From GRACE (Global Resource Action Center for the Environment)
http://www.gracelinks.org/

GRACE Alert: Coalition Releases Presidential Candidates Survey on Energy

Eight of the major presidential candidates were surveyed on a cross-section of energy and related environmental policy issues, including General Clark, Governor Dean, Senators Edwards, Lieberman, and Kerry, Representatives Gephardt and Kucinich, and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun. (Responses were not received from either Rev. Al Sharpton or President George Bush.).

Significant policy differences among the candidates were reflected in their responses to questions about hydrogen research and development, renewable energy vs. fossil fuels, nuclear plant construction and relicensing, and tax incentives for energy efficiency, among others. For example, regarding the percentage of funding for federal hydrogen development that should be allocated to renewables versus fossil fuels or nuclear, see the bolded text in the press release, below.


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News Release

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COALITION RELEASES SURVEY OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES' COMPETING VIEWS ON ENERGY AND RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES


WASHINGTON DC -- The Sustainable Energy Coalition today released the results of a 30-question survey of the views of eight of the major presidential candidates on a cross-section of energy and related environmental policy issues. The survey includes responses received from General Wesley Clark, Governor Howard Dean, Senator John Edwards, Representative Richard Gephardt, Senator John Kerry, Representative Dennis Kucinich, Senator Joseph Lieberman, and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun. (Responses were not received from either Rev. Al Sharpton or President George Bush.)

Significant policy differences among the candidates are reflected in their responses to the questions.

Issues addressed by the survey include budget and tax incentives for energy efficiency, renewable energy (i.e., solar, wind, geothermal, biomass/biofuels, hydropower), fossil fuels, and nuclear power; hydrogen R&D; auto fuel efficiency standards, hybrid vehicles, a federal Renewable Portfolio Standard, a federal Renewable Fuels Standard, a federal "wires charge" for energy efficiency; climate change and the Kyoto Protocol; oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; natural gas price increases and supply shortages; nuclear plant construction and relicensing; renewal of the Price Anderson Act; and the Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository.

The full text of the candidates' responses + an executive summary can be found on the following web pages:

American Solar Energy Society:
http://www.ases.org/election2004/sec_candidates.htm

Environmental & Energy Study Institute:
http://www.eesi.org/publications\Press%20Releases\2004\Candidate%20Position.htm

U.S. Public Interest Research Group:
http://www.uspirg.org/reports/presidentialsurvey.pdf


PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES' VIEWS ON ENERGY POLICY AND RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

General Wesley Clark
Governor Howard Dean
Senator John Edwards
Representative Dick Gephardt
Senator John Kerry
Representative Dennis Kucinich
Senator Joseph Lieberman
Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun

(released January 8, 2004)


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The following is a side-by-side comparison of the views of eight of the nine major Democratic Party presidential candidates on a range of energy and related environmental policy issues. It is based on responses received to a 30-question survey initially sent to their offices in August by the Sustainable Energy Coalition. The complete text of the candidates' responses to the questions accompanies this executive summary.

The survey questioned the candidates regarding their position on federal tax and budget support for renewable energy, energy efficiency, fossil fuels, and nuclear power. It also asked for their views on such policy issues as a federal Renewable Energy Portfolio standard, a federal Renewable Fuels Standard, a federal wires charge to support energy efficiency investments, fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development, and opening the federal high-level nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Finally, the survey posed a number of questions regarding climate change, the Kyoto Protocol, oil imports, and rising natural gas prices.

The Sustainable Energy Coalition is a coalition of over 70 national and state business, environmental, consumer, and energy policy organizations whose members collectively represent several thousand companies, municipal utilities, and community organizations. Founded in 1992, the Sustainable Energy Coalition works to promote increased use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies.

As a tax-exempt, non-profit, and non-partisan organization, the Sustainable Energy Coalition does not, and will not, support or oppose -- or advocate support for or opposition to -- any presidential candidate or political party. Accordingly, this survey does not seek to rank the candidates in any fashion or to evaluate their responses. As it did in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 presidential campaigns, the Sustainable Energy Coalition is sponsoring this survey of the major presidential candidates solely as part of its mission to educate the public about sustainable energy in general and to encourage active discussion among the candidates, the media, and the American voters about current energy policy issues in particular.

The candidates whose views are included in this report are General Wesley Clark, Governor Howard Dean, Senator John Edwards, Representative Dick Gephardt, Senator John Kerry, Representative Dennis Kucinich, Senator Joseph Lieberman, and Ambassador Carol Moseley-Braun.

The Rev. Al Sharpton and President George Bush did not provide responses to the survey notwithstanding the fact that it was sent to their respective campaign offices multiple times and followed up with numerous letters, e-mails, and telephone calls.

However, the Sustainable Energy Coalition will continue to encourage those campaigns to provide answers to the survey and will release their responses if and when they are received. In addition, the Sustainable Energy Coalition plans to provide the survey to the nominees of any significant third-party or independent candidates during the course of the coming year once those candidates are identified.


Support for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Research & Development Programs:


All eight candidates said they supported increasing the funding levels for the U.S. Department of Energy's energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Gephardt proposes to “double federal spending in four years on wind, solar power, biomass, and geothermal [and] increase federal funding for fuel cell research and development to $2.5 billion, doubling the $1.2 billion commitment of the Bush administration” while Kerry says “we need to make the production of clean and domestic renewable energy sources a national priority and my energy plan, with its Energy Security Trust Fund, does just that.” Dean recommends that “20% of our energy come from renewable sources by the year 2020” while Kucinich says he “strongly believe[s] that energy efficiency and renewable energy are the only solutions for a sustainable future” and Edwards says “we must move forward toward increased reliance on renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass.”

When asked about individual renewable energy technologies - i.e., solar, wind, geothermal, biomass & biofuels, and hydropower, all eight candidates said they supported increasing the current level of federal tax incentives and/or federal budget outlays to promote solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass & biofuels. Gephardt calls for “a 30 percent tax credit for business investment in renewable energy generation … and double the production tax credit for renewables.” “Dean calls “for improving transmission needed to get electricity generated by wind power from the Dakotas and other states with strong wind potential to metropolitan areas in the West and Midwest.” Lieberman expressed support for “tax provisions that expand the Production Tax Credit to new geothermal power plants.” Clark says “we must incentivize the public and private sectors to work together on an aggressive research and development effort.”

However, Senator Lieberman differed from the other seven who all said they supported continuation of the federal tax incentives for ethanol. Lieberman noted that while he "oppose[d] a mandate that all U.S. gasoline be blended with ethanol, which would seem to give ethanol preference over other renewables, [he] continue[s] to support ethanol in the context of [his] support for renewable fuels."

Regarding hydropower, candidates Clark, Edwards, Gephardt, Kucinich, Lieberman, and Moseley-Braun called for increased levels of federal support for the technology while Dean and Kerry favored maintaining the current level. More specifically, Gephardt and Kucinich emphasized their support for small-scale hydro while Clark and Dean wrote in favor of incremental, low-impact hydro development and Kerry called for the "installation of more efficient turbines that are designed to reduce fish-related losses."

When asked what percentage of funding for the federal hydrogen development program should be allocated to renewables versus fossil fuels or nuclear, Kucinich said "all hydrogen production should be from renewable forms of energy" while Clark and Moseley-Braun both said "most" resources should be directed towards hydrogen production from renewables. Similarly, Kerry called for a split of 80%-10%-10% for renewables, fossil fuels, and nuclear power respectively while Lieberman would divide the funds 50%-25%-25%. Without giving specific numbers, Dean said he "will favor [renewable] sources over fossil fuels and nuclear" while Edwards favored "mov[ing] toward increased reliance on renewable sources." Gephardt favors splitting hydrogen technology research and development "between renewables and fossil fuels."

Regarding energy efficiency, all eight candidates expressed support for federal tax incentives to encourage consumers to purchase products such as cars, homes appliances, and heating & cooling systems that are very energy efficient but which might otherwise be more expensive. In particular, all eight candidates said that they supported federal tax incentives to expand the use of hybrid cars in the U.S. Gephardt’s “goal will be to produce per year 1 million hybrid cars by 2010, 100,000 fuel cell vehicles by 2010 and 2.5 million fuel cell vehicles by 2020” while Lieberman’s “energy plan would provide a tax cut of at least $1,000 per vehicle, ramping up to $5,000 per vehicle.”


Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy - Regulatory Policy:


All eight candidates stated that they supported federal legislation to create a national Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that would require the federal government and the states to ensure that electricity generators provide a portion of their power from renewable energy sources. Kucinich favors an RPS of 20% by 2010. Clark, Dean, and Lieberman all call for an RPS of 20% by 2020 while Gephardt supports an RPS of 10% in ten years and 20% in 20 years. The other candidates did not offer specific numbers.

All eight candidates also support a Renewable Fuels Standard for transportation fuels that would require the federal government and states to ensure that a percentage of transportation fuels be provided by renewable energy sources. Gephardt calls for 10% of motor fuels "be ethanol and other renewable fuels" by 2020. Dean also supports a 10% goal without specifying a target date. Moseley-Braun notes that she has “been a supporter of ethanol use as an alternative fuel source and will continue to be as President.” Lieberman emphasizes his support for "biomass ethanol produced from agricultural waste products" but reiterates his opposition to a mandate that all U.S. gasoline be blended with ethanol which would seem to give ethanol preference over other renewables."

When asked if they favor including in federal legislation "a small wire charge on everyone's electric bill ... to maintain funding of energy efficiency, low-income weatherization and energy assistance, and renewable energy" RD&D, Clark, Dean, Gephardt, Kerry, Kucinich, and Lieberman all responded "yes." Edwards said that he "believe[s] strongly in LIHEAP, low-income weatherization, and energy assistance [because] these are important tools in promoting energy conservation" while Moseley-Braun answered that "dependent upon the actual amount, I might support such an incentive to support funding for alternative sources of energy."

All eight candidates favor increasing the current level of federal purchases of green electricity and/or decentralized renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures. Kerry noted that "these investments pay for themselves in cost savings, performance improvement, and security benefits." Lieberman expressed support for the congressional proposal to "authorize $300 million over five years to install 20,000 solar energy systems in federal buildings by the year 2010" while Gephardt spoke in favor of "doubl[ing] federal funds expended on retrofitting buildings and on developing new energy efficient buildings."

