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.
WORD OF THE DAY
Pavlovian • \pav-LAW-vee-un\ • adjective – 1: of or relating to Ivan Pavlov or to his work and theories 2: being or expressing a conditioned or predictable reaction: automatic
The phone jangled on the table once, then stopped. Ivan, in the middle of his breakfast cereal, stopped what he was doing and let out a screeching howl. Five minutes later, the phone rang again; another howl was registered from Ivan’s gaping pie-hole. For an hour this went on, until finally Ivan realized that he had been involved in a sick, Pavlovian condition-response experiment carried on by his aged, slobbering husky dog, Nanook.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Idaho Power gives up on coal-fired plant – Utility says it will develop a natural gas turbine in S. Idaho by 2012 and add wind and geothermal megawatts as well. (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/203898.html
Tentative deal in battle over Oregon utilities – Parties to the fight between public and private utilities over the relatively cheap hydropower sold by the Bonneville Power Administration report a tentative deal, The Oregonian newspaper said Tuesday. (The Associated Press via the News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/197526.html
dahoans may see credit on utility bill. Idaho Power plans to review the deal with the BPA and determine how it could benefit customers. (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/204897.html
Franklin PUD 60th Anniversary (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kvewtv.com/news/?sect_rank=1§ion_id=1&story_id=3856
Port Townsend electrifies PUD, county partnership for power service – Port Townsend city representatives gave a boost on Wednesday to discussion that could lead to a partnership among the city, Jefferson County and the Jefferson County Public Utility District to provide both county and city electrical power. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20071108/NEWS/711080305
FERC hears Bradwood LNG debate – Capt. Paul Amos told federal officials Wednesday night that his crews could safely navigate liquified natural gas tankers on the Columbia River (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/08//area_news/doc4732c321ec7af619173371.txt
Energy bills sap smaller businesses (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004000924_bizenergy08.html
Massachusetts – Accident at Dominion's Salem Harbor Station results in three employee fatalities (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/311419/22/ARTCL/none/none/1/Accident-at-Dominion's-Salem-Harbor-Station-results-in-three-employee-fatalities/
Ouch! Coal-Funded Ad in Kansas is Called Misleading (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/06/AR2007110602098.html?nav=rss_business
U.S. Senator Pete Domenici warns of energy workforce shortages (New Mexico Business Weekly)
http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2007/11/05/daily18.html?ana=from_rss
New York – Con Edison Is Penalized for Blackout. State utilities regulators hit Con Edison with an $18 million penalty yesterday for its service disruptions last year, which included a nine-day blackout in western Queens and other power failures in Westchester County. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/nyregion/08con-ed.html?ex=1352264400&en=b219fbb59ee9b962&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Ozark Constructors selected to rebuild Ameren's Taum Sauk reservoir (St. Louis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/11/05/daily51.html?ana=from_rss
In big U.S. energy bill, who will pay? If the last energy bill was about squeezing remaining drops of oil from US soil, the newest is still a nascent, muddy legislative donnybrook over one question: Who will pay to shift the US energy mix to green and lean? (Christian Science Monitor)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20071107/ts_csm/aenergybill_1
News Release – Eastern States Reject Electricity Transmission Corridor. The states of New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia are petitioning the federal government to reconsider designating dozens of their counties for the siting of a national priority, high-speed electricity transmission corridor. (Environment News Service)
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/nov2007/2007-11-06-095.asp
Columbian Editorial – In our view: Metal-Theft Solution. Washington passed a good law this year, but Oregon needs to follow suit
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2007/11/11062007_In-our-view-Metal-Theft-Solution.cfm?newsletter=1
News Release – It’s an on-line world – more than 250,000 Consumers Energy customers now receive bill electronically. The number of Consumers Energy customers who choose to receive and pay their bill online has jumped to more than 250,000.That’s up from 96,000 customers who made the switch to online billing two years ago. (Consumers Energy)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=77456
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
NW reps vote to override Bush veto on water bill “…The water bill authorizes more than a million in federal funding for water projects in the Northwest, including $35 million to promote wild salmon in the Columbia and Snake rivers; $35 million for a wastewater project in Albany, Ore; and $5 million to improve fish passage at federal dams…” (The Western World, Bandon)
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2007/11/07/news/doc473217428242a331299948.txt
In First Bush Veto Override, Senate Enacts Water Bill (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/washington/08cnd-spend.html?_r=2&ex=1352264400&en=2fd95d33cfa931b0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Rainier man pleads guilty to trying to kill sea lion – A Rainier man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to one year probation and 200 hours community service for trying to kill a sea lion in the Willamette River. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/08//area_news/doc4732c49b23ea0868367191.txt
British Columbia – Chinook vanish from Goldstream. Poor salmon returns plague hatcheries across south Island. The Goldstream River chinook run ran dry this year. (Goldstream News Gazette)
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/11073036.html
Marketing efforts of gillnetters derailed – John McDonald hoped to sell part of his keta salmon haul this week to Whole Foods Market -- after years of trying to persuade the natural-foods giant to carry it. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/338676_salmon08.html
To catch Coho, find the right Western Washington river – Coho fishing has slowed in some rivers, but there are a couple of rivers where Coho catches have been pretty good. The upper end of the Cowlitz has been pumping out good catches of Coho, and fishing has been good in the North Fork Lewis. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/265442.html
Guest Columnists – Aquaculture not the way to save salmon. Fish have had a hold on me from the first time I wet a line, standing next to my father on the banks of a well-stocked lake on the corporate campus of Bristol Meyers Squibb in Lawrenceville, N.J. This obsession has become a career and now I make my living selecting and cooking the best fish I can find. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/338556_salmon07.html?source=rss
Salmon Tours Offered in South Kitsap – Kitsap County residents can tour salmon streams and hear local biologists talk about salmon habitats and life cycles on Nov. 17. (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/06/salmon-tours-offered-in-south-kitsap/
N. Idaho city appeals water decision in Washington State (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP11082007news228457.cfm?newsletter=10
Plan would raise Kennewick Irrigation District rates – Water users will pay higher rates in the coming year under a plan proposed by the district's new manager. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/business/v-rss/story/9435758p-9347895c.html
Protecting water resources should be a priority – In the Cascades, somewhere close but not too close to Sultan at the end of seven miles of dusty gravel road, lies the source of what sustains most of us in Snohomish County — the deep-water reservoir of Spada Lake. (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2003997816_snojoansmith07.html?syndication=rss
South Puget Sound – Budd Inlet dredging can continue (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/265158.html
MASON COUNTY: RUSTLEWOOD WATER RATE INCREASE CONSIDERED – Mason County is considering increasing the water rate for the customers of the Rustlewood Water System by $10. This increase is needed to help pay for upgrades to the system. The increase would make the monthly water rate $30 and bring Rustlewood residents' total monthly bill for water and sewer to $100. During a public hearing on the rate increase, the President of the Rustlewood Community Association, Gene Bush, asked the County for more information about the problems with the systems. Bush also requested the Commission delay action until a community meeting can be held on the rate increase. The Commissioners decided to delay action until December 11th, giving staff time to meet with Rustlewood's residents. Recently, the County has been focusing its efforts on the community's sewer system and has not raised the water rate since 1992. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
U.S. wind power installations to rise 63 pct in 2007 – U.S. wind power installations are projected to jump 63 percent this year amid concern about global warming and rising fuel prices, an industry group said on Wednesday. (Reuters)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN0753238920071107
Delaware – Bluewater offers to cut price of power from Delaware wind farm. Bluewater Wind has offered to cut the price of power from a wind farm it wants to build off the coast of Delaware, in order to convince state regulators that the project would not harm ratepayers (Platts Energy News)
http://www.platts.com/Electric%20Power/News/6574312.xml?src=Electric%20Powerrssheadlines1
Wind is wonderful to turbine operator Alliant – Gusts this week over 16 wind farms were enough to power 78,000 homes. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=683373
Massachusetts – Energy boost. Wide-ranging bill aims to promote wind, water power sources and curb harmful greenhouse gases “…renewable sources such as wind, hydroelectric, and crop-based fuels while cutting emissions of climate-affecting greenhouse gases by 20 percent…” (Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/11/08/energy_boost/
Guest Columnists – Clean technology in the Northwest. The Pacific Northwest is a leading region for the innovation of clean technologies but critical steps must be taken to ensure success. While our nation's capital is stuck in vetoes and insider politics, the Northwest can lead the nation into the next big economic growth sector. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/338553_cleantech07.html?source=rss
Idaho energy lab tests plug-in hybrid cars in Seattle – Fill it up, plug it in, then drive. And drive. And drive. (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1031972~Idaho_energy_lab_tests_plug_in_hybrid_cars_in_Seattle.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Gas from cow manure to power 11,000 homes: New $18.5 million facility in Erath County is nation's largest. Roughly 10 times a day, a tractor-trailer loaded with almost 20 tons of cow manure rolls up an earthen ramp at the Microgy Inc. facility outside of Stephenville. The drivers drop each load into a mixing tank, starting a process t at ends with the production of natural gas that could soon be used to heat your water or cook your food. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgjrtssvZSki%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
CONSERVATION
Lights flickering on Xcel's conversion program – Xcel Energy Inc.'s program to encourage customers to cut their power use across Colorado isn't working -- especially when it comes to swapping out old, power-guzzling lights in big office buildings for new lights that sip electricity (Denver Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/11/05/story5.html?ana=from_rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Oregon – City unveils carbon tax plan. Portland wants to charge builders who meet efficiency rules and pay those who exceed them (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1194497715108680.xml&coll=7
California sues EPA for tougher emissions standards; Washington state joins in (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004002106_webemissionsuit08.html?syndication=rss
Project to Capture CO2 With Plankton Puts to Sea – The WeatherBird II, a 115-foot private research vessel, has put to sea from Florida as part of a novel and contentious effort to commercialize the removal of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by triggering blooms of plankton. (NY Times)
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/project-to-harness-plankton-puts-to-sea/index.html?ex=1352178000&en=0e0b313a9e21f006&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Ewww! Giant ozone tongues lick Earth's surface – Scientists have discovered giant "tongues" of ozone routinely swoop down from the upper atmosphere over Eastern Canada and can exacerbate smog problems on the ground. (Canada.com)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=5d1af2d8-f4ca-41d5-843d-f24106380e1e&k=20003
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Microsoft building huge data center outside Chicago (The Associated Press, via KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=7327707
Mexican state electric utility to sell capacity on fiber optic network (International Tribune)
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/30/business/LA-FIN-Mexico-Fiber-Optics.php
Post Intelligencer Columnist, Bill Virgin – On Radio: FCC turns up volume on local radio. While there's likely to be an abundance of verbal posturing and sniping at Friday's Federal Communications Commission hearing Friday in Seattle on media ownership, there's one issue on which many of the parties are actually in agreement: putting more local content into local radio.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/338693_radiobeat08.html?source=rss
Lynne Varner Times editorial columnist – Please, please, please, FCC
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003997845_lynne07.html?syndication=rss
Lawmaker calls Yahoo moral 'pygmies' – Yahoo Inc.'s chief executive and top lawyer on Tuesday defended their company's involvement in the jailing of a Chinese journalist. Irate lawmakers accused them of collaborating with an oppressive communist regime. (The Associated Press via the Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/338596_yahoo07.html?source=rss
Yahoo Criticized in Case of Jailed Dissident – Two top Yahoo officials on Tuesday defended their company’s role in the jailing of a Chinese journalist but ran into withering criticism from United States lawmakers who accused them of complicity with an oppressive Communist regime. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/technology/07yahoo.html?_r=1&ex=1352178000&en=1c7a0ea9a6aff92f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
GENERAL NEWS
Short list for bad air to include Tacoma – Some of the soot that sullies Tacoma’s winter air might come from Frederickson or South Hill, government air quality experts say.
