Posts Tagged ‘Part’

Renowned National Geographic Explorer J. Michael Fay to Speak in Vancouver as Part of International Tour to Warn Against Dangers of Mining Activities in Northern BC

Posted by admin on April 12th, 2013

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwired – April 12, 2013) - J. Michael Fay, renowned Wildlife Conservation Society scientist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, is coming to Vancouver this Monday, April 15th, as part of High Stakes: Minerals, Conflict, and the Boreal, an international tour to raise awareness about the way unchecked claim staking and unprecedented mining activity threaten the future of majestic northern BC.

Mike’s talk will feature a multi-media presentation featuring photos and video from his summer expedition through northwestern BC and southeast Alaska highlighting the connections to the Canadian Boreal Forest. This event is being hosted by West Coast Environmental Law.

WHEN: Monday, April 15, 2013 7:00-9:00 pm PST
WHERE: Delta Vancouver Suites, Innes Thompson Room (2nd Floor)
550 West Hastings
Vancouver, BC V6B 1L6
Register at http://www.highstakesbc.eventbrite.com/

For more information, including a backgrounder on BC’s current mining laws, visit www.highstakesbc.com.

Marketwire – Environment

Read More »

Giant Fish and Sea Life made from Ocean Debris are Part of an Exhibit, Museum & Community Art Workshop Opening in Oregon on Saturday, March 23

Posted by admin on March 21st, 2013

BANDON, Ore.–()–An unusual art exhibit of sea life made from ocean debris created by Washed
Ashore will officially open at the Harbortown Events Center in
Bandon, Oregon with a Grand Opening Reception on Saturday March 23 at
5:00pm.

“We are
planning on using as much debris as we can get to create more messages
that can save the sea.”

The educational exhibit with the theme ‘Art to Save The Sea’ has over 15
art pieces, some up to 15 feet long, and 11 feet tall, depicting sea
life and environments threatened by ocean pollution. Two of the
sculptures, a sea star and a whale bones rib cage, will be played as
musical instruments during the Grand Opening.

The exhibit also includes the nation’s only known marine debris museum
with interesting artifacts collected from ocean shores including debris
from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The unique ocean debris art has been created by local volunteers in
community workshops lead by long-time educator and artist Angela
Haseltine Pozzi, Washed Ashore’s Executive Director.

The Grand Opening reception will include a speech by Bill Bradbury,
former Oregon Secretary of State and Washed Ashore board member. Also
speaking will be Bandon’s Mayor Mary Schamehorn. There will also be
complimentary refreshments, food and live music by local band Done Deal.

Angela
Haseltine Pozzi will speak briefly about The Washed Ashore Project
and how local volunteers have created the internationally famous touring
exhibit which has previously appeared at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, The
Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA, The Living Coast Discovery Center
in Chula Vista, CA and the Newport Visual Arts Center in Oregon. Pozzi
will also lead tours of the exhibit and workshop and will discuss the
process of how the sculptures are made.

“These giant sea animals of debris are meant to be highly visual
reminders of the tragedy of plastic pollution in our oceans and its
effect on our sea life. Community-built sculptures like these use the
arts as a powerful language to drive home the message that we all need
to take action,” expressed Pozzi.

“We invite Coos county citizens and visitors to help us build the next
sculptures including a Sea Horses, Penguins, a Shark and an Octopus. We
encourage volunteers to collect debris from beaches and drop off their
bags anytime at Art 101, seven miles south of town, and join us for the
Oregon’s Spring Beach Clean-up day on March 30,” added Pozzi. “We are
planning on using as much debris as we can get to create more messages
that can save the sea.”

In the last two-and-a-half years Washed Ashore has collected over eight
tons of debris from local beaches and created over 22 sculptures that
have toured to eight locations in Oregon and California.

“With Tsunami Debris approaching, we encourage anyone who cares about
our beaches and oceans to support our work. Tax-deductible donations of
any amount can help us buy steel and wire supplies, buy fuel for
truckloads of debris to be hauled off beaches, and keep our free
workshops going,” said Pozzi.

Washed Ashore is actively involved in planning for the Japanese Tsunami
Debris clean-up. It is a founding member of the Oregon Marine Debris
Team (OMDT) and works closely with non-profit partners Oregon
Shores/Coast Watch, SOLVE, Surfrider Oregon Chapter and OSU’s
Oregon Sea Grant to address JTMD (Japanese Tsunami Marine Debris). The
OMDT also works with the Oregon Tsunami Debris Task Force, NOAA, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife, State Parks, and the Office of Emergency Management.

