The Green Jobs Source for Friday, January 27, 2012 January 27th, 2012
This is The Source for January 27, green jobs news every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.
President Obama pushes clean energy out West. Following his State of the Union address, President Obama has taken his agenda on the road. Yesterday in Colorado and Nevada, the President made the argument that the U.S. must be able to compete in the global growth industries of the future, including clean energy.
Economy picking up pace. The U.S. economy in the fourth quarter of 2011 grew at the fastest pace in 18 months, at 2.8 percent. Over the course of last year, the economy grew 1.7 percent.
Production Tax Credit for renewables vital to sustaining job growth. The American Wind Energy Association says that 2012 will be a big year for adding wind power, but that next year could be disastrous if the Production Tax Credit set to sunset isn’t renewed.
The Retail Industry Leaders Association released its first report on sustainability practices among some America’s largest retail companies. Greenbiz.com has more.
CleanTechnica reports Wells Fargo and Enfinity America recently launched a joint $100 million solar photovoltaic investment program.
The Los Angeles Times covers the Obama administration’s new forest management plan.
The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future Thursday announced the U.S. needs to take a new approach to finding a long-term nuclear waste storage site, the New York Times reports. The New York Times Green Blog also asked the question, “Is Spent Nuclear Fuel Really Waste?”
According to Bloomberg, BP lost its lawsuit Wednesday to receive compensation from Transocean and Halliburton for the Gulf Oil Spill.
The New York Times says the Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is reducing the number of credits electric power companies can buy to offset their emissions.
NBC Los Angeles reports the city ranks as the second-highest in California in terms of solar energy generation.
According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minnesota Public Radio, the right-to-work issue is heating up in the Minnesota legislature, thanks to a report from a conservative think tank.
Indiana Democrats on Thursday refused to vote for mass transit legislation because it included right to work language. See the Post-Tribune for more.
Kansas City Kansas Community College received a green jobs grand from the Mid-America Regional Council, the Chieftain reports.
The nonprofit organization Safer States reports that in 2012, 28 states will consider “proposals to address continued concerns about toxic chemicals in consumer products.”
Christian Science Monitor: Wind power: Clean energy, dirty business?
CleanTechnica: Cheaper Energy Storage Systems = More Renewable Energy
CNN: Beijing’s New Year surprise: PM 2.5 readings
Forbes: LED Poised To Light Up The World: Study
Huffington Post: American-Made Energy — the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Hill: In Colorado, Obama goes from gas to green
Miami Herald: Is oil drilling in Cuban waters safe?
Michigan Radio: Michigan to become a ‘right-to-work’ state?
New York Times: Waning Support for Wind and Solar
New York Times: Apple, Electronics and Environmental Ills
Politico: Ener1, parent of DOE aid recipient, seeks Chapter 11
Technology Review: Manufacturing Is Key to Innovation as Well as Jobs
Wall Street Journal: No Need to Panic About Global Warming
Guardian (UK): The solar industry needs to know the UK government can be trusted
Montreal Gazette (Canada): Feds list First Nations, green groups as ‘adversaries’ in oil sands PR strategy
Charleston Gazette (WV): EPA pushes to reduce Mingo mine’s impacts
Houston Chronicle (TX): Matagorda County cries foul over EPA’s foul-air claim
The Green Jobs Source for Thursday, January 26, 2012 January 26th, 2012
This is The Source for January 26, green jobs news every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.
Right-to-work moves forward in Indiana. Despite thousands of protesters and no evidence that the legislation will create jobs, yesterday the Indiana House of Representatives passed their version of the controversial “right-to-work” bill. The Senate — which passed a version last week — will now attempt to pass the House version, which will then be sent to Governor Mitch Daniels, who is waiting to sign the bill.
Transportation Secretary LaHood pessimistic on transportation bill. LaHood doesn’t believe Congress can get a bill passed this year, as the House and Senate have very different ideas right now. The President wants a fully funded six-year bill, the Senate has been looking at a two-year bill with strong funding, while the House is expected to release a five-year plan that is likely to be underfunded and include offsets, such as Amtrak cuts. We need transportation investments to create jobs, reduce pollution and our dependence on foreign oil, and ensure that the U.S. is competitive in the global economy. Click here to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to tell them we need to invest in a modern transportation infrastructure.
Rebuilding American manufacturing. Harold Meyerson penned a stirring piece in the Washington Post arguing for restoring America to a country that actually make things. The commentary focuses on President Obama’s plan to revitalize the manufacturing sector that he outlined in his State of the Union address.
ABC News says that President Obama is on the road pitching his State of the Union proposals to the American public.
Reuters reports on the escalating trade battle over solar panels between the U.S. and China.
The White House has detailed a $5 billion plan for clean energy manufacturing tax credits, according to The Hill.
The Washington Post says that Bill Gates is pushing for a green revolution for small farms in the developing world.
The Los Angeles Times reports that scientists were told to downplay the amount of oil spewing from the Deepwater Horizon blowout.
The New York Times Green blog charts global warming in modern times.
An article in Earth Techling asks if we are on track to stop climate change.
