News 2009:

Footnote:  We always attempt to get the news to you AND obey copyright laws.  We apologize if, in our haste to get the news out, we miss a notice that it was copyright protected. We are a non-profit foundation therefore  we do not reprint for profit.  Our sole motivation is to keep our public informed.  If you have an article reprinted here and desire us to eliminate it, just let us know and we will immediately delete it, without question, with apologies.  arizonaenergy on copyright law   FAIR USE NOTICE

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World CO2 since 1750 (cubic feet)

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July 31, 2009

Arctic Tundra Hotter, Boosts Global Warming; Expert

Regions of Arctic tundra around the world are heating up very rapidly, releasing more greenhouse gases than predicted and boosting the process of global warming, a leading expert said on Wednesday.

AWEA says 1,210 MW of new wind installed in second quarter 2009

Developers installed more than 1,210 MW of new wind power capacity in the US during the second quarter of 2009, the American Wind Energy Association said Tuesday.

Chile fighting climate change — role model for the (developing) world

"No doubts remain. Climate change is real and the build-up of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is increasingly at an alarming rate." With these words, Rafael Quiroga, General Manager of Accion RSE, initiated the seminar "Corporate Strategic Management of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions." This is not another "green business" seminar from a European or North American city, it took place here — in Santiago, Chile.

China Wants Climate Deal This Year; U.N.'s Ban

China's leaders told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that Beijing wants to reach a new agreement on combating climate change in Copenhagen in December, Ban said on Wednesday.

CHP Electricity Powers Cars 22 Times Farther Than Ethanol!

Cheap fossil fuel has allowed us to waste the majority of our energy, filling the planet with pollution and waste heat. Our car engines are only 25% efficient and coal power plants are not much better. Corn ethanol is one of the worst wastes of biomass: An acre of corn produces about 330 gallons/year if you cook it using fossil fuel.

Cleaner energy possible, science academy study says

Action by the federal government and industry is needed over the next 10 years if the nation's appetite for energy is going to be lessened and fed by cleaner fuels, according to a National Academy of Sciences report issued Tuesday.

Climate Change Worsens U.S. Beachwater Pollution, NRDC Reports

Polluted water at American beaches jeopardized the health of swimmers last year and climate change is making conditions worse, according to the 19th annual beachwater quality report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Climate change is expected to further increase the presence of pathogens that cause stomach flu, diarrhea and neurological problems in America's beachwater.

Commentary - Of Goldman, Bubbles, and Hype

Reading the article will make you mad. But before you go out to lynch Goldman employees (as many Sober Look readers have suggested), think about the wise old statement "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..." (John 8:7)

Composting Options For Offices

Fifteen years ago if your household recycled its Diet Coke cans and Cheerios boxes, you were considered environmentally forward. Now, if you do not compost, you are considered lazy and wasteful.

Cutting Transportation Emissions Is 'Critical' To Achieving Goals Of House-Passed Climate Bill, New Study Shows

Successfully reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from transportation is "critical to meeting national goals" to cut GHGs, according to a new report released today by a diverse group of federal agencies and advocacy groups, including Environmental Defense Fund.

EMP; A Poorly Understood Threat

Grid security managers are experiencing growing concern over cyber security while another serious threat, electromagnetic pulse (EMP), has received very little attention. An electromagnetic pulse attack can have a devastating impact on the grid, rendering it useless perhaps for many years.

Energy Campus to Generate Ideas

In a cavernous Navy Yard building where seaplanes were once built, Navy researchers tinker on an assemblage of impressive engines -- giant turbines that could propel a warship, or power a small city.

Energy Efficiency Could Halve U.S. Greenhouse Gases by 2050

Energy efficiency investments can provide up to half the greenhouse gas emissions reductions most scientists say are needed between now and the year 2050 to avert the worst effects of climate change, finds a new report from the nonprofit and independent American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, ACEEE.

First female Native US attorney airs her concerns

Many have asked how Native justice issues have been affected since the infamous spate of firings of U.S. attorneys in 2006 - 07. Five of the eight attorneys dismissed under former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales were viewed as keen advocates for Indian issues, and some in Indian country have wondered whether their advocacy played a role in their firings.

GE Energy upgrades two turbines at Wainiha hydro power plant

GE Energy has said that its Control Solutions business has upgraded two 1906-era Pelton hydro turbines with Mark VIe digital controls and a new hydraulic system at the Wainiha hydro power plant on the North Shore of Kauai.

Green momentum to slow?

N.J.--A new state law has installers of renewable energy projects worried.

They say the measure requiring them to pay prevailing wage -- essentially union levels -- to workers on so-called green projects will lift labor costs, make the companies less competitive with larger businesses that can afford higher pay and slow the state's growing renewable energy industry.

Group asks companies to pay for medicine disposal

An association representing the nation´s county governments is asking pharmaceutical companies to bear the financial responsibility for disposing of unwanted medicines.

Japanese power companies set to receive first crude jatropha oil

Biomass Japan is scheduled to start receiving some 700 mt/month of crude jatropha oil in Okinawa from August, mainly from its pilot plants in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and India, the source said.

Legislators, lawyers put pressure on utilities

Mass-The state Senate is poised to pass a bill that would expose public utility companies to multimillion-dollar fines for failing to respond to power outages in a storm or emergency in a timely fashion.

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 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.

New Transportation Website Targets Greenhouse Gases

A new website is being launched by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to highlight strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation.

New Wind Turbine Unveiled

This totally enclosed unit, based upon the early patents of Nicola Tesla, further modified for low fluid velocity use as a wind turbine, is wildlife-friendly, yet promises high efficiency and low-cost energy production. Low maintenance will be a key to long life at low cost, with routine annual maintenance being extremely limited.

New, cheaper method for extracting clean water

It harnesses a popular desalination technique known as reverse osmosis, a filtration process that forces water through a membrane, filtering out impurities.

Desalination is often costly but the M3 system can cut costs.

Nigeria loses $6 billion oil revenue to Shell output shut-ins

OPEC member Nigeria has lost about Naira 7 trillion ($6 billion) in oil revenues to the production shut-ins by Anglo-Dutch major Shell in the past three years due to attacks on the company's facilities by Niger Delta militants, local media reported Wednesday.

Nigeria President woos Delta governors over amnesty plan

Yar'Adua on June 25 proclaimed amnesty and unconditional pardon for militants who renounced violence and laid down arms in the bid to end the unrest in Nigeria's vast oil industry region. But the government has been struggling to convince the militants to embrace the amnesty plan. Key militant groups have demanded the government withdraw federal troops from the region.

NYMEX crude 20 cents higher as dollar dips, equity futures firm

NYMEX September crude futures on CME's Globex system were 20 cents higher
Friday at $67.14/barrel with a soft tone to the US dollar and firmer equity
futures steadying oil markets.

Only One in Ten Americans Are Very Knowledgeable About Sources of Electricity

Only one in ten Americans (9%) are very knowledgeable about sources of electrical power, while half (50%) are fairly knowledgeable. Further, only one in five U.S. adults (21%) are very interested in keeping up to date about energy issues related to the sources of electrical power and energy efficiency with 53% saying they are fairly interested.

So......why are we doing this newsletter....who cares!!!

Organic Food Is No Healthier, Study Finds

"A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance," said Alan Dangour, one of the report's authors.

Portland area consumes electricity at record rate

Utility customers gulped power at record levels Monday and Tuesday as the Portland area entered the longest stretch of 100-degree days in nearly three decades.

Portland General Electric Co. reported scattered blackouts in the metro area as transformers overheated and sagging power lines came into contact with foliage, and in one case, a passing beer truck.

Recycled Solar Heat Significantly Reduces High Energy Bills

SolarAttic, Inc. announced that recycling the solar heat energy found within roofs and attics, either commercial or residential is significantly reducing energy bills.

Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 073009

Solar activity was very low. No flares occurred during the past 24 hours. The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled with a slight chance for isolated active periods on days one and two (31 July - 01 August) due to a favorably positioned coronal hole.

Resource Planning

With carbon cap-and-trade legislation wending its way through Congress in the early part of the year, many electric power companies were taking a wait-and-see attitude toward new plant construction. And wait. And wait.


That doesn't tell the whole story, though, as many producers are doing more than wait -- they are canceling coal plants outright.

Rich Nations Vulnerable to Water Disasters

The growing shortage of water - a perennial problem in the world's poorer nations - is expected to eventually reach the rich nations in the Western world.

The United States, Spain, Australia and the Netherlands are likely to face the consequences of climate change resulting in water-related disasters, including droughts, floods, hurricanes and sea-level rise.

Scientists Untangle Multiple Causes of Bee Colony Disorder

A microscopic pathogen and pesticides embedded in old honeycombs are two major contributors to the bee disease known as colony collapse disorder, which has wiped out thousands of beehives throughout the United States and Europe over the past three years, new research at Washington State University has confirmed.

Show Me the Money -- And How To Get It

The U.S. departments of Energy and Treasury announced on July 9 that guidelines would be available for companies wishing to apply for $3 billion in stimulus payments.

"This partnership between Treasury and Energy will enable both large companies and small businesses to invest in our long-term energy needs, protect our environment and revitalize our nation's economy."

-- Tim Geithner, US Treasury Secretary

Solar inventory piling up;  Analyst

Inventories are spiking in the solar supply chain due to oversupply coupled with lackluster demand, and the glut will cause price erosion from raw materials to cells, according to a report from iSuppli.

The shale revolution

The Transmission Question

There will be no magic involved in adding new renewable energy to the electricity mix. It will involve long-distance transmission lines -- lines that, in some instances, have yet to be built.

U.S. And China Sign Memorandum On Climate Change

The United States and China, the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases, signed an agreement on Tuesday that promises more cooperation on climate change, energy and the environment.

U.S. Energy Security and Natural Gas Vehicles; A Reality Check

A natural gas vehicle (NGV) is an alternative fuel vehicle that utilizes compressed natural gas or, less frequently, liquefied natural gas (LNG) for propulsion....The hope is that renewable energy sources, by supplanting the gas that produces 21% of our electricity, will allow natural gas to be used as a substitute for petroleum-based products, such as gasoline and diesel.

Comments on U.S. Energy Security and Natural Gas Vehicles; A Reality Check

The debate is not whether natgas can "play all parts". That is a straw man argument anyway. The debate you generated was whether NGVs were a viable direction and you claim that it is not. I disagree.

Your argument about "energy security" and being able to forecast beyond 10-15 years out is nonsense. We have NEVER been able to forecast ANYTHING that far out with any degree of accuracy. You pointed out that EIA projections change every year. ... Well, of course they do. The futures markets change every day. New information continually comes to light that changes our view of the future.

US Consumer Confidence Dips in July

The month of July saw Consumer confidence declined to 46.6 in July from June’s 49.3 reading. Expectations were for a smaller fall to 49. Both consumers’ perceptions of their present situation and their expectations contributed to the decline in the composite.

US Fed Publishes 5 Tips for Shopping for a Mortgage

US Senate cuts some Obama priorities in energy spending bill

The US Senate passed its fiscal 2010 Energy and Water Development spending bill Wednesday night after making cuts that the White House has said would hamper some of its energy policy efforts.

US Senate seeks to pressure suppliers of gasoline to Iran

The US Senate has adopted a measure that would prohibit companies that sell gasoline and other refined products to Iran from contracting to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

USEC asks Obama to review DOE loan guarantee decision

USEC President and CEO John Welch asked President Barack Obama July 29 for a review of DOE's July 28 decision to offer $45 million in research and development funding for USEC's partially-built American Centrifuge Plant in Ohio. The company had requested $2 billion in loan guarantees to support the completion of plant construction.

USEC Scraps Uranium Plant, Mulls Options

USEC's planned American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio, was one of four new facilities proposed that would be built to supply enriched uranium to the nuclear power sector, which industry experts believe is poised for a renaissance in the United States.

USF researchers focus on solar power

University of South Florida experts, in collaboration with the Florida Energy Systems Consortium and nine other in-state universities, are working to develop strategies on how to implement renewable and cost-effective alternative energy sources.

Venture capital gets back in the cleantech game

Venture capitalists increased investments in alternative energy by 73 percent over the past three months, according to a report issued Wednesday, an indication that the horrible market conditions from earlier this year may have abated.

Ways To Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Transport

The most important thing is to introduce renewable energy in the transport sector and have the sector integrated in the energy system. By land, air and sea there are plenty of opportunities to reduce CO2 emissions.

World Falling Short On Emergency Food Aid; U.N. Body

The world is falling far short in feeding its most critically hungry, pledging only $3.7 billion of the $6.7 billion needed to fund the World Food Program for 2009, the head of the United Nations relief agency said on Wednesday.

World Fisheries Collapse Can Be Averted; Study

The world's commercial fisheries, pressured by overfishing and threatened with possible collapse by mid-century, could be rebuilt with careful management, researchers reported on Thursday.

In fact, a fisheries expert who in 2006 predicted total global collapse of fish and seafood populations by 2048 is more optimistic of recovery...

Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Dump Dead

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has achieved his long-held plan of doing away with the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Following conversations with Energy Secretary Steven Chu and the White House, Senator Reid today announced that the administration and the Energy Department have agreed to cut off all funding to pursue a license application for the Yucca Mountain Project in the 2011 budget. It had been approved as the nation's only permanent geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and Department of Defense high-level radioactive waste.

