GLRPPR Sector Resources Recent Documents

Drive Smarter Challenge

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:40:57 GMT

Focused totally on transportation, the new Drive Smarter Challenge campaign builds on the 6 degrees concept with a fresh, new website and a sophisticated interactive challenge. A calculator computes not only an individual's savings through her or his individual actions, but also computes a running tally of savings by everyone who has taken the challenge. It demonstrates the impact of one person's actions multiplied by similar fuel-efficiency actions of family members, friends, and colleagues of all the people who share the tips and challenge others to participate.

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Evaluation of Health Effects of Recycled Waste Tires in Playground and Track Products

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:43:09 GMT

Explores the potential health risks to children of using outdoor playground and track surfaces constructed from recycled waste tires. Study conducted by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and published by the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Appendices for this report are available online at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Tires/Pubs.htm (scroll to Research Papers). CIWMB Publication Number: 622-06-013 Cost: $0 Available for download in PDF format (Length: 147 pages)

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EWG's Shoppers Guide for Safer Sunscreens

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:40:03 GMT

One page fact sheet includes a list of the top 10 safest sunscreens, tips for choosing a sunscreen, and label reading advice.

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Impacts on U.S. Energy Expenditures and Greenhouse-Gas Emissions of Increasing Renewable-Energy Use

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:54:14 GMT

The penetration of renewable energy into the marketplace has been small, held back principally by their higher cost relative to fossil energy. RAND assessed the potential impacts on U.S. consumer energy expenditures and national CO2 emissions of producing 25 percent of U.S. electric power and motor-vehicle transportation fuels from renewable resources by the year 2025. The baseline for the comparisons was expenditures and CO2 emissions in 2025 as drawn from the reference-case tables of the Energy Information Administration's 2006 Annual Energy Outlook. The report shows that increasing renewables use can reduce CO2 emissions and enhance energy security by lowering the cost of imported petroleum. However, a large, inexpensive, easily converted biomass supply is necessary for significantly increased renewable-energy use to have a relatively low impact on consumer energy expenditures. Rapid progress also is needed in the technologies converting biomass feedstock into transportation fuels, and producing power at marginal wind sites. Without progress in these areas, the renewable-energy requirement could substantially increase consumer energy expenditures. Technical advances in provision of economically and environmentally sound biomass energy and wind power generation at lower-quality sites should be top priorities for increasing affordable supplies of renewable energy. The report replaces an earlier version withdrawn in 2006 to correct errors in modeling discovered by RAND post-publication.

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Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right: EPA's Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:15:01 GMT

This handbook summarizes requirements of EPA's Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rule, aimed at protecting against lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities. The rule requires workers to be trained to use lead-safe work practices and requires renovation firms to be EPA-certified; these requirements will become effective April 22, 2010.

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Green Remediation: Incorporating Sustainable Environmental Practices into Remediation

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:09:15 GMT

The Green Remediation: Incorporating Sustainable Environmental Practices into Remediation of Contaminated Sites technology primer was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI). As part of its mission to protect human health and the environment, the U.S. EPA is dedicated to developing and promoting innovative cleanup strategies that restore contaminated sites to productive use, reduce associated costs, and promote environmental stewardship. The practice of "green remediation" uses strategies to consider all environmental effects of remedy implementation for contaminated sites and incorporates options to maximize the net environmental benefit of cleanup actions.

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U.S. Food and Drug Administration Nanotechnology Task Force

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:57:46 GMT

The US Food and Drug Administration regulates a wide range of products, including foods, cosmetics, drugs, devices, and veterinary products, some of which may utilize nanotechnology or contain nanomaterials. The FDA has not established its own formal definition, though the agency participated in the development of the NNI definition of "nanotechnology." Using that definition, nanotechnology relevant to the FDA might include research and technology development that both satisfies the NNI definition and relates to a product regulated by FDA. With the advent of nanotechnology, the regulation of many products will involve more than one Center, for example a "drug" delivery "device". In these cases the assignment of regulatory lead is the responsibility of the Office of Combination Products. To facilitate the regulation of nanotechnology products, the Agency has formed a NanoTechnology Interest Group (NTIG), which is made up of representatives from all the Centers. The NTIG meets quarterly to ensure there is effective communication between the Centers. Most of the Centers also have working groups that establish the network between their different components. There are also a wide range of products involving nanotechnologies, which are regulated by other federal agencies. This website will direct you to documents in the respective Centers that will help you develop an understanding of how different products are regulated, and how you should proceed to get your product approved for marketing. Please note: While there are no nanotech-specific guidance documents at this time, all existing guidance documents would apply to nanotech products.

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Nano Risk Framework: A Partnership of Environmental Defense and DuPont

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:51:43 GMT

In June 2005, DuPont CEO Chad Holliday and Environmental Defense President Fred Krupp jointly called for broad collaboration by interested stakeholders to identify and address potential environmental, health, and safety risks of nanotechnology. Soon after, Environmental Defense and DuPont entered into a partnership to develop the Nano Risk Framework. The Framework was created by a multidisciplinary team from both organizations, including experts in biochemistry, toxicology, environmental sciences and engineering, medicine, occupational safety and health, environmental law and regulations, product development, and business development.

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Walkscore.com

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:44:42 GMT

Walkscore.com uses Google Maps and business listings to calculate the "walkability" of a given location. Using a street address, the system calculates distances to grocery stores, schools, parks, restaurants and other services and scores the location on a 100-point scale. The tool is designed to help real-estate professionals demonstrate their properties' proximity to services and to promote awareness of walkable neighborhoods. Limitations of the tool can be found in the "How it doesn't work" portion of the web site.

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The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:42:27 GMT

The mission of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools is to facilitate the design, construction and operation of high performance schools: environments that are not only energy and resource efficient, but also healthy, comfortable, well lit, and containing the amenities for a quality education. CHPS oversees the nation's first green building rating program especially designed for K-12 schools. The CHPS Criteria is a comprehensive system of environmentally responsible benchmarks designed by the CHPS technical committee, which is made up of over fifty school facilities experts including state agency officials, designers, school district officials, contractors, product manufacturers and energy and water utility officials. A CHPS school is a school that has strived to achieve excellence in environmental efficiency and healthy building practices. CHPS recognizes superior design teams and school districts through award ceremonies, case studies and media outreach. Schools can self-certify their school through the free CHPS Designed program, or seek third-party verification of their high performance school through the CHPS Verified program. CHPS, an American Institute of Architects registered provider of Continuing Education Services, offers accredited high performance school technical seminars to design professionals. A leader in the field of green school development, CHPS also offers workshops to school districts and other stakeholders on the green school development process, including assisting school districts in creating district-wide resolutions on green school construction. CHPS also offers an annual conference on high performance schools called Greentools for Healthy Schools. CHPS has developed and maintains a six-volume technical best practices manual for high performance schools. CHPS manages a member directory of green school building services and products and a directory of certified low emitting materials for green school construction. CHPS also offers online trainings and presentations, specifications and informational fact sheets. CHPS is developing an individual professional accreditation program that will allow design professionals to become CHPS-accredited.

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