All eight candidates also support mandatory federal policies to enable distributed generation technologies such as fuel cells and renewable energy to connect to the electricity grid.

On the issue of new automotive fuel economy standards (i.e., CAFE), only Kucinich and Moseley-Braun said they favored raising the standards for new cars, Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), and other light trucks to a combined fleet average of at least 40 mpg by the year 2010. Edwards stated he had "voted in support of a CAFE standard of 40 mpg by 2015." Similarly, Lieberman called for CAFE standards that would save 2 million barrels of oil per day by 2015 which he estimates would translate into a CAFE standard of 40 mpg. Dean wrote more broadly in favor of "a significant and aggressive increase in CAFE standards for cars, SUVs, and light trucks over the next ten to fifteen years" and suggested a standard of "37.5 mpg for all cars, SUVs and light trucks by about 2015." Kerry noted that he has co-authored legislation "that would increase standards to 36 mpg by 2015." Noting that "we now have the know-how and technology to make cars and SUVs that go twice as far on a gallon of gas by using more efficient engi
nes and transmission, including hybrid cars," Clark promised to "set new standards to raise the fuel economy and reduce the emissions of cars."


Climate Change:


All eight candidates agreed that the current level of scientific evidence that human activity is causing global warming and warrants immediate precautionary action. Likewise, they also all agreed that the United States has not shown adequate international leadership in addressing this issue.

However, only Kucinich and Lieberman expressly stated that they supported ratification of the Kyoto Protocol to curb greenhouse gas emissions while Moseley-Braun said she "believe[d] the Kyoto Protocol [to be] a good start" and Gephardt indicated "it may be possible for the U.S. to sign the Kyoto Protocol ... as long as our allies maintain flexibility in negotiations." Kerry charged that "because of the Bush Administration's inaction, the binding targets set in the Kyoto Protocol are no longer achievable;" he would therefore "immediately reengage the international process [that would lead to] a strong, effective, and meaningful international agreement. Edwards was similarly critical of the Bush Administration and the need to "reengage the international community on this issue and commit itself to mandatory and absolute greenhouse gas reduction targets. Clark and Dean also expressed support for re-entering negotiations with the international community to address carbon emissions with Dean adding that "devel
oping countries must commit to emission reductions along with developed nations."

All the candidates indicated that they would pursue binding CO2 emissions reduction measures with Gephardt speaking generally about "all the stakeholders ... develop[ing] a CO2 reduction plan" and Moseley-Braun promising to "look for the most up to date information regarding reduction measures." Kucinich said he is "supportive of legislation aimed at curbing these emissions." Dean and Edwards both expressed support for Senator Jeffords' Clean Power Act as well as for a cap-and-trade mechanism for carbon dioxide. Cap-and-trade is also favored by Lieberman who cited his Climate Stewardship Act which "would reduce the net emissions of major sources of greenhouse gases in our country to 2000 levels by 2010 and 1990 levels by 2016."Kerry added his support for "capping carbon pollution from power plants." Clark also supported "a market-based trading program [that] will reduce costs in fighting global arming and spur innovation."


Fossil Fuels:


When asked if they supported increasing, decreasing or maintaining the current level of tax incentives available for the domestic coal, oil, and natural gas industries, Dean, Kerry, and Moseley-Braun all responded "decrease" while Kucinich said he supported "a large decrease in these subsidies." Lieberman felt that "each [tax subsidy] should be looked at in its own right" because "there are several areas in which I would expand the program -- likely at the expense of other, nonessential tax incentives that I would roll back." Clark said he "favor[ed] continued research and development support for fossil fuels [but] subsidies for oil, gas, and coal should be reviewed to ensure that they are aligned with our highest energy and environmental needs and values." Gephardt would increase incentives "to continue to encourage more domestic oil and gas production to enhance energy independence during the transition period to more renewable production" while Edwards said "we must encourage more cleaner-burning fuels,
such as natural gas and clean coal [and] the domestic production of oil in environmentally-responsible manners."

All eight candidates supported permanently protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil exploration and development with Dean, Gephardt, and Kucinich questioning the need to drill there as a solution to U.S. energy needs. Lieberman added that he is "proud to be [a] chief sponsor" of the Arctic Wilderness Act that would make the site into a protected wilderness.

Generally consistent with their separately-expressed views on climate change, all eight candidates stated that they supported federal regulation of carbon dioxide emissions by fossil fueled power plants.

In response to a question asking how the candidates might reduce U.S. oil consumption by 1 million barrels per day by 2013, Kerry said that his "energy plan, with its emphasis on both efficiency improvements and the development of alternative fuels will get us to this goal and well beyond." Kucinich said "a combination of mass transit systems, vehicle with double or triple the efficiency, and smart growth communities will reduce our oil consumption." Moseley-Braun promised to "embrace strong federal activity that moves utilities towards the use of alternative sources of energy." Dean's approach would be a combination of increasing CAFE standards to 37.5 mpg by 2015 and requiring that "10% of motor fuels comes from American biofuels" and that his energy plan would “wean us off foreign oil completely by 2024.” Lieberman noted that the CAFE standards he favors would "save 2 million barrels of oil per day by 2015." Gephardt stressed that his "Apollo 21" plan "calls for U.S. energy independence in a decade" a
nd would require that "by 2020, 10 percent of motor fuel sales should be ethanol and other renewable fuels." Edwards broadly outlined several policy initiatives including "invest[ing] far more in developing fuel-efficient technologies - including fuel cells, ... tax breaks for fuel-efficient cars, ... [and] the development of new biorefineries to make ethanol and methanol from agricultural waste products such as corn stalks." Finally Clark offered eight initiatives he would pursue including "promot[ing] the use of fuel-efficient cars, ... accelerat[ing] the use of hybrid vehicles, ... expand[ing] the use of renewable, non-petroleum fuels, ... plan[ning] for smart growth, ... [and] promot[ing] mass transportation."

The candidates were also asked what action they would take to address projected natural gas supply shortages and prices increases. In response, Kucinich proposed "a national effort to improve the efficiency of our homes [e.g.,] tax credits to insulate homes" while Edwards supports "incentives to develop and distribute liquefied natural gas [as well as] maintaining the home heating oil reserve." Gephardt favors "provid[ing] tax credits for the development of more storage capacity and pipeline modernization." Suggesting that "more drilling is [not] the answer," Moseley-Braun supports "increased use of alternative and renewable energy sources" while holding "companies and utilities accountable for any price fixing." Kerry believes the U.S. needs to "work with our neighbors in Canada and Mexico to increase our natural gas supplies, ... increase the efficiency with which we burn natural gas and use electricity, ... and support environmentally responsible new production to increase our supplies." While not sup
porting "new drilling in protected areas in Alaska, the Rockies, or off our coasts," Dean would "improve efficiency and implement demand management" as well as "increase our supplies of renewable energy" and "responsibly increase supplies ... from North America, the Caribbean and abroad." Stressing the need to "diversify our supplies of oil and gas over the next decade," Lieberman proposes to "incentivize efficiency and conservation throughout our economy," to provide "adequate financial incentives ... to bring natural gas down from Alaska," and developing "liquefied natural gas projects throughout Latin America ... to provide the U.S. with additional sources of energy in its own hemisphere." Finally, Clark would "emphasize the need to promote energy efficiency and renewables to ultimately reduce the rate of natural gas demand" while supporting research to develop "unrestricted reserves ... in environmentally sound ways."


Nuclear Power:


When asked if they support construction of new nuclear power plants, Kerry, Kucinich, and Moseley-Braun all responded "no." Dean also said "no" ... "until we resolve the issue of storing nuclear waste safely" while Lieberman similarly answered "no'" ... not at this point ... unless and until we find adequate answers to the problems of waste disposal safety and security." Gephardt also said "no" ... "until such a time that plant security is better assured [and] we must solve the problem of storage of spent nuclear rods and other hazardous materials." Edwards said that he did "not support federal subsidies for the construction of new nuclear power plants" while Clark said he hadn't "seen convincing evidence that increasing America's use of nuclear power will make us safer, more prosperous, or help protect our environment."

All eight candidates said that they did not support a proposal considered by the U.S. Senate during its 2003 debate on energy legislation that would extend federal loan guarantees, estimated to be worth $30 billion to the nuclear industry, for the construction of new nuclear power plants.

However, when asked if they supported the relicensing of existing nuclear plants in the United States, there was more of a split among the candidates with Gephardt and Kucinich both stating their opposition to relicensing while Moseley-Braun answered that she "would only support relicensing of plants that are determined to be the only present available source of energy in a region." Edwards and Kerry simply responded "yes" to the question while Clark also said "yes" while calling for "tough, no-compromise criteria for extending operating licenses ... [and] mak[ing] sure that the owners of those plants are doing everything they should be to protect them from terrorist attack." Lieberman also said "yes" noting that "there must be a much more searching consideration of the safety and security risks posed by any particular plant." Dean did not offer a response.

When asked if they supported protection of the nuclear power industry from the full cost of liabilities due to accidents, Edwards and Lieberman both responded that they supported reauthorization of the Price-Anderson Act. Dean noted that he felt "Price-Anderson played an important part in developing America's nuclear industry ... [and that] he does not believe that the Government should leave existing facilities hanging out to dry." On the other hand, Gephardt, Kerry, Kucinich, and Moseley-Braun all said "no;" Clark also said "no" adding that he did "not believe it is the government's responsibility to fully protect the nuclear industry from liability for non-terrorist related risks or accidents."

Finally, when asked if they supported establishment of a high-level nuclear waste facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, only Edwards responded "yes." However, Moseley-Braun said "not in its present state" while Dean said he would "not send nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain unless and until it is proven to be a scientifically viable solution, something that has not occurred yet." Citing "shortcomings" with Yucca Mountain, Clark responded "no" as did Gephardt, Kerry, Kucinich, and Lieberman with Gephardt and Lieberman both noting their earlier votes against the facility.


