Browsing environmental news sources so you don't have to. Contact Laura Barnes (lbarnes@istc.illinois.edu) with questions, comments, and suggestions.
Follow ENB on TwitterRead the full story in the Washington Post.
A federal health agency acknowledged for the first time yesterday concerns that a chemical found in thousands of everyday products such as baby bottles and compact discs may cause cancer and other serious disorders.
The NTP Brief on Bisphenol A is intended to be an environmental health resource for the public and regulatory and health agencies. It is not a quantitative risk assessment nor is it intended to supersede risk assessments conducted by regulatory agencies. The NTP Brief on Bisphenol A does not present a comprehensive review of the health-related literature or controversies related to this chemical. Only key issues and study findings considered most relevant for developing the NTP conclusions on concerns for potential reproductive and developmental human health effects of bisphenol A are discussed. Literature cited includes the most relevant studies reviewed in the CERHR Expert Panel Report on Bisphenol A and research articles published in the peer-reviewed literature subsequent to the deliberations of the expert panel.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
President Bush on Wednesday will lay out specific goals for limiting the greenhouse gases that scientists say are responsible for warming the planet.
The latest issue of Renewable Energy Weekly is now available. Highlights include:
Read the full story in Technology Review.
In an effort to help boost the nation’s supply of biofuels, researchers have created three strains of genetically modified corn to manufacture enzymes that break down the plant’s cellulose into sugars that can be fermented into ethanol. Incorporating such enzymes directly into the plants could reduce the cost of converting cellulose into biofuel.
For a full-color, graphic version of this newsletter, go to
http://www.greenercomputing.com/enewsletter.
All Corsair Power Supply Units Awarded 80 Plus Certification
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55882
Computer components maker Corsair has received 80 Plus certification, a rating used to show energy efficiency, of all of its power supplies.
Report: Corporate Interest in Green IT Growing
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55876
A Datamonitor survey finds a majority of CIOs and IT managers see green IT as a top or high priority, with many planning to or already putting eco-friendly computing practices in place.
IBM Uses Water Cooling to Create Energy Efficient Supercomputer
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55873
IBM’s Power 575 supercomputer is 40 percent more energy efficient that previous supercomputers due to a new water-cooling system.
Fujitsu Siemens Server Breaks Efficiency Record
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55867
Fujitsu Siemens has set a new record for server energy efficiency based on a Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation benchmark.
Don’t Let Recession Hinder Green IT Efforts: Gartner
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55862
The research firm advised companies to move forward with green IT initiatives, especially those that can have a near-term impact on the bottom line, such as power savings efforts.
AQS Releases Report on Office Equipment Emissions
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55853
A new report from Air Quality Services Inc. (AQS) aims to help the public understand the indoor contaminants produced by standard office equipment, such as computers, printers and fax machines.
A new report by Forum for the Future and Business for Social Responsibility, Eco-Promising: How to Communicate Credibly About Your Products, provides an invaluable how-to guide and examples for companies wanting to make environmental claims about their products and services. The report also reviews the history of eco-promising and highlights the challenges facing companies in communicating their efforts – including the rising possibility of a consumer backlash due to confusion.
Ecuadorians fighting Chevron in one of the largest environmental legal battles in history and Mozambican rock star working to bring clean water and sanitation systems to rural populations among recipients of world’s largest prize for grassroots environmentalists
Read the full story at News.com.
What’s causing the global rise in food prices? Everything.
Growing demand for food in emerging nations, wheat crop failures, currency fluctuation, speculation in the commodities market, hastily conceived government policies, and the growing demand for biofuels have all–among other factors–converged to drive up the price of food, experts say.
Read the full story in E The Environmental Magazine.
During the school week, Sam Allen will sometimes skip his classes at Connecticut’s Weston High School and walk to the elementary or middle school down the street. One morning in February, he made his way into Weston Elementary School struggling with a green bag and six poster boards all while listening to music on his iPhone and answering calls. When he reached the second floor, he introduced himself to a class of fourth-graders and proceeded to tell them how they can help to save the planet.
New from the National Academies Press: Bioinspired Chemistry for Energy: A Workshop Summary to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable. Available to read online and for free download (68 p.). Hard copy is $18.90.
