Browsing environmental news sources so you don't have to. Contact Laura Barnes (lbarnes@istc.illinois.edu) with questions, comments, and suggestions.
Follow ENB on TwitterRead the full story at Mother Nature Network.
The green blogoshphere pays homage to a senator who has done much for the environment. Plus, a bunch of news that will remind you just how much environmentalists will miss the Kennedy power house.
Read the full post at Ars Technica.
When life hands you enough onions, you can apparently power 600kw worth of fuel cells with the results. Gills onions, the largest processor in the US, is powering its plant with waste it used to pay someone to dispose of—and saving over $1 million a year in the process.
Read the full story and view the pictures at CNet.
Food waste is one of the least recycled materials in municipal solid waste systems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. But at least one organization in the San Francisco Bay Area is trying to change that.
The East Bay Municipal Utility District is experimenting with innovative techniques to convert raw food waste into usable energy, taking some of the massive amounts of food waste generated by local restaurants and using it to power its operations in Oakland, Calif.
In 2007, EBMUD was awarded a $50,000 grant from the EPA as part of the Resource Recovery Program to explore new ways of digesting food waste to produce methane gas.
Today, the facility is home to a million-dollar facility that is generating usable methane and producing nearly 100 percent of the power needed to operate the regional wastewater treatment operation.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched an online discussion forum to receive public input on the future priorities for EPA’s national enforcement program.
The public will be able to provide feedback through the EPA Web site until December 1, giving them a forum to submit ideas for EPA to consider for new areas of enforcement focus. All ideas will be evaluated and considered for recommendation to the EPA administrator about the future direction of EPA’s national enforcement and compliance priorities.
The current enforcement priorities through 2010 focus on significant environmental problems, including pollution from stormwater runoff, air toxics, concentrated animal feeding operations, and mineral processing.
The goal of this project, a collaboration between the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council’s Center for Education, through its Board on Science Education, is to provide carefully reasoned guidance to key stakeholders regarding the creation and implementation of K-12 engineering curricula and instructional practices, focusing especially on the connections among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
As part of the project, NAE is hosting a symposium on K-12 Engineering Education on September 8, 2009 in Washington DC. An audio webcast of the symposium will beavailable on September 8 on www.nationalacademies.org.
New report from the National Science Board [PDF, 74 p.]
Findings and key recommendation: The United States faces a critical challenge to transform our current fossil fuel based energy economy to a stable and sustainable energy economy. This transformation must be achieved in a timely manner to increase U.S. energy independence, enhance environmental stewardship and reduce energy and carbon intensity, and generate continued economic growth. In this report, the National Science Board (Board) offers key findings, recommendations to the U.S. Government, and guidance to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Collectively, these actions will initiate and sustain a transformation to a sustainable energy economy. The following six topics of key findings support and form the basis of the Board’s recommendations and guidance:
Finding 1: U.S. Government leadership and coordination: A comprehensive coordinated Federal strategy is required for sustainable energy initiatives.
Finding 2: R&D investment: Private and Federal support for sustainable energy R&D is inadequate.
Finding 3: Policy development: The U.S. energy economy is carbon-intensive and does not adequately value the environment as a public good.
Finding 4: Energy education and workforce: Human capital development in the sustainable energy sector is vital.
Finding 5: Global cooperation: Limited international engagement and collaboration inhibits progress on sustainable energy solutions.
Finding 6: Energy awareness and action: Strong public consensus and support for sustainable energy actions are needed to achieve a national transformation to a sustainable energy economy. The Board makes the following overarching priority recommendation and six component recommendations to the U.S. Government:
Priority Recommendation: The U.S. Government should develop, clearly define, and lead a nationally coordinated research, development, demonstration, deployment, and education (RD3E) strategy to transform the U.S. energy system to a sustainable energy economy that is far less carbon intensive.
New paper from the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy [PDF, 42 p.]
Abstract: This paper reviews 19 separate studies published over the past 12 years that examine the potential for deploying greater energy efficiency in the South. These studies contain more than 250 estimates of the energy efficiency potential for different fuels (electricity, natural gas, and all fuels), sectors of the economy (residential buildings, commercial buildings, and industry), and types of potential (technical, economic, maximum achievable, and moderate achievable). The meta-review concludes that a reservoir of cost-effective energy savings exists in the South. The full deployment of these nearly pollution-free opportunities could largely offset the growth in energy consumption forecast for the region over the next decade.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
Builders covet a green certification, but many buildings do not save as much energy as their designs predicted.
