Green News 4U

Waterless Urinals Fail in a School - $500,000 to Fix

2012-02-01T16:31:00.001-05:00

In Boca Raton, Florida Students had to step over rivers of urin and endure a horid stench of rancid waste after a plan to bring 'green' waterless urinals into bathrooms backfired according to the report. School officals at Spanish River High School wanted an environmentally friendly, cost-savings solution so they turned to Falcon Waterfree urinals. With no water moving through the copper pipes to flush the urine into the sewer system, the waste product eventualy ate through the metal leaving leaky pipes that dripped into the walls and flowed onto the floors. According to Frank Barbieri who told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel 'The girls had to step over a river of urine. I could smell it as soon as I walked into the hallway.'

Melvin Wylie

FCM Announces Opening of New Facility in British Columbia

2012-01-31T16:44:00.000-05:00

FCM Recycling Inc. is proud to announce the opening of their newest e-waste processing facility in Delta, British Columbia. FCM Recycling Inc. ("FCM") is excited to announce the opening of their newest facility located on Annacis Island, British Columbia. With the opening of this 50,000 square foot facility, FCM expands its operations of providing end of life electronics processing services to residential consumers, businesses, governments and provincial programs. "British Columbia, with a population of over 4 million people, is home to one of the most advanced and developed end of life electronics processing programs. FCM is excited to provide its services in the BC market and contribute to the local community through job creation and its involvement in the community" said Andrew Rubin, representative of FCM. This facility will provide FCM with a national reach allowing it to service customers with their e-waste, ITAD and data destruction needs from the Canadian east to west coast. About FCM Recycling FCM Recycling is one of North America's leaders in the recycling and safe disposal of end-of-life electronic equipment. We dispose of EOLEs with no impact to the environment and the highest level of data protection. We boast major processing facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, government certifications, over 18 years experience, and knowledgeable, dedicated personnel. One of our key objectives was to become a pioneer in e-waste environmental services. We have achieved that objective. Today we strive to maintain our position as industry leader by continuously improving our processes and using the best practices available to us and the recycling industry. EOLES received at any of FCM's various state-of-the-art recycling facilities, are broken down into various recyclable components such as copper, aluminum, plastics, glass etc. Equipment is fully destroyed, ensuring that no data becomes exposed to pilfering, with Certificates of Destruction issued on request. For more information about FCM Recycling please visit www.fcmrecycling.com

Melvin Wylie

Airport Shuttles Going Green

2012-01-26T15:38:00.001-05:00

While shared-ride transportation is inherently eco-friendly, many members of The GO Group, the world's largest airport shuttle provider, are going one step further. GO companies serving San Francisco International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Milwaukee's General Mitchell International, Dallas-Ft. Worth and Puerto Rico's Luis Munoz Marin International are converting all or part of their fleets to alternative fuels – either compressed natural gas (CNG) or propane. While GO companies in Los Angeles (serving all southern California airports) and Chicago (serving Midway and O'Hare) also are in the process of doing so. CNG is a fossil fuel, while propane is a by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining. Both burn cleaner than gasoline or diesel fuels, although CNG is considered the cleaner of the two. Companies that convert to alternative fuels can earn a 50 cents-per-gallon tax credit as well other incentives from local government and the airports. GO Shuttle Express in Seattle, which has 43 propane-fueled vehicles, began the conversion process last January and has 20 more systems to install. According to J. R. Rowley, president of GO Shuttle Express, the fuel saving has been around $2 per gallon. Maintenance costs, however, have been slightly higher due to the learning curve. In San Francisco, GO Lorries has adapted 16 vans to CNG, with another 28 to be retrofitted for CNG by May. "The conversions are expensive," says Julio Bonilla, president, "but the fuel savings mitigate the cost." As of December, GO Riteway Transportation Group in Milwaukee has moved 21 of its 500-vehicle fleet to propane, experiencing a $7,000 fuel savings since October. According to Jason Ebert, fleet and facilities coordinator, the maintenance costs are lower as oil changes can now be performed every 7,000 rather than every 5,000 miles as in the past. Ebert reports one reason GO Riteway opted for propane is that it is 90 percent as efficient as gasoline, which allows for a greater vehicle range than CNG, which is only 31 percent efficient. Also, the cost of a propane conversion is one third less than the cost of a CNG conversion. The GO Group LLC is a one-stop source for airport shuttles, which transport some 13 million passengers to and from airports in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe. Travelers can book ground transportation to and from both departure and destination airports at www.goairportshuttle.com.

Melvin Wylie

Amazon Defense Coalition Says U.S. Law Firms Bill Chevron Exorbitant Fees To Prevent Clean-up of Ecuador Pollution Crisis

2012-01-26T15:34:00.001-05:00

Oil Giant Concedes It Has Used Almost 500 Lawyers to Fight Rainforest Indigenous Groups While indigenous groups in Ecuador's Amazon face possible death and grave illness from Chevron's "Rainforest Chernobyl" disaster, several prominent U.S. law firms and their well-known partners are billing the oil giant hundreds of millions of dollars to forestall a clean-up that could save thousands of lives, according to court documents. Chevron's lead outside law firm in the U.S., Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, has 60 lawyers working extensively on the case, a recent court filing revealed. The filing also showed that Chevron has paid almost 500 attorneys and paralegals from 39 different law firms since the celebrated case was filed in U.S. federal court in 1993. The litigation was shifted to Ecuador at Chevron's request in 2002, with a subsequent eight-year trial resulting in an $18 billion judgment against the oil giant for causing what experts believe could be the world's worst oil-related contamination. See here, here and here. The Ecuador litigation represents the first time that indigenous groups have successfully sued a large oil company for harm caused to their health and ancestral lands, said Karen Hinton, the U.S. spokesperson for the Ecuadorians. Evidence from independent health evaluations concluded that more than 9,000 rainforest dwellers face the risk of contracting cancer absent a rapid cleanup of the damage. In all, Gibson Dunn was billing Chevron an estimated $250 million per year in 2010 and 2011 as the company launched lawsuits against the plaintiffs in 16 different federal courts, helped to litigate an international arbitration action against Ecuador's government, filed a fraud case against the Ecuadorians and their lawyers in U.S. federal court, and supervised Chevron's battery of local lawyers in Ecuador as they faced multiple setbacks that culminated in the adverse judgment against Chevron, said Hinton. "Chevron's environmental destruction in Ecuador is the best thing that ever happened to the bottom line of Gibson Dunn," said Hinton, who noted the firm reported a 20% increase in per-partner profits in 2010 during a downturn in the economy as dozens of its lawyers worked full-bore on the Ecuador matter. "Clearly, Gibson Dunn and several other firms are profiting from rainforest destruction," Hinton added. "These lawyers have proven that fighting to deny the human rights of indigenous groups can be a very profitable business model." Gibson Dunn clearly has sold Chevron on its willingness to engage in questionable tactics and push the ethical envelope, said Hinton. The firm boasts that it engages in "recuse operations" for clients in trouble and that if the law is in the way it is willing to maneuver around it to achieve client objectives. Several judges have sanctioned Gibson Dunn lawyers for trying to intimidate witnesses and for filing frivolous lawsuits on behalf of Chevron, and one well-known partner has been accused of trying to mislead the Congress about the case. In November, a federal judge in Oregon fined Chevron after a team of Gibson Dunn lawyers had harassed the executive director of a respected environmental organization that had filed a brief in support of the Ecuadorians. Gibson Dunn also uses cookie cutter lawsuits, Hinton said, where defenders of human rights victims and their supporters are always accused of "fraud" for trying to hold wrongdoers like Chevron accountable for their misconduct. "The basic Gibson Dunn template is to attack victims to distract from the evidence," said Hinton. "When that doesn't work, the firm resorts to outright intimidation to silence any lawyer or advocate who stands up to the firm." Gibson Dunn's approach also has created numerous problems for Chevron in Ecuador, the fifth-largest oil producing nation in South America. Chevron's legal team in Ecuador is said to be furious with the Gibson Dunn lawyers for losing the case because of their arrogant treatment of Ecuadorian judges, said Hinton. Chevron lawyers in Ecuador working closely on the case with Gibson Dunn's "rescue" team have been sanctioned repeatedly for filing frivolous motions (once filing a motion eighteen times in 30 minutes), threatening the presiding judge with jail time if he didn't rule in Chevron's favor, and paying a Chevron contractor to secretly videotape a judge to try to entrap him in a trumped-up bribe scandal. The Ecuador court imposed a large punitive damages award on Chevron in large part for its abuse of the judicial process in Ecuador, according to the judgment. In the meantime, the case has become a financial bonanza for several other large law firms who represent Chevron. The list of 39 law firms disclosed by the company in a U.S. court action also includes the prominent criminal defense firm of Arguedas, Cassman & Headley; Jones Day; King & Spalding; Akin, Gump, Strauss; Hauer & Feld; Holland & Knight; Jones Day; Steptoe & Johnson; and Williams & Connolly. The all-star cast of attorneys who have worked on some aspect of the case for Chevron include Theodore Olson of Gibson Dunn, a former Solicitor General of the United States; Brendan Sullivan of Williams & Connolly, who reportedly represented a Chevron executive who faced potential criminal liability in Ecuador; Greg Craig of Skadden Arps, President Clinton's impeachment lawyer who Chevron reportedly hired to explore settlement; Mickey Kantor of Mayer Brown, the former U.S. Trade Representative under Clinton who spearheaded a Chevron effort to cut trade preferences for Ecuador; David Boies, whose firm helps the oil giant fight discovery actions in the U.S. designed to expose its corruption in Ecuador; and Alan Vinegrad, a former U.S. Attorney who represented a Chevron lawyer indicted on criminal charges of fraud for lying to Ecuador's government about the results of a sham remediation. Chevron also has used six public relations firms to push talking points denying the company caused any environmental damage in Ecuador, even though the judgment is undergirded by extensive scientific evidence and the allegations have been confirmed by numerous independent news accounts. See here and here. After an eight-year trial, the Ecuador trial court in 2011 found the oil giant systematically discharged billions of gallons of toxic waste into the rainforest, decimating indigenous groups and causing an array of oil-related health problems. An Ecuador appellate court affirmed the judgment in early January, potentially opening up Chevron to standard collection actions against its assets in jurisdictions around the world unless its posts a bond in Ecuador. Chevron stripped its assets from Ecuador and has vowed never to pay for a cleanup, even though reports indicate it contacted the plaintiffs recently in an attempt to explore settlement possibilities. Ultimately, one must wonder how much Chevron shareholders are getting in return for these expensive legal services, she said. In the last three years -- since Gibson Dunn's "rescue" operation was launched -- Chevron was hit with the $18 billion judgment, the largest ever for an environmental case; the judgment was confirmed by a three-judge panel; multiple courts sanctioned the company for its unethical litigation tactics; and a U.S. appellate court in New York prevented Chevron from seeking a worldwide injunction to block enforcement of the judgment. For more information, see www.chevrontoxico.com and become a follower of The Chevron Pit.

Melvin Wylie

E-Cigarettes May be the Green Solution

2012-01-26T15:17:00.001-05:00

Millions of cigarette butts end up as litter each year. E-cigarettes could be a solution to this problem.

Go Green! From re-usable shopping bags, to ride sharing and recycling you see and hear it every day. So why should your smoking habits be any different? Cigarette filters are the single most collected item each year in international beach cleanups. It is estimated that 1.69 billion pounds (845,000 tons) of butts wind up as litter worldwide per year according to The Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco. E-Cigarettes could be a solution to this problem, according to research. With re-chargeable batteries and re-fillable cartridges E-Cigarettes would take a bite out of all the waste from tobacco butts and ashes. Also, there are thousands less chemicals being put into the air, which helps improve air quality. This is a big green plus for the e-cig compared to the regular tobacco based products. Also consider the amount of trees harvested every year to produce the paper used to wrap the tobacco. People are only recently beginning to realize just how green e-cigarettes are. At No. 7 E-Cigarettes being green is a priority for the company. President of No 7 E-Cigarettes, Kyle Newton states "We are here to provide customers with the best tobacco alternative in the world. Not only is being green a priority to the company, we also provide options excluding packaging so we can leave as small a footprint as possible." No 7 E-Cigarettes is one of the largest E-Cigarette companies in the world. They specialize in re-chargeable kits and refillable E-Cigarettes. Visit www.ECigarettesChoice.com for more information.

Melvin Wylie

Honda Civic Named to About.com's Best New Cars of 2012 List

2012-01-25T16:33:00.001-05:00

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today that the 2012 Honda Civic has been named as one of About.com Cars' Best New Cars of 2012. "Ranging from a gas-sipping hybrid to a kick-in-the-pants Si, the Civic lineup provides a variety of fun, fuel-efficient options to satisfy a wide range of customers," said Michael Accavitti, vice president of marketing operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We are thrilled to receive this award that recognizes the many advantages of the Civic." In describing the award-winning Civic, About.com's Aaron Gold called the 2012 Civic hands-down the most comprehensive compact car on the market. "You can get a sedan or a coupe; a high-fuel-efficiency version; a high-performance version; a leather-lined version; a hybrid version; even an alternative-fuel version that runs on clean natural gas," Gold said. "And whichever Civic you choose, you're virtually guaranteed years of trouble-free motoring." The award from About.com adds to the 2012 Honda Civic's growing list of accolades that include being named Green Car of the Year (Civic Natural Gas), capturing Best Resale Value for a Compact Car by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, and earning a 2011 IIHS Top Safety Pick. About.com is one of the largest providers of original content on the web, with over 60 million unique visitors per month in the United States. Connect with Honda: Honda Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com Honda (for consumers): www.automobiles.honda.com Honda on Facebook: www.facebook.com/honda Honda on YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda Honda on Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews Honda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda

Melvin Wylie

Beekeepers Are Critical to Economy

2012-01-25T16:22:00.001-05:00

Beekeepers from across the country gathered at a national conference, with environmental organizations at their side, to draw attention to the growing plight facing their industry –the decline of honey bees – a problem that has far reaching implications for the U.S. economy. "Bees and other pollinators are the underpinnings of a successful agricultural economy," said Brett Adee, Co-Chair of the National Honey Bee Advisory Board and owner of Adee Honey Farms. "Without healthy, successful pollinators billions of dollars are at stake." Many family-owned beekeeping operations are migratory, with beekeepers traveling the country from state-to-state, during different months of the year to provide pollination services and harvest honey and wax. Bees in particular are responsible for pollinating many high-value crops, including pumpkins, cherries, cranberries, almonds, apples, watermelons, and blueberries. So any decline in bee populations, health and productivity can have especially large impacts on the agricultural economy. Honey bees are the most economically important pollinators in the world, according to a recent United Nations report on the global decline of pollinator populations. Commercial beekeepers shared first-hand accounts of the value of beekeeping, and of the dramatic impact of bee declines. Beekeepers estimate that one single bee kill from a pesticide exposure incident, representing 200 bee colonies, is responsible for an estimated $5 million of value to the agricultural economy. David Hackenberg, Co-Chair of the National Honey Bee Advisory Board and owner of Hackenberg Apiaries, estimates that his colonies alone generate $5 million in value over 6 months: $500,000 from California almonds in January, $800,000 from Georgia blueberries in March, $2 million from Pennsylvania apples and cherries in April, $500,000 from Maine blueberries in May, and $1 million from Pennsylvania pumpkins in June. "If you think about it, bees and other pollinators are Mother Nature's ultimate economic stimulus," said Hackenberg. "Economists quantify pollination as an 'ecosystem service' although these figures are often unaccounted for in the traditional measures like the GDP." In 2000, the last official study, the value of pollination was estimated at $14.6 million. Beekeepers suggest number that under-calculates the value of their services. They suggest the real value of their operations is $50 billion, based on retail value of food and crop grown from seed that relies upon bee pollination. Beekeepers have survived the economic recession only to find their operations are still threatened. Recent, catastrophic declines in honey bee populations, termed "Colony Collapse Disorder," have been linked to a wide variety of factors, including parasites, habitat loss and pesticides. "The threats facing pollinators should raise concerns, as sub-lethal impacts on bees are more serious than we had initially thought," said Dr. Jim Frazier, professor of Entomology at Penn State University. "Every time someone looks, they find something new." Beekeepers also noted they are partnering with environmental organizations, highlighting the threat of pesticides to the continued success of the profession and the agricultural economy. They raise special concerns with neonicotinoids, a class of systemic pesticides that is taken up a plant and expressed through the plants through which bees then forage and pollinate. Research released last week in the journal PLoS ONE underscores the threat of these pesticides through a previously undocumented exposure route – planter exhaust – the talc and air mix expelled into the environment as automated planters place neonicotinoid-treated seeds into the ground during spring planting. "Independent research links pollinator declines, especially honey bees, to a wide range of problems with industrial agriculture, especially pesticides," said Paul Towers, spokesperson for Pesticide Action Network. Threats to pollinators, especially commercial honey bees, concern the entire food system. With one in three bites of food reliant on pollination, beekeepers and environmental organizations alike call out the wide-scale problem. "Because EPA has not adequately regulated certain pesticides, the food system, including many of the foods we enjoy eating most, are at risk," said John Kepner, Project Director for Beyond Pesticides. "We can't afford not to take action to protect pollinators – for wallets and dinner tables alike."

Melvin Wylie

New York Leaders Call on Governor Cuomo to 'Energize Upstate Now'

2012-01-25T16:15:00.001-05:00

Upstate New Yorkers Participate in Events From Albany and Across the State in Support of Development of New York's Natural Gas Resources ALBANY, N.Y. - A broad coalition of business, labor, landowner, nonprofit and political leaders today called on Governor Cuomo to 'Energize Upstate Now' at rallies in Albany and points west in support of development of the state's natural gas resources. Hundreds of concerned citizens left their farms and workplaces to participate in today's rallies in Albany, Binghamton, Candor, Corning and Oneonta. Many local and state officials and business and community leaders were among the participants at each of the 'Energize Upstate Now' rallies, being held just one day before the end of the public comment period on proposed regulations for gas drilling in the State. "Governor Cuomo and New York State leaders have the ability to create thousands of high paying jobs and billions of dollars in government revenue with the decision to move forward in developing the state's natural gas resources," said Greg Lancette, Political Director of the New York State Pipetrades Association. "The group is encouraged by and thankful for Governor Cuomo's leadership which makes private-sector job creation a priority. After years of careful review, it is time for New York State to make the most of this opportunity in a safe and responsible way." New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has estimated that more than 50,000 jobs could be created from the development of the state's portion of the Marcellus Shale. Much of this job creation would occur in areas of the state, which have suffered for decades from the decline of manufacturing and industry, and the out-migration of its young people. According to a recent study from the Public Policy Institute, a natural gas job could pay more than $79,184 annually, on average. The DEC has developed stringent regulations to make certain natural gas resources will be developed safely and responsibly. Industry leaders have demonstrated their commitment to help with this process by crafting industry standards such as construction practices, environmental and reclamation efforts, and water use and management procedures. New York State's DEC began a comprehensive review of the impact of proposed gas drilling in February 2009 and in September 2011 released the revised draft regulations governing all aspects of high volume hydraulic fracturing in. Over the past several months, the public has had an opportunity to comment on the proposed regulations at four public hearings held round the state. "It is time for New York to move forward with safe and responsible development of New York State's natural gas resources," said Tom Shepstone, Campaign Manager of Energy In Depth – Northeast Marcellus Initiative. "New York can do its part to move our nation to greater energy independence and help to get people working and our economy growing." Local business owners and landowners will join leaders from the American Petroleum Institute (API), America's Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA), Corning Gas, Dryden Safe Energy, Energy In Depth – Northeast Marcellus Initiative (EID), Independent Oil & Gas Association (IOGA), Farm Bureau, New York State Petroleum Council, Tioga County Economic Development, The Three Rivers Development Corporation, the New York State Pipetrades Association in participating at today's rallies.

Melvin Wylie

Taking Energy Independence Seriously

2012-01-25T15:43:00.001-05:00

by Lawrence Kadish At year end, 2011, as Americans emptied their wallets at the gas pump and crude oil reached almost $100 a barrel, OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia reported an $81.6 billion 2011 budget surplus. The White House action at the same time was to ask Congress to increase our debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion to $16.4 trillion to cover budget deficits. Nations decline and fall when their economies and monetary policies are incompetently managed. Unfortunately, it appears to be a lesson lost on too many of our leaders who have allowed the very stability of our nation to be imperiled by budget deficits and mounting debt. Our leaders have also failed on Energy Independence, allowing the cost and supply of the strategic commodity of oil to be controlled by foreign nations. The ominous linkage between cyclical recessions and our repeated failure to achieve energy independence and oil price stability has caused much hardship on our citizenry and severe damage to our economy. The historical evidence is clear. Whenever oil prices spiked as they did between 1972-1980, and then again between 2003-2008 and beyond, recessions in America followed. In 1972, crude oil prices were $3.60 a barrel. By 1980, the cost of that barrel was $37. This 1000% oil price increase contributed to a negative economic chain reaction. The CPI more than doubled during this period. Double digit Inflation ensued, causing the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. This, in turn, sent the Prime Rate to over 20% by 1980. A recession followed. A fiscal tsunami Whenever the United States took serious notice of oil prices as an underlying cause of these problems, Congress would debate energy savings and energy independence. A concerned OPEC would then divert America's attention by opening their spigots, increasing production and causing oil prices to drop to under $20 a barrel and remain relatively low for a period of time. While the immediate crisis would be averted by these actions, Congress did little to protect our future. Consequently, by 2003, oil was up again to $30 a barrel and steadily increased to over $90 in January 2008 and spiked to over $140 in July 2008. As in the past, by 2008, the enormous increase in the cost of oil resulted in nationwide price increases and surcharges in substantially all industries. It was an assault, like a fiscal tsunami, that put too great a financial burden on the United States economy and its citizenry and set the stage for business failures, unemployment and a decline in real estate values. Rating agencies blessed mortgage investments based on a rising economy however, the chaotic oil spikes triggered the opposite effect. Thus, as in a violent storm, weak structures failed, especially the over-leveraged mortgages and the volatile mortgage-backed securities and related financial markets, which became illiquid. causing the American economy to experience the 2008 meltdown. A significant part of this ruinous economic condition involves enemies sworn to destroy the United States. Since 911 the United States has spent trillions of dollars on Homeland Security and our military to sustain the War on Terrorism. It is grimly ironic that simultaneously, trillions of dollars have left our economy to purchase oil mostly from OPEC nations that directly or indirectly support radical Islamic fundamentalists. This absurdity has resulted in a punishing double body blow to our economy. The resources but not the will It is now almost 40 years since our country was first adversely affected by its failure to become energy independent. The United States has the natural resources and the technology to produce clean energy. Over time however, we have lost our way time and again because we have been confronted with a deliberate policy by obstructionists seeking to prolong the debate over energy independence for the specific purpose of preventing a national consensus on energy policy. Are the obstructionists the sincere environmentalists or the professional anti-capitalist environmental radicals who would have us return to an agrarian society? Other suspect quiet assassins of American energy policy include: foreign interests influencing Washington, and those who own domestic oil production and seek to sustain high oil prices and unprecedented returns, and still others who sell their manufactured products to foreign oil suppliers and do not want to lose those lucrative markets. Those who aspire to be our future elected leaders should immediately present their strategy for energy independence -- one that marginalizes the obstructionists -- and commit to a plan of action. Defining our future and the current Presidential debate The voters are aware of the hazards of our present policies that will lead us into the role of a third world debtor nation. They want more than vague speeches. Who we are as a nation in the 21st Century will be determined by how we strengthen our economy by streamlining government operations, eliminating wasteful spending, and most importantly promoting economic growth that creates jobs. Energy Independence can be a major first step in this effort. It will help us achieve a balanced budget and genuine national security in a world of lethal threats and economic challenges. These are the issues that should and must define all nationwide election campaigns. Lawrence Kadish is an Advisory Board Member of the Stonegate Institute and a trustee of the Claremont and Hudson Institutes. This opinion essay was originally published by the Stonegate Institute http://www.stonegateinstitute.org/2726/energy-independence

Melvin Wylie

2012-01-25T15:29:00.001-05:00

Liberty Tire Recycling, the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America, is partnering with the University of Tennessee's Center for Athletic Field Safety on a series of studies to test the potential benefits and role that crumb rubber plays in maintaining a natural grass athletic surface. The company is funding a series of studies over a two-year period to quantify the value proposition that crumb rubber infill offers as an enhancement to natural grass, and how it can potentially improve the quality of the surface and safety for the athletes using it. "Crumb rubber infill used on athletic surfaces provides a host of benefits. For the athlete, it offers a safer, higher-performing surface. It also lengthens play on the surface, particularly in high-traffic areas of the field," said Mike Wezel, vice president of sales and marketing for Liberty Tire Recycling. "The University of Tennessee's Center for Athletic Field Safety is a one-of-a-kind facility, and we are proud to work with the Center, under the direction of Dr. John Sorochan, to help demonstrate the cost savings, improved maintenance and overall performance crumb rubber offers." Initial studies conducted include a simulated foot traffic test to determine the optimal crumb rubber particle size and depth for optimizing field performance, a moisture and temperature test, and an assessment of how long the turf season can potentially be extended through the use of crumb rubber. The use of crumb rubber infill in natural grass surfaces has been proven to maximize shock absorption by creating a softer and safer playing surface for athletes. Less water is required to maintain the surface, allowing the grass plant to become more tolerant of stresses such as heat and high-trafficking. Synthetic turf also positively impacts the environment by conserving more than three billion gallons of water; eliminating the use of almost a billion pounds of pesticides and fertilizers; lowering consumption of energy, raw materials and solid waste generation; and keeping more than 140 million used tires out of landfills. Liberty Tire Recycling recently became the first and only company to achieve GREENGUARD Synthetic Turf Components Certification from the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute for indoor air quality for the company's synthetic turf infill product, which is an eco-friendly solution for athletic fields and other playing surfaces.

Melvin Wylie

Light Bulb Ban Signals Dynamic Changes in Electric Lighting

2012-01-25T14:51:00.001-05:00

It's change that's coming literally at the speed of light. In fact, there will be more change in the world of electric lighting in the next few years than there was in the past 100. Halogens. CFLs. LEDs. This change has spawned public uncertainty and it affects everyone. Though Congress recently de-funded the January 1st ban on the 100-watt incandescent bulb, the federal law is still on the books. Retailers who sell the bulb will technically be violating the law. As the remaining incandescent bulbs are phased out in the very near future, some people are already hoarding them. "Lighting technology is changing dramatically and it's much more than just grabbing a light bulb from the hardware store shelf," said Rodney Heller, Lead Lighting Designer at Energy Performance Lighting (EPL). Heller is a nationally recognized leader in the field of energy-efficient lighting and is based in the Madison area. Electric Light - Dawn of a New Era from Boettcher Media Group on Vimeo. Heller recommends four steps that will help businesses and consumers adjust to the future of electric lighting:

Don't be afraid of change
Realize that there are many more choices than just the compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb. For example, halogen bulbs provide instant brightness and last 6 times longer than incandescents.
Select cool/blue colors for alertness and warm/yellow colors to relax
Don't fret the higher cost of LEDs. The energy savings will quickly offset that cost and the price of LEDs will drop by the end of 2012.

