Energy News Digest for March 14, 2008 - the Pi Day Edition

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.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- Police Raid Recyclers Accused Of Buying Stolen Metal
- Nuclear power crucial to US energy needs, says industry executive
- Canada – Nuclear Power plans unveiled for Alberta
- News Release – Western Energy Institute Names Chuck Meyer as President
- Sources: NOAA to approve 'lethal means' to remove some sea lions
- Oh, get a room! Steelhead trout seen flirting in Alameda Creek
- Upper Columbia Chinook fishing starts this Sunday
- Olympic Mountain snowpack, runoff predicted above average
- Lacey-area residents take in sewer plans
- More chlorine added to Port Townsend water as a precaution after failed tests for bacteria
- Once Puget Sound's dirtiest, lake attracts attention
- EPA Closure of Libraries Faulted For Curbing Access to Key Data
- Montana wind farm work to begin with thaw
- GE Powers Japan's Largest Wood Gas Plant
- Greening the home, New England style
- Canada – Couple wins $11,500 in energy conservation products
- WA gov signs climate change blueprint into law
- Climate Change Bill the Latest Victory for Bainbridge Senator Phil Rockefeller
- Olympian Editorial – State action on climate change is the right idea
- Some gadgets come with viruses preloaded
- MPAA boss: Net neutrality would cramp our P2P snooping plans
- EarthLink’s meltdown casts spotlight on public ownership of broadband
- Big strides vs. baby steps: Parties put their spin on Legislative session – It's over
- Seattle giving bottled water the boot
- Win a Pie on Pi Day
- Christians get ready for early Easter (March 23)

These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Errant • \AIR-unt\ • adjective – 1: traveling or given to traveling 2*a: straying outside the proper path or bounds b: moving about aimlessly or irregularly c: behaving wrongly

Baby chicks spilled out of the shipping cartons at the post office, scattering hither and yon in their errant travels through the racks of “business direct” publications and tubs of regular mail. Days after the incident, postal clerks would stop still whenever a small chirp was heard to track down the missing chick. Finally, one employee decided to put a food dish out, which was appropriately dubbed the USPS “chick magnet”.

WEATHER

Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944

(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Police Raid Recyclers Accused Of Buying Stolen Metal (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15589576/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news

Nuclear power crucial to US energy needs, says industry executive (Energy Business Review)
http://www.energy-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=55158E29-6349-4319-8803-A0D2C6A287E7

Canada – Nuclear Power plans unveiled for Alberta (Canada.com)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=71a9324b-5972-4b44-a24b-73e859942cec&k=89094

News Release – Western Energy Institute Names Chuck Meyer as President – “…Meyer joins WEI after…a 31 year career with Bonneville Power Administration…” (eMediaWire)
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2008/3/prweb768274.htm

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Sources: NOAA to approve 'lethal means' to remove some sea lions (KATU-TV, Portland)
http://www.katu.com/news/16666251.html

Oh, get a room! Steelhead trout seen flirting in Alameda Creek – For the first time in four decades, a pair of steelhead trout may be attempting to spawn in the Niles Canyon area between Sunol and Hayward. (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8570858?source=rss

Upper Columbia Chinook fishing starts this Sunday (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/14/this_day/10151069.txt

Olympic Mountain snowpack, runoff predicted above average (KONP Radio, Port Angeles)
http://www.konp.com/local/3479

Lacey-area residents take in sewer plans – “…Many wondered how they would pay for their share of the project, which averages $31,376 per lot for the estimated 1,470 homeowners who could be hooked up to sewers in years ahead…” (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/388366.html

More chlorine added to Port Townsend water as a precaution after failed tests for bacteria (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080314/NEWS/803140305

Once Puget Sound's dirtiest, lake attracts attention – Local, county, state and federal officials to discuss cleanup ideas (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080314/ETP03/947987234/-1/RSS01

EPA Closure of Libraries Faulted For Curbing Access to Key Data (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031303649.html?nav=rss_technology

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Montana wind farm work to begin with thaw – Construction of the state's largest wind farm is scheduled to begin this spring 85 miles north Great Falls, Spain-based developer Naturener said. (Associated Press, via the Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/03/13/business/biz27.txt

GE Powers Japan's Largest Wood Gas Plant (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51844&src=rss

Greening the home, New England style (Photos from CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Photos-Greening-the-home%2C-New-England-style/2300-13842_3-6234286.html?part=dht&tag=nl.e703

CONSERVATION

Canada – Couple wins $11,500 in energy conservation products (Northern Life)
http://www.northernlife.ca/News/Lifestyle/2008/03-13-08-contest.asp?NLStory=03-13-08-contest

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

WA gov signs climate change blueprint into law (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP03142008news291791.cfm?newsletter=10

Climate Change Bill the Latest Victory for Bainbridge Senator Phil Rockefeller (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2008/mar/13/phil-rockefeller-climate-change-victory-the-for/

Olympian Editorial – State action on climate change is the right idea
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/387907.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Some gadgets come with viruses preloaded – viruses introduced in production stage a growing problem (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8569693?source=rss

MPAA boss: Net neutrality would cramp our P2P snooping plans (ARS Technica, via Baller/Herbst)
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080313-mpaa-boss-net-neutrality-would-cramp-our-p2p-snooping-plans.html

EarthLink’s meltdown casts spotlight on public ownership of broadband (Muni Wireless, via Baller/Herbst)
http://www.muniwireless.com/applications/economic-development/2008/03/14/earthlinks-meltdown-casts-spotlight-on-public-ownership-of-broadband/

GENERAL NEWS

Big strides vs. baby steps: Parties put their spin on Legislative session – It's over. The Legislature adjourned its 60-day session Thursday night (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/388373.html

Lt. Gov. Owen hands out "recognitions" (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/944/story/116934.html

Seattle giving bottled water the boot (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004281669_water14m.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

A dozen pregnant women wanted - for ballet
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1271421620080313?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Dolphin Rescues Wayward Whales – Moko Usually Swims With People In New Zealand
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15583332/detail.html

Woman Attacked Clerk Over Cup, Police Say – Store's Security Cameras Capture Incident
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15580219/detail.html

Win a Pie on Pi Day
http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/win-a-pie-on-pi-day/index.html?ex=1363233600&en=e7bbdb1300996a5d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Christians get ready for early Easter (March 23) – 1913 was the last year the holiday was celebrated in the month of March
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8570666?source=rss