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Learn about our new board members and what they would like to offer.

Scott R. Tess, Pollution Prevention Coordinator, Orange County Environmental Protection Division

I practice and promote P2 as a cost effective way to reduce pollution and waste while enhancing efficient resource use and environmental quality. I would like to serve on the FLPPR board to aid in developing FLPPR into the primary resource for P2 information and professional development in Florida. I would like FLPPR to develop a P2 Best Practices Toolkit where homeowners, office managers, and industries in Florida can quickly access P2 practices that specifically apply to them. I would also like to revive FLPPR’s annual P2 Conference.

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I believe that Pollution Prevention holds a critical place in our everyday life. Not only because of the environmental benefit that it holds to protecting the environment, but for the average person the economic benefit it will help in supporting peoples income during these tough economic times. If people were to be more aware about how much money they could save by repairing their leaky plumbing or shutting off their lights when they leave a room they would be more motivated to prevent the source of pollution in the first place. I believe with the years of experience I have working in both the private and public sector, performing such responsibilities like water chemistries, sampling, environmental law, and public relations I would be the type of well-rounded candidate the committee is looking for to achieve their goals.

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Having served in the environmental arena for over 20 years I recognize the importance of conserving and maintaining environment if want to continue to achieve living healthy and enjoy quality natural resources, ie. air, water, and landscape (vegetative and recreational. I am always interested and excited about contributing to a strategic plan to maintain a pollution free environment via education, awareness and regulation. Increased public awareness, and easy access to information to accommodate understanding, compliance and maintenance of a pollution free environment.

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I passionately support pro-active methods of minimizing both personal and industrial sources of pollution. I would like to serve on a board with professional objectives in which the impact on the environment takes top priority. Educate industries and commercial users how to reduce water use and utilize alternative water sources, such as reclaimed water.

In the U.S. alone, approximately 30 billion square feet of commercial rooftop surface is available for PV systems and could be utilized to create in excess of 150 gigawatts of electricity. Globally, this number could be two to three times higher. Tapping even a small fraction of this potential would make a significant impact on the world’s energy needs. Solyndra designs, manufactures and sells solar photovoltaic (PV) systems comprised of panels and mounting hardware for large, low-slope commercial rooftops. The Solyndra system is designed to optimize PV performance on commercial rooftops by converting more of the sunlight that strikes the total rooftop area into electricity. Solyndra's panels employ cylindrical modules which capture sunlight across a 360-degree photovoltaic surface capable of converting direct, diffuse and reflected sunlight into electricity. Solyndra's panels perform optimally when mounted horizontally and packed closely together, thereby covering significantly more of the typically available roof area and producing more electricity per rooftop on an annual basis than a conventional panel installation. The result is significantly more solar electricity per rooftop per year. The Solyndra system is lightweight and the panels allow wind to blow through them. These factors enable the installation of PV on a broader range of rooftops without anchoring or ballast, which are inherently problematic. The horizontal mounting and unique “air-flow” properties of Solyndra's solar panel design substantially simplify the installation process for Solyndra's PV systems. The ease of installation and simpler mounting hardware of the Solyndra system enables its customers to realize significant savings on installation costs. Using proprietary cylindrical CIGS modules and thin-film technology, Solyndra systems are designed to provide the lowest installation cost per system and the highest annual solar electrical energy output for typical low slope commercial rooftops. Find out more: http://www.solyndra.com/ Can Nuclear Power Compete? Newly approved reactor designs could reduce global warming and fossil-fuel dependence, but utilities are grappling with whether better nukes make market sense By Matthew L. Wald More Information: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=can-nuclear-power-compete     In the rolling foothills of the madison range in southwestern Montana, a cabin-style house sits beside a washboard dirt road. A few horses loiter in a corral outside, and spotted ranch dogs bark and jump at the fence. James Stuart, manager of Sun Ranch, lives here with his wife and three kids. Christian, the oldest at four years, just got his first pony. Stuart, who comes from a long line of rugged Scots who settled this region, has auburn hair and eyes lined from squinting—or smiling—in bright sunlight. He loves this land. You can hear it in his voice as he rattles off the creeks and canyons of the 26,000 acres he’s surveying from the cab of his silver Dodge pickup. We’re parked on an overlook in the middle of the ranch as Stuart’s gloved hand traces the outlines of the landscape around us. “We have Wolf Creek to the north, we have Moose Creek coming down out of this big canyon....” His voice trails off as our line of vision ends at the hilly horizon. Stuart is accustomed to the usual trials of a working ranch: blizzards, wolves, broken fences and the occasional errant cow. But it’s not all business as usual here. Last year Sun Ranch became the first ranch in the U.S. to cash in on a program that pays rangeland owners to help fight global warming. The ranch received a $30,000 check for the carbon dioxide its grasslands have been absorbing from the air. The more carbon dioxide in the ground, the less of it in the atmosphere, and that benefits everyone. Trading Carbon Paying landowners to store carbon is a strategy that is rapidly gaining in popularity, and rangelands are the newest frontier in an emerging marketplace that enables polluters to buy carbon credits from projects designed to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Buyers use these credits as “offsets” for their activities that contribute to climate change, everything from manufacturing to air travel. In the U.S., purchasing carbon credits was being done voluntarily, but by late September, 10 northeastern states agreed to implement the nation’s first “cap and trade” system, which would place an upper limit on the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that industries are permitted to release into the atmosphere. To keep their emissions below this limit, companies would trade carbon credits through an exchange similar to the stock market. A similar cap-and-trade scheme has proved successful at reducing sulfur dioxide emissions—which cause acid rain—in the U.S. since the mid-1990s. And prior to election day, both presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain had called for trading, too.   