With the future of an international climate agreement still in flux, governments worldwide are turning to voluntary carbon offsetting markets to engage private sector climate actors – and to provide the tools that could shape tomorrow’s regulated carbon markets, according to a study by Ecosystem Marketplace, a project of nonprofit Forest Trends. At least 21 such government ...Please continue reading at:Mar 4, 2012
Voluntary Carbon Offset Programs Gathering Steam
With the future of an international climate agreement still in flux, governments worldwide are turning to voluntary carbon offsetting markets to engage private sector climate actors – and to provide the tools that could shape tomorrow’s regulated carbon markets, according to a study by Ecosystem Marketplace, a project of nonprofit Forest Trends. At least 21 such government ...Please continue reading at:
U.S. retrofits could yield $1 trillion of energy savings over 10 years, equivalent to savings of about 30 percent of the country’s annual electricity, Report Says
U.S. retrofits could yield $1 trillion of energy savings over 10 years, equivalent to savings of about 30 percent of the country’s annual electricity spend, according to a report by Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors and The Rockefeller Foundation. To achieve the savings, $279 billion would need to be invested in retrofitting the commercial, institutional and residential [...]Please continue reading at:
GSA Announces New E-Waste Policy for Federal Government
U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), E-Force Recycling in Philadelphia, U.S. General Services Administrator Martha Johnson announced new guidelines banning all federal agencies from disposing of electronic waste in landfills. The policy will ensure that the federal government is leading by example and that all of its electronics are managed effectively in the disposal process. The policy will also direct electronics to certified recyclers, creating more opportunities for the e-waste industry.The new policy, outlined in a bulletin to federal agencies this week, directs federal agencies to reuse electronics to the maximum extent possible and then direct non-functioning products to certified e-waste recyclers. As electronics reach the end of their utility, asset managers will offer these products to be reused at other agencies, schools, state and local governments, or offer them for sale. Federal agencies are being banned from disposing of these materials in landfills or incinerators, and instead they will now send them to third-party certified e-waste recyclers--under R2 or eStewards--when reuse is not an option. Additionally, recipients of used government electronics are being encouraged to follow the same reuse and certified recycling standards as the federal government.
Source
Failed backyard farms lead to growing number of homeless animals
The Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary gets weekly calls from people looking for new homes for their roosters, goats and other animals. Founded in 2004 with just a few chickens and a rooster, today the 23-acre refuge in Woodstock, N.Y., is home to more than 200 animals.
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81 things you can compost | MNN - Mother Nature Network
Composting is a key component of the eco-friendly puzzle, because it takes waste that’s destined for landfills and turns it into usable, nutrient-rich soil, which is perfect for gardening. Most people focus on kitchen scraps, but that’s just the very tip of the composting iceberg. Did you know you could also include the following? Just be sure that anything you compost is not made from plastic (in the case of the rope) and free of toxic chemicals (sawdush, ashes).
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I killed the Internet | TNL.net
A new essay today, by Tristan Louis at his site, extends the logic. It begins thus:![IKilledNet.png]()
The essay connects individual user behavior, click-by-click, with the larger trends in the Internet's growth. Worth reading and reflecting on.
The essay connects individual user behavior, click-by-click, with the larger trends in the Internet's growth. Worth reading and reflecting on.
The Specter of Gasoline At $5 a Gallon - Slashdot
Hugh Pickens writes"The NY Times reports that gas prices are already at record highs for the winter months — averaging $4.32 in California and $3.73 a gallon nationally. As summer approaches, demand for gasoline rises, typically pushing prices up around 20 cents a gallon. But gas prices could rise another 50 cents a gallon or more, analysts say, if the diplomatic and economic standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions escalates into military conflict or there is some other major supply disruption. 'If we get some kind of explosion — like an Israeli attack or some local Iranian revolutionary guard decides to take matters in his own hands and attacks a tanker — than we'd see oil prices push up 20 to 25 percent higher and another 50 cents a gallon at the pump,' says Michael C. Lynch, president of Strategic Energy and Economic Research. A sharp rise in the prices of oil and gas would crimp the nation's budding economic recovery would cause big political problems at home for President Obama, who is already being attacked by Republican presidential candidates over gas prices and his overall energy policies. On the other hand, environmentalists see high gas prices as a helpful step toward the development of alternative energy. Secretary Treasury Steven Chu notably said in 2008 'we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe' to make Americans trade in their 'love affair with the automobile' for a marriage to mass transit. In the meantime President Obama is in a bind because any success in tightening sanctions on Iran could squeeze global oil supplies, pushing up prices and causing serious economic repercussions at home and abroad."
