| March - Please scroll to bottom
for previous months or years. 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
*******************************************************
*******************************************************
March 30, 2010
Bigfoot prints found in Whiteriver
It did not take long after the snow began melting for
Bigfoot to make his/her emergence from the hills surrounding Whiteriver.
Chipped Pets Develop Fast Growing Tumors
Health Freedom Alliance believes it's just a matter of
time before the governments wants to stick microchips in all of us.
These microchips will pose clear violations of our privacy, human rights
and our health as many pet owners are learning first hand.
Details of climate bill trickle out
Details are beginning to leak out about the climate bill, after
weeks of closed-door negotiations among key Senate lawmakers and
staff. ...
But the bill provides a weaker cap on greenhouse gas emissions
than many environmentalists had hoped. And it’s chock-full of
sweeteners for coal, oil, offshore drilling and nuclear power —
energy sources viewed with some skepticism in the environmental
community but seen as key to picking up the votes of a handful of
moderate Republicans.
Disappointing Desire well rocks Falkland explorers
Companies involved in this year's high-profile drilling campaign
around the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic were rocked Monday by
news that the first of a number of planned wells had proved to be a
disappointment.
Edison's bright idea; Solar panels on industrial roofs can act as mini
power plants
Southern California Edison officials on Thursday said they've found
another large rooftop to turn into a power plant to harness megawatts of
energy from the sun.
The Rosemead-based utility announced that it will install 16,300 solar
panels on the roof of a 436,000-square-foot building in Rialto owned by
AMP Property Corp.
Energizing America
With Washington stalemated, utilities have an uncommon chance to lead by
fostering the growth of clean-energy technologies. Electricity, of
course, is the building block to economic prosperity. The goal then is
to ensure access, abundance and cleanliness. Toward that end, the United
States must diversify its resources and train the next wave of workers
to meet near-term challenges. Indeed, power companies are ground zero in
the effort to bring the country into a new era of vitality. But they
need their elected representatives to be more willing to search for
common ground.
Farmer's Almanac 1, Weather Service 0
In that article I stated: "...and they (Almanac) have
forecast a cold, bitter winter for much of the nation this year."
In regards to the Weather Service, I stated: "...which is
calling for warmer than normal temperatures across most of the
country. They are calling for El Nino this year..." So it seems the
Almanac was more right than the Weather Service.
French court upholds oil spill ruling vs Total
A French appeals court on Tuesday upheld key elements of a verdict
against oil giant Total over a disastrous 1999 oil spill in a ruling
with wide implications for the global oil industry's environmental
responsibilities.
Total was found guilty in 2008 for the damage caused when the Erika,
an aging oil tanker it had chartered, broke apart and sank in a winter
storm off Brittany in 1999, spilling 20,000 tonnes of crude oil.
Global Event Brings The Urgent Need For Safe Water Into Focus
Three quarters of the planet is covered by water, yet only about
one per cent is available for human agricultural, manufacturing,
community and personal use. This year's World Water Day theme –
‘Clean Water for a Healthy World' – aims to raise awareness and spur
action on improving water quality worldwide.
Global Recession Weighed on Sovereign Ratings in 2009
Credit quality eroded for sovereign issuers in 2009, as the global
recession's impact on advanced and emerging economies continued to
deepen. The share of sovereign issuers downgraded remained steady
year-over-year at roughly 14%, while upgrades tumbled to just 2% in 2009
from nearly 10% a year earlier.
Global solar power capacity grew 44% in 2009
The global industry added a record 6.4 gigawatts new capacity,
bringing total capacity to more than 20 gigawatts (GW), the EPIA said,
despite tightened credit which has particularly hit infrastructure and
energy project finance.
Investing for
the Future
With the economy on the mend, investors may be ready to step up and help
finance the energy sector's growth. But to do so, they will need greater
regulatory certainty both at the state and federal levels so as to
encourage risk taking.
Ireland's Green Dreams Need Work, Can Be Reality
Ireland's ambition to shift from being 90 percent dependent on
imported fossil fuel to a major user of renewables should be
achievable as its urgent need for jobs helps focus politicians on
overcoming planning hurdles.
Marijuana Legalization on the CA Ballot; Separating Fact from Fiction
With a historic marijuana legalization initiative
certified for November's general election, California is ground zero for
a growing national debate. No matter what you think about regulating
marijuana for adult consumption, brace yourself for a blast of alarmist
hot air from the drug war status quo, a nine-month onslaught of
distortions, half-truths and real whoppers.
Mongolia Winter Kills Herds, Devastating The Poorest
A severe winter has left 4.5 million dead animals in stockyards
across the Mongolian steppes, and many poor herders face the loss of
all their property just before the important breeding season.
About a tenth of Mongolia's livestock may have perished, as deep
snows cut off access to grazing and fodder.
Nation’s Largest Private Water Utility Joins Lawsuit Against
Herbicide Maker
The nation's largest private water utility company has joined a
federal lawsuit that
aims to force the manufacturer of atrazine, a widely-used
herbicide, to pay for its removal from drinking water.
New
Approach To Water Desalination
A new approach to desalination being developed by researchers at
MIT and in Korea could lead to small, portable desalination units
that could be powered by solar cells or batteries and could deliver
enough fresh water to supply the needs of a family or small village.
As an added bonus, the system would also remove many contaminants,
viruses and bacteria at the same time.
Nuclear waste panel might look at lessons from Yucca; Hamilton
A high-level commission looking at options for radioactive waste in
the US will not review the Obama's administration's recent decision to
scuttle long-term plans for a waste repository at Yucca Mountain,
although it will consider lessons learned from the experience, a key
member said Friday.
Obama Administration Recording Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The United States is seeking to increase the number of industry sectors
that must report greenhouse gas emissions under a new mandatory
reporting system.
Offshore Wind Turbines May Be 10 MW Giants; Veritas
A surge in sea-based wind farms is likely to mean bigger turbines than
on land, reaching 10 megawatts by 2020 with blades 85 meters (280
ft) long, the head of Norway's Det Norske Veritas said on Monday.
Oregon town uses geothermal energy to stay warm
When snow falls on this downtown of brick buildings and
glass storefronts in southern Oregon, it piles up everywhere but the
sidewalks. It's the first sign that this timber and ranching town is
like few others.
Pollution during Asian Monsoon reaches Stratospheric Heights
The economic growth in much of Asia has been quite
remarkable in the last few decades. Unfortunately, along with growth
comes intense pollution and atmospheric degradation. Pollutants from the
region are being carried upward into the stratosphere during the monsoon
season.
Putting wind-generated power where it's needed
...while regulators are paving the way for wind-farm
development with tax credits and loosened regulations, the key challenge
facing those developers is that existing transmission lines, substations
and transformers are inadequate to handle the amount of energy expected
to come from wind farms in various stages of development across the
country. There's already a waiting list for wind-farm developers who
want to hook into the existing grid.
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 032910
Solar activity is expected to be low
with C-class flares likely and a slight chance for a M-class flare
for the next 3 days (30 March - 01 April). The geomagnetic field is
expected to be quiet with the possiblility for an isolated period of
unsettled conditions for the next 3 days (30 March - 01 April).
Scientists Seek Dark Matter In 'Big Bang' Project Scientists at the CERN research center will begin trying on Tuesday to
make particles collide at ultra-high power and close to the speed of
light to create mini-versions of the "Big Bang" that gave birth to
the universe.
Sea Lion Pups Starving in California
Starved and emaciated, sea lion pups are beaching themselves along
the Pacific Coast.
A strong El Nino tropical weather pattern is to blame. Unusually warm
sea surface temperatures in the western Pacific are moving east, forcing
the sea lions' natural food sources — squid, hake, herring and anchovies
— to seek out cooler waters.
SRS backer asks federal panel to keep Yucca Mountain
"Yucca Mountain is the only known means to dispose of high-level waste,
and it must not be discarded until a better disposal option has been
verified," said Rick McLeod, the executive director of the SRS Community
Reuse Organization, a regional economic development coalition.
Stimulus money to fund horse manure-to-energy project
The horse park has spent an average of $200,000 per year on horse
manure disposal. The new facility will eliminate those costs, the EPA
said.
US Credit Card Defaults Remain High Despite Improvement
Performance of U.S. credit card ABS improved slightly in February as
chargeoffs dipped and delinquencies continued to improve...'U.S.
consumer credit quality remains under considerable pressure, although
the pace of deterioration has moderated in recent months,'...
Water Issues Have Their Day On Capitol Hill
Smart water security policy and infrastructure funding
were top issues for more than 130 water utility professionals from
throughout the United States
who took to Capitol Hill recently at the ninth Water Matters
Fly-In, sponsored by the American Water Works Association (AWWA).
"Providing safe water for all Americans should be a top priority
for every member of Congress," said AWWA President ...
Wind giveth, but power plants may be taking away
The report says that the greatly increased use of wind energy in the
past few years may have raised pollution levels from some coal-fueled
power plants owned by Xcel Energy Inc. That’s because the frequent
change in output asked of power plants, in response to the availability
of wind and solar power, adds to pollution, the report says.
Woman's story highlights struggles for energy relief
Frances Sanders has only $2 left after she pays her bills most months,
so making her home more energy-efficient wasn't much of a priority....Her story isn't unique. In fact, it's shared by thousands statewide who
can't afford to properly insulate their homes against leaks.
March 26, 2010
2010 Outlook for North American Refiners Remains Murky
Despite glimmers of improvement, the outlook for North American refiners
remains murky in 2010, according to Fitch Ratings' outlook report.
Refiners continue to struggle with poor fundamentals in the form of
still-falling end-user demand in the U.S., global overcapacity, low
industry utilization rates, and a high U.S. unemployment rate, all of
which are expected to keep key credit metrics weak for a prolonged
period.
A Deforestation-Based Diet; Seven Foods That Are Destroying the World's
Forests We hear a lot about the importance of eating organic and eating
local, but left out of the conversation are the growing methods
of some of our staple foods, and how much forest land has been
lost to grow (or raise) products like beef, rice, and palm
oil—the latter of which is in more foods than you might realize.
When agricultural land becomes unproductive (usually after
about three years), it is often
cheaper to clear new land than to fertilize it or replenish
nutrients that were drained from the soil.
American Clean Skies Foundation Supports Stricter Ozone
Standards Proposed by EPA; Calls Natural Gas Key To Less Smog
Tougher proposed air quality standards for ozone could be met, in part,
by greater use of natural gas for power generation and transportation,
according to comments filed today with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) by the Washington-based non-profit organization American
Clean Skies Foundation (ACSF).
Big Oil Seeks Shale Gas Deal In Climate Bill
Three oil majors want U.S. senators crafting the climate bill to
keep the federal government from regulating shale gas drilling
methods that have made vast domestic reserves accessible but have
been criticized for polluting water supplies.
Biodiesel makers applaud Malaysia's move to switch to biofuel
Malaysia will proceed with implementing a long-delayed biofuel mandate
from next year, a move that was immediately applauded by biodiesel
producers in the country.
Carbon reporting will get more scrutiny
Corporations and industries can expect greater scrutiny of their
carbon footprints under changes U.S. EPA proposed to its mandatory
greenhouse gas registry yesterday.
Census 2010; Up to 800 Canvassers With Criminal Records
Despite reports last fall that the Census Bureau had severed ties
with community-organizing group known as ACORN, Americans might want to
think twice before opening their doors to canvassers for the 2010 Census
after reading what I discovered this morning.
China surges past US, leads G20 in clean energy investment; Pew
China surpassed the US in overall clean energy finance and investment in
2009, leading all G20 nations with investments of $34.6 billion, while
the US ranked second for the first time in five years with investments
of $18.6 billion, according to a report released Thursday by the Pew
Charitable Trusts' Environment Group.
Congressmen urge Chu to use Yucca
The fight over the proposed site to store the nation's spent nuclear
fuel continues as the state of Nevada has stepped into the legal fight,
while a bipartisan group of congressmen have urged the energy secretary
to reconsider his actions.
Cow WTE plant creates 1 million kilowatt hours of energy
A new cow waste-to-energy plant in Jerome, Idaho, is now creating 1
million kilowatt hours of electricity each month.
Crude futures rise as euro firms against dollar
Following two days of price declines, crude futures rose through
the European morning Friday as the euro firmed against the dollar after
the EU unveiled plans to tackle Greece's debt crisis.
Drawing inspiration from Mother Nature in designing an ‘artifical leaf’
Producing an artificial leaf capable of
harnessing Mother Nature’s ability to produce energy from sunlight and
water via photosynthesis has been a long-sought goal for researchers
aspiring to provide an environmentally-friendly way to free to world of
its dependence on coal, oil, and other carbon-producing fuel sources.
Now a group of Chinese scientists has presented a design strategy based
on the chemistry and biology of natural leaves that could lead to
working prototypes of an artificial leaf that captures solar energy and
uses it efficiently to change water into hydrogen fuel.
Earth's Hour of Darkness Illuminates Need for Climate Action
A 24 hour-long wave of darkness will sweep around the
globe as people and corporations turn out the lights from 8:30 to 9:30
pm local time on Saturday, March 27 to mark Earth Hour - sponsored by
the World Wildlife Fund to promote effective climate change action.
EIP Report; Mercury Pollution Rose At Over Half Of The Nation's 50
'Dirtiest' Power Plants
More than half (27) of the nation's 50 worst power
plants for mercury emissions increased their mercury emissions from 2007
to 2008 (the latest year for which data is available), according to a
new report from the nonprofit and nonpartisan Environmental Integrity
Project (EIP).
Energy
Storage's Quiet Revolution
...energy storage seems to
have fallen out of the limelight, getting nothing near as much hype as
Bloom Energy, a fuel-cell company focused on electricity generation
instead of energy storage, generated when it launched last month.
But a series of recent small announcements suggest that
energy-storage technologies are quietly making progress toward
commercialization nonetheless.
Environmentalists question solar plants
"Environmentally friendly" solar power plants planned for Nevada and
around the U.S. Southwest may in fact devastate the local ecology,
opponents say.
EPA Proposes Veto of Mine Permit Under the Clean Water Act
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today
announced its proposal under the Clean Water Act to significantly
restrict or prohibit mountain top mining at the Spruce No. 1 surface
mine in Logan County, W. Va.
