Environmental News

University of California, San Diego, a university that considers itself to be one of the nation's greenest college campuses, has begun construction on a sustainable energy program that it says is among the largest in the nation by a university. Source: Renewable Energy World, 7/21/08

In a move that could possibly change the economics of biodiesel refining, chemical engineers at Rice University have come up with a set of techniques for converting sometimes problematic biofuels waste into chemicals that fetch a profit. The latest research, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, Rice University and Glycos Biotechnologies, involves a new fermentation process that allows E. coli and other enteric bacteria to convert glycerin -- the major waste byproduct of biodiesel production -- into formate, succinate and other valuable organic acids. Source: Renewable Energy World, 7/22/08

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Princeton University believe that they're on to a way to break the OLED-efficiency logjam. The scientists have designed an OLED that boosts illumination by 60 percent using a combination of an organic grid working in tandem with small micro lenses that guide the trapped light out of the device. Source: Technology Review, 7/23/08

Titanium, a protean element with applications from pigments to aerospace alloys, could get a new role as an environmentally friendly additive for automotive oil, thanks to work by materials scientists from Afton Chemical Corporation (Richmond, Va.) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In a recent paper, the researchers established that a titanium compound added to engine oil creates a wear-resistant nanoscale layer bound to the surface of vulnerable engine parts, making it a credible substitute for older compounds that do not coexist well with antipollution equipment. Source: NIST Tech Beat, 7/22/08

Nanoparticle additives to lubricants commonly combined with refrigerants used in chillers may encourage secondary nucleation -- bubbles on top of bubbles. The double-bubble effect enhances boiling heat transfer and, ultimately, could help to boost the energy efficiency of industrial-sized cooling systems. Source: NIST Tech Beat, 7/22/08

Green condominium projects may be the most environmentally responsible housing on the market today. By their nature, condominiums are dense developments that take up less room and help preserve open space. Primarily urban, green condos are often sited near mass transportation routes and bike trails. And they use fewer resources per unit of construction to build and operate. Source: E The Environmental Magazine, 7/23/08

The rising oil prices are hitting the airline industry especially hard. According to the International Air Transport Association, which tracks the price of jet fuel on a daily basis, gas has gone up by more than 100% over the past year. And it's good news for the environment -- the high prices are causing airlines to rethink their fuel usage and look into ways to improve efficiency. Source: E The Environmental Magazine, 7/23/08

The Ontario Government and municipal officials from around the Great Lakes on both sides of the border have begun a new era of working together to restore, protect and conserve the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. Source: Environmental News Service, 7/21/08

Maine leads the country in office building energy efficiency, followed by Massachusetts and New Hampshire according to a study just released by energy economist, author and Texas A&M University professor Jerry Jackson, Ph.D. State rankings below reflect the percent of office buildings that exceed EPA's Energy Star standard and provide the first quantitative evidence of state level cost savings. Source: Environmental Protection, 7/21/08

The new Addison, IL library building includes green features. Source: Arlington Heights Daily Herald, 7/22/08

After two decades focused on trucks, the company is about to drastically shift focus to building smaller cars. Source: New York Times, 7/22/08

The longtime chief of the Illinois State Geological Survey will head the state's new Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois. At its meeting in Chicago, the board will also formally establish the new institute, made up of the geological survey and its three sister agencies: the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Water Survey and the Waste Management and Research Center, now known as the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. Source: Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, 7/22/08

EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson today announced the appointment of Lynn Buhl to serve as Regional Administrator for EPA Region 5, which encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Bharat Mathur, EPA's Acting Regional Administrator since May of 2008, will resume his position as Deputy Regional Administrator. Source: U.S. EPA, 7/21/08

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to award approximately $3.4 million in grants to establish projects using emerging technologies to reduce emissions from the nation's existing fleet of diesel engines. Addressing the existing fleet is important because it pre-dates EPA's stringent new particulate and nitrogen oxide standards and diesels remain in use for decades. This sum was authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and funded for the first time this fiscal year. Source: U.S. EPA, 7/21/08

At its annual meeting this week, the National Association of Counties (NACo) issued its support for business-run product takeback programs. The group passed a resolution supporting a framework approach to Extended Producer Responsibility systems, which puts the onus of recovering, reusing and recycling products on manufacturers. Source: Green Biz, 7/18/08

The number of people concerned about climate change continues growing, but they aren't convinced that the business sector is doing as much as it should. Source: Green Biz, 7/15/08

The California Building Standards Commission adopted a green building code yesterday for all new construction statewide as part of a rules package that policymakers said was the first of its kind in the nation. Source: Green Biz, 7/18/08

When did Wal-Mart become the new FDA? The giant retailer, along with CVS and Toys 'R Us, says it will stop selling baby bottles containing a controversial chemical called bisphenol-A. The California state Senate has voted to prohibit the use of BPA in children's products. Nalgene, which makes water jugs, is phasing out BPA, too. And powerful Congressmen want BPA removed from cans of infant formula. The question is, why? The FDA says bisphenol-A is perfectly safe. So do Japanese and European regulators, who tend to be more cautious. Even the government of Canada, which plans to ban the chemical from baby bottles, recently assured its citizens that this was done "as a precautionary measure." Source: Green Biz, 7/16/08

