What's New in P2?

Data Centers Can Apply for Energy Star Rating in June (02/08/2010)
The EPA hopes to launch its Energy Star program for data centers in June, reports PCWorld. Earlier, the program had been tentatively scheduled to launch in early 2010.
/www.environmentalleader.com/2010/02/08/data-centers-can-apply-for-energy-star-r
ating-in-june/

Greener Fleets Hit the Streets: The State of Green Business 2010 (02/08/2010)
While individual car buyers stayed out of showrooms, pushing the world's automakers to the brink and beyond, corporate and institutional buyers proved a bright spot for the industry -- a bright green spot, in fact. Fleet buyers ramped up their purchases of hybrid-electric, diesel, biodiesel, electric and other so-called alternative-fueled vehicles, from taxis to trucks. These buyers continued leadership role will be critical to electric-vehicle manufacturers' hopes of growing sales and lowering costs.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/02/08/state-green-business-2010-greener-fleets-hit-st
reets

Greener Fleets Hit the Streets: The State of Green Business 2010 (02/08/2010)
While individual car buyers stayed out of showrooms, pushing the world's automakers to the brink and beyond, corporate and institutional buyers proved a bright spot for the industry -- a bright green spot, in fact. Fleet buyers ramped up their purchases of hybrid-electric, diesel, biodiesel, electric and other so-called alternative-fueled vehicles, from taxis to trucks. These buyers continued leadership role will be critical to electric-vehicle manufacturers' hopes of growing sales and lowering costs.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/02/08/state-green-business-2010-greener-fleets-hit-st
reets

Holiday Inn Express, Bardessono Boast Energy Efficiency, Renewables (02/08/2010)
Two more hotels -- the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Saint-Hyacinthe and Bardessono -- can add their brands to the roster of environmentally-friendly lodging as more consumers and companies consider the environmental impact of their travel.
www.environmentalleader.com/2010/02/08/holiday-inn-express-bardessono-boast-ener
gy-efficiency-renewables/

Winter Olympics Get Bronze for Environmentalism (02/08/2010)
The David Suzuki Foundation praised organizers for building energy-efficient venues, using clean-energy sources, relying on public transit during the Games, and offsetting part of the event's emissions.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/02/08/winter-olympics-get-bronze-environmentalism

Artists, Record Companies, and Concert Venues Launch a Green Music Group (02/04/2010)
Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow among the founding artists working in new Green Music Group alongside record companies and concert venues to lessen the environmental impact of the music industry.
www.matternetwork.com/2010/2/artists-record-companies-concert-venues.cfm

Reports: Puget Sound getting sicker; Obama budget slashes money for Sound cleanup by 60% (02/04/2010)
Eight indicators show a continuing decline in Puget Sound, while seven other indicators show evidence of improvement, suggesting that on balance there's a slippage in the health of the waterway that sustains orcas, salmon and people, according to our interpretation of the findings in the first new biennial report by Puget Sound Partnership. The Olympian calls it "a mixed bag of improvement and continued decline."
seattlepostglobe.org/2010/02/03/reports-puget-sound-getting-sicker-obama-budget-
slashes-money-for-sound-cleanup-by-60

Six Ways the NFL Is Greening Super Bowl XLIV. Really. (02/04/2010)
Sure, companies like Audi and GE like to take advantage of the Super Bowl's huge viewing audience to promote their latest "green" message. Even Pepsi threw its hat in the game by saying it wasn't going to advertise in this year's game.
www.triplepundit.com/2010/02/six-ways-the-nfl-is-greening-super-bowl-xliv/

Water Vapor Slowed Global Warming Over Past Decade (02/04/2010)
Over the last 10 years, global temperatures rose about 25 percent more slowly than scientists had previously predicted. A study published in the journal Science reports that that's because the climate models factored in increases in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases but didn't count on a decrease in water vapor -- the most abundant greenhouse gas -- in the middle part of the atmosphere.
/solveclimate.com/blog/20100204/water-vapor-slowed-global-warming-over-past-deca
de