In addition to the Grand Opening and reception Washed Ashore invites
everyone to take part in their volunteer family workshops Bandon’s
Harbortown Events Center from 2-5pm Tuesday – Saturday and on Tuesday
and Thursdays nights from 6 – 9 pm, plus Saturdays from 2-5pm at Art101,
seven miles south of Bandon on Highway 101- Look for the giant Bird!

About Washed Ashore:

The Washed
Ashore Project is sponsored by Artula Institute for Arts and
Environmental Education, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was
founded in 2010. Washed Ashore is an environmental education project
that uses art to raise awareness to the tragedy of plastic pollution in
our oceans through community involvement. It has taken hundreds of
volunteers and thousands of pounds of marine debris to create the
monumental sculptures that now make up the Washed Ashore: plastics, sea
life & art exhibit. In addition to the art workshops, Angela and her
staff are currently developing Activity/Action Books and a K-12
curriculum for youth education programs.

MEDIA EXHIBIT PREVIEWS WITH ARTIST AVAILABLE

Business Wire Environment News

Read More »

Love our forests? Take part in our 12 hour “tweet-a-thon”

Posted by admin on March 15th, 2013

Spring is on its way and this Tuesday, Defra will harness the power of Twitter and lead a 12-hour “tweet-a-thon” to celebrate England’s forests and mark the first week of spring. This marathon Twitter event will run from 9am to 9pm and together with lots of other organisations, we’ll highlight the ways in which the public can understand and enjoy their local forests, woodland and wildlife.

Every hour the public will be able to put questions to a different person who has a unique insight into the workings of our forests. From a National Trust ancient tree expert to a famous foraging chef, members of the public will be able to pick the brains of  those who live and breathe our forests every day. At 7.15pm our Minister of State, David Heath, will be online @DefraGovUK answering your forest-related questions in person.

The organisations partnering with Defra on #loveourforests include Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Experience Nottingham, Forestry Commission, Kew Botanical Gardens, National Trust, Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Trees for Cities, Tree Council, Ramblers and Woodland Trust.

How to take part

To take part, members of the public should have a look at the timetable of events below and simply get online at the right time and start tweeting questions using #loveourforests to the relevant Twitter name. If you’re not sure who to direct your questions to, @DefraGovUK will point you in the right direction.

Name Organisation Would welcome questions on…
09:00-09:30 @DefraGovUK Defra Introduction to the day and how it will work. The @Defragovuk team will also be there to help direct you to the right person.
09:30- 10:30 @RamblersJustin
Justin Cooke, Senior Policy Officer		 Ramblers Access to woodland and positive ways of working with land owners, industry and government.
10:00- 11:00 @experiencenotts
Sherwood Forest Ranger		 Notts Tourism Sherwood Forest and tourism.
11:00-12:00 @kewgardens
Claire Welsby		 Kew Ancient trees, history and origins of Kew Gardens, plant preservation activity and the work Kew is doing overseas to preserve species.
11:00- 12:00 @TreesforCities
Heather McIntosh		 Trees  for Cities TfC will be sharing fun photos and facts and asking people to share their favourite memories of trees – this could be your first kiss or tree climbing as a child. They will also ask people to tweet their favourite tree photos to us –the best could get printed in Tree News.
12:00-13:00 @Natures_Voice
Nick Phillips, Forestry Policy Officer		 RSPB How to spot birds and other woodland wildlife in forests.
13:00-14:00 @FCEnglandPress
Chris Reynolds, Woodland Officer, Lincoln		 Forestry Commission Conifers, trees and the global conservation issues they face, forest resilience to climate change and general diversification of crop species.
14:00-15:00 @woodlandtrust
Dr Kate Lewthwaite, Phenologist		 Woodland Trust What plants can be seen in the forest at the start of spring and how things have changed in the forest over time and information on how to find your local woodland.
15:00-16:00 @FCEnglandPress
Dominic Driver, Head of Woodland Expansion, Forestry Commission		 Forestry Commission Forestry Commission England’s plan for implementing forestry policy, protecting, improving and expanding England’s woodland, the review of forestry functions and woodland expansion.
15:00-16:00 @mike_seville
Mike Seville, Forestry and Woodland Adviser for the CLA		 Country Land and Business Association Woodland management, tree diseases and why it’s better to build wooden houses.
16:00-17:00 @TheTreeCouncil
Pauline Buchanan Black, Director General, and Jon Stokes, Programme Director		 Tree Council Tree Warden Scheme, grants to schools and community groups, community action programmes (e.g. National Tree Week, Walk in the Woods, Seed Gathering Season and the Tree Care Campaign).
17:00-18:00 @The_RHS
Guy Barter, Chief Horticultural Advisor		 Royal Horticultural Society Trees in gardens, urban trees, sustainable use of timber and pests and diseases in trees (particularly invasive species).
18:00-19:00 @realMarkLloyd
Mark Lloyd, Chef, Forager, Writer.		 Eat Real Food Tips on foraging, foraging safely and recipes involving foraged food.
19:15-20:00 @DefraGovuk
Minister of State, David Heath		 Defra Government policy on forestry.
20:00-21:00 @NTancienttrees
Brian Muelaner, Ancient Tree Advisor		 National Trust Ancient, notable, and veteran trees.

