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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Flood Watch Issued For Skokomish
- Benton PUD to cut rates 3.7%
- Clatskanie PUD names Ollila replacement
- An unlucky squirrel causes Canby Utility outage
- Columbia Basin salmon recovery plan gets positive marks
- Wind farm developers withdraw plans for Idaho project
- Green schools save money and energy
- World's Power Plant Emissions Detailed
- Governors Join in Creating Regional Pacts on Climate Change
- New Lincoln City on-ramp to information superhighway goes live
- In Australia, Santas warned 'ho ho ho' offensive to women.
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Williwaw • \WILL-ih-waw\ • noun – *1a: a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes b: a sudden violent wind 2: a violent commotion
“One more williwaw like that and I’ll be cracking up,” cursed the tense utility dispatcher. The fall and winter storm season had barely begun, and two windstorms had already blustered their way across the region.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
FLOOD WATCH ISSUED FOR SKOKOMISH – A flood watch has been issued for the Skokomish River. According to the National Weather Service, heavy rain over the Olympic Mountains could drive the Skokomish above flood stage late tonight or Friday morning. A vigorous frontal system will produce periods of heavy rain over the Olympic Peninsula tonight and some spots on the south slopes of the Olympics could receive more than three inches of rain. This rainfall could be heavy enough to produce flooding on the Skokomish River. A flood watch means that flooding is possible but not imminent or certain. Residents in the Skokomish Valley should be ready to act quickly if a flood warning is issued. Flood stage is 16 feet. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Benton PUD to cut rates 3.7% – Benton PUD commissioners have settled on a plan to trim residential electric rates by 3.7 percent Jan. 1.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/business/story/9453780p-9365326c.html
Clatskanie PUD names Ollila replacement – The Clatskanie PUD Board Wednesday appointed Janet Willey to fill the seat of former board member Rod Ollila, who was recalled by voters in September. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/15/area_news/doc473bf83d05643747463820.txt
Oregon – An unlucky squirrel shorted out a Canby Utility transformer Thursday knocking out power to about 3,000 customers. (Canby Herald, thanks to Canby Utility for the tip)
http://www.canbyherald.com/ArcStoryPage.asp?Database=Story&StoryID=6156
For the morbidly curious, a photo of the ill-fated squirrel is here:
http://www.canbyherald.com/images/1923.jpg
Tree takes out power to thousands in Ferry County – 115K BPA transmission line knocked out (Omak Chronicle)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n071114a.shtml
News Release – Electricity Projected to be Reliable throughout North America in Coming Winter Season (NERC)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=78017
Automated Meter Reading – Franklin PUD, Benton PUD and Pacific Power are all considering installing Automated Meter Reading or AMR's in the Tri-Cities and Yakima areas. (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7364280
Montana – Pioneer Press, Guest Commentary, State Rep. Llew Jones: “…I was part of a small group selected by Bonneville Power (BPA) to be flown out to their Portland headquarters and further educated as to the inner workings and future needs of transmission and energy generation…”
http://www.goldentrianglenews.com/articles/2007/11/14/cut_bank_pioneer_press/news/news8.txt
Break-In at Nuclear Site Baffles South Africa – One week after the most serious attack on a nuclear installation in recent memory, the government of South Africa is largely mum about who was behind it, how they broke in or why. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/world/africa/15joburg.html?ex=1352782800&en=56df70127755c52f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Amaranth, a Collapsed Hedge Fund, Sues JPMorgan Chase (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/business/15hedge.html?_r=1&ex=1352869200&en=4cd399dd1d9a649a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Columbia Basin salmon recovery plan gets positive marks in new incarnation – Washington's two representatives to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council offered the federal government positive first impressions Wednesday for its latest crack at drawing up a Columbia Basin salmon recovery plan. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/v-rss/story/9455017p-9366543c.html
Report says Canadian salmon industry in danger of collapse (Associated Press, via the Casper Star-Tribune – This, after Alaska announced a bumper harvest?)
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2004/05/06/news/regional/77b674db5844351987256e8c005c376f.txt
Canada – Few B.C.-born salmon returning to spawn. Salmon returns are down significantly around British Columbia, experts say, with the number of Chinook migrating to their birthplace on Vancouver Island falling by as much as 75 per cent (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071115.wbcfish15/BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20071115.wbcfish15
Approach Arctic fishing with caution – David Benton, Seattle Post-Intelligencer guest columnist: A new fishing area in the Arctic Ocean – one that is opening because of climate change -- should not be developed until sound management practices and catch limits are established.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/339687_fisheries15.html?source=rss
Amid Drought, a Georgian Consumes a Niagara – A homeowner in Marietta, Ga., used 14,700 gallons a day in September on landscaping and his pool, prompting an outcry from other homeowners trying to conserve water. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/us/15water.html?ex=1352782800&en=b8bce43cb6a2ae65&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
World toilet summit flush with promise – There are few international conferences at which delegates can hope to be presented with a souvenir ball of dried human feces. The World Toilet Summit in Delhi may be the only one. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/339617_toiletonline15.html?source=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wind farm developers withdraw plans for Idaho project (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1048328~Wind_farm_developers_withdraw_plans_for_E__Idaho_project.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Oregon – Hatfield workshop focuses on ecological concerns of wave energy (Newport News-Times)
http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2007/11/14/news/news04.txt
Delaware – Delmarva Power blasts Bluewater's latest offshore wind proposal – Delmarva Power has condemned a new proposal by Bluewater Wind for a proposed 450-MW offshore wind farm, saying the revised bid would still cost the utility's customers $1 billion more than if it bought power at the market price, filings show. (Platt’s News Service)
http://www.platts.com/Electric%20Power/News/6590351.xml?src=Electric%20Powerrssheadlines1
CONSERVATION
Green schools save money and energy – Science teacher Mike Town and his students are working to lower Redmond High School's carbon emissions, one classroom at a time. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2004015249_greenschools15e.html?syndication=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
World's Power Plant Emissions Detailed – U.S. Appears to Be Worst Carbon Dioxide Polluter, but China Is Catching Up Fast (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/14/AR2007111402010.html?nav=rss_nation
(Western) Governors Join in Creating Regional Pacts on Climate Change (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/washington/15climate.html?ex=1352782800&en=7980263dabe14e25&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
News Release – Power Costs Would Dramatically Increase under Lieberman-Warner Legislation (PR NewsWire, via CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/CLTH05615112007-1.htm
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Oregon – New Lincoln City on-ramp to information superhighway goes live (Newport News-Times)
http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2007/11/14/news/news06.txt
Comcast Sued Over BitTorrent Blocking – A California man filed suit in state court Tuesday against internet service provider Comcast, arguing that the company's secret use of technology to limit peer-to-peer applications such as BitTorrent violates federal computer fraud laws, their user contracts and anti-fraudulent advertising statutes. (WIRED News)
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/11/comcast-sued-ov.html
Head of Cable Lobby Condemns FCC Report – The head of the cable television industry's lobbying group yesterday took aim at the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, blasting his attempts to place new regulations on cable companies while accusing the agency of manipulating data. (Washington Post – Must….not….point out…..irony)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/14/AR2007111402377.html?nav=rss_technology
XM, Sirius Shareholders Vote to Approve Merger – Shareholders of XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio yesterday voted to approve the proposed $5 billion merger of the two companies, though the deal still faces scrutiny by federal regulators. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111300800.html?nav=rss_technology
GENERAL NEWS
SHOOTING AND STABBING IN TIMBERLAKES – The Mason County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting and a stabbing in Timberlakes Wednesday night. According to a news release, about 11:45pm, deputies and Mason County Fire District Five medics responded to a request for assistance in the 500 block of East Timberlake Drive East. Upon arrival, they found a 28-year-old Shelton man suffering from gunshot wounds and a 60-year-old Shelton man suffering from stab wounds. Both men were transported to Mason General Hospital and then flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The stabbing victim is listed in critical condition and the shooting victim is listed in serious but stable condition. At this time, it is not clear what took place at the residence or how the two men are related. The Mason County Sheriff's investigators will be releasing more information on this incident later this morning. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
DIVERSIONS
Man in India marries dog as atonement – A man in southern India married a female dog in a traditional Hindu ceremony as an attempt to atone for stoning two other dogs to death
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071113/ap_on_fe_st/india_man_weds_dog;_ylt=AmP9HLzhSQ5hhRbrNWDhEUztiBIF
Australia – Santas warned 'ho ho ho' offensive to women. Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/lifestyleaustraliachristmasoffbeat;_ylt=AjBq4BCLe8dYY6bXOINcWwntiBIF
Errant text message sends cops to door – Leif Harry Ersland wanted to return a nail gun he borrowed, so he sent a text message to the owner saying "the gun is on the cabin steps."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_norway_misfire;_ylt=AhJXFX7os94qv70sv86se53tiBIF
Woman being 'silly' hit by freight train – A 54-year-old woman was recovering in the hospital after being hit by a Union Pacific freight train in California.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071113/ap_on_fe_st/odd_train_woman_struck;_ylt=AhdyDThfGsA3te1BYrDlNdvtiBIF
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 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.
