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40 of the largest cities in the U.S. are actively engaged in reducing their carbon footprints, says the report "Green Cities." The report is based on conversations with leading thinkers and practitioners, says the non-profit, Living Cities, which produced it. "Green Cities" looks at what cities have accomplished and identifies areas in which efforts are falling short. The cities that participated in the survey are: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Detroit, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Columbus, Austin, Fort Worth, Memphis, Charlotte, Baltimore, Boston, El Paso, Milwaukee, Seattle, Nashville, Denver, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Louisville, Portland, Oklahoma City, Tucson, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Miami, Oakland, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Saint Paul, Cleveland. The most concrete municipal commitment is the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. As of April, 935 mayors representing more than 83.5 million citizens pledged to reduce greenhouse gases 7% from 1990 levels by 2012. Where are cities excelling? An increasing number of cities are using green strategies to advance economic recovery efforts and create green jobs. Where are cities falling short? They aren’t yet connecting low-income people and under-invested urban communities to their greening efforts, which would allow them to […]
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The Green Week in Review is a podcast, hosted by SustainableBusiness.com News Editor Bart King. It’s posted every Friday morning and is 15-20 minutes long. You can listen to it through your browser or download it to a portable MP3 player. Sign up for our General News RSS Feed and it will be automatically downloaded to your computer’s media player each week. In this week’s show… Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court. The Obama administration reinstates most of a Clinton-era ban on road building in national forests. Highlights from the Major Economies Forum in Paris. An interesting survey given to members of the society of Toxicology Plus, as always, a quick review of top cleantech stories from the week. ++++ Email comments or questions to bart@sustainablebusiness.com.
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U.S. Energy-Related Co2 Emissions Declined 2.8% in 2008!! DOE, World Energy Leaders Launch Energy Efficiency Partnership Federal Agencies Team Up to Foster Growth in Green Jobs "Climate Positive" Urban Projects Slated for California, Florida Interior Department Awards $15M for Forest Thinning on Public Lands Virtual Energy Forum Offers Free, Two-Day Clean Energy Conference U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions Declined 2.8% in 2008 – Hooray! Despite a 1.1% increase in the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels declined by 2.8% in 2008, according to preliminary estimates by DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA). The record decline was caused in part by a 5.2% decrease in emissions from transportation. Sky-high fuel prices in the first part of the year, followed by economic woes in the fourth quarter, contributed to a record-breaking decline in vehicle miles traveled in 2008 and an upsurge in the use of public transportation. Carbon dioxide emissions from industries also fell by 3.2%, following a five-year trend of falling industrial emissions, according to the EIA. While overall industrial output fell by 2.2% in 2008, the drop in output from energy-intensive industries-such as chemicals, primary metals, and non-metallic minerals-was much larger, in the range of […]
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The Green Week in Review is a podcast, hosted by SustainableBusiness.com News Editor Bart King. It’s posted every Friday morning and is 15-20 minutes long. You can listen to it through your browser or download it to a portable MP3 player. Sign up for our General News RSS Feed and it will be automatically downloaded to your computer’s media player each week. In this week’s show… President Obama announced a federal standard for automobiles that will cut heat trapping emissions by 30%. The U.S. House Commerce and Energy Committee slogs away on a climate change bill. And a new study focuses on the importance of technological advances in semiconductors to achieve greater energy efficiency. Plus, as always, a quick review of top cleantech stories from the week. ++++ Email comments or questions to bart@sustainablebusiness.com.
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President Obama Announces National Fuel Economy Policy DOE Raises Award Ceilings for Smart Grid Projects EPA Sets Energy Star Specs for Computer Servers U.S. Wind Industry Marks Strong Q1 Growth World’s Biggest Solar Tower Producing Power in Spain MIT: Increased Warming Threat if GHG Stay Unchecked President Obama Announces National Fuel Economy Policy President Obama announced a national policy on Tuesday that increases fuel economy and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of all new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. It includes proposed new fuel economy standards covering model years 2012-2016, achieving an average fuel economy of 35.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for model year 2016. That exceeds the requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which required an average fuel economy of 35 mpg by model year 2020. The standards will also reduce CO2 emissions from new vehicles by 30% by 2016. Over the lifetime of these new vehicles, they will save an estimated 1.8 billion barrels of oil and will avoid the emissions of 900 million metric tons of CO2. Cars and light trucks cause 17% of the CO2 emissions in the U.S. The groundbreaking policy represents an unprecedented collaboration among the U.S. Department […]
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The Green Week in Review is a podcast, hosted by SustainableBusiness.com News Editor Bart King. It’s posted every Friday morning and is 15-20 minutes long. You can listen to it through your browser or download it to a portable MP3 player. Sign up for our General News RSS Feed and it will be automatically downloaded to your computer’s media player each week. In this week’s show… The Obama Administration upholds changes to the Endangered Species Act put in place by the Bush Administration to stop the Act from being used as a tool to address climate change pollution. Bart interviews green business author Glenn Croston about his latest books, available at StartingUpGreen.com. House Democrats reportedly are close to an agreement on a climate change bill in committee. Plus, as always, a quick review of top cleantech stories from the week. ++++ Email comments or questions to bart@sustainablebusiness.com.
