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.
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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Biomass Energy – ORCAA’s Shelton Hearing on ADAGE: Jobs vs. Clean Air (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Montana’s Colstrip Power Plant Among Worst in the Nation for Mercury Emissions, Says Enviro Group (New West)
The American Attempt to Kill British Columbia’s Salmon Farms - The province’s industry is being demonized while Alaskan ‘ranched’ fish are marketed as ‘wild caught’ (Vancouver Sun, BC)
State of Oregon to Begin Hazing Sea Lions at Willamette Falls (West Linn Tidings, OR)
Oregon - Proposal Would Charge Drivers of Electric Cars: A “vehicle road usage charge” would stand in for the gas taxes other owners pay to help support the road network (Eugene Register Guard, OR)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Montana’s Colstrip Power Plant Among Worst in the Nation for Mercury Emissions, Says Enviro Group
· Amid Growth of Renewables, Coal Fights to Keep Its Share
· US Pushes, but Reactors Are Lagging
· Disputed Reactor Design Moves Forward
· Diesel for Fracking? Gas Drilling Technique Is Labeled Violation
· New York - Alcoa Restart Means End of Energy Credit for Local Businesses
· Colorado - Hydropower Idea Drawing Local Interest
· Editorial – Capitol’s Electricity: After ‘Thundersnow,’ Broken Promises from Pepco
· Building a Country by Switching on the Lights - 1.6 billion people around the world lack reliable access to electricity
· The American Attempt to Kill British Columbia’s Salmon Farms
· Alaska’s US Senators Introduce ‘Frankenfish’ Ban
· State of Oregon to Begin Hazing Sea Lions at Willamette Falls
· Editorial - Resume Sea Lion Killings
· Terns Not Welcome at Port of Bellingham
· 86-Year-Old U.S. 101 Bridge to be Exposed to Heavy Debris Once Elwha Dams Removed
· Derelict Columbia River Barge Costing Millions
· Washington State Environmental Groups Pushing Fee on Stormwater Pollution
· Biomass Energy – ORCAA’s Shelton Hearing on ADAGE: Jobs vs. Clean Air
· Shelton Biomass Power Plant Plan Draws Backers, Opponents
· Florida - Westervelt Breaks Ground for Hale Wood Burning Power Plant
· Puget Sound Energy to buy $500K in energy credits for King County Landfill Gas Power
· Ridgefield Firm Gets Hydropower Boost - Turbines to Generate Energy from Irrigation Canals
· The Best Investment Under the Sun? Should I Get a Solar Water Heater? Or Solar Electric Panels?
· EPA Report Says Biofuels Bad for the Environment
· Obama & GOP Should Cut Red Tape Blocking Tribe’s Green Energy
· Excellence in Renewable Energy Award Finalists Announced
· City of Pasco Says Replacing Street Lights Could Save $119K
· Solar Panel System at Cherrywood Village Retirement Community Saves on Electric Bills
· Wyoming’s US Senator Seeks to Lasso EPA
· Filling in the Blanks on Himalayan Glaciers
· Infrastructurist: Suburbs Pollute More Than Cities
· To Fix Global Warming, How About a Meat Tax?
· Oregon - Proposal Would Charge Drivers of Electric Cars: A “vehicle road usage charge”
· Seattle Council Backs Fee for Yellow Pages Distributors
· Let the Rice Riots Begin! Global Demand for Rice Is Surpassing Production
· Last Internet Provider in Egypt Goes Dark
· What if the US Shut Down the Internet Like Egypt Did?
· Verizon Says It’s Ready for iPhone Demand
· Android Now World’s Most Popular Phone OS
· Office Web Apps to get new challenger: IBM Symphony
· Data Storage Moves to the ‘Cloud’
· Federal Judge Rules That Health Law Violates Constitution
· Adding Some Space Around the Washington State Signature-Seekers
· KGY Radio’s Dick Pust to Run for Mayor of Olympia
· Monroe Prison Guard Murder - Authorities Fooled Again by Dangerous Inmate?
