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August 28, 2009
300 Groups Ask Senate for More Powerful Climate Bill
A coalition of more than 300 groups, representing the
faith, human-rights, social justice, and environmental communities, sent
a letter to U.S. senators today demanding energy and climate legislation
that is much stronger than the measure approved by the House of
Representatives in June.
Andean Journal; Protecting the Inka Legacy
We are in Chawaytiri, a community of Qhechua speaking people, weavers and
herders, high in the Andean mountains. Our mission is to trace the
ancient route of the Qhapac ñan, the sacred road of the Inka – the grand
civilization that greeted the Spanish conquest.
Australia Sprays Oil Slick Amid Wildlife Fears
Aircraft sprayed chemicals to break up a large oil slick off
Australia's northwestern coast on Sunday as environmentalists
expressed fears for rare wildlife from oil gushing into the sea from
an uncapped well.
AWWA Announces GeoScience In Water Aquifers Webcast
On Wednesday, September 2, the American Water Works Association (AWWA)
will host a GeoScience in Water Aquifers Webcast.
Groundwater supplies and source water protection are important
issues that water professionals should understand from all angles,
including geophysical methods.
Bee Genome Study Reveals Cause of Colony Collapse Disorder
Researchers have found a reliable marker of colony
collapse disorder, a mysterious malady that in 2007-2008 killed off more
than a third of commercial honey bees in the United States.
China Lawmakers Call For Action On Climate Change
Chinese legislators said on Thursday that their country
will "strive to control greenhouse gas emissions" and consider new laws
to fight climate change, while warning against using the issue to raise
trade barriers.
Conference Takes on Economics of Organic Food
Only rich people can afford to eat locally grown, organic food.
Have you heard that one before? I have, and it's sure to come up
during the "Can Maine Feed Itself?" keynote discussion taking
place at next month's Maine Fare festival in the midcoast.
Don't Drink the
Water
I knew bottled water sucks, but I didn’t know it sucks this much. Not
only is it a clear waste of resources (only 20 percent of plastic water
bottles used in the United States are recycled, and far too many of the
rest probably end up in the
Pacific Garbage Patch), it’s an incredible waste of money for consumers,
who pay more than the price of gasoline for water that’s marketed as
“pure,” but in reality is largely unregulated...
Drug Resistance Scares the Hell Out of Scientists
Johns Hopkins researchers are investigating a troubling
potential source of resistant pathogens: the American farm.
El
Paso Wind Farm Out of Air?
Last month, in an 8-6 vote, the Woodford County Board denied Pattern
Energy's request to extend the special-use permit for the El Paso Wind
Farm until Dec. 31, 2010. The company said it needed the extension
because of poor economic conditions.
EPA Seeks Comments on New Information 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.
Europe's Saharan Power Plan; Miracle Or Mirage?
A 400 billion euro ($774 billion) plan to power Europe
with Sahara sunlight is gaining momentum, even as critics see high risks
in a large corporate project using young technology in north African
countries with weak rule of law.
Feds, Illinois Sue Midwest Generation to Stop Air Pollution
The complaint alleges that Midwest Generation made major
modifications to increase the power output from its coal-fired power
plants in Illinois without also installing and operating required modern
pollution control equipment.
Fight Climate
Change Fast
The U.S. House of Representatives has finally
passed climate change legislation, but the national debate on this issue
continues to be based on a false assumption: that any major reforms will
inevitably take decades to make a serious dent in greenhouse gas
pollution.
So it’s strange that our climate debate remains
mired in a swamp of diminished expectations. Policymakers seem to
think they have to treat energy companies with kid gloves — as if
demanding big changes will somehow be too much for them to bear and
result in a devastating blow to our economy. But this view simply
doesn’t square with history. With even minor reforms, enormous
changes can occur.
Geothermal Energy Program Heats Up
Twenty years ago, Lawrence Livermore National
Lab had a thriving geothermal program. But as funding dwindled, the
program did as well.
Green Tech Brightens
Americans have been given a respite from the
constant dribble of bad news. And so have the country's entrepreneurs.
As the nation's gross domestic product is stabilizing, investment in
start-ups is considerably picking up.
History Can No Longer Guide Farmers, Investors; U.N
Climate change has made history an inaccurate guide for
farmers as well as energy investors who must rely on probabilities and
scenarios to make decisions, the head of a United Nations agency said on
Wednesday.
How Mercury Becomes Toxic In The Environment
Naturally occurring organic matter in water and sediment
appears to play a key role in helping microbes convert tiny particles of
mercury in the environment into a form that is dangerous to most living
creatures.
Industrialised Nations Plan 10-14 pct CO2 Cuts By 2020
Industrialised nations are planning average cuts in greenhouse gas
emissions of between 10 and 14 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 as part
of a new U.N. climate pact, according to a compilation of national data.
Judge OKs Florida's Financing Plan for Everglades Restoration Land
Purchase
Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Donald Hafele ruled that water
managers can use bonds to finance the $536 million purchase of 73,000
acres of land now planted with sugar cane and citrus orchards that will
be used for Everglades water restoration projects.
Keep the Blades
Turning
Wind turbines are like every other power
generation technology: where there are moving parts, there's wear and
tear. Ongoing maintenance is crucial. But the source of stress on a wind
turbine is unique -- constant exposure to the elements -- and
utility-scale wind farm operational history is still being written.
NTR to Build Solar Plant in Arizona
NTR plans to build its first large-scale solar power plant with the
deployment of 60 SunCatcher machines in Arizona within five months.
The firm expects the 1.5 megawatt (MW) project to demonstrate the
commercial viability of a system that uses mirrors to concentrate the
sun's energy on to an engine which converts thermal energy to
grid-quality electricity.
Oil Alternatives
If folks thought this recession has been a doozy, they may want to
consider the one that could hit in a decade as the demand for oil
permanently exceeds production.
Peru Must Pick Job Losses Or Pollution At Smelter
Thousands of workers are demanding Peru's government
save their jobs at a shuttered metals smelter high in the Andes, even if
it means delaying a cleanup at the plant that has turned their town into
one of the most polluted places on earth.
Real Climate Change Costs Could Triple Early Estimates
Launched today at a news conference in London, the report finds that
costs will be even greater when the full range of climate impacts on
human activities is considered.
Recession Speeds Coal's Long-Term Decline
Declining industrial electricity demand and an abundance
of cheap natural gas will threaten coal's status as the dominant U.S.
fuel to generate electric power, even after the economic recession ends.
Power companies are reducing use of coal plants because of declining
demand from heavy industry, the economic sector hardest hit by the
recession. The loss of industrial "baseload" looks long term, analysts
and executives say.
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity
Solar activity was very low. No flares were detected.
The visible disk was spotless. Geomagnetic field activity is
expected to be quiet to unsettled on day one (28 August) due to
effects from a coronal hole.
Setting the people up to die; A conspiracy of silence about swine flu
natural remedies
...advice reads sort of like a comic book of health care
advice for kindergarteners: Wash your hands, cover your mouth if you
cough and let "the grownups" take care of the rest by injecting you with
a vaccine. Curiously absent from all the health advice being
handed out on the
swine flu by the White House, the
CDC, the WHO and even
the FDA is any mention of
Vitamin D or
other natural remedies that offer enormous protections from influenza
infections.
Solar Farm Will Energize Small Business
A plan to generate solar power in West Tennessee should produce
significant benefits for area small businesses, state Sen. Lowe Finney
said during a Wednesday visit to Memphis.
Study Reveals Mercury Contamination In Fish Nationwide Scientists detected mercury contamination in every fish sampled in
291 streams across the country, according to a U.S. Geological
Survey study released today.
About a quarter of these fish were found to contain mercury at
levels exceeding the criterion for the protection of people who
consume average amounts of fish, established by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. More than two-thirds of the fish
exceeded the U.S. EPA level of concern for fish-eating mammals.
Sun Spot-Climate
Link
The sun swings through an 11-year cycle measured in the number of sun
spots on the surface that emit bursts of energy.
The difference in energy is only about 0.1 percent between a solar
maximum and minimum and determining just how that small variation
affects the world's climate has been one of the great challenges facing
meteorologists.
They're Alive! Megacities Breathe, Consume Energy, Excrete Wastes And
Pollute
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 on the "urban metabolism"
model of megacities presented here today at the 238th National Meeting
of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Three out of Four Global 1000 Companies Cannot Drive Cost Reductions
That Match Declines in Revenue, Profits
The world’s largest companies have for the most part failed in their
efforts to reduce the cost of functions such as Finance, IT, HR, and
Procurement over the past year, exacerbating the impact of dramatic
declines in revenue, profits, and earnings, according to new research
from The Hackett Group, Inc.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Calls for Trial of Climate Science
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business
federation, wants to put climate change science on trial.
In an attempt to head off a U.S. EPA finding that climate change
endangers public health and welfare in the United States, the Chamber
Tuesday petitioned the federal agency for a trial-like hearing of the
scientific evidence before an administrative judge or EPA official.
U.S. finds water polluted near gas-drilling sites
U.S. government scientists have for the first time found
chemical contaminants in drinking water wells near natural gas drilling
operations, fueling concern that a gas-extraction technique is
endangering the health of people who live close to drilling rigs.
US Consumer Confidence Improves, House Prices Rise
U.S. consumers’ rising expectations about future conditions were the
main driver behind the rise in the overall consumer confidence index to
54.1 in August from July’s 47.4 (revised up from 46.6). Perceptions of
consumers’ present situation rose from 23.3 to a still-subdued 24.9.
Consumers’ expectations enjoyed a much stronger bounce, rising from 63.4
in July to 73.5, putting it at its highest level since December 2007.
US Durable Orders Stronger than Expected 4.9 Percent in July
The July durable goods new orders report came in stronger than
anticipated, rising 4.9% in the month. Expectations had been for a more
moderate 3% rise. The positive aspect of the report was reinforced with
the decline in June being halved to 1.3% from 2.5%.
US GDP Stands Pat at -1% Despite Expectations of a Bigger Decline
The second, or preliminary, estimate of GDP for the second quarter
was left unchanged from the first, or advance, estimate of -1%. This
represented a modest upward surpriseas expectations had been for the
report to show an intensification of the quarterly decline to -1.5%. The
second-quarter decline continues to reflect a marked easing in the pace
of decline relative to the sizeable 6.4% plunge recorded in the first
quarter.
US Low Mortgage Rates Helping To Stabilize Housing Market
Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) yesterday released the results of its Primary
Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM)
averaged 5.14 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending
August 27, 2009, upfrom last week when it averaged 5.12 percent. Last
year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.40 percent.
Utility Wants To Deploy Largest Grid Battery Ever
U.S. utilities are racing to increase their production of electricity
from renewable energy sources to meet stricter state environmental rules
and to gear up for any U.S. move to regulate greenhouse gas emissions
from fossil fuels.
But wind and solar are intermittent energy sources, and storing the
power -- at an economically viable rate -- is seen as crucial to making
'alternative' energy truly mainstream.
Waste_Inbox 082709
The government is requiring auto
dealers to destroy the clunker
engines before the vehicles are
shipped off for recycling. Program
administrators want to make sure the
poor fuel economy vehicles never
make it back onto the roads.
An understandable goal. But it´s
too bad auto salvage yards and parts
recyclers haven´t shared at least
part of that responsibility.
West Virginia Tree Sitters Halt
Mountaintop Removal Blasting
Two tree sitters with the Climate Ground Zero campaign
have forced coal giant Massey Energy to cancel blasts on a mountaintop
removal mine above Pettry Bottom, a Coal River Valley town in Raleigh County.
August 25, 2009
Australian oil well to gush for nearly two months
A leaking Australian oil well is likely to pour oil into
the Timor Sea for nearly two months before it can be stopped, the
operator said on Sunday, as environmentalists expressed grave fears for
rare wildlife.
Big benefits seen in adapting to climate change
Helping developing nations to adapt to climate change
such as floods or heatwaves can give bigger economic benefits than a focus on
deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, a study indicated on Friday.
A total of $10 trillion spent on adaptation, ranging from research into
drought-resistant crops to measures to limit a spread of diseases such
as malaria, would provide $16 trillion of economic benefits over the
coming century, it said.
Carbon traders bet on California redwoods
A stand of young redwoods, survivors in what was once a
magnificent forest of towering giants, could play a small part of the
battle to slow global warming -- and forms part of an emerging market.