Feds fund Northwest green job training (02/03/2010)
Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership was awarded $5 million from the U.S. Department of Labor in early 2010 for job creation and training in the renewable energy sector.
www.sustainableindustries.com/breakingnews/83366682.html

SEC Issues Interpretive Guidance on Climate Change Disclosure Requirements for Public Companies (02/03/2010)
On February 2, 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a new interpretive document (the Guidance) intended to inform public companies on their obligation to disclose to investors the impacts on their businesses -- both positive and negative -- of existing and proposed climate change laws and regulations.
/www.martenlaw.com/news/?20100203-climate-change-disclosures

Updated Life Cycle Analysis of Soybean Production and Products Show Environmental Improvements (02/03/2010)
An updated life cycle assessment (LCA) of soybean production and products commissioned by the United Soybean Board found multiple energy and environmental benefits of current US soybean farming and processing. Currently, the data included in the Department of Energy's US Life Cycle Inventory is based on three years, 1998 to 2001. This LCA project is based on US agricultural data for the 2001-2007 period. It also contains actual data on soybean processing, commonly known as crushing, that was not previously available.
www.greencarcongress.com/2010/02/updated-life-cycle-analysis-of-soybean-producti
on-and-products-show-environmental-improvements.html

Coca-Cola Comes Clean About Going Green At Olympic Games (02/02/2010)
If you're attending the Vancouver Olympics this year, and you find yourself in a 100 percent environmentally sustainable, carbon-neutral café, then it's probably sponsored by Coca-Cola. The soda company, building on past efforts, is going green this year -- big time. The brand is using bottles, furniture, and other products -- some quite surprising -- all with recycled materials and reusable energy.
www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2010/02/01/Coca-Cola-Comes-Clean-About-Going-Gree
n-At-Olympic-Games.aspx

Obama budget increases spending for cleanup at Hanford nuclear site in Washington (02/02/2010)
The Hanford nuclear reservation budget for next year would increase by $22 million from the current budget to about $2.1 billion. The Tri-City Herald reports that's in addition to nearly $2 billion in federal stimulus money being spent on Hanford cleanup from last year through next year.
www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/02/obama_budget_increases_spendin.
html

Dulux Cuts Carbon, Water Footprint of Paint in Half (02/01/2010)
A new line of paint from Dulux, using technology and practices developed over a three-year research period, has significantly lower impacts than Dulux's previous paints.
greenerbuildings.com/news/2010/02/01/dulux-cuts-carbon-water-footprint-paint-hal
f

Emissions of Potent Greenhouse Gas Increase Despite Reduction Efforts (02/01/2010)
Despite a decade of efforts worldwide to curb its release into the atmosphere, NOAA and university scientists have measured increased emissions of a greenhouse gas that is thousands of times more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide and persists in the atmosphere for nearly 300 years.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100131151009.htm

Proposed solar power plant tangled in many messy questions (02/01/2010)
A proposed Kittitas County solar power plant is entangled in a web of questions. Economic. Environmental. Political. How closely is the solar project linked with a nearby proposed community of at least 1,100 homes -- the land for both is owned by the same New York City family?
www.seattlepi.com/local/414684_solar1.html

Scrubers with a level head (02/01/2010)
The available methods for removing pollutants from a gas stream are numerous, to say the least. A popular method, scrubbers allow users to separate gases and solids by allowing the gas to come into contact with a liquid stream. In the end, the pollutants are washed away in the effluent, and the gas exits the system to be used in later processes or to be released into the atmosphere.
www.environmental-expert.com/resultEachArticle.aspx

The Networked Grid 100: Movers and Shakers of the Smart Grid (02/01/2010)
The smart grid market continues to grow faster than a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- if not in market size (yet), at least in the number of movers and shakers that are entering the space. That's worth something, right? As such, we've compiled a list of 100 people who are influencing this market on a daily basis, be it through innovating, regulating, evangelizing, planning, deploying, benchmarking, architecting, standardizing, investing, developing, etc.
www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-networked-grid-100/

