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According to The Natural Wealth of Nations, a new book from Worldwatch Institute, ending $650 billion in obsolete subsidies for environmentally destructive activities and levying taxes on resource depletion and pollutants like greenhouse gases, could provide $1.5 trillion a year for income tax cuts. Under this proposal, a family of four would get a net tax cut of $2000. Author David Malin Roodman argues that incorporating environmental costs into prices would allow us to put the power of the market to work to protect the environment. Worldwatch: worldwatch@worldwatch.org http://www.worldwatch.org 202-452-1999
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Lab discovered that nitroreductase enzymes found in spinach can eat, digest, and transform explosives such as TNT. Called “Environmentally Benign Digestion Process,” this biotechnology reduces dangerous explosives to low toxicity byproducts that, in turn, can be reduced to carbon dioxide and water. The U.S. military plans to use it as a substitute for burning and incinerating, currently the favored method of eliminating 500,000 tons annually of explosives stockpiled around the country. It is more cost effective than existing methods because no special equipment is required. The process is mobile and thus eliminates the high cost of transporting explosives to incinerators. EBDP is also energy efficient because it is done at room temperature. The enzymes are mixed in a solution with other bio-derived chemicals, such as lactic acid and ethanol, which activate the enzymes that neutralize the explosive powder/chemical mix. The enzyme industry is worth $1.3 billion and the market is growing by 10-15 percent each year. Enzymes are now commonly used by the detergent industry for cleaning, the beverage industry for making glucose and the textile industry for stonewashing denim. Manish Shah, PNNL: manish.shah@pnl.gov FROM The Carbohydrate Economy
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If you live in Pennsylvania or have a business there, you can now switch to cleaner electricity. Electric power plants are the single largest source of stationary air pollution in the U.S. and one of the largest contributors to global warming. All you have to due is enroll for the right to choose and then select a supplier. Your wiring won’t change and your service will not be interrupted. The only difference is your monthly payment will go toward environmentally preferable sources of electricity. Providers: The Energy Cooperative Association of Pennsylvania: 215-972-1537 Green Mountain Energy: 800-799-6876 Connectiv: 800-727-3200 Clean Air Council has the latest information on energy suppliers: 215-567-4004 EDF: [sorry this link is no longer available] Green Mountain: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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The closest thing to a Hypercar is about to hit the road – in China. This month, Huatong Motors will begin producing the world’s first commercial-volume vehicle that features both a composite/plastic chassis and hybrid-electric drive. These are the two most important elements of the Hypercar, developed by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). The four-door Paradigm will weigh 1,793 pounds – about half the weight of a Chrysler Cirrus – and get 60 mpg. It is not as light or efficient as an optimized Hypercar, but it’s a promising start. Most of its parts are manufactured in the U.S. and will be assembled in China. Huatong plans to sell 5,000 Paradigms in 1999, ramping up to 30,000 a year by 2002. This “leapfrog” technology, as RMI calls it, has the most potential in a developing country because industry is less invested in using inefficient old technologies. Huatong needs to differentiate itself in the crowded Asian market and the company isn’t wedded to steel (as U.S. companies are). Combining light-weight design and hybrid-electric drive produces a fuel-efficient, durable car the company believes will appeal to the Chinese. Learn more about Hypercars: [sorry this link is no longer available] FROM Rocky Mountain Institute […]
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The Environmental Finance Center – sponsored by EPA Region 9 and based at California State University/Hayward – was set up to inform environmental entrepreneurs, investors, financial managers, and small business owners who are interested in areas such as pollution prevention. Its latest project is a publication, “Financing Environmental Technology: A Funding Directory for the Environmental Entrepreneur.” Contents include private sources such as venture capital firms, socially responsible banks, and how to find “Angels,” and federal/state programs in California, Nevada, Hawaii and Arizona. Contact: Sarah Diefendorf, Executive Director: 510-749-6867
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The world’s first green post office opened in November in Ft. Worth, Texas, made entirely with recycled-content materials and energy efficient systems. With more than 35,000 facilities nationwide, and about 700 new facilities constructed each year, USPS is implementing alternatives to wasteful building practices. Some of the environmental features of the new building are: * Recycled cellulose and yard scraps used in landscaping mulch * Fly ash in concrete * Recycled plastic in toilet partitions and wall bumpers * Recycled tires in dock bumpers * Recycled cellulose in ceiling tiles and panels * Certified wood throughout * Strawbale exterior walls * Recycled trellis structure shades the south-facing windows during the summer * Recycled steel reinforcements The facility took two years to construct and saved the agency $36,000 over a similar size conventional structure.
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The Why of Life Foundation is seeking financial contributions to support the writing of “The Ecolonomics Bill”, U.S. legislation that will allocate part of the approved 1999 federal budget for sustainable community projects and Y2K preparedness strategies. Projects include the use of environmental technologies to upgrade systems for drinking water, energy, food production, waste management, housing and public health services. Strategies include education, leadership training, economic development, environmental stewardship and other grass roots efforts to build strong community participation and cooperation. Contributions should be made out to: The Why of Life Foundation P.O. Box 1627 Cripple Creek, CO 80813 Please write “The Ecolonomics Bill” on your check and envelope. For more information on The Ecolonomics Bill: Beverly Criswell: korbev@intplsrv.net 580-477-3902
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Kmart joined Toys R Us and Generations Toy Store when it recently removed vinyl teething toys, rattles and pacifiers from its shelves. Children ingest softeners called phthalates when they suck on these toys. Several European countries have banned or restricted the use of vinyl softened with phthalates in infant toys. Canada’s public health agency, Health Canada, has issued an advisory instructing parents and caregivers to dispose of vinyl toys for young children. Manufacturers such as Gerber, Mattel and Little Tikes have also agreed to phase out the use of these toxic softeners.
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50 U.S. top hospitals were surveyed to determine how they manage their waste. Some of the findings from the report, “Greening Hospitals”: * only 20 percent of respondents have programs to reduce PVC. Even those with programs still use PVC IV bags. * almost 80 percent have mercury reduction programs, but 37 percent of these still buy thermometers with mercury, and half use mercury blood pressure devices. * 90 percent have had training in how to segregrate infectious waste from “regular” waste, and 80 percent conducted waste audits in the past three years. 40 percent continue to incinerate waste that doesn’t need to be burned. The report offers several recommendations: * hospitals need to find alternatives to incineration combined with more effective segregation programs. This will reduce pollution and costs. * reduce the toxic chemicals produced. Mercury-containing devices and PVC plastics are the easiest to reduce. The Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org 202-667-6982 FROM Waste Reduction Tips
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It is often difficult to discern whether a smart growth project is just another mega-development or whether it actually contributes to decreased sprawl, lower emissions, and other quality of life/environmental indicators as it is intended. An Atlanta development is being put to the test by the U.S. EPA and well-known smart growth architects Duany Plater-Zyberk. Smart Growth advocates offer developers incentives – often in the form of increased density – to build within city limits, or to leave a significant percentage of the total land in open space. In this case, a 138-acre brownfields site near downtown Atlanta has been cleaned up to make way for 2,000-5,000 residential units, retail and restaurants, a hotel, and office space. A similar development in suburbia would take up 10 times the land. One might ask, however, why such huge developments are needed and whether they really provide significant benefits. In other studies of similar communities, the EPA found lower nitrogen oxide emissions of 28-42 percent. The Atlanta development is the first time a community rather than a company will be enrolled in EPA’s Project XL program which trades regulatory flexibility for much lower emissions. EPA will employ extensive computer modeling to determine whether […]
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