Defra News

Read More »

EPA Reaches $1.6 Million Settlement at Operating Industries Superfund Site/Latest settlement part of total $600 million in cash and cleanup work (CA)

Posted by admin on February 16th, 2013

 

Release Date: 02/15/2013
Contact Information: Nahal Mogharabi, (213) 244-1815, [email protected]

(2/15/2013) SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a $ 1.62 million settlement with 47 parties for contamination at the Operating Industries, Inc. (OII) Superfund Site in Monterey Park, Calif. Each of these parties was responsible for sending a relatively small volume, between 4,200 and 110,000 gallons, of liquid hazardous waste to the OII landfill during decades of operation.

This is the last settlement EPA expects to sign for the OII site, paving the way for the community to restore this site to productive use. Over the last 25 years, EPA has secured $ 600 million worth of cash and commitments for cleanup work from the parties responsible for contamination at the site. Environmental problems included toxic gas emissions, contaminated surface water runoff, and pollution of the local groundwater.

“With this final settlement for the OII landfill, we’ve reached a key milestone,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Now we are working with the responsible parties to ensure that a portion of the site can be developed for the benefit of the local economy.”

OII is a 190-acre site divided into two parcels by the Pomona Freeway, the 45-acre North Parcel and the 145-acre South Parcel. Most of the OII’s landfill activities took place on the South Parcel. Most of the North Parcel is currently being remediated in preparation for potential redevelopment.

EPA finalized the cleanup plan in 1996 which selected a comprehensive site-wide remedy. The final plan prevents migration of liquids and gases beyond the landfill perimeter. In addition, a landfill cap and cover has been installed that prevents rainwater from seeping into the landfill and gas from leaking out. These measures will prevent exposure to contaminated groundwater and ensure that contamination levels meet federal cleanup standards.

EPA has entered into a total of nine consent decrees and eight smaller “de minimis” settlements with more than 1,150 responsible parties. EPA will receive $ 812,000 from the settlement announced today as reimbursement for federal response costs related to the site. The remaining funds will be used by the potentially responsible parties to fund cleanup work at the site. The settlement was published in the Federal Register on January 28, 2013, opening a 30-day public comment period.

The OII Site operated as a landfill from 1948 to 1984. EPA identified the OII Site as an environmental problem in the early 1980s and placed it on the National Priorities List in 1986. Over the course of its operation, the landfill accepted industrial solid, liquid and hazardous wastes, as well as municipal solid waste. The landfill has received more than 300 million gallons of manifested waste from approximately 4,000 entities.

For more information, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/accomp/success/oii.htm

Link to Federal Register notice: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/01/28/2013-01593/operating-industries-inc-superfund-site-monterey-park-ca-notice-of-proposed-cercla-administrative-de



U.S. EPA News

Read More »

District of Columbia Preserves 250 acres of Land as Part of Settlement with EPA for Alleged Underground Storage Tank Violations (MD)

Posted by admin on October 18th, 2012

 

Release Date: 10/18/2012
Contact Information: Donna Heron, 215-814-5113, [email protected]

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 18, 2012) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the Government of the District of Columbia has taken legal measures to preserve the open space of approximately 250 acres of land in Anne Arundel County, Md. The District’s action finalizes the settlement of an EPA administrative case involving underground storage tanks (USTs) at the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services facility, located at 8300 Riverton Court, Laurel, Md.