The news digest is also available at the following web site:
http://www.energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Energy NW makes last appeal to state panel
- Clark County Utility expects no shift in rates
- Calif. Utility Sued Over Wildfires
- Advocates ask ratepayers to fight relicensing of four Klamath dams
- Wood Smoke Woes - Act now to improve region’s air quality
- Canola crop is no gold rush – Perhaps it was too good to be true.
- Energy Efficiency Leader Appointed Bonneville Environmental
- CO2 producers fingered in CARMA (Carbon Monitoring for Action) database
- Minnesota WiFi roundup
- New Hampshire Court blocks Hanover network
- VeriSign plans to divest most operations
- Woman Finds Boyfriend Dead In Cat Door
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Transpicuous • \tran-SPIK-yuh-wus\ • adjective – Clearly seen through or understood
“I’ll raise you $1,000,” blustered the sharply-dressed card sharp to the players clustered around the dusty table in the rural bar. “I’ll take that bet,” proclaimed the observant ten-year old opponent. “You should never have worn those reflective sunglasses,” the youngster mused silently as he noted the image of a very poor hand in the city-slicker’s sausage-like fingers. “Your bluff is totally transpicuous”
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
SE Washington – Monday winds reach 91 mph on wind farm. In spite of the high winds, little damage was reported in Garfield and Columbia counties. (Walla Walla Union Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2007/11/13/local_news/local02.txt
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Energy NW makes last appeal to state panel – Public power giant Energy Northwest made its final case Tuesday to a state council to move forward with a $1.5 billion coal gasification plant at the Port of Kalama. (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/14//area_news/doc473aa08c17817941980759.txt
Clark County Utility expects no shift in rates – Water and electric rates should hold steady in the coming year under Clark Public Utilities' proposed 2008 budget (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2007/11/11132007_Utility-expects-no-shiftin-rates.cfm/
More work ahead on electricity proposal – Effect on local rates isn’t known yet. While a new recommendation describes how to share benefits of the Columbia Basin federal hydropower system over the next 20 years, how that will affect power bills for public utilities is still anyone’s guess, according to an expert close to the issue. (The Dalles Chronicle)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2007/11/news11-13-07-01.shtml
Public comments sought on West Coast energy corridors – Several federal agencies are requesting public comments on a draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement proposing the designation of energy transport corridors in 11 western states, including Oregon. (Bandon Western World)
http://theworldlink.com/articles/2007/11/12/news/doc4738b5748c614508447926.txt
Calif. Utility Sued Over Wildfires – Two families who lost their homes during last month's wildfires in Southern California have filed lawsuits against San Diego Gas & Electric Co. accusing the utility of negligence for failing to clear vegetation around its power lines. (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1047548~Calif__Utility_Sued_Over_Wildfires.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
Alaska – Matanuska Electric Association to shelve coal plan for at least five years. Alternatives: Costs, critics pushed utility to look at options. (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/mining/story/9443729p-9355148c.html
A Year Later, Prosecutors Fight To Keep Enron's Skilling in Prison (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111302005.html?nav=rss_business
NY Times Editorial – Where’s That Energy Bill? Two months ago, Washington was filled with hope that Congress would produce an energy bill that would begin to address the two great challenges of oil dependency and climate change. These talks have now reached a dangerous point.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/opinion/14wed1.html?_r=1&ex=1352782800&en=6857879fe21ad3d2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
News Release – Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission cancels November 20 meeting PUD 3 Web Site)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=379
As China's mega dam rises, so do strains and fear (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSPEK6744820071114?feedType=nl&feedName=ustopnewsearly
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – Calderon vs. IBEW 47 & SoCal Edison – Issue was notice of hearing on termination (Links to PDF File: A cautionary tale of email notification of legal notices)
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/9B465A9AD5C5C3C488257392005D96F7/$file/0556937.pdf?openelement
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Advocates ask ratepayers to fight relicensing of four Klamath dams –The group calls the dams a disaster, but PacifiCorp says they offer cheap, clean hydropower (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1195014343326610.xml&coll=7
Stalking steelhead – Catching just one of these sea-run bruisers is worth the effort (Denver Post)
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_7454411
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Opinion from the News Tribune, Tacoma – Act now to improve region’s air quality – As the calendar marches toward winter, there’s something deep in our DNA that compels some of us to fire up the old wood stove or throw some logs on the fireplace to take the chill out of the air – even if we have other ways to heat our homes.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/203402.html
Canola crop is no gold rush – Perhaps it was too good to be true. A handful of Snohomish County farmers in 2006 produced staggering results when they grew tests plots of canola, an oily grain used to make clean-burning biodiesel. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071114/NEWS01/711140038
Electric car plugs into power grid – PJM Interconnection will host a presentation and demonstration on Nov. 14, 2007 of an electric vehicle adapted to plug into and receive power dispatch commands from the power grid. (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/311968/22/ARTCL/none/none/1/Electric-car-plugs-into-power-grid/
The New England Patriots Make a Play for Renewable Energy Credits – Constellation NewEnergy the utility that serves Gillette Stadium, is now the "Green Power Behind the Patriots." (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50558&src=rss
CONSERVATION
News Release – Energy Efficiency Leader Appointed Bonneville Environmental Foundation CEO (Bonneville Environmental Foundation)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/partner/story?id=50565&src=rss
Gadgets to Spur Energy Conservation – When the box turns red, it's time to turn off the air conditioner and save electricity. (Technology Review, MIT)
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19700/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Fascinating note from Dean Boyer, WPUDA: A new data base posted today by CARMA (Carbon Monitoring for Action) list CO2 emissions info for 50,000 power plants worldwide and more than 9,000 in the U.S. The database is searchable many ways, including by utility name or zip code (I note that Mason County PUD No. 3’s Parent Company is the United States, with no data on the overall fuel mix)
http://carma.org/
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Clarksville sees the light – FTTH paves the way for competitive triple play offering in Tennessee (Telecommunications Online)
http://www.telecommagazine.com/newsglobe/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_3719
Minnesota – Higher-flying Wi-Fi: The Minneapolis wireless Internet access project is getting an increasingly positive reception as early service problems recede and the pace of installation picks up. (The Star Tribune)
http://www.startribune.com/154/story/1540333.html
Meanwhile: Polarized in St. Louis Park – The Wi-Fi story is not so happy in St. Louis Park, where an ambitious solar-powered network has run into technical problems and incurred the wrath of some residents who say antenna poles used in the project mar the landscape. (The Star Tribune)
http://www.startribune.com/154/story/1540344.html
New Hampshire: Court blocks Hanover network – A Grafton County Superior Court judge this week granted an injunction against the town of Hanover over its installation of a fiber optics network that a local telecommunications company argues is illegal and unsafe. (The Union Leader)
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Court+blocks+Hanover+network&articleId=e4d462dd-574e-4047-9aa9-e84b68c2adb2
VeriSign plans to divest most operations (Silicon Valley Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/11/12/daily37.html?ana=from_rss
Go Daddy teams with Google (Phoenix Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2007/11/12/daily13.html?ana=from_rss
Few Friends for Proposal on Media – The Federal Communications Commission’s new deregulatory proposal may actually force some large media companies to shed stations or newspapers. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/business/media/14media.html?ex=1352782800&en=e8d2bd57f01fc6d1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GENERAL NEWS
CITY OF SHELTON HAS NO FUNDS FOR GAS CONTAMINATION CLEAN UP – The City of Shelton does not have the funds to fully clean up the gas contamination at the intersection of First and Franklin. At this time, the City is not able to fund clearing out all contaminated soil in the right-of-way. So, the City plans on just removing the soil in the trench needed to complete the Sewer Basin Two project. The intersection will then be added to the State Department of Ecology's list of contaminated sites and may be required to clean up the site some time in the future. The contamination at First and Franklin was discovered during the Basin Two project along with contamination at Fourth and Franklin. The Fourth Street location has since been cleaned up. Connection of the pipe at First and Franklin will complete Basin Two and the City will add the cost of contamination clean up to that project. City staff will bring a contract for the clean up of the trench soil to the Shelton City Commission next Monday. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Convoys exit port amid violent confrontation – Demonstrators gathered at the Port of Olympia’s main gate Tuesday night to block military shipments from the port to Fort Lewis, but the Army outflanked them and moved several convoys out another gate. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/271003.html
Businesses could lose 1/3 of workers with flu (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/270401.html
DIVERSIONS
Woman Finds Boyfriend Dead In Cat Door – 32-Year-Old Stuck In Cat Door Dies
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14578224/detail.html
2 Men Fight On Highway During Rush Hour – Two men fighting in the middle of rush-hour traffic on Interstate 17 in Arizona had motorists slamming on their brakes in disbelief as fists flew and tempers flared, Department of Public Safety officers said.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14591896/detail.html
Anne Frank's tree to be cut – The chestnut tree that comforted Anne Frank while she hid from the Nazis during World War II will be cut down Nov. 21 because it is too diseased to be saved, the city said Tuesday.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004012731_annefranktree14.html
The news digest is also available at the following web site:
http://www.energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Energy NW makes last appeal to state panel
- Clark County Utility expects no shift in rates
- Calif. Utility Sued Over Wildfires
- Advocates ask ratepayers to fight relicensing of four Klamath dams
- Wood Smoke Woes - Act now to improve region’s air quality
- Canola crop is no gold rush – Perhaps it was too good to be true.