The trees, which trap quantities of the carbon dioxide that is warming
the planet, are sold as living carbon traps or "sinks" rather than cut
for timber, a model that could go global.
Clean Edge Jobs
Search
current openings among the job
categories listed below.
Climate bill could slash U.S. fuel output; study
U.S. oil refiners could cut output by as much as 25
percent and the nation's reliance on imported refined products could
double in the next two decades if the House version of a climate bill
becomes law, the American Petroleum Institute said on Monday.
Climate change opens Arctic route for German ships
Two German ships set off on Friday on the first journey
across Russia's Arctic-facing northern shore without the help of
icebreakers after climate change helped opened the passage, the company
said.
Debating How Much Weed Killer Is Safe in Your Water Glass
For decades, farmers, lawn care workers and professional green thumbs
have relied on the popular weed killer atrazine to protect their crops,
golf courses and manicured lawns.
But atrazine often washes into water supplies and has become among the
most common contaminants in American reservoirs and other sources of
drinking water.
Energy deal may kill coal plant plan
The plant, proposed by state-owned Santee Cooper, has drawn waves of
opposition over its potentially negative environmental impact and $2.2
billion cost. But Santee Cooper and supporters have long maintained the
plant would provide much-needed power and jobs to economically depressed
eastern South Carolina.
Energy Future Holdings' plan to expand Comanche Peak nuclear plant must
face hearing
Several anti-nuclear groups and state Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth,
have won a seat at the table when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
decides whether to grant Energy Future Holdings a license to expand a
North Texas nuclear power plant.
Environmental Activists, Energy Citizens Face Off
...inside the Greensboro Coliseum, about 300 North
Carolinians attending an Energy Citizens rally chanted "Just say no!" to
a cap-and-trade bill they expect will raise energy prices and spur
massive job losses.
Europe's air quality improving, data shows
Although levels of major air pollutants continued to decline in the
EU in 2007, the residential and road transport sectors are becoming
increasingly significant sources of pollution, the European Environment
Agency (EEA) said on Friday (21 August)
Green Tech Brightens
Americans have been given a respite from the constant dribble of bad
news. And so have the country's entrepreneurs. As the nation's gross
domestic product is stabilizing, investment in start-ups is considerably
picking up.
Have You signed the Energy Independence Pledge yet?
We will no longer stand by and watch
as America's security and economy become more dependent...
High-speed trains 'not the answer' for cutting emissions
Heavy investment in high-speed train networks is not a viable
strategy for fighting climate change and could place an excessively
heavy burden on taxpayers, a report by a Swedish expert group has found.
Homes Pollute; Linked To 50 Percent More Water Pollution Than Previously
Believed
They say there's no place like home. But scientists are reporting
some unsettling news about homes in the residential areas of
California. The typical house there — and probably elsewhere in the
country — is an alarming and probably underestimated source of water
pollution, according to a new study reported recently at the 238th
National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Hormone-Disrupting Herbicide Widespread in U.S. Drinking Water
The common herbicide atrazine, known to impact wildlife reproductive health, has
contaminated watersheds and drinking water throughout much of the United
States, finds a new report released Monday by the Natural Resources
Defense Council that raises concern about the chemical's effects on
human reproduction.
Lenders Project Economic Recovery within the Next Nine Months
The majority of lenders surveyed believe economic recovery will begin
within the next nine months. Lenders also weighed in on how the Obama
administration’s policies will effect inflation and the dollar’s value
versus other currencies, according to the results of last quarter’s
Phoenix Management “Lending Climate in America” Survey
NREL gets super-sized turbine at wind center
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has added the first of two
super-sized wind turbines to its research center in southern Boulder
County.
Already, more than a dozen wind turbines -- from graceful
lattice-mounted units with 2-kilowatt capacities to hulking white
turbines from the mid-1980s that can crank out 600 kilowatts -- stand
facing into the wind gusting off the foothills at the National Wind
Technology Center.
Offshore Wind Farms Could Power 37 Million Homes By 2020
Global offshore wind farm capacity will grow at a compound annual rate
of 32 per cent in the coming decade, according to a new report by energy
consulting firm ODS-Petrodata.
Oil and Democracy; A Nation of Addicts
When I was a young man, I worked for a while as a drug counselor, first
in a methadone clinic, and then in a heroin detoxification unit. I have
seen and know something about addiction. I later earned a PhD in
political science, in the process acquiring an idea of what the Founders
of the American political system were trying to accomplish. If we take
seriously the news that Americans are "addicted to oil," it means we
have become a nation of addicts, and the question that must be addressed
is what a democracy composed of addicts portends for our future.
Reconciling a population of addicts with the principles and practices of
the American political system will not be easy. In fact, it will be
impossible: democracy wasn't built for addicts.
Optimism
for wind energy plan
Bergo looked out on Wednesday evening at dozens of investors, landowners
and community members gathered at the Atwater Community Center, dining
on chicken-on-a-stick and hot dish, and all talking about what they hope
to be west central Minnesota's next great export: wind.
"To be sitting here with all these people today is very exciting," said
Bergo, who chairs Lake Country Wind Energy's advisory board.
Rebates Coming for Buying New Appliances
Call it "Cash for Clunkers," the home-appliance edition.
Now that your gas-guzzler is off the road, the government is moving on
to energy-wasting household appliances.
Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle...Energy
The United States throws away a staggering amount of
energy that could be cheaply and easily captured and used, according to
the latest
issue of World Watch magazine.
Solar power Boom
...the BLM recently designated three areas in New Mexico, including
two near Las Cruces, as solar-energy study areas, which are aimed at
eventually speeding up the federal permitting process for solar power
projects. Years-long permitting processes to put projects on federal
land is a problem for developers of solar energy...
Besides the New Mexico study areas, the BLM study is looking at 21 other
solar study areas in Arizona, California, Nevada and Colorado. Texas is
not part of the study because it has no BLM land.
Solar
Thermal Heating Up Sharply
Solar thermal heating worldwide expanded by 19 gigawatts of
thermal equivalent (GWth) with the highest annual
growth rate since 1995 to reach 147 GWth (210 million
square meters (m2)) of capacity in 2007.1
(See Figures 1 and 2 on solar water heating-a subset of solar
thermal heating applications.) Water heating for domestic uses
accounts for 126 GWth (180 million m2), or
86 percent of all installations, while space heating, swimming
pool heating, and industrial processes account for the remaining
21 GWth (30 million m2)...
The
Climate and National Security
One would think that by now most people would have figured out that
climate change represents a grave threat to the planet. One would
also have expected from Congress a plausible strategy for reducing
the greenhouse gas emissions that lie at the root of the problem.
That has not happened.
The
Fallacy of Climate Activism
In the 20 years since we climate activists began our work in
earnest, the state of the climate has become dramatically worse,
and the change is accelerating—this despite all of our best
efforts. Clearly something is deeply wrong with this picture.
What is it that we do not yet know? What do we have to think
and do differently to arrive at urgently different outcomes?
The Vaccines Are Far More Deadly Than the flu
The vaccines are far more deadly than the swine flu.
Mass vaccinations is a recipe for disaster Dr. Mae-Wan Ho and Prof. Joe
Cummins...what worries the public most is the mass vaccination programmes
governments are putting in place to combat the emerging pandemic, which
could well be worse than the pandemic itself.
US climate change bill would hamper US refinery exports; study
US refineries would see their output and ability to export to foreign
markets drop over the coming decades because of a climate change bill
that
passed the House of Representatives this summer, the consulting firm
EnSys
Energy said in a study released Monday.
Warming Oceans May Shift Earth's Pole
Human-induced warming of the oceans could shift Earth's axis up to
1.5 meters (4.9 feet) by the end of the century, according to a new
study.
Earth wobbles almost constantly. Changes in air and ocean circulation
push our planet's poles off kilter temporarily with the passing of the
seasons. Only the disappearance of glaciers since the last ice age had
any lasting effect, tugging the north pole towards Canada -- or so
scientists thought.
WSI maintains hurricane forecast for 2009
Private weather forecaster WSI Corp said on Monday it still
sees a quiet 2009 Atlantic hurricane season with conditions not
conducive to an active year for violent storms.
August 22, 2009
Active invisibility cloaks could work at many wavelengths
Active cloaking devices can use destructive
interference, similar to noise-cancelling headphones, to render
invisible areas up to 10 times larger than the wavelength of light being
disguised. Unlike passive invisibility cloaks that use exotic metamaterials, active cloaks require as few as three antennas
surrounding the cloaked area to render it invisible.
Akaka
Bill gets Obama approval
With the backing of the Obama administration, the Akaka
Bill has received a big boost of support that may provide enough weight
to push the proposed legislation through Congress this year.
Hawaii’s congressional delegates have tried to pass some version of the
Akaka Bill for almost 10 years.
Ancient Farming Techniques to Save the Campo
Mexico is losing its campesinos to climatic changes and industrialized
agriculture. They are poor and without money to invest in machinery,
seeds or fertilizers and pesticides for their crops. Many desert their
land, ruined by chemicals, erosion or desertification, to seek a better
life in the big cities of Mexico or the United States.
Arctic Fisheries Get a New Plan — The Fish Would Approve
Global Warming is opening up new areas for fishing. We don't know
that much about the ecosystems in these areas since they have been under
ice until recently.
Brazil Meat Company to Refuse Cattle From Amazon
Brazil's top leather exporter and second-largest beef
exporter, Bertin, said on Thursday it has signed a pact with
environmental campaigner Greenpeace to refuse purchases of cattle
reared in recently-deforested parts of the Amazon.
Canada Loses Out As U.S. Ups Green Ante
The Obama administration's titanic $60 billion spending
plan for the U.S. clean energy sector is luring investors away from
green businesses in Canada, threatening the industry's growth here.
China Study Urges Greenhouse Gas Peak in 2030
China should set firm targets to limit greenhouse gas
emissions so they peak around 2030, a study by some of the nation's top
climate change policy advisers has proposed ahead of contentious talks
on a new global warming pact.
Clean Energy Taking Root In Connecticut
Early next month, when the students of Avon Old Farms School return for
their fall semester, an image of a new Connecticut will greet them as
they arrive on campus.
Con Edison Customers Set Peak Record for 2009 Electricity Use
Con Edison customers broke the 2009 record for peak electricity use when
the company delivered 11,937 megawatt hours (MWH) at 3 p.m. today. Usage
at 5 p.m. was 11,935 MWH, falling just short of the 3 p.m. figure.
Before today, the high for the year was 11,821 MWH, set a week ago.
Conference; coal power at a crossroads
Whacked by recession, the vagaries of Congress and an untimely disaster
in Tennessee, the coal industry that supplies much of America's
electricity is under siege.
County explains windsolar farms process to Cedar Hills residents
Residents of Cedar Hills filled the Cedar Hills Senior
Center to meet with Supervisor J.R. DeSpain and Navajo County Public
Works staff to discuss the proposed wind/solar farms in their area.
Crude futures retain gains on firm equity markets, weaker dollar
Crude futures held on to gains on firmer equity markets and a weaker
dollar Tuesday despite persistently weak fundamentals, market sources
said.
At 1011 GMT, the September NYMEX crude contract traded 93 cents higher
at
$67.68/barrel, while the October ICE Brent contract gained 67 cents to
trade
at $71.21/b.
Do Phosphate Ordinances Make a Difference?
Their paper, appearing in the journal Lake and Reservoir
Management, published online Aug. 14, shows that phosphorus levels in
the Huron River dropped an average of 28 percent after Ann Arbor adopted
an ordinance in 2006 that curtailed the use of phosphorus on lawns.
"Right away, we started to see decreases," Lehman said. After the first
year of data collection, it was clear that phosphorus concentrations
were lower after the ordinance was enacted than before.
Economic Climate Opens Door for Small Wind Energy Projects
With utility-scale wind project developers cash-strapped and unable
to obtain financing for large wind farms, small wind power project
developers see a window of opportunity.
Factory Pig Farms & Big Pharma Vaccines - Protect Your Family & Know
Your Rights
The propaganda machine of the U.S. government and Big Pharma are busy
force-feeding Americans a dubious, in fact dangerous message: don't
worry about filthy, disease-ridden factory farms and drugged-out farm
animals incubating infectious diseases like the Swine Flu, because Big
Pharma will protect us, starting with quasi-mandatory mass vaccinations
of schoolchildren this fall.
Fitch Announces Expanded Review of US Bank Commercial Real Estate
Exposure
The performance metrics of commercial real estate (CRE), an area with a
significant risk exposure for the majority of Fitch's U.S. bank
universe, continues to deteriorate at an unprecedented pace.
