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
Bonneville Power Administration Weighs Shut Down of Wind Power as Spring Snowpack Melts (Associated Press)
Chelan PUD Will Give Up Federal Fiber Grant (Wenatchee World, WA)
Clark County Commissioners, Vancouver City Council Spar on Biomass Plant (Oregonian, Portland)
Black Bear Trapped on the Dalles Dam is Shot to Death by Fish & Wildlife (Oregonian, Portland)
Study: Pot Growers Inhale One Percent of US Electricity, Exhale Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Three Million Cars (NY Times)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Bonneville Power Administration Weighs Shut Down of Wind Power as Spring Snowpack Melts
· Bonneville Power - Wind-Power Producers Fight Possible Shutdown of Turbines
· Cool Temps, Heating Bills Strain Low-Income Budgets
· Oversized Oil Load Blamed for Outage in Idaho Towns
· SnoPUD Commissioner Vaughn May Enter Snohomish County Executive Race
· Emissions from Shale Gas Worse than Coal
· More Reasons to Question Whether Gas Is Cleaner Than Coal
· Dog’s Angry Barking Leads to Dozens of Seattle Light Pole Inspections
· Study: Pot Growers Inhale One Percent of US Electricity, Exhale Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Three Million Cars
· News Release - Puget Sound Energy Invites Customers to Test Drive New and Improved PSE.com
· Black Bear Trapped on the Dalles Dam is Shot to Death by Fish & Wildlife
· Second Klamath Salmon Species May Get Federal Protection
· Chum Salmon Released to Oregon's Lower Columbia River
· Study Confirms Septic Systems as Prime Suspect in Hood Canal Fish Kills
· California - Helping Hands Move Fish Stranded in Yolo Bypass to Sacramento River
· Good Summer News: Olympic Snowpack Nearly Double from Normal; Best in State
· Scientists Checking Changing Puget Sound Chemistry
· Scientist is Taking Charge at People for Puget Sound
· Clark County Commissioners, Vancouver City Council Spar on Biomass Plant
· Editorial - Biomass? Downtown? City councilors should keep the heat on and demand answers from county officials
· Wind Power Big in the Pacific Northwest
· News Release - New Study Confirms Unique Features of Montana Wind in Providing Solutions for Pacific Northwest Power Market
· California Renewable Energy Gets Major Boost in New Law
· North Dakota – Wind Turbine Failure: Experts Say Rotor and Blades Not Properly Aligned
· California - Huge Solar Farm Proposed in Eastern Alameda County
· California - Google Doles Out $168 Million for 'Field of Mirrors' Solar Power Plant
· Wisconsin – Trash to Energy: Green Bay Biomass Plant Plan Comes Under Fire
· Why Energy-Efficient Home Improvements Haven't Brought Your Energy Bill Down
· Oregon Farmers Adopt Energy Efficiency But Could Do More, State Report Says
· Greenpeace Protests outside Dublin Facebook Office
· Glass Houses - Facebook Data Center Critic Isn’t Entirely Green Either
· Three States Consider Leaving Carbon Trade System
· Electric Car Owners Speak Out Against Bill Proposing Annual Fees for Their Cars
· United Kingdom - 'Eco-Friendly' Biofuels May Do More Harm than Good
· High on Environmentalism - Can Hemp Clothing Save the Planet?
· Chelan PUD Will Give Up Federal Fiber Grant
· Port Angeles’ Fiber-Optic Network to Cost More
· Port Angeles Wireless Network Would Become Available to Public – “…The city is hoping to be approved for a $2.6 million grant through Northwest Open Access Network
· Oregon - Warm Springs Tribes Starting Telecommunications Company
· Vermont Senate Advances Bill to Ease Broadband
· Puyallup’s South Hill Data Center Receives LEED Gold Certification
· Level 3 to Acquire Global Crossing for $2 Billion
· Cisco to Close Flip Video-Camera Business
· Proposed State Budget Slashes Teacher Pay by Three Percent
· Mason County Woman Arrested In Theft of $200,000 in Firearms, Swords, Knives
· Mason County Doubles Economic Development Council Contribution
· $14 Million Thurston County Campus Rising Off Tilley Road
WORD OF THE DAY
Weltschmerz - • \VELT-shmerts\ • Noun - 1: mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state 2: a mood of sentimental sadness
“Honey, the neighbor has fired up his smoker again for the second batch of that yummy smoked salmon,” Helen chirped to her morose husband, Ed. Ed was having a “dark night of the soul.” He loved Grant’s smoked salmon, but its very production plunged him into a bout of weltschmerz that usually lasted several weeks. For one, he was positive that the highly delicious salmon was of an endangered species allowed to be caught and kept for personal consumption. The other point focused on the delicious, aromatic smoke that hung over the neighborhood. “The ‘Omega Fatty Acids’ from the salmon are good for my heart,” murmured Ed from behind his progressive newspaper (printed on hemp-fiber paper), “but I am equally certain that my exposure to the particulates from the smoker would kill me with a single exposure if I went outside right now.”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Bonneville Power Administration Weighs Shut Down of Wind Power as Spring Snowpack Melts (Associated Press)
Bonneville Power - Wind-Power Producers Fight Possible Shutdown of Turbines (Seattle Times)