That’s one reason why Tacoma will be linked to some of its suburbs when pollution regulators make official what they first said more than a year ago: Concentrations of fine-particulate matter in Tacoma’s air during winter exceed federal limits, based on pollution measured at a monitoring station in the South End. (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/198453.html
Tacoma – Uranium might go through port. Fire Department issues conditional cargo permit to terminal operator (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/198542.html
I-747 Update: Sheldon, Kilmer Would Support Reinstating the Tax Limits – The State
Supreme Court agreed with a lower court decision that Initiative 747, which limited local government property tax increases to 1 percent plus new construction, was unconstitutional. (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/08/appleton-approves-of-court-decision-cautions/
DIVERSIONS
Boys to swap homes 4 years after mix-up – Two boys, one Saudi and one Turkish, will swap homes four years after a hospital gave them to the wrong parents, a Saudi newspaper said Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071107/od_nm/boys_swap_dc;_ylt=ArO6.2KOxXEY_dZ6AcLI4pLtiBIF
Zany bid for surreal immortality with Guinness
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071108/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_guinness_records;_ylt=AiWSVPKZI0EZYRYliUkBVUrtiBIF
Hide your old pills in poo, U.S. government says (if someone stole them it would bring a whole new meaning to the term s$#@-faced)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071108/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_drugs_poop;_ylt=AsEPk6mI_QlIr2evi3P_a5ztiBIF
Tallest US man is 7-foot-8 Va. Deputy
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/tallest_man;_ylt=AuQW1GBoDapZ2S5tFTpRWCvtiBIF
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Energy News Digest for November 6, 2007
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.
WORD OF THE DAY
Manqué • \mahng-KAY\ • adjective – Short of or frustrated in the fulfillment of one's aspirations or talents
Joel was getting frustrated with his ukulele instructor’s insistence that he learn how to play the finger-stretching E-Major chord. “Using alternatives won’t get you anywhere close to ‘Cliff Edwards’ territory,” the instructor raged. “You’ll be a ukulele manqué if you don’t progress.” “How about settling for something close to ‘Tiny Tim’ territory,” Joel suggested. The instructor shuddered visibly at the thought. (Cliff Edwards was known as “Ukulele Ike”. But to most he was better known as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio)
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
BPA deal could trim utility bills 7 percent – Most Oregonians would again benefit from cheap hydropower after a court ruling led to a 13 percent increase in May. Most Oregonians would see lower electricity bills next October under a tentative deal that reallocates the benefits of the cheap hydropower sold in the region by the Bonneville Power Administration. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/119432490710050.xml&coll=7
Portland General Electric proposes $300 million for pollution controls at Ore. Plant – PGE Portland General Electric has proposed spending $300 million for pollution controls at Oregon's only coal-fired power plant. (The Oregonian, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1031268~PGE_proposes__300_million_for_pollution_controls_at_Ore__plant.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
ELECTRICAL FUSE OPENING GENERATES BIG BANG IN DOWNTOWN SHELTON - An underground electrical fault just before eight last night caused a fuse to open, resulting in an impressive bang and show of sparks. The opened fuse affected approximately 25 customers near the intersection of Seventh and Railroad. The traffic signal as well as homes and businesses to the southwest of the intersection lost power. The sound of the fuse opening was heard for several blocks and one witness reported sparks falling in the area.
Tri-City Herald Editorial – Electric utilities can learn from Benton PUD's rates
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/opinions/story/9433497p-9345653c.html
Some Grant County PUD customers eligible for new power bill discount – Grant County PUD is now offering a new 20 percent power bill discount for some disabled customers considered among the poor. (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2007/11/05/news/news01.txt
LNG foes say they need answers – Opponents of a liquefied natural gas terminal proposed for the Columbia River told federal officials Monday night that there are too many secrets about the project and they're tired of being left in the dark. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/06/area_news/news11.txt
Clinton Energy Plan Includes Push for Higher Gas Mileage – Among Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s proposals are reducing carbon emissions and phasing out incandescent bulbs. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/us/politics/06clinton.html?ex=1352091600&en=6c2467e672b52f17&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Gov. Bill Richardson's new book on energy policy hits the shelves (Albuquerque Tribune – By the way, Bill; the Northwest direct service industries say hello!)
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/nov/06/gov-bill-richardsons-new-book-energy-policy-hits-s/
A matter of money – Power transmission complex, costly. Consumers want it here on demand as cheaply as possible, but only those inquisitive few care about where it comes from or how it is transmitted. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News via power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgjnqwutYSig%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Michigan – City moves toward pulling the plug on POWER Fund. The promise of economic opportunity in the Uptown at RiversEdge site may spell the end of Bay City's POWER Fund. The Bay City Commission, acting at request of city staff members, voted 5-3 on Monday to take $2.14 million from what remains in the fund and dedicate it to ''electrical infrastructure improvements'' at the Uptown site, on the east bank of the Saginaw River downtown. (Bay City Times)
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1194365960100480.xml&coll=4
Comverge Shares Drop on Wider 3Q Loss – Comverge Inc.'s stock fell sharply Tuesday after the company said its loss widened in the third quarter amid rapid expansion and accelerating costs. (Forbes Magazine)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/11/06/ap4306737.html
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Advocates Sue to Enforce Pesticide Order – Salmon advocates filed a lawsuit Monday to force the Bush administration to obey a 5-year-old court order requiring it to make permanent rules to keep agricultural pesticides from killing salmon. (Wired Magazine)
http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/P/PESTICIDES_SALMON?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-11-05-19-47-02
Daily Astorian Opinion – Salmon fight will grow more difficult. Salmon’s adversaries didn’t count on its advocates or salmon’s tenacity
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=46615&TM=74039.62
Sandbags Give Chico Creek Salmon a Boost Upstream (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/05/chico-creek-salmon-rescue-involves-sandbagging/
San Francisco – Smog board wants to ban wood fires on bad-air nights in winter. It would be illegal to use residential fireplaces on nights with poor air quality under a rule being considered by Bay Area air regulators. (San Francisco Chronicle – just use it for cogeneration and you’re in the clear!)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/06/BA9TT6R60.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wind Power Costs Continue to Rise – Environmental issues are not the only dark clouds dimming wind power's appeal. Demand for wind power is driving up the price of wind turbines substantially, further raising the already-high costs of wind-generated power. (Environment News via The E-Team)
http://eteam.ncpa.org/commentaries/wind-power-costs-continue-to-rise
Lawmakers File Bill to Bridge Rural and Urban Renewable Energy Gap – Two members of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, U.S. Representatives Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), introduced legislation in the House that would make renewable electricity produced in rural areas available to urban energy users. (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50489&src=rss
Georgia Plant is First for Making Ethanol from Waste – Not all ethanol is created equal. Scientists say the real hope for curbing greenhouse gas emissions and pursuing energy independence lies in cellulosic ethanol. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16019184&ft=1&f=2
Massachusetts Looks at Using Biofuel in Home Heating Oil – Gov. Deval L. Patrick and legislative leaders proposed a bill on Monday to require all home heating oil and diesel fuel to contain at least 5 percent biofuel by 2013. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/us/06boston.html?ex=1352091600&en=42a47ee2cf0fa286&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Canada – Hydrogen highway hits dead end. Ballard's talks with potential buyers is admission that dream of hydrogen fuel car is dead: analyst (Victoria Times Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=356bed57-656b-4ffd-b3b0-f7f5a96ace29&k=80493
Officials hope to harness power of waves – Winds and offshore currents could provide clean energy to millions of homes, according to secretary of the interior (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7383842?source=rss&nclick_check=1
CONSERVATION
Olympia might switch traffic lights to LEDs – Efficient new lights use 80 percent less energy than regular incandescents (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/263328.html
Seven Days, Seven Ways – Easy ways to cut your energy use, one day at a time (The Grist)
http://grist.org/feature/2007/11/05/Today/index.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Climate Is a Risky Issue for Democrats – Candidates Back Costly Proposals (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110502106.html?nav=rss_business
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Microsoft to open $500 million data center in Ireland (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/196833.html
Bill Virgin – If it's important, don't put it in e-mail (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/338403_virgin06.html
GENERAL NEWS
TODAY IS ELECTION DAY IN MASON COUNTY – Ballots for the General Election are due today. Ballots need to be returned to the Mason County Auditor's Office no later than eight tonight or have today's postmark. Voters are deciding on several local issues from lifting the property tax levy to maintain residential streets in the City of Shelton to increasing sales tax to fund emergency communications to forming a second public hospital district to serve North Mason County. Some of the more heated races include Shelton City Commissioner of Finance between Mike Byrne and Chase Gallagher, Shelton Mayor between John Tarrant and Gary Cronce, Port of Shelton Commissioner between Rahn Redman and Jay Hupp, Hood Canal School Board between Sheryl Kroneman and Deborah Peterson and between Bob Sund and Sara Endicott, Shelton School Board between Steve DeMiero and Sue McCausland and between Gene Crater and Marty Best, and all three North Mason School Board positions: Arthur Wightman and Dave Kinnee for Director District One, Laura Boad and Ken VanBuskirk for Director District Three, and Glenn Landram and John Campbell for Director District Four. Ballots can be dropped off at the Auditor's Office on the second floor of the County's Building One. Or voters can use one of the Ballot Drop Boxes: in front of Building One, 411 North Fifth Street in Shelton; at the North Mason Chamber of Commerce, 23910 NE Highway 3 in Belfair; or at the Hood Canal Visitor Center, 150 North Lake Cushman Road in Hoodsport. Voting equipment for the visually impaired is available at the Mason County Auditor's Office until 8pm today. 1030 KMAS and Mason-County-Daily-News-dot-com will have election results after 8pm. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Protesters at Port of Olympia vow to stop cargo’s Fort Lewis return – 950-foot ship, filled with war gear, docks. Activists opposed to the war in Iraq said Monday they will not allow military cargo being unloaded at the Port of Olympia to return to Fort Lewis. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/263313.html
Brewery trustee exposes transfer – The owner of the former Olympia brewery and his wife unlawfully transferred more than $4 million of company money to a personal account in 2004 instead of paying creditors, according to the trustee assigned to the bankruptcy case involving the property. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/263315.html
Before the Court: Are Munis Like Milk, or Garbage? A case with the potential to unsettle the municipal bond market produced a lively Supreme Court argument on Monday, with no clear indication of whether justices would permit states to continue the widespread practice of exempting the interest on their bonds from state taxation while taxing the interest on bonds issued by other states. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/06bizcourt.html?_r=1&ei=5088&en=0a9c1e036127b940&ex=1352091600&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1194368445-K0VG+b7mw5BTYVqGiIq+Gg
More Readers Trading Newspapers for Web Sites – The circulation declines of American newspapers continued over the spring and summer, as sales across the industry fell almost 3 percent compared with the year before, according to figures released yesterday. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06adco.html?ex=1352091600&en=4e80dbc034e15757&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
DIVERSIONS
Couple escapes injury when falling cow hits minivan
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_110605WAB_falling_cow_hits_minivan_JM.1e34a65e4.html
City of Seattle praises J.P. Patches for his work with children
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/338485_patches06.html?source=rss
Raging boar force hog-hunt in east China – China has lifted a ban on the hunting of wild boar in an eastern province following a number of urban raids by hungry hogs in search of food, local media said on Tuesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071106/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_china_boar;_ylt=AoiAGfIUV1nbIFFNh2lMIB7tiBIF
Shake, shake, shake your booty for cash – Bust out the boxers, shake what nature gave you, and you might be the $5,000 winner of Jockey's UnderWars. The Kenosha-based maker of intimate apparel is sponsoring an online competition for adults to post videos of themselves dancing in their drawers.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_dance_in_your_drawers;_ylt=ApbienvsABSDuqFOs0raizvtiBIF
WORD OF THE DAY
Manqué • \mahng-KAY\ • adjective – Short of or frustrated in the fulfillment of one's aspirations or talents
Joel was getting frustrated with his ukulele instructor’s insistence that he learn how to play the finger-stretching E-Major chord. “Using alternatives won’t get you anywhere close to ‘Cliff Edwards’ territory,” the instructor raged. “You’ll be a ukulele manqué if you don’t progress.” “How about settling for something close to ‘Tiny Tim’ territory,” Joel suggested. The instructor shuddered visibly at the thought. (Cliff Edwards was known as “Ukulele Ike”. But to most he was better known as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio)
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
BPA deal could trim utility bills 7 percent – Most Oregonians would again benefit from cheap hydropower after a court ruling led to a 13 percent increase in May. Most Oregonians would see lower electricity bills next October under a tentative deal that reallocates the benefits of the cheap hydropower sold in the region by the Bonneville Power Administration. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/119432490710050.xml&coll=7
Portland General Electric proposes $300 million for pollution controls at Ore. Plant – PGE Portland General Electric has proposed spending $300 million for pollution controls at Oregon's only coal-fired power plant. (The Oregonian, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1031268~PGE_proposes__300_million_for_pollution_controls_at_Ore__plant.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
ELECTRICAL FUSE OPENING GENERATES BIG BANG IN DOWNTOWN SHELTON - An underground electrical fault just before eight last night caused a fuse to open, resulting in an impressive bang and show of sparks. The opened fuse affected approximately 25 customers near the intersection of Seventh and Railroad. The traffic signal as well as homes and businesses to the southwest of the intersection lost power. The sound of the fuse opening was heard for several blocks and one witness reported sparks falling in the area.
