TRANSPORTATION * Transit plans stay in the mix http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/646330.html Local transit projects in Pierce County could receive $17.3 million from the federal stimulus package, according to the latest list of recommendations before the Puget Sound Regional Council. A council committee said Tuesday that seven transit projects in Pierce County should be included as part of the stimulus package. * Everett wants your input on city bike plan http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090309/NEWS01/703099952#Everett.wants.your.input.on.city.bike.plan The plan will build on Everett's existing network of more than 30 miles of bike lanes and attempt to fill numerous gaps in that system. The company is also expected to propose new routes, looking at Everett's major destinations, such as Boeing Co.'s assembly plant, the city's biggest employer, and Everett Riverfront District, an outdoor mall and residential development expected to soon sprout up along the Snohomish River. Additionally, the company will consider the costs and benefits of a local bike-sharing program. * King County and Metro unveil new tools for staying in tune with transit disruptions http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/NewsCenter/NewsReleases/2009/March/nr030609_WeekendSnow.aspx "Use of Twitter and the county's blog will help fill the gap while Metro works on adding a new real-time bus tracking system. The observations from our passengers will supplement the information Metro staff is receiving from the field," said Sims. * Guide to green traveling helps travelers make choices http://www.king5.com/localnews/environment/stories/NW_030309LIFK-green-travel-KS.21d986c4.html?rss The Union of Concerned Scientists has put together a first ever consumer guide to travel options. ENERGY * Salazar calls for solar, wind energy zones http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090309/ap_on_go_ot/salazar_ap_interview Interior Secretary Ken Salazar wants to create renewable energy zones to spur solar and wind energy projects, and build power lines to get the electricity to markets. In an interview with The Associated Press, Salazar said that while some regions of the country as well as offshore areas have great potential for wind energy and solar, there isn't a clear plan to develop the resources. * Commentary: Washington can be green and still protection electricity ratepayers http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008829421_opinb09brown.html During this serious recession, we should work to prevent small public utilities and electrical cooperatives from having to turn away cheap Bonneville Power Administration power to buy more-expensive wind power and pass those costs onto consumers... To be clear: I-937 is stimulating the wind-power industry, and that's a good thing. But wind by itself is not reliable as base-load power - wind doesn't always blow! In addition to hydro, diversifying our renewable-energy portfolio should also include potentially more-reliable sources as biomass, tidal and solar. SB 5840 is a work in progress, with details that need to be worked out. For example, I believe renewable targets may need to be increased as the definition of renewable is broadened. But if an unintended consequence of I-937 is energy bills many families simply cannot afford, we can avoid this and improve the law while still upholding the people's will for cleaner, greener energy in Washington state. * Kittitas County wind power backers tout project's benefits http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/03/02/daily64.html The developer of a 95-turbine wind power project proposed for Kittitas County is touting the economic benefits the project would bring to the Central Washington area. Citing a study conducted by a Central Washington University (CWU) economics professor, developers of the Desert Claim Wind Power project planned eight miles northwest of Ellensburg said the project would be worth up to $17.3 million for the county in the first year it's built. <<Kittitas County wind power backers tout project's benefits - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle).htm>> WOOD HEATING * Fire ousts family from home; faulty wood stove blamed http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/647698.html An improperly installed wood stove caught fire above a ceiling about noon and filled the home with smoke, Kent firefighters said. Crews were able to quickly control the fire. Firefighters estimated the home sustained about $30,000 worth of damage. CLIMATE * Vision of future tinted in green -- Environmentalism is good for economy, Kennedy says http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/402601_greenbuild07.html The problem isn't that green energy costs more than dirty sources, it's that the government subsidizes the dirty ones by not making them responsible for their messes, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. "In 100 percent of situations, good environmental policy is identical to good economic policy," he said. "A true free market would encourage us to properly value our natural resources." Ultimately, protecting the environment isn't about valuing trees, fish and spotted owls more than people, but about protecting ourselves, Kennedy said. "The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment." * GOPers Flip on 'Cap and Trade' -- Carbon Dioxide Reducing Permits Losing Steam Amongst Republicans http://washingtonindependent.com/32707/gopers-flip-on-cap-and-trade President Obama's plan to reduce carbon emissions has raised hopes for a renewed international push to address global warming. But if the reaction of Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) is any indication, the White House faces big obstacles in its effort to get bipartisan support for revamping the energy economy in a time of recession. * Climate skeptics meet to roast global warming -- New York event draws 600, from former astronaut to MIT professor http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/402845_climate09.html The three-day International Conference on Climate Change -- organized by the Heartland Institute, a nonprofit group seeking deregulation and unfettered markets -- brings together political figures, conservative campaigners, scientists, an Apollo astronaut and the president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus. The meeting participants hold a wide range of views on climate science. Some concede that humans probably contribute to global warming, but they argue that the shift in temperatures poses no urgent risk. Others attribute the warming, along with cooler temperatures in recent years, to solar changes or ocean cycles. But large corporations such as Exxon Mobil, which in the past financed the Heartland Institute and other groups that challenged the climate consensus, have reduced support. Many such companies no longer dispute that greenhouse gases produced by burning fossil fuels pose risks. * A roomful of cynics -- A look at the non-experts speaking at Heartland Institute's denialist sideshow http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/3/6/95445/42836 * Recession may help on the climate front -- for a while http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/03/06/06climatewire-recession-may-help-on-the-climate-front--for-10012.html The global recession will provide a short respite from climate challenges, shrinking greenhouse gas emissions from industry, offices, homes and vehicles this year. When the economy resumes growing, so will the planet's carbon footprint, unless business-as-usual practices change. <<Recession may help on the climate front -- for a while - NYTimes_com.htm>> * Rocks Found That Could Store Greenhouse Gas http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090309/sc_livescience/rocksfoundthatcouldstoregreenhousegas;_ylt=Al0gcTFl8KKWUVLps4u7_1tpl88F Now scientists at Columbia University's Earth Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey have surveyed the United States and found 6,000 square miles (15,500 square kilometers) of so-called ultramafic rocks at or near the surface that could be ideal for storing the excess gas. The locations of the rocks are detailed in a USGS report. Originating deep in the earth, these rocks contain minerals that react naturally with carbon dioxide to form solid minerals, a process called mineral carbonation that could make for an ideal storage mechanism. Other so-called carbon sequestration schemes have focused on storing carbon dioxide in liquid or gas form, but these proposals have met with concerns about leaks. NOTE: If the hyperlink to the article fails, contact Consuelo Davis. Consuelo Davis Communications Dept. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency 206-689-4074 consueloD@pscleanair.org 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