A Closer Look at the Q Microbe (01/29/2010)
QTEROS (formerly SunEthanol) is a cellulosic ethanol company developing a conversion technology based upon the "Q microbe." The company was founded by two researchers at the University of Massachusetts and has raised more than $29M from Battery Ventures, Soros Fund Management, Venrock, BP, and Valero.
www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/a-closer-look-at-the-q-microbe/

Groups urge state to triple tax on polluters to plug budget hole (01/29/2010)
As state lawmakers search for ways to fill a $2.6 billion budget hole, environmentalists are dangling what they hope will be a tempting new tax idea. They're pushing to as much as triple the state's "hazardous-substance tax" on petroleum, pesticides and other chemicals -- an increase that could bring in an extra $250 million a year.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010910892_oiltax28m.html

Hospital Scanner Could Curb Nuclear Waste Threat (01/29/2010)
Medical equipment used for diagnosis of patients with heart disease and cancer could be a key weapon in stopping nuclear waste seeping into the environment, according to new research.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129111757.htm

Recyclable, Compostable and Biodegradable, in the Same Bottle? Yes. (01/29/2010)
More and more of us are making an effort to live a more sustainable life. And yet, there's this nagging sticking point. Packaging. So much of what we buy, particularly liquids, comes in packaging that is either from raw materials or is not recyclable. Or both. Oakland based Ecologic intends to solve that problem.
www.triplepundit.com/2010/01/recyclable-compostable-and-biodegradable-in-the-sam
e-bottle-yes/

California Storing Energy in Ice to Reduce Peak Demand (01/28/2010)
The Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), which represents 11 municipal utilities, plans to install energy-storage devices to cut the amount of electricity used by air conditioners during peak demand, reports the Wall Street Journal.
www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/28/california-storing-energy-in-ice-to-reduc
e-peak-demand/

Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES): Part 2 (01/28/2010)
According to EPRI's energy storage expert, Rich Lordan, "CAES (Compressed Air Energy Storage) is going to be important." (EPRI is the Electric Power Research Institute).
www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/compressed-air-energy-storage-part-2/

Emissions of Potent Greenhouse Gas Increase Despite Reduction Efforts (01/28/2010)
Despite a decade of efforts worldwide to curb its release into the atmosphere, emissions of the potent greenhouse gas HFC-23, or trifluoromethane, appear to be increasing according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/19651

Portland Arena Blazes Trail to 771K kWh/year in Energy Savings (01/28/2010)
The Rose Garden -- home of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers -- has undergone a range of efficiency improvements, resulting in a LEED Gold rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. Some of the projects will have a payback of less than a year, said Justin Zeulner, Director of Property Management for AEG -- Rose Quarter, which manages the arena.
www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/28/portland-arena-blazes-trail-to-771k-kwhye
ar-in-energy-savings/

Cradle to Grave: Greenhouse Gas Protocol Adds Up Companies' Lifecyle Emissions (01/27/2010)
Reporting environmental performance is quickly becoming a requirement for any corporation with a "green" initiative worth writing a press release about. According to consulting firm KPMG's latest International Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting, 79 percent of the top 250 companies in the 2007 Fortune 500 issued sustainability reports.
solveclimate.com/blog/20100127/cradle-grave-greenhouse-gas-protocol-adds-compani
es-lifecyle-emissions

Kraft Foods Starts New Year 150 Million Pounds Lighter (01/27/2010)
A few years ago, Kraft Foods decided to lose a lot of weight. And today, it's starting the new year 150 million pounds (116 million kilograms) leaner - having eliminated enough material from its supply chain since 2005 to exceed the company's packaging reduction goal two years ahead of schedule!
www.csrwire.com/press/press_release/28740-Kraft-Foods-Starts-New-Year-150-Millio
n-Pounds-Lighter

