·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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Read the full story in Water & Wastewater News.

The North American Lake Management Society held its annual meeting recently, focusing on the importance of fisheries in developing comprehensive lake management strategies.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented its Survey of the Nation’s Lakes during that meeting. The survey included some preliminary results received from labs across the country. Initial findings on water clarity, enterococci and mycrocystins, and key biological indicators such as zooplankton, phytoplankton, and diatoms were discussed, along with an overview of physical habitat (see http://www.epa.gov/owow/lakes/lakessurvey/ for more information on the survey).

Read the full story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

David Anderson dreams about living on a farm.

But in his dream, it’s not corn and soybeans stretching to the horizon.

Anderson envisions rows of hops surrounding a garden of herbs and spices. In the distance, a wind turbine collects energy from breezes over Wisconsin countryside.

And he isn’t quaffing fresh milk in his dream barn.

From wall-mounted taps he sees golden — or maybe caramel or amber — flows of beer.

Read the press release.

What do two California ports, a company that produced the first diesel electric hybrid tugboat, and an university in Georgia have in common? All are dedicated to excellence in achieving clean air, and they are among the 11 winners of the eighth annual Clean Air Excellence Awards. This year’s award winners will be recognized by EPA for their outstanding accomplishments in improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Date: Wednesday, June 11
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Harold Washington Library
400 S. State Street
Chicago, Illinois
map

Transportation & Parking
Brown, Purple, Orange and Pink line trains stop at Library/State & Van Buren. Paid parking is available in the Loop

Cost: This event is presented free of charge. Please note that registration is required, as space is limited.

Register today, as space is limited for this free event!

Few people realize that nearly one-third of all U.S. commercial construction involves schools. With green construction for schools increasing by more than 65 percent each year, schools play a unique role in our nation’s sustainability efforts.

How does the trend toward green construction and renovation affect our local schools, and how do schools relate to climate change?

What is happening at the federal, state, and local levels to drive healthier schools and a more sustainable future?

Please join us for breakfast and a dynamic panel discussion with national and local experts working at the forefront of issues surrounding climate change and the school environment.

Speakers include:

• Rachel Gutter, Schools Sector Manager for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
• Jonathan Magaziner, Program Manager and Analyst for the Clinton Climate Initiative
• Karen Shoup, Capital Budget Director and Administrator of School Construction for the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget

Presented in partnership with Read Green, Live Green, the Chicago Public Library’s 2008 summer reading program

Read the full story in E The Environmental Magazine.

Your old television set has a confession to make: it’s toxic, with several pounds of lead in its picture tube. Unless you’ve already upgraded to a flat panel or liquid crystal display (LCD) model, you’ve got an environmental hazard on your hands.

Read the full story in E The Environmental Magazine.

Green roofs are nothing new. In their book, Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, Nigel Dunnett and Nöel Kingsbury report that the idea has “been [around] for centuries.” Historically, say the authors, people in present-day Turkey, Iraq and Iran built homes of mud or earth with grass-covered rooftops.

The ancient practice is enjoying a resurgence. In the U.S., noteworthy green examples include the Pentagon, Chicago’s City Hall, a Ford assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan and numerous buildings in Portland, Oregon.

Read the full story in E The Environmental Magazine.

Washington, DC, residents wondering how the nation’s first bike-sharing operation might work can take a few lessons from the Paris program, Vélib’, which was launched last summer. Paris’ program provides thousands of sharable bikes to commuters, tourists and students, whereas Smartbike DC has started small in its launch this month, with 120 bikes available at 10 spots in the city. The bike-sharing bug seems to have caught on. Healthcare company Humana has teamed with the nonprofit Bikes Belong to bring 1,000 free-to-use bikes each to the cities holding the Republican and Democratic National Conventions—the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Minnesota, and Denver, Colorado, respectively.

Read the full story at News.com.

Financing company MMA Renewable Ventures is branching into wind energy, betting places like family farms are underserved.

The company on Wednesday is expected to announce the launch of its wind business, which will provide financing and project management for installations between 10 megawatts and 50 megawatts.

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

• WINDPOWER 2008 Focuses on 20% Wind by 2030
• IBM Research Could Lead to Reduced Costs in Solar Farm Technology
• Inside Renewable Energy podcast: Verifying Efficiency Claims for Organic PV; Renewable Heating and Cooling in Europe
• Renewable Energy in the U.S.: Sneaking in the Backdoor or Walking Through the Front?