Renewable Energy World examines efforts to integrate renewable energy into a smart grid.
Business Green looks at the effects of a court ruling in the U.K. on feed-in tariffs.
The Battle Creek Enquirer focuses on reactions to President Obama’s State of the Union. Those quoted include the BlueGreen Alliance’s Jobs21! National Co-Chair Mark Schauer.
The California Air Resources Board is set to vote on sweeping new rules requiring 15 percent of new cars sold in California by 2025 run on electricity, hydrogen or other systems producing little or no smog, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The Los Angeles Times says more retail centers are installing electric vehicle charging stations.
A community college in Kansas City has received a grant award to help construction workers gain green construction skills and get jobs, according to the Bonner Springs Chieftain.
The Alamogordo Daily News in New Mexico highlights an upcoming visit by Energy Secretary Steven Chu to the National Solar Thermal Test Facility in the state.
KIRO reports on a company from Seattle that is working to drilling into a volcano in Oregon to try to find renewable energy.
Politico: President Obama’s 2012 swing state State of the Union pitch
The Hill: Obama heads west to sell energy plan
The Hill: House GOP threatens subpoena over offshore drilling ban report
USA Today: Obama’s energy plan panned by both sides
E&E News: Obama calls for frack disclosure, but activists say that’s not enough
ABC News: Britain Ranks Top Risks Posed by Climate Change
The Hill: Obama official: Chevy Volt is safe
New York Times: United Arab Emirates Promotes Alternative Energy
The Hill: GOP counters Obama on drilling
Red, Green and Blue: State of the Energy Union: Obama shows way forward, GOP stuck in the past
New York Times: In Brazil, Fears of a Slide Back for Amazon Protection
The Hill: State Department tells Republicans: Don’t mess with us on Keystone
Washington Post: Ad defends Obama’s clean energy record (0:30)
Portland Oregonian (OR): Presentation by global warming skeptics draws big crowd in Portland
Detroit Free Press (MI): Guest commentary: Cleaner air standards under attack in Congress
Three New PFC Studies Reveal Bigger Problem Than Carpet Stains January 26th, 2012
The following post is from Charlotte Brody, the BlueGreen Alliance’s Director of Chemicals, Public Health and Green Chemistry.
The initials PFC don’t just stand for Private First Class, they also are the letters most scientists use to describe a groups of chemicals called polyfluorinated compounds. These are chemicals that make paint, carpet and fabric stain resistant and keep your deli sandwich from leaking through its coated paper wrapper. Three new studies on PFCs are warning us that these chemicals are getting into our bodies and causing bigger problems than a wet spot on your sandwich paper or a carpet stain that won’t come out.
The first of these studies, published Wednesday in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that children with higher levels of PFCs in their blood have lower levels of the antibodies that vaccines create. “These findings suggest a decreased effect of childhood vaccines and may reflect a more general immune system deficit,” wrote Dr. Philippe Grandjean, lead author and an adjunct professor of environmental health at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The second study was done by a court-approved panel of scientists who are studying if a PFC used by Dupont in West Virginia is making people sick in the Mid-Ohio Valley. The study, published Monday online in Environmental Health Perspectives, is part of the settlement of a 2001 class action lawsuit filed by West Virginia and Ohio communities against DuPont alleging health damage from contaminated water.
Since 1951, Dupont used a PFC chemical named perfluorooctanoate (usually called PFOA or C8) at the West Virginia facility. When workers started complaining about miscarriage and babies born with birth defects, the problems with PFOA began to surface. Now that PFOA is being studied, we’ve learned that nearly everyone has this chemical in their bodies, but people living near the DuPont plant have extraordinary levels of PFOA — about seven times more than the U.S. average — because the compound has contaminated drinking water supplies. The new study shows that children under 5 who live near DuPont’s plant in West Virginia had 44 percent more of the chemical in their blood than their mothers.
The third study is about PFCs and office workers, published last month in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Environmental Science and Technology. It shows that “workers who spend their day in a typical office environment are likely to have exposure to PFCs through the air, and that seems to lead to PFC levels in their blood,” according to researcher Michael McClean, associate professor of environmental health at the Boston University School of Public Health. McClean and other researchers found that “concentrations of a PFC called fluorotelomer alcohol (FTOH) in office air that were three to five times higher than those reported in previous studies of household air.” The findings suggest that offices may represent a unique toxic environment, and that “workers in newly renovated office buildings may receive considerably higher doses of PFCs than workers in older buildings.”
What does this all mean? First, these three studies and the other research of PFCs show the connections between workers’ health, the safety of water and products and the health of communities. When we make products with chemicals that are harming the health of workers, we can expect to see other health problems emerge from the use of those chemicals in products. Second, that the health damage that emerges may come out many years after exposure and may be subtle, like the damage PFCs may be causing to the immune system of children. And third, it shows the need for a new way of regulating chemicals that encourages the development of safer alternatives and that safer has to mean safer for the workers who make it and use it to produce other products, safer for the community around the manufacturing plants, and safer for the people who end up with these products in their offices and homes.