Tri-City Herald Editorial – Electric utilities can learn from Benton PUD's rates
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/opinions/story/9433497p-9345653c.html
Some Grant County PUD customers eligible for new power bill discount – Grant County PUD is now offering a new 20 percent power bill discount for some disabled customers considered among the poor. (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2007/11/05/news/news01.txt
LNG foes say they need answers – Opponents of a liquefied natural gas terminal proposed for the Columbia River told federal officials Monday night that there are too many secrets about the project and they're tired of being left in the dark. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/06/area_news/news11.txt
Clinton Energy Plan Includes Push for Higher Gas Mileage – Among Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s proposals are reducing carbon emissions and phasing out incandescent bulbs. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/us/politics/06clinton.html?ex=1352091600&en=6c2467e672b52f17&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Gov. Bill Richardson's new book on energy policy hits the shelves (Albuquerque Tribune – By the way, Bill; the Northwest direct service industries say hello!)
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/nov/06/gov-bill-richardsons-new-book-energy-policy-hits-s/
A matter of money – Power transmission complex, costly. Consumers want it here on demand as cheaply as possible, but only those inquisitive few care about where it comes from or how it is transmitted. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News via power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgjnqwutYSig%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Michigan – City moves toward pulling the plug on POWER Fund. The promise of economic opportunity in the Uptown at RiversEdge site may spell the end of Bay City's POWER Fund. The Bay City Commission, acting at request of city staff members, voted 5-3 on Monday to take $2.14 million from what remains in the fund and dedicate it to ''electrical infrastructure improvements'' at the Uptown site, on the east bank of the Saginaw River downtown. (Bay City Times)
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1194365960100480.xml&coll=4
Comverge Shares Drop on Wider 3Q Loss – Comverge Inc.'s stock fell sharply Tuesday after the company said its loss widened in the third quarter amid rapid expansion and accelerating costs. (Forbes Magazine)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/11/06/ap4306737.html
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Advocates Sue to Enforce Pesticide Order – Salmon advocates filed a lawsuit Monday to force the Bush administration to obey a 5-year-old court order requiring it to make permanent rules to keep agricultural pesticides from killing salmon. (Wired Magazine)
http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/P/PESTICIDES_SALMON?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-11-05-19-47-02
Daily Astorian Opinion – Salmon fight will grow more difficult. Salmon’s adversaries didn’t count on its advocates or salmon’s tenacity
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=46615&TM=74039.62
Sandbags Give Chico Creek Salmon a Boost Upstream (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/05/chico-creek-salmon-rescue-involves-sandbagging/
San Francisco – Smog board wants to ban wood fires on bad-air nights in winter. It would be illegal to use residential fireplaces on nights with poor air quality under a rule being considered by Bay Area air regulators. (San Francisco Chronicle – just use it for cogeneration and you’re in the clear!)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/06/BA9TT6R60.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wind Power Costs Continue to Rise – Environmental issues are not the only dark clouds dimming wind power's appeal. Demand for wind power is driving up the price of wind turbines substantially, further raising the already-high costs of wind-generated power. (Environment News via The E-Team)
http://eteam.ncpa.org/commentaries/wind-power-costs-continue-to-rise
Lawmakers File Bill to Bridge Rural and Urban Renewable Energy Gap – Two members of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, U.S. Representatives Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), introduced legislation in the House that would make renewable electricity produced in rural areas available to urban energy users. (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50489&src=rss
Georgia Plant is First for Making Ethanol from Waste – Not all ethanol is created equal. Scientists say the real hope for curbing greenhouse gas emissions and pursuing energy independence lies in cellulosic ethanol. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16019184&ft=1&f=2
Massachusetts Looks at Using Biofuel in Home Heating Oil – Gov. Deval L. Patrick and legislative leaders proposed a bill on Monday to require all home heating oil and diesel fuel to contain at least 5 percent biofuel by 2013. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/us/06boston.html?ex=1352091600&en=42a47ee2cf0fa286&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Canada – Hydrogen highway hits dead end. Ballard's talks with potential buyers is admission that dream of hydrogen fuel car is dead: analyst (Victoria Times Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=356bed57-656b-4ffd-b3b0-f7f5a96ace29&k=80493
Officials hope to harness power of waves – Winds and offshore currents could provide clean energy to millions of homes, according to secretary of the interior (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7383842?source=rss&nclick_check=1
CONSERVATION
Olympia might switch traffic lights to LEDs – Efficient new lights use 80 percent less energy than regular incandescents (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/263328.html
Seven Days, Seven Ways – Easy ways to cut your energy use, one day at a time (The Grist)
http://grist.org/feature/2007/11/05/Today/index.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Climate Is a Risky Issue for Democrats – Candidates Back Costly Proposals (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110502106.html?nav=rss_business
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Microsoft to open $500 million data center in Ireland (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/196833.html
Bill Virgin – If it's important, don't put it in e-mail (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/338403_virgin06.html
GENERAL NEWS
TODAY IS ELECTION DAY IN MASON COUNTY – Ballots for the General Election are due today. Ballots need to be returned to the Mason County Auditor's Office no later than eight tonight or have today's postmark. Voters are deciding on several local issues from lifting the property tax levy to maintain residential streets in the City of Shelton to increasing sales tax to fund emergency communications to forming a second public hospital district to serve North Mason County. Some of the more heated races include Shelton City Commissioner of Finance between Mike Byrne and Chase Gallagher, Shelton Mayor between John Tarrant and Gary Cronce, Port of Shelton Commissioner between Rahn Redman and Jay Hupp, Hood Canal School Board between Sheryl Kroneman and Deborah Peterson and between Bob Sund and Sara Endicott, Shelton School Board between Steve DeMiero and Sue McCausland and between Gene Crater and Marty Best, and all three North Mason School Board positions: Arthur Wightman and Dave Kinnee for Director District One, Laura Boad and Ken VanBuskirk for Director District Three, and Glenn Landram and John Campbell for Director District Four. Ballots can be dropped off at the Auditor's Office on the second floor of the County's Building One. Or voters can use one of the Ballot Drop Boxes: in front of Building One, 411 North Fifth Street in Shelton; at the North Mason Chamber of Commerce, 23910 NE Highway 3 in Belfair; or at the Hood Canal Visitor Center, 150 North Lake Cushman Road in Hoodsport. Voting equipment for the visually impaired is available at the Mason County Auditor's Office until 8pm today. 1030 KMAS and Mason-County-Daily-News-dot-com will have election results after 8pm. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Protesters at Port of Olympia vow to stop cargo’s Fort Lewis return – 950-foot ship, filled with war gear, docks. Activists opposed to the war in Iraq said Monday they will not allow military cargo being unloaded at the Port of Olympia to return to Fort Lewis. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/263313.html
Brewery trustee exposes transfer – The owner of the former Olympia brewery and his wife unlawfully transferred more than $4 million of company money to a personal account in 2004 instead of paying creditors, according to the trustee assigned to the bankruptcy case involving the property. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/263315.html
Before the Court: Are Munis Like Milk, or Garbage? A case with the potential to unsettle the municipal bond market produced a lively Supreme Court argument on Monday, with no clear indication of whether justices would permit states to continue the widespread practice of exempting the interest on their bonds from state taxation while taxing the interest on bonds issued by other states. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/06bizcourt.html?_r=1&ei=5088&en=0a9c1e036127b940&ex=1352091600&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1194368445-K0VG+b7mw5BTYVqGiIq+Gg
More Readers Trading Newspapers for Web Sites – The circulation declines of American newspapers continued over the spring and summer, as sales across the industry fell almost 3 percent compared with the year before, according to figures released yesterday. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06adco.html?ex=1352091600&en=4e80dbc034e15757&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
DIVERSIONS
Couple escapes injury when falling cow hits minivan
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_110605WAB_falling_cow_hits_minivan_JM.1e34a65e4.html
City of Seattle praises J.P. Patches for his work with children
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/338485_patches06.html?source=rss
Raging boar force hog-hunt in east China – China has lifted a ban on the hunting of wild boar in an eastern province following a number of urban raids by hungry hogs in search of food, local media said on Tuesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071106/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_china_boar;_ylt=AoiAGfIUV1nbIFFNh2lMIB7tiBIF
Shake, shake, shake your booty for cash – Bust out the boxers, shake what nature gave you, and you might be the $5,000 winner of Jockey's UnderWars. The Kenosha-based maker of intimate apparel is sponsoring an online competition for adults to post videos of themselves dancing in their drawers.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_dance_in_your_drawers;_ylt=ApbienvsABSDuqFOs0raizvtiBIF
Monday, November 5, 2007
News Digest for November 5, 2007
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.
WORD OF THE DAY
Myrmidon • \MURR-muh-don\ • noun – 1. A member of a warlike Thessalian people who followed Achilles on the expedition against Troy. 2. A loyal follower, especially one who executes orders without question, protest, or pity.
