|
|
Thursday, September 01, 2005
|
|
| |
|
Cleaning Times: Aqueous Cleaners Are "Buggy"
How often does an MSDS refer to an aqueous cleaning agent as biodegradable? How often does a user read (or hear) this statement and imagine their spent cleaning agent can be discarded in any convenient waterway – believing some "bugs" will take care of it?
The answer to both questions is the same – all too often. Biodegradable has become, in the minds of many, a single word meaning "... I don't have those solvent disposal problems! ..."
An outcome of believing that answer is usually a problem which has technical, sanitary, environmental, or legal ramifications. This column covers how to understand and avoid those problems.
12:39:28 PM Google It! 
|
|
|
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Golden Field Office (GO) is soliciting applications for the Inventions and Innovation (I&I) Program. Through financial assistance awards (Grants), DOE intends to provide financial support to fund the development of energy saving technologies under the provisions of Section 14 of the Federal Non-Nuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-577. Projects that reduce energy consumption and have future commercial markets may be eligible for financial and technical support through this competitive funding opportunity process.
The I&I Program is seeking applications for energy-saving technologies in the conceptual (Category 1), and developmental (Category 2) stages of development as defined in Appendix D "Summary Definitions of Stages of Development." Funds from this Program are restricted to U.S. demonstration sites. If an applicant is a prior Category 1 award recipient applying for a Category 2 grant for the same technology, all research and development activities must be completed with successful test results. A final report for the Category 1 project must be accepted by DOE before the Category 2 application is submitted.
The I&I Program will require pre-applications. Pre-applications will be evaluated against the published criteria and program policy factors, and only those who submit pre-applications deemed worthwhile and innovative will be eligible to submit full-applications in response to this funding opportunity. Those who submit pre-applications that are not selected will not be eligible to submit a full-application under this funding opportunity.
This mandatory pre-application requirement is the result of a program assessment. The mandatory pre-application requirement will better serve applicants and reduce DOE’s evaluation costs, thus making more funds available to support additional selected projects. The pre-application screening process will better utilize DOE resources, as the volume and content of the full-applications will be fewer and better targeted to DOE’s requirements and needs.
All awards under this announcement will have requirements for reporting to DOE. Progress and financial status reports will be required on a quarterly basis. Peer and/or technical review meetings will also be held approximately once per quarter. Also, a detailed final report will be required at the conclusion of the project.
Category 1 awards may cover a project period of up to one year. Category 2 awards will be approximately two years.
Prior to submitting a pre-application, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to do a self-assessment using the optional "Pre-Application Self-Assessment" tool located on the I&I website at http://www.eere.energy.gov/inventions/financial_propqa.html. The tool is helpful in assessing whether or not an innovation is a good candidate for I&I funding.
Fact sheets for projects that have been funded previously can be found at:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/inventions/resources_fact.html.
Innovative technologies that fit within the scope of the EERE mission and programs are of particular interest to I&I. Please refer to http://www.eere.energy.gov/ for additional information on the EERE mission and programs to determine whether or not an innovative technology fits within the scope of the EERE program umbrella.
EERE programs of interest to this Funding Opportunity Announcement include:
- Biomass Program
- Building Technologies Program
- Distributed Energy & Electric Reliability Program
- FreedomCAR & Vehicle Technologies Program
- Geothermal Technologies Program
- Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, & Infrastructure Technologies Program
- Industrial Technologies Program
- Solar Energy Technology Program
- Wind & Hydropower Technologies Program
Interested parties should access the DOE Golden Field Office Home Page (http://www.eere.doe.gov/golden/Funding.aspx), and access the announcement in the Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) web site by clicking on the “Access” link. The Golden Home Page also provides instructions on registering and submitting applications in IIPS. The Announcement can also be obtained directly through IIPS at http://e-center.doe.gov by browsing opportunities by Contracting Activity and selecting the "Golden Field Office" folder. DOE will not issue paper copies of the announcement.
12:36:43 PM Google It!
|
|
|
A chemical catalyst developed at Carnegie Mellon University completely destroys dangerous nitrophenols in laboratory tests, according to Arani Chanda, a doctoral student who presented his findings on Aug. 28, at the 230th meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Washington, D.C. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News]
12:32:34 PM Google It!
|
|
|
Researchers examine potential for 'refilling' hydrogen storage material. Chemical could revolutionize polymer fuel cells. Purdue creates new method to drive fuel cells for portable electronics. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News]
12:31:35 PM Google It!
|
|
|
Via Joel Makower: Two Steps Forward:
Amid news of Bush administration continuing kowtowing to corporate polluters and potential linkages between Hurricane Katrina and global warming, there's some good environmental news -- and some lessons to be learned. Reuters reports that "the ozone layer has stopped shrinking."