Wash. to cut stormwater pollution from highways (01/27/2010)
Washington state will do more to prevent polluted stormwater from running off state highways into rivers, lakes and Puget Sound, where it poses a serious threat to salmon and other aquatic life.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010897487_apwastormwaterpollution3rdld
writethru.html

Carbon Sciences Claims Breakthrough in Recycling CO2 into Gasoline (01/26/2010)
Carbon Sciences, Inc., the developer of a biocatalytic process to transform CO2 into low-carbon hydrocarbons (C1 to C3) for subsequent upgrading into higher-carbon fuels such as gasoline and jet fuel (earlier post), said it has developed certain process technologies that will allow for the direct production of gasoline, shorten the time to commercialization and reduce the system and operating costs of its CO2-to-Fuel technology.
www.greencarcongress.com/2010/01/carbonsci-20100126.html

Intel Gets EPA Thumbs Up for Green Energy Use (01/26/2010)
Intel Corporation, a global leader in semi-conductor manufacturing and research, is being recognized nationally for increasing its purchase of green power and taking the number one spot on EPA's National Top 50 List of green power purchasers.
yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d96f984dfb3ff7718525735900400c29/8fa1d3b74f7c2
f2b852576b70003146c!OpenDocument

Sharpie, Paper Mate, EXPO Partner with TerraCycle to Repurpose Used Writing Instruments (01/26/2010)
Sharpie, Paper Mate and EXPO have formed a partnership with TerraCycle to repurpose used pens, markers and other writing instruments. Touted as the world's first program to collect and reuse writing instruments, the partnership will also help raise funds for schools, charities and non-profits nationwide, as well as reduce waste headed for landfills.
www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/26/sharpie-paper-mate-expo-partner-with-terr
acycle/

Target Eliminates Farmed Salmon From All Stores (01/26/2010)
Retailer Target (NYSE: TGT) today announced that it has eliminated all farmed salmon from its fresh, frozen, and smoked seafood offerings in stores nationwide.
www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/19634

Getting the LEDs Out (01/25/2010)
Keith Scott, VP of Business Development at Bridgelux, recently posted on GreenTech Media an interesting take on the state of LED lighting markets. Mr. Scott claims that "we are in the middle of the LED lighting revolution", and sees big expansion ahead in for the sector.
/www.cleantechblog.com/2010/01/getting-leds-out.html

Renewable power is an expensive proposition for Seattle (01/25/2010)
Getting energy from garbage reflects a new environmental truth: renewable power is more valuable because we've made it so. Seattle City Light's announcement Thursday of a 20-year arrangement to buy electricity produced in Oregon from landfill gas was the latest part of a rush to buy energy that comes from a replenishable source.
www.seattlepi.com/local/414576_energy25.html

Research makes it easier to convert plant biomass into biofuel (01/25/2010)
A way to increase fermentable sugar stores in plants which could lead to plants being easier to convert into biofuel, has bee found by researchers at the University of Cambridge.
www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/6726/research-makes-it-easier-to-convert-plant
-biomass-into-biofuel/

Sweet Success for Sustainable Biofuel Research (01/25/2010)
Their research is highlighted in the latest issue of Business, the quarterly highlights magazine of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125094641.htm

What Does the FDA's BPA Decision Mean for Companies? (01/25/2010)
On January 15, 2010, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shifted its position on the safety of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), expressing for the first time some concern about safety, announcing further research, and providing tips for parents to minimize infants' exposure. As a result, competitive companies will be compelled to shift how they communicate about BPA and their search for innovative options to better align themselves with consumer concerns. Some companies could gain reputational benefits and free media attention from supporting proposed legislation restricting use of BPA.
www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/01/25/what-does-fdas-bpa-decision-mean-companies

2 Seattle-area plants enter clean-air agreement with the EPA (01/22/2010)
Two of the biggest polluters along Seattle's Duwamish River corridor will reduce dirty air emissions over the next year as part of a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010858272_pollution22m.html

