Energy News Digest for February 11, 2010

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

•  City of Seattle Offers $1.6M to Pend Oreille County over Dam Operations

•  Conservation Efforts Will Play Key Role in Meeting Northwest's Energy Needs

•  Regional Power Outlook Talk Tuesday in Richland

•  Rate Hike Nears Vote at Grant County PUD

•  Kennewick Irrigation District Internal Investigation Uncovers Misuse of District Equipment

•  Shortage of Skilled Workers Worries Energy

•  Wall Street's Power Surge

•  FirstEnergy Buying Power Rival Allegheny Energy

•  Tennessee Valley Authority Distributors Get More Time to Buy Mississippi Power Plant

•  Can Germany Afford to Phase Out Nuclear Plants?

•  Venezuela Seeks God’s Help amid Energy Crisis

•  Judge Says He Can't Consider Obama Administration's Salmon & Dams Plan

•  Chinook Starting to Show Up in Lower Columbia

•  Coho Mojo: Restoring Salmon Runs in Region's Watersheds

•  Virus Ruins Steelhead Eggs at Bogachiel Hatchery

•  Language of Columbia River Gillnet Ban Initiative Questioned

•  Henderson Inlet - Oysters Are the Pearl of Community Cleanup

•  Mounting Urgency As Asian Carp Threaten the Great Lakes

•  News Tribune Editorial - Polluters’ Tax a Good Idea Gone Wrong

•  Oregon - Why the Low Flow in the Deschutes?

•  Oregon House Votes to Rein in Tax Breaks for Green Energy Projects

•  Don’t Break the Planet! Oregon Geothermal Company Ready to Drill

•  Oregonian Editorial - Steens Wind Farm Plan Signals Push to Remote, Cherished Lands

•  Group Urges Texas to Promote More Solar Power Use

•  Renewables Industry Promotes Its Potential

•  Wenatchee World Editorial - Project Aims to Cut Warming by Injecting Rocks with CO2

•  Quincy Is Cheapest Small City for High-Tech Manufacturing in the West, Report Says

•  Google Dabbling in Broadband Service, Seattle Intrigued

•  Google Doesn’t Want to Be an ISP

•  Fiber Optics, Not Magic Beans

•  Uncle Sam Still Hiding Telco Lobbying Records

•  The Glue Holding Data Center Energy Efficiency Together

•  Google Still Hugely Dominant in Search

•  State Budget Gap Estimate Grows by $96 Million

•  Wash. Senate OKs Suspension of Initiative 960

•  Bus Tunnel Victim Says She Begged Police for Help Before Beating

•  North Thurston High School Teacher Arrested for Centralia Area Indoor Pot Grow-Op

•  Washington Department of Ecology Tosses Out Roadside Litter-Pickup Programs

•  Tourists Spent $14.2 Billion in Washington Last Year

•  WA Senate Republican Complaints Cost $55K

•  City of Seattle Employee Charged With String of Computer Thefts

•  Starbucks Will Launch Pour-Over Brewing Method

•  Aerial Photos of Trade Center on 9/11 Released

WORD OF THE DAY

Effulgence • \ih-FULL-junss\ • noun - Radiant splendor: brilliance

The attending flacks stood in awe of their Chief Operating Officer’s dazzling effulgence. The rollout of a new light-emitting diode disco cape was apparently a huge success, with sparking lights from the COO’s clothes sending iridescent reflections off the mirror ball onto the slack-jawed faces of the media elites, whom had been called to witness the event.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

City of Seattle Offers $1.6M to Pend Oreille County over Dam Operations (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011039089_pendoreille11m.html?syndication=rss

Conservation Efforts Will Play Key Role in Meeting Northwest's Energy Needs (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/02/conservation_efforts_will_play.html

Regional Power Outlook Talk Tuesday in Richland (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/bizbeat/story/895439.html

Rate Hike Nears Vote at Grant County PUD (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/11/rate-hike-nears-vote-at-grant-county-pud/

Kennewick Irrigation District Internal Investigation Uncovers Misuse of District Equipment (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/84071662.html

Shortage of Skilled Workers Worries Energy Industry (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/business/story/896117.html

Wall Street's Power Surge - Energy Plant Tragedy Puts a Light on Banks, Private Equity Funds Pushing into Electricity (ABC News)

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wall-street-power-surge-questions-energy-policy-finance/story?id=9789318

FirstEnergy Buying Power Rival Allegheny Energy (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011040696_apusfirstenergyallegheny.html?syndication=rss

Tennessee Valley Authority Distributors Get More Time to Buy Mississippi Power Plant (Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN)