Branding and Technology: How Savvy Tech Companies Hit Green Pay Dirt
By Anna Clark
http://www.greenercomputing.com/node/24644
A recent survey of business managers in the IT sector details some of the challenges and opportunities for tech companies that are setting goals and making plans to go green. This article takes an in-depth look.

Crossbeam Systems Analyzes Data Center Security Savings
http://www.greenercomputing.com/node/24575
A new white paper by the IT security services company looks at how virtualization and consolidation of security can bring down data center expenses.

National Semiconductor Develops IC Metrics
http://www.greenercomputing.com/node/24540
National Semiconductor Corp. has created a set of metrics to help designers assemble systems that can do more with less power. The company created power-to-performance metrics to assess its more energy efficient products, the top tier of which are found in its PowerWise family.

Rackspace Builds Green U.K. Data Center
http://www.greenercomputing.com/node/24464
The United Kingdom’s largest dedicated biomass energy plant, operated by Scottish and Southern Energy, will power the 55,000-square feet center using wood chips, waste paper and fiber fuel.

IBM Unveils New Software for Data Center Energy Management
http://www.greenercomputing.com/node/24410
The company has announced a new version of its energy management software and collaborations with vendors to combine monitoring of IT and non-IT operations.

Green IT Continues to Make Progress in Companies: Forrester
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news/2008/05/19/green-it-continues-make-progress
Around the globe enterprise IT departments are getting increasingly greener for unexpected reasons and in surprising ways, according to the latest findings from a Forrester Research survey.

Dell Targets More Efficient Desktops and Notebooks
http://www.greenercomputing.com/node/24217
Dell will design its laptops and desktops to consume 25 percent less energy by 2010 as part of its plan to become the greenest technology company on the planet.

Craft a Green IT Action Plan
http://www.greenercomputing.com/node/23894
This report, made available specially to GreenerComputing readers by InfoTech, explains how to create an overall green IT plan and set up different types of projects.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has developed a revolutionary nanotechnology-based biosensor that can detect trace amounts of specific bacteria, viruses, and parasites. This biosensor will be used to help prevent the spread of potentially deadly biohazards in water, food and other contaminated sources.

Read the full story at News.com.

When it comes to solar these days, it’s go big or go home.

Utilities are being pushed to use more renewable energy, heating up the business of large-scale solar power. (Click here for related photo gallery.)

From the Editor-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Earth:

I am pleased to announce the launch of the Climate Change Collection in the Encyclopedia of Earth: http://www.eoearth.org/article/Climate_Change_%28collection%29

The Collection is anchored by an electronic version of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Nobel Prize-winning reports. It also includes articles by climate experts, biographies of individuals who have made important contributions to climate science and policy, a timeline of key events in the history of climate science and policy, a climate glossary, and much more. Scientists, educators, environmental professionals and concerned citizens should find the Collection to be an invaluable resource.

We seek to expand the Collection with articles on a wide rage of climate-related topics and written for a large and diverse global audience. We encourage potential contributors to contact us.

The Xerox Drawing Board
By Tilde Herrera
http://greenbiz.com/podcast/2008/05/22/the-xerox-drawing-board
A few years ago, Xerox began developing a self-erasing paper that can be used a number of times. Patricia Calkins of Xerox recently joined GreenBiz Radio to discuss the product’s creation, as well as the role that lifeycle analysis plays in the company’s design approach.

Environmental Defense Fund Highlights Innovations Big and Small
http://greenbiz.com/node/24454
In a new annual report, the Environmental Defense Fund compiles green innovations across a variety of sectors that are good for both business and the planet.

New Suite of Printing Solutions from HP Aim to Reduce Office Paper Waste
http://greenbiz.com/node/24577
The company’s Eco-Solutions program puts the environment at the top of the agenda for printing functions, energy and paper use, green paper production processes, packaging and paper use guidelines, and a new printer made from largely recycled materials.

Legislators Push Forward Bills on Alternative Energy, Cleaner Ships, State Emissions Limits
http://greenbiz.com/node/24572
Members of the U.S. House and Senate have taken action on bills that would extend millions of dollars in alternative energy tax credits, require large ships to use cleaner fuel and allow states to set their own tailpipe emissions limits.