July 28, 2009

Austin Energy to Revise Green Power Charge

The revised price reflects the cost of the contracted wind energy, ERCOT support fees and charges associated with the energy and Austin Energy GreenChoice® administrative costs. Transmission congestion costs associated with Batch 6 wind energy would be recovered through the standard fuel charge.

BPA Rate Increase Will Be More Than Reported

On Tuesday, July 21st, BPA announced that its overall wholesale power rate increase would be 7 percent. BPA’s rate increase specific to OTEC will actually be 7.6 percent. This amounts to an increase of $1,269,883 per year.

Burying TEP lines would cost billions

With monsoon wind gusts twisting power lines, at times to their breaking point, one Star reader asked last week in a letter to the editor why local electric companies don't just bury the lines.

The main reason Tucson Electric Power Co. doesn't go with underground power lines is the benefits don't outweigh the costs, said TEP spokesman Joe Salkowski.

City Is Urged to Provide Healthy, Locally Grown Food

This week, Chicago moved forward on an effort to pass a green food resolution by hearing testimony in committee. Although the resolution is nonbinding, it urges the city to make healthy, locally grown food more available to Chicago residents.

Climate Change Increases Runoff In Eastern U.S. Forests

Computer models of climate change may be underestimating how much water is likely to run off the land and back into the oceans as human activities pump more carbon dioxide and ozone into the atmosphere, a team of NASA-funded researchers concludes.

Comparison of US, China climate efforts

Some in the United States argue Washington should not commit itself to specific reductions in industrial emissions, which could boost energy prices, until China does so as well. But an argument can be made that China already has taken more concrete steps than the United States.

Here is a rundown of climate change moves by both countries...

Cutting Pollution From Shipping

The United Nations shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is rolling out new measures that will force the shipping industry to use cleaner forms of residual fuel oil.

Delayed US climate action increases risks; EU

A US proposal to cut greenhouse emissions slowly at first before making deeper cuts later will increase the risks of irreversible climate damage, a European Union report says.

Earth Bears Scars Of Human Destruction; Astronaut

A Canadian astronaut aboard the International Space Station said on Sunday it looks like Earth's ice caps have melted a bit since he was last in orbit 12 years ago.

Energy's Thirst For Water Challenges Carbon Debate

The immediate need to reduce carbon emissions has dominated public debate around clean energy production. But the singular focus on carbon has distracted from energy’s growing impact on the planet’s dwindling water sources, according to the latest report from Lux Research.

EU considers billions for poor before climate talks

Rich countries should immediately mobilize billions of dollars in development aid to the poorest nations to win their trust in the run-up to global climate talks in Copenhagen, a draft EU report says.

European Nations Wary on Environmental Protectionism

European nations are wary about a perceived trend in France and the United States to use international competition as a reason to back off on Carbon reduction pledges. They are concerned that carbon tariffs could be used to fend off competition from countries which have not committed to reducing emissions, in effect triggering a green trade war.

Executive Pay Cuts

Times are tough inside utility boardrooms. A biting recession and volatile energy prices are creating a backlash among the various constituencies, forcing those members to generally stifle pay raises and especially those for top managers.

Fertile Crescent 'will disappear this century'

Is it the final curtain for the Fertile Crescent? This summer, as Turkish dams reduce the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to a trickle, farmers abandon their desiccated fields across Iraq and Syria, and efforts to revive the Mesopotamian marshes appear to be abandoned, climate modellers are warning that the current drought is likely to become permanent. The Mesopotamian cradle of civilisation seems to be returning to desert.

Ganges River Dolphin Survival Threatened by Oil Exploration

"Our research shows accidental killing through fisheries bycatch, followed by poaching for oil, are the major threats to the dolphins of the Brahmaputra river system,"...

H.R. 2749 The Food Safety Enhancement Act

The House of Representatives is working on H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009.  It's an attempt to address the worst problems in U.S. agriculture, but as it stands the bill threatens to undermine the best things in U.S. agriculture - small farmers producing for local markets.

Housing Prices Drove Borrowing and GDP, Link Proven

There has always been a debate on whether housing price increases drove household leverage and spending. Some argue that housing prices and household debt were just correlated, not that one led to the other.

'Human Performance' Improvements Needed at Otherwise Safe Plant in Perry, Ohio

"We have seen improved behaviors on the part of leaders, and improvement behaviors on the part of workers, and we've seen an improvement on those higher levels of indicators," Cayia said, "but we're still having errors. We're not satisfied with errors we're experiencing.

Hydrocarbons in the deep Earth

The oil and gas that fuels our homes and cars started out as living organisms that died, were compressed, and heated under heavy layers of sediments in the Earth's crust. Scientists have debated for years whether some of these hydrocarbons could also have been created deeper in the Earth and formed without organic matter.

Iran activists work to elude crackdown on Internet

The tweets still fly and the videos hit YouTube whenever protesters take to the streets in Iran - even as the Internet battle there turns more grueling.

Authorities appear to be intensifying their campaign to block Web sites and chase down the opposition online, and the activists search for new ways to elude them.

Large crowd turns out to protest proposed wind farm

The first public step to create wind and solar farms on property between Snowflake and Holbrook met with vehement protests from neighbors.

More than 100 people were at the Navajo County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting July 16 in Holbrook. The supervisors' boardroom was filled and about the same number of people were seated or standing in the corridor outside the room for five public hearings involving wind and/or solar farms.

Meeting on planned coal-powered plant draws opponents

A group of Santee Cooper rate payers and members of environmental advocacy groups gathered this morning before a Santee Cooper meeting to express their opposition to a planned coal-powered plant.

Nanotechnology; are we risking too much?

But away from the buzz of excitement that often surrounds a new technology there have been real concerns about the risk and hazards these new materials present to both humans and the environment.

New study backs UN panel on ocean rise

The UN experts are right that the oceans are unlikely to rise by an order of metres (many feet) by 2100, as some scientists have feared, it says.

New Technology Extends Life of Car Batteries

Pulse Technology has developed a new type of car battery charger that it claims can increase the life of a lead-acid battery by three to five times, the equivalent of eight to 10 years of extra life.

Offshore wind could be next wave for United States

The Cape Cod resort area, famous for sandy beaches and centuries-old fishing villages, could in the next few years claim a new title of home to the United States' first offshore wind farm.

Organic Consumers Group Preparing Boycott Of Non-USDA-Certified 'Organic' Personal Care Products

"And if you want to know the products that do have the USDA seal or qualify for that, go to our Web page, we will list them all for you," he said. OCA recognizes that directing consumers to buy only products with the USDA seal is not a perfect system. Just ask Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps.

Plan to block turbines up in the air

A proposal to create a 200,000-acre, scenic-protection area to keep out most commercial wind turbines created so much public interest that planning commissioners had to cut their Thursday meeting short, with the promise to continue the public testimony at their next hearing.

Recession cuts pollution but also green investment

The environment won a temporary reprieve in the recession as Americans slammed the brakes on one of their favorite pastimes: consuming stuff.

Rep. Kirkpatrick sponsors bill to pay down national debt with returned bailout funds

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick co-sponsored the nonpartisan Repaying the American Taxpayer Act to use all returned bank bailout funds to pay down the national debt.

SolarCity Introduces Solar Lease to Customers of Nation's Largest Municipal Utility

SolarCity's solar leasing option for LADWP customers is a 20-year lease with fixed monthly payments for the life of the lease, so savings increase over time if electricity rates rise.

Stimulus funds to go to cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials announced that more than $3.2 million in federal stimulus funding has been received to assist with cleanups of petroleum contamination from leaking underground storage tanks throughout Arizona.

The Reserve and the SEC, the Saga of Money Market Funds

The Reserve has been returning funds as portfolio holdings mature. Other than Lehman, which was 3-7% of the fund (more than one of their funds had exposure), The Reserve had not experienced further credit events. So you would think they should be able to figure out the fund's NAV by now to let people know what their holdings are worth. They haven't:

UH on Its Way to Becoming an 'Energy University'

People on campus have talked about UH( University of Houston) as an "energy university" for a decade or more. With the purchase of a nearby 69-acre business park and efforts to engage researchers in fields ranging from petroleum engineering to history, the talk is moving closer to reality.

UK Government; Extra finance to start flowing for wind power

Three UK-based banks start work today with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on a programme to lend up to GBP1 billion to onshore wind farms over the next 3 years.

US company hopes to make fuel from sunlight, CO2

US start-up Joule Biotechnologies hopes to make commercial amounts of motor fuel by feeding engineered organisms high concentrations of carbon dioxide and sunlight, its top executive said.

US Credit Outlook on the Mend According to Senior Fixed Income Investors

At mid-year 2009, the survey of senior fixed income professionals reveals a still gloomy but far less negative view of economic conditions and, in some pockets of the credit markets, optimism for a rebound in fundamentals over the coming year.

US 'Dead Zone' smaller but more severe; NOAA

The "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, an area choked by low oxygen levels that threatens marine life, is smaller than expected this year but more deadly, the government said on Monday.

The zone, caused by a runoff of agricultural chemicals from farms along the Mississippi River, measured about 3,000 square miles or about 1.5 times the size of the state of Delaware, compared with estimates that it would measure up to nearly 8,500 square miles, scientists said.

Water crisis uproots Syrian farmers

Only a few decades ago, fish were plentiful in the Orontes river which for thousands of years has provided water to the lush Syrian plains, at the crossroads of the ancient world.

July 24, 2009

‘Forced patience’

“Many of our people have traditionally and continue to be farmers and producers; they live off the land,” said Racine, a member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana. “We just needed a way to count them.”

Alberta financed report assays oil sands' GHG footprint

A new report by the provincial Alberta government's energy innovation center, the Alberta Energy Research Institute, claims that direct greenhouse gas emissions from Canada's oil sands are comparable to conventional crude oil.

Bernenke on the Economic and Financial Developments in the First Half of 2009

Aggressive policy actions taken around the world last fall may well have averted the collapse of the global financial system, an event that would have had extremely adverse and protracted consequences for the world economy. Even so, the financial shocks that hit the global economy in September and October were the worst since the 1930s,...

Big Oil Bets on Biofuels

One of the biggest is ExxonMobil's announcement last week that it will invest more than $600 million in algae-based biofuels, with more than $300 million going to Synthetic Genomics.

Biomass Energy Plant Could Create 150 Jobs

Details of an [euro]85 million biomass energy plant with the potential to employ 150 people which will be located in the west of Ireland were given to a Dail sub committee yesterday.

Bruce Power says it is scrapping plan to build six nuclear units

Ontario-based Bruce Power on Thursday said it is scrapping plans to build as many as six reactors in the province because of slumping power demand. It will instead focus on refurbishing six existing units.

Carbon Accounting; Currency of the Future

If you're not familiar with the term carbon accounting, you're about to start seeing it. A lot.

With a steady legislative drumbeat towards a formalized cap and trade program, carbon is poised to join the ranks of pork bellies, corn futures and precious metals. Behold, as a new commodity is born. Welcome, carbon trading, and the brave new world of carbon accounting.

Carbon capture for coal costly, study finds

Harvard University researchers have issued a new report that confirms what many experts already feared: Stopping greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants is going to cost a lot of money.

Electricity costs could double at a first-generation plant that captures and stores carbon dioxide emissions, according to the report from energy researchers at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center.

Casey, Enzi Introduce Bill to Encourage Private Investment in Carbon Capture and Storage

"New technology holds great promise for job creation and a cleaner environment," said Senator Casey. "This bill will encourage the commercial deployment of technology that will allow for the continued use of our Nation's vast coal resources...

Children's IQ Degraded By Mothers' Exposure to Air Pollutants

Prenatal exposure to air pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, can diminish a child's intelligence quotient or IQ, according to new research by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

China to be number one on wind power

Almost 10,000 MWs of new wind energy capacity is being installed every year in China, and as the typical wind turbine installed in China is under 1 MW, this means that over 10,000 gearboxes, wind turbine blades, etc. will be needed each year.

Climate Bill A Farm Income Boost, USDA Estimates

U.S. farmers and foresters could earn more money from carbon contracts than they pay in higher costs from legislation to control greenhouse gases, the Agriculture Department estimated on Wednesday.

Coca-Cola plan includes reducing emissions, recycling

Coca-Cola Enterprises, which sells about 80% of The Coca-Cola Co.´s North American bottle and can volume, plans to reduce carbon emissions 15% and recycle 100% of its packaging by 2020.

Daimler; The Dawning of the Age of Electric Cars

Talk to people in the auto industry, and you'll hear lots of reasons why electric cars are years away from practicality. But "those are just excuses," scoffs Tilo Schweers, director of Daimler's (DAI) electric Smart car test project. A fleet of battery-powered Smarts is already in use in London, he points out, and many of the feared drawbacks haven't materialized.

Duke May Increase Its Rates

Jiran said that this "is a challenging time to ask customers to pay more for electricity, but we're mandated to provide high- quality and reliable power so it's essential for us to raise base rates now."

EPA extends deadline for TVA Kingston cleanup grant

The U.S. EPA has extended the deadline for community groups to apply for a technical assistance plan program grant of as much as $50,000 in connection with cleanup activities at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston site in Roane County, Tenn.