As United Steelworkers International President Leo W. Gerard has said, “The cancer risks to consumers and workers from PFOA are preventable and entirely unnecessary.” We need a new way to regulate chemicals that prevents the preventable and keeps the unnecessary from taking place. Find out more about the BlueGreen Alliance’s efforts to reform the woefully outdated Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.
Find out more about these studies at www.environmentalhealthnews.org
The Green Jobs Source for Wednesday, January 25 January 25th, 2012
This is The Source for January 25, green jobs news every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.
President focuses on manufacturing, clean energy, and environmental protection in State of the Union. The President laid out an agenda to invest in renewable energy and manufacturing. After the State of the Union, the BlueGreen Alliance applauded the president for setting “a high bar in terms of investing in American manufacturing, American energy, and skills for American workers” and reiterating “the importance of creating clean energy jobs here in the United States.” See the full statement on our website.
Final hearing on proposed cleaner car standards: plenty of support, little dissention. Yesterday, the final of three nationwide hearings on the proposed 54.5 mpg fuel standard by 2025 for cars and light-duty trucks was held in San Francisco. The BlueGreen Alliance held an event highlighting the broad coalition supporting the standard, including labor, environmental, business, and veterans’ leaders.
Hope on horizon for climate accord. The U.N. says the climate talks in South Africa prove that an international climate accord is within reach. The Durban Platform for Enhanced Action requires the 194 participating nations to develop over the next four years a ““a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force” to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, and help developing countries make the transition to a clean energy economy.
In an interview with Bloomberg News, BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director David Foster said President Obama showed the country “‘a path’ to how clean energy can increase manufacturing jobs” in the State of the Union.
One of President Obama’s guests at the State of the Union was Bryan Ritterby, a lab technician at a Michigan wind turbine manufacturing company, the Grand Rapids Press reports. The paper also talked to wind industry experts about why Congress’s delay in extending the wind energy production tax credit is putting jobs like Ritterby’s in danger.
A judge in the United Kingdom ruled that the government’s cuts to solar power subsidies were illegal. This decision could allow thousands of homeowners and businesses to receive higher payments, the Guardian reports.
The New York Times says California is losing its lead on solar energy due to other states racing to catch up.
An info graphic on Mother Nature Network looks at why home energy use is higher today than in the past.
Today’s Facility Manager Blog says OSHA has updated its Worker Safety and Health resources.
The New York Times looks at the importance of recycling wastewater.
Democrats in the Indiana House blocked a vote on Indiana’s right-to-work legislation by boycotting the floor WNDU reports. The House is expected to vote on the legislation today.
The Republic reports South Carolina’s Governor and GOP Legislators announced two new anti-union measures on Tuesday.
CleanTechnica: Wind & Transport News (5 Stories)
CleanTechnica: Solar News (10 Stories)
CNN: Is the Union Movement Making a Comeback?
E&E News (Subscription only): Boom in solar panels injects NIMBY battles into neighborhoods
Forbes: Volkswagen Plant Helped Trigger Indiana’s Right to Work Push
GMA News: Greening the economy is good for business, UN environment agency says
Hill: Rail left at the station in State of the Union
Nature: Manufacturing chemicals may damage the immune system
New York Times: The State of the Union, With the Future in Mind
New York Times: A Legal Defense Fund for Climate Scientists
Politico: Power plant emissions regulations still far off
Politico: Issa: Obama’s energy plan not the real thing
Politico: Obama State of the Union: He steals GOP’s ‘all of the above’ energy slogan
Wall Street Journal Market Watch: Big Coal fumes over State of the Union omission
Daily Review Atlas (IL): ‘Right to work’ (for less) betrays workers
Fairfax New Zealand: Cleaner oceans would boost world economy
Bangor Daily News: Clarifying facts in ‘right to work’
Delaware Online (DE): Claims against climate change discredited
Los Angeles Times (CA): L.A. has a coal problem
Oregonian (OR): Global warming skeptics to take center stage in Portland
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (PA): Federal suit settled over wastewater in McKeesport
South Bend Tribune (MI): ‘Right to work’ just a cynical power play
Sun Journal (ME): Conservative think tank touts right-to-work law for Maine
WFPL News (KY): Report Highlights Coal’s Effect on Health, Pushes for Clean Energy Legislation
The Green Jobs Source for Tuesday, January 24 January 24th, 2012
This is The Source for January 24, green jobs news every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW FOR JANUARY 24
State of the Union focus will be on energy. People familiar with the speech say President Obama will call for an increase in domestic energy production, including oil and gas production, as well as clean energy incentives.
Gas prices getting steeper. It’s a good thing automotive manufacturers are moving to more fuel-efficient vehicles, because prices at the pump are on the rise. Gas is still 27.9 cents per gallon higher than the record set last year at this time, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Indiana one step closer to right-to-work, lower wages for workers. The Indiana Senate passed its version of the “right-to-work” legislation as thousands of workers protested the act. Opponents are calling the legislation a “race to the bottom for the middle class of Indiana.”