Read More: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=carbon-cowboys     Biofuel Crops Could Also Cleanse Soil Every year Europe grows 900,000 hectares of rapeseed to produce biodiesel, the region’s leading biofuel. But what if this crop could provide a second ecological payoff? Scientists at Ireland’s Institute of Technology, Carlow, are trying to use it for environmental cleanup, too. Mining and industry processes contaminate soil with heavy metals—including arsenic, copper and nickel—rendering it unusable for agriculture. Although some noncommercial plants can grow in such soils and even take up and remove the metals, potentially useful crops—rapeseed, for one—fare poorly in these conditions. Carlow postdoctoral student Olivia Odhiambo wondered whether bacteria, which assist plants in modifying metals and converting nitrogen into energy, could also help rapeseed thrive in polluted earth. Odhiambo isolated three strains of bacteria, including a mutant form of Pseudomonas fluorescens, that facilitate the growth of trees in contaminated conditions. After confirming that the bacteria help rapeseed grow faster in healthy soil, too, she tested them in metal-rich soil. Preliminary results suggest that the bacteria helped the oilseed flourish, perhaps because the microbes convert the metals into harmless by-products. Whether rapeseed can accumulate enough metal to “clean” soil significantly remains an open question, according to Leon Kochian, a plant biologist at Cornell University. But if it can, scientists could use the plants, which grow in a range of climates, as decontaminants around the world—and then use the seeds for biofuel. Find out more: http://www.sciam.com/   Seven Ways to Cut Cost Without Cutting Your Lifeline (P2 at work) By Lorraine Haataia, PhD When the global economy is in a recession, all companies - from Fortune 500s to small, family-owned businesses - suffer. And some of the weakest ones become casualties, leaving their employees without jobs, and losing customers to their competitors. During these tough times, owners, executives and managers often make decisions about jobs, resources and facilities they think they can do without, and then they cut. But this isn't necessarily the best answer. The truth is, excess waste accumulates in all of these areas during prosperous times. When managers don't have to worry about the pennies, the company can quickly begin to leak dollars. And it can easily go unnoticed for months and even years. But when the economy tightens, companies must look for innovative ways to streamline - rather than cutting what might be their lifeline. Management needs to first recognize leakage within the company, and then involve employees, suppliers and even customers to find waste-trimming opportunities. Here are seven ways your company can reduce cost and improve current business practices while strengthening the core business. 1. Have your top managers, in-house optimists and experts lead discussion groups for employees. It's common for companies to send employees to outside training programs that range from $199 to $1,999 per person, but this isn't necessary. Employees can meet regularly to discuss articles, books or DVDs on relevant, specialized knowledge. For example, after reading a David Allen productivity book, one executive assistant came up with an idea to set up a corporate calendar with the major events at all their sites. This calendar posted on their intranet allowed for organized planning and a reduction in their travel costs by 20 percent. 2. Give employees flexibility to meet their personal goals and you'll build loyalty and engagement. If you've never asked, you may be surprised when you learn your employees' lifestyle desires and attitudes about money. Many of them probably want more flexible work hours and breaks, instead being held accountable to work results and deadlines. If you go this route, have faith in them to help set up new pay structures. Numerous employees may take advantage of a leave-without-pay if they had the option. Compensate in proportion to incoming orders and set up pay-for-performance with cost tied to revenue. Review your telecommuting and flex-time policies. Providing office space for all your employees is costly and often unnecessary. Consider surveying your employees for their work preferences and then set up processes and work schedules to allow more people to work remotely or from shared workstations. You can then update job descriptions, work instructions and measures to ensure that expected work results are clear to everyone. 3. Implement cost-saving green solutions. If you're supplying coffee, disposable cups and other freebies to your employees, you may want to reconsider these expenses. Employees can bring in reusable mugs and utensils instead. Ask your employees, already passionate about the environment, to continually search for and implement cost-saving green solutions such as: installing thermostats with timers or motion sensor light switches to help reduce your utility bill, installing motion sensor faucets to help save water, or identifying vendors to purchase your waste products such as scrap metal or electronics, which can also cut back on your garbage. Green is in - go with it. 4. Regularly seek estimates from your suppliers and their competitors, and you may be able to tap into a gold mine. Your current suppliers desire to keep your business, so persist in getting at least two additional bids on all your services annually. Invite them to do an analysis for new cost-saving ideas. Befriend them as potential partners and you'll win their mental power in giving you potentially priceless ideas. This can save you a fortune over time. Even if you choose to stick with the same associates, it's always a good idea to have leverage to renegotiate rates and agreements. 5. Compartmentalize and prioritize your customers and their purchases. Any company offering multiple products or services has some that are more profitable than others. If you haven't reconsidered your less profitable ones recently, now is the time. Analyze the segments and the cash value differences among them. Once you have this data, you can restructure your pricing or sales processes to encourage customers to behave in ways that keep your costs down, or you may even choose to discontinue some of your services. If they truly want those that are less lucrative, and you choose to continue them, adjust your prices to ensure profitability. 6. Foster trust, mental chemistry and decision-making abilities in your employees by starting a Toastmasters Club. Many employees complain about too frequent and ineffective meetings. One solution is to start a Toastmasters Club in your company and encourage everyone to participate. It's a nonprofit organization with a proven feedback system to advance communication and leadership aptitude. Members build self-confidence, overcome fears and grow relationships. Google, Starbucks, Dell, Disney, McGraw-Hill, Microsoft and many other top organizations sponsor clubs for their employees. At less than $100 a person per year, these clubs improve participants' productivity in and out of meetings. Good communication is the most essential competency in any company with two or more people. 