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Weekly Web Roundup: Energy Star, FutureGen, jellyfish

2009-07-03T14:30:00Z

The House passes the energy and climate bill.
The EPA grants a landmark California emissions waiver.
Researchers and activists say water should be a basic human right.
More than 800 animal and plant species have gone extinct in the past five centuries.
Japan fears massive jellyfish invasion.
ExxonMobil continues to fund climate skeptic groups.
Two major power companies are pulling out of FutureGen.
Sears Tower gets a $350 million green makeover.
The U.N. is using social media for climate treaty inspiration; it launched the Twitter-like site, Hopenhagen.
Great Lakes wolves are back on the endangered species list.
Study warns that Louisiana's coastline could be underwater by 2100.
The EPA's Energy Star 5.0 specification went into effect this week.
Judge overturns Bush administration change to a rule designed to protect the northern spotted owl from logging in northern forests.
A rough term in the Supreme Court for environmentalists draws to a close.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup: ACES, mountaintop removal, electric cars

2009-06-26T14:00:00Z

Retired professor wants to build car-free village in a San Francisco suburb.
Rock snot is invading New York.
Vermont farmers change cows' diets to lower their emissions.
Coal mining costs five times more in deaths than it provides in economic benefits.
Major polluters meet in Mexico to speed up work on United Nations climate accord.
Congressional study estimates the costs of the climate bill.
The House vote on the Waxman-Markey bill is scheduled for today. Al Gore has called ACES "the most important environmental vote of this generation" on Twitter. NRDC's experts keep you up to date on climate and energy legislation here.
Tesla, Nissan and Ford will get stimulus money for electric car development.
Daryl Hannah, James Hansen and other mountaintop removal opponents arrested during rally.
A new study examines whether wind power will ever produce enough power to meet America's energy demands.
The "Gigaton Throwdown Initiative," a study backed by venture capitalists, identifies eight clean energy technologies that could help dramatically reduce carbon emissions (more here).
San Francisco signs mandatory recycling and composting law.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup: carbon counter, water footprint, hydroponic rooftop farm

2009-06-19T17:17:25Z

A new NRDC report shows that clean energy will boost economy and create jobs.
Deutsche Bank launches a carbon counter. NRDC's Nathanael Greene writes about it here.
NREL and Google launch map of America's alternative fuel stations.
San Francisco releases EcoFinder, a free iPhone app that helps residents figure out how to recycle and get rid of unwanted stuff.
Cheaper natural gas prices impact coal and possibly renewable energy.
Senate passes Cash for Clunkers program.
If you're thinking about the environmental impact of your diet, consider the water footprint of your food.
Toyota gets 180,000 new Prius orders in Japan.
California identifies 30 chemicals to avoid.
MIT is developing concrete that will last 16,000 years.
Michelle Obama helps students harvest vegetables from the White House garden.
Labor teams and environmentalists work together to help pass climate legislation and promote green jobs.
Gotham Greens is building its first hydroponic rooftop farm on top of a church in Queens.
New government report outlines current signs of global warming in United States.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup: High Line, sustainable seafood, Cash for Clunkers

2009-06-12T19:29:29Z

It's digital conversion day. Find out how to get rid of your old TV.
June 8 was the first-ever World Oceans Day. NRDC's experts discuss problems and solutions on Switchboard.
National Parks will offer free admission on three weekends this summer.
Continental powers flight with jatropha and algae-derived oil, the airline is pursuing a switch to biofuels in the next few years.
The Tony Awards go green.
NYC's High Line park opens.
San Francisco is about to approve a mandatory recycling and composting law.
A small rooftop wind turbine will be sold in ACE hardware stores beginning this fall.
Gas prices have risen 41 days in a row.
Google says it's close to getting renewable energy for less than the price of energy from coal.
New Pew study shows green jobs in the U.S. grew 9.1% from 1998 through 2007, about two and a half times faster than job growth in the economy as a whole.
House okays "cash for clunkers" legislation. Senators Feinstein and Collins guest blog about the program on Climate Progress.
LA's Department of Water and Power is offering a $2,000 rebate to single family homes that meet the criteria of a Residential Drought Resistance Incentive Program.
How important is it to factor in sustainability when eating seafood? Find out what several experts think and check out NRDC's new Sustainable Seafood guide.
Obama administration orders $210 million worth of fuel-efficient vehicles.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup: Bonn, nature walks, coal