==============================
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COALITION

1612 "K" Street, N.W.; Suite #202-A
Washington, D.C. 20006
202-293-2898; ext. 201


==============================
For more sustainable energy action alerts, see:
http://www.gracepublicfund.org/energy/
- posted by Daniel @ 5:38 PM

 
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Great Lakes Daily News: 09 January 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Corps' dredge could yield public areas on Cleveland lakefront
----------------------------------------
Planners have proposed using dredge material from Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga
River to build new public areas on Cleveland's lakefront, an idea supported
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer
(1/9)


Lawsuit claims northern Indiana utility company polluted water
----------------------------------------
Two citizens and an environmental group have sued Northern Indiana Public
Service Co., trying to force the energy utility to provide clean water to
residents of a northwest Indiana community. Source: The Fort Wayne Journal
Gazette (1/9)


Lake ship operators begin security training
----------------------------------------
American-flagged Great Lakes vessel operators have begun training employees
about security procedures to comply with the Maritime Transportation
Security Act, well in advance of a July 1 deadline. Source: The Toledo Blade
(1/9)


Seeking cooperation on Lake Erie
----------------------------------------
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission is reviewing a proposal that aims to get
communities to think less about their political boundaries and more about
how their actions affect Lake Erie. Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer (1/9)


Beetle may devour house values
----------------------------------------
In an urgent effort to contain and destroy the Asian longhorned beetle
before it can wreak havoc throughout Ontario, officials have begun cutting
down all hardwood trees favored by the insect within several hundred meters
of any sighting. Source: The Toronto Globe and Mail (1/9)


EDITORIAL: Continue efforts to revive Great Lakes cruises
----------------------------------------
After the demise of Great Lakes passenger travel in the mid-1960s, vacation
cruise shipping is slowly making a comeback. Source: Duluth News Tribune
(1/9)


Waiting on a freeze
----------------------------------------
For the first time this winter, the temperature in the vineyards near St.
Catharines, Ontario, has dipped below minus-8 Celsius (18 Fahrenheit), the
magic number for making ice wine. Source: The Buffalo News (1/8)


Maritime museum buys own tall ship
----------------------------------------
Come Labor Day, the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven will have a tall
ship of its own, an authentic replica of a 19th-century sloop used during
the War of 1812. Source: The Grand Rapids Press (1/8)


Fish house serves up freshwater catches
----------------------------------------
Snowbirds looking for a taste of home can now dine on freshwater fish such
as walleye, lake perch and bluegill at one of Florida's newest restaurants -
Great Lakes Fish House. Source: St. Petersburg Times (1/7)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


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- posted by Daniel @ 5:28 PM

 
ENN Environmental News Network
E-mail Edition

An eye-popping view of Mars
Welcome to Mars, in 3D, courtesy of NASA's Mars Exploration project, the world has been treated to its most detailed view of the Red Planet ever. This and other stories collected by the California Academy of Sciences.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-09/s_11898.asp

Court of Final Appeal rules to preserve Hong Kong harbor
Hong Kong's top court ruled against a government plan for a big land reclamation project in the city's famous Victoria Harbor, saying the waterway was a natural heritage site that must be preserved.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-09/s_11897.asp

Employee error puts nuclear plant reopening on hold
An Ohio utility asked federal regulators to delay a final inspection of a shutdown nuclear reactor, saying a minor incident suggested some workers aren't fully prepared to restart it.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-09/s_11893.asp

Farmed salmon loaded with chemicals, study confirms
Farmed salmon contains far more toxic chemicals than wild salmon, high enough to suggest that fish-eaters limit how much they eat, U.S. researchers say.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-09/s_11895.asp

Superfund lacks cash, EPA says
Cleanup work at 11 of the worst toxic dumps in the country hasn't started because the Superfund program doesn't have enough money, the Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general said.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-09/s_11890.asp

Key West is cracking down on cruise ships
Key West's city commission has asked cruise ships that dock in this island to pump their wastewater into the local sewage system instead of dumping it offshore.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-09/s_11892.asp

Danish government supports 'skeptical environmentalist'
A Danish environmental researcher whose work was rebuked by a scientific panel says his government has set a precedent by coming to his defense.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-09/s_11891.asp

Manila residents go two to a tub to save water
Couples in the Philippine capital could find themselves in hot water after being asked to start sharing the tub at bath time as part of a conservation drive.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-09/s_11896.asp

Norwegian children pay tribute to Keiko, the killer whale
Hundreds of children laid stones on the grave of "Free Willy" movie star Keiko the killer whale in Norway in an emotional Viking-style ceremony.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-09/s_11894.asp

Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.

Wildlife Habitat Council:
Wildlife Habitat Council Announces Record Number of Restoration and Enhancement Programs

WWF-US Communications:
Think You Know the World's Cutest Animal? Cast Your Vote Online and See if Your Favorite Wins

WWF-US Communications:
Finding that Global Warming Threatens Over One Million Species Underscores Urgent Need for Action

Rainforest Action Network:
Ford: Holding America Hostage to Oil

Chlorine Free Products Association:
Sustainable Paper Markets Summit
- posted by Daniel @ 8:26 AM

 
Repowering the Midwest:

http://www.repowermidwest.org/
- posted by Daniel @ 3:35 AM

 
Midwest Global Warming Leadership Council's midwest equipment manufacturer and distributor's links:

http://www.elpc.org/energy/cetechnologies.htm
- posted by Daniel @ 3:34 AM

 
Online wind energy equipment & services buyer's guide:

http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byP/wRP/wRP.shtml
- posted by Daniel @ 3:27 AM

 
Moorhead Public Sercice Utility, Moorhead, MN wind turbine statistics from operating turbines:

http://www.mpsutility.com/TurbineStats.htm
- posted by Daniel @ 3:25 AM

 
From CNN:

Study: Farmed salmon more contaminated than wild
Researchers find more cancer-causing pollutants in fish farms:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/01/08/salmon.pollution.ap/index.html
- posted by Daniel @ 2:11 AM

 
Check out the Great Lakes Directory's Issue Pages!
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival."
-Wendell Berry

THIS WEEK'S GREAT LAKES HEADLINES:

01/08 - Michigan may ban genetically engineered pet fish
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/mi/010804_great_lakes.htm

01/08 - Talks under way to clean up Toronto dump
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/on/010804_great_lakes.htm

01/08 - Indiana conservationists want bottled-water tax
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/in/010804_great_lakes.htm

01/07 - Minnesota county upholds its ATV ruling
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/mn/010704_great_lakes.htm

01/07 - Help wanted to keep eye on Ohio eagles
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/oh/010704_great_lakes.htm

01/07 - Leave Indiana wetlands veto alone
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/in/010704_great_lakes.htm

01/06 - Michigan wades into water case
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/mi/010604_great_lakes.htm

01/06 - Lake Erie Preserve Nears Completion
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/oh/010604_great_lakes.htm

01/06 - Racine County says it can't afford water study
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/wi/010604_great_lakes.htm

01/05 - Unbottled water not cheap either
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/on/010504_great_lakes.htm

01/05 - Future of Lake Erie Watershed reviewed
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/oh/010504__great_lakes.htm

01/05 - Erie MetroParks land to be freshwater marsh
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/oh/010504_great_lakes.htm

01/04 - Half of Wisconsin's counties in gypsy moth quarantine zone
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/wi/010404_great_lakes.htm

01/04 - Cleanup nearly complete, but PCB mystery not solved
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/mi/010404_great_lakes.htm

01/03 - What is fouling the beaches of Huron?
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/on/010304_great_lakes.htm

01/03 - Coal plant has some fired up
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/mi/010304__great_lakes.htm

01/03 - Ice Mountain decision draws attention of environmentalists
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/mi/010304_great_lakes.htm

01/02 - Ordinance eyed to thwart zebra mussels
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/wi/010204_great_lakes.htm

01/02 - Ohio draws up plans to shield inland water
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/oh/010204_great_lakes.htm

01/02 - Michigan fishing industry threatened by quickly disappearing 'shrimp'
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/mi/020204_great_lakes.htm

For more information, go to http://www.GreatLakesDirectory.org

GREAT LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL JOBS:
http://www.GreatLakesDirectory/jobs.htm

GREAT LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS:
http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/events.htm
To subscribe and receive Great Lakes environmental news, action alerts, jobs and events in your email once a week: http://www.GreatLakesDirectory.org

-----------------------------------------------
Jenny Tahtinen-
Great Lakes Directory / EAGLE
394 Lake Avenue South, Suite #222
Duluth, MN 55802
Phone:(218)726-1828
fax:(240)526-2670
Jenny@EAGLE-EcoSource.org
- posted by Daniel @ 12:47 AM

 
ENN Environmental News Network
E-mail Edition

Scientists and citizens are stymied by water crisis
The world is sharply divided in terms of access to safe hydration. Those who can afford it are guzzling ever-increasing numbers of designer water bottles, while half the world's population lacks basic sanitation facilities.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-08/s_9210.asp

India's Supreme Court keeps nuclear safety documents secret
Safety reports on India's nuclear power plants can be withheld from the public by the government in the interest of national security, the country's Supreme Court has ruled.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-08/s_11841.asp

Environmentalists cry foul on Bush mining proposal
The Bush administration has proposed revising a policy that limits mining activity near streams, changes environmentalists say will encourage a particularly destructive way of obtaining coal.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-08/s_11838.asp

Thailand renews environmental pact with United States
Thai and U.S. environmental officials renewed for five years an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation to help protect the environment, the U.S. Embassy announced on Wednesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-08/s_11840.asp

Emergency help arrives for tiny Niue after cyclone
Emergency aid and medical teams arrived on tiny Niue on Thursday after the remote South Pacific island state was devastated by the worst cyclone in memory that killed at least one person.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-08/s_11845.asp

Study warns of global warming extinctions
Hundreds of species of land plants and animals around the globe could vanish or be on the road to extinction over the next 50 years if global warming continues, scientists warn.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-08/s_11842.asp

Scientists think sunburst triggered ancient mass extinction
The second-largest extinction in the Earth's history, the killing of two-thirds of all species, may have been caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun after gamma rays destroyed the Earth's ozone layer.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-08/s_11839.asp

'Roaster' planet warms up its sun
Stars heat planets: that's the astronomical rule. But a big gassy planet in the constellation Sagittarius is warming the star it orbits, just the opposite of what happens between Earth and the sun, scientists say.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-08/s_11844.asp

Mercury contamination keeps Nevada school closed
A middle school will remain closed at least through the end of the week as hazardous materials crews continued decontaminating it after a student brought a quarter-cup of mercury to the school.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-08/s_11846.asp

Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.

