Thursday, April 07, 2005

[Arsenic] Water Treatment Plants Long-term ingestion of low concentrations of arsenic is detrimental to human health, yet in several countries around the world, large populations are constantly exposed to drinking water contaminated with arsenic. In Bangladesh, arsenic concentrations exceed World Health Organization guidelines in 60% of the groundwater. Arsenic can be removed by filtration and via adsorbents, such as natural zeolites, but there still is a need for simple and cost-effective methods using materials that are readily available in developing countries. Al Rmalli et al. show that the dried pulverized roots of the water hyacinth can rapidly remove arsenic from water. The method is effective for both arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] and requires comparatively little material (50 g of As are adsorbed per g of roots in 24 hours). Water hyacinths grow abundantly in ponds, lakes, and rivers in Bangladesh, India, and other tropical and subtropical countries. The simplicity of the method suggests that these plants may be useful in the treatment of drinking water, particularly in rural areas. The article appears in J. Environ. Monit. 7, 279 (2005). [Editors' Choice] 3:58:43 PM Google It!    [Environmental health] Skin Deep: A Safety Assessment of Ingredients in Personal Care Products Cosmetics and Toiletries--Safety Source: Environmental Working Group Skin Deep: A Safety Assessment of Ingredients in Personal Care Products "The Environmental Working Group's (EWG's) six-month computer investigation into the health and safety assessments on more than 10,000 personal care product ingredients found major gaps in the regulatory safety net for these products. To help people use what we learned we developed an online rating system that ranks products on their potential health risks and the absence of basic safety evaluations. The core of the analysis compares ingredients in 7,500 personal care products against government, industry, and academic lists of known and suspected chemical health hazards." See: Searchable Product Guide [ResourceShelf's DocuTicker] 3:21:31 PM Google It!    [Corporate sustainability] Sustainable Business - A Vision Statement My colleague and occasional co-conspirator Gil Friend, CEO of Natural Logic, has created a "declaration of leadership" for sustainable business, articulating a compelling vision of how companies can and should operate. [Joel Makower: Two Steps Forward] 3:20:17 PM Google It!    [Mercury] Report looks at reducing dental mercury pollution A coalition of groups recently released a report in each of the state capitals of New England, grading the states on their efforts to reduce dental mercury pollution. The report, "Taking a Bite Out of Mercury Pollution: The 2005 Report Card on Dental Mercury Use and Release Reduction," also reveals new findings that mercury emissions from cremation are expected to more than double over the next 20 years. This is due to growing number of amalgam retained in people when they die, and increases in cremations. The full report on New England states is available at: http://www.mercurypolicy.org. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News] 3:19:08 PM Google It!    [Alternative energy] U.S. rooftops could support market for solar power Rooftops could accommodate 710,000 MW of solar panels if the roofs of all properly-oriented buildings were fully utilized, estimates ‘PV Grid Connected Market Potential in 2010 Under a Cost Breakthrough Scenario’ produced by Navigant Consulting for the Energy Foundation. By comparison, current generating capacity in the U.S. is 950,000 MW. [Source: Refocus] 3:14:59 PM Google It!    [Alternative fuel vehicles] GREET Transportation Model The impressively titled Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Model allows researchers and analysts to evaluate the energy performance of advanced vehicle technologies. Evaluate various vehicle and fuel combinations on a full fuel-cycle basis. At this writing, the latest beta version of the GREET Model was dated January 26, 2005. Free registration on Argonne National Laboratory's Web site will enable users to download the most recent version. [Source: ClimateBiz.com] 3:13:38 PM Google It!    [Alternative fuels] Biodiesel -- An Emerging Clean Fuel We've known for years that eating vegetables can help us stay healthy, but who would guess that vegetables could also be good for diesel engines? Manufactured from vegetable oils, primarily soy beans, biodiesel is a safe, biodegradable, renewable fuel that offers a reduction in many air pollutants when used in ordinary diesel engines and furnaces. [Source: ClimateBiz.com] 3:12:37 PM Google It!    [Schools] Stanford University's dining program becomes a certified Green Business using wide-variety of environmental practices In August 2004, Santa Clara County awarded Stanford Dining, a division of Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE), the distinction of being certified a Green Business. This certification is the first to encompass an entire university dining services department including Stanford Dining's 9 residential dining halls, 10 retail campus cafes, catering services, concessions and Schwab Executive Services. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News] 3:10:55 PM Google It!    [Alternative fuel] Grass makes environmentally friendly biofuel Burning grass for energy has been a well-accepted technology in Europe for decades; but not in the United States. Yet burning grass pellets as a biofuel is economical, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable, according to a Cornell University forage crop expert. This alternative fuel easily could be produced and pelleted by farmers and burned in modified stoves built to burn wood pellets or corn, said Jerry Cherney, the E.V. Baker Professor of Agriculture at Cornell. Burning grass pellets hasn't caught on in the United States, however, Cherney said, primarily because Washington has made no effort to support the technology with subsidies or research dollars. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News] 3:10:02 PM Google It!    [Environmental decisionmaking] Using MCDA to solve environmental problems Seemingly impossible tradeoffs must be made among economic, ecological, environmental and sociopolitical factors to facilitate decision-making in environmental projects. A new study in the journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management reviews a method with the potential to resolve these competing interests and overcome the limitations of unstructured individual or group decision-making: multicriteria decision analysis, known as MCDA. MCDA is used systematically to determine favorable solutions to complex problems, in which analysis often requires technical input from modeling and monitoring studies, risk assessment, cost or cost-benefit analysis and stakeholder preferences. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News] 3:09:10 PM Google It!    [Sustainable design] NY’s Solar-Powered, Litter-Compacting Trash Can Until this week, the corner of Chambers and Church Streets in New York has been home to the city’s latest attempt to control waste: the BigBelly compacting trash can. Donated for use on a trial basis by its manufacturer, the Seahorse Power Company, the hi-tech can--which Seahorse touts as having the potential to greatly reduce both pollution and the number of needed pick-ups--has had some success in the city, although not without a few hitches. The large, boxy receptacles are operated by solar energy, which is collected and stored by panels connected to a long-life battery. Garbage is deposited into the can’s pull-down chute, which is designed to keep rodents and odors at bay. Once the trash inside the bin attains a certain volume, a sensor automatically triggers a block compactor, which condenses the garbage. Up to 300 gallons of waste--or four-to-ten times the amount held by the average bin--can be housed in the BigBelly at a time. As a result, up to 75% less collection trips are needed by sanitation workers and their heavily polluting diesel trucks. [Source: Metropolis Magazine] 3:07:48 PM Google It!    [Grants] Land's End Corporate Giving Program Land's End supports programs in education, community development, environment, health, and human services. The majority of Lands' End's charitable donations are given to non-profit organizations in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York, with preference placed on the communities where our headquarters, manufacturing and phone operations, and retail stores are located. The remaining donations are awarded to charities across the United States. All requests for donations must be sent to the corporate giving manager at the Lands' End headquarters in Dodgeville, WI. Please click here for an online application. 3:05:52 PM Google It!    [Grants] Youth Venture Youth Venture is a national non-profit organization that empowers young people ages 12-20 by providing them all the tools necessary to create civic-minded organizations, clubs or businesses.  They provide access to a variety of resources including: a national network of like-minded young people, media opportunities and up to $1,000 in seed capital needed to launch their organizations. 3:03:15 PM Google It!    [Grants] Teacher Professional Continuum Preliminary Proposal Due Date (required): May 31, 2005 Full Proposal Due Date (required): September 16, 2005 The Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC) program addresses critical issues and infrastructure needs regarding the recruitment, preparation, induction, retention, and life-long development of K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers. Its goals are to improve the quality and coherence of teacher learning experiences across the continuum through research that informs teaching practice and the development of innovative resources for the professional development of K-12 STEM teachers. The program supports Research Studies, Resources for Professional Development, and Conferences and Symposia. 