FEATURES AND NEWS
In Marion, Mass., a solar garden will be installed on 2.4 acres of the town’s capped landfill, reports South Coast Today. The solar array will be on top of the landfill itself, and if demand is high, other parts of the 50-acre adjacent property will be available, as well. Marion’s ... Read more »
Georgetown University is hosting a multi-year incentive competition that challenges small- to medium-size US communities to implement creative strategies to increase energy efficiency. Forty-nine communities have signed a letter of intent to compete, so far. Georgetown is using the prize to tap the creativity and spirit of competition between communities ... Read more »
Plug Power signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Hysco to create a joint venture to develop, manufacture and sell fuel cell products and stacks for applications in Asian markets. Per the MOU, the companies must finalize the details of the joint venture by July 31, 2014. Plug Power ... Read more »
More than half of S&P 500 company boards are providing oversight of environmental and/or social issues beyond what required by law, a new study shows. Board Oversight of Sustainability Issues finds that many industries subject to scrutiny – paper, forestry, healthcare, utility companies – are among the most likely to ... Read more »
The public could benefit from additional education on what can be recycled, according to a recent national survey commissioned ahead of Earth Day by the National Waste & Recycling Association. Curbside recycling is available to more than half of American adults and two-thirds are clear on what belongs in recycling bins, but ... Read more »
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All used iPhones, iPad and other Apple product will be accepted by the company in its expanded and revamped recycling program. The company debuted an environmental section on its website that also unveiled its commitment to become powered 100 percent by renewable energy. Apple gift cards had been distributed at ... Read more »
Radioactivity is showing up in wastewater from gas field landfills in West Virginia that serve as disposal sites for Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling cuttings. According to a report by Public News Service, tests on water leaching from the Meadowfill landfill near Bridgeport vary widely. Water leaching from Meadowfill averaged ... Read more »
Researchers have found that the Mississippi River Delta’s supply of sand—a critical material engineers need to rebuild the ecosystem—will stay constant for centuries despite upstream dams and the rapid sinking and erosion of wetlands. The study, published this week in Nature Geoscience, provides positive evidence for scientists and government officials ... Read more »
A new study claims that ethanol made from waste created by corn harvesting releases more greenhouse gases than gasoline over the short term. The Hill quotes a study published in Nature Climate Change that said that biofuel made from corn residue releases 7 percent more greenhouse gases in the first few years it ... Read more »
The new version of REACH-IT (2.7), introduces new terms and conditions that clarify how companies receive decisions and other communications from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The update also allows the submission of applications for authorization through REACH-IT. At the same time, a new version of IUCLID launched. The new ... Read more »
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Scientists at the United Arab Emirates’ Masdar Institute have developed a reflective paint that cools so much that you can walk on a roof painted with it on a hot summer day in bare feet, reports The National. The paint can trim roof temperatures by as much as 20 percent according ... Read more »
The 24-day record-setting so-called Epic Electric American Road Trip has been completed. The 12,183-mile battery-powered trip is seeking Guinness World Record verification for longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100 percdent electric power. A stock Tesla Model S sedan took the trip, which was sponsored by electric vehicle (EV) software and ... Read more »
Cruise line Carnival said it will meet its goal to reduce its rate of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipboard operations by 20 percent. Carnival and its 10 brand lines around the world have developed aggressive energy reduction and conservation initiatives, many of which exceed current laws and regulations, the ... Read more »
Imagine a world where homes not only run on clean electricity but also generate, store, and sell it. A world where power companies get paid for conserving energy, not just producing it. Where, when supplies are tight, the power grid gives customers the option of being paid to reduce and ... Read more »
The researchers added that—at least as of the date of the study—there was limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of the green cleaning products in use and that more research was “urgently needed.” This is not to say these green products were not effective, just that the scientific data evaluating their ... Read more »
Starting today, Colorado’s Public Utility Commission (PUC) is hearing arguments on a proposal initiated by Xcel Energy to roll back the state’s energy efficiency goals. After the hearings, PUC will review all the testimony as well as staff recommendations and make its decision, likely by mid-June. The current energy efficiency ... Read more »
Power Assure announced the general availability of its EM/5 hosted data center monitoring, which integrates with ServiceNow for a more robust data center infrastructure management (DCIM) offering. Key features include: ·ServiceNow Integrated GUI – EM/5 presents information in the ServiceNow user interface. ·Aggregations – EM/5 allows collections of metrics from ... Read more »
Mention data center on the first Earth Day 44 years ago today and most people might think of the public library, if they grasped the concept at all. In 1970, much of the concern about the environment included bulging landfills and the more than 44 million tons of paper waste ... Read more »
In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency hosted its fourth season of the Energy Star Battle of the Buildings Competition to see which building could cut its energy use the most. More than 3,200 buildings from all 50 states, two US territories, and the District of Columbia battled to attain top ... Read more »
A Department of Energy program that administered a $400 million loan guarantee for now-bankrupt photovoltaics manufacturer Abound Solar had “several weaknesses,” according to a report from the Office of the Inspector General. In December 2010, the program issued the loan guarantee to Abound for up to $400 million to construct ... Read more »
The Cabarrus County Schools in Concord, NC, hired Educon – Educational Consulting in 2012 to help several of its schools reduce energy costs. Since implementing Educon’s program, the schools have saved about $687,000 in energy expenses over the past two years – about 10 percent of the school system’s energy ... Read more »
Kyocera plans to invest in a tax equity partnership with renewables company US Light Energy (USLE) (formerly NY Light Energy) for the development of solar photovoltaic projects valued at $38 million in New York state, leveraging the 30 percent federal energy investment tax credit. USLE has exclusively used Kyocera solar modules ... Read more »
The Acting Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Defense Christine Fox signed Directive 4180.01 – “DOD Energy Policy,” the department’s first overarching defense energy policy in over 20 years. The directive requires the DOD to: -Improve energy performance of its weapons, installations, and military forces; -Diversify and expand energy ... Read more »
We all have a role to play in improving the quality of recovered material and it is in our best interest to do so. The Green Fence has highlighted the need for investment and innovation in the North American recycling industry. Expanding domestic recycling infrastructure and investing strategically in sorting ... Read more »
The consumer electronics industry recycled a record 620 million pounds of electronics in the United States in 2013. The amount is more than double the total of three years ago, as reported in the Third Annual Report of the eCycling Leadership Initiative, released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The ... Read more »