Competitive Enterprise Institute:
Extinction Study on Shaky Scientific Ground

The Trust for Public Land:
Agreement Would Protect Meserve Farm (ME)

Mangrove Action Project:
Late Friday News #130

Project NatureConnect, Institute of Global Education:
Ecopsychology Students and Staff Establish a Sustainable Urban Intentional Community Rooted in Nature-Connected Learning Relationships.

- posted by Daniel @ 12:39 AM

 
Dec. 8, 2004

TO: Editors/News Directors
FROM: Emily Carlson, (608) 262-9772, emilycarlson@facstaff.wisc.edu
SUBJECT: 21st Season of "Wonders of Physics" Program

Sudden explosions and shocking stunts turn the typical lecture on physics into the "Wonders of Physics" - an annual program that excites audience members of all ages with the physical phenomena that surround their daily lives. This year's program, free and open to the public, will be held Feb. 8, 14 and 15.

The master of ceremony is Clint Sprott, a University of Wisconsin-Madison physics professor who started the program more than 20 years ago. Calling on audience participation, the tuxedo-clad Sprott and his costumed assistants enable those who attend to witness the laws and principles that guide the behavior of the motion, heat, sound, electricity and magnetism that we experience every day. While some of the experiences may seem more like magic - such as the mysterious disappearance of Sprott himself - they can always be explained with physics.

The theme of the program this year is the "States of Matter." Shows will take place in 1300 Sterling Hall, 475 N. Charter St., on the UW-Madison campus on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 14, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. In addition, tours of physics laboratories will be offered 2-4 p.m. each day.

For information or to order tickets for one of the demonstrations, call (608) 262-2927, visit http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm or e-mail jcreardon@wisc.edu (specify subject: Ticket request).




****************************************************

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news release system, please send an email to:
releases@news.wisc.edu

For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/

University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331
- posted by Daniel @ 12:33 AM

 
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Great Lakes Daily News: 08 January 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Talks under way to clean up dump
----------------------------------------
The report of a new federal environmental assessment of the harbour
identifies "toxic substances" leaking into Lake Ontario from the dump used
by Oshawa from the 1930s to 1957. Source: The Toronto Star (1/8)


Wetlands regulation still sticky
----------------------------------------
Developers and environmentalists expect another mud fight this year over a
wetlands regulation bill vetoed last year by the late Gov. Frank O'Bannon.
Source: Northwest Indiana News (1/8)


Study warns of global warming extinctions
----------------------------------------
Hundreds of species of land plants and animals around the globe could vanish
or be on the road to extinction over the next 50 years if global warming
continues, scientists warn. Source: Environmental News Network (1/8)


Conservationists want bottled-water tax
----------------------------------------
Soil and water conservationists lobbied legislators this week for a sales
tax on bottled water and packaged ice to fund their Clean Water Indiana
program. Source: The East Central Indiana Star Press (1/8)


Michigan quarter release date nears
----------------------------------------
Michigan's quarter, to be minted on January 26, will show an outline of the
state surrounded by the Great Lakes, which also are outlined. Source: The
Detroit News (1/8)


Preparing for a ferry new year
----------------------------------------
The Port of Rochester in Charlotte has been abuzz with construction as crews
build the terminal for the fast ferry scheduled to open between the port and
Toronto in May 2004. Source: WOKR-TV 13 (1/7)


New members and opportunities for the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition
----------------------------------------
Given the continued fallout over security since Sept. 11, 2001, larger
cruise lines including Disney and Carnival have become interested in new
opportunities like the Great Lakes. Source: The Goderich Signal-Star (1/7)


New wood plant likely
----------------------------------------
A proposed plant in Northfield Township would chip wood infested with the
Emerald Ash Borer under a state contract, if the plant gets approval tonight
from the Northfield Township Planning Commission. Source: The Ann Arbor
News (1/7)


Erie MetroParks land to be freshwater marsh
----------------------------------------
Erie MetroParks has added 14 acres to a lakefront site that will be
preserved as a freshwater marsh. Source: The Toledo Blade (1/5)


Close-up: The Big Pipe
----------------------------------------
Fearing the construction of York Region's "Big Pipe" will bleed streams dry
and destroy fish habitats, environmentalists are demanding the new sewer be
plugged up before another inch is built. Source: The Toronto Star (1/3)

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


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Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
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- posted by Daniel @ 12:29 AM

 
ENN Environmental News Network
E-mail Edition

Diseases of the poor are badly underfunded
With the flu season upon us, Canadians are naturally concerned about getting sick. We're washing our hands more often, getting flu shots, and generally trying to keep healthy. But for millions of people in developing nations, battling communicable and chronic diseases is a daily fact of life.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-07/s_11783.asp

Business leaders pay to wine and dine Bush environmental policymakers
Western business executives will get to wine, dine, and golf with members of Congress and top Bush administration environmental officials at Arizona gatherings this week that start with a fund-raiser for the lawmakers.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-07/s_11786.asp

Costa Rica works toward trade pact with United States
Costa Rica expects to finish negotiations in January on a free trade agreement with the United States after balking at the terms of a deal reached last month between Washington and four other Central American countries, a Costa Rican Embassy official said Tuesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-07/s_11782.asp

Presidential candidates on the issues: Fuel efficiency
The Associated Press asked the presidential candidates this week to outline their thoughts on automobile fuel efficiency requirements.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-07/s_11790.asp

Gasoline beats diesel for cleaner autos
Gasoline-powered vehicles and hybrid cars that run on both gasoline and electricity will be more cost-effective than diesel engines for the foreseeable future for cutting U.S. oil use and polluting emissions linked to global warming, a new report says.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-07/s_11784.asp

Former arsenal declared free of chemical weapons
A site once branded as the most polluted square mile in America, where sarin gas and other weapons of mass destruction were manufactured for decades, has been declared free of chemical weapons.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-07/s_11785.asp

Universe was lifeless after Big Bang, scientists say
The first stars after the Big Bang were immense, superhot giants that lived briefly and then exploded as brilliant supernovae, but they seeded the universe with basic elements that were the building blocks for the sun and the Earth, and for life itself, according to a new study.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-07/s_11789.asp

38 States Get Fs on Tobacco Prevention
Most states have failed to pay for tobacco-prevention programs and protect people from second-hand smoke despite receiving billions of dollars in settlement money to take such measures, according to a report.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-07/s_11787.asp

CDC warns flu season still hasn't peaked
The flu season has yet to reach its peak, despite a drop-off in cases in some states, health officials warned on Tuesday.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-07/s_11788.asp

Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.

Project NatureConnect, Institute of Global Education:
Ecopsychology Students and Staff Establish a Sustainable Urban Intentional Community Rooted in Nature-Connected Learning Relationships.
- posted by Daniel @ 6:06 PM

 
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Great Lakes Daily News: 07 January 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

EDITORIAL: Leave Indiana wetlands veto alone
----------------------------------------
An Indiana General Assembly override of the late Gov. Frank O'Bannon's veto
of a severely flawed wetlands regulation bill would be a major step backward
in protecting state wetlands, 85 percent of which have already disappeared.
Source: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (1/7)


Frigid days give no reprieve to Coast Guard
----------------------------------------
Patrolling Milwaukee's harbor and rivers would have to land near the top of
the list of jobs that are great in summer but not so hot in winter, when
members don survival suits, chip ice off boats and hit the waterways.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1/7)


Genetically engineered Glofish spark controversy
----------------------------------------
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is working with state
legislators on new laws that would ban possession and transportation of any
genetically engineered organisms, including Glofish. Source: Detroit Free
Press (1/7)


EDITORIAL: Rural stewards - A federal plan with potential
----------------------------------------
If passed, the Harkin-Smith plan, known as the Conservation Security
Program, would set aside a portion of federal crop payments for farmers who
reduce soil erosion, stop chemical runoff into local rivers and produce
other environmental benefits. Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune (1/7)


Michigan wades into water case
----------------------------------------
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the state's Department
of Labor and Economic Growth have filed a legal brief in support of Nestle
Waters North America's argument to keep drawing groundwater from four
Mecosta County spring wells for the company's Ice Mountain operation near
Stanwood, Mich. Source: The Toledo Blade (1/6)


New fishing rules ahead for Ontario
----------------------------------------
Extended fishing areas and boosting limits on certain fish catches are part
of what anglers in Ontario can look forward to in 2004. Source: The Thunder
Bay Chronicle-Journal (1/6)


Lake Erie island ferries have long run
----------------------------------------
With late season open waters on Lake Erie, one ferry company has broken the
record for the longest-running daily schedule in company history. Source:
Port Clinton News Herald (1/6)


Weed removal hearing to be held
----------------------------------------
Property owners on a southeast Michigan inland lake are being asked to pay
$240,000 to rid the 677-acre body of water of the pesky Eurasian water
milfoil invasive plant. Source: The Ann Arbor News (1/5)


Ordinance eyed to thwart zebra mussels
----------------------------------------
Boaters would have to clean their hulls to prevent zebra mussels from
migrating or face fines under a new ordinance being proposed for Dane
County, Wisconsin, waterways. Source: The Capital Times (1/2)

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


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Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
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- posted by Daniel @ 5:57 PM

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1/7/2004
CONTACT: Richard Amasino, (608) 265-2170, amasino@biochem.wisc.edu; Sibum Sung, (608) 262-4640, sbsung@biochem.wisc.edu

WINTER WEATHER TURNS ON FLOWERING GENE

MADISON - In four months, when flower buds spring up from the ground, you may wonder how plants know it's time to bloom. This question has baffled plant biologists for years. Now, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have an answer: a gene that functions as an alarm clock to rouse certain plants from a vegetative state in the winter to a flowering state in the spring.

According to the researchers, the findings, published in the Jan. 8 issue of the journal Nature, could lead to new methods for manipulating the productivity of crop plants, as well as a better understanding of how organisms control the fate of their cells.