Grease. New Coating Comes Clean With Water
Removing oily smudges from mirrors, countertops or fabrics usually
requires some elbow grease... and a strong soap or solvent.
A new coating developed by researchers at Purdue University promises
that grease stains can be wiped away with plain old water.
Green energy industry eyes Wixom plant
With nearly 3,000 manufacturing jobs and the prospect of turning the
former Ford assembly plant in Wixom into a world-class alternative
energy park at stake, Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday called on the
Legislature to authorize new tax credits.
Green Groups Sue Chevron Phillips Over Pollution
Two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against
Chevron Phillips Chemical Co LP over alleged violations of the U.S.
Clean Air Act at its Cedar Bayou plant, located east of Houston,
representatives of the groups said on Wednesday.
How Much Water Are You Really Using?
In the press release, titled "Wealthy world at woes from
water risk elsewhere", the WWF examined Germany’s "water footprint".
They showed that only about half of the water Germany uses actually
comes from Germany. Germany’s water comes from all over the world.
Iran's Supreme Leader Urges Muslims to mobilize against U.S. and Israel
to prepare for Messiah's Arrival
The Ayatollah is signalling that he personally is the Mahdi's agent on
earth. This is a significant development.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on Muslims in
neighboring countries this week to intensify preparations for the coming
of the Islamic Messiah known as the Mahdi or the “Twelfth Imam.” He
specifically urged Muslims to mobilize forces to defeat the United
States and Israel.
Jumpstarting U.S. Biodiesel Industry For Less Than 3 Cents Per Gallon
"Senators Cantwell, Murray, Conrad and Grassley recognize the
tremendous ROI of supporting the U.S. biodiesel industry," said
Imperium Renewables CEO John Plaza. "For less than 3 cents a gallon,
we can create job growth, increase GDP, reduce reliance on foreign
oil and lower emissions. The price of gas already changes by a few
pennies each day and no one blinks an eye. Had the EPA begun
enforcing the mandates on the timetable Congress established, we
would be well on our way to realizing these benefits."
'Killer Spices' Fatal to Insect Pests
Common kitchen spices such as rosemary, thyme, clove,
and mint, nick-named "killer spices," are proving effective as
pesticides in organic agriculture's battle against insects as the
industry tries to meet the growing demand for fruits and vegetables that
are free of toxic chemicals.
Mekong Delta May Be Inundated By Rising Sea
More than a third of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, where
nearly half of the country's rice is grown, will be submerged if sea
levels rise by 1 meter (39 inches), an environment ministry scenario
predicted.
Mercury-Tainted Fish Found Widely In U.S. Streams
Scientists have detected mercury contamination in every one of
hundreds of fish sampled from 291 freshwater streams, according to a
U.S. government study released on Wednesday.
More than a quarter of those fish contained concentrations of
mercury exceeding levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency
for the protection of people who eat average amounts of fish, the
U.S. Geological Survey report said.
Mexico Hit By Lowest Rainfall In 68 Years
Mexico is suffering from its driest year in 68 years, killing
crops and cattle in the countryside and forcing the government to
slow the flow of water to the crowded capital.
Below-average rainfall since last year has left about 80 of
Mexico's 175 largest reservoirs less than half full, said Felipe
Arreguin, a senior official at the Conagua commission, which manages
the country's water supply.
Mr. Keynes Goes to Washington, a Look at How Keynesian Economics Is
Impacting Energy Policy
If one had to pin the label of the most influential economist
affecting current global economic policies, the almost obvious answer
would be John Maynard Keynes. While Lord Keynes died over sixty years
ago, the advent of the current global economic turmoil has resulted in a
resurgence in Keynesian thought.
NASA Satellites Unlock Secret To Northern India's Vanishing Water
Where is northern India's underground water supply going?
According to Rodell and colleagues, it is being pumped and consumed
by human activities -- principally to irrigate cropland -- faster than
the aquifers can be replenished by natural processes.
Natural Gas Prices Plummet To 7 Year Low!!
Boone Pickens has the right idea for helping our country
and our economy! Clean American Natural Gas for
Vehicles!! Wind and Solar For Energy!!
No Matter How Well You Model it, Humans are to Blame
New research appearing in the online issue of the Proceedings of the
U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory scientists and a group of international researchers found
that climate model quality does not affect the ability to identify human
effects on atmospheric water vapor. Since atmospheric water vapor is an
important driver of temperatures and rainfall, the results of this study
will help convince skeptics that man's impacts are causing at least part
of the problem.
Oil spill sparks evacuation off Australian coast
An oil leak off Australia's western coast has sparked
the evacuation of dozens of workers from a rig, the operator PTTEP Australasia said Friday.
Plastic in Oceans Leaches Chemicals
This bobbing pollution is more than just an eyesore or a choking hazard
for birds. According to a new study, plastic in the oceans can decompose
in as little as a year, leaching chemical compounds into the water that
may harm the health of animals and possibly even people.
Professor compares clunkers, cap-and-trade programs
A University of California-Davis professor estimates the federal
government´s Cash for Clunkers program is paying 10 times more per ton
to reduce carbon emissions as it would pay under a cap-and-trade system.
Record Month for Renewable Energy in the U.S.
The latest Electric Power Monthly Report released by the Energy
Information Administration (EIA) shows net U.S. electrical generation
from renewable sources (biomass, geothermal, solar, hydro, and wind)
reached an all-time high in May of 2009, comprising 13% of the total
electrical generation for the month.
Renewable Energy Laws Pass Australia's Parliament
Australia's government struck agreement with opponents
on Wednesday for 20 percent of the country's energy to come from
renewable sources by 2020, unlocking a $22 billion investment rush and
reviving hopes of a later emissions trade deal.
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 091709
Geomagnetic field activity is
expected to increase to quiet to unsettled levels on day 1 (18 August)
as a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream
Researchers Discover High Levels Of Estrogens In Some Industrial
Wastewater
In a groundbreaking study, civil engineering researchers in the
University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology have discovered
that certain industries may be a significant source of plant-based
estrogens, called phytoestrogens, in surface water.
Researchers Reveal The Dance Of Water
Water is familiar to everyone — it shapes our bodies and
our planet. But despite this abundance, the molecular structure of water
has remained a mystery, with the substance exhibiting many strange
properties that are still poorly understood.
Sacred white and black buffalo in danger
Two sacred animals born under miraculous circumstances,
a white and black buffalo, are in jeopardy of being sold to the highest
bidder. Two potential bids are coming from commercial enterprises that
may exploit the sacred animals.
Sanyo doubling solar panel capacity
Sanyo Electric plans to double production
capacity of solar panels at its Shiga Prefecture site, hoping to tap
demand spurred by government subsidies...
Several companies want to be first to develop offshore wind farm in U.S.
For months, Rhode Islanders have been hearing sometimes breathless
claims from government and business leaders that the Ocean State will
have the first offshore wind farm in the nation. Governor Carcieri has
led the refrain, repeating his catchphrase, "Spin, baby, spin," at green
energy events across the state.
Solar Power Offers Light and Hope to Bangladesh Villages
Straw fences and tin roofs: the homes in Pritomoddi village are typical of millions of others across rural
Bangladesh, except for one thing: the shiny solar panels that
provide electricity, all the time.
Solar
Power; A Gift from Space
At noon on the equator our sun gives us one
kilowatt of free energy per square meter! This gift from space is
ultimately the basis of all of our power sources except nuclear and
geothermal. Wind, hydro, biomass and all fossil fuels ultimately derive
from solar energy. All of these economical sources of energy benefit
from concentration and storage of the sun's energy.
Southeast Asia Braces For More Haze
Indonesia appeared to bat away offers from other Southeast Asian
countries to help stop haze pollution on Wednesday, leaving the
region facing worsening skies as a result of a brewing El Nino
weather pattern.
Worried about the potential impact, environment ministers of the
region met on Wednesday in Singapore to discuss ways to mitigate the
haze, which cost over $9 billion in damage to the region's tourism,
transport and farming during an El Nino weather pattern in 1997/98.
Storms Ana, Bill Race West; Hurricane Expected
Tropical Storms Ana and Bill, the first named storms of
the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, were racing westward with gale force
winds, and Bill was expected to develop into a hurricane in the next few
days, the National Hurricane Center said.
Study finds widespread mercury contamination in fish
About a quarter of the fish contained mercury levels exceeding the
EPA set standard for protecting people who consume average amounts of
fish. More than two-thirds of the fish exceeded the U.S. EPA "level of
concern" for fish-eating mammals.
Surprise, Sea Temperatures in July Hottest on Record!
The planet's ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for
July, breaking the previous high mark established in 1998 according to
an analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.
The combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for July
2009 ranked fifth-warmest since world-wide records began in 1880.
The Collapse of the CCX Carbon Emissions Contract
This may be a surprise for some, but "cap and trade" has been in
place in the US for years. The trading is done via a firm called the
Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX),
The Constitution and American Sovereignty
...notice that for Lincoln, sovereignty is a political
or legal concept. It’s not about power. Lincoln didn’t say that the
sovereign is the one with the most troops. He was making a point about
rightful authority.
The Great Paradox Of China; Green Energy And Black Skie
This month, on the first anniversary of the opening of
the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Beijing's skies were a hazy gray. Walking
down the street, one was left with a tickle in the throat and burning
eyes.
Tough Climate Goals Risk Huge Costs; Lomborg
A goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius
(3.6 Fahrenheit) could mean crippling costs with gasoline taxes rising
to $35 a gallon by 2100, a self-styled "skeptical environmentalist" said
on Friday.
U.S. tour touts green energy jobs
A national transition to a "clean energy economy" will keep American
manufacturers busy and put millions of people to work. Oh, and help the
planet, too.
That's the message that the Blue Green Alliance...
US Coast Guard steels for role in Arctic as exploration increases
The US Coast Guard is strengthening its presence in US Arctic regions,
testing equipment and operating strategies for the third summer season,
to
ensure safety as oil and gas exploration and commercial shipping in the
area
increases, the agency's commandant told a US Senate subcommittee
Thursday.
US Government Continues To Fund Renewable Energy R&D
Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) made yet another round of funding announcements for renewable
energy projects and initiatives again showing its ongoing commitment to
the greening of the American economy. The following announcements were
reported in the EERE Network News.
$52.5 Million for Concentrating Solar Power Research
US Housing Starts Fall Unexpectedly in July
Housing starts unexpectedly dropped by 1% in July to an annualized
581,000. Expectations had been for a 2.7% increase to 598,000. However,
the decline follows sizeable gains in the previous two months of 6.5% in
June (upwardly revised from 3.4%) and 15% in May (downwardly revised
from 17.3%).
US Mortgage Rates Down to Lowest Level in Three Months
Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE)
yesterday released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)
in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.12 percent
with an average 0.7 point for the week ending August 20, 2009, downfrom
last week when it averaged 5.29 percent. Last year at this time, the
30-year FRM averaged 6.47 percent.
Utilities Hatch Ambitious Plans to Own and Operate Large-scale PV
Projects
In years past, solar photovoltaic (PV) installations
were largely done in a piecemeal fashion, planned and implemented one
rooftop or ground-mounted system at a time. But as solar technology has
improved and as state governments demand more renewable generation
through portfolio standards, large-scale projects are becoming more
common.
Vulnerable States Team up for Tougher Climate Pact
The world's poorest nations joined small island states
on Friday to urge far tougher global goals for fighting climate change,
saying their people were at risk from everything from droughts to rising
sea levels.
Whole Foods is in a Whole Lot of Trouble
Rather than increase government spending and control, we need to address
the root causes of poor health. This begins with the realization that
every American adult is responsible for his or her own health.
Why Organic Must Replace Chemical and Energy-Intensive Agriculture; An
‘Agri-Intellectual’ Talks Back
The sustainable-food movement needs to step up and start
grappling with big questions. I’ve said for a while that I see three big
challenges for the sustainable-food movement as it scales up: 1) soil
fertility—in the absence of synthesized nitrogen and mined phosphorous
and potassium, how are we to build soil fertility on a larger scale?; 2)
labor—sustainable farming requires more hands on the ground; who’s going
to work our farm fields, and at what wages?; and 3) access—in an economy
built on long-term wage stagnation, how can we make sustainably grown
food accessible to everyone?
Wobbling Earth Triggers Climate Change
Regular wobbles in the Earth's tilt were responsible for the global
warming episodes that interspersed prehistoric ice ages, according to
new evidence.
