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)
* Bill calls for study of nuclear power
* Tri-City Herald Opinion – Sense and nonsense about nuclear power
* Southeast U.S. drought could force nuke-plant shutdowns
* North Dakota council forbidden to consider pollution in power-plant proposals
* NorthWestern Energy Announces Site Selection for Proposed Electric Generation Plant
* High court rejects Enron investors
* Ephrata flags at half-mast for Claussen
* Utility Poles Walk Away In Lewis County
* Environmental groups weigh in against Okanogan PUD dam plan
* PSE reaches deal to sell Lake Tapps
* Lewis County PUD Intrigued By Flood Control Proposal
* Idaho – We still need a lot of snow to fill reservoirs this spring
* Culverts add obstacles to salmon, state, politics
* Puget Sound killer whales need clean water, fish to survive
* Eugene Register Guard – Allocation: Where’s Solomon now that the salmon need him?
* State censures Port Angeles water plan, but city says supply safe
* California – Farmers find water more profitable than crops
* Oregon’s green energy tax credits taking heat
* Michigan – Manure 'biodigester' turning out electricity
* The Cost-Effectiveness of Compact Fluorescents in Commercial Buildings
* Walla Walla – St. Mary awarded $400,765 for energy efficiency
* 39th: U.S. green ranking not to be envied
* Growth, climate change debated
* State's top industries warm to Gregoire's climate change legislation
* Nickels urges government to cut greenhouse gas emissions
* Seattle Times Editorial – Building a response to climate change
* More Snow in Antarctica
* Greenhouse Gas Makes Food Less Nutritious
* World Wide Packets selling for $290M
* Oops! Charter Accidentally Deletes 14,000 Users' E-mail
* Minnesota – Solar Wi-Fi service won't see light of day
* HBO Putting Shows Online, at No Additional Charge
* Tennessee – Area’s future may be high in Fiber optics
* California – Copper probe nets 140 suspects
* Wal-Mart widens its green focus
* Thieves convert car part into fast cash
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Cabal • \kuh-BAHL\ • noun – *: the artifices and intrigues of a group of persons secretly united in a plot (as to overturn a government); also: a group engaged in such artifices and intrigues 2: club, group
The “Lord of the Rings” fanboys were aghast. It wasn’t until it was too late that they discovered an anti-Gandalf cabal of Saruman clones in center of their role playing community. “The White Wizard takes your game piece,” crowed the leader of the renegade group, as he reached forth his “Cheetos”-stained fingers to snatch the small, collector’s edition statue of the Gray Wizard off the game board.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Bill calls for study of nuclear power – A study bill before the Legislature would require a task force to consider the merits of adding new nuclear generation to the state's power mix to help to curb global warming. "…If the objective of an environmentalist is to have a lesser reliance on hydroelectric power, where does that leave you?..." (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/legislature/story/335939.html
Tri-City Herald Opinion – Sense and nonsense about nuclear power. Jerome Delvin is coming face to face with the Bizarro World of environmental extremism.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/opinions/v-rss/story/9589486p-9501111c.html
Southeast U.S. drought could force nuke-plant shutdowns “…shutdowns probably wouldn't result in blackouts. But they could lead to shockingly higher electric bills…” (Associated Press, via the Bellingham Herald)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/354/story/299620.html
North Dakota council forbidden to consider pollution in power-plant proposals – When deciding whether a new power plant is in the public interest, to what extent should the government consider the pollution it will produce? (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5Cigfossy%5BUie%7D38%7Dbfen%5Fv
Montana – NorthWestern Energy Announces Site Selection for Proposed Electric Generation Plant (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQTH03524012008-1.htm
High court rejects Enron investors – A suit sought to recover from major banks money lost in the energy giant's collapse (The Associated press, via the Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/120105511930190.xml&coll=7
Ephrata flags at half-mast for Claussen – Honoring former Grant County PUD commissioner (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/01/23/news/news01.txt
Longview woman presses PUD over new rate for the disabled (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/01/24/top_story/10073682.txt
UTILITY POLES WALK AWAY IN LEWIS COUNTY – Why would you want them? Lewis County authorities are left with a head-scratcher after someone made off with utility poles. Someone took up to 20 poles from a Lewis County facility in Ethel. Each is valued at $500. Authorities say it appears someone used a tractor to remove the poles. (KELA Radio, Centralia/Chehalis)
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Environmental groups weigh in against Okanogan PUD dam plan – Large dam would be built on the Similkameen River near the Canadian border. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/NEWS04/533742611/1001
PSE reaches deal to sell Lake Tapps – Nearby cities wanted lake, but power company had agreement with east King County group (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/262358.html
LEWIS COUNTY PUD INTRIGUED BY FLOOD CONTROL PROPOSAL – Levees break. Dikes can be overtopped. So why not control flooding by damming the upper basin of the Chehalis River? The Lewis County PUD says they are open to the possibility of what they call water retention projects. PUD leaders believe the project could be used to generate electricity, and possibly provide water to Pe Ell. (KELA Radio, Centralia/Chehalis)
Idaho – We still need a lot of snow to fill reservoirs this spring. Snowpack in many Idaho river basins have climbed to normal or higher, but the next two months will be critical. (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/272671.html
Culverts add obstacles to salmon, state, politics (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004142062_culverts24m.html
Puget Sound killer whales need clean water, fish to survive (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_orca_recovery.html
Eugene Register Guard – Allocation: Where’s Solomon now that the salmon need him?
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=52909&sid=40&fid=1
State censures Port Angeles water plan, but city says supply safe – The state Department of Health has "red-coded" the city's water system, saying it has not complied with a plan to meet possible emergencies. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080124/NEWS/801240306
California – Farmers find water more profitable than crops. Soaring prices prompt sales of irrigation supplies, not sowing of seeds (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8063924?source=rss&nclick_check=1
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Green energy tax credits taking heat – Oregon's pumped-up tax break for renewable energy businesses has created "a land rush" of companies seeking the benefit, surprising lawmakers who want to make sure the loss of tax money is worth the gains in clean energy. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1201148706278210.xml&coll=7
Michigan – Manure 'biodigester' turning out electricity (Muskegon Chronicle)
http://www.mlive.com/news/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1201191330168820.xml&coll=8
CONSERVATION
The Cost-Effectiveness of Compact Fluorescents in Commercial Buildings (Energy Pulse Commentary)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1655
Walla Walla – St. Mary awarded $400,765 for energy efficiency. An energy efficient system at St. Mary Medical Center has not only resulted in savings. It's yielded earnings. (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/01/24/local_news/local10.txt
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
39th: U.S. green ranking not to be envied – A new international ranking of environmental performance puts the United States at the bottom of the Group of 8 industrialized nations and 39th among the 149 countries on the list. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004139788_climate23.html
Growth, climate change debated – Washington cities, counties, Realtors, home builders, contractors and business groups Tuesday lined up against a bill that would put climate change in the state's Growth Management Act. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/01/01232008_Growth-climate-change-debated.cfm?newsletter=2
State's top industries warm to Gregoire's climate change legislation (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/01/01242008_States-top-industries-warm-to-Gregoires-climate-change-legislation.cfm?newsletter=2
Nickels urges government to cut greenhouse gas emissions – 'Stop ignoring or denying' global warming, mayor says (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/348455_warming24.html?source=rss
Seattle Times Editorial – Building a response to climate change. News accounts of the frightful consequences of climate change are finally being offset by political progress on global warming.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004133325_climed21.html
More Snow in Antarctica – There’s new evidence from an Antarctic ice core that the popular image of the melting poles doesn’t quite fit reality at the southern one. (NY Times)
http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/more-snow-in-antarctica/index.html?ex=1358917200&en=cd6a9a0e1ad1235f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Greenhouse Gas Makes Food Less Nutritious (Yahoo! News – It also makes you ten pounds heavier, six inches shorter, and a lousy dancer)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/greenhousegasmakesfoodlessnutritious;_ylc=X3oDMTI1NzZyc3Q3BFJfYWlkAwRSX2RtbgN5YWhvby5jb20EUl9maWQDYmRhMGMzMzU0NTFiYmY2YjY0Y2Q0MWRlYjBiYWRlNDYEUl9sdHADMQ--
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
World Wide Packets selling for $290M (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/01/21/daily14.html?ana=from_rss
Oops! Charter Accidentally Deletes 14,000 Users' E-mail – Tells customers they can't recover the lost data (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/01/24/financial/f112846S49.DTL&feed=rss.business
Minnesota – Solar Wi-Fi service won't see light of day. St. Louis Park wants to discard all of the powered-by-the-sun wireless Internet equipment that has been installed in the past year. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
http://www.startribune.com/local/west/14166576.html
HBO Putting Shows Online, at No Additional Charge (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/business/media/21hbo.html?_r=1&ex=1358658000&en=0345119a0e82c1c7&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Funny That HBO Is Putting Shows Online, Just As Parent Time Warner Starts Charging Extra For Bandwidth (Techdirt)
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080121/05154719.shtml
Massachusetts – Cable TV rates on the rise (Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2008/01/cable_tv_rates.html
Tennessee – Area’s future may be high in Fiber optics. When Johnson City Power Board commissioners decide just how heavily to invest (if at all) in fiber optic technology and infrastructure, the results of their decision will have a lasting economic and environmental impact. (Johnson City Press)
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=HOMEPAGE&ID=61207
GENERAL NEWS
California – Copper probe nets 140 suspects. San Jose and Santa Clara police have arrested more than 140 people after a yearlong undercover investigation into copper theft turned into a sting that nabbed everyone from alleged car thieves to a bombmaker who created explosives triggered by cell phone, authorities said Wednesday. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/24/BAO8UKEPF.DTL
Wal-Mart widens its green focus - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which launched a broad environmental push in late 2005, wants to expand that focus to other issues including energy prices, international trade and U.S. health care costs. (Tacoma News Tribune)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/263546.html
Thieves convert car part into fast cash – Most people don't think much about their cars' catalytic converters until these exhaust-system components are stolen. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/01/01242008_Thieves-convert-car-part-into-fast-cash.cfm?newsletter=2
DIVERSIONS
Haggis ban an offal burden? Scotland is considering lobbying the United States to lift a ban on haggis, hoping to boost sales of the sheep-stomach-based national dish. (Hank’s Haggis Hut is waiting!)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2241717520080122?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Lost Fla. Cat Turns Up In Suitcase In Texas – Stranger Finds Cat After Mistakenly Taking Wrong Bag
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15120337/detail.html
Ribbit! This green isn't part of salad. You just don't want to eat some greens. That's how a Brooklyn mom felt when she found a tiny frog comfortably nestled in the leaves of organic lettuce she was preparing to eat.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080124/ap_on_fe_st/odd_frog_in_lettuce;_ylt=Ajov4dRXuCbQm45ogHk71xjtiBIF
Italian aqueduct loses more water than it delivers
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080124/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_italy_water;_ylt=Arjil9ly41klroF6PJN0eDDtiBIF
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Energy News Digest for January 22, 2008
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)
- Cold may give way to snow later in week
- Power pole control sparks debate
- Hackers Have Attacked Foreign Utilities
- Maryland – Electric industry legislation proposed
- United Kingdom – Pressure mounts on ‘rip-off’ energy firms
- United Kingdom – Fury as fuel poverty soars close to a 10-year record
- New energy behind nuclear power
- Tribal land plan clouds Klamath dam deal
- San Francisco Chronicle Editorial – A deal on Klamath's dams
- Attempt to Turn Terns from Columbia River Mouth
- Voracious sea lions threaten sturgeon
- Columbian Editorial – Worth a try, it's time to take out some sea lions
- Fisheries service says Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas terminal would harm salmon
- Fishermen frustrated with latest halibut catch limits
- NY Times Editorial – Until All the Fish Are Gone
- Jefferson sets hearing on septic systems rules
- Effort to restore polluted Chesapeake Bay lagging
- WSU fights to keep water rights so it can water new golf course
- Cascades seen as energy source for future
- Sustainable Energy and Economic Development project (SEED) Up for Discussion
- Duke asks: What if renewable-energy suppliers fail?