EPA Releases Public Database on Risk Assessments
Today, EPA is releasing the Health and
Environmental
Research
Online (HERO) database, a
milestone in transparency. HERO provides access to the scientific
studies used in making key regulatory decisions, including EPA’s
periodic review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
for six major pollutants.
Expensive, Dangerous
Many an integrative health practitioner has been harassed by
state medical boards with the power to revoke licenses with a
charge such as: “The use of vitamin C is outside the standard of
care.” What is the standard of care, and who sets this standard?
Farm Energy
Success Stories
A new report from the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC)
unearths the stories of farmers and rural small businesses that are
making clean energy their newest cash crop.
Finally– Legislation to Protect Your Right to Know About the Science
Behind Supplements! Consumers are largely kept in the dark about the potential
health benefits of foods and supplements. Why? Because current
law makes it illegal for food and supplement producers to share
this information.
Friends of Earth back project reform call following legal warning
LONDON: "These plans must be tougher and clearer and ensure
that the way we generate energy in the UK plays a key role in tackling
climate change," Bullock said Tuesda
Getting to Know H2O; The Smart Grid Moves to Water
The threat of global
climate change has galvanized governments, organizations, and
citizens around the world to re-imagine our lives in ways that
contribute to long-term sustainability. Doing so is challenging us
to reprioritize issues, rethink business plans, and reconsider the
relationships between people and resources.
Governor trims red tape for energy projects
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday signed a state law that he and
federal officials say will speed approvals for large-scale solar and
wind projects, improving chances that they will meet a federal deadline
to qualify for federal stimulus dollars.
Groundwater
Vulnerability
The Earth is truly a blue planet; 70% of its surface is covered with
water. Unfortunately 97.5% of that is salt water, unusable for humans.
Fresh water accounts for the other 2.5%, however, about two thirds of
that is locked up in glaciers and in the icy poles. That leaves humans
(and every other living creature on land) only about 1% of all the water
on Earth to use.
Groups; Cut energy demand, create jobs
Two nuclear reactors and up to three coal plants are now teed up for
construction in Georgia, to meet the state's future power needs.
But recent studies from the Consumer Federation of America in
Washington, D.C., and the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies in
Chattanooga argue that Georgia could meet demand more cheaply and get
more economic bang for the buck if it invested in shaving power use
instead.
Haircare ingredients could hold key to reducing CO2 emissions
New York-based scientists believe that materials closely
resembling ingredients found in hair-conditioning shampoos and fabric
softeners might be used to “scrub” carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the flue
gases from coal-burning electric power generating stations.
India, let's face it -- your honeymoon with gas is about to end
Poor infrastructure -- that bane of existence for most Indians
and perpetually the weakest link in the country's chain of
progress and development -- looks all set to also cut short its
honeymoon with natural gas.
Is Organic Better? Making Sense of Organic Choices
The health benefits of organic food are one of the most
intensely debated issues in the food industry. By definition,
organically grown foods are produced without most conventional
pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or
sewage sludge. Livestock aren't given antibiotics and growth
hormones. And organic farmers emphasize renewable resources and
conservation of soil and water.
Losses from Natural Disasters Decline in 2009
In 2009, overall economic losses from natural disasters
totaled about $50 billion—the lowest since 2001—with insured losses at
about $22 billion.
Natural Disasters Increase in 2009
In 2009, some 860 natural catastrophes occurred
worldwide. Given the 750 disasters registered in 2008, this represented
an increase of 15 percent. Last year had the fourth highest number of
events in the period from 1980 to 2009.
NEMA Endorses Building STAR Rebate Proposal
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has joined a coalition of 80 contractor groups,
unions, manufacturers, businesses, financial services companies, and
energy-efficiency advocates to advance the adoption of Building STAR, a
proposal to makeover America's commercial and apartment building
infrastructure with more energy-efficient technologies, creating
thousands of jobs in the construction, manufacturing, and other
high-skilled sectors on the economy.
New Italian power sites 'could double coal use'; Coal association
New coal power projects planned in Italy are set to double consumption
of steam coal in the country over the next five years, the president of
Italy's coal association Assocarboni, Andrea Clavarino, said Thursday.
Nuclear plant ban survives challenge in Minnesota Senate
A solar-energy bill was pulled by its chief sponsor before senators
could vote on either of two proposed amendments that would lift the ban
but also would include other stipulations.
Offshore Awakening; US Investment Flows to Offshore Wind
The US is starting to look beyond the initial cost of offshore wind
energy and consider its huge long-term benefits.
Plasma technology offers clean fuel breakthrough
The same process that illuminates big-screen plasma TV’s
can now create ultra-clean fuels, according to a scientific report
presented earlier this week.
PV – A
Question of Scale
PV is already the fastest growing industry in the world. But if it
is going to play a significant role in future worldwide electricity
production, it all comes down to one word – scalability.
Reclaiming a derelict site to create a community garden
The story of how a group of dissatisfied residents pulled together,
got funding, and created a blooming community garden where the work, and
the rewards, are shared.
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 032510
Several B-class
flares were observed from Region 1057, the largest being a B7,
optically uncorrelated event, at 25/0433Z. A far-sided CME was
observed at 25/0128Z with an associated Type II radio sweep (shock
velocity 1395 km/s), but does not look to be geoeffective. Solar wind
observations from the ACE spacecraft
showed an increase of wind speed from 300 to 430 km/s following a
rise in density (1 to 22 p/cc). These signatures are indicative of a
co-rotating interactive region in advance of a weak coronal hole
high-speed stream.
Scientist Who Claimed No Link Between Autism And Vaccines Disappears
With University Money
Dr Poul Thorsen, the lead
author of a key study used by EU and USA health bodies as evidence that
mercury in vaccines does not cause autism, vanished after it emerged
that he fraudulently claimed 10 million crowns in funds from his
university in Denmark
Solar energy could provide 10% of US energy
Solar power could meet 10% of
energy needs in the United States by 2030, and reduce the US$350 billion
to import oil every year.
Solar scorecard tracks PV's real 'green' nature
Who are the
greenest solar module companies, both
environmentally and socially? An
updated
"scorecard" released this week tracking more than a dozen
top global suppliers finds that German suppliers come out on
top.
State would curb power plants' seawater use
California's coastal power plants would have to cut the amount of ocean
water they use to cool their generators by more than 90 percent over the
next 14 years, under a proposed policy issued yesterday by a state
environmental agency.
Tax breaks make solar energy attractive
Solar energy producing technology has been around for quite awhile, but
as two local families explained, timing is everything.
The Greed of Feed; Ecological Impacts of Salmon Farming
In its latest film the Ecologist Film Unit (EFU) travels to Peru
to investigate a host of unreported environmental and social
costs - including pollution and health problems, overfishing,
and impacts on ecosystems and wildlife - arising from the
production of fishmeal and fish oil, principal ingredients in
farmed salmon feed.
The Nature of
Mercury
Some in the power sector have unclean hands. A nonpartisan environmental
group has published a report detailing the industry's mercury emissions
and noting that the biggest emitters of them have not yet installed some
commercially-available technologies that would cut those pollutants.
The War on Drugs; Bureaucrats Can't Handle the Truth
In the long and tortured debate over drug policy, one of the
strangest episodes has been playing out this fall in the United
Kingdom, where the country's top drug adviser was recently fired
for publicly criticizing his own government's drug laws.
Tires could be on the road to a greener future
According to the American Chemical Society, seven
gallons of crude oil go into each one of approximately a billion car
tires that are produced every year worldwide. Today, however, scientists
announced a development that could drastically reduce oil usage in
tires.
U.S. has enough nuclear waste to fill Yucca repository
That news comes with the release of a new report, "Principals for
Safeguarding Nuclear Waste at Reactors," this week that was signed by
more than 170 groups concerned about the future of nuclear waste
handling.
US gold, silver futures plummet on steady dollar rally
COMEX gold and silver futures were down substantially in the US
Wednesday morning after slipping throughout Asian and European trading
as the euro came under additional pressure from European sovereign debt
concerns.
US House panel members cling to Yucca Mt. remaining a DOE option
Members of a US House of Representatives Appropriations Committee
subcommittee told Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear
Energy Warren Miller Tuesday they believe DOE's scuttled repository
project at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, should be among the waste management
alternatives evaluated by a blue ribbon commission on nuclear waste.
US
human rights record challenged
Where do Indian nations
go when United States’ courts have failed them, and justice is
unattainable?
...Though it claims to be a defender of human rights around the world, the
United States is among the worst offenders of Native peoples’ rights,
judging by statistics that indicate Indian women are the most raped and
abused in the nation, while rampant poverty, disease, crime and
unemployment are a way of life on reservations.
US Mortgage Rates Inch up Following Bond Yields
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 4.99 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending
March 25, 2010, up slightly from last week when it averaged 4.96
percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.85 percent.
We Energies customers to get another jolt
The state Public Service Commission approved a $48.1 million rate
increase on Wednesday that will tack another 2 percent onto the 7
percent increase customers saw added to their bills in January.
Weather Anomalies of Winter 2010
To the average person, the weather this winter, especially in
February, has certainly been a departure from those winters of the past
few years. There has been record snowfall in the mid-Atlantic region,
bitter cold in the Deep South, and remarkably mild weather for the
Pacific Northwest and New England. However, if the United States can be
taken as a whole, some more modest trends appear.
What happens if I don't fill out my census form?
Originally, the census was meant to be a way to count
everyone so that the members of the House of
Representatives could be allocated properly to the states. Every 10
years there would be a count, and states with more people got more
members in the House. Over time, the government has gotten significantly
more complicated, and today, the federal government allocates money
to states for all sorts of programs.
What is a Megawatt?
Megawatts are basic to understanding electricity planning concepts,
but what are they?
News stories covering electric generation topics often try to
illustrate the worth of a megawatt in terms of how many homes a
particular amount of generation could serve.
What Utilities Have Learned From Smart-Meter Tests
Utilities have learned a lot about how smart meters can compel consumers
to save electricity. Unfortunately, too often they aren’t putting the
knowledge to good use.
Why
Solar Works Where It Snows I've been hearing objections for years against solar energy in
the Northeast.
- It's too expensive.
- It's not reliable.
- No one will be around to support it.
- We get too much snow- it doesn't work in the winter.
...And then the Sheriff came to town.
Wolin on the Urgency of Financial Reform, Why We Should Not Wait for One
More Finance Crisis before Fixing What’s Broken
On Monday evening, we took an important step towards final enactment
of financial reform. The Senate Banking Committee has now voted out a
comprehensive bill. Along with the bill passed by the House last
December, it represents a strong foundation on which to build a safer
financial system.
Wyoming Governor visits coal research facilities
Governor Freudenthal, whose State is the number one coal producer in the
United States and produces more coal than Australia, is working with a
task force set up by US President Obama to deliver a federal strategy on
carbon capture and storage.
March 23, 2010
12 states back challenge of EPA, Cuccinelli says
"It's disturbing that our state attorney general chooses to
challenge the mountain of evidence" that climate change threatens the
public, said Morgan Butler, a senior attorney with the law center.
Active Icelandic Volcano May Cause Bigger Eruption
A volcano spouting lava in the south of Iceland showed signs of
increased activity on Monday, leading scientists to warn it could
trigger a far more powerful eruption at a nearby geological hotspot.
Alcoa lowers solar power costs with special coated mirrors
Alcoa Inc. said Thursday that it has developed an aluminum-based, solar
power generation system -- designed, built and tested in its Upper
Burrell technical center -- that produces energy cheaper than solar
power systems using glass mirrors.
Arizona's
last new coal plant
Salt River Project customers will begin paying about $6 more on their
monthly bills this spring, most of which will pay for a new $1 billion
coal-fired power plant near Springerville in northern Arizona.
Battle for
the Home Front
With consumer demand for home energy monitoring devices anticipated to
grow -- and regulators expected to require utilities to provide
consumers with access to the devices and the data needed to make them
useful -- the race is on to see which providers place their products in
consumers' homes.
Bill puts
price on turbines
Maine--A bill to clarify what wind energy developers should pay communities
that host wind projects received unanimous support in the Utilities and
Energy Committee on Thursday.
Build Well To Save Lives In Disasters, Experts Urge
"It's not the earthquake that kills people, it's the buildings
that collapse in the earthquake."
China Says Drought Now Affecting 50 Million People
he drought began last autumn, and is the result not only
of less rainfall but also unseasonably high temperatures, the official
Xinhua news agency said, citing a central government meeting on the
situation....Some areas have received 90 percent less rainfall than they
should have at this time of the year, and the drought has caused
economic losses of 19 billion yuan ($2.78 billion), the report said.
Coming soon; 'oil-less' economic growth
The world may soon achieve something long dreamed of by
governments and policymakers: higher economic growth without using more
oil.
Rising efficiency, conservation and substitution are steadily reducing
the amount of oil needed to fuel an increase in the goods and services
produced around the world.
Cost of solar going down, industry says
Stillwell's monthly electric bill has fallen from $450
during hot summer months to an average of about $12 a month.
"I'm tickled pea green," said Stillwell, a 49-year-old correctional
officer. "Now when I go out to the mailbox and grab the PG&E bill out of
there, I giggle. Before, I used to go weak at the knees."
Costs drive Navy and Marines to go greener
Ask the Marines or the Navy, and the case they make for energy and water
efficiency isn't just for the planet, it's for financial savings.
De-icer suspected in utility-pole fires
A substance that keeps roads clear of ice could be leaving thousands of
residents at risk of being in the dark when electricity is knocked out.
Colorado Springs Utilities is investigating whether magnesium chloride,
a de-icing liquid, might be the culprit behind recent utility-pole
fires...
'Digestion chamber' creates energy
It's a giant green dorm that's 92 feet tall on Sawmill Road by the
Merrimack River. And it's home to countless invisible bugs that are
hungry for anything smelly and slimy....The metabolic processes reduce
the volume of the sediment while releasing methane gas -- a fuel used to
generate electric power for the plant.
EPA Administrator Jackson Outlines New Vision for Clean, Safe Drinking
Water
PA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced the agency is
developing a broad new set of strategies to strengthen public health
protection from contaminants in drinking water. The aim is to find
solutions that meet the health and economic needs of communities across
the country more effectively than the current approach. EPA is also
announcing a decision to revise the existing drinking water standards
for four contaminants that can cause cancer.