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/feb/11/tva-distributors-get-more-time-buy-mississippi-pow/?breakingnews

Can Germany Afford to Phase Out Nuclear Plants? (Financial Times of London)

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3d503302-1678-11df-bf44-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1

Venezuela Seeks God’s Help amid Energy Crisis (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011033347_apltvenezuelaenergy.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Judge Says He Can't Consider Obama Administration's Salmon & Dams Plan (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/02/judge_rejects_obama_administra.html

Chinook Starting to Show Up in Lower Columbia (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100211/SPORTS/702119956/1008/SPORTS02

Coho Mojo: Restoring Salmon Runs in Region's Watersheds (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/02/10/02-11-10-coho-returns

Virus Ruins Steelhead Eggs at Bogachiel Hatchery (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/1133983.html

Language of Columbia River Gillnet Ban Initiative Questioned (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/6708-language-columbia-river-gillnet-ban-initiative-questioned/

Henderson Inlet - Oysters Are the Pearl of Community Cleanup (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Oysters-Are-The-Pearl-Of-Community-Clean-up-84067577.html

Mounting Urgency As Asian Carp Threaten the Great Lakes (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0210/Mounting-urgency-as-Asian-carp-threaten-the-Great-Lakes

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

News Tribune Editorial - Polluters’ Tax a Good Idea Gone Wrong

http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/1065618.html

Why the Low Flow in the Deschutes? Irrigation is partly to blame, but thin snowpack is a longer-term concern (Bend Bulletin)

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100211/NEWS0107/2110404

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon House Votes to Rein in Tax Breaks for Green Energy Projects (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/house_votes_to_rein_in_tax_bre.html

Don’t Break the Planet! Oregon Geothermal Company Ready to Drill - Bend’s Vulcan Power expects to begin construction on its first plant soon; other projects are in the works (Bend Bulletin, OR)

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100211/BIZ0102/2110365/-1/RSSNEWSMAP

Oregonian Editorial - Steens Wind Farm Plan Signals Push to Remote, Cherished Lands

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/02/yoking_oregons_wind_where_it_m.html

Group Urges Texas to Promote More Solar Power Use (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/10/financial/f140749S46.DTL

Renewables Industry Promotes Its Potential (NY Times)

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/renewables-industry-touts-its-potential/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Wenatchee World Editorial - Project Aims to Cut Warming by Injecting Rocks With CO2

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/11/talking-it-over-project-aims-to-cut-warming-by/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Quincy is Cheapest Small City for High-Tech Manufacturing in the West, Report Says (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/2011038364_quincyischeapestsmallcityforhightechmanufacturingreportsays.html?syndication=rss

Google Dabbling in Broadband Service, Seattle Intrigued (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2011033302_google_dabbling_in_broadband_s.html

Google Doesn’t Want to Be an ISP — It Wants to Be a Rabble-rouser (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/02/10/google-doesnt-want-to-be-an-isp-it-wants-to-be-a-rabble-rouser/

Fiber Optics, Not Magic Beans - Rural Idaho hopes to liberate broadband through stimulus (Boise Weekly, ID)

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/fiber-optics-not-magic-beans/Content?oid=1482869

Uncle Sam Still Hiding Telco Lobbying Records - Judge rules government can’t use lobbying privacy to hide immunity lobbying info (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Uncle-Sam-Still-Hiding-Telco-Lobbying-Records-106826

The Glue Holding Data Center Energy Efficiency Together (Data Center Journal)

http://datacenterjournal.com/content/view/3558/43/

Google Still Hugely Dominant in Search (San Francisco Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/02/08/daily42.html

GENERAL NEWS

State Budget Gap Estimate Grows by $96 Million (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2011033892_state_budget_gap_estimate_grow.html

Wash. Senate OKs Suspension of Initiative 960 (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011039965_apwaxgrraisingtaxes4thldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Bus Tunnel Victim Says She Begged Police for Help Before Beating

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22521498/detail.html

North Thurston High School Teacher Arrested for Centralia Area Indoor Pot Grow-Op (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?North-Thurston-high-school-teacher-arres=1&blockID=178940&feedID=410

Washington Department of Ecology Tosses Out Roadside Litter-Pickup Programs (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/10/ecology-department-tosses-out-roadside-litter/

Tourists Spent $14.2 Billion in Washington Last Year (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2011033257_webwashtourism10.html

WA Senate Republican Complaints Cost $55K (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6815

City of Seattle Employee Charged With String of Computer Thefts (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/415285_IT10.html?source=rss