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Science and Engineering Workforce Has Stalled In the US - Slashdot
The science and engineering workforce in the U.S. has flatlined, according to the Population Reference Bureau. As a percentage of the total labor force, S&E workers accounted for 4.9% of the workforce in 2010, a slight decline from the three previous years when these workers accounted for 5% of the workforce. That percentage has been essentially flat for the past decade. In 2000, it stood at 5.3%. The reasons for this trend aren't clear, but one factor may be retirements. S&E workers who are 55 and older accounted for 13% of this workforce in 2005; they accounted for 18% in 2010. 'This might imply that there aren't enough young people entering the S&E labor force,' said one research analyst."
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Computer Programmers Only the 5th Most Sleep Deprived Profession - Slashdot
"As described in the NY Times Economix blog, the mattress chain Sleepy's analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey to findthe ten most sleep deprived professions. In order, they are: Home Health Aides, Lawyer, Police Officers, Doctors/Paramedics, Tie: (Economists, Social Workers, Computer Programmers), Financial Analysts, Plant Operators (undefined, but we assume 'factory' and not 'Audrey II'), and Secretaries."
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Massive Fiscal Cliff Ignoring | Gary Varvel - indystar
Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, warned Congressmen that they risk driving the economy over a “massive fiscal cliff.” Last years debt-ceiling deal set in motion $1.2 trillion in spending reduction and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. The quote brought to mind the final scene in Thelma and Louise.
EPA Provides $15 Million to Help Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Across the Country/Fund
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it will provide up to $15 million in funding for training and technical assistance to small drinking and wastewater systems, defined as systems that serve fewer than 10,000 people, and private well owners
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Urban Waters Federal Partnership Launches Ambassadors Program to Support Revitalizing Urban Waterway
WASHINGTON - The Urban Waters Federal Partnership, made up of 11 federal agencies, today announced a program in seven cities that will accelerate and coordinate on-the-ground projects that are critical to improving water quality and public health, restoring forest resources and fostering community stewardship in urban watersheds. Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S
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The Senate: America's most powerful private club
For many years, we have argued that if the Senate were a public school it would be under court ordered busing, if it was a corporation it couldn't get any government contracts, and if it was a private club, members would want to resign before running for public office.A recent report by the Congressional Research Service supports this view.At the beginning of the 112th Congress only 2% of the senators were latino, 2% Asian American and none were black. There have been some changes, however. Back in the 79th Congress (1945-47) only 56% of members of the House held a bachelor's degree. By the latest Congress the figure was 95%. Nationally, only 27% of of adult Americans have attended four years of college.
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Study says new children's books lack reference to nature, animals - USATODAY.com
USA Today - Researchers at several universities reviewed about 8,100 images in 296 children's books. The books were all Caldecott Medalwinners and honorees from 1938 to 2008. The Caldecott awards are given annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
Researchers categorized images as containing either a natural environment, such as a jungle or forest; a built environment, such as a house, school or office; or a modified environment, such as a mowed lawn, park or farm field. They also identified wild and domestic animals. The findings, published in February's Sociological Inquiry:
•Early in the study period, built environments were the primary environments in about 35% of images. By the end of the study, they were primary environments about 55% of the time.
•Early in the study, natural environments were the primary environments about 40% of the time; by the end, the figure was roughly 25%.
Images of wild animals and domestic animals declined dramatically over time, says lead author Al Williams of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: "The natural environment and wild animals have all but disappeared in these books."
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Lorax hawks gas-guzzlers... Greenwasher of the year?
