Monthly Archives: February 2012

Why the Environmental Movement Is Not Winning | | AlterNet

February 29, 2012

Alternet - A searing new report says the environmental movement is not winning and lays the blame squarely on the failed policies of environmental funders. The movement hasn’t won any “significant policy changes at the federal level in the United States since the 1980s” because funders have favored top-down elite strategies and have neglected to...
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More bad news: U.S. water bills to triple | Washington Examiner

February 29, 2012

Washington Examiner – A shocking new report about the nation’s crumbling drinking water system says that Americans should expect their bills to double or triple to cover repairs just to keep their faucets pouring. That means adding up to $900 a year more for water, nearly equal the amount of the newly extended payroll...
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Those Sleeping Pills May Be Killing You – Slashdot

February 29, 2012

“A recent article in in BMJ Open reports a strong association between the use of prescription sleeping pills and mortality. The study used electronic health records for 2.5 million people covered by the Geisinger Health System to find 12 thousand who had been prescribed sleeping pills and a matched set of controls. Death rates were much...
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US Wants Natural Gas As Major Auto Fuel Option – Slashdot

February 29, 2012

Natural gas has never been much of an option for U.S. car drivers, and it’s going to take a lot of effort by the government and auto manufacturers to make it a viable alternative to gas. But that’s just what a $10 million program from the Department of Energy’s advanced project development group The...
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16 dead after blast at China chemical plant

February 29, 2012

An explosion at a chemical plant in northern China on Tuesday killed at least 16 people, injured more than 40 and left dozens missing. Please continue reading at: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/29/10538188-16-dead-dozens-missing-after-blast-at-china-chemical-plant
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EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Testimony Before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce

February 29, 2012

WASHINGTON – As prepared for delivery. Thank you for inviting me to testify on the President’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget for the Environmental Protection Agency. I’m joined by the Agency’s Chief Financial Officer, Barbara Bennett. EPA’s budget request of $8.344 billion focuses on fulfilling EPA’s core mission of protecting public health and the environment,...
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Woman charged with burning 3,500-year-old tree..yep she was high

February 29, 2012

Meth freakin…central Florida woman has been charged with setting a fire that burned one of the world’s oldest cypress trees, local media reported. Please continue reading at: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/28/10533663-florida-woman-charged-with-setting-fire-to-3500-year-old-cypress-tree
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Feb. 29 US: OSHA GHS Adoption Moves Forward to Federal Register

February 29, 2012

From prweb.com: OSHA’s revised hazard communication standard passed the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review. The updated standard incorporates the principles of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) which aims to standardize the classification and labeling of chemicals and related hazard communication. Benefits of OSHA’s updated HCS include reduced time and costs involved in meeting...
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Elocal Infographic Shows How Much Water Your Home is Wasting

February 29, 2012
How much water is your home wasting

From spending five extra minutes in the shower to leaving the faucet running while you do the dishes, you most likely waste more water in your home than you think you do. While fresh water is a renewable resource, we consume clean, usable water at rates faster than it can be replenished. Elocal compiled...
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Army Unveils First Military Fuel Cell Fleet

February 29, 2012

The Army has unveiled a fleet of 16 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Hawaii as part of its efforts to research renewable energy sources. Please follow and read more at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=18125
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IBM cuts more than 1,000 U.S. workers – Computerworld

February 29, 2012

IBM has laid off just over 1,000 employees so far this week, and more layoffs may be possible, according to an employee organization. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9224713/IBM_cuts_more_than_1_000_U.S._…
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Bill Gates on Insanity and Energy R&D – ScienceInsider

February 29, 2012

The U.S. government is “crazy” when it comes to funding for energy research and development, according to high-tech titan Bill Gates. “It’s crazy how little we are funding this energy stuff,” Gates today told an audience at a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) conference near Washington, D.C. “Funding for energy in the U.S....
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Health Habits, Worldwide [Daily Infographic]

February 29, 2012

Kilzer for Daily Infographic,  Across countries, whole grains are considered to be the top healthy food, and is consistently in the top three health food purchased by region. Other popular health foods are yogurt, iodine enhanced salt and low cholesterol butter or margarine. World inhabitants looking to loose weight are quick to change their diet,...
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The Myth of “Baseload” Power

February 29, 2012

In this way of thinking, the “baseload” power demand is met with big generators like old coal and nuclear plants that don’t turn on and off very well. To accommodate electrical needs above the “baseload,” smaller, more responsive plants are used that can more easily follow the demand. Makes sense, right? The problem with...
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Very scary char… More than 40% of Americans aren’t working.