- Energy Efficiency Leader Appointed Bonneville Environmental
- CO2 producers fingered in CARMA (Carbon Monitoring for Action) database
- Minnesota WiFi roundup
- New Hampshire Court blocks Hanover network
- VeriSign plans to divest most operations
- Woman Finds Boyfriend Dead In Cat Door
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Transpicuous • \tran-SPIK-yuh-wus\ • adjective – Clearly seen through or understood
“I’ll raise you $1,000,” blustered the sharply-dressed card sharp to the players clustered around the dusty table in the rural bar. “I’ll take that bet,” proclaimed the observant ten-year old opponent. “You should never have worn those reflective sunglasses,” the youngster mused silently as he noted the image of a very poor hand in the city-slicker’s sausage-like fingers. “Your bluff is totally transpicuous”
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
SE Washington – Monday winds reach 91 mph on wind farm. In spite of the high winds, little damage was reported in Garfield and Columbia counties. (Walla Walla Union Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2007/11/13/local_news/local02.txt
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Energy NW makes last appeal to state panel – Public power giant Energy Northwest made its final case Tuesday to a state council to move forward with a $1.5 billion coal gasification plant at the Port of Kalama. (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/14//area_news/doc473aa08c17817941980759.txt
Clark County Utility expects no shift in rates – Water and electric rates should hold steady in the coming year under Clark Public Utilities' proposed 2008 budget (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2007/11/11132007_Utility-expects-no-shiftin-rates.cfm/
More work ahead on electricity proposal – Effect on local rates isn’t known yet. While a new recommendation describes how to share benefits of the Columbia Basin federal hydropower system over the next 20 years, how that will affect power bills for public utilities is still anyone’s guess, according to an expert close to the issue. (The Dalles Chronicle)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2007/11/news11-13-07-01.shtml
Public comments sought on West Coast energy corridors – Several federal agencies are requesting public comments on a draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement proposing the designation of energy transport corridors in 11 western states, including Oregon. (Bandon Western World)
http://theworldlink.com/articles/2007/11/12/news/doc4738b5748c614508447926.txt
Calif. Utility Sued Over Wildfires – Two families who lost their homes during last month's wildfires in Southern California have filed lawsuits against San Diego Gas & Electric Co. accusing the utility of negligence for failing to clear vegetation around its power lines. (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1047548~Calif__Utility_Sued_Over_Wildfires.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
Alaska – Matanuska Electric Association to shelve coal plan for at least five years. Alternatives: Costs, critics pushed utility to look at options. (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/mining/story/9443729p-9355148c.html
A Year Later, Prosecutors Fight To Keep Enron's Skilling in Prison (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111302005.html?nav=rss_business
NY Times Editorial – Where’s That Energy Bill? Two months ago, Washington was filled with hope that Congress would produce an energy bill that would begin to address the two great challenges of oil dependency and climate change. These talks have now reached a dangerous point.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/opinion/14wed1.html?_r=1&ex=1352782800&en=6857879fe21ad3d2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
News Release – Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission cancels November 20 meeting PUD 3 Web Site)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=379
As China's mega dam rises, so do strains and fear (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSPEK6744820071114?feedType=nl&feedName=ustopnewsearly
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – Calderon vs. IBEW 47 & SoCal Edison – Issue was notice of hearing on termination (Links to PDF File: A cautionary tale of email notification of legal notices)
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/9B465A9AD5C5C3C488257392005D96F7/$file/0556937.pdf?openelement
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Advocates ask ratepayers to fight relicensing of four Klamath dams –The group calls the dams a disaster, but PacifiCorp says they offer cheap, clean hydropower (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1195014343326610.xml&coll=7
Stalking steelhead – Catching just one of these sea-run bruisers is worth the effort (Denver Post)
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_7454411
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Opinion from the News Tribune, Tacoma – Act now to improve region’s air quality – As the calendar marches toward winter, there’s something deep in our DNA that compels some of us to fire up the old wood stove or throw some logs on the fireplace to take the chill out of the air – even if we have other ways to heat our homes.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/203402.html
Canola crop is no gold rush – Perhaps it was too good to be true. A handful of Snohomish County farmers in 2006 produced staggering results when they grew tests plots of canola, an oily grain used to make clean-burning biodiesel. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071114/NEWS01/711140038
Electric car plugs into power grid – PJM Interconnection will host a presentation and demonstration on Nov. 14, 2007 of an electric vehicle adapted to plug into and receive power dispatch commands from the power grid. (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/311968/22/ARTCL/none/none/1/Electric-car-plugs-into-power-grid/
The New England Patriots Make a Play for Renewable Energy Credits – Constellation NewEnergy the utility that serves Gillette Stadium, is now the "Green Power Behind the Patriots." (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50558&src=rss
CONSERVATION
News Release – Energy Efficiency Leader Appointed Bonneville Environmental Foundation CEO (Bonneville Environmental Foundation)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/partner/story?id=50565&src=rss
Gadgets to Spur Energy Conservation – When the box turns red, it's time to turn off the air conditioner and save electricity. (Technology Review, MIT)
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19700/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Fascinating note from Dean Boyer, WPUDA: A new data base posted today by CARMA (Carbon Monitoring for Action) list CO2 emissions info for 50,000 power plants worldwide and more than 9,000 in the U.S. The database is searchable many ways, including by utility name or zip code (I note that Mason County PUD No. 3’s Parent Company is the United States, with no data on the overall fuel mix)
http://carma.org/
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Clarksville sees the light – FTTH paves the way for competitive triple play offering in Tennessee (Telecommunications Online)
http://www.telecommagazine.com/newsglobe/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_3719
Minnesota – Higher-flying Wi-Fi: The Minneapolis wireless Internet access project is getting an increasingly positive reception as early service problems recede and the pace of installation picks up. (The Star Tribune)
http://www.startribune.com/154/story/1540333.html
Meanwhile: Polarized in St. Louis Park – The Wi-Fi story is not so happy in St. Louis Park, where an ambitious solar-powered network has run into technical problems and incurred the wrath of some residents who say antenna poles used in the project mar the landscape. (The Star Tribune)
http://www.startribune.com/154/story/1540344.html
New Hampshire: Court blocks Hanover network – A Grafton County Superior Court judge this week granted an injunction against the town of Hanover over its installation of a fiber optics network that a local telecommunications company argues is illegal and unsafe. (The Union Leader)
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Court+blocks+Hanover+network&articleId=e4d462dd-574e-4047-9aa9-e84b68c2adb2
VeriSign plans to divest most operations (Silicon Valley Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/11/12/daily37.html?ana=from_rss
Go Daddy teams with Google (Phoenix Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2007/11/12/daily13.html?ana=from_rss