Flywheels for the future; Stephentown building $69 million energy
storage facility
On an unassuming little 3.5-acre piece of land a stone's throw from town
hall, local history and renewable energy history is being made.
The price tag is $69 million.
Under construction on this little parcel is a 20-megawatt flywheel
energy storage facility.
Ford to save over a million dollars by turning off computers
If companies and individuals still need an example of
the economic and environmental benefits of switching off electrical
equipment when not in use, here it is. Ford estimates it will save
US$1.2 million annually on power costs alone and reduce its carbon
footprint by an estimated 16,000 to 25,000 metric tons annually by
implementing a new PC Power Management program
Four years after Sago, few mines have texting device
More than four years after the Sago Mine disaster, fewer than one of
every 10 underground coal mines in the United States has added improved
communications and tracking equipment that could help miners escape an
explosion or fire.
High Arctic species plummeting across the board, others Arctic residents
on the rise
Between 1970 and 2004 species populations in the high Arctic have
declined by 26 percent, according to the first report by the Arctic
Species Trend Index (ASTI). While this may be a natural cycle,
scientists are concerned that environmental impacts such as climate
change are worsening natural population fluctuations in the high Arctic.
Declining species include lemmings, red knot, and caribou.
Human health linked directly to forest health
Environmental degradation is causing serious detrimental health
impacts for humans, but protecting natural habitats can reverse this and
supply positive health benefits, according to a new WWF report.
"Our research confirms what we know instinctively: Human health is
inextricably linked to the health of the planet," says Chris Elliot,
WWF's Executive Director of Conservation.
InterAction Viewpoint; Global Development Success Depends On Access To
Water
InterAction joins other U.S.-based non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) in calling for the United States government to
commit available resources to solve the world's growing water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH) crisis.
'Made in USA' worries wind industry
A "buy American" proposal for wind energy funding pending in Washington
could slow development and hurt job creation, according to some in the
industry.
Military leaders testify about energy efficiency
Cutting Americans' addiction to fossil fuel isn't a tree-hugger issue
but a national security one, a retired Navy vice admiral told state
lawmakers yesterday.
The United States consumes a quarter of the world's oil, and much of
that comes from countries that aren't friendly to us. Meanwhile, we have
a military that increasingly marches on oil...
NOAA; Sixth Warmest February in Combined Global Surface Temperature,
Fifth Warmest December-February
Last month’s combined global land and ocean surface temperature made
it the sixth warmest February ever recorded. Additionally, the December
2009 – February 2010 period was the fifth warmest on record averaged for
any similar three-month Northern Hemisphere winter-Southern Hemisphere
summer season, according to scientists at
NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
in Asheville, N.C.
Nuclear waste piling up in region
Three nuclear power plants along the Tennessee River near Chattanooga
are storing 3,013 metric tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste.
By mid-century, the waste volume stored in Soddy-Daisy and Spring City,
Tenn., and Athens, Ala., could more than double if no permanent solution
for storing or reducing spent nuclear fuel is found, government studies
show.
Rapid Increases in Tree Growth Found in US
The first-ever research program of its kind has so far:
* Found rapid increases in tree growth in the forest around the
Smithsonian's Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Maryland, USA, a
finding attributed to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and longer
growing seasons...
Regenerative shock absorber to bump up car energy capture capabilities
According to a team of mechanical engineers
from Stony Brook
University, only 10-16 percent of the fuel energy is used to drive the
car during everyday usage – that is, to overcome the resistance from
road friction and air drag and actually transport the vehicle forward.
That amounts to a lot of energy being wasted.
Renewably-Generated Electricity Reaches 10.5pct for 2009 as Nuclear
Output Drops
According to the latest edition of EIA's "Electric Power Monthly,"
hydropower provided 6.89% of U.S.-generated electricity in 2009 while
non-hydro renewables (i.e., biomass, geothermal, solar, wind)
contributed 3.57% for a combined total of 10.46%.
Reviving The U.S. Nuclear Industry Could Get Hung Up On How To Handle
Waste
Reviving the U.S. nuclear industry could get hung up on
the political minefield of how to handle the security, legal and
environmental risks posed by a growing mountain of radioactive waste.
Senate climate bill to give free permits; sources
U.S. power generating companies would get free pollution permits, at
least initially, as part of a compromise climate change bill being
written in the Senate that also would give the coal industry $10 billion
to develop "clean" technology, sources said on Friday.
Senators pump gas fee into bill
Climate bill supporters are leaning toward exempting big oil
companies from a broader cap on greenhouse gases as a way of winning
critical support from industry players and key lawmakers.
Support Hydrogen-On-Demand made cheaply FROM WATER--FREEDOM FROM FOREIGN
OIL
Since the 1800’s Hydrogen-On-Demand has been extensively
researched and documented by NASA scientists, U.S. Patent Office, U.S.
Department of Transportation, automotive engineers and thousands of
private experimenters. It has been shown, time and time again, to
increase fuel economy, drastically decrease harmful emissions and also
reduce noise and heat
Sustainability; A New Vision For Public Works
To support a new sustainability vision in public works
management, the American Public Works Association (APWA) has
recently created the new APWA Center for Sustainability.
The Pain in Spain, and What It Means for Europe and Beyond
Spain's rapid decline from one of Western Europe's fastest-growing
economies to one of its most troubled has left many looking for blame.
How could the country, a poster child for the benefits of European
economic and monetary integration, suddenly find itself lumped together
with smaller, more sickly economies like Greece, Portugal and Ireland?
Unclean Water Claims More Lives Than War
The 2010 World Water Day theme is Clean Water for a Healthy World,
but every day two million tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural
wastes enter the Earth's waters, while every 20 seconds a child under
the age of five dies from water-related diseases.
Underwater Cable an Alternative to Electrical Towers
Generating 20 percent of America’s electricity with wind, as recent
studies proposed, would require building up to 22,000 miles of new
high-voltage transmission lines. But the huge towers and unsightly
tree-cutting that these projects require have provoked intense public
opposition.
Waste Water Kills Millions Of Children, Pollutes Sea Human beings are flushing millions of tonnes of solid waste into rivers
and oceans every day, poisoning marine life and spreading diseases
that kill millions of children annually, the U.N. said on Monday.
"The sheer scale of dirty water means more people now die from
contaminated and polluted water than from all forms of violence
including wars,"...
Waste_Inbox 032310
The gist of the piece is that
citizens regarded as part of China´s
"urban elite" -- essentially
metro-based middle-classers (as
opposed to less affluent farmers out
in the boondocks) -- are becoming
more assertive in opposing the
government´s plans to build more
trash incinerators:
White House; Economic Recovery May Stall Without CO2 Bill
Senior White House and Obama administration officials say they are
worried the nation's economic recovery could stall if Congress doesn't
pass a climate bill this year.
The officials warn that investors are so uncertain about the future
cost of emitting greenhouse gases that they are sitting on capital
rather than pouring it into "clean" technology, new power plants or
energy-intensive manufacturing.
Why we aren't as ethical as we think we are
People see ethics as getting away with whatever they can
while still staying within the rules while integrity comes from
individuals
The depressing, if a little unsurprising, conclusion is
that what we know we should do and what we want to do can be two
very different things, in other words, we are not as ethical as we think
we are.
World Solar Photovoltaic Market Grew to 6.43 Gigawatts in 2009
The PV industry generated $38 billion in global revenues in 2009,
while successfully raising over $13.5 billion in equity and debt, up 8%
on the prior year.
President Obama signs landmark health bill into law
Together, the two pieces of legislation would cost $940 billion over the
next decade and extend health-insurance coverage to an estimated 32
million Americans who are currently uninsured. The package is aimed at
stemming the soaring growth in the cost of health-care and reducing the
federal deficit by more than $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years.
March 19, 2010
A Different Way of Dealing with Our Bathroom Waste
Almost everyone agrees that the U.S. system of sewers
and treatment plants are in serious need of repair or replacements, in
spite of recent huge investments in maintenance and updates...
Many of the sewer systems in major cities such as New
York, Boston and San Francisco have sewer systems that were built by our
great grandfathers.
Air Quality is improving in much of the US
Since 1990, nationwide air quality has improved significantly for the
six common air pollutants: ground-level ozone, particle pollution, lead,
nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. Emissions of
toxic air pollutants, such as benzene, have declined about 40 percent
nationwide between 1990 and 2005.
An Inconvenient Truth; Biofuels Have a Carbon Footprint
The question about whether certain types of biofuels have a
better carbon profile than petroleum resurfaces. ..
On the surface, this seems to be a no-brainer. ..Yet, creating biofuels
like corn ethanol is an energy-intensive process.
Biofuel Carbon Footprint Not As Big As Feared, New Analysis Finds
Publications ranging from the journal Science to Time
magazine have blasted biofuels for significantly contributing to greenhouse
gas emissions, calling into question the environmental benefits of
making fuel from plant material. But a new analysis by Michigan
State University scientists says these dire predictions are based on
a set of assumptions that may not be correct.
Biomass is
Mixing it Up
Biomass energy generation seems poised to compete with solar, wind, and
even hydro in some regions as a source of renewable energy.
Blue
Fin Tuna Decline and Fall
Unfortunately for them they are also delicious and may
be on the brink of extinction due to overfishing. European Union
ambassadors agreed to propose protecting blue fin tuna as an endangered
species on March 10, a move that would effectively ban international
trade in the species.
California
to get more Water
The increase was issued ahead of schedule and comes at a critical
time for the Central Valley, which is one of the country's most
bountiful agricultural regions. California, the No. 1 farm state,
produces more than half the fruits, vegetables and nuts grown in the
United States.
California's Solar Net Metering Bill; If at first you don't succeed
For years California has led the nation in rooftop solar energy
installation, in large measure because California’s Net Metering law.
This guarantees that building owners with photovoltaic solar systems can
sell electricity back to their utilities at the same rates that the
utilities sell to them, and that they can sell the utilities as much in
a year as they buy, but no more.
Coal executives besieged, bothered ... but apparently not bewildered
Coal and coal-utility executives speaking at Platts' Coal Properties and
Investment Conference in Fort Lauderdale this week met in a besieged
mood, but seemed to have a pretty clear idea of the reason and purpose
behind it.
"There is a campaign to eliminate coal at all levels. And unfortunately
that campaign is in charge of EPA, the White House and runs the
Department of Energy."
Coal prices to rise on higher use, falling output; UBS
The continued decline of US coal production through the
first half of the year, combined with increased domestic consumption,
will likely lead to an uptick in coal prices in 2010 and beyond,
according to a UBS report.
While the next 10 months will be an "inventory cleansing year" for
coal-fired power plants still burdened with high coal stockpiles...
Credit Risk Index Plateaus, Suggesting Improved Consumer Risk Conditions
for the US
TransUnion reported that during the fourth quarter of 2009 the Credit
Risk Index (CRI) indicated that risk conditions in the U.S. are
beginning to moderate.
Deal Nearing On Senate Climate Bill; Lawmaker
The Senate is close to wrapping up talks ahead of introducing a
compromise climate change bill, a top Democratic lawmaker said on
Wednesday, but details still have to be nailed down.
Ecuadoreans Appeal Allowing Of Chevron Arbitration Ecuadorean plaintiffs have appealed a U.S. judge's decision to allow
Chevron Corp to seek arbitration of a case of alleged pollution in
the Amazon rainforest with a potential $27 billion liability.
Electric Vehicles Charge Ahead in US
What's billed as the biggest rollout of electric vehicle infrastructure
in the world is about to begin in the United States.
Urban planners are deciding where to locate more than 11,000 charging
stations in 11 major cities.
FLUXXlab shows us how we're part of the energy cycle
Here’s how the natural energy cycle works: the sun
creates energy when it causes the plants to grow, the plants create
energy when they’re eaten by animals, the animals and the plants create
energy when they’re consumed by people, and then the people create
energy when they do things like open doors. That’s sort of the idea,
anyway..
Geithner, Orszag and Romer on the Rescuing the American Economy from the
Great Recession
We come before you after a trying year for the Nation. A little more
than one year ago, the economy seemed on the verge of a second Great
Depression. Together with the Congress, the President worked
aggressively to stabilize the financial system and bring the economy
back from the brink. The worst now appears to be behind us.
Governors Unite
Calling themselves the “Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition,” the group
issued a list of recommendations that the claim will create jobs, impact
climate change, and move the US towards energy independence.
Have We Abandoned Our Children to Toxins?
According to Landrigan, 1 in 6
American children is currently learning or behaviorally
disabled...Add to these the fact that our children are exposed to more
vaccinations than ever before. In 1985, children were vaccinated
for seven diseases; that number has swelled to 16. And
vaccinations are grouped together solely to make children more
likely to get them, even though the risks increase to an unknown
degree.
Hidden RFID tags could mean end of bar-codes and lines at the checkout
Newly developed radio-frequency identification
(RFID) technology could usher in the era of checkout line-free shopping.
The inexpensive, printable transmitter can be invisibly embedded in
packaging offering the possibility of customers walking a cartload of
groceries or other goods past a scanner that would read all the items at
once, total them up and charge the customer’s account while adjusting
the store’s inventory.
Indigenous leader confronts Chevron
“I want to say to our indigenous brothers in the U.S. that we, the
indigenous people of Ecuador need support to get Chevron to clean up the
Amazon,” Criollo said. “We need your support to push this new CEO to
take action.
Made in Korea
First it was appliances, then cars. Now, it is nuclear reactors.
Many power plants emitting more mercury
Many of America's coal-fired power plants lack widely available
pollution controls for the highly toxic metal mercury, and mercury
emissions recently increased at more than half of the country's 50
largest mercury-emitting power plants, according to a report Wednesday.
Monocrystalline silicon solar cells with 19% efficiency
The work focused on the development of a highly efficient back for
silicon solar cells, resulting in yield improvements in the
long-wave range of the solar spectrum.
Nobel Prize-Winning Scientists and Economists Call on Senate to Address
Climate Change Now
Nobel Prize-winning economists and scientists will
deliver a
letter to the U.S. Senate today, urging lawmakers to require
immediate cuts in global warming emissions. The letter was signed by
more than 2,000 prominent U.S. economists and climate scientists,
including eight Nobel laureates, 32 National Academy of Sciences
members, 11 MacArthur "genius award" winners, and three National Medal
of Science recipients.