Court Pulls Plug on Energy Star Rating for 40,000 LG Refrigerators (01/22/2010)
A United States District Court has ruled against LG Electronics in a case the company brought against the Department of Energy for the revocation of Energy Star labeling on 20 refrigerator models. DOE said that these 20 models--all with "French Doors"--were not in compliance with Energy Star requirements because LG had used a testing procedure that did not account for the energy used to power the in-door icemaker.
www.matternetwork.com/2010/1/court-pulls-plug-energy-star.cfm

Nike Outlines Global Strategy for Creating a More Sustainable Business (01/22/2010)
NIKE, Inc (NYSE:NKE) released its fiscal 2007 to 2009 Corporate Responsibility (CR) report today which outlines the next evolution of its CR strategy from a risk management, philanthropic and compliance model to a long-term strategy focused on innovation, collaboration, transparency and advocacy to prepare the company to thrive in a sustainable economy.
www.csrwire.com/press/press_release/28686-Nike-Outlines-Global-Strategy-for-Crea
ting-a-More-Sustainable-Business

Lincoln City truly a (01/21/2010)
Gary Graunke drove all the way from Hillsboro for the occasion, and Joanne Daschel and Ren Jacob brought out their 30-year-old Electra Van. More than 50 people showed up to celebrate the unveiling of the first electric car charging stations on the Oregon coast. Not bad for an event in a public parking lot on a gray Monday in January. It was a proud day indeed for Lincoln City, and one that's become common as this central coast town continues to go green.
www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/01/lincoln_city_truly_a_green_pow.
html

Managing Pacific Northwest Dams for a Changing Climate (01/21/2010)
Civil engineers at the University of Washington and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Seattle office have taken a first look at how dams in the Columbia River basin, the nation's largest hydropower system, could be managed for a different climate.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100121154921.htm

Acer Earns Greenpeace's Kudos with Toxics-Free Laptops (01/20/2010)
Taiwanese computer maker Acer last week unveiled two new laptops that have earned the company some praise from Greenpeace, even while the company falls short of its environmental goals.
www.greenercomputing.com/news/2010/01/19/acer-earns-greenpeaces-kudos-toxics-fre
e-laptops

Feds receive Puget Sound tidal power application (01/20/2010)
Local tidal power recently sent its first wave at the feds. In late December, the Snohomish County Public Utility District submitted its first license application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build one or two underwater turbines to create electricity from the Puget Sound's tides.
www.seattlepi.com/local/414369_tidalpower19.html

Is lawn fertilizer next for phosphorus ban? (01/20/2010)
Washington, which already has restrictions on laundry and dishwasher detergents, could ban phosphorus in lawn fertilizers. A bill before the state Senate would require low- or no-phosphorus fertilizers for lawns, although not for golf courses or on farms.
www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jan/19/lawn-fertilizer-next-phosphorus-ban/

Protect children from hazardous chemicals (01/20/2010)
Washington lawmakers in 2008 acted to keep toys with toxic chemicals out of the hands of children. Apply the same good instincts to hazardous baby bottles, drinking cups and plastic tableware used by children. Two amended bills have moved quickly through the Legislature. House Bill 1180 is up for a floor vote, and Senate Bill 6248 passed out of the Senate Committee on Health and Long-Term Care. The legislation focuses on children under age 3.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2010835196_edit20chem.html

With Money on the Table, What's the Best Move for Green Trucking? (01/20/2010)
Last week, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the Department of Energy is taking aim at the long-overlooked trucking industry, awarding $115 million toward "super truck" efficiency projects.
www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/01/19/money-table-whats-best-move-green-trucking