Few Friends for Proposal on Media – The Federal Communications Commission’s new deregulatory proposal may actually force some large media companies to shed stations or newspapers. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/business/media/14media.html?ex=1352782800&en=e8d2bd57f01fc6d1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GENERAL NEWS
CITY OF SHELTON HAS NO FUNDS FOR GAS CONTAMINATION CLEAN UP – The City of Shelton does not have the funds to fully clean up the gas contamination at the intersection of First and Franklin. At this time, the City is not able to fund clearing out all contaminated soil in the right-of-way. So, the City plans on just removing the soil in the trench needed to complete the Sewer Basin Two project. The intersection will then be added to the State Department of Ecology's list of contaminated sites and may be required to clean up the site some time in the future. The contamination at First and Franklin was discovered during the Basin Two project along with contamination at Fourth and Franklin. The Fourth Street location has since been cleaned up. Connection of the pipe at First and Franklin will complete Basin Two and the City will add the cost of contamination clean up to that project. City staff will bring a contract for the clean up of the trench soil to the Shelton City Commission next Monday. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Convoys exit port amid violent confrontation – Demonstrators gathered at the Port of Olympia’s main gate Tuesday night to block military shipments from the port to Fort Lewis, but the Army outflanked them and moved several convoys out another gate. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/271003.html
Businesses could lose 1/3 of workers with flu (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/270401.html
DIVERSIONS
Woman Finds Boyfriend Dead In Cat Door – 32-Year-Old Stuck In Cat Door Dies
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14578224/detail.html
2 Men Fight On Highway During Rush Hour – Two men fighting in the middle of rush-hour traffic on Interstate 17 in Arizona had motorists slamming on their brakes in disbelief as fists flew and tempers flared, Department of Public Safety officers said.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14591896/detail.html
Anne Frank's tree to be cut – The chestnut tree that comforted Anne Frank while she hid from the Nazis during World War II will be cut down Nov. 21 because it is too diseased to be saved, the city said Tuesday.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004012731_annefranktree14.html
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
News Digest for November 13, 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
Tilde • \TILL-duh\ • noun – 1: a mark ˜ placed especially over the letter n (as in Spanish señor sir) to denote the sound \nʸ\ or over vowels to indicate nasality 2a: the mark ~ used to indicate negation in logic and the geometric relation “is similar to” in mathematics b: the mark ~ used to indicate an approximate value
“Who knew the Australians loved typography so much,” exclaimed Alphonse to his extremely bored date. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Where else would an entire country sing ‘Waltzing My Tilde’,” he responded. “You know; that squiggly line on the key in the upper left corner of the keyboard.” The woman made a mental note to change her telephone number after the date and never speak with Alphonse again.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Wet week to follow Monday storm – The fierce storm that knocked out power and snarled traffic Monday seems to have been the kickoff to a long week of dreary weather, according to the National Weather Service forecast. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/weather/2004010449_weather13m.html?syndication=rss
The Olympic Region – DOT prepares for winter weather. A bigger budget and improved communication with power companies has the state Department of Transportation better prepared for winter, said a department official. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20071113/NEWS/711130303
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
SUMMARY OF MONDAY'S WIND STORM – Winds gusting at hurricane force in some places yesterday left more than 125,000 customers without electricity across the Pacific Northwest and blew the roof off an Oregon firehouse. Winds higher than 70 mph blew trees and branches onto power lines and cut electricity to roughly 85,000 customers in Washington, mostly in the western part of the state. However, Mason County faired well with spot outages, mostly in Mason County P.U.D. No. 1's service territory along Hood Canal. A trained weather spotter in the Lake Lawrence area of Thurston County reported an 84 mph wind gust. About 20,000 Puget Sound Energy customers in Thurston County were without power yesterday. At last report some 2,000 of them are still without power but P-S-E expects those customers to have service restored later today. More than two inches of rain fell in Mason County over a 24-hour period Monday. That rainfall pushed the Skokomish River to near flood stage last night, however the River crested below 16 feet at 15.65 feet about 7pm. No flooding has been reported. The Skokomish River's level, at last report, was about 14 and a half feet. Forecasters predict the River will stay around 14 feet for the rest of this week. According to the National Weather Service, high pressure will build over the region today resulting in more settle conditions later today. Dry weather will prevail across much of the area tonight and Wednesday. However, another storm system will bring increasing precipitation Wednesday night. Forecasters expect steady rain to become showery Thursday afternoon. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Cowlitz County – 10,000 lose power in storm. Nearly 10,000 Cowlitz County PUD customers lost power Monday in a blustery Veterans Day wind storm with local gusts of up to 57 mph. (Daily News, Longview – Thanks Dave)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/13/top_story/doc47393bce38c40907515232.txt
Power still out for hundreds of homes in Clallam County (KONP Radio, Port Angeles)
http://www.konp.com/local/3246
Cleanup of storm aftermath begins (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_111307WAB_storm_cleanup_LJ.bbdb83.html
Post-Storm Roundup – Some Puget Sound Residents Without Power After Wind Storm (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/weather/14571891/detail.html
Do you need a generator? Carbon monoxide poisoning. Electrocution. Fire. With all the possible safety hazards that can occur if you misuse a portable generator, you have to wonder why homeowners take the risks. (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/200331.html
Seattle Times Editorial – Compromise shares NW hydropower. COOLER heads appear to be prevailing in a regional dustup over how the economic benefits of the Northwest hydropower system are shared.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004010178_bpaed13.html
Neither side happy with BPA deal – The proposal would reinstate payments to private utilities and cut rates for public utilities if BPA follows it (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1194668729326660.xml&coll=7
Grays Harbor County PUD sees BPA settlement as a sell-out (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/11/09/local_news/03news.txt
Grant County PUD's power auction brings $39 million to utility (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2007/11/09/news/news04.txt
Dam would make international lake – The Okanogan County PUD wants to study building a dam west of Oroville to store water and generate electricity. The dam on the Similkameen River could be up to 260 feet tall, creating a lake that's half in Canada and larger than nearby Lake Osoyoos. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071109/NEWS04/711090047/1001
Clatskanie PUD to interview candidates (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/09/news_briefs/doc4734175b72553116734697.txt
LNG expert: Vapor model misused – A chemical engineering expert said this week that methods for determining the spread of potentially flammable vapor in the case of a gas spill at a proposed Columbia River liquefied natural gas facility may be inaccurate. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/10//area_news/doc47361c0aeee88838169808.txt
Gap in Electricity Prices For Industrial Customers Between Deregulated and Regulated States Has Tripled Since 1999 (Transmission & Distribution World)
http://tdworld.com/business/power-in-the-public-interest-electricity-prices/
(News Whiz) Energy Expert: Competition Produces Benefits For PA Electricity Customers (ElectricNet – It also makes you taller, ten pounds lighter, and a better dancer!)