12:15:55 PM Google It!
|
|
|
The state has installed a system that uses plants and organisms to clean wastewater at a rebuilt rest stop on Interstate 89. By KATIE ZEZIMA. [NYT > Science]
12:14:23 PM Google It!
|
|
|
In our EarthNews Radio feature Tuesday, we asked if paper or plastic was preferable as a choice for use in making pallets, and the answer was surprising. Today we ask the same question in the context you're used to hearing it: at the supermarket. [ENN Business Headlines]
12:11:45 PM Google It!
|
|
|
A single fuel cell does not produce enough energy to power a car. So fuel cells are stacked, with a bipolar plate between each cell through which electrons are conducted. The hydrogen fuel and oxygen, which are part of the fuel cell chemistry, enter the plate through channels along the face on each side of the plates. Creating the channels in the bipolar plate is a manufacturing challenge.
About 29 percent of the cost of a fuel cell stack is the bipolar plate, and machining channels into the plates is a significant factor, said Donald Baird, who is the Harry C. Wyatt Professor of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech. "Machining 1 millimeter by 1 millimeter (1 mm x 1 mm) channels is expensive and time consuming."
So researchers at Virginia Tech are developing compression moldable composite bipolar plates with channels included. Baird and Jianhua Huang, research scientist in chemical engineering at Virginia Tech, will present their research at the 230th American Chemical Society National Meeting, being held in Washington, D.C., Aug. 28-Sept. 1. [Source: FuelCellWorks.com]
12:10:10 PM Google It!
|
|
|
Topics at this meeting will include: marketing to green consumers and the mainstream, "achieving deeper sustainability," e-commerce strategies, and ways to get more women and young entrepreneurs involved. [SEJ Environmental Events Calendar]
12:08:06 PM Google It!
|
|
|
If you were already worried about a looming energy crisis, yesterday's briefing on Hurricane Katrina by the American Petroleum Institute was enough to make you buy a bicycle and a wood-burning stove. [Environmental Health News]
12:02:18 PM Google It!
|
|
|
A Freakonomics take on why refusing to buy gas on September 1 will make absolutely no difference to the oil companies.
11:59:28 AM Google It!
|
|
|
The objective of this research project is to develop a methodology suited to evaluating the potential for new (and old) fuel additives to contaminate drinking water. Includes links to two progress reports. [Recent EPA Catalog Records.]
11:55:51 AM Google It!
|
|
|
The report gives results of a research project to develop tools and methodologies to measure aerosol chemical and particle dispersion through space. These tools can be used to devise pollution prevention strategies that could reduce occupant chemical exposures and guide manufacturers in formulating more efficacious products. The researchers built an Aerosol Mass Spectral Interface (AMSI), which is interfaced with a mass spectrometer (MS), that chemically characterizes aerosol consumer products as they move through space. They also developed techniques for measuring aerosol movement indoors by tracking particle size changes via particle velocity measurements using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The AMSI was designed, constructed, and optimized to transfer a focused beam of aerosol particles into a MS for chemical analysis. Experiments showed that the AMSI can quantitatively detect compositional changes as the aerosol moves through space. These data provide important information for formulating aerosol consumer products for pollution prevention strategies. The PIV system demonstrated a correlation between the material properties of the aerosol components and the spray patterns. The model can be used to help develop pollution prevention strategies.
11:53:02 AM Google It!
|
|
|
Via sustainablog:
Most of you know that I'm almost always willing to toot the horn of educational institutions integrating sustainability measures on campus, but this story from the Monterey County Herald also ties in nicely with our recent discussion on organic dairy products (which broadened into a discussion of organics in general).
Returning for the fall semester, CSU-Monterey Bay students now have the option to go organic whenever they eat salad, buy fruit or snack on carrot sticks on campus.
A partnership between the university's Maryland-based food service provider, Sodexho, and Earthbound Farm, based in San Juan Bautista, is bringing the local company's produce to campus at the urging of students, faculty and staff who have wanted such a choice for years. First, could someone more familiar with the area give us a sense of the distance between Monterey Bay and San Juan Bautista (I know -- I can check this...)? I'd like to know if this move towards organic options is also local in nature. While the corporate players in this are definitely not just local in their focus (we just hired Sodexho to manage our food service), is this a sign that sustainable food is moving towards both wider acceptance and greater profitability?
11:49:04 AM Google It!
|
|
|
Via sustainablog:
From the "Dining & Wine" section of the New York Times, tips for greening your kitchen. Whether you're in the middle of nowhere, or in a bustling urban center, simple steps suc as buying local produce (which really doesn't get a mention here -- organics do, though), saving and composting scraps, and sharing excess with neighbors (does anyone ever use a whole container of buttermilk?) can stretch your budget and make for cleaner, greener meals and a more healthy home environment.