EPA, University Of Michigan To Research Health Effects Of Roadway Pollution On Children

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a $1.4M joint study with the University of Michigan on the health effects of air pollution on children living near the nation's heavily traveled thoroughfares.

Experts; Government changes to environment can make us fit

There has been a big reduction in "muscle-power transportation," such as walking or biking to work or to the store, says Russell Pate, an exercise researcher at the University of South Carolina-Columbia. This is partly because of sprawling communities and long commutes, but he says it's also because people don't have safe places to walk.

First Solar, EDF build solar panel plant in France

The plant, whose site location is expected to be revealed within the next few months, will produce solar panels based on First Solar's advanced, thin-film photovoltaic technology.

Future Of Western Water Supply Threatened By Climate Change

As the West warms, a drier Colorado River system could see as much as a one-in-two chance of fully depleting all of its reservoir storage by mid-century assuming current management practices continue on course, according to a new University of Colorado at Boulder study.

High-Powered Wires

The so-called high-temperature superconducting cable can virtually eliminate the resistance to electricity flow, thereby greatly increasing the efficiency of the wire. And while the technology is now expensive, government agencies are pitching in and trying to get those next generation wires into the mainstream. In time, it will succeed.

House panel told overhaul of US gasoline tax may be needed

The US House Ways and Means Committee was told Thursday that an overhaul of the federal gasoline tax system may be needed to help fund highway construction and maintenance.

ICE Brent approaches $70b on product cracks, renewed confidence

Improved product cracks and investor confidence pushed ICE Brent futures to a three-week high Friday, as front-month contract briefly approached the $70/barrel mark last seen July 1

Is Natural Gas Cheap?

At the height of its late 2005 rally, natural gas in the U.S. was selling for just over $16/ MMBtu , 350% higher than today’s price of $3.56. The oil/gas ratio, now over 18, is an all-time high… suggesting that natural gas is dirt cheap. So, it’s a buy, right?

In a phrase, not exactly.

Is the Organic Label Worth the Paper It's Printed On?

Is Time Running Out To Seal Post-Kyoto Climate Pact?

Negotiators face a mammoth task to try to agree by the end of the year on the outlines of broader climate pact to replace the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol.

Japan's Sharp Expects Boost From Solar Energy

He had figured mounting evidence about global warming would be a wake-up call for countries to invest more in clean energy technologies. But instead, officials talked about solar energy in terms of national security. "That's when we realized that it wasn't just about saving the environment," he recalled in a recent interview.

Major Economies 'Ignored' UN Climate Science

...the Group of Eight, G8 and nine other nations at the Major Economies Forum in Italy recognized that the global average temperature should not increase by more than two degrees Celsius, an "aspirational goal" which they had not agreed on or discussed earlier. But they disregarded the IPCC's findings that emissions will have to peak in 2015 and then rapidly decline to avert the worst consequences of global warming.

Manufacturers Cautiously Optimistic About Mid-Year Economic Outlook

As the economy struggles to gain momentum, 57% of manufacturing executives are cautiously optimistic about the outlook for the next six months and nearly two-thirds (70%) are planning to keep staff levels steady, according to a survey released by Baker Tilly.

Metamaterial cloak could render buildings 'invisible' to earthquakes

Just as submarines can be shielded from sonar, airplanes from radar and small areas from probing by laser beams, the very long wavelengths emanating from earthquakes can likewise be redirected around buildings, effectively making them "invisible" to seismic waves.

Navajo Nation Council Approves Green Jobs Legislation

The Navajo Green Economy legislation will support small scale renewable energy projects; green manufacturing, such as wool mills; energy efficiency projects, such as weatherizing homes; local business ventures, such as establishing weavers' co-operatives and green construction firms; green job training programs; and reviving traditional agriculture.

New Biofuel Could Lead to 100% Clean Flights

Earlier this month, a team of scientists at the University of North Dakota’s Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) successfully tested a new biofuel based on a mixture of canola and soybean oils, and claim it may be the key to zero emission aviation.

North Carolina moves to up coal dam inspections, allow repowering

The North Carolina House of Representatives late Wednesday unanimously approved an energy bill that will increase the frequency of coal ash pond dam inspections and allow Duke Energy Carolinas and Progress Energy Carolinas to switch older coal-fired plants to natural gas.

Oil industry troubles force Mexico to slash budget; minister

Lower oil prices, a slump in domestic crude production and the global economic slowdown have left Mexico with a record $36 billion budget deficit,

Organic Agriculture Expands to Meet Growing Demand

Farmers managed 32.3 million hectares of organic agricultural land worldwide in 2007, a 118-percent increase since 2000. This rapidly growing practice appears in 141 countries but still accounts for less than 1 percent of the world's agricultural land.

Regulators say smart grid to need protection against cyber attack

Smart grid technology should include protection against cyber attacks...the agency
is considering developing a pricing policy for energy storage devices.

Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 072309

Observations from the ACE spacecraft indicate the earth continues under the influence of
the coronal hole high speed stream. Solar wind velocities are averaging around 550 km/s.,,

Report urges investment in wind energy

Boosting Minnesota's wind industry has the chance to create more than 3,000 jobs and revive the state's manufacturing sector, according to a new report released Monday.

Representatives from the progressive nonprofit think tank Minnesota 2020 were in Rochester on Monday to tout the report. Joe Sheeran of Minnesota 2020 said now is the time for Minnesota to capitalize on its wind resources. By 2025, Minnesota utilities will be required to get 25 percent of their energy from renewable sources like wind.

Russia's finance ministry eyes gas, oil products tax rise; report

Russia's finance ministry wants to increase taxes for gas and oil products, as it is looking for additional revenue sources to fill gaps in the country's budget for 2010...

Senator offers Yucca proposal

A Republican senator isn't giving up hope that highly radioactive military waste will someday be disposed inside Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

But a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday such hopes have risen before only to be dashed.

Small Fisheries Cuts Could Conserve Large Coastal Ecosystems

A reduction of just five percent in fisheries catch could result in overfishing protection for one-third of British Columbia coastal ecosystems, finds new research from the University of British Columbia that has global importance for the protection of fish populations.

Southern California Gas Co. Accelerates Newest Solar Technologies Using Sunlight to Defeat Sun's Heat

The resulting solar-heated hot water is used in place of electricity or natural gas to power the air-conditioning process to provide 10 tons of cooling, or enough air conditioning to cool three average-sized homes.

U.S. Green Jobs Seen Taking Years Of Planning

Alternative energy jobs can provide vocations across many sectors of the economy but policy to spark them can take years to develop, U.S. governors told a Senate committee on Tuesday.

State green power mandates and regional cap-and-trade plans on emissions have been useful tools in pushing local economies to begin to convert from fossil fuel plants to green jobs, the governors told the Senate's Committee on Environment and Public Works.

U.S. Interior withdraws 1M acres from new mining claims

The U.S. Interior Department has handed environmentalists a victory in their battle against expanding uranium mining near the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

UK to cut emissions by 34% by 2020 – investing £450m in renewable and clean energy

The goals for 2020 include that over 1.2m people will be in so-called green jobs, 7m homes will see pay-as-you-save home energy makeovers, and more than 1.5m households will be supported to produce their own renewable energy. 40% of electricity will be from low carbon sources, from renewables, nuclear and clean coal – reducing gas imports by 50%, and new cars will on average emit 40% less carbon.

United Nations Identifies Agriculture As A Solution To Soaring CO2 Emissions — Approves First Agricultural CDM Methodology

The United Nations, at its June meeting, gave approval for the broad application of the first agricultural methodology for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

"The UN's decision highlights how agriculture can provide solutions to climate change issues while feeding a growing world population," said Peg Armstrong-Gustafson...

US Monthly House Price Index Estimates 0.9 Percent Price Increase from April to May

U.S. home prices rose 0.9 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis from April to May, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s monthly House Price Index. The previously reported 0.1 percent decline in April was revised to a 0.3 percent decline. For the 12 months ending in May, U.S. prices fell 5.6 percent. The U.S. index is 10.7 percent below its April 2007 peak.

US officials mull national security risks of climate change

John Warner, who represented Virginia in the US Senate for 30 years and who previously served as secretary of the US Navy, maintains that climate change is a national security issue because it could spawn global conflicts that could require a US military response.

US vehicle efficiency hardly changed since Model T

The average fuel efficiency of the US vehicle fleet has risen by just 3 miles per gallon since the days of the Ford Model T, and has barely shifted at all since 1991.

US Wind Market is Weaker Than in 2008

For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. was home to the fastest-growing wind power market in the world in 2008, according to a report released today by the U.S. Department of Energy and prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

Users Fight Power Ruling

Wal-Mart and other big businesses in the state want out of paying a charge on their bills that the majority of Progress Energy's customers must cover...They argue that a provision in the state's 2007 energy conservation law exempts large commercial and industrial electricity users from having to pay for utility conservation programs. When the law was being debated, the business lobby cut a deal that created an exemption for companies that have their own energy conservation programs.

Warmest June on Record for Global Ocean Surface Temperature

The world's ocean surface temperature in June rose to its warmest since 1880, breaking the previous high mark set in 2005, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville.

The combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for June was second-warmest since global recordkeeping began.

Waste_Inbox 072309

A Tale of Three Cities: Toronto isn´t the only place where residents are suffering the effects of erratic trash collection this summer. Add Gary, Ind., and Windsor, Ontario, to the list.

Will society unplug?

As a society, we’re accused of being too plugged-in, too reliant on our computers, televisions, and charged-up cell phones. Turns out, we are willing to unplug.

A study by SmartPower (http://www.smartpower.org/) found that people are willing to unplug unused appliances, those sucking up vampire energy. And they don’t just say they will unplug – they do unplug.

Wind power throws a curve at the BPA

Utility wonks have been quipping for years that the future of energy in the Northwest is windy and gassy.

When it comes to wind power, the future has already arrived, a reality that has come rushing home in the past two years and created major friction among the Bonneville Power Administration, wind power producers and the agency's utility customers.

Wired for Broadband

Utilities, with their ubiquitous wires, will almost certainly make an indelible contribution to community development.

While utilities are focused on their bread and butter enterprises, they are positioned to prosper in the New Energy economy. They, in fact, own the rights-of-way where the fiber allowing for high-speed Internet access would be laid.

July 21, 2009

2 Leading Experts Argue New Nuclear Reactors in Florida Should Stop Now

"The expert testimony presented by our witnesses raises serious questions about FPL and Progress Energy's plan to build four new nuclear reactors with Florida power customers carrying all the financial risk and utilities making all the profits," said Dr. Stephen Smith, executive director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

59 Percent of Restructuring Experts Call on Washington to Reform Bankruptcy Code

A hefty 59% of leading restructuring experts in the nation polled say Washington should move to reform flaws in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, according to a survey by the global business-advisory firm AlixPartners LLP

At Risk From Rising Seas, Tuvalu Seeks Clean Power

The Pacific island state of Tuvalu set a goal Sunday of a 100 percent shift to renewable energy by 2020, hoping to set an example to industrialized nations to cut greenhouse gases it blames for rising sea levels.

Autism; It's the Environment, Not Just Doctors Diagnosing More Disease

California's sevenfold increase in autism cannot be explained by changes in doctors' diagnoses and most likely is due to environmental exposures, University of California scientists reported Thursday.

AWWA To Congress; Water Infrastructure Bank Concept Holds Water

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) recently urged members of Congress to create a federal water infrastructure bank to help America invest in its aging water systems.

Bingaman on Mining Law Reform

...as we all know, the Mining Law of 1872 continues to govern the disposition of hardrock minerals from Federal lands...here are no specific statutory provisions under the Mining Law setting surface management or environmental standards.

Brazil Prepares to Return UK Trash

Brazil will send 89 shipping containers of garbage, rotting and maggot-infested, back to Britain and has issued $419,000 in fines to the three Brazilian companies that imported it, the government said on Monday.

Around 1,600 tons of waste, including toilet seats, dirty diapers, used syringes and old TVs and computers, are lying in the containers at two southern ports after being sent from Britain falsely declared as a cargo of plastics.

China dust cloud circled globe in 13 days

Dust clouds generated by a huge dust storm in China's Taklimakan desert in 2007 made more than one full circle around the globe in just 13 days, a Japanese study using a NASA satellite has found.

When the cloud reached the Pacific Ocean the second time, it descended and deposited some of its dust into the sea, showing how a natural phenomenon can impact the environment far away.

China Jails Environment Activists; Rights Group

A Chinese environmental activist and his daughter have been jailed for leaking state secrets and endangering national security related to a uranium mine, a human rights group said.

Clock about to run out on rural energy grants

Time is running out for farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses to seek funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to finance renewable energy or energy efficiency projects. The application deadline is Friday, July 31st.

Clouds, Seas to Be Targeted by U.N. Climate Report

Cloud formation, sea level rises and extreme weather events are among areas set to get more attention in the next U.N. report on global warming due in 2014, the head of the Nobel Peace Prize winning panel said on Friday.

County measuring its carbon footprint

St. Lawrence County planners in September will begin taking inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, aiming eventually to reduce county government's carbon footprint.

Developing Renewables with War-Time Urgency?

Governments all around the world are making renewable energy a top priority; finally, the United States has joined the effort. The slew of programs moving through Washington are proof that politicians are starting to recognize the value of clean energy. But are they moving with the level of urgency needed?