National and International Blue-Green
David Foster, Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance, looks at the Green Jobs Report recently released by Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development in an editorial published on MPR News.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration released an early version of its annual energy report on Monday. The report states the U.S. will become more energy independent in the future due to increases in the production of domestic crude oil, natural gas and renewable energy. The forecast also highlights the fact that the U.S.’s CO2 emissions will fall to below 2005 levels by 2020. USA Today and Reuters has more.
Chron.com reports that 25,000 toys were seized at the Texas Port of Houston “largely because of choking hazards and lead paint.”
The New York Times has advice for people needing help baying for heating oil.
Renewable Energy Focus covers the agreement made by Scotland and Masdar to work together on clean energy projects.
To the States
The Legislative Gazette reports New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is receiving praise for including several measures to help solar energy in his 2012-213 budget. Most notably, Cuomo’s proposal includes two new tax credits that will help commercial customers and homeowners install solar projects.
The State of California is suing the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) for the group’s Regional Transportation plan. According to Forbes, “SANDAG is the first agency to develop a regional transportation plan since California passed a law in 2008, SB 375, requiring such plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions via compact land use and transportation planning.”
Energy turbines may start spinning in New York’s East River by 2013, according to Bloomberg BusinesWeek.
State of the union watchers in Indiana will see an advertisement criticizing Governor Mitch Daniels for his support of right-to-work legislation, the Hill says.
The Hattiesburg American says Gulf Coast lawmakers are hoping president Obama will support the RESTORE Act, a bill stating fines from the BP oil spill will be used for regional restoration efforts.
EnergyBoom.com says a 200-megawatt wind-energy facility will be built in Ohio. The wind farm will produce enough energy to power 10,000 homes.
Four wind farms with a 535-megawatt total capacity have started providing power to Kansas, Illinois, and Iowa according to Power Engineering.
St. Louis Today says Warren Buffet’s company — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. — has agreed to buy a 81-megawatt wind project in Illinois.
WiscNews.com says the Wisconsin legislature is considering a bill that would allow local cities to establish rules for the minimum distance between a wind turbine and homes. The Fond Du Lac Reporter has a letter to the editor opposing the measure.
Blue-Green Links
BBC: Is cheap fossil fuel ‘good news’?
Bloomberg: Obama Speech to Embrace Manufacturing for Job Creation
CleanTechnica: South West of England to Create Marine Energy Park
Detroit News: Congress yet to OK electric auto agenda
E&E News (sub. only): David vs. Goliath or even money? Greens weigh their election-year matchup
Eco Seed: Business, Labor, Health Coalition Voices Support for Michigan Renewable Energy Ballot Proposal
GreenBiz.com: Small Firms Driving Minnesota’s Growing Green Economy
GreenTechmedia: What Are Romney and Gingrich’s Plans for Energy in the US?
Huffington Post: After Tragedy, Apple Tries to Polish Image on Workers’ Rights
Insurance Journal: Mistakes at Tennessee Nuclear Reactor Cause Work Stoppage
Lab Manager Magazine: Utility to Purchase Low-Carbon Power from Innovative Clean Coal Plant
Los Angeles Times: Wood protection law creates splintering in guitar industry
New York Times: Mercury’s Harmful Reach Has Grown, Study Suggests
Politico: Democrats want Koch reps to testify on Keystone XL pipeline
Reuters: Japan task force kept no records of nuclear crisis response
Reuters: Weaker sun will not delay global warming: study
Science News: Amazon may become greenhouse gas emitter
Wall Street Journal: We Don’t Need More Foreign Oil and Gas
Washington Post: Global warming would harm the Earth, but some areas might find it beneficial
Bangor Daily News (ME): Mainers would win with renewable standard
Capitol Weekly (CA): Environmentalists challenge judge’s decision on low carbon fuel standard
Channel3000.com (WI): Democrats Criticize Walker, Republicans Over Job Losses
Charleston Gazette (WV): DOE report projects greater coal production drop
Evansville Courier & Press (IN): LETTER: Say no to right to work
KQED (CA): California’s Rangeland Could Take a Hit from Climate Change
Legislative Gazette (NY): Federal EPA questioning NY DEC’s hydrofracking regulations
Workday Minnesota (MN): Workers look to legislative session for action to spur job growth
Overwhelming Support for Cleaner Cars Heard at EPA Hearings January 23rd, 2012
The following post is from Rob McCulloch, Senior Policy and Legislative Advocate for the BlueGreen Alliance.
Public hearings in Detroit and Philadelphia spotlighted the Obama Administration’s proposal to raise new car fuel efficiency to 54.5 miles per gallon (m.p.g.) by 2025. The BlueGreen Alliance joined a chorus of voices representing labor, industry, environment, national security, public interest, academics and private citizens overwhelmingly in support of the strong standard.
Scores of individuals representing these perspectives testified in Detroit Tuesday along with United Auto Workers (UAW) President Bob King, NWF President and CEO Larry Schweiger, and BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director David Foster. In addition to the hearing, BlueGreen Alliance hammered home the message that strong standards are a win for Michigan and America.