· Tuesday’s Forecast: Horrific
· Shelton Eliminates Utility Surcharge for Customers Outside City Limits
· Study Finds Red Light Cameras Cut Fatal Crashes
· 100 Sled Dogs in Whistler Killed After Winter Olympics
WORD OF THE DAY
Ambiguous • \am-BIG-yuh-wus\ • Adjective - 1a: doubtful or uncertain especially from obscurity or indistinctness 2: capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways
“Do you like the word of the day, chief?” chirped the fresh-faced cub reporter. “Yeah, I guess,” grunted the grizzled newsroom editor, showing a toothy, coffee-stained, ambiguous smile.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Montana’s Colstrip Power Plant Among Worst in the Nation for Mercury Emissions, Says Enviro Group (New West)
Amid Growth of Renewables, Coal Fights to Keep Its Share (Bellingham Herald, WA)
US Pushes, but Reactors Are Lagging (NY Times)
Disputed Reactor Design Moves Forward (NY Times)
Diesel for Fracking? Gas Drilling Technique Is Labeled Violation (NY Times)
New York - Alcoa Restart Means End of Energy Credit for Local Businesses (WWNY-TV, Watertown, NY)
Colorado - Hydropower Idea Drawing Local Interest (Pueblo Chieftain, CO)
Editorial – Capitol’s Electricity: After ‘Thundersnow,’ Broken Promises from Pepco (Washington Post)
Building a Country by Switching on the Lights - 1.6 billion people around the world lack reliable access to electricity (Time Magazine)
FISH & WILDLIFE
The American Attempt to Kill British Columbia’s Salmon Farms - The province’s industry is being demonized while Alaskan ‘ranched’ fish are marketed as ‘wild caught’ (Vancouver Sun, BC)
Alaska’s US Senators Introduce ‘Frankenfish’ Ban (Juneau Empire, AK)
State of Oregon to Begin Hazing Sea Lions at Willamette Falls (West Linn Tidings, OR)
Editorial - Resume Sea Lion Killings (Longview Daily News, WA)
Terns Not Welcome at Port of Bellingham (Bellingham Herald, WA)
86-Year-Old U.S. 101 Bridge to be Exposed to Heavy Debris Once Elwha Dams Removed (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Derelict Columbia River Barge Costing Millions (Associated Press)
Washington State Environmental Groups Pushing Fee on Stormwater Pollution (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Biomass Energy – ORCAA’s Shelton Hearing on ADAGE: Jobs vs. Clean Air (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Shelton Biomass Power Plant Plan Draws Backers, Opponents - Some see new jobs, others air pollution (Olympian, WA)
Florida - Westervelt Breaks Ground for Hale Wood Burning Power Plant (Tuscaloosa News, FL)
Puget Sound Energy to buy $500K in energy credits for King County Landfill Gas Power (Seattle Times)
Ridgefield Firm Gets Hydropower Boost - Turbines to Generate Energy from Irrigation Canals (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
The Best Investment Under the Sun? Should I Get a Solar Water Heater? Or Solar Electric Panels? (Slate Magazine)
EPA Report Says Biofuels Bad for the Environment (Energy Digital)
Obama & GOP Should Cut Red Tape Blocking Tribe’s Green Energy (Grist Magazine)
Excellence in Renewable Energy Award Finalists Announced (Renewable Energy World)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
City of Pasco Says Replacing Street Lights Could Save $119K (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Solar Panel System at Cherrywood Village Retirement Community Saves on Electric Bills (Oregonian, Portland)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Wyoming’s US Senator Seeks to Lasso EPA (NY Times)
Filling in the Blanks on Himalayan Glaciers (NY Times)
Infrastructurist: Suburbs Pollute More Than Cities (Publicola, Seattle)
To Fix Global Warming, How About a Meat Tax? (MSNBC)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Oregon - Proposal Would Charge Drivers of Electric Cars: A “vehicle road usage charge” would stand in for the gas taxes other owners pay to help support the road network (Eugene Register Guard, OR)
Seattle Council Backs Fee for Yellow Pages Distributors (Seattle Times)
Let the Rice Riots Begin! Global Demand for Rice Is Surpassing Production, and US Farmers Aren’t Helping (Christian Science Monitor)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Last Internet Provider in Egypt Goes Dark (Associated Press)
What if the US Shut Down the Internet Like Egypt Did? For starters, you wouldn’t be reading this article (Christian Science Monitor)
Verizon Says It’s Ready for iPhone Demand (USA Today)
Android Now World’s Most Popular Phone OS (Christian Science Monitor)
Office Web Apps to get new challenger: IBM Symphony (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Data Storage Moves to the ‘Cloud’ (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Federal Judge Rules That Health Law Violates Constitution (NY Times)
Adding Some Space Around the Washington State Signature-Seekers - Legislator wants them to stay 15 feet from businesses’ doors (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
KGY Radio’s Dick Pust to Run for Mayor of Olympia - 51-year radio personality decided on bid after Jan. 5 change (Olympian, WA)
GENERAL NEWS
Monroe Prison Guard Murder - Authorities Fooled Again by Dangerous Inmate? (Seattle Times)
Tuesday’s Forecast: Horrific (NY Times)
Shelton Eliminates Utility Surcharge for Customers Outside City Limits (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Study Finds Red Light Cameras Cut Fatal Crashes (Associated Press)
100 Sled Dogs in Whistler Killed After Winter Olympics (KING-TV, Seattle)
DIVERSIONS
Five-Time Oscar-Winner Composer John Barry Dies at 77
‘What Is Internet?’ Web Surfers Discover, Ruthlessly Mock 1994 ‘Today Show’ Clip of Confused Couric, Gumbel
The Office Pool Pays Off! Factory Workers Win $50 Million Lottery
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/02/01/the-office-pool-pays-off-factory-workers-win-50-million-lottery/
State Coffee, Stone Up to Washington Legislature (coffee? kidney stone? I don’t know why, but this headline made me laugh…almost had a coffee “noser”)
SONG OF THE DAY
“Out of Africa” - Theme by John Barry
The James Bond Theme 007 - Theme by John Barry