- Groups See Dim Renewable Energy Future
- Dark side of a hot biofuel
- Europe, Cutting Biofuel Subsidies, Redirects Aid to Stress Greenest Options
- Renewable powers join forces
- Proposed wood burning ban draws fire
- BPA: Conservation saved enough to power small city
- Billings Gazette Opinion: Ramp up conservation strategies to save tax dollars
- The new energy law will change many of the appliances in the average American home
- Louisiana – Cut Mobile-Home Energy Bills
- A Big Drop In Emissions Is Possible With Today's Technology
- Ontario determined to end ban on clotheslines by summer
- Volcanoes Tied to Thinning of Antarctica’s Glaciers
- Multinationals Fight Climate Change
- Additive fights warming by cutting cows' methane output
- Qwest says long-distance service in Oregon disrupted again
- Reports: Yahoo! Inc. to lay off hundreds
- Comcast, FCC at odds over policy
- Vermont – Regional Internet hopes hang on North-Link
- IP Addresses Are Personal Data, European Union Regulator Says
- Assessor warns of largest property tax increase in state history
- State of Oregon had shelved plan warning of landslide danger
- Spotlight on initiative signature-gatherers sparks debate
- Tribal police bill stirs up dissent
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Antebellum • \ANT-i-bell-um\ • adjective – Existing before a war; especially: existing before the American Civil War. Etymology: Latin ante bellum before the war
Sitting on the front porch of the antebellum mansion in Mississippi, Beauregard thought dreamily of his old home in the far north of Saskatchewan. “Somewhere near Uranium City,” he mused, “a small child is being carried away by a hungry mosquito. Here, the bugs are so laid back that they just expect you to offer a meaty arm or well-turned ankle for their consideration.”
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington (NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Cold may give way to snow later in week – Bright days and frigid nights are forecast into the middle of the week, as the coldest temperatures of the season settle in. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/334727.html
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Power pole control sparks debate (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/01/19//area_news/10066334.txt
Hackers Have Attacked Foreign Utilities, CIA Analyst Says (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/18/AR2008011803277.html?wpisrc=rss_business
Maryland – Electric industry legislation proposed. Baltimore City and Baltimore County Democrats are leading the charge on a bill to re-regulate the electric industry in Maryland. (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/01/21/daily6.html?ana=from_rss
United Kingdom – Pressure mounts on ‘rip-off’energy firms. Britain’s biggest electricity producer has attacked the country’s energy market as anticompetitive, which has allowed the “big six” players to rip off consumers. (The London Times)
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article3216807.ece
United Kingdom – Fury as fuel poverty soars close to a 10-year record. One in six British households is living in fuel poverty, the highest for almost a decade, according to new figures that threaten the government's target to eradicate the problem in England by the end of the decade. (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/20/utilities.householdbills
New energy behind nuclear power – With many nations planning more plants as a way around coal, the learning curve spurs safety worries. (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-ft-nuclear21jan21,1,7321643.story?track=rss&ctrack=1&cset=true
Canada – Aging nuclear reactor needs back-up (Victoria Times Columnist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=e37be2b9-5227-4d5c-814e-1fb1407c7bc4&k=85266
Kansas – BPU rates lowest in Kansas thanks to coal energy (McPherson Sentinel)
http://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/articles/2008/01/19/news/news3.txt
New York – Is Huntley project on hold -- or simply delayed? The future of a clean-coal-fired plant in Tonawanda could be up in the air (Business First of Buffalo)
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/01/14/daily59.html?ana=from_rss
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Tribal land plan clouds dam deal – A proposal to restore Klamath reservation territory threatens an agreement for setting free the Klamath River (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1200716707296330.xml&coll=7
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial – A deal on Klamath's dams. For complexity, the years-long water war along the Klamath River rivals the Middle East. A list of contending parties, long-held grievances and state borders have strained hopes of settlement. Until now.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/21/EDQTUHPP9.DTL&feed=rss.opinion
Attempt to Turn Terns from Columbia River Mouth (KUOW Radio, Seattle)
http://kuow.org/DefaultProgram.asp?ID=14173
Voracious sea lions threaten sturgeon – A prized population of Columbia River sturgeon is the latest victim in a familiar Pacific Northwest plot: Hungry sea lions exploit an artificial fish barrier, eat their fill of fish and defy wildlife officers to scare them away. (Scripps News Service, via the News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/29916
Columbian Editorial – Worth a try, it's time to take out some sea lions
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2008/01/01192008_Worth-a-try-its-time-to-take-out-some-sea-lions.cfm/
Fisheries service says Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas terminal would harm salmon (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1172527~Fisheries_service_says_LNG_terminal_would_harm_salmon.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Fishermen frustrated with latest halibut catch limits – Commercial fishermen in southeast Alaska will see the number of halibut they are allowed to catch drop for the second year in a row. (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP01212008news265689.cfm
NY Times Editorial – Until All the Fish Are Gone. Scientists have been warning for years that overfishing is degrading the health of the oceans and destroying the fish species on which much of humanity depends for jobs and food.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/opinion/21mon1.html?_r=1&ex=1358658000&en=260c415a88d08bdd&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Jefferson sets hearing on septic systems rules – After a tense, stormy session last week on controversial on-site septic system regulations, Jefferson County Public Health officials are regrouping. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080121/NEWS/801210303
Effort to restore polluted Chesapeake Bay lagging – Population in the area has more than doubled since 1950, making cleanup job tougher than conservationists imagined (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8043177?source=rss
WSU fights to keep water rights so it can water new golf course )Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP01202008news265648.cfm
California – Carmel Valley-area dam needs repairs or rerouting. The fate of San Clemente Dam in the upper Carmel River should be decided by late June. (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8032918?source=rss&nclick_check=1
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Cascades seen as energy source for future (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/333198.html
New waste-to-energy firm claims nearly $1B in financing (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/01/14/daily32.html?ana=from_rss
Sustainable Energy and Economic Development project (SEED) Up for Discussion at Tuesday Port Meeting – The Port of Bremerton's newest commissioner has been asking questions about the Kitsap SEED project and so far is not satisfied with the answers he's getting. (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jan/20/seed-up-for-discussion-at-tuesday-port-meeting/
Duke asks: What if renewable-energy suppliers fail? Utility's proposed solution would boost customers' costs 1.5% to 2.5% (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2008/01/21/story11.html?ana=from_rss
Groups See Dim Renewable Energy Future – Renewable Energy Groups Say 2007 Gains Could Be Lost without Tax Credit Extension (Associated Press, via Yahoo! Finance – with increasing renewable mandates, are incentives necessary?)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080122/renewable_energy_forecast.html?.v=1
Dark side of a hot biofuel – In Indonesia, oil palms feed world thirst for clean fuel, but forests, climate and species pay a steep price (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/647848.html
Europe, Cutting Biofuel Subsidies, Redirects Aid to Stress Greenest Options (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/business/worldbusiness/22biofuels.html?_r=1&ex=1358744400&en=3eeba2122b9f0258&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Renewable powers join forces – A Washington wind-solar plant is testing whether two fickle sources can create one reliable supply (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1200704124274540.xml&coll=7
Proposed wood burning ban draws fire – A proposed ban on burning wood in the Bay Area's 1 million fireplaces and stoves on bad-air days… (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/20/MNGQUGD16.DTL