February 28, 2012
Very scary char… More than 40% of Americans aren’t working.

The employment/population ratio compiled by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics see chart below from http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS12300000 This number is the percent of Americans 16 and older who are employed. Right now, that number is 58.5%. That’s right, fewer than six-in-ten Americans who are eligible to work are actually working. More than four-in-ten are not. 
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Plug into any power outlet with ELVIIS smart EV-charging system – GizMag

February 28, 2012

A smart system for charging electric vehicles known as ELVIIS may leave the electric car industry all shook up – and for the better. The ELVIIS cross-industry research project would not only enable EVs to be recharged from any available outlet, but also use mobile and smart grid technology to establish the best energy...
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But Dogs Are so Cute… Why our society sucks -GraphJam

February 28, 2012
funny graphs - But Dogs Are so Cute


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No one is on google+… Yeah, Facebook wastes the most time, money and energy

February 28, 2012

shortformblog: A somewhat different take on the thing we reblogged earlier, but it shows two very interesting things: First, Tumblr and Pinterest are timesucks in equal measure, and second, nobody’s actually hanging around Google+ once they sign up.  Reblogged again by:  http://ilovecharts.tumblr.com/post/18415583785
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The Shocking Truth About Defibrillators – IEEE Spectrum

February 28, 2012

When a policeman, shopkeeper, or passerby uses an AED promptly and correctly, it can help keep the suffering person alive until professionals can provide treatment, increasing survival chances up to tenfold.  .” Yet despite the enormous investment in these AEDs, the death rate from sudden cardiac arrest is no better than it was 20 years...
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Everything Not Nailed Down Being Bought… 2008 may be here

February 28, 2012

ZeroHedge: When in doubt – buy. When in doubt what – everything. As the chart below shows starting with the open of the US market, literally everything has been bought: stocks, bonds, crude, gold, and ‘logically’, the VIX. It took the market virtually no time to remember that when trillions in liquidity are being injected into...
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Antidepressants Are Useless, Pushed on Public Anyway | Natural Society

February 28, 2012

The psychiatric community as well as health and government officials have been pushing antidepressants on the people for years. Instead of addressing the underlying cause of such negative feelings, psychiatrists and medical representatives have been making you think that the only answer to depression is an antidepressant drug. However, the claims that antidepressants are...
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Mars Chocolate launches 1.258MW solar garden in North America | PV-Tech

February 28, 2012

Mars Chocolate, North America, has announced the installation of a solar garden at its Henderson chocolate factory, providing 100% of the factory’s electrical energy. The solar garden features 2,112 ground-mounted solar panels on 4.4 acres. Mars claims its installation as the largest by a food manufacturer in Nevada. The installation generates 1,258MW of zero-emission...
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Redfield ethanol plant to convert to butanol plant | BioFuelsChat

February 28, 2012

A South Dakota corn ethanol plant will soon begin producing a fuel additive with a wider variety of uses. Tom Hitchcock, chief executive of Redfield Energy, said the 50 million gallon-per-year plant is teaming with Englewood, Colo.-based Gevo to convert the facility in Redfield to a 40 million gallon-per-year butanol plant using the same 18 million bushels of corn a...
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Obama’s Favorite Algae Company – Forbes

February 28, 2012

President Obama’s reference to algae in his Thursday energy speech drew flak over the weekend from Newt Gingrich, who called it “weird” before calling algal biofuel “a terrific concept.” But Obama had political reasons to promote algae in Florida, the sunny, swampy, politically-volatile state he carried in 2008. The Obama Administration has already sunk...
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Yale Environment 360: Denmark Offers Best Conditions for Clean Technology Growth, Report Says

February 28, 2012

…Denmark offers the best conditions for green technology innovation and entrepreneurship, with a strong record of support for technology startups that have achieved widespread market adoption, particularly in the area of wind energy. In an evaluation of 38 countries, the so-called Global Cleantech Innovation …The U.S. ranks fifth overall…While China ranks 13th, the researchers noted...
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Beyond Cap and Trade, A New Path to Clean Energy: Yale Environment 360

February 28, 2012
Beyond Cap and Trade, A New Path to Clean Energy: Yale Environment 360

Putting a price and a binding cap on carbon is not the panacea that many thought it to be. The real road to cutting U.S. emissions, two iconoclastic environmentalists argue, is for the government to help fund the development of cleaner alternatives that are better and cheaper than natural gas. Please read more by Ted...
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AWESOME Job opening as admin. assistant at The Green Team please pass on!

