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Monday, November 01, 2004
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The Columbus (OH) Dispatch has a nice piece on the environment and it's role in the election.
5:01:02 PM Google It! 
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Autumn leaves, jack-o-lanterns, dying summer flowers. What do all of these things have in common?
Probably that we all have some of them in our yards today. So let's do our outdoor fall cleanup. Rake the leaves, pull up the annual summer flowers and go on and smash the pumpkin, too. It's a good time to make a compost bin for next spring.
There are neat and nice-looking recycling bins to be purchased at garden centers, or you can make a bin with chicken wire, or you can just designate a spot in the edge of the woods and call it a compost pile. [Source: Charlotte (NC) Observer]
4:57:05 PM Google It!
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Almost three million Canadians are expected to buy new cellphones this year. And when they do the majority -- ninety-five per cent -- of the old ones will simply be dumped in the garbage.
Most of the old phones are in perfectly good working order, when they end up in landfills across the country. Even worse, heavy metals from the phones and batteries eventually seep into the environment.
But a new program aims to change all that. The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) is a group with a nation-wide aim. It wants to re-build, re-sell and re-circulate as many "old" cellphones as possible. [Source: CTV News]
4:54:45 PM Google It!
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As IT firms continue to swamp India's technology hub of Bangalore, the city is starting to choke under a heap of e-waste generated from obsolete computers and discarded electronic components.
4:51:58 PM Google It!
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The D.C. Government will launch the Green Faith Initiative at the 25th Anniversary InterFaith Concert at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday, November 9, 2004, at 7:30 pm. This concert will feature the youth of ten world religions and is the largest annual program of the InterFaith Conference of Metro Washington.
Copies of the Green Faith Guide, a new environmental handbook for the interfaith community, will be available for concert attendees to take home and begin taking steps to reduce their environmental impact. There will be a press conference to make these announcements at the National Shrine on Monday, November 1, 2004, from 6:30 to 7:00 pm.
4:49:48 PM Google It!
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There are many buildings that include notable environmental features. The California Integrated Waste Management Board has compiled the following list of case studies to highlight a variety of sustainable design features. While these may be considered green buildings as a whole, every feature of each building's features may not be considered "green."
4:45:38 PM Google It!
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Twenty-five hundred tons of concrete, 350 tons of steel and nine tons of aluminum window frames will be left after a seven-story downtown building is taken down. But instead of ending in the scrap heap, the concrete will be ground up and used to fill the site, steel will be melted to create construction supports and the aluminum will be reused in cans and other products. [Source: San Jose Mercury News -- need a login/pw?]
4:42:56 PM Google It!
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The rising costs of energy resources like oil and electricity may be beyond your control, but it's easy to use less energy in your home. The general contractor on PBS TV's This Old House, Tom Silva is an expert at home renovations and a master of energy efficiency. Silva shares tips on how to get the most out of your energy buck and make your home more environmentally friendly. [Source: National Geographic.com]
4:38:49 PM Google It!
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The U.S. Green Building Council is creating a rating system for existing buildings. The new program, dubbed LEED-EB, was created after the success of the certification program created by the council for new construction, the organization said. [Source: Waste News]
3:30:49 PM Google It!
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Annual environmental report from the International Air Transport Association.
"This publication highlights the most recent developments around the world in aviation-related environmental issues."
Full document (PDF; 3.28 MB) [ResourceShelf's DocuTicker]
3:24:57 PM Google It!
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An uptick in greenhouse gas levels may mean global climate is warming much faster than expected. Carbon dioxide levels have risen about 2 parts per million per year since 2002, instead of the 1.5 ppm annual increase that climatologists predicted. The rise has been documented around the globe, at monitoring stations ranging from Svalbard, Norway, to Mauna Loa, Hawaii. [ENN Climate Channel]
3:18:42 PM Google It!
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The EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) of the Office of Research and Development (ORD) has prepared and made available to the public the final document, Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter (EPA/600/P-99/002aF, EPA/600/P-99/002bF). Section 108 (a) of the Clean Air Act directs the EPA Administrator to identify certain pollutants which ``may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare'' and to issue air quality criteria for them. Particulate matter (PM) is one of six ``criteria'' pollutants for which EPA has established air quality criteria and NAAQS. EPA initially announced details of its plans for the review of the criteria and NAAQS for PM in an October 23, 1997 Federal Register notice (62 FR 55201). As part of its current review cycle of the PM criteria and NAAQS, EPA has revised the existing Criteria Document for PM.