Disillusioned Environmentalists Turn on Obama as Compromiser

For environmental activists like Jessica Miller, 31, the passage of a major climate bill by the House last month should have been cause for euphoria. Instead she felt cheated.

Electric Power Monthly - EAI

Net generation in the United States dropped by 5.0 percent from April 2008 to April 2009. This was the ninth consecutive month that net generation was down compared to the same calendar month in the prior year.

Electrician proves green jobs do indeed exist

There it is again -- "green" jobs.

By the time 2016 rolls around, the council predicts the number of employment opportunities in environmental fields since 2001 will have risen by 52 percent.

..."It can be a difficult transition because of fear of the unknown," DeMoor said. "But with what is going on in the country, I had to ask myself, 'Will I have a job tomorrow?'

EU Biodiesel Output up 35 Percent, Capacity Growing

Production of biodiesel in the European Union rose by more than 35 percent in 2008 and capacity will grow again this year although half the plants are idle due to poor demand, the EU producers group said on Wednesday.

ExxonMobil's investment in algae biofuels could go into billions

Last week the oil giant said it would put $300 million into what is seen to be the largest financial commitment in biofuels so far by a oil major, with a further $300 million to come if all goes well..."Irrespective of whether the R&D succeeds, the effort demonstrates the
petroleum companies are definitely more concerned over the need of having
sustainable and renewable fuels," said Andrew Goh

Formidable Force

If Exelon and NRG were to combine, they would be a formidable force. Together, they would own 48,000 megawatts of generation all over the United States. Critics of any merger have said that it would wield too much market power and hurt consumers who would have fewer choices.

Going organic in Iowa means reclaiming the family farm

If you’re looking for the small, family farm, you can find it in history books. Or in Iowa. Amid the oceans of corn and hogs being raised by giant industrial concerns is a small but tenacious under-current of small farmers determined to make it on 60 acres, give or take, on their own terms.

Government Pulls Land Near Grand Canyon From Mining

The U.S. Interior Department said on Monday it would prohibit certain mining for two years on nearly 1 million acres of federal lands near the Grand Canyon while it studies whether to withdraw the land from new mining claims for 20 more years.

Green Customs Operation Seizes 30,000 Tons of Illegal HazWaste

A joint Customs initiative across Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and Africa has netted more than 30,000 tons and 1,500 pieces of illegal hazardous waste in 57 seizures, ranging from household waste and scrap metal to discarded electronic goods and used vehicle parts.

Harvard puts initial cost of carbon capture at $100-$150 a ton

A Harvard report, released Monday, said the likely cost of using "first-of-its-kind" technology to capture carbon dioxide at a conventional coal-fired power plant could range from $100/ton to $150/ton of CO2, which could add between 8 cents and 12 cents/kWh to the cost of generated power.

Heat Wave to Test Southern California Power Grid

The largest utility in southern California urged consumer on Monday to conserve power to help keep air conditioners running without interruption as hot weather sends demand soaring over the next few days.

If Marijuana Is Legal, Will Addiction Rise?

A New York Times article on Sunday discussed the debate over whether more and more potent types of cannabis affect the levels of addiction to the drug. This particular issue has become part of the larger debate over whether marijuana should be legalized or decriminalized.

Intermittency not a problem for wind power, say reports

Sometimes the wind blows, and sometimes it doesn't. This has, for a long time, been one of the key hurdles for the widespread adoption of wind power but, according to a flurry of reports, it's an argument that does not hold water.

Legislation would restore hydrogen research funds

Congress is closer to restoring money for hydrogen research to the federal budget after the Obama administration originally submitted an executive budget request that cut it to $60 million from $160 million.

The House is considering $153 million for hydrogen and fuel cell research. A vote is expected as early as next week.

The Senate is also set to vote soon on $190 million in hydrogen and fuel cell funding.

Looking closely at the climate bill

There's a section in the bill that allows electricity companies to collect federal dollars to plant trees.

Another part mandates manufacturing energy-efficient table lamps.

Murkowski calls for mining reform

“We need to overhaul the law to ensure that it strikes the right balance between protecting the environment, obtaining a fair return for taxpayers, creating jobs and maintaining a secure supply of American minerals.”

New York wind farm foes describe noise

"At times, it is almost unbearable."

Cohocton Wind Farm leaseholder Hal E. Graham told North Country residents Wednesday night about the noise and other effects the 50-turbine wind farm has had on his and his neighbors' lives.

NOAA; Global Ocean Surface Temperature Warmest on Record for June

The world’s ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for June, breaking the previous high mark set in 2005, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Additionally, the combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for June was second-warmest on record.

Ocean current switch due to warming could be slower than feared

There is evidence that this current has shut down with some regularity in the past -- and sometimes quite rapidly -- in response to large influxes of fresh water from melting glaciers.

However, it appears as though the current rate of glacial melt is occurring at a more gradual pace which will "give ecosystems more time to adjust to new conditions," said study coauthor Peter Clark, a professor of geosciences at Oregon State University.

Onion Bulb or Light Bulb?

In the new world of renewable energy, California onion bulbs now will power light bulbs -- the common vegetable has transitioned from a simple food stock to a mini-power plant.

Pace of decline in US economy appears to have slowed; Bernanke

The pace of decline in the US economy appears to have slowed significantly, and final demand and production have shown tentative signs of stabilization, Ben Bernanke...

Recreational use of sacred sites damaging to spirituality

Randy Luden scaled a mountain of boulders etched with dozens of petroglyphs that could be thousands of years old, hoping to get as close as possible to the records of a past civilization. The Las Vegas man didn’t think he was damaging the representations made by descendants of Mojave Indians because he was careful and wore soft shoes.

That was of no consolation to two Mojaves watching from afar.

“Oh no; he shouldn’t be doing that,” said Paul Jackson Jr., a tribal artist for the Fort Mojave Reservation.

Regional Partner Announces Plans for Carbon Storage Project Using CO2 Captured from Coal-Fired Power Plant

Southern Company and the Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB), one of seven members of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships program, have announced plans to store carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from an existing coal-fired power plant.

Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 072009

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled, with isolated active levels, on
day one (21 July) as an anticipated coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS) becomes geoeffective.

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. According to state's Department of Water Resources, supplies in major reservoirs and many groundwater basins are well below average. Court-ordered restrictions on water deliveries have reduced supplies from the two largest water systems, and an outdated statewide water system can't keep up with population growth.

Solar-energy fields envisioned as stimulus for jobless Ohioans

...he has a suggestion for where to get the money to start the project: federal stimulus funds.

"We can build solar fields all over Ohio that have 100 percent content made here," said Mr. Johnston, chief executive of Perrysburg's Solar Fields LLC and vice chairman of Germany's Calyxo GmbH, which operates locally.

Some Shrinking U.S. Cities Find Splendor in Green

As communities from Buffalo to Milwaukee struggle with shuttered factories and vacant neighborhoods, some have turned abandoned properties into parks, gardens and other open space, even going so far as to plow under entire neighborhoods.

Soviet Pesticides Leave Bitter Legacy in Uzbekistan

Experts say agricultural land in northwest Uzbekistan is so permeated with pesticides from past decades that it still presents health risks for the farmers who work it.

State Budget Opens Door to Solar Heat in Homes

Ohio- Homeowners who want to put solar panels on their roofs but can't afford to might soon be able to pay for them through their property-tax bills.

States awash in stimulus money to weatherize homes

Ready or not, states are getting a tenfold boost in federal money to weatherize drafty homes, an increase so huge it has raised fears of waste and fraud and set off a scramble to find workers and houses for them to repair.

The high cost of cheap food

Thousands Flee Western Canadian Wildfires

Emergency crews made slow progress Sunday to contain wildfires that have forced thousands of residents of a western Canadian community to flee their homes.

UK Announces Long-term Carbon Reduction and Renewables Strategies

This week the UK announced its strategy for meeting carbon emissions targets including a massive increase in renewable energy.

"We expect 40% of the electricity we use in 2020 to come from low carbon sources – 30% from renewables, the rest from nuclear (including new build) and clean coal. We need to all-but eliminate carbon from electricity by 2050," Ed Miliband, UK Energy Climate Change Secretary.

US Gulf Coast spot gas prices continue rise on NYMEX rally

US Gulf Coast spot natural gas prices jumped double digits Monday, following a similar surge Friday as cash prices follow the recent August NYMEX gas futures contract rally.

US renewable energy, nuclear use up in 2008; lab study

The US used more solar, nuclear, biomass and wind energy in 2008 than it did one year earlier, according to energy flow charts released Monday by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The US used less coal and petroleum in 2008 and only slightly increased its natural gas consumption.

US Senator Dorgan says he won't support House cap-and-trade plan

In remarks he delivered Thursday on the Senate floor, Dorgan said while he supports capping US carbon emissions, he believes that a carbon securities trading system would be "ripe for the biggest investment banks and the biggest hedge funds in the country to sink their teeth into these marketplaces and make massive amounts of money."

US, India Clash Over Climate Change Remedies

...comments by senior U.S. and Indian officials, after an informal meeting on the subject Sunday in a New Delhi suburb, make clear a wide gap remains between industrialized powers and major developing countries like India on how to deal with the problem.

Wind power raises storm

Wind turbines -- and the broader concern over how to keep out unwanted development in North Carolina's mountains -- have been emotional issues for decades in mountain counties...People didn't like the sound made by the blades, and they blamed the turbine for disrupting television signals.

The new technology is much quieter.

July 17, 2009

A clean, green future

Tobacco. Cotton. Textiles.

Those industries are on the wane in South Carolina.

Now, the state's political leaders and the business community need to figure out how to tap into the emerging green movement to provide a new economic base

A Rising Tide for Water Power Funding

Power generated from the movement of water has enormous potential for growth in the United States, but funding for the renewable energy source lags behind other technologies like solar and wind. Institutional investors have been hesitant to enter the market, and while the U.S. Department of Energy has increased its budget for water power, industry experts say more funding is needed, particularly for emerging technologies.

Aid cuts spark debate over Prairie Island nuclear plant

In a newsletter to residents, Red Wing officials said they have "concerns regarding [the city's] diminishing ability to adequately address the unique obligations we have as a host city to a nuclear power plant."

Anaerobic digester powers Ore. fruit and vegetable farm

Fruit and vegetable waste is used as a feedstock for the digester, which creates biogas that’s then used to fuel a combined heat and power system. The project, which uses large tanks to hold the fruit and vegetable matter, cost $10 million and took 14 months to complete.

Are the deserts getting greener?

It has been assumed that global warming would cause an expansion of the world's deserts, but now some scientists are predicting a contrary scenario in which water and life slowly reclaim these arid places.

China should lead developing world in curbing climate change; Chu

"What the US [does], and what China does in the coming decades will actually, in large part, determine the fate of the world," Chu said at Beijing's Tsinghua University.

Chu finds China 'committed' to reducing its energy intensity

"I've come away with a sense that China is committed to reducing its energy intensity, reducing its growth in use of energy and in reducing its carbon footprint, as is the US," Chu said at a news conference with Locke at the US Embassy in Beijing.

CO2 caps needed for US to compete in clean energy; officials

Without a strong market signal in the form of CO2 emission caps, US companies working on no or low-emission energy technologies will lose their competitive edge to companies in China, India and elsewhere, industry officials told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday.

Coal ash spill-related research program soliciting proposals

A TVA-funded research program is open for business, spurred by hope that good ideas will emerge from last December's coal ash disaster.

Compostable Biodegradable Plastics Are A Reality

Corn-Based Evlon Film From BI-AX Enables NviroWare to Offer Tableware Products Consumers Are Willing to Pay More for to Protect the Planet

Court Overturns Bush-Era Air Pollution Waivers

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules illegally allowed power plants to buy rights to pollute, sometimes from plants hundreds of miles away, instead of installing modern emission controls, technically called reasonably available control technology.

Crude futures down on lower equities and higher dollar

"I'm surprised crude prices are holding with product cracks at really low levels and the amount of crude on floating storage," a broker said.

Dairyland wants to reburn coal ash

The process would use fly ash from coal burned at an old plant, mixed with virgin coal. Dairyland officials estimate the ash retains about a quarter of its original carbon content.

Depleted uranium stays on agenda

EnergySolutions Inc. already has buried more than 50,000 tons of the unusual radioactive waste at its Tooele County landfill, and the Salt Lake City company is seeking contracts to take some of the 1.4 million tons from government stockpiles and from enrichment now coming on line.

Do 'Green' Jobs Pay Off?

A growing number of advocates, among them Governor Corzine and President Obama, believe that energy efficiency and renewable energy could not only help the environment but replace jobs lost in the recession.

Critics, however, say that's an expensive and unproven way to create jobs that will destroy jobs in other sectors, and in many cases will be little more than putting a green veneer on existing trades.

Dominion Pinpoints Unit 2 Reactor Leak

The Millstone Unit 2 reactor will remain shut down as operators fix a tiny leak located in part of the system that cools the reactor.

Don't Bet on Natural Gas Recovery Just Yet

Crude oil and natural gas have posted a spectacular divergence in 09. This is the biggest divergence in the history of the two products in the US in a single year.

