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Thursday, January 12, 2006
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EPA and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) have launched a new, voluntarily program to reduce hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) emissions from the coolant and insulation used in making new refrigerators and freezers. Once implemented, the program will significantly reduce HFC emissions in the manufacturing of 12 million refrigerator-freezers in the United States and more than 60 million worldwide each year.
HFCs are used in refrigerators and freezers in two ways - as the "working fluid" refrigerant and as a "blowing agent" for the insulation foam within the cabinet walls. HFCs have become widely used as substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons and other ozone-depleting chemicals that have been phased out. While HFCs do not harm the stratospheric ozone layer, when released to the atmosphere, they are potent greenhouse gases -- up to 1,300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
The new program recommends specific strategies for reducing emissions during all stages of production of household refrigerators and freezers including delivery, storage, and transfer of refrigerants and blowing agents, as well as factory piping, blending operations, calibration of foam blowing equipment, foam injection and refrigerant system charging, testing, and refrigerant recovery. Due to the increasing cost of refrigerants and blowing agents, there is a strong incentive for manufacturers to minimize emissions and waste.
EPA is working collaboratively with many industries to quantify emissions and to promote better and more advanced technologies in key sectors, including refrigeration. This agreement is part of a series of similar, sector-specific initiatives on HFCs that EPA began with 22 companies in the fire protection industry in 2004.
For more information on the new initiative, visit: http://www.epa.gov/ozone.
5:05:28 PM Google It! 
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Location: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Dates: November 28-30, 2006
Sponsored by SERDP and ESTCP, this event will provide attendees: (1) concurrent technical sessions covering the latest in environmental research results and technical innovations; (2) poster sessions featuring at least 250 technical posters; (3) exhibit booths offering information about funding opportunities in related research programs; (4) a concluding session providing a summary of SERDP and ESTCP program development and opportunities to conduct research and demonstrations; and (5) networking opportunities with more than 800 environmental professionals.
The Call for Poster Abstracts will be posted no later than June 1, 2006 on both the SERDP and ESTCP web sites ( www.serdp.org or www.estcp.org). As information becomes available, it will be posted on the web sites. If you have any questions about the Symposium, please send an e-mail to partners@hgl.com or call (703) 736-4548.
5:04:01 PM Google It!
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The solicitation for the FY 2007 Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) was released on January 5, 2006. This solicitation requests pre-proposals related to each of the ESTCP thrust areas (Environmental Restoration, Munitions Management, Sustainable Infrastructure, and Weapons Systems and Platforms). Projects will be selected through a competitive selection process.
The due date for all pre-proposals from both the federal and non-federal sectors is March 9, 2006. More information about the solicitation and detailed instructions are available on the ESTCP web site under the Opportunities option. (http://www.estcp.org/opportunities/index.cfm)
5:00:57 PM Google It!
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A Farm neighborhood is the newest addition to Tox Town, a Web-based introduction to environmental health risks and toxic chemicals. Tox Town, http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov, invites visitors to explore a farm to learn about environmental health issues related to agricultural waste, drinking water quality, air pollution, pests, and farm animals. Farms share many of the same environmental health concerns found anywhere in the US, but they also have unique concerns and issues, such as exposure to hazardous agricultural chemicals and toxic gases from animal waste.
New locations to explore on the Farm are farm buildings, feeding operations, landfills, agricultural runoff, farm animals, farm ponds, meat processing, tree farming and logging, off-road vehicles, and nearby urban sprawl. Farming is one of the most hazardous occupations in the US. Because farm families usually live where they work, all family members are at increased risk of farm-related injury and illness.
Tox Town uses neighborhood scenes, the Farm, City, Town, and US-Mexico Border, along with color, graphics, sounds and animation to add interest to learning about connections between chemicals, the environment and the public's health. Tox Town's target audience is high school, college, and graduate students, educators, and the interested public.
Tox Town is a project of the Specialized Information Services Division of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Please send your comments or questions about Tox Town to tehip@teh.nlm.nih.gov.
4:53:56 PM Google It!