7. Involve employees in regularly adjusting operations to improve efficiency. You may be surprised at the excitement when you get everyone engaged in fixing their biggest frustrations and time-wasters. If you aren't ISO 9001 certified, get a copy of this latest Quality Management System document from the International Organization for Standardization. It provides a powerful set of globally-tested principles to keep everyone focused on continually improving processes and enhancing customer satisfaction. If you don't focus on improving your work systems, they quickly become outdated, reducing efficiencies and increasing risk. Your processes drive your bottom line, day by day, toward bankruptcy or prosperity. Employees can easily learn to recognize where time or resources are being wasted. Offer them incentives for cost-saving ideas and recognize them among their peers. Give them 10 percent back in monthly or quarterly payments, for example, against the annual savings opportunities they discover. This increases their loyalty and willingness to search for more ways to save, and the company still comes out ahead. The people you least likely expect, such as your lowest producers, might come up with the best ideas, since they're the ones who look for short cuts anyway. Create an environment where people expect change. Once you systematize perpetual feedback from your employees, customers and suppliers, your core business will thrive regardless of economic conditions. About the Author: Lorraine Haataia, Ph.D., is consultant, corporate trainer and professional speaker who helps businesses achieve continuous improvement and growth from the inside out. As an expert in education and business process improvement, she guides clients toward improving their customers' experiences while increasing profitability. Lorraine has more than 15 years in business leadership in various industries including construction and transportation, and she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Florida. To book Lorraine for your next event, call 904-315-8962 or visit www.DrLorraine.net   Older News, Click here     Clean cities and dirty coal power--China's energy paradox China is aggressively building cleaner cities and renewable power supplies, but the relentless expansion of dirty coal may suffocate those efforts. A firsthand look Source:  Copyright 2008, Scientific American Date:  December 9, 2008 Byline:  David Biello This year china surpassed the U.S. as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. And coal is largely to blame. The dirty black rock is burned everywhere, from industrial boilers to home stoves, and generates 75 percent of the nation's electricity. More than 4,000 miners die every year digging the fossil fuel out of China's heartland. One consequence of the country's reliance on coal is most visible in the air. Smog cloaks cities, reducing the sky to little more than a blue patch amid a blanket of haze. As the pollution builds, it forms a brown cloud, visible from space, that in a week's time crosses the Pacific Ocean to the western U.S., where it accounts for as much as 15 percent of the air pollution. The haze means no true horizon can be seen when one is walking the streets of Chong­qing, an inland port city on the Yangtze River that produces most of China's motorcycles as well as other industrial goods. It seems the entire Rust Belt of the U.S. has been crammed into this 'furnace of China,' as it is known--a single community of more than 30 million people, twice the size of the New York City metropolitan region. Chongqing's men, women and children breathe air filled with lung-clogging soot and smoke. Nationally, health care associated with respiratory ills costs China an estimated $100 billion a year, according to the World Bank. Furthermore, the foul air can literally stunt the growth of the next generation, according to recent research from Frederica P. Perera of Columbia University and her Chinese colleagues. The Chinese have been burning coal for centuries. They now consume 2.5 billion tons a year--more than double that of the U.S.--and imports are rising despite extensive domestic mining. In 2007 the country's 541 coal-fired power plants pumped out 554,420 megawatts of electricity, according to the Chinese State Electricity Regulatory Commission--roughly equivalent to the output of 550 large nuclear reactors. On average, China opens one coal-fired plant every week to serve its 1.3 billion people and the massive industries that manufacture cheap goods, largely for the U.S. and Europe. Notwithstanding its deeply polluted state, China is also working feverishly to clean up. It plans to reduce pollutants by as much as 10 percent over the next five years. Part of the effort involves creating carbon-neutral cities and expanding renewable energy sources, as described in the stories that follow. Much of the strategy, however, is simply to shutter small, inefficient coal plants and replace them with larger ones that are more efficient. 'To close small plants, it will be very effective to improve air quality,' Sarah Liang, a spokesperson in Greenpeace's Beijing office, tells me. But that still leaves a load of pollution. Greener Generation Despite the surfeit of soot, the average Chinese citizen accounts for a mere fraction of the greenhouse emissions of the average American. Sheer population overcomes the small per capita number, however, and the country is not bound by any international treaty to reduce its pollution. Nevertheless, the government has at least started to tackle the problem by launching a pilot project to capture and store the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from burning coal at a demonstration power plant dubbed GreenGen. The project, in the Yellow Sea port city of Tianjin northeast of here, will proceed in three phases. First, a consortium of power and coal companies will construct a so-called integrated gasification combined cycle power plant. In this design, coal is converted into a gas, and pollutants are removed before the gas is burned. Such technology could cut acid rain--causing sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 90 percent and smog-forming nitrous oxides by 75 percent--as well as capturing more than 80 percent of the CO2 emitted by 2015 and storing it in nearby depleted oil fields. The $1-billion GreenGen plant became the world's leading clean coal project in January after the U.S. government pulled the plug on FutureGen, a similar demonstration plant in Mattoon, Ill., that lost steam as construction costs skyrocketed. The cancellation came despite the fact that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and leaders of the world's eight richest nations (the G8), including President George W. Bush, had called the development of clean coal technology essential to preventing the consequences of climate change. Completing GreenGen, which will generate up to 250 megawatts of electricity, may prove daunting, however. 'There's no co-benefit to doing the carbon capture and storage,' says energy technology expert Kelly Sims Gallagher of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. 'There's an argument for doing GreenGen in terms of research and getting experience with it, but from a commercial point of view it doesn't make sense.' The reason: extra energy is consumed to turn the coal into gas and subsequently to then capture the CO2--in effect requiring the burning of more coal to generate the same amount of electricity. GreenGen is a for-profit power plant, so economic gains or losses will determine whether its owners ever proceed with the capture-and-storage step. One argument in its favor would be to pump the extracted CO2 into underperforming oil wells to recover more of the oil. In an environment where oil is more expensive than ever, that approach could be 'economically viable and valuable for nations that are rich in coal,' says Vic Svec, a senior vice president at U.S. coal giant Peabody, which is part owner of GreenGen. Better Enforcement Needed Residents of Chongqing got a glimpse of cleaner skies in the years leading up to the recent Olympics, as factories were shifted to the outskirts of towns and small, inefficient coal power plants were closed to clear the air for visiting media and tourists. 'When I was young, the sky was green, and we [could not] see stars at night,' says local government official David Lee, a lifelong Chongqing resident. 'This year we see blue skies and stars. We think it's much better.' The air can still be tasted on the tongue, however, and felt in the lungs. And it still obscured the horizon for this observer. Among the culprits are companies that flout clean air laws--as well as lackluster efforts to enforce those laws. Factories and power plants turn on the pollution-­control equipment when government officials visit, but when they leave the controls are shut off to boost power production. 