·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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Read the press release.

An overwhelming majority of Americans believe that safer, cleaner and more energy-efficient production are the most important manufacturing issues in today’s economy according to a recent survey by Opinion Research Corporation. Most Americans also believe that highly automated, modern factories are important to improve and grow the U.S. economy and that a federal government stimulus package should support an increase in the number of modern, automated factories…

When considering a manufacturing company, Americans chose product and employee safety, and environmental issues as the most important attributes. Among the top answers chosen include:

• Provide safe, quality products (86%)
• Provide a safe workplace (84%)
• Use natural resources efficiently (80%)
• Produce minimal waste (71%)
• Keep current prices or reduce prices (59%)…

Despite the economic downturn, support remains strong and unchanged from a similar survey last summer for government incentives to U.S. companies to invest in technology and automation to remain competitive and keep manufacturing operations from moving overseas. More than three-quarters (79%) said the government should provide such incentives. Americans believe U.S. manufacturers need to invest in automating and modernizing their factories to improve environmental sustainability, competitive position and product quality.

• Use energy, raw materials or natural resources more efficiently (92%)
• Continue to remain competitive and grow (89%)
• Minimize waste and other environmental impacts (86%)
• Provide safer, high quality products (85%)
• Respond more quickly to customer demands (85%)
• Provide a safer workplace (83%)

Read the full story in American Libraries.

Librarians can breathe a sigh of relief in the wake of a one-year stay of enforcement on having to test for lead in books geared to youngsters under the age of 12. The extension until February 10, 2010, puts an end to the nightmare scenario envisioned by some in the library community of having to either ban children from their facilities or cordon off the book collections in youth services areas until federal regulators concede that children’s literature complies with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

Read the full story in Water & Wastewater News.

A new study funded by NOAA and the National Science Foundation reveals that a part of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which separates Washington state from Canada’s British Columbia, is a potential “hot spot” for toxic harmful algal blooms affecting the Washington and British Columbia coasts.

Read the full story from GreenerBuildings.

A study released on the eve of a national conference on green jobs says that emerging eco-friendly work must provide adequate pay and benefits — or risk damaging efforts to restore the economy and strive for environmental sustainability.

The study released yesterday, “High Road or Low Road? Job Quality in the New Green Economy,” was conducted by the nonprofit resource center Good Jobs First and commissioned by organizations Change to Win, Sierra Club, the Laborers International Union of North America, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

This issue focuses on combined heat and power.