Biodegradable Styrofoam Alternative Earns Cradle to Cradle Certification (01/19/2010)
An alternative to foam packaging that is biodegradable and based on sugar cane has earned Cradle to Cradle certification. Synbra Technology's BioFoam product is a packaging material like expanded polystyrene foam (the type of packaging filler commonly referred to as sytrofoam), but it is made out of polylactic acid, a material derived from sugar cane processing.
www.greenerdesign.com/news/2010/01/15/biodegradable-styrofoam-alternative-earns-
cradle-cradle-certification

Boise paper mill to examine its 'footprint' (01/19/2010)
Boise Paper in Wallula is one of four pulp and paper mills in Washington measuring its social and environmental "footprint" to find out how to do less harm to the environment and communities while remaining a positive economic force.
www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/868043.html

Columbia River needs more protection from toxic pollution, working group says (01/19/2010)
Regulators need more stringent water quality standards to protect the Columbia River from toxic pollution, a group led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says in a proposed "toxics reduction action plan." The draft plan is the next step in an EPA effort to cut toxic pollution in the Columbia basin, which the EPA listed in 2006 as a priority ecosystem in the same class as Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes and Puget Sound.
www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/01/columbia_river_needs_more_prot.
html

Food Processing Plants Increase Energy Efficiency, Earn EPA's Energy Star (01/19/2010)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing the first three frozen fried potato processing plants to earn the Energy Star for superior energy performance. These plants perform in the top 25 percent for energy efficiency nationwide and, on average, use nearly 20 percent less energy when compared to similar plants across the country. Together, these plants annually save more than $10 million and prevent nearly 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is equal to the emissions from the yearly electricity use of 5,000 homes. These businesses are increasing their energy efficiency, saving money while reducing the amount of pollution emitted into our environment.
yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/09C415E29979F016852576B0005F259E

Seattle's sewers are getting clogged with grease (01/19/2010)
Seattle, you're greasy. Really greasy. It's estimated that 544,000 gallons of grease slip down Seattle's drains each month, enough to fill seven large swimming pools. Most of it comes from dirty dishes and food waste, and it's a problem.
www.seattlepi.com/local/414191_grease18.html

FDA alters stance, has 'some concern' about chemical BPA (01/18/2010)
The Food and Drug Administration today said it has "some concern" about a ubiquitous, estrogen-like chemical called BPA, used in consumer products ranging from baby bottles to dental sealants and the linings of metal cans, but the agency didn't call for a ban of the chemical or a change in consumer behavior.
www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-01-15-fda-bisphenol-a_N.htm

Food, Fertilizer and Biofuel All in One Place (01/18/2010)
Take marginal land, fish waste and a plant that's not currently cultivated for human purposes and what do you get? Hopefully jet fuel.
www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/food-fertilizer-and-biofuel-all-in-one-plac
e1/

The Case of the Home Energy Boom: 3M Invests in The Energy Detective (01/18/2010)
Looks like this is the weekend for some unusual firms to dabble in the increasingly hot home energy management (my take on how Apple could jolt the energy management space here). Minnesota-based manufacturer 3M, which makes such disparate products as post-it notes and medical supplies, and more recently renewable energy and batteries, said it has invested in Energy Inc, the makers of the home energy management device The Energy Detective (TED), through its New Venture Business. Energy Inc. is well-known for being the first gadget partner to connect with Google's online energy management tool PowerMeter.
earth2tech.com/2010/01/17/the-case-of-the-home-energy-boom-3m-invests-in-the-ene
rgy-detective/

Dennis McLerran to head EPA's Northwest region (01/15/2010)
It was not much of a surprise yesterday, when Dennis McLerran was named the regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. That was the call I made last July in Water Ways. I'm not sure why it took so long, but I understand there was considerable discussion about the position within the Northwest congressional delegation. McLerran, executive director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, appeared to be the choice of both Washington senators. Still, it was not as long as President Clinton took to name Chuck Clark to the post, as I reported in that July blog post.
pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2010/01/14/dennis-mclerran-to-head-epas-northwest-
region/