OPEC Rolls Over
Again
OPEC appears to be working on output levels, as opposed to quota levels,
and by leaving output where it is it is in effect just confirming that
these levels are correct for now.
Pollution Is Called a Byproduct of a ‘Clean’ Fuel
After residents of the Riverbend Farms
subdivision noticed that an oily, fetid substance had begun fouling
the Black Warrior River, which runs through their backyards, Mark
Storey, a retired petroleum plant worker, hopped into his boat to
follow it upstream to its source.
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 031810
Solar activity was very low. Regions remain stable and quiet. Both remain at a Beta
magnetic classification and have produced only low level B-class
flares.
The geomagnetic field was mostly quiet, with a brief period of
unsettled conditions between 03-06Z. Solar wind speeds have
decreased to around 400km/s.
Revolutionary Fuel from Water Technology
Marine Power Products Corporation (MPP) has developed
revolutionary water-to-fuel technology that produces hydrogen on-demand
at a fraction of the cost of electrolysis and gasoline.
'Shocking' Reasons to Go Organic
Eating organic foods has lots of
benefits, from protecting the environment to helping you stay slim and
healthier.
Support CarbonCap, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy
They noted that “by
focusing on this three-pronged strategy (i.e., carbon cap +
efficiency + renewables), it may prove unnecessary - for the
moment at least - to tackle either of the two most controversial
options for addressing climate change: creating a “trading
system” for emissions credits or imposing carbon taxes.”
The letter also stressed
that “climate legislation that promotes continued or expanded
use of fossil fuels and/or nuclear power, or which rolls back
existing environmental safeguards, could result in a bill that
might actually be worse than no bill at all.”
The
Greening of Brownfields
Getting power generation projects permitted is a headache. That includes
wind and solar. But a clever idea is now making headway -- to place such
green facilities on land that is now contaminated.
The
Last Word; A New Beginning
Shortly after the beginning of the third millennium it looks as though
the first decade was lost to the greediness, egoism and irresponsibility
of our so-called 'global elite'.
The
financial crisis which originated in the global financial
centres in New York and London is primarily a crisis of the
Anglo-Saxon turbo capitalism that went out of control and widely exposed
its ruthlessness in threatening the welfare of all. It led the world
into a global economic downturn that is a serious handicap to setting
out speedily into a new era of sustainable economic growth.
The Water Wars; California's Salmon vs. Agribiz Interests
What do we need to bring the salmon back? That's simple: water...
In California, water flows in the same direction as
money. The West Coast's salmon fishers have been stripped of their
rights and livelihoods by powerful corporate agricultural interests in
the San Joaquin Valley.
Tribes need to prepare for inflationary future
“Given the amount of money (the federal government) has been pumping
into the system, it is only a matter of time before inflation takes off.
It might be one year, three years or five years, but I’m sure it is
coming.”
US
Fixed-Rates Flat this Week
Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) yesterday released the results of its Primary
Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM)
averaged 4.96 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending
March 18, 2010, up slightly from last week when it averaged 4.95
percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.98 percent.
US solar industry stands firm on national renewable standard
The solar energy industry is in no mood to compromise with those
who would favor placing nuclear and clean coal with carbon capture and
storage on equal footing with solar and wind as part of a federal
generation mandate.
Vilsack and USDA Say USA Industrial Ag Pollution is Only 7% of
Greenhouse Gases - It's Actually 35-50%
"Going against the political tide and the beliefs of
other farm groups, members of the National Farmers Union still see
income potential in climate legislation and green energy, but
acknowledge that a cap-and-trade plan has become mired in partisan
politics.
VY may extract tainted water from under plant
Engineers are working on a plan to extract up to 300,000 gallons of
tritium contaminated groundwater from under the site of Vermont Yankee
nuclear power plant in Vernon.
Waste Management To Deploy First Plasma Gasification System
With the S4 system, waste materials are prepared and fed into a first
phase gasification chamber that operates at temperatures of
approximately 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. After the first phase, the waste
materials flow into a second closed chamber where they are superheated
to temperatures between 10,000 and 20,000 degrees Fahrenheit using an
electricity-conducting gas called plasma.
March 16, 2010
4 Keys To A Successful Sustainability Strategy Consider these morsels from last week's Wall Street Journal: "By 2050,
there could be two billion cars on the road -- twice as many as
there are today." "Energy demand is expected to be 35 percent higher
in 2030 than in 2005." "Pollution of drinking water is Americans'
No. 1 environmental concern."
If you're of the mind that the global economy is an Energizer
battery that will simply go, go, go -- without needing outside
attention -- think again.
Arizona Invites Solar Companies Worldwide to Tap Into Arizona's
Booming Residential Solar Market; Now More Than 600 Solar Related
Businesses Are Scrambling to Meet the Demand
The Arizona Solar Power Society reports that the
residential solar market in Arizona is creating a gold mine of solar
revenue. In the past 18 months, more than 275 residential solar
installation companies have opened shop
Bees are busier than ever as disease besieges colonies
More than three years after beekeepers starting seeing the sudden
disappearance of hive populations, scientists have yet to find the cause
-- let alone the fix -- for a condition called colony collapse disorder
(CCD). Meanwhile, the commercial beekeeping industry is struggling to
provide pollination services to the nations' farmers. One-third of food
crops rely on insect pollination.
Breakthrough in quest for solar hydrogen production
Scientists at
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, have built on feats of Mother Nature
to develop the most potent homogeneous catalyst known for water
oxidation, which they hope will lead to producing clean hydrogen fuel
using only water and sunlight.
Cities Sue Over Weed Killer in the Water
As Change.org has previously
reported, atrazine is as ubiquitous as it is dangerous.
The most widely used weed killer in the country, it spreads swiftly
to municipal water—where it has been found to lower sperm counts for men
and increase the risk of breast cancer and fertility problems in women.
When tested on frogs, it was even powerful enough to
turn males into functional females.
CLEAN ENERGY PATENTS HIT RECORD HIGH IN 2009 -Clean Energy Patent Growth
Index
The CEPGI tracks the granting of patents in the Clean Energy
sector and monitors important technological breakthroughs in
this field. Victor Cardona, Co-chair of the firm’s Cleantech
Group stated, “we are pleased to announce that results for the
Clean Energy Patent Growth Index indicate that Clean Energy
Patents hit a record high in 2009, up almost 200 over 2008.
Honda again had the most Clean Energy patents in 2008 while U.S.
patent owners hold more U.S. patents than any other country.
Also, solar patents gained on, and almost equaled, wind patents
in 2009.”
Climate Report Shows Australia Getting Warmer
Australia's top scientists on Monday released a "State of the
Climate" report at a time of growing scepticism over climate change
as a result of revelations of errors in some global scientific
reports.
The scientists said their monitoring and research of the world's
driest inhabited continent for 100 years "clearly demonstrate that
climate change is real."
CO2 At New Highs Despite Economic Slowdown
Levels of the main greenhouse gas in the atmosphere have risen to
new highs in 2010 despite an economic slowdown in many nations that
braked industrial output, data showed on Monday.
Coal prices to rise on higher use, falling output; UBS
The continued decline of US coal production through the
first half of the year, combined with increased domestic consumption,
will likely lead to an uptick in coal prices in 2010 and beyond,
according to a UBS report.
Crude futures weaker and 'could go lower'; traders
Crude futures drifted lower as the European morning drew to a close
Monday, remaining largely rangebound following the two-month highs
reached last week.
Crude oil futures perk up on dollar weakness
Crude oil futures perked up into the European morning as dollar
weakness followed some earlier strength.
Deep-Sea Volcanoes Play Key Climate Role; Scientists A vast network of under-sea volcanoes pumping out nutrient-rich water
in the Southern Ocean plays a key role in soaking up large amounts
of carbon dioxide, acting as a brake on climate change, scientists
say.
A group of Australian and French scientists have shown for the
first time that the volcanoes are a major source of iron that
single-celled plants called phytoplankton need to bloom and in the
process soak up CO2, the main greenhouse gas.
Efficiency can help meet demand for energy
Harvey Sachs explains energy efficiency in elemental human terms.
"Nobody really wants to buy electricity, but they sure want a hot bath
and cold beer," said Sachs, who's with the American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy. "Efficiency is about wasting less to make sure
that you have the hot bath and the cold beer."
Electricity-storage effort gets funds
A partnership between the University at Buffalo and two other entities
to develop high-capacity batteries for storing electricity has won more
than $550,000 in funding from the New York State Research and
Development Authority.
EMISSION CRITICAL; US '09 CO2 Drop Biggest On Record,Won't Last
The U.S. posted its biggest-ever decline in
carbon-dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in 2009, according to
preliminary government data.
The drop, which is the bittersweet byproduct of the battered economy, is
the equivalent of eliminating the annual greenhouse gas emissions from
almost a third of the nation's registered vehicles. It also highlights
the tight link between economic activity and emissions as the impact of
proposed climate change rules on businesses is being hotly debated in
Washington, D.C.
Energy efficiency could save residents thousands
Energy efficiency could save South Carolinians money and create
employment for thousands.
This was the message presented Friday by Suzanne Watson, director of
policy for the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)...
EPA Makes Chemical Information More Accessible to Public
As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s strong commitment to
increase information on chemicals, for the first time, EPA is providing
web access, free of charge, to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Chemical Substance Inventory. This inventory contains a consolidated
list of thousands of industrial chemicals maintained by the agency. EPA
is also making this information available on Data.Gov,..
EPA Sends 'Johnson Memo' Reconsideration on CO2 Emissions to White House
U.S. EPA sent its final reconsideration yesterday of a George W.
Bush-era memorandum detailing when the government should regulate
carbon dioxide emissions from industrial facilities to the White
House Office of Management and Budget for review.
Going green on the greens - the Mow Cycle pedal-powered riding mower
If the stereotype is to be believed, guys who use gas
lawn mowers would love to someday own a riding mower - after all, few
things could be more macho than doing circuits of your lawn sitting on a
miniature tractor with spinning blades on the bottom. But what about
suburbanites who use non-polluting push mowers?
High Desert residents struggle with wind turbine regulations
When Gus Sansone decided to invest in a wind turbine for his home in
2001, he had no idea just how much money, and energy, he would be saving
in the long run.
He said he paid about $36,000 to have the 80-foot-tall turbine
installed, but with state and federal rebates, the cost came out to just
over $16,000.
After six years, the turbine paid for itself,..
Honda Drives Toward Home Solar Hydrogen Refueling
Coming not so soon and probably not to a house near you is the
home solar hydrogen refueling station -- Honda Motor Co's latest
idea in its drive to make hydrogen the fuel of choice for zero
emission cars.
The Japanese auto giant believes hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles
offer the best long-term alternative to fossil fuels and the company
showed on Friday a refueling breakthrough that it says points to a
home version down the road.
Japanese machine transforms office paper into toilet paper
Aptly named “White Goat”, a machine created by
Oriental, Co. Ltd is one of
latest offspring of the eco movement. According to
sources, it uses 40 sheets of standard A4 office paper and water to
make one roll of toilet paper in roughly 30 minutes.
If the novelty turns heads, so does the price tag.
Los Angeles to eliminate use of coal by 2020
A monthly carbon surcharge will be imposed for Los Angeles as part of
efforts to help the city eliminate the use of coal by 2020, the Mayor's
Office announced.
Obama to push climate change in White House meeting
Obama called the meeting with influential senators and members of his
cabinet to reinvigorate one of his top domestic and foreign policy
priorities, which advisers admit has suffered from the president's focus
on healthcare reform.
Obama’s Agenda
A cornerstone of the president's agenda has been making investments in
the latest energy technologies -- money that underscores the
transformation to the green economy and the creation of jobs and cleaner
air. Toward that end, the administration spearheaded a $787 billion
stimulus plan that has allocated hundreds of billions of dollars into
such things as the intelligent utility, green energy development -- and
even subsidies for futuristic nuclear and coal facilities.
On Rooftops Worldwide, a Solar Water Heating Revolution
The harnessing of solar energy is expanding on every front as
concerns about climate change and energy security escalate, as
government incentives for harnessing solar energy expand, and as
these costs decline while those of fossil fuels rise. One solar
technology that is really beginning to take off is the use of solar
thermal collectors to convert sunlight into heat that can be used to
warm both water and space.
Ontario Power Authority Will Pay Citizens to Generate Green Energy
The Ontario Power Authority has approved payment
contracts to 510 new green energy generating projects, most of them
solar power installations. Under Ontario's new Feed-In Tariff program,
the most comprehensive of its kind in North America, participants are
paid a fixed price for the electricity they generate.
Power plants to use more Illinois coal, despite CO2 issue; execs
Coal-fired utilities that opt to burn high-sulfur Illinois Basin
coal instead of Central Appalachian coal may face the prospect of
emitting more carbon dioxide from scrubbers, a Southern Company official
warned Monday.
Recycled plastic plywood could change the face of construction sites
Hoardings made out traditional plywood could soon become a thing of
the past on many of the UK’s construction sites thanks to an
innovative recycled plastic plywood that is going into full-scale
production in March.
Renewable energy can meet 100% of demand; US study
"Even though the wind does not blow nor the sun shine all the time,
careful management, readily available storage and other renewable
sources, can produce nearly all the electricity North Carolinians
consume," says John Blackburn, former Chancellor of Duke University.
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 031510
Solar activity has been at very low levels for the past
24 hours. Region 1054 (N14W14) has showed slight decay but continues to
maintain its magnetic Beta-Gamma configuration.
C-flares are likely from Region 1054. There is a slight chance for
an isolated M-class event also from this region. he geomagnetic field is
expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels for the next three days
(16-18 March). The increase in activity is due to a recurrent coronal
hole high-speed stream on day one and day two...
Russia to raise oil export duty to $36.8b for April
The zero rate was introduced in December to encourage companies
to invest in development of the new oil-rich but remote province of East
Siberia, which requires massive spending on infrastructure. It is
currently being revised monthly, like the standard export duty for
Urals, although energy minister Sergei Shmatko favors less frequent
revisions.
Saving U.S. Water and Sewer Systems Would Be Costly
s city employees searched for underground valves, a
growing crowd started asking angry questions. Pipes were breaking across
town, and fire hydrants weren't working, they complained. Why couldn't
the city deliver water, one man yelled at Mr. Hawkins.