It's electric: Israel plans green car network (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080121/NEWS02/123784610/-1/RSS01
CONSERVATION
BPA: Conservation saved enough to power small city (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/01/20/news/mtregional/news09.txt
Billings Gazette Opinion: Ramp up conservation strategies to save tax dollars
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/01/20/opinion/gazette/20-gazetteopinion.txt
Power Switch – From light bulbs to clothes washers, the energy law passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in December will change many of the appliances in the average American home. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/19/AR2008011900064.html?wpisrc=rss_technology
Louisiana – Cut Mobile-Home Energy Bills (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
http://www.nola.com/living/t-p/index.ssf?/base/living-2/1200723701187870.xml&coll=1
TVA kits to aid in energy conservation – The Tennessee Valley Authority is giving away 30,000 kits of energy-saving equipment to encourage consumers to complete electricity conservation audits. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/jan/20/tva-kits-aid-energy-conservation/?local
A Big Drop In Emissions Is Possible With Today's Technology (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/20/AR2008012001171.html?wpisrc=rss_business
Ontario determined to end ban on clotheslines by summer: energy minister (The Canadian Press)
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iEguF2wzAbRejRoJ6Yh8iN9tOQ8A
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Volcanoes Tied to Thinning of Antarctica’s Glaciers – Here is another factor that might be contributing to the thinning of some of the Antarctica’s glaciers: volcanoes. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/science/21cnd-volcano.html?_r=1&ex=1358571600&en=467ecfcc3afa1e14&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Multinationals Fight Climate Change – Eleven companies are teaming up to see how they can work with thousands of their suppliers to curb greenhouse gas emissions, an environmental consultancy said on Sunday. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/business/21green.html?ex=1358658000&en=41610fd4c76635a7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Industrial Strength “Beano” – Additive fights warming by cutting cows' methane output (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8043173?source=rss&nclick_check=1
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Qwest says long-distance service in Oregon disrupted again – Stupid copper thieves suspected (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/332768.html
Reports: Yahoo! Inc. to lay off hundreds (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080122/ap_on_hi_te/yahoo_layoffs_10
Comcast, FCC at odds over policy – Cable giant: New rules stifle growth, help rivals (The Times of Trenton, New Jersey)
http://www.nj.com/business/times/index.ssf?/base/business-3/1200805833110250.xml&coll=5
Vermont – Regional Internet hopes hang on North-Link – After years of frustration, broadband-challenged residents of rural northern Vermont have cause for hope: Within a year, the region will be looped by North-Link, a high-capacity raceway of fiber optic cable. (Burlington Free Press)
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080121/NEWS02/801210318/1007
Goldman Sachs to finance City of Chattanooga’s residential telecom service (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/breaking.aspx?articleid=28590&zoneid=41
Northern Michigan – Making connections: Some eye regional cooperative to expand broadband availability (Petosky News Review)
http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2008/01/18/news/doc4790a73a25fd7601880962.txt
IP Addresses Are Personal Data, European Union Regulator Says – strings of numbers that identify computers on the Internet, should generally be regarded as personal information (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/21/AR2008012101340.html?wpisrc=rss_business
A Less Stylish Approach to RFID (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/a-less-stylish-approach-to-rfid/index.html?ex=1358485200&en=58b39eefac839cf0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GENERAL NEWS
Assessor warns of largest property tax increase in state history (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/348208_taxes22.html?source=rss
State of Oregon had shelved plan warning of landslide danger – geologists predicted the landslide that crushed homes and severed U.S. 30 west of Clatskanie, but the state shelved the information to avoid clashes with land developers, those who worked on the maps and others say. (Associated Press, via the Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/01/22//area_news/doc47961c8eb83f4538506087.txt
Spotlight on initiative signature-gatherers sparks debate (The Olympian – I always ask ‘em how much they’re getting paid per signature…boy does that make ‘em mad! Hoo Boy!)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/332249.html
Tribal police bill stirs up dissent – A proposed law that would give tribal police officers full arrest authority over non-Indians has split Washington’s law enforcement community. (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/259063.html
Timber Thieves Strike at Heart of Lands Held Dear (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/us/20timber.html?ex=1358571600&en=73b79b61904fba43&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
DIVERSIONS
More snakes on a plane
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1832217420080118?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Web plagiarism a serious problem: UK teachers
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1842305120080118?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
House candidate mum on doctored campaign photo – His aide says there wasn't time for photo session
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5465451.html
Cupcake crackdown: Eastmont considers party food ban – Mom's chocolate cupcakes could be too risky for classrooms in the Eastmont School District, which may ban homemade food items from class parties.
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080121/NEWS04/730388339/1002
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Cold may give way to snow later in week
- Power pole control sparks debate
- Hackers Have Attacked Foreign Utilities
- Maryland – Electric industry legislation proposed
- United Kingdom – Pressure mounts on ‘rip-off’ energy firms
- United Kingdom – Fury as fuel poverty soars close to a 10-year record
- New energy behind nuclear power
- Tribal land plan clouds Klamath dam deal
- San Francisco Chronicle Editorial – A deal on Klamath's dams
- Attempt to Turn Terns from Columbia River Mouth
- Voracious sea lions threaten sturgeon
- Columbian Editorial – Worth a try, it's time to take out some sea lions
- Fisheries service says Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas terminal would harm salmon
- Fishermen frustrated with latest halibut catch limits
- NY Times Editorial – Until All the Fish Are Gone
- Jefferson sets hearing on septic systems rules
- Effort to restore polluted Chesapeake Bay lagging
- WSU fights to keep water rights so it can water new golf course
- Cascades seen as energy source for future
- Sustainable Energy and Economic Development project (SEED) Up for Discussion
- Duke asks: What if renewable-energy suppliers fail?
- Groups See Dim Renewable Energy Future
- Dark side of a hot biofuel
- Europe, Cutting Biofuel Subsidies, Redirects Aid to Stress Greenest Options
- Renewable powers join forces
- Proposed wood burning ban draws fire
- BPA: Conservation saved enough to power small city
- Billings Gazette Opinion: Ramp up conservation strategies to save tax dollars
- The new energy law will change many of the appliances in the average American home
- Louisiana – Cut Mobile-Home Energy Bills
- A Big Drop In Emissions Is Possible With Today's Technology
- Ontario determined to end ban on clotheslines by summer
- Volcanoes Tied to Thinning of Antarctica’s Glaciers
- Multinationals Fight Climate Change
- Additive fights warming by cutting cows' methane output
- Qwest says long-distance service in Oregon disrupted again
- Reports: Yahoo! Inc. to lay off hundreds
- Comcast, FCC at odds over policy
- Vermont – Regional Internet hopes hang on North-Link
- IP Addresses Are Personal Data, European Union Regulator Says
- Assessor warns of largest property tax increase in state history
- State of Oregon had shelved plan warning of landslide danger
- Spotlight on initiative signature-gatherers sparks debate
- Tribal police bill stirs up dissent
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Antebellum • \ANT-i-bell-um\ • adjective – Existing before a war; especially: existing before the American Civil War. Etymology: Latin ante bellum before the war
Sitting on the front porch of the antebellum mansion in Mississippi, Beauregard thought dreamily of his old home in the far north of Saskatchewan. “Somewhere near Uranium City,” he mused, “a small child is being carried away by a hungry mosquito. Here, the bugs are so laid back that they just expect you to offer a meaty arm or well-turned ankle for their consideration.”
