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On Wednesday EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson held a press call with top names in the electronics industry to announce a new strategy for responsible design, purchasing management and recycling for electronics.

The Obama Administration’s “National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship” will put more of a burden on the federal government to monitor the United States’ manufacturing of more efficient electronics and its handling of its mounting e-waste. As the world’s largest electronics consumer, the U.S. generates almost 2.5 million tons of used electronics annually.

Under the new strategy, the federal government will promote more sustainable electronics and direct federal agencies to buy, use, reuse and responsibly recycle their electronics.

Jackson noted one of the biggest components of the strategy is the exportation of defunct electronics – a prevalent problem she has personally witnessed while traveling abroad.

According to Jackson, exportation not only puts the receiving country in danger – as much of the e-waste is dumped in developing areas, leading to health issues – but it also takes away potential revenue from American recyclers that miss out on recovering rare earth metals and valuable plastics.

The responsible management of electronics provides an opportunity to create economic development and American jobs while strengthening relations abroad by adopting a more structured stewardship plan, which has reportedly been in the works for years.

Jackson said monitoring the domestic recycling of electronics will be the first step in bettering the country’s mounting e-waste issues. There are two existing domestic third-party certification recycling entities, R2 and E-Stewards. Along with Wednesday’s announcement, the EPA also signed a voluntary commitment with Dell Inc. CEO Michael Dell and Sprint CEO Dan Hesse to promote a U.S.-based electronics recycling market.

“A robust electronics recycling industry in America would create new opportunities to efficiently and
profitably address a growing pollution threat,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “The participation
of industry leaders like Dell, Sprint and Sony is absolutely essential to this effort, and will help ensure that the work of the federal government – the largest electronics consumer around – is protecting our people from pollution at the same time we support savings and job creation through e-cycling and re-use of valuable materials.”

But while the government will shift much of its attention on American recyclers, Jackson said quantifying just how much the U.S. is exporting overseas will be as equally important in promoting better e-cycling. She said the government plans on tapping into its longstanding relationships with other countries to achieve this “fundamental first step” in dealing with international waste issues.

The country’s e-waste battle is far from over, but the federal government’s much-anticipated move is big victory for the industry.

The average U.S. office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year, according to the EPA – that’s 4 million tons of copy paper annually.

But not all offices recycle, meaning that valuable recyclables like paper, cans and bottles end up in the landfill, instead of being made into new products.

If you’re an ardent recycler at home, there’s nothing worse than watching your co-workers toss paper and soda cans into the trash because your office doesn’t have a recycling program. But don’t get discouraged; following our step-by-step guide, you can set up an office recycling program that can both conserve the planet’s resources and save your organization money.

1. Get management buy-in

You can’t have a successful recycling program if the higher-ups aren’t on board.

To get the support of company management, explain the many benefits that recycling can offer your organization: It can save money by reducing garbage bills, give your company a marketing edge as a “green business” and boost employee morale (employees are happier when they feel they are working at a company that “does the right thing”).

2. Appoint a recycling coordinator

Your office’s new recycling program will need a leader – or recycling coordinator – to see the initiative through – from start to implementation.

As an employee who is enthusiastic about recycling, you can serve as the recycling coordinator, or you and a team of interested co-workers can work together to set up the program. Or it may make sense for the person already responsible for overseeing the custodial or garbage contracts to add the recycling program to their list of job duties.

3. Audit your waste

To determine what types of materials you’ll want to include in the recycling program, you’ll need to conduct a waste audit – but don’t worry; that doesn’t mean you’ll have to dig through your gross, stinky garbage.

You can perform a visual waste assessment: Walk through different areas of your office – copy rooms, break rooms, conference rooms and loading docks – and observe the different kinds of waste materials generated. You’ll probably see paper, cardboard, cans and bottles, but you may also see pallets, packaging peanuts or electronic waste.