Such questions are becoming common across the nation as water and sewer
systems break down. Today, a significant water line bursts on average
every two minutes somewhere in the country, according to a New York
Times analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data.
Soil Biodiversity; The Invisible Hero
Soils are home to over one quarter of all living species, yet Europe
has no binding legislation to protect this precious resource. We
depend on soil for food, fibres, construction materials, clean
water, clean air, climate regulation, and antibiotics such as penicillin
and streptomycin are derived from the soil. Soil biodiversity is the
driving force behind this productive capacity, but that diversity faces
numerous threats.
Solar panels made three times cheaper and four times more efficient
The Concentrated Universal Energy Solar System (CUESS) to be
commercialized by Technique Solar
Solar Systems for Cheap from Sungevity, TXU Energy
Two solar power system providers are expanding the
availability of solar leases with no down payments.
Tool That Tracks Solar Installations is Open to All
The photovoltaic (PV) market now has an eye-popping, interactive bevy of
maps and charts that can let anyone know where PV panels are being
installed, how big they are, how much they cost and how fast the
industry is booming.
Tritium could affect VY cleanup costs
The possible remediation costs of contaminated groundwater at Vermont
Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon due to a leak of tritiated water is
dependent on a number of conditions, said a spokesman for the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
Turning Mine Water Into A Useful Resource
A new water treatment system, the first to be used in a
North American coal mine, is being implemented by CONSOL Energy Inc. in
one of the nation's largest coal mines...GE's advanced filtration
membranes and thermal water treatment technology to treat the mine
water, enabling about 99 percent of the water to be reused in part at
the company's preparation plant facility.
U.S. firms working to lower cost of solar energy
One piece of the American effort to find a way to make solar energy
cheap enough that everyone will want it is unfolding in a modest
red-brick building in this Midwestern city once known as one of the
nation's top makers of glass.
US Coal Outlook
The continued decline of US coal production through the first half of
the year, combined with increased domestic consumption, will likely lead
to an uptick in coal prices in 2010 and beyond, according to a UBS
report.
While the next 10 months will be an "inventory cleansing year" for
coal-fired power plants still burdened with high coal stockpiles, the
bank's analysts say downward pressure on coal pricing has already been
eased by a significant drawdown of inventories in December.
US Industrial Production Rose in February
U.S. industrial production rose 0.1% in February, beating market
expectations for a flat reading. The increase follows the growth of 0.9%
seen in January and continues a string of eight-straight monthly
increases. The capacity utilization rate increased to 72.7% from
January’s 72.5% (revised from 72.6%), higher than the 72.6% expected by
markets.
VY plans
more leak inspections
The condensate storage tank at Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant may be
inspected a third time to determine if it is leaking tritiated water
into the ground under the plant.
Yankee engineers are evaluating whether ultrasonic testing or a visual
observation of the tank floor is needed...
Where Has the
Oil Gone?
Oil supply is not infinite. Sooner or later it will run out. The
interesting speculation is when that will happen. In a recent
publication (ACS Energy and Fuels), several Kuwait scientists have
studied this matter with a multicycle Hubbert model. The original
Hubbert model in 1956, accurately predicted that oil production would
peak in the United States around 1970.
Wind power execs call for national renewable portfolio standard
Inconsistencies in renewable energy policies pose the biggest
challenges to wind power development in the US, energy executives said
Friday at the CERAWeek conference in Houston.
Wind Turbines might actually add to warming
A new paper suggests that wind turbines, installed broadly, might
actually change the climate themselves just by disrupting the normal
flow of the wind:
March 12, 2010
80-strong group calls for UK public inquiry on new nuclear
Claiming that key issues surrounding the safety of the reactors
and the management and disposal of the nuclear waste they would generate
are yet to be resolved, the 80-strong group said the decision on
justification required a more involved debate than the government had
given it so far.
Africa's oil products demand set to soar 40pct by 2020; consultancy
Oil products demand in Africa will rise by over 40% in the next ten
years, outpacing growth rates in world demand, while the continent's
refineries will struggle to satisfy this upturn, downstream African
energy specialist CITAC Africa said Thursday.
Alexander Warns of Putting Renewable Energy Projects on Landscapes
'We've Spent Billions Trying to Protect'
"We've spent more than a century and billions of dollars
of public and private money protecting certain landscapes and scenic
areas,...So I hope you are considering finding ways to protect the
Appalachian Trail from these large, 50-story wind turbines, and leaving
the production of carbon-free electricity to other forms of electricity
that might not interfere with that viewscape."
Arctic Seed Vault Sets Record, Over 500,000 Samples
A "doomsday" vault storing crop seeds in an Arctic deep freeze is
surpassing 500,000 samples to become the most diverse collection of
food seeds in history, managers said on Thursday.
Are
natural gas power plants safe? Something ignited the gas that was being used in a scheduled
cleaning procedure at the Kleen
Energy Plant in Connecticut.The blast killed six people.
'Balance Needed' Say Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Leaders in US Senate
Briefing
On March 5th, 2010, hydrogen and fuel cell industry
experts joined Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii to brief Senate staff on
the balance needed between industry and government commitments as well
as between different clean vehicle technologies
California global warming law may lead to job losses, report says
Debate over the economic effects of California's first-in-the-nation
global warming law flared this week, with a report saying short-term job
losses can be expected.
California laws becoming ‘dairy digester’ intolerant
Three years ago, I encountered the worst smell of my life: cow
waste....But the cows there weren’t just creating stink (and millions of
gallons of milk) — they were also producing millions of kilowatt
hours of electricity.
Car Buyers Want Green Cars To Be Better In Every Way
Fuel efficiency has increasingly become an important
factor over the past few years when it comes to buying a new car. But it
isn't the only factor...
Closing coal plant a numbers game
Figuring in financial costs for releasing greenhouse gases under some
sort of federal limits (which don't exist today), and uncertain costs
for coal supplies into the future, the authors conclude that Salt River
Project could make perhaps $158 million by shutting Navajo and investing
it in renewable energy instead.
Compact fluorescents - Recycle them?
The majority of local authorities in London are advising residents to
throw compact fluorescent lightbulbs in their general waste, despite the
hazard posed by their mercury content.
Controversial Cleantech; Three Alternative Energy Resources Spurred by
Government Support, Spurned by Extreme Greens
As controversial as they are viable, three alternative
energy resources are gaining government support as practical solutions
in the global clean-energy revolution: carbon emissions trading, clean
coal, and nuclear power.
Conversation about growth in global energy demand begins with China
...China, which has the world's largest population and
an emerging economy with wildly surging energy demand that not even the
global Great Recession has reined in.
Did ‘cap and trade’ go up in smoke?
A broad cap-and-trade plan to reduce carbon emissions has been
pronounced dead by one of the senators pushing hardest for it.
But by “dead,” Republican
Lindsey Graham
of South Carolina may have meant re-branded.
Dirty Air In California Caused $193 M In Hospital-Based Medical
Costs During 2005 To 2007 California's dirty air caused more than $193 million in
hospital-based medical care from 2005 to 2007 as people sought help
for problems such as asthma and pneumonia that are triggered by
elevated pollution levels, according to a new RAND Corporation
study.
Ensuring
Nuclear Safety
Both the European Union and Russia are planning for more
nuclear energy. It's part of their effort to reduce carbon emission
levels.
EPA Announces Superfund Cleanup Progress For FY 2009
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released recently the
annual summary of the Superfund program's fiscal year (FY) 2009
progress. The report shows that the program continues to make
significant progress in achieving its mission of cleaning up the
country's most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste
sites and protecting the health of nearby communities and ecosystems
from harmful contaminants.
EPA Responds To Senators` Inquiry On Carbon Pollution Reduction Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency responded to
questions from eight U.S. Senators on the EPA's plans to use the Clean
Air Act to reduce global warming pollution.
FDA
Creates an Ear Candle Ban!
This is the same battle as the one that is being waged
in the Senate against your right to choose nutrients for your health and
the one against your access to clean, healthy food. Today it is Ear
Candles...
FSA Publishes Financial Risk Outlook
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) yesterday published its
Financial Risk Outlook (FRO) outlining the main risks and issues present
in its operating environment, affecting firms, markets and consumers.
Funding for Renewables Projects in the Public and Private Sectors
Of course, most companies that ask for money receive
none at all -- let alone $700 million. But how does this process
work? Is it fair? Why do certain types of companies seem to
be favored over others?
Global Trade’s Dirty Secret; Outsourced Emissions
The Carnegie Institution of Science released a new study
this week finding that one-third of the carbon dioxide emissions
developed countries release into the atmosphere result from goods and
services produced outside their borders. The report’s details are
troubling:
Gold slipping as most-invested ETP commodity; Deutsche Bank Demand for commodity exchange-traded products was just below 50% of the
European ETP market as of March 5, signaling a shift in the market due
to an increased demand for gold and commodity-like returns, Deutsche
Bank said Friday.
Green Cleaning
Supplies
When we get out the rags and the wash buckets, we have the best of
intentions. Cleanliness is a virtue, right? And healthy too! Well, if
you use conventional cleaning products, perhaps not. Have you ever
cleaned your shower or oven and then had teary eyes, burning nasal
tissues, an itchy throat, a headache, or dizziness? Guess what? All of
these symptoms and more could have been caused by chemicals commonly
found in household cleaners.
Have Fuel Cells Finally Turned the Corner?
The subject of the story was the public unveiling of the
Energy Server™, which is refrigerator-sized generating units containing
solid oxide fuel cells. Bloom Energy claims that this type of advanced
fuel cell holds greater potential for real distributed generation
applications than its predecessors due to its use of lower cost ceramic
materials as well as due to a breakthrough in engineering design
challenges that previously hindered the development of solid oxide fuel
cells.
Local solar workers see bright future; Education preparing diverse
students for jobs in alternative energy field
Shortly after receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of
Toledo in December, Rosa Zartman accepted a job as a UT lab technician
studying photovoltaics.
McCain and Dorgan Continue to Attack Dietary Supplements
The recent apparent demise of Senator McCain's bill,
S.3002, which was designed to kill access to high potency supplements,
was trumpeted in the health freedom world as a triumph....But this
battle for the survival of high potency nutrients is not over yet. The
letter asks Harkin and Hatch to import some of the worst provisions of
S.3002 into another pending fake "safety" bill, S.510..
More Americans Say Global Warming Exaggerated; Poll
A growing number of Americans, nearly half the country, think
global warming worries are exaggerated, as more people also doubt
that scientific warnings of severe environmental fallout will ever
occur, according to a new Gallup poll.
Natural Gas drilling chemicals a concern
Joseph Aldy, special assistant to the president for energy and the
environment, said concerns about water contamination from drilling
chemicals could lead to states requiring disclosure and that could deter
additional investment.
NGV_Newsletter
The Russian city of Togliatta (Tolyatti), near the Volga
River in the Samara Oblast, is a struggling automotive manufacturing
hub. Now the city’s economy is about to be boosted by a new hybrid car
project
Ontario's Landmark Green Energy Plan Delivers
The future will be brighter for many businesses in Ontario as more than
500 new green energy projects, most of them solar power installations,
were approved today.
Ready for electric cars? Here are a few side issues
A few random notes from a good session at CERAWeek on getting the
electric grid ready for electric cars: * Utilities actually are thinking
about a long-time human practice: "keeping up with the Joneses."
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 031110
Solar activity was very low. Today's activity consisted
of a few, low-level B-class events. New Region 1055 (S23W15) also
continued to emerge slowly ...
The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled at mid latitudes and was
mostly unsettled to active at high latitudes. However, there were some
isolated storm intervals at high latitudes...Solar wind observations from ACE showed elevated velocities around
460-500 km/s...
Reports says 700,000 electric vehicles sold last year
A new report estimates that about 700,000 electric vehicles were sold
around the world last year.
Of that total, the vast majority were electric-hybrid models...
Shale gas vies with oil and liquids for attention
Shale gas in the US is becoming increasingly a
by-product for the more profitable oil and liquids production, or even
being abandoned in favour of outright oil production. In the EU though, the market has
not even got that far.
Smacked by climate change, should women sue Big Oil
Can the poor village woman in a remote part of India who has to walk
longer distances to get her daily load of firewood for cooking blame
ExxonMobil or Chevron or Shell for her hard life?
Sources Of Pollution In Waterways Revealed
Polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are components of petroleum products
such as gasoline, coal, and oil. They are also produced as
by-products of the combustion of fuels including petroleum and fire
wood. PAHs can cause cancer and other health effects. Because they
are produced during combustion, they are ubiquitous, and their levels
are high enough to be a concern in all urban waterways.
Studying snake venom for medical cures
Snake venom — which can be
lethal to humans when bitten – is frequently studied by scientists
for the potential medicinal powers within it. Venom contains
anti-clotting proteins. It was a factor in the development of a
blood pressure medication. And it might even help
slow cancer growth.
Summit on the Summit Moves Clean Water to Center Stage
"Clean, healthy drinking water is a basic need for people everywhere
but unfortunately many go without," said Dr. Greg Allgood. "By joining
forces with others who share a common goal, we can bring major attention
to the global water situation and provide even more people with access
to clean drinking water - whether it's abroad or right in their own
kitchens."
Supreme Court Will Not Reopen Case That Closed Air Pollution Loophole
The Supreme Court today sided with environmental
advocates by declining to review a lower court ruling that forbid the
U.S. EPA to exempt industrial polluters from regular emissions standards
during "startup, shutdown and malfunction" events.
U.S. Judge Rules For Chevron In Ecuador Case
Chevron has complained of government interference in the case, in
which indigenous communities accused Texaco, bought by Chevron in
2001, of damaging their health and the Amazon rain forest and
causing river pollution while operating petroleum facilities in the
region.
US coal production in February falls 6.6pct on year; EIA data
US coal production totaled about 21.8 million short tons in the
week that ended Saturday, the Energy Information Administration said
Thursday.
US faces slowdown in wind farm development in 2010; analysts
Wind farm developers in the US and turbine manufacturers may be
looking at a leaner year in 2010, compared with 2009, as a result of a
fall-off in utility demand for power purchasing agreements, according to
a series of analyst reports, the most recent released Tuesday.
US
Mortgage Rates Drop Slightly
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 4.95 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending
March 11, 2010, down from last week when it averaged 4.97 percent. Last
year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.03 percent.