"We've got many different bulb choices for selecting energy efficiency, wattage and light color," said Heller. "We are only now beginning to understand how the color of light affects us physically and psychologically. Not only will you be able to save up to 75 percent on your lighting bill, you'll be able to install lights and never have to replace them in your lifetime!"

Melvin Wylie

Occupy Marches on DC

2012-01-17T20:27:00.001-05:00

Exclusive Raw video of Occupy Wall Street marching on DC. 17 January 2012 (Tuesday Evening).

Melvin Wylie

Chevron Admits In Trying To Destroy Lawsuit

2012-01-11T18:16:00.001-05:00

Chevron Admits In Legal Papers That It Used Baki Repeatedly As Part of Its Lobbying Effort To Destroy Lawsuit Ivonne Baki, an Ecuadorian government official in charge of one of the world's most celebrated environmental initiatives, has had numerous contacts with Chevron's U.S.-based lawyers to assist the oil giant's illegal attempts to thwart a historic environmental case in Ecuador where Chevron was found liable for $18 billion in damages, according to Chevron's legal filings in a U.S. federal court case and sources within Ecuador's government. Baki is caught up in a burgeoning scandal in the South American nation following the publication of a blog this week in the Huffington Post on-line newspaper that accused her of promoting a "billion dollar bait-and switch" whereby Chevron would pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Baki's Yasuni project in exchange for an agreement that Ecuador's government would quash the legal case. The blog was written by Mitch Anderson, a campaigner with the U.S. environmental group Amazon Watch. Pablo Fajardo, the lead lawyer for the Ecuadorian plaintiffs who won the judgment, said separately that he had confirmed from high-level sources in Ecuador's government that Baki was floating an idea where Chevron would pay $1 billion -- half of it to the Yasuni project, and half of it to the government to help with an environmental clean-up -- in exchange for the government exercising its political influence to stop the case. There is no evidence anybody in Ecuador's government considered accepting the proposal, which would have violated the legal rights of tens of thousands of victims of Chevron's pollution and violated the country's Constitution, said Fajardo. "Chevron and Baki think Ecuadorian officials are still running a banana republic government willing to sacrifice the rights of their own citizens for a small bribe," said Fajardo. "Chevron just doesn't get that it cannot bribe government officials." The news that Chevron has been trying to use its longtime ally Baki to end-run its legal liability has created a media firestorm in Ecuador. Unflattering articles about Baki based on the Huffington Post blog have appeared, with Baki deepening her woes by falsely claiming she has no ties to Chevron. See here, here and here. In the meantime, Chevron has disclosed in a U.S. federal court proceeding that it has had extensive contact with Baki over the environmental case, contradicting Baki's public statements. See here. Chevron's response to various interrogatories in that action mentions Baki by name in describing four meetings to discuss the case -- three when Baki was a former government minister and one in 2008 with Correa cabinet minister Gustavo Larrea. Chevron also describes several meetings in 2010 with officials from Correa's government without mentioning the names of the individuals. There were also meetings in 2011 between Chevron's U.S.-based lawyers and Baki, and a Chevron representative in Venezuela and an Ecuadorian government official believed to be Baki, according to sources in Ecuador's government. Chevron either covered up those meetings or forgot to mention them in the U.S. court documents even though it was obligated to do, said Fajardo. Fajardo also confirmed via sources in Ecuador's government that Baki in recent weeks was floating a proposal from Chevron whereby the oil giant would pay $500 million under the guise of a "donation" to her Yasuni project, and a small additional amount to be used for environmental remediation. Chevron was working through Baki to convince Ecuador's government to quash the legal case in exchange for the money, according to Fajardo's sources. "Chevron used Baki to try to bribe Ecuador's government to violate the rule of law and kill off the historic legal case," said Karen Hinton, the U.S.-based spokesperson for the Ecuadorians. She said the team was still investigating the extent of Baki's role. "Information we have thus far suggests a series of bribes were offered by Chevron that were disguised as donations or clean-up monies, the totality of which would allow the company to escape its legal liability for pennies on the dollar," Hinton said. Even with her checkered history of helping Chevron and its predecessor company Texaco, Baki is now the head of Ecuador's Yasuni-ITT initiative because of her supposed array of international contacts that Ecuador wants to use to raise money for the environmental project. Baki served as Ecuador's ambassador to the United States in the late 1990s when she tried to help Chevron kill the legal case. She later served as Ecuador's representative to the Andean Parliament. The Yasuni project seeks to keep more than one billion barrels of crude permanently in the ground in a biodiverse area of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest in exchange for payments over ten years of $350 million annually from foreign nations and donors. Ecuador President Rafael Correa has set December 31 of this year as the deadline to obtain $100 million as a down payment or drilling rights in the area could be quickly auctioned on the international market, potentially threatening two non-contacted indigenous groups thought to be living in the isolated area. Baki has come up with virtually no money for the project, despite her public statements saying she was garnering support, said Fajardo. Environmental leaders in Ecuador blasted Chevron and Baki. "We are not about to give Chevron a get out of jail free card by donating to the Yasuni," said Esperanza Martinez, who heads up Ecuador's leading environmental organization Accion Ecologica, in an interview with the Huffington Post. "Not only would such a donation violate the rights of thousands of Ecuadorians who are victims of Chevron's misconduct, it would also violate the very spirit of the initiative. "In short, Ecuador is not interested in Chevron's blood money," she added. Kevin Koenig, a spokesman for Amazon Watch, also blasted Chevron for trying to engage in a "multi-billion dollar bait and switch." "It's illegal, and can't be allowed," he said, referring to Chevron's proposed "donation" to the Yasuni. "We are calling on Ms. Baki to disclose all meetings between herself and Chevron officials, and the terms and conditions of any offer from the company." The court in Ecuador found in February that Chevron deliberately discharged more than 16 billion gallons of toxic waste into Ecuador's Amazon when it operated an oil concession from 1964 to 1992, leading to a spike in health problems and decimating indigenous groups. Chevron's latest attempt to maneuver its way out of the case comes at a time when its legal position has weakened considerably. Not only did the company lose the Ecuador trial in February of this year, but it was sternly rebuked by a federal appeals court in the United States in September for trying to invalidate the Ecuadorian judgment in U.S. federal court. Chevron faces other potential legal jeopardy in the coming months. An Ecuadorian appellate court is preparing to rule on the underlying trial and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York is expected to issue a decision about legal attacks Chevron has waged against the Ecuadorians in U.S. federal court. Baki has a long and checkered history in Ecuador -- particularly as it relates to the legal case against Chevron. In 1998, when she served as Ecuador's Ambassador to the United States under the rightist government of Jamil Mahuad, she signed an official letter to a U.S. federal judge in New York that had been requested by Chevron. Ecuador's President at the time rebuked Baki for failing to inform the country's Attorney General that she was writing the letter, which was quickly disavowed. When Baki served as Commerce Minister under the rightist government of Lucio Gutierrez, the rainforest residents staged a sit-in in her offices to demand that she stop undermining the legal case against Chevron. In 2008, Baki bragged to lawyers for the plaintiffs that she had arranged a private meeting for top-level Chevron officials and Gustavo Larrea, at the time an influential minister in Correa's cabinet. Baki also has been active in Chevron's lobbying efforts in the United States to cancel U.S. trade preferences for the country in retaliation for the lawsuit, which is taking place in Ecuador at Chevron's request. A cancelation of the preferences would cost Ecuador upwards of 300,000 jobs, according to Ecuador's government. "In my opinion Baki is a political mercenary of the highest order," said Luis Yanza, a community leader in the Amazon. "She is precisely the kind of unsavory character that Chevron feels comfortable dealing with as it engages in acts of trickery to avoid being held accountable by the law." Chevron has been accused of numerous acts of corruption in Ecuador during the trial, forcing the court to fine its lawyers and impose punitive damages on the company. Hinton said the acts of corruption include lying about the results of a fraudulent remediation in the 1990s to secure a government release; fabricating evidence during the trial to minimize evidence of contamination; using a hidden video recorder to try to entrap a judge who Chevron thought would rule against it; threatening judges with jail time if they failed to grant Chevron's motions to delay the trial; and permitting the lawyers for the plaintiffs to be victimized by death threats and mysterious robberies of their offices.

Melvin Wylie

Bordo Poniente Landfill Closing Helps "Green" Mexico City

2012-01-11T18:08:00.001-05:00

A project to close one of the world's largest landfills, the 927-acre Bordo Poniente Landfill in Mexico City will stem the city's largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while creating renewable energy and local jobs. Developed in close collaboration with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) Cities program and its partner the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), the project represents a model for reducing GHG emissions through sustainable solid waste management than can be replicated around the world. "I applaud the decision of the Mexican authorities to close the Bordo Poniente Landfill and reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions. I am glad the Clinton Climate Initiative was able to support the work necessary to make the closure possible," said President Clinton. "Through the Clinton Climate Initiative, we are helping Mexico City convert millions of tons of garbage to new energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2 million tons annually. This project will help the local economy and fight climate change." Solid waste in landfills is the third largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions – 23 times more potent as a greenhouse gas agent than CO2. Capturing methane from the Bordo Poniente landfill could reduce GHG emissions from Mexico City by 25 million tons of CO2 equivalent over the next 25 years – more than one quarter of the city's total emissions. Globally, it represents one of the largest reductions of GHGs associated with solid waste management. It is estimated that capturing methane from the Bordo Poniente Landfill could generate over 250 GWh or enough power for an estimated 35,000 homes in Mexico City during the first years of operation. Further economic benefits will come from the creation of both short and long-term local jobs for contractors, service providers and qualified labor in the construction, operation and maintenance of the landfill gas capture system. "Cities are on the frontlines in dealing with the impacts of global climate change, and they are leading by example in reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "The Bordo Poniente project is a bold step that serves as a shining example of the impact C40 and the Clinton Climate Initiative can have in supporting cities' efforts to green their environments and their economies. Through actions such as this, we can implement solutions on a local level that will truly make a difference globally." The Bordo Poniente Landfill ceased receiving solid waste on December 19th, 2011. The same day, Mexico City Mayor Ebrard announced the international public tender for a developer to close the landfill in an environmentally-sound manner that optimizes the capture and utilization of methane gas to produce energy. The project will enable Mexico City to reach the GHG emission reduction goals established in its Climate Action Program and Green Plan. "Closing Mexico City's Bordo Poniente Landfill is one of the most important environmental actions for the entire country. If it can be done here, it can be replicated elsewhere even if the solution is a complex one. When there is a very high level of complexity, but a common objective and a successful outcome, we build confidence in our ability to take on other important objectives," said Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard. Revenues from energy sales and reducing GHGs, as well as financial resources from the Mexican federal government and private investors, will be used to develop this Project.

Melvin Wylie

The T-Solar Group Signs up $145m to Fund its Projects in Peru

2012-01-11T18:00:00.001-05:00

Total capex for the two power plants (44 MW) in Peru is over $165 m.

Three Development Finance Institutions - OPIC (USA), FMO (Netherlands) and PROPARCO (France) - will be co-funding the projects alongside T-Solar.

T-Solar has more than 230 MW under operation or construction in Spain, Italy, India and Peru.

The T-Solar Group ("T-Solar"), a major operator in the solar photovoltaic power generation market, is pleased to announce that it has signed three loan agreements for a total of $145m to finance two photovoltaic power plants with an aggregate capacity of 44 MW in Peru. The two plants will be the first large-scale solar photovoltaic energy projects in Latin America. 113,600 thin-film amorphous hydrogenated-silicon modules produced by T-Solar's Orense, Spain factory will be deployed over 206 hectares of land in the Arequipa region in southern Peru. Isolux Corsán, T-Solar's parent company, has been retained as EPC contractor and will carry out construction works. The two solar plants are expected to produce 80 GWh a year, enough electricity to supply 80,000 people.⁽¹⁾ Project construction will generate over 160 direct jobs amongst the local population. The plants are expected to be connected to the national grid by the second semester of 2012. The total capital expenditure for the two projects is over $165m. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a US government agency promoting sustainable US investment abroad, will provide up to $131m in senior debt, partially guaranteed by Assured Guarantee, a US credit insurance company. The Netherlands' FMO and France's PROPARCO will lend up to $14.3m in mezzanine debt. T-Solar will fund the balance through equity. T-Solar was advised by Astris Finance, a US-based transaction advisory firm specialized in infrastructure and energy in emerging markets. Latin America is an important target market for T-Solar. Given the region's high level of solar irraditaion and in the context of an increasing focus on energy transition and renewable energy, T-Solar expects the continent's strongest economies to provide interesting oportunities in the photovoltaic sector in the next 5 years. ⁽¹⁾Source: International Energy Agency Estimate ABOUT T-SOLAR T-Solar is a major independent producer of photovoltaic solar energy world-wide. A subsidiary of the Isolux Corsan Group, it has 173 MWp installed capacity already online in 43 plants located in Spain (34), Italy (8) and India (1), plus a further 55 MW under construction in India and Peru. Its solar photovoltaic plants generate over 250 GWh a year. This is equivalent to the average electricity consumption of a town with 51,000 households. T-Solar earned revenues of €110.2m in 2010. The company's 2010 business plan had a total capex of €1.16 bn. Its factory in Orense (Galicia, Spain) produces the largest PV modules in the market (5.7m2) using amorphous hydrogenated silicon thin-film technology to reduce costs and boost performance ratios. The factory is fully automated and fitted out with leading-edge technology. It has an output capacity of 50 MW a year, equivalent to 700,000 m²of solar panels. For further information, visit the website: http://www.tsolar.com

Melvin Wylie

Saving the Atlantic Forest With Marc by Marc Jacobs Sunglasses

2012-01-11T17:53:00.001-05:00

Marc by Marc Jacobs chic, vintage inspired eyewear, derived from a company well known for a commitment to charitable projects is supporting The Nature Conservancy, the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters, through a newly created "PLANT A SEED - GROW YOUR TREE AND SAVE THE FOREST" program. The program is aimed at promoting and supporting The Nature Conservancy's "PLANT A BILLION TREES" campaign, through an important awareness-raising activity for the preservation of our planet's natural resources. The campaign's mission is to protect and restore the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, one of the world's most endangered tropical forests. To date only 12% of its original area remains and only 7% is well conserved. At the centre of this worthwhile project are Marc by Marc Jacobs MMJ 261/s bio-based sunglasses, made from a material derived from castor-oil seeds. The chocolate coloured sunglasses, which feature leaf textured temples, are packaged in a chic case made from repurposed leather. In support of this project, Marc by Marc Jacobs will make a contribution to The Nature Conservancy to support the restoration of the Atlantic Forest. A dedicated website for the project http://www.plantaseedproject.com provides full details about the campaign as well as enables site visitors the opportunity to plant a virtual tree and make it grow. A Facebook application will allow visitors to invite their friends and involve them in the project: a tangible and lasting involvement in an important environmental cause. Marc by Marc Jacobs eyewear and sunglasses collections are manufactured and distributed by Safilo Group. The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at http://www.nature.org. The "Plant a Billion Trees" project: The Nature Conservancy launched the Plant a Billion Trees campaign in April 2008 with a goal to restore and plant one billion trees in Brazil's Atlantic Forest. Once twice the size of Texas, the Atlantic Forest spanned across eastern Brazil, northern Argentina and eastern Paraguay. Yet today, more than 93 percent of the forest has been cleared to accommodate Brazil's rapid development and support the region's 130 million residents, 70 percent of Brazil's population. Although the remaining 7 percent is highly fragmented, these last stands of lush forest harbor one of the greatest repositories of biodiversity on Earth. http://www.plantabillion.org.

Melvin Wylie

President of South Sudan Commits to Global Transparency Standard

2012-01-11T16:28:00.001-05:00

President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has announced that his Government will implement the EITI (Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative), the global standard for transparency of natural resource revenues. "This commitment to implement the EITI is in furtherance of my statement on September 21st that my government is committed to ensuring that South Sudan enters a new era of good governance, democracy, accountability and transparency," said President Kiir. Remarking on President Kiir's announcement, EITI Chair Clare Short said, "South Sudan is facing enormous challenges in the years ahead. By following the EITI standard, President Kiir's and his government have demonstrated its commitment to doing things transparently and holding themselves accountable to South Sudan's citizens. " Implementing the EITI standard ensures that all payments from oil and mining operations in South Sudan will be published in an annual EITI report for all South Sudanese citizens to see what they are receiving from their natural resources. The report can be used to recommend how South Sudan can better manage the revenues from its resources. The process will be overseen by a 'South Sudan EITI multi-stakeholder group' consisting of representatives from the government, extractives companies and civil society organisations.

Melvin Wylie

Ethical Oil? Alberta's Tar Sands

2012-01-11T11:42:00.001-05:00

Alberta's Tar Sands are a true embarrassment for the Canadians; not only is it a human rights crisis for the Indigenous communities living in Alberta and British Columbia, but an environmental disaster of epic proportions. Many pipelines transport this dirty oil all around North America, and our exports make us the United States' biggest provider of oil. In the last few years, a new extension to a current pipeline has been proposed to carry Tar Sands oil all the way to Texas, putting some of North America's most fragile ecosystems and waterways in serious peril. Bill McKibben and his team at 350.org helped spearhead a movement called Tar Sands Action (http://www.tarsandsaction.org), enlisting the help of people all over the US and Canada willing to express their dismay and anger about this possible new pipeline. As of November 6th, thousands of people have risked arrest, standing in front of the White House, as well as Canada's Parliament in Ottawa, to protest.

Melvin Wylie

The Secret Lives of Our Clothes

2012-01-04T13:15:00.001-05:00

There's a price tag that's being hidden from us everyday. Not the one that tells us how much money to pay but the underlying costs of every outfit's life cycle. Uncover the lives that our clothes led before they got to the store and discover your voting power as a consumer towards a fairer, healthier and more sustainable planet. Thanks to GreenovateChina for this wonderful video.

Melvin Wylie

Ford Targets 30 Percent Water Reduction Per Vehicle

2011-12-30T12:48:00.001-05:00

New aggressive water strategy calls for global reduction target of 30 percent per vehicle by 2015

Between 2000 and 2010, Ford reduced its global water use by 62 percent, or 10.5 billion gallons; 71 percent in North America

On a per-vehicle basis, global water use decreased by 49 percent between 2000 and 2010; 45 percent in North America

Ford enters 2012 with plans to further reduce the amount of water used to make vehicles and continue showing efficiency is not only inherent in its vehicle lineup, but also in its manufacturing practices. A new goal calls for Ford to cut the amount of water used to make each vehicle 30 percent globally by 2015, compared with the amount of water used per vehicle in 2009. Ford is also developing year-over-year efficiency targets as part of its annual environmental business planning process and has established a cross-functional team spanning several divisions to review water usage more holistically. "Water remains one of our top environmental priorities and our aggressive reduction target helps ensure continued focus on this critical resource," said Sue Cischke, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. Ford's latest water reduction initiatives are designed to build on the success the company has had with its Global Water Management Initiative that launched in 2000. Between 2000 and 2010, Ford reduced its global water use by 62 percent, or 10.5 billion gallons. That's the equivalent of how much water 105,000 average American residences use annually, based on figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If Ford meets its goal of reducing the amount of water used by 30 percent between 2009 and 2015, the amount of water used to make a vehicle will have dropped from 9.5 cubic meters in 2000 to approximately 3.5 cubic meters in 2015. One cubic meter is equal to 264.2 gallons of water. Leading by example When it comes to water, drought and extensive population growth are just two of many challenges in places such as Mexico's Sonoran Desert, home to Ford's Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant. The plant produces the Ford Fusion, Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ. Production at Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant doubled between 2000 and 2010. However, water usage at the plant dropped during the same period by 40 percent. "We applied innovative technology to our Hermosillo plant to reduce water consumption, minimize impact on the community and build vehicles in a more sustainable manner," said Larry Merritt, manager, Environmental Quality Office. To reduce water use, a membrane biological reactor – a biological water treatment system – was installed. The complex system is able to make up to 65 percent of the plant's wastewater suitable for high-quality reuse elsewhere in the facility or for irrigation. The water treatment system also is being used at Ford plants in Chennai, India and Chongqing, China.

More technology, less water Another approach is to cut the amount of water necessary to complete a task – a strategy afforded by the use of advanced technologies and processes. "As we invest in new and existing facilities globally, our water strategy prioritizes sustainable manufacturing technologies," said John Fleming, executive vice president, Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs. "This disciplined approach allows us to make significant progress in water reduction and other environmental efforts over time." For example, several of Ford's engine plants around the world are using Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) machining, also known as dry-machining. This technology lubricates the cutting tool with a very small amount of oil sprayed directly on the tip in a finely atomized mist, instead of with a large quantity of coolant/water mixture. The process saves hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and oil per year. By eliminating the coolant/water mixture, dry-machining eliminates the need to treat and dispose of an oily waste stream. Dry-machining also is delivering significant benefits in energy use, waste production, quality, working conditions and costs. For a typical 450,000-unit line, more than 280,000 gallons of water can be saved annually. In the U.S., the dry-machining system has been implemented at Ford's Livonia Transmission Plant, Van Dyke Transmission Plant and Romeo Engine Plant. Ford also has implemented the system at a number of transmission and engine plants in Europe and applications in other plants around the world currently are being considered. Tracking success Before Ford launched the Global Water Management Initiative in 2000, many facilities had little ability to even track water usage. The picture is very different today. When the initiative started, Ford engineers developed software to predict water usage. Another kind of software was developed to track water use at each facility and generate a monthly report so successes and potential opportunities for improvement could be identified. Also, water reduction actions are built into Ford's Environmental Operating System (EOS), which provides a standardized, streamlined approach to meeting all environmental requirements, including sustainability objectives and targets within each of Ford's plants around the world. EOS allows Ford to track its plants' performance of fundamental water reduction actions such as leak identification and repair, and cooling tower optimization at every manufacturing site worldwide. Further, Ford's progress against its water reduction target will be communicated in the company's annual sustainability report and through participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Water Disclosure, which Ford joined in 2010 – the first automaker to do so. CDP Water Disclosure serves as a central clearinghouse for Ford and other participating companies to report on water usage, water risks and water management plans of company operations and their supply chains. "We recognize that these environmental issues are increasingly important to our stakeholders, including our customers, investors and business partners," said Merritt. "Water conservation is integral to Ford's global sustainability strategy. By reporting our progress, we support positive social change and reduce the environmental impact of our facilities."

Melvin Wylie

Cameron Announces Agreement with BP

2011-12-20T14:31:00.001-05:00

Cameron (NYSE: CAM) today announced an agreement with BP whereby BP will indemnify Cameron for current and future compensatory claims against Cameron associated with the Deepwater Horizon incident. Under the terms of agreement, Cameron agrees to pay $250 million to BP, and both parties have agreed to mutually release claims against each other. In addition, BP will fully indemnify Cameron for damage claims arising under the Oil Pollution Act, claims for natural resource damages and associated damage-assessment costs, and other claims arising from third parties. "This agreement with BP is the right action, as it removes uncertainty facing Cameron in the litigation associated with the Deepwater Horizon event," Cameron Chairman and CEO Jack Moore said. "This eliminates all significant exposure to historical and future claims related to this incident. Though this agreement does not provide indemnification against fines and penalties, punitive damages or certain other potential non-compensatory claims, we do not consider these items to represent a significant risk to Cameron." The Company's insurers are expected to fund not less than $170 million of this agreement. The Company expects to take a charge in the fourth quarter for any amounts not covered by insurance. Cameron is a leading provider of flow equipment products, systems and services to worldwide oil, gas and process industries. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Terms such as "will," "will be," and "are scheduled" and the like are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on our current expectations and are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect new information. We cannot assure you the projected outcomes will be achieved. Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, they are subject to change at any time. Such risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, include, but are not limited to the amount of the agreement the Company's insurers are expected to fund, the performance of contractual obligations by our counterparty and the outcome of the litigation associated with the Deepwater Horizon incident and, in particular, the likelihood of fines, penalties, punitive damages or certain other potential non-compensatory claims being asserted against Cameron, for which indemnification is not being provided. Because the information herein is based solely on data currently available, it is subject to change as a result of changes in conditions over which the Company has no control or influence, and should not therefore be viewed as assurance regarding the Company's future performance. Additionally, the Company is not obligated to make public indication of such changes unless required under applicable disclosure rules and regulations.

Melvin Wylie

New Hampshire Millennials Frustrated by Lack of Jobs and Poor Economy

2011-12-20T14:25:00.001-05:00

Generation Opportunity Engages Young Adults Across New Hampshire – Visits in Portsmouth, Durham, Merrimack, Nashua, Manchester, and Concord Areas Generation Opportunity's grassroots field team, which has been working aggressively across the nation, recently engaged in grassroots organizing across New Hampshire among young adults. The group's New Hampshire field efforts included the Portsmouth, Durham, Merrimack, Nashua, Manchester, and Concord areas. Generation Opportunity is one of the largest social media and grassroots organizations in the nation targeting young adults 18-29 and has more than 1.9 million fans on Facebook. The lack of jobs and unemployment, limited opportunity, the poor economy, and the implications for U.S. competitiveness were the chief concerns identified by young people the Generation Opportunity team met with and listened to. "Young adults in New Hampshire were very open in sharing their perspectives on how the lack of jobs and limited economic opportunity have negatively impacted their ability meet to their current needs and achieve their dreams and plans for the future," said Paul T. Conway, President of Generation Opportunity and a former Chief of Staff of the United States Department of Labor. "They are simply fed up with what they see as disconnected leadership in Washington – elected leaders who claim they know how to create jobs, but who have no practical understanding of what it feels like to go for months or years without satisfying work and opportunities that present promise for the future. In New Hampshire, young adults believe in the wisdom of individuals over the interference of government, and they definitely plan to make their voices heard." The Generation Opportunity field team met with young people at the University of New Hampshire, Thomas More College, Rivier College, Saint Anselm College, Manchester Community College, and the New Hampshire Technical Institute. In addition to recent organizing efforts among young adults in New Hampshire, Generation Opportunity also trained community college leaders from Franklin Piece University at the American Student Government Association (ASGA) Conference earlier this year. Young Americans ages 18-29 – including those in the Granite State – continue to face historic challenges as a result of a continually poor economy with unemployment among the top issues. The New York Times reported a youth unemployment rate of 18.1% in a recent story, noting that such a rate is a historic high in the post-WWII era. And the Associated Press is reporting that the near future shows no signs of relief. In a December story, the AP found that "two-thirds of chief executives of the largest US companies say they don't plan to increase hiring or will cut staff in the next six months" due to the lack of economic growth. Millennials Reject Washington Leadership and Failed Economic Policies: Generation Opportunity commissioned a poll with the polling company, inc./WomanTrend (April 16 – 22, 2011, +/- 4% margin of error) and a highlighted result for all young Americans ages 18-29 appears below:

69% say the current leadership in Washington fails to reflect the interests of the younger generation.
Just 31% of 18 – 29 year-olds approve of President Obama's handling of youth unemployment.
54% believe America is on the wrong track, only 24% believe the U.S. is headed in the right direction.
59% of overall Millennials agree the economy grows best when individuals are allowed to create businesses without government interference.
69% prefer reducing federal spending over raising taxes on individuals in order to balance the federal budget.

