March 1, 2007

ECO-DESIGN & GREEN BUILDING

U.S. House of Representatives Approves Solar Project for DOE Building
Source: electricenergyonline.com

The House of Representatives recently approved by voice vote legislation the installation of a solar energy system at the U.S. Department of Energy building in Washington, DC. The bill had been marked up and reported by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure last week. H.R. 798 directs the General Services Administration to install a photovoltaic (PV) system at the Energy Department's headquarters that will convert solar energy into electricity. This project, known as Solar Net, consists of a 300 foot long, 130 foot high curtain of solar panels.

Homebuilder Goes 100% Solar in California
Source: treehugger.com

One of the nation's biggest home builders, Lennar Homes, has announced it will be installing solar power systems in all of its new homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. The "standard" solar package makes use of PowerLight "Sun Tiles" by SunPower. These solar tiles integrate into a roof of a home just like regular tiles. In its promotional video and related materials, SunPower boasts that homeowners will experience savings of 40% to 50% on their energy bills as a result of installing its solar tiles. The company also notes that homes such as those in the Milano community employ a variety of energy-saving technologies. These include double-pane windows, high-performance insulation, low-wattage lighting systems and other features. Lennar made the announcement during the opening of a new all-solar housing development in the Bay Are suburb of Danville. The "Milano at Monterosso" community is the first of three solar-powered housing projects that Lennar plans to open in the Bay Area this year.

RENEWABLE ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT

EPA Seeks Comment on U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Source: environmnetalleader.com

The EPA is seeking public comment on a draft report that analyzes sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2005, will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published. Overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions during 2005 increased by less than one percent from the previous year. Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2005 were equivalent to 7,262 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. The draft report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 16 percent from 1990 to 2005, while the U.S. economy has grown by 55 percent over the same period. The report is available here:

New Biofuels Technology Uses Any Renewable Oil
Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com

Diversified Energy Corporation agreed to the terms of an exclusive worldwide license with North Carolina State University (NCSU) for a breakthrough biofuels technology called Centia, a patent-pending process, said to offer advantages over biodiesel, ethanol and others. The process is expected to deliver an end-to-end energy efficiency in excess of 85%, a key metric in determining the eventual affordability of the biofuel generated. Centia is initially being positioned to produce commercial and military jet fuel and a cold-weather biodiesel additive -- both of which are challenging and complex hydrocarbon fuels. The process is "100% green," not relying on the use of any petroleum-derived products as components in the biofuel produced.

NATURAL PRODUCTS & ORGANIC /
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Number One Milk Company Says No to Clones
Source: enn.com

The nation's biggest milk company, Dean Foods, recently said it will refuse milk from cloned cows. The Food and Drug Administration gave preliminary approval to meat and milk from cloned animals and could grant final approval by the end of the year. Federal scientists say there is virtually no difference between clones and conventional cows, pigs or goats. Smaller companies such as Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Organic Valley previously have said they oppose milk from clones. Dallas-based Dean Foods is a $10 billion company that owns Land OLakes and Horizon Organic, among dozens of other brands. In a statement issued Thursday, the company said its customers and consumers don't want milk from cloned animals.

Florida Beekeeper First to Receive Local Producer Loan from Whole Foods
Source: www.attra.ncat.org
David Rukin, of Buzzn Bee, has been chosen as the first recipient of Whole Foods Market’s local producer loans. The south Florida beekeeper will use the low-interest loan to buy equipment and increase his product line. The loan is part of Whole Foods Market’s new initiative to provide $10 million in loans each year to small, local agricultural producers.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS & INVESTING

TXU Buyout Includes Unprecedented Global Warming Plan
Source: www.e2.org

The buyout of the utility giant TXU being proposed by a group of top private equity investors includes an unprecedented set of commitments developed in close consultation with leading environmental experts, including NRDC, to reverse the company's drive to build a new fleet of high-emission coal power plants in favor of a new strategy focused on energy efficiency, clean technology and a commitment to cut global warming pollution. Arrangements with the two buyout firms, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Texas Pacific Group, include commitments to withdraw permit applications for eight of eleven proposed pulverized-coal power plants; support a mandatory nationwide limit on global warming emissions paired with a market-based emissions trading system; limit total CO2 emissions from its generating operations and reduce them over time. The deal also includes investment strategies including $400 million for initiatives to help customers reduce their energy needs; an increase in energy generated from renewable sources including wind and solar while taking steps to increase its own energy efficiency; and, exploration of a variety of new coal generating technologies including integrated combined cycle gasification and flue gas/algae carbon capture.

Source: Bloomberg News

Farmland from Iowa to Argentina is rising faster in price than apartments in Manhattan and London for the first time in 30 years. Demand for corn used in ethanol increased the value of cropland 16 per cent in Indiana and 35 per cent in Idaho in 2006, government figures show. The price of a Soho loft appreciated only 12 per cent.Farmland returns "will take a quantum leap over the next 18 months," after corn prices surged to a 10-year high in February, according to Murray Wise, the 58-year-old chairman and chief executive officer of Westchester Group Inc. in Champaign, Ill., who oversees $460-million (U.S.) of land investments. Mr. Wise, who was born on a Canadian farm and now manages 85,000 acres, said prices in the U.S. Midwest may gain 12 per cent a year through 2017. Farmland rose in value in 34 of the last 37 years, according to data compiled by UBS AgriVest, a unit of UBS AG, the world's biggest money manager. The returns are attracting hedge funds and investment brokers. Corn futures have jumped 82 per cent on the Chicago Board of Trade in the past year. Returns from farmland have averaged 10.9 per cent annually the last 15 years, the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries in Chicago said.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE & ALTERNATIVE HEALTHCARE

Turmeric May Prevent Progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Source: naturalgrocers.com

Turmeric, an extract of the spice curry, may help reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, according to an experiment using laboratory rats. Janet L. Funk, MD, of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, and her colleagues tested turmeric extract that was comparable to commercial products. She administered it to the rats before or after they developed laboratory-induced arthritic symptoms. The turmeric blocked joint inflammation and the destruction of joint cartilage and bone, with higher dosages having greater effects. It worked, at least in part, by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa beta (NFkB), a protein that activates pro-inflammatory genes. Turmeric also reduced the activity of genes that regulate NFkB.

Fiber for Breast Cancer Prevention
Source: naturalfoodsmerchandiser.com

Fiber could reduce women's incidence of breast cancer by half, according to recent research. The U.K. Women's Cohort study followed the dietary intakes of more than 35,000 women for 7.5 years. The researchers found that premenopausal women with an average daily intake of more than 30 grams of fiber had a 52 percent lower risk of breast cancer than premenopausal women who consumed 20 grams of fiber or less. Fiber, though, did not protect postmenopausal women from breast cancer, regardless of intake levels. Researchers believe that the high level of antioxidants in fiber-rich foods may be one reason they appear to prevent breast cancer. Scientists also pointed to previous research indicating that fiber regulates estrogen, a hormone linked to cancer. Also worth noting: Fiber from fruits and cereals appears to give the most protection.

Courtesy of Grace Communications, Inc.
Editor: Alexandra Friedman

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