Wednesday, November 30, 2005

[Green lifestyle] Things of Desire via Grist Magazine: Until recently, the life of an eco-manufacturer hasn't been easy: "Here's this product we made! It looks a little funny, but it's good for the planet! And it -- hey, come back!" But with prominent companies jumping on the green bandwagon and technologies improving, sustainability is getting, dare we say it, hot. (Well, warmish anyhow.) This means all kinds of opportunities for growth, says a Vancouver-based ad agency founder -- if only the industry can figure out how to sex it up a notch. New in Soapbox: Things of Desire  [Gristmill] 4:15:05 PM Google It!    [Biodiesel] Biodiesel Production Expected to Triple in 2005 The National Biodiesel Board expects biodiesel production to triple in 2005, reaching 75 million gallons. That growth rate looks likely to continue in the near-term, with two companies planning to build three plants that, combined, will be able to produce 110 million gallons of biodiesel per year. [EERE Network News] 4:11:55 PM Google It!    [Green building] Dallas Zero Energy Home This Web site highlights a demonstration home in Dallas, Texas, that incorporates solar energy, proper ventilation, air sealing, insulation, and other features to reduce its net annual energy costs to zero. [EERE Network News] 4:10:41 PM Google It!    [Corporate environmental responsibility] Chicago: Companies Asked to Help City's Clean Water Efforts Source: Chicago Sun-Times, 11/29/05. Companies that agree to cough up $800 a month for the privilege would have their names and logos attached to one of 200 signs promoting clean water, under a mayoral plan advanced Monday amid concern about "sign pollution" in Chicago. [Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) News] 4:09:26 PM Google It!    [Biofuels] Powering a Town From Manure Source: Great Lakes Radio Consortium (GLRC), 11/28/05. Large-scale livestock farms struggle with ways to dispose of their animal waste. Now, efforts are under way to make an Indiana town the first in the nation to get its power entirely from hog manure, but as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Chris Lehman reports, this venture has a long way to go before it becomes a reality. [Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) News] 4:08:07 PM Google It!    [Schools] Teacher honored for environmental activities, education Reeths-Puffer High School Science Teacher Michael Glane has been named the 2005 Educator of the Year by the Muskegon Conservation District Board. Glane, 30, was recognized for his efforts to educate and provide his students with hands-on opportunities to learn about environmental issues. [Source: Muskegon (MI) Chronicle] 4:03:13 PM Google It!    [Sustainable tourism] Travel + Leisure Honors Innovations in Responsible Tourism NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2005 - The magazine has recognized seven projects and organizations from around the world for defending the historical, cultural, and ecological integrity of tourist destinations. [GreenBiz.com] 3:59:46 PM Google It!    [Design for Environment] SC Johnson, EPA Partner to Design Eco-Products for the Home RACINE, Wis., Nov. 30, 2005 - SC Johnson has become the first major consumer packaged goods company to join EPA's Design for Environment program, which promotes innovative chemical products, technologies, and practices that benefit human health and the environment. [GreenBiz.com] 3:58:44 PM Google It!    [Biofuels] USDA Researchers Modifying Yeast for Cellulosic Ethanol Production Researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service have cloned a gene from the Shiitake mushroom and are using that as the mechanism for yeast or other organisms to be able to process cellulosic biomass for ethanol production. [Green Car Congress] 3:38:10 PM Google It!    [Scientific information] Science in the web age Four articles from the latest issue of Nature magazine: Science in the web age: The expanding electronic universe Sarah Tomlin http://info.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/eV4x0BgsSF0Ch0qVj0E1 Science in the web age: Joint efforts At its best, academia is a marketplace of ideas. But many scientists are reluctant to embrace the latest web tools that would allow them to communicate their ideas in new ways, says Declan Butler. http://info.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/eV4x0BgsSF0Ch0qVV0Eg Science in the web age: The real death of print Despite clashes with publishers over copyright, Google's plan to make millions of books available online is turning the tide for efforts to digitize the world's literature. Andreas von Bubnoff tracks the demise of the printed page. http://info.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/eV4x0BgsSF0Ch0qVk0E2 Science in the web age: Start your engines Google has launched another challenge to commercial search services - this time aimed at scientists. But is the new engine running as smoothly as its fans hope? Jim Giles investigates. http://info.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/eV4x0BgsSF0Ch0qVW0Eh 3:33:55 PM Google It!    [Sustainable design] Sustainability Projects Funded at 41 Universities EPA today awarded $410,000 to 41 student teams for the 2005-2006 academic year to research and develop sustainable designs through the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) competition.  Sustainable development maintains economic growth while protecting the natural systems of the planet, thus preserving natural resources for future generations.  The P3 student design competition was launched in January 2004, and several 2004 winners' designs have been successfully implemented into business practices. "In an era of rising energy costs, the results of the first year of the P3 competition should make people sit up and take notice!  