Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Energy News Digest for February 23, 2011

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Snow Wednesday, Freeze Thursday Across Washington (Associated Press)

Starving Bald Eagles So Weak They Fall from Sky - Poor Chum Salmon Runs Leave Birds without Any Food (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Idaho - Wind Farm Denied in Bingham County (KIDK-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)

Portland General Electric Worker Burned in Parking-Garage Explosion in Downtown Portland (Oregonian, Portland)

Coal Plans Raise Questions for Bellingham (Crosscut Seattle)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Coal Plans Raise Questions for Bellingham
·         Coal Exports & Carbon Consequences
·         ‘Dirty’ Energy Dwarfs Clean in China & India
·         Fracking for Gas - in Europe, the Promise & Fears of a New Fuel
·         Portland General Electric Worker Burned in Parking-Garage Explosion in Downtown Portland
·         Montana - Bills Address Great Falls’ Electric City Power’s Future
·         Smart Grid + Bill Prepay Explored as Home Energy Efficiency Strategy
·         Alcoa Chief’s Compensation Rose 10 Percent in 2010
·         Starving Bald Eagles So Weak They Fall from Sky
·         Upper Columbia River - Salmon in the Similkameen
·         West Coast Salmon-Catch System ‘Broken,’ Commercial Fisherman Say
·         Jefferson County Mulls Net Pen Aquaculture Rules
·         Shellfish Patron Justin Taylor Dies - Modest Shellfish Mogul, Environmental Pioneer
·         Audubon Scientist to Head People for Puget Sound
·         EPA Says It Cuts Cost of Pollution Controls for Industrial Boilers
·         Idaho - Wind Farm Denied in Bingham County
·         Big Massachusetts Utility Signs Deals, Bypasses Cape Wind
·         Washington State House OKs Testing of Forest Biomass as Jet Fuel
·         Editorial - California: Renewable Energy ‘On’ Switch
·         Hydro’s Untapped Potential
·         ‘Windfall’ Film Examines Effect of Wind Turbines on Rural, Residential Areas
·         Tacoma Challenges Installation of Vinyl Windows on Historic North Slope Home
·         Duct Cleaning Comes with High Pressure Sales Pitch
·         How Climate Change Models Could Get Better, Thanks to NASA
·         A Climate Skeptic with a Bully Pulpit in Virginia Finds an Ear in Congress
·         Climate Emails Spurred TV Meteorologist’s Global Warming Doubts
·         Climate Change Affecting Owl Color in Finland
·         Electric Car Charging Study with Local Volunteers
·         North Carolina Votes Today to Cripple Community Broadband Broad
·         West Africa Rising: Google Sees ‘Ocean of Possibilities’ South of the Sahara
·         $1.8 Million Financial Scandal Hits Seattle Public Schools
·         Washington State Bill Would End State’s ‘Retire-Rehire’ Policy
·         What Might Happen if Federal Government Shuts Down Again
·         Snow Wednesday, Freeze Thursday Across Washington
·         Congressional Sources: Tanker Decision Coming Thursday
·         New Zealand Earthquake Has Parallels with Seattle
·         Former Washington State Ferries Skagit, Kalama Get New Lives in Tanzania
·         Cellphone Use Affects Brain Activity

WORD OF THE DAY

Cartographer• \car-TAH-gruh-fer \ • Noun - One that makes maps

The 14th century artist backed away from his world map…pleased with the colors, shapes of the continents, & the symmetrical arrangement of the land masses. “It’s a good thing we won’t be using this for navigation,” mused the Genoan sailor to his first mate. “That big land mass painted by this ‘so-called’ cartographer between us & Indies would keep our hands off the spice trade for years.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Coal Plans Raise Questions for Bellingham (Crosscut Seattle)

Coal Exports & Carbon Consequences (Sightline)

‘Dirty’ Energy Dwarfs Clean in China & India (NY Times)

Fracking for Gas - in Europe, the Promise & Fears of a New Fuel (NY Times)

Portland General Electric Worker Burned in Parking-Garage Explosion in Downtown Portland (Oregonian, Portland)

Montana - Bills Address Great Falls’ Electric City Power’s Future (Grand Falls Tribune, MT)

Smart Grid + Bill Prepay Explored as Home Energy Efficiency Strategy (ZD Net News)

Alcoa Chief’s Compensation Rose 10 Percent in 2010 (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Starving Bald Eagles So Weak They Fall from Sky - Poor Chum Salmon Runs Leave Birds without Any Food (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Upper Columbia River - Salmon in the Similkameen (Similkameen Spotlight, BC)

West Coast Salmon-Catch System ‘Broken,’ Commercial Fisherman Say (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Jefferson County Mulls Net Pen Aquaculture Rules (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Shellfish Patron Justin Taylor Dies - Modest Shellfish Mogul, Environmental Pioneer (Seattle Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Audubon Scientist to Head People for Puget Sound (Olympian, WA)

EPA Says It Cuts Cost of Pollution Controls for Industrial Boilers (USA Today)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho - Wind Farm Denied in Bingham County (KIDK-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)

Big Massachusetts Utility Signs Deals, Bypasses Cape Wind (Associated Press)

Washington State House OKs Testing of Forest Biomass as Jet Fuel (Associated Press)

Editorial - California: Renewable Energy ‘On’ Switch…California still doesn’t have a renewable energy standard even though a sensible bill to establish one has been taken up annually since 2007 (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Hydro’s Untapped Potential - Ambitions for a better economy & a need for more clean energy in the U.S. are driving Canada’s efforts to monetize its hydro resources (Renewable Energy World)

‘Windfall’ Film Examines Effect of Wind Turbines on Rural, Residential Areas (Penasee Globe, MI)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Tacoma Challenges Installation of Vinyl Windows on Historic North Slope Home (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Duct Cleaning Comes with High Pressure Sales Pitch (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

How Climate Change Models Could Get Better, Thanks to NASA (Christian Science Monitor)

A Climate Skeptic with a Bully Pulpit in Virginia Finds an Ear in Congress (NY Times)

Climate Emails Spurred TV Meteorologist’s Global Warming Doubts (USA Today)

Climate Change Affecting Owl Color in Finland (USA Today)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Car Charging Study with Local Volunteers Starting (Northwest Public Radio)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

North Carolina Votes Today to Cripple Community Broadband Broad (Broadband Reports)

West Africa Rising: Google Sees ‘Ocean of Possibilities’ South of the Sahara (Christian Science Monitor)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

$1.8 Million Financial Scandal Hits Seattle Public Schools (Seattle Times)

Washington State Bill Would End State’s ‘Retire-Rehire’ Policy (Olympian, WA)

What Might Happen if Federal Government Shuts Down Again (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Snow Wednesday, Freeze Thursday Across Washington (Associated Press)

Congressional Sources: Tanker Decision Coming Thursday (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

New Zealand Earthquake Has Parallels with Seattle (KING-TV, Seattle)

Former Washington State Ferries Skagit, Kalama Get New Lives in Tanzania (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Cellphone Use Affects Brain Activity (USA Today)

DIVERSIONS

Couple Shoplifted $5 Million from Portland Safeway Stores, Police Say

Incandescent Light Bulb Law Forces Change to Easy-Bake Oven

Introducing the World’s Biggest Family: 39 Wives, 94 Children & 33 Grandchildren

SONG OF THE DAY

Sly & The Family Stone - Family Affair