Melvin Wylie

Chevron Faces $30 Billion Liability for Environmental Problems in Latin America

2011-12-20T12:51:00.001-05:00

Brazil, Ecuador Lawsuits Point to New Competitive Pressures QUITO, Ecuador - Now that it is embroiled in a new $11 billion pollution lawsuit in Brazil, Chevron's total legal tab in Latin America for environmental problems is fast approaching $30 billion and could rise further if forced to defend enforcement actions throughout the region related to its long-term Ecuador pollution problem, say analysts. "Chevron shareholders cannot be happy to wake up to the news that the company faces yet another major environmental liability in Latin America," said Simon Billenness, an analyst who covers the industry for environmental groups and the author of a report on Chevron's $18 billion liability in Ecuador for despoiling the Amazon. "Chevron is beginning to look like a very unattractive dance partner for oil producing Latin American governments," he added. "Any government that works with Chevron is going to risk a profound backlash from its own constituents given these growing problems." Brazil's government sued Chevron for $11 billion to cover damages for the devastating offshore spill in November that is eerily reminiscent of the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Chevron outraged Brazilian regulators by being totally unprepared to contain the spill and by downplaying the amount of oil gushing into the ocean. Chevron further shocked Brazilian officials this week with news that the leak still has not been completely contained. In Ecuador, Chevron has been in open conflict with the government after a court in February awarded $18 billion to thousands of villagers based on evidence the oil giant dumped toxic oil sludge into the rainforest and abandoned more than 900 unlined waste pits that continue to contaminate groundwater and surface waters. The trial was held in Ecuador at Chevron's request. The case is currently under appeal in Ecuador, with the plaintiffs seeking an increase in the amount of damages. When it operated in Ecuador from 1964 to 1992, Chevron created an environmental and public health catastrophe that decimated indigenous groups and caused dramatic increases in cancer rates, according to the evidence. The Ecuador environmental damage dwarfs the impact of the BP spill in the Gulf, according to experts. Because Chevron has refused to pay the Ecuador award, the plaintiffs are being forced to consider a series of asset seizure actions in any of the dozens of countries where the oil giant operates. Such actions likely will create additional conflicts between Chevron and oil-producing governments around the world and further deepen the company's legal woes, said Billenness. "Chevron has never come clean to its own shareholders about worst-case scenarios in this regard," he said. Ecuadorian lawyer Pablo Fajardo, who led the contamination lawsuit against Chevron in his country, said Brazil should understand that Chevron is a company that will not hesitate to lie when faced with evidence of its own malfeasance. "Chevron has a history of mistreating Latin American countries in its thirst to increase its profits," he said. "My advice to Brazil is to hit the company hard and do not let up until the problem is fixed." Notably, the Brazilian government is being much tougher on Chevron than the Ecuador court. Chevron's fines in Brazil amount to approximately $18,000 per barrel of oil spilled -- far higher than similar fines imposed by the court in Ecuador, according to Karen Hinton, the U.S. spokesperson for the Ecuadorians. Brazil's environmental watchdog agency accused Chevron of having digitally edited pictures to make the damage look less severe. Other regulators threatened company officials with prison terms. When the Brazil spill became public, a Chevron official at first suggested it was the product of "natural" leakage from an underwater stone -- reminiscent of the now-infamous statement by a Chevron attorney on the U.S. news show 60 Minutes that the company's massive damage in Ecuador was no more dangerous to human life than the "make-up on my face."

Melvin Wylie

Federal Agencies Join NFWF & Southern Company to Save Vanishing Southeastern Forests

2011-12-20T12:39:00.001-05:00

Building on nearly a decade of investment to restore vanishing longleaf pine forests in the southeastern United States, NFWF (the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) has established the Longleaf Stewardship Fund, a landmark public-private partnership that includes the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Southern Company. With the combined financial and technical resources of this group, the Fund will support accelerated restoration of the longleaf pine ecosystem and implementation of the Range-Wide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine. The longleaf pine ecosystem once encompassed more than 90 million acres of North America. Today, only three percent of the original acreage remains, and threatened and endangered species that depend on the habitat – for example, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the gopher tortoise and the indigo snake – are struggling to survive. Since 2004, a partnership between NFWF and Southern Company, the Longleaf Legacy Program, has invested over $8.7 million into projects that will restore more than 82,000 acres of longleaf pine forest and the native species that rely on it. The Longleaf Stewardship Fund will build on the success of the Southern Company partnership and expand the restoration effort across the nine states within longleaf pine's historic range. A significant amount of the old-growth longleaf pine forest that still exists in the Southeast is on land owned by the U.S. military, and many opportunities for large-scale restoration and protection are concentrated around public lands. The Fund will invest in targeted areas that are anchored by Department of Defense military bases, National Forests, Fish & Wildlife Service Refuges and state protected lands to expand existing longleaf habitat and establish large-scale healthy ecosystems. In addition, the Fund will support range-wide restoration projects, technical assistance to private landowners, and locally based partnerships dedicated to restoring longleaf pine. Investments will be made to achieve specific conservation outcomes, and success will be tracked to evaluate gains in healthy longleaf forest and the recovery of native wildlife. "The involvement of our federal partners in the longleaf pine restoration effort is a tremendous addition that will make our program even stronger, broader and more effective," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. "With the continued leadership and support of Southern Company, we're poised to embark on a new chapter in the recovery of this once-majestic forest." "This expansion of our longleaf partnership is a natural progression and an exciting development that gives us the opportunity to build on the successes we've had so far in restoring this vital ecosystem," said Chris Hobson, Southern Company chief environmental officer. "We are ready to go to work with our newest partners, combining the best that public and private entities have to offer into a model of effective environmental stewardship." "The Department of Defense is a natural partner in longleaf restoration," said John Conger, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations & Environment. "Enhancing the forested lands on and around our military bases protects our mission while also playing an important part in the overall restoration of longleaf pine. We look forward to participating in this important effort." "I am continually amazed by the diversity of organizations that come together to restore the unique and rich longleaf pine forests," said Liz Agpaoa, Regional Forester for the Forest Service's Southern Region, comprised of 13 Southeastern states and Puerto Rico. "By pooling public and private sector resources, the Longleaf Stewardship Fund will advance this important restoration work even during challenging times." "NRCS is committed to helping private forest landowners protect and restore longleaf pine ecosystems," said Chief Dave White. "Healthy longleaf pine forests will yield improved water quality, enhanced wildlife habitat, and good economic return for landowners because longleaf pine is extremely resistant to insects, diseases and wind." "This is an important collaborative effort that restores millions of acres of longleaf pine bringing back a culturally iconic and historically valuable habitat for this region," said Cindy Dohner, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Southeast Regional Director. "This work focuses on restoration that will benefit many listed and candidate species such as the Red-cockaded woodpecker and the gopher tortoise among others. This ambitious work would not be possible but for the diverse partners engaged in it." In its first year, the Fund will award approximately $3 million through a competitive grants process. Grants applications will be accepted through February 15, 2012, with awards announced in Summer 2012. For more information, visit www.nfwf.org/longleaf.

Melvin Wylie

Rio Hondo Park uses recycled water for landscape irrigation

2011-12-20T12:33:00.001-05:00

City may save up to 9 million gallons of drinking water annually COMMERCE, Calif. - Central Basin Municipal Water District has partnered with the City of Pico Rivera to connect the Rio Hondo Park to recycled water for landscape irrigation. This connection is the first park in Pico Rivera to receive recycled water. Several other parks will hopefully be connected in 2012. "Central Basin worked very closely with the city on this project," said Central Basin General Manager Art Aguilar. "Rio Hondo Park is the first of the city's parks to use recycled water and we are proud to have helped Pico Rivera achieve this important goal." Since February 2010, Central Basin has worked with the City to coordinate the logistics for the connection, which included constructing a lateral from the Southeast Water Reliability Project (SWRP) line down Pine Street, conducting shut down tests and ensuring that all health department requirements were met. While the city covered certain on-site retrofit costs, all other construction costs were covered through federal stimulus funds awarded to the District for construction of Phase 1 of SWRP. "Had it not been for the federal funding we received for the Southeast Water Reliability Project, we would not have been able to build the pipeline that made this possible," added Aguilar. "Recycled water use for non-potable purposes, like landscape irrigation, is necessary to ensure we have plenty of drinking water available for future use. The City is a great model for others to follow." Central Basin worked closely with the City to implement the park's potable service back-up and provide informational signage. As a result of the connection, the City will save an average of 27 acre-feet of drinking water per year at this site. That works out to saving nearly 9 million gallons of drinking water annually. (One acre-foot equals approximately 326,000 gallons, or enough water for two averaged-sized families for one year).

Melvin Wylie

29th Episode of GreenNews4U

2011-12-12T17:23:00.001-05:00

Green Stand for your Smart Phone, Tablet & E-Book Let's talk tech… better yet Green Tech. Many people (like myself) are always looking for ways to display our gadgets. I hate just sitting my android phone and my tablet on a flat surface, I want it to be displayed on a stand so that when I get a text, e-mail, call or want watch a movie it's sitting right in front of me. I also don't like to spend money on something big and bulky or something that is proprietary to the phone especially when I'm only using it to sit my device on. Those things are expensive and not so eco-friendly and usually come in 2 colors… white or black. So what's the alternative? Sure you can make on (if you're a handy man) and I've seen some real fail homemade stands. So what's a tech guy or gal to do? On this episode I'll be taking a look at an environmentally friendly solution. To do this I have Garret Moore with Pliant Designs and a new product called E-Sill. Find their web page here

Melvin Wylie

NASA Satellite Confirms Sharp Decline in Pollution From U.S. Coal Power Plants

2011-12-12T15:39:00.001-05:00

A team of scientists have used the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's Aura satellite to confirm major reductions in the levels of a key air pollutant generated by coal power plants in the eastern United States. The pollutant, sulfur dioxide, contributes to the formation of acid rain and can cause serious health problems. The scientists, led by an Environment Canada researcher, have shown that sulfur dioxide levels in the vicinity of major coal power plants have fallen by nearly half since 2005. The new findings, the first satellite observations of this type, confirm ground-based measurements of declining sulfur dioxide levels and demonstrate that scientists can potentially measure levels of harmful emissions throughout the world, even in places where ground monitoring is not extensive or does not exist. About two-thirds of sulfur dioxide pollution in American air comes from coal power plants. Geophysical Research Letters published details of the new research this month. The scientists attribute the decline in sulfur dioxide to the Clean Air Interstate Rule, a rule passed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2005 that called for deep cuts in sulfur dioxide emissions. In response to that rule, many power plants in the United States have installed desulfurization devices and taken other steps that limit the release of sulfur dioxide. The rule put a cap on emissions, but left it up to power companies to determine how to reduce emissions and allowed companies to trade pollution credits. While scientists have used the Ozone Monitoring Instrument to observe sulfur dioxide levels within large plumes of volcanic ash and over heavily polluted parts of China in the past, this is the first time they have observed such subtle details over the United States, a region of the world that in comparison to fast-growing parts of Asia now has relatively modest sulfur dioxide emissions. Just a few decades ago, sulfur dioxide pollution was quite severe in the United States. Levels of the pollutant have dropped by about 75 percent since the 1980s due largely to the passage of the Clean Air Act. Vitali Fioletov, a scientist based in Toronto at Environment Canada, and his colleagues developed a new mathematical approach that made the improved measurements a reality. The approach centers on averaging measurements within a 30 miles radius (50 km) of a sulfur dioxide source over several years. "Vitali has developed an extremely powerful technique that makes it possible to detect emissions even when levels of sulfur dioxide are about four times lower than what we could detect previously," said Nickolay Krotkov, a researcher based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and a coauthor of the new paper. The technique allowed Fioletov and his colleagues to pinpoint the sulfur dioxide signals from the 40 largest sulfur dioxide sources in the United States – generally coal power plants that emit more than 70 kilotons of sulfur dioxide per year. The scientists observed major declines in sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia by comparing levels of the pollutant for an average of the period 2005 to 2007 with another average from 2008 to 2010. "What we're seeing in these satellite observations represents a major environmental accomplishment," said Bryan Bloomer, an Environmental Protection Agency scientist familiar with the new satellite observations. "This is a huge success story for the EPA and the Clean Air Interstate Rule," he said. The researchers focused their analysis on the United States to take advantage of the presence of a robust network of ground-based instruments that monitor sulfur dioxide emissions inside power plant smokestacks. The ground-based instruments have logged a 46 percent decline in sulfur dioxide levels since 2005 – a finding consistent with the 40 percent reduction observed by OMI. "Now that we've confirmed that the technique works, the next step is to use it for other parts of the world that don't have ground-based sensors," said Krotkov. "The real beauty of using satellites is that we can apply the same technique to the entire globe in a consistent way." In addition, the team plans to use a similar technique to monitor other important pollutants that coal power plants release, such as nitrogen dioxide, a precursor to ozone. OMI, a Dutch and Finnish built instrument, was launched in 2004, as one of four instruments on the NASA Aura satellite, and can measure sulfur dioxide more accurately than any satellite instrument flown to date. Though OMI remains in very good condition and scientists expect it to continue producing high-quality data for many years, the researchers also hope to use data from an upcoming Dutch-built OMI follow-on instrument called TROPOMI that is expected to launch on a European Space Agency satellite in 2014. On July 6, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), requiring 27 states to significantly reduce power plant emissions that contribute to ozone and fine particle pollution in other states. This rule replaces EPA's 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). A December 2008 court decision kept the requirements of CAIR in place temporarily but directed EPA to issue a new rule to implement Clean Air Act requirements concerning the transport of air pollution across state boundaries. This action responds to the court's concerns.

Melvin Wylie

Chicago's Uncommon Ground Named "Greenest" Restaurant in America

2011-12-12T15:20:00.001-05:00

Chicago's north side Uncommon Ground has been named the "Greenest Restaurant in the Country" and will open their doors for a media tour and invite only reception next week. On December 13th Mayor Emmanuel's office, the Green Restaurant Association, and the Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition will be celebrating with Uncommon Ground for implementing 116 environmental steps making them a 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant in 2011. This honor is something that doesn't come lightly. With society shifting towards both eco and socially responsible initiatives, Uncommon Ground is setting the stage for restaurants across the nation to consider green and locally sourced options for cost savings and health benefits. With two locations in Chicago, Uncommon Ground is celebrating their 20th anniversary at the Lakeview establishment. The Devon location just celebrated its fourth anniversary and was named the number one green restaurant in America, with the Lakeview location topping the list at number two. "I'm proud to have in our City of Chicago the Greenest Restaurant in the Country," says Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. "Uncommon Ground is a great example of what our city can do and what our country can do, use water and energy more efficiently, grow more sustainable food, while boasting the world's most sustainable businesses." The independently-owned and operated restaurant produces no waste, powers its vehicle with used fryer oil, harnesses the sun to heat their water, and feeds customers with locally sourced, sustainably produced products, as well as from their own Rooftop Farm. From Uncommon Ground's beautifully appointed reclaimed wood amenities, to featuring the first Certified Organic Rooftop Farm in the nation, the owners Michael and Helen Cameron couldn't be more excited about the award. "We are proud to raise the bar and now be the Greenest Restaurants in the country," says Helen Cameron from Uncommon Ground. "We truly care about operating a Certified Green Restaurant and we challenge restaurants around the U.S. to exceed our record of environmental accomplishments. As an industry we have the potential to make a huge difference in taking better care of our planet - and ourselves." Each Certified Green Restaurant goes through a thorough process of certification to meet the Green Restaurant Association's (GRA) rigorous environmental standards. The GRA vets each step and point that each restaurant implements and the GRA audits each restaurant annually so that the restaurants' claims can be accurate. "We are proud of Uncommon Ground's incredible accomplishment of becoming the Greenest Restaurants in the Country," says Michael Oshman, Green Restaurant Association Founder and CEO. "Uncommon Ground is leading the way for American restaurants and the American economy, demonstrating that green practices are both good for the planet and the bottom line. They have truly raised the bar today of what all restaurants can accomplish." In addition to being named the Top Green Restaurant in America, Uncommon Ground has racked up a venerable who's who of awards in the industry including: - "Best New Restaurants" - Chicago Magazine 2008 - "First Certified Organic Roof Top Farm in the Country" - M.O.S.A. 2008 - "Recipient of the 'Governor Sustainability Award'" - 2010 & 2011 - "Winner of the 'Mayor's Landscape Award', City of Chicago" - 2009, 2010, & 2011 - "Winner of the prestigious 'USGBC Environ-motion Award'" - March, 2009 Uncommon Ground offers environmentally friendly, contemporary comfort cuisine with an emphasis on seasonal, regional and organic ingredients. The bar features famous house-infused organic cocktails, a selection of local craft beers and an eclectic American wine list. National music acts perform nightly in an intimate acoustic listening room while art openings feature local Chicago artists.

Melvin Wylie

Japan Urged to Recall Whaling Fleet & Abandon Dying Whale Meat Industry

2011-12-12T14:33:00.001-05:00

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW; www.ifaw.org) is urging Japan to recall its whaling fleet which today left port for Antarctica to train its harpoons on around 1,000 whales. According to Japanese media reports, the country's whaling fleet is en route to the pristine Southern Ocean Sanctuary to kill up to 935 minke whales and 50 endangered fin whales, in defiance of global opposition and several international laws. Japan is believed to have provided around US$30 million in additional government security budget to protect the fleet this season. Japan hunts whales in the seas surrounding Antarctica under the loophole of "scientific whaling" despite the worldwide ban on commercial whaling. Patrick Ramage, Director of IFAW's Global Whale Programme, said: "We are disappointed although not surprised that Japan's whaling fleet has once more set sail for Antarctica to slaughter more whales. The reality, though, is that the whaling industry is dying and this is its last gasp. The economics show that whaling is unprofitable and a bad policy for the Japanese people as well as for whales." IFAW opposes whaling because it is cruel and unnecessary; there is simply no humane way to kill a whale. Footage of Japanese whaling analysed by IFAW scientists has shown whales can take more than half an hour to die. While whaling is uneconomic, whale watching offers a humane and profitable alternative to the cruelty of whaling, generating around US$2.1 billion annually for coastal communities. According to recent media reports the Australian Customs ship Ocean Protector, docked in Hobart, may be preparing to sail to the Southern Ocean to monitor the whaling season. Australian government ship Oceanic Viking has been used in the past to monitor Japanese whalers and the Australian government has presented a case against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean to the International Court of Justice. IFAW encourages all governments to take the strongest diplomatic action possible against Japan and call for an end to its whaling programme. During the last season of Southern Ocean whaling, the Japanese fleet headed back to port early with less than half of its self-allocated catch quota following pressure from many fronts.

Melvin Wylie

ACC $100K Clean Energy Challenge Open for Business (Ideas)

2011-12-12T14:18:00.001-05:00

Entries Accepted from All Universities in the Southeastern United States COLLEGE PARK, Md - The $100K ACC Clean Energy Challenge, a new business plan competition encouraging students from all universities throughout the southeastern United States to develop business plans for new clean energy companies, is now accepting entries, competition officials announce today. The ACC Clean Energy Challenge, supported by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), invites business plans with commercialization potential in the clean energy space, including projects related to renewable energy, energy efficiency improvements and advanced fuels/vehicles. The winner of the competition will receive a $100,000 prize and compete in the DOE National Clean Energy Business Plan Finals in Washington, D.C., in summer 2012. The $100K ACC Clean Energy Challenge involves three rounds of submissions: an executive summary, business plan, and video pitch. Initial entries are due February 20, 2012. Finals will be held at the University of Maryland on April 25, 2012. The competition is open to graduate and undergraduate students actively enrolled in accredited colleges or universities in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. As part of the Obama Administration's effort to support and empower the next generation of American clean energy entrepreneurs, the Department of Energy awarded $360,000 for the ACC Clean Energy Challenge and a total of $2 million to the ACC and five additional regions in the U.S. as part of its inaugural nationwide network of student-focused clean energy business plan competitions over the next three years. Additional regional winners included the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Northeast Region; the California Institute of Technology in the Western Region; Rice University in the Western Southwest Region; Chicago-based Clean Energy Trust in the Eastern Midwest Region; and the University of Colorado in the Western Midwest Region. The University of Maryland's Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) was selected as the principal lead for the Southeast competition. Interested students can find more information and enter at: www.accnrg.org. About the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) The mission of Mtech is to educate the next generation of technology entrepreneurs, create successful technology ventures, and connect Maryland companies with university resources to help them succeed. Founded in 1983, Mtech has had a $25.7 billion impact on the Maryland economy and helped create or retain more than 5,300 jobs. Top-selling products such as MedImmune's Synagis®, which protects infants from a deadly respiratory disease, and Hughes Communications' HughesNet®, which brings satellite-based, high-speed Internet access to the world, were developed through or enhanced by our programs. Billion dollar companies such as Martek Biosciences and Digene Corporation graduated from our incubator. Mtech offers three experiential learning programs and 30 entrepreneurship and innovation courses, served to 1,244 enrollees in 2010, at the pre-college, undergraduate, graduate and executive education levels. For more information about Mtech, please visit www.mtech.umd.edu.

Melvin Wylie

Exemplary Sustainable Forestation Project Launched in Colombia

2011-12-12T14:06:00.001-05:00

The forestry project was one of the first to be registered by the UN "Clean Development Mechanism" programme (CDM) for environmentally compatible developments. From 2012, Faber-Castell is expected to become the world's first private corporation authorized to deal in CO2 certificates from managed forests. In the north of Colombia, in the El Magdalena region where the land has been spoiled by excessive animal husbandry, 67 farmers are currently planting and looking after 1561 hectares of woodland as a source of timber for Faber-Castell. They provided part of their land that had previously been used mainly for grazing cattle; they now get an assured monthly income in return for taking care of the trees. The species planted is Gmelina arborea, commonly known as "Melina," a quick-growing deciduous tree that originally came from Asia and is particularly suitable for making pencils. The trunks attain a girth of 20 to 25 cm after seven years; after felling the farmers receive 30% of the proceeds from the timber. It is planned to extend the area of woodland to 3000 hectares (30 sq.km) by 2014. The Faber-Castell forestry project is part of a large-scale restructuring programme in the municipalities along the Rio Magdalena that have been seriously affected by overgrazing and soil erosion. A unique reforestation project, as confirmed by Jean-Guenole Cornet, a forest and climate expert at the Office Nationale des Forets (ONF), a French state-owned concern whose international subsidiary ONFI has been attempting since 2001 to halt the progressive deforestation in Colombia. "The municipalities along the Rio Magdalena were looking for a way out of the traditionally predominant cattle raising and its associated soil erosion, that regularly leads to flooding and crop failures," he said. "In all probability, Faber-Castell will be the first private company in the world that will shortly receive a certificate from the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) for its CDM project." The certification will entitle it to deal in emission certificates, as foreseen by the Kyoto protocol to reduce world-wide emissions of carbon dioxide. Those are currently estimated by experts to be 33.5 thousand million tons of CO2 annually, which if continued in the long term will lead to global warming of at least 6 degrees Celsius – with disastrous consequences for the Earth. The climate conference in Durban that ended (9 December) is debating the necessary measures by industrialized and developing countries to protect the climate, but also the role of industry in reducing emissions. Faber-Castell has long exhibited a positive balance sheet in that respect. In the early 1980s, the world's largest manufacturer of wood-cased pencils took steps to assure a supply of environmentally compatible timber and initiated the reforestation of 10,000 hectares of pine forest in the state of Minas Gerais in the south-east of Brazil. The company-owned woodland and associated sawmill created some 500 jobs in a region that had previously also been largely given over to cattle grazing. The forests have been granted the FM (forest management) seal of quality by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); they absorb many times the amount of carbon dioxide that the company generates in all its 14 production sites world-wide. At the same time, the woods are home to numerous plant and animal species, some of them threatened with extinction. For Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, the eighth generation of his family to head the company, the new forestation project in Colombia is exemplary not just from an ecological point of view. "I am very pleased that we can offer the farmers long-term prospects and create jobs in a region marked by severe unemployment," he says. Besides producing high-quality products, Faber-Castell has a long tradition of social and ecological responsibility. A successful strategy, as it turns out: in the last fiscal year (2010/11), it achieved a group turnover of 540 million euros, 19% more than the previous year.

Melvin Wylie

Mumbai Slums Need Clean Water & the Government Does Not Care

2011-12-12T13:43:00.001-05:00

In the slums of Mumbai, the taps have been installed by the municipality but in spite of promises from prominent politicians they continue to run dry. Tired of waiting for the authorities to respond to their numerous petitions and requests, 500 slum dwellers took to the street to protest for their right to water. The government plans to upgrade the slums have remained on paper, and basic amenities like water, health and sanitation are almost non-existent in slum neighborhoods. The people have grown weary of living in these deteriorating conditions and have decided to agitate to claim what is rightfully theirs. The agitation of slum dwellers has been video-documented by Amol Lalzare, a Video Volunteers Community Correspondent who himself is a resident of one of the largest slums in the city. Mr. Lalzare is among a new generation slum dwellers who are documenting with video the struggles of their neighbors as they attempt to organize themselves and rise against the discrimination. Another of Mr. Lalzare's videos, "Mumbai Slums Go to Waste," captures the anger and desperation of his friends and neighbors as they watch their surroundings flood with sewage, damaging the health of the residents. It has been 10 years since the drain was damaged but the municipality has not yet acted on the petitions and complaints. "It seems that the government thinks we are animals and are not fit to be treated as human beings," says Mr. Lalzare. Mr. Lalzare works for Video Volunteers, an international community media organization that has trained over 200 disadvantaged people in India to find a livelihood as video reporters. His videos are distributed by the organization's Feature Service called IndiaUnheard. His videos were screened before 500 people at an international gathering of water and sanitation experts put on by Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSCC), bringing the much-needed voice of affected communities into the discussion. Says Jessica Mayberry, founder of Video Volunteers, "Amol is an amazing young man who used to work as a rickshaw driver but now has found a livelihood as the voice of his community. People like Amol are the future of media." To watch Mr. Lalzare's other videos, visit his profile at Video Volunteers' IndiaUnheard website at http://indiaunheard.videovolunteers.org/author/amol/. About Video Volunteers Video Volunteers identifies, trains and empowers grassroots media producers who create change in and for voiceless communities in the developing world. The organization's work has been recognized by the Knight News Challenge, Echoing Green, TED, Waldzell, the King of Belgium, UNESCO, YouTube, and others who have helped Video Volunteers elevate the voices of these rural communities. For further information on Video Volunteers please visit www.videovolunteers.org or follow us @twitter/video volunteers or fan us on Facebook/Video Volunteers.