For more than 40 years, liberal America's children have been enchanted by the Lorax, a furry Dr Seuss character, with an extravagant moustache who sums up his role in life with an oft-repeated catchphrase: "I speak for the trees!"
Please continue reading at: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/americas-favourite-treehugger-hawks-gasguzzlers-7469071.html
At least 37 dead as tornadoes batter American Midwest
A string of violent tornadoes touched down across the United States, flattening small towns from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, cutting off rural communities and killing more than 30 people. Yesterday, as daylight allowed mile after mile of wreckage to be sifted, the death toll was rising. An unknown number of people are still missing.
Please continue reading at:mhttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/at-least-37-dead-as-tornadoes-batter-american-midwest-7534791.html
Mar 3, 2012
Pocket Geiger: The $46 iPhone Geiger counter
Using Facebook while driving more dangerous than drinking, texting or marijuana
Portable device instantly detects diseases
Audi announces U.S. introduction of A3 e-tron electric vehicle pilot program - GizMag
Sizing Up Health Impacts a Year After Fukushima - NYTimes.com
...many of them poorly understand the risks, he said. “Usually, when they discuss these issues, what does it mean to get 15 millisieverts, it’s in anizakaya, a Japanese bar, he said. Fifteen millisieverts is as much radiation as most Americans get in three to five years from natural background radiation and about three-quarters of the amount that most American reactor operators set as an annual limit for their personnel.
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Stop pretending you care about stainable business and ethics - ouch!
Art by Matt Stevenson. Via Chelsea Fagan
Volt production on hold for 5 weeks
General Motors has told 1,300 employees at its Detroit Hamtramck that they will be temporarily laid off for five weeks as the company halts production of the Chevrolet Volt and its European counterpart, the Opel Ampera.
Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20120302/BUSINESS0101/120302035/Volt-production-on-hold-for-5-weeks
Dying to be Green by Daniel Greenfield
Some 8,000 people die in the UK every year due to what is being called “fuel poverty” or, more simply, when it costs too much to heat your home. Naturally the left is already on the case, staging “die-ins” outside energy companies and demanding that carbon credits be used to make homes “super-energy efficient.” Left out of the equation is that rising fuel prices can in no small part be attributed to the environmental mania which is at the heart of the movement...
Mar 2, 2012
Solar Flare Big Enough To Cause Catastrophe On Earth Called Surprisingly Likely
An aurora borealis may be beautiful, but can there be too much of a good thing? A new study published in the journal Space Weather analyzed the frequency of the solar storms that cause auroras and found that there's a one in eight chance that by 2020 the Earth will be affected by a major solar flare.
The risk is far greater than previously thought.
"Even if it’s off by a factor of two, that’s a much larger number than I thought,” study author Pete Riley, senior scientist at Predictive Science, a space "weather" research firm in San Diego, told Wired.
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Bernanke warns lawmakers country headed for 'massive fiscal cliff' - The Hill
Congress risks taking the economy over a “massive fiscal cliff,” Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned lawmakers on Wednesday.
In remarks that hit Wall Street stock prices, the central bank boss suggested the economy could hit a serious roadblock if Congress allows the Bush tax rates and a payroll tax cut to expire and $1.2 trillion in spending cuts to be implemented simultaneously in January.
“Under current law, on Jan. 1, 2013, there’s going to be a massive fiscal cliff of large spending cuts and tax increases,” Bernanke told the House Financial Services Committee. “I hope that Congress will look at that and figure out ways to achieve the same long-run fiscal improvement without having it all happen at one date.
“All those things are hitting on the same day, basically. It’s quite a big event.”
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Chinese Leaders Impose New Rules to Reduce Air Pollution
Bowing to increasing public concern about poor air quality, the Chinese government has approved strict new air pollution standards, including tougher rules for ozone and for particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter...all but the nation’s smallest cities must comply by 2015. According to the announcement, the council also pledged to improve the quality of gasoline and raise auto emissions standards. Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, called the standards “a major step forward” in addressing air pollution in China. “It doesn’t mean that the sky will turn blue automatically because at the end of the day we still need to cut off these emissions,” he said
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GHS in the USA is Imminent – Are You Ready?