Sustainable Operations Summit Offers High-Level Tools for Green Strategies
http://greenbiz.com/node/24529
Facility management, supply chain evaluations and carbon offset strategies were just some of the topics on offer at the second Sustainable Operations Summit this week, which brought together business and civic leaders with industry experts to share success stories and cutting-edge ideas in reducing businesses’ environmental impacts.

TNT to Swap 100 Diesel Trucks for Electric Models
http://greenbiz.com/news/2008/05/19/tnt-swap-100-diesel-trucks-electric-models
Delivery company TNT has announced it’s switching part of its fleet to electric vehicles and a number of test programs for cleaner trucks.

Premier Launches Healthcare Energy and Emissions Program
http://greenbiz.com/node/24573
Premier healthcare alliance has created an initiative to help its members reduce their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

AT&T to Introduce 105 Alternative Fuel Vehicles in its Fleet
http://greenbiz.com/node/24530
The company is testing out compressed natural gas and hybrid electric vans, cars and trucks in more than 30 cities.

Southern California Edison Proposes Early Action Climate Projects
http://greenbiz.com/node/24319
Southern California Edison (SCE) has proposed a collection of voluntary greenhouse gas reduction projects ahead of the state’s final climate change rules that are due in 2012. SCE expects the California Air Resources Board will reward the company for the early action under a provision of the state’s climate change bill.

IBM Launches Supply Chain Carbon Analysis Tool
http://greenbiz.com/node/24531
Carbon Tradeoff Modeler lets companies see where their CO2 emissions are at and
how they can go down and up through changes in packaging, transportation and
more.

Restaurants Serve New Sustainability Initiatives
http://greenbiz.com/node/24418
The National Restaurant Association unveiled the “Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability” initiative at its annual trade show, the same day PepsiCo Foodservice entered a partnership with the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) to help customers become more sustainable. A Chicago culinary school also said it would incorporate sustainability education into its curriculum.

Glass Industry Seeks Tighter FTC Guidelines
http://greenbiz.com/news/2008/05/20/glass-industry-seeks-tighter-ftc-guidelines
The glass industry wants the Federal Trade Commission to clarify the definitions of “recyclable” and “recycled content” because the descriptors are being used in ways that confuse or deceive consumers.

Innovations Review 2008
http://greenbiz.com/resources/resource/innovations-review-2008
The first edition of what will be an annual report looks at innovative, effective green business strategies that are both good for business and the environment.

Branding and Technology: How Savvy Tech Companies Hit Green Pay Dirt
By Anna Clark
http://greenbiz.com/node/24644
A recent survey of business managers in the IT sector details some of the challenges and opportunities for tech companies that are setting goals and making plans to go green, and how best to communicate their achievements without downplaying the significant impact of manufacturing in the digital age.

Sweating the Small Stuff: A Market Opportunity
By Danny Bradbury, BusinessGreen
http://greenbiz.com/feature/2008/05/27/sweating-small-stuff-a-market-opportunity
After two decades of development, countless environmental nanotechnologies are fast approaching commercial viability — and the companies behind them have the potential to redefine the clean tech sector.

Joel Makower’s Two Steps Forward
Office Buildings As Peaker Plants
http://greenbiz.com/column/2008/05/18/office-buildings-as-peaker-plants

Marc Gunther on Corporate America
Fixing Farming
http://greenbiz.com/column/2008/05/22/fixing-farming

David Wigder’s Green Marketing Strategies
Reframing Global Warming Across the Political Spectrum
http://greenbiz.com/node/23826

Andy Savitz’s Triple Bottom Line
Timberland And Stonyfield Farms–Two Little Guys Showing The Big Guys How It’sDone
http://greenbiz.com/node/23845

Read the full story in the New York Times.

As part of a growing campus sustainability movement, students are reducing carbon emissions in their own lives.

Read the press release from PEER.

Ordered by Congress to re-open its shuttered libraries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is grudgingly allocating only minimal space and resources, according to agency documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). At the same time, EPA is issuing a series of edicts placing virtually every aspect of library operations under centralized control of a political appointee.

In a May 8, 2008 e-mail to EPA employee unions, the agency announced its plan for re-opening four of the closed libraries effective September 1. The unions were given until May 22 to reply or object. The announced plan for the Chicago library, formerly the largest regional library serving the entire six-state Great Lakes area, stipulates:

• The re-opened library will be in a vacant reception area on the 16th floor of a federal building;
• The re-opened library will occupy less than one-tenth the area of the closed library and will be only slightly larger than the typical men’s restroom in that same building; and
• No provision is made to restore the unique Great Lakes ecological collection or to recover any of the other holdings from the former library.