Alfonse was chosen to meet with the irritated customers over how they had been treated. It wasn’t so much that he was the paragon of human strength or struck fear in the hearts of anyone. It was that Alfonse was considered the ultimate myrmidon, or “good soldier”. He would go on bleating the company line regardless of logic, precedence or legality until all in the room were exhausted by his efforts.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Montana – Thieves Risk Their Lives, Others with Dangerous Heists. Montana has some new copper barons, but they may not be around for very long. (Flathead Beacon)
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/thieves_risk_their_lives_others_with_dangerous_heists/1376/
MASON COUNTY PUD NO. 3 CHANGES MEETING TIME – The Mason County PUD No. 3 Board of Commissioners has change the start time for its regular meeting Tuesday. The meeting will begin at 11am in the PUD 3 board room at 307 West Cota Street in Shelton. At 1pm Tuesday, the PUD 3 Commissioners will participate in a workshop with commissioners from Lewis County PUD and other public utilities to discuss renewable energy opportunities. The utilities will hear a presentation from participants in the White Creek Wind Project. The workshop will take place in the PUD's auditorium. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
CHELAN COUNTY PUD WANTS YOUR INPUT ON PROPOSED ALCOA DEAL – Chelan County PUD commissioners hold a special meeting Monday evening to hear from the public about a proposed long-term deal with Alcoa. The 17 year contract would provide them enough electricity to run three potlines at its Wenatchee Works aluminum smelter until at least 2028. The meeting, at the Confluence Technology Center, starts at 5-30p.m. (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee)
Dave Timmons bows out of running for Grays Harbor County PUD seat (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/11/03/local_news/05news.txt
Oregon – Local customers insulated against rising heating costs (Baker City Herald)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=5508
Federal panel sets two more meetings on LNG terminal – The Federal Energy Regulatory has announced two additional meetings to gather the public's opinion on a Houston company's plan to build a liquefied natural gas terminal on the Columbia River. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/05/area_news/news10.txt
Kentucky/Tennessee – Possible sale of power system to co-op criticized. Controversy has surfaced in the possible sale of Monticello's electric system to a utility, with a lobbying group arguing the potential transfer has been handled improperly and would mean higher rates for customers if approved. (Trading Markets)
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/781454/
Ohio – Plugged in to high rates: Toledo-area electricity to go only up, experts agree. Northwest Ohio homeowners and renters weary and angry about paying some of the highest electric rates in the state will need to just move on. (The Toledo Blade)
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071104/BUSINESS01/71104002
AEP seeks power: Utility president: Rate controls hurt competition – Regulation has kept electricity rates across northwest Ohio below market value, an electric company executive said Thursday. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgjmklnpVSge%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Maryland – Baltimore Gas and Electric will seek rate rise: Profit falls 23% at utility's parent. With BGE's quarterly earnings down 30 percent, Constellation Energy Group Inc. said yesterday that it will ask state regulators to increase the amount the utility can charge for delivering power over its wires. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgjjjtxsUSge%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Iowa – Controversial Device Limits Electricity Use. You expect the lights to come on when you flip the switch on the wall, but a new device promises to shut down power completely if a low income customer flips the switch too many times. November 1st began the five-month moratorium each winter, where utility companies are no longer allowed to disconnect their customers, but one energy cooperative has another idea. (WHO-TV, Des Moines)
http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7305258
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Task force likely to urge killing sea lions – A federal task force is expected to recommend next week that pesky California sea lions gobbling up threatened salmon at Bonneville Dam be killed in order to help conserve Columbia River fish runs. (The Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/261217.html
Notebook Salmon returns: Why the falloff? State Fish and Wildlife biologists are puzzled why some salmon returns this past summer didn't live up to expectations, and most of the problems were happening off the Washington coast and Columbia River. "…All of these fish stocks are far north migrators in the ocean so my guess is that something bad may have happened out there…" (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2003992498_outn04.html
The fates of salmon and hydroelectric production lie in the hands of a federal judge (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/202025.html
Staff shaken up at Puget Sound Partnership – A staff shakeup at the agency responsible for overseeing the restoration of Puget Sound could send experts packing, but might help in meeting the group's new goals. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/337956_pugetsound03.html?source=rss
Gill-net group forms – Coastal Conservation Association moves into the Pacific Northwest. T here's a new dog in the fight to rid the Columbia River of gill nets. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1194233144161630.xml&coll=7
The Columbian Opinion – In our view: Help Us Out, Chris. Gregoire's skill and clout needed hereto get river sediment cleanup started The Columbia River could use some help from Gov. Chris Gregoire about now.
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2007/11/11022007_In-our-view-Help-Us-Out-Chris.cfm?newsletter=5
Port of Hood River seeks to reshape sandbar if salmon habitat can stay safe – Rival recreations may benefit from a proposal to drop the top of Hood River's growing delta (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119406574131340.xml&coll=7
Out West, a Falling Lake Lowers All Boats (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/us/04land.html?ei=5088&en=3227475ad950c840&ex=1351832400&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1194228815-EaQMbJAjXFPZRMqr/1/Oog
Water Resources Bill Veto Rankles GOP Supporters (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110201146.html?nav=rss_politics
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Group forming to battle windmill farm project – The wide open spaces and natural terrain and wildlife of Southeastern Washington are fading, and some residents would like the encroaching effects of urbanization toned down, such as a proposed project that would place 35 to 50 turbines on Rattlesnake Mountain. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/v-rss/story/9430162p-9342335c.html
Winds of change are blowing home – More residents embrace cost effectiveness of wind-powered energy, although neighbors may complain of whirring noise (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7369089
EPA RECOGNIZES SNOHOMISH COUNTY PUD'S GREENING – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized Snohomish County PUD and a group of other regional partners with its "Green Power Beacon Award" for promoting advances in developing renewable energy resources. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions also sponsor the renewable energy award. The PUD participated in a regional collaboration to promote green power. More than 3,700 customers are enrolled in the PUD's voluntary renewable energy program, Planet Power. The program allows customers to support the use of environmentally friendly "green" power through the purchase of Planet Power blocks. Customers buy renewable blocks for an additional fee beyond their normal electricity bill. The energy to support the program comes from newly developed facilities, such as the Stateline Wind Farm along the Washington-Oregon border and the Condon Wind Farm in central Oregon. (The Everett Herald)
Northwestern winds: Both Oregon and Washington passed renewable portfolio standards in the past year, and a growing number of renewable energy companies are setting up shop in Portland, smack in the middle of the two states. The wind industry in particular has taken a shine to the city’s location and culture. (Sustainable Industries)
http://www.sustainableindustries.com/energy/10946471.html
Texas – A new kind of North Texas farming – Neighbors just north of Palo Pinto County will see a new type of farming to the area – wind – making this region a player in the renewable resource energy market. (Mineral Wells Index)
http://www.mineralwellsindex.com/homepage/local_story_309094152.html?keyword=leadpicturestory
PG&E embraces solar thermal power technology – As California utilities scramble to buy more renewable energy, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and a Palo Alto startup will announce plans today to build a solar power plant big enough to light more than 132,000 homes. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/05/BUBTT5KM2.DTL&feed=rss.business
Whatever Happened to Wave Energy? As anyone who has ever been seasick knows, there's a lot of energy in ocean waves. (Fox News)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306400,00.html
United Kingdom – Monsters of the deep will create electricity for a new generation (Times of London)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2806261.ece
Prometheus Energy Delivers Renewable LNG with LNG (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50465&src=rss
Big solar power plant planned for California’s central coast (CNN Money)
http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2007/11/02/big-solar-power-plant-planned-for-californias-central-coast/?section=magazines_fortune
CONSERVATION
Some of the best ways to reduce energy costs (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/11/04/local_news/08news.txt
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Olympia climate fair calls for local action – Organizer says responsibility key to fighting warming (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/261760.html
Mayors, Looking to Cities’ Future, Are Told It Must Be Colored Green (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/us/03mayors.html?ex=1351918800&en=605a3bd31bbc6c88&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Columbian Editorial – In our view: Greener Cities. Environmental activism shows progress at the local levels; Seattle leads the way…
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2007/11/11042007_In-our-view-Greener-Cities.cfm
Climate Day in Alaska – Climate rally at Kincaid debate sizzles over power from coal 'Step It Up': Nationwide effort focuses on carbon emissions. (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/news/environment/story/9430103p-9342268c.html
Capitol to Buy Offsets in Bid to Go Green – Republicans, Researchers Question System's Effectiveness in Easing Global Warming (Washington Post – Insert cynical comment about “indulgences” here)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/04/AR2007110401663.html?nav=rss_business
The Greening of the Gridiron – Well, we all thought the big news in pro football would be yestereday’s much anticipated Colts-Patriots tilt or rookie running back Adrian Peterson’s record-setting day, but it seems the gridiron is taking on a new shade of green. “…The massive market of hippie football fans is about to get their heads blown: NBC is going “green” all week. And it kicks off with Sunday Night Football…” (NY Times)
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/the-greening-of-the-gridiron/index.html?ex=1352005200&en=6fc434bb249d56c8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC announces Seattle hearing to be held Friday – Giving just one week's notice, the Federal Communications Commission announced Friday it will hold a hearing in Seattle next Friday on proposals to ease long-standing limits on how many local media outlets a single company can own. (Seattle Times)
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=fcc03m&date=20071103&query=FCC+Hearing
Google Dials Into the Cell Phone Market – Confirming its long-rumored foray into the mobile market, Google said Monday it is developing a free cell phone software package so the Internet search leader can more easily peddle ads and services to people who aren't in front of a PC. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110500434.html?nav=rss_technology
Yahoo’s Telco Gravy Train Coming to a Halt? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2007/11/02/yahoos-telco-gravy-train-coming-to-a-halt/
Sacramento, CA – Reality check finds Wi-Fi city is full of holes (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/472041.html
Devices enforce cellular silence, sweet but illegal (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Devices-enforce-cellular-silence%2C-sweet-but-illegal/2100-1039_3-6216918.html?tag=fd_nbs_ent
The Joy in Jamming – The cell phone jammers express great joy initially at being able to silence chatterers. They also generally seem to feel some guilt, particularly over time. (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/the-joy-in-jamming/index.html?ex=1352005200&en=e6aaa3e37e28a4bb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GENERAL NEWS
A magnet for stolen metal – It’s time to ask hard-edged questions about metal theft — and to find ways to prevent soaring scrap-metal prices from being such a bonanza for sneaky crooks. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/11/11042007_A-magnet-for-stolen-metal.cfm
Stolen metal hard to spot at bustling scrap yard – If you visit the busy 18-acre scrap yard at MetroMetals Northwest in Portland, it’s wise to keep your senses sharp — and glance over your shoulder now and then. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/11/11042007_Stolen-metal-hard-to-spot-at-bustling-scrap-yard.cfm
4 bucks a gallon? It's in sight – Don't count on the usual winter drop in gas prices (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071103/NEWS01/711030056
National study gives Washington a big, fat "F" in easing access to government information (Seattle Times Commentary)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003992777_fancher04.html
A Cautionary Tale – Things Turn Ugly in the ‘Hacks vs. Flacks’ War (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/technology/05flacks.html?ex=1351918800&en=64e6a54d0d91806c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Plastic ocean: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – A vast swath of the Pacific, twice the size of Texas, is full of a plastic stew that is entering the food chain. Scientists say these toxins are causing obesity, infertility...and worse... (CYBER DIVER News Network)http://www.cdnn.info/news/article/a071104.html
Career Couch – Does E-Mail Distract? Not if You Take Charge (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/jobs/04career.html?_r=1&ex=1351918800&en=d765f268091350d9&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
DIVERSIONS
Wedgie-free underwear?
http://www.winknews.com/news/weird/10985736.html
New "Star Trek" actors: Will they pass muster? (For extra credit, what does the “T” stand for in James T. Kirk? Hint: you’ll find out in this story)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2003990911_startrek05.html?syndication=rss
'Dead' man in UK turns up alive – Police said Friday they had begun an investigation after a woman oversaw the cremation of a body she believed was her son — who turned up alive the next day.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071103/ap_on_fe_st/odd_britain_wrong_body;_ylt=AngQBwqApd0rnhpyrK0Aqh7tiBIF
Priests fear driving bans over altar wine – Celebrating more than one mass a day may push Roman Catholic priests over the alcohol limit if tougher drink driving rules come into effect in Ireland, a leading clergyman said on Friday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071103/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_ireland_priests_wine;_ylt=AggpqZ_7conStvPMFGFvXHvtiBIF
S.C. couple find secret moldy room – Kerri and Jason Brown discovered a secret room behind a bookcase containing a homeowner's worst nightmare — mold. Also in the room was a handwritten note: "You found it!"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071103/ap_on_fe_st/odd_moldy_secret_room;_ylt=AhCosnkmg9ABibxHaLdnVTrtiBIF
WORD OF THE DAY
Myrmidon • \MURR-muh-don\ • noun – 1. A member of a warlike Thessalian people who followed Achilles on the expedition against Troy. 2. A loyal follower, especially one who executes orders without question, protest, or pity.