February 27, 2012

There is an opening for a admin. assistant at The Green Team of Wisconsin. If you know of anyone who wants to work with several businesses as part of a Sustainable Landscape Consortium, your help is appreciated. Interviews are next week. It is a part-full time job 30-50 hours in spring, 30-40 in summer,...
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Putting 1 million tonnes of CO2 a mile under Illinois… A horrible gamble that costs trillions and does not work.

February 26, 2012

ecoGizmo- A bold undertaking to store one million metric tonnes (1.1 million short tons) of carbon dioxide in a sandstone reservoir 1.3 miles (2.1 km) below Decatur, Illinois, is well under way. The project began last November, and has so far injected more than 75,000 tons of carbon dioxide, almost one tenth of the target....
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‘We Won’t Pay’: Greece’s Middle Class Revolt against Austerity – SPIEGEL ONLINE

February 26, 2012
Graphic: Rising sovereign bond yields.

Look at the debt in a year…and think, would or could you pay? Or give them more? Please continue reading at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,787847,00.html
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BP faces billions in fines as Gulf oil spill trial nears | NOLA.com

February 26, 2012

On the cusp of trial over the catastrophic 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, phalanxes of lawyers, executives and public officials have spent the waning days in settlement talks. Holed up in small groups inside law offices, war rooms and hotel suites in New Orleans and Washington, they are trying to put a...
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Social Networking at It’s Worst – graphjam.com

February 26, 2012
funny graphs - Social Networking at It

 
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Phone-based scanner detects harmful bacteria – GizMag

February 26, 2012

Soon, you may never have to play Russian roulette with potato salad again. Instead of just hoping that E. coli bacteria aren’t present in your foods or drinks, you could instead use your mobile phone to find out for sure. That phone would have to be equipped with a bacteria-detecting scanner, which researchers from...
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Did Santorum just give Obama an endorsement?

February 26, 2012

Rick Santorum criticized President Barack Obama’s call for all Americans to go to college in a speech to the Americans For Prosperity Michigan Forum. “President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob,” Santorum said, to raucous applause from the audience. Please follow and read more at:...
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PETA killed over 95% of its animals in 2011

February 26, 2012

Documents published online this month show that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an organization known for its uncompromising animal-rights positions, killed more than 95 percent of the pets in its care in 2011. Please continue reading at: http://times247.com/articles/peta-kills-over-95-percent-of-its-animals
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Gasoline Prices Are Not Rising, the Dollar Is Falling – Forbes

February 26, 2012

Panic is in the air as gasoline prices move above $4.00 per gallon. Politicians and pundits are rounding up the usual suspects, looking for someone or something to blame for this latest outrage to middle class family budgets. In a rare display of bipartisanship, President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner are...
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Wyoming House advances doomsday bill

February 26, 2012

State representatives on Friday advanced legislation to launch a study into preparing Wyoming for a complete economic or political collapse in the United States. House Bill 85 passed on first reading by a voice vote. It would create a task force to research and prepare Wyoming for potential catastrophes, from disruptions in food and...
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USGS Measures Fallout from Fukushima in US NADP Precipitation Samples

February 26, 2012

Press Release- Following the disaster, radioactive iodine and radioactive cesium were detected in precipitation samples collected in the U.S. at NADP sites.  National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) sites where USGS measured 137Cs in precipitation samples Dot size represents relative deposition amounts. Fallout amounts measured in precipitation by USGS provide a clearer picture of fission-product wet deposition across...
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‘Invisible’ Lung Disease Called A Death Sentence By Doctors… kills as many people as breast cancer.« CBS Dallas

February 25, 2012

Haase- This is what I lost my father to… He was 53, healthy and lived a very healthy lifestyle, that does no good against this silent killer. (CBSDFW.COM) – Have you ever heard of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis? Probably not. But every year it kills just as many people as breast cancer. But there are no...
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Solyndra now faces environmental, health and safety problems – Washington Times

February 25, 2012

The full extent of the potential environmental problem at the leasedSolyndra facility remains unclear. Officials at iStar say in court papers that they were not given the keys to the premises until this month, thoughSolyndra stopped making its lease payments in September when it filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware. “There may be at the premises based on...
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Micro- and Mild Hybrids Power a $6.9 billion market for energy storage

February 25, 2012

The market for micro-hybrid and mild-hybrid vehicles is on track to grow nearly eightfold to 39 million vehicles in 2017, driving a $6.9 billion market for energy storage devices. Unlike full hybrids, micro-hybrids Mild hybrids improve fuel efficiency by assisting …Continue reading from luxresearchinc
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Green Car Congress: CoolPlanet BioFuels claims conversion yield of 4K gallons gasoline per acre biomass

