Energy News Digest for August 3, 2012

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

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

HOT! Special Weather Statement for This Weekend (National Weather Service)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/08/posted-august-3-2012-hot-special.html

Montana’s U-S Senator Baucus Sounds Off Before New BPA Leadership is Appointed “…reopen Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant, upgrade transmission & ensure public input on Libby Dam…” (KECI-TV, Missoula, MT)

http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/Baucus-sounds-off-before-new-BPA-leadership-is-appointed/-/14594602/15934992/-/tc0r6uz/-/index.html

Pacific Legal Foundation Aims to Overturn Endangered Species Listing of Northwest’s Killer Whales (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/08/pacific_legal_foundation_aims.html

Editorial - High-Speed Internet Access Essential for Rural Residents “…NoaNet & our PUDs are providing a great service to Eastern Washington…” (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/08/03/2045927/high-speed-internet-access-essential.html

Grays Harbor PUD Close to Wrapping Up Deal for Mill’s Cogeneration Turbines (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/pud-close-wrapping-deal-turbines.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Montana’s U-S Senator Baucus Sounds Off Before New BPA Leadership is Appointed
• Grant PUD Seeks Nominees for Soon-to-Be Vacant Board Post
• Seattle City Light’s Diablo Lake Tours Again Carry Passengers on Boat Trip in North Cascades
• Oregon Settles with Former Energy Department Staffer Shelli Honeywell for $58,000
• Ohio - City of Toledo Plugs in Public Power
• Scarce Rain in India Hits Farmers, Power Supply
• Indian Businesses No Stranger to Power Outages
• Pacific Legal Foundation Aims to Overturn Endangered Species Listing of Northwest’s Killer Whales
• The Elwha - A River Newly Wild & Seriously Muddy
• Gregoire in ‘Farewell Tour’ Touts Water for Eastern Washington
• Grays Harbor PUD Close to Wrapping Up Deal for Mill’s Cogeneration Turbines
• Port Angeles Mills - Hardwood, Nippon - Among Recipients of Biomass Grants
• Southern Oregon University to Study Building a Biomass Cogeneration Plant
• Idaho Utilities, Renewables Developers Set for Public Utilities Commission Fight
• U-S Senate Panel Passes Extension of Wind Energy Tax Credit
• Blaze in Battery Warehouse Shuts Down Oahu Wind Farm
• GOP Solyndra Report Claims Administration Ignored Analyst Warning
• Mason County PUD 3 Fluorescent Recycling
• Video - Recycling Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs & Household Batteries with Mason County PUD 3
• New Mexico - PNM to Cut Off Bulb Retrofit Bonus for Business
• Washington State Congressman Offers New Approach to Price Carbon in U-S
• California Defends Use of Offsets in Carbon Dioxide Market
• Greenland Ice Said More Resistant to Climate Change than Feared
• Oceans, Plants Help Put the Brakes on Global Warming, Study Finds
• Global Warming the Basis - Judge Dismisses Lawsuit over Wyoming Coal Leases
• King County Opens the Door for Heat Energy from Wastewater
• FierceEnergy’s Renewable Energy Innovators - Puget Sound Energy - Balancing Compliance with Environmental Mandates
• FierceEnergy’s Renewable Energy Innovators - Sacramento Municipal Utility District: Energy Storage Part of Utility’s Future Vision
• Editorial - High-Speed Internet Access Essential for Rural Residents
• Google Fiber & the Community Broadband Ripple
• America’s Broadband Adoption Challenges
• Guess What? Bandwidth is Getting Cheaper
• Americans Are Canceling Their Pay-TV Subscriptions in Droves
• Microsoft’s Outlook.Com Nets 1 Million Users in Six Hours
• Washington State Sales Tax Credit Passes U-S Senate Panel
• King County Elections Won’t Rub Out Rick Steves’ TV Spot Ad
• No Taxes on Olympic Medals, Outraged U-S Lawmakers Demand
• HOT! Special Weather Statement for This Weekend
• McCleary City Employee May Have Stolen $456,000 in Utility Funds
• Timber Could be Growth Industry if Housing Soars
• Facebook Says Nearly 9 Percent (83 Million) of Its Accounts May Be Fake
• Put a Bird on It - Oregon Farmer Uses Falcons to Protect Valuable Blueberries
• Anticipation Grows as Rover Readies for Mars Landing