'The government cannot check every day,' Lee says. But regulators 'need to enforce the environmental laws if they want blue skies,' insists Li Junfeng, secretary general of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association. Other cities, such as Zhengzhou in China's most populous province of Henan, have little hope of clear skies any time soon. The atmosphere in the provincial capital is thick with pollution because the movement of factories and power plants away from signature cities such as Beijing has put them closer to less well-known metropolises. Despite a ban on coal burning and $17 billion spent on clean air measures in the past decade, smog is still an issue in Beijing, in part because cars have proliferated in recent years. 'It is bitter air that you can feel,' says resident Timothy Hui, a program manager in the Beijing office of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a U.S.-based environmental group. 'People hate it. They complain.' Some analysts place part of the blame on Western countries. A full 23 percent of China's greenhouse gas emissions can be linked to the production of goods exported to the West, according to the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research in England. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University put the share even higher: at 33 percent. That demand doesn't absolve China from cutting back on noxious emissions or taking more responsibility for the fate of the world's climate, which in no small part will be forged in the crucible of its industrial cities. 'Gradual warming of the earth's atmosphere is caused by the developing countries as well as the developed countries,' says Wang Xiansheng, professor of English at Zhengzhou University. 'The whole world should get united to deal with the problem.' RIZHAO: Crafting a Carbon-Neutral City Homes and industry are being converted RIZHAO--This coastal resort city, which faces east toward Japan and Korea across the Yellow Sea, takes its name from an ancient poem, ri qu shien zhao, or 'first to get sunshine.' More than 2.8 million residents enjoy that early light, along with gentle sea breezes. Thus, it seems appropriate that Rizhao is among the first cities in the world to pledge to become carbon-neutral: to balance the amount of greenhouse gases emitted with the amount of greenhouse gases eliminated. In Rizhao's case, the challenge will be met by harnessing that sunshine. 'I don't know when we will succeed,' says Fan Changwei, a tall, thin, middle-aged lawyer with the city's Environmental Protection Bureau, 'but we will move in that way.' Only three other cities around the world--Arendal in Norway, Vancouver in Canada and Växjö in Sweden--are attempting the feat, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). All four municipalities are being driven not just by the need to mitigate climate change but by 'the abundant economic opportunities emerging for those willing to embrace a transition to a green economy,' according to UNEP executive director Achim Steiner, speaking in February at the launch of the Climate Neutral Network, an effort to connect cities, countries and companies working to achieve this ambitious goal. Economics is certainly motivating Rizhao, which is scrapping many of the long, low buildings that make up most of its homes and businesses and replacing them with high-rises. Nearly all the new skyscrapers take advantage of Rizhao's yearly average of 260 days of sunshine by heating domestic hot water on their rooftops; 30 percent of new buildings going up in surrounding suburbs and villages also exploit the technology. The water is heated by dark arrays of tubing on the roofs or by grill-like units installed underneath the ubiquitous enclosed terraces of most apartments. Popularizing solar hot water was the first step in greening Rizhao, says Wang Shugang, chief of the city's environmental bureau. The effort got under way in 2004, when the Beijing Shang Shui Hotel installed a rooftop system made by Tsinghua University. Today newer solar hot-water systems cost about $190, which is around the same price as electric heaters--but they save significantly on electricity. 'To save money is very important,' Fan notes. The second key step, according to Wang, was to shut down many small-size businesses that were primary consumers of coal, including paper, cement and steelmaking factories. Food, furniture and other factories have been shifted to industrial parks on the rim of the city. The local coal-fired power plant also installed a scrubber made by Siemens that extracts dust and sulfur dioxide from the facility's smokestack. But it is the local Luxin Jinhe Biochemical Company that truly illustrates the concept of a 'circular economy' based on renewable energy and sustainable processes. Luxin Jinhe makes citric acid, a key ingredient in beverages such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, as well as other prepared foods and various medicines. In the company's huge vats, microbes chew up the sugar in cassava, corn and sweet potato, turning it into the weak acid. By-products are separated, with liquid wastes flowing to biodigesters, where microbes break them down into methane. This 'marsh gas' is then burned to produce electricity and to dry the remaining solids. The dried wastes are converted into bricks of meal for domestic animals and into fertilizer sold to farmers in the community. The citric acid plant is just one of 10 similar enterprises fueled by marsh gas. 'To develop a circular economy is a good way for carbon-neutral and also for energy conserving and energy efficiency,' Fan says. The city also hopes to compress such methane into a liquid fuel and even pipe it to homes for cooking. Small-scale biodigesters are being used in villages throughout the region, even in individual homes, thereby improving indoor air quality. As a result of these efforts, Rizhao has seen economic output rise while energy use has fallen by nearly a third, unlike the rest of China. The city's gross domestic product doubled between 2000 and 2005. Carbon dioxide emissions have been cut in half. Rizhao's former mayor, Li Zhaoqian, has been promoted to vice governor of Shandong Province, partly in the hope that he will be able to replicate the city's success on a larger scale. After all, Rizhao has both enhanced its economy and improved the environment, a recipe the rest of China--and the world--has struggled to match. BEJING: Wind Accelerating, Solar Electric Slow Goals are ambitious but hard to meet BEIJING--Winds rush through the capital city of China, in springtime blowing dust storms that envelop it in grit from the encroaching Gobi Desert. Last year the city government finally took advantage of those winds, installing 33 wind turbines in western suburbs, offsetting the need to expand dirty coal-fired power plants. The turbines, manufactured by Xinjiang Gold Wind, began turning in earnest in January, supplying 300,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a day, enough to provide 20 percent of the power to the city's Olympic venues, part of the nation's pledge for a green Olympics. China's commitment to renewable energy is certainly real. The current national five-year plan calls for wind, solar, biogas and water power to account for 10 percent of the country's energy consumption by 2010 (up from 7.5 percent in 2005) and 15 percent by 2020. Reducing dependence on polluting coal is only one motivation. The plan also states that 'developing and utilizing renewables shall be an important part of building a new socialist countryside.' Fifty entire counties in the provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia that derive 50 percent of household energy from renewable sources are to be built by 2010. 