http://www.electricnet.com/content/news/article.asp?docid=2e432582-d99e-4b81-abb3-0581436a0073&atc~c=771+s=773+r=001+l=a&VNETCOOKIE=NO
New Jersey – What will future hold for energy in New Jersey? Is nuclear energy in New Jersey's future? How can electricity costs be cut? Will windmills become a common sight off the Jersey shore? (The Associated Press)
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/104-11102007-1438237.html
Missouri's public counsel tells utilities regulators: 'They know somebody is watching them' (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgllfhqyZTgd%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
New Zealand – Power cut family want coroner to stand aside. The family of oxygen-dependent Folole Muliaga, who died when the electricity was cut off, wants the chief coroner to withdraw from the inquest, claiming he has a conflict of interest. (The Dominion Post)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4269842a11.html
Voter Anger May Free Up Energy Bills (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/washington/13oil.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin
Coal surges despite warming concerns: Demand expected to rise through 2030 (Associated Press, via The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2007/11/13/business/biz29.txt
TVA lures record business growth – Toyota's decision to build a $1.3 billion assembly plant in Mississippi helped propel the Tennessee Valley to a record year for new business investment. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CglminqsXTgd%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Wire Thieves Cut Traffic Light – Just after 9:45 p.m. Sunday thieves cut the wire to a traffic signal and lighting at the Intersection of Bridgeport Way and Interstate 5 in Lakewood. (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14577361/detail.html
Some No Name Key Residents Want No Power (electricity, that is) – The absence of electricity is what drew Hallett and Linda Douville to No Name Key in 1990. (Associated Press)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iHffVENWpahqwfAVlT8tv4sOX6CAD8SQN3MO0
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Gregoire pushes for Columbia cleanup plan – Gov. Chris Gregoire will push for a faster cleanup of a highly polluted stretch of Columbia River shoreline, a decade after carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyls were first discovered there. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/11/11092007_Gregoire-pushes-for-Columbia-cleanup-plan.cfm?newsletter=1
The Columbian Editorial – Finally back on track. Gov. Gregoire pushes old Alcoa-site cleanup to ecology department’s front burner
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2007/11/11112007_Finally-back-on-track.cfm
Biologists use high-tech equipment to spy on Skagit River chum (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/339204_fish12.html
Returning urban salmon provide a thrill and a lesson (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/339365_urbansalmon13.html
Spokane Tribe in Collaboration to Help Protect Wildlife Habitat – The Spokane Tribe of Indians is pleased to announce that the recent purchase of wildlife habitat land from Forest Capital Partners, a private forest landowner, will bring the Tribe closer to a goal of owning 100 percent of its Reservation land. The Bonneville Power Administration is providing funding for the acquisition as part of its wildlife mitigation efforts. (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7339413&nav=menu484_2_10
Idaho – EPA Targets Fish Farms With Permits – Federal environmental officials have a new permitting process designed to cut down on pollution that trout farms and other aquaculture producers discharge into the Snake River. (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1043232~EPA_Targets_Fish_Farms_With_Permits.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Water rates going up for Cowlitz County PUD customers – Cowlitz PUD water customers living outside city zones likely will see their bills increase by about $4 a month starting Dec. 1, after the utility district raises rates for a second time in the past year. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/13/area_news/doc47393d751a5e7065655060.txt
Seattle Times Editorial – Water bill is high and dry. Faint hearts in the House and Senate mustered the votes and courage to give President Bush his first veto override, on a $23-billion water-resources bill.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004008046_watered12.html
Outdoor Burning Bans Show Central Oregon's Growth (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/outdoor-burning-bans-show-central-oregons-growth/
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Snohomish County PUD to share details on tidal power – Snohomish County PUD customers are invited to learn about their utility's growing infatuation with tidal energy. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071112/NEWS01/711120025
Idaho nuke planners buy renewable energy firm – A company that plans to build Idaho's first commercial nuclear power plant announced last week it has bought about half the interests in a Maryland-based alternative-energy company. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CglmhqrlTTgd%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
In Farm Belt, Ethanol Plants Hit Resistance – The era in which a new ethanol distillery in agricultural America was greeted with delight seems to be ending. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/us/13nimby.html?ex=1352610000&en=05f422806df8ae1c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
U.S. Energy Bill -- Early Christmas Present or Lump of Coal? (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50527&src=rss
Spokane company sees hope in tiny electric commuter car (Associated Press, via the Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1041122~Spokane_company_sees_hope_in_tiny_electric_commuter_car.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
CONSERVATION
The Shadow Knows (MSNBC – Clever conservation advertising idea)
http://adblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/13/463502.aspx
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Canadian climatologists puzzled at rationale for ending research fund (CanWest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=3e64e983-e851-4d26-9dd4-b5dfa31fa397&k=16859
Experts Discuss Engineering Feats, Like Space Mirrors, to Slow Climate Change (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/science/earth/10geo.html?_r=1&ex=1352437200&en=0824e43c8020389e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Northeastern sues Google over patent – University, Waltham license holder say they own technology (The Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/11/10/northeastern_sues_google_over_patent/
(Irony Alert) F.C.C. Planning Rules to Open Cable Market – The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to impose significant new regulations to open the cable television market to independent programmers and rival video services after determining that cable companies have become too dominant in the industry, senior commission officials said. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/washington/10cable.html?_r=1&ex=1352437200&en=098ec840d0dd5077&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
FCC Chief: End Big-Market Ownership Ban – The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission wants to eliminate a ban on radio and television broadcasters owning newspapers, but only in the nation's largest media markets. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111300773.html?nav=rss_technology
Qwest Partners with Psychologist to Bridge the Digital Divide (Trading Markets)
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/811393/
5 cool wireless research projects worth checking out (Network World)
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/110807-wireless-research-projects.html?page=1
New York – Cablevision rolls out WiFi networks – 8 Customers of Cablevision’s Optimum Online service in Peekskill, Pleasantville and Pelham can now connect wirelessly to the Internet while sitting outside at parks, cafes or while waiting for the train. (The Journal News)
http://burbsbiz.lohudblogs.com/2007/11/08/cablevision-rolls-out-wifi-networks
GENERAL NEWS
Ship soot is killing people, study – A new scientific analysis that blames air pollution from oceangoing ships for killing more than 60,000 people worldwide each year could bolster international efforts to regulate ships visiting Puget Sound and elsewhere. (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/200228.html
Opening November 16 – Outdoors enthusiasts ready to welcome Lacey Cabela's (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/268213.html
Idaho lawmakers look for ways to keep moms at home to strengthen families – Task force blames breakdown of traditional family for social ills (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/eyepiece/story/205994.html
Environment groups seek to help consumers in holiday catalog flood – A new service, started by three environmental groups, is giving people a chance to gain some control over the postal flood tide that inundates them with billions of catalogs a year. (Chicago Tribune, via the Seattle Times)
http://us.mg1.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.rand=6salsf5j8mr8a
The newest public enemy: bottled water – Bottled water, once an icon of a healthy lifestyle, has become a pariah, the environmentally incorrect Humvee of beverages. (The Philadelphia Inquirer, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004008505_water12.html
DIVERSIONS
SK Man Hurts Himself Trying to Loosen Lug Nut -- With a Shotgun (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/10/sk-man-hurts-himself-trying-to-loosen-lug-nut/
Hilton Tries to Help Drunken Elephants – Paris Hilton is being praised by conservationists for highlighting the problem of binge-drinking elephants in northeastern India. Activists said a celebrity endorsement such as Hilton's was sure to raise awareness of the plight of the pachyderms
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/11/13/international/i071548S11.DTL&feed=rss.news
In land of the Monkey God, a primate menaces
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSDEL33966920071113?feedType=nl&feedName=ustopnewsearly
Church Steeple Renovation Uncovers 67 Mysterious Bullet Holes (well, at least it gave traffic signs a rest)
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14551372/detail.html
Teen Accused Of Flying Over High School Football Game, Dropping Ball – A teenager flew a small airplane low over a high school football game and dropped a football into the end zone as a prank, said authorities who are now charging him with misdemeanors.