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Until last summer, Illinois gave homeowners and businesses as much as $5,000 on a $10,000 solar system. Solar panels can supplement natural gas heat, which got more expensive last year. But the program was temporarily halted as the state waited to learn more about how a new federal tax credit for solar energy would be structured for 2006. [Source: Chicago Sun-Times via RenewableEnergyAccess.com and Electricity Forum News]
4:52:26 PM Google It!
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The mission of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACENY), a nonprofit recently formed in Albany, New York, is to educate the public on the use of price-stabilizing clean, renewable electricity generation technologies and energy efficiency to help attain air quality and public health improvements. Other public benefits anticipated include energy diversity and security, and economic developments in New York. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
4:48:06 PM Google It!
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Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, is helping residents and businesses statewide become more energy independent in 2006 and beyond. The Renewable Energy Program is offering Cash-Back Rewards and zero-interest loans to help finance the installation of renewable energy systems. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
4:45:14 PM Google It!
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Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists have discovered that a phenomenon called carrier multiplication, in which semiconductor nanocrystals respond to photons by producing multiple electrons, is applicable to a broader array of materials than previously thought. The discovery increases the potential for the use of nanoscrystals as solar cell materials to produce higher electrical outputs than current solar cells. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
4:43:14 PM Google It!
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MEMS USA announced that Northern Ontario, Canada, will be the site of Hearst Ethanol One (HEO), a biomass-to-fuel-ethanol conversion facility targeting annual production of 227 million liters of fuel-grade ethanol. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
4:42:04 PM Google It!
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by David Friedman -- As an engineer who designs efficient vehicles, I'm frequently asked why we can't just recycle cooking oil and put it in our gas tanks. Wouldn't that help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and save us money? [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
4:38:30 PM Google It!
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Forget the old saying that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Now you can live in a paper house that’s so strong stones won’t make a dent. [Source: E: The Environmental Magazine]
4:36:36 PM Google It!
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As if people need another reason to switch over to hybrid gasoline-electric automobiles, Travelers, the country's fourth largest property and casualty insurer, will begin next month offering its customers who drive hybrids a 10 percent discount on their auto insurance. [Source: E: The Environmental Magazine]
4:35:12 PM Google It!
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(Washington, D.C.-Jan. 10, 2006) To provide consumers with more real-world fuel economy information when shopping for cars, SUVs, and pick-up trucks, EPA is proposing new methods to determine the city and highway mpg estimates that appear on the window stickers. The new methods will take effect for model year 2008 vehicles, which will generally be available for sale in fall of 2007.
EPA's new fuel economy estimates will include vehicle-specific data from tests designed to replicate three factors that can greatly affect fuel economy: high speed/rapid acceleration, use of air conditioning, and cold temperature operation.
EPA is also proposing an across-the-board-adjustment to better account for other conditions that can affect fuel economy but that aren't included in the tests, such as road grade, wind, tire pressure, load, and the effects of different fuel properties.
Under the new methods, the city mpg estimates for most vehicles would drop 10 percent to 20 percent from today's labels, depending on the vehicle. The highway mpg estimates would generally drop 5 percent to 15 percent. Even with improved estimates, actual fuel economy will vary since no test can ever account for all individual driving styles, vehicle maintenance practices, and road conditions.
Changes were last made in 1985. The proposed changes announced today will improve the estimates to better reflect real-world driving conditions, such as higher speed limits, greater traffic congestion and more use of power-hungry accessories, such as air conditioning.
To more clearly convey fuel economy information to consumers, EPA is also proposing to change the design and text of the window sticker itself. Four options are under consideration.
None of the changes proposed today affect the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, which is administered by the Department of Transportation. There are separate requirements for the test methods and procedures for determining fuel economy values under CAFE.
EPA is providing a 60 day public comment period on the proposal. The proposal and information about how to submit comments are at: http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) participated in today's announcement. Additional information can be found at: http://www.AAA.com/news.
4:33:37 PM Google It!
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In the 1990s, the world agreed to stop fumigating with methyl bromide. So why are so many US farmers still using it? [Source: The Scientist]
4:26:59 PM Google It!
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© Copyright
2006
Laura L. Barnes.
Last update:
2/2/2006; 3:48:02 PM.
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