Under a 2010 settlement agreement with EPA, the District paid a $ 73,489 penalty, removed 14 USTs and approximately 725 tons of contaminated soil at the facility in Anne Arundel County. As part of the settlement, the District also agreed to complete a supplemental environmental project to preserve open space in Laurel, Md., working in cooperation with three non-profit conservation groups.

On September 26, 2012, the District conveyed a quit claim conservation easement to the Maryland Environmental Trust, the Scenic Rivers Land Trust, Inc., and the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, Inc. to protect a 250-acre site including woodlands, wooded wetlands, open emergent wetlands, and the Little Patuxent River. The purpose of the quit claim conservation easement is to preserve open space, to protect the natural wildlife habitat (including important habitat for forest-dwelling birds); and to foster low impact recreational uses and activities such as nature study, orienteering, hiking, fishing, and kayaking.

The 2010 settlement between the EPA and the District resolved alleged violations of federal and Maryland regulations of USTs, including failure to install spill prevention equipment intended to prevent releases and spills, failure to install overfill prevention equipment; failure to provide corrosion protection, and failure to register nine USTs with the Maryland Department of the Environment.

With millions of gallons of gasoline, oil, and other petroleum products stored in underground storage tanks nationwide, leaking tanks are a major source of soil and groundwater contamination. EPA and state UST regulations are designed to reduce the risk of underground leaks and to promptly detect and properly address leaks which do occur, thus minimizing environmental harm and avoiding the costs of major cleanups. For more information on EPA’s Underground Storage Tank program, visit: http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/.

U.S. EPA News

Read More »

EPA Awards $39,327 to American Lung Association of CA to Improve Indoor Air Quality, Asthma Management in San Diego Schools / Part of $1.2 Million Awarded Nationwide (CA)

Posted by admin on October 16th, 2012

 

Release Date: 10/16/2012
Contact Information: Nahal Mogharabi, [email protected], 213-244-1815


LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded $ 39,327 to the American Lung Association of California (ALA CA) to improve air quality as well as student asthma self-management skills in low-income schools in San Diego, Calif.

With this funding, ALA CA will provide indoor environmental asthma trigger training for more than 300 children with asthma in 20 schools that bear the greatest asthma burden in San Diego. The funding will also help schools in San Diego establish indoor air quality management programs consistent with the practices of the EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program.

“EPA is proud to be working with our awardees across the nation to improve the air we breathe at school, work and home,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “American communities face serious health and environmental challenges from air pollution. This effort gives us an opportunity to improve indoor air quality by increasing awareness of environmental health risks.”

Today’s funding is part of a combined $ 1.2 million in funding to 32 state and local governments, tribes, and non-profit organizations to improve indoor air quality, which will better protect the health of Americans in classrooms, communities and homes across the country.

Education projects, training and outreach efforts supported by the funding will help reduce the environmental health risks of indoor air contaminants such as radon and asthma triggers. From organizing and training speakers on how to educate parents of children with asthma, to providing technical assistance that will help school districts develop indoor air quality management plans, these projects will help protect children and families. EPA emphasized selecting projects that assist low income and minority families that are disproportionately impacted by poor indoor air quality.

Indoor air pollutants in homes, buildings, and schools can negatively impact the health of occupants. Some pollutants cause health problems such as sore eyes, burning in the nose and throat, headaches or fatigue. Others can cause worsen allergies, respiratory illnesses (such as asthma) or even cancer.

October is Children’s Health Month. EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment requires us to continue to pay special attention to the vulnerabilities of children, and especially to children living in disadvantaged communities.

More information about Indoor Air Assistance Agreements: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/regional_funding.html

For more information on Children’s Health Month, please visit: http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/chm-home.htm

###

U.S. EPA News

Read More »

intoGardens – part App, part magazine – arrives on iPad

Posted by admin on October 4th, 2012

intoGardens, a new gardening magazine optimised for iPad, is now available on the App Store for iPad.

Aimed at the 3.8 million gardeners in the UK and millions more worldwide who actively pursue their passion online, intoGardens offers content from the best the gardening writing, designing and broadcasting community has to offer in a unique format which fully engages keen gardeners.

If you are interested in one of the plants you see in any of the stunning images shot by award-winning garden photographers, a simple tap will reveal more details about that variety. Once interest is piqued, intoGardens offers tap-to-buy functionality, allowing you to purchase the plant there and then, or alternatively save the image to a personalised online scrapbook allowing you to make notes and start building your very own digital reference library to provide continued inspiration throughout the year.