Melvin Wylie

28th Episode of GreenNews4U

2011-12-11T12:17:00.001-05:00

Landfill Biodegradation In this segment I'll be talking about Landfill Biodegradation. Biodegradation is the chemical breakdown of materials by bacteria or other biological means. This is done aerobically with oxygen, or anaerobically without oxygen. Now there is a lot more that goes into this process. It's obvious that something needs to be done to address these issues and the old landfills are just not cutting it. For example… do you realize that the waste collected from NY specifically Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island is collected by DOS and delivered to private waste transfer stations in the City where it is transferred to 20-ton long haul transport trucks and then transported to landfills in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio. Oftentimes you will find these smelly trucks on the highways. Believe me, you will know them if you have ever been behind one! New York City and its surrounding boroughs also generates 12,000 tons of garbage each day. So we can talk and learn more about the benefits of Landfill Biodegradation my special guest is Morton Barlaz, he a Professor and Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at North Carolina State University. He has spent years as a research scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory for Groundwater Research. He is currently one of 11 faculty members in the Water Resources and Environmental Engineering area of the Civil Engineering Department. Professor Barlaz research includes three major areas: Biological, Chemical, and Physical Processes in Landfills, Integrated Solid Waste Management and Geoenvironmental Engineering. To find out more information on Professor Barlaz please go here

Melvin Wylie

Cutting Edge Drilling Rig Arrives in the Gulf of Mexico

2011-12-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

Shell and Noble Corporation announce the Gulf of Mexico arrival of the Noble Bully I, a state-of-the-art offshore drilling rig that is designed to raise the bar in terms of safety and performance. The Noble Bully I is the first of two Bully rigs, jointly designed by Shell and Noble, and can be equipped to drill in up to 10,000-feet of water. The Bully rigs also feature a compact box-type drilling tower, known as a Multi-purpose Tower, instead of a conventional derrick. As the name indicates, a Multi-purpose Tower is designed to maximize productivity and safety, yet it allows for a significantly smaller vessel when compared to other deep water drill ships of similar capacity. The ships also feature an attention to energy efficiency, use less fuel and are shorter and lighter than comparable drill ships. The Noble Bully I and Noble Bully II, are dynamically positioned drill ships and can, therefore, be positioned at a favorable angle toward wind, waves, and currents, and feature ice-class hulls. Shell and Noble have increased the automated technology on the Bully rigs, increasing personnel safety on board. The Noble Bully I has now arrived in the Gulf of Mexico from Singapore and will complete commissioning and acceptance testing this month before beginning operations. The Noble Bully I will first drill in Shell's Mars B, "Olympus," development while the Noble Bully II drill ship is expected to begin operations early next year in Brazil.

Melvin Wylie

Environmental Standards for Farm-Raised Seafood Often Fall Short

2011-12-09T14:53:00.001-05:00

A new report released today by the University of Victoria ranks eco-labels intended to distinguish seafood produced with less damage to the environment. It is the first study to evaluate how eco-labels for farmed marine fish compare to unlabeled options in the marketplace. "How Green is Your Eco-label?" is designed to help seafood buyers sort through competing sustainability claims and better identify those labels that result in farming methods with less damage to the ocean. Key findings include:

"Organic" labels lead the pack, although a few fall noticeably short;
Many eco-labels are not much better than conventional farmed seafood options when it comes to protecting the ocean environment;
Scale is a big challenge for eco-labels: For the most part, eco-labels are awarded based on an individual farm's environmental footprint. However, the cumulative environmental effects of many farms can quickly overwhelm the benefits of reductions in impacts by a single farm or small group of certified farms.

"Our research shows that most eco-labels for farmed marine fish offer no more than a 10 percent improvement over the status quo," said John Volpe, Ph.D., a marine ecologist at the University of Victoria and lead author of the report. "With the exception of a few outstanding examples, one-third of the eco-labels evaluated for these fish utilize standards at the same level or below what we consider to be conventional or average practice in the industry." Supported by the Pew Environment Group, the study, which was reviewed by several independent experts, uses a well-established quantitative methodology derived from the 2010 Global Aquaculture Performance Index (www.gapi.ca) to determine numerical scores of environmental performance for 20 different eco-labels for farmed marine finfish, such as salmon, cod, turbot, and grouper. These scores were used to rank performance among the various eco-labels. The assessment did not look at eco-labels for freshwater farmed fish, such as tilapia or catfish. The authors used 10 environmental factors to assess the eco-labels, including antibiotic use, the ecological effect of farmed fish that escape from pens, sustainability of the fish that serve as feed, parasiticide use, and industrial energy needed in aquaculture production. "Eco-labels can help fish farmers produce and consumers select environmentally preferable seafood, but only if the labels are based on meaningful standards that are enforced," said Chris Mann, director of Pew's Aquaculture Standards Project. "Seafood buyers at the retail or wholesale level should demand that evidence of sustainability be demonstrated, not merely asserted." The report concludes that government policies and regulations, as well as effective eco-labels, are necessary to limit the environmental impacts of production.

Melvin Wylie

The Evolution of Microfinance

2011-12-01T14:19:00.001-05:00

Zadisha Inc. is the new leader in Micro (P2P) Finance. Find out more information about this company here

Melvin Wylie

27th Episode of GreenNews4U

2011-11-29T16:41:00.001-05:00

Problems and Solutions with E-waste In this edition I will be talking about e-waste in other words electronic recycling. Electronic recycling is in its infancy stages. So many components are being used to extend the life (battery life) of electronic products that it becomes a challenge on the recycling end. It seems there are very few laws on e-waste that the black market is thriving and in the process eco systems and human lives are being destroyed. Just watch the documentary GHANA: DIGITAL DUMPING GROUND. It's so easy to focus on the negatives on e-waste so let's begin to focus on âchangeâ and the positive things taking place to correct this problem. To do this my special guest is Steve Skurnac who is the North American President with Sims Recycling Solutions.

Melvin Wylie

Teamsters Sue To Close Border To Unsafe, Polluting Mexican Trucks

2011-11-23T20:32:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON - The Teamsters on Wednesday sued to block the U.S. Department of Transportation from opening the U.S. border to dangerous Mexican trucks through an illegal pilot program. "Opening the border to these dangerous, dirty trucks is an attack on highway safety, an attack on American truckers and warehouse workers, an attack on border security and an attack on our environment," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "It's outrageous enough that we've outsourced millions of jobs to foreign countries, but now we're bringing foreign workers across the border into the United States to take our jobs. This is another pressure the American middle class doesn't need." The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Public Citizen and the Sierra Club challenged the program in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The suit claims the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration breaks the following laws:

It waives a law that trucks must display certain proof that they meet federal safety standards.
It breaks the law requiring the pilot program to achieve an equivalent level of safety because Mexican drivers don't have to meet the same physical requirements as U.S. drivers.
It breaks the law that Mexico must provide simultaneous and comparable access to U.S. trucks. Mexico cannot do so because of the limited availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in Mexico.
It breaks the law that the pilot program must include enough participants to be statistically valid. The FMCSA's proposal ensures that only the best Mexican trucks participate, which would allow it to justify letting any Mexican truck over the border in the future.
It doesn't comply with the environment requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act.

"Congress has repeatedly and overwhelmingly set tough safety conditions for any cross-border trucking program, and this one clearly doesn't meet those conditions," Hoffa said. The pilot program got off to a rocky start when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration approved trucking operator Grupo Behr from Tijuana, Mexico. The carrier owned one 20-year-old semi-tractor trailer with numerous safety issues. FMCSA had to disqualify it from the program after the Teamsters Union and others brought Grupo Behr's safety record to light. A second carrier, Transportes Olympic, of Monterrey, Mexico, started operating in the U.S. last month. Safety concerns have also been raised about Transportes Olympic.

Melvin Wylie

SustainU Opens Its First Retail Store

2011-11-23T12:39:00.001-05:00

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - SustainU, a leading producer of apparel using fabrics made from 100% recycled materials that are manufactured in the USA, today announced the opening of its first retail store in Morgantown, WV on Tuesday, November 29th. Located in the Wharf District, the store will feature SustainU's line of t-shirts, hoodies and polos made from 100% recycled material and manufactured entirely in the United States. "We are the only apparel company in the United States that uses only recycled material and American labor to manufacture its clothing," said Chris Yura, CEO and founder of SustainU. "It is important for future generations that businesses become more sustainable. This is why we are trying to bring back jobs to the US and do it in an environmentally responsible way." Using recycled cotton scraps and plastic bottles, SustainU partners with factories like the Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (WSIFB) to manufacture its apparel. The White House recently recognized the young West Virginia company in its blog: "Chris hoped to create a more authentic garment, one that embodied the social, environmental and economic values with which he was raised. With a small loan from his parents, he moved to North Carolina, a vibrant textile region, to learn how to make quality, affordable apparel. He brought this knowledge back to his home state of West Virginia and in June of 2009, at the age of 28, Chris founded SustainU." The SustainU retail store, located at 63 Wharf Street across from Oliverio's Restaurant, will be open weekdays from 9 am to 7 pm and Saturdays from 12 noon to 5 pm and will carry SustainU and WVU merchandise. Products can also be purchased online at SustainUclothing .com /store.

Melvin Wylie

Diseased Dogs Rescued From Dinner Plates in China

2011-11-21T13:01:00.001-05:00

BEIJING - Hundreds of dogs who narrowly escaped the fate of being on a restaurant menu, received emergency vaccinations provided by the International Fund for Animal Welfare - IFAW (www.ifaw.org). At the same time, IFAW issued an open letter to the Chinese authorities, calling for enforcement of health and quarantine regulations to prevent the illegal, unsafe and inhumane inter-province transport of dogs for human consumption. On October 14, concerned residents intercepted a truck packed with more than 800 dogs in Zigong, Sichuan province heading to Guangxi for slaughter. The dogs were cramped into 100 cages without food or water for three to four days. Veterinarians conducted health examinations and found the dogs were not only suffering from various degrees of dehydration, fractures and trauma, but many were also infected with potentially lethal infectious diseases, such as canine distemper and Parvovirus and serious illnesses caused by fungi and mites. Twenty-seven dogs have died so far due to injury and disease. "The transport of live animals in urban and rural areas carries a high risk of spreading infectious diseases to both animals and people. It also brings great challenges to the prevention of epidemics," said Dr. Kati Loeffler, IFAW's Veterinarian Advisor. "It poses a direct threat to human health and public safety." IFAW questions the mishandling of the case by local authorities who failed to uphold existing regulations to ensure public safety. In a letter to authorities, IFAW appeals for strengthening existing regulation to protect companion animals from the illegal meat trade and advocates for the anti-cruelty legislation to protect all animals, including dogs and cats. "This is the second time this year that concerned citizens have intercepted companion animals headed for slaughter – showing that times are changing," said Grace Gabriel, IFAW's Asia Regional Director. "The Chinese public is speaking up and taking action against animal cruelty. IFAW's team on the ground will continue to call for China's laws to catch up with the growing desires of Chinese people for greater dog protection." About IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Melvin Wylie

Hawaii's 2012 State Teacher of the Year Receives Use of an Electric Car; Two Charging Stations

2011-11-21T12:49:00.001-05:00

HONOLULU - With Hawaii focusing on the development of the state's abundant wind, wave, sun, geo-thermal, ocean-thermal and bio-mass energy resources, this year, an electric car (use for a year) was awarded to the 2012 State Teacher of the Year during ceremonies held at historic Washington Place, across from the State Capitol. Chad Miller, a language arts teacher at Kailua High School, received the prestigious designation as the 2012 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year during ceremonies hosted by the Hawaii State Department of Education. Miller will represent the state of Hawaii at the 2012 National Teacher of the Year program next year. The use of the Mitsubishi iMiEV was provided by Cutter Mitsubishi and was presented by Mitsubishi Motors North America president and CEO Yoichi Yokozawa, who said, "I believe the state of Hawaii is a great location for electric vehicles. The state can be an example to the world for zero emission cars. Hawaii can show others how to make it work." Two electric vehicle charging stations –one for the teacher's residence and one for the teacher's school parking space-- were provided compliments of AeroVironment, a Monrovia, California-based supplier of EV charging stations. Pat Ah You, general manager of Cutter Mitsubishi, reminded Miller that Honolulu allows free parking for electric vehicles at all City and County public parking facilities and parking meter stalls on streets and roadways throughout the island of Oahu. "The electric car presentation to the teacher is significant this year in that it demonstrates Hawaii's new car dealers' commitment to education, the new renewable energy transition, and to the next generation of young people who are customers in the future," said Ah You.

Melvin Wylie

26th Episode of GreenNews4U

2011-11-20T12:29:00.001-05:00

Organically Grown Clothing In this episode of GreenNews4U I interview Sebastian with Right as Rain. Right as Rain is an organic piece of clothing grown and produced by mother earth. Now how can the earth produce a piece of clothing that a farmer from Scotland, now living in Italy, can harvest? Well you will have to listen to this episode to find out. You can find Right as Rain on Facebook and to purcahse their products go to their web page.

Melvin Wylie

Organica Sustainable Water on PBS (Huffington Post & National Geographic)

2011-11-16T11:04:00.001-05:00

A few months ago I had the privilege of interviewing Melissa with Organica Sustainable Water. Since then they have been in the the Huffington Post and National Geographic. I'm sure with their publicity that many more news organizations will come forward to interview this great company that's on the cutting edge in dealing with our water crisis. This Thursday, November 17th the company will be featured and the centerpiece of PBS's Nightly Business Report. I hop you will support this great company and tune in! You can find the listings for PBS here.

Melvin Wylie

WATER: The Great Mystery

2011-11-15T09:21:00.001-05:00

Amazing documentary about the power of the mind and the secrets of water.

Melvin Wylie

New Poll: 9 out of 10 Americans Support Solar

2011-11-14T15:08:00.001-05:00

Survey by Kelton Research finds continued widespread public support for development of solar energy, federal incentives for solar, across political spectrum.

Americans overwhelmingly support the use and development of solar energy as well as federal incentives for solar, according to the 2011 SCHOTT Solar Barometer™, a nationally representative survey conducted annually by independent polling firm Kelton Research. For the fourth consecutive year, the survey found that about nine out of 10 Americans (89 percent) think it is important for the United States to develop and use solar energy. Support for solar is strong across the political spectrum with 80 percent of Republicans, 90 percent of Independents and 94 percent of Democrats agreeing that it is important for the United States to develop and use solar. The survey also found that more than eight out of 10 Americans (82 percent) support federal tax credits and grants for the solar industry similar to those that traditional sources of energy like oil, natural gas and coal have received for decades. Seventy-one percent of Republicans agree, as well as 82 percent of Independents and 87 percent of Democrats. "It's clear that solar has the strong support of the American people," said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. "Now it needs the support of U.S. policymakers in extending job-creating policies like the 1603 Treasury Program to make sure solar continues to work for America." Furthermore, when asked to select an energy source they would financially support if they were in charge of U.S. energy policy, 39 percent of Americans chose solar over other sources such as natural gas (21 percent), wind (12 percent), nuclear (9 percent) and coal (3 percent). "The fourth annual Solar Barometer shows that Americans overwhelmingly understand the benefits of solar energy for our country," said Tom Hecht, President, Sales, Marketing and Business Development, SCHOTT Solar PV, Inc. Eight out of 10 Americans (82 percent) think it is important for the federal government to support U.S. solar manufacturing, according to the poll. Also, a majority of Americans (51 percent) said they would be more likely to purchase a product if they knew it was made using solar energy.

Melvin Wylie

Dominion Virginia Power Proposes Community Solar Power Program

2011-11-14T14:58:00.001-05:00

- Company would lease space for solar panels on rooftops of businesses, public facilities RICHMOND, Va. - Dominion Virginia Power, in continuing its exploration of alternative energy technologies, wants to lease rooftops and grounds of commercial businesses and public facilities for electricity-generating solar panels. The panels would generate enough electricity to power about 6,000 homes during peak daylight hours. The initiative would be part of a multi-year program designed to help expand the company's understanding of community-based solar energy, study its impact and assess its benefits. The company made its request for approval Monday to the Virginia State Corporation Commission. "To successfully implement solar energy projects, we have to understand how community-based solar energy will integrate in our existing distribution system," said Kenneth D. Barker, vice president-Customer Solutions and Energy Conservation. "In addition, the program would provide more renewable energy to our generation mix, support Virginia's renewable energy goals and further the goals of the commonwealth's energy policy." While specific locations have not yet been identified, at least four of the solar sites would be located in community settings, such as local government buildings, schools, community associations, neighborhood associations or nonprofit organizations. In all, the company plans to install solar panels on 30 to 50 sites in its service area. Participants would receive payment for leasing space for the solar panels. A Web-enabled monitor located at the facility would display information about the installation's output. Throughout the program, the company would report the study results of each project to the commission annually. The company would continue to own and operate the solar panels as generation facilities after a site has been operating for five years. The company's application also includes plans for a new rate under development in which the company would purchase solar energy from customers who have panels on their property. Additional information about the proposed program is available on the Dominion website, www.dom.com.

Melvin Wylie

Mining and Military Address Health & Safety with Eco Waste Technology

2011-11-14T13:54:00.000-05:00

BURLINGTON, ON - Eco Waste Solutions (EWS) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded two new contracts to bring point-of-need waste solutions to the mining and military sectors. A multinational mining company operating in West Africa has selected EWS to supply 3 ECO Model batch incinerators. This equipment will process 23 tonnes per day - all of the domestic waste generated on-site. With large camps, the installation of these facilities can improve sanitation by reducing vermin and disease vectors, enhancing personnel health and safety. Utilizing clean burning systems to manage solid waste also minimizes the environmental impacts of the mine and is preferred to the long-term legacy of a landfill. EWS also has been awarded a contract to supply the ECO Mobile incineration system to a foreign Department of Defense. The fully containerized mobile system has been procured as part of a readiness program for public health protection. Crises in recent history such as the Avian Bird Flu and H1N1 have highlighted the need for governments to react quickly to quarantine and destroy diseased animals. In these emergencies, most agencies resort to open pit burning which is inadequate for infection containment and creates air pollution. The ECO Mobile will provide rapid response to the site of a disease outbreak and operates at temperatures that will destroy even the more resistant prion - the infectious agent associated with BSE (mad cow disease). The ECO Mobile is designed to international military specifications and is the most advanced mobile incinerator available globally. With on-board pollution control and monitoring equipment it will meet the strictest emissions standards in place today. "This year, despite the slowdown globally, EWS has continued to grow. Our business services markets that require proven solutions that operate reliably with high environmental standards" said Eco Waste Solutions President, Steve Meldrum. "Our equipment is unique in delivering on these objectives." Company Information: Eco Waste Solutions (EWS) is a privately-held Canadian environmental technology company that custom engineers and manufactures advanced thermal treatment technologies for solid and liquid waste. For over 17 years we have demonstrated leadership in design-quality, environmental integrity and excellent customer service. Unlike many emerging technologies still in development, the EWS systems are fully commercialized and process waste reliably. Our technological innovations include 4G controls, containerized mobile incinerators designed for rapid deployment and scalable modular incinerators that can offer heat recovery in the form of hot water, steam and small scale energy from waste. www.ecosolutions.co m

Melvin Wylie

Research Suggests Orange Juice Evokes Positive Emotions

2011-11-14T13:37:00.001-05:00

BARTOW, Fla. - Americans have been enjoying the great taste of orange juice for decades, and now research suggests they may turn to this refreshing beverage for how it makes them feel. A new study from the Florida Department of Citrus found drinking orange juice actually made participants feel positive, carefree and rejuvenated. Through a patented research process designed to reveal unconscious emotions, consumers shared their thoughts and feelings about orange juice and its role in their lives. Findings showed that while participants view their daily life as a "hard road," the simple act of drinking orange juice provides a momentary "escape" to a more positive mindset. The rejuvenating feelings they get from a glass of orange juice helps give them the energy and resolve to take on the day. Research participants shared positive emotions about orange juice through analogies and memories. For example, one respondent likened orange juice to a "water station" in the marathon of life, while another described life as an everyday battle in which orange juice helps to "carry you through the day and help you win the war." Another participant shared, "orange juice almost makes me feel like a child again, where I was comfortable, cozy, and secure." The link between orange juice and a more positive outlook revealed through in-depth interviews with a small group of participants was also supported by a recent survey of 1,002 adults nationwide, which showed more than half of the respondents believe drinking a glass of orange juice provides an energizing boost, while 33 percent said it is a simple way to help improve their mood. Furthermore, when American adults drink orange juice, 56 percent of those surveyed said they feel rejuvenated, followed by calm, positive, happy and alive. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, a positive psychology expert and author of The How of Happiness, suggests the positive power of orange juice may do even more for people: her research shows happiness can actually lead to a more successful and fulfilled life. In fact, studies suggest happy people are more energetic and productive, have richer networks of friends, are better leaders and have stronger immune systems. Some research even reports happy people may live longer. "One key to happiness is focusing on the simple things that can improve your outlook on life," said Dr. Lyubomirsky. "No life is without stress or adversity, but by stepping back and appreciating the simple things, you can look at the bigger picture and learn to cope with obstacles. Such adjustments are small, but can have a big impact on many areas of your life." Further research suggests that adopting this approach to life can have added benefits throughout the years. Recent studies have found that those people who focus on and savor positive thoughts on a daily basis are the most well-adjusted and mentally healthy as they age. Moreover, this positive mindset can also support a more productive and fulfilling life as those who adopt an optimistic outlook are more likely to achieve their goals of growth and advancement. "Find pleasure in ordinary moments to give yourself a break and boost your mood," Dr. Lyubomirsky said. "Try taking a few minutes to appreciate the little things, even something as simple as the taste and smell of your glass of orange juice as you drink it each day." For more information on 100 percent Florida Orange Juice and additional tips from Dr. Lyubomirsky, please visit www.Facebook.com/FloridaOrangeJuice.

Melvin Wylie

S&C Electric Company Boosts Production at California Wind Farm

2011-11-14T13:25:00.001-05:00

S&C Electric Company, a global leader in renewable energy integration, announces that it will provide a complete procure-construct solution for Coram Ridge Wind Farm in Mojave, California. S&C will procure and construct the electrical equipment necessary to connect 34 Vestas 3.0-MW turbines to the grid. The plant's capacity, at completion, will be 102 MW. The plant is owned by Coram California Development, L.P. Increasing renewable energy production at existing plants is a major priority in California considering the renewable energy goals set forth in the new California Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS). The new goals, as of April 12, will require 33 percent of total energy supplies to come from certified renewable sources by 2020 – one of the most aggressive renewable energy goals in the United States. However, upgrading infrastructure economically while minimizing plant downtime is both critical and extremely challenging. "Given the difficulties inherent in updating an existing plant, we wanted an EPC electrical system provider with a proven track record of swiftly completing complex projects," says Rick Ortiz Construction Executive for . "S&C offers extensive experience in developing customized approaches for renewable energy integration." S&C has provided EPC services for renewable energy projects around the world, integrating gigawatts of energy to the grid. For this particular project, S&C will integrate a 69-kV underground transmission line, which is very unusual for renewable energy projects and as such, requires a high level of technical expertise and customization. S&C will also develop two 66-kV substations and overhead and underground collector systems. "We are drawing on our extensive renewable energy and electric utility experience to customize a solution to increase the wind farm's capacity," says Dan Girard, director of renewable energy, S&C. "This is just another example of how working closely with our customers, we can develop effective approaches to meet even the most difficult renewable energy integration challenges." About S&C Electric Company S&C, with global headquarters in Chicago, USA, is applying its heritage of innovation to address challenges facing the world's power grids and is thus shaping the future of reliable electricity delivery. The mission of employee-owned S&C is to continually develop new solutions for electricity delivery, fostering the improved efficiency and reliability required for the intelligent grid. Additional information about S&C is available at www.sandc.com.

Melvin Wylie

UL and the Muppets Team Up to Help Make the Holiday Season Safe and Bright

2011-11-14T13:13:00.001-05:00

National Campaign Encourages Families to Commit a Minute to Safety NORTHBROOK, Ill. - Every minute, 17 children visit the ER due to unintentional injuries, a startling number that equates to an estimated 9.2 million injuries a year. Household injuries are especially top of mind during the hectic months of November and December, with an estimated 230 people in the United States visiting emergency rooms each day as a result of holiday-related injuries. In response to these alarming statistics, UL, a global safety organization, is working with stars of Disney's The Muppets, including Kermit the Frog, Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker, on a national campaign - Commit a Minute to Safety. The campaign's goal is to raise awareness of the importance of holiday safety and make sure parents know valuable holiday safety information - water your tree daily, never leave a lit candle unattended, turn pot handles in while cooking, and always look for the UL Mark. Beginning today, UL is asking families to take time out of their busy schedules to ensure they are making safety a priority this holiday season. To illustrate the simple steps families can take to dramatically cut the risk of injuries, UL, with the help of The Muppets characters Kermit the Frog, Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker, is launching a series of online safety videos and a national public service announcement (PSA) that provides families with vital safety tips to ensure a safe and bright holiday season. The first video focuses on the importance of fire safety and can be viewed at www.SafetyAtHome.com. "The holidays are a happy time and we want to help keep them that way. Commit a Minute to Safety shows folks how easy it is to keep their home and family safe," said Kermit the Frog, who adds an additional holiday safety tip of his own: "Never mix mistletoe and romantic pigs. Trust me on this." In addition to The Muppets holiday safety videos and PSA, UL has revamped its website and is offering downloadable holiday safety content such as the Safety Time learning and activity book for children. UL will also be updating its SafetyAtHome Facebook and Twitter pages with news about upcoming events including UL's presenting sponsorship of the City of Chicago Tree Lighting and the National Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C. "During the holidays, UL reminds families to look for the UL Mark on decorations, lights and electronics," said John Drengenberg, Consumer Safety Director at UL. "When you see the UL Mark, you can rest assured that the highest safety standards have been met." UL independent engineers and scientists perform thousands of rigorous tests on products such as holiday lights, electric decorations and artificial trees. This year, UL offers the following safety guidelines to show how safety can take as little as one minute and help families identify and prevent hazards that too often result in accidents or tragedy.