Most people may not know that some of our favorite salad ingredients - carrots, cabbage, radishes, beets and parsley - take two seasons to flower and produce seeds because we harvest them before they have the chance to flower. These plants, called biennials, require a season of cold to flower.

"We've known that winter does something to the plant's growing tip, or meristem, and makes it competent to flower," says Richard Amasino, a UW-Madison biochemistry professor and senior author of the paper. "If biennials don't go through winter, they won't flower." But why, he adds, has remained a mystery.

This mystery started to unravel in 1999, when Amasino and his colleagues identified two genes central to the flowering of Arabidopsis thaliana, a small, flowering plant that's a member of the mustard family. The genes work together to block blossoming. As they observed, one of these genes is no longer expressed in the spring, when the plants can flower and complete their life cycle.

How winter switches off this flower-inhibiting gene in the second growing season, says Amasino, was the next obvious question. So, the Wisconsin scientist and UW-Madison biochemistry graduate student Sibung Sung looked to a biennial variety of Arabadopsis, a plant that's widely used as a model organism in plant biology and genetics. They screened for mutants that wouldn't bud after surviving temperatures just above freezing, and they found three - all lacking a gene now called VIN3.

After further investigation, the researchers learned that an extended period of cooler temperatures prompts the VIN3 gene to turn on. Once activated, the gene starts the process of vernalization, whereby the plant becomes competent to flower after exposure to cold. As this process begins, the expression of the flower-suppressing gene identified in 1999 wanes until it is completely blocked.

The researchers report that the VIN3 gene is expressed only after plants have been exposed to conditions effective for vernalization, suggesting that the VIN3 gene functions as an alarm clock rousing biennial plants to bloom.

But how do plants know they've been exposed to the right temperature for the right amount of time? "This is an intriguing question," says Sung. "Without a nervous system, plants must have a mechanism by which they can remember they have been through the winter season." Although plants don't have a brain like humans do, they do have cellular machinery that appears to remember cold exposure, according to the new research.

The Wisconsin scientists show that the expression of VIN3, which occurs after exposure to cold, initiates a series of changes in one of the flower-suppressing genes. Specifically, VIN3 activation permanently modifies the structure of histones, a group of proteins over which DNA is wrapped. These changes block the flower-suppressing gene, switching the plant from a fixed state where it won't flower to a fixed state where it can flower.

Scientists speculate that changes in histone structure play a major role in the development of higher organisms and the formation of cancer cells. Says Sung, "Histone changes in model plants could give us the opportunity to extend our understanding of how organisms control their cell fates during development."

The findings by Amasino and Sung also could lead to improvements in agriculture.

"This new molecular understanding could provide information to help design tools to manipulate flowering," the biochemistry professor says. For example, agronomists could engineer biennial crops that lack VIN3 and never flower, potentially increasing yield. But as Amasino clarifies, he's in the business of basic science - it's up to others to use the information.
###
- Emily Carlson (608) 262-9772, emilycarlson@wisc.edu




****************************************************

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news release system, please send an email to:
releases@news.wisc.edu

For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/

University Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Phone: (608) 262-3571
Fax: (608) 262-2331
- posted by Daniel @ 5:26 PM

 
Ok, I've added the link for Earth Talk - let's see if it works...
- posted by Daniel @ 9:08 AM

 
An interesting and pleasant developement. I've been invited by the publisher of Earth Talk to feed their weekly column here. I am planning on posting it as a link in the blog template as well along the side bar. I think it often has interesting answers and any of you that may have a question can easily e-mail it to them. If anyone has a comment on this please let me know - there's an e-mail link for me at the top of the blog.

Dan
- posted by Daniel @ 8:50 AM

 
EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: How serious is the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease from using antiperspirants that contain aluminum?
—Susan DeBacker, Boulder, CO

Antiperspirants often contain aluminum, zirconium or both. These substances tighten or close underarm skin pores in order to block sweat glands and the moisture they produce. While underarm products often contain both antiperspirants and deodorants, deodorants alone do not contain aluminum.

Could exposure to aluminum increase your chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease? According to the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center, Alzheimer’s patients do at times have abnormally high concentrations of aluminum in their brains, but research hasn’t conclusively shown if the disease causes the buildup or the buildup causes the disease. Some doctors have suggested that antiperspirant might be especially problematic, as women apply it to shaved armpits, perhaps allowing aluminum to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream through hundreds of tiny cuts caused by razors. However, studies are inconclusive. “The research hasn’t shown anything further between the link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum,” says Jennifer Watson, outreach and promotions specialist at the Center.

Procter & Gamble, which makes antiperspirants with aluminum, points out that aluminum is Earth’s third most common element, and that humans are routinely exposed to it through numerous sources besides antiperspirants, including tainted water, canned foods, processed cheese, and buffered aspirin.

Those who wish to take precautionary measures can simply buy deodorants that do not contain antiperspirants. Some companies, such as Nature’s Gate, offer deodorants that contain all-natural ingredients and fight odor-causing bacteria.

CONTACT: Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center, (800) 438-4380, www.alzheimers.org; Nature’s Gate, (800) 327-2012, www.levlad.com.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit your question at www.emagazine.com; or e-mail us at earthtalk@emagazine.com.

EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What is “Biodiesel” fuel?” —Tom Morgan, Baltimore, MD

Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the diesel, or internal combustion, engine between 1892 and 1897. Interestingly, instead of running on today’s petroleum-based diesel fuel, at the time his engine used peanut oil. Dr. Diesel speculated, “The use of vegetable oils for engine fuel may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in course of time as important as the petroleum products of the present.”

What he foresaw was biodiesel--a cleaner-burning diesel replacement fuel made from the combination of natural, renewable oil sources, such as vegetable oils, recycled cooking oil, and alcohol. Biodiesel has a high “cetane” rating, which pertains to improved engine efficiency and substantially reduced emissions of unburned carbon monoxide, ozone-depleting agents such as hydrocarbons, sulfates, and particulate matter. According to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), a national trade association representing the biodiesel industry, soy biodiesel can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 78 percent.

This wonder fuel, often used in blends of up to 20 percent biodiesel mixed with petroleum diesel fuels, can be used in nearly all diesel equipment. Higher blends, and even pure biodiesel, can be used in many diesel engines built since 1994 with little or no modification. Vehicles made before 1994 often have rubber components that can be degraded by biodiesel, warns NNB.

Dr. Rudolf Diesel’s prediction may not be far off. According to a recent New York Times Magazine article, there are already more than 150 U.S. gas stations that now offer biodiesel. More than 15 million gallons of biodiesel were sold in 2002. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 has given biodiesel an edge by requiring the use of alternative fuels in certain fleets of official cars and trucks, and the U.S. military has become one of the largest consumers of biodiesel. According to the Alternative Fuel Price Report, published by the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, which lists refueling locations on its Web site, biofuel prices are currently only $.30 or $.40 more than regular diesel and gasoline.

Some advocates, such as the American Biofuels Association, think that with government incentives comparable to those that have been provided for ethanol, a corn-based fuel, biodiesel sales could reach about two billion gallons per year, or replace about eight percent of conventional highway diesel fuel consumption. The New York Times reports that “in Germany, where diesel engines power close to 40 percent of passenger cars, more than 1,000 gas stations offer biodiesel at the pump--at a competitive price, thanks to huge tax breaks and subsidies for alternative fuels.”

CONTACT: National Biodiesel Board, 3337a Emerald Lane, PO Box 104898, Jefferson City, MO 65110-4898, (800) 841-5849, www.biodiesel.org, info@biodiesel.org; Alternative Fuels Data Center, www.afdc.doe.gov, (800) 423- ( Alternative Fuels Hotline); American Biofuels Association, 1925 N. Lynn Street, Suite 1050, Arlington, VA 22209, (703) 522-3392.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit your question at www.emagazine.com; or e-mail us at earthtalk@emagazine.com.

- posted by Daniel @ 8:46 AM

 
Latest News from GreenBiz.com
Displaying matches "1" to "20" of 1826

Find all of these stories and many more in full at:
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news.cfm

Questions About Social Responsibility Inundate Japanese Firms
Source Asahi Shimbun
TOKYO, Jan. 7, 2004 - A growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility in the West is spilling over to Japan by way of questionnaires from potential partners and investors, causing headaches for company officials.

Volkswagen, ADM Team Up to Develop Biodiesel Fuel
Source Planet Ark
CHICAGO, Jan. 6, 2004 - Automaker Volkswagen and grain processor Archer Daniels Midland have formed a research venture to develop and use biodiesel fuels for the auto industry.

Mexico Breaks Ground on Sustainable Resort
Source GreenBiz.com
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 6, 2004 - Mexican tourism officials have ratified an agreement with a sustainable-development organization to create what it hopes will be the next major tourism destination in Mexico.

Green Design Elements Planned For Ground Zero Building
Source Gotham Gazette
NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2004 - If built as planned, Freedom Tower -- the first new skyscraper slated to go up at Ground Zero -- will feature 30 windmills high up in the sky, supplying 20% of the building's electricity.

World’s Largest Magazine Printer Gets FSC Certification
Source GreenBiz.com
SUSSEX, Wisc., Jan. 5, 2004 - Quad/Graphics -- the world’s largest privately held printer of magazines, catalogs and other commercial products -- has earned “chain-of-custody” certification from the Forest Stewardship Council, an international organization devoted to encouraging responsible management of the world’s forests.

Green-e Audit Report Reveals Significant Annual Growth in Green Power
Source GreenBiz.com
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 5, 2004 - Sales of certified renewable energy grew substantially during 2002, according to a new report from the Center for Resource Solutions.

Food-Waste Composting: Recycling's Next Frontier
Source Seattle Times
SEATTLE, Wash., Jan. 2, 2004 - Food scraped off your plate at Seattle restaurants could go into recycling bins -- and later come back to your table, in a roundabout way, in a bottle of wine.

Audubon International Certifies First Eco-Friendly Community Developments
Source GreenBiz.com
SELKIRK, N.Y., Dec. 31, 2003 - Audubon International has named WCI Communities as the first homebuilder to have a residential community certified as an “Gold Signature Sustainable Development.” The designation is Audubon's highest rating for environmental design, construction, and operation of new developments.