The finding is the result of research led by Russell Drysdale of the
University of Newcastle that has been able to accurately date the end of
the penultimate ice age for the first time.
Yale professor says future of wood industry bleak
Living in the middle of a forest as most of us do, we
tend to understand the wood products economy a little more than those
who live in cities.
We know where wood comes from and we know about fire destruction,
drought and bark beetles and how they have an effect on our forests.
The outlook for the forest industries is bleak at the moment, but there
is hope
August 18, 2009
Akaka
Bill gets Obama approval
Hawaii’s congressional delegates have tried to pass some
version of the Akaka Bill for almost 10 years...The latest version of
the Akaka Bill would authorize a process for establishing a Native
Hawaiian governing entity and would grant the equivalent of federal
recognition to Native Hawaiians, allowing them to be treated on par with
American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Brazil Meat Company to Refuse Cattle From Amazon
Brazil's top leather exporter and second-largest beef
exporter, Bertin, said on Thursday it has signed a pact with
environmental campaigner Greenpeace to refuse purchases of cattle
reared in recently-deforested parts of the Amazon.
China Study Urges Greenhouse Gas Peak in 2030
The call for "quantified targets" to cap greenhouse gas pollution
marks a high-level public departure from China's reluctance to spell
out a proposed peak and date for it.
"By 2008 China had become the world's biggest national emitter of
greenhouse gases and faces unprecedented challenges," says the
preface of the 900-page report,..
Con Edison Customers Set Peak Record for 2009 Electricity Use
Today's preeminent peak demand indicates customers are
feeling the heat, but in a year with milder-than-normal average weather,
even today's usage falls short of Con Edison's peak-demand top 10.
Crude futures retain gains on firm equity markets, weaker dollar
Crude futures held on to gains on firmer equity markets and a weaker
dollar Tuesday despite persistently weak fundamentals, market sources
said.
At 1011 GMT, the September NYMEX crude contract traded 93 cents higher
at
$67.68/barrel, while the October ICE Brent contract gained 67 cents to
trade
at $71.21/b.
Do Phosphate Ordinances Make a Difference?
Municipalities around the country are banning or restricting the use
of phosphorus-containing lawn fertilizers, which can kill fish and cause
algae blooms and other problems when the phosphorus washes out of the
soil and into waterways.
Do the ordinances really help reduce phosphorus pollution?
'Killer Spices' Fatal to Insect Pests
Common kitchen spices such as rosemary, thyme, clove,
and mint, nick-named "killer spices," are proving effective as
pesticides in organic agriculture's battle against insects as the
industry tries to meet the growing demand for fruits and vegetables that
are free of toxic chemicals.
NASA Satellites Unlock Secret To Northern India's Vanishing Water
Beneath northern India's irrigated fields of wheat, rice, and
barley ... beneath its densely populated cities of Jaiphur and New
Delhi, the groundwater has been disappearing. Halfway around the
world, hydrologists, including Matt Rodell of NASA, have been
hunting for it.
No Matter How Well You Model it, Humans are to Blame
Since atmospheric water vapor is an important driver of temperatures
and rainfall, the results of this study will help convince skeptics that
man's impacts are causing at least part of the problem.
The physics that drive changes in water vapor are very simple and are
reasonably well portrayed in all climate models, bad or good.
More water vapor - which is itself a greenhouse gas - amplifies the
warming effect of increased atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide.
Professor compares clunkers, cap-and-trade programs
A University of California-Davis professor estimates the federal
government´s Cash for Clunkers program is paying 10 times more per ton
to reduce carbon emissions as it would pay under a cap-and-trade system.
Record Month for Renewable Energy in the U.S.
The latest Electric Power Monthly Report released by the Energy
Information Administration (EIA) shows net U.S. electrical generation
from renewable sources (biomass, geothermal, solar, hydro, and wind)
reached an all-time high in May of 2009, comprising 13% of the total
electrical generation for the month.
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 091709
Geomagnetic field activity is
expected to increase to quiet to unsettled levels on day 1 (18
August) as a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS)
begins to disturb the field. A further increase to unsettled to
active levels, with a slight chance for minor storm levels, is
expected on day 2 (19 August) as the CH HSS persists.
Researchers Discover High Levels Of Estrogens In Some Industrial
Wastewater
In a groundbreaking study, civil engineering researchers in the
University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology have discovered
that certain industries may be a significant source of plant-based
estrogens, called phytoestrogens, in surface water. They also
revealed that some of these phytoestrogens can be removed through
standard wastewater treatment, but in some cases, the compounds
remain at levels that may be damaging to fish.
Researchers Reveal The Dance Of Water
Water is
familiar to everyone — it shapes our bodies and our planet. But despite
this abundance, the molecular structure of water has remained a mystery,
with the substance exhibiting many strange properties that are still
poorly understood. Recent work at the Department of Energy's SLAC
National Accelerator Laboratory and several universities in Sweden and
Japan, however, is shedding new light on water's molecular
idiosyncrasies, offering insight into its strange bulk properties.
Several companies want to be first to develop offshore wind farm in U.S.
For months, Rhode Islanders have been hearing sometimes breathless
claims from government and business leaders that the Ocean State will
have the first offshore wind farm in the nation. Governor Carcieri has
led the refrain, repeating his catchphrase, "Spin, baby, spin," at green
energy events across the state.
Solar Power Offers Light and Hope to Bangladesh Villages
Straw fences and tin roofs: the homes in Pritomoddi village are typical of millions of others across rural
Bangladesh, except for one thing: the shiny solar panels that
provide electricity, all the time.
Storms Ana, Bill Race West; Hurricane Expected
Tropical Storms Ana and Bill, the first named storms of
the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, were racing westward with gale force
winds, and Bill was expected to develop into a hurricane in the next few
days, the National Hurricane Center said.
Surprise, Sea Temperatures in July Hottest on Record!
The planet's ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for
July, breaking the previous high mark established in 1998 according to
an analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.
The combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for July
2009 ranked fifth-warmest since world-wide records began in 1880.
The Constitution and American Sovereignty
"WOULD WE be far wrong," President Lincoln asked in a special message to
Congress in 1861, "if we defined [sovereignty] as a political community
without a political superior?" Maybe that’s not exhaustive, but it comes
on good authority. And notice that for Lincoln, sovereignty is a
political or legal concept. It’s not about power. Lincoln didn’t say
that the sovereign is the one with the most troops. He was making a
point about rightful authority.
Tough Climate Goals Risk Huge Costs; Lomborg
A goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6
Fahrenheit) could mean crippling costs with gasoline taxes rising to
$35 a gallon by 2100, a self-styled "skeptical environmentalist"
said on Friday.
"The two degrees limit would simply cost too much," Danish
statistician Bjorn Lomborg told Reuters, adding meeting the goal
could total 12.9 percent of world gross domestic product (GDP) by
2100.
US Government Continues To Fund Renewable Energy R&D
Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) made yet another round of funding announcements for renewable
energy projects and initiatives again showing its ongoing commitment to
the greening of the American economy. The following announcements were
reported in the EERE Network News.
$52.5 Million for Concentrating Solar Power Research
Whole Foods is in a Whole Lot of Trouble
In an Op-Ed published in the Wall Street Journal, the
organic food guru takes a swipe at universal health care as proposed by
the Dems and gives his recommendations for reform.
Vulnerable States Team up for Tougher Climate Pact
The world's poorest nations joined small island states
on Friday to urge far tougher global goals for fighting climate change,
saying their people were at risk from everything from droughts to rising
sea levels.
Wobbling Earth Triggers Climate Change
Regular wobbles in the Earth's tilt were responsible for the global
warming episodes that interspersed prehistoric ice ages, according to
new evidence.
Yale professor says future of wood industry bleak
The news is not good for the wood industry. United States production is
down 55 percent from 2005. Prices for ponderosa pine have been in a
steady decline since 2007.
"This is a crisis like the Great Depression for the construction
sector," Irland said.
He predicts that 2009-2010 could be worse.
August 14, 2009
A New Push To Use Existing Clean Energy Sources
A nationwide education effort to promote the ways
propane can help cut greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality,
lower energy costs, and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil was
announced today by the propane industry.
Acid In The Oceans; A Growing Threat To Sea Life
When we burn fossil fuels, we are not just putting carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere. A lot of it goes into the sea. There, carbon
dioxide turns into carbonic acid. And that turns ocean water corrosive,
particularly to shellfish and corals.
Biologists are now coming to realize that rising acid levels in the
ocean can affect many other forms of sea life as well.
America's Economic Stupidity, Superstition & Corruption
If you scratch at economic theory long enough, you discover it's
little more than long strings of arcane mathematical formulae
grounded in superstition (the Invisible Hand of the Market),
platitudes (peaceful competition) and pipe dreams (eternal
growth).
Carbon Tracking Market Set to Take Off
A growing list of companies, from tiny start-ups to some of the
world's biggest corporations, is investing in products that will help
them cash in on a mad dash for businesses to track their carbon
footprints.
Carbonics Acquires Rights To Algae Bioreactor Technologies
GreenShift's patented and patent-pending bioreactor technologies
rely on thermophillic cyanobacteria (among other organisms) to
consume carbon dioxide emissions and to produce carbon-neutral products.
The organisms use the available carbon dioxide in the emissions and
water to grow and give off oxygen and water vapor.
Concentrix Solar achieves 25% system efficiency
"The key factor for high system efficiency is very low
module variability. All the modules must be identical. The results
achieved with our fully-automated production line were even more
consistent than expected."
Court Rules Dominion Virginia Coal Plant Permit Illegal
The Clean Air Act's MACT program regulates emissions of hazardous air
toxics such as mercury, which can cause neurological deficits in
fetuses, infants and young children.
Judge Spencer ruled that the "mercury emission limit ... must be set
'irrespective of cost or achievability,'" and that the "escape hatch"
was "violative of the laws addressing pre-construction mandates."
Even 'Safe' Ozone Levels May be Hard on the Lungs
Ozone concentrations below the current U.S. clean-air
standard may still temporarily impair lung function, even in healthy
young people, a small study suggests.
Exxon Agrees to Pay $600,000 in Bird Killings Case
It said Exxon pleaded guilty in federal court in Denver to violating a
federal law designed to protect migratory birds.
The department said the case stemmed from the deaths of about 85
protected birds, including waterfowl, hawks and owls, at Exxon drilling
and production facilities in Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Texas and
Kansas.
Florida Approves First Nuclear Power Plant in 33 Years
The Florida Cabinet today approved site certification
for Progress Energy Florida's Levy nuclear power plant, the first
nuclear facility approved in the state since 1976.
FOMC Remarks
Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in
June suggests that economic activity is leveling out. Conditions in
financial markets have improved further in recent weeks. Household
spending has continued to show signs of stabilizing but remains
constrained by ongoing job losses, sluggish income growth, lower housing
wealth, and tight credit. Businesses are still cutting back on fixed
investment and staffing but are making progress in bringing inventory
stocks into better alignment with sales.
GE Sees Tide Coming in for Water Business
General Electric Co predicts that water purification
could grow from a drop in the corporate bucket to a major growth driver
within years, just as its wind unit did.
The largest U.S. conglomerate has taken about a decade to build its
water unit, which focuses on large-scale treatment and purification for
municipal and industrial water users, through five takeovers costing
about $4 billion.
Geoengineering To Mitigate Global Warming May Cause Other Environmental
Harm
Geoengineering techniques aim to slow global warming through the use
of human-made changes to the Earth's land, seas or atmosphere. But
new research shows that the use of geoengineering to do
environmental good may cause other environmental harm.
Lawsuit Seeks to Halt U.S. Blasts in Canadian Marine Protected Area
Two environmental groups are taking the Canadian
government to court to stop loud seismic blasting by an American
research vessel that threatens endangered and threatened whales in a
Canadian marine protected area.
Millions of Salmon Disappear From Canadian River
Millions of sockeye salmon have disappeared mysteriously
from a river on Canada's Pacific Coast that was once known as the
world's most fertile spawning ground for sockeye.
Modern Day Linemen
The traditional "toolkit" linemen once carried has been greatly expanded
from the days when it included screwdrivers, pliers, wire strippers, and
other more conventional hand tools. Today, the typical utility mobile
worker's toolkit -- at the more advanced utilities -- includes an array
of digital devices and communications systems that were unknown 20 years
ago.