11:48:00 AM Google It!
|
|
|
Via sustainablog:
So, honestly, I had not planned to focus completely on sustainable food news this morning, but a number of interesting items popped up on the Google News feeds. From the Salt Lake City Weekly, a brief profile of Squatters, a brewpub and microbrewery in Salt Lake City that "...has become a case study in how to do well by doing good."
...Squatters is committed to reducing their power needs and purchasing renewable, non-polluting energy where possible. High temperature dishwashers, wind power, waterless urinals, energy-efficient lighting, recycled glassware ..., a water-wise garden, cloth (vs. paper) linens and recyclable "to go" containers are a few examples of how the folks at Squatters are attempting to "do the right thing." There's even spent brewer's grain in the fresh bread baked at Squatters, and their delivery truck runs on bio-diesel from used kitchen oils. The restaurant's owner also support the local community garden (and actually use produce from it), and contribute to numerous other community groups. All of this good work in the community doesn't take away from the restaurant's main purpose for existing -- serving great food and beer, and making a profit for the owners.
11:47:02 AM Google It!
|
|
|
Local officials from eight Northeast states, have urged the states' governors to develop a rigorous model rule for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a program to cut global warming pollution from electricity generating plants in the Northeast. [Environmental Health News]
10:18:21 AM Google It!
|
|
|
They said Kyoto would never work. They said capping emissions was not the answer. And now the US and Australia are putting their money where their mouth is as part of a six-nation pact dedicated to using technology to halt climate change. [Environmental Health News]
10:17:44 AM Google It!
|
|
|
SOCMA's Responsible Care Awards Program is accepting award applications through September 16, 2005. This program recognizes manufacturing facilities' commitment toward practicing Responsible Care, the chemical industry's voluntary initiative for continuous improvement in environmental, health, safety and security performance.
Winners will receive recognition at SOCMA’s Annual Dinner in December as well as the opportunity for local and international media coverage. SOCMA will also assist winners with earning local media coverage through award focused tools and templates. In addition, all winners will be featured on SOCMA’s web site.
All applications must be completed and postmarked no later than September 16, 2005. Entry forms, a list of award winning best practices and the list of 2004 award winners are all available on SOCMA’s website listed below. [ChemAlliance Environmental News]
10:15:32 AM Google It!
|
|
|
In a recently released statement, the National Lighting Bureau (NLB) cautions designers to consider lighting’s interrelationships with other building systems when considering earning credit for the overall energy consumption and lighting standards established by LEED. [Source: EC&M]
10:14:47 AM Google It!
|
|
|
Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a novel technique for producing hydrogen from water and organic material. [Green Car Congress]
10:05:30 AM Google It!
|
|
|
Starting Friday, Rhode Islanders who take the trouble to return used plastic shopping bags to their local grocery stores can rest assured they are making a solid contribution to the environment. Very solid. [ENN Business Headlines]
10:02:29 AM Google It!
|
|
|
DOE will award $4.7 million to eight universities, helping them to establish graduate engineering programs that focus on advanced automotive technologies. The universities are located in Alabama, California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. [EERE Network News]
9:56:19 AM Google It!
|
|
|
DOE has launched two solicitations for research in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic LEDs (OLEDs): one for most research organizations and one for DOE national laboratories. Each solicitation totals $3.75 million over three years, and responses for both are due on October 18th. [EERE Network News]
9:55:45 AM Google It!
|
|
|
Forty-two state energy offices will soon have their hands full with 178 projects related to energy efficiency and renewable energy. DOE is preparing to award $16.5 million to the 42 states through its State Energy Program Special Projects competitive grants. [EERE Network News]
9:55:06 AM Google It!
|
|
|
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski set a process in motion on August 29th that will lead to new greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles sold within the state. The new standards will follow standards set last year by California and will lead to consistent standards for the entire West Coast. [EERE Network News]
9:53:30 AM Google It!
|
|
|
The U.S. Department of Transportation expects the country to save 10 billion gallons of gasoline in the years to come because of the department's proposed new fuel economy standards. The proposed rule applies to light trucks and sets six different fuel economy standards based on vehicle size. [EERE Network News]
9:52:55 AM Google It!
|
|
|
Downtown developers hope to prove that environmentally friendly buildings can sell. [Source: New Haven (CT) Advocate]
9:52:18 AM Google It!
|
|
|
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is now taking submissions from home builders, remodelers, developers, nonprofits, governmental officials, academics, industry experts and others involved in green building efforts for the 2006 National Green Building Awards.
Information about the awards and applications can be found on NAHB's Web site at www.nahb.org/greenbuildingawards. Entries must be received by December 23, 2005. A $300 fee is required for entries in all categories except Green Advocate of the Year and Green Program of the Year (New Program).
9:46:03 AM Google It!
|
|
|
|
© Copyright
2005
Laura L. Barnes.
Last update:
10/25/2005; 12:11:44 PM.
|
|
|
