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Wednesday, September 07, 2005
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Mark Wysong, writing in the September issue of Environmental Protection magazine, discusses new solutions for companies looking to better manage their Material Safety Data Sheet inventories.
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Government and business fleet managers interested in reducing fuel costs and protecting air quality can use this free online tool to compare the costs and emissions of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) to conventional vehicles. With fleet cost estimates developed in consultation with PHH Arval, helps fleet purchasers assess potential savings from purchasing HEVs by taking into account purchase price, fuel costs, repair and maintenance costs, resale value, and applicable tax incentives. [Source: ClimateBiz.com]
2:56:49 PM Google It!
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The American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy has posted its estimates of tax credits for 31 hybrid and diesel cars and light trucks that fall under tax credit provisions of the new U.S. federal energy bill. These are best-guess estimates, based on a combination of preliminary 2006 model year data, 2005 model year data, and manufacturer announcements, and are intended only to give a sense of the magnitude of the upcoming credits, which will be available starting January 1, 2006. [Source: ClimateBiz.com]
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Climate change is going to continue to make the news. Companies now need to realize this and begin engaging their customers on the topic, argues Roger Cowe. [Source: ClimateBiz.com]
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Federal science agencies would devote time and money to developing "environmentally friendly" chemicals under legislation the House takes up tomorrow under suspension of the rules.
The Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2005, or H.R. 1215, aims to establish an interagency research and development program that would combine the efforts of the Energy Department, U.S. EPA, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and National Science Foundation.
The act, which Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) introduced in March, would provide grant funding for private sector innovation and academic projects, as well as administrative and communications support at a cost of $84 million over the next three years. [Source: Environment and Energy Daily]
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Approximately 100 new fellowships will be awarded for research in environmental fields of study through the EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, which provides educational support for full-time masters and doctoral level students who plan to pursue environmental careers with a focus on developing future leaders in environmental science,education, assessment, and restoration efforts.
The application deadline is October 18. Awards will be made by May 30, 2006, for the fall term. See http://www.epa.gov/ncer/fellow and http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2006/2006_star_fellow.html
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The Sea Grant - Industry Fellowship Program, which is available to graduate students enrolled in either MS or PhD degree programs in institutions of higher education in the United States and its territories, with required matching funds from private industrial sponsors, expects to support up to five new Industry Fellows in FY 2006. Industry Fellows will work on research and development projects on topics of interest to a particular industry/company.
Applications are due February 10, 2006. To obtain the RFP, please visit www.fedgrants.gov. For more information, please contact Nikola.Garber@noaa.gov.
2:50:30 PM Google It!
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The American Society of Interior Designers' online Sustainable Design Information Center is a great place to go if you're fairly green -- that is to say, new -- to green building. The site offers basic information, such as a glossary of terms, which may be helpful for designers as well as facility managers, building owners, and homeowners who are seeking to incorporate environmental concerns into a remodeling or building project. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
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The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Massachusetts Food Association (MFA), a supermarket industry group, have signed a memorandum of understanding that will encourage grocery stores across the state to increase their recycling participation -- particularly in the composting of such items as spoiled fruits and vegetables, floral and deli wastes, and waxed cardboard. [Source: GreenBiz.com]
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The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation?s areas of grantmaking emphasis include education, environment, and the performing arts. The Foundation?s Education Program promotes long-term institutional or field development, reform, or knowledge development. The Environment Program has three goals: to save the great ecosystems of the North American West; to reduce the environmental impacts of fossil fuel energy systems by promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy sources; and to build an infrastructure for environmental concerns among California's growing populations in the L.A. basin and the Central Valley. The Performing Arts Program supports high-quality San Francisco Bay Area arts organizations. Letters of inquiry for the above three programs are accepted at any time.
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Applications due Nov 21, 2005
This grant program may include the standardization, exchange and integration of geospatial information to address environmental, natural resource, and related human-health issues.The Exchange Network is an Internet- and standards-based, secure information network that facilitates the electronic reporting, sharing, integration, analysis, and use of environmental data from many different sources. The Exchange Network will make it easier to obtain the timely, accurate information needed to make decisions concerning human health and the natural environment.
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A new study suggests that some of the microorganisms found in cow waste may provide a reliable source of electricity.
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Washington State University's Climate Friendly Farming program is experiencing a surge in interest. [Energy]
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has introduced the first-ever benchmark for evaluating the energy efficiency of car manufacturing plants. [Energy]
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"Plants and their associated microbes change the whole structure of the contaminated soil," explains Kathy Banks, professor of civil engineering at Purdue University. "We can take sludge from an industrial site, put a plant in it and, after 12 months, the sludge will resemble normal soil in almost every way." [Source: Sci-Tech Today]
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When classes begin Sept. 21, Western Washington University will become the nation's second-largest purchaser of renewable energy in higher education. [Energy]
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Author argues that demographic and cultural changes favor traditional towns, not suburbia. [Source: River Cities Reader]
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The fields of Europe could soon take on a shimmering silver colour as farmers grow giant grasses to try to mitigate the effects of global warming. [Environmental Health News]
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The dank and putrid floodwaters choking this once-gracious city are so poisoned with gasoline, industrial chemicals, feces and other contaminants that even casual contact is hazardous, and safe drinking water may not be available for the entire population for years to come. [Environmental Health News]
1:50:49 PM Google It!
