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Sustainable Energy Policies
Soil Recycling, Sceeners and Roof Gardens
When excavation for the construction of a building begins, deep gouges
of ground aggregate are scooped out and , usually, loaded onto trucks
and hauled to a dump somewhere. The Green Builder understands that
recycling soil aggregate onsite – screening topsoil, dirt, rock, gravel and sand
- not only serves the environmental use but saves money.
In recent years, the popularity, benefits and importance of roof gardens has caught the publics’ attention. Properly designed to support the load, a building has added value for having a roof garden - tangible and intangible. Everyone can relate to the peace and calm that one experiences in a garden. Peace and quiet – maybe the sound of water moving in the background from a water feature. It’s the place employees eat ther lunch, take their breaks and their work is better for it. A roof garden can also support food-growing as its purpose which benefits not only the employees and building occupants, but conceivably the neighborhood and, thinking big, possibly the community. A properly designed and constructed roof garden takes time and effort but one task is easily solved - OMH Innovations has created soil aggregate screener products that separates soil, topsoil, rock, gravel, dirt and sand. Innovatively designed, the screeners can be attached to bobcats, skid steers, backhoes and front loaders. They are specifically designed for compact use where space is an issue. OMH ProScreen has several models for the job at hand from the PVG-96 two-screener to the Bucket. Green Builders understand the value of recycling and land reclamation. With fuel costs and dumping fees rising and affecting the bottom line, screening soil aggregate for recycling is quickly becoming an important part of the larger construction, excavation and landscaping industries. US Renewable Energy to Reach 700GW
"We have today put real numbers on America's renewable energy future
that we have for years felt in our gut. This is a huge
tipping point that will guide the public policy support required for
renewable energy to help lower CO2 emissions and reduce our nation's
dependence on foreign fossil fuels." according to Michael Eckhart, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy
(ACORE) which hosted the recent 5th annual national
policy conference "Renewable Energy in America: Phase II Market
Forecasts and Policy Requirements".
Study Says Bioenergy has Great Potential in United States
Renewable sources currently provide about 6 percent of all the energy used in the United States. Renewable resources could produce 25 percent of the electricity and
motor vehicle fuels used in the United States by 2025 at little or no
additional cost if fossil fuel prices remain high enough and the cost
of producing renewable energy continues falling in accord with
historical trends, according to a RAND Corporation study issued mid-November, 2006.
Can Americans Grow Enough Biofuels?
"The high price of petroleum, government incentives to reduce
dependence on imported oil, and growing efforts to address climate
change have created a perfect storm for bio-based products, driving
demand for alternative feedstocks for biofuels and chemicals and
cleaner biotech-based production processes. Industrial biotechnology
has enhanced the efficiency of biofuel production and made possible
production of a range of polymers and chemicals from agricultural
starting materials. The next challenge facing the biorefinery industry
is producing, harvesting and delivering abundant feedstocks in an
economically and environmentally sustainable fashion." according to
Brent Erickson, executive vice president of Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Industrial & Environmental Section.
More Funds for Biotech Companies as European Commission Recognizes "Young Innovative Company" Status
The European Commission has just published new state aid
rules, backed by a communication on tax incentives to stimulate bioenergy R & D. The new rules recognize EuropaBio’s Young
Innovative Companies (YIC) status as an eligibility criterion for state aid.
This will enable Member states to provide extra public funds like tax and other
financial incentives to their young innovative biotechnology companies without
running into trouble with EU competition rules.
Illinois Takes Lead in Bioenergy Incentives
Three ethanol plants, a biodiesel facility, three wind-powered
electrical farms, a methane-powered generator and a research and
development site for fuel alternatives are being planned in Rock River Valley, northern Illinois, as investors, government officials and business leaders talk about new ways to make power for the region.
US Federal Spending on Energy Falls Short
Annual federal spending in the United States for all energy research and development, not
just the research aimed at climate-friendly technologies, is less than
half what it was a quarter-century ago. It has sunk to $3 billion a
year in the current budget from an inflation-adjusted peak of $7.7
billion in 1979, according to several different studies.
US Energy Program Funds Biomass Power Technologies
"The Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Biomass Program, run by the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
includes major programs for developing and improving technology for
biomass power; including biofuels such as ethanol (from biomass
residues as well as grain) and renewable diesel; and for making
plastics and chemicals from renewable, biobased materials.