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington (NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Cold may give way to snow later in week – Bright days and frigid nights are forecast into the middle of the week, as the coldest temperatures of the season settle in. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/334727.html
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Power pole control sparks debate (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/01/19//area_news/10066334.txt
Hackers Have Attacked Foreign Utilities, CIA Analyst Says (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/18/AR2008011803277.html?wpisrc=rss_business
Maryland – Electric industry legislation proposed. Baltimore City and Baltimore County Democrats are leading the charge on a bill to re-regulate the electric industry in Maryland. (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/01/21/daily6.html?ana=from_rss
United Kingdom – Pressure mounts on ‘rip-off’energy firms. Britain’s biggest electricity producer has attacked the country’s energy market as anticompetitive, which has allowed the “big six” players to rip off consumers. (The London Times)
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article3216807.ece
United Kingdom – Fury as fuel poverty soars close to a 10-year record. One in six British households is living in fuel poverty, the highest for almost a decade, according to new figures that threaten the government's target to eradicate the problem in England by the end of the decade. (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/20/utilities.householdbills
New energy behind nuclear power – With many nations planning more plants as a way around coal, the learning curve spurs safety worries. (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-ft-nuclear21jan21,1,7321643.story?track=rss&ctrack=1&cset=true
Canada – Aging nuclear reactor needs back-up (Victoria Times Columnist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=e37be2b9-5227-4d5c-814e-1fb1407c7bc4&k=85266
Kansas – BPU rates lowest in Kansas thanks to coal energy (McPherson Sentinel)
http://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/articles/2008/01/19/news/news3.txt
New York – Is Huntley project on hold -- or simply delayed? The future of a clean-coal-fired plant in Tonawanda could be up in the air (Business First of Buffalo)
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/01/14/daily59.html?ana=from_rss
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Tribal land plan clouds dam deal – A proposal to restore Klamath reservation territory threatens an agreement for setting free the Klamath River (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1200716707296330.xml&coll=7
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial – A deal on Klamath's dams. For complexity, the years-long water war along the Klamath River rivals the Middle East. A list of contending parties, long-held grievances and state borders have strained hopes of settlement. Until now.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/21/EDQTUHPP9.DTL&feed=rss.opinion
Attempt to Turn Terns from Columbia River Mouth (KUOW Radio, Seattle)
http://kuow.org/DefaultProgram.asp?ID=14173
Voracious sea lions threaten sturgeon – A prized population of Columbia River sturgeon is the latest victim in a familiar Pacific Northwest plot: Hungry sea lions exploit an artificial fish barrier, eat their fill of fish and defy wildlife officers to scare them away. (Scripps News Service, via the News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/29916
Columbian Editorial – Worth a try, it's time to take out some sea lions
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2008/01/01192008_Worth-a-try-its-time-to-take-out-some-sea-lions.cfm/
Fisheries service says Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas terminal would harm salmon (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1172527~Fisheries_service_says_LNG_terminal_would_harm_salmon.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Fishermen frustrated with latest halibut catch limits – Commercial fishermen in southeast Alaska will see the number of halibut they are allowed to catch drop for the second year in a row. (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP01212008news265689.cfm
NY Times Editorial – Until All the Fish Are Gone. Scientists have been warning for years that overfishing is degrading the health of the oceans and destroying the fish species on which much of humanity depends for jobs and food.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/opinion/21mon1.html?_r=1&ex=1358658000&en=260c415a88d08bdd&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Jefferson sets hearing on septic systems rules – After a tense, stormy session last week on controversial on-site septic system regulations, Jefferson County Public Health officials are regrouping. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080121/NEWS/801210303
Effort to restore polluted Chesapeake Bay lagging – Population in the area has more than doubled since 1950, making cleanup job tougher than conservationists imagined (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8043177?source=rss
WSU fights to keep water rights so it can water new golf course )Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP01202008news265648.cfm
California – Carmel Valley-area dam needs repairs or rerouting. The fate of San Clemente Dam in the upper Carmel River should be decided by late June. (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8032918?source=rss&nclick_check=1
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Cascades seen as energy source for future (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/333198.html
New waste-to-energy firm claims nearly $1B in financing (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/01/14/daily32.html?ana=from_rss
Sustainable Energy and Economic Development project (SEED) Up for Discussion at Tuesday Port Meeting – The Port of Bremerton's newest commissioner has been asking questions about the Kitsap SEED project and so far is not satisfied with the answers he's getting. (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jan/20/seed-up-for-discussion-at-tuesday-port-meeting/
Duke asks: What if renewable-energy suppliers fail? Utility's proposed solution would boost customers' costs 1.5% to 2.5% (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2008/01/21/story11.html?ana=from_rss
Groups See Dim Renewable Energy Future – Renewable Energy Groups Say 2007 Gains Could Be Lost without Tax Credit Extension (Associated Press, via Yahoo! Finance – with increasing renewable mandates, are incentives necessary?)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080122/renewable_energy_forecast.html?.v=1
Dark side of a hot biofuel – In Indonesia, oil palms feed world thirst for clean fuel, but forests, climate and species pay a steep price (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/647848.html
Europe, Cutting Biofuel Subsidies, Redirects Aid to Stress Greenest Options (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/business/worldbusiness/22biofuels.html?_r=1&ex=1358744400&en=3eeba2122b9f0258&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Renewable powers join forces – A Washington wind-solar plant is testing whether two fickle sources can create one reliable supply (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1200704124274540.xml&coll=7
Proposed wood burning ban draws fire – A proposed ban on burning wood in the Bay Area's 1 million fireplaces and stoves on bad-air days… (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/20/MNGQUGD16.DTL
It's electric: Israel plans green car network (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080121/NEWS02/123784610/-1/RSS01
CONSERVATION
BPA: Conservation saved enough to power small city (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/01/20/news/mtregional/news09.txt
Billings Gazette Opinion: Ramp up conservation strategies to save tax dollars
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/01/20/opinion/gazette/20-gazetteopinion.txt
Power Switch – From light bulbs to clothes washers, the energy law passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in December will change many of the appliances in the average American home. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/19/AR2008011900064.html?wpisrc=rss_technology
Louisiana – Cut Mobile-Home Energy Bills (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
http://www.nola.com/living/t-p/index.ssf?/base/living-2/1200723701187870.xml&coll=1
TVA kits to aid in energy conservation – The Tennessee Valley Authority is giving away 30,000 kits of energy-saving equipment to encourage consumers to complete electricity conservation audits. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/jan/20/tva-kits-aid-energy-conservation/?local
A Big Drop In Emissions Is Possible With Today's Technology (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/20/AR2008012001171.html?wpisrc=rss_business
Ontario determined to end ban on clotheslines by summer: energy minister (The Canadian Press)
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iEguF2wzAbRejRoJ6Yh8iN9tOQ8A
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Volcanoes Tied to Thinning of Antarctica’s Glaciers – Here is another factor that might be contributing to the thinning of some of the Antarctica’s glaciers: volcanoes. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/science/21cnd-volcano.html?_r=1&ex=1358571600&en=467ecfcc3afa1e14&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Multinationals Fight Climate Change – Eleven companies are teaming up to see how they can work with thousands of their suppliers to curb greenhouse gas emissions, an environmental consultancy said on Sunday. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/business/21green.html?ex=1358658000&en=41610fd4c76635a7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Industrial Strength “Beano” – Additive fights warming by cutting cows' methane output (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8043173?source=rss&nclick_check=1
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Qwest says long-distance service in Oregon disrupted again – Stupid copper thieves suspected (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/332768.html
Reports: Yahoo! Inc. to lay off hundreds (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080122/ap_on_hi_te/yahoo_layoffs_10
Comcast, FCC at odds over policy – Cable giant: New rules stifle growth, help rivals (The Times of Trenton, New Jersey)
http://www.nj.com/business/times/index.ssf?/base/business-3/1200805833110250.xml&coll=5
Vermont – Regional Internet hopes hang on North-Link – After years of frustration, broadband-challenged residents of rural northern Vermont have cause for hope: Within a year, the region will be looped by North-Link, a high-capacity raceway of fiber optic cable. (Burlington Free Press)
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080121/NEWS02/801210318/1007
Goldman Sachs to finance City of Chattanooga’s residential telecom service (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/breaking.aspx?articleid=28590&zoneid=41
Northern Michigan – Making connections: Some eye regional cooperative to expand broadband availability (Petosky News Review)
http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2008/01/18/news/doc4790a73a25fd7601880962.txt
IP Addresses Are Personal Data, European Union Regulator Says – strings of numbers that identify computers on the Internet, should generally be regarded as personal information (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/21/AR2008012101340.html?wpisrc=rss_business
A Less Stylish Approach to RFID (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/a-less-stylish-approach-to-rfid/index.html?ex=1358485200&en=58b39eefac839cf0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GENERAL NEWS
Assessor warns of largest property tax increase in state history (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/348208_taxes22.html?source=rss
State of Oregon had shelved plan warning of landslide danger – geologists predicted the landslide that crushed homes and severed U.S. 30 west of Clatskanie, but the state shelved the information to avoid clashes with land developers, those who worked on the maps and others say. (Associated Press, via the Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/01/22//area_news/doc47961c8eb83f4538506087.txt
Spotlight on initiative signature-gatherers sparks debate (The Olympian – I always ask ‘em how much they’re getting paid per signature…boy does that make ‘em mad! Hoo Boy!)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/332249.html
Tribal police bill stirs up dissent – A proposed law that would give tribal police officers full arrest authority over non-Indians has split Washington’s law enforcement community. (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/259063.html
Timber Thieves Strike at Heart of Lands Held Dear (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/us/20timber.html?ex=1358571600&en=73b79b61904fba43&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
DIVERSIONS
More snakes on a plane
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1832217420080118?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Web plagiarism a serious problem: UK teachers
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1842305120080118?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
House candidate mum on doctored campaign photo – His aide says there wasn't time for photo session
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5465451.html
Cupcake crackdown: Eastmont considers party food ban – Mom's chocolate cupcakes could be too risky for classrooms in the Eastmont School District, which may ban homemade food items from class parties.
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080121/NEWS04/730388339/1002
Friday, January 18, 2008
Energy News Digest for January 18, 2008
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)
* Columbia River runoff looks sufficient for power supply in 2008
* Montana official: PPL applied 'unethical' pressure to energy co.
* Maryland – Utility rethinks bulbs surcharge
* Cincinnati Enquirer Editorial – Keep lights on electricity deals
* Public comment on rate hike to be taken at Ferry County PUD meeting
* Alaska – Oil revenue reawakens old dream of hydroelectric dam
* Coal is no longer on front burner
* Coal Industry Plugs Into the Campaign
* United Kingdom – Power giants under fire
* Sea lions' death warrant?
* Treaty Tribes praise federal sea lion recommendation
* State seeks public input on a salmon-fishing plan for Willapa Bay
* DeBolt Pushes Amendment to Ease River Debris Removal
* Montana – Dam demo: Work to dismantle Milltown hydropower site gets under way
* Columbia River water proposal can be reviewed
* Jefferson County septic hearing turns hostile
* Energy bill may slow down plans for wind farms
* Golly, biomass on the hot seat! Fixing Tacoma’s air pollution from older wood stoves
* Safeway trucks to use biodiesel fuel
* Lawsuit Over Energy Standards
* Seeking an Energy-Efficient TV?