Similarly, the regional library in Dallas serving a five-state area will be reduced to “2 staff workstations and 1 patron workstation, each with a PC, desk, and chair”. It will be open six hours a day for four days a week. The fate of its former collection also remains unknown.

“A library requires more space than a lavatory,” stated PEER Associate Director Carol Goldberg. “These plans appear to violate the Congressional order that the agency ‘restore the network of EPA libraries recently closed…’ What part of ‘restore’ doesn’t EPA understand?”

Adding to the disruption caused by its 20-month library closure campaign, EPA has installed one political appointee, Molly O’Neill, the Assistant Administrator for Environmental Information, as library czar, in charge of all library operations, including those serving laboratories and specialized programs.

New rules issued by O’Neill governing every facet of library operations, including detailed directives on handling research and information requests and priorities for materials disbursal or destruction, will go into effect next month. These new rules will repeal agency protocols that have been in effect since 1977.

“Even as many collections remain in crates, EPA has decided to micromanage what is left,” Goldberg added, noting that the agency has still not accounted for many of the library holdings it had removed. “Professional librarians should be making these management decisions, not political appointees.”

Read the full story in Wired.

A San Diego start-up says it is using algae to make oil that can be refined into gasoline and other fuels that are both renewable and carbon-neutral, and it plans to produce 10,000 barrels a day within five years.

Read the full story in Wired Magazine.

Winning the war on global warming requires slaughtering some of environmentalism’s sacred cows. We can afford to ignore neither the carbon-free electricity supplied by nuclear energy nor the transformational potential of genetic engineering. We need to take advantage of the energy efficiencies offered by urban density. We must accept that the world’s fastest-growing economies won’t forgo a higher standard of living in the name of climate science — and that, on the way up, countries like India and China might actually help devise the solutions the planet so desperately needs.

See also rebuttals by EcoGeek and Alex Steffan (World Changing). Steffan’s counterpoint piece appears in the same issue of Wired as the above story.

The Sophie Prize will be awarded to an individual or an organisation that in a pioneering or a particularly creative way, has pointed to alternatives to the present development and/or put such alternatives into practice.

• What kind of change of consciousness is needed?
• What is sustainable wisdom?
• What qualities of life are the most important?
• What important alternative measures must be implemented now?
• What kind of mobilisation of people is needed in the “global village”?

The recipient of The Sophie Prize will have sought a challenging answer to one or several of the questions above and thus contributed to setting them on the international agenda. Concerning fair distribution of resources and global environment and development issues, we will distinguish between what is (seen to be) possible to achieve in the short run and what is truly necessary in the long run. The Sophie Prize will honour efforts to promote changes in the world that are necessary in a long-term perspective.

With Ford Foundation support, the National Forest Foundation (NFF) has established the Mid-Capacity Assistance Program for locally-based collaborative efforts (see text box below) working on natural resource issues on National Forests and Grasslands. Its purpose is to support relatively young nonprofit organizations as they leverage their initial project successes and experiences, while strengthening their operating infrastructure.

The Mid-Capacity Assistance Program complements and adds to the NFF’s “continuum of assistance” spanning from the Community Assistance Program (CAP), which enables newly-forming collaborative groups to take the first steps towards becoming working organizations, to the Collaboration Support Program, which supports existing collaborative groups to innovate and move the field of collaboration forward, and the suite of grants is completed with our matching grant programs: the Matching Awards Program (MAP), Wilderness Stewardship Challenge (WSC) Program and Ski Conservation Fund (SCF). These programs provide matching grants for on-the-ground projects focused on community forestry, watershed restoration, wildlife habitat or recreation. The Mid-Capacity Assistance Program is for those organizations that find themselves in between the start-up and full-capacity implementation phases.

