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Monday, March 06, 2006
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St. Xavier University's new $9.4
million dormitory is on its way to becoming one of the first in the
state to win national recognition for high environmental standards. [Source: Chicago Tribune, 2/23/06]
4:00:32 PM Google It! 
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American government site FirstGov.gov has announced that RSS feeds and
e-mail updates are now available. And while they themselves do not have
podcasts, they have a lovely list of pointers to government
podcasts. [ResearchBuzz]
3:57:37 PM Google It!
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The Funders’ Network for
Smart Growth and Livable Communities exists to strengthen, and expand
philanthropic leadership and funders’ abilities to support
organizations working to improve communities through better development
policies. The Funders’ Network Annual Conference is developed by
funders for funders who are interested in helping communities make
better decisions about growth and development. The 2006 conference will
offer sessions on best practices and “how tos” on convening,
integrating smart growth grantmaking, state policy, communications,
civil rights, and more. Both newcomers and seasoned smart growth
funders will find opportunities for learning and networking during this
annual gathering. The conference will be held April 3-5, 2006 in
Chicago, IL.
12:43:13 PM Google It!
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States are using a variety of innovative approaches to support the
market for solar energy in new homes, according to a report released
recently by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Clean
Energy States Alliance (CESA). The report describes the specific
approaches that state clean energy funds and several other
organizations have pursued to drive the adoption of solar photovoltaics
(PV) in new homes. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, 3/1/06]
12:40:58 PM Google It!
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The U.S. Department of Energy announced $160 million in cost-shared
funding over three years to construct up to three biorefineries in the
United States. Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman made the announcement
while visiting the Archer Daniels Midland Ethanol Plant, one of his
four stops last week to promote the Administration's energy initiatives. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, 3/1/06]
12:39:31 PM Google It!
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In an effort to join the strong state-based push for renewable energy,
Ohio Governor Bob Taft announced a broad package of energy initiatives
for the state that include a strong emphasis on both wind energy and
biofuels. Wind power projects in particular would stand to gain a
state-based production tax credit much like they enjoy at the Federal
level. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, 3/1/06]
12:32:13 PM Google It!
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Read Scott Sklar's response to this question and others posed by RenewableEnergyAccess.com's readers.
12:30:47 PM Google It!
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According to a Consumer Federation of America (CFA) analysis of EPA
mileage ratings for 2006 vehicles, huge differences were found in fuel
efficiency within vehicle classes. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News, 2/28/06]
12:20:04 PM Google It!
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Overall greenhouse gas emissions during 2004 increased by 1.7 percent
from the previous year, and this rise was due primarily to an increase
in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity
consumption, according to an EPA report announced on Feb. 28. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News, 2/28/06]
12:18:02 PM Google It!
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EPA’s Heat Island Reduction Initiative has created an online database
of local and statewide activities to reduce heat islands and achieve
related benefits. The actions described in the database are
representative of the many efforts currently underway in the United
States to cool communities, reduce air pollution, and save energy.
The database includes information on the state and locality, the
initiative type (e.g., an incentive or a building code), the mitigation
type (e.g., cool pavements or green roofs), and the status, as well as
a description of the action. Wherever possible, the title of the
initiative links to a Web site that provides more information.
Details on the initiatives may be viewed by state and locality, by
initiative type, or via a clickable map that displays all initiatives
in a particular state.
12:13:12 PM Google It!
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EPA Region 5, under the Solid Waste Management Assistance Program is
providing
funding for projects that are: (1) unique and innovative (2) promote
waste reduction and
recycling programs and (3) improve waste management systems. This
funding supports
EPA’s strategic goal of land preservation and restoration. This funding
opportunity links
to EPA’s Strategic Plan through Objective 3.1: Preserve Land: Reduce
Adverse Effects to
Land by Reducing Waste Generation, Increasing Recycling and Ensuring
Proper Management of Waste and Petroleum Products at Facilities in Ways
that Prevent Releases.
12:10:24 PM Google It!
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From military fleets to long-haul truckers, farm equipment to heating
oil supplies, and of course, in diesel vehicles' gas tanks, biodiesel
is cropping up all over the U.S. as the clean fuel made primarily from
soybeans experiences breakneck growth. This rapidly maturing business
was clearly visible in San Diego, California, last week at the
industry's national conference and trade show. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, 2/17/06]
12:08:04 PM Google It!
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide local communities
around the country with more than $7 million in grants to reduce kids'
exposure to harmful exhaust from their school buses. The grants will
help fund the cleanup of more than 500 tons of diesel emissions from
4000 school buses nationwide.
"Today's clean school bus grants mean that the only thing pouring out
of school buses will be students – not diesel emissions," said
EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "President Bush and EPA are
committed to making that black puff of diesel smoke from school buses
something you only read about in history books."
EPA awarded 37 grants totaling $7.5 million as part of the Clean School
Bus USA program, which reduces children's exposure to diesel exhaust.