2009-06-05T18:18:26Z

Today is World Environment Day.
Grist offers a news roundup from the Bonn talks. Join a live chat with NRDC experts on Tuesday, June 9 at 1 pm EDT. Tune in to Switchboard to ask your questions and follow the conversation.
West Virginia declares coal the official state rock.
General Motors files for bankruptcy.
Google launches Open Green Map, a series of interactive maps that chart natural, cultural and green living sites around the world.
Taking nature walks can make you smarter.
The Global Humanitarian Forum estimates that global warming-related disasters kill 300,000 people each year. Andrew Revkin writes about critics of the report.
Scientists trying to track penguins in Antarctica follow their poop in satellite images.
No Impact Man shares his top-ten suggestions for living a greener life.
San Francisco unveils its first solar-powered bus shelter.
More cities encourage car sharing by allowing condo developers to reduce underground parking requirements if they provide on-site spaces for car share firms.
Customer gets Jet Blue to stop charging $50 to check folding bikes.
NASA posts imagery of what the Earth would like if CFC's hadn't been banned.
European groups demand investigation into connection between hog farming and swine flu.
Toyota will lease plug-in hybrids in the U.S., Japan and Europe later this year.
Ecologists enlist citizens to plant sunflowers and help monitor the activity of native bees to measure the impact of Colony Collapse Disorder on pollination.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup: bikes, mockingbirds, nuclear power

2009-05-29T14:30:00Z

Scientists are considering managed relocation of species threatened by global warming.
Mandatory rationing of water usage helps the town of Bolinas in Northern California cope with water shortage caused by years of drought.
The Climate Positive Development Program aims to develop entire urban communities with emissions less than zero.
U.S. bike sales were higher than car sales in the first quarter of 2009.
The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the EPA over failure to acknowledge the impacts of ocean acidification on Washington's coastal waters.
Historic Preservationists are debating the merits of adding solar panels and other green features to historic buildings.
Meet the "Carbon Nine," the House Democrats who could decide the fate of the ACES Act.
Ecuador's carbon credit plan leaves oil reserves untapped.
Unpredictable weather seems to stimulate more complex songs in mockingbirds.
Industries are pushing to expand the definition of renewable energy to include nuclear power plants, the burning of trash and waste from coal plants.
Senator Alexander pushes for $700 billion to double the number of nuclear reactors nationwide.
Biden talks green jobs in Denver.
In the Midwest builders' associations are trying to prevent or delay building codes from getting stronger.
One in three U.S. bees died this winter.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup: clean cars, clean energy, red swings

2009-05-22T17:30:33Z

House committee passes the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a bill that will make significant investments in clean energy and reducing global warming pollution.
President Obama announces ground-breaking global warming pollution standards for cars and trucks.
Secretary Chu says he will use $2.4 billion of the stimulus money to speed up technology to reduce greenhouse gases from coal-fired power plants and factories.
Pesticides indicted as cause of Colony Collapse Disorder.
At least ten species of dragonfly and damselfly face threat of extinction.
Dredging of pollutants begins in Hudson River twenty-five years after a long stretch of the river became a Superfund site.
Starbucks hosts a cup summit to examine how to recycle its paper cups; 3,000,000,000 Starbucks cups end up in landfills each year.
Study shows that pollution can change DNA in just three days, causing increased rates of cancer and other diseases.
EPA finds hazardous materials in imported drywall; 100,000 U.S. homes could be affected.
Three red swings appear on San Francisco's BART.
The City of Toronto plans to bring walkable urbanism to dreary high-rise towers.
Study finds that the Waxman-Markey bill could be a $750 billion boon for consumers who could receive direct and indirect handouts and subsidies through 2030 to offset higher energy costs.
The federal government is giving $50 million in grants to car-manufacturing communities to train laid-off workers for green jobs.
New study is first to show that drinking from polycarbonate bottles increases levels of urinary BPA.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup: Bike commuting, Garbage Patch, Waxman-Markey bill