An astonishing 200 people registered to testify in Philly’s hearing Thursday, and the national hearing tour will wrap up Tuesday in San Francisco.
Improving vehicle fuel efficiency is a cleaner, cheaper, and faster way to meet our nation’s energy needs, and has the potential to create tens of thousands of American manufacturing jobs. Rather than sending our money overseas on imported oil, we can cut global warming pollution and enhance our energy security building the next generation of clean vehicles here in America.
According to Driving Growth, a joint report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the United Auto Workers and the Center for American Progress, the current clean car standards would create up to 54,000 American jobs, in both the auto industry and the manufacturing supply chain through 2016. By 2020, getting to 40 miles per gallon would create up to 150,000 additional manufacturing jobs here in America.
The simple equation for how this job creation occurs is that the new technology required to meet strong fuel and pollution standards represents additional content on each vehicle. Bringing that additional content to market requires more engineers, more managers, and more construction, transportation and production workers.
Greater fuel efficiency allows consumers to spend less on fuel, which frees up that money to be spent on other domestic goods and services, rather than flowing to foreign nations to pay for imported oil. Right now, the U.S. spends an estimated $1 billion a day to pay for foreign oil. Clearly, that money is better spent creating jobs here in America.
Combined with the administration’s current efforts to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce pollution, by 2025 the U.S. could save an estimated 12 billion barrels of oil (equivalent to 4 years of oil consumption from U.S. light-duty vehicles) and 6 billion metric tons of CO2 (equivalent to one year of total U.S. CO2 pollution) by implementing the proposed 54.5 m.p.g. standard.
Strong standards are a win for the economy, a win for the environment, and a win for the American consumer. A diverse band of voices get that — including the automakers who worked with the many stakeholders helping craft this historic standard.
This week, and at next week’s hearing in San Francisco, that message is ringing loud and clear. As we look forward to this summer for the final rulemaking establishing 54.5 m.p.g. by 2025, this is clearly one of the biggest wins on energy, job creation and the environment we’ve seen this administration embark upon.
The Green Jobs Source for Monday, January 23, 2012 January 23rd, 2012
This is The Source for January 23, green jobs news every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.
The comeback continues. Automakers and suppliers are spending billions to expand and retool U.S. factories. The Wall Street Journal says that U.S. employment in the sector is expected to jump to almost 757,000 jobs in 2015, compared to 2010 when the industry employed 556,000.
State of the Union will map out President’s energy agenda. Tuesday’s State of the Union address by President Obama is expected to feature his energy platform, which will include “American energy, fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources.” The President is also expected to focus on the achievements of his administration, including higher fuel standards for vehicles and spurring growth for the clean energy economy.
Saying “aloha” to cleaner energy. A new 12-megawatt solar project in Hawaii has been launched and it will be the largest in the state. The U.S. solar industry is still strong; through the third quarter of last year, the U.S. solar market installed more than 1 gigwatt of grid connected photovoltaic solar panels, surpassing the 887-megawatts installed in 2010, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
An editorial in the Battle Creek Enquirer penned by BlueGreen Alliance Jobs21! National Co-chair Mark Schauer and Environment Michigan’s Jane Wiedenbeck explains how new clean car standards will create American jobs and save consumers money at the pump.
The Associated Press says the pollution data being reported by the Beijing government are low compared to data collected by the United States.
Scientists in Chile are working on a way to make seaweed into biofuel. “At peak production,” NEWS.com.au reports, “seaweed could produce 19,000 litres per hectare annually, about twice the level of ethanol productivity from sugarcane and five times higher than the ethanol productivity from corn.”
Farm Futures says the USDA will be offering loans to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
A fire at the Babine Forest Products Mill in Burns Lake, British Columbia, sent 19 workers to the hospital and injured others. CTV News has more.
The New York Times looks at how the rising cost of heating oil is affecting those who use it to heat their homes.
The Phoenix Business Journal explains that the resignation of Representative Gabrielle Giffords will not “just leave a hole in southern Arizona’s representation, but in the state’s solar community as well.”
The New York Times looks at smart grid pilot project occurring in Chicago.
Green & Gold Careers for Veterans — a nonprofit in California — has helped more than 40 veterans find green jobs, the San Mateo County Times reports.
OzarksFirst.com reports on an effort in Missouri to increase the state’s Renewable Energy Standard to 25 percent by 2025.
According to the Star Tribune, the federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has upheld whistleblower protections.
The Santa Maria Times says 30 members of the United Steel Workers 534 walked an “information line” outside the Santa Maria ConocoPhillips refinery on Friday. According to Bryan Sawtelle, an operator at ConocoPhillips and part of the negotiating team, “The main reason we’re here is safety. That’s our No. 1 concern. We want to create a safe place to work and a safe environment for the people who live around us.”