February 25, 2012

CoolPlanet BioFuels, a start-up developing technology to convert low-grade biomass into high-grade fuels including gasoline, and carbon that can be sequestered  (earlier post), claims it has achieved a conversion yield of 4,000 gallons gasoline/acre biomass in pilot testing using giant miscanthus, an advanced bioenergy crop. On an energy basis, that yield is about 12 times greater...
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New Polymer Could Increase Capacitor Storage And Discharge Rate

February 25, 2012
capacitor

I don’t think there is enough talk about the potential for capacitors to change the electric vehicle field, though companies like Maxwell Technologies and Ioxus are making major progress on capacitor technology. If this research pans out though, it could reshape electric vehicle technology, and help EV’s overcome a potentially devastating design flaw. And while battery technology definitely...
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Gas Prices… Classic Gary Varvel

February 25, 2012
022312

There are a variety of reasons for gas prices increasing. But it wasn’t so long ago, the fault was easy to find.  Please read and follow Varvel at: http://blogs.indystar.com/varvelblog/2012/02/22/gas-prices-4/
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New Avenue For MRSA ‘Superbug’: Pigs – Slashdot

February 25, 2012

…researchers have discovered another waymethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria are developing resistance to antibiotics. According to the study (abstract), the bacteria made the jump to pigs on livestock farms, developed greater resistance through the rounds of antibiotics commonly used to keep the pigs healthy, and thenjumped back to humans.“The important development in the story of ST398...
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Why Tesla Cars Aren’t Bricked By Failing Batteries – Slashdot

February 25, 2012

Don’t believe recent claims made by a blogger that non-functioning batteries in the Tesla Roadster cause the electric cars to be bricked, says IDC analyst Sam Jaffe. ‘Here’s the primary fact that the blogger in question doesn’t understand: the Tesla battery pack is not a battery,’ says Jaffe. ‘It’s a collection of more than 8,000...
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Where Next-Generation Rare Earth Metals May Come From – Slashdot

February 25, 2012

Great piece in The Atlantic by Kyle Wiens of IFIXIT.org, who visited and photographed the Molycorp Mountain Pass rare earth facility in California’s Mojave Desert. The mine is the only source of rare earths in North America, one of the only alternatives to the mineral cartels in China, and one of the only sources for the...
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Cars Emit More Black Carbon Than Previously Thought – Slashdot

February 25, 2012

Gasoline-burning engines put out twice as much black carbon as was previously measured, according to new field methods tested in Toronto. The tiny particles known as black carbon pack a heavy punch when it comes to climate change, by trapping heat in the atmosphere and by alighting atop, and melting, Arctic ice. With an eye toward...
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America has already lost a decade of economic progress | The Economist

February 25, 2012

Economist – The Economist has crunched the numbers and on the basis of seven indicators covering economic output, wealth and labour markets, the United States has already gone back in time some ten years. Its GDP per person, for example, was at a higher level than today back in 2005 and its main stockmarket...
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Court rules visitors to national forest don’t have to pay a fee

February 25, 2012

Pasadena Star News - In a decision that could bring an end to the national Adventure Pass program, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Forest Service cannot charge for hiking, walking, picnicking or visiting undeveloped areas of national forest land. In the unanimous ruling released Feb. 9 in favor of...
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Ending poverty, not adding tests, is solution to school woes | Mercedes Olivera Columns – News for Dallas, Texas – The Dallas Morning News

February 25, 2012

Mercedes Olivera, Dallas Morning News … recent studies also reveal that U.S. students from middle-class families and well-funded schools outscore students in nearly all other countries. “Our average scores are less than spectacular because the U.S. has the highest percentage of children in poverty of all industrialized countries,” said Krashen, professor emeritus at the...
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before you vote, look at a few statistics since Barack Obama became the president of the United States.

