DIESEL * Washington Receives Economic Recovery Funding from U.S. EPA to Reduce Diesel Emissions, Create Jobs http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d96f984dfb3ff7718525735900400c29/b6952dbdae582a93852575930070f393!OpenDocument In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for the people in the State of Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $1.73 million to the Washington Department of Ecology. The funding can be used to support clean diesel projects and loan programs to address the nation's existing fleet of over 11 million diesel engines... The funds provided by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 will go to the state's Washington Clean Diesel program. In addition to helping to create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects would reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year. WOOD BURNING * HPBA Calls For Member Input On EPA Review http://www.aer-online.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.2428 The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) has called on its membership to help compile a list of issues and concerns that will be presented to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the agency's upcoming review of the EPA Woodstove Certification Program. According to a memo sent to HPBA member manufacturers, the EPA is preparing to review the 20-year-old program for wood heaters. Under the EPA program, all wood-burning appliances manufactured after July 1, l988, are required to meet specific emissions standards. LAND USE/TRANSPORTATION PLANNING * Auburn may ban trucks from key freight routes http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/04/13/story1.html?ana=e_ph Freight company executives, city officials and port leaders fear the closures could tangle traffic, push away the warehousing industry, and erode the ports of Seattle and Tacoma as international trade hubs. <<Auburn may ban trucks from key freight routes - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle).htm>> CLIMATE * Revived EPA Takes on Climate Change and More http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/energy/2009/04/09/a-revived-epa-takes-on-climate-change-and-more.html Because many of these proposals only begin to lay the groundwork for future regulations, they are, to a certain degree, still symbolic. Some Republicans say they have seen few surprises or radical moves, much to their relief. Nevertheless, the agency under the new administration has clearly enjoyed a dramatic boost in morale and stature after eight years of being stifled... Unlike Bush, who once belittled the EPA as a "bureaucracy," Obama appears to view it as a central player in his clean-energy agenda... Certainly, the EPA is in line to get more money. Obama's 2010 budget proposes increasing the agency's funding by more than 33 percent, to $10.5 billion. (In addition, the EPA is helping distribute $7. 2 billion in stimulus funding, much of which is going to state and local governments.) * Microsoft energized to reduce carbon footprint at data hubs http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/04/13/focus4.html Based on Microsoft's latest energy audits, its total carbon footprint for 2007 was 936,000 tons of CO2. The company says that number is higher than it reported in the past because it decided to buck the trend and count leased facilities, as well, in order to assess its impact more accurately. Besides data centers, the number includes the impact of other physical facilities and travel. Microsoft declined to disclose publicly how much of the carbon footprint comes from its data centers. However, Bernard said, they are "a core focus in our footprint goals." <<Microsoft energized to reduce carbon footprint at data hubs - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle).htm>> * Even 'green' trade not immune to economic woes. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102927032 One of the consequences of the worldwide recession is that factories are producing less - and thus emitting less climate-warming carbon dioxide. That's good for the climate, but not so good for the once-booming carbon market * When glaciers start moving http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13447263 Tortuous UN talks on global warming receive some jolts * U.S. plays down hopes at climate talks. http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL88146420090408?sp=true//n U.S. negotiators tried to dampen expectations on Wednesday of rapid progress on climate change after President Barack Obama vowed new U.S. leadership, on the closing day of U.N. talks in Bonn * How climate change may be threatening national parks. http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/04/09/how-climate-change-may-be-threatening-national-parks/ Warmer temperatures and extended wildfires put Joshua trees in the Joshua Tree National Park in California at risk. But that may be just one way in which climate change is affecting our national parks * Henry Waxman's climate bill imposes environmental regulations on the entire economy. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123933057062907775.html Cap-and-trade theologians love to invoke markets: Merely put a price on carbon, and the invisible hand will shoo us toward an eco-friendly future. Of course Congress has its own ideas <<Henry Waxman's Climate Bill Imposes Environmental Regulations on the Entire Economy - WSJ_com.htm>> * Algae genomes key to regulating carbon emissions. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hTLDU1CssU6q9rljzyWaj9oO1PNQ Scientists have decoded genomes of two strains of green algae, highlighting genes that allow them to capture carbon emissions and maintain the oceans' chemical balance, a study said Thursday. * White House considers cooling the climate http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009010458_climatechange09.html The National Academy of Sciences is making geoengineering the subject of the first workshop in its new climate-challenges program for policymakers, scientists and the public. Last week, Princeton scientist Robert Socolow told the National Academy that it should be an available option in case climate worsens dramatically. FUELS * Report: Ethanol raises cost of nutrition programs http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009014114_apfoodcostsethanol.html Food stamps and child nutrition programs are expected to cost up to $900 million more this year because of increased ethanol use. VEHICLE CHOICES * Small cars abound, but will they sell? http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009016516_smallcars10.html Small cars and hybrids surged in popularity last summer as gasoline prices blew past $4 a gallon. But as the economy sputtered and gas prices collapsed, small cars lost ground to trucks and sport-utility vehicles... "I heard it the other day - I don't know if it's true - that Americans' memory is about 60 days," said Tim Mahoney, senior vice president of Subaru of America. "You can see the fuel-economy situation from last summer. I heard (a dealer) the other day talking about how they couldn't sell Civics and Corolla and Priuses fast enough. All of a sudden, 60 days later, we're back on SUVs and trucks." * Zen and the art of bicycle fitting http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/704082.html