Read the full article in The Atlantic Monthly.
Pandemics. Global warming. Food shortages. No more fossil fuels. What are humans to do? The same thing the species has done before: evolve to meet the challenge. But this time we don’t have to rely on natural evolution to make us smart enough to survive. We can do it ourselves, right now, by harnessing technology and pharmacology to boost our intelligence. Is Google actually making us smarter?
CNET answers that question on this week’s episode of The Green Show. Be sure to check out the other show eps. Links to the right of the viewer on the web site. Nice job folks.
Read the full story at CNET.
The future of green technology is algae-cultivating buildings, artificial trees, and lots of white roofs, according to the U.K.’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Where: Merida, Mexico
When: 6-13 November 2009
For more information: http://www.wild9.org/
Launched by The WILD Foundation in 1977, the World Wilderness Congress (WWC) is now the longest-running, public, international environmental forum.
WWCs include senior-level representation from governments, the private sector, native peoples, non-governmental organizations, academia and the arts in a structure carefully designed to bring together the full spectrum of wilderness-related views. Broad-based participation, combined with the spirit of open and balanced debate, creates a constructive, objective oriented environment, and generates practical conservation outcomes.
The Congress convenes every three to four years around the world. Past WWCs have been held in South Africa (1977, 2001), Australia (1980), Scotland (1983), USA (1987, 2005), Norway (1993), and India (1998).
Conference tracks include:
Read the full story in Government Computer News.
The Energy Department plans to release $37 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to small businesses to stimulate research and development into clean energy technologies.
Read the full story in the Washington Post.
Most Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling energy issues and support efforts by him and Democrats in Congress to overhaul energy policy — including the controversial cap-and-trade approach to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Via KnowledgeSpeak.
B2B media company Penton Media, US, has announced the launch of Energy Efficiency & Technology and eetweb.com, a new media resource designed to serve engineers seeking to boost energy efficiency in products and processes to bring clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace.
Energy Efficiency & Technology and EETweb.com helps energy-efficiency engineers develop and employ state-of-the-art energy systems and practices by providing a forum for the exchange of information among those involved in energy conversion and efficiency. Emphasis is on technical content and the technical aspects of the design, manufacture and application of devices, circuits and systems related to technology for energy conversion and efficiency. Content includes technical articles written by practicing professionals and edited by engineers, overviews describing the latest developments in industry, tutorials that cover wide-ranging energy efficiency topics and a showcase of new technologies and products.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection.
Ohio EPA has developed an incentive for brownfield cleanups, by partnering with private insurance companies that will offer discounted environmental insurance to parties undertaking a voluntary cleanup in Ohio.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection.
Although some countries still have lead in gasoline, an American Chemical Society presenter noted that air quality successes have been made by such megacities as Mexico City, Beijing, and Sao Paulo.
A scientific trend to view the world’s biggest cities as analogous to living, breathing organisms is fostering a deep new understanding of how poor air quality in megacities can harm residents, people living far downwind, and also play a major role in global climate change. That’s the conclusion of a report by Charles Kolb, Ph.D., on the “urban metabolism” model of megacities presented at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Read the full story in the Houston Chronicle.
Port of Houston truckers will be eligible for low-interest loans to replace or upgrade their old big rigs under a $9 million program announced Wednesday.
Read the full story in Newsweek.
During the first seven months of the Obama presidency, the administration charted a new course for a green economy. It approved a stimulus package with roughly$50 billion for renewable energy and environmental projects while devoting other funds to everything from Cash for Clunkers to improving energy efficiency in the homes of Native Americans. So, who is behind the White House’s environmental efforts?
Air Pollution: Air Quality and Permitting of New Coal-Burning Electricity-Generating Units in Central Texas. GAO-09-787R, August 4.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-787R
Climate Change Policy: Preliminary Observations on Options for Distributing Emissions Allowances and Revenue under a Cap-and-Trade Program, by John Stephenson, director, natural resources and environment, before the Senate Committee on Finance. GAO-09-950T, August 4.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-950T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09950thigh.pdf
Superfund: Litigation Has Decreased and EPA Needs Better Information on Site Cleanup and Cost Issues to Estimate Future Program Funding Requirements. GAO-09-656, July 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-656
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09656high.pdf
Read the full story at Mother Nature Network.
Website lets renters find a pad with environmentally conscious features such as dual-flush toilets, compact fluorescent lights.