Alfonse was chosen to meet with the irritated customers over how they had been treated. It wasn’t so much that he was the paragon of human strength or struck fear in the hearts of anyone. It was that Alfonse was considered the ultimate myrmidon, or “good soldier”. He would go on bleating the company line regardless of logic, precedence or legality until all in the room were exhausted by his efforts.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Montana – Thieves Risk Their Lives, Others with Dangerous Heists. Montana has some new copper barons, but they may not be around for very long. (Flathead Beacon)
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/thieves_risk_their_lives_others_with_dangerous_heists/1376/
MASON COUNTY PUD NO. 3 CHANGES MEETING TIME – The Mason County PUD No. 3 Board of Commissioners has change the start time for its regular meeting Tuesday. The meeting will begin at 11am in the PUD 3 board room at 307 West Cota Street in Shelton. At 1pm Tuesday, the PUD 3 Commissioners will participate in a workshop with commissioners from Lewis County PUD and other public utilities to discuss renewable energy opportunities. The utilities will hear a presentation from participants in the White Creek Wind Project. The workshop will take place in the PUD's auditorium. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
CHELAN COUNTY PUD WANTS YOUR INPUT ON PROPOSED ALCOA DEAL – Chelan County PUD commissioners hold a special meeting Monday evening to hear from the public about a proposed long-term deal with Alcoa. The 17 year contract would provide them enough electricity to run three potlines at its Wenatchee Works aluminum smelter until at least 2028. The meeting, at the Confluence Technology Center, starts at 5-30p.m. (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee)
Dave Timmons bows out of running for Grays Harbor County PUD seat (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/11/03/local_news/05news.txt
Oregon – Local customers insulated against rising heating costs (Baker City Herald)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=5508
Federal panel sets two more meetings on LNG terminal – The Federal Energy Regulatory has announced two additional meetings to gather the public's opinion on a Houston company's plan to build a liquefied natural gas terminal on the Columbia River. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/05/area_news/news10.txt
Kentucky/Tennessee – Possible sale of power system to co-op criticized. Controversy has surfaced in the possible sale of Monticello's electric system to a utility, with a lobbying group arguing the potential transfer has been handled improperly and would mean higher rates for customers if approved. (Trading Markets)
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/781454/
Ohio – Plugged in to high rates: Toledo-area electricity to go only up, experts agree. Northwest Ohio homeowners and renters weary and angry about paying some of the highest electric rates in the state will need to just move on. (The Toledo Blade)
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071104/BUSINESS01/71104002
AEP seeks power: Utility president: Rate controls hurt competition – Regulation has kept electricity rates across northwest Ohio below market value, an electric company executive said Thursday. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgjmklnpVSge%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Maryland – Baltimore Gas and Electric will seek rate rise: Profit falls 23% at utility's parent. With BGE's quarterly earnings down 30 percent, Constellation Energy Group Inc. said yesterday that it will ask state regulators to increase the amount the utility can charge for delivering power over its wires. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgjjjtxsUSge%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Iowa – Controversial Device Limits Electricity Use. You expect the lights to come on when you flip the switch on the wall, but a new device promises to shut down power completely if a low income customer flips the switch too many times. November 1st began the five-month moratorium each winter, where utility companies are no longer allowed to disconnect their customers, but one energy cooperative has another idea. (WHO-TV, Des Moines)
http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7305258
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Task force likely to urge killing sea lions – A federal task force is expected to recommend next week that pesky California sea lions gobbling up threatened salmon at Bonneville Dam be killed in order to help conserve Columbia River fish runs. (The Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/261217.html
Notebook Salmon returns: Why the falloff? State Fish and Wildlife biologists are puzzled why some salmon returns this past summer didn't live up to expectations, and most of the problems were happening off the Washington coast and Columbia River. "…All of these fish stocks are far north migrators in the ocean so my guess is that something bad may have happened out there…" (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2003992498_outn04.html
The fates of salmon and hydroelectric production lie in the hands of a federal judge (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/202025.html
Staff shaken up at Puget Sound Partnership – A staff shakeup at the agency responsible for overseeing the restoration of Puget Sound could send experts packing, but might help in meeting the group's new goals. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/337956_pugetsound03.html?source=rss
Gill-net group forms – Coastal Conservation Association moves into the Pacific Northwest. T here's a new dog in the fight to rid the Columbia River of gill nets. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1194233144161630.xml&coll=7
The Columbian Opinion – In our view: Help Us Out, Chris. Gregoire's skill and clout needed hereto get river sediment cleanup started The Columbia River could use some help from Gov. Chris Gregoire about now.
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2007/11/11022007_In-our-view-Help-Us-Out-Chris.cfm?newsletter=5
Port of Hood River seeks to reshape sandbar if salmon habitat can stay safe – Rival recreations may benefit from a proposal to drop the top of Hood River's growing delta (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119406574131340.xml&coll=7
Out West, a Falling Lake Lowers All Boats (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/us/04land.html?ei=5088&en=3227475ad950c840&ex=1351832400&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1194228815-EaQMbJAjXFPZRMqr/1/Oog
Water Resources Bill Veto Rankles GOP Supporters (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110201146.html?nav=rss_politics
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Group forming to battle windmill farm project – The wide open spaces and natural terrain and wildlife of Southeastern Washington are fading, and some residents would like the encroaching effects of urbanization toned down, such as a proposed project that would place 35 to 50 turbines on Rattlesnake Mountain. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/v-rss/story/9430162p-9342335c.html
Winds of change are blowing home – More residents embrace cost effectiveness of wind-powered energy, although neighbors may complain of whirring noise (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7369089
EPA RECOGNIZES SNOHOMISH COUNTY PUD'S GREENING – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized Snohomish County PUD and a group of other regional partners with its "Green Power Beacon Award" for promoting advances in developing renewable energy resources. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions also sponsor the renewable energy award. The PUD participated in a regional collaboration to promote green power. More than 3,700 customers are enrolled in the PUD's voluntary renewable energy program, Planet Power. The program allows customers to support the use of environmentally friendly "green" power through the purchase of Planet Power blocks. Customers buy renewable blocks for an additional fee beyond their normal electricity bill. The energy to support the program comes from newly developed facilities, such as the Stateline Wind Farm along the Washington-Oregon border and the Condon Wind Farm in central Oregon. (The Everett Herald)
Northwestern winds: Both Oregon and Washington passed renewable portfolio standards in the past year, and a growing number of renewable energy companies are setting up shop in Portland, smack in the middle of the two states. The wind industry in particular has taken a shine to the city’s location and culture. (Sustainable Industries)
http://www.sustainableindustries.com/energy/10946471.html
Texas – A new kind of North Texas farming – Neighbors just north of Palo Pinto County will see a new type of farming to the area – wind – making this region a player in the renewable resource energy market. (Mineral Wells Index)
http://www.mineralwellsindex.com/homepage/local_story_309094152.html?keyword=leadpicturestory
PG&E embraces solar thermal power technology – As California utilities scramble to buy more renewable energy, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and a Palo Alto startup will announce plans today to build a solar power plant big enough to light more than 132,000 homes. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/05/BUBTT5KM2.DTL&feed=rss.business
Whatever Happened to Wave Energy? As anyone who has ever been seasick knows, there's a lot of energy in ocean waves. (Fox News)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306400,00.html
United Kingdom – Monsters of the deep will create electricity for a new generation (Times of London)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2806261.ece
Prometheus Energy Delivers Renewable LNG with LNG (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50465&src=rss
Big solar power plant planned for California’s central coast (CNN Money)
http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2007/11/02/big-solar-power-plant-planned-for-californias-central-coast/?section=magazines_fortune
CONSERVATION
Some of the best ways to reduce energy costs (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/11/04/local_news/08news.txt
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Olympia climate fair calls for local action – Organizer says responsibility key to fighting warming (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/261760.html
Mayors, Looking to Cities’ Future, Are Told It Must Be Colored Green (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/us/03mayors.html?ex=1351918800&en=605a3bd31bbc6c88&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Columbian Editorial – In our view: Greener Cities. Environmental activism shows progress at the local levels; Seattle leads the way…
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2007/11/11042007_In-our-view-Greener-Cities.cfm
Climate Day in Alaska – Climate rally at Kincaid debate sizzles over power from coal 'Step It Up': Nationwide effort focuses on carbon emissions. (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/news/environment/story/9430103p-9342268c.html
Capitol to Buy Offsets in Bid to Go Green – Republicans, Researchers Question System's Effectiveness in Easing Global Warming (Washington Post – Insert cynical comment about “indulgences” here)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/04/AR2007110401663.html?nav=rss_business
The Greening of the Gridiron – Well, we all thought the big news in pro football would be yestereday’s much anticipated Colts-Patriots tilt or rookie running back Adrian Peterson’s record-setting day, but it seems the gridiron is taking on a new shade of green. “…The massive market of hippie football fans is about to get their heads blown: NBC is going “green” all week. And it kicks off with Sunday Night Football…” (NY Times)
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/the-greening-of-the-gridiron/index.html?ex=1352005200&en=6fc434bb249d56c8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC announces Seattle hearing to be held Friday – Giving just one week's notice, the Federal Communications Commission announced Friday it will hold a hearing in Seattle next Friday on proposals to ease long-standing limits on how many local media outlets a single company can own. (Seattle Times)
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=fcc03m&date=20071103&query=FCC+Hearing
Google Dials Into the Cell Phone Market – Confirming its long-rumored foray into the mobile market, Google said Monday it is developing a free cell phone software package so the Internet search leader can more easily peddle ads and services to people who aren't in front of a PC. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110500434.html?nav=rss_technology
Yahoo’s Telco Gravy Train Coming to a Halt? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2007/11/02/yahoos-telco-gravy-train-coming-to-a-halt/
Sacramento, CA – Reality check finds Wi-Fi city is full of holes (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/472041.html
Devices enforce cellular silence, sweet but illegal (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Devices-enforce-cellular-silence%2C-sweet-but-illegal/2100-1039_3-6216918.html?tag=fd_nbs_ent
The Joy in Jamming – The cell phone jammers express great joy initially at being able to silence chatterers. They also generally seem to feel some guilt, particularly over time. (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/the-joy-in-jamming/index.html?ex=1352005200&en=e6aaa3e37e28a4bb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GENERAL NEWS
A magnet for stolen metal – It’s time to ask hard-edged questions about metal theft — and to find ways to prevent soaring scrap-metal prices from being such a bonanza for sneaky crooks. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/11/11042007_A-magnet-for-stolen-metal.cfm
Stolen metal hard to spot at bustling scrap yard – If you visit the busy 18-acre scrap yard at MetroMetals Northwest in Portland, it’s wise to keep your senses sharp — and glance over your shoulder now and then. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/11/11042007_Stolen-metal-hard-to-spot-at-bustling-scrap-yard.cfm
4 bucks a gallon? It's in sight – Don't count on the usual winter drop in gas prices (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071103/NEWS01/711030056
National study gives Washington a big, fat "F" in easing access to government information (Seattle Times Commentary)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003992777_fancher04.html
A Cautionary Tale – Things Turn Ugly in the ‘Hacks vs. Flacks’ War (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/technology/05flacks.html?ex=1351918800&en=64e6a54d0d91806c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Plastic ocean: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – A vast swath of the Pacific, twice the size of Texas, is full of a plastic stew that is entering the food chain. Scientists say these toxins are causing obesity, infertility...and worse... (CYBER DIVER News Network)http://www.cdnn.info/news/article/a071104.html
Career Couch – Does E-Mail Distract? Not if You Take Charge (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/jobs/04career.html?_r=1&ex=1351918800&en=d765f268091350d9&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
DIVERSIONS
Wedgie-free underwear?