Summary: Faced with the steady rise in energy costs, dwindling fossil fuel supplies, and the need to maintain a healthy environment – exploration of alternative energy sources is essential for meeting energy needs. Biological systems employ a variety of efficient ways to collect, store, use, and produce energy. By understanding the basic processes of biological models, scientists may be able to create systems that mimic biomolecules and produce energy in an efficient and cost effective manner. On May 14-15, 2007 a group of chemists, chemical engineers, and others from academia, government, and industry participated in a workshop sponsored by the Chemical Sciences Roundtable to explore how bioinspired chemistry can help solve some of the important energy issues the world faces today. The workshop featured presentations and discussions on the current energy challenges and how to address them, with emphasis on both the fundamental aspects and the robust implementation of bioinspired chemistry for energy.
Read the full story in Water & Wastewater News.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) of Northbrook, Ill., has a new certification program for bottled water that enables consumers to choose brands that have been validated to meet the Food and Drug Administration and International Bottled Water Association requirements for quality and safety.
Read the full story in Water & Wastewater News.
Recent media articles on pharmaceuticals in water have generated questions among consumers about the quality of the U.S.’s drinking water. NSF of Ann Arbor, Mich., is working with key organizations to help further investigate this issue and offer a solution to consumers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the national greenhouse gas inventory, which finds that overall emissions during 2006 decreased by 1.1 percent from the previous year. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006, is the latest in an annual set of reports that the United States submits to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.
“Each year since 1993, EPA’s experts have built a comprehensive inventory of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,” said Robert Meyers principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office Air and Radiation. “Our understanding of emission sources is paramount to combating climate change.”
Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2006 were equivalent to 7,054.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 14.7 percent from 1990 to 2006, while the U.S. economy has grown by 59 percent over the same period.
The decrease in emissions in 2006 was due primarily to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The following factors were primary contributors to this decrease:
EPA prepares the annual report in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies and after gathering comments from a broad range of stakeholders across the country.
The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2006. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation and soils.
Information on the greenhouse gas inventory report: epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html
Americans misunderstand key phrases commonly used in environmental marketing and advertising, giving products a greater environmental halo than they deserve and creating a growing risk of backlash. At the same time, with days until a U.S. Federal Trade Commission public hearing on the subject, a majority of Americans support government regulation of such messages.
Read the full story in the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette.
Turning residents’ yard waste into a marketable product is no easy feat, yet the city has been doing it since the 1990s.
Read the full report from the Congressional Research Service.
Summary: If Congress establishes a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction program (e.g., cap-and-trade system), the treatment of GHG emission offsets would likely be a critical design element. If allowed as part of an emissions program, offsets could provide cost savings and other benefits. However, offsets have generated concern.
An offset is a measurable reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of GHG emissions from a source not covered by an emission reduction program. If allowed, offset projects could generate “emission credits,” which could be used by a regulated entity (e.g., power plant) to comply with its reduction requirement. Offsets could include various activities:
- agriculture or forestry projects: e.g., conservation tillage or planting trees on previously non-forested lands;
- renewable energy projects: e.g., wind farms;
- energy efficiency projects: e.g., equipment upgrades;
- non-CO2 emissions reduction projects: e.g., methane from landfills
Including offsets would likely make an emissions program more cost-effective by (1) providing an incentive for non-regulated sources to generate emission reductions and (2) expanding emission compliance opportunities for regulated entities. Some offset projects may provide other benefits, such as improvements in air or water quality. In addition, the offset market may create new economic opportunities and spur innovation as parties seek new methods of generating offsets.
The main concern with offset projects is whether or not they represent real emission reductions. For offsets to be credible, a ton of CO2-equivalent emissions from an offset project should equate to a ton reduced from a covered emission source, such as a smokestack or exhaust pipe. This objective presents challenges, because many offsets are difficult to measure. If illegitimate offset credits flow into an emissions trading program, the program would fail to reduce GHG emissions.
Another concern is whether the inclusion of offsets would send the appropriate price signal to encourage the development of long-term mitigation technologies. Policymakers may consider a balance between price signal and program costs.