Note that the database currently only covers Portland, OR; Seattle; the SF Bay area; Boston; Chicago; New York City; and Washington, DC. Other properties are lumped together under Everywhere Else, which is a pretty large area. There is an option to search near your zip code. When I did a search of residential property within five miles of 61821 (Champaign, IL), I got zero hits. According to the web site FAQ:
How do you decide which properties to include?
Well, eventually we won’t. Property owners and managers will submit their buildings on their own, and as long as it includes at least one feature in any of these seven “green” areas (energy, water, building materials, operations, building surroundings, certifications and awards, other innovative green features) it can be listed with GreenRenter.
For now, however, the GreenRenter editors have been identifying green buildings in the Portland area and gathering the information from online sources and interviews with the property managers. How did we find the properties you see here? The U.S. Green Building Council’s list of LEED certified and registered properties, the U.S. EPA’s list of Energy Star rated properties, and web searches for terms like “green building” and “sustainable architecture.”
Is there a great green building we’re missing? Let us know!
Bottom line: If you own an eco-friendly rental property, this a good place to advertise it.
Read the full story at Mother Nature Network.
Who would’ve thought? Convert your energy-hogging freezer to a fridge and save 90% on energy consumption. This beats EnergyStar.
With hundreds of biomass industry professionals vying to present at the 2010 International BIOMASS Conference & Expo, we’re calling for abstracts early to meet a swell of international speaker interest. Submit your presentation idea now, and plan to engage decision makers at the fastest growing biomass conference in the world. Don’t wait. The number of abstracts submitted per category may soon be limited. With 6 tracks, 30 panels, 90 speakers, 150 exhibitors and an anticipated 2,000 attendees, BIOMASS is the world’s ideal business-to-business forum for producers and future producers of biomass power, fuels and chemicals.
Select from Six Presentation Categories:
Read the full post at Sustainable IT.
The Carbon Disclosure Project reports that companies are behind in keeping dangerous climate change at bay
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a series of steps to increase protections against and raise awareness of lead-based products in our environment and communities, particularly to prevent lead poisoning in children. The steps announced today are:
“As both EPA Administrator and as a mother, my highest priority is protecting our children from environmental threats in the places where they live, play and learn. Lead is still present in many of our neighborhoods, but we can limit exposure to children and adults by working together on comprehensive actions like these,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re committed to giving our nation’s children the fullest protection possible, and giving parents clear assurance that their children are safe from harm.”
The additional requirements on lead-based paint that EPA intends to propose are the result of a settlement of litigation brought by the Sierra Club, the New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning and other stakeholder groups in 2008. The settlement calls for proposed revisions to the 2008 rule governing lead safe work practices used during repair, remodeling and renovations to reduce exposures to lead-based paint hazards for young children, the most sensitive population, as well as for older children and adults.
EPA will propose to expand lead safe work practices and other protective requirements for renovation and painting work involving lead paint to most buildings built before 1978, when lead-based paint was banned for residential use. Under the proposed requirements, renovation firms would have to conduct tests to ensure that lead levels in dust comply with EPA’s regulatory standards after certain renovation, repair, and painting activities are performed and provide information to building occupants on the lead safe work practices utilized during renovations.
The agency is proposing that lead safe work practices be required at the vast majority of residential buildings and public and commercial buildings undergoing exterior renovations that involve lead-based paint. EPA will determine whether renovations in the interior of public and commercial buildings create hazardous levels of lead dust.
EPA will undertake at least three separate rulemakings to expand coverage and strengthen requirements of the 2008 Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which will be available for public comment.
EPA will also pursue a ban on the manufacture and distribution of lead tire weights in response to a 2009 petition from the Ecology Center, the Sierra Club and other NGOs requesting that the agency establish regulations prohibiting the manufacture, processing, and distribution of lead tire weights. Lead weights are used predominately in the tire replacement market to balance tires of autos and light trucks in the United States. They can fall off tires and then break down and contaminate soil, wash into sewers, or end up being transported to municipal landfills or incinerators. EPA estimates that 2,000 tons of lead from tire weights are lost from vehicles and ultimately end up in the environment each year. Tire weights without lead are already being used and can be effectively substituted.
Finally, in order to further educate the public on the potential dangers of lead poisoning, EPA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are soliciting creative videos from the public for a lead poisoning prevention video contest.