http://www.winknews.com/news/weird/10985736.html
New "Star Trek" actors: Will they pass muster? (For extra credit, what does the “T” stand for in James T. Kirk? Hint: you’ll find out in this story)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2003990911_startrek05.html?syndication=rss
'Dead' man in UK turns up alive – Police said Friday they had begun an investigation after a woman oversaw the cremation of a body she believed was her son — who turned up alive the next day.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071103/ap_on_fe_st/odd_britain_wrong_body;_ylt=AngQBwqApd0rnhpyrK0Aqh7tiBIF
Priests fear driving bans over altar wine – Celebrating more than one mass a day may push Roman Catholic priests over the alcohol limit if tougher drink driving rules come into effect in Ireland, a leading clergyman said on Friday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071103/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_ireland_priests_wine;_ylt=AggpqZ_7conStvPMFGFvXHvtiBIF
S.C. couple find secret moldy room – Kerri and Jason Brown discovered a secret room behind a bookcase containing a homeowner's worst nightmare — mold. Also in the room was a handwritten note: "You found it!"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071103/ap_on_fe_st/odd_moldy_secret_room;_ylt=AhCosnkmg9ABibxHaLdnVTrtiBIF
Friday, November 2, 2007
News Digest for November 2, 2007
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.
WORD OF THE DAY
Gossamer • \GAH-suh-mer\ • adjective – Extremely light, delicate, or tenuous
“Ah to be a butterfly,” mused Derwood. “To float around on gossamer wings, flitting from flower to flower.”
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Ecology asks residents to reduce wood burning because of stagnant air (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071101/NEWS04/711010080/1025/rss1025
We change the clocks this weekend. The time change was delayed by a week in an attempt by congress to save power. Local fire fighters hope you use the extra time to do something which could save your life. They want to you find fresh batteries for your smoke detectors. Lewis Count first responders are often frustrated when they arrive to a house fire and find no working smoke detectors. Remember to “fall back” one hour when you go to sleep Saturday night. (KELA Radio, Centralia/Chehalis
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Salmon, Dam Plan Put Upward Pressure On Electric Rates – Proposed changes to Columbia and Snake River dam operations could raise your electric bill. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/salmon-dam-plan-puts-upward-pressure-electric-rates/
Portland General Electric earnings soar in third quarter thanks to income tax reform (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2007/10/29/daily33.html?ana=from_rss
Oregon – 70-foot-tall power pole 'unsuitable,' some argue – Officials may reconsider scenic highway location (Bend Bulletin)
http://bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071102/NEWS0107/711020511/1001&nav_category=
News Release – Vandals damage BPA property in Lane County, Oregon; reward offered (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/180922/
Ohio Senate passes amended energy bill (Business Courier of Cincinnati)
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/10/29/daily44.html?ana=from_rss
News Release – NRG and Powerspan Announce Large-Scale Demonstration of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) for Coal-Fueled Power Plants - Demonstration to be among largest CCS projects in the world (NRG Energy)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-02-2007/0004696394&EDATE=
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Study to look at whether cormorants are harming salmon runs (Well, Duh! My guess is that these guys are harder on the little fishies than the sea lions.)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1023335~Study_to_look_at_whether_cormorants_are_harming_salmon_runs.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Alaska – Salmon bycatch a major problem. The pollock fishery experiences a "nightmare" season. (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/9424156p-9336428c.html
Belfair Residents Get a Price Tag for Sewer Connection – The hook-up fee for the new system is projected to be $3,200, with monthly rates ranging from $85 to $100, county says. (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/01/belfair-residents-get-a-price-tag-for-sewer/
Cowlitz dredging to start next week – The dredge Oregon should be at the mouth of the Cowlitz River this morning and is expected to start clearing in the silt-engorged channel next week. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/02/area_news/news08.txt
Water updates, impacts topic of conference – Hastings' district director calls for farmer unity. Even though insiders may think work on the Odessa Aquifer is going slowly, Mike Schwisow assures residents it's progressing quite well. (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2007/11/01/news/news02.txt
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Inslee pushes for clean energy in new book, "Apollo's Fire" (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP11022007news224890.cfm/
Venture Capital: Seattle VCs missing clean tech boom – Some of the largest venture capital firms in the state have shied away from wind power, biofuels, fuel cells and other clean tech sectors, a message highlighted in a survey released this week by the law firm of Stoel Rives. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/337810_vc02.html?source=rss
California – Wind turbine manufacturer pitches alternative to solar roof (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7350174?source=rss&nclick_check=1
Pay dirt: Start-up draws electricity from the ground – Here's a renewable energy source most of us haven't thought of: dirt. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9809164-7.html?part=dht
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Clinton sees global warming fight as a way to create jobs, opportunity (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/337769_climate02.html?source=rss
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC urged to stop Comcast Internet blocking – Members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition and Internet scholars from Harvard, Yale and Stanford law schools filed a petition and complaint with the Federal Communications Commission Thursday in response to claims that Comcast is blocking some kinds of peer-to-peer traffic. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9809263-7.html?part=dht
City Wi-Fi networks get Senate panel nod, again – Cities and local governments would be free to build their own broadband networks under a bill approved once again this week by a U.S. Senate panel. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9809196-7.html?part=dht
Utah – UTOPIA users get Internet through Mstar (The Daily Herald)
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/242239/3/
GENERAL NEWS
Shelton, Tenino join the party – Playoff football in November is familiar territory for Tumwater coach Sid Otton. For Matt Hinkle of Shelton and Kevin Ridout of Tenino, this is relatively new turf. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/143/story/260215.html
Port Townsend High Football Game Canceled After Student Is Diagnosed With ‘Superbug' (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/01/port-townsend-high-football-game-canceled-after/
Man Collecting L& I Benefits Caught On Camera Pushing Car, Moving Tires
Richard Thompson – Duane Nissen claims he was injured while working at Olympic Panel Products in Shelton in 2003 and he says he is entitled to keep nearly $60,000 in workers compensation. (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14489862/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
New Narrows Bridge drivers contesting unpaid tolls (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_110107WAB_narrows_bridge_transponders_TP.1ca5568cd.html
Colbert’s Presidential Bid Ends After a ‘No’ in South Carolina (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/us/politics/02colbert.html?ex=1351656000&en=ce3002a76acb2aca&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Lobbyists miss deadline for payment of back rent at state Capitol (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/260331.html
HISTORY ON THE AIR IN LEWIS COUNTY – KELA made twin cities broadcasting history after going onto the air 70-years ago this week. The station at that time in 1937 could be heard in Utah, Oakland, and British Columbia. KELA continues to broadcast out of it’s studios between Centralia and Chehalis.
DIVERSIONS
Man, 72, misses monkeys, hits neighbor – A Malaysian villager who was aiming to shoot wild monkeys encroaching on his garden shot his neighbor instead, police said Friday. The neighbor suffered slight injuries.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071102/ap_on_fe_st/odd_bad_aim;_ylt=Av0mQGkvlFdMzg736j_cWT7tiBIF
Woman pleads no contest in fork attack – A woman accused of stabbing her husband with a fork during a fight at a restaurant has pleaded no contest to reduced charges of being drunk and disorderly.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/odd_fork_attack;_ylt=AksXlwiC1qLMN.YnNDqI9grtiBIF
Gator dropped off at water department
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/odd_gator_in_crate;_ylt=AtbBXhO2gTZhjyVizydWTnntiBIF
Dog, cat honored for saving masters
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_animal_rescues;_ylt=AoAQAfb2EHzr9RCaDY3Hxn_tiBIF
WORD OF THE DAY
Gossamer • \GAH-suh-mer\ • adjective – Extremely light, delicate, or tenuous
“Ah to be a butterfly,” mused Derwood. “To float around on gossamer wings, flitting from flower to flower.”