New Figures Show India's Emissions a Fourth of China's
The report, which said the energy sector contributed 61 percent of total
emissions in India, pegged India's per capita emissions at only
one-twentieth of the United States and about one-tenth of western Europe
and Japan.
Ohio Edison to switch from coal-fired to biomass plant
Ohio Edison Co. is transforming a coal-fired power plant along the
Ohio River to primarily burn renewable biomass fuels, the power company
said.
Playing Chicken With Antibiotic Resistance
The FDA bans injecting chicken eggs with antibiotics as
a human health threat but backs down when industry groups — known
collectively as 'Big Chicken' — squawk.
Plunge in India Water Levels Threatens Farms; Study
Groundwater levels in northern India have fallen about
20 percent more than expected because of excessive pumping, threatening
to spark a major food and water crisis, according to a study based on
U.S. space agency data.
Position Paper On So-Called 'Oxo-biodegradable' Plastics Launched
The paper sheds some light on the technology behind the
so-called "oxo-biodegradable"
industry, its failure to live up to international established and
acknowledged standards that effectively substantiate claims on
biodegradation and compostability, and the implications resulting
from the different approaches.
Recycling rate for aluminum cans increases 54.2% in ´08
The recycling rate for aluminum cans increased to 54.2% in 2008 as
compared with 52.8% in 2007, according to industry trade groups that
track recycling trends.
Renewables and Energy Efficiency Alone Could Power Michigan
By displacing energy generated by burning coal, oil and gas, an
energy efficiency program alone could save Michigan $3 billion in
electricity costs over the next 20 years, the report shows.
Salmon Return to Cleaner Paris River
Salmon are returning to the Seine after an absence of
almost a century as water in the river that runs through Paris has
become cleaner in recent years, French scientists said.
Sea Power, Part 3 In addition to drinking water, researchers have devised many other
spin-off applications for this cold water from the deep, from
cooling buildings to feeding fish to nurturing crops. The key to
each of these applications is that the deep water can bring
something that’s normally in short supply.In seawater air
conditioning, the cool, deep water is run through tubes alongside others
containing freshwater, cooling it down.
Solar tariffs can work -- just ask CARS
News flash: incentives work, and solar is
not the only industry to take advantage of them. The popular Cash for
Clunkers program...very much like the
market in Spain
was overrun because of its generous feed-in tariff. Not
surprisingly, when offered a generous incentive for a durable good,
consumers will buy -- providing, of course, the good in question is
one consumers want.
Spanish Resarchers Show That Mines Could Provide Geothermal Energy
Mine shafts on the point of being closed down
could be used to provide geothermal energy to local towns. This is the
conclusion of two engineers from the University of Oviedo, whose
research is being published this month in the journal Renewable Energy.
The method they have developed makes it possible to estimate the amount
of heat that a tunnel could potentially provide.
The
Smart Grid; Is It Worth It?
I have read about the smart grid, seem to skirt around
some of the major issues or supply wildly optimistic data. The 30%
losses that the Advertisement is talking about has nothing to do with
power generation but about transmission losses,..
50 miles or less may very well be a typical mean of the distance on
average.
I also seem to recall reports years ago that say all combined T&D
losses are no more than 4% or 5% in Ontario's grid as a whole.
Three Leaders Vow to Forge a 'Low-Carbon North America'
In a Declaration on Climate Change and Clean Energy following their
two-day meeting, the leaders said they would develop comparable
approaches to measuring, reporting, and verifying greenhouse gas
emissions reductions and cooperate in implementing facility-level
greenhouse gas reporting throughout the region.
They agreed to share climate friendly and low-carbon technologies and
take a regional approach to carbon capture and storage.
U.S. CO2 Emissions From Fuels Seen Falling 5 Percent in 2009
Annual U.S. emissions of the main greenhouse gas from
the burning of coal, natural gas and petroleum should fall 5 percent in
2009 as the recession crimps demand, the government's top energy
forecaster said on Tuesday.
"The economic downturn, combined with natural gas displacing some coal
as a source of electricity generation, is projected to lead to a 5
percent decline in fossil-fuel based (carbon dioxide) emissions in
2009," the Energy Information Administration said in its monthly
forecast.
U.S. EPA Joins Government, Industry, And Academic Consortium To Develop
Next Generation EcoCARs
EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality will serve as a
major sponsor of the EcoCAR competition, providing technical advice
and mentoring in the areas of greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions.
EPA will also conduct dynamometer emissions testing on the
competition vehicles at their National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions
Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
U.S. Treasury, Energy officials unveil tax credit program
U.S. Treasury and Energy officials unveiled a program Aug. 13 that
will award $2.3 billion in tax credits to manufacturers of advanced
energy -- or so-called green-energy equipment.
U.S. Used Less Energy in 2008 But More Renewable Energy
Americans used more solar, nuclear, biomass
and wind energy in 2008 than they did in 2007, according to the most
recent energy flow charts released by the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory. The nation used less coal and petroleum during the same time
frame and only slightly increased its natural gas consumption.
Geothermal energy use remained the same.
Waste From Textile Industry Transformed Into Rich Compost With Help Of
Manure And Earthworms
Most gardeners will tell you the earthworm is their best friend
as it aerates the soil and helps break down compostable materials so
releasing nutrients for improved plant growth. One particular
species of earthworm, known as Eisenia foetida, thrives in rotting
vegetation, compost, and manure. This species is grown commercially
for composting because of their skills at converting organic waste
into rich compost.
Where's solar PV supply going? Nowhere, until 2012
The glut in the world's PV panel capacity is
so bad that half of all panels made this year won't sell, and current
supplies won't be burned down for three more years
August 11, 2009
A Dream of Hydrogen
Hydrogen may yet serve the world as a transportation fuel. But Mr.
Bush’s plan seemed mainly designed to gull the public into thinking he
was doing something while absolving the car companies from making real
improvements to increase the efficiency of their fleets.
Alaska Glaciers Shrinking Fast; Survey
Three major glaciers in Alaska and Washington state have
thinned and shrunk dramatically, clear signs of a warming climate,
according to a study released Thursday by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The three glaciers -- Gulkana and Wolverine in Alaska and South Cascade
in Washington -- are considered benchmarks for those in alpine and
maritime climates because they closely parallel other glaciers in their
regions. They have also been the subject of close scientific scrutiny
since 1957.
Arizona expects jolt from electric vehicles
Under the pilot program, Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. (eTec),
a subsidiary of Scottsdale-based ECOtality, will set up 2,550 charging
stations at homes, businesses and high traffic areas in the Valley and
Tucson to support the operation of up to 1,000 new Nissan electric
vehicles.
Asia, the
NEXT BIG Bubble
In a recent post called
Pegged renminbi will be hard to internationalize, we discussed the
issue China faces as it tries to maintain it's export based economy. It
does so by holding the currency artificially low to make their product
look cheaper to the world. To accomplish this, they must continuously
purchase dollars, while selling renminbi. But where do they get the
renminbi to sell?
Well in what's called an "unsterilized" FX transaction, China simply
"prints" the new renminbi to sell (as opposed to a
"sterilized" transaction where the central bank sells currency spot but
agrees to buy it forward, thus not impacting the money supply.)
At Risk of Rising Seas, Pacific Nations Demand Global Climate Action
At the Pacific Leaders Forum in Cairns, the officials said that with
just 122 days to go before the United Nations climate conference in
Copenhagen, "the international community is not on track to achieve the
outcome we need unless we see a renewed mandate across all participating
nations."
Bioethanol's Impact On Water Supply 3 Times Higher Than Once Thought
At a time when water supplies are scarce in many areas of the
United States, scientists in Minnesota are reporting that production
of bioethanol — often regarded as the clean-burning energy source of
the future — may consume up to three times more water than
previously thought. Their study appeared in ACS' journal
Environmental Science & Technology.
Britain Wants 'Rethink' On Food Production
Britain must find ways to grow more food while using
less water, energy and fertilizers to help feed a growing world
population and offset the effects of climate change on agriculture, the
government said on Monday.
China's July crude imports hit record-high 19.63 mil mt
China's crude oil imports soared to a record high of 19.63 million mt
(4.65 million b/d) in July on growing fuel demand and attractive
refining
margins, preliminary figures released Tuesday by the country's General
Administration of Customs showed.
Clean Energy; U.S. Lags in Research and Development
When Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the
moon 40 years ago, it was a triumph of American scientific skill. It was
also the result of the government's willingness to spend more than $125
billion, in today's dollars, to take the country to the moon.
The need to remake our energy economy and replace fossil fuels with
renewables like wind and solar is often referred to as the new Apollo
project, a challenge to our scientists — and to the federal checkbook —
that will be even greater than the moon race.
Could the Global Meltdown Spark a Great Revolution?
For the first time in generations, people are challenging the view that
a free-market order -- the system that dominates the globe today -- is
the destiny of all nations. The free market's uncanny ability to enrich
the elite, coupled with its inability to soften the sharp experiences of
staggering poverty, has pushed inequality to the breaking point.
Deadly Typhoon Morakot Batters Southeast Asia
Typhoon Morakot
slammed into Taiwan and eastern China on the weekend, leaving 14 people
in Taiwan dead, 32 injured and about 450 others unaccounted for,
according to government statistics. At least 25 people were killed in
the Philippines and six more in China before Morakot weakened to a
tropical storm.
Declines in External Debt Elevates Concern for Global Recovery
Hennessee Group LLC, an adviser to hedge
fund investors, voiced concern in early 2009 that the global financial crisis could enter a new and more dangerous
phase, one that could push several international countries to the brink
of failure and further hinder the global economic recovery.
Of particular concern to the Hennessee
Group, at that time, was the dramatic growth in external debt
exposures of G7 and emerging countries and the increasing risk of
another outright failure similar to that of Iceland when they had a
debt to GDP ratio exceeding 900%.
Do
Clouds Come From Outer Space?
Most of Earth's clouds get their start in deep space. That's the
surprising conclusion from a team of researchers who argue that
interstellar cosmic rays collide with water molecules in our atmosphere
to form overcast skies.
Energy Opportunities In Wastewater And Biosolids
The energy potential contained in wastewater and
biosolids exceeds by ten times the energy used to treat it, and can
potentially meet up to 12% of the national electricity demand. That’s
enough to power New York City, Houston, Dallas, and Chicago annually.
eSolar Unveils 5MW Sierra Solar Thermal Power Plant
With
24,000 mirrors glimmering under the Antelope Valley summer sun, eSolar,
a leading provider of modular, scalable solar thermal power technology,
today unveiled its 5-megawatt Sierra SunTower solar power plant.
Fate of climate change bill in Congress The fate of
U.S. climate control legislation is in the hands of the Senate, where it
faces an uphill climb. Democratic leaders hope to put it to a vote in
October.
The House of Representatives narrowly passed its version of a
bill to mandate reductions in industrial emissions of carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.
Forget Gas, Batteries — Pee Is New Power Source
Urine-powered cars, homes and personal electronic devices could be
available in six months with new technology developed by scientists from
Ohio University.
Global 2008 CO2 Emissions Rose 2 Percent; German Institute
Global carbon dioxide emissions in 2008 rose 1.94
percent year-on-year to 31.5 billion metric tons, German renewable
energy industry institute IWR said on Monday, based on official information and
its own research.
Global Oil and Gas Sector Ratings Continue to Slide with Falling Demand
With a global recession and scarce liquidity, it's no surprise that
oil and gas companies are struggling and that the sector's credit
quality has been slipping, according to a ratings roundup article
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.
Greenpeace study finds oil companies may be doomed
Environmental activist network argues that the oil
industry might be approaching a tipping point from fall in the price,
advances in technology and policies on climate change
Group calls for probe of Entergy
A group opposed to the relicensing of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant
in Vernon is calling for an investigation into why Entergy, which owns
and operates the facility, failed to comply with a Vermont Public
Service Board order regarding the monitoring of spent fuel stored
on-site in dry casks.
How Organic Farming Can Feed the World
Study after study shows that organic techniques can provide much more
food per acre in developing countries than conventional chemical-based
agriculture. One report - published last year by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) - found that 114 projects, covering nearly two
million African farmers, more than doubled their yields by introducing
organic or near-organic practices.
Kulongoski signals intent to veto rollback of wind energy tax breaks
Oregon lawmakers hoped to save millions of taxpayer dollars
by trimming state subsidies for wind energy farms, but Gov. Ted
Kulongoski said Friday he will veto that effort.