New Motors Save Up to $1 Million Annually in Wind Tunnel Tests
Source The Tullahoma News
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn., Dec. 30, 2003 - New motors, installed in the main drive of the Propulsion Wind Tunnel facility at the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center will provide increased performance efficiency and savings for future military and commercial test customers.

Global Warming Insurance Claims Grew to $60 Billion in 2003
Source GreenBiz.com
MUNICH, Germany, Dec. 30, 2003 - Munich Re, the world's biggest re-insurance company, has attributed a sharp increase in weather-related disasters around the world to global warming.

Ontario Approves Historic Plan to Charge Industry for Recycling
Source GreenBiz.com
TORONTO, Dec. 29, 2003 - In a precedent-setting move, Ontario's new Minister of the Environment has approved a controversial plan that will require packaged goods makers to ante up for 50% the local government bill for curbside recycling, which will trigger weight-based packaging fees by spring of 2004.

At Year's End Fate of Kyoto Protocol Hangs in the Balance
Source Voice of America News
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 29, 2003 - As 2003 comes to a close, the fate of the Kyoto Protocol, the global treaty on climate change, hangs in the balance. Renewable sources of energy show gains in the market place. And, the debate continues over energy policy in the United States.

China to Amend Solid Waste Pollution Prevention Law
Source China Daily
BEIJING, Dec. 29, 2003 - The sixth session of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) Saturday approved a proposal submitted by the NPC's Environment and Resources Protection Committee on amending the solid waste pollution prevention law.

Bank of America Banks on ‘Green’ Tower in New York
Source GreenBiz.com
NEW YORK, Dec. 24, 2003 - Bank of America has signed an agreement with The Durst Organization to develop the first major midtown Manhattan office project of the new century, which it promises to be a green development.

P&M Plastics Finds the Good in Waste
Source New Mexico Business Weekly
MOUNTAINAIR, N.M., Dec. 24, 2003 - What do you do with about 5 billion tons of wood too small to be used for lumber, but by some accounts, too dangerous to leave in drought-addled forests?

Office Depot Releases New 'Green Products' Catalog
Source GreenBiz.com
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Dec. 23, 2003 - Office Depot, one of the world’s largest resellers of office products, is coloring the New Year green with the launch of The Green Book, the industry’s first catalog consisting solely of environmentally preferable products.

Certified Wood from Mexico Conquers International Markets
Source GreenBiz.com
DURANGO, Mexico, Dec. 22, 2003 - With the recent delivery of a container of furniture parts to SitWell, a company that manufactures sofas for IKEA, Pueblo Nuevo of Durango became the first community in Mexico to sell its sustainably produced lumber to a major international furniture company.

Clean-Tech Investing Holds Steady, Says Survey
Source Clean Edge News
TORONTO, Dec. 22, 2003 - Investments in the clean technology industry in North America continued to hold steady in the third quarter of 2003, according to data in the most recent issue of the Cleantech Venture Monitor, just released by the Cleantech Venture Network.

Shell to Invest £1Billion in Renewable Energy Plant
Source Guardian Unlimited
LONDON, Dec. 19, 2003 - Shell has widened its lead on arch-rival BP in the renewables sector with a £1 billion scheme to build a massive wind farm bringing sustainable energy to London.

Home Depot Ups Stock of FSC-Certified Wood
Source GreenBiz.com
ATLANTA and MONTREAL, Dec. 19, 2003 - Home Depot has teamed up with one of the largest softwood lumber producers in Canada to offer customers larger amounts of FSC-certified Spruce Pine Fir lumber.


Find all of these stories in full and many more at:
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news.cfm
- posted by Daniel @ 4:09 AM

 
Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable - news page:

http://www.glrppr.org/news/
- posted by Daniel @ 3:29 AM

 
Green-e Audit Report Reveals Significant Annual Growth in Green Power
Source: GreenBiz.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 5, 2004 - Sales of certified renewable energy grew substantially during 2002, according to a new report from the Center for Resource Solutions.

Its Annual Verification Report shows positive growth in certified renewable energy retail sales, supply, and pollution benefits in 2002. The report shows over 1.9 million megawatt-hours of certified renewable resources procured in 2002 -- a doubling over 2001. “Green-e” certified products sold in 2002 resulted in a pollution benefit of over 1.2 million tons of avoided carbon dioxide (CO2), a major contributor to global warming.

“The sharp increase in certified renewable energy volume is a positive sign that green power markets are on the rise,” said Jan Hamrin, CRS Executive Director. “Our independent verification confirmed that...(Full article)
- posted by Daniel @ 3:27 AM

 
Global Warming Will Alter Character of Great Lakes Region
Midwest Scientists Say Region Must Plan Now
to Reduce Economic and Environmental Vulnerability


CHICAGO, April 8—A comprehensive new study released today by a team of leading scientists from Midwest universities and Canada concludes that climate change in the Great Lakes region caused by heat-trapping gases from human activities could lead to a 5-12 degree Fahrenheit temperature increase in winter and 5-20 degree warming in summer by the end of this century. These changes could bring more floods and droughts, lower lake levels and less lake ice cover, increased burdens on farmers, and growing conflicts over water use. The scientists say climate change will likely also magnify existing health and environmental problems in the region. However, the report concludes that actions can be taken now to forestall many of the most severe impacts.

“Climate change will alter the character of the Great Lakes region, presenting challenges to the environment, economy, and the people who live there,” said the lead author of the report, Dr. George Kling of the University of Michigan. “Within only three decades, a summer in Illinois may feel like a summer in Oklahoma. To avert the worst impacts of global warming, the region can harness its industrial know-how and economic strength to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we burn to produce electricity and drive our cars.” (Full article)
- posted by Daniel @ 3:22 AM

 
A Wisconsin company helping people install their own wind energy / battery / intertie systems with a focus on remote users who'd otherwise have to pay for utility line transmission extension:

Great Lakes Alternative Energy Systems

- posted by Daniel @ 3:15 AM

 
Dear Biodiesel Partner:

We call upon you to help us make the first annual National Biodiesel Conference & Expo a landmark event that will move the biodiesel industry forward as America’s fastest growing alternative fuel. The early bird registration deadline for the conference, which will take place in Palm Springs, Calif., has been extended to this Friday, January 9th. Please forward the electronic message below, and make follow up calls if possible, to contacts you think might be interested in learning the latest on biodiesel at the conference. We want to get the word out to users, petroleum distributors, government officials, and anyone else with an interest in biodiesel.

And don’t forget about the recruitment contest. NBB will give away prizes to the top three people who recruit the most registrants. Thank you for your assistance in making this conference a landmark event in the biodiesel industry.

Joe Jobe



Questions: Contact NBB Conference Dept.: phone (800) 841-5849 or e-mail at expo@biodiesel.org
Appearance by Daryl Hannah pending filming schedule.
Early Bird Deadline Ends January 9, 2004 - Register online at www.biodiesel.org/conference


- posted by Daniel @ 6:01 PM

 
ENN Environmental News Network
E-mail Edition

Earth's magnetic field is fading
Scientists reported at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco that Earth's magnetic field has been fading since the mid-19th century. This and other updates from the California Academy of Sciences.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11634.asp

Mad cow is one of many mystifying diseases
For all the worry mad cow disease is generating, it's just one in a family of 10 diseases discovered so far that are arguably medicine's most mystifying maladies.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11748.asp

Date palm trees give Iranian quake survivors hope
After the earthquake flattened the citadel and the mud-brick houses of this ancient Iranian city, just about the only things left standing tall above the ruins of Bam were the mainstays of the local economy: date palms.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11746.asp

Indiana farmer's pig pens are study in sustainability
Hogs on Mark Legan's farm produce heaps of waste, filling large chambers beneath his barns. But his neighbors are unlikely to know they share the countryside with so much manure.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11742.asp

EPA enforcement chief resigns for Wal-Mart job
The Environmental Protection Agency's top enforcement official said he will leave his post later this month to become a lawyer for Sam's Club, a unit of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest company.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11745.asp

Maryland seeks to build green rest stop
Seven teams of architects, engineers, and college students are competing to design an environmentally friendly rest stop along Interstate 270.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11743.asp

Research ship puts scientists in the field and on the sea
In service for 16 years, the Tiglax is a floating science center with access to many of the 2,500 islands, islets, and headlands that make up the 3.5 million-acre Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11744.asp

NASA's Mars exploration follows the water
As scientists search for signs of life on Mars and elsewhere in the solar system, they are sticking to one guiding principle: follow the water.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11751.asp

EarthTalk: Does aluminum cause Alzheimers?
The editors of E/The Environmental Magazine answer questions about the connection between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease and also enlighten us about biodiesel, which may be the fuel of the future.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11747.asp

Coffee may lower diabetes risk, study says
Compared to non-coffee drinkers, men who drank more than six eight-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee per day lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by about half, and women reduced their risk by nearly 30 percent, according to a recent study.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-06/s_11749.asp

Today's Press Releases (Become an Affiliate)
Direct from non-profit environmental and educational organizations.