The three agencies are interested in videos that convey easy, low-cost steps that can be taken to prevent childhood lead poisoning and inspire individuals and communities to change their behavior to prevent exposure to this harmful chemical. Examples of possible video topics include:
The deadline for entries is October 1, 2009 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The winners will be awarded cash prizes in the amount of $2,500 (1st prize), $1,500 (2nd prize) and $1,000 (3rd prize). Winning videos will be featured on EPA, CDC and HUD’s Web sites. Winners will be announced during Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 25-31, 2009.
Lead causes a variety of adverse health effects, including brain and nervous system disorders, high blood pressure and hypertension, and reproductive problems. For children, even low levels of exposure to lead can cause a host of developmental effects such as learning disabilities, decreased intelligence, and speech, language, and behavioral problems, which can impact children for a lifetime.
More information on today’s announcements: http://www.epa.gov/lead/
U.S. EPA is encouraging people to commit to least five actions that will help the environment. Pick 5 also helps you identify more actions you can take in the future.
Read the full story in T.H.E. Journal.
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), Discovery Education, and the Siemens Foundation have announced the opening of the 2009 “Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge.” The challenge calls on K-8 students to develop green solutions for their schools, homes, and communities.
This year’s challenge has been expanded to allow students in grades K through 5 enter, in addition to middle school students. (Next year’s program is expected to be expanded further to include high school students.)
Essence Magazine/CNN has a profile of Lisa Jackson, EPA administrator. From the interview:
As the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa Jackson wears many hats: environmentalist, upholder of anti-pollution policy and toxic chemical regulator, to name a few.
But when she reflects on her role as the first African-American to head the agency, her aim is to make people see the connection between the environment and their lives.
Jackson spoke to ESSENCE.com about school safety, asthma, environmental racism — and what she’s doing to battle all three. The following is an edited version of that interview.
Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, N.Y. is not just the only university-based hospital on Long Island, it is the first hospital in the nation to pledge to reduce its environmental impact through a comprehensive agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The hospital and EPA today signed an agreement that outlines goals and strategies for energy and water conservation, solid waste management, green design and the use of environmentally-friendly products. Stony Brook University Hospital will track the results of these efforts and submit reports to EPA every six months.
“This agreement shows that a medical institution like Stony Brook University Hospital can provide world-class medical care while taking steps to protect the environment,” said EPA Acting Deputy Regional Administrator Barbara Finazzo. “This comprehensive agreement not only addresses broad issues like energy and water usage, but also those unique to the health care sector, like using environmentally-friendly medical supplies.”
“This MOU formalizes the hospital’s continued commitment to be an environmentally conscious healthcare institution,” said Stony Brook University Hospital CEO Steven L. Strongwater, M.D. “Our relationship with the EPA is a true indication of our commitment to continually improve out programs by reducing waste, minimizing the use of hazardous materials and preventing pollution of our valuable resources. It is another step in the process toward becoming a world class healthcare institution.”
The following are highlights of the agreement between Stony Brook University Hospital and EPA. The hospital will:
EPA has similar agreements in place with the New York Jets and New York Giants for the new Meadowlands Stadium, the New York Mets for the team’s new Citi Field stadium, the Destiny USA mall project in Syracuse, N.Y., the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J., St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., and Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, N.J. For more information on EPA green construction and operations agreements, visit http://www.epa.gov/region02/greenteam/. For more information on Stony Brook Hospital, visit http://www.stonybrookmedicalcenter.org/home/.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it is requesting comments on new information it has received about geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. During geologic sequestration, carbon dioxide is injected underground for long-term storage. This technology can be used to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA protects underground sources of drinking water from threats related to injection activities. The new information supplements the agency’s 2008 proposed rule that, if finalized, would create a new class of injection well and establish requirements under the authority of the SDWA to ensure that geologic sequestration activities do not endanger drinking water sources. The publication reviews research and data on geologic sequestration and presents an alternative the agency is considering related to the proposed injection depth requirements for carbon dioxide. In addition, the publication announces that EPA is evaluating the need for a more comprehensive regulatory framework to manage the geologic sequestration of CO2.
The agency is requesting public comments for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register.
More information on geologic sequestration and how to submit comments: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/uic/wells_sequestration.html
Read the full story in the Chicago Tribune.
A motorist zipping along Veterans Memorial Tollway near Lemont might not think twice if a certain large bug with enormous green eyes gets splattered on his windshield, but Dan Soluk would be heartbroken.
The demise of even one Hine’s emerald dragonfly is of grave concern to Soluk, a biologist whose life’s work is studying the endangered species.
Only a few thousand adult Hine’s emerald dragonflies are believed to inhabit Illinois each summer, and many of them live about 100 feet below the deck of the tollway bridge spanning the Des Plaines River Valley.