February 25, 2012

Hey folks, it’s election time… and yes, with the help of newt, perry and santorum, Obama is starting to look like the only logical choice again. But, before you vote, look at a few statistics since Barack Obama became the president of the United States. In February 2009, President Obama was very confident that his economic...
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Gallup Finds Unemployment Climbing to Nine Percent in February | CNSNews.com

February 25, 2012

(CNSNews.com) – Unemployment in the U.S. rose to nine percent in mid-February, up from 8.3 percent a month earlier, according to a new Gallup survey. The polling company said this suggests that it is “premature” to assume the economy will not feature prominently in the 2012 election season. Gallup figures typically provide an indication of...
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$6 Gas This Summer — U.S. Economy Falls Off Cliff (NYSEArca:USO, NYSE:XOM, NYSE:CVX, NYSE:COP, NYSE:BP, NYSEArca:XLE, NYSEArca:UGA) | ETF DAILY NEWS

February 25, 2012

And at $6 per gallon, US consumers will not only experience a touch of Europe without leaving the comforts of their own homes, the drain on another flat-lined metric—household income—could inject additional life to the anti-Obama tide of disenchantment this election cycle. “March is now on the way, and we are seeing very high prices for gasoline...
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The compression of generations – 25 million adults live at home with parents because they’re unemployed or underemployed. The crushing cost of a college education today.

February 25, 2012

Where have the young adults gone? Without a doubt many young adults, those between the ages of 25 to 34 have moved back home (or never left home) because of the recession: Source:  Census Part of the trend is unmistakable in that much of the growth has come from men.  This is likely due...
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EPA funds University of Hawaii marine debris research project / Agency providing $15,000 to further

February 25, 2012

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently provided $15,000 in funding to the University of Hawaii to further research efforts on marine debris. The funding will be used to begin studying plastic debris caught in the filters of ship-board cooling systems – this project will develop methods and protocols to better monitor debris as...
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Fed Writes Sweeping Rules From Behind Closed Doors – WSJ.com

February 25, 2012

The Federal Reserve has operated almost entirely behind closed doors as it rewrites the rule book governing the U.S. financial system, a stark contrast with its push for transparency in its interest-rate policies and emergency-lending programs. While many Americans may not realize it, the Fed has taken on a much larger regulatory role than...
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Chart: ‘America’s Per Capita Government Debt Worse Than Greece’ | The Weekly Standard

February 25, 2012

Please read more from:  http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/chart-america-s-capita-government-debt-worse-greece_631797.html
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Debt ceiling: Doomsday may come sooner than expected – POLITICO.com

February 25, 2012

The federal government could hit the debt ceiling sooner than expected — and possibly around the November election — according to a report out Friday. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill had hoped that last summer’s deal to end the nasty fight over lifting the debt ceiling would ensure the issue wouldn’t resurface until at least...
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Obama mocks drill, baby, drill: ‘The American people aren’t stupid’

February 25, 2012

In an address on energy policy at the University of Miami, President Barack Obama mocked the GOP drumbeat for a drill-baby-drill response to rising gas prices. Noting that “it’s an election year,” Obama alluded to Newt Gingrich’s promise to deliver $2.50 gas with a return of drill-everywhere platform. Obama described the “three-point plans for...
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LEGO buys $500 million worth of wind turbines- GRIST

February 25, 2012
lego_turbine

The world’s third-largest toy manufacturer is going to be putting “made with wind power” labels on all those boxes of LEGOs, and not just because they bought their power from utilities with wind turbines. Kirkbi A/S, the family holding company that owns LEGO, will be buying actual wind turbines representing fully a third of...
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Flashback: Gingrich opposed ANWR drilling, pushed for efficiency instead

February 25, 2012
Flashback: Gingrich opposed ANWR drilling, pushed for efficiency instead

Gingrich, explaining that he didn’t mean all that stuff he said back in the ’80s. David Roberts- On that note, I would direct your attention to this 1995 open letter to Gingrich from then-Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope. Gingrich had just taken over as speaker of the House and Pope was eager to remind him...
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Industry, environmental groups spar on ballast water rules

February 25, 2012

…Environmental groups said earlier this week that the EPA’s proposed permit on ballast water technology has some positives, but it needs to be strengthened. Groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council have urged the EPA to adopt provisions including a zero-discharge standard for invasive species and a faster implementation timeline for new technology standards....
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BP Wins Most Pentagon Fuel Awards in Year After Gulf Explosion – (Bloomberg)

February 25, 2012

“When BP still owes billions of dollars in possible fines and penalties for their spill in the Gulf of Mexico, our military shouldn’t renew lucrative contracts” for the company, said Massachusetts Representative Edward Markey, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. It’s time “for our government to stand up to BP,” Markey...
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Virtual Power Plants, Real Power – IEEE Spectrum

February 25, 2012

…The first virtual power plants came online about 10 years ago, mainly as research projects, says Thomas Werner, a product manager in Siemens’s smart grid division who oversees the company’s virtual power plant projects. But in the last several years, he says, energy market players have come to accept the virtual power plant as a commercially...
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Georgia Reactor Project Seems Set for Big Federal Loan Guarantee – IEEE Spectrum