* UW forecasts 6-inch rise in sea-level by 2050
* Canada – Alberta premier says oilsands cleaning up its carbon record
* California task force urges broadband bonds
* YouTube’s Traffic Continues to Snowball
* Online video reaches new record
* Video Killed the Broadband Buffet
* Time Warner to test Internet billing based on usage
* Google feeling lucky in D.C.
* AT&T fined more than $300,000 for overcharging on prison calls
* Former Yakama Tribal curator, daughter indicted in artifact thefts
* Thurston County says turnover no trend
* A race to stop nuclear dump
* Oops! White House Study Found 473 Days of E-Mail Gone
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Crepuscular • \kruh-PUS-kyoo-ler\ • adjective – 1: of, relating to, or resembling twilight: dim 2: occurring or active during twilight
“In the dim, crepuscular light, your features soften, almost to a beautiful form,” Ambrose whispered to his date. His efforts to beautify her hideous visage failed miserably, as with one stroke of her magic wand, he was turned into a toad. “That will teach you to use such language,” she shouted, her long, green nose quivering with anger.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Columbia River runoff looks sufficient for power supply in 2008 (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1164872~Columbia_River_runoff_looks_sufficient_for_power_supply_in_2008.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Montana official: PPL applied 'unethical' pressure to energy co. (Great Falls Tribune, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1163921~Montana_official__PPL_applied__unethical__pressure_to_energy_co_.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Maryland – Utility rethinks bulbs surcharge: Outrage prompts Allegheny Power to pledge refunds (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5Ciffmust%5BTli%7D38%7Dbfen%5Fv
Cincinnati Enquirer Editorial – Keep lights on electricity deals. The controversy over whether Duke Energy made improper deals with some of its largest customers to win their support for a rate hike might have been avoided if the company was as open about how much electricity costs those customers as it is about how much the rest of us pay to keep the lights on.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080118/EDIT01/801180351
Public comment on rate hike to be taken at Ferry County PUD meeting Jan. 21 (Omak Chronicle)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n080117b.shtml
Alaska – Oil revenue reawakens old dream of hydroelectric dam on Susitna (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/news/environment/story/286401.html
Coal is no longer on front burner – The rush to build power plants slows as worries grow over global warming, building costs and transportation. (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/la-na-coal18jan18,1,2092714.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Coal Industry Plugs Into the Campaign – A group backed by the coal industry and its utility allies is waging a $35 million campaign in primary and caucus states to rally public support for coal-fired electricity and to fuel opposition to legislation that Congress is crafting to slow climate change. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR2008011702837.html?wpisrc=rss_politics
United Kingdom – Power giants under fire: Energy firms face a consumer revolt and a £9bn tax bill. For Britain's energy suppliers, this could yet prove to be their winter of discontent. (The Independent)
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article3348009.ece
Minnesota – Electrical service dispute goes to trial – A trial date in the dispute between the city of Two Harbors and Cooperative Light & Power has been set for Jan. 30, according to city administrator Lee Klein. (Lake County News Chronicle)
http://www.twoharborsmn.com/articles/index.cfm?id=16371&freebie_check&CFID=84077924&CFTOKEN=97860686&jsessionid=8830d290c3cc1155560f
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Sea lions' death warrant? The feds want to shoot about 30 of the salmon gobblers each year near Bonneville Dam (Ther Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1200632102166420.xml&coll=7
Treaty Tribes praise federal sea lion recommendation (KTVZ-TV, Bend)
http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=7741081
State seeks public input on a salmon-fishing plan for Willapa Bay (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/01/17/local_news/07news.txt
DeBolt Pushes Amendment to Ease River Debris Removal – A bill amendment set to be introduced would make it easier for landowners to clear debris from streams. (Daily Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1200596966&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
Montana – Dam demo: Work to dismantle Milltown hydropower site gets under way (The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/01/18/news/top/news01.txt
Loomis and CCA will help preservation (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/331187.html
Columbia River water proposal can be reviewed – A proposed agreement that would allow farmers to voluntarily conserve water in exchange for new rights to Columbia River water is available for public review. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/v-rss/story/9578775p-9490532c.html
Jefferson County septic hearing turns hostile, then it's postponed after crowd fills room (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080118/NEWS/801180304
University of Washington weighs in – Researchers Challenge Water-Flow Model (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/science/18rivers.html?ex=1358398800&en=57212b8c96fd02c5&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Energy bill may slow down plans for wind farms – Congress' failure to include a renewable energy tax credit in the much-touted energy bill passed late last year could chill wind-farm development in the Columbia River Gorge and elsewhere (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1200542122227610.xml&coll=7
Golly, biomass on the hot seat! Fixing Tacoma’s air pollution from older wood stoves – $1.5 million needed to replace older wood stoves, says cleanup agency (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/258256.html
Safeway trucks to use biodiesel fuel – Decision is part of the company's plans to recycle and use sustainable sources of fuel and energy (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8007943?source=rss
CONSERVATION
Lawsuit Over Energy Standards (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/nyregion/18mbrfs-energy.html?ex=1358398800&en=dc88a7ac5fffd4a2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Seeking an Energy-Efficient TV? Yes, It's Confusing (U.S. News & World Report)
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/beyond-the-barrel/2008/1/17/seeking-an-energy-efficient-tv-yes-its-confusing.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
UW forecasts 6-inch rise in sea-level by 2050 (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/330596.html
Climate Change Tests L.A.'s Conservation Success (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18195314
Canada – Alberta premier says oilsands cleaning up its carbon record (Canwest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=3796d4c0-9334-4ec7-8b94-3b7117f6a498&k=76176
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
California task force urges broadband bonds (Reuters, via CNET News)
http://www.news.com/California-task-force-urges-broadband-bonds/2100-1034_3-6226709.html?tag=fd_nbs_ent&tag=nl.e703
YouTube’s Traffic Continues to Snowball (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/youtubes-traffic-continues-to-snowball/index.html?ex=1358398800&en=697bbdba7ec4b25d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Online video reaches new record – More than 75 percent of U.S. Internet users watch at least some online videos, with the average user watching 195 minutes worth of it in November. (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/01/14/daily32.html?ana=from_rss
Video Killed the Broadband Buffet (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/01/17/video-killed-the-broadband-buffet/
Time Warner to test Internet billing based on usage (Reuters, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080117/media_nm/timewarner_internet_dc
Google feeling lucky in D.C. – After a slow start, the company is beginning to exert some lobbying influence in the nation's capital. (KCPQ-TV, Seattle)
http://q13.trb.com/news/la-fi-google17jan17,0,1803633.story?coll=kcpq-news-3
Tennessee Cable Group Maintains Opposition to Utility Plan (Broadcast Newsroom, via Baller/Herbst)
http://dtv.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=279378
Tenn. Governor Weighs in on Cable Fight – Tenn. Gov. Bredesen May Weigh in on Fight Over Cable Permitting (Associated Press, via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080118/tn_xgr_competitive_cable.html?.v=1
Indiana Pumps Up Broadband Economy With $16 Million From FCC (Midwest Business News)
http://www.midwestbusiness.com/news/viewnews.asp?newsletterID=18682
GENERAL NEWS
AT&T fined more than $300,000 for overcharging on prison calls (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/13870477.html
Former Yakama Tribal curator, daughter indicted in artifact thefts (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1164954~Former_Yakama_curator__daughter_indicted_in_artifact_thefts.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Thurston County says turnover no trend – Four top Thurston County managers left for new jobs in the past six months, but county leaders say it's a high turnover cycle that happens every so often and not an indication of any crisis or trend. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/331247.html
A race to stop nuclear dump (Joel Connelly, Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/347858_joel18.html?source=rss
Oops! White House Study Found 473 Days of E-Mail Gone (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR2008011703575.html?wpisrc=rss_technology
Chess Champion Fischer Dies At 64 (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15082016/detail.html
DIVERSIONS
Court Overturns Employee's Spanking Award – Woman Had Been Awarded $1.5 Million
http://www.kirotv.com/money/15074518/detail.html
Burglar finds corpse and calls police
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1763378820080117?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Au contraire! Clowns say kids do NOT find them scary
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080118/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_clowns;_ylt=AtJXwiU4xj0CiUexoMnEXn7tiBIF
You're a Packers fan, son ... got it? Upset that his 7-year-old son wouldn't wear a Green Bay Packers jersey during the team's playoff victory Saturday, a man restrained the boy for an hour with tape and taped the jersey onto him.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080117/ap_on_fe_st/odd_disorderly_fan;_ylt=Ai2roCRZvamEp7_OTWcFDZftiBIF
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
* Columbia River runoff looks sufficient for power supply in 2008
* Montana official: PPL applied 'unethical' pressure to energy co.
* Maryland – Utility rethinks bulbs surcharge
* Cincinnati Enquirer Editorial – Keep lights on electricity deals
* Public comment on rate hike to be taken at Ferry County PUD meeting
* Alaska – Oil revenue reawakens old dream of hydroelectric dam
* Coal is no longer on front burner
* Coal Industry Plugs Into the Campaign
* United Kingdom – Power giants under fire
* Sea lions' death warrant?