Tollway users may care to know that every time they drive through a tollbooth they are helping support a wide-ranging scientific endeavor to catch, count and cultivate the 2 1/2 -inch Somatochlora hineana. That research pays the mortgage on what tollway officials jokingly refer to as “dragonfly condos” — unique breeding areas designed to replicate the insect’s habitat and propagate the species.
The peer review of the renewable fuel standards lifecycle analysis is now available online. In May, Administrator Jackson announced the lifecycle analysis would be peer reviewed when the agency proposed its overall strategy for increasing the supply of renewable fuels.
More information on the peer review: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels/index.htm
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has joined the EcoCar consortium of government, industry and academic leaders dedicated to advancing clean, efficient automotive technology. The consortium hosts EcoCar,The Next Challenge, a three-year competition among 17 universities in the U.S. and Canada to redesign and reengineer a 2009 Saturn VUE to further minimize fuel consumption and emissions. In addition to EPA, major sponsors include U.S. Department of Energy, California Air Resources Board, Environment Canada and General Motors.
As part of the sponsorship, EPA will provide mentoring, technical advice, and dynamometer emissions testing on competition vehicles at EPA’s lab in Ann Arbor, Mich. EPA will also serve as a competition judge.
More information on EcoCar: http://www.ecocarchallenge.org
Follow Environmental News Bits on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EnvNewsBits. I retweet stories from people I follow there. Even when the blog is quiet, there may be new stories going out on the ENB Twitter feed.
When: Thursday, August 27, 2009 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM PDT
To register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/248755019
Biomimicry is an approach that looks to nature for effective ways to look at the whole system. This overview of Biomimicry will provide some examples of how nature can be used by humans to fulfill our needs in a sustainable way. An overview of the Biomimicry Guild’s Functional Taxonomy, an organized collection of functions that covers everything that life does and that we might want a design will be presented along with opportunities to use biomimicry in a regulatory agency.
Hear about emerging topics in Biomimicry, how this science is being used by a wide range of sectors as they seek out ways to become more sustainable.
Many businesses and organizations have used biomimicry tools to discover how to effectively translate the wisdom of our teacher – the organisms and ecosystems of the natural world – into designs and systems that become sustainable innovations and evolve into a bio-inspired ethos. Current topics include:
Presented by Marie B. Zanowick, Environmental Engineer, EPA Region 8 Pollution Prevention and Toxics Unit and current student in the Biomimicry 2 Year Certificate Program through the Biomimicry Institute and the Biomimicry Guild.
Read the full story in Scientific American.
In my last post, I described one way to get around the bureaucracy of solar power: power-purchase agreements, whereby a company does the legwork in exchange for a cut of the government subsidies. Another way is to join forces with like-minded neighbors, which spreads the burden over a larger number of people and gives you some negotiating clout with installers, utilities, and city officials. A friend of mine in Washington, D.C., Ilana Harrus, is a member of the Mt. Pleasant Solar Cooperative, and I’ve invited one of the leaders of the group, Jeff Morley, to write a guest post describing their efforts—and explaining how you and your neighbors can do the same. Their experiences are very similar to mine, except that they’ve faced the challenges as a community.
Read the full story in Scientific American.
Thin plastic bags are the ultimate throwaway item. Used once to tote groceries, the thin white bags often go on to second lives as permanent pollution and an eyesore. So a host of countries, cities and other governments have banned them or forced consumers to pay for them. The largest such country, by far, was China.
The regulations went into effect last June before the Olympics and the track record is mixed. Bai si wu ran or “white pollution” seems to have visibly declined but that may have more to do with tidying up garbage than any ban.
Listen to the full story and read the transcript at NPR.
The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that the government’s hugely popular Cash for Clunkers program is leaving some of the most polluting automobiles on the road. Cars built before 1984 are excluded from the program because of lobbying efforts by classic car interests. Madeleine Brand speaks with L.A. Times reporter Ken Bensinger about the exemption.
Read the full story in the New Yok Times.
After tests of the White House’s kitchen garden site revealed high levels of lead, workers added lime, crab meal and compost to the soil in order to improve it.
Read the full story at GreenBiz.
The California Sustainability Alliance yesterday released version 2.0 of its Green Leases Toolkit, an online resource to help tenants and landlords of commercial real estate overcome obstacles to greening their office space.
Read the full story at GreenBiz.
