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Can gray water keep landscapes green?

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:29:00 +0000

UVALDE – With water resources throughout Texas becoming scarcer, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental horticulturist is working with others to determine the feasibility of using gray water to irrigate home landscapes.

"There has been interest in and discussion about the possible use of gray water for irrigating home landscapes, but so far little formal research has been done to validate its practicality," said Dr. Raul Cabrera, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and Research Center in Uvalde.

Cabrera said gray water is essentially "soapy" water left after tap water has been run through a washing machine or used in a bathtub, bathroom sink or shower and does not contain serious contaminants.

He said while it is difficult to precisely estimate the statewide potential for water savings through the use of gray water and application of the technology needed, it may reduce household landscape water use by up to 50 percent, depending on the size, type of landscape plants used and geographical location.

"The average household uses as much as 50-60 percent of its water consumption for the landscape – grass, ornamental plants, trees, etc.," he said. "Considering that the average family of four produces about 90 gallons of gray water per day, if this was used to irrigate a landscape, it could represent a significant water savings."

Cabrera said this would be especially true for a large city such as nearby San Antonio, which has more than 1.3 million people in its metropolitan area.

"Implementing the use of gray water for landscape irrigation across the state could mean a tremendous water savings in terms of acre-feet of water, contributing to the water use and conservation goals of the recently released 2012 Water Plan," Cabrera said.

Using gray water is one of the easiest ways to reduce the need for potable water typically used in a home landscape, said Dr. Calvin Finch, director of the Water Conservation and Technology Center in San Antonio, which is administered by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of the Texas A&M University System. The institute is participating in the gray water research, as well as providing funding.

Finch said the Texas 2012 Water Plan identifies more than 500 specific activities that, if implemented, would help meet the state's future water needs.

"One of the low-hanging fruit projects that is often overlooked is use of gray water from households," he said. "Research results indicate that with minimum precautions water from our showers, bathroom sinks and clothes washers could be used to meet up to 10-15 percent of our overall landscape water needs."

Gray water differs from reclaimed water in that it is not captured water from sewer drainage or storm-water systems and then run through a waste-water treatment facility, Cabrera said.

"Reclaimed or 'purple-line' water is used for irrigation by some large-acreage operations such as golf courses, sports fields and large businesses," Cabrera said. "But gray water is just potable water that has been used for fairly benign household activities and could be reused immediately or stored and used soon after its initial use.

"It is also not what is referred to as 'black' water, which is used water from a toilet or the kitchen sink, both of which have a higher potential for containing bacteria and other organisms considered hazardous for human health. In this regard, gray water poses a minimal risk, particularly if we look primarily at water generated from clothes-washing machines."

He said some southwestern U.S. states, including parts of Texas, already allow for the use of gray water under certain restrictions, such as irrigation through delivery by flooding, subsurface or drip irrigation.

"While gray water has little potential for containing hazardous organisms, such as coliform bacteria, these irrigation distribution methods are preferred to spraying in order to further ensure safety," he said.

Cabrera said collaborating entities working to evaluate the viability of gray water use include AgriLife Research, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Water Resources Institute, Water Conservation and Technology Center and Texas Center for Applied Technology.

"Here at the Uvalde AgriLife center, we will be focusing primarily on evaluating the efficacy of gray water use on ornamental plants," he said. "We will establish a display plot of conventional and water-use-efficient ornamental plants that will simulate a typical Texas landscape, so we can evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of gray water on these plants and their surrounding soil."

Cabrera said one concern about using gray water on home landscapes is possible salt content.

"Some detergents may have a high salt content in the form of sodium, chloride or boron, which could potentially 'burn' a plant," he said. "Part of our research here will involve determining the salinity and specific constituents found in gray water and their effect on plants, plus determining the efficacy and function of irrigation systems."

He said there is also the concern that some of the constituents in soapy water might plug drip irrigation systems, thus requiring additional and periodic care and maintenance.

"Additional research will address how variations in water quality, such as soft vs. hard water, may affect the salt content and chemical constitution of the produced gray water and how it affects plant growth and quality" he said.

He said the Texas Center for Applied Technology, part of Texas A&M Engineering, would "evaluate the plumbing and delivery technology needed to retrofit a household" so gray water could be used to irrigate a home landscape.

"They will evaluate the routing and, if allowed, the possible capture and short-term containment, as well as any filtration needed along with the means by which it can be delivered to the landscape," he said.

He added if essential aspects of the initial research are positive, additional involvement might include microbiologists and health officials to address any perceived health issues or concerns.

"If the totality of the research validates the use of gray water, AgriLife Extension personnel would provide educational outreach to inform water management entities and the public about its potential utilization and the water savings it could represent at the local and statewide levels," Cabrera said.

Initial gray water testing and evaluation will take from nine months to a year, he noted.

"We hope the results will support the launching and development of a statewide initiative to conserve water resources that will involve many additional partners," Cabrera said

EU greenhouse gases in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:32:00 +0000

EU greenhouse gases in 2011: more countries on track to meet Kyoto targets, emissions fall 2.5 %

Emissions of greenhouse gases in the European Union (EU) fell on average by 2.5 % from 2010 to 2011, although several countries increased emissions. Almost all European countries are individually on track towards their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol compared to last year, according to two reports published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The report 'Approximated EU greenhouse gas inventory: early estimates for 2011' gives early estimates of greenhouse gas emissions in the previous year and provides a key input to the report on 'Greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe 2012', which assesses progress against the EU's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

"The European Union as a whole will over-deliver on its Kyoto target", Jacqueline McGlade, EEA Executive Director said. "In two months' time we will be at the end of the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. Considerable progress has been made since 1997 but all Member States need to deliver on their plans. For those EU Member States who have not achieved their target through domestic emission reductions, the Kyoto Protocol's flexible mechanisms remain available until 2015."

Emissions reductions in 2011

According to EEA's estimates, the largest relative emissions decreases from 2010 to 2011 were registered in countries with small to medium shares of total EU greenhouse gas emissions: 13 % in Cyprus, followed by 8 % in Belgium, Finland and Denmark. The United Kingdom made the biggest emission cuts in absolute terms, with a reduction of 36 million tonnes CO₂ equivalent (Mt CO₂ eq.) in 2011, or 6 %. This was followed by France (24 Mt CO₂ eq., 5 %) and Germany (17 Mt CO₂ eq., 2 %).

Nine EU Member States increased emissions between 2010 and 2011. Bulgaria increased emissions by 11 %, while Lithuania increased by 3 % and Romanian emissions rose by 2 %. However, these countries have made some of the deepest cuts in emissions overall since 1990.

Although economic factors played a part in certain countries, it is notable that the EU economy overall grew by 1.5% while emissions fell by 2.5%. Most of the countries registering the deepest cuts in emissions had positive growth in 2011.

A warm winter in most countries was a key factor in cutting emissions in 2011, as the demand for fossil fuels for heating was lower than in previous years. The residential and commercial sector – largely outside the scope of the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) – contributed most to lower emissions in the European Union.

These EEA figures will be further consolidated by mid-2013 in the European Union's greenhouse gas inventory. The inventory will allow for a detailed analysis of emission trends in EU Member States.

European countries closing in on Kyoto targets

Emissions outside the EU ETS are important, because changes in these non-trading sectors affect whether countries will meet their targets. Overall emissions from the EU economic sectors not covered by the EU ETS were reduced by approximately 3.0 %, whereas emissions under the EU ETS were cut by 1.8% in 2011.

In the 15 Member States with a common commitment under the Kyoto Protocol (EU-15), greenhouse gas emissions from the non-trading sectors decreased rapidly by 3.8% between 2010 and 2011. This emission reduction, in combination with foreseen contributions from carbon sinks and the Kyoto Protocol flexible mechanisms, confirms that the EU-15 is on track towards over-delivering on its 8 % reduction Kyoto target. However, for this target to be met all countries will also need to meet individual goals.

With emission caps already set for the economic sectors under the EU ETS, the emission reductions of economic sectors outside the EU ETS in 2012 together with the contributions by carbon sinks will ultimately determine how many Kyoto credits Member States will need to acquire to reach their individual targets by early 2015 at the latest. One of the EEA reports shows that some Member States either still need to develop adequate plans on such acquisitions (Italy) or deliver on existing plans (in particular Austria, Belgium, Portugal and Spain).

Progress towards 2020 targets

The EU has adopted legislation to reduce greenhouse gases by 20 % between 1990 and 2020. The latest figures show emissions in the EU have fallen by 16.5 % and the Union is well on track to meeting this objective. If international aviation is excluded, as is the case with Kyoto Protocol commitments, emissions in the EU have fallen by 17.5% since 1990.

Projections from Member States suggest that EU emissions will continue to fall to 19 % below 1990 levels in 2020, with current policies and measures in place. Less than half of the EU Member States project that their emission levels will fall below their individual 2020 target with only current domestic measures.

Although flexibility options allowed under the Effort Sharing Decision could allow Member States to stay on their target paths, most Member States need to step up their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by accelerating the implementation of those additional policies and measures they have already planned.

Laundry Can Be Eco Friendly

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:52:00 +0000

Wool dryer balls are clean and green

Chestnut Ridge, NY (MMD Newswire) March 13, 2012 -- These days virtually
everybody is trying to go "green," and there's no place like home -
especially the laundry room - to start. Clothes dryers in particular can be
real energy hogs, and in recognition of this fact, Soft By Nature, Inc. has
just launched Woolzies, an all-natural fabric softener for use in dryers.
Neither a dryer sheet nor a liquid, Woolzies are pure handmade New Zealand
wool dryer balls that soften laundry naturally, without any of the chemicals
found in conventional fabric softeners. And unlike the plastic and rubber
dryer balls that have spurred so many customer complaints, Woolzies will not
fall apart, melt, or cause fabric staining in the dryer. They are also
PVC-free. Besides saving energy and time by reducing drying time an average
of 25% per load, Woolzies also help reduce static and wrinkles. They last
for hundreds of loads, making the $35.99 retail price for a set of six
Woolzies a bargain, say the manufacturers.

Woolzies work by bouncing around in the dryer, naturally separating and
creating space between laundry and allowing the hot dryer air to circulate
better. This cuts down on drying time by about 25% in large loads and as
much as 35-40% in small loads. And though the harsh tumbling action of
rubber, plastic, and tennis balls can damage a dryer's delicate electronic
sensors - not to mention making a heck of a racket - Woolzies are soft and
stable and present no such problems.

There are several reasons besides helping the environment and saving money
to consider alternatives to commercial dryer liquids and sheets, according
to Soft By Nature. For instance, many of those commercial dryer products
have chemicals that destroy the fire retardant qualities of children's and
adults' clothing. Many studies have shown that the fragrances and other
chemicals in traditional laundry products can cause headaches, fatigue,
dizziness, skin irritation, and a host of other health issues (even hormonal
imbalances). The elderly, ailing, and small children are particularly
vulnerable to adverse reactions to these products and, because manufacturers
in the US aren't required to list all of the chemicals individually, it's
difficult to determine exactly what is in any given product. Not so with
Woolzies, which are crafted of 100% pure New Zealand wool, with no added
fragrances or any other chemicals. Moreover, people with wool sensitivities
need not worry, as the Woolzies do not touch the skin directly and, unlike
tennis balls or other types of dryer balls, they do not "shed" in the dryer.

Located in Southern New York State, Woolzies' parent company, Soft By
Nature, is a small family-owned firm whose mission is to pass the earth down
to the next generation in as pristine a condition as possible. Developing
and selling only eco-friendly products is their chief way of carrying out
this mission. As it happens, notes Soft By Nature, using Woolzies isn't only
a boon to the environment and to one's budget and personal health, but also
to people in the developing world. As Woolzies are handmade in the
democratic republic of Nepal, they provide a steady source of income to the
desperately needy women of that developing nation.

Presented in eco-friendly packaging, Woolzies are currently available
directly to consumers on the Woolzies.com Web site. Wholesaler inquiries are
also welcome. The $35.99 retail price for a set of six wool dryer balls
includes shipping to all 50 states in the US, as well as Canada. Soft By
Nature will also ship internationally. The company even offers a range of
attractive - and, yes, eco-friendly - gift-wrap for an extra $5.00.

Early response from consumers is positive, with one customer observing that
her loads get dry much faster with Woolzies, and she no longer buys dryer
sheets. That may be bad news for the purveyors of fragrances and other
chemicals, but it sounds like great news for the rest of us.

For more information or to order, visit the Woolzies Dryer Balls Web site:
www.woolzies.com

Media Contact:
Eli Feuer
Tel. 845-459-6074
Email: eli@softbynature.com

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EPA’s FY 2013 Budget Proposal

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:59:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2012

EPA's FY 2013 Budget Proposal Focuses on Core Environmental and Human Health Protections

EPA budget supports President Obama's vision of an America that is built to last

WASHINGTON – Today the Obama Administration proposed a FY 2013 budget of $8.344 billion for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This budget reflects a government-wide effort to reduce spending and find cost-savings, and is $105 million below the EPA's enacted level for FY 2012. The FY 2013 budget is the result of EPA's ongoing efforts to carefully consider potential cost savings and reductions while continuing its commitment to core environmental and health protections -- safeguarding Americans from pollution in the air they breathe, the water they drink and the land where they build their communities.

"This budget is focused on fulfilling EPA's core mission to protect health and the environment for millions of American families. It demonstrates fiscal responsibility, while still supporting clean air, healthy waters and innovative safeguards that are essential to an America built to last," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "It has taken hard work and difficult choices to reach this balanced approach, and while we had to make sacrifices, we have maintained our commitment to the core priorities of this agency and ensured the protections the American people expect and deserve."

Key FY 2013 budget highlights include:

Supporting State Governments. The budget proposes $1.2 billion in categorical grants for states that are on the front lines implementing environmental statutes such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. The increases from FY 2012 levels include nearly $66 million for State and Tribal Air Quality Management grants, nearly $27 million for Pollution Control (Clean Water Act Section 106) grants, and about $29 million for the Tribal General Assistance Program.

Protecting America's Waters. The proposal provides $2 billion for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving funds (SRFs). This will allow the SRFs to finance over $6 billion in wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects annually. EPA will work to target assistance to small and underserved communities with limited ability to repay loans, while maintaining state program integrity.

Cleaning Up Contaminated Sites in Communities. The proposal includes $755 million in funding for the Superfund Cleanup program which maintains funding to support cleanup at hazardous waste sites that address emergencies (Superfund Emergency Response and Removal) at the nation's highest priority sites (Superfund Remedial).

Investing in Cutting Edge Research. EPA's proposed budget provides $576 million to support research and innovation. Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants are funded at $81 million to conduct research in key areas such as hydraulic fracturing, potential endocrine disruptors, and green infrastructure. Building upon ongoing research and collaborating with the Department of Energy and the US Geological Survey, a total $14 million investment will begin to assess potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on air quality, water quality, and ecosystems. The EPA also will release an Interim Report on the Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources in 2012.

Ongoing Support to Economically and Environmentally Vital Water Bodies. To ensure the progress made during the past three years continues, EPA is proposing $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Programs and projects will target the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes. About $73 million, which is a $15 million increase, will fund the Chesapeake Bay program's continued implementation of the President's Executive Order on Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration. Funding will support bay watershed states as they implement their plans to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in an unprecedented effort to restore this economically important ecosystem.

Protecting Americans from Harmful Chemicals. EPA is proposing $68 million, an increase of $11 million from FY 2012, to reduce chemical risks, increase the pace of chemical hazard assessments, and provide the public with greater access to toxic chemical information. Funding will sustain the agency's successes in managing the potential risks of new chemicals coming into the market and accelerating the progress to help ensure the safety of chemicals on the market that have not been tested for adverse human health and environmental impacts.

Next Generation Compliance. EPA's budget proposal requests $36 million to support "Next Generation Compliance", a new enforcement model designed to enhance EPA's ability to detect violations that impact public health. The three components of this approach are: promoting electronic reporting by facilities, modifying data systems to implement electronic reporting, and deploying modern monitoring technology. This will work toward improved compliance and transparency, and more efficient processes that do not rely on paper-based reporting. And, create cost savings and efficiencies for EPA, states and industry.

Supporting the National Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Standards Program. The budget contains a $10 million increase to the EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory for certification and compliance testing programs and to evaluate new biofuels technologies. The national program of fuel economy and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) standards for light duty vehicles alone will save approximately 12 billion barrels of oil and prevent 6 billion metric tons of GHG emissions over the lifetime of the vehicles sold through model year 2025. These funds will improve testing methods for the agency's renewable fuels program, and the GHG and fuel economy programs intended to reduce dependence on oil and save consumers money at the pump.

Reducing and Eliminating Programs. The budget includes $50 million in savings by eliminating several EPA programs that have either completed their goals or can be implemented through other federal or state efforts.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/budget

Old Computers Will Be Recycled

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:51:00 +0000

"Silicon Valley" Requires e-Stewards Certified Recyclers for Electronics Recycling Events

Residents Can Be Sure Their Old Computers Will Be Responsibly Recycled

(Seattle, Washington; San Jose, California -- June 27, 2011) In a four-to-one vote on June 21, the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance requiring that all electronic waste (or e-waste) collected at recycling events taking place in the unincorporated county be processed by e-Stewards® certified recyclers.

The county becomes the first in the nation to assure its citizens that electronics dropped off at any collection event will be handled responsibly, and only by those recyclers that have achieved the highest standard in the industry.

“Many County residents drop off their e-waste at private recycling drives organized by schools and charities,” said Supervisor Liz Kniss, District 5, who initiated the ordinance. “These residents believe that they are doing the right thing by recycling their e-waste. However, there is no way for residents to be sure that their e-waste will be ultimately recycled in a safe and globally responsible manner unless it goes to an e-Stewards recycler.” Kniss added, “I’m proud that Santa Clara County is the first government in the nation to take this step.”

Under the new law, collectors may only deliver e-waste to e-Stewards certified recyclers, and recyclers must be e-Stewards certified to accept e-waste collected from unincorporated Santa Clara County.

E-Stewards electronics recyclers undergo a professional audit each year to guarantee they will not export hazardous wastes to developing countries, nor dump such wastes into municipal landfills, nor use prison labor for managing such wastes. E-Stewards recyclers also ensure that private data is kept secure, and that their operations protect both workers and the environment everywhere.

The e-Stewards Certification was created by the Basel Action Network (BAN) in conjunction with advisors from the electronic recycling industry, occupational health experts and certification specialists. The accredited certification program is supported by the EPA, and is endorsed by Greenpeace USA, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, as well as 68 other environmental organizations.

“Sadly not all of those companies that call themselves responsible recyclers are truly responsible and many are not recyclers at all, but are just exporters," said Jim Puckett, the director and founder of the Basel Action Network (BAN). "We have been to the techno-trash dumping grounds of Africa and Asia and seen the children being poisoned. This is why we created the e-Stewards Certification in the first place. We are extremely gratified that local governments like Santa Clara, are making good use of this tool to screen out the unscrupulous and award only those businesses that will do the right thing.”

More information:

E-waste reports, films and photos – www.ban.org and www.ban.org/photogallery/index.html

For more information on the e-Stewards Initiative: www.e-Stewards.org

US Forest Service announces National Get Outdoors Day events

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:18:00 +0000

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Release No. 1121

Contact: (202) 205-1134
Twitter: @forestservice

US Forest Service announces National Get Outdoors Day events

Activities embrace President Obama's 'America's Great Outdoors' initiative and First Lady's 'Let's Move! Outside' Campaign

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2011 -- U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell is encouraging kids and their families to reconnect with nature and have fun by participating in the 4th annual National Get Outdoors Day, Saturday, June 11.The event, known as 'GO Day', is an effort to attract new, diverse communities to outdoor activities and to motivate kids to explore their national forests and other public lands.

"GO day provides a great opportunity for kids big and small to get up close and personal with our country's amazing forests and grasslands," said Tidwell. "As the school year comes to a close, it's time to get out and enjoy America's wondrous lands and waterways. These early activities help bring families together, create lasting memories and instill a lifelong appreciation for our natural surroundings."

The Forest Service has a bounty of children's programs to help connect children to their natural environment, all of which support two key priorities of the Obama administration: President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative that seeks to connect people to the outdoors and creates partnerships between the federal government and American communities on conservation issues; and the Let's Move! Outside campaign launched by First Lady Michelle Obama, which strives to offset childhood obesity through outdoor activities and healthier lifestyles. The agency also has collaborated with the Ad Council to develop a new national campaign of public service announcements to 'Re-connect Kids with Nature'.

Nationwide, more than 80 Forest Service locations will be providing free recreational and educational activities. Many events are designed to better engage urban and multicultural youth in nature-based activities and attract first-time visitors to public lands.

National signature events will take place at locations listed below and were selected based on impressive partnership initiatives generating a large array of innovative and interactive activities and a significant number of expected participants:

Kingman Island in Washington, D.C.
Denver City Park in Denver, Colo.
National Children's Forest in San Bernardino, Calif.
Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, Minn.
Canyon Rim Park in Salt Lake City, Utah
Water Resources Education Center in Vancouver, Wash.

For a listing of all events, visit: http://www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org/locations/. For more information on local activities, contact your nearest Forest Service location.

The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

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How Will New Clean Water Act Guidance Conserve Our Nation’s Waters and Wetlands?

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:00:00 +0000

How Will New Clean Water Act Guidance Conserve Our Nation's Waters and Wetlands?

Top hunting, angling and conservation groups

profile latest developments on critical guidance

Journalists may participate in the media briefing via an interactive teleconference at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time by calling (800)791-2345, code 38753#

MEMPHIS, Tenn., − The administration's release last week of the Clean Water Act guidance is an important step toward restoring CWA protections to streams, wetlands and other waters at risk of pollution and destruction. These waters provide critical habitat to fish and wildlife, flood control, clean drinking water and many other benefits.

At a special media briefing on May 4, 2011, water and wetland experts from Ducks Unlimited, the Izaak Walton League of America, the National Wildlife Federation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Trout Unlimited will discuss the impact of this development on our nation's waterways, fish and wildlife habitat and hunting and angling opportunities. They will also address shortcomings in the guidance and some commonly held misconceptions.

WHO: Steve Kline, Director of the TRCP Center for Agricultural Lands, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
            Dr. Scott Yaich, Director of Conservation Operations, Ducks Unlimited
            Steve Moyer, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trout Unlimited
           Jan Goldman-Carter, Water and Wetlands Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation
       Jim Murphy, Water and Wetlands Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation
           Scott Kovarovics, Conservation Director, Izaak Walton League of America

WHAT:    Media briefing and interactive teleconference

WHEN:    Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 11:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time

For more information on the media teleconference, please contact Mékell Mikell at (703) 438-6273 or mikell@nwf.org.

This blog post was approved by www.iGreenBuild.com, a New Venture Communications web property.

Bottled Water Industry Recycles

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:24:00 +0000

Good news about the amount of Bottled water containers being recycled and the reduction of materials used to produce them. Reuse and recycle!

On Earth Day 2011, the Bottled Water Industry Can Celebrate Improvements in Recycling Rates,
Reduced Plastic Content, and a Smaller Environmental Footprint

Alexandria, VA -- Commemoration of Earth Day 2011, celebrated on April 22, includes good news for those concerned about recycling empty plastic water bottles. PET plastic bottled water containers are again the single most recycled item in nationwide curbside collection programs, and their recycled rate has grown to 31%. According to International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) President and CEO Joe Doss: "We are really proud to have expanded bottled water's PET plastic recycling leadership position, and want to recognize the millions of thoughtful bottled water consumers for taking an extra second or two to put their empty plastic bottles in the recycle bin."

This positive news about PET plastic bottle recycling on Earth Day 2011 comes from the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), which completed a major bale study last year in 15 locations in 14 states. The 31% recycling rate is up only slightly since last year, which was 30.9% but a welcome continuation of steady annual increases in the recycling trend line since this analysis commenced in 2004, when the recycling rate for PET plastic bottled water containers stood at 16.62%. The latest data indicates that the recycling rate for PET plastic bottled water containers has nearly doubled in six years.

As for making the plastic bottles lighter, analysis performed by the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) for IBWA shows that over the past eight years the gram weight of the 16.9 ounce "single serve" bottled water container has dropped by 32.6%. The average PET bottled water container weighed 18.9 grams in 2000 and by 2009, the average amount of PET resin in each bottle has declined to 12.7 grams. In keeping with this year's Earth Day theme of "A Billion Acts of Green," BMC estimated that during this time span, more than 1.3 billion pounds of PET resin has been saved by the bottled water industry through container light-weighting. In 2008 alone, the bottled water industry saved 445 million pounds of PET plastic by reducing the weight of its plastic bottles.

Improved recycling rates and lighter-weight containers are only part of the good news that the bottled water industry includes in its Earth Day 2011 commemoration. Last year, IBWA commissioned a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) study to determine the environmental footprint of the United States bottled water industry. The results indicate that bottled water has a very small environmental footprint. The study found:

•   Measurement based on British Thermal Units (BTUs) indicates that the energy consumed to produce small pack water bottled water containers (containers from 8 ounces to 2.5 gallons) amounted to only 0.067 percent of the total energy use in the United States in 2007. Home and Office Delivery (HOD) bottled water (reusable bottles from 2.5 to 5 gallons) energy consumption only amounted to 0.003 percent of the total energy used in the United States in 2007.

•   The small pack and HOD bottled water industries' combined greenhouse gas/ CO2 emissions amounted to only 0.08 percent of total United States greenhouse gas emissions.

•   Bottled water packaging discards accounted for only 0.64 percent of the 169 million tons of total U.S. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) discards in 2007.

•   The process and transportation BTU energy use for the bottled water industry was only 0.07 percent of total U.S. BTU primary energy consumption.

•   Greenhouse gas emissions per half gallon of single serve bottled water came to 426.4 grams CO2 equivalent (eq.), which is 75 percent less CO2 eq. per half gallon than orange juice.

•   Small pack bottled water generates 46 percent less CO2 eq. when compared to soft drinks also packaged in PET plastic.

Franklin Associates, a division of ERG, produced the LCI and prepared a report that quantified the energy requirements, solid waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions for the production, packaging, transport, and end-of- life management for bottled water consumed in the United States using final data from calendar year 2007.
The environmentally aware actions of many bottled water companies, such as the use of more recycled PET (rPET) in their bottle production, have positively impacted the environmental footprint of the industry and are expected to lower the bottled water industry's environmental footprint even more in the years ahead.

The bottled water industry's momentum toward more recycling and container lightweighting "can be seen as quickly going in the right direction," says Joe Doss. "These are clear signs of improvement but far more needs to be done with all plastic products and containers," he said. "Empty water bottles comprise only 1/3 of 1% of the U.S. waste stream according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So even if bottled water containers were to hit a 100% recycle rate, there would still be far too many plastic containers of all kinds in the landfills unless more is done on all fronts. Let's hope Earth Day 2011 inspires a more comprehensive approach to product recycling then merely focusing solely on one industry."

Background on Earth Day:

Earth Day was founded on April 22, 1970 to foster environmental awareness and year-long ecological action worldwide. Through its founding organization, the Earth Day Network, citizens concerned about the environment connect with each to affect change in local, national, and global policies. According to its website, the Earth Day Network includes over 22,000 International organizations in 192 countries, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

Background on IBWA:

Dating back to the early 1800s, the bottled water industry in the United States is a long-standing environmental steward in protecting and preserving both surface water and groundwater resources.   As a leader in water resource manaqement, the bottled water industry, through its trade association, the International Bottled Water Association, is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. In addition to FDA and state regulations, the Association requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. Consumers can contact IBWA at 1-800-WATER-11 or log onto IBWA's web site (www.bottledwater.org) for more information about bottled water and a list of members' brands. Media inquiries can be directed to IBWA Vice President of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.

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City Planners and Urban Trees

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:44:00 +0000

U.S. Forest Service Funds Tree Inventory For Urban Planners

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2011– New research funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help city planners make better decisions about their urban trees for a range of benefits, including energy savings and improved access to nature.

Researchers, led by U.S. Forest Service scientists, will hire field crews to gather information on the condition of forests from approximately 1,000 sites in five western states - Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington - to compile data for a comparative study on the health of trees in urban areas. The result will be a network of permanently located plots in urbanized areas that can be monitored to obtain information on their health and resiliency.

"This project will help city planners improve the quality of life in American cities," said project leader John Mills of the Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station's Resource Monitoring and Assessment Program. "Urban trees are the hardest working trees in America – they beautify our neighborhoods and reduce pollution."

This is the first time in the Pacific states that systematic information is being collected on the health of trees in urban areas. Determining the current health and extent of specific urban forests will help forest managers better understand how urban forests adapt to climate change and other issues. Urban trees cool cities, save energy, improve air quality, strengthen local economies, reduce storm water runoff and enliven neighborhoods.

The study supports President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative (AGO) by helping planners determine where to establish urban parks and green spaces and how to maintain them. AGO takes as its premise that the protection of our natural heritage is an objective shared by all Americans. Parks and green spaces improve a community's economy, health, quality of life and social cohesion. In cities and towns across the country, parks can generate tourism and recreation dollars and improve investment and renewal. Time spent in nature also improves the emotional and physical well-being of children and adults alike.

Urban forests will change as the climate changes -- shifts in species composition, growth rates, mortality and susceptibility to pests are all possible. Having a baseline of urban forest conditions will help local resource managers and planners understand and articulate the contributions urban forests make, such as carbon sequestration, water retention, energy savings and quality of life for residents. Over the longer term, monitoring will help to determine if and how urban forests are adapting to changing conditions, and could shed some light on potential mitigations.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Forestry, California Polytechnic State University, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Alaska Department of Natural Resources and the Hawaii Urban Forestry Council.

Work on the initial plot installation will continue through 2013, with a large amount of data gathering planned for 2012.

The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

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Fast Food Goes Green

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:47:00 +0000

This is a very promising story about McDonald’s going green. I like the concept of making fast food chains super energy efficient if nothing else! If we are going to enjoy the mostly unhealthy food at least we can feel socially responsible knowing that it was marketed and prepared in a sustainable way.

QA Graphics Helps Green McDonald’s Tell its Story

April 6, 2011 – Ankeny, Iowa – Owners of the latest green McDonald’s® located in Riverside, California, are using an interactive display created by QA Graphics® to show customers why the new restaurant is sustainable and energy efficient.

The Riverside McDonald’s is the fourth McDonald’s restaurant in the U.S. to seek LEED® certification. This restaurant is one of nine owned and operated by Tom and Candace Spiel of McSpi, Inc. The restaurant reopened its doors in October, replacing the original McDonald’s of 44 years. It’s anticipated that the restaurant will achieve LEED® Gold status within the next year as part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s® (USGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Retail New Construction.

“We were inspired to rebuild our original restaurant according to the USGBC’s LEED-Gold standard to encourage and educate our customers on the importance of environmental sustainability,” said Tom Spiel, McDonald's owner/operator. “For us, this is a way to give back to our community,” he adds. “We hope that what we learn from this restaurant can be utilized to build more efficient and environmentally friendly restaurants in the future, which will then benefit more communities.”

As part of this certification, the Spiels looked to QA Graphics® for a fun and interactive way for their customers and team members to learn about the sustainable initiatives that make this McDonald’s restaurant ‘green’. QA Graphics, a Midwest creative firm, provided their Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard®, which is anticipated to help attain the Innovation in Design green education credit. The
Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard is an interactive application similar to a website, used to display real-time energy efficiency information and educate about sustainable initiatives.

“We were impressed with the solution QA Graphics provided, including the ability to link the display to our solar photovoltaic array and provide real-time data of the energy generated from the solar array,” said Candace Spiel, McDonald's owner/operator.

As customers walk into the lobby of the McDonald’s they see the Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard displayed on a 42-inch LCD touchscreen, which they can interact with to learn more about the sustainable features used in the construction of the restaurant. A virtual tour provides a 3D view of the outside of the restaurant, and then takes viewers inside, moving through the dining area, restrooms and back to the outside of the restaurant. During the tour, different icons can be selected to learn about the sustainable features implemented at the restaurant.

For example, visitors can see that there are photovoltaic panels located on the carports outside, and watch a demonstration to understand how the photovoltaic system works. Real-time data is also provided to show how much energy is being output by the system. Other demos explain how Solatubes, solar hot water panels and porous pavers function at the restaurant. Also shown is education about the LED lighting and signage, recycled glass tile, EcoResin panels and rapidly renewable bamboo used throughout the dining area, as well as explaining what materials are made from recycled items, like the countertops, floor tiles, and ceiling tiles.

The reaction at the restaurant has been well received. “From small children to senior citizens, this interactive display is used frequently,” said Candace Spiel, McDonald’s owner/operator. “Because it is easy to use and navigate, whatever the level of our customers’ computer skills, they are able to use the display to learn more about this McDonald’s and how they can be green in their personal lives.”

When visitors have learned about the different sustainable features, they can test their ‘green’ knowledge with a quiz. Information for the local community is also provided, including a weather forecast and local maps identifying area schools, bus routes, bike paths and the Metro Rail. The Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard application for this McDonald’s can be viewed online at www.greenmcdonalds.com.

This is the second McDonald’s that QA Graphics has worked with to help engage restaurant patrons and educate about the restaurant’s sustainable features. The Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard is also utilized by the third U.S. LEED-certified McDonald’s in Cary, North Carolina. QA Graphics’ solution has been named a 2010 top green building product by Environmental Design + Construction and Sustainable Facility magazines’ annual Readers Choice Awards as well as a 2010 top 10 green building product by award-winning independent news source Sustainable Industries. Learn more at www.qagraphics.com/eeed.

About QA Graphics
QA Graphics is an innovative graphic development company specializing in the green building industry. The company is an industry leader in the design of award-winning energy education dashboards used to showcase organizations’ building performance and sustainable initiatives. QA Graphics also provides comprehensive creative services including graphic outsourcing, 3D design/animation, drafting, virtual tours, multimedia solutions and other interactive content. Visit www.qagraphics.com to learn more.

This blog post was approved by www.iGreenBuild.com

Cell Phone Recycling

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:39:00 +0000

OK…..I have eleven old cell phones. This week they will be recycled!

e-Cycle Declares April “Recycle Your Mobile Phone Month” - Giving Away iPad2 Tablets to Businesses.

Mobile phone buyback and recycling company is offering organizations nationwide a chance to win one of four Apple iPad2 tablets for responsibly recycling their mobile devices.

Hilliard, Ohio(April 6, 2011) – Earth Day is April 22. To celebrate, e-Cycle has declared April “National Recycle Your Cell Phone Month” to help raise awareness for the growing e-waste problem with mobile devices, and as a reminder for organizations to implement responsible mobile phone recycling programs. As an incentive, e-Cycle is offering businesses and organizations a chance to win one of four Apple iPad2 tablets when they recycle and/or sell their used wireless devices with the company through May 31.

“We have kept more than 225,000 pounds of e-waste out of our landfills through our free recycling services for our enterprise clients, which means that millions of gallons of our drinking water have been protected from harmful toxins,” said Chris Irion, e-Cycle founder and CEO. “e-Cycle has also paid more than 12 million dollars to our partner companies through our mobile buyback services, allowing them to put money back into their telecom budgets to upgrade to the latest wireless technologies. The environmental and financial benefits of e-cycling wireless devices is clear and should be part of every organization’s sustainability plan.”

Irion said that e-Cycle works with nearly 7,000 organizations nationwide, including 16 of the Fortune 20, and has purchased or recycled more than five million devices since 2005. He said that nearly 65 percent of the devices the company receives still retain monetary value and can be reused in secondary markets where the older technologies are still valued and needed.

In addition to the iPad giveaway contest, e-Cycle will be hosting a booth for the U.S. Census Bureau’s Green IT Day in Washington D.C. on April 20, and in four cities for Verizon Wireless Earth Day promotions on April 22. More information about e-Cycle and the iPad2 giveaway contest can be found by visiting http://www.e-Cycle.com/Verizon.

EPA Mobile e-Waste Quick Facts

· About 50 million cell phones are replaced worldwide a month, and only 10 percent are recycled.

· Recycling one million cell phones reduces greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 1,368 cars off the road for a year.

· One cell phone has enough toxins—arsenic, mercury, and lead—to contaminate 40,000 gallons of water.

· The extreme amount of lead in electronics alone causes damage in the central and peripheral nervous systems, the blood and the kidneys.

· Reusing electronic devices saves up to 20 times more energy than recycling alone.

About e-Cycle LLC

Ranked the #8 fastest growing environmental services company in the U.S. by Inc. 500|5000, e-Cycle helps organizations and individuals take a more responsible, secure and cost-effective approach to wireless recycling.

e-Cycle buys used iPhones, BlackBerrys, smartphones and other wireless devices that still retain value and recycles all others at no charge through an EPA-registered facility. The information on every device is either deleted or destroyed through rigorous mobile security measures. e-Cycle is also the official enterprise recycling partner of Verizon Wireless. e-Cycle has a 100 percent zero landfill policy.

Visit www.e-Cycle.comor contact gogreen@e-Cycle.comor (877) 215-5255.

This blog post was approved by www.iGreenBuild.com.

Bottled Water and Recycling

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:35:00 +0000

This is awesome! Watch the video and send us your feedback!

News Release
April 5, 2011

"Every Bottle Counts" YouTube Video Makes the Case for More Public Space Recycling

Alexandria, VA – The International Bottled Water Association's (IBWA) consumer website www.bottledwatermatters.com has launched its twentieth YouTube video, "Every Bottle Counts," a humorous and informative look at how people recycle when they are out and about in public places. A teenaged consumer explores how, when and where to recycle her empty PET plastic bottled water containers as she moves through her busy day away from home.

In this short video, many U.S. communities from coast to coast that currently have public recycling programs in place are cited. Each of these communities listed report that public space recycling programs either make money or save money for their community treasuries as they make it easier for people to fully recycle unwanted bottles, cans and containers while away from home.

"In this lighthearted look at recycling in public places, a consumer finds herself looking for places to properly dispose of her empties. When there is no place in public to recycle, she's quick to show how she saves the empty containers until she's home," said Tom Lauria, IBWA Vice President of Communications. "At no time does she simply throw her empty containers away in regular trash receptacles. As title explains, 'Every Bottle Counts' when it comes to thoughtful recycling."

"IBWA and Bottled Water Matters decided to produce this video because we all have a role to play in expanding, and benefiting from, more public space recycling," Mr. Lauria said. "Consumers should know they have the ability to make public recycling bins happen in their communities and that their cities and towns can benefit financially from making the effort to capture and recycle PET plastic, glass, aluminum and other recyclable materials."

Besides YouTube, the video will be available on the IBWA website (www.bottledwater.org), the Bottled Water Matters website (www.bottledwatermatters.com) and on the Earth911 recycling mega-site. (www.earth911.com) in the IBWA-sponsored section on plastic bottle recycling."

To view the video "Every Bottle Counts," cut and paste this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsLanqs7sKA

Media Contact:
TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 office / 703-887-4056 cellphone

###

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. In addition to FDA and state regulations, the Association requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. Consumers can contact IBWA at 1-800-WATER-11 or log onto IBWA's web site (www.bottledwater.org) for more information about bottled water and a list of members' brands. Media inquiries can be directed to VP of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.

This blog post was approved by www.iGreenBuild.com

Live Green, Get Your Kids Outdoors!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:51:00 +0000

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: (202) 720-4623
Twitter: @forestservice

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Local Projects to Help Kids Get Outdoors

Funding will support partnership programs in 18 states and Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2011– Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $1 million in cost-share funding for children's programs in 18 states and Puerto Rico, furthering USDA's commitment to connect young people around the country with America's great outdoors. The two programs receiving funding through this announcement will reach tens of thousands of young people this year, and support the goals of both President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative.

The funds will be divided between "Children's Forest" programs and "More Kids in the Woods" projects. Combined, they build on long-term partnerships and at least 25,000 more children will be able to participate in outdoor activities and expanded opportunities to make first-time and long-term connections between kids and the outdoors.

"America's children should have the opportunity to experience our great outdoors and gain first-hand knowledge about our magnificent natural resources, which are important to this country's wealth and health," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Now more than any other time in history, our children are losing their connection to nature and our hope is to reverse that trend while instilling a curiosity about nature and a life-long commitment to conservation and stewardship."

Each year, the Forest Service conducts thousands of programs that reconnect kids with nature – from nationwide, year-round programs that reach large numbers of children, to local events that are designed to address local needs. Collectively, conservation education, recreation and other programs reached more than 25 million children in 2010 and engaged thousands of partners across the country.

The More Kids in the Woods program, now in its fifth year, is a competitive funding program for partnership projects that get kids outside and engaged in active, meaningful learning experiences. Projects focus on serving diverse youth and reaching under-served populations, using outdoor activities and nature-based learning to establish meaningful and lasting connections to nature and to improve children's health. Projects funded in 2010 reached more than 15,000 youth. This year, selected projects range from a mentoring program, to outdoor camps, to science education and experiments, to discovery and stewardship adventures, to programs that reach at-risk youth.

Today's announcement expands a growing network of Children's Forests in every Forest Service region. Forests designated as Children's Forests will receive additional funds as they work with partners to connect kids and families with outdoor activities and the forest, support communities by creating new education and career opportunities, connect kids with education and mentorship programs, foster climate change understanding and solutions, and expand citizen stewardship of the nation's public lands.

"The value of these programs and partnerships for youth must not be underestimated," said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "Young people are tomorrow's stewards of our public lands, and we must invest in building lasting and meaningful connections between our youth and America's great outdoors."

The recipients of the cost-share funding, selected from 174 agency submissions, include 21 More Kids in the Woods projects and nine Children's Forests. Awards were made to projects in: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Hawaii, Montana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

A full list of projects, descriptions, and funding is available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/04/mkiw-recipients.shtml.

Providing greater access to recreation in outdoor spaces is a priority of the Obama Administration. Let's Move!, a comprehensive initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama, has set a goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity and promoting healthy lifestyles. This Obama administration priority is fundamentally changing the conversation about how we eat and stay active, helping to ensure future generations are ready to win the future. Learn more by visiting www.LetsMove.gov.

The Obama Administration's America's Great Outdoors initiative is a 21st century conservation and recreation agenda to create partnerships between the federal government and American communities on locally led conservation initiatives that protect our outdoor spaces and make them accessible to American families. Learn more by visiting www.AmericasGreatOutdoors.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

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Wind Farm Cancelled Due To Bird Conservation

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:26:00 +0000

Bird Group Says Cancellation of North Dakota Wind Farm Reflects

Seriousness of Bird Issues

(Washington, D.C., April 4, 2011) American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, today said that the cancellation of the Xcel Energy Inc. 150-megawatt, $400 million wind farm in southeastern North Dakota reflects how serious bird mortality issues are in connection with the burgeoning wind farm industry.

“We have been maintaining all along that if the wind industry doesn’t embrace bird-smart principles, the impacts to birds can be very serious. These principles aren’t complicated. The industry needs to site wind farms away from endangered birds and high concentrations of migrants, do the proper monitoring before and after construction, and compensate and mitigate impacts,” said Mike Parr, Vice President of ABC.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that about 440,000 birds are killed at wind farms every year right now. We can only imagine how much those numbers will increase when the industry installs 12 times more wind power as part of its target build-out by 2030. We certainly are looking at bird mortality in the millions,” Parr said.

“The fact that this project needed to be cancelled is evidence of the seriousness of the risk to birds from wind development. We are delighted that Xcel has opted not to proceed at this location, and hope that the project can be moved to another site that has fewer bird impacts. However, without national standards that protect birds, there is nothing to stop other wind operators from irresponsible wind project siting elsewhere,” Parr said.

“The wind industry receives huge taxpayer subsidies, yet continues to harm birds in violation of two major environmental laws – the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act,” he said.

The issues with wind go far beyond bird mortality caused by the turbine blades. They include potential population-level impacts due to collisions with the power lines that bring wind-generated electricity to the grid – a particular threat for species such as the endangered Whooping Crane and other large birds – and habitat loss from the footprint of the wind farms and associated roads and structures. . About 20,000 square miles of habitat will be likely lost in the 2030 build-out – larger than the combined areas of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island – threatening birds such as the Greater Sage-Grouse and other species in the West.

“ABC supports the concept of bird-smart wind energy. With just a few reasonable accommodations, we could realize the enormous green potential that is waiting to be fully tapped, and we would be happy to work with industry toward that end,” Parr said.

American Bird Conservancy (www.abcbirds.org) conserves native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas by safeguarding the rarest species, conserving and restoring habitats, and reducing threats while building capacity in the bird conservation movement. ABC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership organization.

This blog post was approved by www.iGreenBuild.com

Plastic Ocean Pollution: Voyage to Final Gyre

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Researchers Conclude Most Extensive Study of Ocean Plastic Pollution Ever Undertaken
Goal of Voyage Through Fifth of Five Gyres is to Bring Attention to a Global Problem

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: STIV WILSON
stiv@5gyres.org
mobile: 503.913.7381
skype: agentstiv

Valdivia, Chile, March 18, 2011—Capping the most extensive study of ocean plastic pollution ever undertaken, pioneering researchers with the 5 Gyres Institute will launch a voyage on Saturday, March 19 through the fifth of five global subtropical gyres, the massive swirling areas of the ocean where plastic pollution accumulates.

The crew will sail over 2,000 miles from Valdivia, Chile, zig-zagging through the South Pacific Gyre, to arrive at Easter Island on April 7th, and onward to Tahiti on May 10^th. Little data on plastic in this region exists, but the researchers expect to find the same kind of plastic pollution--known to harm marine life, to be a navigational hazard, and to possibly threaten human health—that they have found in every sample of the sea surface they've taken while sailing 20,000 miles through gyres in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

No other such researchers have sailed through all of the world's five subtropical gyres. 5 Gyres's goal is to document the problem, bring it to world attention and foster solutions.

"We want to show that this is a global problem and to inspire international cooperation," says Anna Cummins, who co-founded 5 Gyres with Marcus Eriksen, PhD. "Every country in the world is contributing to the problem and thus needs to be actively involved in solutions that reduce the flow of plastic to our oceans."

Most ocean plastic pollution takes the form of tiny plastic fragments resulting from degraded derelict fishing gear or from plastic waste flowing out to sea from land. Sea turtles, marine mammals, birds and fish ingest these plastic particles, causing entanglement or accumulation of synthetic chemicals in their bodies from the plastic in their gut. The pollution can also kill seabirds and marine mammals that die from drowning, starvation, or dehydration, their bellies being full of plastic mistaken for food.

5 Gyres is also studying whether humans are being harmed by eating fish that have ingested debris contaminated with PCBs, DDT, and other toxins. The nonprofit organization is collaborating with Algalita Marine Research Foundation and Pangaea Explorations, and working with the United Nations' Safe Planet campaign.

While the marine debris problem is typically described as a well defined "garbage patch," plastic pollution at sea takes the form of a thin, diffuse soup. Either way, it cannot be cleaned up at sea by any practical means.

"If we stop allowing plastic waste to leave land, the ocean will eventually regurgitate plastic pollution from the gyres. Beach cleanup is gyre cleanup," Eriksen said.

Society must indeed stop the problem at its source, the researchers stress. They also advocate improving the recyclability of plastics, legislation requiring companies to take responsibility for recovery and reuse of their products, and curbs on single-use disposable products.

About 5 Gyres Institute: 5 Gyres Institute is a nonprofit organization committed to meaningful change through research and education. 5 Gyres disseminates its findings through lectures and traveling exhibits, and raises awareness of ocean plastic pollution through expeditions, including that aboard JUNKraft, the boat built in 2008 of 15,000 plastic bottles. It collaborates with Algalita Marine Research Foundation and Pangaea Explorations, which provide it with a marine laboratory and research vessel, respectively. After studying the five subtropical gyres, 5 Gyres will monitor these vortexes through continued expeditions, and the Traveling Trawl Program, which loans research equipment to volunteer "citizen scientists."

Media Contact:
Stiv Wilson
Communications Director
5 Gyres Institute
stiv@5gyres.org
mobile: 503.913.7381

This blog post has been approved by www.iGreenBuild.com.

First National Standard for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:50:00 +0000

EPA Proposes First National Standard for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants

“Mercury and Air Toxics Standards” Represent One of Strongest Health Protections from Air Pollution Since Passage of Clean Air Act

WASHINGTON– In response to a court deadline, today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first-ever national standards for mercury, arsenic and other toxic air pollution from power plants. The new Power Plant Mercury and Air Toxics Standards – which eliminate 20 years of uncertainty across industry – would require many power plants to install widely available, proven pollution control technologies to cut harmful emissions of mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel and acid gases, while preventing as many as 17,000 premature deaths and 11,000 heart attacks a year. The new proposed standards would also provide particular health benefits for children, preventing 120,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms and about11,000 fewer cases of acute bronchitis among children each year.The proposed standards would also avert over 12,000 emergency room visits and hospital admissions and 850,000 fewer days of work missed due to illness.

This rule will provide employment for thousands, by supporting 31,000 short-term construction jobs and 9,000 long-term utility jobs.

“Today’s announcement is 20 years in the making, and is a significant milestone in the Clean Air Act’s already unprecedented record of ensuring our children are protected from the damaging effects of toxic air pollution,” said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. “With the help of existing technologies, we will be able to take reasonable steps that will provide dramatic protections to our children and loved ones, preventing premature deaths, heart attacks, and asthma attacks.”

Toxic air pollutants like mercury from coal- and oil-fired power plants have been shown to cause neurological damage, including lower IQ, in children exposed in the womb and during early development. The standards also address emissions of other toxic metals linked with cancer such as arsenic, chromium and nickel. Mercury and many of the other toxic pollutants also damage the environment and pollute our nation’s lakes, streams, and fish. In addition, cutting these toxic pollutants also reduces fine particle pollution, which causes premature death, heart disease, workdays lost to illness, and asthma.

"The American Lung Association applauds the release of this sensible public health measure. When it becomes final, the cleanup rule that the EPA is putting forward today will save lives, protect the health of millions of Americans and finally bring about an action that is 20 years overdue. This must happen,” said Charles D. Connor, president and CEO of the American Lung Association.

Power plants are the largest remaining source of several toxic air pollutants – responsible for half of mercury and over half of acid gas emissions in the United States. In the power sector alone, coal-fired power plants are responsible for 99 percent of mercury emissions. Currently, more than half of all coal-fired power plants already deploy the widely available pollution control technologies that allow them to meet these important standards. Once final, these standards will ensure the remaining coal-fired plants, roughly 44 percent, take similar steps to decrease dangerous pollutants.

The updated standards will provide a first-ever level playing field for all power plants across the country, ensure that they play by the same rules, and provide more certainty to business. The proposed rule provides up to 4 years for facilities to meet the standards and, once fully implemented, will prevent 91 percent of mercury in coal from being released to the air.

More than 20 years ago, the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments mandated that EPA require control of toxic air pollutants including mercury. Since then, EPA has taken action to reduce mercury emissions from many high-emitting sources – however, there is still no national standard for mercury emissions from power plants. Today’s announcement is long awaited, coming 11 years after EPA announced it would set such limits for power plants, andfollowing a February, 2008 court decision that struck down the previous Administration's mercury rule. In October, 2009, EPA entered into a consent decree thatrequired a proposal to be signed by March 16, 2011, and a final rule to be completed by November, 2011.

The proposed Mercury and Air Toxics Standardsare in keeping with President Obama’s Executive Order on regulatory reform. They are based on the latest data and provide industry significant flexibility in implementation through a phased-in approach and use of already existing technologies.

The proposed standards also ensure that public health and economic benefits far outweigh costs of implementation. EPA estimates that for every dollar spent to reduce pollution from power plants, the American public and American businesses will see up to $13 in health and economic benefits. The total health and economic benefits of this standard are estimated to be as much as $140 billion annually.

Also in keeping with the President’s Executive Order, the proposed standard puts a premium on important input and feedback from stakeholders to inform any final standard. The public comment period, which will last sixty days from posting to the Federal Register, will allow stakeholders including the public, industry and public health communities, to provide important input and feedback, ensuring that any final standard maximizes public health benefits while minimizing costs.

As part of the public comment process, EPA will also hold public hearings on this proposed rule. Additional details on these events will be announced at a future date.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/

CONTACT: Margot Perez-Sullivan, perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov, 415.990.1176

This blog post was reviewed and approved by an editor at www.iGreenBuild.com.

Bay Area Municipalities Ordered to Protect San Francisco Bay from Sewage Discharges

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:05:00 +0000

U.S. EPA, Department of Justice, California Water Boards, and Baykeeper settle federal Clean Water Act violations withEast Bay cities

SAN FRANCISCO– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Justice Department, California Water Boards and San Francisco Baykeeper today lodged a stipulated order that will settle a Clean Water Act enforcement action against seven municipalities in the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). The settlement is part of a broader enforcement strategy to address sewage overflows to the San Francisco Bay, especially during rain events.

During this most recent rainy season, which began in October 2010, nearly 125 million gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage from EBMUD’s wet weather facilities overflowed into the San Francisco Bay during wet weather.

Among other things, the seven municipalities listed as defendants in the order have cooperatively agreed to update aging infrastructure and collection systems that have been major contributors to the overflows.

“This is great news for San Francisco Bay,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Sewer overflows are an egregious problem, and the changes these cities are making will help protect our waters. EPA's goal is to have zero discharge of raw or improperly treated sewage into the Bay."

Raw sewage contains pathogens that threaten public health, leading to beach closures and public advisories against fishing and swimming. This problem particularly affects older urban areas, where minority and low-income communities are often concentrated. Keeping raw sewage and contaminated stormwater out of the waters of the United States is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives for 2011 to 2013.

Today’s settlement is the latest in a series of Clean Water Act settlements that will reduce the discharge of raw sewage and contaminated stormwater into United States’ bays, rivers, streams and lakes. Other U.S. cities that have made similar improvements following a federal order include: Los Angeles, San Diego, Honolulu, Cincinnati, Washington D.C., and more than 40 more. The initiative will focus on reducing discharges from sewer overflows by obtaining cities’ commitments to implement timely, affordable solutions to these problems, including the increased use of green infrastructure and other innovative approaches.

As part of the order, Oakland, Emeryville, Piedmont, Berkeley, Alameda, Albany, and the Stege Sanitary District (which serves Kensington, El Cerrito and the Richmond Annex section of Richmond) will make substantial improvements to their wastewater collection systems to reduce sewage spills to the Bay. These defendants are collectively referred to as ‘satellite communities’ in the stipulated order.

After filing an initial administrative order, EPA referred this action to the Justice Department in December 2009. Following this referral, the United States filed suit against the satellite communities. The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and the State Water Resources Control Board are also participating in the litigation and the settlement.

"The San Francisco Bay is a national treasure which will be protected through the implementation of the commitments made in this agreement," said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. "The settlement will also result in a healthier environment for the communities that surround the Bay by improving the infrastructure and operation of the municipal sewage systems."

As part of the settlement, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board will help to oversee the satellite communities’ compliance with the stipulated order. "This settlement is a significant step in ensuring coordinated and proper investments by the east bay communities in their sewer infrastructure,” said Bruce Wolfe, Executive Officer of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. “This will result in healthier creeks and a cleaner Bay."

San Francisco Baykeeper intervened as a plaintiff in this action, and is a party to this stipulated order. "The plans we have agreed to here will set in motion significant projects that will create green jobs and result in a cleaner Bay,” said Jason Flanders of San Francisco Baykeeper. “We look forward to working with EPA and the Waterboards to ensure that these infrastructure improvements occur expeditiously."

The Justice Department, California Water Boards, Baykeeper, and the Satellite Communities collaborated in settlement negotiations aimed at developing initial measures that would complement the work required by a 2009 EBMUD Stipulated Order. As with the EBMUD Stipulated Order, the Satellite Communities stipulated order will provide initial relief needed to reduce the ongoing violations and assist in developing a final remedy.

In addition, each of the Satellites have specific requirements based on an inspection of each collection system previously conducted by EPA and input from Baykeeper. As in all federal Clean Water Act enforcement actions, the defendants in this case could face penalties as part of the future settlement.