Starbucks Will Launch Pour-Over Brewing Method in March to Make Quick Cups When a Pot Isn’t Brewed (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/coffeecity/2011034183_post_3.html

Aerial Photos of Trade Center on 9/11 Released (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/10/us/AP-US-Sept-11-Photos.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

DIVERSIONS

Thief Who Put Cheese in Pants Faces Life Sentence

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14374002

Colbert Heads to Olympics for Medals & Mockery

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2011040464_apustvcolbertolympics.html?syndication=rss

Man Walks into Wal-Mart, Smashes 29 TVs with Bat

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22526053/detail.html

Calling Major Harris - Olivia Newton-John Tops List of Sexiest Songs

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2011044165_apusmusicsexiestsongs.html?syndication=rss

SONG OF THE DAY

The Beatles – Get Back

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6G7MkBMVxE

Energy News Digest for February 10, 2010

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

•  Jefferson PUD Could Decide PSE Purchase This Month

•  Northwest Power Plan: No Coal, Only Wind, Gas, Efficiency

•  Public Comments Help Shape Review of BPA High-Voltage Line

•  Supporters Cheer Oregon House Vote to Ban Off-Shore Drilling for 10 Years

•  Kudos to Andrew Munro - NHA Welcomes New Leadership & Board Members

•  Investigators to Sift Connecticut Power Plant Rubble for Evidence of Criminal Negligence

•  Damage to Homes Near Connecticut Power Plant Is Assessed

•  Santa Clara Power Plant Closed After Cal-OSHA Inspection

•  Utah to Consider Second Radioactive Waste Dump

•  Ohio - American Electric Power Says Tree-Trimming Helping to Ward Off Electric Outages

•  Florida - Claims of Misconduct at Florida Power & Light Prompt Investigation

•  San Diego County Man to Pay $18,000 for Stealing Electricity to Grow Pot

•  Conservation Group Bails from Klamath Agreement

•  New Fish Hatchery Signifies Major Step toward Elwha Restoration

•  Montana - Group Concerned about Flathead Lake Fishing Plan

•  Feds Reduce California Water Pumping to Protect Fish

•  Pacific Northwest’s Brown Pelicans Struggling to Survive

•  Washington State Biologists to Kill Bighorn Sheep

•  The Making of an Endangered Species

•  State’s Snowpack below Average Midway through Winter

•  Thurston PUD Will Redo Water Systems

•  Marysville Adjusts Utility Rates to Encourage Water Conservation

•  Henderson Inlet’s Water OK’d for Shellfish

•  Puget Sound Report Makes No Waves

•  Montana - British Columbia Declares Canadian North Fork Off Limits to Mining, Energy Development

•  Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit Program Will Bring Future Liabilities

•  Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer Talks About His Plans for Wind Power

•  Northwest Farmers Eye Clean Energy Options

•  Oregon Could Be Home for Alternative-Fuels Industry

•  New Study: Cape Wind Will Reduce Regional Electricity Prices by $4.6 Billion

•  Activists’ Appeal to Put Wind Rules in Spotlight

•  Areva Says Solar Thermal Market May Increase 30-Fold by 2020

•  Making Solar Power Portable

•  California - Residents Lash out against Pacific Gas & Electric Plan for ‘Smart Meters’

•  Politics, Science Collide over Recent Snow Storms

•  Seattle’s Climate Ideas Can Hurt Whole State

•  Should Curbing Emissions Really Be About Green Jobs?

•  City of San Francisco Joins the Club of Green Financiers

•  Audi’s ‘Green Police’ Super Bowl Ad Controversial

•  Google Is Deploying Fiber to the Home

•  Google to Offer Super-Fast Net Service

•  Google to Launch Turbo-Speed Internet Trials

•  Google’s Fiber Network Could Foil ISPs & Fuel Innovation

•  Chelan PUD Eyes Fiber Cuts to Offset Forecasted Losses

•  $7.2 Billion for Broadband is Largely Unallocated

•  Qwest Still Shopping Itself Around

•  Google Buzz: How It Works - Google Buzz rolls out to GMail Tuesday afternoon

•  Mason County’s Unofficial Election Results: School Levies Passing

•  Search on for Serial Mason County Robber

•  Report: Tear Down Five Buildings at Mason County Fairgrounds

•  Washington State Legislature - Senate Wants “Do Over” on I-960 Bill

•  Norm Dicks Becomes One of Nation’s Most Powerful Lawmakers

•  ‘Deadliest Catch’ Captain Phil Dead at 53

•  Why You Can’t See Live Streaming of Olympics — at least not legally

•  Record-Warm Weather Forcing Tulip Bulbs to Grow Early

WORD OF THE DAY

Eleemosynary • \ell-ih-MAWS-uhn-nair-ee\ • adjective – Of, relating to, or supported by charity