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DOE Requests $2.3B for Efficiency, Renewable Energy in FY 2010 Interior, Ag Departments Propose More Renewable Energy Funding DOE to Invest $33.5M in Wind Energy Projects DOE, HUD Sign Agreement to Streamline Weatherization Process DOT Awards $742.5M in Recovery Act Funds to 11 Transit Projects Maryland Aims for 25% Cut in GHG by 2020 Expectations Dim for Near-Term Growth in Oil Demand DOE Requests $2.3 Billion for Efficiency, Renewable Energy in FY 2010 President Obama unveiled last week a $26.4 billion budget request for DOE for fiscal year (FY) 2010, including $2.3 billion for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The budget aims to substantially expand the use of renewable energy sources while improving energy transmission infrastructure. It also makes significant investments in hybrids and plug-ins, in smart grid technologies, and in scientific research and innovation. The budget request for EERE represents a 6.4% increase above the appropriations for FY 2009, not counting funds provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The president’s budget includes significant increases for a number of EERE programs, including an 82.9% increase for solar energy, a 36.4% increase for wind energy, a 22% increase for vehicle technologies, a 69.8% […]
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The Green Week in Review is a podcast, hosted by SustainableBusiness.com News Editor Bart King. It’s posted every Friday morning and is 15-20 minutes long. You can listen to it through your browser or download it to a portable MP3 player. Sign up for our General News RSS Feed and it will be automatically downloaded to your computer’s media player each week. In this week’s show… The Environmental Protection Agency issued a draft rule this week for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels. The situation puts the Obama administration in a tight spot between wanting to help the ethanol industry and wanting to live up to its promise to base policy on good science. DOE announces nearly $800 million for biofuels. Administration establishes interagency biofuels working group. Bart interview Tony McGettigan, CEO of Luxim Corp., a company that last week raised additional funding for its solid state plasma lighting technology. Plus, as always, a quick review of top cleantech stories from the week. ++++ Email comments or questions to bart@sustainablebusiness.com.
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by Rona Fried Over the past couple of weeks as President Obama reached his first 100 days in office, news stations like MSNBC and CNN have been asking viewers what they see as his most important accomplishment to date. The answer: Obama’s diplomatic efforts are raising the standing of the U.S. in the eyes of countries around the world. For the past eight years, the U.S. has been viewed as a thug, but Obama’s willingness to open his heart and reach out his hand is changing our standing in the world for the better. Along these lines, his administration seems to working behind the scenes to break the logjam that has held the world back from aggressive action on climate change. Last week, the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate – high-level diplomatic discussions on climate change – took place in Washington. Participants felt the discussions improved the likelihood of reaching an agreement on an international climate treaty by the end of this year. Countries representing 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions were there – there were hints that the U.S. is making headway on bringing China, India and other major developing countries into the fold, long a […]
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President Obama Advances Biofuels Production DOE to Invest $786.5M in Biofuels EPA Renewable Fuel Standard Tackles GHG Emissions DOE to Invest $93M in Wind Power New Hospital Energy Alliance to Promote Clean Energy BLM to Invest in Renewable Energy Permitting Climate Targets Limit Near-Term Use of Fossil Fuels President Obama To Advance Biofuels Production President Obama announced that his administration is taking several steps to advance biofuels research and commercialization. He signed a Presidential Directive to help preserve biofuel industry jobs and to establish the Biofuels Interagency Working Group, which will develop the nation’s first comprehensive program for advancing the biofuels market. Obama also announced that DOE will release $786.5 million in Recovery Act funds to accelerate advanced biofuels research, development, and deployment, and that the U.S. EPA has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (see separate articles below). The EPA proposal outlines its strategy for increasing the supply of renewable fuels. The new Biofuels Interagency Working Group will be co-chaired by the Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture and the EPA Administrator, and it will work with the National Science and Technology Council’s Biomass Research and Development Board. It will use existing authorities and […]
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