WOOD SMOKE * States get tough on outdoor wood furnace smoke http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011522096_apvtwoodboilers3rdldwritethru.html When oil prices climbed, more people turned to wood to heat their homes, many using outdoor wood furnaces that to some are air-polluting nuisances. CLIMATE * 2 more glaciers gone from Glacier National Park http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011545380_apusdisappearingglaciers.html Scientists say Glacier National Park has lost two more of its namesake moving icefields to climate change, which is shrinking the rivers of ice until they grind to a halt. Researcher Dan Fagre said Wednesday that warmer temperatures have reduced the number of named glaciers in the northwestern Montana park to 25. The U.S. Geological Survey ecologist warns the rest may be gone by the end of the decade. * EU satellite to check climate change impact on ice http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100407/ap_on_re_eu/eu_climate_satellite The CryoSat 2 mission, which starts Thursday after years of delays, will be able to pinpoint details of changes in polar ice so scientists can better understand the alarming picture of the world's retreating ice caps. Although most scientists agree that global warming is significantly affecting the Earth's ice sheets, many also say too little is known with certainty, and that is where the CryoSat 2 mission aims to help. * EPA may try to use Clean Water Act to regulate carbon dioxide http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/04/91486/clean-water-act-might-be-used.html The Environmental Protection Agency is exploring whether to use the Clean Water Act to control greenhouse gas emissions, which are turning the oceans acidic at a rate that's alarmed some scientists. With climate change legislation stalled in Congress, the Clean Water Act would serve as a second front, as the Obama administration has sought to use the Clean Air Act to rein in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases administratively. Since the dawn of the industrial age, acid levels in the oceans have increased 30 percent. Currently, the oceans are absorbing 22 million tons of carbon dioxide a day. * Calif. climate law under assault in poor economy http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011522165_apuscalifclimatelawbacklash.html With the state mired in a crippling recession, the law that once looked like a landmark achievement is coming under assault. The regulatory effort Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger set in motion is facing a political backlash and could come to an abrupt halt in the months ahead. A coalition of businesses, financed largely by three Texas oil companies, is funding a ballot petition that would delay the law until California's current unemployment rate is cut by more than half. * GOP's Graham: Forget EPA, let Congress regulate carbon http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/03/29/91291/gops-graham-let-congress-regulate.html Sen. Lindsey Graham said he expects to introduce a bill by the end of April that would help the economy and control greenhouse gases better than rules proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Speaking to business and environmental leaders in Columbia, Graham, R-S.C., and state regulators said the new EPA rules are more far-reaching than necessary to control carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming. * Protecting forest could limit climate change, but some have no other livelihood http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011518556_envrainforest04.html If nations across Latin America, Africa and Asia are to guard their trees, they must first alleviate the poverty of 1.2 billion people who depend on forests for their livelihoods. Many of these developing nations, struggling economically, bristle at preaching from wealthier countries. * UN official expects no climate deal until 2011 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011487866_apeunetherlandsclimate.html A new legal agreement committing nations around the world to curb greenhouse gas emissions is unlikely to be completed before the end of 2011, two years later than originally envisioned, the top U.N. climate official said Wednesday. Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the U.N. climate change secretariat, said countries need to restore confidence in U.N. negotiations following the dismal results of the Copenhagen summit in December, which ended in a vague agreement of principles and a pledge of finances for poor countries most threatened by climate change. * Climate scientist Hansen wins $100,000 prize http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100407/us_nm/us_climate_hansen U.S. climate scientist James Hansen won a $100,000 environmental prize Wednesday for decades of work trying to alert politicians to what he called an unsolved emergency of global warming. ENERGY * U.S. public supports energy over environment: poll http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100406/us_nm/us_energy_us_poll Half of 1,014 U.S. adults, who were surveyed March 4-7 by Gallup, said the country should give more priority to developing and producing the fossil fuels. Only 43 percent said protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of limiting the amount of energy supplies. * Americans Prioritize Energy Over Environment for First Time -- Data represent a continuing shift in opinion toward energy production http://www.gallup.com/poll/127220/Americans-Prioritize-Energy-Environment-First-Time.aspx At the same time, Americans continue to advocate greater energy conservation by consumers (52%) over greater production of oil, gas, and coal supplies (36%) as a means of solving the nation's energy problems. Americans have always come out in favor of greater consumer conservation, though this year marks the highest percentage favoring production (by a percentage point) in the last 10 years. * Hydropower draws BMW carbon-fiber factory to Washington http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011539444_moseslake07.html Cheap, abundant hydroelectric power. That's the chief reason BMW and another German company chose Moses Lake as the site for a new plant to make carbon fibers to use in building a new, lightweight BMW electric car, company executives said in Seattle Tuesday... The carbon fibers, which require large amounts of electricity to manufacture, will end up in components of the Megacity, an electric car BMW plans to start marketing before 2015. The vehicle's lower weight will allow it to travel farther between charges, said Friedrich Eichiner, BMW Group's chief financial officer. * Utilities Panel Grants Rate Increase to PSE http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/apr/02/utilities-panel-grants-rate-increase-to-pse/ Including both increases, the average