“Ye shall be sentenced to violating the ‘Poor Laws’ and placed in a workhouse until rehabilitated,” pronounced the pinch-faced, bewigged judge to the trembling boy. The “Great London Waif Crisis” of the Victorian age was in full sway, and without a wide range of eleemosynary institutions, the workhouse, poor farm or prison were about the only options available to the poor little tyke. (Yeesh, this is pretty dark for an example sentence. I’ll blame it all on Charles Dickens.)

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Jefferson PUD Could Decide PSE Purchase This Month - Public power proponents voice concern over closed-door sessions (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=26253

Northwest Power Plan: No Coal, Only Wind, Gas, Efficiency (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011028889_apornorthwestpowerplan.html?syndication=rss

Public Comments Help Shape Review of BPA High-Voltage Line (Transmission & Distribution World)

http://tdworld.com/overhead_transmission/bpa-public-comment-report-0210/

Supporters Cheer Oregon House Vote to Ban Off-Shore Drilling for 10 Years (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/supporters_cheer_house_vote_to.html

Kudos to Andrew Munro - NHA Welcomes New Leadership & Board Members (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/02/nha-welcomes-new-leadership-and-board-members?cmpid=rss

Investigators to Sift Connecticut Power Plant Rubble for Evidence of Criminal Negligence (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/nyregion/09explode.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Damage to Homes Near Connecticut Power Plant Is Assessed (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011027626_apuspowerplantexplosiondamagedhomes.html

Santa Clara Power Plant Closed After Cal-OSHA Inspection (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_14350078

Utah to Consider Second Radioactive Waste Dump (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011023739_apusradioactivewaste.html?syndication=rss

Ohio - American Electric Power Says Tree-Trimming Helping to Ward Off Electric Outages (The Daily Record, Wooster, OH)

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4766502

Florida - Claims of Misconduct at Florida Power & Light Prompt Investigation (Miami Herald, FL)

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/feb/09/claims-misconduct-fpl-prompt-investigation/

San Diego County Man to Pay $18,000 for Stealing Electricity to Grow Pot (LA Times, CA)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/san-diego-county-man-to-pay-18000-for-stealing-electricity-to-grow-pot.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Conservation Group Bails from Klamath Agreement (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6807

New Fish Hatchery Signifies Major Step toward Elwha Restoration (Indian Country Today)

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/northwest/83888372.html

Montana - Group Concerned about Flathead Lake Fishing Plan: Tribal proposal to gill-net lake trout raises questions (Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_616f533c-1608-11df-a325-001cc4c03286.html

Feds Reduce California Water Pumping to Protect Fish (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2466954~Feds_reduce_Calif__water_pumping_to_protect_fish.html

Pacific Northwest’s Brown Pelicans Struggling to Survive (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/09/northwests-brown-pelicans-struggling-to-survive/

Washington State Biologists to Kill Bighorn Sheep (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011023949_apwabighornsheep.html?syndication=rss

The Making of an Endangered Species (Finding Dulcinea)

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/2010/feb/The-Making-of-an-Endangered-Species.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

State’s Snowpack below Average Midway through Winter (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/02/09/state-s-snowpack-below-average-midway-through-winter

Thurston PUD Will Redo Water Systems - Tanglewilde, Thompson Place to benefit (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1132128.html

Marysville Adjusts Utility Rates to Encourage Water Conservation - Water & sewer rates will be changed to encourage conservation & even out some inequalities (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100210/NEWS01/702109841/-1/rss02

Henderson Inlet’s Water OK’d for Shellfish - State health officials lift weather restrictions that barred harvesting after heavy rains (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1132129.html

Puget Sound Report Makes No Waves (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/blog/crosscut/19323/

Montana - British Columbia Declares Canadian North Fork Off Limits to Mining, Energy Development (The Missoulian, MT)

http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_454ec652-15d5-11df-ab0b-001cc4c03286.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit Program Will Bring Future Liabilities (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/02/house_bill_3680_would_cut_back.html

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer Talks About His Plans for Wind Power (REVE)

http://www.evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=3904

Northwest Farmers Eye Clean Energy Options (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/6689-northwest-farmers-eye-clean-energy-options/

Oregon Could Be Home for Alternative-Fuels Industry - Key Is Commitment to Education (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/anna_griffin/index.ssf/2010/02/oregon_could_be_home_for_alter.html