Safetec - As you know, OSHA’s revisions to its Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) to incorporate certain aspects of GHS has been a long time coming. However, we are in the final stages, as it passed review at the Federal Office of Management and Budget on February 21, 2012.
Let’s review the major changes and challenges on the horizon with respect to the new HazCom Standard:
Major Changes:
1. Hazard Classifications
OSHA definitions have changed to accommodate the new GHS hazard classifications. OSHA previously referred to these as “hazard determinations.” With the new HazCom standard, we will need to comply with the GHS criteria based standards for 12 health hazard classifications and 16 physical hazard classifications.
Additionally, GHS adds severity rankings to each of the hazard classifications. Categories range from 1 to 4; with “1” indicating the most severe and “4” indicating least severe.
2. Pictograms
OSHA will adopt the 8 pictograms per the GHS guidance. These pictograms are meant to visually convey the health or physical hazard present. Pictograms will need to be on every label and safety data sheet
3. Material Safety Data Sheets
Material Safety Data Sheets will become Safety Data Sheets (SDS), per GHS guidance. Each SDS will need to be in a uniform 16 section format. The required elements for each section are detailed in the new HazCom Standard. ALL active MSDS will need to be converted to the SDS format. Archieved MSDS do not need to be converted. HazCom will still require a 30-year SDS retention. All MSDS will need to be converted to the new SDS format within 3 years of the promulgation date of the new HazCom standard.
4. Labeling
Labels will be required to follow a uniform format containing 9 elements: product name/identifier; a symbol (pictogram); signal words; hazard statement; supplemental information; precautionary measures; first aid information; company information; and company telephone number.
Major Challenges:
NFPA, HMIS, GHS
Most of us are used to the NFPA and HMIS systems where the number “4” indicates a severe hazard. However, under the new GHS HazCom standard, a “4” will mean the least severe and “1” will mean the most severe.
Most of us in the regulated community are very concerned that this will be the source of great confusion on the manufacturing floor and that this will be an extremely difficult training scenario, as all police, fire departments and other emergency responders are trained in the NFPA and HMIS systems.
Here is what OSHA said during the public comment period for the new HazCom standard:
”OSHA recognizes that the approach to numbering hazard categories in the GHS differs from that used in the HMIS and NFPA systems. However, the Agency does not believe that this will result in confusion. GHS category\numbers determine the label elements that would be required for a chemical, but the category numbers themselves would not appear on labels. Where GHS category numbers would appear on the SDS (Section 2–Hazards identification), they would be accompanied by the label elements for the chemical, which would clearly indicate the degree of hazard. OSHA, therefore, does not anticipate that this information will cause employees to become confused. Moreover, the approach taken in the GHS (i.e., assigning higher category numbers to denote less serious hazards) is consistent with the approach used in the DOT transport regulations for many years.”
Mar 1, 2012
Webinar - Report on the negotiations to amend the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)
The Governments of the United States and Canada (the Parties) recently held the final negotiation session and the amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) is now in the process of being finalized and approved. The Parties would like to take the opportunity to report to the public on the outcome of the negotiation sessions and provide an overview of the amendments put forward to Governments for approval. The presentation will include a description of the conceptual consensus reached on what should be in an amended Agreement. There will also be time for clarifying questions and answers.
Title: Report on the negotiations to amend the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)
Date: Monday, March 5, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM CST (please note that this is Central/Chicago time) Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/226010057
Title: Report on the negotiations to amend the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)
Date: Monday, March 5, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM CST (please note that this is Central/Chicago time) Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/226010057
FREE Webinar - How to Prevent, Prepare and Respond to Chemical Releases (15 min)
Confused by all the environmental regulations surrounding hazardous chemical releases?
