·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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The Drinking Water Treatability Database (TDB) presents referenced information on the control of contaminants in drinking water. It allows drinking water utilities, first responders to spills or emergencies, treatment process designers, research organizations, academicians, regulators and others to access referenced information gathered from thousands of literature sources and assembled on one site. It includes more than 25 treatment processes used by drinking water utilities. The literature includes bench-, pilot-, and full-scale studies of surface waters, ground waters and laboratory waters. The literature includes peer-reviewed journals and conferences, other conferences and symposia, research reports, theses, and dissertations. From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Thanks to Bob Teeter for the link.

Read the press release.

OfficeMax(R) Incorporated (NYSE: OMX), a leader in office products and services, today announced that customers can now choose 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper when making self-serve copies at their local OfficeMax ImPress(R), OfficeMax’s in-store print and document services.

Read the full story in Consulting & Specifying Engineer.

Commonwealth Edison and Ameren are about to kick off an ambitious energy-conservation program for commercial and industrial customers of electricity.

Read the full story in Consulting & Specifying Engineer.

University of California Davis energy-efficiency experts recently launched a novel program designed to slash electricity use by rooftop air conditioners in the western United States by more than 40%.

Read the full story in Consulting & Specifying Engineer.

Proponents, advocates, designers, and owners of green or sustainable buildings describe building sizes, construction costs, and how beneficial they are—especially from an energy or emissions perspective. Trade publications and the popular press abound with such accounts in articles and press releases. Largely absent from pronouncements and publications are factual, measured data to support these claims, even when these data are or can become readily available from meters, submeters, energy management systems, and data loggers.

Read the full story in Consulting & Specifying Engineer.

The importance of understanding the difference between building green, building a certified building, and sustainability with respect to building construction.

Changing IT To Make Good Green Decisions
By Andrew Binstock
http://www.greenercomputing.com/column/2008/01/01/changing-it-to-make-good-green-decisions
Until very recently, the need for IT to really include eco-concerns as part of
overall strategy did not have universal appeal. But now, due to skyrocketing
fuel costs, there is no longer any ambiguity about how much to commit to green.
It’s now emerging as a mandate for all IT centers, even small ones. In this
column, Andrew Binstock examines changes in the structure of IT departments that
some experts are suggesting are necessary for enterprises to successfully
navigate the green issues.

109 Million EPEAT Products Sold in 2007
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news/2008/06/17/109-million-epeat-products-sold-2007
The second annual report looking at the impact of EPEAT products highlights the
energy and resource savings from greener computing.

IBM Joins Utilities to Tackle IT Energy Use
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news/2008/06/16/ibm-joins-utilities-tackle-it-energy-use
IBM is expected to call on public sector utility companies today to join the IT
sector in tackling energy efficiency in data centers and facilities. The call to
action is part of several announcements being made today by IBM as part of
Project Big Green, its initiative that has also sparked new data center designs
in the past week. IBM also is unveiling on Monday a carbon assessment service
and new virtual green data center.

IT Can Have Biggest Impact on Travel: Survey
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news/2008/06/13/it-can-impact-travel
The main ways in which IT can help with a company’s environmental initiatives is
through reducing commutes and travel, according to a survey of IT professionals.

Linux Touted as Most Efficient Server Operating System
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news/2008/06/12/linux-touted-most-efficient-server-operating-system
In a comparison of three server operating system, Red Hat’s Enterprise Linux
demonstrated the most power efficiency overall.

IBM Unveils New Data Center Designs to Spread Green IT
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news/2008/06/11/ibm-unveils-new-data-center-designs
With three additions to its Project Big Green line of data center solutions, IBM
has expanded the range of its green IT solutions to include larger, more
portable and higher-density modular computing centers.

Reduce Power Consumption
http://www.greenercomputing.com/resources/resource/white-paper-reduce-power-consumption
VMware solutions help customers meet their energy saving goals by enabling safe
consolidation of underutilized x86 desktops and servers onto less hardware, both
through initial consolidation efforts and dynamically as computing requirements
change. This white paper explains how VMware virtualization provides the
foundation for dramatically more energy efficient IT environments.

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

• China’s Wind Power Industry: Blowing Past Expectations
• Lessons Learned by Offshore Oil Industry Boost Offshore Wind Energy
• The Algae Attraction
• How the U.S. Government Can Take the Lead in Reducing Carbon Emissions
• National Electric Rate Comparisons
• A Silver Bullet For High Gas Prices
• Animal planet: Another avenue to renewable fuels

Via Docuticker.