This past Saturday, Bon Jovi performed a free concert in Central Park as part of the festivities for baseball's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. Sixty thousand fans on NYC's Great Lawn helped the National Resource Defense Council's (NRDC) "Green Team" of 60 volunteers (that's one per 1,000 attendees!) packing giant recycling bags with bottles and cans not already jammed into recycling bins. Source: Plenty Magazine, 7/14/08

David Dolan, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay associate professor of natural and applied sciences, received a $285,463 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to head a project that will analyze and help control future algae blooms and excessive weed growth in the Great Lakes. Source: Green Bay Press Gazette, 7/21/08

You probably don't drink water out of your toilet. But you could, because it's the same clean water that pours from your taps. Source: The Record, 7/21/08

Next weekend, scientists and National Park Service officials from around the country will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Isle Royale Wolf/Moose Study, which has helped reveal how predator-prey interactions can affect entire ecosystems. Because the two species live in geographic isolation here in the largest of the Great Lakes, with no other predators or prey and minimal interference from humans, it is an ideal laboratory in which to study how their fates are intertwined. But the anniversary may not be a happy one, as both populations are close to their lowest-ever levels and have been feeling the effects of Earth's rising temperatures. Source: Washington Post, 7/21/08

Several years after a biomass digester was first proposed to help consume waste from local dairy operations and prevent runoff into local salmon streams, work crews have begun building a plant in the Tualco Valley located in the Skykomish River and Snoqualmie River floodplains south of Monroe, Wash. The digester will be complete and ready to accept manure feedstock by the end of October. Source: Biomass Magazine, 7/15/08

Mayors from nearly fifty local governments in Canada and the United States today joined host Mayor David Miller in Toronto for the fifth Annual Member Meeting and Conference of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI). The mayors selected a new Chair of the organization, urged federal governments to invest in cities to advance Great Lakes and St. Lawrence protection, signed a Great Lakes pact with the Province of Ontario, and passed a number of important policy resolutions. Rochester Mayor Robert J. Duffy was represented by members of the City's "Green Team," developed to update and expand environmental compliance policy and coordinate cross-departmental efforts. Source: City of Rochester NY, 7/17/08

Hawaii might soon be home to one of the world's first commercial microalgae plants. Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin, 7/16/08

Average people can do a little to save a lot of money and lead a greener lifestyle. That's the message from a 47-state motorcoach tour that stopped in Chattanooga Wednesday, organizers said. Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press, 7/17/08

The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are jointly developing and evaluating a thermochemical process that will convert biomass to ethanol and other chemical building blocks. Source: Green Car Congress, 7/16/08

An Illinois biodiesel company has bought a biodiesel refinery that had been mothballed. Blackhawk Biofuels, LLC, with $19.8 million in financial backing from the state of Illinois, has bought the 45-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant at Danville, Illinois. Source: Domestic Fuel, 7/14/08

Favorite Foods has announced the introduction of its new biodiesel initiative. Effective immediately, all Favorite Foods delivery trucks will be fueled solely with biodiesel. Source: Foster's Daily Democrat, 7/14/08

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected two additional small-scale cellulosic biorefinery projects in Park Falls, Wis. and Jennings, La. for federal funding of up to $40 million over five years. Source: Green Car Congress, 7/14/08

A solution to $4-a-gallon gas could be floating in your neighborhood pond. Algae -- that green, oil-saturated substance that can double in size overnight and is ever-present in this land of 10,000 lakes -- is being touted in an Anoka lab as a potential answer to the fuel crisis. Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 7/14/08

Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is leading a four-year aerospace industry-university research program to investigate the potential use of biofuels from non-food sources for small- and medium-size aviation engine applications. These could include jatropha- and algae-derived biofuels, as well as biobutanol, to power aircraft engines. Source: Green Car Congress, 7/13/08

A northern Wisconsin paper mill has won a $30 million federal grant to help construct and operate a biorefinery to make ethanol and biodiesel from wood products. Source: Chicago Tribune, 7/15/08

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WMI), North America's leading provider of comprehensive waste management services, today launched ThinkGreenFromHome.com, a streamlined online service for the recycling of universal household waste including compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), batteries, and eventually other household electronics. ThinkGreenFromHome.com offers consumers convenient mail-in solutions to safely store and recycle heavy metal containing household devices, as well as resources to encourage household sustainability. Source: Company press release, 7/16/08

American School & University's Green Cleaning Award, created in conjunction with HSC and the Green Cleaning Network, honors schools and their partners that embrace green principles and practices. Awards will be presented to exemplary programs and winners will be profiled in a special supplement of American School & University, a monthly magazine for education facilities and business professionals. Please complete the award application and submit it, along with any additional materials, by Sept. 12, 2008. Source: American School & University, 6/1/08