The Trust for Public Land:
Land Near Historic Vann House Protected (GA)

The Trust for Public Land:
Lake Erie Preserve Nears Completion (OH)

The Green Guide Institute:
Safe Beef Choices in a Mad, Mad Cow World
- posted by Daniel @ 5:45 PM

 
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Great Lakes Daily News: 06 January 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/

Profits seen in longer shipping season
----------------------------------------
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' decision to extend the Great Lakes
shipping season is expected to help both shippers and the industries they
serve. Source: The Detroit News (1/6)


St. Clair River a security hazard
----------------------------------------
The St. Clair River is said to be one of the worst areas along the Canadian
border for smuggling drugs and illegal immigrants into the United States,
raising concerns that terrorists could use that route to easily slip into
the country. Source: Detroit Free Press (1/5)


Unbottled water not cheap either
----------------------------------------
Ontario municipalities and their taxpayers face multimillion-dollar well and
pipeline projects to meet residents' demands and fulfil new provincial rules
for more and better water. Source: London Free Press (1/5)


Future of Lake Erie watershed reviewed
----------------------------------------
Citizens concerned with the future of the Lake Erie watershed can voice
their opinions at a series of informational open houses in January and
February on the Balanced Growth Initiative of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission.
Source: Port Clinton News Herald (1/5)


Group plans last environmental fight
----------------------------------------
The Lake St. Clair Advisory Committee, an environmental group known as a
trailblazer on conservation issues for decades, is calling it quits, but not
before it wages one final fight. Source: The Detroit News (1/5)


Practice of releasing partially treated waste questioned
----------------------------------------
Although regulators have shown some support for the Milwaukee Metropolitan
Sewerage District's practice of dumping partially treated waste,
environmentalists say they're still concerned. Source: Duluth News Tribune
(1/5)


Coal plant has some fired up
----------------------------------------
A proposed coal-burning power plant in northern Michigan has some residents
questioning whether the economic benefits are worth the potential risks.
Source: Traverse City Record-Eagle (1/4)


Fewer bulk carriers navigate waterways
----------------------------------------
A massive downsizing has seen Canadian and U.S. Great Lakes shippers pare
their combined fleets from 325 vessels in 1980 to about 140 today, in
reaction to decreasing steel industry activity and alternative routing of
grain traffic. Source: Montreal Gazette (1/2)

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


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- posted by Daniel @ 5:37 PM

 
WIND.ALERT FOR JANUARY 2004 FROM WINDPOWER
MONTHLY

Here are your summaries of the top stories in the January 2004
issue of Windpower Monthly. For a descriptive list of this month's
full contents just go to http://www.windpower-monthly.com/current

-------------------------
Joining the ranks of the respectable
Windpower Monthly, Vol 20, No. 1 2004
--------------------------
Given a fair market, a good site on land and the removal of
regulatory barriers, wind power today can compete on price with
any other source of electricity generation. For a technology which
is just 25 years old, that's no mean achievement, especially in
view of its relatively high finance costs. Our unique annual
analysis of wind power's competitive position this year
reveals... (Go to
http://www.windpower-monthly.com/current,#focus to read more
about this article)

-------------------------
Not without risk
Windpower Monthly, Vol 20, No. 1 2004
-------------------------
While some hail the joining of Vestas and NEG Micon, the two
biggest companies in the wind industry, as creating a world
leader that will take production capacity out of the global
market and reduce price pressure, for others it looks like a
classic defensive merger. Investors had three particular
concerns before the merger announcement. At least three
additional items have been added to the list. Read the
entire opinion column at
http://www.windpower-monthly.com/currentleader

-------------------------
Danish giants head for merger in quest for new strength
Windpower Monthly, Vol 20, No. 1 2004
-------------------------
Gambling on securing at least 35% of the world wind
market next year, Vestas and NEG Micon -- respectively
the largest and second largest manufacturers of wind
turbines in the world -- have announced their intention
to merge. First, however, they must secure the
agreement of the 75,000 shareholders in the two
companies. Vestas is offering to buy NEG Micon's
shares, a bid which rewarded NEG Micon shareholders
with a 40% boost in share value. Reaction from wind
turbine customers has been one of surprise, even of
shock. Read more about the merger and what the rest
of the industry has to say about it in the January issue.

-------------------------
Guarded welcome for Spain's proposed new wind
support system
Windpower Monthly, Vol 20, No. 1 2004
-------------------------
New legislation proposed by the Spanish government
aimed at reducing the uncertainty connected with future
wind power prices has been welcomed by the country's
wind sector, though with some reservations. Scrapping
the basis of the popular and successful production
incentive is making wind power producers nervous. On
the other hand, they will be free to choose between a
fixed premium tariff or to try their luck scheduling and
trading production in the daily electricity pool, though
with a guaranteed 40% premium on top of the pool price.
We unravel the complexities of the new system in the
current issue of Windpower Monthly.

-------------------------
Another year of bust after boom in the United States
Windpower Monthly, Vol 20, No. 1 2004
-------------------------
The US wind industry has just completed a near-record
year with almost 1700 MW of new wind capacity installed.
Although celebrations are subdued as 2004 starts without
the benefit of wind's federal production tax credit, plenty
of good news came out of 2003. Projects were completed
in 17 states and the year was exceptional for the rise and
dominance of the large wind turbine. For a run down of
completed projects, details of who built how much and
which turbine suppliers dominated the market, see the
January issue.

-------------------------
Delight in Britain at increased Renewables Obligation, but will
it help?
Windpower Monthly, Vol 20, No. 1 2004
-------------------------
The wind industry is euphoric over the UK government's
announcement of a quick fix to the Renewables Obligation (RO).
Electricity retailers are to increase the proportion of green
power in their supply portfolios from 10% in 2010 to 15%
by 2015. But market players say it is too early to tell
whether the fix will be enough to improve the terms of
wind power purchase agreements (PPAs). Without better
PPAs, developers can continue to whistle for project
finance. Ironically, the regulatory failings which are
preventing bankable PPAs have caused wind power prices
to rise way beyond the actual cost of generation. In the
current issue of Windpower Monthly, we take a good
hard at how this failure of market economy has come about.

-------------------------
Wind neither better nor worse off in France at close of national
energy debate
Windpower Monthly, Vol 20, No. 1 2004
-------------------------
France's drawn out national energy debate at times bordered
on the farcical in its consideration of wind power. Among the
arguments put forward was a claim that wind energy is
neither clean nor renewable because back-up power is needed
to cover demand when the wind fails to blow. The refute of
this claim moves the discussion from the sublime to the
ridiculous, as you can read in our report of the debate in
Windpower Monthly's January issue. At the end of it all,
wind power has been left neither better nor worse off than
it was before. Plans for a national wind power agency are
in process and local authorities have been told to look
favourably on wind plant siting applications.

-------------------------
Seeking common ground on wind and wildlife issues in
America
Windpower Monthly, Vol 20, No. 1 2004
-------------------------
A head-to-head meeting in Washington DC between wind
industry members and environmentalists sought to find
common ground on solutions to wildlife and wind energy
problems. Missing, however, was a positive approach from
wildlife experts to working with the industry on finding sites
for wind power stations where birds and animals will not be
unduly endangered or disturbed. Windpower Monthly sat
through the two day meeting, which at times was hostile
and acrimonious.

-------------------------
Large scale wind kicks off in China with construction of two
100 MW plant
Windpower Monthly, Vol 20, No. 1 2004
-------------------------
Regional authorities are already rallying behind the Chinese
government's call for faster development of the national
wind energy resource with plans for a series of 100 MW
projects. Tenders for the first two projects have been
awarded and the National Development and Reform
Commission is signalling that a further 2000 MW of
projects could soon follow. To find out which wind
companies are already gaining footholds in China
read the current issue of Windpower Monthly.



---------------------------------
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http://www.windpower-monthly.com/current

For the full picture, including access to the extensive online
database, subscribe now at:
http://www.windpower-monthly.com/subs

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For more information, contact advertising@windpower-monthly.com

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http://www.windstats.com

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All contents © Windpower Monthly 1985-2004

============================================
Windpower Monthly News Magazine
mail@windpower-monthly.com
http://www.windpower-monthly.com
- posted by Daniel @ 5:24 PM

 
Vision Instruments and University of Michigan propose innovative approach to facilitate introduction of "Hydrogen Economy". Approach to facilitate Hydrogen Economy would save billions in infrastructure, vehicle changeover costs. Proposal submitted to DOE's "Grand Challenge" for hydrogen research.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/10/prweb84970.php
- posted by Daniel @ 2:52 AM

 
Senate Vote on McCain-Lieberman
Changes Political Climate on Global Warming

Statement by Howard Ris, Jr., president, Union of Concerned Scientists
- posted by Daniel @ 2:12 AM

 
An interesting entrepreneur:

http://www.greatlakesfuelcells.com/
- posted by Daniel @ 2:08 AM

 
A basic page on hydrogen powered cars:

http://www.meboe.com/kevin/hydrogen/hydrogen.html
- posted by Daniel @ 2:07 AM

 
Sustainable Minnesota fuel cell links and information page:

http://www.me3.org/issues/fuelcells/
- posted by Daniel @ 2:01 AM

 
Fuel Cell Store is the nexus of the fuel cell industry. We provide the market place where fuel cell stack, component, and hydrogen storage manufacturers come together with consumers.

Within our site you will find the widest array of fuel cell products from around the globe. If your requirements are for demonstration, portable, or stationary fuel cells, the Fuel Cell Store can help you determine the best system to meet your needs.

Consumers will find a variety of fuel cells, electrolysers and hydrogen storage products, allowing them to choose a system that best meets their requirements and budget.

Manufacturers will experience a relationship where they can set parameters for pre-commercial sales, determine and implement market research objectives, and enjoy the exposure the Fuel Cell Store provides when the products are ready for commercial markets.
- posted by Daniel @ 1:59 AM

 
Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, LLC is comprised of a team of experienced fuel cell, hydrogen and business professionals dedicated to making the fuel cell and hydrogen future a reality. To accomplish this we will be developing our own fuel cell and hydrogen products as well as providing consulting and project management for others.
- posted by Daniel @ 1:54 AM

 
The Earth, Inc. - an interesting weBlog of a nature lover and envirnmentalist at heart:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mnoorsha/index.html
- posted by Daniel @ 1:46 AM

 
The Council of Great Lakes Governors:

http://www.cglg.org/
- posted by Daniel @ 1:40 AM

 
Testimony of Dr. Donald L. Klass, President Biomass Energy Research Association On Biomass Research Department of Energy Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Appropriation

Submitted to the Senate Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development

March 6, 2003

This testimony pertains to the fiscal year 2004 (FY04) appropriation for biomass research, development, and deployment (RD&D) conducted by the Department of Energy’s (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Separate statements will be submitted in support of biomass RD&D performed under the Interior and Related Agencies Bill by EERE’s Office of Industrial Technologies, and on forest biomass production research by the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDAFS).

BERA recommends that for FY04, $114,500,000 be appropriated for RD&D under EERE’s Biomass and Biorefinery Systems Program, and biomass-related Hydrogen Technology Program.

