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Tuesday, August 30, 2005
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Why put phthalates in rubber duckies? Pro-growth, capitalist optimism has made the green architect William McDonough palatable to business. But the pressure he puts on industrial designers to adopt new design criteria is relentless. [Environmental Health News]
12:06:19 PM Google It! 
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State officials are investigating whether high asthma rates are triggered by poor air quality inside schools and outdoor pollutants like incinerator and diesel emissions. [Environmental Health News]
12:05:06 PM Google It!
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Rather than attacking the vexing vegetation of Denver's Parks and Recreation grounds with intensive labor, noisy mowers or chemical herbicides, city naturalist Gayle Weinstein outsourced a portion of the job to a herd of grazing goats. [Environmental Health News]
11:54:29 AM Google It!
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A good overview of the knowledge that does exist, the gaps that remain, and many of the basic principles of nanotechnology, is available in this extensive article in the July 2005 Environmental Health Perspectives. The article includes about 200 references, which can provide good leads as you look for sources. [SEJ Useful links]
11:44:46 AM Google It!
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Centerbrook Architects has once again turned itself--or more specifically its roof--into an experiment in clean energy. [Source: Shore Publishing]
11:28:22 AM Google It!
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Solar power will help run a miniature railway in north Wales, in a project funded by the UK government. [Source: BBC News]
11:26:56 AM Google It!
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Jeff Vandam of The New York Times reports New York City has launched an ambitious effort to transform Fresh Kills into a lush 2,200-acre green space. If the name of the place sounds familiar, it's because it was where much of the debris of the September 11 attacks was sorted, 8/28/05. [SEJ Environmental Journalism Today]
11:25:30 AM Google It!
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A decade-old federal push to keep some of the worst toxic chemicals out of the Great Lakes may not be accomplishing much. Brad Heath of The Detroit News explains why, 8/29/05. [SEJ Environmental Journalism Today]
11:24:11 AM Google It!
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In May, the Awesome Aquifers competition became a new component of the National Science Olympiad Tournament. Then, this summer, more than 1,350 young Nebraskans participated in the “H2O on the Go” program, taking part in water games, building water cycle terrariums, and chowing down on edible (and educational) Earth parfaits. And come fall, teens who have environmental interests will converge for a Youth Groundwater Congress summit, where they will be asked to share groundwater-related concerns from their communities.
The projects are all part of an energetic focus on early environmental education by the Groundwater Foundation, based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The nonprofit’s mission is to educate and motivate people to care for and about groundwater—not always the easiest of tasks, according to staff members. [Source: Connect for Kids]
11:15:35 AM Google It!
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Carnegie Mellon University chemists say they have discovered a safe and environmentally friendly way to destroy toxic man-made pollutants released by the dye and pesticide industries. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Jennifer Bails has details, 8/30/05. [SEJ Environmental Journalism Today]
11:12:45 AM Google It!
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These schools are leading the way from the toxic one-room schoolhouse of yore to holistic and healthy classrooms. [Source: AlterNet] [LB note: I had trouble getting this story to display in IE. If you have problems, try Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox.]
11:09:02 AM Google It!
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A new grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to James Pagano at SUNY Oswego's Environmental Research Center will improve understanding of the movement of chemical contaminants in the Lake Ontario environment and food chain. [Source: Oswego (NY) Palladium Times]
11:03:09 AM Google It!
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When it comes to fighting stains, "greener"” is better. Chemists say they have developed an alternative material for making stain-resistant coatings that does not lead to the production of PFOA, a pervasive chemical that has been termed a "likely carcinogen" by an EPA advisory board. [Source: ACS press release]
10:56:34 AM Google It!
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Back in the 1940s, when Robert Tamblyn was working at Toronto's Eaton Centre department store, he noticed that it had tapped the city's water main -- illegally -- to rig up a system that fanned the chilly water through a network of pipes to cool the women's evening-wear department. By Chantal Martineau. [washingtonpost.com - Science]
10:46:58 AM Google It!
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It all started out with a service proposal for a scholarship. The Chuck It Recycling Program has evolved into a model for football stadium recycling across the country. [Source: The North Carolina State Technician]
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Plano: Bowman Middle School principal beams over recycling awards. [Source: Dallas Morning News]
10:42:29 AM Google It!