Energy -- It Just Doesn't Add Up

For those who don’t remember, in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s it was predicted that oil wouldn’t last until the end of the 20th Century, and that CO2 emissions were going to put us into the next ice age.  Yes, you heard me right.  See, we were in a climatic cooling cycle, so the colder winters gave rise to the pseudo scientific appraisal that the polar caps would expand and cover most of North America if we didn’t control our pollution.  Funny, how so many scientists abandoned that research in order to capture grants for the more popular “Global Warming” hypothesis.

Energy-Intensive Industries Want More CO2 Permits

U.S. energy-intensive industries -- like aluminum, chemicals, paper and steel -- want the U.S. Senate to give them a bigger share of the free pollution permits that would be needed to emit greenhouse gases under climate change legislation.

EU biodiesel capacity rising, but half of plants lie idle

Europe's biodiesel production capacity grew by 31% during the first half of 2009 compared to the year-ago period, but at least half of the region's plants remain idle due weak demand, thinner tax breaks and subsidized US imports...

Feds to fund high-tech solar power studies

The U.S. Energy Department says it will provide as much as $52.5 million to research and develop solar power systems that can produce electricity day and night.

The systems are concentrating solar power technologies that concentrate and capture the sun's energy as heat, which then drives an engine or turbine to produce electrical power.

Fishing Nations Spare Both Atlantic and Pacific Tuna Species

Declining populations of tunas received conservation support from countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean this week as governments realize how much damage overfishing has done to the world's tuna stocks.

Forest Fire Prevention Efforts Could Lessen Carbon Sequestration, Add To Greenhouse Warming

Widely sought efforts to reduce fuels that increase catastrophic fire in Pacific Northwest forests will be counterproductive to another important societal goal of sequestering carbon to help offset global warming, forestry researchers at Oregon State University conclude in a new report.

Forests Best Chance For New Climate Pact; Economist

The Brazilian government announced the latest data on deforestation of the Amazon Basin, with a total of 26,130 square km (10,089 square miles) of rainforest destroyed, equivalent to more than nine football fields every minute.

Four out of Five Companies Can’t Forecast Cash Flow

This uncertainty creates a potentially dangerous scenario when combined with shrinking levels of cash on hand in most industries, plummeting revenues, reduced margins, and limited availability of credit and cash from other external sources.

GE Targets Net Zero Energy Homes by 2015

GE announced today that by 2015 it is developing a turn-key product portfolio that will empower consumers to build - both new home builders and existing homeowners - to efficiently consume, manage and generate electricity to enable an overall net zero annual energy cost.

Geothermal system to put cool in school

They cool the building through a closed-loop system that sends hot water to be cooled beneath the Earth's surface.

For geothermal systems, the Earth "is the sink to deposit unwanted heat,"...

Governor's energy zone study doesn't mention Pueblo; officials ask why

The Western Renewable Energy Zones -- Phase 1 Report lists 54 locations that states say are best suited for solar, wind, geothermal, hydro and biomass projects. "We should be site 55. We think they missed one," said Severance. Pueblo meets or exceeds the criteria cited in the report, he said, as well as having access to transmission lines that other areas don't have.

House Of Holes Aims To Plug Climate Change Gap

Holes are the bane of any homeowner, but a Filipino engineer has built a house with hundreds of them to reduce his carbon footprint.
 

Incoming Alaska governor says backs Exxon-TransCanada gas line

Alaska Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell, who is to take the state's executive helm shortly, reaffirmed its support for an Alaska natural gas pipeline during a meeting with executives of ExxonMobil and TransCanada, he said Thursday.

Iraq June oil exports at 1.925 mil b/d highest in a year

Iraq's total oil exports in June rose to 1.925 million b/d, up 19,000 b/d from May and the highest rate since June 2008 as exports from northern fields registered the highest level since the 2003 US-led war, oil ministry figures obtained by Platts Thursday showed.

JEA; Climate bill would raise rates by 10 percent

Climate change legislation pending in Congress could translate into a 10 percent electricity rate increase for JEA customers within three years.

Just a Drop of Gasoline

As a by-product of every petroleum refinery on earth, there is a lot of cheap hexane out there and when you consider how efficient this alkane can be, the idea of just dumping it off the shores of Somalia seems so wasteful.

Lawmakers Approve Wind Power Ban

Senate lawmakers this afternoon brought the state a step closer to a total ban on commercial wind development on North Caorlina's mountain tops with an overwhelming vote in the Senate Finance Committee of the General Assembly.

Micmacs acquire 600 acres of trust land on former air force base

The acquisition was completed at the beginning of May, although efforts to acquire the land have been ongoing for almost 15 years, said Micmac Housing Director Richard Dyer.

Natural Gas Moves Cars

It is part of a trend that began in the mid-1990s when the federal government enacted mandates to require government fleets as well as those provided by large utilities to make the leap to cleaner burning fuels. Natural gas is eager to get noticed and its primary market is large fleets.

Natural Gas Quandary Widens

The quandary surrounding natural gas drilling is deepening. While natural gas is both cleaner and prevalent in unconventional forms, environmental groups have expressed concerns that it is becoming too easy to get exploratory permits and that drinking water supplies are becoming endangered as a result.

NE Wis. recycling plant can process 80,000 tons a year

A Wisconsin regional single-stream materials recovery facility has officially commenced operations, drawing praise from one of state´s congressional representatives.

New Arizona Renewable Energy Tax Incentive Program

Beginning in January 2010, two benefits are offered by the Renewable Energy Tax Incentive Program:  an income tax credit and property tax reduction.

New Emisstar Study Shows Natural Gas Vehicle Financial Incentive Programs Contribute Significantly To Success Of Fleet Emission Reduction Efforts

Regional and local governments and private fleets operating in the New York Metropolitan area are facing mounting pressures to address harmful air contaminants and greenhouse gas emissions, especially those from mobile sources such as diesel-powered trucks, transit buses, utility/contractor and delivery vehicles.

New Princeton Method May Help Allocate Carbon Emissions Responsibility Among Nations

Targets individuals, tagging high polluters everywhere

The approach is so fair, according to its creators, that they are hoping it will win the support of both developed and developing nations, whose leaders have been at odds for years over perceived inequalities in previous proposals.

New Study Finds Geothermal Energy the Most Efficient Renewable Energy Alternative and Improving the Fastest

As the Obama Administration pushed the energy bill through the House, government organizations and corporations are assessing renewable energy alternatives. Which are the most efficient and improving the fastest? According to a new study from NYU Stern, geothermal and wind energy are more efficient, and are yielding greater returns on the R&D invested in them, than most other renewable energy alternatives.

New Study Sheds Light on the Growing U.S. Wind Power Market

For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. was home to the fastest-growing wind power market in the world in 2008...

Nitol; Russia's Emerging Solar Power Star

Dmitry Kotenko admits that when he and a group of friends decided to found their own business in 1998, they had no idea what exactly the new business would do. They knew only that they wanted their business to be New, Innovative, and Technological. Hence the name: Nitol.

Nuke plant short on site cleanup fund

FirstEnergy Corp. has projected a $67.5 million deficit in a federally mandated fund that would be tapped for site cleanup in the event that its Beaver Valley Unit 1 reactor is decommissioned.

Obama Administration Reinstates Oregon Old Growth Forest Protection

Because the Bush administration failed to follow established administrative procedure before leaving office, its plan to intensify logging in western Oregon, known as the Western Oregon Plan Revisions, is legally indefensible and must be withdrawn, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said today.

Off-grid PV back on the map with developing countries

Off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) power has taken a back-seat in talk about solar power in recent years despite once holding 90% of the total installed capacity worldwide. However, as the thirst for energy increases in regions like Africa, Asia or Latin America, off-grid solar PV energy is experiencing a come-back.

Organic Panic

Pushing organic and local foods is hardly official White House policy. So far, Five Guys is as much a part of the administration's diet as arugula. But the first lady's public statements, combined with the selection of a White House chef who favors local and organic foods, has brought more attention to what we eat than anything since Top Chef.

Past Warming Shows Gaps In Climate Knowledge; Study

A dramatic warming of the planet 55 million years ago cannot be solely explained by a surge in carbon dioxide levels, a study shows, highlighting gaps in scientists' understanding of impacts from rapid climate change.

Plug officially pulled on power line project

The plan to build a 600 miles high-voltage power line across Northern California is officially dead, the agency behind the project concluded early Wednesday.

Protests greet latest planned power increase

A handful of locals attended a public-comment session Wednesday to protest a potential new increase in their power bills.

Prototype solar powered aircraft unveiled

The prototype Solar Impulse HB-SIA aircraft was recently unveiled. This carbon composite, solar powered craft is believed to be the first aircraft that will have the capability to be flown both during the day and night without using fossil fuel or emitting any pollutants.

Public packs Valmont power plant hearing

More than 200 people turned out Tuesday night to oppose the renewal of the Valmont power plant's air permit, which is issued by the state.

Renewable Electricity Standard Won't Create Jobs Unless Strengthened

This morning, members of America's wind power industry laid out a compelling case to strengthen the proposed Congressional renewable electricity standard (RES) in order to protect American jobs and maintain America's leadership status in the increasingly competitive global wind power industry.

Riding the Federal Funding Wave

The administration's $787 billion economic stimulus package provides some $65 billion in grants and tax credits for an array of energy projects. These funds turn the Department of Energy, other federal agencies and state governments into an ATM machine for the industry - if they know which buttons to push.

Right to Refuse Pandemic Vaccine

WHO has declared a Level 6 Pandemic and issued vaccination guidance which is legally binding on 194 nations declaring vaccination is necessary. We believe accepting the untested, unnecessary and unsafe vaccine OR running the risk of incarceration is unacceptable.

Satellites Can Spot Tsunamis; Study

Satellites can spot the leading edge of a tsunami, U.S. government researchers said on Wednesday in a study that might lead to better ways of detecting the giant waves and get people out of their way.

Secretary Chu Opens U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue

"By working together to develop clean energy technologies and combat climate change, the United States and Canada can spark an economic recovery that will benefit both of our nations," said Secretary Chu.

Secretary Of The Interior Announces Release Of Stimulus Funds For Water Recycling Projects

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced recently that $134.3M in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds are being released to local water agencies for 27 innovative water reuse and desalination projects.

SF area facility´s food waste intake to more than double

The facility processes 90 tons per day of post-consumer food waste from San Francisco and Contra Costa County restaurants and commercial food processors. It will increase the amount processed to the facility´s maximum capacity of 200 tons per day.

Shell opens second hydrogen filling station in greater New York City area

Royal Dutch Shell has opened its second hydrogen filling station at the JFK International Airport in the greater New York City area. The station is the result of a partnership between Shell, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the US Department of Energy and General Motors.

Small Wind Turbines Aim for Your Backyard

According to Mariah Power, the 1.2-kilowatt Windspire can cut household energy use by 25 percent in an area where wind speeds average 12 mph.

Tax breaks push green residential fixups

If homeowners work to make their homes greener this year, they could end up with more green in their pockets next year

Tribes; Turbine site is sacred

Officials from two federally recognized Indian tribes say they are frustrated in their attempts to protect what they consider a sacred site from becoming part of an offshore wind farm.

U.S. Officials Praise China Emissions Efforts

China is taking "unprecedented action" to address global warming and reduce its energy intensity, increasing chances for a new climate change agreement later this year, top U.S. officials said on Thursday.

U.S. Unveils Spy Images Of Arctic Ice In Rare Move

Some 700 images show swatches of sea ice from six sites around the Arctic Ocean, with an additional 500 images of 22 sites in the United States. The images can be seen online at gfl.usgs.gov/.

US FERC approves capacity increase for Rockies Express Pipeline

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday gave the go-ahead for Rockies Express Pipeline to add additional capacity to a segment that serves natural gas producers in Wyoming and Colorado.

US House Republicans echo calls to suspend nuclear waste fees

Some US House of Representatives Republicans on Thursday called on the Department of Energy to suspend collection of nuclear waste fees given Energy Secretary Steven Chu's decision to terminate the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository program.

US oil imports in January-June fell by 7.6% on year; API

Imports of crude oil and products to the US in the first half of 2009 continued a string of three straight years of year-to-year declines, falling by 7.6% to 12.048 million b/d, the American Petroleum Institute reported Thursday.

US, South Korea site attacks traced back to UK

The denial-of-service attacks launched on websites in South Korea and the US earlier this month appear to have come from a master server in the UK, according to security researchers in Vietnam.

Utility Giant to Pay Millions for Eagle Protection

PacifiCorp - one of the largest electric utilities in the West - pleaded guilty today in Federal court in Casper, Wyoming, to unlawfully killing golden eagles and other migratory birds in the State. The company, which does business in Wyoming as Rocky Mountain Power, was ordered to pay over $10.5 million for killing eagles and other protected birds.

Vilsack to Appoint New Organic Standards Board Members

This year, Secretary Vilsack will make the Obama Administration's first appointments to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), a non-governmental advisory and supervisory board comprised of representatives of the organic community who make formal recommendations on organic standards and allowed ingredients in organic production to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP).

Volumes in OTC coal market increase, as do prices

For the consecutive second day, volumes in the over-the-counter coal markets picked up Thursday. But, unlike on Wednesday, prices held their ground or rose a little and they even moved in the opposite direction to that taken by deals on NYMEX.

Wal-Mart developing worldwide sustainability index

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. wants to give customers an easy system to rate the sustainability of the products they buy.