CBS Money Watch: New rules could boost New England renewable power
CleanTechnica: “No Evidence” that Wind Turbine Syndrome Actually Exists
CleanTechnica: 35 Wind Towers Bound for Wales and Scotland
E&E News: Industry scours lesser-known fields in search for next big play
Guardian: Climate scientists back call for sceptic thinktank to reveal backers
Huffington Post: It’s Climate Change, Stupid
New York Times: Car Batteries Are Not Just For the Car
Politico: Obama’s donors want more than Keystone
Time: Political Pollution: How Bad Air is Slowly Changing China
Time: The Global Energy Supply Is Getting Greener. It’s Just Not Happening Fast Enough
Wall Street Journal: Oil Fields Gushing in the U.S
Bacolod Sun Star (Phil): Green group to campaign for clean energy
Denver Post (CO): Colorado’s future in renewable energy dims after years of growth
Kansas City Star (MO): Fracking in Kansas pushes water permits to new high
Journal Gazette (IN): Senate debates right-to-work
Lincoln Journal Star (NE): U.S. military: Global warming is real
Record Searchlight (CA): Cheap, renewable electricity — but not for California
South Bend Tribune (IN): For or against Indiana’s ‘right-to-work’ legislation?
Southeast Missourian (MO): Senator not confident right-to-work bill will get far
The Green Jobs Source for Friday, January 20, 2012 January 20th, 2012
This is The Source for January 20, green jobs every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.
Car standards get plenty of love in Philly. The second of the joint Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hearings on the proposed 54.5 m.p.g. average rule was overwhelmingly positive. The last of these hearings will be held next week in San Francisco, but even if you can’t able to attend, you can take action today by sending a letter to your local newspaper showing how important these new standards are.
D-Day in Indiana. Right-to-work legislation will be up in the Indiana Senate. The bill is still stalled in the State House as opponents to refuse to report to the floor. Right-to-work could cost Hoosiers — both union and non-union — an average of $1,500 per year in wages, compared to states without such anti-worker laws.
Yellowstone spill yields largest fine in Montana’s history for water pollution. Exxon was fined $1.6 million for water pollution caused by an oil pipeline break last summer along the Yellowstone River. About 1,509 barrels of oil — or 63,000 gallons — were spilled during the accident.
The U.S. Interior Department Thursday published its first draft of a national strategy to respond to climate change. UPI.com says, “The strategy, available for public comment through March, outlines guidelines for local, state and federal agencies to tackle climate issues tied to everything from migration patterns to rising sea levels and invasive species.”
The price of natural gas is at a 10-year low, the Wall Street Journal reports.
According to Cleantechnica, completion of offshore wind projects in the European Union’s pipeline will increase the EU’s total offshore wind energy capacity by 62 percent. In related news, Cleantechnica also looked at ways to reduce the cost of offshore wind projects.
E&E News says Brazil is looking to its rivers for a source of clean energy that it can use to meet its increasing energy demands. Hydropower currently provides more than 75 percent of Brazil’s electric energy generation, and the government is planning to develop 48 new hydroelectric plants by 2020.
Kaiser Permanente announced Thursday that it is converting its intravenous equipment to more green alternatives, the Washington Post says. Some of the changes Kaiser will make include buying IV solution bags free of PVC and DEHP and intravenous tubing free of DEHP.
The Yorkshire Post says the English town is “at the heart of the green energy revolution.”
Two South African organizations Thursday said the government is “dithering” on renewable energy. Business Live has more.
The District of Columbia has the highest concentration of LEED-rated buildings per capita according to the U.S. Green Building Council. More on GreenBiz.com.
The Baltimore Sun covers the news that the Housing Authority of Baltimore City will not need to pay $2.6 million to two siblings that were poisoned by lead paint in public apartments they lived in.
The San Francisco Business Times looks at the Green M.B.A. programs being offered by the University of California-Berkeley.
Sonoma County, California has entered into an agreement with Southern California company to use 100 percent renewable energy in seven facilities in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, Petaluma Patch says.
Bloomberg: America’s Dirty War Against Manufacturing
Bloomberg BuisnessWeek: Buffet Energy Firm to Buy Illinois Project in Wind Bet
CBS MoneyWatch: Young drivers prefer electric cars
CBS MoneyWatch: Dueling NY studies over natural gas climate impact
Ethanol Producer Magazine: USDA launches renewable energy data website
Farm Press: California’s economy under threat from changing ecosystem
Fuel Fix: Baucus says tax cuts, oil pipeline top priorities
Guardian: Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies ‘could provide half of global carbon target’
The Hill: Secretary Clinton won’t testify on Keystone pipeline rejection
Mother Jones: Romney Hits Obama on Solyndra, But Bain Got Government Subsidies, Too
MSNBC: Here’s Why American Manufacturing Will Make a Comeback
New York Times: Pushing the Green Button for Energy Savings
New York Times: Two More Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters
Reuters: Ohio voters want fracking halted for safety studies
Sacramento Bee: Chevron rig fire on 5th day off Nigeria’s coast
Times: Fracked: The Debate Over Shale Gas Deepens
Washington Post: Beijing makes rare concession on pollution measure
Wall Street Journal: Slower Manufacturing Continues in China
The Mercury (PA): East Coast states work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Montrose Daily Press (CO): Made In America
Nashau Telegraph (NH): Labor groups protest ‘union-busting’ bills in Concord
Patriot-News (PA): Steel plant to begin $54 million upgrade this month
Sacrament Business Journal (CA): Businesses slow to tap financing for clean energy
Star Telegram (OK): Fight for Oklahoma water goes to Supreme Court
Star Press (IN): Reject right to work
St. Joseph News Press (MO): Northwest recognized for ‘green’ practices
Sun Journal (ME): Anti-wind group backs LePage in fight against renewable energy initiative
Times-Picayune (LA): Federal government asks court to declare companies liable for environmental penalties
The Green Jobs Source for Thursday, January 19, 2012 January 19th, 2012
This is The Source for January 19, green jobs news every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.