February 25, 2012

From the ferocity of the opposition to the Vogtle nuclear power plant project in Georgia, the first U.S. reactor project to get a construction permit in decades, you might think that the future of U.S. nuclear energy depends on it. In fact, the project seems set to get a Federal loan guarantee amounting to...
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Consumer Rates Climb After Deregulation Goldman Sachs Funded – Bloomberg

February 24, 2012

Bloomberg –  consumers were supposed to get lower electricity rates from deregulation. Instead, they pay some of the nation’s highest prices, partly because of bonds Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) recently sold for a local utility. The Wall Street bank marketed $1.7 billion of securities for Houston-based CenterPoint Energy Inc. (CNP) last month at...
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Tired Of High Gasoline Prices Already? We Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – Forbes

February 24, 2012

Forbes…Stop your whining. At $3.50 a gallon, fuel makes up just 29% of the total cost of driving. The U.S. Department of Transportation figures that insurance, license, registration, taxes, depreciation and finance charges on the average car come to about $5,600 a year. Enough gas to drive 15,000 miles will set you back just...
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‘Stupid’ and Oil Prices – Obama’s Forrest Gump analysis of rising gas prices.- WSJ.com

February 24, 2012

WSJ.com- ‘The American people aren’t stupid,” thundered President Obama yesterday in Miami, ridiculing Republicans who are blaming him for rising gasoline prices. Let’s hope he’s right, because not even Forrest Gump could believe the logic of what Mr. Obama is trying to sell. To wit, that a) gasoline prices are beyond his control, but...
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Chemical exposures cause child IQ losses that rival major diseases. — Environmental Health News

February 24, 2012

Three common environmental chemicals– lead, organophosphate pesticides and methylmercury– may have effects on children’s IQ in the overall population to the impacts of major medical conditions such as preterm birth or ADHD – two of the most prevalent in U.S. children. The finding from this reanalysis of published data hints that the societal toll...
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Minnesota Wind Farm Hearing Focuses On Bats, Birds | Earthtechling

February 24, 2012

Earthtechling- The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to hear testimony and take action today on the developer’s avian and bat protection plan, which outlines the company’s plans to monitor and minimize the impact on area wildlife. The commission has to approve the plan as a condition of the site permit it issued last...
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U.S. Drop In Energy Use: It’s A Feature, Not a Bug! | Earthtechling

February 24, 2012

Earthtechling- Investment advisors like Barron’s are apparently alarmed by a sudden drop in U.S. energy use, and believe that it indicates that our economy must now be in the deep freeze. Money guys—who always equate rise in GDP with rise in energy use—can imagine no other explanation for reduced energy use than that we are...
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Thermal Storage Gets More Solar On The Grid | Earthtechling

February 24, 2012
CSP-1

Author Bill Scanlon of National Renewable Energy Laboratory image via Shutterstock Peak demand for electricity in the United States typically hits between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., which doesn’t quite line up with the sun’s schedule. It’s fortunate that the sun is high in the sky during many of the hours when the air conditioning...
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CAPTAIN OBVIOUS… Enjoy and Have a great weekend!

February 24, 2012
demotivational posters - CAPTAIN OBVIOUS


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Mercury Rising: Make wise choices for health- cleanwisconsin

February 24, 2012
Beach

cleanwisconsin- A new report by the Minnesota Department of Health underscores the importance of making wise choices at the dinner table. In a recent study of mercury contamination in newborns in the Lake Superior region, fewer Wisconsin newborns are exposed to mercury pollution than Minnesota newborns. A whopping 10 percent of newborns in Minnesota have...
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Wisconsin Assembly Weakens Wetland Protections

February 24, 2012
Loon Lake

Photo Credit: Mario Quintana Wisconsin Assembly Weakens Wetland Protections Fewer wetlands could result in increased flooding, lower water quality MADISON – In a move that could set the stage for increased flooding, lower water quality and an economic loss for the state’s recreation industry, the State Assembly voted to significantly roll back protections for...
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Just like the big banks….Bankruptcy judge approves Solyndra bonuses

February 24, 2012

Delaware bankruptcy judge has approved close to $370,000 in bonuses for certain employees of Solyndra LLC, a solar panel manufacturer that received a half-billion dollar loan from the federal government before declaring bankruptcy. Read on at: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/22/bankruptcy-judge-approves-solyndra…
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Scientists did not break speed of light – it was a faulty wire

February 24, 2012

Einstein’s theory of special relativity, proposed in 1905, states that nothing in the universe can travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. But researchers at the CERN lab near Geneva claimed they had recorded neutrinos, a type of tiny particle, travelling faster than the barrier of 186,282 miles (299,792 kilometers) per...
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Tesla’s Electric “brick” problem – turns elec. car into $40,000 repair bill?