Wastewater Used to Map Illegal Drug Use Across Oregon

For the first time, patterns of illegal drug use across a state have been mapped using a method of sampling municipal wastewater before it is treated.

Wind company downsizes, ordered to pay back wages

The wind turbine manufacturer, which employed about 20 people in Boulder before the recent downsizing, was surprised by the sudden pullout of existing orders for their 50-kW wind turbines, which are larger than a typical residential system but smaller than commercial-scale turbines.

Wind energy bad for W.Va., Allegheny Front Alliance claims

Though the Mineral County commissioners heard from US Windforce on the Pinnacle project on Green Mountain last month, the Allegheny Front Alliance got the chance Tuesday to try to refute some of the wind developer's claims.

Wind energy breezes to prominence in Illinois

A new Illinois State University study shows wind energy is a powerful force in Illinois.

It's projected to generate nearly $2 billion in economic benefits to the state over the next 25 years, with about $500 million of that in McLean County.

World Dependent On Fossil Fuels For A Century

The world will remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal for the rest of this century, despite the best efforts of governments to move toward renewable energy, an energy economist said on Wednesday.

Yingli Opening Offices In New York, California

Chinese solar panel maker Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd said on Wednesday it is opening two U.S. regional headquarters in New York and San Francisco, marking the company's latest bid to expand its business in North America.

July 14, 2009

100 Coal Plants Prevented or Abandoned

Americans can breathe easier today as Intermountain Power’s coal plant in Utah became the 100th new coal plant to be prevented or abandoned since the beginning of the coal rush in 2001. In their place, a smart mix of clean energy solutions like energy efficiency, wind, solar and geothermal has stepped up to meet America’s energy needs.

400 billion euro plan to bring African solar energy to Europe

Twelve European companies launched a 400-billion-euro (560-billion-dollar) initiative Monday to plant huge solar farms in Africa and the Middle East to produce energy for Europe.

A scholar who focused on Indian issues is denied reinstatement

A controversial former professor failed in his bid to regain his tenured faculty position at the University of Colorado despite efforts by his attorneys to focus on Constitutional guarantees of free speech rather than on allegations of academic misconduct.

All Countries Will Need Pandemic Flu Vaccine

The new pandemic H1N1 virus is "unstoppable" a World Health Organization vaccine expert said today, so all countries will need access to a new vaccine that is being developed to immunize people against the disease.

Australian Town, State Government Ban Bottled Water

An Australian town has banned bottled water, claiming to be the first in the country to revert to the tap for the sake of the environment and prompting the nation's largest state government to stop buying bottled water.

Bingaman floats changes to proposed renewable fuel standard rule

A Senate leader on energy policy said Monday that the US Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rule for an expanded renewable fuel standard demonstrated the need for "fine-tuning," either through enactment of further legislation or through regulation.

California solar-power subsidy program approaches its limit

A bill seeks to quadruple the amount of electricity consumers with roof panels may sell. The solar industry pushes to pass it. PG & E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric oppose

Cap-and-Trade Support Hinges on Economy; Survey

U.S. manufacturers would be much more likely to support cap-and-trade legislation to limit pollution if they believed the industrial economy was about to improve, according to a survey.

Cassavas get cyanide hike from carbon emissions

Cassava is a staple for more than half a billion of the world's poorest people. It is promoted by UN agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization as a saviour for Africa because it grows well in droughts. But now research shows that increasing carbon dioxide in the air boosts cyanide levels in its leaves.

Chinese group plans local solar panel hub

A consortium of 30 Chinese companies in the solar panel industry is setting up a U.S. sales hub in Eugene, the group's president, Ocean Yuan, told The Register-Guard on Wednesday.

Chinese oil companies cash in on global economic crisis

China National Petroleum Corp.'s (CNPC) successful bid for Iraq's Rumaila oil field in partnership with BP was the latest in a string of overseas successes for China's cash-rich energy companies, which have turned the global financial crisis to their advantage in an aggressive bid to secure future energy supplies.

City, county reducing energy use

When Owensboro signed the "Cool Cities" declaration last year, the city joined almost 1,000 others that pledged to reduce energy use and carbon emissions.

'Coal Country' debuts to large, but calm, crowd

There were two sides to most everything at the world premiere of "Coal Country" at the West Virginia Cultural Center on Saturday night.

Company plays down report on coal ash site

A coal ash site next to the Dynegy Inc. power plant is cited as a potential hazard by federal officials, but the company says it takes precautions to protect nearby residents.

Congressional Recommendation for 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill

For the U.S. Department of Energy's 2010 energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, the House Appropriations Committee approved $2.25 billion, $321 million above 2009. This includes:

Co-Ops on the Cutting Edge

Despite a credit crunch, the nation's rural cooperatives are exemplifying relative financial strength. Such entities are showing that they are able to secure lines of credit to conduct their operations and to build generation and transmission.

Desertec to Develop Investment Plans by 2012 - DII

The Desertec Industrial Initiative, the world's most ambitious solar power project, will map out investment plans by 2012 to develop carbon-free energy that could supply up to 15 percent of Europe's needs by 2050.

DOE Announces Up to $10.5 Million in Solar Energy Education for Local Governments

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a funding opportunity for up to $10.5 million to increase the ability of local governments to accelerate solar energy adoption and workforce development. Funding for the five-year awards is subject to annual appropriations.

E.V. community has a leg up on solar power

So far, Trilogy is the only builder in the East Valley that is adding photovoltaics as a standard amenity in newly built homes, according to utility companies.

The solar modules, which are supplied by BP Solar, fit flush with the concrete tiles on the roof, integrating the system into the architecture of the home.

Electric Cars Could Dominate U.S. Roads in 2030

Electric car sales could jump to 86 percent of U.S. light vehicle sales in 2030 if consumers don't have to buy batteries themselves, according to a University of California, Berkeley study to be released on Monday.

EPA Publishes Notice Identifying Hardrock Mining Industry for Financial Responsibility Requirements

The U.S. EPA has identified the hardrock mining industry as its priority for developing financial assurance requirements. Financial assurance requirements help ensure that owners and operators of these facilities, not taxpayers, foot the bill for environmental cleanup

EU President Sweden Says U.N. Climate Talks Too Slow

Global climate talks are progressing too slowly and too many countries are demanding action from others rather than acting by themselves, Sweden's Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren said on Monday in Beijing.

Exxon to Invest Millions to Make Fuel From Algae

The oil giant Exxon Mobil, whose chief executive once mocked alternative energy by referring to ethanol as “moonshine,” is about to venture into biofuels.

Farmers eye change in wind contracts

As a series of South Dakota Farmers Union meetings approaches its end, John Kerstiens says he's hearing a good deal from landowners in favor of removing a confidentiality clause in wind-farm contracts that prevents neighbors from comparing offers.

FDA would limit antibiotic use on U.S. livestock

The Food and Drug Administration believes antibiotics should be used on livestock only to cure or prevent disease and not to promote growth, a common use, said a high-ranking FDA official on Monday.

Federal stimulus money is available for state energy projects, but cash flows slowly

The question is a pointed one in Oregon, which has the second-highest jobless rate in the nation, and even more so in Lane County, where the rate is higher still: Where are the jobs promised by the five-month-old, $787 billion federal stimulus bill?

Feds Hope To Have 13 New Solar Power Plants On Public Lands By 2010

In a plan announced on Tuesday, federal agencies will work with western leaders to designate tracts of U.S. public lands in the West as prime zones for utility-scale solar energy development; fund environmental studies; open new solar energy permitting offices, and; speed reviews of industry proposals.

Few sell power back to grid; New state rules will make it easier

For the past 20 years or so, Steven Smiley and his wife, Susan Kopka, have transformed their northern Michigan home into an oasis of self-sufficiency.

Georgia Appeals Court Rules Against Coal-Fired Power Plant

The plant would be a 1200 megawatt coal-burning power plant along the Chattahoochee River, south of Columbus near the Georgia-Alabama state line. If built, it would be the first new coal-fired power plant in Georgia in over 20 years, but today's decision is the second legal defeat for the proposed plant in just 13 months.

Global Climate Deal Still Possible; Brazil's Lula

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Monday that a global climate deal could still be ready by a December summit in Copenhagen despite differences that resurfaced last week between rich and poor countries.

Green-collar jobs growing

While some sectors of the economy are struggling, green-collar jobs appear to be on the rise.

Gulf states urged to set up energy center

The Gulf states have been urged to establish an energy center as part of broader initiatives to introduce renewable sources and alternative clean fuels into the regional energy supply system. At the same time, real estate developers in the region are seeking to make their projects as eco-friendly as possible.

Household energy comparisons seem to spur conservation

If you discovered you were paying twice as much for electricity as your neighbors, you just might be motivated to peek across the fence.

Idaho State University Expands Degree Programs for Energy Jobs

Two new course offerings this fall at Idaho State University are geared toward turning out graduates qualified to work with energy systems.

Indigenous leaders call for President Zelaya’s return

The largest indigenous organizations in Honduras are calling for the immediate return of deposed President Manuel Zelaya, and they assert that the new administration is trying to hide the real reason for the coup, which was that the opposition feared a new constitution that could provide more rights and protections to indigenous and other Hondurans.

IPPF Retreat VIII

Energy Efficiencies and “Cap & Trade” are now Gospel in Washington DC.  It is these issues and more that call for solutions now!  We gather in Manila on July 23^rd to meet these challenges, apply our leadership and support the growth of intelligent power, smart grids and reliable renewables in a safe investment environment under the canopy of social and global concerns.

Lieberman expecting some changes to House 'cap-and-trade' bill

An early advocate of legislation that might reduce the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment, Lieberman said this week he would try to establish bipartisan consensus on some of the bill's more controversial elements...

Locations of High Hazard Coal Ash Waste Impoundments Made Public

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has posted a list of 44 "high hazard potential" impoundments containing coal combustion residuals, commonly referred to as coal ash, at 26 different coal-burning electric utility facilities in 10 states.

Menendez, Reid and Hatch Joined by T. Boone Pickens to Tour New Legislation that would spur use of Natural Gas Vehicles

Natural gas vehicles emit fewer pollutants and run on energy source that is abundant domestically

NSW; Australia Must Become Renewable Energy Superpower

Australia needs to become a renewable energy superpower, leading environmentalists have warned at a youth climate change conference.

Pickens Says He May Turn to Wisconsin

Texas oil tycoon and clean-energy pitchman T.Boone Pickens might be looking to develop a wind farm in Wisconsin, now that his proposal for the largest wind farm in the world is on hold.

President Must Match Actions to Words on Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons are a liability, not an asset. Not only do they not protect us from current threats like terrorism, but with some 20,000 warheads around the globe, there is enormous risk for accidents or for them to fall into the wrong hands.

Program will put recent war veterans in 'green' jobs

For some veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, life after war means a trip to the unemployment line.

The federal government is trying to help with a new program that could put hundreds of local vets to work as solar-panel installers, hybrid-vehicle mechanics and in other so-called "green" jobs.

Rabobank to finance renewable energy projects in U.S.

Rabobank is launching a program to finance renewable energy projects in the Americas.

The financial services company, with operations in more than 40 countries, is establishing what it calls a "Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Finance" team in New York to finance renewable energy, bio-energy and energy infrastructure projects.

Renewable Energy Developers Offered Cash In Lieu of Tax Credits

The federal government will provide direct incentive payments instead of tax credits to renewable energy developers under a new $3 billion Recovery Act program announced today.

Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 071309

No flares were detected. The visible disk remained spotless. ACE solar wind data indicated a coronal hole high-speed stream commenced around 13/1200Z. Velocities gradually increased.  Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels on day 1 (14 July). Activity is expected to decrease to quiet levels for the balance of
the period (15 - 16 July).

Research project explores impact of wind farms on nesting waterfowl

"We would have been concerned if there had been complete evacuation of an area with wind towers when they went up with good wetland habitat and good grassland," Stephens said. "That clearly seems to be not the case.

"We're happy we didn't see any big negative impacts."

Science Adopts A New Definition Of Seawater

In Paris late last month the General Assembly of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) accepted the case for the introduction of a new international thermodynamic description of seawater, cast in terms of a new salinity variable called Absolute Salinity.

Short-Term Energy Outlook; EIA

Crude oil prices rose in June for the fourth consecutive month, in part because of stronger-than-anticipated global economic activity, primarily in Asia. The global economic downturn curtailed world oil consumption during the second half of 2008 and the first half of 2009.  Compared with the year prior, world oil consumption was down an average of 3.0 million barrels per day...

Solar Companies Merge Technologies in Bid for Utility-Scale Production

As the race to create clean, renewable power heats up, the solar industry is focusing on a technology in hopes of producing utility-scale energy.

Concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) solar power -- which marries traditional solar photovoltaic technology to large-scale concentrated solar power plants -- could ramp up utility-scale solar production

Solar panel permits too costly in the San Gabriel Valley, new Sierra Club report says

San Gabriel Valley cities charge residents more than most other Southland communities when it comes to solar panel installations, according to a new report by the Sierra Club.

Eight local cities charge more than $1,000 in permit fees for a $27,000 project to install standard 3-kilowatt solar panels, according to the survey.

State official; Green industry still healthy

So where is the green industry headed? Is there as healthy a job growth in the field as government and corporate leaders claim?