residential customers' monthly bill will rise to about $97 for electricity and $80 for natural gas service. * Loan of monitor can show you how power-hungry appliances are http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100405/NEWS01/704059955#Loan.of.monitor.can.show.you.how.power-hungry.appliances.are Snohomish County PUD and Sno-Isle Libraries are offering watt meters for check-out so customers can see how much electricity home appliances and other electronics use. The idea is that using these gadgets will encourage people to lower their energy consumption, and therefore their utility bills... Meter check-outs are for two weeks. When customers borrow a meter, they also will receive energy-saving tips and contact information for PUD conservation programs. TRANSPORTATION * Mayor wants chance for light-rail lanes http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011536785_520bridge07m.html Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is not giving up on his quest to add light rail to the 520 floating bridge, even as the state is poised to announce its preferred option for replacing the aging span without it. He called on elected officials Tuesday to come together to redesign the bridge to accommodate light rail, even if that takes more time and money. * Light rail won't work on planned 520 bridge, report says http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011536785_520bridge07m.html Light rail can't be added to the Highway 520 replacement bridge's current design, according to a report from consultants hired by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn to study the issue. * Light rail not likely to be part of Montlake plans http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011531834_bridge06m.html As the Seattle City Council puts its blessing on a new Montlake interchange for Highway 520, the idea of adding light rail likely will be left on the cutting-room floor. * Seattle is U.S.'s 4th-most bike friendly city: Magazine http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/04/05/daily11.html The magazine rated cities with 100,000 or more people and used statistics such as numbers of bike lanes and routes, bike racks, city bike projects, number of biking commuters, cycling clubs, cycling events, bike shops and other factors. * Sound Transit mulls rate hikes http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/04/05/daily12.html According to Sound Transit, the current express bus fare could rise from $1.50-$3 for adults to $2.50-$3.50. Sound Transit said it would like to reduce its current three-zone system to a two-zone system; one fare for trips within a same county and another for inter-county trips. Sound Transit also said it will phase in the fare hikes, with one set of higher fares taking place in June and another in June 2011. The current fares for Sound Transit's light rail, which went into service late last year, would rise for adults from $1.75-$2.50 to $2 to $2.75. * Bus cuts could have serious impacts in east Pierce County http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/07/1137858/bus-cuts-could-have-serious-impacts.html Pierce Transit's proposal to eliminate service is unfair, Bonney Lake city official says... Under a 57 percent service cut, Puyallup would lose four of its seven fixed routes and accompanying shuttles. Sumner would also lose more than half its routes, while Edgewood and Bonney Lake would be completely cut off. FUEL * Better get used to gas at $3 a gallon http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100403/NEWS01/704039911#Better.get.used.to.gas.at.%243.a.gallon Prices could climb a little more but are unlikely to make a big jump as they did in 2008, AAA says... Bri Cifu was filling up at the pumps outside an Everett Safeway earlier this week. Her membership cards saves a few pennies, but the small car she bought a few months ago saves more. * Swiss make 1st test of round-the-world solar plane http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100407/ap_on_hi_te/eu_switzerland_solar_adventure;_ylt=Avku8dKu_.tKavXuOQOnCSqs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQydG41Y2huBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNDA3L2V1X3N3aXR6ZXJsYW5kX3NvbGFyX2FkdmVudHVyZQRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzQEcG9zAzEEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNzd2lzc21ha2Uxc3Q- A solar plane with wings as wide as a 747 and the power of a small motorboat took to the skies for the first time Wednesday, cruising a mile high at bicycle-like speeds for nearly 1 1/2 hours in a step toward becoming the first sun-powered aircraft to circle the world... "The goal is to fly day and night with no fuel, the goal is to demonstrate the importance of renewable energies, to show that with renewable energies we can achieve impossible things," said Piccard, who monitored but didn't pilot Wednesday's test run. VEHICLES * King County planning 200 charging stations for electric vehicles http://www.seattlepi.com/transportation/417751_stations2.html * Getting hybrid technology into conventional cars http://news.yahoo.com/s/ygreen/20100406/sc_ygreen/gettinghybridtechnologyintoconventionalcars Engine idling is a significant factor in gasoline engine inefficiency, making up as much as 17% of the fuel consumed in urban driving. To address this, some manufacturers are looking at incorporating hybrid-style technology such as start-stop systems as a way of gathering some of the "low-hanging fruit" of hybrid efficiency for the non-hybrid vehicles in their fleet. Start-stop (turning off the engine instead of idling at red lights and other times when the car isn't moving) is already a staple of hybrid vehicles. But start-stop technology only costs $300-400 per vehicle, as opposed to the thousands of dollars a full-hybrid version of a vehicle represents. European and Asian markets have taken to this more readily, while in the US, Mazda has encountered EPA testing regulations that offer no fuel-efficiency credit for their i-stop system. BMW, Smart, Mercedes-Benz, and Mini are also working on adopting this technology to vehicles in their fleets. * Toyota to sell a family of cars smaller and cheaper than the Prius that are also hybrids. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/01/toyota-unleashes-hybrid-concept-thats-smaller-cheaper-than-prius/1?obref=obnetwork * GM to make its own electric motors http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-01-26-gmelectricmotors_N.htm?obref=obinsite General Motors is back in the electric motor business. The automaker said Tuesday that starting in 2013, it plans to build its own electric motors for hybrid and electric vehicles. GM has been getting electric motors for those vehicles from suppliers, but wants to make the motors in-house in order to lower costs and improve quality and reliability. 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