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14551357/detail.html
Customer Service: Southwest Gate Agent Entertains Passengers With Ukulele (Consumerist Magazine)
http://consumerist.com/consumer/customer-service/southwest-gate-agent-entertains-passengers-with-ukelele-310207.php
WORD OF THE DAY
Tilde • \TILL-duh\ • noun – 1: a mark ˜ placed especially over the letter n (as in Spanish señor sir) to denote the sound \nʸ\ or over vowels to indicate nasality 2a: the mark ~ used to indicate negation in logic and the geometric relation “is similar to” in mathematics b: the mark ~ used to indicate an approximate value
“Who knew the Australians loved typography so much,” exclaimed Alphonse to his extremely bored date. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Where else would an entire country sing ‘Waltzing My Tilde’,” he responded. “You know; that squiggly line on the key in the upper left corner of the keyboard.” The woman made a mental note to change her telephone number after the date and never speak with Alphonse again.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Wet week to follow Monday storm – The fierce storm that knocked out power and snarled traffic Monday seems to have been the kickoff to a long week of dreary weather, according to the National Weather Service forecast. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/weather/2004010449_weather13m.html?syndication=rss
The Olympic Region – DOT prepares for winter weather. A bigger budget and improved communication with power companies has the state Department of Transportation better prepared for winter, said a department official. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20071113/NEWS/711130303
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
SUMMARY OF MONDAY'S WIND STORM – Winds gusting at hurricane force in some places yesterday left more than 125,000 customers without electricity across the Pacific Northwest and blew the roof off an Oregon firehouse. Winds higher than 70 mph blew trees and branches onto power lines and cut electricity to roughly 85,000 customers in Washington, mostly in the western part of the state. However, Mason County faired well with spot outages, mostly in Mason County P.U.D. No. 1's service territory along Hood Canal. A trained weather spotter in the Lake Lawrence area of Thurston County reported an 84 mph wind gust. About 20,000 Puget Sound Energy customers in Thurston County were without power yesterday. At last report some 2,000 of them are still without power but P-S-E expects those customers to have service restored later today. More than two inches of rain fell in Mason County over a 24-hour period Monday. That rainfall pushed the Skokomish River to near flood stage last night, however the River crested below 16 feet at 15.65 feet about 7pm. No flooding has been reported. The Skokomish River's level, at last report, was about 14 and a half feet. Forecasters predict the River will stay around 14 feet for the rest of this week. According to the National Weather Service, high pressure will build over the region today resulting in more settle conditions later today. Dry weather will prevail across much of the area tonight and Wednesday. However, another storm system will bring increasing precipitation Wednesday night. Forecasters expect steady rain to become showery Thursday afternoon. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Cowlitz County – 10,000 lose power in storm. Nearly 10,000 Cowlitz County PUD customers lost power Monday in a blustery Veterans Day wind storm with local gusts of up to 57 mph. (Daily News, Longview – Thanks Dave)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/13/top_story/doc47393bce38c40907515232.txt
Power still out for hundreds of homes in Clallam County (KONP Radio, Port Angeles)
http://www.konp.com/local/3246
Cleanup of storm aftermath begins (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_111307WAB_storm_cleanup_LJ.bbdb83.html
Post-Storm Roundup – Some Puget Sound Residents Without Power After Wind Storm (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/weather/14571891/detail.html
Do you need a generator? Carbon monoxide poisoning. Electrocution. Fire. With all the possible safety hazards that can occur if you misuse a portable generator, you have to wonder why homeowners take the risks. (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/200331.html
Seattle Times Editorial – Compromise shares NW hydropower. COOLER heads appear to be prevailing in a regional dustup over how the economic benefits of the Northwest hydropower system are shared.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004010178_bpaed13.html
Neither side happy with BPA deal – The proposal would reinstate payments to private utilities and cut rates for public utilities if BPA follows it (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1194668729326660.xml&coll=7
Grays Harbor County PUD sees BPA settlement as a sell-out (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/11/09/local_news/03news.txt
Grant County PUD's power auction brings $39 million to utility (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2007/11/09/news/news04.txt
Dam would make international lake – The Okanogan County PUD wants to study building a dam west of Oroville to store water and generate electricity. The dam on the Similkameen River could be up to 260 feet tall, creating a lake that's half in Canada and larger than nearby Lake Osoyoos. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071109/NEWS04/711090047/1001
Clatskanie PUD to interview candidates (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/09/news_briefs/doc4734175b72553116734697.txt
LNG expert: Vapor model misused – A chemical engineering expert said this week that methods for determining the spread of potentially flammable vapor in the case of a gas spill at a proposed Columbia River liquefied natural gas facility may be inaccurate. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/10//area_news/doc47361c0aeee88838169808.txt
Gap in Electricity Prices For Industrial Customers Between Deregulated and Regulated States Has Tripled Since 1999 (Transmission & Distribution World)
http://tdworld.com/business/power-in-the-public-interest-electricity-prices/
(News Whiz) Energy Expert: Competition Produces Benefits For PA Electricity Customers (ElectricNet – It also makes you taller, ten pounds lighter, and a better dancer!)
http://www.electricnet.com/content/news/article.asp?docid=2e432582-d99e-4b81-abb3-0581436a0073&atc~c=771+s=773+r=001+l=a&VNETCOOKIE=NO
New Jersey – What will future hold for energy in New Jersey? Is nuclear energy in New Jersey's future? How can electricity costs be cut? Will windmills become a common sight off the Jersey shore? (The Associated Press)
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/104-11102007-1438237.html
Missouri's public counsel tells utilities regulators: 'They know somebody is watching them' (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgllfhqyZTgd%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
New Zealand – Power cut family want coroner to stand aside. The family of oxygen-dependent Folole Muliaga, who died when the electricity was cut off, wants the chief coroner to withdraw from the inquest, claiming he has a conflict of interest. (The Dominion Post)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4269842a11.html
Voter Anger May Free Up Energy Bills (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/washington/13oil.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin
Coal surges despite warming concerns: Demand expected to rise through 2030 (Associated Press, via The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2007/11/13/business/biz29.txt
TVA lures record business growth – Toyota's decision to build a $1.3 billion assembly plant in Mississippi helped propel the Tennessee Valley to a record year for new business investment. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CglminqsXTgd%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Wire Thieves Cut Traffic Light – Just after 9:45 p.m. Sunday thieves cut the wire to a traffic signal and lighting at the Intersection of Bridgeport Way and Interstate 5 in Lakewood. (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14577361/detail.html
Some No Name Key Residents Want No Power (electricity, that is) – The absence of electricity is what drew Hallett and Linda Douville to No Name Key in 1990. (Associated Press)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iHffVENWpahqwfAVlT8tv4sOX6CAD8SQN3MO0
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Gregoire pushes for Columbia cleanup plan – Gov. Chris Gregoire will push for a faster cleanup of a highly polluted stretch of Columbia River shoreline, a decade after carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyls were first discovered there. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2007/11/11092007_Gregoire-pushes-for-Columbia-cleanup-plan.cfm?newsletter=1
The Columbian Editorial – Finally back on track. Gov. Gregoire pushes old Alcoa-site cleanup to ecology department’s front burner
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2007/11/11112007_Finally-back-on-track.cfm
Biologists use high-tech equipment to spy on Skagit River chum (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/339204_fish12.html
Returning urban salmon provide a thrill and a lesson (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/339365_urbansalmon13.html
Spokane Tribe in Collaboration to Help Protect Wildlife Habitat – The Spokane Tribe of Indians is pleased to announce that the recent purchase of wildlife habitat land from Forest Capital Partners, a private forest landowner, will bring the Tribe closer to a goal of owning 100 percent of its Reservation land. The Bonneville Power Administration is providing funding for the acquisition as part of its wildlife mitigation efforts. (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7339413&nav=menu484_2_10
Idaho – EPA Targets Fish Farms With Permits – Federal environmental officials have a new permitting process designed to cut down on pollution that trout farms and other aquaculture producers discharge into the Snake River. (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1043232~EPA_Targets_Fish_Farms_With_Permits.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Water rates going up for Cowlitz County PUD customers – Cowlitz PUD water customers living outside city zones likely will see their bills increase by about $4 a month starting Dec. 1, after the utility district raises rates for a second time in the past year. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/11/13/area_news/doc47393d751a5e7065655060.txt
Seattle Times Editorial – Water bill is high and dry. Faint hearts in the House and Senate mustered the votes and courage to give President Bush his first veto override, on a $23-billion water-resources bill.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004008046_watered12.html
Outdoor Burning Bans Show Central Oregon's Growth (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/outdoor-burning-bans-show-central-oregons-growth/
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Snohomish County PUD to share details on tidal power – Snohomish County PUD customers are invited to learn about their utility's growing infatuation with tidal energy. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071112/NEWS01/711120025
Idaho nuke planners buy renewable energy firm – A company that plans to build Idaho's first commercial nuclear power plant announced last week it has bought about half the interests in a Maryland-based alternative-energy company. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CglmhqrlTTgd%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
