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Wednesday, May 11, 2005
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A recent conference of the Society of Automotive Engineers in Washington, D.C., featured advanced clean diesel and hybrid commercial vehicles from seven manufacturers and the U.S. EPA. DOE's 21st Century Truck Partnership helped develop several of the vehicles. [EERE Network News]
12:19:46 PM Google It! 
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The EPA will conduct a public meeting June 23, 2005 on nanoscale materials to discuss a potential voluntary pilot program for certain nanoscale materials and the information needed to adequately inform the conduct of the pilot program. The meeting will be held at the Washington Plaza in Washington, D.C.
Nanoscale materials are chemical substances containing structures in the length scale of approximately 1 to 100 nanometers, and may have different molecular organizations and properties than the same chemical substances in a larger size. Some of the nanoscale materials are new chemical substances subject to notification requirements under TSCA and, therefore, are subject to review for potential human health and environmental risks before they are manufactured and enter commerce. Other nanoscale materials are existing chemical substances that may enter commerce without notification to EPA.
EPA is considering a potential voluntary pilot program for such nanoscale materials. To that end, EPA is requesting comments at the public meeting on: (1) The scope and purpose of a voluntary pilot program for nanoscale materials that are existing chemical substances, (2) kinds of information that are relevant to the evaluation of potential risks from exposure to nanoscale materials, (3) chemical characterization and nomenclature of nanoscale materials for regulatory purposes, and (4) identification of interested stakeholders. These comments will inform EPA on possible approaches to protect human health and the environment from exposure to such chemical substances.
Requests to provide oral comments at the meeting must be received in writing before June 9, 2005. Requests to attend the meeting may be submitted until June 16, 2005.
For more information on the general topic, Colby Lintner, at(202) 554-1404; e-mail address: TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov. For technical information contact Flora Chow at(202) 564-8983; e-mail address:chow.flora@epa.gov. [ChemAlliance Environmental News]
12:19:01 PM Google It!
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Support for renewable energies is cited in the rationale for eight of the cities placed on the 'top ten' list by the Green Guide Institute. [Source: Refocus Weekly]
12:12:59 PM Google It!
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Thirty million tonnes of household waste is sent to landfill dumps in England each year, of which more than half could be used to generate power for two million homes. [Source: Refocus Weekly]
12:12:07 PM Google It!
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Solar PV systems can repay their energy investment in two years, according to the U.S. government. [Source: Refucus Weekly]
12:11:29 PM Google It!
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Applications due: Jun 27, 2005
The "USEPA R5 School-Based Asthma/Indoor Air Quality Funding" Initial Announcement is soliciting proposals for cooperative agreements for the following two program categories: (1) Managing indoor air quality in K-12 schools, OR (2) Implementing a school-based asthma management/education program. It is intended that these projects will be located in USEPA Region 5 in the areas of: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
12:10:17 PM Google It!
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The rapid miniaturization of technologies behind cameras, cellphones and wireless computers is allowing scientists to build innovative networks of small sensors that they say will produce a new era of ecological insight and, in time, help save the planet. [Source: New York Times -- need login/pw?]
12:09:04 PM Google It!
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John Francis, a "planetwalker" who lived car-free and silent for 17 years, chats with Grist.
12:05:23 PM Google It!
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Grist Magazine's spin on GE's Ecomagination initiative.
12:04:25 PM Google It!
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Cadmium, commonly considered a toxic metal and often used in combination with nickel in batteries, has been found to have a biological use as a nutrient in the ocean, the first known biological use of cadmium in any life form. Scientists have discovered cadmium within an enzyme from a marine diatom, an algae or plankton common in the ocean and a major source of food for many organisms. The finding, reported in the May 5 issue of Nature, suggests that certain trace metals, found in very low concentrations in the ocean, are utilized by enzymes that have not been found in organisms from terrestrial environments. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News]
Full citation is:
Lane, TW; Saito, MA; George, GN; Pickering, IJ; Prince, RC; Morel, FMM (2005) "Biochemistry: A cadmium enzyme from a marine diatom." Nature 435(7038), 42.
12:03:18 PM Google It!
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Caterpillar, Frito-Lay, Xerox, Staples, and the Gap are among 10 corporations pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of EPA's Climate Leaders -- a voluntary program that works with companies to measure greenhouse gas emissions and set aggressive, long-term emissions reduction goals. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News]
11:56:25 AM Google It!
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In a challenge to conventional wisdom, scientists have found that buckyballs dissolve in water and could have a negative impact on soil bacteria. The findings raise new questions about how the nanoparticles might behave in the environment and how they should be regulated, according to a report scheduled to appear in the June 1 print issue of the American Chemical Society's peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News]
11:55:42 AM Google It!
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This Mother's Day, exactly half of all consumers say they'll buy flowers for Mom, according to a poll by the National Retail Federation. A small but growing number plan to give their love an organic flourish by sending flowers grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. [Source: USA Today]
11:49:24 AM Google It!
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Forget corn processing. Don't wait for switch grass. The real key to producing enough ethanol for America's cars and trucks this century is wood. [Source: Christian Science Monitor]
11:48:29 AM Google It!
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Security hawks, environmentalists forge a rare consensus on energy. [Source: Christian Science Monitor]
11:47:46 AM Google It!
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Grist's Muckraker column looks at the energy bill's effect on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Here's the first paragraph of the column:
When the energy bill sailed through the House of Representatives late last month, the media reported that it was the same old grotesquely corpulent package that the GOP leadership had previously tried -- and failed -- to pass through Congress four times in the last four years. This is true. But what flew under the radar were a few new provisions snuck in at the 11th hour by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.), chair of the House Resources Committee, which have made the bill even more environmentally threatening than previous versions, many Democrats and environmentalists say.
11:46:54 AM Google It!
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NASA is set to launch the new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES), another critical link in the development of a global Earth-observation program. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News]
11:44:16 AM Google It!
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A group of federal politicians in the United States has asked for significant increases in funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. See also their article on Re-energize America, a coalition of individuals and organizations formed to lobby for renewable energy and energy efficiency. [Source: Refocus Weekly]
11:41:11 AM Google It!
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The latest automobile sales figures show that Americans are increasingly wary of gas-thirsty sport utility vehicles. That was particularly bad news for General Motors and the Ford Motor Company, which both saw their sales slip last month as consumers continued their steady march into Asian car companies' dealerships. [Source: New York Times -- need a login/pw?]
11:39:50 AM Google It!
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Grist Magazine's Umbra Fisk answers a reader's question about channeling grey water to her garden.
11:37:26 AM Google It!
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In an age when many people pay $1.50 for 20 ounces of bottled water, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) this week is reminding people of the value of tap water by distributing bottles that provide "Reasons to Fill This Bottle With Tap Water." An expanded list of reasons is provided at AWWA's consumer Web site, http://www.drinktap.org. [Source: Water and Wastewater Products E-News]
11:35:40 AM Google It!
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The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association unveiled the first Water Smart Home on May 2. KB Home Nevada built the home as the first builder in the Water Smart Home program. This program certifies new homes and neighborhoods as water-smart, ensuring that homeowners are purchasing a home that can save as much as 75,000 gallons of water per year. [Source: Water and Wastewater Products E-News]
11:34:30 AM Google It!
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The Farm to School programs connect schools with local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, reducing obesity, providing education opportunities, and supporting local small farmers. [ENN Business Headlines]
11:33:00 AM Google It!
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© Copyright
2005
Laura L. Barnes.
Last update:
10/25/2005; 12:10:08 PM.
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