WORD OF THE DAY

Peloton • \puh-luh-TAWN\ • Noun - The main body of riders in a bicycle race  

Like cyclists in a tight peloton, the floor 12 cubicle-dwellers bunched together in their mad dash for the stairwell. The elevator had been appropriated by the supervisors, crammed like tinned sardines packed in oil. That left a sweaty, elbow-throwing descent by the remainder of the staff to the ground floor, where the local radio station’s “Zoo Morning Show” was handing out cheap prizes and t-shirts to the first arrivals in the race to the bottom contest. Race to the bottom, indeed…

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

Montana’s U-S Senator Baucus Sounds Off Before New BPA Leadership is Appointed “…reopen Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant, upgrade transmission & ensure public input on Libby Dam…” (KECI-TV, Missoula, MT)

http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/Baucus-sounds-off-before-new-BPA-leadership-is-appointed/-/14594602/15934992/-/tc0r6uz/-/index.html

Grant PUD Seeks Nominees for Soon-to-Be Vacant Board Post (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/aug/02/grant-pud-seeks-nominees-for-vacant-board-post/

Seattle City Light’s Diablo Lake Tours Again Carry Passengers on Boat Trip in North Cascades (Oregonian, Portland)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2012/08/diablo_lake_tours_again_carry.html

Oregon Settles with Former Energy Department Staffer Shelli Honeywell for $58,000 (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/08/oregon_settles_with_former_ene.html

Ohio - City of Toledo Plugs in Public Power (Poten & Partners)

http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=12582253

Scarce Rain in India Hits Farmers, Power Supply (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018837539_apasindiamonsoonwoes.html

Indian Businesses No Stranger to Power Outages (Associated Press)

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2012/08/01/power-restored-in-india-but-outage-cause-unclear

FISH & WILDLIFE

Pacific Legal Foundation Aims to Overturn Endangered Species Listing of Northwest’s Killer Whales (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/08/pacific_legal_foundation_aims.html

The Elwha - A River Newly Wild & Seriously Muddy (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/science/earth/elwha-river-undammed-and-newly-murky.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Gregoire in ‘Farewell Tour’ Touts Water for Eastern Washington (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2012/08/02/gregoire-in-farewell-tour-touts-water-for-eastern-washington

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grays Harbor PUD Close to Wrapping Up Deal for Mill’s Cogeneration Turbines (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/pud-close-wrapping-deal-turbines.html

Port Angeles Mills - Hardwood, Nippon - Among Recipients of Biomass Grants (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120803/news/308039979/hardwood-nippon-among-recipients-of-biomass-grants

Southern Oregon University to Study Building a Biomass Cogeneration Plant - The 1.2-megawatt plant would replace aging boilers that now heat buildings on the campus (Medford Mail Tribune, OR)

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120803/NEWS/208030329/-1/rss01

Idaho Utilities, Renewables Developers Set for Public Utilities Commission Fight (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/08/02/2196798/utilities-renewables-developers.html

U-S Senate Panel Passes Extension of Wind Energy Tax Credit (NY Times)

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/senate-panel-passes-extension-of-wind-energy-tax-credit/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Blaze in Battery Warehouse Shuts Down Oahu Wind Farm - Second fire in two years at First Wind facility; flames caused burning batteries to release toxic smoke (KITV-TV, Honolulu, HI)

http://www.kitv.com/-Blaze-in-battery-warehouse-shuts-down-Oahu-wind-farm/-/8906042/15936674/-/yp449nz/-/index.html

GOP Solyndra Report Claims Administration Ignored Analyst Warning (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-08-02/solyndra-report-House-Republicans/56710280/1?csp=34news

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Mason County PUD 3 Fluorescent Recycling (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/36146-pud3-fluorescent-recycling

Video - Recycling Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs & Household Batteries with Mason County PUD 3 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=1071

New Mexico - PNM to Cut Off Bulb Retrofit Bonus for Business (Albuquerque Journal, NM)

http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2012/08/02/biz/pnm-to-cut-off-bulb-bonus.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Congressman Offers New Approach to Price Carbon in U-S (Reuters)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/08/03/us-carbon-idUKBRE87209F20120803

