·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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Read the full Associated Press story at Yahoo News.

At the world’s largest trade show for consumer electronics, starting Monday in Las Vegas, manufacturers will be talking not just about megapixels, megahertz and megabytes, but about smart power adapters that don’t waste as much electricity, batteries that are easier to recycle, and components made from plants.

Read the full story in the Guardian.

Using biofuels made from corn, sugar cane and soy could have a greater environmental impact than burning fossil fuels, according to experts. Although the fuels themselves emit fewer greenhouse gases, they all have higher costs in terms of biodiversity loss and destruction of farmland.

Read the full story at Bloomberg.com.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europe’s largest oil company, and HR Biopetroleum will build an algae- growing plant in Hawaii to produce vegetable oil for biofuels.

Read the full Associated Press story at Yahoo News.

If you’ve ever blistered your bare feet on a hot road you know that asphalt absorbs the sun’s energy. A Dutch company is now siphoning heat from roads and parking lots to heat homes and offices.

Read the full story in the Guardian.

The holy grail of renewable energy came a step closer yesterday as thousands of mass-produced wafer-thin solar cells printed on aluminium film rolled off a production line in California, heralding what British scientists called “a revolution” in generating electricity.

Read the full post at EcoGeek.

Adelaide, Australia, has become the home for an all-electric city bus, the Tindo. The icing on the cake: The Tindo (aboriginal word for sun) will get its electricity from a $AU550,000 solar PV system on Adelaide’s central bus station. Even better: Rides are free as part of Adelaide’s public transport system.

Read the full post at EcoGeek.

Energize America has long had a FeeBate incorporated into it to encourage a more rapid move toward more fuel efficient, lower polluting vehicles. Charge a sliding FEE on low mileage, high polluting vehicles and give a reBATE to high mileage, low polluting vehicles. Balance this such that the collected Fees pay a good share of the reBate costs.

Slowly, the FeeBate concept is gaining momentum around the world. Earlier this month, the French government announced a FeeBate system with the “Ecological Bonus” applying to vehicles with low CO₂ emissions. The highest bonus, 5000 Euros (roughly $7500), applies to super-low emitters, less than 60 g de CO₂/km which includes electric vehicles (especially in France, with so much of the electricity from nuclear power).

Read the full post at EcoGeek.

2007 is done, and with it came huge advances in materials, energy, architecture, transportation and more. But I though, before we take a look back, we’d take a look forward.

EcoGeek is here to keep you informed of the latest technologies that are making our lives better while also ensuring that we don’t spoil the Earth at the same time. But just this once, let’s look not at what’s happening now, but at what’s coming in the near future. Here are ten technologies that I can’t wait for, and that I think we’ll see (to varying degrees) in 2008.

Read the full post at WikiHow.

There are various methods of making placemats for your table, but this one is perfect for right after the holidays because you can recycle your greeting cards! These holiday-themed placemats will make a fitting seasonal decoration for next year.

At my house, we reuse the fronts of cards as gift tags for packages the following year. My mom has done this since I was a kid.

The 2008 Yoshiyama Award On-Line Nomination Process is now OPEN. The Nomination process will close Tuesday, April 1, 2008. Online nomination form

This Award recognizes exemplary service and community involvement rather than academic achievement. Recipients of the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community leave a lasting impression in their community – many, though not all, have started projects and programs, or taken on challenges, that relate to the corporate citizenship, philanthropic, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) priorities of the Foundation and Hitachi, Ltd. – improving the wellbeing of economically and socially isolated Americans.

The Award is accompanied by a gift of $5,000, dispensed over two years. Recipients may use the Award at their discretion.

The Walt Disney Company and Youth Service America are excited to announce grants of up to $500 to support youth-led service projects. These grants support youth (ages 5-14) in planning and implementing service projects in their community. Teachers, older youth (15-25), and youth-serving organizations are also eligible to apply, if they engage younger youth (5-14) in planning and implementing the project. A significant part of the service must take place on GYSD 2008, April 25-27.

We encourage youth to address important issues such as climate change, malaria or other diseases, human rights, literacy, or others. Applicants can use the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a reference.

Applications are welcome from all countries. While information is available in: Spanish, Français (French), Russian, Chinese, and Hindi, applications will only be accepted in English (an online translation tool is available at the YSA website). Applicants from China, India, and Russia are especially encouraged to apply. Past Disney Minnie Grantees are also eligible to apply.

Questions? Email MinnieGrant@ysa.org. Deadline: January 21, 2008.

Read the full story in Waste Age.