In Farm Belt, Ethanol Plants Hit Resistance – The era in which a new ethanol distillery in agricultural America was greeted with delight seems to be ending. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/us/13nimby.html?ex=1352610000&en=05f422806df8ae1c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
U.S. Energy Bill -- Early Christmas Present or Lump of Coal? (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50527&src=rss
Spokane company sees hope in tiny electric commuter car (Associated Press, via the Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1041122~Spokane_company_sees_hope_in_tiny_electric_commuter_car.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
CONSERVATION
The Shadow Knows (MSNBC – Clever conservation advertising idea)
http://adblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/13/463502.aspx
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Canadian climatologists puzzled at rationale for ending research fund (CanWest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=3e64e983-e851-4d26-9dd4-b5dfa31fa397&k=16859
Experts Discuss Engineering Feats, Like Space Mirrors, to Slow Climate Change (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/science/earth/10geo.html?_r=1&ex=1352437200&en=0824e43c8020389e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Northeastern sues Google over patent – University, Waltham license holder say they own technology (The Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/11/10/northeastern_sues_google_over_patent/
(Irony Alert) F.C.C. Planning Rules to Open Cable Market – The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to impose significant new regulations to open the cable television market to independent programmers and rival video services after determining that cable companies have become too dominant in the industry, senior commission officials said. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/washington/10cable.html?_r=1&ex=1352437200&en=098ec840d0dd5077&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
FCC Chief: End Big-Market Ownership Ban – The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission wants to eliminate a ban on radio and television broadcasters owning newspapers, but only in the nation's largest media markets. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111300773.html?nav=rss_technology
Qwest Partners with Psychologist to Bridge the Digital Divide (Trading Markets)
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/811393/
5 cool wireless research projects worth checking out (Network World)
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/110807-wireless-research-projects.html?page=1
New York – Cablevision rolls out WiFi networks – 8 Customers of Cablevision’s Optimum Online service in Peekskill, Pleasantville and Pelham can now connect wirelessly to the Internet while sitting outside at parks, cafes or while waiting for the train. (The Journal News)
http://burbsbiz.lohudblogs.com/2007/11/08/cablevision-rolls-out-wifi-networks
GENERAL NEWS
Ship soot is killing people, study – A new scientific analysis that blames air pollution from oceangoing ships for killing more than 60,000 people worldwide each year could bolster international efforts to regulate ships visiting Puget Sound and elsewhere. (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/200228.html
Opening November 16 – Outdoors enthusiasts ready to welcome Lacey Cabela's (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/268213.html
Idaho lawmakers look for ways to keep moms at home to strengthen families – Task force blames breakdown of traditional family for social ills (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/eyepiece/story/205994.html
Environment groups seek to help consumers in holiday catalog flood – A new service, started by three environmental groups, is giving people a chance to gain some control over the postal flood tide that inundates them with billions of catalogs a year. (Chicago Tribune, via the Seattle Times)
http://us.mg1.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.rand=6salsf5j8mr8a
The newest public enemy: bottled water – Bottled water, once an icon of a healthy lifestyle, has become a pariah, the environmentally incorrect Humvee of beverages. (The Philadelphia Inquirer, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004008505_water12.html
DIVERSIONS
SK Man Hurts Himself Trying to Loosen Lug Nut -- With a Shotgun (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/10/sk-man-hurts-himself-trying-to-loosen-lug-nut/
Hilton Tries to Help Drunken Elephants – Paris Hilton is being praised by conservationists for highlighting the problem of binge-drinking elephants in northeastern India. Activists said a celebrity endorsement such as Hilton's was sure to raise awareness of the plight of the pachyderms
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/11/13/international/i071548S11.DTL&feed=rss.news
In land of the Monkey God, a primate menaces
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSDEL33966920071113?feedType=nl&feedName=ustopnewsearly
Church Steeple Renovation Uncovers 67 Mysterious Bullet Holes (well, at least it gave traffic signs a rest)
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14551372/detail.html
Teen Accused Of Flying Over High School Football Game, Dropping Ball – A teenager flew a small airplane low over a high school football game and dropped a football into the end zone as a prank, said authorities who are now charging him with misdemeanors.
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14551357/detail.html
Customer Service: Southwest Gate Agent Entertains Passengers With Ukulele (Consumerist Magazine)
http://consumerist.com/consumer/customer-service/southwest-gate-agent-entertains-passengers-with-ukelele-310207.php
Friday, November 9, 2007
News Digest for November 8, 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
Octothorpe • \AHK-tuh-thorp\ • noun – The symbol #
“Bam…Bam…Bam-Bam-Bam”. Beauregard Oglethorpe was enjoying the purchase of his vintage Royal standard typewriter for ten bucks at his neighbor’s yard sale. “BAM” the key hit the smooth, shiny platen of the typewriter. “The octothorpe is my favorite key of them all,” mused Beauregard, slamming the key down into the keyboard again and again. “It stands for number and for pound…and can even be used in cartoon curse words. How excellent.”
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Leaked story gains traction – Power users may get $3 credit: Payment would be funded by BPA – Avista electricity customers will receive a $3 monthly bill credit beginning next fall if a settlement regarding an arcane federal power program holds together. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgkootssYSlj%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Alaska – Power bills could drop if utilities join forces – Anchorage-area consumers could enjoy substantial savings on their power bills if the city's two electric utilities merged or combined some of their operations, a new study shows. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgkmijmpVSlj%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
New York – Lawmaker: End costly electricity `deregulation' – A Democratic lawmaker on Thursday proposed rolling back the deregulation of the electricity industry that happened during the Pataki administration, saying it would lower rates and increase the amount of power available. Associated Press, via New York Newsday)
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--electricrates1108nov08,0,6676842.story
Backfill Time! Former regulators send open letter defending competitive markets. Confronting efforts by some activists and state officials to derail, or at least clamp down on, competitive power markets, 35 former state utility regulators on Wednesday issued an open letter to policymakers stressing the advantages they say restructured markets give to consumers. (Platts Energy News)
http://www.platts.com/Electric%20Power/News/8346949.xml?sub=Electric%20Power&p=Electric%20Power/News&
The New York Power Authority re-ups deals with 9 companies – Nine manufacturers in three Western New York counties have been granted extensions for low-cost power, preserving some 1,800 jobs. (Business First of Buffalo – now, let New York lawmakers claim that BPA and DSI deals are a subsidy)
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2007/11/05/daily50.html?ana=from_rss
Utah – State board upholds permit for coal-fired power plant. A state board backed regulators Wednesday in their decision three years ago to grant a license for a new coal-fired power plant in Sevier County. (The Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7401661
State of California sticks by OK of power plant: Alameda County, Chabot College say they didn't know about plans for the plant. The California Energy Commission on Wednesday denied three requests to reconsider its September approval of a gas-fired power plant near the Hayward shoreline. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgkonkntWSlj%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
California – Polluting Potrero power plant closer to closure – One of the state's oldest and dirtiest power plants, which sits on the edge of a booming San Francisco neighborhood, could shut down as soon as 2009, city leaders announced at a ceremony at the plant Thursday. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/09/BAOHT8THK.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Congressional Research Service – Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RL34234
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Oregon governor stresses need to store water – Tribes, farmers, fish - Ideas include a possible dam and a water bank in eastern Oregon (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119458232517650.xml&coll=7
Alaska – Haul of salmon in 2007 fourth-largest since statehood (The Associated Press, via the Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/9439714p-9351561c.html
“Like a barefoot boy stompin’ ants” – Scientists to shoo terns from Columbia island. Scientists will launch a project this winter to shoo fish-eating birds from crucial salmon habitat on the Columbia River. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://tdn.com/articles/2007/11/09/area_news/doc4734157aa5f10095215761.txt
Conservation group blames tribal fishermen for dead seal pups at Alki (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/11139416.html
Sea-run cutthroats make for a good morning (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/266429.html
Daily Astorian wins Dolly Connelly award – The Daily Astorian has won the 2007 Dolly Connelly Award for excellence in environmental journalism (Associated Press, via the Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1038088~Daily_Astorian_wins_Dolly_Connelly_award.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wind demands dwarf supply – Land rushes, turbine shortages and states' needs are lifting wind energy prices to new heights (The Oregonian – Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the claims for I-937 from the 2006 voters’ guide: “… I-937 is the cleaner, more affordable energy choice… I-937 gives us cheaper, renewable alternatives like wind and solar…”)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/119458232117650.xml&coll=7
Over wind farm flap – Judge reviews petition to recall Kittitas County Commissioners (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=7334232
British Columbia – Marine Current Turbines Installs Tidal Energy Turbines in Vancouver (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50523&src=rss
NY Times: “The Energy Challenge” – Fuel Without the Fossil. Mitch Mandich is among the entrepreneurs using chemical methods to try to make fuel from material like pine chips.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/09/business/09fuel.html?ex=1352264400&en=d49c5c58dd637820&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CONSERVATION
Energy Pulse Commentary – Should We Ban the Bulb?