Adapting to Climate Change: A Business Approach
Source: Pew Center on Global Climate Change

This report outlines a sensible business approach to analyzing and adapting to the physical risks of climate change. It focuses on a critical first step in assessing these climate impacts: understanding the potential risks to business and the importance of taking action to mitigate those risks. Not all businesses need to take action now; this paper develops a qualitative screening process to assess whether a business is likely to be vulnerable to the physical risks associated with climate change, and whether a more detailed risk assessment is warranted.

+ Full Report (PDF; 397 KB)

See also: Clearing the Air: How Companies Operate in a Climate-conscious Era (Knowledge@Wharton)

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

Restoring landfill sites by turning them into greenspace, such as woodland, parkland, or farmland is now possible, new research shows.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

More than 1,700 of the nation’s most prominent scientists and economists recently released a joint statement calling on policymakers to require immediate, deep reductions in heat-trapping emissions that cause global warming. The statement marks the first time leading U.S. scientists and economists have joined together to make such an appeal.

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

• The Nature of Standards
• Palm Oil Fights Back
• Micromanaging Fuel Use
• Do Oil and Biodiesel Mix?
• Rising in the East
• Is There Room For Camelina?
• Biodiesel Blending Techniques Key to Quality Fuel
• Industry Maturation Allows for Supply Chain Optimization
• Weighing Oxidation Stability Tests for Biodiesel
• Overcoming Challenges in the Boardroom

View the full funding announcement.

The Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award is intended to identify outstanding scientists who are in the early, formative stages of their careers and who intend to make a long term career commitment to research in the mission areas of the NIEHS and assist them in launching an innovative research program focusing on problems of environmental exposures and human biology, human pathophysiology and human disease.

Read the full story at News.com.

Many household budgets are feeling the impact of high gasoline prices. Imagine if you ran a power plant.

Two reports released on Tuesday make the case that alternative forms of energy–everything from plug-in hybrid cars to solar power plants–are becoming more cost-competitive with fossil fuels.

Read the full Green Tip from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

As the price of fossil fuels — and the environmental impact associated with them — continues to increase, more homeowners have become interested in generating their own, cleaner electricity. One option is wind power; the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) estimates that a small residential wind turbine can, over the course of its life, prevent the generation of approximately 1.2 tons of smog-forming pollution and 200 tons of global warming pollution from conventional power plants. And depending on its size, a small wind system (which typically generates 5 to 10 kilowatts under optimal conditions) can lower the average home’s electricity costs 50 to 90 percent.

Read the press release.

The nation’s leading voice for the national parks, the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association, today announced it is launching a new website, Do Your Part for Climate Friendly Parks, which empowers national park visitors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help national parks nationwide become leaders in combating global warming.

Read the press release.

EPA is releasing a new resource, A Business Guide to U.S. EPA Climate Partnership Programs, for businesses committed to addressing the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. The guide features profiles on 35 EPA climate-change related partnership programs, as well as a handy table so companies can look up programs most appropriate for their industry and business objectives. Each program profile defines the environmental value delivered by the program and the business case for participating, such as cost savings, operational efficiency, reduced business risk, new or expanded markets, enhanced reputation and brand protection.

Read the press release.

Montclair State University scored high environmental grades with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today by formally entering into an agreement to utilize some of the latest green technologies and practices at its 246-acre campus. The Memorandum of Understanding spells out management and operational principles ensuring that Montclair meets high environmental standards and reduces its carbon footprint. Montclair becomes the first educational institution in the country to enter into a comprehensive green construction and operation Memorandum of Understanding with EPA. The agreement was officially signed at Montclair State University Hall, the largest and newest academic building on campus, which is also LEED certified. LEED certification is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

The July 2008 issue of Biomass Magazine is now available. Highlights include:

• Breakthroughs in Green Gasoline Production
• Grass: It’s Not Just for Grazing
• Sizing-Up Anaerobic Digestion
• Pellet Properties
• Feeding it Back
• Anaerobic Organisms Key to Coskata’s Rapid Rise
• Eyes on the North: Canada Ramps Up Bioenergy Activity
• From the Lab to Production: Direct Steam Injection Heating of Fibrous Slurries
• Under Pressure Underground: Gravity Pressure Vessels Convert Waste into Biofuels

Pollution prevention internships give participants the opportunity to gain vital career experience while helping to protect human health and the environment. This page provides links to non-EPA web sites that provide additional information about internships.