California Defends Use of Offsets in Carbon Dioxide Market (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/03/us-california-carbon-idUSBRE87209M20120803

Greenland Ice Said More Resistant to Climate Change than Feared (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/02/us-climate-greenland-idUSBRE8711L220120802

Oceans, Plants Help Put the Brakes on Global Warming, Study Finds (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0801/Oceans-plants-help-put-the-brakes-on-global-warming-study-finds-video

Global Warming the Basis - Judge Dismisses Lawsuit over Wyoming Coal Leases (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Judge-dismisses-lawsuit-over-Wyoming-coal-leases-3758154.php

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

King County Opens the Door for Heat Energy from Wastewater (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/king-county-opens-door-heat-energy-wastewater

FierceEnergy’s Renewable Energy Innovators - Puget Sound Energy - Balancing Compliance with Environmental Mandates (Fierce Energy)

http://www.fierceenergy.com/special-reports/puget-sound-energy

FierceEnergy’s Renewable Energy Innovators - Sacramento Municipal Utility District: Energy Storage Part of Utility’s Future Vision (Fierce Energy)

http://www.fierceenergy.com/special-reports/sacramento-municipal-utility-district

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Editorial - High-Speed Internet Access Essential for Rural Residents “…NoaNet & our PUDs are providing a great service to Eastern Washington…” (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/08/03/2045927/high-speed-internet-access-essential.html

Google Fiber & the Community Broadband Ripple (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2012/08/02/google-fiber-and-the-community-broadband-ripple/

America’s Broadband Adoption Challenges (Fierce Telecom)

http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/americas-broadband-adoption-challenges/2012-08-01

Guess What? Bandwidth is Getting Cheaper (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2012/08/02/guess-what-bandwidth-is-getting-cheaper/

Americans Are Canceling Their Pay-TV Subscriptions in Droves (Reuters)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_21220396

Microsoft’s Outlook.Com Nets 1 Million Users in Six Hours (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_21212467

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Sales Tax Credit Passes U-S Senate Panel (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018836422_apwasalestax.html

King County Elections Won’t Rub Out Rick Steves’ TV Spot Ad (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/08/02/k-co-elections-wont-rub-out-rick-steves-spot/

No Taxes on Olympic Medals, Outraged U-S Lawmakers Demand (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

http://www.q13fox.com/news/la-na-nn-bill-exempt-taxes-on-medal-winnings-20120802,0,4612912.story

GENERAL NEWS

HOT! Special Weather Statement for This Weekend (National Weather Service)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/08/posted-august-3-2012-hot-special.html

McCleary City Employee May Have Stolen $456,000 in Utility Funds (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/McCleary-city-employee-may-have-stolen-456000-164823606.html

Timber Could be Growth Industry if Housing Soars (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/waggon/story/2012-08-02/investing-lumber/56720870/1?csp=34money

Facebook Says Nearly 9 Percent (83 Million) of Its Accounts May Be Fake (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_21220412

Put a Bird on It - Oregon Farmer Uses Falcons to Protect Valuable Blueberries (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/08/oregon_farmer_uses_falcons_to.html

Anticipation Grows as Rover Readies for Mars Landing (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-25-billion-rover-prepares-for-terrifying-mars-landing-20120717,0,3810063.story

DIVERSIONS

Suspected Seattle Meth Dealer Advertised with Flier - Suspect Had Two Warrants When Arrested

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Police-Suspected-meth-dealer-advertised-with-3755582.php

British Columbia Beekeeper Robbed of 500,000 Bees, Tons of Honey

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2012/07/30/20044551.html

Man Accused of Making Counterfeit Money to Use at Clark County Fair

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/aug/02/fake-money-arrest-clark-county-fair/

Vermont Farmer Crushes Cop Cars with Tractor

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120803/NEWS02/708039862

SONG OF THE DAY

Pink Floyd - Money

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkhX5W7JoWI

Energy News Digest for August 2, 2012

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

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

PUD 3 Restores Electricity to 6,400 Customers – Curious (and now deceased) Raccoon the Cause of Outage (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1069