WATER YOUR TREE DAILY: Dry trees pose a substantial fire risk. After bringing your tree home, make a fresh cut at the base of the trunk before putting it in a sturdy stand. Be sure to water it daily. Additionally, know your tree's expiration date. After about four weeks, the tree will stop absorbing water and dry out, and should be properly discarded or recycled.
CHECK YOUR LIGHTS, CHECK THEM TWICE: Inspect all of your electric lights and decorations for damage or wear. Cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections may pose a fire or shock hazard.
DECORATE WITH A SAFE EYE: Cords should not be run under carpets or tacked up with metal nails or staples. Small decorations can be a choking hazard for small children or pets and should be kept out of reach.
BE FLAME AWARE: Always blow out unattended candles and keep flammable materials "three feet from the heat" of lit candles or fireplaces.
INDOOR OR OUTDOOR? LOOK FOR THE UL MARK: Indoor-use-only light strings are marked with UL's green holographic label. Indoor-or outdoor-use light strings are marked with UL's red holographic label. Only use light strings and other electrical decorations that bear the UL Mark near the plug, signifying that safety standards have been met.

To learn more about UL's Commit a Minute to Safety holiday campaign and for valuable safety information for keeping your home safe and bright this holiday season, please visit www.SafetyAtHome.com.

Melvin Wylie

Death Valley Wilderness Protected by Creative Corporate Merger

2011-11-14T13:08:00.001-05:00

CARBONDALE, Colo. - The Wilderness Land Trust recently completed a complex corporate merger resulting in the donation of a 2,450-acre property in the Death Valley Wilderness Study Area to the Bureau of Land Management. The donation was made possible through a grant from the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation's Preserving Wild California Program and will help clear the way for the designation of the Death Valley Wilderness Area with the proposed passage of Senator Dianne Feinstein's sponsored Desert Protection Act. "This is one more step to protect California's pristine desert, another private donation to our great public lands. I want to thank the Kerckhoff family, The Resources Legacy Fund Foundation and the Wilderness Land Trust for their generosity. This donation falls within the boundaries of land to be permanently preserved by my California Desert Protection Act, which is currently pending before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee," Senator Feinstein said. The property was the sole asset of the Avawatz Salt and Gypsum Company formed by one of Los Angeles most active founding families in 1912. When the Kerckhoff family moved to Los Angeles in the late 1800s, there was no shortage of wilderness and natural resources in California, and the family took advantage of those natural resources to help form the Pacific Light and Power Company, the Kerckhoff-Cuzner Lumber Company, and participate in the development of Beverly Hills. Los Angeles was going through a building boom in 1912, and the Kerckhoff family and a group of investors thought they had the critical property to serve that growth. Kerckhoff and his investors were attracted to the gypsum as the prime ingredient in cement and wall plaster. Kerckhoff sold stock to investors who believed in his ability to bring gypsum out of the remote Avawatz Mountains to the bungalows of Los Angeles and Pasadena. A key component to the plan was the formation of the Amargosa Railway Company which planned to build a rail line over the sixteen miles from the mine to the main railroad line for delivery to Los Angeles. The corporation spent large sums on engineering reports, soil samples, surveys, and the railroad. But then World War I began in 1914 and made it difficult for the company to secure financing for its ambitious plans. Without the completion of the crucial railroad, the activity of the corporation was put on hold, and it remained mostly stagnant for the next one hundred years. While the family-maintained records of the Avawatz Salt and Gypsum Company are extensive, a visitor today to the Death Valley Wilderness Study Area would be hard pressed to differentiate the Avawatz property from the surrounding wilderness. It is harsh country, a baked landscape of craggy peaks, weathered into rock skeletons guarding the salt and gypsum flats. The Avawatz Salt and Gypsum Company filed mineral claims and made some minor scars on the landscape, but the magnificent desert has outlasted those brief human efforts, enduring as it changes on a timeline that humans can't comprehend. "This area's vast, rugged terrain is not only home to two protected species, the desert tortoise and the desert big horn sheep, but its remote rugged mountains and canyons offer outstanding opportunities for backpacking, hiking, and solitude," said Monica Argandona of the California Wilderness Coalition. "We are very grateful to the Wilderness Land Trust and the Kerckhoff family for this land donation. Their work, along with Senator Feinstein's legislation, ensures that this area will not be mined or developed ever again." The Wilderness Land Trust specializes in these types of acquisitions in wilderness where, as the 1964 Wilderness Act states, "Man himself is a visitor who does not remain." The Trust approached the heirs of the Kerckhoff family about purchasing the Avawatz property to add to the Death Valley Wilderness Study Area, but the family was adamant that they would only sell the Avawatz Salt and Gypsum Company rather than the land separately. This request presented a complex problem for The Wilderness Land Trust: how to purchase a company in which so many of the shareholders were deceased or unable to be located because of the long passage of time. The solution involved creating a new company called Avawatz Acquisition Corporation and then merging the two companies so the Trust could work with the majority of shareholders still living. "The Trust never intended to purchase a corporation," said Reid Haughey, President, "But the flexibility to structure the deal to meet the family's wishes shows the Trust's determination to protect wilderness. We saw this property as a once in a generation opportunity to secure the Death Valley and Avawatz Mountains Wilderness Areas, and we are very thankful to the family for choosing conservation rather than exploring other development options. We know the corporation has been in the family for close to one hundred years, and we believe this solution is a perfect legacy to the family's history in southern California." With the corporate transaction completed, the Trust, as the main shareholder of the new corporation, directed the corporation to donate the property to the Bureau of Land Management for an addition to the Death Valley Wilderness Study Area. "This is a spectacular piece of land with incredible vistas and lush riparian areas," said Roxie Trost, manager of the Bureau of Land Management's Barstow Field Office. "This donation includes historic mining areas and Sheep Creek Springs, which supports a population of endemic toads and is used by Bighorn Sheep. We are thrilled to add this donation to the public lands for the enjoyment of future generations." Visitors to the potential new wilderness areas will now be able to access the Avawatz property and not worry about private property signs or potential energy development. A hundred years from now future generations may look back on 2011, like we now look back at 1912. It's hard to know what the population of Los Angeles will be or what resources will be critical to the year 2111 economy, but we now know that the Death Valley Wilderness will be preserved, outlasting us all in its mystery and natural grace. The Wilderness Land Trust The Wilderness Land Trust is a small, highly specialized nonprofit organization established to buy and protect wilderness land. Since it was founded in 1992, the non-profit organization has preserved more than 344 parcels comprising of more than 31,000 acres of wilderness inholdings in 76 designated and proposed wilderness areas. The Wilderness Land Trust, a 501 (c)(3) organization, has offices in California, Colorado and Washington State. For more information visit our website www.wildernesslandtrust.org. The Wilderness Land Trust is a 1% for the Planet Non-Profit Partner. Visit www.onepercentfortheplanet.org for more information.

Melvin Wylie

Donna Morton with First Power on TEDx

2011-11-13T16:19:00.001-05:00

Earlier in the year I had the opportunity to interview Donna Morton who is the CEO and co-founder of First Power on the 19th Episode of GreenNews4U. Recently she was a speaker at TEDx were she talked about the end of poverty and climate change through %100 renewable energy. I highly recommend watching this video. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

Melvin Wylie

Consumers win the Right to Know About Their Food

2011-11-13T15:39:00.001-05:00

State of Ohio dropping regulation in face of organic community pressure The State of Ohio today agreed that it will no longer pursue regulations limiting labeling on organic dairy products. Ohio had attempted to prohibit statements on labels which informed consumers that organic dairy products are produced without antibiotics, pesticides or synthetic hormones. After the Organic Trade Association (OTA) sued the State of Ohio, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with consumers' right to know and gutted the Ohio rule, finding that it was unconstitutional. Ohio has now agreed to abandon the rule rather than trying to revive it, recognizing that the First Amendment allows organic dairy products to proudly state that they are produced in accordance with the organic standards, without the use of synthetic growth hormones, pesticides, or antibiotics. "This is significant for all of us who support what the organic foods are about, and for consumers who carefully read food labels to find out what's in their food and how it's produced," said Christine Bushway, Executive Director and CEO for OTA. "The Sixth Circuit opinion made it clear that states cannot unduly restrict organic labels or consumers' right to know how their food is produced, and the State of Ohio's actions today make it clear that the fight to keep labels accurate by OTA, its members, farmers, and consumers was worth it." In 2008, the State of Ohio issued an emergency regulation that restricted the free speech rights of organic and conventional farmers and marketers of milk within the State of Ohio. The regulation illegally restricted the right of farmers and marketers to state that some dairy products are produced without the use of synthetic and artificial ingredients. OTA and its members, including Horizon Organic®, Organic Valley®, and Stonyfield Farm®, appealed a lower court decision that upheld the rule in question to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2010, the Sixth Circuit reversed the lower court decision, agreeing that consumers have a right to know how their dairy products are produced. Critical to the decision was the Court's reliance on an amicus brief filed by The Center for Food Safety and other organizations to rule that milk produced with synthetic hormones is different than milk produced without it (as all organic milk is). "Ohio's abandonment of this misguided rule is a victory for consumers, farmers and manufacturers alike," said Bushway, adding, "The organic label is a federally regulated program that provides consumers with the knowledge that their food is produced without the use of antibiotics, pesticides or added growth hormones. Consumers have the right to make informed choices about the foods they eat, and farmers and manufacturers can continue to communicate truthfully with consumers." OTA was represented by Randy Sunshine of Liner Grode Stein Yankelevitz Sunshine Regensteif & Taylor LLP. OTA looks forward to continuing the fight for transparency in labeling as part of the Just Label It: We Have a Right to Know initiative that kicked off earlier this month. This initiative is driven by a coalition of more than 400 businesses and organizations interested in seeing genetically engineered (GE) foods labeled as such. With increasing consumer interest in health and food safety, people want to know more than ever about what is in their food and how it was produced. The campaign has submitted a petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the goal of inspiring consumers to contact FDA to show their support of mandatory labeling of GE foods. Consumers can visit www.justlabelit.org to submit support of labeling to FDA.

Melvin Wylie

Fracking Litigation Conference in Dallas Dec. 13

2011-11-13T15:08:00.001-05:00

DALLAS, TX - Responding to the controversy and need for clear legal perspectives around "hydraulic fracturing," commonly called "fracking," HB Litigation Conferences will hold its second conference on the subject in Dallas on Dec. 13, 2011, HB CEO Tom Hagy has announced. A panel of experts, including plaintiff and defense attorneys, will join chairs Marc Bern of Napoli Bern Ripka LLP and Joshua Becker of Alston & Bird LLP to discuss a variety of topics relating to hydraulic fracturing litigation. "The increased use of fracking to extract natural gas from underground rock formations raises environmental and legal challenges and will be the topic of discussion by attorneys, professors and scientists at this program," Hagy said. HB's first program, held in Philadelphia, drew more than 100 attendees. The "Gas Drilling Operations Conference" will be held Dec. 13, 2011 at the Cityplace Conference and Event Center in Dallas. The event is fully accredited for CLE. Experts include: John Imse, RG, Principal, Environ International Corp.; Gary Brown, PE, RT Environmental Services, Inc.; and Phillip Watters, P.E., Kleran Purcell, P.E. and John Orr, CPCU, all of Rimkus Consulting, Inc. Litigators include: Adam Orford of Marten Law; Keith Hall of Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann; Hope Friewald of Dechert; Corey Zurbuch of Thomas Genshaft; William Jackson of Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs.; Beverlee Silva of Alston & Bird; Allen Stewart of Allen Stewart; Jennifer Quinn-Barabanov of Steptoe & Johnson; Richard Faulk of Gerdere Wynne Sewell; John Nevius of Anderson Kill & Olick; and Steven Pate of Fulbright & Jaworski. Topics include: the fracking process; the role of government; shale gas plays; land valuations; health and environmental risks; remediation; case intake; discovery; damages; examining contamination and injury cases; insurance coverage implications, plus a mock session illustrating what can go right and wrong for landowners, drillers and brokers. Discounts are available for groups and based on need. Some sponsorship opportunities are still available. Press passes are available upon request. For more information call Brownie Bokelman at (484) 324-2755, x212 or email her at Brownie.Bokelman@litigationconferences.com. See the latest agenda at www.LitigationConferences.com. HB Litigation Conferences is a nationwide provider of continuing legal education for plaintiff, defense and in-house counsel, focusing on emerging issues in mass torts and insurance. HB is an independent provider of legal education, formerly operating as Mealey's Conferences. It is not funded or affiliated with any organization.

Melvin Wylie

Gardner Mountain Conserved, Lyman's Scenic Backdrop

2011-11-13T14:52:00.001-05:00

More than 1,000 acres protect bat habitat, working forest LYMAN, N.H. - Critically important bat habitat and a significant portion of Gardner Ridge, the scenic backdrop for New Hampshire's Town of Lyman, have been conserved, Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust and The Trust for Public Land announced. The conservation of 1,081 acres on Gardner Mountain includes an easement, supports timber management, protects important habitat, and guarantees public access, while restricting development not related to agriculture or forestry. This property has been operated as a commercial forest for more than 200 years and the current owner, the Merrill Family Trust, wished to see the property conserved rather than developed. In 2004 a wind farm development along Gardner Ridge was proposed and rejected by Lyman voters. A conservation project was then proposed for a new town forest for Lyman, but residents voted down a bond for the purchase of the property in March of 2009. Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust (ACT), the North Country's land conservancy, and The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national conservation organization, pursued an alternative conservation strategy, conserving the land with an easement but keeping it in private ownership. After three years working with ACT and TPL the land has now been sold to a new owner, who will operate it as a commercial working forest subject to the conservation easement. Continued forestry will be done on a sustainable basis and will continue to support New Hampshire's rural economies. ACT will manage the easement. "Land protection projects often take a lot of time and work, as this one did," said ACT Executive Director Rebecca Brown. "I'm sure we all wish John Merrill had lived to see this happen. It's a great tribute to him and his family, and a tremendous gift to people everywhere who care about seeing our landscape conserved for future generations." "Gardner Mountain is a remarkable Lyman landmark worthy of protection," said J.T. Horn, project manager for The Trust for Public Land. "Our sincere thanks to the Merrill Family, New Hampshire's LCHIP fund, our other funding partners, and the Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust for seeing this project through to the end." Gardner Mountain includes some of the most important wildlife habitat in New Hampshire. Paddock Mine, an abandoned copper mine on the property, is one of the largest bat hibernacula in New Hampshire. Bats are under severe stress from a new and mysterious disease known as White Nose Syndrome, which is causing high mortality rates among several common species of bats. New Hampshire Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believe that conservation of the Paddock Mine hibernacula is a critical part of the response to White Nose Syndrome in New Hampshire. "We appreciate the work that The Trust for Public Land and ACT have done in protecting this land," said Emily Brunkhurst, wildlife biologist for the NH Fish and Game Department. "Conserving this hibernacula provides a safe wintering habitat for bats who survive white-nose syndrome and their offspring. As you enjoy this newly conserved land, please help save our bats by staying out of the mine to allow them to hibernate without disturbance." Lyman is a rural community that set goals to maintain its heritage of agriculture, forestry, and open recreational access. The property contains a significant portion of the Gardner Ridge, Lyman's scenic backdrop with western views from the church and fields in the center of the Town. The property will also remain open to pedestrian access for hiking, cross-country skiing and hunting. Visitors will be able to enjoy the dramatic views from the property toward Mount Moosilauke and the Kinsman Ridge in the White Mountain National Forest. Funding for the $600,000 project came from the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), Open Space Institute - Saving New England Wildlife Fund, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation - Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund, the McIninch Foundation, Fields Pond Foundation, the Byrne Foundation, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department through the Landowner Incentive Program, and many private individuals.

Melvin Wylie

Pew Calls for Extra Resources to Protect Penguin Food

2011-11-13T14:32:00.001-05:00

Actors Damon and Pitt Give Tiny Krill Big Exposure in New "Happy Feet" Sequel WASHINGTON, D.C. - Tiny krill are about to take centre stage at the 30th Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting, where governments will consider greater protection for the shrimplike crustaceans that are the building blocks of the Antarctic food chain. The attention these little animals receive will be amplified in mid-November, when the sequel to the film "Happy Feet" opens, with Matt Damon and Brad Pitt playing krill characters. Krill, a largely unknown but critical ocean species, are the primary food source for penguins, whales, and seals in the Southern Ocean. However, demand for these animals as feed for industrially farmed fish and to produce high-value oils used in nutritional supplements is triggering an expansion of the fishery beyond a level that its population can sustain. Left unchecked, krill fishing in certain areas could outpace efforts to protect the well-known species that depend on it. "It is perfect timing that two of Hollywood's biggest names are portraying the smallest actors in one of the world's most pristine ocean ecosystems," says Gerald Leape, a senior officer at the Pew Environment Group. "Existing efforts to regulate krill catch must be sustained and enforced, so that animals such as penguins and seals are not competing against industrial fishing vessels just to survive." In the past decade, fleets from more countries have begun to fish for krill. Some have adopted fishing technologies and methods that allow them to catch and process this species continuously, resulting in much higher catches. These operations, combined with accelerating loss of the sea ice that provides essential habitat for krill, threaten to deplete stocks in key feeding areas for penguins, seals, and whales. From 24 October - 4 November 2011, CCAMLR, a regional fisheries management organization whose mandate is to conserve the marine life of the Southern Ocean, is meeting in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Its 25 member governments include the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, the European Union, China, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Norway, and Japan. The Pew Environment Group is asking CCAMLR delegates at this month's meeting to:

Require observers on all krill-fishing vessels.
Set up a dedicated fund to monitor populations of krill predators.
Maintain smaller sub-area divisions of the ocean to manage krill, in order to prevent local depletions that will harm animals such as penguins.

Melvin Wylie

Zidisha.org Facilitates $100,000 in P2P Microloans, "Turns Microfinance On Its Head"

2011-11-10T13:36:00.001-05:00

While conducting fieldwork for a microfinance organization in West Africa in 2006, Zidisha.org founder Julia Kurnia noticed something startling. Loans that were funded at zero interest by well-meaning participants in the popular microlending website Kiva.org were costing the impoverished beneficiaries more than 35% on average in interest and fees. The exorbitant rates were charged by the local intermediary organizations that administered the loans, in order to cover their operating costs. It is generally assumed that such high interest rates are a necessary cost of making small loans in isolated and impoverished areas. Microlending websites that administer "crowd-funded" loans through local intermediaries assume that the borrowers not only lack the necessary computer skills to communicate with lenders themselves, but also that they cannot be trusted to repay loans without constant visits by loan officers. Kurnia believed these assumptions were outdated, and to test her theory she founded Zidisha.org, a peer-to-peer microlending platform that turns the traditional approach to microfinance lending on its head. First, there are no intermediaries: instead, the entrepreneurs themselves post loan applications and communicate directly with lenders via facebook-style profile pages. Zidisha does not outsource loan disbursements and repayment collection to local organizations either, but rather uses grassroots technology like mobile banking to conduct financial transactions with borrowers directly. The result? Radical transparency, and lower cost to borrowers than has ever before been possible in the developing world - even though Zidisha.org lenders earn interest as well. Zidisha is tapping into the growing population of computer-literate, but still economically disadvantaged, small business owners and explosive growth of internet access that have transformed developing countries in recent years. Borrowers log in to Zidisha.org to share business updates with lenders from cheap internet cafés, old laptops donated to local schools, and solar-powered smartphones shared by entire villages. Today, loans funded through Zidisha.org surpassed the $100,000 mark. Since making their first microloans - to three nomadic herders in Kenya's remote Masai Mara - in October 2009, Zidisha lenders from around the world have financed 181 small business ventures in Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Kenya and Senegal. Zidisha's average lender interest rate is 2.96%, and the repayment rate to date is 99.5%. Zidisha believes in transparency. So ask questions, meet our remarkable entrepreneurs, and become part of the conversation. Join us at www.zidisha.org.

Melvin Wylie

National Race to End Women’s Cancer 2011

2011-11-08T16:08:00.001-05:00

November 8, 2011 – This past Sunday, November 6, 2011, I was privileged to attend the National Race to End Women's Cancer. I was invited by Pam, a fellow high school graduate of Osbourn Park High School, to be part of her team "I Dream of Jeanie". It was a nice sunny brisk morning with a very large crowd of people from all over the country attending the event. Many had stores on how they got there. Some were there to honor loved ones, some cancer survivors, some still battling cancer and some for support. I was there to help celebrated the life of Pam's mother, Jeanie Nay Watson, who passed away from battling cancer. The love and encouragement from the attendees, onlookers, police, and support personnel could be felt in their cheers of encouragement. As we walked by, many cheered "Go team I dream of Jeanie", they clapped, nodded their heads in encouragement and some took pictures and video. The rout started in front of the Old Posts Office Pavilion, went up Pennsylvania Avenue, near the Capitol and wound its way back to the Old Post Office. The highlight of the race had to be nearing the finish line as the announcer said "Here comes Team I Dream of Jeanie, thank you for all your support…" Crossing the line was emotional as I have lost my mother who battled cancer for many years eventually passing away from the disease. After crossing the line Pam broke down as this race meant a lot to her. I've come to realize that cancer not only hurts the victim but also affects the family, loved ones and friends. It's a tough road filled with pain and hopefulness that everything will get better. If anyone had to be there for a parent or loved one can truly understand what it's like rushing to the hospital late at night because something went wrong. I'm happy I lived close enough to be a support for my mother who battled cancer and my father who needed the strength to cope with the situation.

I want to thank Mike, Teresa, Christina and Beth for showing up to making Pam's race a success. I also want to thank all the people and organizations that work day in and day out to help find a cure to end this disease.

It was great getting together with people I have not seen in over 20 years and making new friends. If you have not given to any causes I would encourage you to help support ending cancer. I will be running this race next year in Washington D.C. as part of Team I Dream of Jeanie and I will be asking the readers of GreenNews4U to help raise money for team I Dream of Jeanie.

Melvin Wylie

ENSO Biodegradable Bottles: Better for California, Better for the Environment

2011-10-31T11:02:00.001-05:00

MESA, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In the face of what most would call overwhelming odds, an environmental company in Arizona has established itself as the leader in biodegradable plastics. Unfortunately, the waters were muddied when California recently filed a lawsuit to forbid the labeling of ENSO products as biodegradable, despite scientific proof of biodegradation by internationally recognized testing. The general public, legislators and the media continue to be confused about biodegradable plastics.

"History is full of examples where science has provided the facts to overcome false beliefs, a principle that ENSO will continue through the pioneering of new information, technology and education."

Danny Clark, President of ENSO, states, "Our industry is young, and we are still improving standards and dispelling false beliefs. Our products perform as we claim, and we have the data to prove it. The situation in California is a lack of education and misunderstanding new technologies; this is not an issue of false claims. We will take this opportunity to bring legislators up to speed with ENSO technologies and the value they bring to the environment." "The citizens of California and the environment deserve better," stated Del Andrus, VP of ENSO. "History is full of examples where science has provided the facts to overcome false beliefs, a principle that ENSO will continue through the pioneering of new information, technology and education." At ENSO, we stand behind our claims and our mission to solve the world's plastic pollution. Every one of us has contributed to this global problem, and it will take each of us, working together, to solve it. Companies like AQUAMANTRA and Balance should be recognized for rising above status quo and implementing environmentally sound solutions. We do not claim that biodegradability is a silver bullet, but it is a huge step in the right direction. Consumers should be educated on the true impact of the products they are buying and have the opportunity to take that step. For more information on how ENSO biodegradable plastics can help the environment, visit our website at www.ensoplastics.com. About ENSO Plastics Founded in 2008, ENSO Plastics develops environmental plastic solutions. ENSO supports effective recycling programs and the energy conversion of methane from landfill biodegradation. The company's long-term goal is to close the loop by creating renewable and biodegradable plastics with the same beneficial properties of plastics today. To learn more about how you can help reduce plastic pollution and improve our environment visit ensoplastics.com or call 866-936-3676

Contacts

For ENSO Plastics Del Andrus, 866-936-3676 del.andrus@ensoplastics.com

Melvin Wylie

Massive Bird Kill at West Virginia Wind Farm

2011-10-30T18:33:00.001-05:00

October 28 2011 - With the deaths of nearly 500 birds at the Laurel Mountain wind facility earlier this month, three of the four wind farms operating in West Virginia have now experienced large bird fatality events, according to American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation's leading bird conservation organization. "Wind energy has the potential to be a green energy source, but the industry still needs to embrace simple, bird-smart principles that would dramatically reduce incidents across the country, such as those that have occurred in West Virginia," said Kelly Fuller, ABC's Wind Campaign Coordinator. There were three critical circumstances that tragically aligned in each of the three West Virginia events to kill these birds. Each occurred during bird migration season, during low visibility weather conditions, and with the addition of a deadly triggering element – an artificial light source. Steady-burning lights have been shown to attract and disorient birds, particularly night-migrating songbirds that navigate by starlight, and especially during nights where visibility is low such as in fog or inclement weather. Circling birds collide with structures or each other, or drop to the ground from exhaustion. At the Laurel Mountain facility in the Allegheny Mountains, almost 500 birds were reportedly killed after lights were left on at an electrical substation associated with the wind project. The deaths are said to have occurred not from collisions with the wind turbines themselves, but from a combination of collisions with the substation and apparent exhaustion as birds caught in the light's glare circled in mass confusion. On the evening of September 24 this year at the Mount Storm facility in the Allegheny Mountains, 59 birds and two bats were killed. Thirty of the dead birds were found near a single wind turbine that was reported to have had internal lighting left on overnight. This incident stands in stark contrast to industry assertions that just two birds per year are killed on average by each turbine. Data from Altamont Pass, California wind farms – the most studied in the nation – suggest that over 2,000 Golden Eagles alone have been killed there. On May 23, 2003 at the Mountaineer wind farm in the Allegheny Mountains, at least 33 birds were killed. Some of the deaths were attributed to collisions with wind turbines and some to collisions with a substation. "The good news is that it shouldn't be hard to make changes that will keep these sorts of unnecessary deaths from happening again, but it's disturbing that they happened at all. It has long been known that many birds navigate by the stars at night, that they normally fly lower during bad weather conditions, and that artificial light can draw them off course and lead to fatal collision events. That's why minimizing outdoor lighting at wind facilities is a well-known operating standard. And yet lights were left on at these sites resulting in these unfortunate deaths. This reinforces the need to have mandatory federal operational standards as opposed to the optional, voluntary guidelines that are currently under discussion," Fuller said. A fourth wind farm in West Virginia, the Beech Ridge Wind Energy Project in Greenbrier County, has not experienced large mortality events, likely because it is currently prohibited by a court order from operating during nighttime between April 1 and November 15. "Some West Virginia conservation groups have suggested that other wind farms in the state should shut down their wind turbines at certain times and seasons to protect birds. Given the recurring bird-kill problems, that idea needs to be seriously considered, at least during migration season on nights where low visibility is predicted. A wind farm in Texas is doing just that, so it is possible." said Fuller. This article was written by American Bird Conservancy (ABC), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to conserve native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. ABC acts by safeguarding the rarest species, conserving and restoring habitats, and reducing threats, while building capacity in the bird conservation movement.

