awards are anticipated. Proposals are due 12/8/09.
For more info:  http://www.epa.gov/air/grants_funding.html.

Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies–$8 million
EPA requests proposals for the Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Funding Assistance Program. Eligible diesel emission reduction solutions are listed at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel/prgemerglist.htm. Eligible entities include regional, state, local or tribal agencies or port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality, and nonprofit organizations.  Six to 10 awards are anticipated. Proposals are due 12/8/09.
For more info: http://www.epa.gov/air/grants_funding.html.

SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program–$12 million
EPA requests proposals for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program. This program will support projects that reduce diesel emissions through the creation of national, tribal, regional, state, or local finance program(s). Eligible entities include regional, state, local or tribal agencies or port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality, and nonprofit organizations. Up to six awards anticipated. Proposals are due 12/8/09.
For more info: http://www.epa.gov/air/grants_funding.html.

Environmental Education–$3 million
EPA requests proposals for Environmental Education Grants. This program supports environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers, and citizens. Eligible entities include local and tribal education agencies, colleges or universities, state education or environmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and local or state agencies that conduct educational, environmental programs. Up to 95 awards are anticipated. Responses due 12/15/09.
For more info: http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html.

Environmental Justice Small Grants Program–$1 million
EPA requests proposals for the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program. This program supports projects that address a local environmental and public health issue within an affected community. This year the program will emphasize the disproportionate impacts of climate change in communities with environmental justice concerns. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, energy efficiency, renewables, water efficiency, green jobs and green economy capacity building, and smart growth. Eligible entities include city, township, and county governments; tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations. Up to 40 awards are anticipated. Responses due 1/8/10.
For more info: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html.

Brownfields Job Training–$2.6 million
EPA requests proposals for Brownfields Job Training Grants. This program supports the delivery of environmental job training to communities that currently receive, or have received, financial assistance from EPA for brownfields-related work. Eligible entities include state, local, and tribal governments; regional councils or groups of local governments; and nonprofit organizations. Twelve to 13 awards are anticipated. Responses due 12/1/09.
For more info: http://www.epa.gov/oswer/grants-funding.htm#EPA-OSWER-ORCR-09-07

Green and Healthy Homes–$2.4 million
HUD requests proposals for the Green and Healthy Homes and Technical Studies Program. Through this RFP, HUD seeks to improve knowledge of the effects of residential green construction on both indoor environmental quality and occupant health, with a particular focus on children and other sensitive populations. Eligible entities include state, local, and tribal governments and academic, nonprofit, or for-profit institutions. Up to seven awards are  anticipated. Responses due 11/17/09.
For more info: http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa09/grplead.cfm.

Solid Waste Management–$3.4 million
USDA requests proposals for the Solid Waste Management Grant Program. This program supports projects that assist communities through free technical assistance and/or training geared toward reducing or eliminating pollution of water resources in rural areas, and improve planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas. Eligible entities include public bodies, tribal governments, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Up to 40 awards anticipated. Responses due 12/31/09.
For more info: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/SWMG.htm.

Read the full post at the Sustainable Electronics Initiative Blog.

Since writing the first part of the eBook mini-series, I have been interested in the life cycle assessment comparison of books and eBooks. This concept may sound simple at first, but it quickly becomes much more complicated. While a true analysis (one worthy of publishing in a scientific journal) would require months of work, data collection and analysis, calculations, and report-writing, I opted for a much simpler approach (one that may be publishable on an informal blog, such as this one).

In order to complete a very simplistic life cycle analysis, I had to take into account books and e-books. This in itself presents a significant problem when taking into account the boundary of book sales. To keep things simple, I decided that my boundary will include the first Harry Potter book. How did I choose this boundary? It was the first thing that popped into my head, since this was a very popular book that was read by a wide range of age groups. My boundary for e-books included just the Amazon Kindle. I figured that focusing in on just one, very popular e-reader would be the best course of action.

I completed my life cycle analysis on the Life Cycle Analysis Calculator, which can help you create a simple LCA using very basic information. Keep in mind that the simpler the LCA, the more uncertainty and potential errors there are. With that, I want to emphasize that this was an exercise is very simple comparison, and not one which should be taken as fact. This is more of a possible general trend, rather than scientific fact.

A statewide energy council approved a three-year energy efficiency plan on October 6 that is designed to save Massachusetts consumers more than $5 billion in electricity costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The measure, based on an agreement between Governor Deval Patrick and Attorney General Martha Coakley, requires the state’s four investor-owned utilities to scale up their energy efficiency programs to reach greater numbers of customers, and provide them more significant energy savings through a combination of improved energy assessments and incentives for investing efficiency. The $1.1 billion cost of this initiative over three years would be funded primarily by distribution charges on electricity bills, proceeds of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative allowance auctions as well as third-party capital.