Chinook Salmon Season to Open on Wenatchee River, Sockeye on Lake Wenatchee (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/aug/01/selective-fishery-to-open-on-wenatchee-river/

Quinault Indian Nation Gets Grant for Biomass Energy Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/quinaults-get-grant-biomass-energy-project.html

U-S Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Early 2012 Lowest Since 1992 (Energy Information Administration)

http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=7350&src=email#tabs_co2emissions-2

Washington State Tries to Lease Out Over-Size Data Center (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/08/01/2195920/state-tries-to-lease-out-over.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• PUD 3 Restores Electricity to 6,400 Customers – Curious (and now deceased) Raccoon the Cause of Outage
• U-S Congressman Doc Hastings Introduces Bill to Protect & Promote Clean, Renewable Hydropower
• Judge Denies Grant PUD Effort to Force Out-of-Court Settlement with Crescent Bar Islanders
• Itron 2nd-Quarter Profit Beats on Strong Margins, Shares Up
• Bearing Down - Court of Contempt: FERC & the Demise of Judicial Decorum
• Worst India Electrical Outage Highlights 60 Years of Missed Targets
• Upgrading the Grid by Going Underground
• Regulators Hire Ex-Prosecutor to Probe Duke Energy Deal
• Texas Spot Power Prices Surge Nearly $200 on Intense Heat, Soaring Demand
• U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
• Chinook Salmon Season to Open on Wenatchee River, Sockeye on Lake Wenatchee
• Yakama Nation Study Fishing for Answers about Steelhead Population
• Op/Ed - Oregon Gill-Netting Ban Would Hurt Commercial Fishing, Won’t Save Fish
• Radical Environmentalists Push to Destroy Dams to Reopen Salmon Spawning Habitat
• Potentially Lethal Toxins Found in Local Shellfish
• Kitsap County Planners Face Geoduck Controversy
• Lost Northern Fur Seal Shows Up on Hawaii Beach
• Washington State Announces New Rain Runoff Requirements
• Oregon - Bill Could Seal Crooked River Water Deal: would primarily free up water for data center development
• EPA, Landowners in Dispute over Portland Harbor Clean-Up
• Willamette Falls Goes Dry for Annual Maintenance
• Quinault Indian Nation Gets Grant for Biomass Energy Project
• Group Releases Draft of Biomass Strategy for Oregon
• Presidential Politics Puts Wind Energy Credit on the Block
• Colorado Democrat Makes Case for Idaho Wind Industry
• The Green Future Arrives In California As Utilities Hit 20% Renewable Energy Target
• Need For Speed: California’s Clean Power Build Out
• Stiff Breeze Batters German Wind Energy Sector
• Idaho - Conservation in Court: McKinstry & Blaine County School District Split in First Court Battle
• U-S Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Early 2012 Lowest Since 1992
• Drought Dilemma - Half of U-S Counties Now Considered Disaster Areas
• Business & Government Start Preparing for Climate Impacts
• New Mexico - Taos Community Solar Garden Lets Customers Buy Panels
• Here’s your Indulgence - BMW to Offer Renewable Energy Certificates
• Washington State Tries to Lease Out Over-Size Data Center
• Facebook Discloses Power Use in Prineville & Across the Company, Wins Praise from Greenpeace
• Facebook Says 23 Percent of Data-Center Power is Green
• Google to Expand Its Finnish Data Center
• Bring On the Broadband with Private/Public Partnerships
• New Broadband Customers Help Comcast Earnings
• Cybersecurity Bill Fails in the U-S Senate
• Yahoo Sued After Disclosure of User Names, Stolen Passwords
• State Legislatures Anticipate High Turnover of Staffs
• Shelton Teen in Amber Alert Found Safe, Admits She Wasn’t Abducted
• Four Injured in Car vs. Motorcycle Crash North of Shelton
• New Quake Threat Off the Pacific Northwest Coast
• Hot, Sunny Weekend Forecast for Washington State
• Mason General Hospital - New Surgery Wing Opens for Patients
• Striking Drivers Back on the Job - Garbage Collection Resumes Ahead of Waste Management Vote
• The Evergreen State College in Olympia Named a ‘Best Buy’

WORD OF THE DAY

Tonsorial • \tawn-SORE-ee-ul\ • Adjective - Of or relating to a barber or the work of a barber

Tad considered himself a jack of all trades at his local electrical utility. There was not an endeavor he was unwilling to try…and in some cases fail miserably. His most disastrous effort included dull office scissors and an unfortunate tonsorial exercise involving his manager’s usually finely styled hair. Fortunately, the group “Locks of Love” was the unsuspecting beneficiary of the aftermath.