2:56:44 PM Google It!    [Water use] Saving Water, Ford Sees Two Shades of Green While Michigan’s top business associations continue their active opposition to proposed state legislation requiring more efficient water use, one of the state’s largest companies is sharply reducing its own water consumption, saving large amounts of money by doing so, and urging fellow manufacturers to do the same. [Source: Michigan Land Use Institute] 2:54:38 PM Google It!    [Grants] Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program A modification to this solicitation was posted on March 31, 2005. 2:53:35 PM Google It!    [Fuel cells] Nanotechnology could promote hydrogen economy Say "nanotechnology" and people are likely to think of micro machines or zippy computer chips. But in a new twist, Rutgers scientists are using nanotechnology in chemical reactions that could provide hydrogen for tomorrow's fuel-cell powered clean energy vehicles. In a paper to be published April 20 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, describe how they make a finely textured surface of the metal iridium that can be used to extract hydrogen from ammonia, then captured and fed to a fuel cell. The metal's unique surface consists of millions of pyramids with facets as tiny as five nanometers (five billionths of a meter) across, onto which ammonia molecules can nestle like matching puzzle pieces. This sets up the molecules to undergo complete and efficient decomposition. [Environmental Protection E-News] 2:51:52 PM Google It!    [PBDEs] Study: Blood levels of flame retardant rising Levels of commercial flame retardants in human blood samples have risen sharply since the 1970s even as levels of dioxin and other "persistent organic pollutants" have decreased, reports a study in the March Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). The full citation for the article is: Schecter, Arnold MD, MPH; Papke, Olaf MS; Tung, Kuang Chi; Joseph, Jean MBBS; Harris, T Robert PhD; Dahlgren, James MD. "Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Flame Retardants in the U.S. Population: Current Levels, Temporal Trends, and Comparison With Dioxins, Dibenzofurans, and Polychlorinated Biphenyls." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 47(3), 199-211 (2005). 2:50:20 PM Google It!    [Grants] NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants Dates: The deadline for receipt of proposals is 5:00 p.m., EDT on May 12, 2005 This notice announces that OESD is soliciting 1- to 3-year proposals for environmental literacy projects. Funded projects will further NOAA’s education goals articulated in the NOAA Education Plan(http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NOAA_Ed_Plan.pdf). Funding is available to encourage the development of partnerships and to support existing, or foster growth of new, environmental literacy projects. This program has two funding priorities for FY05: (1) Partnerships that promote systemic change in NOAA-related science education, and (2) Innovative presentation of NOAA science and earth observing data through educational data visualizations and other educational tools. Within priority two, NOAA has committed to funding the installation of up to four “Science on a Sphere” (SOS) data systems at informal education venues. These “Science on a Sphere” installations will be funded by way of one- to three-year cooperative agreements. It is anticipated that final recommendations for funding under this announcement will be made in mid-Calendar Year 2005, and that projects funded under this announcement will have a start date no earlier than September 30, 2005. 2:37:57 PM Google It!    [Grants] National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: General Matching Grant Program The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation operates a conservation grants program that awards matching grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible grant recipients, including federal, tribal, state, and local governments, educational institutions, and non-profit conservation organizations. Project proposals are received on a year-round, revolving basis with two decision cycles per year. Grants typically range from $10,000-$150,000, based upon need. 2:33:53 PM Google It!    [Grants] Environmental Education Training Program Application deadline: April 30, 2005 The purpose of this notice is to invite eligible institutions to submit proposals to operate the national Environmental Education Training Program. This program is authorized under section 5 of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (the Act) (Pub. L. 101-619). 2:31:08 PM Google It!    [Hazardous waste site remediation] Study: Right blend of microbes and plants can clean up toxic spills Superfund sites are infamous for their hazardous, stubborn chemical wastes, but one cleanup solution may be to put the right mix of plants and microbes together in the soil, according to a new University of Florida study. The study examined the interaction between two of the likeliest candidates for cleanup duty -- the loblolly pine and soil-dwelling, methane-eating bacteria. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News] 2:27:55 PM Google It!    [Earth Day] Earth Day Information for children and teachers about the celebration of Earth Day each April. The site features a history of the day (including information about U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, who introduced the idea in 1969), classroom study materials and activity suggestions, and information about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Also includes a bibliography and links to related sites. Searchable. From the Wilderness Society. [Librarians' Index to the Internet] 2:24:59 PM Google It!    [Earth Day] Celebrate Earth Day - Every Day This site provides numerous ideas for youngsters celebrating Earth day, celebrated every April 22. Included are online games, coloring activities, clip art, word searches, language and science activities, and much more. [Librarians' Index to the Internet] 2:11:57 PM Google It!    [Schools] Solar Power in the Schools A couple of things on solar power in education. First, from Scotsman.com, news of plans at Scotland's Napier University -- Merchiston campus to install solar panels that will partially power computers on campus. Also, "Professor Tariq Muneer, spokesman for Napier University’s School of Engineering, said: 'As well as providing clean power for the computers at Merchiston, we will also be using the solar panels as a research tool to look at how much energy they absorb and how much is converted into electricity." And from RenewableEnergyAccess.com, an announcement of the International Solar Energy Society and the American Solar Energy Society's 2005 Solar Schools -- Brighter Schools International Competition. "This international contest calls for student art and essays that express how solar energy is technology that's available now and to anyone." I think it's great to encourage students to think about alternative energy -- I wish this contest were not limited to students at schools that already incorporate solar power, as this contest could open up further educational possibilities. Technorati tags: solar power, education By noemail@noemail.org (Jeff McIntire-Strasburg). [sustainablog] 2:09:02 PM Google It!    [CAFOs] Concentrating on Clean Water: The Challenge of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) Source: Iowa Policy Project Concentrating on Clean Water: The Challenge of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (PDF; 316 KB) From press release (PDF; 84 KB): "Large-scale animal livestock confinement operations generate or pass on water-related costs that must be addressed through public policies that protect producers, consumers and the environment over the long term, according to a new report. The new report for the nonpartisan Iowa Policy Project notes not only manure-management challenges presented by such operations, but potential broader effects on water quality and social and economic impacts in rural communities. Stronger regulations and enforcement are needed to assure environmental protection, according to the report." [ResourceShelf's DocuTicker] 2:06:21 PM Google It!    [Climate change] Climate change poorly understood by U.S. public, MIT survey finds Climate change and the threat of global warming are poorly understood by the U.S. public, and taking action to reduce their impact is not a high priority, according to a recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) survey. 9:09:25 AM Google It!    [Alternative fuels] Homegrown for the Homeland: Ethanol Industry Outlook 2005 Ethanol Industry Source: Renewable Fuels Association Homegrown for the Homeland: Ethanol Industry Outlook 2005 "Over the past several years, the ethanol industry has expanded responsibly and quickly to growing demand for renewable fuels in both existing and emerging markets. Record oil and gasoline prices, federal and state clean fuel programs, and mounting concerns about our nation ’s growing dependence on imported energy prompted unprecedented ethanol demand. As a result, ethanol is blended in more than 30% of the gasoline sold in the U.S. today." [ResourceShelf's DocuTicker] 9:06:39 AM Google It!    [Pesticides] Nominee Is Grilled Over Program on Pesticides Stephen L. Johnson, President Bush's nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, encountered unexpected turbulence at his Senate confirmation hearing. By By MICHAEL JANOFSKY. [NYT > Science] 9:02:13 AM Google It!    [Ecosystem restoration] Eco-firms see growing profits Previously a niche market, ecosystem restoration has surged in the past five years. [Christian Science Monitor | Sci/Tech] 8:51:58 AM Google It!

© Copyright 2005 Laura L. Barnes. Last update: 10/25/2005; 12:09:49 PM.