The plan sets an energy savings target of 2.4% for electricity sales in 2012. Utility energy efficiency programs have traditionally produced savings of 0.8% to 0.9 % annually, backers said. If energy efficiency investments reach the 2012 target, it will save 2,648,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, or 15% of the utilities’ annual residential customer usage. With energy savings of 2.4% per year going forward, Massachusetts would meet 30% of its electricity needs by 2020 through improved energy efficiency, rather than additional generation. Now that it has passed the state’s Energy Efficiency Advisory Council, it will go to the Department of Public Utilities for final approval this fall. See the Massachusetts governor’s press release.

Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an agreement on October 12 to spur the development of environmentally appropriate renewable energy on federal lands in California. Among its major provisions, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will establish a Renewable Energy Policy Group to guide the cooperative work; develop a strategy to identify areas suitable and acceptable for renewable energy development; identify renewable energy zones based on renewable energy development potential and environmental, wildlife, and conservation criteria; prioritize application processing for solar development in renewable energy zones; and coordinate with federal and state agencies to identify energy and transmission needs, as well as to designate transmission needs and corridors. The MOU also commits the U.S. Department of the Interior and California agencies to develop a timeline for applicants to follow in order to meet incentive deadlines set by the Recovery Act. Secretary Salazar and Governor Schwarzenegger called the agreement “a model of federal-state initiative and cooperation.” See the press releases from the Interior Department and Governor Schwarzenegger, as well as the full MOU (PDF 39 KB). Download Adobe Reader.

The new agreement follows the Interior Department’s opening of a new Renewable Energy Coordination Office in California on October 9. The department previously established similar offices in Arizona, Nevada, and Wyoming, along with renewable energy permitting teams in six other western states. These offices and teams support the speedy permitting of renewable energy projects and supporting power transmission projects on public lands. To lead the overall initiative, the Interior Department has also established a National Renewable Energy Office at the Washington, D.C., headquarters of its Bureau of Land Management (BLM). See the Interior Department press release.

One successful conclusion to such federal and state cooperation occurred on October 12, as Secretary Salazar inaugurated Arizona’s first commercial-scale wind project. The Dry Lake Wind Power Project is located on a combination of BLM-managed federal lands, Arizona State Trust Lands, and private lands on the Rocking Chair Ranch in Navajo County. The project required the cooperation of the Interior Department, the Arizona State Land Department, Navajo County, Rocking Chair Ranch, the project developers, and the Salt River Project, which has agreed to buy the power from the project. Phase I will generate 64 megawatts of wind power with 30 wind turbines. When fully constructed, the project could provide up to 378 megawatts of wind energy from 100 to 200 turbines. See the Interior Department press release.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon dedicated a new renewable energy and waste heat utilization project on October 19 that will reduce energy costs at two state correctional facilities in Jefferson City. Landfill gas harvested from the Jefferson City Landfill will be captured and piped to a nearby power generating facility. Columbia Water and Light Company will purchase the electricity. Excess heat generated by the engine-generators at the facility will be captured to supply steam and hot water for two nearby state correctional facilities.

Utilizing the waste heat generates considerable savings for the Jefferson City Correctional Center and the Algoa Correctional Center on their utility bills. Altogether, the project will save Missouri taxpayers an estimated $400,000–$500,000 in energy costs each year plus an additional $670,000 in annual operating costs by shutting down the boiler at Algoa.

The project represents the state’s second landfill gas facility. For more information, read the governor’s October 19 press release.

Read the full story in the Wall Street Journal.

By requiring car drivers to pay a fee to drive in a city at peak hours, congestion pricing reduces traffic and raises money that can be used to support public transit — both worthy goals.

Yet congestion pricing has dubious environmental value. Traffic jams, if they’re managed well, can actually be good for the environment. They maintain a level of frustration that turns drivers into subway riders or pedestrians.

Via Docuticker.

Hazardous Chemicals in Health Care: A Snapshot of Chemicals in Doctors and Nurses (PDF; 2 MB)
Source: American Nurses Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Health Care Without Harm
From press release (PDF; 58 KB)

Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) in partnership with American Nurses Association (ANA) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) released the “Hazardous Chemicals In Health Care” report today, detailing the first investigation ever of chemicals found in the bodies of health care professionals. The inquiry found that all of the 20 participants had toxic chemicals associated with health care in their bodies. Each participant had at least 24 individual chemicals present, four of which are on the recently released Environmental Protection Agency list of priority chemicals for regulation. These chemicals are all associated with chronic illness and physical disorders.

Via ResourceShelf.

NSF Releases Online Multimedia Package on Marine “Dead Zones”

The Earth currently has more than 400 so-called “dead zones” — expanses of oxygen-starved ocean covering hundreds, or even thousands, of square miles that become virtually devoid of animal life during the summer; the worldwide count of dead zones is doubling every decade.

Most dead zones, such as the Gulf of Mexico’s notorious dead zone, are caused by pollution that is dumped into oceans by rivers. But every summer since 2002, the Pacific Northwest’s coastal waters — one of the U.S.’s most important fisheries — has been invaded by massive dead zones that are believed to be caused by an entirely different and surprising phenomena: changes in oceanic and atmospheric circulation that may, in turn, be caused by climate change.