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The EPA is still accepting applications for the 2005 National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards. The awards will be presented October 31, 2005, during the Water Environment Federation's Technical Exposition and Conference (WEFTEC) at the Washington Convention Center, in Washington, D.C. An inscribed plaque will be presented to first and second place national winners.
The awards recognize municipalities and industries for outstanding and innovative technological achievements in wastewater treatment and pollution abatement programs in the following categories:
- operations and maintenance at publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities;
- biosolids management;
- pretreatment programs;
- storm water management;
- and combined sewer overflow controls.
Nomination and application deadlines are available through EPA regions. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/owm/mtb/intnet.htm. [ChemAlliance Environmental News]
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LONDON (Reuters) - Global warming is causing soil to release huge amounts of carbon, making efforts to fight global warming tougher than previously thought, scientists said on Wednesday. [Reuters: Science]
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Fifteen states and New York City on Wednesday sued the U.S. Department of Energy for failing to enact stronger energy standards required by Congress for 22 common appliances, including air conditioners, water heaters, motors and lamps. [Source: Boston Globe]
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One of the most exciting developments in New York agriculture this year has been the sudden advent of biofuel production in New York. [Source: Niagra Gazette]
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Whether the water being pumped out of New Orleans into coastal waters poses a threat to the regional ecosystems remains to be seen. By SEWELL CHAN and ANDREW C. REVKIN. [NYT > Science]
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Honeywell today announced the completion of a prototype cooling, heating and power (CHP) generation system at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., designed to improve energy infrastructure, reduce energy consumption and increase energy security.Initiated by the Directorate of Public Works (DPW) at Fort Bragg and developed with the Department of Energy (DOE) through Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the new system uses energy recycling to achieve an estimated 70 percent overall energy efficiency -- a considerable improvement over the 35 to 40 percent efficiency typical with centrally generated electricity sources. The installation represents a significant advance in energy management and is projected to reduce Fort Bragg energy costs by $1.8 million per year. [Source: Company press release]
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Hurricane Katrina brought utter devastation: 160,000 demolished homes, 90 million tons of solid waste, and 530 inoperable sewage treatment plants. But rather than spend millions or billions of dollars hauling away the massive amount of waste to a landfill, there is a company that proposes to literally RECYCLE all those homes and eliminate the waste. [Source: NewsBlaze.com]
11:02:42 AM Google It!
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The two-mode hybrid system uses different pairings of two electric motors to support low-speed and high-speed driving. The BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors today formed an alliance of equals for the joint development of hybrid drive systems. [Green Car Congress]
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Hybrid Technologies, an electric car development company, is set to begin production of its all-electric version of the DaimlerChrysler Smart ForTwo coupe. Initial production models for the European market will focus on government and fleet retrofitting. [Green Car Congress]
10:58:41 AM Google It!
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Via Joel Makower: Two Steps Forward:
My new monthly column, Toiling Point, launched today. This inaugural column focuses on how companies are greening their cafeterias and lunch rooms -- and what you can do to green yours.
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CHICAGO - Youngsters at Tarkington elementary started their first day of classes Tuesday at a school where flowering plants grow on the roof. It's one of the nation's small but growing number of environmentally friendly schools, a stand-out because it sits in a major city better known for towers of steel and concrete. By The Associated Press. [Stateline.org RSS - Illinois]
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IT doesn't do "green." Hardware refresh cycles are constantly shrinking, sending tons of server flotsam into the waste stream. Equipment is packed so densely that companies are requiring hundreds of watts per square foot in their facilities. In fact, the requirements of IT departments have been so far opposite the sustainable design movement that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit organization that promotes and certifies environmentally friendly buildings, has so far opted not to address data center facilities at all. But that hasn't stopped people from trying, and Washington, D.C.-based mortgage company Fannie Mae has recently certified the first green data center under the USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. [Source: SearchDataCenter.com]
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Bob Prescott wants to upgrade from gold to platinum. No, not his American Express card. His building's green rating. Prescott is the director of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, which last week broke ground for a new expanded nature center. Platinum is the highest rating possible in the U.S. Green Building Council, and is based on factors such as use of recycled materials and solar power. [Source: Harwich (MA) Oracle]
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Intel Corporation will introduce a new architecture for computer chips in 2006 that will allow computers to deliver the same performance while using only one-tenth the energy. Intel envisions the new chips employed in "Handtop PC" devices that require less than a watt of processing power. [EERE Network News]
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The advantages of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells are their light weight and compact size, but their disadvantages include a limit on top operating temperatures and an intolerance to carbon monoxide. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology think they have a solution. [EERE Network News]
10:46:39 AM Google It!
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Mark your calendars for October 1st, the date when thousands of homes, schools, and businesses that use solar energy will open their doors to the public for the National Solar Tour. People in D.C. will get an additional treat later in October, when the Solar Decathlon opens on the National Mall. [EERE Network News]
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A new chemical plant under construction in eastern Tennessee will support DuPont's production of polymers from corn. The $100-million investment by DuPont and Tate & Lyle will produce a chemical called PDO while consuming 30 to 40 percent less energy than petroleum-based PDO production. [EERE Network News]
10:45:32 AM Google It!
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An active market for renewable energy credits and for emissions credits generated by clean energy projects has drawn the interest and financial backing of a major investment firm. RNK Capital LLC aims to invest $25 million in clean energy projects that will generate such credits. [EERE Network News]
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© Copyright
2005
Laura L. Barnes.
Last update:
10/25/2005; 12:11:46 PM.
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