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Ecology asks residents to reduce wood burning because of stagnant air (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071101/NEWS04/711010080/1025/rss1025
We change the clocks this weekend. The time change was delayed by a week in an attempt by congress to save power. Local fire fighters hope you use the extra time to do something which could save your life. They want to you find fresh batteries for your smoke detectors. Lewis Count first responders are often frustrated when they arrive to a house fire and find no working smoke detectors. Remember to “fall back” one hour when you go to sleep Saturday night. (KELA Radio, Centralia/Chehalis
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Salmon, Dam Plan Put Upward Pressure On Electric Rates – Proposed changes to Columbia and Snake River dam operations could raise your electric bill. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/salmon-dam-plan-puts-upward-pressure-electric-rates/
Portland General Electric earnings soar in third quarter thanks to income tax reform (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2007/10/29/daily33.html?ana=from_rss
Oregon – 70-foot-tall power pole 'unsuitable,' some argue – Officials may reconsider scenic highway location (Bend Bulletin)
http://bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071102/NEWS0107/711020511/1001&nav_category=
News Release – Vandals damage BPA property in Lane County, Oregon; reward offered (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/180922/
Ohio Senate passes amended energy bill (Business Courier of Cincinnati)
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/10/29/daily44.html?ana=from_rss
News Release – NRG and Powerspan Announce Large-Scale Demonstration of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) for Coal-Fueled Power Plants - Demonstration to be among largest CCS projects in the world (NRG Energy)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-02-2007/0004696394&EDATE=
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Study to look at whether cormorants are harming salmon runs (Well, Duh! My guess is that these guys are harder on the little fishies than the sea lions.)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1023335~Study_to_look_at_whether_cormorants_are_harming_salmon_runs.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Alaska – Salmon bycatch a major problem. The pollock fishery experiences a "nightmare" season. (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/9424156p-9336428c.html
Belfair Residents Get a Price Tag for Sewer Connection – The hook-up fee for the new system is projected to be $3,200, with monthly rates ranging from $85 to $100, county says. (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/01/belfair-residents-get-a-price-tag-for-sewer/
Cowlitz dredging to start next week – The dredge Oregon should be at the mouth of the Cowlitz River this morning and is expected to start clearing in the silt-engorged channel next week. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/02/area_news/news08.txt
Water updates, impacts topic of conference – Hastings' district director calls for farmer unity. Even though insiders may think work on the Odessa Aquifer is going slowly, Mike Schwisow assures residents it's progressing quite well. (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2007/11/01/news/news02.txt
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Inslee pushes for clean energy in new book, "Apollo's Fire" (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP11022007news224890.cfm/
Venture Capital: Seattle VCs missing clean tech boom – Some of the largest venture capital firms in the state have shied away from wind power, biofuels, fuel cells and other clean tech sectors, a message highlighted in a survey released this week by the law firm of Stoel Rives. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/337810_vc02.html?source=rss
California – Wind turbine manufacturer pitches alternative to solar roof (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7350174?source=rss&nclick_check=1
Pay dirt: Start-up draws electricity from the ground – Here's a renewable energy source most of us haven't thought of: dirt. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9809164-7.html?part=dht
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Clinton sees global warming fight as a way to create jobs, opportunity (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/337769_climate02.html?source=rss
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC urged to stop Comcast Internet blocking – Members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition and Internet scholars from Harvard, Yale and Stanford law schools filed a petition and complaint with the Federal Communications Commission Thursday in response to claims that Comcast is blocking some kinds of peer-to-peer traffic. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9809263-7.html?part=dht
City Wi-Fi networks get Senate panel nod, again – Cities and local governments would be free to build their own broadband networks under a bill approved once again this week by a U.S. Senate panel. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9809196-7.html?part=dht
Utah – UTOPIA users get Internet through Mstar (The Daily Herald)
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/242239/3/
GENERAL NEWS
Shelton, Tenino join the party – Playoff football in November is familiar territory for Tumwater coach Sid Otton. For Matt Hinkle of Shelton and Kevin Ridout of Tenino, this is relatively new turf. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/143/story/260215.html
Port Townsend High Football Game Canceled After Student Is Diagnosed With ‘Superbug' (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/01/port-townsend-high-football-game-canceled-after/
Man Collecting L& I Benefits Caught On Camera Pushing Car, Moving Tires
Richard Thompson – Duane Nissen claims he was injured while working at Olympic Panel Products in Shelton in 2003 and he says he is entitled to keep nearly $60,000 in workers compensation. (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14489862/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
New Narrows Bridge drivers contesting unpaid tolls (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_110107WAB_narrows_bridge_transponders_TP.1ca5568cd.html
Colbert’s Presidential Bid Ends After a ‘No’ in South Carolina (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/us/politics/02colbert.html?ex=1351656000&en=ce3002a76acb2aca&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Lobbyists miss deadline for payment of back rent at state Capitol (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/260331.html
HISTORY ON THE AIR IN LEWIS COUNTY – KELA made twin cities broadcasting history after going onto the air 70-years ago this week. The station at that time in 1937 could be heard in Utah, Oakland, and British Columbia. KELA continues to broadcast out of it’s studios between Centralia and Chehalis.
DIVERSIONS
Man, 72, misses monkeys, hits neighbor – A Malaysian villager who was aiming to shoot wild monkeys encroaching on his garden shot his neighbor instead, police said Friday. The neighbor suffered slight injuries.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071102/ap_on_fe_st/odd_bad_aim;_ylt=Av0mQGkvlFdMzg736j_cWT7tiBIF
Woman pleads no contest in fork attack – A woman accused of stabbing her husband with a fork during a fight at a restaurant has pleaded no contest to reduced charges of being drunk and disorderly.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/odd_fork_attack;_ylt=AksXlwiC1qLMN.YnNDqI9grtiBIF
Gator dropped off at water department
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/odd_gator_in_crate;_ylt=AtbBXhO2gTZhjyVizydWTnntiBIF
Dog, cat honored for saving masters
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_animal_rescues;_ylt=AoAQAfb2EHzr9RCaDY3Hxn_tiBIF
Thursday, November 1, 2007
News Diget for November 1, 2007
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.
WORD OF THE DAY
Warison • \WAIR-uh-sun\ • noun – a bugle call to attack
The warison for the garrison was sounding mighty weak
The guards were playing poker, the soldiers fast asleep
The enemy was fast, but did not notice what was cast
The ground around the castle was coated with (gosh, I can’t finish this thing in time)
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Washington State Department of Ecology asks no fires please; air stagnant (The Associated Press)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1021252~Ecology_Dept__asks_no_fires_please__air_stagnant.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Shorter days make for better viewing of the heavens (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2003985343_nwwstarwatch01.html?syndication=rss
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Enron reaches $500,000 settlement with Port of Seattle (Platts News Service)
http://www.platts.com/HOME/News/6550567.xml?sub=HOME&p=HOME/News&
News Release – Lightning Strike to Wisconsin Public Service's 321-megawatt Weston 3 Power Plant Will Cause the Unit to be Off-line Until Late 2007 or Early 2008 (WPS)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=77010
News Release – The New Grid Is Not Just Smarter; More Like Truly Gifted With Utility, Environmental, and Consumer Benefit (GridPoint)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=76961
How Transmission Operators are Helping Renewable Energy, Especially Wind (Energy Pulse Commentary)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1593
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Fish to survive dam plan, agency says – The agency in charge of restoring Northwest salmon concluded Wednesday that the latest court-ordered plan for running federal dams in the Columbia and Snake River basins is not likely to jeopardize the survival of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003986866_salmon01m.html
U.S. proposal provides billion extra to save fish – The plan would rule out breaching dams on the Columbia or Snake rivers (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1193885735180450.xml&coll=7
Biologists for Agency Endorse Dams Plan – Federal fisheries officials in Seattle on Wednesday endorsed, with minor modifications, a plan for the government’s continued operation of the hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/us/01salmon.html?ei=5088&en=10bd1f091d2a14ed&ex=1351569600&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1193933417-Ain8Uo1JE9aO5Nr2o2aOgw
New plan sets up court fight over salmon – Feds still say fish runs can be restored without breaching dams (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/198757.html
Dam Removal in Dispute in Columbia-Snake Salmon Plan (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3327
News Release – New Approach, New Science Holds Promise for Northwest Salmon Recovery. (NW River Partners, links to PDF file)
http://www.nwriverpartners.org/documents/draftBiOprelease10-31-07.pdf
Q & A – Questions & Answers: NOAA-Fisheries Draft Biological Opinion (NW River Partners, links to PDF file)
http://www.nwriverpartners.org/
Steelhead season on the Wenatchee – 'A lot of people having a lot of fun' Steelhead season on the Wenatchee (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/NEWS04/710310066/1001/rss1001
Do your duty: catch a steelhead (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071101/SPORTS/711010069/-1/RSS01
Anglers continue to catch good counts of Coho on rivers –Rivers continue to be the focal point of angler attention this week, and with good reason. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/258999.html
Scientists to Create Fish Vaccine Pellet (Idaho State Journal, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1012309~Scientists_to_Create_Fish_Vaccine_Pellet.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Maine – Whitefield Voters to Write the Next Chapter of Coopers Mills Dam Story (The Lincoln County News)
http://www.mainelincolncountynews.com/index.cfm?ID=28489
Dredging moves ahead as critics push back – The Army Corps of Engineers began dredging a Port of Olympia shipping channel this week. Within hours, five people had taken steps in hopes of stopping the work. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/259081.html
Idaho water users say governor's plan dry on details – Water users say Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter hasn't released enough details about his plan for water conservation projects in south-central Idaho for them to know if they have any chance to succeed. (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/258567.html
Georgia Drought – Environmentalists: Officials skimped on water conservation measures. Environmentalists say state and local officials haven't done enough to implement water conservation measures, exacerbating the impact of this year's historic drought. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/10/31/envirowater_1101_web.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Olympia Dispatch, Tri City Herald – Sutherland: Kittitas wind farm decision "political" – Asked this week about this summer's decision to preempt Kittitas County's rejection of the controversial Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project Washington Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland said it was an easy call.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/blogs/mulick/v-rss/story/9420242p-9332996c.html
Test buoy for wave energy sinks off Oregon coast – The first wave energy test buoy deployed off the Oregon Coast is now 150 feet below the ocean surface. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003987587_webbuoy01.html
British Columbia – Tidal generation cooperation agreement signed. A new cooperation agreement to install tidal turbine generators in Discovery Passage is being hailed as good news for jobs and the environment. (Victoria Times Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=eaee1dc6-2a83-43e3-8b78-146028ad65bc&k=63668
CONSERVATION
Consumers must make difference in changing our wasteful habits
http://www.vernonbroadcaster.com/articles/2007/10/31/opinion/03storyop.txt
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
U.S. mayors meet in Seattle to push for a green revolution – City has met a big goal, but more action is needed (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/337597_climate01.html?source=rss
Wildfires emitted large amounts of greenhouse gases – The fires that roared through Southern California last week spewed the same amount of greenhouse gases as what is produced in about one week from the state's burning of fossil fuels (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/01/BABMT42FJ.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Wildfires turning northern forests into carbon-dioxide sources – A group of U.S. researchers have found that wildfires — fuelled by climate change — may be turning boreal forests into sources of carbon dioxide. (CBC News)
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/10/31/boreal-forests.html
Climate Change and the ‘Politics of Fear’ – The political and literary journal n+1 was the organizer of Tuesday night’s panel discussion on environmentalism. Is the environmental movement, like the war on terror, premised on a “politics of fear”? In other words, does it try to unify people by scaring them with threats to their basic survival? (NY Times)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/climate-change-and-the-politics-of-fear/index.html?ex=1351569600&en=4f14b348720a4b93&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
For scientist, possible effects of climate change undeniable (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/10/10312007_For-scientist-possible-effects-of-climate-change-undeniable.cfm
Are Colleges Only Green Skin Deep? The Sustainability Report Card 2008 examines colleges and universities dedication to sustainability, on campuses and in endowment portfolios. (Social Funds)
http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/2408.html
Hollywood Slowly Warms To Conservation – From “green carpets” at awards shows to organic fruit served to actors on sets, Hollywood is going all out to promote itself as being environmentally hip. But is it all just show? (The Chief Engineer)
http://www.chiefengineer.org/content/content_display.cfm/seqnumber_content/3174.htm
Climate action day Saturday (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/259042.html