Blue Sky Bio-fuels, Oakland, Calif., has partnered with San Francisco’s Greasecycle program to convert waste grease from local restaurants into biodiesel for area school buses. The program was launched in November. Michael’s Transportation, Valllejo, Calif., will receive the biodiesel for use in its fleet of 80 school buses, which services numerous school districts around the bay area.

The January 2008 issue of Biodiesel Magazine is now available. Highlights include:

• Biodiesel’s True Calling
• A New Generation
• Breeding Better Beans
• Emerging Opportunities on Uncharted Grounds
• Canola Waits in the Wings
• Cleaner and Clearer

“A Local Ordinance to Protect Wetland Functions” is the latest release from the six-part Wetlands & Watersheds Article Series from the Center for Watershed Protection.

This article introduces a new type of model ordinance for local protection of wetlands. Existing federal and state wetland permitting programs address some direct impacts to wetlands, such as filling, but are not designed to regulate inputs of stormwater or other pollutants. Local development regulations can fill this gap in wetland protection since local governments typically have control over local land use regulations and decisions. An adaptable model Wetland Drainage Area Protection Ordinance is provided to protect wetlands from indirect impacts by regulating land development within areas draining to them.

Visit the wetlands website to learn how communities can integrate wetlands into larger watershed protection efforts. Also available are Articles 1, 2, 3 & 6 of the series. All articles are available for free download.

Download the complete Article 4 here. (PDF)

Read the full story in Conscious Choice.

If you like the DIY aesthetic but worry you’re all thumbs with a hammer and a paintbrush, these artists and innovators have cleverly reincarnated unloved remnants of glass, steel and wood so you don’t have to.

Read the full story in Conscious Choice.

For Janine Benyus, who coined the term biomimicry, nature is model, measure and mentor

EPA’s clean fuels programs have exceeded expectations in reducing ozone pollutants and air toxics. A new report based on data collected from 1995-2005 finds emission reductions often significantly greater than regulatory requirements. The data, which provide a view of recent gasoline property trends, are mainly from EPA’s reformulated gasoline (RFG) and anti-dumping programs. Highlights of the report include:

• Gasoline sulfur decreases — Average annual sulfur content in all gasoline dropped from about 300 parts per million (ppm) in 1997 to about 90 ppm in 2005.
• RFG nitrogen oxide (NOx) reductions exceed requirements — RFG exceeded applicable NOx performance standards during both Phase I (1998-1999) and Phase II (2000 and beyond).
• RFG toxics reductions exceed requirements — On average, Phase I RFG complied with Phase II standards, and toxic performance still improved with the transition to Phase II standards.
• Conventional gasoline NOx and toxics emissions decreased — Between 1998 and 2005, the summer NOx emissions of conventional gasoline were reduced by 5.7 percent, while summer exhaust toxics were reduced by 4.7 percent.
• Ethanol use in RFG increased and MTBE use decreased — In the summer of 1996, about 11 percent of the RFG sold contained ethanol while virtually all the remainder contained MTBE. By the summer of 2005, the ethanol share increased to about 53 percent, with corresponding decreases in MTBE.

The Fuel Trends Report is now available at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/rfg/properf/rfgperf.htm

More information about the various clean fuels programs discussed in the report is available at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/gasoline.htm

For a full-color, graphic version of this newsletter, go to
http://www.greenbiz.com/enewsletter.

Miss. Toyota Plant Will Explore Green Initiatives
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36464
Toyota designated a Mississippi manufacturing facility a model of environmentally-friendly practices, such as using renewable energy and planting trees.

Peabody Joins Chinese Clean-Coal Project
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36459
Coal company Peabody Energy plans to help build China’s first coal-fired power plant that will use carbon capture and storage to avoid nearly all emissions.

Greener Gadget Design Competition Opens
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36465
The promoters behind the upcoming Greener Gadgets Conference kicked off a design competition seeking innovations in greener electronics.

Xcel Makes Plans to Cut Mercury Emissions
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36466
Xcel Energy signaled its intent to sharply curb mercury emissions from two power generation plants.

Dow, FPL, Bloomberg and Goldman Sachs Join Climate Group
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36455
The four prominent corporations joined The Climate Group ranks to promote pragmatic climate change policy and demonstrate that companies can slash emissions but still make money.

Hitachi Outlines Environmental Goals for 2025
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36456
The company plans to eliminate 100 million tons of carbon and eventually produce only environmentally-friendly products.

All Commercial Buildings Can Be Carbon Neutral, U.K. Report Finds
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36454
The majority of new non-domestic buildings can be zero-carbon if onsite, near-site and offsite renewable energy sources are used, a new report has found.

GM and DoE Launch Eco-Car Challenge to Spur Innovation
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36453
The new competition plans to bring collegiate engineers’ creativity to the search for high-efficiency and low-emissions vehicles.