US shale pressuring Europe's long-term gas contracts; analyst
Abundant liquefied natural gas cargoes -- routed away from a US
market flooded with shale play production -- will probably bring down
spot prices for gas in the near future and hammer long-term gas
contracts in Europe, an energy analyst said Tuesday.
US State Dept. concerned over Congress proposals on Iran gasoline
Further Congressional action on legislation imposing gasoline
sanctions on Iran "could cause difficulties" for talks on multilateral
sanctions at the United Nations, according to a leading US State
Department official.
Vitamins in the kitchen or bathroom; Consider moving them!
High humidity in the kitchen and bathroom could be degrading your
vitamins and supplements stored there, even if the lids are on
tight, a Purdue University
study shows.
Waste_Inbox 031110 Electronics recycling in the United
States suffers from the same
maddening conflict as national
health care reform: Almost everyone
agrees it needs to happen. And no
one is able to build a real
consensus to make it happen.
E-waste is a very real and very
visible and very growing problem.
Yet for years now, government,
industry and environmental groups
have struggled and largely failed to
agree on any comprehensive plan...
White House initiates final review
of fuel economy-GHG rule
The Obama administration's bid to raise motor vehicle
fuel economy standards while simultaneously imposing the first-ever
limits on tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions moved closer to reality this
week, as White House regulatory officials began reviewing the ambitious
but controversial proposal
Who will rehabilitate the nation’s aging water infrastructure; Robots,
of course!
Led by civil & environmental engineering professor
Maria
Feng, the team
is working to build a prototype robot that could repair and
retrofit aging water pipes by applying a tough reinforcement
material around their interiors, instead of excavating the pipes to
replace them.
Why are people dying in the nation’s capital?
The Washington, D.C.
Department of Health recently released its first
report that shows the top preventable causes of death in the
District of Columbia. The report, the first of its kind in a U.S.
city, will help D.C. make better decisions about health programs,
Mayor Adrian M.
Fenty said. Out of all preventable deaths in the city
in 2007, the report reveals that 49.5 percent were preventable.
World Nuclear Generation Stagnates
For the second year in a row, global nuclear generating
capacity has dropped slightly, reaching 370.9 gigawatts (GW)
at the end of 2009. Just over 1 GW of capacity was added
during the year, as India and Japan each connected a new
plant to the grid. At the same time, Japan closed two
reactors and Lithuania one, so there were 2,506 GW worth of
shutdowns.
Yucca Mountain foe; Work paid off; DOE move surprises former state
official
The man who led Nevada's charge against the Yucca Mountain Project for
more than 20 years says he's surprised that the Department of Energy
took action on its own to withdraw its license request to build a
nuclear waste repository in the ridge, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
March 9, 2010
A Miles-Per-Gallon Rating for Your Home! Get Ready!
The last time you bought a car, especially in the
current economy, you probably paid close attention to the
fuel efficiency by looking at the mile-per-gallon ratings
and comparing similar vehicles. Now home buyers in certain
states may soon be able to do the same with homes, and it
looks like the trend will go national.
All Arizona Recovery Act transportation dollars now fully committed
Gov. Jan Brewer today praised the efforts of the Arizona Department
of Transportation and its local government partners for their dedication
in getting more than $520 million in federal stimulus dollars obligated
in time to move all transportation projects forward.
Arizona committed every penny of its transportation stimulus
funds to improve our state's vital infrastructure.
Banned in 160
Nations… Yet U.S. FDA Regards it as Safe
A livestock drug banned in 160 nations and responsible for
hyperactivity, muscle breakdown and 10 percent mortality in pigs has
been approved by the FDA.
Boulder wants feedback on SmartRegs; Rules could force landlords to make
energy efficiency upgrades
Boulder is on a mission to find out how the public feels about proposed
rules that could soon change the city's rental housing codes and require
landlords to make energy-efficiency upgrades to their rental properties.
Can
wind farms, fisheries coexist?
For centuries, New England fishermen have used boats small and large to
reap the natural bounties found below the surface of the Gulf of Maine.
But fishermen soon may be forced to share those waters with even larger
structures built to capture the gulf's other abundant resource: the
wind.
China to develop new energy source - combustible ice
"Combustible ice," or natural gas hydrate, is mainly found in deep
seas and atop plateaus. Approximately one cubic meter of "combustible
ice" equals 164 cubic meters of regular natural gas.
At a time of energy bottlenecks, the new energy resource has drawn
interest from many countries. Additional attention has focused on the
"ice" having a low proportion of impurities, resulting in it generating
almost no pollutants when burned.
Energy Efficiency
Funding
Money is tight. But not necessarily for projects involved with
increasing energy efficiency. Some innovative financing techniques are
emerging to allow customers to make improvements without incurring
initial out-of-pocket costs.
EPA chief slams attempted delays on climate
The Environmental Protection Agency chief fought back on Monday against
Senate attempts to challenge the agency's authority to regulate
greenhouse gas emissions, saying delaying action would be bad for the
economy.
Four Injured in Toxic Chemical Release on River Humber
An uncontrolled release of the toxic chemical titanium
tetrachloride (TiCL4) from a chemical factory on the River Humber has
sent four people to hospital and shut down both maritime and air traffic
in the Humber Estuary, northeastern England.
Groups want coal ash labeled hazard; $11 billion a year at stake
Environmental groups and companies are arguing over whether coal ash --
the common name for waste from coal-fired power plants -- is hazardous
to human health.
Hole found in VY pipe could be source of leak
A hole discovered in a pipe in Vermont Yankee's off gas building could
be partly to blame for the leakage of tritiated water into the ground
beneath the nuclear power plant in Vernon...
Israel plans to build nuclear power plant
Israel has been bedeviled by a dire shortage of power supplies, yet
hydroelectric production is unlikely in the arid country, and
environmental concerns have closed the door for more coal-fired power
plants.
Jay seeks to delay EPA greenhouse gas rules
Sen. Jay Rockefeller introduced legislation on Thursday to suspend
potential Environmental Protection Agency regulation of greenhouse gases
from stationary sources, such as coal-fired power plants, for two years.
"Today, we took important action to safeguard jobs, the coal industry,
and the entire economy as we move toward clean coal technology," said
Rockefeller, D-W.Va.
Kahuku wind farm receives $117M federal grant
A 30-megawatt wind farm in Kahuku that is expected to supply electricity
to 7,700 households and avoid the production of nearly 160 million
pounds of carbon dioxide will receive a $117 million federal loan to
finance its construction.
"This is an important step toward the ultimate goal of replacing
imported fossil fuels as the primary source of power in Hawaii,"...
Low prices to set natural gas displacement of coal again in 2010
Natural gas prices could hold at low enough levels in 2010 for
power generators to switch away from marginal coal-fired units to
cheaper gas-fired plants, in part replicating a cycle seen in 2009,
analysts said.
Nanotech Yields New Way of Producing Electricity at MIT
They say the discovery that carbon nanotubes can produce
powerful electron waves demonstrates an entirely new way of producing
electricity.
The previously unknown phenomenon, described as thermopower waves,
"opens up a new area of energy research, which is rare," says Michael
Strano, an associate professor of chemical engineering at MIT.
New Report Offers Little Hope for International Climate Agreement,
Suggests 'New Thinking' in Climate Diplomacy
It's the big pink elephant in the room that few others wish to
acknowledge, but a central theme in a new report by former climate
negotiator Nigel Purvis: An international climate change treaty isn't
likely to be signed anytime soon.
NGVAmerica newsletter
The Senate began the week with the consideration of its
version of legislation to extend several expired tax provisions --
including a provision to extend until 12/31/2010 the federal excise tax
credit for natural gas when used as a transportation fuel. Barring any
unforeseen circumstances, it is expected that the Senate will complete
the consideration of this bill sometime this coming week.
Northeastern States Face Homegrown Issues
The benefits of a smarter, more robust grid and the
consequences of not having one must be clearly communicated to garner
broad public support.
Nuclear commissioner says plants are secure
One of the nation's top nuclear regulators said Friday that the
country's 64 nuclear plants are safe from terrorist attack.
Obama's Homestar Plan Would Pay for Home Energy Efficiency Retrofits
President Barack Obama today outlined the details of a
new "Homestar" program that would help
create jobs by encouraging American families to invest in energy saving
home improvements. The President spoke of the new program while touring
a training facility at Savannah Technical College.
Outrage in San Francisco; City Gives Residents 'Organic' Compost
Containing Toxic Sewage Sludge
Few of the gardeners who lined up to receive the free compost
at events like last September's Big Blue Bucket Eco-Fair
suspected that the 20 tons of free bags labeled "organic
biosolids compost" actually contained sewage sludge from nine
California counties.
Rusty Bowers signs Taxpayer Protection Pledge
The Taxpayer Protection Pledge is sponsored by the
Americans for Tax Reform and for over 20 years has been a standard
carried by candidates with conservative principles.
Sarkozy calls for international financing of nuclear projects
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Monday on the international
community to "require" international financing institutions to finance
civil nuclear power projects, calling it a "scandal" that the World Bank
and other development banks refuse to finance nuclear projects in
developing countries.
So far, so good for people near Logan County wind farm
When Delton Litwiller, 78, stands outside the back door of his rural
Emden home and looks east, he sees what might be a scene from "War of
the Worlds" -- a stand of 300-foot tall metal giants with slowly turning
propeller blades at their tops.
Sylvia Allen sponsoring legislation protecting state from federal
regulations
State Senator Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, is sponsoring
legislation (SCR1050) declaring that the Arizona State Legislature has
the sole authority to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other emissions.
Syrian Drought Drags On, Rivers Polluted, Aid Funding Dries Up
Up to 60 percent of Syria's land and over one million
people are gripped by the worst drought in 40 years, but a deep funding
shortfall for emergency assistance has left the United Nations aid
agencies at a loss.
Taiji Dolphin Slaughter Film Wins Best Documentary Oscar
The documentary exposes the slaughter of more than 2,000 dolphins and
porpoises in Taiji every year, and how their meat, containing toxic
levels of mercury, is being sold as food in Japan and other parts of
Asia, often labeled as whale meat.
The nuclear waste issue must be solved
"The president has made it very clear that we are going to go beyond
Yucca mountain. You should go beyond Yucca mountain," Chu said. "But
instead of wringing my hands, let's go forward and do something better."
The Spread of
Superbugs
Until three months ago, Thomas M. Dukes was a vigorous, healthy
executive at a California plastics company. Then, over the course of
a few days in December as he was planning his Christmas shopping, E.
coli bacteria ravaged his body and tore his life apart.
Time for a
U.S. Revolution – Fifteen Reasons
It is time for a revolution. Government does not work for regular
people. It appears to work quite well for big corporations, banks,
insurance companies, military contractors, lobbyists, and for the
rich and powerful. But it does not work for people.
Unregulated Power Companies 'Stable'
The economic rebound should correlate with that of the electricity
sector and particularly the unregulated component of it. But despite
months of uncertainty, those "merchant" utilities played it smart by
locking in longer-term contracts prior to the downturn.
Unstable Siberian Arctic Shelf Leaking Greenhouse Gas Methane
The permafrost under the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, long thought to
be an impermeable barrier sealing in the methane, is perforated and is
starting to leak seven to eight million tonnes of methane each year into
the atmosphere.
The scientists said release of even a fraction of the methane stored
in the shelf could trigger abrupt climate warming.
US regular retail gasoline jumps 4.9 cents to $2.751/gal; EIA
The national average price in the US for regular retail gasoline
rose 4.9 cents the survey week ending Monday to $2.751/gal, the Energy
Information Administration said.
That's 81 cents higher than the corresponding week a year ago,
according to EIA data.
US stimulus money in a global wind marketplace
Congress passed the so-called stimulus bill more than a year ago,
festooning it with hundreds of stimulating items -- dozens of separate
buckets of loan guarantees, tax breaks and even cash grants that are
dedicated to activities ranging from the smart grid to nuclear power
plants, from solar panel manufacturing facilities to home
weatherization.
But one area has been drawing somewhat confused attention of late from
some senators who even voted for the stimulus package a year ago
February: two items directed at the wind energy installation business.
Wall Street Took Your House and Your Retirement, Now They're After Your
Social Security
In addition to mandatory private health insurance premiums, we
may soon be hit with a "mandatory savings" tax and other
belt-tightening measures urged by the president's new budget
task force. These radical austerity measures are not only
unnecessary, but will actually make matters worse. The push for
"fiscal responsibility" is based on bad economics.
When billionaires pledge a billion dollars to educate people to
the evils of something, it is always good to peer closely at what they
are up to
White House Roadmap Clears Barriers to Gulf Coast Restoration
To protect and restore the coastal ecosystems of
Louisiana and Mississippi, Obama administration officials today released
a "Roadmap" that defines a new planning process to overcome
long-standing policy and procedural barriers to coastal restoration.
March 5, 2010
A
Falklands gusher
For all the hype that the waters off the Falkland Islands might contain
as much as 60 billion barrels of oil, it's enough to say that just a
single gusher could be all that's needed to make the Falkland Islanders
the richest energy producers in the world. But if the inhabitant of the
windswept islands -- ruled by Britain but claimed by Argentina -- are to
reap the full benefits of any oil that might be discovered, then they
will have to hope that the politicians in London and Buenos Aires can
finally broker a settlement to their long-running dispute.
Administration to end Yucca Mt. nuclear waste repository
The Obama Administration has formally moved to end the national
nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain.
The U.S. Department of Energy filed a motion with prejudice Wednesday
with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to withdrawn license applications
for the high-level nuclear waste storage facility.
Alaska senators want aggressive US policy in energy-rich Arctic
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has warned that if the Obama
administration does not step up the implementation of a Bush-era policy
toward the potentially energy-rich Arctic region, the US Congress may
have to intervene.
Alaskan Glacier Ice Loss Overestimated?
While the team determined a lower rate of glacial melt during a greater
than 40-year span, Schiefer said other studies have demonstrated the
rate of ice loss has more than doubled in just the last two decades.
All Fish Tested from U.S. Streams Found Contaminated with Mercury
In a new study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), every
single fish tested from 291 freshwater streams across the United States
was found to be contaminated with mercury.