Energy costs are projected to rise as much as 12 percent in 2008, and a facility's "carbon footprint" has become an issue of increasing importance. So, many schools and universities are taking a hard look at their energy consumption. Education facilities can save tens of thousands of dollars in yearly electric costs, and cut harmful emissions by thousands of tons, by adopting a handful of simple, cost-effective efficiency strategies. Although efficiency investments of every size and cost are possible, several measures can reduce electrical consumption and have a payback period of three years or less. Two areas of "low-hanging fruit" for a school or university seeking to lower electric costs are lighting and electrical motors. Source: American School & University, 6/1/08

A lot of misunderstandings exist regarding sustainable, or green, construction. It's important that educators understand the benefits so they can communicate them to stakeholders. Source: American School & University, 6/1/08

For conserving enough energy in roughly two years to effectively save more than $562,000 in energy costs, the South Milwaukee School District has received The Award for Energy Stewardship from Energy Education Inc. Source: SouthMilwaukeeNOW, 7/16/08

Most provinces have at least something in common when it comes to climate change: they have better plans to tackle it than the federal government, according to a report released yesterday by the David Suzuki Foundation. Source: Ottawa Citizen, 7/17/08

The prospect of disposing of old IT equipment -- PCs, servers, storage gear, and the like -- may very well fill your heart with dread. After all, you're putting a lot of faith in a third party that the machines will be thoroughly wiped of confidential information, resold for a fair price, and, when applicable, properly disassembled, recycled, and disposed of. If your partners' practices end up being sloppy -- or downright criminal -- you could find yourself in regulatory and PR hell as confidential data protected by HIPAA or SarBox ends up in the wrong hands or 500 of your PCs end up in a landfill or river somewhere. Source: InfoWorld, 7/17/08

A facility using membranes inspired by seaweed looks set to revolutionize water treatment in Ontario. Source: Edie.net via GreenerBuildings News, 7/7/08

This special report from Forbes, highlights the business advantages of energy efficiency. Contents include: Potential Energy; The Case For Efficiency by Amory Lovins; The Energy Superbugs; The Most Efficient Power Plants; Same Wires, More Power; The Most Energy Efficient Countries; China's Power Problem; Japan's Green Goldmine; The Little Engines That Can; America's Most Fuel-Efficient Neighborhoods; Video: Google Earth Powers California; Best Practices: More Bang For Your Efficiency Buck. Source: Forbes, 7/7/08

On a recent afternoon in the nation's capital, dozens of business and government executives from across the U.S. huddled in a hotel conference room to swap ideas on energy efficiency. Outside, the stifling D.C. heat and $4 per gallon gasoline provided a stark reminder of a need for action. Source: Forbes, 7/7/08

To provide housing, improve living conditions, and stimulate economic growth, many within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation are turning to green building. More home designers are encouraging plans that would ideally reduce heating and maintenance costs. But with a growing housing demand that threatens the survival of many Lakota people, some say alternative construction materials are still unproven. Source: Worldwatch, 7/7/08

Experts say now may be the perfect time to examine some of the items in your medicine cabinet, given the growing array of environmentally friendly personal beauty and hygiene products. Source: Forbes, 7/7/08

The Ameren Illinois Utilities' programs for business customers offer: Cash back and incentives--starting June 23, 2008--for energy-efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, and projects of all types and sizes; Energy efficiency assessments; Training. Source: Ameren Illinois Utilities, 7/1/08

Keeseh Studio invites students and design enthusiasts to celebrate the pursuit of ecodesign through an international competition to utilize waste material. Source: Keesah Studio, 7/17/08

Unity College, which calls itself "America's environmental college," is building its president a house with a small footprint and big ambitions: to earn the highest possible LEED certification and to serve as a model for sustainable homes everywhere. Source: Chronicle of Higher Education Buildings and Grounds blog, 7/16/08

Advertisers are seeing green in hyping green, and the federal government is helping confused consumers by cracking down on false environmental claims. Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 7/13/08

The landscape at the Port of Virginia is becoming greener than ever, thanks to work by the Virginia Port Authority and funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Source: U.S. EPA, 7/16/08

Two new reports on the investment value of green buildings raise some concerns about green hype. Source: Building Design & Construction, 7/1/08

New Jersey-based Newark Liberty International Airport will provide biodiesel at the soon-to-be-built Super Station. In mid-July Gaz Realty Inc. announced that it has been awarded the right to design, construct and operate a Super Station at the airport. The development will include a gas station, convenience story, car wash, light auto repair and towing service. Source: Biodiesel Magazine, 7/16/08

The Center of Excellence for Hazardous Material Management in Carlsbad, N.M., successfully performed what it called a "commercial-sized" harvesting experiment at its pilot-scale algae pond. The algae was extracted from 12,000 gallons of water, approximately half the contents of the pond, and its oil content was used to produce biodiesel. Source: Biodiesel Magazine, 7/16/08

North Carolina restaurant chain Libby Hill Seafood Inc. has struck an agreement with Patriot Biodiesel LLC in Greensboro, N.C., to supply five gallons of waste vegetable oil for every one gallon of B100 it receives in return. Source: Biodiesel Magazine, 7/16/08

The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a subcommittee hearing July 10 to discuss the renewable fuels standard (RFS) enacted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and how the U.S. EPA plans to implement the second stage of the RFS enacted in the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 (RFS2). Source: Biodiesel Magazine, 7/16/08