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Massachusetts – State's broadband access incentive gets wary response – A pledge by state leaders to help finance broadband Internet access in remote parts of Massachusetts is being met with a healthy dose of skepticism from big telecommunications companies questioning the economics of the expansion. (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2007/10/29/story9.html?ana=from_rss
Wi-Lan Sues....Everybody – Claims the world violates their DSL patents (Reuters)
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2007-11-01T122017Z_01_N01399769_RTRUKOC_0_US-WILAN-LITIGATION.xml
The FCC's Rose-Colored Broadband Glasses – It's that time of year again.... (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/The-FCCs-RoseColored-Broadband-Glasses-89007
GENERAL NEWS
California D.A. to be asked to consider case of boy accused of starting fire “…Investigators initially considered a downed power line as the source of the Buckweed fire but never officially listed it as the cause…” (The Associated Press)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1020584~D_A__to_be_asked_to_consider_case_of_boy_accused_of_starting_fire.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
Weyerhaeuser Hurt by Housing Slump (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-weyerhaeuser-results.html?_r=1&ex=1351656000&en=d3e1c7be83a68305&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
SHELTON CLOCK TOWER TO GET CHIMES – The Shelton Clock Tower Committee has been reformed and is beginning a campaign to give the focal point in downtown a voice. The Committee plans on completing the clock tower by adding chimes. According to a news release, the Verdin clock factory can retrofit the tower's clock to "create the sound for Railroad Avenue." The cost of the retrofit is $9,000 and the Committee is selling another 300 personalized bricks to be added to the base of the tower. A brick can be purchased for $50. Brick order forms are available at the Shelton Civic Center, Lynch Creek Floral and Sage Book Store as well as on the City's website: www.ci.shelton.wa.us. Orders for the personalized bricks will be taken until March or until all bricks are sold. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Loonie High On Fed Cut – Soars on back of cut in U.S. interest rates. The Canadian dollar stormed through its August, 1957 peak of US$1.0614 yesterday to post a record high for the modern age (National Post)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=49f41ec2-4268-4733-9a92-a42edf9090d7&k=40479
$11M damage award for picketing funeral – Members of a fundamentalist Kansas church caused emotional distress to the father of a Maryland Marine killed in Iraq by picketing his funeral and must pay nearly $11 million in damages, a jury found Wednesday.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003986773_funeral01.html
DIVERSIONS
Colbert to file for S.C. Democratic primary (Somewhere, Pat Paulsen is smiling)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/31/colbert.sc/index.html?eref=ib_topstories
Australia – Lawn-watering spat leads to death. A 66-year-old man was bashed to death while watering his lawn in an argument over Sydney's water restrictions, police and media said Thursday.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/10/31/water.murder.ap/index.html?eref=ib_topstories
Cheney: Being Darth Vader not so bad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/cheney_darth_vader;_ylt=Aq31eK5Ob1gngJQUa56RRAXtiBIF
Australian laments ear wax eating video – Australia's opposition leader lamented his past behavior on Wednesday, as images of him picking his ear wax in Parliament reached a growing audience via the Internet. (It was really a ‘Bertie Botts’ every flavor bean)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071031/ap_on_fe_st/odd_australia_ear_wax;_ylt=Antou_qtZ8ZB4g7H6tLyhp_tiBIF
Iowa governor gives pumpkins a reprieve – Pumpkins have won a Halloween reprieve from the tax man.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/pumpkin_tax;_ylt=AvhETSJzpZQOryJJandVR5_tiBIF
WORD OF THE DAY
Warison • \WAIR-uh-sun\ • noun – a bugle call to attack
The warison for the garrison was sounding mighty weak
The guards were playing poker, the soldiers fast asleep
The enemy was fast, but did not notice what was cast
The ground around the castle was coated with (gosh, I can’t finish this thing in time)
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Washington State Department of Ecology asks no fires please; air stagnant (The Associated Press)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1021252~Ecology_Dept__asks_no_fires_please__air_stagnant.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Shorter days make for better viewing of the heavens (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2003985343_nwwstarwatch01.html?syndication=rss
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Enron reaches $500,000 settlement with Port of Seattle (Platts News Service)
http://www.platts.com/HOME/News/6550567.xml?sub=HOME&p=HOME/News&
News Release – Lightning Strike to Wisconsin Public Service's 321-megawatt Weston 3 Power Plant Will Cause the Unit to be Off-line Until Late 2007 or Early 2008 (WPS)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=77010
News Release – The New Grid Is Not Just Smarter; More Like Truly Gifted With Utility, Environmental, and Consumer Benefit (GridPoint)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=76961
How Transmission Operators are Helping Renewable Energy, Especially Wind (Energy Pulse Commentary)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1593
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Fish to survive dam plan, agency says – The agency in charge of restoring Northwest salmon concluded Wednesday that the latest court-ordered plan for running federal dams in the Columbia and Snake River basins is not likely to jeopardize the survival of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003986866_salmon01m.html
U.S. proposal provides billion extra to save fish – The plan would rule out breaching dams on the Columbia or Snake rivers (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1193885735180450.xml&coll=7
Biologists for Agency Endorse Dams Plan – Federal fisheries officials in Seattle on Wednesday endorsed, with minor modifications, a plan for the government’s continued operation of the hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/us/01salmon.html?ei=5088&en=10bd1f091d2a14ed&ex=1351569600&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1193933417-Ain8Uo1JE9aO5Nr2o2aOgw
New plan sets up court fight over salmon – Feds still say fish runs can be restored without breaching dams (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/198757.html
Dam Removal in Dispute in Columbia-Snake Salmon Plan (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3327
News Release – New Approach, New Science Holds Promise for Northwest Salmon Recovery. (NW River Partners, links to PDF file)
http://www.nwriverpartners.org/documents/draftBiOprelease10-31-07.pdf
Q & A – Questions & Answers: NOAA-Fisheries Draft Biological Opinion (NW River Partners, links to PDF file)
http://www.nwriverpartners.org/
Steelhead season on the Wenatchee – 'A lot of people having a lot of fun' Steelhead season on the Wenatchee (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/NEWS04/710310066/1001/rss1001
Do your duty: catch a steelhead (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071101/SPORTS/711010069/-1/RSS01
Anglers continue to catch good counts of Coho on rivers –Rivers continue to be the focal point of angler attention this week, and with good reason. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/258999.html
Scientists to Create Fish Vaccine Pellet (Idaho State Journal, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1012309~Scientists_to_Create_Fish_Vaccine_Pellet.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Maine – Whitefield Voters to Write the Next Chapter of Coopers Mills Dam Story (The Lincoln County News)
http://www.mainelincolncountynews.com/index.cfm?ID=28489
Dredging moves ahead as critics push back – The Army Corps of Engineers began dredging a Port of Olympia shipping channel this week. Within hours, five people had taken steps in hopes of stopping the work. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/259081.html
Idaho water users say governor's plan dry on details – Water users say Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter hasn't released enough details about his plan for water conservation projects in south-central Idaho for them to know if they have any chance to succeed. (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/258567.html
Georgia Drought – Environmentalists: Officials skimped on water conservation measures. Environmentalists say state and local officials haven't done enough to implement water conservation measures, exacerbating the impact of this year's historic drought. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/10/31/envirowater_1101_web.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Olympia Dispatch, Tri City Herald – Sutherland: Kittitas wind farm decision "political" – Asked this week about this summer's decision to preempt Kittitas County's rejection of the controversial Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project Washington Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland said it was an easy call.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/blogs/mulick/v-rss/story/9420242p-9332996c.html
Test buoy for wave energy sinks off Oregon coast – The first wave energy test buoy deployed off the Oregon Coast is now 150 feet below the ocean surface. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003987587_webbuoy01.html
British Columbia – Tidal generation cooperation agreement signed. A new cooperation agreement to install tidal turbine generators in Discovery Passage is being hailed as good news for jobs and the environment. (Victoria Times Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=eaee1dc6-2a83-43e3-8b78-146028ad65bc&k=63668
CONSERVATION
Consumers must make difference in changing our wasteful habits
http://www.vernonbroadcaster.com/articles/2007/10/31/opinion/03storyop.txt
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
U.S. mayors meet in Seattle to push for a green revolution – City has met a big goal, but more action is needed (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/337597_climate01.html?source=rss
Wildfires emitted large amounts of greenhouse gases – The fires that roared through Southern California last week spewed the same amount of greenhouse gases as what is produced in about one week from the state's burning of fossil fuels (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/01/BABMT42FJ.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Wildfires turning northern forests into carbon-dioxide sources – A group of U.S. researchers have found that wildfires — fuelled by climate change — may be turning boreal forests into sources of carbon dioxide. (CBC News)
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/10/31/boreal-forests.html
Climate Change and the ‘Politics of Fear’ – The political and literary journal n+1 was the organizer of Tuesday night’s panel discussion on environmentalism. Is the environmental movement, like the war on terror, premised on a “politics of fear”? In other words, does it try to unify people by scaring them with threats to their basic survival? (NY Times)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/climate-change-and-the-politics-of-fear/index.html?ex=1351569600&en=4f14b348720a4b93&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
For scientist, possible effects of climate change undeniable (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/10/10312007_For-scientist-possible-effects-of-climate-change-undeniable.cfm
Are Colleges Only Green Skin Deep? The Sustainability Report Card 2008 examines colleges and universities dedication to sustainability, on campuses and in endowment portfolios. (Social Funds)
http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/2408.html
Hollywood Slowly Warms To Conservation – From “green carpets” at awards shows to organic fruit served to actors on sets, Hollywood is going all out to promote itself as being environmentally hip. But is it all just show? (The Chief Engineer)
http://www.chiefengineer.org/content/content_display.cfm/seqnumber_content/3174.htm
Climate action day Saturday (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/259042.html
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Massachusetts – State's broadband access incentive gets wary response – A pledge by state leaders to help finance broadband Internet access in remote parts of Massachusetts is being met with a healthy dose of skepticism from big telecommunications companies questioning the economics of the expansion. (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2007/10/29/story9.html?ana=from_rss
Wi-Lan Sues....Everybody – Claims the world violates their DSL patents (Reuters)
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2007-11-01T122017Z_01_N01399769_RTRUKOC_0_US-WILAN-LITIGATION.xml
The FCC's Rose-Colored Broadband Glasses – It's that time of year again.... (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/The-FCCs-RoseColored-Broadband-Glasses-89007
GENERAL NEWS
California D.A. to be asked to consider case of boy accused of starting fire “…Investigators initially considered a downed power line as the source of the Buckweed fire but never officially listed it as the cause…” (The Associated Press)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1020584~D_A__to_be_asked_to_consider_case_of_boy_accused_of_starting_fire.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
Weyerhaeuser Hurt by Housing Slump (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-weyerhaeuser-results.html?_r=1&ex=1351656000&en=d3e1c7be83a68305&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
SHELTON CLOCK TOWER TO GET CHIMES – The Shelton Clock Tower Committee has been reformed and is beginning a campaign to give the focal point in downtown a voice. The Committee plans on completing the clock tower by adding chimes. According to a news release, the Verdin clock factory can retrofit the tower's clock to "create the sound for Railroad Avenue." The cost of the retrofit is $9,000 and the Committee is selling another 300 personalized bricks to be added to the base of the tower. A brick can be purchased for $50. Brick order forms are available at the Shelton Civic Center, Lynch Creek Floral and Sage Book Store as well as on the City's website: www.ci.shelton.wa.us. Orders for the personalized bricks will be taken until March or until all bricks are sold. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Loonie High On Fed Cut – Soars on back of cut in U.S. interest rates. The Canadian dollar stormed through its August, 1957 peak of US$1.0614 yesterday to post a record high for the modern age (National Post)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=49f41ec2-4268-4733-9a92-a42edf9090d7&k=40479
$11M damage award for picketing funeral – Members of a fundamentalist Kansas church caused emotional distress to the father of a Maryland Marine killed in Iraq by picketing his funeral and must pay nearly $11 million in damages, a jury found Wednesday.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003986773_funeral01.html
DIVERSIONS
Colbert to file for S.C. Democratic primary (Somewhere, Pat Paulsen is smiling)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/31/colbert.sc/index.html?eref=ib_topstories
Australia – Lawn-watering spat leads to death. A 66-year-old man was bashed to death while watering his lawn in an argument over Sydney's water restrictions, police and media said Thursday.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/10/31/water.murder.ap/index.html?eref=ib_topstories
Cheney: Being Darth Vader not so bad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/cheney_darth_vader;_ylt=Aq31eK5Ob1gngJQUa56RRAXtiBIF
Australian laments ear wax eating video – Australia's opposition leader lamented his past behavior on Wednesday, as images of him picking his ear wax in Parliament reached a growing audience via the Internet. (It was really a ‘Bertie Botts’ every flavor bean)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071031/ap_on_fe_st/odd_australia_ear_wax;_ylt=Antou_qtZ8ZB4g7H6tLyhp_tiBIF
Iowa governor gives pumpkins a reprieve – Pumpkins have won a Halloween reprieve from the tax man.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_fe_st/pumpkin_tax;_ylt=AvhETSJzpZQOryJJandVR5_tiBIF
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