Top Stories
Pacific islanders bid to stop Czech coal
plant.—reliability high.
"Micronesia has filed a plea with the Czech environment ministry using
a measure designed originally to settle disputes between near neighbors
but which could spur others to do the same when opposing power plants,
environmental advocates said. 'This is part of a new phase in
environmental law,' said Tim Malloch, a climate and energy lawyer at
London-based ClientEarth. Micronesia noted CEZ's coal-fired plant at
Prunerov in the north of the republic was the 18th biggest source of
greenhouse gases in the European Union, emitting about 40 times more
carbon dioxide than the entire Pacific island federation. The
Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment request also argued that
Prague has failed to provide and asses all potential impacts and
possible alternatives to minimize adverse affects of power plants --
something Micronesia said was required under Czech law." From
Reuters. [Coal
is killing their countries, and they have decided to fight back (after
seeing at Copenhagen that nobody really gives a darn.) How far would
you go to protect your homeland?]
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Energy Equals Strategy at Google.—reliability
medium.
Best commentary yet on Google's move to get permission to trade
wholesale energy. "Many companies still give little more thought to
their energy usage than they do to their water bill. But smart
companies, especially those in energy-intensive businesses, recognize
that energy is a strategic resource, not a commodity." From
Environmental Leader.
Recycle Match: The eBay of Recycling?—reliability
medium.
"Much like eBay has created a global market on the consumer items that
previously sat in people’s homes or were thrown away, Recycle Match
seeks to match up those who generate either one-time or regular streams
of hard-to-recycle materials, with those seeking that material for
their own use. The source company gets revenue from that which they
previously paid to have taken away, and the recipient finds a resource
they need, likely at a lower cost, and definitely with less of an
impact on the environment." See
triplepundit. More at
Recycle Match site.
Wal-Mart Videos Tout Sustainability of
Store-Brand Products.—reliability high.
Two examples of videos Wal-Mart is using to promote the sustainability
of products in its stores. One on sour cream, the other on pizza boxes.
See
Environmental Leader. [Do consumers
care? A) Wal-Mart is not stupid; B) See following item.]
Huge Demand For Carbon Labels Found -
Newcastle Business School Survey.—reliability high.
"72% of consumers want carbon labels on food products, according to
new research among over 400 supermarket shoppers by Newcastle Business
School, Northumbria University." More highlights of results. See
Newcastle Business School site.
Petrol engines will rule for at least
another decade - top GM executive.—reliability high.
"Lutz, a top lieutenant to GM's chairman Ed Whitacre, predicted that
more than 90% of the automotive industry's sales will continue to be
petrol-driven vehicles for at least another decade - because the vast
majority of motorists simply will not pay extra for the more expensive
technology of eco-friendly cars." "'Other than the 5% of the public who
will willingly make a sacrifice to buy green vehicles, the other 95%
will ask "what am I getting? What's the deal?"' said Lutz. 'They're not
going to spend an extra $5,000 to $6,000 on technology they don't need
and don't particularly care about.'" More of Mr. Lutz's comments. From
The Guardian.
Report: 16% of NYC new car sales to be EVs
by 2015.—reliability high.
"Management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. came out with new
research today that suggests electric vehicles, including
battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars, could make up as
much as 16 percent of new car sales in New York City come 2015, or as
many as 70,000 cars." More on report and EV news. See
Cleantech Group.
Government and
Regulation
U.S. Energy Dept. kicks off 2010 with
billions for cleantech.—reliability high.
Summary, with links to other stories, of some of the U.S. federal
subsidies and incentives for green technology announced in recent days.
From
GreenBeat.
Another $1.5 Billion Cut?!? Transit Once
Again Takes It On the Chin.—reliability medium.
Tough economic times drive California to an austerity budget with
significant cuts in funding for public transportation, just at a time
when more people are giving up their cars and becoming more dependent
on buses, trains and trams. "Everyone knows the story: California’s
state government is in the midst of a fiscal nightmare, and
Californians themselves are facing high unemployment, housing
problems and the whole range of everyday troubles that come with living
in a deep, deep recession. Make no mistake: balancing the budget
means some serious cuts. The question is whether the cuts are
done wisely. We should not be undermining the state’s recovery,
frustrating the efforts of Californians to pull themselves out of this
mess, or forsaking our environmental goals and responsibilities to the
planet." See
NRDC blog. [For
those of us without cars this is sad news.]
Scary Science
Study sees parking lot dust as a cancer risk.—reliability
high.
"Chemicals in a cancer-causing substance used to seal pavement,
parking lots and driveways across the U.S. are showing up at alarming
levels in dust in homes, prompting concerns about the potential health
effects of long-term exposure, a new study shows." The chemicals are
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, known carcinogens, and coal tar used
in some sealants is a major source. "The most dangerous coal tar
component — a PAH chemical called benzo[a]pyrene – was found in driveway
dust at two suburban single family homes at thousands of times the
level that would trigger a cleanup at a toxic-waste site." Other
details of report. From
MSNBC. Read whole research paper here.
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2010 HaraBara, Inc.]