'China is already one of the top re­newa­ble energy producers in the world,' says climate and energy campaigner Liu ­Shuang, who works in the Beijing offices of Greenpeace. The National Development and Reform Commission--the ministry charged with economic development--recently doubled its target for installed wind power to 10 gigawatts by 2010, after meeting the previous goal of five gigawatts three years early, largely in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. The country now has 158 wind farms, according to the Chinese Wind Energy Association (CWEA). Major companies such as electricity giant Huaneng Group and state-directed China National Offshore Oil Corporation are planning more, according to engineer He Dexin, president of CWEA. Greenpeace's Liang adds that 'all the good wind farm locations are now owned by the biggest energy companies.' Other prospectors are looking offshore. 'China has the largest wind resources in the world, and three quarters of them are offshore,' notes Barbara Finamore, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's office here. Putting turbines in deep water could prove treacherous, however: typhoons wrecked poorly designed wind farms in the country's southern region in recent years. And some builders are developing wind farms too fast, says CWEA's Cai Fengbo. 'The quality of wind generation suffered.' Even though wind is expanding, the country is so power-hungry that turbines can meet only 0.6 percent of demand. The most optimistic projections have wind accounting for less than 3 percent of total electricity production by 2020--more than the current U.S. share of 0.4 percent but far less than Denmark, at roughly 20 percent. Regardless, China remains among the world leaders in building wind turbines, as well as their components. Even when foreign companies such as General Electric or Suzlon erect turbines, as much as 70 percent of the components are made in China. China is also the number-one producer of solar photovoltaic panels. More than 200 manufacturers made 1,700 megawatts of the panels in 2007, according to the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association--nearly half of the world's total production. Almost none of that remained inside the country, however. About '99 percent goes outside,' says the association's Li Junfeng. 'The local market is very limited because [photovoltaics] are too expensive.' Around 80 megawatts of photovoltaics have been installed, cropping up on light poles and on the roofs of office buildings that house solar technology companies, such as the Beijing Solar Energy Research Institute's headquarters. Still, says Greenpeace's Liu, 'It's a waste of all the production in China. It doesn't make sense.' YICHANG: Water Power May Be Damned Environmental complications could undermine hydro YICHANG--According to legend, one of China's ancient emperors--Da Yu, or Yu the Great--changed the course of history by placing a mountain in front of the Yangtze River, forcing it to flow east through the Middle Kingdom instead of south as the other great rivers of the region do. Not to be outdone, the modern Chinese government undertook a massive project just north of here to control the flow of this ancient waterway, erecting Three Gorges, the world's largest dam. That megaproject, completed in 2006 for $30 billion, provides 22,500 megawatts of power--more than 20 large coal-fired power plants--without emitting the greenhouse gases and other pollutants those plants would produce. The dam has also raised the water level in the upper reaches of the river by as much as 66 feet (20 meters), vastly improving commercial shipping. And it protects large communities downstream from terrible floods, such as the one in 1998 that forced 14 million people out of their homes. One of the main reasons to build the dam was 'to store water in the upper river so as to protect eastern parts of the country,' says Lai Hun Suen, a professor of sustainable development at Chongqing University and a municipal government official. Even with considerable efforts taken to develop wind power and solar hot-water heating, hydroelectric dams remain the cleanest, cheapest form of alternative energy in China. The country is blessed with abundant resources: 400 million kilowatts of potential, of which only a quarter have been developed. 'Within 30 to 50 years, hydro will be the main energy we should rely on,' Lai predicts. Hydro accounted for 16 percent of total electricity generation in 2005, thanks to the completion of the Da Chao Shan, Gong Bo Xia and Three Gorges dams. But the massive projects also imposed great human and environmental costs, creating significant controversy. Three Gorges forced more than four million residents of villages, towns and cities in the path of the rising waters to relocate, most of them to bustling Chongqing. Numerous historic cultural sites and monumental natural features were also permanently flooded. Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage. The unique baiji freshwater dolphin, native only to the Yangtze, has also been rendered extinct. Environmental challenges could undermine the world's largest dam as well. Silt could gum up Three Gorges, and climate change could drain the water supply, as the glaciers atop the Tibetan Plateau that feed the Yangtze dwindle. Efforts to emulate Da Yu--smaller dams that siphon off water have proliferated in the upper reaches of the river--could also undo the mightiest of man-made waterworks. 'We have taken big floods into consideration,' Lai says. 'What we did not expect is less water.' Note: This article was originally printed with the title, "China's Energy Paradox". Copyright 2008, Scientific American Thanks to: Popular Science 9 Ways NASA Can Tackle Climate Change   Chasing Rainbows: Full-Spectrum Photovoltaics   Chicago's Plans to Go Green   Turning the Tide on Harnessing the Ocean's Abundant Energy       Green Infrastructure Municipal Handbook The Municipal Handbook is a series of documents to help local officials implement green infrastructure in their communities. Handbook topics cover issues such as financing, operation and maintenance, incentives, designs, codes & ordinances, and a variety of other subjects. The handbook documents are intended to serve as "how to" manuals on these topics, written primarily from the standpoint of municipal implementation. The handbook is being produced in sections, with each new element being released as it is completed. Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Handbook Series Funding Options (PDF) (16 pp, 658K) (833-F-08-007) - This chapter on funding options describes strategies and provides case study examples of how local governments are generating reliable funding for green infrastructure. In order to effectively manage and minimize stormwater runoff with green infrastructure, municipalities must establish sustainable funding sources to move beyond the pilot phase and create a comprehensive green infrastructure program. This document identifies and discusses the two most common funding options communities are using for green stormwater infrastructure – stormwater fees and loan programs. A third source of funding – grant programs – is also available in limited amounts to support green infrastructure projects. Retrofit Policies (PDF) (23 pp, 2.37MB) (833-F-08-008) - This chapter explores policies and incentives used by municipalities to facilitate green retrofits within their stormwater programs. This document also troubleshoots the institutional and regulatory challenges of incorporating green retrofits into municipal infrastructure, and provides some solutions and case studies. Green Streets (PDF) (19 pp, 1.8MB) (833-F-08-009) - This chapter evaluates programs and policies used to integrate green infrastructure into public spaces, roads and other transportation networks. The result is often an innovative system that includes a variety design elements such as street trees, permeable pavement, bioretention, and swales. The municipal case studies in this chapter highlight the benefits of greening transportation networks. Rainwater Harvesting Policies (PDF) (16 pp, 1.45MB) (833-F-08-010) - This chapter addresses harvesting principles, designs, example code requirements, and policies and incentives of implementing a municipal rainwater harvesting program. Rainwater harvesting can reduce stormwater runoff, conserve potable water, and provide environmental and economic benefits. Barriers to implementation are also addressed, and case studies from across the country demonstrate successful rainwater harvesting programs.   