If eligible in a U.S. program, international offsets are expected to dominate in early decades, because they would likely offer the lowest-cost options. Domestic sectors, such as agriculture and forestry, might benefit if international offsets are excluded. Some object to the use of international offsets due to concerns of fairness: the low-cost options would be unavailable to developing nations if and when they establish GHG emission targets. However, some offset projects may promote sustainable development. On the other hand, international offsets may serve as a disincentive for developing nations to enact laws or regulations controlling GHG emissions, because many projects would no longer qualify as offsets.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
A cholera outbreak in New York in 1832 led to broad efforts to clean up the city and others like it.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
Wind turbines are attracting homeowners with their ease of use, financial incentives and low environmental effects.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
In accepting an appeal on the role of cost-benefit analysis in establishing Clean Water Act standards, the Supreme Court set the stage for an environmental policy debate.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
Biofuels are fast becoming a new flash point in global diplomacy, putting pressure on Western politicians.
Read the full story in Technology Review.
The plans for the 2008 Beijing Olympics are notable for their extra security amid human-rights protests. But the 2012 London Olympics’ park plans are notable in that they consider a climate-changed future, in which flooding may worsen and cities must minimize carbon emissions.
Read the full story at News. com.
The team from Mater Dei High School might be only months (or less) removed from driver’s ed, but it pulled off a nifty feat of driving over the weekend. One of its entries in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas won the grand prize for motoring to a record 2,843.4 miles per gallon.
Read the full story in Interior Design.
Furniture manufacturer Inscape has picked up third-party green certification for a storage-based furniture system. The Storwal furniture system can now display the Greenguard Indoor Air Quality label from independent non-profit organization the Greenguard Environmental Institute.
A new coating system being made available for the Army’s use to paint aircraft and other equipment performs better than the standard system — and it is safer to human health and the environment. This breakthrough comes after two years of research and testing conducted by the Connecticut Army National Guard at its 1109th Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot (AVCRAD) on trivalent chromium-based primers and sealers.
Nike has completed the first phase of an energy-efficiency project aimed at reducing energy consumption within its footwear contract manufacturing base.
Read the full story in Plenty Magazine.
New online marketplaces offer everything from home biodiesel processors to reclaimed lumber.
EPA is making federal environmental regulation more transparent by providing on-line information as soon as the agency begins the development of a new rule.
Starting today, EPA is using Action Initiation Lists (AILs) to notify the public about new rules and other regulatory actions. AILs will be posted on the EPA Web site at roughly the end of each month; each will describe those actions that were approved for commencement during the given month. Formerly, the public had to wait for EPA’s Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, which is updated only every six months, to learn about new regulatory actions.
The AILs provide summaries, agency contacts, and other information about the rules EPA has approved for development. For example, the March 2008 AIL announces the agency’s plans to issue an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for greenhouse gases in late spring. This notice will solicit public input as EPA considers the specific effects of climate change and potential regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary and mobile sources under the Clean Air Act. The March AIL also announces the agency’s plans to propose a rulemaking that builds on EPA’s existing renewable fuels standard program. The expansion of the program was mandated by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act.
The February and March 2008 AILs are now available. EPA expects to release the April AIL around April 30.
Action Initiation Lists: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/search/ail.html
EPA’s Semiannual Regulatory Agendas: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/search/regagenda.html
When: Thursday, April 17, 2008 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT
Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/580016940
This webinar will focus on alternatives to perchloroethylene (PERC) in dry cleaning. PERC is a carcinogen and PERC dry cleaning is scheduled to be phased out over the next several years in dry cleaning in California. Other states are also considering similar regulations. There are a variety of alternatives that are replacing PERC including hydrocarbon, Green Earth, glycol ether cleaning, water-based cleaning using various processes, and carbon dioxide cleaning. Characteristics of these cleaning processes will be discussed. The webinar will also focus on safer alternatives to PERC and trichloroethylene (TCE) used extensively in the textile cleaning industry for spotting. TCE, like PERC, is a carcinogen. Alternatives that can be used for spotting garments include water-based and soy based cleaners.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer
