What's New in P2?

New E.U. Law to Require Safer Chemicals (11/28/2008)
Chemical producers have until Monday to comply with a sweeping European law requiring proof that products they export are safe.
marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/28/reach/

U.K's. Packaging Policy Will Change Recycling Focus (11/26/2008)
The U.K.'s new packaging policy will focus on material optimization, increased recycling rates and better communication of recycling system funding.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/11/26/uk-packaging-policy

Foam Food Container Ban Proposed in California (11/25/2008)
A proposed strategy for reducing ocean litter calls for a statewide ban on foam food containers, fees for using plastic and paper bags, and making producers responsible for the collection and disposal of packaging.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/11/25/foam-food-container-ban

Northwest Bookstore Goes Solar (11/25/2008)
Construction has already started on a 100-kilowatt PV system topping the warehouse in northwest Portland. And in December, Powell's will start using the sun's juice from one of Oregon's biggest solar panel installations, which will reportedly pay for itself in five years.
gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/11/24/162237/87?source=daily

Bald Eagles in Catskills Show Increasing Mercury (11/24/2008)
Less than two years after the bald eagle was removed from the federal government's endangered species list, an environmental organization in Maine has found an alarming accumulation of mercury in the blood and feathers of bald eagle chicks in the Catskill Park region of New York.
www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/science/25eagl.html

Nokia is Greenest Electronics Company, Says Greenpeace (11/24/2008)
In its 10th Guide to Green Electronics, Greenpeace deems Nokia the greenest company, followed by Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Toshiba. But, says Greenpeace, neither those companies nor most of their techie brethren are supporting global efforts to cut greenhouse-gas emissions or making much headway on cutting their own.
www.greenpeace.org/international/news/guide-greener-electronics-november-241108

Slump May Limit Moves on Clean Energy (11/24/2008)
Just as the world seemed poised to combat global warming more aggressively, the economic slump and plunging prices of coal and oil are upending plans to wean businesses and consumers from fossil fuel.
www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/world/25climate.html?_r=1

Puget Sound Cleanup Criticized (11/22/2008)
The state's emerging plan to rescue Washington's ecologically troubled inland sea seems headed for failure, a group of leading Puget Sound scientists said Friday.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/388962_sound22.html?source=rss

Surprise Drop in Power Use Delivers Jolt to Utilities (11/21/2008)
An unexpected drop in U.S. electricity consumption has utility companies worried that the trend isn't a byproduct of the economic downturn, and could reflect a permanent shift in consumption that will require sweeping change in their industry.
online.wsj.com/article/SB122722654497346099.html

High--Performance Buildings: Green designs depend on materials that reduce the energy footprint (11/17/2008)
Experts agree that a truly environmentally friendly building is one that is energy efficient and long lasting. And they say performance materials--often supplied by the chemical industry--are indispensable in crafting such a building
pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/86/8646cover.html

Hey, Auto Industry, Need a Jump? Utilities Consider Buying Electric Cars (11/13/2008)
The auto industry's quest to launch a new generation of electric cars may get a big boost from a sector with much to gain from getting advanced vehicles on the road: U.S. electric utilities.
online.wsj.com/article_email/SB122662769283027123-lMyQjAxMDI4MjE2NDYxMjQ3Wj.html

In Bad Economy, Boat Owners Abandon Their Vessels (11/13/2008)
From Southern California to Maine, the foundering economy, high fuel prices and poor fishing have driven boat owners to abandon perhaps thousands of vessels on the waterfront, where they are beginning to break up and sink, leaking oil and other pollutants.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource
.com/national/1110ap_meltdown_abandoned_boats.html

Are You Ready to go on a Carbon Diet? (11/10/2008)
In Britain, carbon footprinting -- used initially to broadly measure environmental impact across a company's entire operations -- is morphing into an eco-labeling tool.
www.csmonitor.com/2008/1110/p13s01-wmgn.html

Lick It To The Curb: on food-waste collection (11/10/2008)
Multiple communities collect food waste, in a variety of ways. Which is great, considering that food makes up about 12 percent of our garbage discards and is perfectly recyclable.
www.grist.org/advice/ask/2008/11/10/?source=daily

Alaska Aims to Accelerate Drive to Greener, Cheaper Power (11/09/2008)
We've got wind power in Alaska -- think Kotzebue now and Fire Island soon. We've got hydro -- think the Four-Dam Pool now and Chakachamna soon, maybe. We've got people in Alaska working with solar panels and good old-fashioned firewood. There are ways to make power out of sawdust and ways to harness the tides.
www.adn.com/opinion/story/584116.html

The 21st Century Supply Chain Executive: Global and Green (11/06/2008)
Businesses today need to focus on the complex issues of sustainability. Declining to do so may cost them dearly in today's competitive marketplace of environmentally aware consumers.
www.greenbiz.com/resources/resource/21st-century-supply-chain-executive

2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards Nominations (11/04/2008)
EPA is now accepting nominations for the 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. These awards recognize innovative chemical technologies that incorporate green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture and use -- and that have broad applications in industry.
www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/pubs/pgcc/howto.html

Scientists Discuss Plastics in the Oceans During Tacoma Conference (09/11/2008)
Nobody likes looking at pictures of baby sea otters strangled by cast-off, plastic, six-pack loops or albatrosses who died trying to digest discarded cigarette lighters and old toothbrushes. It's wrong to litter the oceans with plastic debris - and you don't have to be a scientist to see it.
www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/478762.html

Activists Launch Certification for E-waste Recycling (11/10/0208)
Activists groups on Monday launched a certification program meant to identify responsible recyclers of electronic gear in North America.
news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10092670-54.html

December 8-9, 2008
Multi-State Working Group Workshop (Chicago, IL)


December 8-9, 2008
Northwest Environmental Conference & Trade Show (Portland, OR)


December 10-11, 2008
2008 WORC Annual Conference: Building Betters Soils (Yakima, WA)


December 16, 2008
ABCs of Developing a Green Business Program Webinar (Online)


January 13-14, 2009
Pacific Northwest P2 Roundtable (Vancouver, WA)


January 26-29, 2009
US Composting Council's 17th Annual Conference & Trade Show (Houston, TX)


March 6-7, 2009
Sustainability and Energy EXP09 (Tucson, AZ)


May 18-20, 2009
Cleanmed 2009 (Chicago, IL)