Monday, December 13, 2004

[Climate change] License to Bill Clinton, a late convert to climate-change cause, is now preaching up a storm. [Source: Grist Magazine] 5:54:46 PM Google It!    [Green lifestyle] They're dreaming of a green Christmas Give environmentally friendly gifts this holiday season. [Source: Christian Science Monitor] 5:53:22 PM Google It!    [Environmental policy] Bush nominates Leavitt for health secretary President Bush has nominated EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt to replace Tommy Thompson as Health and Human Services secretary. [Source: CNN.com] 5:51:20 PM Google It!    [Meetings] Environment and Energy Conference 2005 EECO 2005, the only conference in the Great Lakes Economic Region designed to enable cross-border economic and environmental dialogue, will bring together the major players of the Great Lakes Economy May 26-27, 2005 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, in Toronto, Canada. EECO 2005 is a biennial "platform" where business leaders, elected officials, public policy makers and NGOs meet to examine priority business and environment risks/opportunities. A unique forum, EECO is designed to promote dialogue, share ideas and innovation, build new relationships, profile best practices, debate cross-border environmental and clean energy policy, and support trade throughout the Great Lakes states and provinces. Contact information: 604-775-7300 or 800-274-6097, email info@eeco2005.com. 5:50:15 PM Google It!    [Meetings] IAGLR 2005 – Call for Papers The International Association for Great Lakes Research invites you to participate in the 48th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, to be held May 23-27, 2005, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We welcome abstract submissions for both oral and poster presentations. The abstract deadline is December 17, 2004. Great Lakes Ecosystem Forecasting: Improving Understanding and Prediction is the theme for this year's conference, with five sessions devoted specifically to that theme. In addition, a significant number of sessions explore aspects of Human and Ecosystem Health as well as Management and Assessment. In all, 46 separate sessions have been proposed; including a general contribution session should a paper not fit clearly within these designated sessions. 5:48:51 PM Google It!    [Grants] 2005 Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Request for Preproposals Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant requests preproposals for research related to the use, development, and conservation of Lake Michigan coastal resources in Illinois and Indiana. Two types of projects will be funded: 1.) $50,000/year for 2 years will be awarded for 2 research projects. 2.) Up to $25,000/year for 2 years will be awarded for 4-6 projects that address emerging needs or opportunities that: 1) explore new ideas,  2)  expand the scope of ongoing research, 3)  involve student participation, or 4) integrate research with implementation. Preproposals are due February 11, 2005. 5:47:30 PM Google It!    [Energy efficiency] Emerging Energy-Saving Technologies and Practices in the Buildings Sector as of 2004 Adopting new energy-efficient technologies and practices is a key for reducing energy consumption while maintaining economic growth. Fortunately, innovators introduce new T&Ps more rapidly than the market can assimilate them. Some have great potential and some have less, so periodic, systematic evaluations of emerging T&Ps serve to identify the best candidates for program development. Comparing findings over time gives additional insights into the efficiency industry's health, allowing investigation of questions like, "Is the conservation well going to run dry?" This analysis, the third in a decade, began with reconnaissance of 200 T&Ps, which were screened to select those which promise to (1) save at least 0.25% nationally when mature and accepted, (2) avoid large "lost opportunities" in new construction, or (3) capture important regional opportunities. The findings are encouraging: there are still many promising technologies and practices that will save large amounts of energy. On the other hand, the number of "pure" technologies that emerged from the screening process was smaller than before. However, this was compensated by increasing numbers of "practices" that reflect new systems views of older issues. Overall, technologies and practices have the potential to make a major impact on future energy use. 5:46:17 PM Google It!    [Automobile repair shops] Allstate Connects Safety, Pollution Prevention, and Quality Allstate, the nation's second largest auto insurer, is asking the more than 3,200 auto body repair facilities across the country that participate in its direct repair program to complete an autobody-specific environmental and safety-training program. [Source: GreenBiz.com] 5:42:55 PM Google It!    [Sediments] EPA Updates Information on Sediments EPA is releasing an updated Report to Congress on National Sediment Quality that assesses and describes the quality of aquatic sediments in rivers, lakes, oceans and estuary bottoms in the United States from 1980 to 1999.  This report is an update to the 1997 National Sediment Quality Survey that also assesses changes in sediment contamination over time where data is available. General information about sediments and the report entitled The Incidence and Severity of Sediment Contamination in Surface Waters of the United States: National Sediment Quality Survey, Second Edition are available at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/cs . 5:40:58 PM Google It!    [Sprawl] Myths about Urban Growth and the Toronto "Greenbelt". Urban Areas--Canada Source: Fraser Institute Myths about Urban Growth and the Toronto "Greenbelt" "The geographical growth of urban areas, pejoratively called "urban sprawl" by anti-growth advocates, has become a heated issue across Canada but especially in Ontario, home to the country's largest agglomeration." + Read the Report [PDF] [ResourceShelf's DocuTicker] 5:33:10 PM Google It!

© Copyright 2005 Laura L. Barnes. Last update: 10/25/2005; 12:08:14 PM.