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)
· High Court Hears Ex-Enron CEO Skilling’s Appeal
· Contractor Wins Lawsuit against Grays Harbor PUD over 2007 Storm-Related Work
· New Franklin
· Franklin PUD Building
· Northwest Natural Gas Fourth Quarter Profit Dips 5 Percent
· Record Earnings Buoy Northwest Natural
· Did ‘Unsafe’ Natural Gas Release Lead Connecticut
· Washington
· Powerful Voice for Oregon
· Montana
· Nevada
· Vermont - State Board to Consider Vermont
· As Clock Ticks, Nuclear Plant Searches for Leak
· Nuclear Plant Developers Thinking Small
· Entergy Corp. Runs into Hurdles with Nuclear Spinoff Plan
· West Virginia
· Ohio
· Washington & Oregon
· Man-Made Log Jams Planned to Help Salmon in Skokomish River
· Nisqually Reach Is a New Haven
· Shortened Cowlitz Smelt Season Draws to Close amid Possible Endangered Listing
· Last Year’s Huge Fall Chinook Jack Return Brings Predictions of Big Run This Year
· Alaska
· Lawsuit Claims Striped Bass to Blame for California
· In France
· Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce Formally Backs Water Retention Dams
· El Niño Might Lead to Summer Drought
· Department of Ecology Fines Longview Company for Columbia River Spill
· Columbian Editorial – Columbia River : Digging for Dollars
· California Water Agencies Loosen Taps; Feinstein Backs Off
· Tiny Snails Are a Big Problem for Olympia Lake
· manageable
· Rulings Restrict Clean Water Act, Foiling EPA
· Puget Sound Energy - Wild Horse Wind Farm Gets $28.6M in Stimulus Funds
· Coeur D’Alene
· Eastern Washington Scientists Study Biochar for Energy
· Alaska Wood Stove Ballot Measure Group Forms
· Los Angeles Mayor Wants Surcharge to Pay for Green Energy
· A Stink in Central California over Converting Cow Manure to Electricity
· Massachusetts
· As the Turbine Blades Turn - Nine of 11 stalled wind turbines from California
· ‘War Is Lost’ in Hydro-Quebec’s Campaign to Sell Renewable Energy to US
· SF Chronicle Columnist - Green Project Making It Harder to Hate Wal-Mart
· Conserving Electrical Resources
· Home Show Crowd Small but Steady in Port Angeles
· Breakthroughs & Cash Incentives for Those That Conserve or Create New Energy
· Home Insulation Program in Minnesota
· Energy Scoreboards, Designed for the Home
· Report Says Key Senators Would Nix ‘Cap & Trade’
· US
· Global Warming Panel, Under Attack, Seeks Outside Review
· NY Times Op/Ed - We Can’t Wish Away Climate Change
· How Do You Convince People of Global Warming in a Snowstorm?
· Avista Takes a Test Drive
· Running out of Juice: Bay Area Electric Car Dealerships Close
· Shareholders Slam Apple for Going Green
· National Hydro Association Congratulates Olympics on Going Green with Hydropower
· PlanetSolar: The Sun-Powered Super Yacht
· Carbon Fast: Churches Urging CO2 Reduction during Lent
· Accused Tumwater Hacker Poised to Plead in Comcast Attack
· Portland City Council Calls out Feds on FCC Rule That Speeds Up Reviews of Cell Towers
· US Crafts Plan to Quicken Broadband Speeds
· Oregon Is Sixth State
· “What’s Good for the Goose” - Microsoft Says Scrutiny of Google is Appropriate
· Funeral for Internet Explorer 6 Next Thursday – Send Flowers
· Ohio - Momentum Building
· Broadband Bandwagon - Topeka
· Broadband Bandwagon - Google Comes Calling, But Do We Need It?
· Associated Press - Drug Gangs Taking over US
· Log Exports Diminish, But Lumber Shows Gain
· Buffett Says Economy Recovering But at Slow Rate
· Census Workers Will Deploy to Rural Areas Monday
· Petition Forgeries Spark Legislative Debate
· Hanford to Restart Nuclear Waste Shipments to New Mexico
· Third Congressional District Up for Grabs
· Oregon State
· The Green File: Shelton
WORD OF THE DAY
Kapellmeister • \kuh-PELL-mye-ster\ • noun - The director of a choir or orchestra
“You’ve heard the expression ‘In a country of blind men, the one-eyed man is king?’” asked Ferdinand of his diminutive friend. “Well in my case, in a tin-eared choir, the man who can carry a tune is the Kapellmeister!”