Study Reveals New Cap-and-Trade Winners and Losers

According to a new study, the impact of new cap-and-trade policies on electric rates across the country will vary greatly depending on how carbon allowances are allocated, creating unnecessary windfall profits for some without any additional reduction in carbon emissions.

Sustainable palm oil gets boost in China

Major China-based producers and users of palm oil have announced they intend to provide more support for sustainable palm oil, an important boost for efforts to halt tropical deforestation.

The Scoop on Mercury Thermostats

With a growing number of states enacting thermostat recycling laws, information regarding these programs is becoming increasingly vital.

Toxic waste casts cloud on Massachusetts solar co

Evergreen Solar Inc., one of Massachusetts’ rising green energy stars, is on its way to becoming one of the state’s top producers of hazardous waste.

U.S. to Press China on Tariffs on Clean Energy Trade

The United States will press China this week to lower its tariffs on clean energy technology as one of many steps the two countries can take to fight global warming, U.S. officials said on Monday.

"Both China and the U.S. have much to lose from potentially devastating impacts of climate change, but much to gain by partnering to develop clean energy technologies that will power our economy by cutting carbon emissions

U.S., Canada gathering in Boise to talk about combining energy resources

People from five U.S. states and three Canadian provinces and the Yukon will talk about how combining the region's energy resources can benefit the economies of both nations.

US, China Key to Climate Change Challenge

Cooperation between the United States and China is considered essential for the world to reduce heat-trapping gas emissions blamed for global warming.

Vaccinate to Vacate the Planet?

Is your faith in the government strong enough to find out with your body, your children’s bodies and the bodies of those you love?

Mine is not. Let me be quite clear: I distrust a government which permits dangerous, untested, uninsurable toxic vaccines and then urges them upon an entire population in a cover up of epic proportions.

I distrust a government which forbids the labeling of genetically modified foods because people would reject such foods if the were told what dangers they were setting on their tables.

I distrust a government which has experimented massively upon its own people without their knowledge or consent...

Virginia to receive $94 million to help weatherize low-income homes

The trickle-down effect has begun, with Virginia expected to soon get tens of millions of federal-stimulus dollars for energy conservation and green energy projects.

Volkswagen Plans Electric Car in 2013

"And in 10 years at the latest we want to offer a large number of all-electric vehicles at affordable prices and with the autonomy that our clients expect."

WHO likely to give H1N1 jab guidance on Monday

The WHO said earlier this week that Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 flu does not appear to be spreading in a sustained or worrisome way. All patients with the resistant variety have recovered fully, and their viruses were sensitive to treatment with the other anti-viral recommended by the WHO

July 10, 2009

$90 Million in Recovery Act Funds to Bolster Water Services in Indian Country and Create Jobs

According to 2007 data from the IHS, approximately 10 percent of tribal homes do not have safe drinking water and/or wastewater disposal facilities compared with 0.6 percent of non-native homes in the United States that lack such infrastructure as measured in 2005 by the U.S. Census. The water and wastewater infrastructure programs are a significant effort to improve tribal access to safe and adequate drinking and wastewater facilities.

Ascent Solar Exceeds 10% Module Efficiency Milestone

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTI), a developer of state-of-the-art flexible thin-film solar modules, today announced that it has achieved its initial target module efficiency goal of 10.0% for its flexible Copper, Indium, Gallium, Selenide (CIGS) monolithically integrated modules.

Carbon Monoxide Catalyst Could Solve Energy and Global Warming Problems

A catalyst that converts carbon monoxide into carbon and oxygen could solve the world's need for energy, particularly energy that doesn't emit greenhouse gases. In the gasification process, water and a carbon-rich fuel react to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide. If a catalyst could be developed that would convert carbon monoxide back into carbon and oxygen, the carbon could be used over and over again rather than being used once and producing emissions of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2).

'Cash for Clunkers' Wins Over U.S. Drivers, Dealers

Having driven the equivalent of six smoke-belching laps of the planet, Tony Metzler figured his aging Chevrolet Blazer SUV would not make a good trade for a new car. Until now that is.

Celebrating Independence from the U.S. Food Supply

I didn't write a July 4th article this year. I was busy harvesting food out of my garden in Ecuador. Instead of celebrating geopolitical independence (which is what America's July 4th holiday is about, after all), I was celebrating my food independence.

Clean energy bill sparks heated debate

The cascade of doom triggered by an atmosphere saturated with carbon dioxide alarms Entergy Corp. chairman J. Wayne Leonard, who knows his support for the federal clean energy bill could alienate investors and his peers in the energy industry.

America, he said, must show leadership in reversing rising carbon emissions because the rest of the world won't act without it.

Colored Dyes Offer Cheap Solar Power; Israeli Firm

Israeli start-up 3GSolar says it has developed the world's first commercial-size solar energy system that uses colored dyes to turn sunlight into electricity.

Despite New Credit Card Law, Banks Hammering Consumers

President Barack Obama has signed into law the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights, but according to a new survey from Credit.com, a third (33%) of consumers still say their card company has recently made one or some combination of the following changes to a credit card account:

Doctors Warn; Avoid Genetically Modified Food

It is increasingly evident how dangerous genetically modified food is. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has recently called upon physicians to inform their patients about the list of health dangers involved with GMOs. After many studies and tests of GM foods fed to animals, scientists reached the conclusion that there is a direct relationship between GM foods and disease.

EEI Expo; Secretary Chu Describes Life in a Carbon-constrained World

"Sooner or later we will be living in a carbon constrained world."

-- Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary for Energy

El Niño conditions will continue to develop and are expected to last through the Northern Hemisphere Winter 2009-2010

During June 2009, conditions across the equatorial Pacific Ocean transitioned from ENSO-neutral to El Niño conditions. Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies continued to increase, with the latest weekly departures exceeding +1.0°C along a narrow band in the eastern equatorial Pacific

EPRI Study Finds Greater Efficiency in Electric-End Use Technologies

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) released an analysis today that found that replacing some fossil-fuel end-use technologies with efficient electric ones in residential, commercial and industrial applications have a potential energy savings of 71.7 quadrillion BTUs, and could result in cumulative CO2 reductions of 4,400 million tons between 2009 and 2030.

Exiled China Tycoon In U.S. Clean Car Venture; Source

Yang Rong, a Chinese automobile tycoon who fled the country after being accused of economic crimes, is preparing to launch an ambitious plan to make clean-tech cars in the United States, said a source.

G8 pledges to pursue ambitious climate change pact

The G8 leaders failed to reach agreement on all aspects of a far reaching proposal for tackling climate change, but they were able to agree on certain long-term goals. The G8 leaders recognized the scientific view that global average temperatures should not rise more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrialized levels to prevent the worst effects of global climate change.

G8 Summit To Pledge $15 Billion To Boost Food Supply

Leaders from rich nations at the G8 summit in Italy will commit $15 billion over three years to spur agricultural investment in poorer countries and combat hunger, a final draft statement seen by Reuters said.

Green Chemistry; Using Lasers To Detect Explosives And Hazardous Waste

A soldier in a humvee aims a portable device at an abandoned car 50 meters away (more than 150 feet). Pressing a button, a laser in the device fires. She reads a screen, and beckons her patrol to move away quickly.

Green groups sue US agencies over Western transmission corridors

The groups said in a statement Tuesday that the corridors benefit fossil-fueled generation and want the government to shift the corridors to link renewable zones to Western markets,..

Ice Volume Of Switzerland’s Glaciers Calculated

Swiss glaciers have lost a lot of ice in recent years due to increased melting. As temperatures climb, so do the fears that the glaciers could one day disappear altogether. Until now it could only be estimated approximately how big the ice volume in the Swiss Alps actually is and how it has changed in recent years.

IEA sees world oil demand rebounding by 1.7% in 2010

The expected increase in demand marks a recovery from this year, when consumption is poised to witness its biggest drop since 1981.

Investors Burned

Madoff's penalty, 150 years in a federal penitentiary, is meant to be a warning to future hucksters to back off. The sad reality, though, is that such a Ponzi scheme will invariably occur again and again and that investors must do more of the due diligence up front to avoid getting burned.

Irrigation Expands Slowly

Despite a steadily growing global demand for food and limited opportunities for farmland expansion, the global area equipped for irrigation grew by a mere 0.3 percent to 280 million hectares between 2004 and 2005, the last year for which global data are available.

Is Organic In an End-Game?

The tension discussed in the article, between those who have always sought to expand the industry and those who seek a more purist vision, has been fodder for many articles...Writing in 2005, I concluded Organic, Inc. by saying I didn't think organic food would be more than a niche in the overall food market and that the factions within it might well blow it apart. Sadly, in the midst of a deep recession, both assertions seem to be playing out.

Leading by Example; Hawaii's Clean Energy Initiative

Hawaii faces intertwined threats from global warming and dependence upon imported oil supplies....Fortunately, Hawaii possesses the clean energy resources to do its share to combat global warming and in the process, help ameliorate the threat it faces from reliance upon imported oil.

Making Green Power Greener

Recently there have been a number of excellent articles written on using biomass for the generation of green electric power. Today there are a number of alternatives to wind and solar available. In many cases, the additional benefits of biomass fuels can be much more valuable to an electric utility and independent system operator.

Microbes Found That Eat Hydrocarbons, And Leave Behind Non-Toxic Residue

Bioremediation of industrial sites and petrochemical spillages often involves finding microbes that can gorge themselves on the toxic chemicals. This leaves behind a non-toxic residue or mineralized material. Writing in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution, researchers in China describe studies of a new microbe that can digest hydrocarbons.

Nature Can't Take Unrestrained Economic Growth; Prince Charles

The quest for unlimited economic growth is unsustainable and could bankrupt the environment through climate change and depleted natural resources, Britain's Prince Charles said Wednesday.

Palin's successor seen smoothing Alaska-energy industry relations

Governor Sarah Palin's departure as Alaska's governor later this month, announced by her late last week, is likely to smooth relations between the state and the petroleum industry but is not likely to shift the state's policies on a natural gas pipeline and oil and gas taxes in the near term...

Pickens Plan for Huge Wind Farm Blows Away

T. Boone Pickens, the conservative Texas oilman who became the unlikely face of energy reform efforts during the 2008 presidential campaign, has announced that he will not move forward with plans to build the world's largest wind farm in his home state.

Pickens's Pullback Could Signal Shift In The Wind

Oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens's step back from his plan to build the world's largest wind farm in Texas shows how a brutal recession could change the way the United States invests in renewable energy.

The economy has changed drastically since the tycoon last year called for the United States to cut back on its oil imports in the face of record-high prices and said he planned to invest $10 billion in wind power.

Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 070809

Region 1024 (S25W52) produced four B-class flares during the past 24 hours. The region
underwent minor changes and is currently an E type sunspot group with a simple beta magnetic configuration. The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled for day one (9 July) due to possible coronal hole effects. Activity is expected to return to quiet levels on day two (10 July). Activity is expected to be quiet to unsettled on day three (11 July), also due to possible coronal hole effects.

Report predicts 1.7 million hybrid electric vehicles by 2015

New research predicts that 1.7 million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will be on the road worldwide by 2015.

River Managers Plan A Bleak Water Future For Europe

An ambitious European scheme to fix and safeguard its rivers and secure its water future is at risk of being undermined by poor and inadequate plans for water management prepared by EU countries, a new study by WWF and European Environment Bureau (EEB) has found.

Salt Block Unexpectedly Stretches In Sandia Experiments

To stretch a supply of salt generally means using it sparingly.

But researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Pittsburgh were startled when they found they had made the solid actually physically stretch.

Satellite Shows Arctic Sea Ice Now More Thin Than Thick

Arctic sea ice has thinned between the winters of 2004 and 2008, with thin seasonal ice replacing thick older ice as the dominant type for the first time on record, according to the first basin-wide estimate of the thickness and volume of the Arctic Ocean's ice cover.

Senate bill would encourage use of natural-gas vehicles

Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., have introduced legislation to encourage the use of natural-gas vehicles.

Natural gas is a clean source of fuel, which in most cases is less expensive than gasoline per mile driven, Hatch said.

Shocker; Medical Research Frequently Bogus

After conducting the first meta-analysis of surveys questioning scientists about their misbehavior behind the scenes -- notably, falsifying their research -- she came up with results that are nothing less than shocking. It turns out that researchers apparently alter or just plain make up data far more frequently than previously estimated. And the practice seems to be particularly high in medical and drug research.

SMUD pullout dims hopes for big power project

One of the largest public works projects in the West -- 600 miles of high-voltage power lines through Northern California -- is on life support after its biggest player abruptly pulled the plug.

Solar Panel Cap Looms

The climate for switching to solar energy in California is sunny, with federal and state tax breaks covering half the installation cost and owners of rooftop panels earning credits against electric bills for the power they generate.

But those credits are forecast to run out in the next couple years.

Solar quickly approaching grid parity

Solar module prices are falling so fast that solar may be able to cost-effectively compete with fossil fuels within a matter of months.

Solar-cell technologies promise higher efficiency

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) foresees a share of PV-generated electricity above 10% in 2020. But, this is only feasible if the cost of the photovoltaic systems (around €4/W for an industrial system) can be reduced by a factor of 2 to 3, and this will require some technological breakthroughs.

Solid Waste Industry Managing Trash As A Resource

Forget your old-fashioned ideas about the solid waste industry. It's not just about hauling garbage anymore.

