Environmental News BitsBrowsing environmental news sources so you don't have to. Contact Laura Barnes (lbarnes@istc.illinois.edu) with questions, comments, and suggestions.Google could make a splash with water-based datacenters- September 17, 2008 Read the full post at Sustainable IT. Why settle for free cooling thanks to air-side economization when you can get free power and cooling from the sea &8212; not to mention a nice tax break That appears to the logic behind Google&8217;s patented &8220;water-based datacenter&8221; design. As reported this week by Rich Miller at Data Center Knowledge, ...http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/17/google-could-make-a-splash-with-water-based-datace... Putting a focus on medical waste- September 17, 2008 Read the full story in the Nashua Telegraph. Tossing out everything from plastic bandages and cotton swabs to hospital robes after a single use, the U.S. medical industry generates more than 2 million tons of waste per year, environmental advocates say. Some of that waste makes its way to incinerators and, when burned, releases dioxin, mercury ...http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/17/putting-a-focus-on-medical-waste/ Energy efficiency scores- September 17, 2008 Read the full story in Sustainable Industries Journal. Education is power. That&8217;s what two Oregon nonprofits are teaming up to prove. Portland-based Earth Advantage, a green building advisory and certification group, together with The Energy Trust of Oregon, a Portland-based organization promoting energy efficiency, in July 2008 launched a scoring system intended to give Oregon homeowners, builders, ...http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/17/energy-efficiency-scores/ New algae fuel alchemy gets $3M- September 17, 2008 Read the full story at Cleantech.com. Researchers from Arizona State University and University of Virginia, in separate projects, pioneer new commercial scale algae opportunities.http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/17/new-algae-fuel-alchemy-gets-3m/ E-waste laws aim at producers- September 17, 2008 Read the full story in Sustainable Industries Journal. The amount of electronic waste or &8220;e-waste&8221; in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, and states such as Oregon and Washington want electronics manufacturers to shoulder the cost of implementing responsible &8220;e-waste&8221; recycling programs.http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/17/e-waste-laws-aim-at-producers/ Small Businesses and Congregations Fight Climate Change through Energy Efficiency and Innovation- September 16, 2008 Read the press release. Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named the 13 winners of the 2008 Energy Star Small Business and Congregation Awards. This year&8217;s winners are recognized for doing their part to save energy and fight climate change through effective energy management practices and innovative efficiency solutions.http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/16/small-businesses-and-congregations-fight-climate-c... States Aim to Cut Gases by Making Polluters Pay- September 16, 2008 Read the full story in the New York Times. Ten states are about to undertake the nation&8217;s most serious effort yet to tackle climate change, but there are worries that it may fail to reduce pollution.http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/16/states-aim-to-cut-gases-by-making-polluters-pay/ Two from the Associated Press on pharmaceuticals in wastewater- September 16, 2008 The Associated Press has a two-part follow-up to their series on pharmaceuticals in wastewater. The articles are: Tons of drugs dumped into wastewater Probe finds little guidance for disposing of drugshttp://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/16/two-from-the-associated-press-on-pharmaceuticals-i... FDA defends plastic linked with health risks- September 16, 2008 Read the full story from the Associated Press. With scientists at odds over the safety of a chemical found in plastic baby bottles, metal cans and other food packaging, consumers got minimal guidance Tuesday about how to protect themselves. At a scientific hearing, the Food and Drug Administration defended its assessment that bisphenol A &8212; or BPA ...http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/16/fda-defends-plastic-linked-with-health-risks/ Silent Streams Escalating Endangerment for North American Freshwater Fish: Nearly 40 Percent Now At-Risk- September 16, 2008 Read the press release. Nearly 40 percent of fish species in North American streams, rivers and lakes are now in jeopardy, according to the most detailed evaluation of the conservation status of freshwater fishes in the last 20 years. The 700 fishes now listed represent a staggering 92 percent increase over the 364 listed as &8220;imperiled&8221; in ...http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/09/16/silent-streams-escalating-endangerment-for-north-a... |