The final document is available at the NCEA Web site at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/nceapubtopics.cfm?ActType=PublicationTopics. For questions on availability of the document, contact Diane Ray, NCEA, telephone: (919) 541-3789, fax: (919) 541-1818, or email ray.diane@epa.gov. For technical information, contact Robert Elias, Ph.D., NCEA, fax: (919) 541-1818 or email: elias.robert@epa.gov. [ChemAlliance Environmental News]
3:16:58 PM Google It!
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Scientists at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory say they have developed the first system to convert dirty diesel fuel into a quiet, self-contained and efficient energy source. [Yahoo! News: Science]
3:14:50 PM Google It!
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Buildings are getting smarter, and the next generation of building materials is expected to do even more. [Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]
3:13:30 PM Google It!
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Summarizes success stories from healthcare facilities that participate in U.S. EPA's Energy Star and Green Lights programs.
3:11:03 PM Google It!
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Friends of the Earth is calling on people to pledge to take the Climate Challenge and cut back on the amount of energy they use.
3:08:38 PM Google It!
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A sampling project to further assess dioxin pollution in the Saginaw River and Bay is under way, while state and Dow Chemical Co. officials work "furiously" to meet a Halloween cleanup strategy deadline.
The sampling is being done using the Mudpuppy, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research vessel that docks in Bay City. The testing is funded by a $180,000 EPA grant to help identify "hot spots" where dioxins have settled.
A total of 135 samples of sediments, floodplain soils and beach soils are to be collected in the Saginaw River and Bay and the Shiawassee River, a tributary. [Source: Bay City (MI) Times]
3:05:53 PM Google It!
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Twelve years ago, when a new gasoline additive held the promise of reducing air pollution, New York State made a huge bet that the technology would work. It supported the use of the additive, M.T.B.E., to be mixed with gasoline at some of the highest concentrations in the nation, from 12 to 15 percent, while also allowing the additive to be used in parts of the state where air pollution was less of a problem. [Source: New York Times -- Need a login/pw?)
3:02:55 PM Google It!
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Next time you take a trip for business or leisure, think about more than whether or not your hotel has a workout room and a breakfast buffet; choose a lodging that puts a priority on taking good care of you and the environment. That’s the message of a new California Integrated Waste Management Board initiative designed to encourage travelers to stay at “green hotels” -- hospitality establishments that save energy, water, and resources, and divert waste from landfill disposal through environmentally friendly business practices. Find more information abut the Green Lodging Program at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/EPP/GreenLodging.
3:00:51 PM Google It!
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The most recent Steelcase Workplace Index Survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation provides a glimpse at environmental perceptions in the workplace.
Through this survey of over 675 office workers in the United States, Steelcase, a global office environments manufacturer whose offerings help individuals to work more effectively and organizations to use space more efficiently, revealed that issues surrounding environmental sustainability are of great importance to workers and companies alike. However, the study also found a conflict of thought: the incentive motivating companies into action is the same barrier keeping them from doing so.
According to the survey, more than half of those surveyed believe environmental and sustainability issues are a "high priority" for their company. And, around 74% of Americans say their company "always" or "often" takes steps to improve its environmental standards, such as using less paper, recycling, and shutting off lights and other electrical devices when not in use. [Source: GreenBiz]
2:58:20 PM Google It!
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Doctors and nurses need more environmental health training to prevent, recognize, and treat diseases caused by environmental exposures, according to a new study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Experts recommend that medical and nursing schools add environmental health topics to training programs.
A group of experts made up of physicians, nurses, and educators issued recommendations to incorporate environmental health into pediatric medical and nursing education. The study, conducted by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation, also identifies key medical and nursing organizations that could help promote environmental health training, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. The study results will be published in the December 2004 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
2:56:50 PM Google It!
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University of Illinois researchers have found microbial processes can both indicate and eradicate the presence of arsenic in groundwater.
The researchers analyzed water from 21 wells at various depths in the Mahomet aquifer, a regional water supply for Central Illinois. Surprisingly, arsenic concentration varied strongly from well to well, said Craig Bethke, a professor of geology.
The concentration of arsenic varied inversely with the concentration of sulfate, the researchers found. Methane concentrations also varied with the sulfate content. [Source: UPI]
2:44:01 PM Google It!
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A recent report summarizing the findings of 500 scientists from 60 countries confirms that the world’s amphibian population is undergoing a die-off of unprecedented proportions, most likely as a result of a combination of human-caused environmental problems. According to researchers at the World Conservation Union, almost a third of the 5,743 known species of frogs, toads, newts and salamanders on Earth are facing extinction within the next few years. [Source: E: The Environmental Magazine]
2:42:25 PM Google It!
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© Copyright
2005
Laura L. Barnes.
Last update:
10/25/2005; 12:07:17 PM.
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