Would you like to understand not only what the major environmental regulations (EPCRA, RCRA, CWA, CAA) require when it comes to emergency release notification, but also how to design an effective program to prevent, prepare, and respond to chemical release incidents? When: Thursday, March 8th, 2012 at 11:00am PST
In just 15 minutes you could be out of compliance. By attending this webinar you will learn:
- What EPCRA, RCRA, CAA, and CWA emergency response regulations apply to your facility
- What you need to know to prevent and respond to emergency release situations
- Step-by-step guidance that you can actually use at your facility to develop effective programsPresenter Bio: Kim Peterson, a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), has worked in the realm of environmental, health and safety for her entire 12 year career. Kim began as an environmental consultant assisting manufacturing companies with environmental compliance issues then moved into the manufacturing arena and worked as the Director of Environmental Compliance for Graphic Packaging International (GPI). Kim holds an MS in Environmental Management & Sustainability from the Illinois Institute of Technology and has been a key-note environmental compliance and sustainability speaker on many occasions.
Register Here
Would you like to understand not only what the major environmental regulations (EPCRA, RCRA, CWA, CAA) require when it comes to emergency release notification, but also how to design an effective program to prevent, prepare, and respond to chemical release incidents? When: Thursday, March 8th, 2012 at 11:00am PST
In just 15 minutes you could be out of compliance. By attending this webinar you will learn:
- What EPCRA, RCRA, CAA, and CWA emergency response regulations apply to your facility
- What you need to know to prevent and respond to emergency release situations
- Step-by-step guidance that you can actually use at your facility to develop effective programsPresenter Bio: Kim Peterson, a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), has worked in the realm of environmental, health and safety for her entire 12 year career. Kim began as an environmental consultant assisting manufacturing companies with environmental compliance issues then moved into the manufacturing arena and worked as the Director of Environmental Compliance for Graphic Packaging International (GPI). Kim holds an MS in Environmental Management & Sustainability from the Illinois Institute of Technology and has been a key-note environmental compliance and sustainability speaker on many occasions.
Register Here
Great Lakes Summit: Advancing Partnerships for Great Lakes Restoration | The White House
whitehouse.gov- CEQ hosted a White House Community Leaders Briefing on the Great Lakes Region with environmental, academic, business and civic leaders from throughout the Midwest. The briefing was an important opportunity for dialogue between Great Lakes leaders and senior Administration officials like Counselor to the President Pete Rouse, Secretary of Commerce John Bryson, Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes, and USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Ann Mills, on the importance of community leadership in Great Lake restoration.
The Great Lakes are home to some of America's finest beaches, world-class fisheries, and some of the world's most popular tourist destinations. They are also one of the planet's greatest natural resources, providing drinking water for more than 30 million people and supporting one of the world's largest regional economies.
The Administration has made it a priority to work with state, city, environmental, academic and business leaders toward lasting solutions for the Great Lakes. We have made the most significant investment in history in Great Lakes restoration – more than $1 billion since the President took office – and launched the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to dedicate sustained attention to restoring this vital ecosystem. Led by U.S. EPA, the initiative has already removed more than 1 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and protected or restored more than 20,000 acres of essential habitat
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Wild animals to be banned from circus - Nature - Environment - The Independent
Ministers will today dash hopes of an immediate ban on the use of wild animals in circuses. - woohoo!
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U.S. Was Net Oil-Product Exporter for First Time Since 1949 - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - The U.S. exported more gasoline, diesel and other fuels than it imported in 2011 for the first time since 1949, the Energy Department said today. Shipments abroad of petroleum products exceeded imports by 439,000 barrels a day, the department said in the Petroleum Supply Monthly report. In 2010, daily net imports averaged 269,000 barrels. U.S. refiners exported record amounts of gasoline, heating oil and diesel to meet higher global fuel demand while U.S. fuel consumption sank.
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Only 54% Of Young Adults In America Have A Job | ZeroHedge
zerohedge... when it comes to young adults (18-24) in the US, the employment rate is just barely above half, or 54%, which just happens to be the lowest in 64 years, - of all age groups, this is the one that has also seen its wages drop the most...
And while technically this means 46% are unemployed, or the same percentage as in Greece, the US ratio, which comes from Pew, shows the ratio as a % of the total population: a very sensitive topic now that every month we see another 250,000 drop off mysteriously from the total labor force.
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