·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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The latest issue of Renewable Energy Weekly is now available. Highlights include:

• Energy Conversion Devices’ Turnaround: Is BIPV Finally Ready To Take Off?
• Residential Solar PPAs Continue To Drive Solar Market Growth
• Abu Dhabi Sets 7 Percent Renewables Target
• Climate Change: The Power Game Still Lies Ahead!
• Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Means 37 Million Jobs by 2030
• Roadmap for A Changed Landscape: Consolidation and Integration in the Solar PV Business

Read the full post at InfoWorld.

Sixty-five percent of consumers think some companies overstate their green credentials to sell more products, according to research presented by industry organization Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) at the International Consumer Electronics Show on Tuesday.

Read the full post at InfoWorld.

More CIOs are being tasked with reducing energy consumption. Here’s how to determine which areas to optimize.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

Consumer advocacy organization BuildClean warned that cancer-causing radon may emanate from indoor building materials, according to a Jan. 6 press release. “The only way to know for sure is to test your home,” says Sara Speer Selber, president of BuildClean.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

States must now certify that their building codes meet the requirements in ASHRAE/IESNA’s 2004 energy efficiency standard, under a ruling issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that finds the standard saves more energy than an earlier version.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has joined with the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) — a grassroots network of more than 400 universities, scientific societies, and organizations — to celebrate The Year of Science 2009, according to a Jan. 7 press release.

*** DOE Funding for Alternative Fuels & Clean Cities

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, on behalf of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, is seeking applications for projects covering a range of commercial technology deployment and educational activities under the Clean Cities Transportation Sector Petroleum Reduction Technologies Program.

Applications should address only one of the three areas of interest, which are:

1. Refueling Infrastructure for Alternative Fuels
2. Incremental Costs of Dedicated Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs)
3. Education and Outreach Workshops for Petroleum Reduction Fuels and Technologies

Up to $6 million is expected to be available, with up to 24 awards anticipated. Responses are due February 27, 2009. For more information, contact Janet Laukaitis at janet.laukaitis@netl.doe.gov or go to https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/0ba000b968a07c9885256c3f0067b90d/1a2666e72e53ddbe85257527005b80df?OpenDocument.

Refer to Solicitation #DE-PS26-09NT01236-00.

***Forest Service Funding for Urban Forestry

The U.S. Forest Service requests proposals for the 2009 Urban and
Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program. This program will support the establishment of sustainable urban and community forestry projects that have a national or widespread impact and application. A total of $1 million in funds is expected to be available, with up to 12 awards anticipated. The funds will be divided into two main categories: Innovation Grants and Best Practices Grants.

Innovation Grants will focus on one of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council’s identified priority areas. One or more grants may be awarded from the $500,000 available in this category. Best Practices Grants are smaller grants intended to improve existing or develop new best practices related to urban forestry. A maximum of $50,000 per application can be awarded from the $500,000 available in this category.

Responses are due February 17, 2009. For more information, contact Nancy Stremple at nstremple@fs.fed.us or go to http://www.fs.fed.us/ucf/nucfac. Refer to Solicitation #USDA-FS-2009.

Read the full story in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Lisa Jackson, President-elect Barack Obama’s pick for EPA administrator, said Wednesday she would immediately revisit the Bush administration’s decision to block California and 18 other states from setting tough limits on greenhouse gases from vehicles, and she hinted strongly that she will overturn it.

Eco-Friendly Smart Growth Takes Root in Dallas
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/blog/2009/01/15/eco-friendly-growth-dallas
By Anna Clark
Savvy developers are capitalizing on growing demand in Dallas for eco-friendly urban alternatives. Can a city known for its conspicuous consumption really be the next green frontier? Several prominent real estate pioneers and a pro-sustainability mayor think so.

MGM Tower to Receive Third Largest Solar Installation in Los Angeles
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/01/13/mgm-tower-receive-third-largest-solar-installation-los-angeles
By Ariel Schwartz
Constellation Place, LLC and Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will unveil a photovoltaic solar system on top of the MGM Tower’s parking structure tomorrow afternoon. The system will be the third largest in Los Angeles, and will significantly reduce energy costs for the building.

PET Project: Coke’s Big Recycling Plant
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/01/14/pet-project-coke-recycling
By Marc Gunther
Coke stages a grand opening for the world’s largest bottle-to-bottle recycling
plant, a $60 million joint venture of Coke and the United Resource Recovery
Corp., in South Carolina this week.

How to Make a Corporate Sustainability Program Work at the Local Level
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/01/01/making-programs-work
By Robert Pojasek
Remember the saying “Think Globally, Act Locally”? Many corporate sustainability programs are keen to the “Think Globally” part, but encounter lots of trouble trying to make things work at the local level.  See Robert Pojasek’s advice on how to avoid those headaches.

Coca-Cola Enterprises to Cut Electricity Use by 5.6M KWH a Year in California
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/01/13/coca-cola-cuts-electricity-use
The production, distribution and marketing firm that bottles Coca-Cola products expects to slash its consumption as a result of an energy efficiency overhaul of lighting systems at 24 facilities in the state.

Stanford University to Create $100M Green Energy Research Institute
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/01/14/stanford-university-energy-institute
Stanford’s new Precourt Institute for Energy, financed primarily by major contributions from alumni, will work toward development of more  affordable and efficient ways to capture the power of the sun and store, deliver and use energy in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Wal-Mart, WEC Team Up for Greener, Cleaner Production in Central America
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/01/14/wal-mart-wec
The World Environment Center and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are working together to foster cleaner production and improved energy efficiency practices among more than two dozen company suppliers in El Salvador and Guatemala.

Cushman & Wakefield Partners with EPA to Green Real Estate
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/01/09/cushman-wakefield-epa
Commercial real estate services giant Cushman & Wakefield has signed on with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the environmental impact of the more than 3,200 offices and buildings the firm manages in the U.S.

Suntech Power, Open Energy Forge Licensing Deal for Solar Roof Membrane
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/01/14/suntech-power-open-energy-forge-licensing-deal-solar-roof-membrane
The exclusive agreement to license Open Energy’s building integrated solar roof membrane enables the firms to leverage the manufacturing and marketing strength of Suntech, the largest producer of photovoltaic modules, to make, distribute and sell the product.

Visitor Center for Blue Ridge Parkway Lands a LEED Gold Rating
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/01/13/blue-ridge-parkway
The Destination Center for the Blue Ridge Parkway has attained LEED Gold status in a rating that acknowledges the building’s design exceeds the standard for high energy efficiency.

Australian Environmental Groups, Unions Call for Green Stimulus Package
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/01/12/australian-green-stimulus
Australian environmentalists and trade unions say their government needs to take a cue from the strong green elements of President-elect Barack  Obama’s proposed economic stimulus package and act swiftly to adopt similar measures to fire up their country’s economy.

ASHRAE, 9 Other Groups Want to Work with DOE on High-Performance Green Buildings
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/01/13/ashrae-doe
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and nine other design, building, professional, energy and standards groups are looking to partner with the U.S. Department of Energy in its efforts to bring high-performance commercial buildings to market.

USGBC Update: The New Agenda – Green Jobs That Save Energy And Save Money
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/resources/resource/usgbc-update-the-new-agenda-green-jobs-that-save-energy-and-save-money
The U.S. Green Building Council reports to its more than 18,000 members about ongoing talks with the energy and environment members of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team about green building and its role as an essential element to economic recovery.