The Big Thaw The Arctic’s permafrost contains twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. But as global temperatures rise, the frozen ground is melting fast and releasing greenhouse gases. Are we trapped in a deadly cycle? By SciIll Staff Posted 02.02.2009 at 12:42 pm 19 Comments One hundred thirty miles north of Nome, a small coastal village on Sarichef Island is feeling the effects of climate change. Shishmaref, Alaska, is falling into the sea. Rising temperatures are melting the permafrost, the layer of frozen ground beneath the surface. Without this firm base, waves have eroded the land on which Shishmaref’s villagers make their home. They must relocate their houses inland or start all over somewhere else. [ Read Full Story ]   Concepts and Prototypes: Ice Scout A legendary sports-car builder engineers a featherweight, ethanol-powered supercar on skis to lead an expedition across Antarctica By Michael Dumiak Posted 02.04.2009 at 9:05 am 6 Comments Ice Scout: Peter Bollinger (See the details!) When you're driving a 4.7-ton truck filled with scientific equipment across a crevasse-strewn Antarctic wasteland, choosing the right path is critical. Deep cracks in the ice, invisible from a distance, can swallow a truck whole. An Antarctic expedition needs an ultra-light scout vehicle to run ahead and find a safe route before the heavy machinery rolls through. That's exactly what the Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) is built to do. It's the creation of England's Lotus Engineering, an arm of the custom automaker famous for building lightweight, go-kart-height sports cars like the Esprit and Elise. The CIV will lead this fall's Moon Regan TransAntarctic Expedition, a 3,000-mile trek whose goal is to gather information about snowfall patterns, the Antarctic atmosphere, and the performance of biofuels in one of the world's harshest environments. Made of 80 percent aircraft-grade aluminum, the sled weighs only 793 pounds, light enough that its crew can drag it across the snow if the terrain gets too rough. The vehicle glides on three Teflon-coated skis, each mounted independently to shocks that can flex more than two feet in case of a particularly brutal bump. "You ride along the snow, and it can be very flat," says Kieron Bradley, the former Formula One engineer who led the CIV team. "All of a sudden, it's four-foot sastrugi" -- irregular snow ridges, cut by the wind, that would sink a regular snowmobile. Once out in front of the pack, the CIV will use ice-penetrating radar to detect crevasses and other hazards in order to map out a route for two six-wheel trucks carrying the rest of the crew and equipment. Ethanol—Better Than We Thought? Study shows that corn ethanol produces half the greenhouse emissions of gasoline By Sean Captain Posted 01.29.2009 at 5:35 pm 20 Comments Ethanol Pump: GNU Free Documentation License Common sense says that burning a plant you regrow every year is better for the atmosphere than spewing out carbon dioxide that’s been buried underground for eons. But the truth behind biofuels and petroleum often seems to defy common sense. Neither ethanol nor gasoline bubbles out of the ground ready to put in your tank. So to figure out which one does less environmental harm, you have to calculate all the energy that goes into making it. For years, studies have shown that ethanol is no better—or even worse—for the environment than gasoline. Some studies even claimed that it takes more energy to make a gallon of ethanol than you get from burning it. But a new federal government-sponsored study released this week says the opposite. The report, entitled Improvements in Life Cycle Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Ethanol, claims that a gallon of ethanol produces nearly twice as much energy as it consumes, and that switching from gasoline to ethanol cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 54 percent. Why such different results? Better data, say the study’s authors—researchers from midwestern universities including the University of Nebraska, Iowa State, Michigan State, and the University of Wisconsin. The pessimistic studies were based on old data about crop production and inefficient early ethanol plant designs, they claim. Planet Fixers Three clever innovations for a greener future By Danny Freedman Posted 01.28.2009 at 11:57 am 6 Comments Black Hole: A regular solar cell [left] reflects about one third of the light hitting it at an angle. A cell coated with antireflective film [right] absorbs 96 percent courtesy Shawn-Yu Lin/Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A Funnel For Sunlight Solar panels convert the most light into electricity when the sun shines directly on them, but as soon as it wanes, so does efficiency. A new antireflective film coating could help panels collect sunshine at 96 percent efficiency from nearly any angle. Developed by scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the film consists of seven layers of nanoscopic silicon and titanium-oxide rods arranged in increasing densities, with the topmost nearly as porous as air. This funnel-like setup captures light from almost every direction and focuses it onto the photovoltaic panel while also inhibiting reflection. The film, which is about one hundredth as thick as a human hair, could easily be applied to any solar panel, says lead researcher Shawn-Yu Lin, and would help collect 20 percent more light while eliminating the need for the expensive hardware usually used to rotate solar panels as the sun moves. Before Lin can sell the film, he must find a way to protect the outermost layers from the wind and heat, a process that he says may take another year. Diesel Diet Green Streets: A device saves truckers fuel  iStock California-based Save the World Air, Inc., says its Elektra fuel pump add-on can improve a big-rig truck’s highway fuel economy by as much as 10 percent. That could cull a trailer truck’s diesel intake by more than 2,000 gallons a year, says Joe Dell, the company’s vice president for marketing, saving a typical 1,000-truck fleet two million gallons. The thermos-size device is based on technology from Temple University that thins fuel with an electric field, creating smaller droplets that burn more thoroughly, which yields more energy and pumps less unburned fuel from the exhaust pipe. The company will test a refined, smaller version of the device this year and could have a model ready for diesel cars by 2011. Turning The Tide Engineers at the University of Oxford recently tested a 1.5-foot-wide prototype turbine that generates energy by spinning in the tide like the blades of a push lawn mower. The cylindrical turbines could be roughly 10 percent less efficient than fan-shaped turbines, but each rotor’s size—the full-size versions will be 33 feet in diameter and 200 feet long—and the ability to link multiple units means they can harness more energy for less money. Spanning an entire river with the six-megawatt turbines could save 40 percent per megawatt on manufacturing and 60 percent on maintenance. The engineers