A few weeks ago I wrote about a growing trend among real estate owners to create more energy efficient facilities. In a similar way, an increasing number of tenants are looking for ways to drive down operating costs where possible. For example, here at Biltmore Farms, we have a specific tenant in Biltmore Park that holds environmental stewardship as a core company value. As a property manager, what can we do to help and encourage tenants to exercise that shared principle?
Green leasing is becoming more popular in real estate these days as building owners and tenants find themselves codependent when it comes to reducing consumption.
Read the full story at GreenBiz.
In the wake of General Motors‘ bankruptcy and reorganization, funds for a partnership that takes mercury-containing parts out of vehicles headed for the trash could be drying up.
The End of Life Vehicle Solutions (ELVS), an auto industry partnership, was created in 2005 to support the removal of mercury switches from vehicles before they get shredded. If left in the vehicles when they are destroyed, the mercury leaks out, posing a danger for humans, animals and the environment.
ELVS works with the National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program, and has collected 2.5 million mercury switches and 5,600 pounds of mercury. ELVS is scheduled to run until 2017.
Read the full story at GreenBiz.com.
Building on its years of developing green-themed insurance for buildings and vehicles, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company has introduced hybrid upgrade auto insurance.
The coverage allows policyholders to move up to a hybrid model or its equivalent if their vehicle is damaged to the point that it’s a total loss.
Read the full story in GreenBiz.
Bottled water has had a tough run of it lately; for a while, bottled water became the public face of waste. Expensive, resource-intensive and an unnecessary alternative to municipal water supplies (which, the government noted, were more heavily regulated than bottled water), bottled water became the bogeyman.
And almost no brand has taken more heat than FIJI Water. Because it is shipped thousands of miles from the island nation (5,000-plus miles from Fiji to San Francisco, more than 10,000 from Fiji to London), in the heftiest plastic bottle of many major brands, FIJI water has gotten a bad reputation, and not even its nearly 2-year-old plan to be carbon negative has helped.
The latest news, in the form of an in-depth investigative piece in Mother Jones, not only looks at how FIJI the company (it has copyrighted the all-caps spelling of Fiji) affects the people and environment of Fiji the nation, but also highlights its relationship with the country’s military junta.
Read the full story in GreenerComputing.
Looking to get the most energy savings out of your data center? The newest technique, called “power-capping,” may be your answer, even though at first blush it sounds like a very scary proposition.
Power-capping does exactly what it says: It limits the amount of electricity that servers can consume at any given time. This not only controls the amount of electricity used in a data center, but also increases data center density. So enterprises save in two ways: Lower utility bills, and less real estate needed for their data center.
When: November 17-18
Where: Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL
For more information: http://www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/conferences/sciandpolicy/
Objectives of the Conference
The overall purpose of the conference is to connect current scientific research findings with policy with balance in perspectives and without bias toward any point of view. In this context, policy refers to government policy as reflected in federal, state, or local government actions that include legislative, regulatory, voluntary, and educational efforts. In general, the scientific research presented will focus on applied rather than basic research, unless the basic science is important to understanding critical issues and questions. Conference session topics will be targeted to reflect priority topics and issues of special interest in the Great Lakes or Northeast Regions.
Participants
Geographic Focus of the Conference:
The conference will be designed to target participation from the geographic area covered by the following states and Provinces: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Vermont; New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection.
The Moving Cooler: An Analysis of Transportation Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, published by the Urban Land Institute, looks at the possibilities of transportation efficiencies – investments in a less energy-intensive transportation system, such as transit alternatives and more efficient driving – by examining travel activity and vehicle and system operations.
It found that combining various transportation approaches together could yield meaningful greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, while also achieving fuel savings and savings to consumers on their transportation costs.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection.
The National Association of Counties (NACo), the country’s largest local government organization, on July 28 unanimously adopted a policy supporting producer responsibility for unwanted medicines, according to a July 28 press release.
The expense of taking back unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs would be handled by the pharmaceutical industry, without relying on state or local government funding.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection.
On July 23, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed into law the nation’s first program requiring paint manufacturers to safely manage leftover latex and oil-based paint from consumer and contractor painting jobs.
The law is expected to result in the proper management of an estimated 800,000 gallons of leftover paint each year and to provide Oregon governments with service valued at over $6 million. Governments that currently collect leftover paint will realize a direct financial savings.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) recently launched several initiatives to engage members and the traveling public in greening the hospitality industry, including a Green Partner Program, GreenQuest tracking system, and Green Tips for Travelers. All information is online via the AH&LA Green Resource Center Web site.