Americans
Overfed, Undernourished
People who eat nothing but processed foods for a few days in a row
often notice that despite ingesting lots of sugar, processed grains and
hydrogenated fats, they are consuming few nutrients. And so they remain
hungry.
America's Deadliest Sweetener Betrays Millions, Then Hoodwinks You With
Name Change
Just to remind you, the side effects of aspartame can include:
- Headache
- Change in vision
- Convulsions and seizures
- Hallucination
- Nausea and vomiting
- Joint pain
Arizona can learn a thing or two from Minnesota!
Minnesota is kicking our butt. No, I’m not talking ice hockey or the
fact that they have 10,000 lakes — yes, it’s not just their state motto.
Rather, I’m talking about their killer support for their environment —
hey, they have 10,000 lakes to keep pristine remember?
Audi A3 TDI Named 2010 Green Car of the Year
Green and performance luxury needn’t be mutually exclusive concepts.
That’s a core belief at Audi. Today, that philosophy paid off with the
all-new A3 TDI earning the prestigious
title of 2010 Green Car of the Year®.
Bill to designate energy corridors gains support
Maine:
The Legislature's Utilities and Energy Committee heard qualified support
Tuesday for a bill to designate several areas of Maine as energy
corridors and set rules for how the state could consider adding
corridors.
Business Optimism Index Reports Drop in Confidence
Grant Thornton LLP’s Business Optimism Index, a quarterly survey of U.S.
business leaders, fell slightly to 58.8 in February (it was 60.4 in
November 2009). Business leaders continue to feel uneasy about overall
economic improvement, with only 43% expecting the economy to improve in
the next six months, down from a 53% in November.
Can
Currency Crises be Prevented?
In the past few days, both the Euro and
Sterling have come under tremendous pressure from the investment
community. Both have lost ground on the dollar, a currency that only 5
months ago was deemed unfit for purpose.
Climate Change May Extend Allergy Season; Study
Sneezing, congestion, and runny noses from hay fever may be lasting
longer because climate change may be extending pollen seasons, doctors
in Italy said on Monday.
Coalition opposing Marin Clean energy has strong ties to PGandE
Five mailers sent to Marin residents opposing the Marin Clean Energy
initiative bear the name of the Common Sense Coalition, but in fine
print the mailers all state: "This information was provided by Coalition
for Reliable and Affordable Electricity, a coalition that includes
Pacific Gas and Electric Co."
Common Weedkiller Turns Male Frogs Into Females
Atrazine, one of the most commonly used and
controversial weedkillers, can turn male frogs into females,
researchers reported on Monday.
The experiment is the first to show such complete effects of
atrazine, which had been known to disrupt hormones and which is one
of the chief suspects in the decline of amphibians such as frogs
around the world.
Concentrating Solar Thermal Power 2010
Concentrating Solar Thermal Power
2010 taking place May 5-7, 2010 in
San Diego, CA, is the solar-related
conference you need to attend this year for competitive intelligence,
networking and up-to-date information
Consumers Have Little Awareness of Smart Grid and Smart Meters
Utility companies across the U.S. are committing billions of dollars
in projects to upgrade the electric grid and install new meters in homes
and businesses. Yet two thirds of Americans have never heard the term
Smart Grid (68%) and 63% have not heard of Smart Meter.
Dirty
secrets of farmed salmon
Raising salmon for consumption is wreaking havoc on wild fish
populations—perhaps our bodies, too
El Nino Dissipating, But May Linger Through 2010
The deadly El Nino weather anomaly should dissipate by early summer
in the northern hemisphere, but there is a chance a weak version will
linger for the rest of 2010, according to a U.S. government report
issued Thursday.
El Niño is expected to continue at least through the Northern Hemisphere
spring 2010
El Niño impacts are expected to last through the Northern Hemisphere
spring, even as equatorial SST departures decrease, partly in response
to the typical warming that occurs between now and April/May.
EU climate
funding melting?
The European Union's development chief may be forced to name and
shame France, Germany and Italy for not living up to their aid
commitments, contributing to a roughly $17 billion funding gap this
year.
EU likely to commit to 30% emissions cuts; Dutch official
The European Union is likely to commit to a 30% cut in greenhouse
gas emissions by 2020, according to an official with the Dutch ministry
of foreign affairs Wednesday.
"I am confident we will go to 30%," said Hugo von Meijenfeldt,..
Fasten your seatbelts as the US land rig count blasts off
Remember that rebound we've been expecting for the US land rig
count now that the industry's financial turmoil has stabilized?
Well, it appears to be happening faster than many expected,
according to some recent research by Credit Suisse analyst Arun
Jayaram.
Food Check-Out Week focuses on healthy eating on a budget
As the economic squeeze continues, many Americans remain concerned that
the cost of a healthy diet is out of reach.
Foodborne Illness Costs US $152 Billion Annually; Study
Dozens of pathogens, many of them unknown, creep into the food
supply each year, sickening millions. The price tag includes medical
costs, lost productivity and quality-of-life, according to a study
from the Produce Safety Project.
Glacier Melting A Key Clue To Tracking Climate Change
The world has become far too hot for the aptly named Exit Glacier
in Alaska.
Like many low-altitude glaciers, it's steadily melting, shrinking
two miles over the past 200 years as it tries to strike a new
balance with rising temperatures.
Global Infrastructure Outlooks Beginning to Stabilize in 2010
Fitch Ratings says that its global infrastructure and project finance
rating outlooks in 2010 for most sectors are stabilizing and, in some
cases, moderately improving.
Governor rebuts EnergySolutions' claim that waste will end up in Utah
EnergySolutions Inc. assured its investors Thursday that trainloads of
depleted uranium from a government cleanup in South Carolina will end up
in Utah as originally planned -- but the assertion was quickly
contradicted by Gov. Gary Herbert's office.
Grants to promote energy efficiency
Beginning now and continuing through April 15, nonprofit organizations
served by PNM can apply for grants of up to $5,000 each to help them
become more energy efficient.
Greenpeace; Vermont Yankee ad is 'misleading'
And it's not the first time the nuclear industry has claimed that the
production of electricity by nuclear power plants doesn't create
greenhouse gases, said Mark Floegel, Greenpeace's senior investigator in
Burlington.
Homegrown power, cleaner than that mass-produced stuff
A residential fuel cell produces electricity more efficiently and with
less carbon dioxide than a utility gas turbine -- and no one in San
Diego or Riverside counties has one.
Hopes For $2 Trillion Global Carbon Market Fade
Investors are becoming less convinced that a global carbon market,
estimated to be worth about $2 trillion by the end of the decade, can be
established as uncertainty over global climate policy persists.
House
passes green jobs measure
A proposal to fund training for "green jobs" was passed by the House on
Wednesday, despite arguments that it feeds the national debt.
House Republicans hope resolution on EPA will send message
Republicans in the US House of Representatives Tuesday moved to bar
the US Environmental Protection Agency from using its current authority
to regulate greenhouse gases, saying that even if their effort fails it
will send a message that the public will not bear the cost of the
regulations.
How Hot or
Cold the Ocean
Covering about 70 percent of our planet's surface, the ocean acts as
a global thermostat, storing energy from the sun, keeping Earth's
temperature changes moderate and keeping climate change gradual. In
fact, the ocean can store as much heat in its top 10 feet as the entire
atmosphere does. What happens in the atmosphere has usually the most
effect on where humanity lives but the ocean really controls the world's
climate more.
Innovation of the Week; Access to Water Improves Quality of Life for
Women and Children
In sub-Saharan Africa, improved access to water means more than
simply basic survival for families dependent on agriculture for both
food and income. It means the difference between barely scraping by
and eating balanced meals, affording education, and owning a home.
It's
time our leaders step up
It's time our leaders step up and show us, are they for us or foreign
oil? They need to pass The Nat Gas Act and also support other American
alternative fuels. If they aren't a co-sponsor, where's their plan? If
they don't have one, they had better sign on to Boone Pickens Plan or we
will assume they are in with the foreign oil interests! $573,000.00 per
minute spent for foreign oil has to stop.
It's time to lead, follow, or get out of the way
ANOTHER 120 SPECIES went extinct today; they were my kin. I am not
going to sit back and wait for every last piece of this living world to
be dismembered. I’m going to fight like hell for those kin who
remain—and I want everyone who cares to join me
Making a Case for Flywheel Energy Storage
Electricity is the ultimate in a perishable commodity. If it is not used
or transformed as it is generated it will be lost. So the systems that
supply electricity have been designed with flexibility in mind so that
supply may be made to closely match whatever the demand happens to be.
Methane Bubbles In Arctic Seas Stir Warming Fears
Large amounts of a powerful greenhouse gas are bubbling up from a
long-frozen seabed north of Siberia, raising fears of far bigger leaks
that could stoke global warming, scientists said.
Mississippi AG; I'm not surprised by latest Entergy lies
Entergy's tactics in Vermont bear a startling similarity to its actions
in Mississippi said Jim Hood, that state's attorney general, where the
company is facing a lawsuit in which Hood has claimed it is guilty of
fraud, unjust enrichment, anti-trust violations and other illegal
conduct.
More Ambition Needed If Greenhouse Gases Are To Peak In Time, Says New
UNEP Report
Countries will have to be far more ambitious in cutting greenhouse
gas emissions if the world is to effectively curb a rise in global
temperature at 2 degrees C or less.
More renewable energy creates jobs, lowers bills
Colorado:
The bill seeks for utility companies to generate 30 percent of their
electricity from renewable sources by 2020. That's a 10 percent hike
from the renewable energy standard of 20 percent adopted by the state
earlier this decade with the same 2020 target date.
NEC;
Leak means other problems
The discovery of a leak of tritiated water at Vermont Yankee is just one
more sign that Entergy has mismanaged the nuclear power plant in Vernon,
said Ray Shadis, technical consultant for the New England Coalition on
Nuclear Pollution.
NEC is asking the NRC to force Yankee to cease operations until the
source of the leak is found.
New Zealand's home-made 'hoverwing' flies 5 feet above water
Look! Down on the lake … is it a boat, a plane
… it's neither. It’s the “hoverwing”, a
hovercraft that flies. New Zealand mechanic Rudy Heeman spent more
than 11 years of his spare time (and tens of thousands of dollars)
building the hoverwing, a
wing-in-ground-effect vehicle that flies on a cushion of pressurized
air created between the wing and the water's surface.
Nigeria loses $1.2 bil in 10 years to fuel pipeline attacks; NNPC
Nigeria has incurred over Naira 174.57 billion ($1.2 billion) in
product losses and money expended on repairs of the pipelines in the
last 10 years, NNPC said in a statement.
NRC's eyes at Peach Bottom nuclear plant
Visitors to Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station are greeted by a guard
wearing enough combat gear to pass as a soldier.
A large machine gun, hanging from a strap over his shoulder, is never
set aside.
There's little question, among ample swirls of razor wire and
bullet-resistant guard towers, that security is paramount.
Nuclear power debate heats up in Minnesota
The nuclear power debate in Minnesota is back again -- in earnest.
A Senate energy panel heard three hours of testimony Tuesday on whether
to lift a 16-year ban on new nuclear power-plant proposals in the state.
Obama Proposes $3,000 Home Energy Rebates
President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed rebates of up to $3,000 to
help homeowners pay for the cost of making their homes more energy
efficient as part of a $6 billion program to create jobs.
Obama's Nuclear Madness And The Future Of 'Clean' Energy
In early February, President Obama did something that his predecessor
George W. Bush was unable to do: He pushed the restart button on the
U.S. nuclear power industry. Obama announced the first loan guarantee to
the nuclear industry in nearly three decades...
Ocean Power Technologies begins wave power farm development off Oregon
coast
Construction has begun off Oregon's coast on
a commercial U.S. wave energy farm, which is being developed by
Ocean Power Technologies and is planned to supply power to about 400
homes, according to national media reports.
PNM
Joins Solar Storage Project
PNM is gearing up to participate in a demonstration project funded in
part with $1.75 million in stimulus money to test a battery storage
system for solar-generated electricity.
Power bills
shock Idahoans
Karen Thompson of Weiser knew she used a little extra electricity in
December because of the Christmas lights.
But when she and her husband got their Idaho Power bill in January they
were shocked.
Protest over proposed power plant
If you talk to representatives of Mississippi Power, you will hear all
about the economic benefits that the proposed Kemper County lignite
power plant will create for East Mississippi -- from hundreds of jobs to
eventual power bill savings.
But if you talk to some of the Lauderdale County landowners who will
likely see power lines built on their property once the plant is
constructed, you'll hear something altogether different.
Protestors Rally for Safe, Clean Energy
More than 2,000 protestors arrived at Queen's Park with signs, cowbells
and drums today to tell the Ontario government that a proposed gas-fired
generating plant in Oakville is unsafe because it's too close to the
community and because it will further contaminate an already toxic
airshed.
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 030410
Solar activity was low. Today's activity consisted of a
C2 x-ray event at 1611Z from Region 1052 (S17W70), as well as numerous
B-class events. An overall increasing trend was noted in the
x-ray background levels.
Solar wind observations from the ACE spacecraft showed a small
increase in speed with values ranging between 440-460 km/s at the
end of the reporting period.
Restoring North America's Wild Bison to Their Home on the Range
Restoring wild populations of American bison would
benefit ecosystems in their historic range from the desert grasslands of
northern Mexico, through the Great Plains of the United States and
Canada, to the lowland meadows of interior Alaska, finds a new
publication from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN.
Russian crude output hits new record high
Russia's average crude production rose to 10.037 million
b/d in February, up 3.6% year on year and setting a new post-Soviet era
record high, according to preliminary data released March 2.
SolarCity Creates New $90 Million Fund with U.S. Bancorp to Finance
Solar Projects
SolarCity(R), a national leader in solar power system
design, financing, installation, monitoring and related services, today
announced a new fund to finance an additional $90 million in commercial
and residential solar projects in 2010...
Supplements Under Fire; Suzanne Somers Spars with Bill O’Reilly
Many people are outraged to learn that drug-safety
information is often hidden from professionals and consumers,
and that manufacturers may be directed to conduct safety studies
when drugs are already on the market.
Support for solar; California doubles cap on credits for excess power
California's solar industry is celebrating a ray of good news: the cap
on so-called "net metering," which allows homes and businesses to earn
credit for any excess solar power they generate, has been doubled.