· $24,000,000 to continue the Bioenergy and Bioproducts Initiative (BBI, Crosscutting RD&D) and $5,000,000 to continue the Regional Biomass Energy Program (RBEP).
* $21,000,000 for R&D under the core programs: Advanced Biomass Technology ¾ Thermochemical Conversion and Bioconversion.
* $26,000,000 for R&D and $32,000,000 for the industry cost-shared scale-up projects under the core programs: Systems Integration and Production (Exclusive of the BBI).

* $6,500,000 for the biomass-related core programs under Hydrogen Technology.

(Read the full speech at: http://www.bera1.org/Energy-water-04.html)
- posted by Daniel @ 1:32 AM

 
Silently harnessing the wind

By Anthony Reinhart
Globe and Mail
12/18/03


On Lake Shore Boulevard, where a stiff wind hacks away at the surface of Lake Ontario, the drone of traffic masks a softer sound.

You can barely hear the quiet revolution of the turbine's blades some 30 storeys up, where they catch that wind, convert it to power and send it into the city as fuel for heat and light.

While its power contribution is modest compared to the louder, dirtier engines of the city's economy -- the coal burners and nuclear plants -- the symbolism of Toronto's turbine is hard to miss: a clean and quiet model of simplicity, surrounded by an ever-complex, smog-laden, energy-gulping city.

Today at 11 a.m., a handful of people will gather near the turbine to celebrate its first birthday after a year of near-silent service, a year that incidentally saw the biggest blackout in the city's history.

Among the crowd will be two of the turbine's biggest boosters, whose histories suggest a willingness to let the winds carry them in interesting and unconventional directions: Joyce McLean, an environmental activist turned Toronto Hydro executive, and Ed Hale, a former businessman and self-described tech nerd who once chucked it all to sail the Caribbean.

(Read on at: http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/on/121803_great_lakes.htm)
- posted by Daniel @ 1:26 AM

 
An excellent library of Great Lakes environmental news articles:

The Great Lakes Environmental Directory at:

http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/
- posted by Daniel @ 1:21 AM

 
Green, local energy beckons

Tyler Hamilton
The Toronto Star
08/18/03

It's when the meat in your fridge begins to rot and the milk curdles that you begin to think that, yeah, maybe a less centralized system of delivering power to our homes and businesses would be a good idea.

Tens of millions of Ontarians and Americans learned first hand last week how it feels to be dependent on a massive central power grid that "shock and surprise" is vulnerable to a cataclysmic shutdown.

And how does it feel? It feels bloody hot, actually, considering the absence of working air conditioning on some of the steamiest days this summer.

Isn't it time we become more self-sufficient with our power needs? In the process, we can stop polluting the air.

Environmentalists out there who have been early adopters of wind and solar technologies were more than willing to rub our noses in the dark as they bragged - and so they should - about how "untouched" they were by the whole episode.

"The hotter it gets outside the more power I have," said one boastful caller to CBC radio Friday, proud of her solar-powered independence.

Another solar convert only had one complaint with how the blackout disrupted his life. "The only part of this blackout that's bothering me is that my soap opera has been interrupted for news coverage," he said.

It's times like this when Ian MacLellan, president and chief executive officer of Kitchener-based Arise Technologies Corp., must jump for joy. With every event that painfully shows the vulnerability within the "grid" power system, renewable energy technologies gain credibility and attract more attention from homeowners and businesses. (Read on at: http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/on/081803_great_lakes.htm)
- posted by Daniel @ 1:13 AM

 
Renewables.ca - the Canadian Renewable Energy Association:

http://www.renewables.ca
- posted by Daniel @ 12:59 AM

 
Environment and Energy Conference speaking topics from the 2003 convention in Adobe Acrobat files including several on the impact of Great Lakes region renewable energy technologies on the local economy:

http://www.eeco2003.com/presentations.htm
- posted by Daniel @ 12:56 AM

 
Courtesy of the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

“Rolling blackouts in California. Asthma rates double. Natural gas futures spike
up 500%. The twin towers fall.” These kinds of headlines have heightened public
attention to energy issues across the country. Tapping into the eternal forces of
the sun, wind, and plant kingdom to supply our energy needs is called renewable
energy. In the past three decades, renewable energy technology has advanced,
making renewables more reliable and affordable. At the same time, public
concerns about other energy sources have grown.
Renewable energy systems create numerous public benefits, including:
· Zero emission energy - clean air and water, better health
· Stable energy pricing - freedom from fuel price volatility
· Distributed generation - energy provided where it’s needed
· Security - domestic energy that’s difficult to disrupt
· Jobs - local energy systems displace energy imports
Despite these exemplary qualities, relatively few renewable energy systems have
been deployed in Michigan. This is not a national condition, or even a regional
one. The reasons for the success of renewables in some states become
apparent when comparing renewable energy installation data from the U.S.
Department of Energy’s “Million Solar Roofs” program. There is a strong
correlation between the number of systems installed, and state policies toward
renewables. States with the most solar installations are the same states that
have provided incentives over a period of years. While some states have recently
enacted large budget rebate programs, others have offered lower-cost incentive
programs. These appear to be successful, and offer a lesson for Michigan. ***


There are a number of barriers restraining the deployment of renewable energy
systems in Michigan. These include:
· Uncertainty about renewable energy technologies:
In fact, these technologies are not new. Numerous systems have been
operating reliably and effectively in Michigan for decades. This barrier is
best addressed through public education and outreach programs, which
continue across the state.
· Tradition-based energy pricing:
A traditional model of power production, transmission, and distribution was
used to define current electric rate structures. Renewables offer public
benefits the value of which is not reflected in energy pricing today.
Michigan’s deregulation of power generation has opened up a variety of
new, voluntary pricing mechanisms such as green rates and green tags to
capture the value of at least some of these benefits.

Read The full report (Adobe Acrobat file) at:
http://www.glrea.org/images/Opportunities-Concept-Paper.pdf

*** Please note that, while the author of the report is focussing on driving renewable energy technology growth in Michigan, the same benefits can and do apply to all states, and the Great Lakes states have some unique opportunites in the field of renewable energy. (Dan Stafford)
- posted by Daniel @ 12:08 AM

 
Thirst for energy taps Great Lakes
But new drilling ban threatens state plans

By Charlie Cain, and Jeremy Pearce / The Detroit News

What's at stake

If expanded gas and oil drilling under the Great Lakes is approved, it could mean:
* Added sight pollution through the construction of well operations on key beaches.
* Increased threat of water and land pollution from well leaks and accidents.
* As many as 500 million barrels of oil to help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
* $60 million to $105 million in royalties to the state for environmental programs over the next 20 years.




Oil and gas in Michigan

* Michigan has 16,700 active wells that produce 8.3 million barrels of oil and billions of cubic feet of gas each year.
* 89 gas or oil leaks were reported last year.
* There are 13 shoreline wells that tap diagonally into one of the Great Lakes. Ten are in Manistee County; two are in Bay County; and one is in Alpena County.
* Last year, wells boring into the Great Lakes from Michigan's shoreline yielded 26,000 barrels of oil and enough gas to heat 19,000 homes.

MANISTEE -- Despite uncertain oil and gas deposits, the threat of surface leaks and federal legislation banning any new drilling for the next two years, Gov. John Engler is not yet willing to abandon his effort to expand energy exploration under the Great Lakes.

Full Story:
http://www.detnews.com/2001/metro/0111/19/b01-346460.htm
- posted by Daniel @ 11:30 PM

 
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Great Lakes Daily News: 05 January 2004
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/


Midwest fertilizer use causing Gulf dead zone?
----------------------------------------
Farmers and lawn care companies in the Midwest use fertilizer to improve
crops and lawns, which eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico and may result
in a 'Dead Zone.' Source: Great Lakes Radio Consortium (1/5)


Landowners and state argue over lake boundaries
----------------------------------------
A land war is brewing between environmentalists and landowners along Lake
Erie... and the latest battleground is the Ohio Legislature. Source: Great
Lakes Radio Consortium (1/5)


COMMENTARY: Unbottled water not cheap either
----------------------------------------
Area municipalities and their taxpayers face multimillion-dollar well and
pipeline projects to meet residents' demands and fulfill new provincial
rules for more and better water. Source: The London Free Press News (1/5)


Lake St. Clair cleanup nearly complete, but PCB mystery unsolved
----------------------------------------
The final step in purging a Lake St. Clair boat canal of PCBs has been
completed under budget and two weeks ahead of schedule, though the source of
the banned industrial chemical hasn't been pinpointed. Source: Booth
Newspapers (1/4)


'Blending' is key to Milwaukee's sewer policy
----------------------------------------
A controversial plan for the Milwaukee sewerage district tentatively
endorsed by the EPA would permit the "blending" of partly treated waste
flows with some fully treated effluent before discharging it into Lake
Michigan. Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1/4)


Property owners bugged by ash borer
----------------------------------------
A 10-km swath extending from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, will become the
front line in a war against the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect
pushing ash trees in parts of Michigan, Ohio and the Windsor area close to
extinction. Source: The London Free Press (1/4)


Ferry officials scrambling to meet deadline
----------------------------------------
>From marketing to transportation and beautification to directional signs, a
group of government, tourism promotion and business managers are working on
the details in preparation for the Lake Express Muskegon-to-Milwaukee
service. Source: The Muskegon Chronicle (1/4)


Trash talk growing in Michigan
----------------------------------------
While landfills across Michigan take in trash from communities in Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin, the single-biggest amount comes from Toronto,
contributing to a doubling of the state's trash imports since 1999 and
fueling a literal and figurative stink. Source: Chicago Tribune (1/4)


What is fouling the beaches of Huron?
----------------------------------------
Health officials in western Ontario have permanently posted five beaches
along 40 kilometres of Lake Huron shoreline as unsafe for swimming due to E.
coli levels well above provincial standards. Source: The Toronto Star (1/3)


Taconite shippers get 10 extra days
----------------------------------------
Under a decision announced Wednesday, Great Lakes iron ore carriers are
expected to move about 1 million additional tons of iron ore pellets through
the locks at Sault St. Marie, Mich., during the one-time extension. Source:
Duluth News Tribune (1/1)

For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html


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- posted by Daniel @ 12:06 PM