Friday, August 26, 2005

[Alternative energy] Alternative energy research center fuels up for the future There are parts of the country that have long embraced the potential of alternative energies, where business leaders are taking huge strides toward ending America's dependence on nonrenewable and increasingly expensive fossil fuels. [Environmental Health News] 4:22:15 PM Google It!    [Meetings] "Greening the Hospitality Industry" conference program announced The "Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference" scheduled for October 5-7, 2005, at The Inn & Conference Center, University of Maryland University College, in Metro Washington DC has announced this year's program. The conference will offer educational tracks for meeting planners and industry venues and vendors. A partial list of sessions includes: "One Size Doesn't Fit All: Negotiating Greening Specifications and Contract Clauses" "What Makes a Meeting and Event Destination Green?" "Broadening the Base: Mobilizing the Religious, Health Care and Social Event Industries to Demand Green" "How Do I Make My Meeting Green? The Basic Elements Covered" "Sustainable Tourism: Success Stories from Europe" "Green Hotels Successfully Getting Heads in Beds" "Planning for Sustainable Food and Beverage" "Green Lodging Certification Programs Today"  Also featured at the conference will be exhibits featuring green products for the industry and roundtable discussions with topics ranging from "Choosing Green Accommodations" to "Communications and Marketing Ideas." Take advantage of this opportunity hear key industry leaders share their insights on industry issues and environmentally responsible approaches to meeting processes. For a full conference program and more information with registration details, visit the Green Meeting Industry Council website at www.greenmeetings.info. The Green Meeting Industry Council is dedicated to improving meeting management practices by promoting environmentally responsible strategies through the collaborative efforts of meeting industry stakeholders. The Green Meeting Industry Council is committed to balancing economic, environmental, and community objectives as they relate to the meeting industry. CONTACT: Nancy J. Wilson CMP (503) 731-8971 nancy@greenmeetings.info 4:18:49 PM Google It!    [Energy efficiency] State to fund energy efficiency measures for low income people The New York state Public Service Commission on Wednesday approved a two-year, $5 million Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.program to improve energy efficiency for some lower-income customers. [Source: Albany Business Review] 4:17:56 PM Google It!    [Green building] Green Building Practices Continue to Grow Green building demands are in huge demand among the facility management professionals, according to the 2005 Sustainability Study released today by the International Facility Management Association. Most noteworthy among the online reports findings, 70 percent of facility managers responding said that they plan on carrying out green concepts within their organizations' facilities. The results are based on 341 respondents to a web-based questionnaire, which was distributed to 3,510 U.S. and Canadian professional members of IFMA on May 12. [Source: Commercial Property News] 4:11:36 PM Google It!    [Green building] Competition for architects aims to jump-start 'green' building Architects from across Canada are being challenged to help make subdivision development greener in the Greater Toronto Area by competing to design a model home that not only uses all the latest environmental-protection technologies but can also be mass-produced inexpensively. [Source: Toronto Globe & Mail] 4:10:08 PM Google It!    [Solar energy] Solar energy powers Temple's eternal light Temple Beth Israel in Eugene has lit the way for other congregations by installing a solar-powered eternal light, which hangs above the Torah ark and represents the eternal presence of God. [Source: Jewish Review] 4:07:06 PM Google It!    [Green building] Pitt to Teach Green Building in the Tropics The University of Pittsburgh has received $3.2M NSF grant to train students in sustainable engineering in São Paulo. 3:59:33 PM Google It!    [Schools] America's Top 10 Green Schools States are starting to insist schools adopt LEED standards, as rated by the U.S. Green Building Council. [Source: Green Guide via Interior Design Magazine] 3:57:59 PM Google It!    [Federal government] OMB asserts control over all Federal web content Federal agencies -- including EPA, the Interior Department, and others on the environmental beat -- face a December 2005 deadline for meeting Website guidelines set by the White House Office of Management and Budget. The agencies must toe certain lines set in a Dec. 17, 2004, OMB memo to the heads of all federal executive agencies. That memo set certain standards for searchability and meeting public information needs, as well as security, privacy, accessibility, and standardization of domain names. Many of these standards are uncontroversial. OMB requires agencies to meet them by Dec. 31, 2005. Other guidelines set in the Dec. 17, 2004, memo from Deputy Director Clay Johnson could be very controversial. One is the requirement that all content on Websites comply with the "Data Quality Act" u giving industry a potential tool for censoring any statement or information they do not like. Another is a requirement that agencies restrict and limit links to offsite or external content except when "necessary for the proper performance of an agency function." That is exactly the point of attack used by two western-state members of the conservative House Resources Committee when they demanded that EPA drop links to certain environmental groups. The two Representatives, Barbara Cubin (R-WY) and Jim Gibbons (R-NV), made no comparable demand for removal of links to businesses, trade associations, or conservative political groups. "Western Congress Reps. Call For EPA to Ban Web Links," WatchDog, April 21, 2004. "Memorandum For The Heads Of Executive Departments And Agencies: Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites" (M-05-04), Clay Johnson III, Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget, December 17, 2004. "Group Advises EPA on Web Site Management," Daily Briefing, GovExec.com (National Journal), May 9, 2005, by Paul Singer. [SEJ: Watchdog TipSheet] 3:55:40 PM Google It!    [Alternative energy] Scientists Try To Harness Wave Energy As the price of a barrel of oil continues to surge, scientists are turning to the ocean as a possible source of alternative energy. AP story appears in the Boston Globe, 8/25/05. [SEJ: Environmental Journalism Today] 3:48:39 PM Google It!    [Great Lakes] New from the GAO Source: General Accountability Office Great Lakes Initiative: EPA Needs to Better Ensure the Complete and Consistent Implementation of Water Quality Standards Highlights ||| Full Report [ResourceShelf's DocuTicker] 3:45:32 PM Google It!    [Green building] Labs 21: Labs for the 21st Century The Labs 21 program aims to improve the energy efficiency and environmental performance of U.S. laboratories by examining facilities from a "whole building" perspective. [EERE Network News] 3:44:56 PM Google It!    [Gas prices] Reports: High Gas Prices Changing U.S. Consumer Behavior As gasoline prices hit new records, two new studies suggest that U.S. drivers may be driving less. One of the studies, from the Polk Center for Automotive Studies, also suggests that many U.S. consumers will put off buying a new car, but when they do, they plan to buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle. [EERE Network News] 3:44:26 PM Google It!    [Hybrid cars] New Tool Helps Fleet Managers Evaluate Hybrid Vehicles According to a new online software tool for managers of fleets of vehicles, today's high gasoline prices make hybrid vehicles a cost-effective choice for fleets. The new tool takes into account purchase price, fuel costs, repair and maintenance costs, resale value, and tax incentives. [EERE Network News] 3:43:16 PM Google It!    [Nanotechnology] Carbon Nanotubes Show Promise for Solar Cells, Other Devices General Electric's research arm has built a diode from carbon nanotubes that operates at the theoretical limit of perfection for diodes, and also is able to convert sunlight into electricity. The diode could be put to use in solar cells and a wide variety of electronic devices, including light-emitting diodes. [EERE Network News] 3:42:38 PM Google It!    [Green building] U.S. Green Building Council Launches LEED for Homes New homes built to "green building" standards will soon be eligible to receive the same level of certification as is currently available for commercial buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council is launching a one-year trial for its new LEED rating system for homes, which will reward top homebuilders. [EERE Network News] 3:42:01 PM Google It!    [Environmental health] Toxic burden for poor, minorities Research shows that low-income and minority communities nationwide frequently bear the brunt of toxic waste sites, polluting businesses, pesticides, highway exhaust and unhealthy homes. [Environmental Health News] 3:37:20 PM Google It!    [Biodiesel] Seattle converts garbage trucks to burn biodiesel-based fuels Seattle to convert its garbage trucks to help curb greenhouse gas emissions. [Energy] 3:36:43 PM Google It!    [Perchlorate] EPA Will Study Perchlorate's Damage to Drinking Water Supplies The U.S. EPA plans to study the extent of damage done to drinking water supplies by a component of rocket fuel -- another step toward possible federal regulation of the chemical.  The goal of the proposed $42 million study is to assess the occurrence of perchlorate and 25 other contaminants in water systems and potential human exposure over the next five years, according to EPA's proposed rule. The proposal is open for public comment. 3:33:56 PM Google It!

© Copyright 2005 Laura L. Barnes. Last update: 10/25/2005; 12:11:36 PM.