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Representing more than 2,000 corporate members, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has joined forces with leading technology companies, government agencies, environmental groups and millions of eBay users to confront the challenge of e-waste through eBay's Rethink Initiative. For more information, visit e-Bay's Rethink site at http://www.ebay.com/rethink.
10:40:17 AM Google It!
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Applications due Nov 23, 2005.
The NIEHS in partnership with EPA invites applications for P01 Research Center grants that will conduct multidisciplinary basic and clinical research using a community-based participatory approach to examine the effects of environmental exposures on children's health and to translate the research findings to public policy, to address community needs, and to information for the health care community and general public.
This RFA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Program Project Grant (P01) and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development, STAR (Science to Achieve Results) program administered in accordance with 40 CFR Part 30 and 40. Responsibilities for the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project will be solely that of the applicant. Policies that govern grant award programs of each agency will prevail for respective sources of support.
NIEHS and EPA intend to award up to $6 million in FY 2006 to fund three to four grants in response to this RFA. An applicant may request a project period of up to five years and budget for direct costs of up to 1 million in each year. Eligible organizations include not-for-profit, public or private organizations, units of state and local governments, domestic institutions/organizations, faith-based or community-based organizations, units of State Tribal government and units of Local Tribal government. Eligible principal investigators are any individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research. The number of applications each applicant may submit is unrestricted.
Link to Full Announcement
- http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-05-004.html
10:36:38 AM Google It!
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State air quality regulators, in an abrupt reversal that has delighted environmentalists but could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, have proposed new rules that would effectively force Bay Area public transit systems to ditch diesel buses. [Source: San Francisco Chronicle]
10:34:16 AM Google It!
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Resources and tips for reducing your office's environmental impact. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
10:30:47 AM Google It!
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This online guide focuses on energy savings in existing commercial office buildings. Find information on planning and funding energy projects as well as an overview of building tools and technologies that help save energy and reduce costs. Throughout the guide, case studies demonstrate real world examples of energy savings and offer tips to building owners and managers interested in improving energy management. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
10:29:07 AM Google It!
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Brief, informative, and easy to understand, this 2005 report provides a helpful overview for policymakers, media, and individuals interested in what's happening to the world's water supply. The report looks at water use in agriculture, industry, and households in different parts of the world, and identifies where stress in the water supply is likely to occur in the coming years. The report goes on to identify several trends that will affect fresh water use in the coming decades. These include population growth, increasing affluence, expansion of business activity, rapid urbanization and climate change. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
10:26:12 AM Google It!
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Sharp Corporation has developed a new technology to blend plant-based plastic that uses corn as the raw material, and waste plastic recovered from scrapped consumer electronics. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
10:23:41 AM Google It!
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A new study offers guidance on proper blending of biodiesel fuel to achieve consistent performance in cold weather. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
10:22:11 AM Google It!
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Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has launched an "Eco-Rail Mark" program as a means to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the distribution sector. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
10:21:21 AM Google It!
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The Fund for Wild Nature provides grants to grassroots organizations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for campaigns to save and restore native species and wild ecosystems, including actions to defend wilderness and biological diversity. The Fund supports projects premised on effective, intelligent biocentric strategies on issues that are not receiving adequate national attention. Small grassroots groups that may not be able to get funding from other more mainstream foundations are a priority; the Fund rarely supports proposals from organizations with budgets over $250,000 annually. Grants are available for advocacy, litigation, public policy work, development of citizen science, and similar endeavors. The next application deadline is November 4, 2005.
10:19:59 AM Google It!
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The National Gardening Association supports programs across the U.S. that actively engage kids in the garden. Through the 2006 Youth Garden Grants program, 150 schools and community organizations with child-centered outdoor garden programs will receive Home Depot gift cards of $250-$500 for the purchase of gardening supplies particular to the needs of their program. Priority is given to proposals emphasizing an educational focus and/or curricular ties; nutrition or plant-to-food connections; environmental awareness/education; entrepreneurship; or social aspects of gardening such as leadership development or service-learning. The application deadline for the 2006 grant program is November 30, 2005.
10:18:59 AM Google It!