Melvin Wylie

Sandhill Cranes: Are They Here to Stay in Pennsylvania?

2011-10-30T18:18:00.001-05:00

PYMATUNING, Pa. - What in Sam Hill are sandhill cranes doing in Pennsylvania? They don't have much history here; their status was more of a just-passing-through or accidental visitor than anything else. Heck, they don't even have relatives in Pennsylvania. But their growing presence here ensures that those folks who refer to most wading birds as "cranes" will start to be right some of the time! "Sandhill cranes, until relatively recently, weren't part of the state's breeding bird community," explained Dan Brauning, Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Division chief. "In fact, it's sort of amazing they're anywhere in North America today given the bird's troubled past." A majority of the sandhill crane's global population historically has nested throughout Canada. East of the Mississippi River, they predominantly inhabited the Great Lakes in substantial numbers through the 1800s. But they encountered hard times when increased unregulated hunting pressure and habitat loss limited their productivity. By the start of World War II, it was believed there were only several thousand remaining in North America. Since then, heightened management attention and the bird's increasing and advantageous use of agricultural areas have helped the sandhill regain its standing in the United States. Today, it is the most abundant crane species in the world, and is expanding its range into Pennsylvania and other states. In 1888, when B.H. Warren, who eventually became the Game Commission's first executive director, penned his Birds of Pennsylvania, he referred to the "green-legged, little brown and large white cranes," referring to the names people gave green herons, American egrets and, possibly, bitterns. There was no mention of sandhills. George M. Sutton, who wrote his Birds of Pennsylvania in 1928, only mentioned the "crane" or "sandhill crane" as erroneous identifications of the great blue heron. By the time W.E. Clyde Todd wrote the Birds of Western Pennsylvania in 1940, sandhill cranes were mentioned to have occurred in southwestern Pennsylvania during migration. But the bird was referred to as "very large wading bird," which it can be, but mostly is not. Given the sandhill crane's previous identity problems and existence issues, and its historic nonresident status, it's no wonder most Pennsylvanians really don't know a lot about them. But the birds do have a mysterious side to them according to the International Crane Foundation. Headquartered in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the organization works toward a future where all crane species are secure and where people cooperate to protect and restore wild crane populations and their ecosystems. "We've been following sandhill cranes for 20 years and we're still learning things," noted Matt Hayes, a Foundation sandhill crane researcher. In June, Hayes, accompanied by Andy Gossens, from the International Crane Foundation, and Hoa Nguyen, from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, came to Pennsylvania as part of a multistate research project to collect information on and genetic samples from the newest additions to Pennsylvania's limited, but established, sandhill nesting population. Directed by Game Commission staff with assistance from local birders, Hayes focused mostly on possible nesting sites in northwestern counties and another site in Bradford County. Finding sandhill chicks – sometimes referred to as colts – in the lush, emergent vegetation of the lowlands in which they prefer to nest was equivalent to sifting through sand for a contact lens in sweltering, humid conditions while serving reluctantly as a lunch wagon for the insect world. "In Pennsylvania, the Foundation's mission mirrors the work of the Game Commission, which is why our organizations immediately recognized the need to partner," Brauning said. "Matt Hayes found plenty of interest among and assistance from local birders and agency field personnel who helped him and his team to nests that were always hard to find. Cooperation was vital to the success of this ambitious fieldwork." "Nests are so hard to find," Hayes explained, "even with a helicopter and plenty of help. The birds paint themselves with mud and when it dries they blend in so well. We try to time our searches to take chicks when they're five to six weeks old, which is when they're easier to handle and can be banded." The Game Commission and the Foundation are interested in learning more about what sandhill cranes are doing in Pennsylvania and charting their range expansion. Their remarkable resurgence follows a horrific population tailspin they seemed unlikely to escape. "The Great Lakes population went through a historic bottleneck in the 1930s," Hayes explained. "We don't know what their previous numbers were, but we do know they were reduced to about 300, including 25 to 30 breeding pairs in and around Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. Today, they are 50,000 cranes strong in the Great Lakes; 650,000 globally." Sandhills currently can be found from Siberia to Cuba. It is believed the migratory Great Lakes sandhill crane population, which nests from Minnesota south and east to Ohio, is spurring the expansion into Pennsylvania, and as far east as New York, Massachusetts and Maine. So these birds, which have inhabited the continent longer than any other extant bird species, now seem to find the Mid-Atlantic States and New England attractive. But why? Why is the bird's nesting frontier Pennsylvania and not also Virginia or Maryland? Is it latitude? Climate? Habitat? Surely, they have areas that resemble Pennsylvania's countryside mix of wetlands, farmlands and fallow fields south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Hayes is quick to point out that cranes can be wanderers and bewildering. "That's why we're interested in their dispersal and movements; how this growing population is expanded its geographic range," Hayes said. "Sorting it out will help us try to better understand the overall population ecology of the sandhill crane. We suspect the main part of the Pennsylvania population is probably from the Great Lakes, but we want to try and understand more about it." Brauning noted that sandhill cranes seemed to have been sizing up Pennsylvania as potential nesting territory since the early 1990s. "Then, in 1993, a pair was observed in Lawrence County doing courtship behavior," Brauning said. "The birds suddenly disappeared for a few months in the summer. The next time they were seen, they had a juvenile crane. We were quite surprised!" Since that 1993 breeding confirmation, sandhills are believed to have been recurring nesters in the state's northwestern and northeastern counties. "A number of sandhill cranes have been observed over the past 10 years, summering in the northwest – Butler to Crawford counties – and in Bradford and Sullivan counties," Brauning explained. "At times, young were observed, but the state's first confirmed sandhill crane nest was found only in 2009. A nest that was uncovered this spring by Land Management Group Supervisor Jerry Bish and Northwest Region Land Management Supervisor Jim Donatelli in the Pymatuning region yielded two, two-day-old chicks during this fieldwork." Sandhills nest on the ground; nest materials are usually comprised of whatever vegetation is dominant in the wetland area they chose. The female lays two eggs normally and they hatch in about a month. The young will fledge, or begin to fly, in about 70 days. "The chicks have a pretty long period of vulnerability where they're susceptible to predation," Hayes said. "But once the chicks get to six to seven weeks of age, they tend to do a much better job of defending themselves, especially when their parents are around." Haynes noted that family ties among cranes are pretty strong, especially when it comes to encounters with predators. "We were watching a flock of 20 birds hanging out in a field in August and all of a sudden their heads went up," Hayes explained. "They all started looking around and then circled up like musk oxen do and all the chicks went in the middle. The adults were on the outside with their bills pointing out. A coyote suddenly appeared and ran through the field. After it passed, they broke apart and returned to foraging." The sandhill crane, despite its limited population in Pennsylvania, is not a state endangered or threatened species. "Because sandhills are expanding their range into Pennsylvania, and were not a historic nesting bird here, at this time it seems inappropriate to list them," Brauning said. "That listing process is designed to protect species in decline. We're glad sandhills have become a member of the state's breeding bird community, but their overall population gains make it clear they're not a species of special conservation need." Sandhills have established themselves firmly in Pennsylvania. Their known nesting presence is growing and they've been wintering in increasing numbers in western counties – Butler, Crawford, Mercer and Lawrence – for almost 20 years. Some also are wintering in eastern Pennsylvania, particularly Lebanon and Lancaster counties. Sandhills seem to be finding the tranquility and that modicum of privacy they – both breeders and non-breeders – prefer in several areas of the state. "Sandhill cranes are a very watchable wildlife resource, "Brauning said. "There are seasonal chances to see them at the Pymatuning and Middle Creek wildlife management areas, but the best place to watch sandhills in the state is at Pennsy Swamp on State Game Land 284 in Mercer County." If you observe what appear to be nesting sandhill cranes, or adult cranes in summer with juveniles, the Game Commission would like to hear from you. Send an email titled Sandhill Crane Observation to pgccomments@pa.gov. Include details on the potential nesting or sighting location and contact information. Adult sandhill cranes are 12-15 pounds in size and have a distinct red skin patch on their forehead and crown. Males are slightly larger. In flight, its wingspan is about seven feet. The mostly grayish bird stands at about the same height as a great blue heron (roughly 40 inches) and may be seen foraging for everything from worms and insects to mice and waste grains in agricultural settings. The sandhill's piercing call also is a dead giveaway to its presence and takes a backseat only to its dancing grace when assessing the bird's charms after encounters with it. Sandhill cranes, like all wildlife, are dependent on habitat and a peaceful coexistence with humans to ensure their future. But for now, they have plenty of elbow room in Pennsylvania and their limited numbers aren't a threat to anyone. That's why they're here; they fit in. And, they're one fine addition!

Melvin Wylie

Pennsylvania DEP Fines Owner of Adams County Salvage Company More than $34,000 for Waste Violations

2011-10-30T18:08:00.001-05:00

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 28, 2011 - The Department of Environmental Protection has fined John Stull, owner of a salvage business in Adams County, $34,464 for Solid Waste Management Act violations documented in 2009 and 2011. Since 2003, Stull has been repeatedly cited for improperly storing waste tires and openly burning truck trailers and other materials, among other waste-related violations. The salvage business, now located in Mount Joy Township, was previously located in Union Township, Adams County. Among other salvage operations, Stull purchases and scraps truck trailers by cutting the trailers apart, salvaging the metal and setting fire to the wooden floors.

Melvin Wylie

Taiwan to Establish Shark Finning Ban

2011-10-30T17:39:00.001-05:00

Matt Rand, director of global shark conservation for the Pew Environment Group, issued the following statement today in response to an announcement by the Taiwan Fisheries Agency that it will impose a ban next year on shark finning—the practice of slicing off the animal's fins on-board and then throwing away the body at sea—and mandate that sharks are landed with their fins attached. "This announcement is an indication that Taiwan is on the right track when it comes to protecting sharks. However, it falls short of what is really needed. With up to 73 million sharks killed every year, many by Taiwan's fleet, a finning ban does not address the larger overfishing problem that is driving these animals toward extinction. "As the images we released this week show, enormous numbers of sharks are coming into Taiwan's ports. The announced policy does not set limits on how many sharks can be killed by Taiwanese vessels fishing in any ocean. As such, the hunt will continue. "To truly reduce the excessive pressure fishing has on these animals, Taiwan should prohibit catching sharks that are threatened or near threatened with extinction. It should also end fishing of shark species that do not have science-based management plans in place to ensure that these animals are caught at a sustainable level. As countries around the world are establishing sanctuaries that ban shark fishing in their own waters, we hope Taiwan will move to further protect sharks."

Melvin Wylie

Conservationists and Rice Farmers Agree: Project is for the Birds

2011-10-30T17:19:00.001-05:00

DAVIS, Calif. - Seventy rice farmers in Glenn and Colusa County have signed contracts to participate in a $2.68 million pilot project with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service to modify their rice fields and production practices to benefit shorebirds and waterfowl. In the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI), rice farmers will engage in a number of practices strategically targeted to benefit the birds' migratory and breeding needs. Under MBHI, for example, rice farmers will flood their fields earlier or maintain the water longer in the season—and at the depth specifically needed at critical points in the season. "In general shorebirds and many waterfowl require shallowly flooded habitat, 2-6 inches deep," says Alan Forkey, Assistant State Conservationist for NRCS. "Rice fields are often deeper than that. Also, rice farmers often pull the water off their land in January but under MBHI they will keep it on longer and withdraw the water more gradually." Forkey says. Additionally, rice farmers will be shaping the levees between the fields to better accommodate the birds' nesting and resting needs. Sloped levees will be flattened providing a better nesting surface and shoulders that make it easier for chicks to navigate from nests to water. Some farmers will also provide artificial nesting structures. In many ways this is the culmination of years of scientific, agronomic and outreach work between conservationists and rice farmers. The California Rice Commission, Audubon California, PRBO Conservation Science and other groups partnered with NRCS for over a decade. "Together we have tested practices that seem to really make a difference to waterbirds that are also acceptable to rice farmers," said Paul Buttner of the California Rice Commission. Some practices are clear win-wins for farmers and waterbirds. For example, the longer flooding of the fields also degrades the post-harvest rice stubble. Additionally, some farmers will manage small portions of their fields as wetland habitat which will allow intake water to warm a bit—a practice that both the birds and the tender rice plants appreciate. The Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership will be measuring bird response to the new activities undertaken by the rice farmers. In August, money became available for MBHI but the opportunity came with a very short timeframe. All outreach, planning and contracting had to occur in two short weeks. Conservationists from all the partner organizations helped with a workshop that swelled with interested farmers. "I believe that providing the 'why' and the context for these practices really increased farmer enthusiasm for adopting the practices," said Rodd Kelsey of Audubon California. Rice farmers will begin their bird-friendly practices this fall and continue through 2014.

Melvin Wylie

25th Episode of GreenNews4U

2011-10-23T12:00:00.001-05:00

Addressing Problems and learning about the Anacostia River Welcome to the 25th Episode of GreenNews4U! In the episode I have Brent Bolin with the Anacostia Watershed Society. We talk about the problems the river is facing, solutions to the problems, the history and how the Anacostia Watershed Society is working to improve the river. We go in depth and talk about much more so have a listen to this great interview. http://www.archive.org/download/25thEpisodeOfGreennews4u/25thEpisodeOfGreennews4u.mp3

Melvin Wylie

Bird Lovers Fly South: Nature Tourism in Rio South Texas Generates $300 Million Annually

2011-10-19T10:06:00.001-05:00

EDINBURG, Texas - One of America's most vibrant "birding hotspots" is Rio South Texas; a tropical paradise with almost 500 recorded species of bird. The huge number of bird species, alongside the region's large tracts of nature preserves and ranch land, is attracting a new color to kaleidoscopic Rio South Texas: green! Each year, this border region brings in more than $300 million from nature loving tourists, who flock in from all over the world to view the majesty of the Western Wood-Pewee, fish the Laguna Madre, or go bow hunting for wild Javelina. This finding comes off the back of a study recently conducted by Texas A&M University's Department of Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences and Department of Agricultural Economics. Nature tourism has long been an important focal point for the area's visitor bureaus, and the study's results demonstrate that these efforts are paying dividends. In addition to the influx of cash that nature tourists bring to Rio South Texas, these nature lovers also boost local employment. The study estimates more than 4,407 full- and part-time jobs are directly attributable to nature tourism. Given that the survey was conducted during the off-peak season for nature tourism, the resulting figures are likely conservative estimates. Rio South Texas Economic Council (RSTEC) member and CEO of the Mission Area Chamber of Commerce, Matt Ruszcazak, believes sustainable growth is an important balancing act: "It's tempting to clear every piece of land for development when your economy is booming like ours, but the benefits that come from caring for nature corridors can also have an impressive and positive economic impact for our area." "Once you've watched a Yellow-Bellied Kiskadee chase off a Peregrine Falcon, it's pretty easy to get hooked," grins Ruszcazak. "This study makes it clear just how positive nature tourism is on a financial level; its effects are not only apparent today, but also set to bring great advantages for the region in future years." RSTEC brings together the region's economic development organizations with a unified, clear vision focused on fostering expansion and relocation efforts by companies seeking an attractive business environment. The Council also works toward furthering educational opportunities in the region to boost the area and provide local companies with a workforce of highly educated individuals.

Melvin Wylie

How Green is Your High School?

2011-10-19T09:58:00.001-05:00

Consumers Energy's Green Scenes Video Contest to Award $5,000 to Winning Entry Consumers Energy's Green Generation program is inviting Michigan high schools in its electric or combination service territory to participate in a video contest showing their school's commitment to renewable energy. The grand prize entry will receive $5,000 for their school, with smaller prizes for first, second and third place. Videos can be submitted from now through November 15. Information on this contest is available at www.greenscenescontest.com, including official contest rules. "This program taps into the amazing creativity and enthusiasm for renewable energy by high school students. It also provides a great opportunity to win a cash prize to benefit your high school," said Thomas Shirilla, Green Generation program manager for Consumers Energy. The winning entries will be based on a number of criteria, including creativity, strength of theme, video quality, and the number of votes received at the Green Scenes Contest website. Voting for this contest ends on November 30, 2011, and winning entries will be named shortly thereafter. Student participants are encouraged to recruit their family and friends to vote for their video application, and help their high school win one of the four prize levels. Consumers Energy is Michigan's largest renewable energy provider. Green Generation is the utility's voluntary program for homes and businesses served by the utility. Launched in 2005, the program relies on renewable energy produced in Michigan, including wind and landfill gas. The Green Generation program adds diversity to Consumers Energy's overall energy mix, reduces dependence on traditional energy sources, and helps to preserve our natural resources.

Melvin Wylie

Being Green This Halloween is Simple at Goodwill

2011-10-19T09:48:00.001-05:00

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Busy families can be earth friendly this Halloween by shopping at Goodwill® stores. Find everything you need at Goodwill to create a unique costume for yourself or your children. All you need is a little imagination to transform your child into a favorite superhero or fairy princess. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090716/DC47803LOGO) By shopping at Goodwill this Halloween, you are purchasing high-quality, affordable items and diverting them from landfills. The nearly 2,600 Goodwill stores in the United States and Canada have items donated by 74 million donors. This vast inventory includes anything you can imagine, from clothing in every color to apparel from different decades and accessories to transform an ordinary look into a fantastic costume. "Shopping at Goodwill for Halloween is a simple step toward living a more sustainable lifestyle," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Reusing and repurposing items from Goodwill stores are a fun way to make a unique Halloween costume for not a lot of money." Shopping at Goodwill is not just good for the planet. It also benefits people in local communities. Revenue from Goodwill stores fund job training programs and career and community-based services for people with disabilities, those who lack education or work experience, and others facing challenges to finding employment. Your purchase helps people learn the skills they need to work in Goodwill stores and in growing fields outside of Goodwill such as healthcare, green industries and financial services. "In 2010, Goodwill Industries® diverted more than 2 billion pounds of used goods from landfills," said Gibbons. "Look no further than your nearest Goodwill store to find what you need to celebrate a green Halloween." To find your local Goodwill, visit locator.goodwill.org. To learn more about Goodwill Industries International, visit www.goodwill.org. This year, Goodwill Industries International is partnering with Green Halloween to share our commitment to safe and eco-friendly Halloween celebrations. For more information, visit http://greenhalloween.org/.

Melvin Wylie

'Shark Girl' and Guy Harvey Painting Collaboration Raises $7500

2011-10-19T09:40:00.001-05:00

CORAL GABLES, FL - Already raising nearly $4,000 for shark research through selling lemonade and shark-shaped cookies at her home in Minnesota, 8-year-old Sophi Bromenshenkel recently joined forces with her hero, celebrated marine wildlife artist and conservationist Guy Harvey, to raise an additional $7,500 for the cause with a few creative strokes of a brush. Alexandra Junor of Coral Gables purchased the artwork collaboration‹ which Sophi named Free Pass, because a loggerhead turtle shown swimming near the sharks in the painting was left alone. The funds raised from the painting will go to the University of Miami¹s R.J. Dunlap Conservation Program, which was founded in 2009. Sophi flew from her home to participate in the South Florida Premier of This is Your Ocean: Sharks, a documentary starring Dr. Harvey, fellow artist Wyland and diver and underwater photographer Jim Abernathy. The South Florida Premier was held October 13th at the Bill Cosford Cinema on campus at the University of Miami. Directed by Emmy award-winning producer George C. Schellenger, the film will be shown again in Broward County, Florida on October 20th at the Nova Southeastern University¹s Miniaci Theatre. The 44-minute documentary depicts sharks in their environment capturing both adventure and passion and providing the audience with face-to-face realism never shown before on film. Dr. Harvey, a highly active and passionate conservationist, has through his foundation, The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, www.guyharveyoceanfoundation.org, and through support of research groups such as Miami¹s R.J. Dunlap Conservation Program and the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University, embraced the protection and conservation of many endangered species, including sharks, bluefin tuna, Nassau grouper, sea turtles and marlin. PHOTO CREDIT: Bob Soto

Melvin Wylie

2011-10-18T14:54:00.001-05:00

A great video from Organica Sustainable Water!

Melvin Wylie

24th Episode of GreenNews4U

2011-10-16T11:39:00.001-05:00

An Interview on E-waste Recycling E-waste is the disposal of electronics or in other words electronic waste. Technology is moving at such a fast pace and new electronics are manufactured to keep up with the technology so old technology is discarded. We see this in cellphones, smart-phones, computers, printers, monitors, refrigerators, TV's, washing machines, excreta, excreta. Let's use an example on computers. The average life of a computer is around 3 years. In America 76% of the people have computers. This number does not include companies, organizations or education facilities. According to the EPA, if you total it all up, each year in the US, 3.2 million tons of electronic waste is trashed. Globally its 50 million metric tons of electronics and the sad part is many of these electronics end up in a landfill. But letâs go back to computers. Did you know 99% of a computer is recyclable and that in the U.S. about 4.2 million computers are used in homes or businesses? In the U.S. an estimated 500,000 are recycled annually. That's a little less than 12% which is a very shocking number considering how many programs are in place to encourage electronic recycling. Now there is a lot that goes into promoting, handling, and recycling e-waste and Iâd like to get down to some nuts and bolts and take a look at the challenges, processes and the benefit of recycling e-waste. To do this I have one of Canada's industry leaders in e-waste solutions. The name of the company is FCM and on the line with me is Andrew Rubin.

Melvin Wylie

FCM Announces October 15th E-Waste Collection Event in Ottawa, ON

2011-10-14T12:36:00.001-05:00

FCM will be holding an e-waste collection event located on the corner of Baseline Rd. and Clyde Ave. at the Scouts National Office on Saturday October 15^th from 12 pm to 3 pm in collaboration with the Scouts of Canada. CORNWALL, Ontario, October 12, 2011 – FCM Recycling is pleased to announce that it will be holding a collection event located at the Scouts National office at 1365 Baseline Road in Ottawa, Ontario on Saturday October 15^th from 12 pm to 3 pm in collaboration with the Scouts of Canada. Staff from FCM and the Scouts will be on hand to assist Ontario residents to recycle their unwanted electronics including PCs, computer monitors, CD/DVD/VCR players, radios, printers, fax machines, keyboards, televisions, cell phones and other items. The complete list along with more information can be found at http://www.ontarioelectronicstewardship.ca/program/accepted-electronics. The collection will be free for all Ontario residents and a portion of all proceeds will be donated to the Scouts of Canada. More information can be found by contacting FCM Recycling at (888) 781-8111 or info@fcmrecycling.com. About Scouts of Canada Scouts Canada is the country's leading youth organization. For more than 100 years, they have brought a world of adventure, outdoor experience and friendship to 17 million Canadian youths. Scouts have a lot of fun discovering new things and experiences they wouldn't have elsewhere. Along the way they develop into capable, confident and well-rounded individuals, better prepared for success in the world. For more information please visit http://www.scouts.ca/ About FCM Recycling FCM Recycling is one of North America's leaders in the recycling and safe disposal of end-of-life electronic equipment. We dispose of EOLEs with no impact to the environment and the highest level of data protection. We boast major processing facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, government certifications, over 18 years' experience, and knowledgeable, dedicated personnel. One of our key objectives was to become a pioneer in e-waste environmental services. We have achieved that objective. Today we strive to maintain our position as industry leader by continuously improving our processes and using the best practices available to us and the recycling industry. EOLES received at any of FCM's various state-of-the-art recycling facilities, are broken down into various recyclable components such as copper, aluminum, plastics, glass etc. Equipment is fully destroyed, ensuring that no data becomes exposed to pilfering, with Certificates of Destruction issued on request. For more information about FCM Recycling please visit www.fcmrecycling.com

Melvin Wylie

First Synthetic Turf Industry Company with a Cradle to Cradle Certified Product

2011-10-11T12:10:00.001-05:00

BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 7, 2011 - Brock International, the leader in performance base systems for synthetic turf, today became the first company in the industry to have a Cradle to Cradle Certified(CM) product. Recognized as the most comprehensive, rigorous environmental certification process, the designation is administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, which evaluates products and materials for their impact on human health and environmental health and design for future life cycles. "Our mission is to engineer the best, safest and most sustainable playing fields in the world for all levels of athletes," said Dan Sawyer, Chief Executive Officer of Brock. "For us, sustainability is not just a concept but a commitment. It is an honor to receive this recognition for our positive environmental impact." Brock was awarded the prestigious Cradle to Cradle Certified(CM) Silver Designation for its PowerBase product. The company worked closely with McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) to collect data throughout the supply chain, assess all materials for impact to human and environmental health, and evaluate manufacturing processes for use of renewable energy, water stewardship, and social responsibility. MBDC is a global consultancy and certification firm that helps clients create a positive footprint on the planet by implementing the Cradle to Cradle® design framework. Environmental stewardship is a core value for Brock, who has lead the synthetic turf industry in sustainability since the company's inception. Offering the only product in the market that can be closed loop recycled, the company's technologies reduce overall energy cost of constructing a field by 50%. Made in an ISO and TS certified manufacturing facility of 100% recyclable and non-toxic material, Brock PowerBase is certified to the world's most stringent environmental standards. Brock PowerBase is manufactured into an interlocking panel system with the highest quality, food grade 100% pure polypropylene, known for its longevity and environmental safety. The panels can be easily removed, cleaned and begin their next life as a quality, durable material with minimal use of additional energy or waste. Alternatively, as a pure mono-component material, the panels can be easily recycled and remade into new Brock panels, eliminating the demand for new fossil fuels for this use. Unlike many industrial hybrid materials used by others, which include a mixture of components that are difficult or impossible to be salvaged after their current life, Brock PowerBase is a pure non-toxic product that can be used over and over again. The Cradle to Cradle Certified(CM) program is a multi-attribute eco-label that assesses a product's safety to humans and the environment and design for future life cycles. The program provides guidelines to help businesses like Brock implement the Cradle to Cradle framework, which focuses on using safe materials that can be disassembled and recycled as technical nutrients or composted as biological nutrients. Unlike single-attribute eco-labels, MBDC's certification program takes a comprehensive approach to evaluating the design of a product and the practices employed in manufacturing the product. The materials and manufacturing practices of each product are assessed in five categories: Material Health, Material Reutilization, Renewable Energy Use, Water Stewardship, and Social Responsibility. For more information, visit www.c2ccertified.org.