WEATHER
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
High Court Hears Ex-Enron CEO Skilling’s Appeal (ABC News)
Contractor Wins Lawsuit against Grays Harbor PUD over 2007 Storm-Related Work (The Daily World, Aberdeen , WA
New Franklin
Northwest Natural Gas Fourth Quarter Profit Dips 5 Percent (Associated Press)
Record Earnings Buoy Northwest Natural - Low wholesale gas prices credited; workers get bonuses (The Columbian, Vancouver , WA
Did ‘Unsafe’ Natural Gas Release Lead Connecticut
Powerful Voice for Oregon Energy Users Is Retiring - Outgoing utility regulator is concerned about cost of renewable energy sources, foresees rising electricity prices (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)
As Clock Ticks, Nuclear Plant Searches for Leak (NY Times)
Nuclear Plant Developers Thinking Small (Nat’l Public Radio)
Entergy Corp. Runs into Hurdles with Nuclear Spinoff Plan (Associated Press)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Man-Made Log Jams Planned to Help Salmon in Skokomish River (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton , WA
Nisqually Reach Is a New Haven
Shortened Cowlitz Smelt Season Draws to Close amid Possible Endangered Listing (KELA Radio, Centralia , WA
Last Year’s Huge Fall Chinook Jack Return Brings Predictions of Big Run This Year (Columbia Basin
Lawsuit Claims Striped Bass to Blame for California Sacramento Bee, CA)
In France
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce Formally Backs Water Retention Dams (KELA Radio, Centralia , WA
El Niño Might Lead to Summer Drought - Mount Hood snowpack way below normal, say hydrologists (The Columbian, Vancouver , WA
Department of Ecology Fines Longview Company for Columbia River Spill (Associated Press)
Columbian Editorial - Digging for Dollars: Pace of channel-deepening project has accelerated, but jetties need work, too
California Water Agencies Loosen Taps; Feinstein Backs Off (SF Chronicle)
Tiny Snails Are a Big Problem for Olympia Lake (KING-TV, Seattle
Manure Becomes Pollutant as Its Volume Grows Unmanageable (Washington
Rulings Restrict Clean Water Act, Foiling EPA (NY Times)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Puget Sound Energy - Wild Horse Wind Farm Gets $28.6M in Stimulus Funds (Puget Sound Business Journal)
Alaska Wood Stove Ballot Measure Group Forms (Fairbanks
Los Angeles Mayor Wants Surcharge to Pay for Green Energy (Associated Press)
A Stink in Central California over Converting Cow Manure to Electricity (Los Angeles
As the Turbine Blades Turn - Nine of 11 stalled wind turbines from California are spinning in Minnesota
‘War Is Lost’ in Hydro-Quebec ’s Campaign to Sell Renewable Energy to US (Ottawa Citizen, Quebec
SF Chronicle Columnist - Green Project Making It Harder to Hate Wal-Mart
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Conserving Electrical Resources (Ruralite Magazine)
Home Show Crowd Small but Steady in Port Angeles (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles , WA
Breakthroughs & Cash Incentives for Those That Conserve or Create New Energy (Kitsap Peninsula
Home Insulation Program in Minnesota Is Largely Frozen - Minnesota spent just 8 percent of stimulus money (Pioneer Press, St. Paul , MN
Energy Scoreboards, Designed for the Home (NY Times)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Report Says Key Senators Would Nix ‘Cap & Trade’ (Associated Press)
Global Warming Panel, Under Attack, Seeks Outside Review (Associated Press)
NY Times Op/Ed - We Can’t Wish Away Climate Change
How Do You Convince People of Global Warming in a Snowstorm? (Christian Science Monitor)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Avista Takes a Test Drive Spokane , WA
Running out of Juice: Bay Area Electric Car Dealerships Close (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
Shareholders Slam Apple for Going Green (Mother Nature Network)
National Hydro Association Congratulates Olympics on Going Green with Hydropower (Renewable Energy World)
PlanetSolar: The Sun-Powered Super Yacht (Christian Science Monitor)
Carbon Fast: Churches Urging CO2 Reduction during Lent (Bismarck
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Accused Tumwater Hacker Poised to Plead in Comcast Attack (Seattle
US Crafts Plan to Quicken Broadband Speeds (Nat’l Public Radio)
“What’s Good for the Goose” - Microsoft Says Scrutiny of Google is Appropriate (MarketWatch)
Funeral for Internet Explorer 6 Next Thursday – Send Flowers (Seattle
Broadband Bandwagon - Topeka
Broadband Bandwagon - Google Comes Calling, But Do We Need It? (The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area)
GENERAL NEWS
Associated Press - Drug Gangs Taking over US Public Lands (Associated Press)
Log Exports Diminish, But Lumber Shows Gain - Better Market Seen for Wood Products (Spokesman Review, Spokane , WA
Buffett Says Economy Recovering But at Slow Rate (Associated Press)
Census Workers Will Deploy to Rural Areas Monday (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton , WA
Petition Forgeries Spark Legislative Debate (Spokesman Review, Spokane , WA
Third Congressional District Up for Grabs - Natural resource issues dominate a diverse district (The Columbian, Vancouver , WA
The Green File: Shelton Resident Exemplified Character During World War II (KMAS Radio, Shelton , WA
DIVERSIONS
Rocks Fascinate, Until Kids Find out They’re Playing with Dinosaur Poop
Cashmere Toilet Paper Cheaper than Wiping with “Luxury Knitwear” (Consumerist – Note: Comment section may - or most likely - contains PG-13, scatological content)
Simon LeGree File - Woman Loses Home over $68 Dental Bill
SONG OF THE DAY
Simon & Garfunkel-I Am a Rock