New Study: Cape Wind Will Reduce Regional Electricity Prices by $4.6 Billion (Market Wire)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-study-cape-wind-will-reduce-regional-electricity-prices-by-46-billion-2010-02-10?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Activists’ Appeal to Put Wind Rules in Spotlight (Portland Press-Herald, ME)

http://mainebusiness.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=314278&ac=PHbiz&hcode=pph

Areva Says Solar Thermal Market May Increase 30-Fold by 2020 (Business Week)

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-09/areva-says-solar-thermal-market-may-increase-30-fold-by-2020.html

Making Solar Power Portable (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/business/09solar.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

California - Residents Lash out against Pacific Gas & Electric Plan for ‘Smart Meters’ – “…claim that radiation from the meters’ electromagnetic fields could cause a range of negative health issues, including cancer…” (Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, CA – Thanks for the tip Kevin O’Meara)

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100203/ARTICLES/100209872/1033?p=all&tc=pgall

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Scientists Seek Better Way to Do Climate Report (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011033268_apsciclimatereportwoes.html

Politics, Science Collide over Recent Snow Storms - Scientists say weather different from climate change, but pols make hay out of snow (ABC News)

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GlobalWarming/snow-storms-politics-science-collide-climate-change/story?id=9789460

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Seattle’s Climate Ideas Can Hurt Whole State (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2010/02/10/science-environment/19574/

Should Curbing Emissions Really Be About Green Jobs? (Washington Post)

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/02/should_curbing_emissions_reall.html

City of San Francisco Joins the Club of Green Financiers (NY Times)

http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/san-francisco-joins-the-club-of-green-financiers/

Audi’s ‘Green Police’ Super Bowl Ad Controversial - Audi’s Super Bowl ad has been controversial for its portrayal of environmental issues & echoes of Nazi-era police (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Bright-Green/2010/0209/Audi-s-Green-Police-Super-Bowl-ad-controversial

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google Is Deploying Fiber to the Home - Between 50,000 & 500,000 to see 1 Gbps connections (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Google-Is-Deploying-Fiber-To-The-Home-106820

Google to Offer Super-Fast Net Service (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/technology/companies/11google.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Google to Launch Turbo-Speed Internet Trials (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/10/AR2010021001649.html?wprss=rss_business

Google’s Fiber Network Could Foil ISPs & Fuel Innovation (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/02/10/google-fiber/

Chelan PUD Eyes Fiber Cuts to Offset Forecasted Losses (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/09/pud-eyes-fiber-cuts-to-offset-forecasted-losses/

$7.2 Billion for Broadband is Largely Unallocated (Nat’l Public Radio – Golly, some of this story sounds amazing familiar)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123409454&ft=1&f=3

Qwest Still Shopping Itself Around - Potential buyers still not interested at Qwest’s price (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Qwest-Still-Shopping-Itself-Around-106803

Google Buzz: How It Works - Google Buzz rolls out to GMail Tuesday afternoon, in a move that challenges Facebook & Twitter (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0209/Google-Buzz-How-it-works

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County’s Unofficial Election Results: School Levies Passing (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1319:unofficial-election-results-school-levies-passing&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Search on for Serial Mason County Robber (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/83991077.html

Report: Tear Down Five Buildings at Mason County Fairgrounds (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1318:report-tear-down-five-buildings-at-fairgrounds&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Washington State Legislature - Senate Wants “Do Over” on I-960 Bill (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/896218.html

Port of Everett Meeting With Lawmakers: Was It Legal? (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100210/BIZ/702109941/-1/rss03

Norm Dicks Becomes One of Nation’s Most Powerful Lawmakers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/415227_joel10.html?source=rss

‘Deadliest Catch’ Captain Phil Dead at 53 (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Deadliest-Catch-captain-dies-83989352.html

Why You Can’t See Live Streaming of Olympics — at least not legally (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/olympics/2011023126_olycanadiantv09.html?syndication=rss

Record-Warm Weather Forcing Tulip Bulbs to Grow Early (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22516305/detail.html

DIVERSIONS

Lynnwood Officials Approve Measure Controlling Grass Height

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22509251/detail.html

Thief Robs Arcade with Cup of Coffee

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6183IR20100209

Australian Broadcaster Fined Over Killing a Rat on TV Show

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61727820100209

Study Toasts Beer as Being Good for Your Bones

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100209/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_beer_health_life

SONG OF THE DAY

Tom T Hall - I Like Beer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i5k4I1AOEI