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.
The news digest is also available at the following web site:
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Bonneville Dam Completes $140 Million Makeover (KGW-TV, Portland , OR
Logs Fly to Skokomish Fish Rescue - Logging Left River
Editorial - Acidic Water No Surprise to Shellfish Growers (Olympian, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Russia - Hydroelectric Power Plant Attacked in Caucasus
· Bonneville Dam Completes $140 Million Makeover
· Montana
· Over Okanogan PUD Case - Who Does McKenna Represent? Courts Will Consider
· US Senator Murray Trying to License Nevada
· Snohomish PUD Seeks Public Input on Energy Resource Plan
· Tennessee Valley
· Vermont
· New Mexico - Texas
· Logs Fly to Skokomish Fish Rescue - Logging Left River
· Editorial - Good Columbia River Fish Runs This Year Deserve Better State
· Canada
· Judge Halts Work on Removal of Rogue River Dam
· Editorial - Acidic Water No Surprise to Shellfish Growers
· Post Fall’s Lawsuit Blasts EPA Spokane River Cleanup Plan
· $16 Million to Help Yakima River Basin
· Rubberized Dam Breaks at Man-Made Arizona Lake
· US to Consider Protection for Imperiled Whitebark Pine
· Port of Shelton
· Olympia Building
· Washington Department of Natural Resources to Commission Forestry Biomass Supply Study
· Biomass Conversion Topic of July 27 Richland
· Editorial - Missing the Forest for the Trees: Biomass has a role to play in protecting forests & limiting carbon emissions
· Op/Ed - Oregon
· Op/eEd – Vermont
· North Carolina - ReVenture Biomass Plant Sparks
· San Diego Gas & Electric Utility Wants to Invest in Montana
· Wind Deal May Pose Problems for Consumers
· Wind Farms Generating Energy & Jobs in Iowa
· Washington State
· Companies, Green Groups Push for National Utility Efficiency Mandate
· Home Star Teeters on the Edge
· To Cut Greenhouse Gasses Fed Workers to be Urged to Commute, Travel Less
· Carbon-Control Bill Faces Steep Hill in Senate
· Squirrels Getting Fatter with Climate Change
· Compost Dust-Up - Marysville Neighbors Fed Up With Rotten Stench
· In Portland
· Portland
· In a Climate Quest, the Roof as White Knight
· With New Report, FCC Makes a Bid for Universal Broadband
· Those Last Few Broadband Feet Can Cost You
· Washington
· King County Demands Millions from Merrill Lynch
· Benton County
· Audit Says Utah
· Olympia Capitol Rotunda Closed After One-Pound Piece of Plaster Falls
WORD OF THE DAY
Cynical • \SIN-ick-cull\ • adjective - 1: captious, peevish 2: having or showing the attitude or temper of a cynic: as a: contemptuously distrustful of human nature & motives b: based on or reflecting a belief that human conduct is motivated primarily by self-interest
Buster was grousing about his five-hour, no bathroom-break, coffee and doughnut fueled power supply meeting. “I don’t know why I go to these things,” he cynically muttered to his fresh-faced and still entranced companion. “I always go back to the ‘farm’ knowing that decisions have been made in advance, and this is just an entertaining dog and pony show.”
Word Origin - Dictionary.com: The Greek word kunikos, from which cynic comes, was originally an adjective meaning “doglike,” from kuōn, “dog.” The word was probably applied to the Cynic philosophers. The first use of the word recorded in English is in the plural for members of this philosophical sect. In 1596 we find the first instance of cynic meaning “faultfinder,” a sense that was to develop into our modern sense. The meaning “faultfinder” came naturally from the behavior of countless Cynics who in their pursuit of virtue pointed out the flaws in others. Such faultfinding could lead quite naturally to the belief associated with cynics of today that selfishness determines human behavior.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Bonneville Dam Completes $140 Million Makeover (KGW-TV, Portland , OR
Over Okanogan PUD Case - Who Does McKenna Represent? Courts Will Consider (Crosscut Seattle
Snohomish PUD Seeks Public Input on Energy Resource Plan (Snohomish County Business
FISH & WILDLIFE
Logs Fly to Skokomish Fish Rescue - Logging Left River
Editorial - Good Columbia River Fish Runs This Year Deserve Better State Tourism Promotion (Chinook Observer, Long Beach , WA
Judge Halts Work on Removal of Rogue River Dam – Historical significance & permitting issues (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Editorial - Acidic Water No Surprise to Shellfish Growers (Olympian, WA)
Post Fall’s Lawsuit Blasts EPA Spokane River Cleanup Plan (Associated Press)
$16 Million to Help Yakima River Basin
Rubberized Dam Breaks at Man-Made Arizona Lake
US to Consider Protection for Imperiled Whitebark Pine - Found in harsh, high elevations of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, California, Nevada & western Canada (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Washington Department of Natural Resources to Commission Forestry Biomass Supply Study (Brighter Energy)
Biomass Conversion Topic of July 27 Richland
Editorial - Missing the Forest for the Trees: Biomass has a role to play in protecting forests & limiting carbon emissions (Mail Tribune, Medford , OR
Op/Ed - Oregon Biomass Tax Credit: Change Is Upon Us (Sustainable Business Oregon
Op/eEd – Vermont
Wind Deal May Pose Problems for Consumers “…Power generated by the turbines in northern Montana won’t actually be delivered to California customers, but will instead go to Canada Diego Union-Tribune , CA
Wind Farms Generating Energy & Jobs in Iowa
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Companies, Green Groups Push for National Utility Efficiency Mandate (The Hill)
Home Star Teeters on the Edge (Grist Magazine)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
To Cut Greenhouse Gasses Fed Workers to be Urged to Commute, Travel Less (Associated Press)
Carbon-Control Bill Faces Steep Hill in Senate (Associated Press)
Squirrels Getting Fatter with Climate Change (Discovery - But will they still be able to climb utility poles!)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Compost Dust-Up - Marysville Neighbors Fed Up With Rotten Stench (KIRO-TV, Seattle
In Portland , Get a Permit before You Prune a Street Tree - Or suffer the consequences (The Oregonian, Portland
In a Climate Quest, the Roof as White Knight (NY Times)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
With New Report, FCC Makes a Bid for Universal Broadband (GigaOM)
Those Last Few Broadband Feet Can Cost You - Rural Massachusetts
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
King County Demands Millions from Merrill Lynch - Claims Merrill Lynch sold $100 million of “illiquid junk” & “toxic” assets backed by subprime mortgages as safe investments (Courthouse News Service)
Audit Says Utah
GENERAL NEWS
DIVERSIONS
Dude, It’s Raining Weed - Family Finds Drugs on Roof, Authorities Investigating Plane Crash
Laptop Accidentally Sold for $5 at Thrift Store
Suspect Bragged He’s in Images, Police Say – Now His ‘Image’ Is a Mug Shot
Now THIS is the Absolute Definition of Irony - Heart-Attack Victim Saved By Pizza Man
SONG OF THE DAY
The Stampeders - Sweet City Woman (This song has perhaps my favorite line: “…she feeds me love and tenderness…and macaroons…”)