State says no to Idaho Power request

The program would have allowed the utility to remotely power down air conditioners in commercial buildings during times of peak electrical demand.

Statement of Lisa P. Jackson

Let me begin by commending you for starting Senate hearings on this, the second legislative day after the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Immediately after that historic vote on June 26, President Obama called upon the Senate to demonstrate the same commitment we saw in the House to building a clean-energy foundation for a strong American economy. I am grateful that this Committee has wasted no time in answering that call.

Strange Martial Law via Food Control; HR 2749

The bill states that the FDA would be given the power to quarantine any geographical area at any time by "prohibiting or restricting the movement of food or of any vehicle being used or that has been used to transport or hold such food within the geographic area." The vague wording of this bill essentially leaves the opportunity to shut down ALL transportation in a specific area.

Study Finds Significant Opportunity for Atlantic Canada Wind Exports to U.S.

Ever-increasing demand for green energy in the U.S. presents an emerging opportunity for wind energy developers in the Maritimes, however there are barriers that must be addressed in order for Canadian producers to gain access to that growing market.

Sulfate in Wastewater Streams a Growing Concern for the Energy Sector

New developments in water quality legislation are making it increasingly important for companies to look to new technologies for treating their feed and waste water streams. One area of growing interest is the presence of sulfates.

Summer HHO GAMES at USF-St. Pete Campus, July 17-19

The three-day event features gas-saving hydrogen generators for cars and trucks that can also be used on generators and in diesel-powered vehicles of all sizes.

The Biomass Thermal Energy movement is picking up steam

A new energy future is fast approaching. In the U.S., comprehensive climate legislation that will greatly increase the demand for renewable biomass energy is moving through Congress.

The Organic Monopoly and the Myth of 'Natural' Foods; How Industry Giants Are Undermining the Organic Movement

After four decades of hard work, the organic community has built up a $25 billion "certified organic" food, farming, and green products sector. This consumer-driven movement, under steady attack by the biotech and Big Food lobby, with little or no help from government, has managed to create a healthy and sustainable alternative to America's disastrous, chemical and energy-intensive system of industrial agriculture.

The Risks of Holding on to TARP Money

...maybe the market views TARP restrictions as adding risk to the banks. Is TARP viewed as potentially cutting profitability, adding risk of loss of talent, restricting certain businesses? Is TARP associated with potential loss of clients?

Tibetan monks, Maidu Native Americans celebrate similar cultural experiences

For the second year, visiting Tibetan monks and members of the Tsi-Akim Maidu Tribe shared an evening of culture.

TITAN TRACKER Has Developed a Stirling Dish Concentrator That Combines the Highest Performance With a Significant Cost Reduction in the Utility-Scale Concentrating Solar Installations

Each structure includes two parabolic dishes with a high reflectance-mirrors surface of 65,4 m squared. This new development shares the advantages of the concept patented by TITAN TRACKER which were successfully applied for high concentrating: extreme accuracy

U.S. Makes $3 Billion Available For Renewable Energy

The funding will help meet the White House's goal to double U.S. renewable energy production over the next three years and also provide companies with easier financing than many can obtain in the private sector where credit remains tight.

U.S. Military Leads Green Charge

The U.S. military is not just setting standards in the areas of advanced weaponry. It's also leading the renewable energy charge. It's involved in solar, geothermal and wind projects and its stake in the field will continue to grow.

United States Joins the International Renewable Energy Agency

The United States officially joined the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) last week, increasing the number of countries participating in the organization to 136. IRENA was initially founded on January 26 with 75 member nations, and its membership now includes most of Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, as well as Australia, Greenland, India, Japan, and parts of South America. The new agency will engage governments around the world in promoting a rapid transition toward the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale

US Businesses Responding To E-Waste Challenges

First "60 Minutes" and now PBS "Frontline" have run alarming documentaries on the threats posed by improper disposal of old computers and electronics, or e-waste. A growing number of US businesses are combating the problem with sophisticated disposition services...

US House panel OKs $33.3-bil energy funding bill in late session

Members of the US House Appropriations Committee passed the fiscal 2010 energy and water funding bill worth $33.3 billion early Wednesday after debating into the night,...

US Mortgage Rates Down this Week Amid Concerns Over Labor 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 5.20 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending July 9, 2009, downfrom last week when it averaged 5.32 percent.  Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.37 percent.

US officials eye North Korea in cyber attack

U.S. authorities on Wednesday eyed North Korea as the origin of the widespread cyber attack that overwhelmed government Web sites in the United States and South Korea, although they warned it would be difficult to definitively identify the attackers quickly.

Waste_Inbox 070909

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that the city reached a new milestone in 2008: 50% of its residential and commercial waste was diverted from landfills. That's way above the national recycling rate of 32%, and it's the fifth consecutive year Seattle has upped its rate.

Water Management Key to Lifting Afghanistan Out of Poverty

The inefficient management of Afghanistan's water resources is linked to both the country's widespread poverty and deadly tribal conflicts over territory, a United Nations envoy said Tuesday, calling for better management to help foster stability and build prosperity.

What's In That Bottle? Congress Says Water Unclear

Bottled water makers make millions off people who believe their products are purer than tap water, but consumers do not realize that they are less regulated than plain old tap water, according to a U.S. Congressional report released on Wednesday.

What's Really Scary About Smart Metering

Will smart metering usher in an era of government interference in how you use energy? Some are posting articles¹ online that our government wants to take control of our appliances and introduce energy rationing, threatening our personal freedom. I didn't realize our usually staid industry was that exciting—it sounds almost like we're planning to impose a dictatorship rather than upgrading our electric grid to take advantage of modern technology!

WWEA predicts 25% wind energy growth in 2009

The World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) has published an updated forecast for worldwide wind installations in the year 2009 predicting a 25% growth in wind energy.

July 7, 2009 

Algae Farm Aims to Turn Carbon Dioxide Into Fuel

Because algae does not require any farmland or much space, many energy companies are trying to use it to make commercial quantities of hydrocarbons for fuel and chemicals. But harvesting the hydrocarbons has proved difficult so far.

China Wind Companies Poised For Green Policy Boost

China's ambitious plan to increase wind power capacity could attract up to $150 billion in investment, but Beijing will have to get serious about revamping regulations and building much needed infrastructure.

Climate Body To Try To Bridge Differences Before G8

Officials from a 17-member body which account for the lions share of the world's carbon emissions will hold urgent talks next Tuesday to iron out differences on the eve of a July 8-10 summit of the G8.

Climate Plan Faces Challenge After Narrow U.S. House Victory

U.S. House Democrats cheered when they won a vote to impose the nation’s first limits on greenhouse-gas emissions. Senate Democrats didn’t join the party.

'End Of The Line' Film Rings Alarm On Fish Supply

If sushi lovers think the price of their favorite raw fish is too high already, then new documentary "The End of the Line" may shock them with its argument that the real cost may be some species' extinction.

EPA Takes New Steps To Improve Water Quality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has made available comprehensive reports and data on water enforcement in all 50 states. This is part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's larger effort by to enhance transparency, promote the public's right to know about water quality and provide information on EPA's actions to protect water under the Clean Water Act.

Europeans Seek G8 Pledge to Halve Greenhouse Gas

Italy, France and Britain called on Monday for major developing economies like China and India to sign up for a goal of halving the world's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at this week's expanded G8 summit in Italy.

Iraq sees Nassiriya oil output of 1 mil bd in phased development

Iraq's Nassiriya oil field development, being negotiated exclusively with Italy's Eni and Japan's Nippon oil, is likely to be implemented in three phases, starting with initial production of 50,000 b/d and rising to 1 million b/d after 12 years...

Libya will miss 3 million b/d target largely due to OPEC quota

The Libyan government's plans to raise production capacity to 3 million b/d by 2012 have been revised down largely due to OPEC constraints

Lower US Long-Term Rates A Help To Housing Market

Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.32 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending July 2, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 5.42 percent.  Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.35 percent.

Major Nations Should Set Clear 2050 CO2 Cuts; UN

Major nations should set clear and ambitious goals for 2050 cuts in greenhouse gas emissions this week as a step toward a new U.N. climate pact, the U.N.'s top climate change official said on Monday.

"These are the countries that can make the difference...it's certainly the time to make the difference," Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat,...

Millions Hungry as Warming Shifts Seasons; Oxfam

"We don't know why the god is no longer answering our requests," said Laurien Lokwareng, an elder of the Jie ethnic group. "For years, we used to ask the god for rain and we got it in abundance, but we have had four years without enough rain now, and this is very strange."

Oil Price Will Stall on Fundamentals

Oil prices are not going back to the levels of last summer. The prices are capped. The latest numbers from Credit Suisse show why. The financial crisis has created permanent destruction of demand growth. The expectation now is 1% growth in demand per year.

Peruvian Amazon Natives face exile, arrest, hospital bills

A week after Peruvian President Alan Garcia’s government repealed laws that Natives feared were designed to take the lands they’ve lived on for hundreds of years, leaders of 350,000 Amazon Natives were in exile, hiding or in a hospital while their fight to help protect the Amazon appeared far from over.

Preservatives in meat linked to dementia

PRESERVATIVES added to cured meats, bacon and ground beef have been linked to dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Pro Food Is...

While perhaps it's not "broken," America's industrial food system, which dominates food sales, has developed side effects that are accelerating in severity, especially diet-related health (e.g., obesity, diabetes, asthma, allergies) and environmental (e.g., chemical toxins, soil degradation, carbon emissions) issues that can no longer be ignored.

Reefs Could Perish by End of Century, Experts Warn

Increasingly acidic oceans and warming water temperatures due to carbon dioxide emissions could kill off the world's ocean reefs by the end of this century, scientists warned on Monday.

Rules May Limit Cash for Clunkers Program

In Europe, hundreds of thousands of car owners have taken advantage of government subsidies to get rid of their old vehicles and trade up to new ones. Car sales in Germany are up about 40 percent from a year ago.

Solutions for Forced Vaccinations and Flu Pandemics

Vaccination by inoculation is not immunization. Immunization occurs when you are stricken with a disease and survive, or if you`re exposed to pathogens and your immune system beats them.

The Obama-Biden Energy for America Plan; Existing Technologies Contribute to Energy Goals

Diversifying energy sources is a key goal set out in the Obama-Biden New Energy for America plan. Reducing the nation's dependence on oil has been called one of the greatest challenges our nation has ever faced. Quick and bold actions were proposed to transform the entire economy, "from cars and fuels, to factories and buildings."

The Slope of Dysfunction

Perhaps you have heard of the Peak Oil theory? Most people have by now, even the people whose job used to involve denying the possibility that global crude oil production would peak any time soon. Now that everybody seems a bit more comfortable with the idea, perhaps it is time to reexamine it. Is the scenario Peak Oil theoreticians paint indeed realistic, or is it firmly grounded in wishful thinking?

Thune; Study report of greenhouse gas cover-up

U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., wants an investigation into allegations of a scientific cover-up regarding the effects of greenhouse gases...

"I am concerned about the credibility of the Obama administration's arguments in favor of increased environmental activism and government regulation now that it is clear that legitimate differences of opinion are not tolerated within the EPA," Thune said in the news release.

Toxic Chemicals Release Report Shows Mercury, PCB Pollution Rise Dramatically

Releases of mercury, PCBs, lead and dioxin into the environment increased significantly between 2006 and 2007, according to the annual "Toxics Release Inventory," published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Trendy Oklahoma

One of the world's best examples of smart grid technology and applications in action is smack in the middle of the U.S. heartland at Oklahoma Gas & Electric, which has been in business longer than Oklahoma has been a state.

Tribes urged to support renewable energy legislation

Legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate that would allow tribes to hold an un-penalized equity position in renewable energy projects built on their reservations. The political climate is right, tribal advocates say, to make progress in an area that would spur job creation and clean energy production on many reservations.

U.S. power plant emissions fall as regulation looms

U.S. power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide dropped sharply in the first half of the year as the electricity industry prepared for tighter regulation in 2010, Genscape said Monday.

Sulfur dioxide emissions were down 24 percent compared to the first half of 2008, much more than would be expected due to the recession and lower electricity demand, the power industry data provider said in its quarterly review of energy trends.

US natural gas industry may be close to hitting bottom; Barclays

A "race to the bottom" in the natural gas market is almost complete, and the industry is now waiting for signs that the cutback in drilling rigs or lower imports of liquefied natural gas will have a meaningful impact on the supply and demand balance, an analyst firm said late Wednesday.

We are indigenous first

The award-winning indigenous photographer and documentary filmmaker from Venezuela, David Hernandez-Palmar, visited Washington, D.C. recently to speak to members of Congress about the plight of his people, the Wayuu, who live across the countries of Venezuela and Colombia, and to talk to representatives of the Smithsonian Institute about repatriating the remains of Wayuu ancestors and cultural artifacts.

What Happens in the U.S. Senate on Climate Change

Historic climate change legislation, headed for a close vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, is expected to face another tough battle and likely changes in the Senate.

White House officials push US Senate to act on climate bill

Four members of US President Barack Obama's Cabinet told the Senate
Environment and Public Works Committee on Tuesday that the Senate should
quickly pass a bill that would cap CO2 emissions from a variety of economic
sectors while making investments in renewable energy and efficiency.

WWCS or 'What Would Cliff Say'