PHOTOS: See the Coolest Office Space Ever

4. Plan collection

Once you’ve figured out the types of waste materials your office produces, you’ll need to see what can and can’t be recycled through local waste management companies.

Ask the company that picks up your office’s garbage if it also provides recycling collection services. If your waste hauler does not handle recyclables, search Earth911’s recycling directory or a phone book for local recycling companies. You can also contact your city to see if it has a recycling coordinator on staff who can help you find outlets for your recyclables.

Once you’ve chosen one or more recycling companies, order outdoor recycling bins from the companies and plan your pick-up schedule.

5. Start small

Start your new recycling initiative with a pilot program, collecting only one or two recyclables. Focus first on materials that your office generates in large quantities and are easy to recycle locally like paper or cardboard.

Once your program is up and running smoothly, you can include more recyclables like cans and bottles; eventually, you can set up a collection system for special materials produced occasionally like electronic waste or batteries. Adding one recyclable at a time allows you to troubleshoot any challenges that arise with the new program – problems with custodians, recycling companies, employee education or otherwise.

6. Set up the infrastructure

Place recycling bins whenever recyclables are generated: at each work station and break room and next to printers and copiers. A good “rule of thumb” for setting out recycling bins is that every garbage can should have a recycling bin next to it. Check to see if your city or recycling company provides indoor recycling bins for free or at discounted rates.

Make sure to clearly label bins, identifying what kinds of materials can and can’t go in the containers: copy paper and newspaper are accepted, but not tissue paper or paper towels, for example. Consider adding pictures to your signage to make the instructions easier to understand and more eye-catching.

Next, you’ll need to decide who will collect the recyclables and empty them into the outdoor recycling containers for pick-up. If you’ll be assigning custodians with this task, make sure to train them on the new collection procedures – whether they are on-staff custodians or a contracted janitorial company.

7. Educate your co-workers

Now that the bins are in place and the collection schedule is finalized, it’s time to spread the word about the recycling program to your co-workers.

To show that your organization’s executive leadership supports the program, a high-level manager should send a company-wide email to announce the program’s launch. Managers should also introduce the new program during staff meetings (perhaps screening the hilarious office recycling video above).

When you distribute recycling bins for each employee’s work station, take a minute to explain the new recycling program to him or her.

In addition to the labels on the recycling bins themselves, post flyers promoting the recycling program on bulletin boards, in break rooms and over copiers and printers.

You can also include information about the recycling program in orientation programs for new employees, in company newsletters and on the company’s internal website.

8. Monitor the program

Congratulations – you have successfully set up a recycling program for your office! But you can’t just sit back and relax; you’ll want to monitor the program to make sure it’s running smoothly.

Every few months, conduct another visual assessment to see if staff is tossing recyclables into the garbage or vice-versa. Ask your garbage and recycling companies to provide you with tonnage or volume reports to show you how much material your office has been sending off for recycling and garbage.

You can also solicit input from co-workers about how to improve the program by conducting an online survey.

While it’s important to resolve any problems that arise, don’t forget to publicize your successes – touting money saved and pounds recycled on the company’s website, in newsletters and at staff meetings.

9. Go beyond recycling

Once your office has its recycling program down pat, think about ways your organization can actually prevent waste in the first place: printing on both sides of the paper, encouraging “paperless” electronic memos or reports, purchasing office supplies in bulk and buying recycled-content produc

Written by Melissa Hincha-Ownby, MNN

The Newsweek 2011 Green Rankings recognize the greenest companies in the United States and the world. Newsweek’s data, which was obtained through a partnership with Trucost and Sustainalytics, focused on each company’s environmental footprint, environmental-related management policies and the company’s disclosure and reporting practices. Companies receive a score in each category and then an overall green score is assigned. This score determines the final rankings.

This year, IBM takes the top spot in the U.S. Companies – Green Rankings 2011 list with an overall score of 82.5. The Newsweek synopsis of IBM’s score includes a nod to the company’s 40-year history of progressive environmental policies.