are lining up funding and plan to evaluate a full-scale device next year. Roll With It: Several linked push-mower turbines could span a river  courtesy Ross McAdam/Dept. of Engineering Science/University of Oxford       Good Morning FLPPR Members, The Florida Pollution Prevention Roundtable is seeking interested candidates for the Board of Directors. There will be four seats up for election this year, seats 1,3,5 and 7. The board of Directors serve two year terms, the majority of board business is conducted via monthly conference calls, with an annual face to face meeting held in Orlando, typically after the election, to seat the new board and have Officer elections. The election shall be conducted  via a web site just like last year and will be held from 5/1-22/2009, with the newly elected Directors taking office on July 1, 2009. The fiscal year and membership cycle for FLPPR is July through June, so any current member of FLPPR is eligible to run for Director in April. I will be sending out a membership renewal notice in May to cover the July 2009 through June 2010. If you have any questions, please email me at rgreer@melbourneflorida.org Regards Randy Greer, Chair Florida Pollution Prevention Roundtable, Inc.     Candidate Information   2009 Florida Pollution Prevention Roundtable Inc, Board of Director Candidates Please vote for four (4) individuals. For a downloadable version to read at your pleasure, please "right click" and save as (icon or text below) 2009 Candidate Roster 2009 Florida Pollution Prevention Roundtable Inc, Board of Director Candidates Information on the candidates running for the four (4) seats which expire at the end of June is provided below. The Election will be from 5/1/09 through 5/22/09. Please vote for four (4) individuals. Candidate 1 of 5: Name: Scott R. Tess Title: Pollution Prevention Coordinator Affiliation: Orange County Environmental Protection Division Contact information: Phone: 321-689-7464 email: scott.tess@ocfl.net Why I Practice and promote P2: I practice and promote P2 as a cost effective way to reduce pollution and waste while enhancing efficient resource use and environmental quality. Why I would like to serve on the FLPPR Board: I would like to serve on the FLPPR board to aid in developing FLPPR into the primary resource for P2 information and professional development in Florida. Ideas I have to further the mission of FLPPR: I would like FLPPR to develop a P2 Best Practices Toolkit where homeowners, office managers, and industries in Florida can quickly access P2 practices that specifically apply to them. I would also like to revive FLPPR’s annual P2 Conference. 　 　 Candidate 2 of 5: Name: Cheryl Putnam Title: Environmental Manager Affiliation: City of Largo Environmental Services Department Contact information: Phone: 727-518-3061 email: cputnam@largo.com Why I Practice and promote P2: I passionately support pro-active methods of minimizing both personal and industrial sources of pollution. 　 Why I would like to serve on the FLPPR Board: I would like to serve on a board with professional objectives in which the impact on the environment takes top priority. 　 Ideas I have to further the mission of FLPPR: Educate industries and commercial users how to reduce water use and utilize alternative water sources, such as reclaimed water. 　 　   Candidate 3 of 5: Name: Jorean Washington Title: Environmental Specialist II Affiliation: METRA, Orange County Utilities, NEHA, , FEHA, FACE, FIPA Contact information: Phone: 407-341-4418 email: Jorean.Washington@ocfl.net Why I Practice and promote P2: Having served in the environmental arena for over 20 years I recognize the importance of conserving and maintaining environment if want to continue to achieve living healthy and enjoy quality natural resources, ie. air, water, and landscape (vegetative and recreational. Why I would like to serve on the FLPPR Board: I am always interested and excited about contributing to a strategic plan to maintain a pollution free environment via education, awareness and regulation. Ideas I have to further the mission of FLPPR: Increased public awareness, and easy access to information to accommodate understanding, compliance and maintenance of a pollution free environment. 　 Candidate 4 of 5: Name: Anna Fullen Title: Environmental Compliance Coordinator Affiliation: Orange County Environmental Protection Division Contact information: Phone: 407-836-1482 email:Anna.fullen@ocfl.net Why I Practice and promote P2: I believe that Pollution Prevention holds a critical place in our everyday life. Not only because of the environmental benefit that it holds to protecting the environment, but for the average person the economic benefit it will help in supporting peoples income during these tough economic times. If people were to be more aware about how much money they could save by repairing their leaky plumbing or shutting off their lights when they leave a room they would be more motivated to prevent the source of pollution in the first place. Why I would like to serve on the FLPPR Board: I believe with the years of experience I have working in both the private and public sector, performing such responsibilities like water chemistries, sampling, environmental law, and public relations I would be the type of well-rounded candidate the committee is looking for to achieve their goals. 　 Candidate 5 of 5: Name: Neil Hornick Title: Senior Project Manager Affiliation: Aerostar Environmental Services, Inc. Contact information: Phone: (904) 565-2820 - work email: nhornick@aerostar.net (904) 591-6587 – cell Why I Practice and promote P2: In the last 6-7 months I have become involved with P2 activities at several Federal facilities in the Southeastern U.S. and found that I seem to both have a knack for it and enjoy doing the work. I am by no means an expert at it and I wanted to join FLPPR to learn more about it. Why I would like to serve on the FLPPR Board: I served as a general board member for the Rocky Mountain CHMM Chapter when I lived in Colorado and was unable to complete my term as I moved back to Florida. I would like to have the opportunity to start and complete a term as a board member of a professional organization I am associated with. Ideas I have to further the mission of FLPPR: None right now as I am still getting familiar with what FLPPR is, hopefully I can help brainstorm when the need arises. 　 　 　     The next few months are going to be busy for the Florida Pollution Prevention Roundtable (FLPPR) as we launch the brand new FLPPR P2 Awards Program. The program 'officially' launches March 1, 2009 and eligible companies will have until May 1, 2009 to submit applications for consideration. Pollution Prevention Week has been chosen as the logical time frame for award presentation, to recognize the winner and provide additional media exposure for Pollution Prevention in general. Eligibility requirements are as follows:    1. Be a company with a Florida Business address,    2. Be a member of FLPPR,    3. Be in compliance with state and local environmental rules and regulations for past 12 months, i.e since March 1, 2008           Florida Pollution Prevention Roundtable, Inc Annual Work Plan July 1, 2008 through June 30 2009 The Florida Pollution Prevention Roundtable has identified the following goals to accomplish during the business year ending June 30, 2009. Development of a statewide Pollution Prevention Awards Program. It is anticipated that the program will be launched during Earth Week 2009 with a winner to be announced during P2 Week 2009. Conference Committee formation and Events Planning. FLPPR would like to host workshops or a statewide P2 Conference by exploring potential partnerships and planning for an initial event to be held in 2010. Membership Committee Formation. The Membership Committee shall determine and implement ideas for soliciting members.