Book reviews include audio files of the author reading extracts whilst another section of the publication provides subscribers with informative ‘how to…’ videos featuring leading experts passing on fiercely practical gardening tips and advice on both ornamental and edible gardening. Reviews of gardens will team evocative writing with full screen photographs that exploit the superior images only possible with the new iPad’s Retina display.

Devised and developed by media and gardening experts, the team behind intoGardens includes internationally renowned garden designer, writer and presenter James Alexander-Sinclair, and Tiffany Daneff, an editor with over 15 years experience in gardening and lifestyle publications, including Daily Telegraph Gardening, Saga Magazine and Gardenlife Magazine.

“There is so much potential with this app,” explains Alexander-Sinclair. “intoGardens was about designing an iPad magazine rather than squeezing a magazine onto an iPad. Over time, I believe that intoGardens will make the iPad as indispensable a gardening tool as a pair of secateurs.”

The first issue includes contributions from multi award-winning designer Cleve West, presenter Joe Swift, award-winning writer and edible gardening expert Mark Diacono, broadcaster and columnist Nigel Colborn, writer and presenter Alys Fowler, author and food writer, Jean-Ann van Krevelen and artist Jason deCaires Taylor plus a host of award-winning photographers including Allan Pollok-Morris, Paul Debois, Jane Sebire and Jonathan Buckley.

The intoGardens App offers a free-to-download issue with a small sample of articles as well as the full issue which is available quarterly for £2.99 or as an annual subscription of just £9.99 from the App Store on iPad or itunes.

For more information including images, interviews and a free review copy of the first full issue please contact Dawn Isaac on 07870 640043 or [email protected] and to watch a demonstration video go to www.into-gardens.com or see it on Vimeo.
Custom Release Wire

Read More »

Minister takes part in cook-off to help reduce food waste in Newport

Posted by admin on October 1st, 2012

Professional chefs showed the Minister, Councillor Gail Giles and local residents how to make the most of the food that usually ends up in the bin. The chefs shared tips about portion sizes, meal planning, using leftovers, understanding date labels and storing food correctly so that it lasts longer.

The cook-off between the Minister and Councillor Giles took place at Mariner’s Green, Newport and forms part of the national Love Food Hate Waste tour. The tour, which draws to a close in early October, has travelled across Wales, from Anglesey to the Vale of Glamorgan, encouraging people to think about how they can reduce the amount of food they throw away.

The Environment Minister said,

“I am pleased to have taken part in the Love Food Hate Waste cooking demonstration tour which has shown people right across Wales how to waste less food and save money.

“Around 400,000 tonnes of food and drink are wasted by households in Wales each year. This is a huge amount, especially when you consider that most of it is, or was, perfectly good food that could have been eaten.

“The best thing we can do is to prevent food waste in the first place by planning meals and not cooking more than we need. However, some food waste – such as egg shells and vegetable peelings – is unavoidable and so all Welsh local authorities provide a kerbside food waste collection service, which covers nine out of ten households.”

Councillor Gail Giles, cabinet member for licensing and statutory functions, said:

“To have a healthier life and protect our environment we all need to love food and hate waste.

“One way to do this is to turn leftovers into new meals and there were plenty of imaginative and tasty ideas to try at the roadshow.

“Advice to visitors included portion control, meal planning, food storage and date labels – essential advice for everyone, and especially those on tight budgets, to ensure we are not throwing food away.”

Environment and countryside

Read More »

EPA Stops the Importation of Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins as Part of Settlement with INEOS (HQ, DE)

Posted by admin on August 22nd, 2012

 

Release Date: 08/22/2012
Contact Information: Stacy Kika (News Media Only), [email protected], 202-564-0906, 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with INEOS Chlor Americas, Inc., based in Wilmington, Del., to resolve violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). INEOS allegedly imported various chain-length chlorinated paraffins into the United States without providing the required notice to EPA. Under this settlement INEOS has ended the importation of short-chained chlorinated paraffins into the United States.

“EPA’s short-chained chlorinated paraffin action plan, part of the Administrator’s priority for Assuring the Safety of Chemicals, identified significant environmental risks for these chemicals,” said Cynthia Giles assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “With this settlement we have removed all known major sources of this chemical from the marketplace. We will continue to coordinate with US Customs and Border Protection to prevent future illegal importation of these chemicals.”