PPG Sets New GHG Emissions Goal
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36450
PPG plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent below 2006 levels by 2011. The glass, paint and chemical supplier already reduced its emissions last year 18 percent below 2002 levels.

PG&E Set to Tap Into Wave Power
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36447
The utility will buy commercial wave energy from Finavera Renewables Inc. and its Humboldt County Offshore Wave Energy Power Plant.

Land Rover, Chinese Gov’t Hop on Green-Car Trend
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36444
The Ford subsidiary Land Rover announced that it would be showing off a new model of a green SUV at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit; on the other side of the world, a Chinese government-owned automaker has started making the country’s first domestic hybrid cars.

The Paper Consumer’s Guide to Climate Change
http://www.greenbiz.com/toolbox/reports_third.cfm?LINKADVID=95746
This online guide gives businesses the information they need to make better choices about what paper to use to lower the emissions of greenhouse gases that lead to climate change.

Xerox’s Slash-and-Save Climate Approach
http://greenbiz.com/radio/radio_third.cfm?NewsID=36458
Patricia Calkins of Xerox speaks with GreenBiz Radio about her company’s environmentally-driven initiatives and products,  how it cut greenhouse gas emissions below 2002 levels, and its future goals.

Read the full story from Grist.

Forget boxers or briefs. You want to know about candidates’ stances on energy and the environment, right? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Compare the candidates’ green positions using our handy chart. And watch video of some of the candidates speaking at the first-ever presidential candidate forum focused on climate change and energy policy, cosponsored by Grist.

Grist also teamed up with Outside to interview presidential contenders about green issues. We’ve published Q&As with all of the Democrats and a number of the Republicans. We’ve also compiled fact sheets on the candidates, with their current platforms, voting records, video, audio, and more. We’ll update these pages as the campaigns unfold.

Via Docuticker.

Europe: Climate change: the cost of inaction and the cost of adaptation

This technical report reviews, analyses and discusses the methodological issues regarding cost of inaction and cost of adaptation to climate change modelling. We also analysed possible cost impacts of climate change in the European economic sectors.

Source: EEA (European Environment Agency), OPOCE (Office for Official Publications of the European Communities)

The Delta Carbon Program enrolls conservation practices that not only reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions but protect and improve environmental quality. All projects follow the protocols established by the Chicago Climate Exchange. Current contracts extend through 2010 and include credits from 2003 through 2010.

Delta also has a P2E2 Center Carbon Program that works with farmers and landowners to earn greenhouse gas emissions credits when they use conservation tillage, plant grasses and trees, or capture methane with manure digesters.

Read the full story in Slate.

Critics of LEED — many of them architects who were green before green was cool—see a system that’s easy to game and has more to do with generating good PR than saving the planet. Just a few years ago, such criticisms were limited to architectural and environmental circles, but the loopholes in LEED are no longer a trivial problem.

Read the full story in Nature.

Changes in the phasing of seasonal cycles of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere mark the time when a region becomes a source or a sink of CO2. One study of such changes prompts thought-provoking conclusions.

GO GREEN!
EPA News You Can Use – January 2008
http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/gogreen

IN THIS ISSUE:
Enviro-Tip of the Month
What You Can Do, What You Can Use
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
About This Newsletter

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ENVIRO-TIP OF THE MONTH

Test your home for radon. Radon is an invisible radioactive gas that causes lung cancer. The only way to know if your home contains high radon levels is to test for it. http://www.epa.gov/radon/radontest.html

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WHAT YOU CAN DO, WHAT YOU CAN USE

Ask your school about the indoor air quality inside school buildings.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/names/hq_2007-12-6_tools

Recycle your tree. Millions of Christmas trees end up in landfills or illegally dumped. Find out how you can recycle your tree in an environmentally friendly way.
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/2003news/12-trees.htm

Ask EPA – discuss how to better protect the environment with top EPA experts. On January 31 at 2-3 p.m., join Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, to discuss how using water more efficiently can help save you money and protect the environment.
http://www.epa.gov/askepa

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UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

January

Month
National Radon Awareness Month

Week (none)

Day
Jan 1 – Anniversary of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

The latest issue of Renewable Energy Weekly is now available. Highlights include:

• Researchers Create Biodiesel from Chicken Fat
• Inside Renewable Energy Podcast: 2007: A Brief Year in Review
• France Sets Ambitious Renewable Energy Targets
• The Solar Boom Creates Opportunities for Eco-Entrepreneurs
• Two Upbeat Reports Stir Black Memories of the California Energy Crisis
• Grading Net Metering and Interconnection in the U.S.