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.
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
A Call to Triple US Spending on Energy Research (NY Times)
Federal Study Shows Major Decline of Northwest Water Supplies (Oregon
Moses Lake Students Race for Solar Power - School District partnered with the Grant County Public Utility District & REC Silicon (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· A Call to Triple US Spending on Energy Research
· DNR Steps into Okanogan PUD Transmission Line Tangle
· California
· Summit Park Ballfields & BPA Power Lines Spark Maple Valley City
· Coming to Earth Soon: Nasty Solar Storms
· Canadian Commission into Sockeye Salmon Stocks Releases Areas of Inquiry
· Canada
· Salmon Get Bar Codes
· Biotoxin Closes All of Whatcom County
· Editorial – Shellfish Industry: An Ill Wind Blows in Our Region’s Favor
· Going to War against Grasshoppers
· Federal Study Shows Major Decline of Northwest Water Supplies
· AP Impact: BP Gulf Spill Response Plans Severely Flawed – Included seals & walruses as species at risk
· Washington , Oregon
· Construction Begins on East Idaho Wind Project
· Canada
· Idaho
· Texas - Mesquite
· Public Service of New Hampshire
· Canada - New Brunswick
· United Kingdom
· Energy Savings on the Cheap - Hanging Laundry on Clotheslines Saves Money
· Senator Graham Backs US Energy Bill without Carbon Cap He Once Sought
· Energy, Climate Change, but No Cap & Trade
· Once More, With Less Feeling - Climate-Change Negotiations Settle in for the Long Haul
· Report: Potential of “Clean Coal” to Reduce Emissions is Overstated
· Moses Lake Students
· Solar Cells: Coming to a Window Near You?
· Airplane Contrails Contribute to Global Warming
· Lafayette
· Verizon, Time Warner Cable Fight over the Definition of Fiber
· Rural Wireless Carriers Ready for a Fight
· FCC Looks for Silicon Valley Support of Broadband Plan
· FCC Has 20,000 Speedtest Volunteers - But they’re looking for more...
· Some ISPs Still Struggling With Definition of ‘Unlimited’
· APOGEE Interactive Websites Take Top Honors
· Mason County
· Mason County
· California
· Washington State
· Washington State
· Mount Rainier Shaking With Tiny Ice Quakes
· Cowlitz County
WORD OF THE DAY
Ambuscade • \AM-buss-kade\ • noun - A trap in which concealed persons lie in wait to attack by surprise; also: the persons so concealed or their position
The intricate maze built of copy-paper boxes by the utility’s information services staff had a dual purpose: funnel abusers of the print-limit policy into a single line; and make escape past the carefully organized ambuscade of printer police virtually impossible. The camouflage of those lying in wait was impressive…at first glance; they appeared as innocent boxes of copy paper. However, tear-away panels stood ready to release an onslaught of hidden IS workers at the ambush point.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
A Call to Triple US Spending on Energy Research (NY Times)
DNR Steps into Okanogan PUD Transmission Line Tangle (Wenatchee
Coming to Earth Soon: Nasty Solar Storms - The sun is about to get a lot more active, which spells bad news for Earth’s satellites, power grids, & other trappings of modern living (Christian Science Monitor)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Canadian Commission into Sockeye Salmon Stocks Releases Areas of Inquiry “…water pollution, salmon farms, logging, diseases & parasites, predators, non-retention fisheries, climate change, urbanization & agricultural activities & hydro…” (Globe & Mail , Canada
Salmon Get Bar Codes (Corvallis
Biotoxin Closes All of Whatcom County to Recreational Shellfish Harvest (KING-TV, Seattle
Editorial – Shellfish Industry: An Ill Wind Blows in Our Region’s Favor (Daily Astorian, OR)
Going to War against Grasshoppers (NY Times)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Federal Study Shows Major Decline of Northwest Water Supplies (Oregon
AP Impact: BP Spill Response Plans Severely Flawed “…The plan lists cold-water marine mammals including walruses, sea otters, sea lions & seals as sensitive biological resources…none of those animals live anywhere near the Gulf…” (Associated Press)
Washington, Oregon Dishwashers to Go on Low-Phosphate Diets (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Construction Begins on East Idaho Wind Project (KMVT-TV, Boise, ID)
Canada – Wind Farm Turbines Deadly for Birds, Bats (Globe & Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/windfarm-turbines-deadly-for-birds-bats/article1598597/
Idaho Geothermal Company Closer to $102 Million Loan (Associated Press)
Texas - Mesquite Wood Fired Power Plant Moves Forward (Abilene Reporter News, TX)
Public Service of New Hampshire Reaches Power Purchase Agreement for Biomass Energy “…will move New Hampshire closer to its goal of 25 percent renewable energy…” (Market Watch)
Canada - New Brunswick Biomass Allocation Upsets Ecology Groups (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
United Kingdom Will Fail Climate Change Target to Generate More Electricity from Wind Farms (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7813742/UK-will-fail-climate-change-target.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7813742/UK-will-fail-climate-change-target.html
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Energy Savings on the Cheap - Hanging Laundry on Clotheslines Saves Money, Cuts Carbon (Portland Tribune, OR)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Senator Graham Backs US Energy Bill without Carbon Cap He Once Sought (Bloomberg Business News)
Energy, Climate Change, but No Cap & Trade (NY Times)
Once More, With Less Feeling - Climate-Change Negotiations Settle in for the Long Haul (The Economist Magazine)
Report: Potential of “Clean Coal” to Reduce Emissions is Overstated (Solve Climate)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Moses Lake Students Race for Solar Power - School District partnered with the Grant County Public Utility District & REC Silicon (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Solar Cells: Coming to a Window Near You? (CNN)
Airplane Contrails Contribute to Global Warming (Natural News)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Lafayette Utility Service Files Complaint with FCC over Cox Blackballing - Insists they’re being kept out of National Cable Television Cooperative (Broadband Reports)
Verizon, Time Warner Cable Fight over the Definition of Fiber (Broadband Reports)
Rural Wireless Carriers Ready for a Fight (Light Reading)
FCC Looks for Silicon Valley Support of Broadband Plan (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
FCC Has 20,000 Speedtest Volunteers - But they’re looking for more... (Broadband Reports)
Some ISPs Still Struggling With Definition of ‘Unlimited’ (Broadband Reports)
APOGEE Interactive Websites Take Top Honors - National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Competition (PR Newswire)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Mason County - Day Three of Candidate Filing Nets a Fourth for PUD 3 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Mason County Candidate Filings (Mason County Auditor)
California Voters Overhaul Primary Election System – Go to “Top Two” System (Associated Press)
GENERAL NEWS
Washington State’s New Cell Phone Law Takes Effect Today (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Washington State & Three Others Begging Congress for $24B Medicaid Bailout (Associated Press)
Mount Rainier Shaking With Tiny Ice Quakes (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012078828_apwarainiericequakes.html?syndication=rss
We’re Open for Business “…Cowlitz PUD & the state were able to offer the family a $2.2 million package of grants & low-interest loans to pay power costs for the new plant…” (Longview Daily News, WA)
DIVERSIONS
Stowaway Survives Flight Next to Jet Landing Gear
NY’s Empire State Bldg Says ‘No’ to Mother Teresa
Yuck!!! Galileo’s Fingers Go on Display in Florence Museum
Elementary School Counselor Kisses a Pig to Reward Her Students
SONG OF THE DAY
Indigo Girls - Galileo