News from Florida and FDEP:     Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup   Saturday, September 20, 2008 for this year's cleanup!  Sign up now. Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind. Last year, 378,000 volunteers from 76 countries and 45 states cleared six million pounds of trash from oceans and waterways and recorded every piece of trash collected. Sign up now to join this year'slast cleanup effort on October 25, 2008, and a local coordinator will be in touch with you soon. Tell a friend about the Deleon Springs cleanup. Community Cleanups     October 25, 2008 DeLeon Springs Community Clean up Celebrate Florida’s Greenways & Trails this October! Florida Greenways & Trails Month is designed to encourage partnerships that support the creation of a statewide system of greenways and trails and involve Floridians in creating, using and appreciating these great natural resources.  Many recreational opportunities and alternative, energy-saving transportation routes that are available to the state’s residents and visitors year ‘round take the spotlight during the month of October. Activities related to greenways and trails will take place throughout Florida. Festivities include dedications, educational exhibits, trail rides, paddling excursions, trail blazing, birding, clean-up events and more. For more information see the Greenways & Trails month web page or call (850) 245-2100 or toll free (877) 822-5208. A listing of events throughout the state will be posted and updated weekly.   Paddling Trails Brochure is Available!   The Office of Greenways & Trails and VISIT FLORIDA have collaborated with other organizations to produce the new Florida Paddling Trails brochure (8 mb). The brochure provides a guide to Florida's top canoeing and kayaking trails. The Office of Greenways & Trails and VISIT FLORIDA  have previously collaborated with other trail organizations to produce the Florida Bicycle Trails (3.4 mb) and Florida Hiking Trails (4.4 mb) brochures. These brochures provide a guide to Florida's top paved and off-road bike trails, and hiking trails. To obtain a hard copy of the brochures, please call 1-877-822-5208, or email Kae Craig.   Biofuels Action Plan - Fact Sheet - Plan #featureText p {margin: 0; padding: 0 0 5px 0;} Storm Status Department of Energy situation reports provide a status of energy resources in regions affected by hurricanes and tropical storms.  Read the latest situation reports (red denotes text updated from previous report).   Researcher Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Is Co-Winner of 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry WASHINGTON, DC – Under Secretary for Science Orbach congratulates Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien for co-winning the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for transforming a green fluorescent protein from jellyfish into one of the most important tools of molecular biology that researchers now use to watch such previously invisible processes as the development of nerve cells in the brain or how cancer cells are formed. more> Statement from DOE’s Chief Spokesperson Andrew Beck Regarding Delivery of Strategic Petroleum Reserve Oil more> DOE Announces Additional Steps in Developing Sustainable Biofuels Industry more> ___________________________________________________________________________     _________________________________ Good News About the Environment Samples of Greenland's ice show that our air is cleaner than our forebears' air By Sam Barrett Posted 08.22.2008 at 2:52 pm 0 Comments Although we still have much progress to make on reducing emissions, new research suggests the situation could be worse. According to a study by the Desert Research Institute, pollutant levels at the beginning of the 20th century were two to five times higher than current levels of pollution. Researchers attribute the decrease in pollution levels to the advent of more efficient coal-burning technologies, as well as legislation aimed at reducing emissions. [ Read Full Story ] READ MORE ABOUT > coal, environment, Sam Barrett, science news, the environment     A New Dawn for Solar Energy MIT scientists inspired by photosynthesis have developed a process that might finally make solar energy affordable and easy to produce By Stuart Fox Posted 08.01.2008 at 4:10 pm 22 Comments It doesn’t take a stellar imagination to figure out the main downside of solar power. For years, the question of how to store the energy generated when the sun is shining for use at night has prevented solar power from becoming a viable alternative energy source. However, a new breakthrough may have overcome that storage problem, opening the door for solar energy on a grand scale. [ Read Full Story ] READ MORE ABOUT > alternative energy, environment, solar energy, solar power, stuart fox   The Future of the Environment, Popular Science A blueprint for the eco-tropolis of the future with fresh air, pristine water and cheap energy. Plus, 48 audacious ideas to save the planet Check Out the Future of the Environment Posted June 24th, 2008 by Abby Seiff The Green Megalopolis: An eco-savvy blueprint for tomorrow's megacity Photo by Kevin Hand In our annual Future of the Environment issue, we take a look at the monumental problems facing our world as we continue into the 21st century, as well as solutions ranging from the audacious to the everyday to, quite literally, save the planet. This year we turn much of our focus toward a bold blueprint for the city of the future. Check out our interactive tour of a future green megalopolis, the 10 most audacious engineering solutions for saving the planet, as well as the most problematic cities, industries, and projects looming on the horizon. A Green Megalopolis: The Plan What does the eco-conscious megacity of tomorrow look like? Launch our interactive tour to find out 10 Audacious Ideas to Save the Planet Making a dent in the climate crisis is going to take more than solar panels and recycled toilet paper. Scientists are finding ever more creative ways (pig pee! DIY tornadoes!) to clean up the Earth Green DIY Guide It's not too late to reverse the damage. See some bold steps any DIYer can take Charging Ahead A smart power strip delivers just the right amount of juice Riding Clean Powered by environmentally conscious energy sources, these DIY vehicles put traditional gas guzzlers to shame Google Earth Environment Guide Crunching massive, geographical data visualizations used to require expensive mapping software and powerful computers. Now, Google Earth is becoming the go-to application for scientists who need a cheap way to animate huge sets of 3-D data right on their home desktop.   _________________________________________________________________________________ News Old: Green Tips Information to help businesses large and small 'Go Green' - The "Green" Business: Tips You Can Use Today  [PDF - 97.3 KB]   Green Cleaning Proper sanitation and cleaning are important for a healthy working, living and learning environment. Green Cleaning offers better environmental performance and improved health and safety all while retaining the same sanitation quality as traditional, more chemical-intensive cleaning methods. When correctly employed, no cleaning power is sacrificed through green cleaning practices. ...Learn More   Scientists From Granada Develop New Methodology For Landfill Management UGR News Scientists of the University of Granada (Spain) have designed a novel and versatile environmental diagnostic method of landfills which is able to adapt to different places of the world and contributes to quantify the environmental impact. ...Learn More   Solar Impulse will fly only on solar power Viable solar flight will cut down on the amount of air and noise pollution generated by airplane travel...Learn More   Scientists From Granada Develop New Methodology For Landfill Management UGR News Scientists of the University of Granada (Spain) have designed a novel and versatile environmental diagnostic method of landfills which is able to adapt to different places of the world and contributes to quantify the environmental impact. ...Learn More   Solar Impulse will fly only on solar power Viable solar flight will cut down on the amount of air and noise pollution generated by airplane travel...Learn More   August 3-7, 2008 The North American Surface Water Quality Conference & Exposition, August 3–7, 2008, in Orlando, FL, at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Join thousands of professionals responsible for stormwater management, including municipal and tribal managers, state and federal regulators, engineers, consultants, highway and heavy-construction contractors, developers, compliance professionals, design professionals, researchers, nonprofit professionals, and officials at special sites, such as ports, airports, and military bases. StormCon is where you will find the latest stormwater program management and BMPs performance case studies, research, technology, and services–in an unparalleled education and training setting for anyone involved in surface-water quality. Find out more at: http://www.stormcon.com/sc.html     _________________________________________________________________________________ STRAIGHT FROM FDEP : Green Tips Information to help businesses large and small 'Go Green' - The "Green" Business: Tips You Can Use Today  [PDF - 97.3 KB]   Green Cleaning Proper sanitation and cleaning are important for a healthy working, living and learning environment. Green Cleaning offers better environmental performance and improved health and safety all while retaining the same sanitation quality as traditional, more chemical-intensive cleaning methods. When correctly employed, no cleaning power is sacrificed through green cleaning practices. ...Learn More FLERA ConferenceJuly 30 -August 1, 2008 FLERA’s 2008 Annual Conference will be held July 30 – August 1, 2008 at the Hyatt on Sarasota Bay, Sarasota, Florida. The conference will focus on the role of local governments as Florida addresses the critical issue of climate change. Join us for informative sessions and outstanding presenters. There will also be opportunities to network with your peers druing the Silent Auction, breaks in the exhibit hall, and at the famous FLERA BBQ held at the MOTE Marine Laboratory!...Learn More