EPRI on Renewable Energy: Compressed Air Energy Storage (01/15/2010)
When it comes to energy storage...If you're talking big hours and big megawatts, if you're going to be moving a lot of low cost night time energy to daytime, if you're talking hundreds of megawatts...
www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/epri-on-renewable-energy-compressed-air-ene
rgy-storage/

Why the Wood Pellet Industry Is Growing (01/15/2010)
The European demand for biomass pellets is fueling a growth in the North American wood pellet industry, according to a New York Times article last month. The British publication, The Timber Trades Journal, said that the North American wood pellet industry grew "six-fold from a capacity of just over one million tons to more than six million tons in the last five years."
www.triplepundit.com/2010/01/why-the-wood-pellet-industry-is-growing/

Algae Cleans Wastewater in Virginia (01/14/2010)
The city of Hopewell, Va., has launched a new algae demonstration project at the Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility to help clean its river water, reports Progress-Index.com.
www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/14/algae-cleans-wastewater-in-virginia/

Phosphorescing TV's to save 75% on electricity (01/14/2010)
After 5 years of R & D, Prysm a start-up company in Silicon Valley announced this week that it has created a band new technology called LPD -- Laser Phosphor Display. It will be unveiling its first display next month at the ISE conference in Europe.
www.mnn.com/technology/gadgets-electronics/blogs/phosphorescing-tvs-to-save-75-o
n-electricity

Solar energy's dirty little secret (01/14/2010)
Solar energy has long been one of the great hopes for fighting climate change and liberating the world from fossil fuels. And it's easy to see why solar has captured the collective imagination: All those photovoltaic panels look so shiny, futuristic, clean, and green.
www.grist.org/article/2010-01-06-solars-dirty-little-secret

Contaminated House Dust Linked to Parking Lots With Coal Tar Sealant (01/13/2010)
Coal-tar-based sealcoat -- the black, shiny substance sprayed or painted on many parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds -- has been linked to elevated concentrations of the contaminants polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in house dust. Apartments with adjacent parking lots treated with the coal-tar based sealcoat contained house dust with much higher concentrations of PAHs than apartments next to other types of parking lots, according to new research published online in Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T).
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113112056.htm

Landfills Turn Trash into Power and Greenhouse Gas Reductions Projects recognized for innovative use of landfill gas (01/13/2010)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing eight landfill methane capture projects for their innovation in generating renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The winners include one of the largest landfill gas (LFG) to liquefied natural gas facilities in the world, located in Livermore, Calif.
yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/B0B89EB17A607394852576AA006E78C7

Minnesota Twins Hit Home Run with Water Sustainability (01/13/2010)
Aiming to set a news standard for water use in professional sports facilities, the Minnesota Twins will use a rainwater recycling system that should help reduce the need for municipal water by 50 percent. The rainwater recycling project, which is being donated by Pentar Inc., will capture and purify water to be used in washing down the lower decks of the new $425 million, 40,000-seat Target Field, as well as to water the baseball field, according to a press release.
www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/12/minnesota-twins-hit-home-run-with-water-s
ustainability/

Producing 'Green' Natural Gas in Canada? (01/13/2010)
In recent months, American legislators and energy experts have lavished attention on a carbon capture and storage project in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, where millions of tons of carbon dioxide from a North Dakota coal gasification plant are pumped into a large oil field to recover hard-to-reach pockets of fuel.
greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/producing-green-natural-gas-in-canada/

Marine and hydrokinetic energy can play a "substantial role" in clean energy options (01/12/2010)
The marine energy industry is at a relatively early stage of development and maturity when compared to other renewable energy technologies, but the US Department of Energy (DoE) will help speed deployment of the technologies, according to testimony before a federal subcommittee.
/www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/6346/marine-and-hydrokinetic-energy-can-play-
a-substantial-role-in-clean-energy-options/