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

PUD 3 Restores Electricity to 6,400 Customers – Curious (and now deceased) Raccoon the Cause of Outage (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1069

U-S Congressman Doc Hastings Introduces Bill to Protect & Promote Clean, Renewable Hydropower (U-S House Natural Resources Committee)

http://naturalresources.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=305449

Judge Denies Grant PUD Effort to Force Out-of-Court Settlement with Crescent Bar Islanders (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/aug/01/judge-denies-grant-pud-motion-to-settle-with/

Itron 2nd-Quarter Profit Beats on Strong Margins, Shares Up (Reuters)

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/01/itron-results-idINL4E8J17CF20120801

Bearing Down - Court of Contempt: FERC & the Demise of Judicial Decorum (Courtesy of “Clearing Up,” Ben Tansey)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/08/bearing-down-court-of-contempt-ferc-and.html

Worst India Electrical Outage Highlights 60 Years of Missed Targets (Bloomberg News)

http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/Worst-India-Outage-Highlights-60-Years-of-Missed-3753340.php

Upgrading the Grid by Going Underground (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2012/08/02/upgrading-the-grid-by-going-underground/

Regulators Hire Ex-Prosecutor to Probe Duke Energy Deal (Associated Press)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/story/2012-08-01/duke-progress-energy-merger-probe/56658520/1?csp=34money

Texas Spot Power Prices Surge Nearly $200 on Intense Heat, Soaring Demand (SNL Financial)

http://www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-15481757-13349

U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/US-natural-gas-supplies-grew-last-week-3757024.php

FISH & WILDLIFE

Chinook Salmon Season to Open on Wenatchee River, Sockeye on Lake Wenatchee (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/aug/01/selective-fishery-to-open-on-wenatchee-river/

Yakama Nation Study Fishing for Answers about Steelhead Population (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2012/08/01/yakama-nation-study-fishing-for-answers-about-steelhead-population

Op/Ed - Oregon Gill-Netting Ban Would Hurt Commercial Fishing, Won’t Save Fish (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/08/gill-netting_ban_would_hurt_co.html

Radical Environmentalists Push to Destroy Dams to Reopen Salmon Spawning Habitat (Human Events)

http://www.humanevents.com/2012/08/01/radical-environmentalists-push-to-destroy-dams-to-reopen-salmon-spawning-habitat/

Potentially Lethal Toxins Found in Local Shellfish (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Dangerous-algae-found-in-local-shellfish-164675616.html

Kitsap County Planners Face Geoduck Controversy (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/aug/01/planners-face-geoduck-controversy/

Lost Northern Fur Seal Shows Up on Hawaii Beach (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018828717_apuslostseal1stldwritethru.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Announces New Rain Runoff Requirements (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/08/01/2195286/state-announces-new-rain-runoff.html

Oregon - Bill Could Seal Crooked River Water Deal: would primarily free up water for data center development (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/bill-could-seal-crooked-river-water-deal/

EPA, Landowners in Dispute over Portland Harbor Clean-Up (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/epa-landowners-dispute-over-harbor-clean-/

Willamette Falls Goes Dry for Annual Maintenance (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/west-linn/index.ssf/2012/08/willamette_falls_goes_dry_for.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Quinault Indian Nation Gets Grant for Biomass Energy Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/quinaults-get-grant-biomass-energy-project.html

Group Releases Draft of Biomass Strategy for Oregon (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2012/08/group-releases-draft-of-biomass.html

Presidential Politics Puts Wind Energy Credit on the Block (NY Times)

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/wind-credit-on-the-block/

Colorado Democrat Makes Case for Idaho Wind Industry (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2012/08/01/rockybarker/colorado_democrat_makes_case_idaho_wind_industry