The corn cob effect
Around 9 a.m. on February 16, US Environmental Protection Agency
staffer Sarah Dunham took the stage at the National Ethanol
Conference to explain why the agency felt that an ear of corn
harvested in the US for fuel could mean the loss of an old
growth tree in the Amazon rainforest.
Top 5 Greenest Cities In The World
The five greenest cities in the world aren't necessarily those
that are nothing but green space, but they're on the right track to
improving their footprints.
U.S. Congress Presses Marshall Islanders to Resettle Radioactive Home
Fifty-six years after the first American hydrogen bomb blast in the
Pacific exposed hundreds of people to radioactive fallout, U.S. Senator
Jeff Bingaman is pressing Marshall Islanders to return to their
contaminated home island by next year.
The U.S. official position is that radiation is no longer a threat on
the Marshalls atoll. But many islanders doubt that their
radiation-exposed island of Rongelap is safe enough to live on.
Uncertainty's not good, but it may be less bad than other things
The idea that electric companies wanted certainty about climate change
law so they could get on with the business of planning and investing
held some sway for the past year or so. But the state of the lawmaking
right now appears to have prompted a change.
Waste_Inbox 030210
In an
effort to move its image out of the
ecological Stone Age, the U.S.
Postal Service is stepping up its
green efforts by adding more
recycling bins in post office
lobbies to encourage customers to
recycle unwanted mail instead of
trashing it.
Waste_Inbox 030410
The
United Nations Environment Programme
issued a report
Tuesday forecasting that developing
nations will experience a big influx
of electronic waste over the next
decade, driven both by waste imports
from the U.S. and Europe and by new
purchases and castoffs from
electronics buyers within their own
countries.
Will Canada's wind turbines invade lakes?
A proposal to put 700 wind turbines along the shores of Lakes St. Clair
and Erie, each about as tall as a 40-story building, is provoking
controversy in Canada and the U.S.
The turbines, planted on the lake bottom and arranged in grids jutting
more than 3 miles out into the lakes, easily would be seen from the
marinas and mansions...
'World's Most Useful Tree' Provides Low-Cost Water Purification Method
For Developing World
A low-cost water purification technique published in Current Protocols
in Microbiology could help drastically reduce the incidence of
waterborne disease in the developing world. The procedure, which uses
seeds from the Moringa oleifera tree, can produce a 90.00% to 99.99%
bacterial reduction in previously untreated water...
March 2, 2010
10 Things to Know About Bloom Energy
Eight years and close to $400 million later,
ultra-stealthy fuel cell maker Bloom Energy is finally ready to
officially launch and ditch its “stealth-mode” status
A stink in Central California over converting cow manure to electricity
Central California is home to nearly 1.6 million dairy cows and their
manure -- up to 192 million pounds per day. It's a mountain of waste and
a potential environmental hazard.
But for dairyman John Fiscalini, the dung on his farm is renewable gold:
He's converting it into electricity.
Arizona Lawmakers mull nuclear power as renewable source
A bill introduced in the Arizona Legislature would establish nuclear
power as a renewable or carbon-free energy source, angering solar
advocates and sparking the ire of the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Chile Earthquake one of the 10 strongest ever recorded
On February 27, 2010 a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck
Maule, Chile causing widespread damage and casualties. The quake ranks
as one of the ten strongest earthquakes ever recorded and was the most
powerful earthquake worldwide since the 2004 Sumatran quake that
triggered the massive Indian Ocean tsunami.
Chilean Earthquake Death Toll Climbs Above 700
The quake has killed at least 708 people and displaced hundreds of
thousands, causing widespread damage to homes, hospitals, schools,
roads, bridges and commercial buildings. Some two million people have
been affected by the quake, according to government data.
Coal-Fired Power On the Way Out?
The past two years have witnessed the emergence of a powerful
movement opposing the construction of new coal-fired power plants in
the United States. Initially led by environmental groups, both
national and local, it has since been joined by prominent national
political leaders and many state governors. The principal reason for
opposing coal plants is that they are changing the earth’s climate.
There is also the effect of mercury emissions on health and the
23,600 U.S. deaths each year from power plant air pollution.
Consumers Are Sleeping With the Enemy – and Paying for It
"Those who manipulate the unseen mechanism of society constitute
an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our
country. We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed,
our ideas suggested largely by men we have never heard of In
almost every act of our lives whether in the sphere of politics
or business in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we
are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who
understand the mental processes and social patterns of the
masses. It is they who pull the wires that control the public
mind."
-Edward Bernays-
Contamination from coal ash waste is worse than EPA says
Coal ash waste contamination nationwide is far worse than indicated by a
new Environmental Protection Agency tally, with dozens more ash-waste
ponds and landfills also leaching toxins into streams and drinking
water, a new study finds.
At least 31 “new damage cases” not listed by the EPA in its
end-of-the-year tally of 70 coal-ash pollution sites are identified and
their pollution profiled in a report...
Desperate California To Get More Water At Last
The announcements came as welcome news in the nation's No. 1 farm
state, where dramatic cutbacks in water deliveries by the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation and the state Water Resources Department had
idled thousands of farm workers and 300,000 acres of cropland.
Environmentalists question coal's place in Obama policy
President Barack Obama, a longtime believer in "clean coal," is
launching an ambitious and expensive plan to help the energy industry
lock climate-changing gases from coal-fired power plants deep
underground.
EPA, NREL Partner to Develop Renewable Energy on Potentially
Contaminated Sites Clean energy project aims to benefit local economies
and create jobs
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are evaluating the feasibility of developing renewable energy
production on Superfund, brownfields, and former landfill or mining
sites.
Giant Iceberg Breaks Off From Antarctic Glacier
An iceberg the size of Luxembourg has broken off from a
glacier in Antarctica after being rammed by another giant iceberg,
scientists said on Friday, in an event that could affect ocean
circulation patterns....
"The calving itself hasn't been directly linked to
climate change but it is related to the natural processes occurring on
the ice sheet,...
Google Develops Prototype Mirror For Solar Energy
Google Inc has developed a prototype for a new mirror
technology that could cut by half the cost of building a solar thermal
plant, the company's green energy czar said on Friday.
Green Era
Is the $787 billion stimulus plan living up to its promise? The measure,
which passed largely along party lines more than a year ago, has sought
to stem job losses and to create a new economic foundation.
Green homes sell for more and faster than other homes
Green homes are outselling the rest of the real estate market, more
research from the Pacific Northwest indicates.
Hiring Freezes Hamper Weatherization Plan
President Obama’s plan to create jobs and rein in energy
costs through a steep increase in money for weatherizing the homes of
low-income Americans has so far borne little fruit, with many of the
biggest states meeting less than 2 percent of their three-year goals to
date,
Homeowners making changes; Energy efficiency is goal of many
With household budgets strained and a growing global focus on energy
consumption's environmental impact, a growing number of consumers are
seeking ways to conserve energy in an effort to save some money as well
as the environment.
There are various things people can do, experts say, to reduce the
amount of heating oil, electricity and natural gas they use.
How To Buy Green Power And Lose the Carbon
Green power refers to electricity that is supplied
entirely or in part by renewable energy power sources like wind, solar,
geothermal, hydropower, and various forms of biomass (plant-derived)
materials. Some states are already offering green power options to
energy consumers in the form of competitive power retailers, or through
green pricing programs offered by regulated utilities.
HumanCar aims for a healthy planet with healthy drivers
At first glance it might look a bit like an
elongated pedal car for kids, but its designers are convinced the
HumanCar Imagine PS NEV is a serious player in the search for cleaner,
greener ways to get around. The vehicle converts the rowing motion of
the driver and any passengers into rotational thrust to charge a battery
and power the vehicle in conjunction with an electric motor.
Indigenous plan of action for climate change summit
To “defeat the resistance of the contaminating countries” was the
objective of indigenous leaders from 13 Latin American countries who
prepared a plan of action recently for the upcoming Climate Change
Summit in Mexico.
Leading the Way to a Low-Energy Future
The failure of the Copenhagen climate talks taught us one
thing-that hoping for intelligent responses to climate change
from the world's governments is an exercise in futility. It's
just not going to happen in time...
But my disappointment in government leaders in the U.S. and
elsewhere is matched by my admiration for a new influential
group of Americans, whom I call lifestyle leaders-for they are
taking matters into their own hands, such as through building
gardens, weatherizing their homes, getting rid of their cars,
moving off-grid, bartering with neighbors and joining Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs.
Measure aims to nix higher tax for solar energy users
One of the bills awaiting Gov. Bill Richardson's signature would protect
homeowners who install solar energy systems from seeing their property
tax bills rise.
MIT_ShortEnergyPrograms
Courses offered
by MIT Professional Education - Short Programs
are designed by MIT faculty to connect busy
professionals in industry to late breaking
knowledge at MIT. Certificates and CEUs granted.
No go on solar
panels
Three owners of buildings on North Street have separately explored
installing rooftop solar energy panels, only to find out that the
downtown electrical circuit would not accept electricity back into the
grid from a renewable energy source.
Without the ability to sell electricity back to the utility, the cost of
the solar projects is prohibitive.
Obama Mounts a Last-Ditch Attempt to Pass a 'Hybrid' Climate and Energy
Bill
As Democrats enter a turbulent and high-stakes political
season, President Obama is striving for consensus on a path forward that
can deliver substantial greenhouse gas emissions reductions and satisfy
concerns in the Senate about energy security.
Plague in the Wild
When one thinks of plague one thinks of the Black Plague
in Europe in the Dark Ages that was spread by rodents. However, plague
also affects wildlife where a reservoir of the disease is maintained.
Plague, a flea borne bacterial disease introduced to North America in
the late 1800s, spreads rapidly across a landscape, causing devastating
effects to wildlife and posing risks to people.
Regionalizing
Smart Energy
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has placed an
unprecedented focus on state and local energy issues. With half of the
approximately $580 billion in ARRA funding having been pegged for states
and localities, those efforts that, over time, best pool and manage
regional resources will charge ahead of the pack to fruition. That
all-important word -- collaboration -- sets the stage for successful
working relationships
Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity 030110
Solar activity was very low. No significant flares were
detected during the forecast period.
Geomagnetic field activity was mostly quiet. An increase to unsettled
levels was observed between 1500Z and 1800Z. The increase was in
response to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream.
Residents plead for tougher fly ash rules
Oklahoma asserts it already does a good job of managing coal combustion
waste under existing laws, but residents who live near a fly ash
disposal site are pleading for the EPA to adopt tougher standards they
believe are needed to protect their health.
"There is a lot of respiratory illness and cancer,"...
Senate Democrats Add Weight To GOP Challenge Of EPA CO2 Rules
U.S. Senate Republicans seeking to prevent the
Obama administration from regulating greenhouse gases got a big boost
late last week after eight coal-state Democrats sent a letter
questioning the environment agency's climate policies.
Study Finds Coal-Ash Water Contamination Out Of Control In U.S.
The analysis by EIP and
Earthjustice identifies 31 additional coal-ash contamination sites
in 14 states, which, when added to the 70 in the EPA's justification
for the pending rule, brings the total of coal-fired power plant
waste storage sites with poisoned water to 101.
The Power of Local by Jeff Milchen
The 2009 holiday season was a tough one for retail businesses.
In November, their sales increased just 1.8 percent over low
2008 numbers-failing to keep pace with inflation. December was
worse, with sales actually falling three tenths of a percent
from 2008.
Thousands of Mainers still without electricity
More than 1,000 utility line and support workers fanned out across Maine
on Saturday and restored power to tens of thousands of customers, but
more than 42,000 remained in the dark Saturday night.
Tracking a Rising Tide of Waste
Wisconsin is churning out permits for industrial-scale farms to
spread millions of gallons of manure on state fields but
provides little oversight after that, inspecting them only once
or twice every five years, a Wisconsin State Journal
investigation has found.
At stake is the health of thousands of homeowners who draw their
drinking water from wells near the giant farms or the fields
where the manure is spread.
Utility Executives Like Nuclear Power. Climate Science, Not So Much.
Nuclear energy is the utility industry’s preferred
“environmentally friendly” technology, followed by wind power and
natural gas, a new survey found.
American utility industry executives see nuclear energy as the most
promising carbon-free power source, are skeptical of climate change
science, and are uncertain about the future, according to a report to be
issued Thursday by Black & Veatch, the engineering and consulting giant.
Warming to bring stronger hurricanes
Top researchers now agree that the world is likely to
get stronger but fewer hurricanes in the future because of global
warming, seeming to settle a scientific debate on the subject. But they
say there's not enough evidence yet to tell whether that effect has
already begun.
Previous news
for News of February 2010 go to: News_Feb10
for News of January 2010 go to:
News_Jan10
for News of December 2009 go to: News_Dec09
for News of November 2009 go to: News_Nov09
for News of October 2009 go to:
News_Oct09
for News of September 2009 go to:
News_Sep09
for News of August 2009 go to: News_Aug09
for News of July 2009 go to:
News_Jul09
for News of June 2009 go to: News_Jun09
for News of May 2009 go to: News_May09
for News of April 2009 go to:
News_Apr09
for News of March 2009 go to:
News_Mar09
for News of February 2009 go to: News_Feb09
for News of January 2009 go to:
News_Jan09
for News of December 2008 go to:News_Dec08
for
News of November 2008 go to: News_Nov08
for
News of October 2008 go to: News_Oct08.
for
News of September 2008 go to:
News_Sep08
for
News of August 2008 go to:
News_Aug08
for
News of July 2008 go to:News_July08
for
News of June 2008 go to:
News_June08
for
News of May 2008 go to: News_May08
for
News of April 2008 go to: News_Apr08
for News of March 2008 go to: News_Mar08
for News of February 2008 go to:
News_Feb08
for News of January 2008 go to:
News_Jan08
for Current Events go to:
Events
for News of 2008 go to: News_2008
for News of 2007 go to: News_2007
for News of 2006 go to: News_2006
for News of 2005 go to: News_2005
for News of 2006 go to: News_2006
for News of 2005 go to: News_2005
for News of 2004 go to:
News of 2004
for Events of 2008 go to: Events of 2008
for Events of 2007 go to: Events of 2007
for Events of 2006 go to: Events of 2006
for Events of 2005 go to: Events of 2005
for Events of 2004 go to:
Events of 2004
for News and Events of 2003 go to
News and Events Archive 2003
|