Cool Temps, Heating Bills Strain Low-Income Budgets (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Oversized Oil Load Blamed for Outage in Idaho Towns (Associated Press)
SnoPUD Commissioner Vaughn May Enter Snohomish County Executive Race (Everett Herald, WA)
Emissions from Shale Gas Worse than Coal (Business Insider)
More Reasons to Question Whether Gas Is Cleaner Than Coal (ProPublica)
Dog’s Angry Barking Leads to Dozens of Seattle Light Pole Inspections (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Study: Pot Growers Inhale One Percent of US Electricity, Exhale Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Three Million Cars (NY Times)
News Release - Puget Sound Energy Invites Customers to Test Drive New and Improved PSE.com (Electric Energy Online)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Black Bear Trapped on the Dalles Dam is Shot to Death by Fish & Wildlife (Oregonian, Portland)
Second Klamath Salmon Species May Get Federal Protection (Associated Press)
Chum Salmon Released to Oregon's Lower Columbia River (Associated Press)
Study Confirms Septic Systems as Prime Suspect in Hood Canal Fish Kills (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
California - Helping Hands Move Fish Stranded in Yolo Bypass to Sacramento River (Sacramento Bee, CA)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Good Summer News: Olympic Snowpack Nearly Double from Normal; Best in State (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Scientists Checking Changing Puget Sound Chemistry (Associated Press)
Scientist is Taking Charge at People for Puget Sound (Crosscut Seattle)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Clark County Commissioners, Vancouver City Council Spar on Biomass Plant (Oregonian, Portland)
Editorial - Biomass? Downtown? City councilors should keep the heat on and demand answers from county officials (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Wind Power Big in the Pacific Northwest (Olympian, WA)
News Release - New Study Confirms Unique Features of Montana Wind in Providing Solutions for Pacific Northwest Power Market (Yahoo! Finance)
California Renewable Energy Gets Major Boost in New Law (Los Angeles Times, CA - Now, try to build it…)
North Dakota – Wind Turbine Failure: Experts Say Rotor and Blades Not Properly Aligned (Associated Press)
California - Huge Solar Farm Proposed in Eastern Alameda County (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
California - Google Doles Out $168 Million for 'Field of Mirrors' Solar Power Plant (PC Magazine)
Wisconsin – Trash to Energy: Green Bay Biomass Plant Plan Comes Under Fire (Green Bay Press-Gazette, WI)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Why Energy-Efficient Home Improvements Haven't Brought Your Energy Bill Down (TIME Magazine)
Oregon Farmers Adopt Energy Efficiency But Could Do More, State Report Says (Oregonian, Portland)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Greenpeace Protests outside Dublin Facebook Office (Silicon Republic)
Glass Houses - Facebook Data Center Critic Isn’t Entirely Green Either (Bend Bulletin, OR)
Three States Consider Leaving Carbon Trade System (Vermont Public Radio)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Electric Car Owners Speak Out Against Bill Proposing Annual Fees for Their Cars (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
United Kingdom - 'Eco-Friendly' Biofuels May Do More Harm than Good (The Daily Mail, UK)
High on Environmentalism - Can Hemp Clothing Save the Planet? (Slate Magazine)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Chelan PUD Will Give Up Federal Fiber Grant (Wenatchee World, WA)
Port Angeles’ Fiber-Optic Network to Cost More (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Port Angeles Wireless Network Would Become Available to Public – “…The city is hoping to be approved for a $2.6 million grant through Northwest Open Access Network, a nonprofit organization…” (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Oregon - Warm Springs Tribes Starting Telecommunications Company (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Vermont Senate Advances Bill to Ease Broadband (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Vermont-Senate-advances-bill-to-ease-broadband-1333465.php
Puyallup’s South Hill Data Center Receives LEED Gold Certification (South Sound Business Examiner)
Level 3 to Acquire Global Crossing for $2 Billion (Associated Press)
Cisco to Close Flip Video-Camera Business (USA Today)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Proposed State Budget Slashes Teacher Pay by Three Percent (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Proposed-budget-slashes-Wash-teacher-pay-by-3-percent-119744249.html
GENERAL NEWS
Mason County Woman Arrested In Theft of $200,000 in Firearms, Swords, Knives (KING-TV, Seattle)
Mason County Doubles Economic Development Council Contribution (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
$14 Million Thurston County Campus Rising Off Tilley Road - Solar panels, geothermal wells among features (Olympian, WA)
DIVERSIONS
Press Release on GE Tax Refund a Hoax; AP Withdraws Story
Chocolate Milk Stirs Controversy in Schools
China Bans Time-Travel Movies
Music Monday: The Kinks, Reissued
SONG OF THE DAY
The Kinks- All Day and All of the Night
