TRANSPORTATION * Hybrid buses: Going south from Everett faster http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090508/NEWS01/705089871#Hybrid.buses.Going.south.from.Everett.faster Community Transit unveiled its first Swift bus this week... Community Transit plans to run 15 of the hybrid diesel-electric articulated buses between Everett Station and Aurora Village in Shoreline beginning Nov. 30. Swift buses will make fewer scheduled stops and run more frequently than regular buses on the route... The system will be the first of its kind in the state, according to the agency. "Bus rapid transit," however, is being used increasingly around the country, said Bill Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association, who was at the event on Tuesday. The association is based in Washington, D.C. The buses rely on measures such as frequent runs, fewer stops, express lanes, quick-pay systems and to cut travel times. They even have priority at traffic signals. Passengers know it's a faster ride and are more inclined to use the system, which in turn draws businesses to set up shop near the stops... King County Metro is planning on starting a similar system, called RapidRide, in 2010... For now, the buses will use conventional diesel fuel but are capable of running on biodiesel. Community Transit is not using biodiesel in its buses because it is currently more expensive than regular diesel. * VW says there's a green diesel in your future -- VW, facing a possible merger with Porsche, is trying to convince Americans that diesels are cleaner than hybrids. Honest. http://www.mnn.com/transportation/cars/blogs/vw-says-theres-a-green-diesel-in-your-future Diesels are far cleaner than they used to be, and this year Europe is joining first-mover the U.S. in requiring low-sulfur diesel fuel. LEGISLATION * Some environmentalists disappointed by lack of traction in Legislature http://www.thenewstribune.com/updates/story/734565.html It was a tough legislative session for environmentalists in Washington. They won some victories, such as getting a permanent tug stationed at Neah Bay to help prevent oil spills. They also fended off proposed changes to a citizens' initiative requiring utilities to seek new clean energy sources such as wind and solar power. But environmental groups passed only one of their priority bills, a measure requiring new buildings to drastically reduce energy use by 2031. Other priorities didn't fare as well. A climate change bill backed by Gov. Chris Gregoire was watered down before it failed in the final days of the 105-day session, and a bill to levy a fee on oil for stormwater cleanup passed the House late in the session but didn't get a Senate vote. CLIMATE * Analysis Projects Modest Competitiveness Impacts Under Cap and Trade http://www.pewclimate.org/press-release/competitiveness-report/05-06-09 A close look at the historical relationship between energy prices and U.S. production and consumption of energy-intensive goods suggests that energy-intensive manufacturers are likely to face only modest "competitiveness" impacts under a U.S. greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, according to a new analysis released today by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. * Climate change could mean economic woe, Stern says http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/05/11/story6.html The climate change debate will be coming to Seattle soon. On May 21 in Seattle, the Environmental Protection Agency will hold a hearing on its finding that greenhouse gases pose a danger to public health and welfare, one of two such hearings in the country. <<Climate change could mean economic woe, Stern says - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle).htm>> * Gov't sticks with Bush-era polar bear rule http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_polar_bear_climate The Obama administration on Friday let stand a Bush-era regulation that limits protection of the polar bear from global warming, saying that a law protecting endangered species shouldn't be used to take on the broader issue of climate change... Environmentalists have strongly opposed the rule as have many members of Congress. They argued the limits violate the Endangered Species Act because the release of greenhouse gases from power plants, factories and cars indirectly threaten the bear's survival. But Salazar said the answer to dealing with global warming rests in a broader, comprehensive approach that limits greenhouse gases. * Obama Climate Bill Could Anger Greens http://news.yahoo.com/s/ibd/20090507/bs_ibd_ibd/20090507general01;_ylt=ArOO9XwdSJt.oQZ0qOUgFahpl88F Eager to get a climate change bill out of committee, the White House is telling Democrats it will accept a deal on cap-and-trade legislation that gives away some -- possibly even a large majority -- of the carbon permits to business. GREEN BUSINESS * Mithun architects have designs on better environment http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/05/11/focus18.html Mithun's work with the Urban Land Institute is one example of its corporate giving that has earned the firm the Healthy Community Corporate Champion of the Environment award, given by the Puget Sound Business Journal and Seattle Foundation. Kelly Mann, executive director of the Urban Land Institute Seattle chapter, said the hands-on visualization was groundbreaking and changed perceptions of how these decisions affect the local environment. Mithun's contributions to the Seattle chapter of the nonprofit institute alone amounted to $127,000. <<Corporate Champion Mithun architects have designs on better environment - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle).htm>> * Seattle firms on leading eduge of green social responsibility http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/05/11/focus23.html Whether looking to make a positive difference or minimize negative effects, local businesses are becoming increasingly concerned with sustainability and the impact they have on the world around them. <<Seattle firms on leading eduge of green social responsibility - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle).htm>> GREEN BUILDING * Green Roof http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=17497 An example of how Seattle developers continue to incorporate more sustainable features in the designs of their buildings... It retains water, so that a lot less water is discharged into the storm sewer, or the combined storm and sanitary sewer." Less water in the storm sewer system, means less pollution draining into Puget Sound. The green roof also helps to cool down the building and filter pollutants from the air. * The Rise and Fall of the Air Conditioner http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=17477 Buildings consume about 40% of the country's energy. Much of that energy goes straight to the air conditioner. To cut down on that consumption, some architects are experimenting with old building techniques, from long before the age of air conditioners. But rethinking air conditioning means rethinking comfort. * A Tale of Two Green Developers http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=17476 Sustainable development comes in all shades of green. Some developers achieve maximum sustainability, but sell their homes at a high price. Other developers crank out inexpensive green homes that take only baby steps towards sustainability. So which kind of developer creates the biggest impact? "You need one end that's really pushing the envelope and showing how far you can go. And on the other hand, you have just your average builders who aren't going to take any risks. And the fact that they're building three stars is great. So if it gets them into the game, that's great."