Day: September 19, 2006

The Waste Management Charitable Giving Program is committed to making company communities safer, cleaner, and better places to live and work. (Information on company locations is available on the Waste Management website.)

One of the primary focus areas of the Charitable Giving Program is the environment. The company is committed to helping provide renewable resources to reduce our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels, and to conserving and maintaining wetlands, wildlife habitats and green spaces for people’s enjoyment. Support is also provided to environmental education programs, including environmental and science related projects targeted to middle and high school students. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

Read the full story in Water & Wastewater Products.

A new laboratory study suggests that exposure to Prozac can disrupt the reproductive cycle of freshwater mussels, potentially increasing their risk of extinction.

The study, one of the first to examine the ecotoxicological effects of Prozac (fluoxetine) on native freshwater mussels, found that the drug caused females to prematurely release their larvae, essentially dooming them. The findings were presented on Sept. 11 at the 232nd national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Read the full story in Water & Wastewater Products.

Arctic perennial sea ice, which normally survives the summer melt season and remains year-round, shrunk abruptly by 14 percent between 2004 and 2005, according to data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The overall decrease in winter Arctic perennial sea ice totals 280,000 square miles — an area the size of Texas. Perennial ice can be 10 or more feet thick. It was replaced by new, seasonal ice only about one to seven feet thick that is more vulnerable to summer melt.

Read the full story in Water & Wastewater Products.

The problem of separating salt from water has long been solved by forcing the water through a polyamide membrane in a process called reverse osmosis (RO). However, the water can’t be disinfected with chlorine because it degrades polyamid material. On Sept. 13, researchers at Virginia Tech announced they have created a new polymer membrane for RO that will not be degraded by chlorine.

Read the full solicitation.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) requests applications for the National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program for fiscal year (FY) 2007 to support (1) high priority fundamental and mission-linked research of importance in the biological, environmental, physical, and social sciences relevant to agriculture, food, the environment, and rural communities, and (2) competitively awarded research, extension, and education grants addressing key issues of national and regional importance to agriculture, forestry, and related topics.

In FY 2007, CSREES anticipates that approximately $181 million will be available for support of this program. Of this amount, no more than 22 percent will be made available to fund integrated projects. The remaining funds will be used to fund research projects.

This notice identifies program objectives for research and integrated projects. It describes separate eligibility criteria and matching requirements for each type of project, and instructs applicants regarding the submission and review of applications.

Read the full story at RenewableEnergyAccess.com.

The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) has called on the entire renewable energy community to set and commit to a vision for growth in renewable energy’s share of U.S. energy supply up to 2050 — in preparation for its 2006 Phase II policy meeting. The two-day conference, to be held November 29-30, 2006, in Washington, DC, will establish market-share growth targets and an action plan for both business and policymakers.

Read the full article at RenewableEnergyAccess.com.

Although federal energy legislation will probably not pass this year, the high number of bills addressing renewable energy in Congress indicates the maturation and growing popularity of renewables, according to various experts in the renewable energy industries.

Read the full article in E: The Environmental Magazine.

Everyone knows the “M” in MTV no longer stands for just “music,” but now it also stands for “Mobilization” of America’s youth. MTV recently launched Break the Addiction Challenge with Energy Action Coalition (EAC), a student-created partnership of 30-plus organizations dedicated to clean energy.

Read the full article in Environmental Protection.

Writing in the September issue of EP, Rodney L. Pennington, PE, describes a new air toxics control system that helps manufacturers achieve EPA standards by handling VOC and HAP emissions.

Read the full article in Environmental Protection.

Detecting bacteria, viruses and other dangerous substances in hospitals, airplanes and other settings could soon be as simple as wiping a napkin or paper towel across a surface, according to a researcher from Cornell University.