In doing so, the governor signaled a low tolerance for any
retreat on his vision for the state as a national center for
alternative energy -- recession or no.
Lavish US Lobbying Pushes Nuclear Energy
Climate change and the resulting need for low-carbon
energy sources is driving the current interest in nuclear energy despite
the industry's near universal legacy of staggering cost-overruns,
technical difficulties and dependence on enormous government subsidies.
Low Pricing Key In Solar Sector Crisis; UBS
Investors should look for solar companies offering their
products at lower prices compared with their peers, as they are likely
to emerge as winners from the current industry crisis, a UBS fund
manager told Reuters.
New Independent Analysis Confirms Climate Bill Costs About a Postage
Stamp a Day
A new analysis by the independent, non-partisan Energy
Information Agency confirms findings by earlier reports from the
Congressional Budget Office and the Environmental Protection Agency that
the Waxman-Markey energy and climate legislation will cost Americans
roughly the same as a postage stamp a day. The EIA analysis projects an
increased cost of about $83 (adjusted for inflation) by 2030 -- or
roughly 23 cents a day.
New Jersey Outshines 48 of Its Peers in Solar Power
New Jersey's biggest utility is outfitting 200,000 utility poles with
solar panels, part of the state's embrace of a try-anything strategy
that has made it the nation's second-biggest producer of solar energy
behind California.
New Record As Wind Power Meets 39% of Electricity Demand
A new record for the amount of electricity generated by Ireland's wind
farms was achieved last weekend, according to figures released by
EirGrid.
High levels of wind power were recorded on Friday and Saturday, with the
output of Ireland's wind farms peaking at 999MW on Friday - enough to
supply over 650,000 homes.
NHA Applauds Senate Action on Doubling DOE Waterpower Program
"The National Hydropower Association applauds the vision
and leadership the Senate has shown by approving an energy and water
appropriation that includes $60 million in funding for the DOE
Waterpower Program.
OPEC says pumped 28.685 mil b/d of crude in July, up 160,000 b/d
OPEC's 12 members produced 28.685 million b/d in July, up 160,000 b/d
from June's 28.525 million b/d, the oil-producer club said Tuesday.
Oregon Hemp Farming Bill Becomes Law
Vote Hemp, the leading grassroots advocacy organization working to give
back farmers the right to grow industrial hemp (the oilseed and fiber
varieties of Cannabis), enthusiastically supports the decision of Oregon
Governor Ted Kulongoski to sign SB 676 into law today.
Pipeline Spills Crude Into French Nature Reserve
France - Four thousand cubic meters (140,000 cu ft) of
crude oil has spewed into a nature reserve on the edge of France's Camargue national park after an underground pipe burst,
officials said on Friday.
Renewable Energy Execs Say Change Comes Too Slowly
Renewable energy leaders on Monday said the United
States is moving too slowly to turn the economy green, despite support
of the administration of President Barack Obama.
Sewage Breeds Bigger, Faster Mosquitoes
"What it means for people is that we need to push to have cleaner
streams in cities," said lead author Luis Fernando Chaves, an ecologist
at Emory University in Atlanta. "One way to reduce these artificial
problems is to ensure the water quality of these streams by not dumping
sewage in them."
Sierra Club will sue to block 2 new Kentucky coal plants
The Sierra Club served notice Thursday on the federal Environmental
Protection Agency that it will sue to block two new coal plants in
Kentucky.
SPACE
WEATHER OUTLOOK 091109
Outlook For August 12-18
There is a chance for a Category 1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm on
18
August due to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed solar wind
stream.
Speech at National Association of Black Journalists
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson -
Will the millions of green and clean energy jobs being promised reach
the black community?
And the answer to that question is, “Yes – they have and they will.”
The World's Rubbish Dump; an Oceanic Garbage Pit that Stretches from
Hawaii to Japan
A "plastic soup" of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean is growing at an
alarming rate and now covers an area twice the size of the continental
United States, scientists have said.
Top 10 Reasons To Grow Your Own Organic Food
U.K. Grocer Establishes Energy Meat Market
It's an odd week for fuel sources. On the heels of a Mountain Dew
powered engine, UK supermarket Tesco is getting flack for turning meat
into energy-yah, you read that right.
The food chain is burning 5,000 tons of inedible meat for fuel.
U.S. Biofuel Makers Want CO2 Credits In Climate Bill
Companies that make the alternative motor fuel ethanol and plastics from
renewable biomass, rather than fossil fuels, have visited Senate offices
to urge that 1 percent to 5 percent of the emissions permits in a cap
and trade program outlined in the bill be given to the businesses from
2012 to 2050.
U.S. Challenged
by India
In what may be termed as a polite but tense exchange between Clinton and
the Indian Environmental Minister, Jairam Ramesh, the two traded barbs
and discussed their respective roles in helping to minimize man-made
carbon emissions that are considered by United Nations scientists to be
the leading cause of global warming.
Via Organica Joins the Food and Farming Revolution
I'm one of the Washington DC interns for the Organic
Consumers Association. The best working experience of my life occurred
last week when I visited OCA's newest offshoot, Via Organica
("the Organic Way") in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico as part of a
solidarity delegation.
Wastewater Produces Electricity And Desalinates Water
A process that cleans wastewater and generates electricity can
also remove 90 percent of salt from brackish water or seawater,
according to an international team of researchers from China and the
U.S.
Wind Funding Bills Move Closer to Passage
Both the full House and Senate have now approved spending bills for
DOE, including wind energy research and development (R&D). The House
bill, which passed earlier this year, includes $70 million for wind R&D.
August 7, 2009
A New Method To Cleaner And More Efficient CO2 Capture
Separating carbon dioxide from its polluting source, such as the
flue gas from a coal-fired power plant, may soon become cleaner and
more efficient.
A source of haze
Scientists now know how a natural hydrocarbon emitted in large
quantities by plants can be transformed into light-scattering aerosols
that contribute to haze and influence climate. The finding will improve
models of atmospheric chemistry and climate and may help explain
puzzling field observations in some parts of the world, the researchers
report.
Alaska glaciers shrinking fast; survey
Three major glaciers in Alaska and Washington state have
thinned and shrunk dramatically, clear signs of a warming climate,
according to a study released Thursday by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The three glaciers -- Gulkana and Wolverine in Alaska and South Cascade
in Washington -- are considered benchmarks for those in alpine and
maritime climates because they closely parallel other glaciers in their
regions. They have also been the subject of close scientific scrutiny
since 1957.
All
eyes are now on the Fed
The better than expected unemployment number, showing some
evidence that we may have turned the corner, was a jolt to many
economic forecasters.
Small construction spending improvements translated quickly into
jobs. Construction continues to be the main catalyst for job
improvement.
Appeals Court Reinstates U.S. Roadless Area Conservation Rule
Nearly 40 million acres of roadless national forests are again protected from new
road building, logging, and development by a decision today of the Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals reinstating the Roadless Area Conservation
Rule.
Arctic Ocean may be polluted soup by 2070
WITHIN 60 years the Arctic Ocean could be a stagnant, polluted soup.
Without drastic cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions, the Transpolar Drift,
one of the Arctic's most powerful currents and a key disperser of
pollutants, is likely to disappear because of global warming.
Australia's biggest desalination plant to secure water, jobs
The Premier, John Brumby, today announced
the AquaSure consortium had
been awarded the contract to build
Australia's biggest
desalination plant, which will secure Victoria's water supplies,
deliver as many as 1700 direct new jobs and help ease tough water
restrictions.
Award-Winning Reflector to Cut Solar Cost
Huge parabolic mirrors catching the sun's rays could crisscross
America's deserts soon, thanks to a breakthrough that may greatly lower
the cost of solar power.
Better than Expected Economic Reports Help Keep US Mortgage Rates Low
This Week
Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) yesterday released the results of its Primary
Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM)
averaged 5.22 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending
August 6, 2009, downfrom last week when it averaged 5.25 percent. Last
year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.52 percent.
Biofuels should replace aviation jet fuel says think tank
The report,
Green Skies Thinking, recommends setting achievable and
enforceable targets for replacing standard kerosene jet fuel with
biofuel from 2020, through the implementation of an EU-wide
Sustainable Bio-jet Fuel Blending Mandate.
BP economist says China energy demand, GDP growth 'real'
China's soaring energy consumption and GDP growth is real, BP's Chief
Asia Economist said Thursday even as recent media reports on the sharply
rising growth rates, as well as conflicting data figures, have raised
suspicion in the market that it is more government-driven than
market-driven.
California Building Standards Commission Announces Nation's First Green
Building Standards Code
"California continues to lead the way in its efforts to
reduce the impact buildings have on our environment. This new code
encourages the use of renewable, recyclable, and recycled material in
the building process, requiring all California buildings to be
constructed with the environment in mind," said Dave Walls...
Chanos on the Financial Crisis (and How It Made Me Think Differently)
Everyone has their favorite demon for the financial crisis, whether
it’s mortgage originators, rating agencies, banks, the Fed, hedge funds
or as some would have it, angry gods.
Then there’s some favorite policies, like mark-to-market accounting,
that people like to point to as accuse of exacerbating the crisis and
making it worse than it actually is.
China Leads In Global Green Jobs Race
China is winning a global race to create "green collar"
jobs, six months after countries worldwide launched $500 billion
spending plans to drive a low-carbon economy.
El Niño is expected to strengthen and last through the Northern
Hemisphere Winter 2009-2010
A majority of the model forecasts for the Niño-3.4 SST
index suggest El Niño will continue to strengthen. While there is
disagreement on the eventual strength of El Niño, nearly all of the
dynamical models predict a moderate-to-strong El Niño during the
Northern Hemisphere Winter 2009-10.
EPA Announces $55 Million for Contaminated Land Clean Up and Local Job
Creation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa
P. Jackson announced today that $55 million in supplemental funding is
being awarded for cleanup efforts at contaminated sites known as brownfields.
EPA to make brownfield cleanup training available
The U.S. EPA will make job training to help protect human health and
the environment available to workers across America because of $6.8
million provided under the Stimulus Bill, also known as the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Factbox; Global Green Economy Stimulus Plans The United States, Europe, China and South Korea lead global "green"
spending plans after committing about $500 billion to boost
low-carbon technologies and protect the environment, under wider
plans to boost the global economy.
Green spend accounts for about 15 percent of total economic
stimulus cash of $3 trillion, according to HSBC in a report
published on May 22. More detail follows.
File sharers leak government secrets
Sensitive files including Secret Service safehouse locations, military
rosters, and IRS tax returns can still be found on file-sharing
networks, according to a report issued to a U.S. House of
Representatives committee on Wednesday.
In many cases, that's because federal government employees or
contractors installed peer-to-peer software on their computers without
paying attention to which documents would be shared...
From seawater to drinking water; Seawater desalination alleviates water
shortage in Algeria
In view of increasing water scarcity, all
approaches have to be taken into consideration when it comes to
ensure a
drinking water supply for the future. One method to ensure this
is by desalination where seawater is turned into drinking water.
Algeria is a good case of this, as new
desalination plants are being established in the country.
Government study; Climate bill spells gloom for jobs
Despite President Obama's prediction that it would create new jobs, the
climate change bill passed by the House will mean fewer jobs by 2030
than if Congress did nothing at all, according to the first
comprehensive study of the measure by the federal government.
Green Buildings; Saving Energy and Water Without question, public interest in
sustainability and green buildings is growing. It's no surprise that
people prefer to work in healthy environments with good indoor air
quality. It's also no surprise that building owners prefer to own assets
that are energy efficient and save money.
Herbal MedicineTradition Meets Science
Years of traditional knowledge
about medicinal plants is now supplemented
by research to create a healing system bridging both worlds.
High-Powered Wires - July 22, 2009
Wouldn’t distributed generation reduce the need for long transmission
lines and increase reliability by diversifying supply?
How PV Manufacturers Are Driving Down Costs
For the last two years, solar companies have been
buzzing about how they would soon reach "grid parity," or the point at
which renewable energy would be price-competitive with conventional
electricity. In those years – during a silicon shortage that kept the
supply of solar panels below demand -- manufacturers were working to
grow capacity as fast as possible...
How to Get Cancer; Move to the United States
The risk of cancer for Hispanics living in Florida is 40 percent
higher than for those who live in their native countries, a puzzling new
study finds.
How Will Utilities Make Money as PV Continues to Grow?
Q: I assume my utility isn't
happy about my PV system -- I'm buying less electricity! What happens
when 10% of their customers have PV? What about 25%?