For more information on the Clean Water Act, please visit the EPA’s Web site at
http://www.epa.gov/regulations/laws/cwa.html

Heating efficiency in low income homes

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:03:00 +0000

ONSET DATA LOGGERS CHOSEN FOR LANDMARK WEATHERIZATION STUDY

Study to compare heating efficiency of bulk fuels vs. natural gas in low-income houses

BOURNE, MA, March 15, 2011 — Onset (http://www.onsetcomp.com),the world's leading supplier of data loggers, today announced that several hundred of the company's HOBO® data loggers are being used in a key national weatherization study funded by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Called the National Weatherization Assistance Program Evaluation, the effort marks the first time in two decades the federal government will gather technical data on energy consumption and other factors in homes treated under the federal weatherization program.

More than 200 Onset HOBO temperature and time-of-use data loggers are being installed in low-income homes throughout the Midwest, Northeast and South, where they will monitor primary heating system run times, as well as secondary heating systems such as space heaters and wood stoves.

Data loggers are crucial to the study because it is often difficult to measure heating energy use in homes that use bulk fuels. These homes do not receive monthly utility bills showing consumption patterns as do homes that use metered natural gas.

"We're interested in knowing when fuel is being consumed, which is not the same as monitoring heating calls or fan operation," said Dan Cautley, senior project manager with The Energy Center of Wisconsin, a Madison-based research and education firm. "To get burner on-time data, we're watching the power wire to the gas valve in propane systems, and in oil systems we are monitoring either the oil solenoid valve power, or when there is no solenoid valve, the burner power."

The data logging equipment will be retrieved in the spring of 2011, at which point the data will be analyzed to establish heating energy savings in the homes.

To learn more about the study, please visit http://www.ecw.org/weatherization. For more information about Onset HOBO data loggers, please visit http://www.onsetcomp.com.

ABOUT ONSET

Onset is the world's leading supplier of data loggers. The company's HOBOdata logger and weather station products are used around the world in a broad range of applications, including building energy performance monitoring, water resources management, and ecological and agricultural research. Based on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Onset has sold more than 1.5 million data loggers since the company's founding in 1981. Visit

First Social App Game for Sustainable Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:13:00 +0000

JouleBug, First Social App Game for Sustainable Energy, Launches at SXSWi

JouleBug, a free app for the iPhone, encourages users to learn energy-saving habits in practical, social ways. JouleBug players earn points, pins and badges for saving energy and can compete with friends on Facebook; the Badge Genius learns a user's habits over time and recommends new badges to work towards to make the highest impact.

JouleBug can also be linked to the user's power company account, allowing them to see the dollar value of their energy savings from playing JouleBug.

Austin, TX – Today JouleBug, a new social app that encourages energy-saving habits through friendly competition, launched at the South by Southwest Tradeshow.

A free iPhone app, JouleBug provides users with practical, easy-to-implement tips for saving energy in the real world. It's a reality-based, casually-social game that rewards users with points, pins and badges for learning and practicing energy-saving habits in their day-to-day lives. Users can link JouleBug to their Facebook and Twitter accounts to share and play with friends.

Click here to read more ...

App Images:

CARBON DIOXIDE POLLUTERS

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:11:00 +0000

News from Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2011

New York City Press Office / 212-416-8060
Albany Press Office / 518-473-5525nyag.pressoffice@ag.ny.gov

A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN URGES U.S. SUPREME COURT TO UPHOLD STATES’ RIGHT TO SUE CARBON DIOXIDE POLLUTERS

In Historic Legal Challenge, Schneiderman Leads Coalition Against the Nation’s Five Largest Producers of Greenhouse Gases

A.G. Argues Electric Utility Companies are Causing a “Public Nuisance” and Can be Forced to Curb Emissions

WASHINGTON – In a landmark legal challenge, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman filed a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the right of states to sue five polluting power companies to force them to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of global warming. Leading a coalition on behalf of New York, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the City of New York, Attorney General Schneiderman argued that the power companies are causing a “public nuisance” by releasing greenhouse gases into the air, and can therefore be held accountable in court. The case is American Electric Power Co., Inc. v. Connecticut.

“Climate change threatens our economy, our health and our natural resources. This lawsuit protects New Yorkers and our environment from the serious harms caused by unrestrained greenhouse gas pollution,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “As some of the biggest global warming polluters in the country, these five companies produce 10 percent of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions To protect our future, we must have the right to hold these polluters accountable in a court of law.”

In 2004, New York—along with several other states, New York City, and environmental groups—sued five large electric power companies in federal court in New York to force them to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from their fossil fuel burning power plants. These corporations – American Electric Power Co., Cinergy Corp., Southern Co., the Tennessee Valley Authority and Xcel Energy Inc. – are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the country, accounting for approximately 10 percent of all domestic human-generated carbon dioxide. Together, they own or operate 174 fossil fuel burning power plants in 20 states that emit about 650 million tons of carbon dioxide each year – almost a quarter of the U.S. utility industry’s annual carbon dioxide emissions.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency does not currently regulate these emissions, and the power companies have, by and large, failed to voluntarily take practical, cost-effective steps that would allow them to generate electricity with lower emissions.

In 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the states’ right to bring this lawsuit. The power companies appealed the case to the Supreme Court, which will hear arguments on April 19, and is expected to decide the case by July. Attorney General Schneiderman is vigorously defending the appeals court’s ruling to protect New Yorkers from the harms caused by climate change. These harms include causing asthma and other respiratory diseases, eroding beaches and inundating properties on Long Island, increasing heat-related deaths in New York City, lowering water levels in the Great Lakes that harm the shipping industry, and killing off hardwood forests in the Adirondacks.

This is the first case where state and local governments have sued private companies to require reductions in the heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions that scientists say pose serious threats to our health, economy and environment. It was filed under the federal common law of public nuisance, which provides a right of action to curb air and water pollution emanating from sources in other states. Public nuisance is a well-established legal doctrine that is commonly invoked in environmental cases and forms the basis for much of today’s modern environmental law. The defendant companies’ emissions contribute to a harm borne by all members of the public, and the states and City of New York have the right to protect their residents and properties from such widespread harm.

The brief, filed on March 11, is the most recent action Attorney General Schneiderman has taken to protect New Yorkers’ health, safety and economic security from environmental pollution. In January, Attorney General Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against a Pennsylvania-based power plant for violating the Clean Air Act and threatening New York’s air quality. Schneiderman also led a coalition of state attorneys general in calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to keep in place critical environmental regulations protecting New Yorkers from mercury and other toxic substances hazardous to human health and the environment.

A separate brief was filed by three land trusts: Open Space Institute, Inc., Open Space Conservancy, Inc., and Audubon Society of New Hampshire.

The case is being handled in the Supreme Court by Solicitor General Barbara Underwood, Deputy Solicitor General Benjamin Gutman, Assistant Solicitor General Monica Wagner, and Assistant Attorneys General Michael Myers, Morgan Costello, and Robert Rosenthal.

A copy of the Attorney General’s brief is available at: www.ag.ny.gov/media_center/2011/mar/10-17_%20bs.pdf

New software puts forest ecology in public hands

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:07:00 +0000

i-Tree v.4 ID’s the environmental and economic value of urban trees

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2011- The U.S. Forest Service and its partners released this morning the newest version of their free i-Tree software suite, designed to quantify the benefits of trees and assist communities in gaining support and funding for the trees in their parks, schoolyards and neighborhoods.

U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell unveiled the new software suite in a ceremony at the Fairmount Horticultural Center in Philadelphia.

i-Tree v.4 , made possible by a public-private partnership, provides urban planners, forest managers, environmental advocates and students a free tool to measure the ecological and economic value of the trees in their neighborhoods and cities.

The Forest Service partnered on the project with The Davey Tree Expert Company, the National Arbor Day Foundation, the Society of Municipal Arborists, the International Society of Arboriculture and Casey Trees. The Forest Service and its partners will offer free and easily accessible technical support for the i-Tree suite.

“Urban trees are the hardest working trees in America,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “Urban trees’ roots are paved over, and they are assaulted by pollution and exhaust, but they keep working for us.”

Urban trees provide temperature control, clean water, clean air and mitigate climate change by sequestering tons of carbon, said Tidwell.

One recent i-Tree study found that street trees in Minneapolis provided $25 million in benefits ranging from energy savings to increased property values. Urban planners in Chattanooga, Tenn., were able to show that for every dollar invested in their urban forests, the city received $12.18 in benefits. New York City used i-Tree to justify $220 million for planting trees during the next decade.

“Forest Service research and models on the benefits of urban trees are now in the hands of people who can make a difference in our communities,” said Paul Ries, director of Cooperative Forestry for the Forest Service. “The work of Forest Service researchers, the best in the world, is not just sitting on a shelf, but is now being widely applied in communities of all sizes, around the world, to help people understand and leverage the benefits of trees in their communities.”

Since the initial release of the i-Tree tools in August 2006, more than 100 communities, non-profit organizations, consultants and schools have used i-Tree to report on individual trees, parcels, neighborhoods, cities, and even entire states.

"I am proud to be part of a project that is doing so much good for our communities," said Dave Nowak, lead i-Tree researcher for the Forest Service Northern Research Station. " i-Tree will foster a better understanding of the importance of green space in our cities and neighborhoods, which is so important in a world where development and environmental change are stark realities."

The most important improvements in i-Tree v.4:

i-Tree will reach a broader audience in educating people on the value of trees. i-Tree Design is designed to be easily used by homeowners, garden centers, and in school classrooms. People can use i-Tree Design and its link to Google maps to see the impact of the trees in their yard, neighborhood and classrooms, and what benefits they can see by adding new trees. i-Tree Canopy and VUE with their links to Google maps now also make it much easier and less expensive for communities and managers to analyze the extent and values of their tree canopy, analyses that up to this point have been prohibitively expensive for many communities.

i-Tree will also expand its audience to other resource management professionals. i-Tree Hydro provides a more sophisticated tool for professionals involved in stormwater and water quality and quantity management. Hydro is a tool that can be applied immediately to help communities evaluate and address the impacts of their urban forests on stream flow and water quality that could be helpful in meeting state and national (EPA) clean water and stormwater regulations and standards.