February 24, 2012

“Tesla Motors’ lineup of all-electric vehicles — its existing Roadster, almost certainly its impending Model S, and possibly its future Model X — apparently suffer from a severe limitation that can largely destroy the value of the vehicle. If the battery is ever totally discharged, the owner is left with what Tesla describes as...
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U.S. Prevalence of Obesity* National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009–2010

February 24, 2012

The figure below shows the prevalence of obesity among adults aged ≥20 years, by race/ethnicity and Sex in the United States during 2009-2010, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Among adults aged ≥20 years in 2009-2010, 35.5% of men and 35.8% of women were obese. Among men, 38.8% of non-Hispanic blacks,...
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Fatal Exposure to Methylene Chloride Among U.S. Bathtub Refinishers — CDC

February 24, 2012

CDC -  In 2010, the Michigan Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program conducted an investigation into the death of a bathtub refinisher who used a methylene chloride–based paint stripping product marketed for use in aircraft maintenance. The program identified two earlier, similar deaths in Michigan. Program staff members notified CDC’s National Institute for Occupational...
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Bill Gates: We Need Genetically Modified Seeds

February 24, 2012

(World Economic Forum / swiss-image.ch/Photo by Sebastian Derungs)Agence France-Presse reports: Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Thursday called for a “digital revolution” to alleviate world hunger by increasing agricultural productivity through satellites and genetically-engineered seed varieties. “We have to think hard about how to start taking advantage of the digital revolution that is driving innovation including...
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Radiation detected 400 miles off Japanese coast – CBS News

February 24, 2012

(AP)   SALT LAKE CITY – Radioactive contamination from the Fukushima power plant disaster has been detected as far as almost 400 miles off Japan in the Pacific Ocean, with water showing readings of up to 1,000 times more than prior levels, scientists reported Tuesday. …The results are for water samples taken in June, about...
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Another Leaking Nuclear Plant…Radioactive groundwater detected at Va power plant | Mansfield News Journal

February 24, 2012

USA Today -Dominion Virginia Power is seeking the source of leaking radioactivity at its North Anna nuclear power plant after an elevated level of tritium was detected in groundwater. Times Dispatch – Dominion Virginia Power has found elevated levels of a weak form of radioactivity in a sampling well at its North Anna nuclear...
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Methanol as an Alternative to Gasoline – NYTimes.com

February 24, 2012

PRESIDENT Obama recently called the United States the “Saudi Arabia of natural gas” and asserted that it was time for our oil-dominated transportation fuel market to open the door to natural gas. He’s right. It would be cheaper for consumers and reduce the strategic importance of oil. But first we need cars that can...
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Cleaner Air, but Fate of Laid-Off Workers Clouds Coal Plant Closing

February 24, 2012

State Line Power Station on the shore of Lake Michigan just across the Indiana border from Chicago was key to powering the once-legendary industries of Chicago, Gary and other Northwest Indiana towns. The coal-fired plant, which opened in 1929, provided electricity for nearby steel mills, stock yards, refineries and countless other factories, businesses and...
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President Obama Announces Funding for Breakthroughs in Natural Gas and Biofuels as Alternative Fuels

February 24, 2012

President Obama announced new funding to catalyze breakthrough technologies for two key alternative fuels—natural gas and biofuels—as part of his energy strategy to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Please continue reading at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=18120
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VIC MILK PROCESSING EXPLOSION CAUSES $3 MILLION DAMAGE

February 23, 2012

Source Follow Colin An explosion at a Victorian milk processing plant in the early hours of this morning has caused more than $3 million worth of damage. http://www.manmonthly.com.au/news/vic-milk-processing-explosion-causes-3-million-da
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Green Remake Gives Nebraska A LEED Landmark | Earthtechling

February 23, 2012

In Omaha, Nebraska, the Union Pacific railroad has taken steps to green company operations at the Union Pacific Center—a 19-story, 1.3-million-square-foot building completed in 2004 and home to around 4,000 employees. The building recently received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the largest LEED-certified building in the state and only the second building...
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Wind Power Via Your Breath Powers Your Gadgets | Earthtechling

