·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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Read the full story in the New York Times.

Democrats from industry-dependent states are expected to clash with other lawmakers over climate legislation.

EPA’s Clean Energy-Environment Municipal Network is kicking off the 2009 series of webcast trainings targeted to local governments with a webcast on how local governments can use landfill methane to generate energy.

EPA and local government experts will provide an overview of the benefits of using landfill gas, tools and resources for local governments, financing information, and examples of local governments that have successfully implemented landfill gas to energy projects.

The webcast will be held on February 5, 2009, from 2:00 – 3:30 PM (Eastern).

To register for the webcast, send an e-mail with your name and affiliation to: CleanEnergyWebcast@icfi.com.

You will receive a confirmation email with registration information within 24 hours.

Future webcast topics may include energy efficiency in affordable housing, combined heat and power, transportation control measures, smart growth, and urban heat islands. Priority for registration will be given to local and regional government staff and officials. EPA will record and post all webcasts on its Clean Energy website.

For more information

The Illinois Rain Garden Initiative is designed to empower students and communities to confront local flooding concerns, restore native Illinois prairie habitats, and learn about green solutions to storm water management.  The Lt. Governor’s Office will award 20 grants of $500 each to plant rain gardens.

This year we are pleased to announce that as part of the grant, we will be awarding rain barrels that can be integrated into the rain gardens for a more sustainable project. Eligible organizations include: public institutions, non-profit groups and schools.

For more information and application materials, please visit: www.raingarden.il.gov or contact Jamie Campbell at 312-814-6671.

Read the press release.

A visually arresting look at the plight of the Polar Bears, and a fact-filled journey through the deterioration of our water supply, earned Grand Prize awards in the 2008 Mobile Learning Institute Earth Day Challenge, sponsored by The Pearson Foundation and Nokia. The Challenge is a global, environmental filmmaking competition that provides young people the chance to share their views on the earth’s future and the importance of combating climate change.

The 2008 Grand Prize Winners are The Earth is Warming, University High School, Orlando, FL; and Water Pollution, Plaquemines Parish, Belle Chasse, LA. They will receive technology and support worth up to $25,000, including digital arts technology and a workshop for up to 60 students in their school. All winners also receive a copy of An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. A complete list of the runners-up is included below. They will also receive digital technology and copies of An Inconvenient Truth. The winning videos can be viewed at www.earthdaychallenge.org.

If you’re a non-profit looking for low-cost computer equipment or a company looking to discard old electronics, check out TechSoup’s Refurbished Computer Initiative. According to the web site:

TechSoup Stock offers only high-quality computers formerly used by large corporations. These are machines that are typically phased out after two to three years of use and are in very good condition. Each one is loaded with a new operating system and comes with a 90-day swap warranty.

Our donor partners donate their used computers, which are then refurbished by our refurbisher partners. The refurbisher partners also acquire computers from their own sources. TechSoup Stock distributes all of these refurbished computers to qualified nonprofits for a low administrative fee.

To participate in the program, a nonprofit organization must meet the requirements specified in the Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) and must operate in the United States. U.S. public libraries must either have valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit status or be listed in the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) database. For a complete list of requirements, see the RCI program guidelines and restrictions.

Read the full post at InfoWorld.

One man finds a way to get rid of old computers responsibly and pocket a little cash for his company.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

Scientists need a more detailed understanding of how human-produced atmospheric particles, called aerosols, affect climate in order to produce better predictions of Earth’s future climate, according to a NASA-led report issued by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program on Jan. 16.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

Consumers in emerging economies are more concerned and willing to take actions against climate change than those in developed countries, according to global research by Accenture released Jan. 15.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is launching the nation’s first Green Rental Car program that rewards customers for renting “green” alternative-fueled vehicles and rental car companies for increasing rentals of high mileage and alternative-fuel vehicles.

The Steel Framing Alliance has prepared an overview of three green building programs to show how steel can contribute to sustainable design and construction.

Read the full story in Renewable Energy Focus.

Elsevier is launching a ‘one-stop’ site for energy researchers covering all aspects of energy including renewables. Energylocate can be found at www.energylocate.com.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final rule under the New Source Review (NSR) program that revises the agency’s policy on “aggregation,” according to a Jan. 12 press release.

For the purpose of determining whether NSR applies, a facility should group together, or aggregate, emissions from multiple related changes into one single project, only if those activities are substantially related.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

Energy efficiency programs in the United States could realistically reduce the rate of growth for electricity consumption by 22 percent over the next two decades if key barriers can be addressed, according to an analysis released Jan. 14 by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is extending the compliance dates for all facilities and establishing new compliance dates for farms subject to the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule as part of the agency’s multi-phased strategy to address concerns with the current regulation.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

Scientists are using new and creative ways to help protect endangered and at-risk species and the ecosystems they — and humans — depend on for survival, according to a Jan. 12 press release.