Subaru Brings Hybrid Tourer Concept to Detroit (01/12/2010)
Subaru brought its gull-wing Hybrid Tourer Concept, first introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show last year (earlier post) to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to highlight its announcement that it will develop a gas/electric hybrid system based on the boxer engine for launch in 2012.
www.greencarcongress.com/2010/01/sub-20100112.html

Oregon solar operations get $87M in tax credits (01/11/2010)
Three companies have gotten a total of $87 million in tax credits to boost clean-energy technology in Oregon. They include the SolarWorld wafer plant in Hillsboro and a German company, Centrosolar, reported to be interested in a photovoltaic operation in Gresham.
gazettetimes.com/news/state-and-regional/article_bba365fe-bcb4-5369-9909-55372d0
60cce.html

Port of Bremerton Airport/Industrial Park Earns EnviroStars Five-Star Rating (01/11/2010)
The Port of Bremerton's airport and industrial park has earned a five-star rating in Kitsap County Health District's EnviroStars program, becoming the first airport/industrial park to be recognized in the five-county EnviroStars region for its environmental stewardship practices.
portofbremerton.org/envirostars_airport-industrial_park.aspx

Portland ratchets up volunteer-led 'tool libraries' that lend tools for free (01/11/2010)
If you need a table saw, a 10-foot pipe clamp or a 20-foot pruner, you've normally got three choices: Buy it, rent it or borrow it from a neighbor. Portland is fast becoming a leader in a fourth way: checking it out for free at a tool lending library.
/www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/01/portland_ratchets_up_volunteer
.html

Toyota Unveils Dedicated Hybrid Concept, Plan for "Prius Family"; Expands Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration Program in the US (01/11/2010)
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) USA unveiled the FT-CH dedicated hybrid concept at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The FT-CH is a concept that would address Toyota's stated strategy to offer a wider variety of conventional hybrid choices to its customers, as it begins to introduce plug-in hybrids (PHVs) and battery electrics (BEVs) in model year 2012, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCHVs) in 2015 in global markets.
www.greencarcongress.com/2010/01/toyota-naias-201000111.html

Why the Triple Bottom Line Matters More Than Ever (01/11/2010)
The conventional way to measure the success of a business is the bottom line. But the concept of a triple bottom line, where social and environmental factors are considered along with economic ones, is also getting a lot of attention.
www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/01/08/why-triple-bottom-line-matters-more-ever

Green Teams: Engaging Employees in Sustainability (12/07/2009)
The latest in our series of GreenBiz Reports, researched and written by Deborah Fleischer, the president of Green Impact, explores and outlines the 10 best practices for bringing all your employees on board with your company's sustainability projects.
www.greenerdesign.com/research/report/2009/12/03/green-teams-engaging-employees-
sustainability

February 7 - 9, 2009
Harvesting Clean Energy 10 Conference (Kennewick, WA)


February 4, February 9, 2010
State of Green Business Forum 2010 (San Francisco, CA / Chicago, IL)


February 11, 2010
Enhanced Attenuation of Chlorinated Organics: A Site Management Tool (online)


February 18, 2010
By-Product Synergy NW Network and Shell Puget Sound Refinery (Mount Vernon, WA)


February 23 -24, 2010
Electronics & Sustainability: Design for Energy and the Environment Symposium (Champaign, IL)


February 25, 2010
Columbia River Toxics Reduction Workshop on Flame Retardants/PBDEs (Portland, OR)


March 3, 2010
Real Sustainability in Healthcare (Kirkland, WA)


March 4, 2010
Decontamination and Decommissioning of Radiologically-Contaminated Facilities (online)


March 4, 2010
Managing Stormwater in Washington (Seattle, WA)


March 4 - 5, 2010
The Natural Step: Strategic Sustainability for Leaders (Portland, OR)


March 25 - 26, 2010
FIRST CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION Symposium on Sustainability and the Environment (Seattle WA)


May 27 - 28, 2010
The Natural Step: Strategic Sustainability for Leaders (Seattle, WA)


August 15 - 17, 2010
WasteCon 2010 (Boston, MA)