Short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), used as lubricants and coolants for metal working and as plasticizers and flame retardants in plastics, are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to aquatic life. Even relatively small releases of these chemicals from individual manufacturing, processing, or waste management facilities have the potential to accumulate over time to higher levels and have been detected in wildlife and humans.

INEOS has also agreed to provide the notices required by TSCA Section 5 to the EPA for any medium or long-chain chlorinated paraffin it wishes to import after the date of lodging of the decree. Submission of these notices by INEOS will enable EPA to identify and evaluate the health and environmental effects, exposures, releases, and risks posed by these chemical substances. If appropriate, EPA will initiate an action under TSCA section 5 to address any unreasonable risks posed by the chlorinated paraffins.

INEOS will pay a $ 175,000 civil penalty.

The proposed settlement, lodged in the U.S. District Court for Delaware, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.

More information about the settlement: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/tsca/ineoschlor.html

More information about EPA’s SCCP action plan: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/actionplans/sccps.html

U.S. EPA News

Read More »

Ecova Part of the ACEEE Champion of Energy Efficiency in Buildings Award-Winning Team

Posted by admin on August 15th, 2012

SPOKANE, Wash.–()–Ecova, a total energy and sustainability management company, today earned a prestigious ACEEE Champion of Energy Efficiency in Buildings Award as part of the California Investor Owned Utilities’ Statewide Codes and Standards Team (C&S Team) at the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Conference. The award recognizes the significant contributions made by the California Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) to the energy efficiency field during the past 14 years.

“California is considered the leader in energy efficient standards, and the work that Ecova’s Research and Policy Team is doing will help to ensure that the state continues to set the standard”

As part of the C&S Team, the Ecova Research and Policy Team supported the California IOUs in researching, developing, and initiating appliance standards for incandescent lamps, external power supplies, and battery chargers, among other measures. In total the C&S Team enabled approximately 80 new building code measures and 60 new appliance standards to be adopted in California. In addition, the Ecova team provided technical support to the California IOUs as part of the team effort to influence roughly 40 federal appliance standards or test procedure rulemakings.

Recently, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a groundbreaking energy efficiency standard that will reduce wasted energy by battery chargers commonly used to power cell phones, laptop computers, power tools and other devices. The savings are significant: nearly 2,200 gigawatt hours (GWh) each year, equivalent to the energy required to power nearly 350,000 homes or a city roughly the size of Bakersfield, CA. The energy savings will save customers more than $ 300 million annually and eliminate 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

The standard was made possible in part by the Ecova Research and Policy Team, which led the development of the small battery charger test procedure to support the standard, and acted as the California IOUs key technical consultant during the CEC rulemaking process. The Ecova Research and Policy Team authored the codes and standards enhancement report for this effort and acted as advocates on behalf of the California IOUs to take the research from idea to policy.

“California is considered the leader in energy efficient standards, and the work that Ecova’s Research and Policy Team is doing will help to ensure that the state continues to set the standard,” said Jeff Heggedahl, CEO, Ecova. “I’m incredibly proud of the work our team has done to help utilities and consumers realize significant energy savings. Our team is continually working to identify ways to drive energy savings – there are so many opportunities to help consumers and businesses save energy while benefiting the environment that I can’t wait to see what the team accomplishes next.”

The C&S Team comprises a group of committed individuals from the California IOUs (Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, and Southern California Gas Company) and their support consultants (currently Benningfield Group, Bruceri Associates, Ecova, EnergySoft, Energy Solutions, Gable Associates, Heschong Mahone Group, McHugh Energy Consultants and McLain ID).

A workshop kicked off the 2012 California effort for new appliance standards, and the California IOUs plan to continue their support to the California Energy Commission. The Ecova Research and Policy Team will continue to provide technical support to the California IOUs to drive energy savings. Ecova’s support focuses on set-top boxes, computers, and other plug loads and lighting topics.

About Ecova

Ecova is the total energy and sustainability management company whose sole purpose is to see more, save more, and sustain more for its clients. Using insights based on consumption, cost and carbon footprint data spanning thousands of utilities, hundreds of thousands of business sites and millions of households, Ecova provides fully managed, technology-optimized solutions for saving resources, which in turn increase returns, lower risks, and enhance reputations. Ecova is the largest non-regulated subsidiary of Avista Corp –(NYSE:AVA) and avistacorp.com. For more information, visit the company’s website at ecova.com, on LinkedIn at linkd.in/ecovainc, or follow Ecova on Twitter at @ecovainc.

About The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors.

Business Wire Environment News

Read More »
« Older Entries