In Recession, Green is the New Black
Rooftops still predominantly sprout shingles, not solar panels. On
highways, hybrids remain the rolling minority.
But overall, the recession seems to be the motivator proponents of more
sustainable, energy-conserving ways of life have long hoped for.
There is nothing like the loss of a job - or even the threat of it - to
inspire a less-wasteful attitude about consuming....
LOL; It's Good
For You
...researchers
are drilling deeper to
understand the healing power of humor and laughter, both artificial
and real.
Natural Gas Moves Cars - July 17, 2009
The CNG-powered Honda Civic GX is available here in
North Carolina and, to the best of my knowledge, in all U.S. states.
There are also natural gas-fueled alternatives offered by Ford including
the compact Focus and the mid-size Fusion.
New York City Teams Up With EPA To Promote Water Efficiency
While New York City is one of the most populous and
busiest cities on the planet, it's also one of the greenest, and now the
Big Apple is promoting the importance of conserving water by partnering
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Obama Invests Record $2.4 Billion in Electric Vehicles, Advanced
Batteries
President Barack Obama today announced $2.4 billion in
economic stimulus funding for 48 new advanced battery and electric drive
projects, the single largest investment in advanced battery technology
for hybrid and electric-drive vehicles ever made.
Outraged Brazil Ships Rubbish Back To Britain
A ship loaded with 1,600 tonnes of rubbish set sail on
Wednesday to return the rotting cargo to Britain from Brazil, where
it had been shipped falsely declared as plastic for recycling.
Psychological Barriers Hobble Climate Action
Psychological barriers like uncertainty, mistrust and denial keep
most Americans from acting to fight climate change, a task force of
the American Psychological Association said on Wednesday.
Policymakers, scientists and marketers should look at these
factors to figure out what might prod people take action, the task
force reported at the association's annual convention in Toronto.
Renewable Energy Can't Be An Afterthought In The Quest To Meet
Climate Goals A new report from the Electric Power Research Institute noted that in
order to meet climate goals, the U.S. power industry must implement
a full portfolio of technologies.
While we agree that we'll have to pull out all the stops in the
race to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we must not trade one
problem for another.
Researchers achieve major breakthrough with water desalination
system
Concern over access to clean water is no
longer just an issue for the developing world, as California faces its
worst drought in recorded history.
In designing and constructing new
desalination plants, creating and testing pilot facilities is one of the
most expensive and time-consuming steps.
Riding
the Federal Funding Wave
The one time when you can really appreciate a well-oiled bureaucratic
machine is when it's pumping out money.
The administration's $787 billion economic stimulus package provides
some $65 billion in grants and tax credits for an array of energy
projects.
Sea Power, Part 1
"The current energy crisis is fueling a
worldwide search for power. Energy explorers are discovering that the
largest reserve of potential energy covers more than 70 percent of the
Earth's surface—the oceans." Replace "energy crisis" with "climate
crisis," and these words could be pulled from the websites of any of
several companies that are now looking to generate clean electricity
from the heat stored in the oceans.
Sea Power, Part 2
In theory, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
could meet all of today's electricity needs. But does the world need
OTEC? Solar and wind energy have long track records and are already
fast-growing industries. However, as OTEC supporters are quick to point
out, those sources have a major limitation: so far, there's no easy or
cheap way to store the energy.
Security Now
Across the country, energy providers are prepping for
dramatic changes to their distribution networks. Information will
automatically be relayed to back office systems, so that power companies
can monitor demand and avoid buying from the spot market.
Severe water scarcity boosts desalination market
Demand for fresh water is increasing around
the world, especially in regions with rapidly growing populations and
badly affected by long, drought seasons. Water is only going to become
scarcer and many governments are looking at
desalination and investing in this technology to supply water to
their populations. These factors are driving the desalination market
that shows a strong growth according to Frost & Sullivan.
Shallow water tidal device could deliver low-cost renewable energy
UK-based Pulse Tidal says its
shallow water tidal device can produce predictable, low cost renewable
energy at the same time as reducing the large investments required to
install, connect and maintain devices in remote offshore locations.
So Where is the Tarp Money and All the Other Cash?
Let's see if we can shed some light on the issue using some data from
the Fed. TARP funds (though helped add equity to banks) are actually a
drop in the bucket in comparison to the overall deposits at banks, which
continue to grow. Deposits are now at some $7.5 trillion:
Stovepiped
This is the moment when the public sector proponents of renewable clean
energy must prove their mettle. The organizations, both in and out of
government, that have been set up to promote market-based action support
for cleaner technologies now have access to American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act ("ARRA") funds.
Swiss Seek Pope's Blessing To Stop Glacier Melting
After centuries of praying for a local glacier to stop
growing, Swiss villagers are now seeking an audience with Pope Benedict
to get his blessing for prayers against the global warming that is
causing it to recede.
Taiwan and Coastal China Shut Down Ahead of Monster Typhoon
Strengthening as it blows across the western Pacific
Ocean, Typhoon Morakot is now on a
collision course with Taiwan and China's eastern provinces. Already
tagged as the worst typhoon this year, the storm has doubled its size
over the past two days, U.S. satellite imagery shows.
Texas land office urges action against ExxonMobil on well caps
The Texas Railroad Commission should penalize ExxonMobil for
"intentionally" damaging oil and gas wells when capping them on a South
Texas
leaseholding, Texas General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson
reiterated this week in the latest salvo between him and the company.
The Color of Oil
Big Oil's reluctance to invest more of its vast resources into the green
space is a function of its vision. It is seeking to meet global oil
demand while at the same time protecting its shareholders by focusing on
the development of fossil fuels.
The Color of Oil – August 05, 2009
The simple fact of the matter is that Chevron,
ExxonMobil or any other “major’s” first responsibility is to its
shareholders. Ninety-nine percent of the new green technologies have
resulted in an enormous waste of taxpayers’ money, and were nothing more
than pork-barrel spending.
The Oil
& Natural Gas Report
My approach is very simple and effective when proper
trading/money management is applied. FEAR and GREED are the two most
powerful forces in trading...
The US dollar has had a massive rally considering the
United States is in serious trouble. My thoughts are investors bought
the USD as the entire planet started to crack thinking it was a smart
investment.
Threshold Crossed - July 01, 2009
The problem is that this bill does not guarantee a reduction in CO2
emissions, just creates an increasing revenue stream for the federal
government. There currently is no known technology that is deployable
today to reduce emissions from power plants. With caps coming into play
in 2012, there is no way technology can be found to achieve the CO2
reductions in time. Therefore, this is really all about generating
revenue.
Trapping Carbon Dioxide Or Switching To Nuclear Power Not Enough To
Solve Global Warming Problem, Experts Say
Attempting to tackle climate change by trapping carbon dioxide or
switching to nuclear power will not solve the problem of global
warming, according to energy calculations published in the July
issue of the International Journal of Global Warming.
Two-atom lead superconductor thinnest ever
Paving the way for smaller and more efficient devices, a
superconducting sheet just two atoms thick has been created at The
University of Texas at Austin...The ultra-thin material, of lead, is a
highly uniform crystalline structure that confines electrons, in ‘Cooper
pairs’, to move through the material in two dimensions or a single,
quantum channel without a power source.
U.S. and India Renewable Energy Partnership Can Ameliorate Global
'Climate Change' Issues
The world's two largest democracies -- the U.S. and India -- share one thing
in common, the SUN. And, both countries are blessed with lots of sunshine.
The U.S. is fortunate to receive more than 4,500 quadrillion British thermal
units (Btu) of solar radiation a year
India is most fortunate as it receives the highest
global solar radiation on a horizontal surface.
U.S. carbon market; many projects, many clouds
Amanda Sutton looks over a wheat field in northern
Colorado and sees a potential "carbon offset project" that could help
curb greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming.
US Personal Consumer Expenditure Rises, Personal Income Sinks as Fiscal
Stimulus Unwinds
Personal consumer expenditure (PCE) rose 0.4% in June compared to
expectations of a 0.2% increase and a downwardly revised 0.1% rise in
May (originally reported as up 0.3%). The increase occurred despite the
1.3% fall in personal income as a result of the unwinding of the
one-time increase in social security payments in May that had helped
boost personal incomes by 1.3%.
US Private Sector Doubts Effectiveness of Government Response to Crisis
Large U.S. companies and financial institutions are skeptical about
the effectiveness of many government programs and actions taken in
response to the financial and economic crisis and they give low marks to
the performance of President Barack Obama. However, these important
private sector entities appear to have retained their faith in at least
one Washington institution: The Federal Reserve and its chairman, Ben
Bernanke.
Venture Capital - Some Revealing Facts
In short, the tourists have left, explained Mark Heesen, president of
the NVCA. “Young entrepreneurs who thought they could get rich quickly
with just a good idea are now gone and those now left standing recognize
the challenges and tenacity needed to establish and build a sustainable
business,” he said.
Water Scarcity Looms as Population, Temperature Rise
Water scarcity is
increasing in many regions as factors including
population growth, climate change, and pollution
restrict the amount of water available relative to
demand. In 2008, 1.4 billion people lived in "closed
basins"--regions where existing water cannot meet the
agricultural, municipal, and environmental needs for
all. This number is expected to grow to 1.8 billion by
2025.
Weatherization; Feds leave state out in the cold
Homeowners in some states, including Ohio, already are getting new
furnaces and their houses insulated, thanks to federal stimulus dollars.
But not in Indiana.
August 4, 2009
3 advocates will push for energy bill
"Right now, our country is poised to take off in clean energy," said Jan
Pendlebury, a senior field associate of the Pew Environment Group, in an
editorial board interview Tuesday with The Telegraph.
But Senate support is needed to finally enact federal standards that
would reduce greenhouse gases and improve the environment..
Actions Taken Over the Next Decade to Demonstrate and Deploy Key
Technologies Will Determine U.S. Energy Future
Initiating deployment of these technologies is urgent; actions taken -- or
not taken -- between now and 2020 to develop and demonstrate several key
technologies will largely determine the nation's energy options for many
decades to come.
B F Skinner, the Fed, and the Housing Market
Here is a psychologist’s perspective on the housing bubble: it may just
be the result of positive reinforcement. Burrhus Frederic Skinner, a US
psychologist was an early pioneer of the "reinforcement" construct in
behavioral science.
Californians Form Coalition Against New Job-Killing Regulation
Today, consumer advocates, small businesses, trade associations, and anti-
tax groups launched a new coalition -- Californians for Smart Energy -- to
demonstrate the widespread opposition to the California Energy Commission's
(CEC) unnecessary and job-killing proposal to set arbitrary limits on
television electricity usage.
Can U.S. Plan Entice Polluters into Early Reduction of Greenhouse Gas
Emissions?
Demand for offsets is a critical part of any cap-and-trade scheme because it
funnels money into low-carbon technologies that aren't yet market-viable and
reduces the costs of compliance by allowing companies to effectively
neutralize their own emissions by paying others to reduce emissions more
cheaply.
Carbon credits; 'Cure worse than the disease'
A carbon tax would cost less, he says, and would pay for "an
energy-technology revolution," finding ways to use less carbon, or no
carbon for industrial processes, transportation, heating and cooling.
Chemical spill at ABC Disposal sends 55 to hospital
"They transported, unknowingly, some type of container that contained some
apparent toxic chemical," a New Bedford, Mass., police spokesman said.
China closes factory after cadmium pollution protest
China closed a chemical plant after local residents in central Hunan
Province protested against cadmium pollution, which killed two people and
affected hundreds of others, media reported on Monday.
The closure follows a number of recent high profile "mass incidents"
which turned violent and prompted media criticism of officials' failure to
respond quickly.
Climate
Measure Worries Co-Op
The Continental Divide Electric Cooperative Inc. says the adopted House Bill
2454 could cost its 19,000 customers as much as $54 more a month. A Senate
bill has yet to go to the floor.
CPV poised for a period of expansion
There is no doubt over the fact that the
industry is on the brink of growth. At the same time it is hindered by a
number of internal and external technological and financial constraints.
But then, traditionally, PV technologies have taken several years before
showing scalable industrial success. And CPV, too, being an emerging
technology with few commercial projects on the ground and starting to
move towards commercial implementation, needs time to establish itself.
Economist sees negatives of cap-and-trade
Imagine seeing your household purchasing power plunge by $1,870.
Factor in a monthly electricity bill that is now 22 percent or a natural gas
charge that is up 16 percent.