* Treaty Tribes praise federal sea lion recommendation
* State seeks public input on a salmon-fishing plan for Willapa Bay
* DeBolt Pushes Amendment to Ease River Debris Removal
* Montana – Dam demo: Work to dismantle Milltown hydropower site gets under way
* Columbia River water proposal can be reviewed
* Jefferson County septic hearing turns hostile
* Energy bill may slow down plans for wind farms
* Golly, biomass on the hot seat! Fixing Tacoma’s air pollution from older wood stoves
* Safeway trucks to use biodiesel fuel
* Lawsuit Over Energy Standards
* Seeking an Energy-Efficient TV?
* UW forecasts 6-inch rise in sea-level by 2050
* Canada – Alberta premier says oilsands cleaning up its carbon record
* California task force urges broadband bonds
* YouTube’s Traffic Continues to Snowball
* Online video reaches new record
* Video Killed the Broadband Buffet
* Time Warner to test Internet billing based on usage
* Google feeling lucky in D.C.
* AT&T fined more than $300,000 for overcharging on prison calls
* Former Yakama Tribal curator, daughter indicted in artifact thefts
* Thurston County says turnover no trend
* A race to stop nuclear dump
* Oops! White House Study Found 473 Days of E-Mail Gone
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Crepuscular • \kruh-PUS-kyoo-ler\ • adjective – 1: of, relating to, or resembling twilight: dim 2: occurring or active during twilight
“In the dim, crepuscular light, your features soften, almost to a beautiful form,” Ambrose whispered to his date. His efforts to beautify her hideous visage failed miserably, as with one stroke of her magic wand, he was turned into a toad. “That will teach you to use such language,” she shouted, her long, green nose quivering with anger.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Columbia River runoff looks sufficient for power supply in 2008 (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1164872~Columbia_River_runoff_looks_sufficient_for_power_supply_in_2008.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Montana official: PPL applied 'unethical' pressure to energy co. (Great Falls Tribune, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1163921~Montana_official__PPL_applied__unethical__pressure_to_energy_co_.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Maryland – Utility rethinks bulbs surcharge: Outrage prompts Allegheny Power to pledge refunds (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5Ciffmust%5BTli%7D38%7Dbfen%5Fv
Cincinnati Enquirer Editorial – Keep lights on electricity deals. The controversy over whether Duke Energy made improper deals with some of its largest customers to win their support for a rate hike might have been avoided if the company was as open about how much electricity costs those customers as it is about how much the rest of us pay to keep the lights on.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080118/EDIT01/801180351
Public comment on rate hike to be taken at Ferry County PUD meeting Jan. 21 (Omak Chronicle)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n080117b.shtml
Alaska – Oil revenue reawakens old dream of hydroelectric dam on Susitna (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/news/environment/story/286401.html
Coal is no longer on front burner – The rush to build power plants slows as worries grow over global warming, building costs and transportation. (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/la-na-coal18jan18,1,2092714.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Coal Industry Plugs Into the Campaign – A group backed by the coal industry and its utility allies is waging a $35 million campaign in primary and caucus states to rally public support for coal-fired electricity and to fuel opposition to legislation that Congress is crafting to slow climate change. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR2008011702837.html?wpisrc=rss_politics
United Kingdom – Power giants under fire: Energy firms face a consumer revolt and a £9bn tax bill. For Britain's energy suppliers, this could yet prove to be their winter of discontent. (The Independent)
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article3348009.ece
Minnesota – Electrical service dispute goes to trial – A trial date in the dispute between the city of Two Harbors and Cooperative Light & Power has been set for Jan. 30, according to city administrator Lee Klein. (Lake County News Chronicle)
http://www.twoharborsmn.com/articles/index.cfm?id=16371&freebie_check&CFID=84077924&CFTOKEN=97860686&jsessionid=8830d290c3cc1155560f
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Sea lions' death warrant? The feds want to shoot about 30 of the salmon gobblers each year near Bonneville Dam (Ther Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1200632102166420.xml&coll=7
Treaty Tribes praise federal sea lion recommendation (KTVZ-TV, Bend)
http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=7741081
State seeks public input on a salmon-fishing plan for Willapa Bay (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/01/17/local_news/07news.txt
DeBolt Pushes Amendment to Ease River Debris Removal – A bill amendment set to be introduced would make it easier for landowners to clear debris from streams. (Daily Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1200596966&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
Montana – Dam demo: Work to dismantle Milltown hydropower site gets under way (The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/01/18/news/top/news01.txt
Loomis and CCA will help preservation (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/331187.html
Columbia River water proposal can be reviewed – A proposed agreement that would allow farmers to voluntarily conserve water in exchange for new rights to Columbia River water is available for public review. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/v-rss/story/9578775p-9490532c.html
Jefferson County septic hearing turns hostile, then it's postponed after crowd fills room (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080118/NEWS/801180304
University of Washington weighs in – Researchers Challenge Water-Flow Model (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/science/18rivers.html?ex=1358398800&en=57212b8c96fd02c5&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Energy bill may slow down plans for wind farms – Congress' failure to include a renewable energy tax credit in the much-touted energy bill passed late last year could chill wind-farm development in the Columbia River Gorge and elsewhere (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1200542122227610.xml&coll=7
Golly, biomass on the hot seat! Fixing Tacoma’s air pollution from older wood stoves – $1.5 million needed to replace older wood stoves, says cleanup agency (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/258256.html
Safeway trucks to use biodiesel fuel – Decision is part of the company's plans to recycle and use sustainable sources of fuel and energy (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8007943?source=rss
CONSERVATION
Lawsuit Over Energy Standards (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/nyregion/18mbrfs-energy.html?ex=1358398800&en=dc88a7ac5fffd4a2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Seeking an Energy-Efficient TV? Yes, It's Confusing (U.S. News & World Report)
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/beyond-the-barrel/2008/1/17/seeking-an-energy-efficient-tv-yes-its-confusing.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
UW forecasts 6-inch rise in sea-level by 2050 (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/330596.html
Climate Change Tests L.A.'s Conservation Success (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18195314
Canada – Alberta premier says oilsands cleaning up its carbon record (Canwest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=3796d4c0-9334-4ec7-8b94-3b7117f6a498&k=76176
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
California task force urges broadband bonds (Reuters, via CNET News)
http://www.news.com/California-task-force-urges-broadband-bonds/2100-1034_3-6226709.html?tag=fd_nbs_ent&tag=nl.e703
YouTube’s Traffic Continues to Snowball (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/youtubes-traffic-continues-to-snowball/index.html?ex=1358398800&en=697bbdba7ec4b25d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Online video reaches new record – More than 75 percent of U.S. Internet users watch at least some online videos, with the average user watching 195 minutes worth of it in November. (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/01/14/daily32.html?ana=from_rss
Video Killed the Broadband Buffet (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/01/17/video-killed-the-broadband-buffet/
Time Warner to test Internet billing based on usage (Reuters, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080117/media_nm/timewarner_internet_dc
Google feeling lucky in D.C. – After a slow start, the company is beginning to exert some lobbying influence in the nation's capital. (KCPQ-TV, Seattle)
http://q13.trb.com/news/la-fi-google17jan17,0,1803633.story?coll=kcpq-news-3
Tennessee Cable Group Maintains Opposition to Utility Plan (Broadcast Newsroom, via Baller/Herbst)
http://dtv.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=279378
Tenn. Governor Weighs in on Cable Fight – Tenn. Gov. Bredesen May Weigh in on Fight Over Cable Permitting (Associated Press, via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080118/tn_xgr_competitive_cable.html?.v=1
Indiana Pumps Up Broadband Economy With $16 Million From FCC (Midwest Business News)
http://www.midwestbusiness.com/news/viewnews.asp?newsletterID=18682
GENERAL NEWS
AT&T fined more than $300,000 for overcharging on prison calls (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/13870477.html
Former Yakama Tribal curator, daughter indicted in artifact thefts (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1164954~Former_Yakama_curator__daughter_indicted_in_artifact_thefts.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Thurston County says turnover no trend – Four top Thurston County managers left for new jobs in the past six months, but county leaders say it's a high turnover cycle that happens every so often and not an indication of any crisis or trend. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/331247.html
A race to stop nuclear dump (Joel Connelly, Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/347858_joel18.html?source=rss
Oops! White House Study Found 473 Days of E-Mail Gone (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR2008011703575.html?wpisrc=rss_technology
Chess Champion Fischer Dies At 64 (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15082016/detail.html
DIVERSIONS
Court Overturns Employee's Spanking Award – Woman Had Been Awarded $1.5 Million
http://www.kirotv.com/money/15074518/detail.html
Burglar finds corpse and calls police
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1763378820080117?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Au contraire! Clowns say kids do NOT find them scary
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080118/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_clowns;_ylt=AtJXwiU4xj0CiUexoMnEXn7tiBIF
You're a Packers fan, son ... got it? Upset that his 7-year-old son wouldn't wear a Green Bay Packers jersey during the team's playoff victory Saturday, a man restrained the boy for an hour with tape and taped the jersey onto him.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080117/ap_on_fe_st/odd_disorderly_fan;_ylt=Ai2roCRZvamEp7_OTWcFDZftiBIF
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Energy News Digest Addendum Jan. 17, 2008
NOAA recommends killing of some sea lions at Bonneville Dam (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/330422.html
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/330422.html
Energy News Digest for January 17, 2008
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)
- More Reaction on Vera Claussen – PUD leader remembered as role model and friend
- Idaho – Rupert tables action on BPA payment agreement