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1606
Canada – Conservation chief wants clothesline ban rescinded. Ontario's chief energy conservation officer wants more people to be able to legally hang their clothes out to dry. (CBC News)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2007/11/08/laundry-energy.html?ref=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Many 'Green' mayors fall short – Despite support of local greening efforts, cities will have to more than redouble their efforts in order to make a real difference, say experts. (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1108/p12s02-wogi.html
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Seattle Times Opinion – FCC in Seattle: time to listen. Media ownership matters. It matters to towns, cities, states and regions whether the folks who run the news outlets are of the community.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004002800_billed09.html
Nationwide WiMax plan may be over – Sprint Nextel and Clearwire are dropping their agreement to jointly build a nationwide high-speed WiMax network, the Wall Street Journal reported. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/338942_clearwire09.html
Free high-speed Internet services went on line in Cleveland, Virginia on Thursday (Bristol Herald-Courier)
http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news/education.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-11-09-0006.html
GENERAL NEWS
MURRAY SECURES FUNDS FOR MASON COUNTY – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that she has secured more than $153 million for transportation, housing, and economic development projects in Washington State including nearly $1.3 Million for the Skokomish Tribe and Mason Transit. The announcement came after members of both the Senate and House of Representatives approved a Conference Report on the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill. As Chair of the Senate THUD Appropriations Subcommittee, Murray led negotiations in the Conference Committee. In the THUD Bill is $1 Million to help the Skokomish Tribe realign U.S. Highway 101, improve the line of sight, create a safe entrance onto the access road leading to the tribe's new housing development, and improve overall safety conditions along the road. Also in the bill is $280,000 to allow Mason Transit to purchase new vehicles to support rural mobility needs. President Bush, however, is threatening to veto the bill. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Ben wades right in – Judge blocks war objector Watada’s second court-martial (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/266266.html
Judge gives Ralph's reprieve – A federal judge issued a temporary injunction Thursday protecting Ralph's Thriftway in Olympia from potential state disciplinary action for refusing to dispense emergency contraceptives. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/266415.html
DIVERSIONS
Man forgets car at gas station
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0932185120071109?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
New Yorkers rally to help online Romeo
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0931018220071109?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Exploding piggy bank could help Japanese save
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUST2273420071108?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology
WORD OF THE DAY
Octothorpe • \AHK-tuh-thorp\ • noun – The symbol #
“Bam…Bam…Bam-Bam-Bam”. Beauregard Oglethorpe was enjoying the purchase of his vintage Royal standard typewriter for ten bucks at his neighbor’s yard sale. “BAM” the key hit the smooth, shiny platen of the typewriter. “The octothorpe is my favorite key of them all,” mused Beauregard, slamming the key down into the keyboard again and again. “It stands for number and for pound…and can even be used in cartoon curse words. How excellent.”
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Leaked story gains traction – Power users may get $3 credit: Payment would be funded by BPA – Avista electricity customers will receive a $3 monthly bill credit beginning next fall if a settlement regarding an arcane federal power program holds together. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgkootssYSlj%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Alaska – Power bills could drop if utilities join forces – Anchorage-area consumers could enjoy substantial savings on their power bills if the city's two electric utilities merged or combined some of their operations, a new study shows. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgkmijmpVSlj%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
New York – Lawmaker: End costly electricity `deregulation' – A Democratic lawmaker on Thursday proposed rolling back the deregulation of the electricity industry that happened during the Pataki administration, saying it would lower rates and increase the amount of power available. Associated Press, via New York Newsday)
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--electricrates1108nov08,0,6676842.story
Backfill Time! Former regulators send open letter defending competitive markets. Confronting efforts by some activists and state officials to derail, or at least clamp down on, competitive power markets, 35 former state utility regulators on Wednesday issued an open letter to policymakers stressing the advantages they say restructured markets give to consumers. (Platts Energy News)
http://www.platts.com/Electric%20Power/News/8346949.xml?sub=Electric%20Power&p=Electric%20Power/News&
The New York Power Authority re-ups deals with 9 companies – Nine manufacturers in three Western New York counties have been granted extensions for low-cost power, preserving some 1,800 jobs. (Business First of Buffalo – now, let New York lawmakers claim that BPA and DSI deals are a subsidy)
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2007/11/05/daily50.html?ana=from_rss
Utah – State board upholds permit for coal-fired power plant. A state board backed regulators Wednesday in their decision three years ago to grant a license for a new coal-fired power plant in Sevier County. (The Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7401661
State of California sticks by OK of power plant: Alameda County, Chabot College say they didn't know about plans for the plant. The California Energy Commission on Wednesday denied three requests to reconsider its September approval of a gas-fired power plant near the Hayward shoreline. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgkonkntWSlj%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
California – Polluting Potrero power plant closer to closure – One of the state's oldest and dirtiest power plants, which sits on the edge of a booming San Francisco neighborhood, could shut down as soon as 2009, city leaders announced at a ceremony at the plant Thursday. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/09/BAOHT8THK.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Congressional Research Service – Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RL34234
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Oregon governor stresses need to store water – Tribes, farmers, fish - Ideas include a possible dam and a water bank in eastern Oregon (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119458232517650.xml&coll=7
Alaska – Haul of salmon in 2007 fourth-largest since statehood (The Associated Press, via the Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/9439714p-9351561c.html
“Like a barefoot boy stompin’ ants” – Scientists to shoo terns from Columbia island. Scientists will launch a project this winter to shoo fish-eating birds from crucial salmon habitat on the Columbia River. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://tdn.com/articles/2007/11/09/area_news/doc4734157aa5f10095215761.txt
Conservation group blames tribal fishermen for dead seal pups at Alki (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/11139416.html
Sea-run cutthroats make for a good morning (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/266429.html
Daily Astorian wins Dolly Connelly award – The Daily Astorian has won the 2007 Dolly Connelly Award for excellence in environmental journalism (Associated Press, via the Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1038088~Daily_Astorian_wins_Dolly_Connelly_award.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wind demands dwarf supply – Land rushes, turbine shortages and states' needs are lifting wind energy prices to new heights (The Oregonian – Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the claims for I-937 from the 2006 voters’ guide: “… I-937 is the cleaner, more affordable energy choice… I-937 gives us cheaper, renewable alternatives like wind and solar…”)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/119458232117650.xml&coll=7
Over wind farm flap – Judge reviews petition to recall Kittitas County Commissioners (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=7334232
British Columbia – Marine Current Turbines Installs Tidal Energy Turbines in Vancouver (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50523&src=rss
NY Times: “The Energy Challenge” – Fuel Without the Fossil. Mitch Mandich is among the entrepreneurs using chemical methods to try to make fuel from material like pine chips.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/09/business/09fuel.html?ex=1352264400&en=d49c5c58dd637820&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CONSERVATION
Energy Pulse Commentary – Should We Ban the Bulb?
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1606
Canada – Conservation chief wants clothesline ban rescinded. Ontario's chief energy conservation officer wants more people to be able to legally hang their clothes out to dry. (CBC News)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2007/11/08/laundry-energy.html?ref=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Many 'Green' mayors fall short – Despite support of local greening efforts, cities will have to more than redouble their efforts in order to make a real difference, say experts. (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1108/p12s02-wogi.html
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Seattle Times Opinion – FCC in Seattle: time to listen. Media ownership matters. It matters to towns, cities, states and regions whether the folks who run the news outlets are of the community.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004002800_billed09.html
Nationwide WiMax plan may be over – Sprint Nextel and Clearwire are dropping their agreement to jointly build a nationwide high-speed WiMax network, the Wall Street Journal reported. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/338942_clearwire09.html
Free high-speed Internet services went on line in Cleveland, Virginia on Thursday (Bristol Herald-Courier)
http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news/education.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-11-09-0006.html
GENERAL NEWS
MURRAY SECURES FUNDS FOR MASON COUNTY – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that she has secured more than $153 million for transportation, housing, and economic development projects in Washington State including nearly $1.3 Million for the Skokomish Tribe and Mason Transit. The announcement came after members of both the Senate and House of Representatives approved a Conference Report on the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill. As Chair of the Senate THUD Appropriations Subcommittee, Murray led negotiations in the Conference Committee. In the THUD Bill is $1 Million to help the Skokomish Tribe realign U.S. Highway 101, improve the line of sight, create a safe entrance onto the access road leading to the tribe's new housing development, and improve overall safety conditions along the road. Also in the bill is $280,000 to allow Mason Transit to purchase new vehicles to support rural mobility needs. President Bush, however, is threatening to veto the bill. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Ben wades right in – Judge blocks war objector Watada’s second court-martial (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/266266.html
Judge gives Ralph's reprieve – A federal judge issued a temporary injunction Thursday protecting Ralph's Thriftway in Olympia from potential state disciplinary action for refusing to dispense emergency contraceptives. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/266415.html
DIVERSIONS
Man forgets car at gas station
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0932185120071109?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
New Yorkers rally to help online Romeo
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0931018220071109?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Exploding piggy bank could help Japanese save
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUST2273420071108?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology
Thursday, November 8, 2007
News Digest for November 8, 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
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
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
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