Things Are Picking Up. The fewest number of people — 352,000 — sought unemployment benefits last week than have since April 2008. In other good news, factory production is up 15 percent from the lows the U.S. saw two years ago.
The Solar Market Heats Up. Bloomberg New Energy Finance says that $136.6 billion was invested in solar energy in 2011, nearly a 36 percent increase from 2010. Meanwhile, NPR examines the “solar trade war” occurring due to the importation of cheap solar panels from China.
Keep Michigan Moving Governor. Michigan’s Governor, Rick Snyder, gave a State of the State last night. Take a look at the statement the BlueGreen Alliance released calling on Michigan to “make the smart investments in the industries of the 21st century — renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation, advanced vehicle technology, safe chemicals, recycling, broadband, and smart grid — that are paying off today” and show your support by signing the Jobs21! pledge today.
The Guardian says the European Union will save money by adopting a higher emissions reduction goal instead of waiting.
E&E News reports FEMA is facing new scrutiny over agency’s managing of America’s 30,000 miles of levees. FEMA said in 2010 “20,350 miles of levee walls are ‘not accredited’ — meaning that those who live behind the barriers are assumed to be threatened by a ‘high risk’ of flooding.”
Renewable energy generated between 665 and 673 terawatt-hours of electricity in the European Union in 2010, according to CleanTechnica.
CleanTechnica highlights a new material that will come on the market in 2013 that will enable walls to generate electricity.
The 2012 Green Schools National Conference will be held February 27-29. Huffington Post has more about what attendees can expect.
Federal and state officials held a meeting Tuesday night to discuss goals to restore the Gulf Coast following the BP oil disaster. Fuel Fix has more.
According to Silicon Republic, North America’s largest wind farm will be built in Wyoming. The 2,000-turbine project would generate more than 2,500 megawatts of electricity for 30 years.
San Diego Gas & Electric Wednesday launched an online feature that will let customers track their energy use. More on San Diego’s 10 News.
The Main Citizens for Clean Energy held a press conference Wednesday in support of a referendum requiring 20 percent of Maine’s energy to come from renewable source by 2020, WABI reports.
ABC News: Obama TV Ad Touts Record on Ethics, Clean Energy
AOL Energy: Investor Summit On Climate Risk And Energy Solutions: Highlights
BBC News: Delays ‘stilting Northern Ireland renewable energy industry’
Business Insider: Honda’s Plan To Manufacture Supercars In America Is A Gamechanger
CleanTechnica: Alstom, SSE Renewable Announce World’s Largest Ocean Wave Energy Project off the Orkneys
CleanTechnica: Manitoba Adds New Biomass Program; Advancing Renewable Energy
EarthTechling: Millions of Green Jobs? Beyond the Fantasy
EarthTechling: California Becoming Big Clean Energy Powerhouse
ElectricoIQ: India can be a great power using more renewable energy
Gaurdian: Fossil fuel subsidies: a tour of the data
GreenBiz.com: Automakers Lead the Way to Sustainable Mobility in Detroit
GreenBiz.com: Apple Shines the Light on Its Supply Chain, Warts and All
Huffington Post: Workers’ Right To Sue Employers Over Pay, Other Conditions In Flux
New York Times: Pleasures and Pitfalls of Off-the-Grid Solar
Politico: GOP wants Hillary Clinton to testify
Power Engineering: Windmills will generate up to 1,900 jobs Four Hamilton firms sign contracts for five-year, $1.5b wind energy project
Spiegel Online: Re-Evaluating Germany’s Blind Faith in the Sun
Telegraph: Where Republicans join Democrats in fighting global warming
Think Progress: Leading Global Investors Call the False Dichotomy Between Economy and Environment “Nonsense”
Washington Post: Obama administration rejects Keystone XL pipeline
Athens Banner Herald (GA): Global warming moving faster, UGA ecologist says
Barnegat-Ocean Acres Patch (NJ): EPA Pinpoints Ocean County’s Biggest Industrial Polluters
Detroit News: GM CEO agrees to testify at Volt hearing in D.C.
Minnesota Daily (MN): Toward workable energy solutions
NewsLI.com (NY): Governors Proposed Budget Supports Environment
San Diego Union-Tribune (CA): Regulators nix new charge on solar customers
State Impact (PA): Changing Priorities: Science Funding Slashed Under Corbett Administration
The Green Jobs Source for Wednesday, January 18, 2012 January 18th, 2012
This is The Source for January 18, green jobs news every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.