- Maryland – Allegheny Power to refund light bulb surcharge
- Lack of electric competition cost Marylanders $87.5 million
- Suit against Duke Energy alleges kickbacks
- Calpine plans to emerge from bankruptcy by February
- Thieves hit BPA substation in Flathead County. Montana
- Authorities: Would-be copper thief stopped by surprise visit from cop
- FERC conditionally approves Duquesne Light Company’s exit from PJM
- U.S. Releases Aid for Heating Costs
- Groups reach agreement to remove dams on Klamath River
- Washington Lawmakers Express Hope for Klamath
- Idaho anglers start gillnet protest
- Skagit River’s late steelhead season in limbo
- Pacific Salmon Invading Atlantic, Threatening Penguins
- Coal Producer Agrees to Pay $30M for pollution
- US Wind Energy Capacity Surged in 2007
- California – Plan for radio-controlled thermostats nixed
- News Release – BPA surpasses regional energy conservation goals
- Chelan PUD to launch online conservation newsletter
- Basking in the Glow of Energy-Saving Lights
- Texas is biggest carbon polluter
- Lawmakers told to prepare state for worst-case climate scenarios
- Montana – Climate Talk’s Cancellation Splits a Town
- Federal Trade Commission is quite right to scrutinize companies’ advertising of carbon offset programs
- Energy, Food Costs Balloon US Inflation
- Belfair Projects To Top Mason County Commission’s "5th Tuesday" Meeting
- Flood aid disparity among neighbors leaves residents bewildered
- Olympian Opinion – Flooding: DNR must look at logging practices
- Wild turkeys running afoul at Berkeley lab
- Candidates' Tunes Hit A Few Sour Notes
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Behemoth • \bi-HEE-muth\ • noun – 1: often capitalized: a mighty animal described in Job 40:15–24 as an example of the power of God 2: something of monstrous size, power, or appearance
Alfred was pleased with the results of his sand sculpture on the Washington Coast. It was a full sized reproduction of an orca whale, carved with delicate care near Ocean Shores. Unfortunately for his creation, decorated with black and white dyed sand, it was done too well. The sand whale was absolutely destroyed when whale watchers arrived on the scene and tried to push the behemoth back into the pounding surf.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
More Reaction on Vera Claussen – PUD leader remembered as role model and friend (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/NEWS04/420593320/1001/rss1001
Idaho – Rupert tables action on BPA payment agreement. Publicly-owned utilities across the Northwest are waiting for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to make the next move in a decades-old battle over the rights utility companies have to federally-funded power systems. (South Idaho Press)
http://www.southidahopress.com/articles/2008/01/16/news/local/9758bonneville.txt
Maryland – Allegheny Power to refund light bulb surcharge. Utility will stop charging fee for CFLs and aim to better inform customers (Baltimore Sun)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bulbs0116,0,6403893.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout
Maryland – PSC: Lack of electric competition cost Marylanders $87.5 million (Baltimore Sun)
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/hancock/blog/2008/01/psc_lack_of_electricity_compet.html
Ohio – Suit against Duke Energy alleges kickbacks (Business Courier of Cincinnati)
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/01/14/daily42.html?ana=from_rss
Calpine plans to emerge from bankruptcy by February (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/317180/22/ARTCL/none/none/1/Calpine-plans-to-emerge-from-bankruptcy-by-February/
News Release – Thieves hit BPA substation in Flathead County. Montana; reward offered (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/188629/
Authorities: Would-be copper thief stopped by surprise visit from cop (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/16/MNRIUGC2O.DTL&feed=rss.news
News Release – FERC conditionally approves Duquesne Light Company’s exit from PJM regional group (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/01-17-08-E-3.asp
News Release – Diverse Coalition Urges FERC to Stay the Course on Markets: Request to Expand Scope of Rulemaking Should be Rejected (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=81404
U.S. Releases Aid for Heating Costs – The federal government released $450 million in emergency funds on Wednesday to help provide relief to low-income homeowners struggling with the rising cost of heating their homes. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/nyregion/17heating.html?_r=1&ex=1358312400&en=922838fdf3e67f68&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Groups reach agreement to remove dams on Klamath River (Eugene Register Guard)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=50131&sid=1&fid=1
Washington Lawmakers Express Hope for Klamath (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3495
Idaho anglers start gillnet protest – Sport anglers have started a protest campaign against the Nez Perce Tribe's gillnetting season on the Snake and Clearwater rivers. (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP01162008news263610.cfm
Skagit River’s late steelhead season in limbo (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080117/SPORTS/835080615/1004/SPORTS
Pacific Salmon Invading Atlantic, Threatening Penguins – Ocean-swapping Pacific salmon are moving into Atlantic waters, scientists say (National Geographic News)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071228-alien-salmon.html
Millions Of Gallons Of Water Lost In Hydrant Vandalism (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15063285/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Coal Producer Agrees to Pay $30M – The country's fourth-largest coal producer, Massey Energy Co., has agreed to a $30 million settlement with the government over allegations that over seven years it routinely polluted hundreds of streams and waterways in West Virginia and Kentucky (Associated Press, via Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004130357_apcoalpollution17.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
US Wind Energy Capacity Surged in 2007 (Forbes)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/01/17/ap4542941.html
CONSERVATION
California – Plan for radio-controlled thermostats nixed. 'Big Brother' fears, criticism lead energy panel to drop proposal (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7996518?source=rss
News Release – BPA surpasses regional energy conservation goals (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/188681/
Chelan PUD to launch online conservation newsletter – An Internet-based newsletter with expert advice on how to conserve energy and reduce power costs will become part of the Chelan County PUD Web site next month. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/NEWS04/576896924/1025/rss1025
Basking in the Glow of Energy-Saving Lights (NY Times Letters)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/opinion/lweb17bulb.html?ex=1358312400&en=a4920bbb32d8d643&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Texas is biggest carbon polluter (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News. Ed. Note: Here’s my back of envelope estimate of 2003 per capita tons of CO2 emissions: Washington State, 12.17; Oregon, 10.78; Idaho, 9.47; Montana, 34.14; Texas, 28.04; Alaska, 65.52; United States, 19.23.)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080116/ap_on_re_us/global_warming_texas;_ylt=AjnNS4Lwd_s.uvpmWdK2y9Os0NUE
Lawmakers told to prepare state for worst-case climate scenarios – Washington is poised to take a regional and national leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (The Columbian)
http://columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/01/01162008_Lawmakers-told-to-prepare-state-for-worst-case-climate-scenarios.cfm
Montana – Climate Talk’s Cancellation Splits a Town. School authorities’ cancellation of a talk that a Nobel laureate climate researcher was to have given to high school students has deeply divided this small farming and ranching town at the base of the east side of the Rocky Mountains. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/us/17climate.html?ex=1358312400&en=7f57e16fd9f9b1a1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
NY Times Guest Commentary – The Federal Trade Commission is quite right to scrutinize companies’ advertising of carbon offset programs. But despite the high potential for greenwashing, the carbon offset market can also be a great environmental boon — provided it’s made accountable and transparent.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/opinion/lweb16carbon.html?ex=1358226000&en=2a432e16bebf51ab&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
On Radio: FCC takes aim at local radio – Proposal may change how area broadcasters operate “…guidelines to ensure that all broadcasters provide some locally oriented programming..." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/347616_radiobeat17.html
GENERAL NEWS
Energy, Food Costs Balloon US Inflation – Higher costs for energy and food last year pushed inflation up by the largest amount in 17 years (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/01/15/national/w053312S34.DTL&feed=rss.business
BELFAIR PROJECTS TO TOP MASON COUNTY COMMISSION’S "5TH TUESDAY" MEETING – The Mason County Commissioners have announced that the Belfair Wastewater and Water Reclamation Facilities and Belfair Area Highway 3 Widening and Safety Improvements will be the topic of their “Fifth Tuesday” meeting on January 29th. Staff from both projects will be available to address citizens' questions starting at a 5 p.m. open house, followed by overview presentations as part of the regular meeting agenda beginning at 6 p.m. This “Fifth Tuesday” Commissioners' Meeting will be held at Belfair Elementary School. Citizens are encouraged to attend this event to: Speak to project team designers and ask specific questions about design and coordination between these two projects; See the latest drawings of the Highway 3 project and the wastewater system conveyance line and treatment facility locations; Hear how the SR 3 project will help reduce congestion through Belfair; Learn about the membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater treatment technology being selected for the treatment plant, and how it functions; And find out plans to coordinate the infrastructure transfer from septic to a sewer system utility. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Aid disparity among neighbors leaves residents bewildered – Kevin Hessler received $6,000 less in federal aid than his neighbor even though he says his Centralia home sustained more flood damage. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/329976.html
Olympian Opinion – Flooding: DNR must look at logging practices
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/329908.html
DIVERSIONS
Oh, My GOD! They’re Turkeys!!! Wild turkeys running afoul at Berkeley lab – They are breaking windows, defecating on public property and intimidating workers. Now scientists at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory are calling them a public safety problem.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7985964?source=rss&nclick_check=1
National Portrait Gallery Adds Colbert
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/national-portrait-gallery-adds-colbert/index.html?ex=1358312400&en=8b08d76eb5e159e9&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
`Mona Lisa' Naming Leaves Mysteries Unsolved
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aNhDedXKaQyQ&refer=home
Candidates' Tunes Hit A Few Sour Notes – If we can tell anything about the candidates from their campaign theme music, it may be this: They (or perhaps their aides) aren't paying much attention to the lyrics. If they were, they might change their tune.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/16/AR2008011604152.html?wpisrc=rss_politics
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- More Reaction on Vera Claussen – PUD leader remembered as role model and friend