February 23, 2012

The AIRE mask is a new concept device for recharging  small electronic devices. Instead of solar power, or kinetic energy,  it converts wind (provided by the wearer’s breath) into electricity that can be used to juice your phone or other gadgets. The AIRE mask … power your devices with renewable energy that you make yourself. Inside the unit there are...
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Why Universities Are Building Superefficient cogeneration power Plants – GOOD

February 23, 2012

Colleges and universities that are taking advantage of cogeneration technology. This system lives just below ground, a block off Washington Square Park, underneath a pleasant walkway spotted with local grasses and benches. If you sit and listen quietly, you can hear the noise of the turbines spinning at 13,000 revolutions per minute below. Once, the university...
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‘Green’ cement modeled on Roman buildings | TG Daily

February 23, 2012

Engineers have found a way to cut the CO2 and energy footprint of cement by 97 percent – and the recipe’s much cheaper, too. A Drexel University team has created an alkali-activated cement based on  an industrial byproduct, slag, and simple limestone, and which doesn’t require heating to produce. They say their alternative production...
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Versatile Wind Harvester breaks from traditional turbine design. -ecoGizmo

February 23, 2012

ecoGizmo- From huge kites to sea-bound flywheels and roof-top installations to tree-like art creations, we’ve seen many different approaches to capturing energy from the wind. One design, though, reigns supreme – the tri-blade turbine tower. It’s not exactly a trouble-free life at the top and there are those who do not look upon these monsters...
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Power Felt generates electricity from body heat – GizMag

February 23, 2012

Some day, your jacket may be able to power your iPod … and no, I’m not talking about piezoelectric fabrics (which generate electricity from movement-caused pressure), nor am I talking about photovoltaic materials, although both of those could probably do the job. Instead, your jacket might be made out of a new thermoelectric material...
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Now glyphosate found in people’s urine – ithaka

February 23, 2012

According to an article in German in the Ithaca journal, a German university study has found significant concentrations of glyphosate in the urine samples of city dwellers. The analysis of the urine samples apparently found that all had concentrations of glyphosate at 5 to 20-fold the limit for drinking water. As well as being...
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EPA Seeks to Clarify New CDR Reporting Rule Requirements, Recent ACA Webinar Offers Insights on Comp

February 23, 2012

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a document that addresses a series of 18 industry scenarios and questions related to the agency’s new Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule. Please continue reading at: http://paint.org/news/industry-news/item/774-epa-seeks-to-clarify-new-cdr-reporting-rule-requirements-recent-aca-webinar-offers-insights-on-compliance.html Sent with MobileRSS HD FREE
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California Fatality Alert Warns of Methylene Chloride Risks to Works Confined Spaces

February 23, 2012

The Occupational Health Branch of the California Department of Public Health has issued a Fatality Alert to emphasize the dangers associated with confined spaces and using toxic solvents to clean in them. Please continue reading at: http://paint.org/news/industry-news/item/772-california-fatality-alert-warns-of-methylene-chloride-risks-to-works-confined-spaces.html
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Industrial Solvent Cleaning Rules Move Forward in the States

February 23, 2012

Many states have established, or are in the process of adopting, industrial solvent cleaning regulations that could impact coatings, ink, adhesive, and resin manufacturing operations. In particular, these rules could impact the type of solvents that are used to clean process equipment, tanks, lines, etc. Cleaning solvents would need to meet a volatile organic...
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Green power holds promise to replace fossil fuel as world’s primary electricity source – vancouversun

February 23, 2012

Large-scale green energy systems can affordably replace fossil fuel as the world’s primary source of electricity within 20 years, new research from the United States weather office suggests. Critics in the U.S., notably those with links to electricity producers who rely on coaland natural gas-fired generation, argue that the uneven production of power from...
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New Enzyme Could Cut Cost of Ethanol Made From Waste – NYTimes.com

February 22, 2012

NY Times: what may come as welcome news to oil companies that are paying penalties for failing to use cellulosic ethanol — a biofuel that, commercially speaking, does not yet exist — a big producer of industrial enzymes has developed an enzyme that can help wring more ethanol out of cellulose at a lower cost. The...
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Assessment of impact of 88 coal plants on health – NBF

February 22, 2012

Estimating the Health Impacts of Coal-Fired Power Plants Receiving International Financing (9 pages) Of the 88 coal plants and companies considered in this report, 57% of those in High and Upper middle income countries used (flue-gas desulfurization) FGD compared to only 30% of those in Lower-middle and Low income countries. Theoretically, if all of...
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