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High concentrations of a chemical used in the production of well-known nonstick surfaces have turned up in people living near a Teflon-manufacturing plant in West Virginia. The data emerge from the first government-sponsored epidemiological study of the chemical, known both as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and C-8. [Source: Science News]
10:17:15 AM Google It!
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In a landmark legal proceeding yesterday, a federal judge allowed a case to proceed that will become the first lawsuit over alleged harm from climate change. The suit alleges that two federal agencies have contributed to global warming by funding oil and gas development projects. Judge Jeffrey White of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California said there is evidence that the Overseas Private Investment Corp. and the Export-Import Bank are directly or indirectly responsible for 1.9 million tons of annual carbon dioxide and methane emissions. In his ruling, White rejected an attempt by the Justice Department to have the case dismissed. [Source: GreenWire -- access only to UIUC campus network]
See related story in The Oakland Tribune -- http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_2971779.
10:04:45 AM Google It!
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Imagine a smart solvent that can be switched reversibly from a liquid with one set of properties to another that has very different properties, upon command. Here we create such a system, in which a non-ionic liquid (an alcohol and an amine base) converts to an ionic liquid (a salt in liquid form) upon exposure to an atmosphere of carbon dioxide, and then reverts back to its non-ionic form when exposed to nitrogen or argon gas. Such switchable solvents should facilitate organic syntheses and separations by eliminating the need to remove and replace solvents after each reaction step. [Source: Nature]
See related story in Environmental Protection E-News.
9:59:37 AM Google It!
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It’s Our River Day is a celebration of one of our state’s most precious resources, our rivers and streams. This includes the grand Illinois River, which 273 river miles are entirely within the state of Illinois. This celebration will promote the rich and varied natural, historical, and cultural resources that are unique to Illinois streams and the communities that depend on them. For information on events planned for across the state, visit http://www.state.il.us/ltgov/cleanwater/iord/events.htm.
9:56:09 AM Google It!
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Financial incentives, changes in regulations, and green power purchase programs offer more options for organizations that want to explore alternative energy. By Mike Lobash [Source: GreenBiz.com]
9:51:38 AM Google It!
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The Holland, Inc., owner of Burgerville and Noodlin' restaurants throughout Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington, has committed to use renewable wind power to provide 100% of its electricity needs. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
9:49:37 AM Google It!
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A new report has found that when employees are allowed to work from home, they reward their employers with hours of extra work time. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
9:48:16 AM Google It!
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The Ben & Jerry's Foundation provides support to nonprofit, grassroots organizations throughout the United States that facilitate progressive social change by addressing the underlying conditions of societal and environmental problems. Grant applicants need to demonstrate that their projects will: lead to societal, institutional, and/or environmental change; address the root causes of social or environmental problems; and lead to new ways of thinking and acting. Specifically, the Foundation seeks groups that are working to help themselves, help their own communities, and help others like themselves through self-empowering, community organizing efforts. The Foundation does not make grants to support basic or direct social service programs. Applications are accepted throughout the year.
9:42:07 AM Google It!
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On July 29, 2005, the governor of New York signed a law that will create energy efficiency standards for a range of appliances and electronic equipment sold in the state that are not currently covered by federal efficiency standards. This brings the number of states that have adopted similar appliance efficiency standards to eight (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington.)
Under the new law, the state will develop efficiency standards for ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits; furnace air handlers; commercial washing machines, refrigerators, freezers, and icemakers; torchiere lighting fixtures; unit heaters; reflector lamps; large packaged air-conditioning equipment; and other commercial and household items. The law also requires the establishment of efficiency standards for devices such as DVD players and recorders, VCRs, and digital television adapters, which use standby power even when the unit is turned off.
The new standards are projected to save up to 2,096 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually (enough to power 350,000 homes), resulting in $284 million in annual energy savings. The state estimates that the new standards will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 870,000 metric tons, nitrogen oxides by 1,429 metric tons, and sulfur dioxide by 2,858 metric tons.
The text of the bill is available online at http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A08757.
9:38:51 AM Google It!
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Profile of Keith Bolin, a farmer and school board member who helped bring wind power to Bureau Valley High School in northwestern Illinois.
9:36:57 AM Google It!
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© Copyright
2005
Laura L. Barnes.
Last update:
10/25/2005; 12:11:42 PM.
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