They not only demonstrated that companies can reduce their bottom line by sustainable practices, but also the marketability of new conservation tools," said George Gray, assistant administrator for the Office of Research and Development.  "In last year's competition, four student projects became new businesses with clients, two of them marketing energy monitoring systems.  Other designs explored biodiesel production, solar thermal heating systems, green roofs, and stormwater management.  We look forward to seeing the results of the competition for the 2005-2006 awards announced today." Among the winner's for 2004, the Oberlin College team designed an energy and water use monitoring system for colleges with easy-to-read, real-time data on energy at the dormitory level, allowing the school to reduce energy costs by pinpointing areas of overuse.  This project is now a business whose clients include Duke University and Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. University of Michigan students developed a computer-based tool for homeowners to monitor their resource consumption.  Real-time costs and environmental impacts show how conservation actions are reflected in dollars saved and emissions reduced.  The plan will be used by the Ann Arbor Planning Commission in a new urban redevelopment project. Many businesses have reduced costs by sustainable practices, such as using less toxic substances in manufacturing and processing.  The less hazardous waste produced, the less time and resources a business has to spend on clean-up.  By preserving ecosystems, they protect the sources of product materials. The National Academies, advisors to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine, will convene a panel to evaluate and recommend the award winners who will be chosen by the EPA.  The next P3 Award Competition will be held on May 9 and 10, 2006, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  More information about the P3 winners mentioned above and their projects can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/P3recipients/2005  EPA will soon be requesting applications for the 2006 P3 National Student Design Competition for Sustainability.  For information about eligibility criteria and how to apply, and to learn more about the P3 program, visit the P3 Web site at:  http://www.epa.gov/p3. 3:08:30 PM Google It!    [Grants] Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy: A Joint Research Solicitation- USDA, DOE Pre-Application due date: Dec. 15, 2005 Due Date for Applications: Feb. 23, 2006 The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), National Research Initiative (NRI) hereby announce their interest in receiving applications for genomics-based research that will lead to the improved use of biomass and plant feedstocks for the production of fuels such as ethanol or renewable chemical feedstocks. Specifically, applications are sought for fundamental research on plants that will improve biomass characteristics, biomass yield, or that will facilitate lignocellulosic degradation. Systems biology approaches to identify genetic indicators enabling plants to be efficiently bred or manipulated, or research that yields fundamental knowledge of the structure, function and organization of plant genomes leading to improved feedstock characterization and sustainability are also encouraged. 3:05:02 PM Google It!    [Schools] Bates Commits to Renewable Energy for All of Its Electricity Bates College will purchase its entire electricity supply from renewable energy sources in Maine, specifically biomass generating plants and small hydroelectric producers, President Elaine Tuttle Hansen announced, in a move designed to "practice better environmental stewardship." [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com] 3:00:18 PM Google It!    [Solar energy] Landmark Solar Project Takes Cues from Nature One of the most unusual sustainable buildings in the world, designed on nature's architecture and generating energy from daylight, was launched last week in a light show at the Eden Project in Cornwall. True to the Eden Project's principles, the new education and research facility, named The Core, is a superb example of sustainability using building-integrated photovoltaics (PV).  [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com] 2:56:49 PM Google It!    [Environmental policy] European Report: Good Environmental Regulation Good For Competition Good environmental management and regulation encourages competition and sustainable economic development, according to a report released by the heads of all European Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs). [Source: Environmental Protection E-News] 2:53:22 PM Google It!    [Nanotechnology] Study: Nanoparticles Could Damage Plant Life A nanoparticle commonly used in scratch-resistant transparent coatings, sunscreen lotions that provide transparent-UV protection and environmental catalysts that reduce pollution could have a damaging effect on plant life, states a report from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) researchers. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News] 2:50:50 PM Google It!    [Green building] DOE Launches Web Site Supporting Energy-Saving Reconstruction in the Gulf Coast On Nov. 22, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it launched a Disaster Recovery and Building Reconstruction Web site at http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings as part of its continuing effort to support hurricane victims in the Gulf Coast. The Web site provides relevant resources and information for consumers, state and local officials, builders and contractors, and encourages cost-effective, durable and energy-efficient reconstruction in areas devastated by recent hurricanes. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News] 2:48:55 PM Google It!

© Copyright 2005 Laura L. Barnes. Last update: 12/2/2005; 9:58:46 AM.