2009-05-15T17:30:00Z

The Waxman-Markey bill on investing in clean energy and reducing global warming pollution nears consideration. Get updates from NRDC's bloggers here.
College students demand higher tuition to help pay for green projects.
The first clean-up effort of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is underway. Ocean advocate Charles Moore says cleanup is impossible.
The EPA will oversee the coal ash spill cleanup in Tennessee.
Bike to Work Day motivates NRDC's Scott Dodd to get back on his bike. Treehugger offers five examples of better bike infrastructure.
Nine toxic chemicals are added to the UN's banned list.
San Francisco approves first major solar project.
Dolpins with high levels of flame retardant found near Miami.
Florida town turns horse poop into renewable energy.
Bill McKibben explains his new project, 350.org, an effort to organize worldwide climate-related actions on October 24.
A hummingbird, a lark and a finch are close to extinction.
Chicago bans bottles with BPA plastic.
Some homeowners associations oppose solar panel installations.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup: biofuels, fungus, trains

2009-05-08T16:47:51Z

White House makes first major statement on ethanol this week. NRDC biofuels expert Nathanael Greene responds to the EPA's proposed rule to implement a new renewable fuel standard here.
Saturday is National Train Day. Find out if there are events near you.
Beetles are spreading a fungus in southeastern states that kills avocado trees, which could devastate Florida's avocado industry.
Studies show that halving CO2 emissions by 2050 could stabilize global warming.
Almost half of U.S. colleges go trayless, many see savings on food waste and water usage.
GM promises a plug-in hybrid SUV by early 2011.
NYPD introduces hybrids to its patrol fleet.
Shell is scaling back its exploration program in the Beaufort Sea.
The Obama administration wants to terminate the Yucca mountain nuclear waste storage site.
New reports says e-waste will peak in 2015 and then decline.
New Kansas governor agrees to construction of coal-fired power plant.
The pika could be the first animal protected under the Endangered Species Act primarily because of global warming.
Mercury levels in the Pacific Ocean have risen by 30 percent in the past 20 years and are expected to rise to 50 percent in the next few decades as power plant emissions increase.
Capitol Power, which provides heat and hot water for congressional buildings, is switching from coal to natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Interest groups and corporations have spent nearly $200 million on TV ads since President Obama's inauguration to try to influence energy policy reform.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup: swine flu, Obama's first 100 days, renewable energy

2009-05-01T20:17:00Z

This week Swine flu and President Obama's first 100 days in office dominated the news:

Grist covers the outbreak and its possible origins here.
NRDC Senior Scientist Gina Solomon stresses the need for a strong public health system and offers tips on how to stay healthy.
Joe Romm calls Obama the Green FDR and reviews his first 100 days.
Grist reviews Obama's green achievements.
Check out NRDC's interactive timeline of Obama's first 100 days and find out what Switchboard bloggers think about the President's progress on environmental issues so far.

In other news:

Global warming could worsen Lyme disease by influencing the feeding patterns of deer ticks.
Spain's AVE high-speed rail network is changing the nation fast. President Obama visits Spain to check it out.
Report says that sixty percent of Americans live in areas with unhealthy air pollution levels.
U.S. wind energy installs over 2,800 megawatts of new generating capacity in the first quarter of 2009.
Steven Chu announces $193 million for renewable energy research.
NRDC launched a new Renewable Energy for America feature that spotlights opportunities for farmers, agricultural communities and entrepreneurs to benefit by investing in renewable energy sources. NRDC's Nathanael Greene highlights the new mapping tool on his blog this week.
The Obama administration overturns a Bush administration endangered species ruling that made it optional for federal agencies to consult government wildlife experts before taking actions that could harm threatened or endangered species.
Senator Gillibrand unveils Safe Baby Products Act, a bill to get toxins out of baby bath products.
The Obama administration considers asking 195 nations to enact mandatory greenhouse gas emissions cuts.
A New York City-sized ice shelf breaks off of Antarctica.
Alaska is fighting the recent listings of polar bears as threatened and Cook Inlet beluga whales as endangered.
Bakersfield, CA, has the worst air pollution in the U.S.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup

2009-04-24T21:15:31Z

President Obama issues an Earth Day proclamation sounding a call for protecting the environment, developing renewable energy and creating measures to fight global warming (read the full proclamation here).
Switchboard readers share what Earth Day means to them.
Robert Redford compiles a special slide show of the beautiful, fragile American West.
Michael Pollan announces NRDC's Growing Green award nominees.
The EPA publishes preliminary analysis of the Waxman-Markey draft (Climate Progress, Green Inc., Switchboard).
The town of Sandpoint, Idaho, is re-localizing itself and preparing for life without oil.
Electric vehicle makers agree on universal standard plug for charging.
Virgin becomes first airline to voluntarily report greenhouse gas emissions.
Starting this summer, San Diego will finance residents' solar panels through fixed interest rate loans.
NOAA reports that concentrations of CO2 and methane rose in 2008.
The Daily Green honors Frances Beinecke with the Heart of Green Lifetime Achievement Award.
The tiny, electric Peapod car went on sale this week.
A new study examines the environmental impact of spam email.
Whole Foods is turning retail banners into handbags.
Senators Kerry and Inhofe introduce legislation requiring the EPA to assess options for cleaning up black carbon, a pollutant that's harmful to humans and warms the climate.

Weekly Web Roundup

2009-04-17T18:16:02Z

Big news: EPA announces plans to begin carbon regulation. Read David Doniger's response on Switchboard. He'll host a live chat about the announcement on Switchboard this Monday at 1 pm. Post your questions here.
Obama outlines plans for high-speed rail network. NRDC Executive Director Peter Lehner wrote about the announcement on a train ride back from Washington yesterday.
Follow the amazing Margo Pellegrino as she paddles 1,000 miles in an outrigger canoe to help Save Our Seas. She's blogging about her journey on NRDC's Greenlight; see photos from the trip here.
David de Rothschild prepares to set sail on a plastic ship to visit the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Planet Green says unplug your gadgets and you'll save up to $270 a year.
Texas is the top wind energy-producing state. Energy infrastructure for wind power has grown in Minnesota and Iowa.
Tune into PBS Frontline on April 21 to watch Poisoned Waters, a documentary about great waterways that are threatened by industrial pollution.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention withheld evidence that contaminated tap water caused lead poisoning in kids.
Detroit's mayor wants to use stimulus funds to demolish the city's Michigan Central Station, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.
Biodegradable PeePoo bag could bring sanitation improvements to the developing world.
A giant pod of dolphins saves Chinese ship from Somali pirates.
Santa Monica residents are turning backyards into community gardens.
Antarctic Wilkins ice shelf breaks away.
Fifty of the country's most hazardous and polluted sites will receive federal stimulus money for clean-up efforts.
Toronto considers mandating green roofs; City Council will vote on bylaw next month.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section. Want news updates every day? Check out my colleague Ben Jervey's blog on Greenlight.

Weekly Web Roundup

2009-04-10T16:16:17Z

In the news this week:

