Top Stories

EPA to cut toxic emissions at power plants.—reliability high.
The U.S. EPA has agreed to a court settlement that requires it to propose rules by March 16, 2011, and issue the final rules by November 16, 2011, to reduce toxic air pollution (mercury and particulates) from electric generating plants that burn coal or fuel oil. From Reuters.

Calculating Emissions Is Problematic.—reliability high.
"An accounting problem in the way some greenhouse gas emissions are calculated could critically hobble efforts to reduce them in coming years as nations move to combat global warming, scientists warn in a new report." Several recent technical papers call attention to the anomaly created when the Kyoto protocol was negotiated that and emissions from land use changes in developing countries were exempted. Thus they are not counted against the biofuel products that may cause such changes, making the biofuels look more carbon positive than they are. One paper warns that not counting these emissions means that programs to "reduce" emissions "could result in a vast expansion of bioenergy crops, displacing nearly all of the world’s natural forests by 2065." From New York Times.


Companies, Industries, Markets and Supply Chains

Will the first folding helmet turn heads?.—reliability medium.
Will the availability of a folding bicycle helmet make more people wear helmets or ride bikes to places where they have no place to put their helmet, thus saving the planet and peoples' brains at the same time? Folding bicycle company Dahon has developed it. Video. From The Guardian Green Living blog.

Cereplast develops algae-to-bioplastics technology.—reliability high.
"Our algae research has shown promising results and we believe that in the months to come we should be able to launch this new family of algae-based resins. Algae-based resins represent an outstanding opportunity for companies across the plastic supply chain to become more environmentally sustainable and reduce the industry’s reliance on oil. We are still in the development phase, but we believe that this breakthrough technology could result in a significant new line of business in the years to come." From NewNet.

Penalized for Pollution, Major Bus Firm to Reduce Idling.—reliability high.
"As part of a settlement for clean air violations, under the Clean Air Act, school bus operator First Student Inc., a leading school bus transportation services company in North America, has agreed to reduce idling from its nationwide fleet of 50,000 school buses." Plus pay a small fine and do "green" "community service". The EPA is trying to "reduce school children’s exposure to diesel pollution and help clean the nation’s air." "By reducing the idling time of each bus in its fleet by one hour per day, First Student will reduce its fuel use by 4.5 million gallons per year and avoid emitting roughly 100 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year." See Environmental Leader.

Prithvi Sustainability Innovation and Technology Fund targets $150m for Indian cleantech investments.—reliability high.
"The Prithvi Sustainability Innovation and Technology Fund has launched with a target of $150m for investments in the Indian cleantech space. . . . Investment targets include technologies and waste management facilities involving air, water and soil, including biomass, biodiesel and solar. The fund, which is believed to be the first Indian-based investment vehicle to invest in the domestic cleantech space, will make investments of between $5m and $15m and is aiming for exit windows of between three and seven years." See NewNet.

Government and Regulation

To Cut Global Warming, Swedes Study Their Plates.—reliability high.
"New labels listing the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of foods, from whole wheat pasta to fast food burgers, are appearing on some grocery items and restaurant menus around the country." "An estimated 25 percent of the emissions produced by people in industrialized nations can be traced to the food they eat, according to recent research here. And foods vary enormously in the emissions released in their production." May take a while to catch on. From New York Times.

Tools

Solar power production and payback calculator.—reliability medium.
Post about a potentially very useful calculator tool that figures payback on a solar PV installation taking into account the incentives, cost of power, insolation and other factors where you live. From MapAWatt. Access calculator here.

Not So Green

F.T.C. Comes Down on Bamboo Fiber Claims.—reliability medium.
"Processed bamboo is not the same as bamboo fiber, and cannot be sold as such, the Federal Trade Commission announced today, as part of a settlement with a clothing company. The company, M Group, which does business under the name Bamboosa, had claimed in advertising to use fibers made "100%" of bamboo, when in fact, they used rayon derived from bamboo fibers." From New York Times Green Inc. blog. [Still not sure how rayon can be "organic". See our earlier post.]

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