·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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After tomorrow, June 12, 2009 all full power television stations will only broadcast in digital, over-the-air signals. EPA encourages all U.S. citizens who own an analog TV set and who receive free broadcasts (via rabbit ears or a roof-top antenna) to extend the life of their TV by subscribing to a paid TV service or connecting it to a converter box. Energy Star-qualified digital converter boxes are available for purchase.

For consumers who choose to buy a new TV, EPA recommends purchasing Energy Star-qualified sets. EPA also encourages consumers to recycle their unwanted TVs, which recovers valuable materials from the circuit boards, metal wiring, leaded glass, and plastics.

Last year Americans disposed of more than 20 million TVs, which represents a lost opportunity to conserve natural resources such as copper and iron.

Consumers who are interested in recycling their old TVs can contact their local household hazardous waste collection and recycling program to find out whether they will be sponsoring an upcoming recycling event.

EPA is working through its Plug-In To eCycling program to promote the environmental benefits of recycling and provide the public with information on safely reusing and recycling obsolete electronics products, including televisions, computers, and cell phones. Plug-In To eCycling is a partnership between EPA and electronic manufacturers and retailers to offer consumers more opportunities to donate or recycle their used electronics.

More information on the digital TV transition:
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/tv-convert.htm

More information on where to recycle a TV:
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/tv-challenge.htm

More information on Plug-In To eCycling: http://epa.gov/plug-in

Frontline investigation of e-waste dumping in Ghana and other developing countries.

Read the full post at Mother Nature Network.

A handful of entrepreneurs have created services that pay you to keep your electronics out of the landfill.

Read the full story in Consulting & Specifying Engineer.

Over the next five years, water efficiency and conservation will become critical factors in green design, construction, and product selection, according to McGraw-Hill Construction’s latest SmartMarket Report, Water Use in Buildings, released recently with support from The Chicago Faucet Co. and Sloan Valve Co. Architecture and engineering (A/E) firms, contractors, and owners report that water efficiency is rapidly becoming a higher priority than other aspects of green building, such as energy efficiency and waste reduction.

Read the full story in Consulting & Specifying Engineer.

Retrofitting operating data centers is always tough. While there is no single answer, there are many products and solutions that can be used to help retrofit overloaded cooling systems. Close-coupled cooling systems, in conjunction with creating aisle containment, can add to the cooling capacity of the data center, while reducing its power usage effectiveness (PUE). This article explores some of the innovative designs and equipment available to improve cooling and overall data center efficiency.

Read the full story in Consulting & Specifying Engineer.

IBM, Syracuse University (SU), and New York State have entered into a multiyear agreement to build and operate a new computer data center on the university’s campus that will incorporate advanced infrastructure and smarter computing technologies to make it one of the most energy-efficient data centers in the world. The data center is expected to use 50% less energy than a typical data center today, making it one of the greenest computer centers in operation.

Read the full story in USA Today.

The government’s latest snapshot of air pollution across the nation shows residents of New York, Oregon and California faced the highest risk of developing cancer from breathing toxic chemicals.

The results, compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency, represent the most sweeping analysis to date of the state of the nation’s air. The analysis is based on emissions from 2002, the latest year for which the EPA had detailed estimates of pollution from across the nation.

See also The Smokestack Effect, a USA Today special report on air pollution.

Read the full story in T.H.E. Journal.

Five states have committed to developing green career and technical education initiatives. In collaboration with the United States Department of Education, the Education Department’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education, and the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, the states will create secondary and post-secondary programs that will lead to certificates and associate and bachelor degrees.

The Department of Education described the goals of the initiative this way: “Programs of study incorporate secondary and postsecondary elements in a progressive, non-duplicative curriculum, featuring coherent and rigorous technical and academic content and leading to a post-high school, industry-recognized credential or associate or baccalaureate degree.”

According to information released by ED, the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education will lead a 14-month program to help the states–Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, and Oregon–develop their initiatives with the help of a facilitator and consultants. This winter, teams from each state will also engage in a three-day academy in which they’ll receive technical assistance.