With each new release of i-Tree, the tools become easier to use and more relevant to the users. i-Tree developers are continually addressing feedback from users and adjusting and improving the tools so that they are easier to use by a much broader audience. This will only help to increase its use and impact not only in the United States but around the world.

###

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please contact the U.S. Forest Service Media Office at (202) 205-1134 to arrange an interview with an i-Tree expert.

The State and Private Forestry organization of the U.S. Forest Service reaches across the boundaries of national forests to states, tribes, communities and non-industrial private landowners. S&PF is the federal leader in providing technical and financial assistance to landowners and resource managers to help sustain all of the nation’s forests and watersheds, and protect communities and the environment from wildland fires.

The Research and Development arm of the U.S. Forest Service works at the forefront of science to improve the health and use of our Nation's forests and grasslands. Research has been part of the Forest Service mission since the agency's inception in 1905. Today, some 500-plus Forest Service researchers work in a range of biological, physical, and social science fields to promote sustainable management of Nation's diverse forests and

E-Waste - Environmental Groups Urge White House to Take a Stand Against E-Waste Exports

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:06:00 +0000

Environmental groups concerned about electronic waste today urged the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to issue a policy requiring that federal agencies will not allow their used electronics to be exported to developing nations, where the toxics inside can cause significant harm to the environment and public health.

"Many unscrupulous recyclers don't really recycle our e-waste, but simply export it to developing nations, where the toxic materials in these products end up poisoning workers and communities," said Barbara Kyle, National Coordinator of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition. "Exporting is such a common practice in this industry, you need to be very diligent in selecting and monitoring your recyclers to make sure they are not doing this with your old electronics. We are saying we want the Federal Government to exercise that level of diligence."

A Presidential Proclamation last November announced the creation of a new Interagency Task Force on Electronics Stewardship, led by the CEQ. The President called on the federal agencies to develop a national strategy for electronics stewardship, including procedures for how the agencies manage their own e-waste. The task force must conclude its work in May 2011, when an announcement on e-waste policy is expected from the White House.

In a letter sent today to CEQ Chairwoman Nancy Sutley, the Electronics TakeBack Coalition (ETBC) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) urged the CEQ and the Task Force to adopt a policy whereby federal agencies will no longer permit their used electronic products – purchased with taxpayer funds - to be exported to developing nations, given that the toxics inside can and have caused great harm, and that this trade usually violates the laws of importing countries.

"President Obama stated that he wanted to ensure the Federal Government leads as a responsible consumer," said Barbara Kyle, National Coordinator of ETBC. "Well, this is what responsible consumers are doing now – making sure their toxic e-waste goes only to recyclers who will NOT export them to developing countries for disposal and recycling, and who export used products only if they are fully functional and going for legitimate reuse. This needs to be the cornerstone of any national policy on electronics stewardship."

The CEQ issued a request for comments on March 1, 2011, with comments due on Friday March 11. The Electronics TakeBack Coalition submitted detailed comments yesterday.

Link to letter: http://www.electronicstakeback.com/wp-content/uploads/ETBC-NRDC-Letter-to-CEQ-Sutley-March-10-2011.pdf
Link to comments: http://www.electronicstakeback.com/wp-content/uploads/ETBC-Comments-on-Federal-Task-Force-on-Electronics-Stewardship-March-9-2011.pdf

ISO shapes future of electric vehicles ? ISO media release

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:02:00 +0000

ISO is helping to ensure the future of electric vehicles. ISO is the developer of more than 800 standards that are used every day, worldwide, by the international automotive industry to ensure safe and efficient vehicles, along with more than 100 standards for the increasingly important area of intelligent transport systems. An important element of this leadership is a recently updated agreement with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to improve cooperation on standards for electric vehicles and automotive electronics.

ISO standards for the automotive industry cover all aspects vehicles: safety, ergonomics, performance, test methods, the environment, and the roll-out of innovative technologies.

READ MORE

Children, toxins, energy, and renovations

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:27:00 +0000

Are you thinking about renovating?

As someone now living through a major renovation, I know that this is a big job. There are many complex factors to balance, to get the improvements you want, more or less on time and on budget, and preferably without too many surprises. The last thing you need is something else to worry about. But here are two that are worth keeping in mind.

The first is that every renovation should include significant upgrades in energy and water conservation. As both energy and water drop in availability and rise in price, we both want and need to reduce how much we waste. Buildings are often estimated to consume a third or more of our total energy demand.

Energy conservation can have enormous economic, social, and environmental benefits, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, less vulnerability to oil shocks from disruptions in foreign countries, and sending less of our national wealth overseas to pay for our petroleum habit. The "negawatts" of energy conservation are almost always cheaper than building, say, a new nuclear plant. It also makes buildings more comfortable. The more energy prices rise, the faster conservation will pay back on the initial investment. And buildings last a long time, so the impacts of good or bad decisions on buildings also last a long time.

The second: Renovation can often make a house healthier as well as more energy efficient, but getting there has risks. Especially in older buildings, demolition and sanding can release dust contaminated with toxins like lead, asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Many new building materials also contain toxins. Renovations also stir up existing house dust, which can contain over 100 potentially toxic substances, whether from indoors (e.g., consumer products) or outdoors (e.g., soil). House dust also contains fine particles that can penetrate deeply into the lungs and damage them.

In addition, one change that is almost always necessary in a renovation is to tighten the building envelope; reducing air leakage is very important to achieving energy savings. If poorly planned, this can allow indoor air pollution to climb. Children can be especially vulnerable to these exposures.

The Canadian Environmental Law Association has just released an excellent report on how to both achieve energy efficiency and protect children from toxins in the process: Healthy Retrofits: The Case for Better Integration of Children's Environmental Health Protection into Energy Efficiency Programs

( http://www.cela.ca/sites/cela.ca/files/CELA773-Healthy-Retrofits-report.pdf ). The report is part of the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE).

The report highlights indoor health risks that can be exacerbated during renovations. First, the building may contain toxic materials that are easily disturbed. For example:

Older houses are likely to contain lead, which was used extensively in plumbing and paints; lead-based paints are among the top sources of lead contamination in house dust. Until the 1960s, some paints contained up to 50% lead (dry weight) and some old houses may contain up to 225 kg of lead. Disturbing the paint can release large numbers of lead particles. Lead is a potent neurotoxin, and can have lifelong impacts on the intelligence of children.

Asbestos was used in insulation between the 1930s and early 1980s, and asbestos-containing vermiculite was used until 1990. Asbestos was also used in ceiling tiles, vinyl flooring and shingles, among other things. Even short-term exposure to friable asbestos fibres can cause lifelong lung damage.

PCBs were used as ingredients in sealing and caulking products to make them more flexible; these chemicals may be found in the caulking around windows and door frames in buildings constructed or renovated from 1950 to 1978. When exposed to heat, PCBs can break down into the extremely toxic dioxins and furans.

Second, making a house airtight to conserve energy can decrease air exchange. This can allow homes with indoor sources of pollution, such as radon and carbon monoxide, to keep more of that pollution inside. Many newer building materials, including particleboard, paints, glues and carpets, off-gas volatile organic compounds which contaminate indoor air, and which accumulate at higher concentrations in poorly ventilated houses. So can cleaning products, cigarettes, and freshly dry cleaned clothing.

CELA provides several thoughtful recommendations to encourage energy efficiency while improving indoor air quality. For example, they call on governments to:

-       Design energy efficiency programs that include indoor environmental health as an integral component;
-       Train energy efficiency auditors about exposure to contaminants through renovation and retrofits, the increased vulnerability of children to these chemicals, and prevention strategies;
-       Improve training and requirements for specific contaminants: lead paint, mould remediation, handling PCB-containing caulking material, radon safety; and
-       Introduce more comprehensive labelling requirements for toxics-containing products; make it easier for contractors and homeowners to select safer materials - for example, support informed purchasing via product rating systems.

In addition, it is perfectly possible to have both good ventilation and energy efficiency, with a little effort and forethought. There is a cost, but it may often be worthwhile. Our family decided to buy good quality HEPA filters and we have kept them running flat out throughout the renovation. The improvement in indoor air was almost immediate, and we now plan to keep them running permanently.

Dianne Saxe and Jackie Campbell
Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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Forest Service Chief to highlight urban tree value

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Banes) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:05:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell will join representatives from the city of Philadelphia and other stakeholders in Fairmount Park Thursday to unveil the latest version of a software program that allows city planners to quantify the economic values offered by urban tree plantings.

The i-Tree suite of tools has helped communities of all sizes gain funding for urban forest management and programs by quantifying the value of their trees and the environmental services trees provide. Urban trees capture stormwater to help prevent flooding, store carbon and absorb greenhouse gases from our air, and provide millions of dollars in energy savings. i-Tree gives communities the information they need to maximize the benefits of their urban forests.

i-Tree software found that Philadelphia's trees save homeowners $1.18 million annually in energy costs.
One mature tree can catch as much as 1,390 gallons of storm water each year, preventing pollution in our rivers.
One mature tree can provide as much as $2,500 in reduced heating and cooling costsduring its lifetime.

WHO: U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell
Officials from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation

WHAT: News conference, i-Tree demonstration

WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 10

WHERE: Fairmount Horticultural Center, Fairmount Park

VISUALS: Price tags hanging from trees to illustrate cost savings