- Idaho – Rupert tables action on BPA payment agreement
- Maryland – Allegheny Power to refund light bulb surcharge
- Lack of electric competition cost Marylanders $87.5 million
- Suit against Duke Energy alleges kickbacks
- Calpine plans to emerge from bankruptcy by February
- Thieves hit BPA substation in Flathead County. Montana
- Authorities: Would-be copper thief stopped by surprise visit from cop
- FERC conditionally approves Duquesne Light Company’s exit from PJM
- U.S. Releases Aid for Heating Costs
- Groups reach agreement to remove dams on Klamath River
- Washington Lawmakers Express Hope for Klamath
- Idaho anglers start gillnet protest
- Skagit River’s late steelhead season in limbo
- Pacific Salmon Invading Atlantic, Threatening Penguins
- Coal Producer Agrees to Pay $30M for pollution
- US Wind Energy Capacity Surged in 2007
- California – Plan for radio-controlled thermostats nixed
- News Release – BPA surpasses regional energy conservation goals
- Chelan PUD to launch online conservation newsletter
- Basking in the Glow of Energy-Saving Lights
- Texas is biggest carbon polluter
- Lawmakers told to prepare state for worst-case climate scenarios
- Montana – Climate Talk’s Cancellation Splits a Town
- Federal Trade Commission is quite right to scrutinize companies’ advertising of carbon offset programs
- Energy, Food Costs Balloon US Inflation
- Belfair Projects To Top Mason County Commission’s "5th Tuesday" Meeting
- Flood aid disparity among neighbors leaves residents bewildered
- Olympian Opinion – Flooding: DNR must look at logging practices
- Wild turkeys running afoul at Berkeley lab
- Candidates' Tunes Hit A Few Sour Notes
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Behemoth • \bi-HEE-muth\ • noun – 1: often capitalized: a mighty animal described in Job 40:15–24 as an example of the power of God 2: something of monstrous size, power, or appearance
Alfred was pleased with the results of his sand sculpture on the Washington Coast. It was a full sized reproduction of an orca whale, carved with delicate care near Ocean Shores. Unfortunately for his creation, decorated with black and white dyed sand, it was done too well. The sand whale was absolutely destroyed when whale watchers arrived on the scene and tried to push the behemoth back into the pounding surf.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
More Reaction on Vera Claussen – PUD leader remembered as role model and friend (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/NEWS04/420593320/1001/rss1001
Idaho – Rupert tables action on BPA payment agreement. Publicly-owned utilities across the Northwest are waiting for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to make the next move in a decades-old battle over the rights utility companies have to federally-funded power systems. (South Idaho Press)
http://www.southidahopress.com/articles/2008/01/16/news/local/9758bonneville.txt
Maryland – Allegheny Power to refund light bulb surcharge. Utility will stop charging fee for CFLs and aim to better inform customers (Baltimore Sun)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bulbs0116,0,6403893.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout
Maryland – PSC: Lack of electric competition cost Marylanders $87.5 million (Baltimore Sun)
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/hancock/blog/2008/01/psc_lack_of_electricity_compet.html
Ohio – Suit against Duke Energy alleges kickbacks (Business Courier of Cincinnati)
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/01/14/daily42.html?ana=from_rss
Calpine plans to emerge from bankruptcy by February (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/317180/22/ARTCL/none/none/1/Calpine-plans-to-emerge-from-bankruptcy-by-February/
News Release – Thieves hit BPA substation in Flathead County. Montana; reward offered (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/188629/
Authorities: Would-be copper thief stopped by surprise visit from cop (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/16/MNRIUGC2O.DTL&feed=rss.news
News Release – FERC conditionally approves Duquesne Light Company’s exit from PJM regional group (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/01-17-08-E-3.asp
News Release – Diverse Coalition Urges FERC to Stay the Course on Markets: Request to Expand Scope of Rulemaking Should be Rejected (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=81404
U.S. Releases Aid for Heating Costs – The federal government released $450 million in emergency funds on Wednesday to help provide relief to low-income homeowners struggling with the rising cost of heating their homes. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/nyregion/17heating.html?_r=1&ex=1358312400&en=922838fdf3e67f68&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Groups reach agreement to remove dams on Klamath River (Eugene Register Guard)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=50131&sid=1&fid=1
Washington Lawmakers Express Hope for Klamath (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3495
Idaho anglers start gillnet protest – Sport anglers have started a protest campaign against the Nez Perce Tribe's gillnetting season on the Snake and Clearwater rivers. (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP01162008news263610.cfm
Skagit River’s late steelhead season in limbo (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080117/SPORTS/835080615/1004/SPORTS
Pacific Salmon Invading Atlantic, Threatening Penguins – Ocean-swapping Pacific salmon are moving into Atlantic waters, scientists say (National Geographic News)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071228-alien-salmon.html
Millions Of Gallons Of Water Lost In Hydrant Vandalism (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15063285/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Coal Producer Agrees to Pay $30M – The country's fourth-largest coal producer, Massey Energy Co., has agreed to a $30 million settlement with the government over allegations that over seven years it routinely polluted hundreds of streams and waterways in West Virginia and Kentucky (Associated Press, via Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004130357_apcoalpollution17.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
US Wind Energy Capacity Surged in 2007 (Forbes)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/01/17/ap4542941.html
CONSERVATION
California – Plan for radio-controlled thermostats nixed. 'Big Brother' fears, criticism lead energy panel to drop proposal (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7996518?source=rss
News Release – BPA surpasses regional energy conservation goals (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/188681/
Chelan PUD to launch online conservation newsletter – An Internet-based newsletter with expert advice on how to conserve energy and reduce power costs will become part of the Chelan County PUD Web site next month. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/NEWS04/576896924/1025/rss1025
Basking in the Glow of Energy-Saving Lights (NY Times Letters)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/opinion/lweb17bulb.html?ex=1358312400&en=a4920bbb32d8d643&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Texas is biggest carbon polluter (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News. Ed. Note: Here’s my back of envelope estimate of 2003 per capita tons of CO2 emissions: Washington State, 12.17; Oregon, 10.78; Idaho, 9.47; Montana, 34.14; Texas, 28.04; Alaska, 65.52; United States, 19.23.)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080116/ap_on_re_us/global_warming_texas;_ylt=AjnNS4Lwd_s.uvpmWdK2y9Os0NUE
Lawmakers told to prepare state for worst-case climate scenarios – Washington is poised to take a regional and national leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (The Columbian)
http://columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/01/01162008_Lawmakers-told-to-prepare-state-for-worst-case-climate-scenarios.cfm
Montana – Climate Talk’s Cancellation Splits a Town. School authorities’ cancellation of a talk that a Nobel laureate climate researcher was to have given to high school students has deeply divided this small farming and ranching town at the base of the east side of the Rocky Mountains. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/us/17climate.html?ex=1358312400&en=7f57e16fd9f9b1a1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
NY Times Guest Commentary – The Federal Trade Commission is quite right to scrutinize companies’ advertising of carbon offset programs. But despite the high potential for greenwashing, the carbon offset market can also be a great environmental boon — provided it’s made accountable and transparent.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/opinion/lweb16carbon.html?ex=1358226000&en=2a432e16bebf51ab&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
On Radio: FCC takes aim at local radio – Proposal may change how area broadcasters operate “…guidelines to ensure that all broadcasters provide some locally oriented programming..." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/347616_radiobeat17.html
GENERAL NEWS
Energy, Food Costs Balloon US Inflation – Higher costs for energy and food last year pushed inflation up by the largest amount in 17 years (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/01/15/national/w053312S34.DTL&feed=rss.business
BELFAIR PROJECTS TO TOP MASON COUNTY COMMISSION’S "5TH TUESDAY" MEETING – The Mason County Commissioners have announced that the Belfair Wastewater and Water Reclamation Facilities and Belfair Area Highway 3 Widening and Safety Improvements will be the topic of their “Fifth Tuesday” meeting on January 29th. Staff from both projects will be available to address citizens' questions starting at a 5 p.m. open house, followed by overview presentations as part of the regular meeting agenda beginning at 6 p.m. This “Fifth Tuesday” Commissioners' Meeting will be held at Belfair Elementary School. Citizens are encouraged to attend this event to: Speak to project team designers and ask specific questions about design and coordination between these two projects; See the latest drawings of the Highway 3 project and the wastewater system conveyance line and treatment facility locations; Hear how the SR 3 project will help reduce congestion through Belfair; Learn about the membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater treatment technology being selected for the treatment plant, and how it functions; And find out plans to coordinate the infrastructure transfer from septic to a sewer system utility. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Aid disparity among neighbors leaves residents bewildered – Kevin Hessler received $6,000 less in federal aid than his neighbor even though he says his Centralia home sustained more flood damage. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/329976.html
Olympian Opinion – Flooding: DNR must look at logging practices
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/329908.html
DIVERSIONS
Oh, My GOD! They’re Turkeys!!! Wild turkeys running afoul at Berkeley lab – They are breaking windows, defecating on public property and intimidating workers. Now scientists at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory are calling them a public safety problem.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7985964?source=rss&nclick_check=1
National Portrait Gallery Adds Colbert
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/national-portrait-gallery-adds-colbert/index.html?ex=1358312400&en=8b08d76eb5e159e9&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
`Mona Lisa' Naming Leaves Mysteries Unsolved
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aNhDedXKaQyQ&refer=home
Candidates' Tunes Hit A Few Sour Notes – If we can tell anything about the candidates from their campaign theme music, it may be this: They (or perhaps their aides) aren't paying much attention to the lyrics. If they were, they might change their tune.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/16/AR2008011604152.html?wpisrc=rss_politics
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