Melvin Wylie

Postal Service Succeeds in Reducing Energy Use

2011-10-09T12:35:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Postal Service marked National Energy Awareness Month as postal officials highlighted energy savings and cost avoidance — credited in large part to postal employees' actions — and with Go Green Forever stamp messages that encourage Americans to participate in low- and no-cost ways to go green. "The 2011 Energy Awareness Month theme is 'Turn Words into Action, Turn Action into Results,'" said Deputy Postmaster General Ronald A. Stroman. "Actions taken by the Postal Service to reduce energy use demonstrate we can save money and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions at the same time." In June 2011, USPS reported it had reduced facility energy use by nearly 30 percent since fiscal year 2003, equal to the average annual energy use of approximately 100,000 U.S. households. USPS also reported an 8-percent decrease in its greenhouse gas emissions since fiscal year 2008, equal to the average annual energy use of approximately 130,000 U.S. households. The decrease in facility energy use accounted for nearly 50 percent of the Postal Service's greenhouse gas emissions reduction. "Leaner, greener, faster and smarter is the Postal Service's sustainability call to action," said Tom Day, chief sustainability officer. "More than 400 employee Lean Green teams work every day to implement low- and no-cost ways to conserve facility energy and other natural resources and reduce costs. In fiscal year 2010, Lean Green teams helped the Postal Service save more than $5 million." Day reminded postal employees that Energy Awareness Month is a national effort and each time we turn off a light, take the stairs or use a revolving door the energy savings add up. The Postal Service works to achieve aggressive sustainability performance goals, including:

Reduce facility energy use 30 percent by 2015.
Reduce vehicle petroleum use 20 percent by 2015.
Increase vehicle alternative fuel use 10 percent annually by 2015.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020.

Details of USPS energy reduction and other sustainability performance results can be found in the FY 2010 Annual Sustainability Report. For additional information about USPS sustainability initiatives and the Go Green Forever stamps, visit about.usps.com/green and the Green Newsroom. USPS has won more than 75 environmental awards, including 40 White House Closing the Circle, 10 Environmental Protection Agency WasteWise Partner of the Year, Climate Action Champion, Direct Marketing Association Green Echo awards, Postal Technology International Environmental Achievement of the Year and Climate Registry Gold Status Recognition. USPS participates in the International Post Corporation's Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System, (an international postal industry program) to reduce participating posts' carbon footprint 20 percent by 2020 based on a fiscal year 2008 baseline. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Melvin Wylie

23rd Episode of GreenNews4U

2011-10-09T11:35:00.001-05:00

As I've stated in my other podcast and you will most likely here me say this again and again. Water is a precious resource that we, we meaning those of us that are fortunate to have running water, take for granted. I'm just going to go through a list of some facts:

884 million people lack access to safe water supplies; approximately one in eight people.
3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease.
The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.
An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than a typical person in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.
Only 62% of the world's population has access to improved sanitation – defined as a sanitation facility that ensures hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact.
Lack of sanitation is the world's biggest cause of infection.
2.5 billion People lack access to improved sanitation, including 1.2 billion people who have no facilities at all.
Diarrhea remains in the second leading cause of death among children under five globally. Nearly one in five child deaths – about 1.5 million each year – is due to diarrhea. It kills more young children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.
Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease.

Less than 1% of the world's fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use. No one is immune to this problem and it cannot be swept under the rug. Now I can go on and on with facts but let's start looking at solutions to address these issues. Let's face it, the old way of water treatment is outdated and we need to look at new ways to treat water. To talk about this I have Melissa from Organica Sustainable Water. The company is Engineering fresh solutions for fresh water. To find out more information on Organica Sustainable Water go here

Melvin Wylie

Saudi Arabia Inaugurates First Solar Power Plant

2011-10-06T10:22:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Saudi Arabia inaugurated its first solar power plant on October 1 as it continues to diversify its energy sources. The 500-kilowatt plant, located on Farasan Island, will save the equivalent of transferring 28,000 barrels of diesel fuel to the island annually. The plant was constructed by the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., a Japanese energy company partly owned by the Saudi Arabian Oil Company. This is one of the many initiatives led by SEC to introduce clean energy throughout the Kingdom. "Saudi Arabia is committed to building and refining alternative energy solutions," said Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir. "This program is one large step that will benefit the environment and the Saudi people." The Kingdom is a prime location to harness solar energy because of its year-round sunshine. The sun in Saudi Arabia emits about 7,000 watts of energy per square meter over an average of 12 hours every day. In February 2010, the Saudi government, in coordination with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, began building the first solar-powered water desalination plant. For more information on Saudi Arabia, please visit www.saudiembassy.net and follow the Embassy on Twitter (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) or on the Embassy YouTube page.

Melvin Wylie

Demand for Water & Wastewater pipe to increase 6% annually through 2014

2011-10-06T10:15:00.001-05:00

US demand to increase 6% annually through 2014 US demand for water and wastewater pipe is expected to increase six percent annually to $19 billion in 2014, equivalent to approximately five billion feet. Stimulants include a rebounding residential building construction sector, the growing obsolescence of sewer and drainage systems, and needs to upgrade municipal water systems. Plastic pipe will advance at the fastest pace, reflecting a strong rebound in construction applications as well as opportunities in drain and sewer applications and water transmission. Broadened plastic pipe use will be driven by performance upgrades made possible by resin and processing improvements. Plastic pipe to advance at above-average pace Demand for plastic pipe will advance at an above-average pace through 2014. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe will remain clearly dominant with growth driven by improved joining technologies and resins such as molecularly oriented PVC. Polyethylene pipe will exhibit healthy growth based on opportunities in potable water and corrugated drain and sewer applications. Good growth is also anticipated for crosslinked polyethylene in water distribution applications. Demand for concrete pipe will expand 3.4 percent per year through 2014, driven by drain and storm sewer applications. Growth will be fueled by concrete's excellent crush resistance and longevity, making it ideally suited for demanding large diameter water pipe applications. Opportunities will also be driven by the growing frequency of leaks and ruptures caused by an aging water distribution network. Concrete pipe is primarily used in high pressure, large diameter water distribution trunk lines. Copper pipe's rapid advances will reflect renewed growth in the building construction segment, primarily for distribution pipe, aided by a moderation in prices. Steel and cast iron pipe will also exhibit good growth in areas such as water transmission and drainage. Large municipal market will be steady; construction to exhibit strong rebound Municipal markets dominated water and wastewater pipe applications in 2009 and are expected to exhibit good growth through 2014 in light of financial availability and the obsolescence of many water pipe systems. Building construction markets are expected to rebound significantly through 2014, particularly in the residential segment. Study coverage The new industry study offers US historical demand data (1999, 2004, 2009) plus forecasts in dollars for 2014 and 2019 by material, market and application. Footage data is also included for each material. In addition, the study considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share data and profiles US industry competitors. To order this report: Water distribution and treatment Industry: Water & Wastewater Pipe Market More Market Research Report

Melvin Wylie

Space Observatory Provides Clues to Creation of Earth's Oceans

2011-10-06T10:05:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Astronomers have found a new cosmic source for the same kind of water that appeared on Earth billions of years ago and created the oceans. The findings may help explain how Earth's surface ended up covered in water. New measurements from the Herschel Space Observatory show that comet Hartley 2, which comes from the distant Kuiper Belt, contains water with the same chemical signature as Earth's oceans. This remote region of the solar system, some 30 to 50 times as far away as the distance between Earth and the sun, is home to icy, rocky bodies including Pluto, other dwarf planets and innumerable comets. "Our results with Herschel suggest that comets could have played a major role in bringing vast amounts of water to an early Earth," said Dariusz Lis, senior research associate in physics at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and co-author of a new paper in the journal Nature, published online Oct. 5. "This finding substantially expands the reservoir of Earth ocean-like water in the solar system to now include icy bodies originating in the Kuiper Belt." Scientists theorize Earth started out hot and dry, so that water critical for life must have been delivered millions of years later by asteroid and comet impacts. Until now, none of the comets previously studied contained water like Earth's. However, Herschel's observations of Hartley 2, the first in-depth look at water in a comet from the Kuiper Belt, paint a different picture. Herschel peered into the comet's coma, or thin, gaseous atmosphere. The coma develops as frozen materials inside a comet vaporize while on approach to the sun. This glowing envelope surrounds the comet's "icy dirtball"-like core and streams behind the object in a characteristic tail. Herschel detected the signature of vaporized water in this coma and, to the surprise of the scientists, Hartley 2 possessed half as much "heavy water" as other comets analyzed to date. In heavy water, one of the two normal hydrogen atoms has been replaced by the heavy hydrogen isotope known as deuterium. The ratio between heavy water and light, or regular, water in Hartley 2 is the same as the water on Earth's surface. The amount of heavy water in a comet is related to the environment where the comet formed. By tracking the path of Hartley 2 as it swoops into Earth's neighborhood in the inner solar system every six and a half years, astronomers know that it comes from the Kuiper Belt. The five comets besides Hartley 2 whose heavy-water-to-regular-water ratios have been obtained all come from an even more distant region in the solar system called the Oort Cloud. This swarm of bodies, 10,000 times farther afield than the Kuiper Belt, is the wellspring for most documented comets. Given the higher ratios of heavy water seen in Oort Cloud comets compared to Earth's oceans, astronomers had concluded that the contribution by comets to Earth's total water volume stood at approximately 10 percent. Asteroids, which are found mostly in a band between Mars and Jupiter but occasionally stray into Earth's vicinity, looked like the major depositors. The new results, however, point to Kuiper Belt comets having performed a previously underappreciated service in bearing water to Earth. How these objects ever came to possess the tell-tale oceanic water is puzzling. Astronomers had expected Kuiper Belt comets to have even more heavy water than Oort Cloud comets because the latter are thought to have formed closer to the sun than those in the Kuiper Belt. Therefore, Oort Cloud bodies should have had less frozen heavy water locked in them prior to their ejection to the fringes as the solar system evolved. "Our study indicates that our understanding of the distribution of the lightest elements and their isotopes, as well as the dynamics of the early solar system, is incomplete," said co-author Geoffrey Blake, professor of planetary science and chemistry at Caltech. "In the early solar system, comets and asteroids must have been moving all over the place, and it appears that some of them crash-landed on our planet and made our oceans." Herschel is a European Space Agency cornerstone mission, with science instruments provided by consortia of European institutes. NASA's Herschel Project Office is based at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., which contributed mission-enabling technology for two of Herschel's three science instruments. The NASA Herschel Science Center, part of the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at Caltech in Pasadena, supports the U.S. astronomical community. For NASA's Herschel website, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/herschel For ESA's Herschel website, visit: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Herschel/index.html

Melvin Wylie

Calling All Recyclers! America Recycles Day 2011 Announces Open Registration for Local Events

2011-10-03T15:09:00.001-05:00

-- Join the national celebration of American recycling by hosting a local event. Get free resources! --

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2011 -- America Recycles Day, recognized annually on November 15, celebrates the successes of recycling while providing an educational platform that helps raise awareness about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling – every day – all throughout the year. America Recycles Day is a national initiative of nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB). Online registration is now open at http://AmericaRecyclesDay.org for local organizers to schedule events in their communities and gain access to valuable resources such as best practices guides, posters (on recycled paper), banners (made from recycled plastic bottles), pencils (made from recycled newspaper), buttons (made from recycled aluminum), and much more. Access to these collateral materials and/or downloadable resources are available to any organization ranging from state and municipal governments to local "green teams" or scouting troops. Many collateral materials are offered "first-come, first served," so early registrations are highly encouraged. Events can be scheduled any time during the month of November, but should be held as close to November 15th as possible. New opportunities for high profile events are being offered for 2011. For the first time ever, in partnership with KAB, Walmart locations nationwide are inviting local organizers to hold America Recycles Day educational tabletop events at their stores on Saturday, November 12. If you are looking for a high-traffic location for a recycling awareness event, this is a great opportunity. Details on holding events at Walmart stores are available to registrants as part of the organizers' "Go-to Guide." Additionally, KAB has joined forces with the College and University Recycling Coalition to produce new resources and guidelines for hosting America Recycles Day events at NCAA football games and tailgating events in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Game Day Challenge" initiative. More information on this program can be found at AmericaRecyclesDay.org. Many more opportunities are becoming available and will be announced soon, so stay tuned and be sure to bookmark http://AmericaRecyclesDay.org. And be sure to "Like" our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/AmericaRecyclesDay for all the latest. We look forward to seeing the results of your local events! America's leading companies are proud to make America Recycles Day possible. See a full list of our sponsors, partners and supporters at AmericaRecyclesDay.org.

Melvin Wylie

HGTV's Brooks Utley Partners With Plastics Make it Possible

2011-10-03T10:10:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON D.C. - Saving energy at home can be a confusing topic, so Plastics Make it Possible®, an initiative sponsored by the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council, is partnering with HGTV's Brooks Utley to show that it doesn't take a lot of money, time, or skill to improve energy efficiency– a priority for most American homeowners. According to a recent survey(1) conducted by Kelton Research on behalf of Plastics Make it Possible® that measured homeowner attitudes toward home-energy efficiency, 92 percent of American homeowners feel it's important to make their homes more energy efficient, yet almost half of those surveyed (46 percent) are not taking the necessary steps to increase their home's energy efficiency because they think it's too expensive. "While most homeowners realize the importance of home-energy efficiency, far fewer are aware of the many cost effective ways to make their homes more energy efficient," said Brooks Utley, green building and design expert and star of HGTV shows The $250,000 Challenge and Designed to Sell. "Plastics are an integral part of home building and design today and can play a big role in making homes more energy efficient. I'm thrilled to be working with Plastics Make it Possible® to show homeowners simple steps they can take to lower their energy bills." To explore new innovations in home energy efficiency available to consumers, Brooks Utley and Plastics Make it Possible® are headed to the 2011 Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C. From September 24 through October 2, collegiate teams from across the nation showcase livable homes built using the latest innovations in green building and energy efficiency. "The Solar Decathlon is a great place for Plastics Make it Possible® and Brooks Utley to showcase how plastics can help improve energy efficiency throughout the building and construction industry," said Steve Russell, vice president, Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council. "Plastic building products can help reduce energy expenses and lower maintenance costs, too – we're really glad that Brooks is partnering with us to help consumers save energy." To encourage energy efficiency, Plastics Make it Possible® has launched an online interactive house that highlights ways to save energy using plastics. Visitors can customize a virtual home and share it online for entry into a sweepstakes to win a $250 gift card to a home improvement store. Visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com for more information. Consumers can help increase their own home energy efficiency while spending little and without sacrificing style and design. Plastics Make it Possible® offers the following tips:

Seal it Up: Installing plastic weather stripping around drafty windows and doors helps reduce the loss of warm or cool air throughout the home.
Swap them Out: Replacing older, inefficient windows with durable, low maintenance vinyl plastic windows can help save on energy costs. More efficient windows help keep hot or cold air where it belongs – whether outside or inside – to reduce heating and cooling costs.
Insulate: Plastic foam insulation for roofs, walls and foundations helps improve energy efficiency and save on utility bills.

For more information, visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com, check out their Facebook page and follow them @plasticpossible on twitter at www.twitter.com/plasticpossible.

Melvin Wylie

22nd Episode of GreenNews4U

2011-09-28T19:42:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 22nd episode of GreenNews4U! We all have a part to play in the eco system. Everything we do affects the environment around us. From logging, strip mining, deforestation, water pollution, population expansion, the list goes on. All these things affect the wildlife and in turn affect the population, that's human population and the wildlife population. We all know capturing the perfect picture can communicate more than words. In this episode I will be talking with Sebastian about wildlife conservation. Sebastian grew up in Munich, Germany and moved to the United States when he was ten years old. His fascination with wildlife began in Europe and only increased once he saw the wilderness that America has to offer. Wildlife became his passion and he studied Behavioral Ecology at the University of California at Santa Cruz to further his knowledge about animals. His current mission is to showcase the beauty and intricacies of nature while highlighting the critical need for more conservation efforts through his images. He loves to photograph and experience the animals he sees and wants to share these stories through his images. This, he hopes, will inspire others to help fight for the conservation of these amazing creatures.

To view his web page and blog please go here and support this mans projects to help bring awareness to endangered species.

Melvin Wylie

UNSEEN TEARS: THE IMPACT OF NATIVE AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL BOARDING SCHOOLS IN WESTERN NEW YORK

2011-09-27T15:15:00.001-05:00

UNSEEN TEARS: THE IMPACT OF NATIVE AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL BOARDING SCHOOLS IN WESTERN NEW YORK (30:35) by Ron Douglas from Squeaky Wheel on Vimeo. Produced by Native American Community Services of Erie and Niagara Counties, Inc. Funded by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Native American families in Western New York continue to feel the impact of the Thomas Indian School and the Mohawk Institute. Survivors speak of traumatic separation from their families, abuse, and a systematic assault on their language and culture. Western New York Native American communities are presently attempting to heal the wounds and break the cycle inter-generational trauma resulting from the boarding school experience. Unseen Tears documents testimonies of boarding school survivors, their families, and social service providers.

Melvin Wylie

Drought Conditions in East Africa Remain Dire

2011-09-27T15:05:00.001-05:00

BALTIMORE, Sept. 27, 2011 - By the thousands, hungry, weary and desperate people continue to arrive at the gates of the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya, seeking refuge from the drought and food crisis that has driven more than 13 million people across East Africa to the brink of starvation. Fatumah Muhammed Abdi fled to Dadaab with five unaccompanied children from her village, for whom she is still caring. "When we had nothing else to live for there, we decided to come all the way from Somalia to Kenya," she says. Amina Bulle, 18, traveled 20 days on foot with her infant son to reach the camps. "We had no food in Somalia," she says. "My people were herders but the livestock are all dead so I have fled to Kenya." In response to this crisis, Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is working with its partner, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), to meet the immediate and long-term needs of communities suffering the effects of drought. LWF manages the Dadaab camps and reports that while they were originally built to host 90,000 refugees, they are now hosting over 400,000 people with 1,200 new arrivals each day. By the end of 2011, the camp population will likely exceed 500,000 people in need of immediate and long-term humanitarian assistance. LWR and LWF have been working to provide water, baby care supplies and psychological support to new arrivals, an extension of the work LWR and LWF have done in Dadaab since 2008, through a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM), linking vulnerable refugees to social services, providing shelter and promoting security within the camps. BPRM recently awarded LWR a $440,000 grant to continue this work with LWF. In addition, LWR and LWF are supplying water to people waiting outside the camps and to communities surrounding the Dadaab complex. "It's important to remember the host communities in Dadaab," says McCully. "Reaching out to them with assistance promotes peace and fosters their long-term recovery as well." In Ethiopia, LWR and LWF are working to reach underserved rural communities, distributing food as well as training farmers to improve natural resource management and agriculture and providing tools and other supplies to begin replanting. "Relief is only the first step," stresses McCully. "To move past this crisis and help rural communities stand up to future droughts, we must make a long-term investment in agricultural livelihoods." Long-term plans should seek to ensure that farmers have access to water, supplies and technical training to successfully grow crops and raise livestock. Efforts to promote soil conservation, improve agricultural infrastructure and increase access to local markets will help smallholder farmers become more resilient to future droughts. LWR has seen success with this type of agricultural approach in other drought-affected communities in East Africa and hopes to carry out similar work in response to this crisis.

Melvin Wylie

World's Greenest Museum Gets Second LEED Platinum Award

2011-09-27T14:57:00.001-05:00

Awarded for its sustainable operations and maintenance, the California Academy of Sciences is now the world's largest "Double Platinum" building SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27, 2011 - On September 27, 2008, the California Academy of Sciences unveiled the world's greenest museum—an eco-friendly new home featuring a hilly living roof, recycled denim insulation, and many other green innovations. Three years and more than five million visitors later, the museum celebrates another symbolic color: platinum. Today, the U.S. Green Building Council presented the Academy with its second LEED Platinum award, making the California Academy of Sciences the world's first "Double Platinum" museum and the world's largest Double Platinum building. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the Academy building houses an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and world-class research and education programs under one living roof, standing as an embodiment of its 158-year-old mission to explore, explain, and protect the natural world. The new award bolsters San Francisco's efforts to maintain its designation as the greenest city in the country. "We couldn't be more proud of the California Academy of Sciences for its commitment to high levels of environmental performance, and for setting the example as a leader in the San Francisco green building community and around the world," said San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee. "Their Double Platinum rating is truly a remarkable achievement for our City." The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is a consensus-based standard for evaluating high-performance, sustainable buildings, and the Platinum rating is its highest award. In October 2008, the Academy received its first LEED Platinum rating under the "New Construction" category, which focused on the building's design and construction process. Today, the Academy received its second LEED Platinum award under the "Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance" category, which certifies that its day-to-day operations and business practices also meet the highest standards of sustainability. The Academy's operations and maintenance practices were evaluated and earned points across six different categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. Based on a wide range of green practices and performance metrics, including staff transportation, purchasing decisions, and high recycling and composting rates, it was awarded a total of 82 points, exceeding the threshold for a Platinum certification (80 points). Founded in 1853, the California Academy of Sciences is one of the world's preeminent natural history museums and is an international leader in scientific research about the natural world. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Academy's original home in Golden Gate Park, but also provided a silver lining: the opportunity to reinvent the facility from the ground up. After nearly a decade of planning and the largest cultural fundraising effort in San Francisco history, the new Academy opened to the public in 2008. This major new initiative built on the Academy's distinguished history and deepened its commitment to advancing scientific literacy, engaging the public, and documenting and conserving Earth's natural resources. "Our LEED Platinum building is a marvelous example of sustainable architecture that has wowed millions of visitors since we opened three years ago," said Dr. Gregory Farrington, Executive Director of the Academy. "However, it is more than just a building. It is also a stage—one that has allowed us to host a wide variety of programs and exhibits about the history and future of life on Earth. Delivering these programs as sustainably as possible helps us inspire our visitors to make sustainable choices in their own lives."

Melvin Wylie

World Vegetarian Day - October 1: Give Vegetarianism a Try and Win Up to $1,000

2011-09-27T14:34:00.001-05:00

DOLGEVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 27, 2011 - Vegetarians and interested individuals from around the globe will be joining the North American Vegetarian Society on October 1st, 2011, for the annual celebration of World Vegetarian Day. Since its inception in 1977, the event has commemorated the health-supporting and life-affirming benefits of vegetarianism. World Vegetarian Day is the annual kick-off of Vegetarian Awareness Month. There are many reasons people choose a vegetarian diet. It has proven health benefits, saves animals' lives and helps to preserve the Earth. To encourage non-vegetarians to give meatless eating a try, the North American Vegetarian Society has developed a prize-winning contest. Non-vegetarians who pledge to abstain from all meat, fish and fowl during Vegetarian Awareness Month (October) will be entered in a random drawing for cash prizes. The top winner will get $1,000 in cash. One winner will be chosen in each of the following three categories: One day - $250; One week - $500; One month - $1,000. People can enter the "Give Vegetarianism a Try" contest at http://www.worldvegetarianday.org Join us to make the world a better place and we are all winners! Vegetarian Diets:

Reduce the risk of major killers such as heart disease, stroke and cancer while cutting exposure to foodborne pathogens
Provide a viable answer to feeding the world's hungry through more efficient use of grains and other crops
Save animals from suffering in factory-farm conditions and from the pain and terror of slaughter
Conserve vital but limited freshwater, fertile topsoil and other precious resources
Preserve irreplaceable ecosystems such as rainforests and other wildlife habitats
Decrease greenhouse gases that are accelerating global warming
Mitigate the ever-expanding environmental pollution of animal agriculture

Melvin Wylie

University of Kansas Becomes More Energy Efficient

2011-09-26T15:38:00.001-05:00

LAWRENCE, KS — The University Center for Sustainability has teamed up with with Energy Solutions Professionals to replace energy-consuming light bulbs around The University of Kansas, according to the Daily Kansan. Jeff Servin, director of the center for sustainability, hopes to complete the project by the end of October. "Today, we're trying to get about 150 bulbs out. They've identified about 3,000 lamps on campus that we might be able to change out, so I know their goal is at least a couple thousand bulbs". The new bulbs will also help the university contribute to the Take Charge Challenge, a competition of energy conservation among cities in Kansas. Savings from the new light bulbs looks to be the equivalent of saving more than 9,000 gallons of gasoline each year. Click here to read the complete article.

Melvin Wylie

UNC Petitions to get rid of Assistant Director of Housekeeping

2011-09-26T15:22:00.001-05:00

CHAPEL HILL, NC — A petition is circulating urging the removal of University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill assistant director of housekeeping, according to The Charlotte Post. George James, a UNC housekeeper, has said the history of "authoritarian" leadership and a culture of sexual harassment that permeated the department before the appointment of Tonya Sell, has only become worse. The community, students and faculty have rallied to support the housekeepers' petition to change a "repressive work environment, egregious and discriminatory management practices," and to remove Sell. "For too long, UNC-Chapel Hill housekeepers have struggled to obtain decent working conditions and respect they have earned as workers who assure that UNC students have clean dorms, cafeterias, libraries and athletic department areas. But 'sexual harassment, health and safety violations, favoritism and unfair disciplinary practices are continuing,' with fear of retaliation for speaking out," the petition added. Click here to read the complete article.

Melvin Wylie

School Custodians Chared with Selling Cocaine to Students

2011-09-26T14:42:00.001-05:00

HAMILTON, GA — According to The Chronicle, Two men who cleaned a Harris County school were arrested after the sheriff received a tip about the janitors possibly selling cocaine to students. Victor Lamar Hutchinson, 33, and Lontario Jerome Howe, 36, were arrested after the pair attempted to sell drugs to an undercover officer. Sheriff Mike Jolley suspected the men, both employed by Southern Management, had been selling drugs to students on school property. Both are being held in the Harris County jail on charges of possession with the intent to sell, the article noted. Click here to read the complete article.

Melvin Wylie

Akridge Named to List of DC's Healthiest Workplaces

2011-09-24T12:40:00.001-05:00

Washington Business Journal Recognizes Akridge for Employee Wellness Programs and Policies WASHINGTON, D.C. Sept. 23, 2011 - Commercial real estate services firm Akridge was recognized as one of Washington's Healthiest Places to Work yesterday by the Washington Business Journal. In the publication's inaugural awards, Akridge rated second in the region among businesses with between 100 and 499 employees. More than 100 area companies, representing a total of three million employees, submitted applications for the honor. "We are committed to the wellness of Akridge employees." said company president Matthew J. Klein. "We have implemented a comprehensive program and strive to maintain an atmosphere that fosters healthy practices because these efforts benefit our people and our company. " The Business Journal contracted with Healthiest Employers, LLC to survey and evaluate companies competing for healthy workplace honors. A Healthiest Employer Index (HEI) score was determined for each entrant based on responses to 75 questions, which generated a maximum of 236 points in six categories. These scores were the sole basis for company rankings.