GM and Segway unveil a two-seat electric vehicle that runs on a lithium-ion battery and travels up to 35 miles per hour (Huffington Post, Fast Company, Wired's Autopia blog). NRDC's Luke Tonachel wrote about the P.U.M.A. here.
A plan to green the Empire State Building could cut 38% of its energy consumption. NRDC President Frances Beinecke welcomes the makeover, writes that the Empire State Building will be a green beacon in New York City's skyline.
Washington Post reporters call out George Will for lying.
Arctic ice is thinner and more vulnerable than at any other time in the past three decades.
The EPA reconsiders the Bush administration's position on a solvent used in dry cleaning.
Compared to a liter of tap water, study finds that it takes as much as 2,000 times more energy to produce the same amount of bottled water.
A "Cash for Clunkers" plan that gives vouchers to people for trading in old cars gains momentum after Obama supports it as part of the auto-industry recovery plan (Wall Street Journal, EcoGeek). Critics question the program's eco-friendliness.
Gas consumption falls in California even with lower gas prices; economists credit poor economy.
The Nation's two most endangered rivers are in California (the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers).
Hewlett-Packard is on track to recycle 2 billion pounds of electronic waste by 2010. Green Tech Pastures blogger wonders what percentage of the total technology sold that number represents.
Legislative activity on renewable energy is picking up in a number of states.
Salon writer advises readers to take a walk to restore humanity (and stop roadkill).
An environmental health group raises concerns about the White House playground because the ground-up tired mulch contains a carcinogen.
California's chinook salmon fishing season will be called off for second straight year after a low number of fish returned to spawn last year.
Michigan Gov. Granholm signed a law channeling $220 million toward tax credits for the development and manufacturing of electric-vehicle batteries.
Study finds that 1/3 of leatherback turtles tested have plastic in their digestive systems.
The humpback whale in New York Harbor heads out to sea.
Climate Progress calls for nominations of unsung heroes of sustainability. Share yours on Joe Romm's blog.
The Obama administration discusses geoengineering the climate. One extreme option: shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect sun's rays.
Lisa Jackson's Earth Day message calls on Americans to help build a clean energy economy.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section.

Weekly Web Roundup

2009-04-03T21:31:53Z

Joe Romm gives the Waxman-Markey draft energy and climate bill a B+ and calls it a solid bill that boosts the economy and creates green jobs. Read NRDC's response to the draft bill here.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service files formal rule to remove wolves from the federal endangered species list (except in Wyoming). Get reaction on the NRDC blog here.
Consumer Energy Reports features NRDC's new Google Earth tool that highlights where renewable energy projects can be built.
A new study shows trace amounts of rocket fuel in baby formula.
Do you live in one the 25 least wasteful U.S. cities?
America's Greenest Campus contest launches, winning college could get up to $20,000 to spend on greening campus.
More than 1,600 ducks died after landing on a toxic tar sand waste pond last year.
The Department of Energy maps the amount of stimulus money each city is eligible to receive for energy efficiency.
Obama rejects further bailout funds for GM and Chrysler, lays out "Path of Viability" for both companies that includes making more fuel-efficient cars.
NBC Universal says it saved $2 million by reducing power costs and cutting back on bottled water.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section.

Weekly Web Roundup

2009-03-27T20:18:58Z

In the news this week:

Turn out the lights, please! Earth Hour is on Saturday at 8:30 pm (find out which sites will go dark).
NRDC's Rob Perks makes sense of the EPA's mountaintop removal announcements on his Switchboard blog this week.
On Huffington Post: three lessons we still haven't learned 20 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill (related: read about NRDC's Sarah Chasis and her fight for better oil tanker regulations at the federal level after the Exxon Valdez catastrophe).
Study finds that fish caught near wastewater treatment plants serving five major U.S. cities contained pharmaceutical residues.
House passes bill protecting 2 million acres of wilderness.
Recession triggers interest in energy efficiency. Consumers are looking for low cost energy saving devices for their homes.
Shantytowns are springing up in cities around the country (NY Times, Treehugger).
Report shows that half of U.S. workers don't shut down their PCs, wasting $2.8 billion.
House plant tweets for water; 2,800 people follow it on Twitter.
Obama commits stimulus money to development of electric vehicle technology.
Report forecasts that setting a national renewable energy standard at 25 percent by 2025 would help create 297,000 green jobs.
Stimulus money helps revive the clean tech industry (Climate Progress, Green Inc.).
Energy Department issues first renewable-energy loan guarantee for solar project.
Tesla plans to build all-electric sedan at a plant in Southern California, which could help the sagging local economy.
On Grist, get a wrap up of recent climate legislation.
Find out how to recycle unusual household items.

Think I missed anything really great? Feel free to share it in the comments section.