Friday, November 05, 2004

[Environmental Policy] EPA Science Advisor Steps Down November 5, 2004 -- Dr. Paul Gilman announced his resignation from his positions as EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Research and Development and as the agency's Science Advisor.  He will step down on November 30, 2004 to accept a position in the private sector.  An acting assistant administrator will be named before the end of the month. 3:51:55 PM Google It!    [MSDS] Unsafe Material Data Sheet (UMDS) Mad Libs for scientists (http://www.penguinputnam.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/madlibs/fun.html for the uninitiated). Create your own material safety data sheets. 3:51:02 PM Google It!    [Recycling] Earth to earth: San Francisco food makes good compost Haute cuisine is going green in a program that recycles restaurant and household food scraps into high-grade compost for Northern California vineyards. [Source: San Jose Mercury News] 3:47:25 PM Google It!    [Alternative Energy] Suit filed in dispute over wind turbines A lawsuit has been resurrected against wind power companies over the deaths of thousands of eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and other protected birds that have collided with Altamont Pass wind turbines. The suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court by the Center for Biological Diversity, asks that the companies set aside valuable raptor habitat to compensate for past bird kills it says violated both state and federal wildlife protection laws. [Source: Contra Costa (CA) Times] 3:46:19 PM Google It!    [Wildlife and Environment] Antarctic Food Chain in Peril, Study Finds Krill have declined by 80% since 1976, researchers say. The tiny crustaceans are vital for whales and other sea life. [Source: LA Times -- need a login/pw?] 3:43:12 PM Google It!    [Climate Change] Research: Climate Uncertainty with CO2 Rise Due to Uncertainty About Aerosols Climate scientists agree that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has increased about 35 percent over the industrial period and that it will continue to rise so that CO2 will reach double its pre-industrial value well before the end of this century. How much this doubled CO2 concentration will raise Earth's global mean temperature, however, remains quite uncertain and is the subject of intense research -- and heated debate. In a paper to be published in the November issue of the Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, Stephen Schwartz, an atmospheric scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, argues that much of the reason for the present uncertainty in the climatic effect of increased CO2 arises from uncertainty about the influence of atmospheric aerosols, tiny particles in the air. Schwartz, who is also chief scientist of the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Science Program, points out that aerosols scatter and absorb light and modify the properties of clouds, making them brighter and thus able to reflect more incoming solar radiation before it reaches Earth's surface. 3:35:21 PM Google It!    [Energy Efficiency] Energy Efficiency Upgrades at Charles Lemoyne Hospital Save $360,000 Per Year Part of the Energy Innovators Case Study series published by Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency. See all Energy Innovators Publications at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/eii/publications.cfm?PrintView=N&;Text=N. 3:32:45 PM Google It!    [Energy Efficiency] UVic leads B.C. universities in energy efficiency e.Points may not be currency on eBay, but UVic can redeem them to improve its energy efficiency even further, thanks to B.C. Hydro's "e.Points Bonus Program." BC Hydro has presented UVic with $84,000 worth of e.Points Bonus in recognition of the university's successful reduction of electrical energy use over the past year. To date, this e.Points award is the highest ever given to a postsecondary institution. 3:26:16 PM Google It!    [Electronics Waste] China Bans Imports of Scrap Electronics in Bid to Clean Up Environment China is banning imports of used television sets and other electronic scrap in a bid to clean up its environment, complaining that the United States, Japan, and others are using it as a dumping ground, a government newspaper said recently. [ENN Recycling Channel] 3:22:13 PM Google It!    [Chemistry] National Historic Chemical Landmarks "The American Chemical Society [ACS] ... has declared nearly 40 places, discoveries, and achievements historic chemical landmarks." This site discusses these items and the roles chemists played in "expanding the frontiers of knowledge, advancing medicine and industry, and creating products from aspirin to zippers." Browsable by topic, including new products (such as bakelite, nylon, and synthetic rubber) and medical miracles (such as synthetic hormones and penicillin). [Librarians' Index to the Internet] 3:19:01 PM Google It!    [Recycling] Gift Wrapping Alternatives Features ideas for gift-wrap made from calendars, children's artwork, old maps, and other materials. Also includes instructions for making fabric gift bags and trimming gifts with natural materials such as evergreen branches. [Librarians' Index to the Internet] 3:17:11 PM Google It!    [Water] Choosing a Water Filtering System While it may be Earth's most precious resource, water certainly isn't treated as such. America's drinking water is often exposed to chemical additives, sewage, pesticides, herbicides, and toxic waste, leaving many citizens with a lack of trust for the agencies that regulate it. [ENN Water Channel] 3:16:04 PM Google It!    [Fuel Cells] San Antonio Fuel-Cell Forum Energizes Experts Seeking to Lessen Oil Dependency In these times of rising gasoline prices and global warming, energy experts are meeting this week in San Antonio with the aim of harnessing hydrogen power to lessen the world's dependence on oil. [ENN Business Headlines] 3:15:07 PM Google It!    [Citation Analysis] The Most-Cited Institutions in Chemistry, 1994-2004 UIUC ranks 11th. [Source: ResourceShelf] 3:13:50 PM Google It!    [Green Lifestyle] When ecotourism kills Well-meaning tourists are putting increasing pressure on animals worldwide, new studies show. [Christian Science Monitor | Sci/Tech] 3:10:45 PM Google It!

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