Melvin Wylie

SeaWorld Uses Ingenuity to Save Rescued Marine Animals

2011-09-24T12:35:00.001-05:00

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 23, 2011 - Winter, the flippered star of the new movie "Dolphin Tale," will bring much-deserved attention this weekend to wildlife rescue efforts on behalf of marine mammal facilities around the world. The SeaWorld Rescue Team – which also helped with the initial rescue transport of Winter – is currently caring for an array of ill, injured and orphaned wild marine animals, each with its own against-all-odds story. Like those passionate individuals who helped Winter, this team uses their expertise and creativity every day to devise new ways to rescue, treat and return to nature these extraordinary animals. No rescue, no case is ever the same. Few are aware that SeaWorld operates one of the world's most respected wildlife rescue programs and has treated more than 18,000 animals over the last four decades. The goal for every rescue is to be able to successfully return the animal. The team has created nutritional formulas and custom bottles to hand-feed orphaned animals; imaginative ways to help save sea turtles with cracked shells; prosthetic beaks for injured birds; and even an "animal wetsuit" to help an injured manatee stay afloat. Examples of this ingenuity at work include:

Currently, a team of animal experts at SeaWorld Orlando is performing hands-on physical therapy on a once-stranded pilot whale. The whale has scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, that developed approximately five weeks after her early-May rescue and has created a sharp angle in her spine that prevents her from swimming normally. The physical therapy, performed three times a day, includes stretching the whale's muscles and working her tail fluke up and down. It's hoped the therapy sessions will allow her to regain proper and more normal use of her tail.

SeaWorld animal experts were the first to bottle raise an orphaned manatee and have also developed "baby formulas" for rescued whales, sea lions and seals.

Sometimes the innovation comes not in the equipment, but in the training. When a severely injured loggerhead sea turtle arrived at SeaWorld Orlando missing its lower jaw and suffering from starvation, park turtle experts taught the emaciated animal a new way to eat with only its upper jaw. The process took months, and the turtle gradually progressed from hand-feedings to independent eating skills.

The innovative care also extends to the park's animal population. SeaWorld veterinarians went to extraordinary lengths to preserve the life of Dottie, one of the park's Atlantic bottle nose dolphins. Dottie went into kidney failure due to complications from kidney stones, but by working with "human" doctors from UC San Diego Medical Center, her life was saved through medical procedures never before performed on a dolphin including dialysis.

A global leader in animal care and conservation, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment cares for more than 60,000 animals including 200 endangered or threatened species. This commitment extends to animals around the world: The company has contributed more than $50 million to conservation, wildlife rescue and environmental stewardship initiatives and has supported efforts on every continent, as well as operating its own well-respected wildlife rescue program. The SeaWorld Rescue Team is on call 24/7 to help animals in need.

Melvin Wylie

21st Episode of GreenNews4U

2011-09-22T14:11:00.001-05:00

In this Episode I interview Janice Whitehead with ZerH20. We talk about sanitation and waste disposal, among many other things that are needed in this world. The ZerH2O Waterless Toilet is ideal for rural homes where pit latrines are traditionally used. It can be built into a current home; or a new home can be built around it. Personal and Environmental benefits include: Dignity; Safety; Hygiene; Protection of ground water supply; no chemicals required. Saving for municipalities: No need for water lines and pipes; no need for waste water plants; quick and cost-effective installation (no big excavations). Benefit for the home owner: The unit can be moved when you move; easy to install; hygienic, easy cleaning. To find out more information on this product you can go here

Melvin Wylie

In Nicaragua Women Lead The Fight Against Climate Change

2011-09-21T11:27:00.001-05:00

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2011 - Women are leading the fight against climate change and other urgent environmental issues that confront the planet, according to Dr. Sarah Otterstrom, Executive Director of Paso Pacifico, at the Clinton Global Initiative. In Nicaragua, women are leading reforestation efforts and have planted over 100,000 native trees. Their work has offset more than 150,000 tons of greenhouse gases and help protect watersheds that are crucial to the health of their communities. Paso Pacifico provides job training in entrepreneurship and forestry which enable women to build businesses and become leaders in their communities. "They are strengthened by our program," Otterstrom says, "but ultimately they are the ones who are making Paso Pacifico projects a success." Paso Pacifico also uses this training model to help women protect their beaches from turtle egg poachers. Local campesinas learn about the endangered turtle species and are trained to patrol their local beaches. For each hatchling successfully protected they receive an incentive payment. Their monthly income equals a rural laborer's salary, but the job is flexible because women can coordinate their schedules. More than 10,000 turtles have been hatched due to the efforts of these women over the past two years. For the first time in 25 years ,endangered turtle eggs are hatching along the beaches in Southern Nicaragua. As women in Nicaragua find their traditional roles expanding, they embrace new ideas and technologies to support themselves. For example, when the Portable Light Project and Paso Pacifico brought solar lamps to the communities, the women started to use the lights to patrol beaches, help their children with homework at night and cook for their families in predawn hours. "One woman told me how excited she was the first time she got up to feed her baby and make tortillas at four a.m." Otterstrom said. "She could do so in light instead of darkness. Something so inexpensive improves their lives dramatically." Having caught the entrepreneurial bug, women are now opening their own businesses with Paso Pacifico's support. In one coastal community, women have opened a sea kayaking business, in another an eco-tourism guiding company and in a third an eco-lodge. All of these endeavors are successfully bringing tourism dollars into their local communities. "This is what happens when you invest in women," says Dr. Otterstrom. "They are smart. We teach them how to use their skills to run a business and care for their natural resources, just as they care for their families and neighbors. Only now, they are earning money, empowering themselves, improving their community and helping the environment. It is win, win, win and we want to do more of it."

Melvin Wylie

Japanese Families Call for Protection & Evacuation of Fukushima Children

2011-09-20T14:31:00.001-05:00

Japanese Families and Activists Call for Proper Protection - and Evacuation - of Fukushima Children and a Global End to Nuclear Power

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2011 - Two organic farmers from Japan, their children and fellow Japanese anti-nuclear campaigners made a plea for the safety of Fukushima's children at a press conference in Washington, D.C. today. "Our hearts have been torn apart in the Fukushima community because of the nuclear disaster," said Sachiko Sato, a natural farmer from Fukushima Prefecture, who evacuated four of her six children two days after the March 11, 2011 Fukushima nuclear reactor catastrophe began. "The community is split among those who evacuated and those who stayed, creating a chasm between former neighbors. This is the first health effect of this catastrophe." Mrs. Sato described how, not trusting official figures, she herself measured radiation levels at local schools, finding that 75% of schools should be considered radiation control areas and therefore dangerous for children. Meanwhile, the government raised the allowable radiation dose rate by 20 times to 20 microsieverts per year including for children. "Do they imagine that people can suddenly withstand doses of radiation 20 times greater than were previously allowed?" she asked. Many people cannot evacuate as they would leave behind aging, frail parents, Sato said. "Or they don't want to lose their job or tear their children away from everything they know. Families have been ripped apart." She also described how the government misled communities about safety. "Some were evacuated from Fukushima to places where the radiation levels were even higher, but they were not told," she said. Yukiko Anzai, an organic farmer from Hokkaido 603km away from the Fukushima-Daiichi accident, saw her honey business destroyed and her family's livelihood wiped out by the multiple reactor meltdowns. "We stopped using the word 'safe' for our vegetables," she said. My husband said that if we find the chicken feed is radioactive, we will have to stop farming altogether." Sato's farm also shut down although many around her have continued to farm. Both women began farming traditionally without using chemicals to mirror "the old ways." But, with their land laced with radioactivity, their dreams - and farming livelihoods – are destroyed. "On March 11 our lives changed completely," Anzai said. "Yet the government continues to ignore the truth and expects us to continue farming like nothing happened." Sato's two children, Mina, 13 and Yuuki, 17, described how their lives were changed after March 11, 2011, leaving their home, their friends and everything they knew after being evacuated far from danger. "If only those nuclear power plants hadn't existed," Mina Sato said. "Things wouldn't have turned out this way." Aileen Mioko Smith, executive director of Green Action, and Kaori Izumi, director of Shut Tomari (the first reactor to re-start after the Fukushima-Daiichi meltdowns), both called for a global ban on nuclear power as the only rational lesson to be learned from Fukushima. "Otherwise this will happen again, in Japan, at Indian Point or anywhere," Izumi said. "This is not Japan's problem, it's the world's problem. The radiation from Fukushima is everywhere. We cannot afford another Fukushima." Smith has submitted a petition to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights calling for the rights of children of Fukushima to evacuate. Only families living within the 12.4 mile official evacuation zone are supported financially if they evacuate. Those living beyond that range who choose to evacuate must do so at their own expense, which many cannot afford, Smith explained. "What the children of Fukushima need is safe food, a safe place to live, and somewhere where they can safely play outdoors," she said. Speaking on behalf of hosting organization Beyond Nuclear, Kevin Kamps reminded the audience that the Fermi 2 reactor in Michigan, the same GE Mark I Boiling Water Reactor design as those at Fukushima-Daiichi, "is the biggest of that design in the world, and stores more than 500 tons of radioactive waste in its fuel pool – far more than all four Fukushima-Daiichi reactors put together. The consequences downwind of a fuel pool fire at Fermi 2 would be multiple times worse than at Fukushima," he said. "What I learned about nuclear power," said Sato's son Yuuko, "is that protecting nuclear power plants is seemingly more important than protecting our lives." The group will travel to New York City on September 21, 2011 for public presentations and a 5 pm demonstration on September 22, 2011 at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza outside the United Nations building.

Melvin Wylie

AQUAMANTRA interviews ENSO

2011-09-19T14:13:00.001-05:00

A great interview talking about the ENSO bottle:

Melvin Wylie

Global Cleanup Day Targets Trash Headed to Ocean, Waterways

2011-09-17T10:16:00.001-05:00

Volunteers Worldwide Mobilize for Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2011 - Today, Ocean Conservancy and hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world are hitting their local beaches, lakes, rivers, and waterways for the 26th Annual International Coastal Cleanup – the largest volunteer effort of its kind. Over the past 25 years, more than eight and a half million volunteers have removed 145 million pounds of trash in over 150 countries. Participants will spend the morning removing trash from coastlines and rivers all while keeping track of every item they find. Ocean Conservancy uses that data to produce the world's only annual country-by-country, state-by-state index of ocean trash. The report is shared with the public, industry, and government officials as we work together to find solutions to this serious problem. "Trash littering our beaches and choking our ecosystems is a threat to wildlife, our coastal economies, and ultimately to the ability of the ocean to sustain us," said Vikki Spruill, Ocean Conservancy's President and CEO. "You name it, it has been found on the beach. The eight million pounds of trash collected during last year's Cleanup would cover about 170 football fields a foot deep. "Ocean Conservancy's vision is for trash free seas. This problem is entirely preventable, and keeping our ocean free from trash is one of the easiest ways we can make the ocean more resilient." said Spruill. "The Cleanup gives everyone a chance to work in their community and be part of this global movement to protect our ocean. People from Nebraska to India to South Africa and Indonesia join the Cleanup because they are passionate about our ocean and want to make a difference. Companies organize employees for service days to help their communities. The Cleanup is the gateway for people from all walks of life to exercise their commitment to conservation." Armed with knowledge about the most prevalent components of marine trash, officials can make informed policy decisions, community leaders can tailor and expand recycling and other trash-reduction programs, corporate decision makers can improve technology and reduce packaging, and individuals can recycle, reuse, or properly dispose of trash to keep these items out of the ocean in the first place.


TRASH ITEM		25 Year Total
Cigarettes/Cigarette Filters		52,907,756 - 32%
Food Wrapper/Containers		14,766,533 - 9%
Caps/Lids		13,585,425 - 8%
Cups, Plates, Forks, Knives, Spoons		10,112,038 - 6%
Beverage Bottles (plastic)		9,549,156 - 6%
Bags (plastic)		7,825,319 - 5%
Beverage Bottles (glass)		7,062,199 - 4%
Beverage Cans		6,753,260 - 4%
Straw/Stirrers		6,263,453 - 4%
Rope		3,251,948 - 2%

Visit www.oceanconservancy.org/cleanup for additional information and to view our latest report on ocean trash - Tracking Trash - view our top ten list of actions everyone can take to fight ocean trash. The Coca-Cola Company has supported Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup for the past 16 years. Last year, Coca-Cola activated a global employee engagement campaign around the Cleanup called "Pick it Up, Clean it Up, Sea Change!" Nearly 26,000 Coca-Cola system associates, their friends and families in 175 locations across 40 countries participated in the Cleanup, contributing more than 200,000 hours of volunteer time. As part of its commitment to address global climate change, Bank of America has supported the Cleanup for the past several years, with thousands of employees participating in Cleanup events in the United States and around the world. Other national sponsors include National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Altria Group, Inc, The Walt Disney Company, Landshark Lager, Brunswick Public Foundation, and The Dow Chemical Company. Ocean Conservancy is the world's foremost advocate for the oceans. Through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, we inform, inspire and empower people to speak and act for the ocean. Ocean Conservancy is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has offices in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific, with support from more than half a million members and volunteers. To learn more about Ocean Conservancy visit www.oceanconservancy.org.

Melvin Wylie

Sawfish Study Underway

2011-09-17T09:51:00.001-05:00

Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Supports Sawfish Studies in Florida Bay, Florida Keys, Tortugas and Indian River Lagoon

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Also known as the Carpenter Shark, Sawfish are a family of rays, characterized by a long, toothy nose extension. Several species can grow to approximately 7 meters or 23 feet. The family as a whole is largely unknown and little studied, until now. In October 2010, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and Hell's Bay Boatworks donated a custom boat and trailer, valued at more than $50,000, to the Florida Program for Shark Research. FPSR Director and world-renowned shark expert George Burgess recently filed this report detailing the ongoing sawfish studies he is conducting in the waters around South Florida: During the spring sampling season, three ongoing projects of the Florida Program for Shark Research at UF''s Florida Museum of Natural History, one in collaboration with researchers from Florida State University (FSU), focused on the distribution and movements of adult and sub adult sawfishes in the southern portion of its Florida range. We produced a survey of the waters surrounding U.S. Navy properties in the Key West region in order to determine the current status of sawfishes in those areas for the U.S. Navy/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Because of obvious security constraints, we were the first fish biologists to sample in these waters in decades. Concurrently, in conjunction with Dean Grubbs and fellow FSU scientists and the John Carlson of the National Marine Fisheries Service, we sampled the middle and lower Keys and Tortugas region and Florida Bay, catching and satellite tagging eleven sawfishes. Satellite tags give long time and distance of movement information and we hope our tagging will help us better understand seasonal horizontal (up and down the coast) and vertical (depth) movements of the critters. We also caught and multiple tagged two large adults in Florida Bay, the tags being raditional spaghetti, satellite, and active acoustic models. The last allowed us to manually track the minute-to-minute movements using a receiver held under the boat. Our first saw was lost within the first hour or so as it gave us the slip by scooting over a shallow bank, then boogying before we could detect its signal. Having learned our lesson, on our second capture we got in 38 hours of tracking over three days, including day-night comparisons. The sawfish moved about in deeper channels by day, and then moved onto shallow, seagrass beds by night. It chose the same shallow grassy area on successive nights, demonstrating some short-term site fidelity. Next spring we plan to initiate placement of underwater listening stations on the bottom and tag the sawfishes with passive acoustic tags. These tags will leave a unique bleep on any receiver as the sawfish swims near, allowing us to track localized movements over longer periods and larger areas. We also will continue to satellite tag these and other sawfishes. While sampling for sawfishes we also caught many sharks and rays. All of these animals also were measured, sexed, sampled (tissue for DNA) and tagged as part of ongoing studies of their biology and movement patterns. We also continued our work in Indian River Lagoon (IRL), where we began tagging young bull sharks with spaghetti and passive acoustic tags in a ³new² region for us, the St. Lucie River estuary. This work is being done with our colleague, David Snyder, of Continental Shelf Associates. We also continue to download data from our underwater array of receivers in Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River and the northern IRL, where tagged bull sharks and rays still roam. During this time period we put 5000 miles in land travel on the Guy Harvey adorned Hell's Bay and God only knows how many sea miles on our faithful vessel!

Melvin Wylie

When Farmers Meet Designers: True Eco Fashion

2011-09-17T09:16:00.001-05:00

Città della Pieve, Italy - Is the perception of beauty man-made or is there such a thing as natural beauty? To ?nd out, an Italian designer and an organic farmer came up with the idea of growing shirts, having nature design fashion. After a two year period of growths in the hills of Umbria, near the Tuscan border in Italy, the ?rst harvest is ready for the catwalk.

When Francesco Mugnaini, a 31 year old designer who had previously been working in the busy city of Milan, met Sebastian Runde, a 41 year old Scottish farmer running an organic farm in Umbria, Italy, they merged their different backgrounds and experiences to come up with a rather unusual fashion project: let's grow shirts. The unpredictability of nature was the seed for the idea, to plant and harvest shirts. The garments were exposed to nature's forces by planting them into the ground and give nature time to do her unpredictable design process. The result is stunning and every single design unique.

The T-shirt was considered ideal, as it is one of the most simple garments existing, there could be no better for the project. It is unpretentious, simple, like an empty canvas on which nature can create its designs. Francesco designed a shirt which truly complements the body, idealises it even. "We aimed for a focus on the aesthetics created by nature, to offer a perception of beauty man would never be able to create. We produce beautiful shirts, but it is nature who makes them truly unique» says Francesco Mugnaini.

The materials used had to be of a kind which would react with the soil, the water or sunlight. Naturally no synthetic yarns could be used, as not to create a thread of pollution. After many tests, a high quality organic silk proved best and gave the most interesting results.

The silk shirts are produced by local craftsmen with great expertise. Sebastian Runde, as an organic farmer, is very passionate about his concern for the environment: "Producing the T-shirts abroad in a country with low labour costs was out of question. We looked for local recourses and were very lucky, indeed. We manage to produce a garment, which is 100% made in Italy. The yarns are coming from northern Italy, the shirts are produced locally in Città della Pieve."

The ?rst collection of RIGHT AS RAIN™ is harvested and up for sale on www.right-as-rain.com. An array of utterly different silk shirts for men and woman. 100% designed by nature.

Melvin Wylie

Not All Incandescent Light Bulbs will be Banned Next Year

2011-09-16T09:11:00.001-05:00

MOONACHIE, N.J., Sept. 16, 2011 - As many consumers are beginning to suffer from "light bulb anxiety" and are confused about replacement options for their traditional incandescent bulbs, Bulbrite introduces their Eco-Friendly Halogen A19 lamp. Bulbrite is a leading manufacturer and supplier of innovative, energy-efficient light source solutions and the premier educational resource for lamping technology. Bulbrite's Eco-Friendly Halogen A19 complies with the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which takes effect January 1, 2012 and requires general service light bulbs to operate up to 30% more efficiently than current standards require. Consumers will gain the benefits of higher efficiency and superior lighting quality, giving them an alternative to CFLs (compact fluorescents) and LEDs (light emitting diodes). The Halogen A19, a recent winner of the Platinum Award for Design Excellence (ADEX), is fully dimmable and can last up to 1,000 hours. In comparison to its incandescent replacements, Bulbrite's Eco-Friendly Halogen A19 significantly reduces energy consumption without sacrificing light output, as shown below.

29-watt Halogen A19 equals 40-watt incandescent
43-watt Halogen A19 equals 60-watt incandescent
53-watt Halogen A19 equals 75-watt incandescent
72-watt Halogen A19 equals 100-watt incandescent

This unique lamp is available in four different wattages with both clear and soft white finishes. The most common uses include chandeliers, outdoor and security lights, ceiling pendants, recessed downlights, portable table and floor lamps, and wall sconces. Bulbrite is a leading manufacturer and supplier of innovative, energy-efficient light source solutions. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, Bulbrite is a family owned business renowned for its commitment to innovation, education and outstanding service. Most recently Bulbrite President Cathy Choi received the 2010 Residential Lighting Industry Leadership Award and the Bulbrite Swytch LED Desk Lamp received the 2010 Home Furnishing News Award of Excellence. The company has introduced many innovative and design award-winning products, including its exclusive KX-2000®, Dark Sky, Purify 02, and Halogen R111 GU10, as well as ADEX award-winning GU24 Twist & Lock lamps, the 2012 EISA-compliant Halogen A19 and TURBO LEDs. Bulbrite offers an extensive line of light bulbs and lamping options including LEDs, HID, Compact Fluorescents, Fluorescents, Halogens, Krypton/Xenon, Incandescents, and a broad range of specialty lamps.

Melvin Wylie

Nestle Waters North America Recieves LEED Gold

2011-09-15T12:09:00.001-05:00

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 15, 2011 - Nestle Waters North America, the third largest beverage company in the U.S., today announced its headquarters in Stamford, Conn. has received the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) Gold certification, verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. This marks the company's 10th LEED-certified building. To date, Nestle Waters has the most LEED-certified facilities of any U.S. food and beverage manufacturer, with more than 3.7 million square feet designed and built to meet LEED standards. In 2003, the company became the first food and beverage manufacturer in the U.S. to receive LEED certification for its Stanwood, Mich. plant—one of the first-ever industrial facilities to earn the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) sustainability standard. In its 2008 Corporate Citizenship Report, Nestle Waters pledged to have all newly constructed buildings meet LEED certification. "Nestle is to be commended for earning LEED Gold for its own headquarters—the 10th LEED-certified project in the company," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. "Given the prominence of the Nestle brand, the Stamford headquarters will be a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy buildings, and an inspiration for others. Congratulations!" More than 500 people employed at Nestle Waters' Stamford headquarters moved to this facility in October 2010. Two Stamford-based firms led the renovation of the building located at 900 Long Ridge Road. CPG Architects did the re-design and Pavarini led the construction effort. The building incorporates many "green" features, as well as attributes that encourage greater employee collaboration, including:

A white roof to reduce use of heating and air conditioning
Low energy/high efficiency lighting system and low-flow water fixtures in bathrooms
Convenient recycling in logical locations, such as kitchens and coffee bars
The first Cradle-to-Cradle-certified office chairs
An employee shuttle from the Stamford train station to encourage use of public transportation
Preferred parking spaces for low-emission vehicles
Cubicles built with low partitions and ample seating areas for co-workers to discuss ideas
High recycled content on furniture, fabrics, countertops, carpet and ceiling tiles

"We feel good coming to work every day, being part of and showing visitors the innovative, green features of our office building," said Kim Jeffery, president and CEO of Nestle Waters North America. "We had a goal to achieve LEED when we took on a complete renovation for our new headquarters. As with our bottling plants, we created a facility that supports the environment, the employees who work here, and the surrounding community, and earning LEED Gold heightens that commitment." Beyond LEED-certified buildings, the company also works to reduce its environmental footprint by advocating for improved bottle recycling and preserving more than 14,000 acres of land near its spring water sites. To learn more about the company's sustainability initiatives in the areas of packaging, production, transportation, water use and recycling, click here. Since 2003, Nestle Waters' additional LEED-certified facilities have helped the company reduce energy use by 1.5 million kWh, carbon emissions by 2.1 million pounds, and water use by nine million gallons:

Dallas, Texas (Silver, 2009)
Kingfield, Maine (Gold, 2009)
Breinigsville, Pa. (Gold, 2009)
Hollis, Maine (Silver rating, 2009)
Madison County, Fla. (Silver rating, 2006)
Red Boiling Springs, Tenn. (Silver rating, 2005)
Cabazon, Calif. (Silver rating, 2004) – first food manufacturing facility to earn a silver rating
Hawkins, Texas (Silver rating, 2004)
Stanwood, Mich. (LEED Certified 2003) – first food and beverage manufacturing facility to earn LEED certification

Melvin Wylie

Samsung Evergreen Raises the Bar by Earning Platinum Certification From UL Environment

2011-09-14T15:02:00.001-05:00

DALLAS, Sept. 14, 2011 - Key Facts

Samsung Evergreen™ earns platinum certification from UL Environment, a leading global science company, for meeting UL Environment's high Sustainable Product Certification standard.
First Samsung device from AT&T* to receive sustainable industry certification.
In 2010, as part of AT&T's handset sustainability efforts, it collected more than 3.7 million cell phones for reuse and recycling and over 1.8 million pounds of cell phone batteries and accessories.

Customer Benefits Environmentally conscious AT&T customers will be pleased to learn that the Samsung Evergreen received platinum certification from UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories). Evergreen is the first Samsung product from AT&T to achieve the highest level of environmental performance recognized by new sustainable requirements established by UL Environment. Over past year, AT&T has been an active participant with UL Environment and other sustainability stakeholders in working towards the development of requirements to identify leadership mobile phones from an environmental and human health perspective. The UL Environment requirements set minimum requirements for "environmentally preferable" mobile devices by measuring environmentally sensitive materials, energy management, manufacturing and operations, impact to health and environment, product performance, packaging and product stewardship. Samsung Evergreen Launched in Fall 2010, the Samsung Evergreen is a quick messaging device constructed with 70 percent recycled post-consumer plastics and packaging that utilizes 80 percent recycled post-consumer paper. The device boasts eco-oriented wallpaper/ringtones not to mention a sleek, 2.4" display, full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 2.0 megapixel camera, video camcorder, AT&T Navigator and stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology v2.1. Evergreen also features dual-band 3G connectivity and quad-band GSM technology, which allows AT&T customers to make calls in more than 220 countries and download data in more than 195 countries. In addition to the UL Environment platinum certification, the Evergreen already meets strict RoHS standards (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive)(1), including being free of PVC(2), BFR(3) and Beryllium and powered by an Energy Star Version 2.0 qualified energy efficient charger (level V) with standby power loss less than 0.03W and an energy efficiency of less than 75 percent. Since launch, Samsung has donated $1 for every Samsung Evergreen device sold, with a maximum donation of $100,000, to the non-profit organization Cell Phones for Soldiers®. AT&T's Environmental Sustainability Initiatives and Offerings In 2010, AT&T collected more than 3.7 million cell phones for reuse and recycling and over 1.8 million pounds of cell phone batteries and accessories. Last year, AT&T launched the ZERO Charger which automatically senses when a mobile device is not plugged in to the charger and cuts the power supply from the wall socket. The company also challenged customers to make the switch to paperless billing through its One Million Mobile Eco Challenge. Recently, AT&T was included on the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America for the second year in a row. AT&T currently offers customers simple, convenient ways to donate old cell phones and accessories: drop-off bins in more than 2,000 company-owned retail stores; free, prepaid mailing envelopes available in the stores; and postage-paid mailing labels available via our web site at AT&T Reuse & Recycle. For more information regarding AT&T's overall sustainability initiatives, please visit www.att.com/csr. Quotes "We're honored to receive global recognition for the environmental performance of the Samsung Evergreen," said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "This platinum certification from UL Environment is truly a testament to AT&T's ongoing efforts to provide effective, sustainable solutions for our customers." "We know the vast majority of consumers are looking for greener products in several categories(4) and we are excited that AT&T will now be offering the Platinum-certified Samsung Evergreen cell phone at their stores to help meeting this growing demand," said Steve Wenc, president of UL Environment. "We further congratulate AT&T and Samsung on demonstrating their commitment to sustainability with this superb device." (1) Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, 2002/95/EC as amended. (2) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). (3) Brominated flame retardants (BFR). (4) According to 2011 EcoPulse Report, Shelton Group. *AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Melvin Wylie