The initiative encourages policies and practices to eliminate
unnecessary school bus idling, the installation of effective emission
control systems on newer buses and the replacement of the oldest buses
with cleaner diesel or compressed natural gas powered buses. The grant
recipients are contributing an additional $13 million in matching funds
and in-kind services.
Johnson made the announcement in Arizona accompanied by local officials
of the Tucson Unified School District. Tucson is matching its $500,000
EPA grant with $6.5 million it raised towards the purchase of more than
60 new compressed natural gas buses. The effort will improve the air
quality for 67,000 students and school employees. The school district
operates 308 buses that ferry 16,000 children to and from school,
traveling 4.7 million miles annually.
List of grantees
http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/funding.htm
Clean School Bus USA
http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus
12:05:22 PM Google It!
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By branding her supermarket with boutique style, a young designer hopes to turn shoppers into accidental environmentalists. [Source: Metropolis Magazine, 1/16/06]
12:00:16 PM Google It!
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In the 21st
century, management of municipal solid waste continues to be an
important environmental challenge. Climate change is also a serious
issue, and the United States is embarking on a number of voluntary
actions to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases that can intensify
climate change. This report examines how municipal solid waste
management and climate change are related.
Management of municipal solid waste presents many
opportunities for greenhouse gas emission reductions. Source reduction
and recycling can reduce emissions at the manufacturing stage, increase
forest carbon storage, and avoid landfill methane emissions. Combustion
of waste allows energy recovery to displace fossil fuel-generated
electricity from utilities, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions from
the utility sector and landfill methane emissions. Diverting organic
materials from landfills also reduces methane emissions.
11:52:39 AM Google It!
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Boise-based grocery chain
Albertsons says it has saved about 1 billion kilowatt hours of
electricity since 2000 by continually improving new store designs and
aggressively retrofitting old ones. Now being purchased for $17.4
billion by Supervalu Inc., CVS Corp. and an investor group, Albertsons'
long-term efforts toward energy efficiency are less certain. [Source: GreenBiz.com, 2/20/06]
11:47:10 AM Google It!
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Eight of the world's top jewelry retailers have pledged to move away
from "dirty" gold sales, calling on mining corporations to ensure that
gold is produced in more socially and environmentally responsible ways.
[Source: GreenBiz.com, 2/20/06]
11:45:16 AM Google It!
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The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has announced the
year's "greenest" and "meanest" vehicles, along with the environmental
scorings of all model year 2006 cars and passenger trucks. [Source:
GreenBiz.com, 2/20/06]
11:41:55 AM Google It!
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The sdEffect analytical framework takes the next step in establishing
metrics to translate sustainable development into valuation. [Source:
GreenBiz.com, 2/20/06]
11:39:49 AM Google It!
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The American Honda
Foundation supports projects in the areas of youth and scientific
education. The Foundation defines "youth" as prenatal through
twenty-one years of age. "Scientific education" encompasses the
physical and life sciences, mathematics, and the environmental
sciences. The Foundation provides grants for K-12 education, higher
education, and other nonprofit organizations that focus on youth and/or
scientific education. Only projects that are national in scope will be
considered for funding by the Foundation. Application deadlines are
February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1 of each year.
11:37:42 AM Google It!
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This week, the
USDA's Office of Rural Business-Cooperative Service released a
solicitation of proposals for the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy
Efficiency Improvements Program (Section 9006) authorized under Title
IX, of the 2002 Farm Bill. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, 2/16/06]
11:35:35 AM Google It!
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Although Tiger Woods won 10 major championships in his first decade on
the PGA Tour, he says his most important legacy carries his name and
sits on a plot of land in Anaheim, California, not far from where he
grew up. It is the solar-powered Learning Center that he helped create. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, 2/14/06]
11:33:41 AM Google It!
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Water, waste and energy issues are closely interrelated, according
to Bruce Rittmann, director of the Center for Environmental
Biotechnology in the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University
(ASU). "For example, most of the pollution wastes that we worry about
are really just energy put in the wrong place and causing trouble," he
said.
In an effort address these challenges, Rittmann, along with a group
of international colleagues, gathered at a symposium held at ASU last
April to work on a roadmap for biology-based solutions to turn these
threats into opportunities. The culmination of the workshop was a paper
published as the cover story in the Feb. 15 issue of Environmental Science & Technology (Volume 40, Issue 4). [Source: Environmental Protection E-News, 2/16/06]
11:31:44 AM Google It!
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In a move agency officials said would provide greater flexibility in
producing clean-burning gasoline to protect and improve air quality,
EPA has announced it is removing a mandate for states to add corn-based
ethanol or methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) to gasoline. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News, 2/16/06]
11:30:21 AM Google It!
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© Copyright
2006
Laura L. Barnes.
Last update:
4/6/2006; 2:30:05 PM.
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