How could climate change cause dead zones? What do dead zones look like and what are their ecological impacts? And how, on Earth, are scientists sleuthing out the causes of perplexing marine processes that cover such huge swaths of the sea? Find out in the National Science Foundation’s new online, multimedia package on dead zones.

Entitled Dead Zones: Mysteries of Ocean Die-Offs Revealed, the multimedia package is posted at http://nsf.gov/news/special_reports/deadzones. It features:

• a webcast with Jack Barth, an expert on Oregon’s dead zones from Oregon State University;
• a dynamic, narrated slide show;
• compelling videos;
• eye-catching photos;
• enlightening illustrations
• informative, easy-to-understand texts; and
• downloadable documents.

Dead Zones: Mysteries of Ocean Die-Offs Revealed is ideal for reporters, general readers, fishermen, water-enthusiasts, teachers, students, researchers and conservation organizations.

Source: National Science Foundation

Via Docuticker.

One year on: A progress report on the Government’s Greening Government ICT
Source: Cabinet Office
From Press Release:

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is responsible for up to 20 per cent of carbon emissions generated by Government offices. Each year it generates around 460,000 tonnes a year, the same amount created by a million households in a month or a jumbo jet flying around the world more than a thousand times.

Last year the Government was one of the first in the world to introduce measures to tackle the huge financial and environmental cost of ICT. Departments were asked to take 18 key steps including turning off all machines at night, extending the lifecycle of computers, reusing as much IT equipment as possible and increasing server efficiency.

In the first year alone some of the success stories include:
• The Department for International Development (DfID) donating old equipment to charities in developing countries
• The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) saving £2.35million by replacing 9,500  computers and 2,500 printers every five years rather than every three
• The Home Office (HO) saving £2.4million a year by removing unused IT equipment and improving efficiency
• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will save 200 million sheets of paper a year through cutting down the number of printers in the department and changing the default setting to double-sided printing

+ Direct link to document (PDF; 912 KB)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued the first test orders for pesticide chemicals to be screened for their potential effects on the endocrine system. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interact with and disrupt the hormones produced or secreted by human and animal endocrine systems, which regulate growth, metabolism and reproduction.

“After years of delay, EPA is aggressively moving forward by ordering the testing of a number of pesticide chemicals for hormone effects,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances. “These new data will be carefully evaluated to help identify potential hormone disruptor chemicals.”

On Oct. 21, EPA made available the battery of scientific assays and test guidelines for conducting the assays, as well as a schedule for issuing test orders to manufacturers for 67 chemicals during the next four months. The data generated from the screens will provide robust and systematic scientific information to help EPA identify whether additional testing is necessary, or whether other steps are necessary to address potential endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Testing, conducted through the agency’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, will eventually expand to cover all pesticide chemicals. Now that screening is under way for the first group of chemicals, EPA is preparing to review the responses, evaluate the data, determine the potential of endocrine interaction, and whether additional testing is necessary to guide further regulation.

The EDSP is the most comprehensive mandated testing program for hormone effects in the U.S. The program is the result of a multi-year effort that includes validation of the science through a transparent scientific review process.

More information about the screening program: http://www.epa.gov/endo

Read the full story in the Daily Illini.

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, or ISTC, held the Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Awards at the I Hotel, 1900 S. First St., on Wednesday. Various companies and organizations throughout the state were awarded for their dedication to improving the environment through conservation and energy efficiency.

The first results from ongoing air toxics monitoring at two New Jersey schools and one New York school are now available on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Web site. A total of four schools in EPA’s Region 2 were selected as part of the agency’s national Schools Air Toxics Initiative. The initiative, which is monitoring 63 schools in 22 states, will help EPA and the states learn if long-term exposure to toxics in the outdoor air poses health concerns for school children and staff

Outdoor air at the schools is being monitored for 60 days, and air quality monitors will collect at least 10 daily samples during the sampling period. EPA will use this information to help determine next steps, which could include more monitoring, if needed. Results are posted at http://www.epa.gov/schoolair.

Today, EPA is posting data for Olean Middle School in Olean, New York, Mabel Homes Middle School in Elizabeth, N.J. and Paulsboro High School in Paulsboro, N.J. The fourth school, IS 143 in Manhattan, New York, had its first data posted previously and it is also available at the web site.  The Agency is monitoring the air around these schools for several contaminants associated with industrial and mobile sources such as cars, trucks and airplanes.

Early sampling at all the schools show that levels of air toxics are below levels of short-term concern. EPA scientists warn against drawing conclusions at this point since the project is designed to show if long-term, not short-term, exposure poses health risks to school children and staff. Once monitoring is complete, the full set of results from all of the schools will be evaluated for potential health concerns from long-term exposure to these pollutants. EPA will post this analysis to the Web once it is complete.

To learn more about EPA’s efforts to study outdoor air near schools, visit: http://www.epa.gov/schoolair

Read the full post at Dot Earth.

Google rolled out a new initiative today honoring efforts to use Google Earth to improve the human condition or the home planet.