The Green Future Arrives In California As Utilities Hit 20% Renewable Energy Target (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddwoody/2012/08/01/the-green-future-arrives-in-california-as-utilities-hit-20-renewable-energy-target/

Need For Speed: California’s Clean Power Build Out (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/cleantech/need-for-speed-californias-clean-power-buildout/

Stiff Breeze Batters German Wind Energy Sector (Deutsch Welle)

http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,16136711,00.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Idaho - Conservation in Court: McKinstry & Blaine County School District Split in First Court Battle (Idaho Mountain Express & Guide, Sun Valley, ID)

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005143185

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U-S Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Early 2012 Lowest Since 1992 (Energy Information Administration)

http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=7350&src=email#tabs_co2emissions-2

Drought Dilemma - Half of U-S Counties Now Considered Disaster Areas (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018823898_apuswidedroughtusda.html

Business & Government Start Preparing for Climate Impacts (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/seidel/98991/business-and-government-start-preparing-climate-impacts

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

New Mexico - Taos Community Solar Garden Lets Customers Buy Panels (Santa Fe New Mexican)

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/080212taossolargarden

Here’s your Indulgence - BMW to Offer Renewable Energy Certificates (The Green Car, UK – Go forth & pollute no more…)

http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/08/02/bmw-to-offer-renewable-energy-certificates/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Tries to Lease Out Over-Size Data Center (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/08/01/2195920/state-tries-to-lease-out-over.html

Facebook Discloses Power Use in Prineville & Across the Company, Wins Praise from Greenpeace (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2012/08/facebook_discloses_power_use_i.html

Facebook Says 23 Percent of Data-Center Power is Green (Bloomberg News)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-01/facebook-says-23-percent-of-data-center-power-is-green.html

Google to Expand Its Finnish Data Center (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2018832336_apeufinlandgoogle.html

Bring On the Broadband with Private/Public Partnerships (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/investor/2012/07/31/bring-on-the-broadband-with-privatepublic-partnerships/

New Broadband Customers Help Comcast Earnings (NY Times)

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/new-broadband-customers-help-drive-comcast-earnings/

Cybersecurity Bill Fails in the U-S Senate (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/post/cybersecurity-bill-fails-in-the-senate/2012/08/02/gJQABofxRX_blog.html?wprss=rss_technology

Yahoo Sued After Disclosure of User Names, Stolen Passwords (Bloomberg News)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-02/yahoo-sued-over-breach-that-exposed-450-000-users-passwords-1-.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

State Legislatures Anticipate High Turnover of Staffs (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-08-01/legislative-staff-survey-recruiting/56670366/1?csp=34news

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Teen in Amber Alert Found Safe, Admits She Wasn’t Abducted (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Amber-Alert-for-missing-Mason-County-Shelton-teen-164603316.html

Four Injured in Car vs. Motorcycle Crash North of Shelton (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/6698

New Quake Threat Off the Pacific Northwest Coast (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=716538

Hot, Sunny Weekend Forecast for Washington State (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018829431_apwahotweekend.html

Mason General Hospital - New Surgery Wing Opens for Patients (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/36025-new-surgery-wing-opens-for-patients

Striking Drivers Back on the Job - Garbage Collection Resumes Ahead of Waste Management Vote (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Waste-Management-tentative-deal-164728846.html

The Evergreen State College in Olympia Named a ‘Best Buy’ (South Sound Business Examiner)

http://www.businessexaminer.com/blog/July-2012/Evergreen-State-named-a-Best-Buy/

DIVERSIONS

Ukulele Used As Weapon During Roommate Fight

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Ukulele-used-as-weapon-during-roommate-fight-3754299.php

The Who Fans Trade In 1979 Tickets 33 Years Later

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/fans-trade-1979-tickets-33-years-article-1.1126533#ixzz22JfKgaju

Marmite Reward for New Zealand’s Olympic Medalists

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19082740

Hitler’s Nephew Begged FDR to Allow Him to Enlist to Fight Uncle, Letter Shows

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/hitler-nephew-letter-roosevelt-fdr-163509489.html

SONG OF THE DAY

The Who - Love Reign O’er Me (from the Quadrophenia album)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygOaNo3M_Hw

Jack Johnson - Rocky Raccoon (cover - too easy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Sxi1mlLvE