If you're serious about logging miles on your bicycle, consider getting a professional fitting, which can save wear and tear on your body over time. See how one shop in Tacoma does it. * Get to know a bicyclist; we're not so bad -- GUEST COMMENTARY / SHARING THE ROAD http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090407/OPINION03/704079990/-1/OPINION#Get.to.know.a.bicyclist.were.not.so.bad I try to stay on roads designated by the county to be bike trails. That means signage is in place to advise you of my presence. I have a rear-view mirror and use it to watch for you. But I have to admit to occasionally doing things on my bike that might be annoying to a motorist. With my skinny tires, any small road hazard such as broken glass or loose gravel could mean a crash for me. A crash at 20 mph is likely a broken bone or stitches. I will instinctively veer away from such hazards, just as you instinctively veer away from hazards you deem unsafe for your vehicle. If there's road debris on the shoulder, I can't ride there and may enter the traffic lane -- a last resort but still legal. I know traffic law and am licensed to drive. The cities and county are pretty good at keeping the shoulders clean but they can't be everywhere. I'm sure if we met over a cup of coffee or a beer we would get along great. I'm just trying to do what I have to do to keep myself sane and healthy. I appreciate your patience and understanding. * Oregon Gov., Mitsubishi & PGE work toward electric vehicle charging network . http://www.bendweekly.com/Statewide-News/17334.html Governor Ted Kulongoski today announced a new partnership with Mitsubishi to work with the state and Portland General Electric toward the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles * China outlines plans for electric cars. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/business/energy-environment/11electric.html?_r=1&ref=global Senior Chinese officials on Friday outlined how they aimed to turn their country into the world's largest producer of electric cars, including a focus on consumer choice rather than corporate subsidies <<China Outlines Plans for Making Electric Cars - NYTimes_com.htm>> ENERGY * BPA grabs stimulus dollars to join wind revolution http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/04/13/focus1.html Wind power has grown in the Pacific Northwest far faster than BPA and others expected. By the end of 2009, the industry will reach a milestone - if all Northwest windmills were turning at top capacity at once, they could generate 30 percent of the region's peak electrical load. By the end of 2010, that should reach 40 percent. Which means that BPA's $3.25 billion infusion of federal stimulus money - more than six times the original cost of the Grand Coulee Dam itself - will go in significant part to capturing the wind. <<BPA grabs stimulus dollars to join wind revolution - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle).htm>> * To reinvent grid for shifty bursts of wind, energy overseers must rejigger supply and demand http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/04/13/focus2.html The Bonneville Power Administration is trying - or may try in the future - an array of tactics to better integrate the variable element of wind into a grid that was designed to work with steadier power sources such as hydro and natural gas. <<To reinvent grid for shifty bursts of wind, energy overseers must rejigger supply and demand - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle).htm>> * Regardless of recession, green is the way to go http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/04/13/focus6.html As a share of all venture capital bets, clean energy rose steadily from 3 percent in 2004 to 12 percent in 2008, surpassing $3 billion. Private money is about to be boosted by $400 million in federal stimulus money for "speculative research" by the Department of Energy, which plans to spend $277 million of these funds on "frontier research centers" where university and private teams will partner on a wide range of projects... Today's skeptics argue that in a deep recession, "going green" will be seen as a flashy trend we can't afford. But renowned economic globalist Thomas Friedman says, "Green is the new red, white and blue" - a key to maintaining U.S. economic leadership... It has been intelligently observed that the way to make green energy competitive is not by making dirty energy more expensive but by making clean energy cheaper. <<Regardless of recession, green is the way to go - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle).htm>> * Commentary: Gov. Gregoire must lead Washington beyond its reliance on coal http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2009015513_opinc10sierra.html We call on the governor to provide for an open, public forum to discuss the TransAlta plant's role in meeting our climate-change goals before signing any agreements. She should continue to protect public health and the environment by toughening clean-air standards and creating a plan to move Washington beyond coal by 2018. We can all work together to invest in new clean-energy sources within the state to meet our rising demand for electricity and to stimulate the economy by creating quality jobs for thousands across the state and especially for affected workers in Centralia. Gov. Gregoire, help lead us to this ambitious vision by creating a road map to move Washington beyond coal by 2018. * A solar-powered solution to Florida sprawl. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1890308,00.html/n An NFL lineman turned developer has ambitious plans for a solar-powered city of tomorrow in southwest Florida's outback, featuring the world's largest photovoltaic solar plant, a smart power grid, EV recharging stations and other green innovations * The promise of a better light bulb? http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/nevermind-the-lorax-in-defense-of-cities/ The current shortcomings of compact fluorescent lights and pricey LED bulbs show that future dominance of the American socket is still very much up for grabs. Vu1, a company based in Seattle, thinks it has a shot. PUGET SOUND * FRONTLINE Presents POISONED WATERS Tuesday, April 21, 2009 on PBS http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poisonedwaters/ In addition to assessing the scope of America's polluted-water problem, Poisoned Waters highlights several cases in which grassroots citizens' groups succeeded in effecting environmental change: In South Park, Wash., incensed residents pushed for better cleanup of PCB contamination that remained from an old asphalt plant... Reversing decades of pollution and preventing the irreversible annihilation of the nation's waterways, however, will require a seismic shift in the way Americans live their lives and use natural resources, experts say. "You have to change the way you live in the ecosystem and the place that you share with other living things," says William Ruckelshaus, founding director of the Environmental Protection Agency. "You've got to learn to live in such a way that it doesn't destroy other living things. It's got to become part of our culture." Bill Smith Senior Environmental Specialist City of Tacoma Solid Waste Management 3510 S. Mullen Street Tacoma, WA 98409 253-593-7719 Phone 253-591-5547 Fax