The Mid-Capacity Assistance Program provides awards for up to two years, with the second year being conditional on the organization demonstrating significant progress towards stated outcomes during year one. Awards will be for $35,000/year and require an annual match of $10,000. In their efforts to build ecological, social and economic sustainability, Mid-Capacity Assistance Program grantees are expected to continue their on-the-ground conservation work and produce measurable results for their organization, the community, the natural resources, and – as feasible – the local economy.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Foundation), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC), and National Wildlife Refuge Association, is pleased to solicit applications from organizations interested in initiating The Nature of Learning in their communities. The Nature of Learning is the FWS National Wildlife Refuge System’s community-based environmental education initiative that seeks to:

• Encourage an interdisciplinary approach to learning that seeks to enhance student academic achievement;
• Utilize field experiences and student-led stewardship projects to connect classroom lessons to real world issues; and
• Involve a partnership among local schools, community groups, natural resource professionals and local businesses.

The American Academy of Dermatology’s (Academy) Shade Structure Program are grant awards ($8,000 each) for the purchase of permanent shade structures designed to provide shade and ultraviolet (UV) ray protection for outdoor areas. The Academy also provides a permanent sign to be displayed near the shade structure promoting the importance of sun safety. The Academy receives support for this program from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company.

The deadline for the 2009 Shade Structure Program is April 10, 2009.

Read the full solicitation.

When children and teens explore how to grow plants hydroponically (without soil), fruitful questions bloom, and these questions can lead to active investigations and problem solving. These studies may even lead to classroom business opportunities or fuel student career interests. Not the least of the benefits is the joy of students harvesting a crop of their own incredible edibles or bounteous blossoms!

The Grow Store joins NGA to offer these grants to expand these types of learning opportunities for students.

Wondering if a hydroponic unit is right for your classroom? Check out the descriptions of equipment packages, including component specs and classroom activity suggestions:

• Elementary School Equipment Packages: 12 grants
• Middle School Equipment Packages: 16 grants
• High School Equipment Packages: 8 grants

Please also visit our online Exploring Hydroponics guide for examples of topics and lessons you can pursue.

Eligibility requirements:

1) Schools and youth organizations must plan to engage in a hydroponics project with at least 15 children between the ages of 6 and 18 during the 2009 school year.

2) You must verify that your facility can accommodate the equipment in the award packages available for your age group. Please click here to view the specifications for a) electrical load, b) light support, and c) dimensions of hydroponics equipment. Click on the link for your grade level for equipment specifications.

Award Packages – 36 schools will each receive:

• hydroponic garden systems and indoor light systems (high-intensity discharge or compact fluorescent). See links above for equipment package descriptions.
• curricula and reference books (Gardening Indoors: The Indoor Gardener’s Bible, plus NGA’s Growing Ventures: Starting a School Garden Business; GrowLab: A Complete Guide to Growing in the Classroom; and GrowLab: Activities for Growing Minds.)

Requirements for Winning Programs:

• NGA will send winning programs a year-end evaluation form approximately nine months after awards are delivered. Programs that fail to complete the evaluation will not be eligible for future awards from NGA.
• Coordinators of winning programs are expected to complete and return the Agreement of Use form. Award fulfillment is contingent upon receipt of this form by NGA.

Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by September 15, 2008. Send your completed form to: Hooked on Hydroponics, c/o NGA, 1100 Dorset St., So. Burlington, VT 05403. DOWNLOAD APPLICATION

Read the full solicitation.

Program Criteria

NGA awards Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs. In evaluating grant applications, priority will be given to programs that emphasize one or more of these elements:

• educational focus or curricular/program integration
• nutrition or plant-to-food connections
• environmental awareness/education
• entrepreneurship
• social aspects of gardening such as leadership development, team building, community support, or service-learning.

Who should apply: Schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and intergenerational groups throughout the United States are eligible. Applicants must plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18 years. Previous Youth Garden Grant winners who wish to reapply may do so, but must wait one year (e.g., if you won in 2008, you can apply again in 2010) and have significantly expanded their garden programs.

Application deadline (postmark date): November 1, 2008.

DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION

Grant Packages

For the 2009 grant cycle, 125 grants are available. Packages are as follows:

• Five (5) programs will receive gift cards valued at $1000 (a $500 gift card to The Home Depot and a $500 gift card to the Gardening with Kids catalog and store) and educational materials from NGA
• Seventy (70) programs will receive a $500 gift card to The Home Depot and educational materials from NGA
• Fifty (50) programs will receive a $250 gift card to The Home Depot and educational materials from NGA

Each award package also includes:

• A “2009 Youth Garden Grant Winner” sign to post in the garden
• 12 months of NGA Supporter benefits (includes online garden Q&A service, online gardening and botany courses, and a 10% discount at our Gardening with Kids store)