Stop at a gas station for a fill-up: $5 a gallon, the new sign proclaims.
On top of that, some folks likely will find themselves out of work...
Electric bills could rise 40 percent
According to representatives from Progress Energy and Jones-Onslow Electric
Membership Corp., there's a "new energy reality."
That reality could end up costing people up to 40 percent more on their
monthly electric bill.
EPA
Names Top Green Corporations
Combined, the top 20 corporations generate and consume more than 736 million
kilowatt hours of on-site green power annually -- the equivalent of the
electricity needed to power more than 61,000 U.S. homes annually, the EPA
said in a news release.
EPA Offers Tips to Save Water and Money
August is peak water use season and with a few simple
tips from EPA's WaterSense program homeowners can save water and as much as $110
annually on their water bills.
EPA settles third pesticide case against N.J. manufacturer
The U.S. EPA has settled a third pesticide enforcement case against Lonza
Inc., a manufacturer of hospital disinfectants, for multiple violations of
the federal law that regulates pesticides.
EU prolongs import duties on US biodiesel
For the next five years, duty will have to be paid on
biodiesel from the USA when it is imported into the EU. Associations
have welcomed the decision.
Fate of climate change bill in Congress
The fate of U.S. climate control legislation is in the
hands of the Senate, where it faces an uphill climb. Democratic leaders
hope to put it to a vote in October.
Feds Invest in Solar Energy Grid Integration
Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today the
investment of up to $11.8 million for five projects designed to advance
the next stage of development of solar energy grid integration systems,
or SEGIS, for utilties, businesses and homes.
Global Photovoltaic Market to Reach US$48b in 2014 according to
IntertechPira
Wafer-based silicon will continue as the dominant technology, but
amorphous thin-film and cadmium telluride (CdTe) technologies will
gain ground, and are expected to account for a combined 22% of the
market by 2014, according to a major new study by IntertechPira.
Healthcare, Green Tech Brighten Dim U.S. Jobs Picture
Healthcare and clean energy rank as bright spots in a
bleak U.S. jobs market and both stand to generate even more employment
under plans put forward by President Barack Obama.
Heat Wave Demonstrates Limitations to Wind Power
The Pacific Northwest just finished four days of triple digit temperatures,
which put the heat on renewable energy sources to keep up with demand. Just
as records were being set for power consumption, wind power generation
slowed due to the calm air from the locked-in high pressure system.
India to enforce energy efficiency in climate fight
India will make energy efficiency ratings a must for
electric appliances, including airconditioners and refrigerators, from January,
stepping up domestic efforts to fight climate change, officials said.
Iraq can't pay for massive GE Energy contract
Reuters is reporting that the government of Iraq cant pay for a $3 billion
contract it has with General Electric Co. to provide the war-torn country
with 65 gas turbines, enough to provide the country with 7,000 megawatts of
electric generating capacity.
Kulongoski signals intent to veto rollback of wind energy tax breaks
Oregon lawmakers tried to save millions of taxpayer dollars by trimming
state subsidies enjoyed by wind energy farms, but Gov. Ted Kulongoski said
today he plans to veto that effort.
In doing so, the governor signaled he has little tolerance for any retreat
on his vision for the state as a national center for alternative energy --
recession or no.
Kuwait oil minister hopes prices will stabilize at $70-80b; KUNA
Kuwaiti oil minister Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah al-Sabah said Tuesday the
recent rise in oil prices is welcome and hoped they would stabilize at
between $70-$80/barrel by the year-end as the global economy emerges from
the
current recession.
Large Tree Loss in Yosemite National Park Linked to Climate Change
There are fewer large-diameter trees in Yosemite
National Park today than there were in 1932, and warmer climate
conditions have played a role in this decline, new research by
government and university scientists shows. Large diameter trees are
those that have lived the longest, often called old-growth trees.
Methane-to-gas project progresses
Work on a project that would convert methane gas from Alliance Sanitary
Landfill into electricity continues to progress, moving closer to being in
operation by the end of the year, officials said.
Millennium Project Report Issued on the Future of the World
A major report issued by the United Nations Millenium Project has just
been released. It finds that half the world appears vulnerable to social
instability and violence due to increasing and potentially prolonged
unemployment from the recession as well as several longer-term issues:
decreasing water, food, and energy supplies per person; the cumulative
effects of climate change; and increasing migrations due to political,
environmental, and economic conditions. It also finds some good in the
global financial crisis, which may be helping humanity to move from its
often selfish, self-centered adolescence to a more globally responsible
adulthood.
Navajo Nation Approves Green Jobs, Rejects Fossil Fuel Economy
The Navajo are looking for alternatives to the
fossil-fuel based economy that has dominated its reservation for
decades, and left it with a 50 percent unemployment rate...The Navajo Nation Council is the first tribal government to approve green
jobs legislation. It will support renewable energy and energy efficiency and
sustainable manufacturing and agriculture based on the tribe's traditional
methods.
One Billion People Go Hungry - Food, Funds in Short Supply
A billion people around the world are going hungry every
day, but the world's response to their urgent need for food is flagging,
so critical food assistance is already being cut, the head of the
world's largest humanitarian organization is warning.
Organic Versus Conventional Food; UK Report Flawed
The report was based on the review of fifty years worth
of research papers on the subject. But reading it makes one wonder if
influence caused a misreading of the findings, and in addition, if the
agency has addressed the wrong questions entirely.
(Editor: Thanks to several readers for
directing us to these very appropriate responses to the previously
published article! Another one below.)
Putting the cost of going green in context
Over time, the global energy infrastructure must change because the
continued combustion of fossil fuels is altering Earth's climate in
potentially dangerous ways and because the large wealth transfer from mostly
democratic oil-importing countries to mostly autocratic oil-exporting
countries is propping up repressive regimes worldwide. So, we know that the
world's energy infrastructure must change. But, the interesting questions
are: how big an investment are we willing to make to bring about that change
and how fast are we willing to make that investment?
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 080309
Solar activity was very low. No flares were observed.
The visible disk remained spotless. The geomagnetic field is
expected to be quiet on day one of the forecast period (04 August).
On days two and three (05 - 06 August), field conditions are
expected to be mostly quiet to unsettled as a recurrent coronal hole
high speed stream will become geoeffective.
Senate passes energy and water bill
The House earlier this month passed its own $33.3 billion measure covering
energy programs and water projects that also contained the Yucca Mountain
provision.
Slowing Chargeoffs and Delinquencies a Glimmer of Hope for US Credit
Card ABS
While prime chargeoffs set another record high this month, the rate of
increase has slowed significantly from earlier this year as delinquencies
continued to stabilize over recent periods, according to the latest Fitch
Prime Credit Card Index results covering the June collection period. The
results, while partly driven by seasonal factors, point to chargeoffs
leveling in the coming months.
Smaller Turbines Have Big Future
If you pay Westar several hundred dollars a month on electricity, have
enough space on your property and can cash in on some of the grants and tax
breaks being offered to promote renewable energy, a wind turbine could very
well pay for itself in 10 years and then provide "free" electricity for
another 15.
Speakers at PPL hearing say plan to cut energy consumption isn't enough
A plan proposed by PPL to reduce the energy consumption of its customers
should include more options and not rely so heavily on compact fluorescent
light bulbs....
Others suggested the plan should promote solar water heaters or more
aggressively promote making older homes more energy-efficient.
State Says No to 2nd Nuclear Dump; Feds Seeking Disposal Site
NM-
The Department of Energy's love affair with disposing radioactive trash at
the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant doesn't mean it wants to send nuclear power
plant fuel there as well.
But if WIPP had a twin sister?
Study; Pollution Causing Cancer in Animals
...scientists are now concerned about humans’ contribution to
carcinogenesis in wild animal habitats.
“The more we contaminate the environment, the more we will see problems.
If you dump a pollutant, it doesn’t just go away,..
TAF,
the Fed Program that Worked
The Term Auction Facility (TAF) got little attention in the media but was
actually one of the key ingredients in stabilizing the financial system. It
provided the lubricant when other sources of funds became scarce.
Talks under way for huge power project
Another large-scale, international hydropower project is in negotiations
between the New York Power Authority and Canadian entities.
Importing cheap power from Canada would lower electric bills throughout
the state...
The Missing Link; Checking Up on Green Buildings
Green buildings are supposed to revolutionize the way
the nation's built environment operates chiefly by using less
energy...But the green building industry has a dirty little secret:
Until recently, few people really kept track of how so-called
"high-performance buildings" were actually performing.
TVA to help develop mini-nuke reactor
Because proposed full-sized nuclear power plants aren't attracting
financing, the TVA, which provides electricity for Tennessee and parts of
six other states, has agreed to help Babcock & Wilcox gain certification for
a new kind of reactor that would be a tenth the size of a regular model, The
(Nashville) Tennessean reported Monday.
U.S. largest solar power plant closer to reality
Exelon is one of the nations's largest electric utilities. The Exelon solar
power plant would consist of more than 30,000 solar panels on a site in
Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood.
Exelon says it would generate enough electricity to power about 1,200 homes.
U.S. ready to issue grants for renewable energy
The U.S. government on Friday said it is now accepting
applications for some $3 billion in government grants to boost
development of renewable energy projects around the country.
U.S. refiners see shakeout under climate change bill
Ailing U.S. oil refiners could face a crippling period
of contraction under a House-approved climate change bill, making the
country more dependent on imported refined products.
The so-called cap-and-trade bill narrowly passed by the House of
Representatives in June would limit greenhouse gas emissions by requiring
polluters to acquire permits for the carbon dioxide they spew into the
atmosphere.
U.S., Canadian forests fall to beetle outbreak
...this is a forest under siege. Among the green foliage
of the healthy spruce are the orange-red needles of the sick and the
dead, victims of a beetle infestation closely related to one that has
already laid waste to millions of acres (hectares) of pine forest in
North America.
UK Study Misleads Public by Ignoring Documented Health and Environmental
Benefits of Organic Food
The supreme irony is that this study is getting an
enormous amount of media attention in part because of heightened
consumer awareness of where our food comes from...the United Kingdom's
Food Standards Agency (FSA) study used old data and flawed logic in
reaching the conclusion that organic food is no healthier than
conventional. ...There are compelling studies that have shown organic
foods higher in beneficial antioxidants, substances or nutrients in our
foods known to slow or prevent heart disease, diabetes and some forms of
cancer. ...the FSA ignores the environmental and related health benefits
of an organic farming system that avoids the use of millions of pounds
of toxic persistent pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer and other
chemicals that leach into soil, water and air.
US Oil & Gas Sector's Credit Quality to Weaken as Commodity Fundamentals
Remain Under Siege
The report, released today, says the drilling & services sector is
suffering from an imbalance between supply and demand with weakened
commodity prices having reduced demand just as supply of newbuild rigs
continues to hit the market.
US scientists study huge plastic patch in Pacific
Marine scientists from California are venturing this
week to the middle of the North Pacific for a study of plastic debris
accumulating across hundreds of miles (km) of open sea dubbed the "Great
Pacific Garbage Patch."
Utilities
Chase Distant Winds
The answer to North Carolina's green energy challenge is blowing in the
wind-swept mesas of Texas.
Wildlife Hinders Wind Farm Strategy
To former Washington State Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland, the concept
was an obvious win-win:
The Department of Natural Resources would actively seek opportunities to
lease state trust land across Washington for development of wind farms.
The power the wind turbines generated would boost the state's renewable
energy profile and help utilities meet renewable energy targets required by
a 2006 voter-approved initiative....
But like other clean energy ideas, this one has run into unforeseen
complications.
Will America lose the clean-energy race?
As Congress debates climate and energy legislation, Asian challengers are
moving rapidly to win the clean-energy race. China alone is reportedly
investing $440 billion to $660 billion in its clean-energy industries over
10 years. South Korea is investing a full 2 percent of its gross domestic
product in a Green New Deal. And Japan is redoubling incentives for solar,
aiming for a 20-fold expansion in installed solar energy by 2020.
Willington Man On Cutting Edge Of Renewable Energy
By day, Norman Nadeau is a financial adviser.
By night, he is a renewable energy revolutionary.
World will warm faster than predicted in next five years, study warns
New estimate based on the
forthcoming upturn in solar activity and El Niño southern oscillation
cycles is expected to silence global warming sceptics
The hottest year on record was 1998, and the relatively cool years since
have led to some
global warming sceptics claiming that temperatures have levelled off or
started to decline. But new research firmly rejects that argument.
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