Plenty of support for cleaner cars at Detroit hearing. Cleaner cars are already bringing jobs to Michigan and other parts of the country, and they have the potential to create even more — 150,000 more in the U.S. by 2020. The New York Times also talks about the broad support for the proposed 54.5 m.p.g. standard for cars and light-duty trucks that was the focus on the Detroit joint Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway & Traffic Safety Administration hearing. There are two more hearings, one this week in Philadelphia and one next week in San Francisco.
Transportation, energy may slip through Congressional gridlock. While many issues will be sidelined due to gridlock in Congress, Politico says that both transportation infrastructure and energy issues — like energy efficiency — might have enough bipartisan support to move forward.
Quick hits on wind energy. While the U.K. was hitting record levels of wind power over the year, China was planning to boost offshore wind power by installing 1 million megawatts of offshore power by 2050.
NPR reports that home insurance policy holders could see their premiums increase 10 percent in response to 2011’s record year for the number of tornadoes, floods, fires, blizzards and heavy weather conditions.
Reuters covers a report from the Chinese government saying global warming could threaten the country’s development.
According to the South China Morning Post, air pollution in Hong Kong is worse than previously thought. New calculated figures estimate that 3,200 people die prematurely from pollution-related illnesses in Hong Kong and pollution has a total economic cost of HK$40 billion.
Fast Company lists the Top 10 Smart Cities on the planet. New York is the only U.S. city on the list.
E&E News reports the Energy Department is preparing to change how it assesses congestion on the high-voltage transmission network. DOE plants to complete its third triennial analysis of congestion in the America’s Eastern and Western areas and then ask for proposals to resolve the problem.
The Hill reports legal experts are questioning if courts will overturn President Obama’s recess appointments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
An independent panel of health experts determined there is no conclusive evidence that wind turbines are a health hazard. The New York Times has more.
According to OilPrice.com, Australia will invest $10 billion into renewable energy projects over five years.
The Future of Cars blog also covered the Detroit auto emissions hearings yesterday.
Emissions from power plants in the northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative area have fallen to their lowest levels since the program began in 2009, according to CleanTechnica.
New York homeowners can get low-interest rate loans for energy efficiency projects thanks to the new Green Jobs Green New York program, WNED-AM reports.
Atlantic Cities looks at what Connecticut is doing to jumpstart its clean economy.
Passage of the Clean Energy Opportunity Act in Kentucky could create 28,000 new jobs and reduce energy bills by 8 to 10 percent, according to an article in the Richmond Register.
The Post-Tribune reports, the Indiana House came to a standstill after most Democrats boycotted the floor due to questions surrounding the constitutionality of a statewide referendum.
Organizers have submitted more than one million petitions to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. CBS News has more.
The Southeast Missourian covers legislation to suspend Missouri’s prevailing wage law.
Bloomberg: India Clean Energy Surge Enters Next Phase
BusinessGreen: Government rejects latest “flawed” report on cost of renewable energy policies
CleanTechnica: Ford, REPREVE to Recycle 2 Million Plastic Bottles Back into the New 2012 Focus Electric and Other Vehicles
Guardian (UK): The green deal will be the biggest home energy programme of modern times
GreenBiz.com: The State of Green Business 2012
Hill: Obama’s jobs council report says ‘drill’
Huffington Post: Why We Need Uncle Sam
Los Angeles Times: Burning America’s future
NPR: Cleaner Air In L.A. Ports Comes At A Cost To Truckers
OilPrice.com: The Growth of Renewable Energy and it’s Top Users
Planet Ark: Fuel Storage, Safety Issues Vexed Japan Plant
Politico: Post-Huntsman, climate may pose perils for GOP
San Francisco Chronicle: PG&E admits it misclassified more gas pipelines
Scientific American: Green Chemist: A Q&A with Departing EPA Science Advisor Paul Anastas
State Column: NASA scientists propose reductions in black carbon in battle against global warming
Transport Topics: Clean Energy Plans 150 Natural Gas Fueling Station
Wall Street Journal: US Chemical Companies Hurt By Less Demand
Washington Post: U.S. losing high-tech manufacturing jobs to Asia
USA Today: Problems plague cleanup at Hanford nuclear waste site
Asbury Park Press (NJ): Environmental groups: N.J. sewer law will lead to more pollution
Charlotte Observer: Duke Energy to retire some coal-fired plants
Columbus Dispatch: Columbia Gas won’t lay pipeline under OSU wetlands
Gainseville Sun (FL): Part owner of biomass plant sells 40% stake
GulfportPatch (FL): PACE Halted By City Council
Michigan Radio (MI): AFL-CIO leader talks job plan for Michigan and right to work
Pittsburg Tribune-Review: Speedy action urged on Pennsylvania drilling legislation
OregonLive.com: Oregon taxpayers must bail out state fund that made bad loans for renewable-energy projects
Republic (IN): Feds pick Tucson in test of feasibility of putting renewable energy projects at landfills