Green Goes To College
"The Higher Education Committee (HEC), a coalition of college and
university presidents and academic leaders organized by The American
Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE), is calling on American
institutions of higher learning to commit to renewable energy by
greening their campuses, investing in the industry and teaching future
generations about renewable energy.
Study Predicts Hotter, Drier Australia
"Australia's climate is now permanently hotter and drier, and the country faces
major temperature rises and significantly less rainfall by 2070, scientists
said on Monday. The projections, described by one official as a
"frightening picture", were published as Australia grapples with its
worst drought in 100 years and follows Prime Minister John Howard's recent
conversion to the view that global warming is real.
Alternative Energy Development Critical to Diversifying Michigan Economy
Michigan Governor
Jennifer M. Granholm says a package of
legislation will create incentives for
consumers who buy alternative fuel vehicles and service stations that
make ethanol and biodiesel available to their customers. “The state that put the world on wheels will be the state that makes
those wheels independent of foreign oil."
Biodiesel Use in Washington State
"Biodiesel has captured the interest of Washington State citizens. For policy makers, biodiesel provides air quality benefits, including reductions in greenhouse gas and particulate emissions.
Union of Concerned Scientists
Renewable electricity standards and funding are anticipated to reduce the level of carbon dioxide by 76.3 million metric tons by 2017. This is the equivalent to taking 11.4 million cars
off the road or planting 18.3 million acres of trees (an area approximately the
size of West Virginia).
Clinton Global Initiative 2006
"In the past year, world temperatures reached record highs, oil prices
climbed to new peaks, and the market for clean energy technologies grew
dramatically. These trends illustrate both the imperative to move
beyond outdated patterns of energy use and the enormous opportunities
awaiting enlightened innovators with the courage to pursue new
approaches.
Congressional Energy Legislation
The House Approved $1 Million to Study Coastal Population Centers Most At Risk (June, 2006). The amendment offered by Representative
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) provides the funds for a comprehensive
study to determine which U.S. coastal population centers are most at
risk from the consequences of sea level rise due to global warming.
WorldWatch Institute Report 2006
"Biofuel production has doubled since 2001 and is poised for even
stronger growth as the industry responds to higher fuel prices and
supportive government policies.
Wisconsin Governor Announces Renewable Energy Plan
SUPERIOR,WI
- "Governor Jim Doyle today toured Elkhorn Industries in Superior, a
company that could benefit from his $450 million public/private
investment strategy in renewable energy. The Governor’s proposal,
including nearly $80 million from the state, will be included in his
budget next year as part of a broad effort to make Wisconsin the
nation’s leader in energy independence and create 17,000 jobs.
American Coalition for Ethanol
The
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is
the grassroots voice of the U.S. ethanol
industry. ACE is a national, non-profit
organization of more than 1200 members in
45 states, including ethanol producers,
farmers, investors, commodity organizations,
businesses supplying goods and services
to the industry, rural electric cooperatives,
and others supportive of the increased production
and use of ethanol across America.
Ending US Tariff on Ethanol "If ethanol is such a good motor fuel, then America ought to import it as well as make it. Or,
at least that's the argument of people who contend Congress should
eliminate the 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on imported fuel ethanol. The impact on US bioenergy companies may not be as dramatic as one might think. By Philip Brasher, Des Moines Register 10-10-06 Read entire article here.
Bush's Climate Policies - Fall 2006
From Grist.org Sept. 21, 2006 By Bill McKibben "After almost two decades of inaction, at long last
America seems ready to start considering some kind of action to address global
warming. With states setting conflicting standards, with the scientists
announcing weekly updates on the speed and size of the approaching cataclysm,
with shareholder activism starting to push business, and with green stirrings
even from the evangelical wing of American Christianity, the time when the
fossil-fuel lobby could get away with total obstruction may be passing.
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    Australian businesses market greenhouse neutral products or
services, deliver greenhouse gas abatement and give Australian consumers
greater purchasing choice through the GreenHouse Friendly project.   National Center for Appropriate Technology helps the nation's most disadvantaged, low income citizens with energy assistance.   
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Copyright/All Rights Reserved 2006 (whatever) Feel Free to Share.
Copyright/All Rights Reserved 2006 (whatever) Feel Free to Share.