“In 1971, IBM formalized a policy that was designed to put the company on the environmental forefront in all of its business activities. And in the intervening 40 years, many of the company’s initiatives have truly been ahead of their time. For instance, IBM developed requirements for secondary containment for underground storage tanks in 1979, while the EPA waited until 1985 to create the Office of Underground Storage Tanks, which was designed to develop regulatory programs for such tanks.” Source: The Daily Beast

IBM is just one of six technology-related companies featured in the domestic list this year. Other tech companies that have received recognition for their environmental stewardship include Hewlett-Packard (#2), Dell (#5), Accenture (#7), CA Technologies (#9) and Nvidia (#10).

While tech companies performed well in the national list, only three tech companies made the global top 10 list. IBM’s green policies earned the company the number two spot on the global green rankings list. The other two tech firms on the global list are both based in India — Tata Consultancy Services (#7) and Infosys (#8).

Germany-based financial firm Munich Re was named the greenest company in the world in the Global Green Rankings 2011 list with a green score of 83.6. IBM was number two (82.5) and National Australia Bank came in just behind IBM with a score of 82.2.

Looking at the global rankings list is slightly depressing. Only five of the top 25 companies are based in the United States: IBM (#2), Hewlett-Packard (#15), Sprint Nextel (#16), Baxter (#24) and Dell (#25). The lack of domestic representation on the global list was mentioned in the Newsweek overview of this year’s rankings. “The Newsweek rankings suggest that the U.S. is trailing other parts of the world in the sustainability arena.” Newsweek cites strong environmental regulations in Europe as one possible cause for this disparity.

Unfortunately, environmental regulations are being met with strong resistance by Congress. When you combine this resistance with the economic crisis and the political games being played in advance of next year’s elections, it paints a grim future for the state of green business here in the U.S. While it would be nice to see more representation by U.S. companies in the 2012 global list, I’m not very optimistic.

Until the U.S. catches up with Europe in the environmental regulations arena, I would like to congratulate the companies that have earned top honors in the Newsweek 2011 Green Rankings. Taking steps to reduce your company’s environmental footprint despite an official mandate is commendable, and other companies should follow your lead.

http://fortsmithchamber.org/waste_referral
Check out the above link @ the Fort Smith chamber of Commerce website to dispose of unneeded or unwanted items at your business.

Candy Wrappers
Plastic-coated candy wrappers have long been a recycling dilemma because of their size, weight and lack of valuable, post-life material. But even though they’re tiny in size, they’re everywhere. In fact, Americans consumed 23.8 pounds of candy per capita in 2008 alone.

We are also big fans of the upcycling geniuses at TerraCycle, who collect hard-to-recycle items to create products ranging from book bags to fire logs.

The company has partnered with Mars to collect wrappers through its Candy Wrapper Brigade, a free program that pays nonprofits to help collect candy wrappers. For each wrapper collected, Mars and TerraCycle will donate 2 cents to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Latex Paint
David Ramirez, Household Hazardous Waste Technician for Gilbert, Ariz., says the best thing to do is bring the paint into an HHW facility or to an event. “We want to get it in the doors so we can determine if it’s usable or not and take away all those other dangers.”

The Gilbert facility recycles latex paint once it’s been determined that it can be reused. “We have three 55-gallon drums,” Ramirez says. “Two we use for all shades of brown, and the last one is for anything that isn’t brown, which usually makes gray.”

They pour the paint through screens into the correct drums and once the drum is full, the paint is pared down into five-gallon buckets that residents, organizations or the city can take for reuse. They even scrap extra paint out of the original paint cans so they can be recycled as scrap metal.

Bioplastic

Bioplastics are biopolymers, derived from renewable biomass sources such as corn starch or vegetable oil. Polyactic acid (PLA) is one form of bioplastic, produced from glucose.

Bio-based plastics are often touted as “biodegradable.” But this term has several stipulations behind it. While these products may in fact have components that are capable of degrading, this process only occurs under specific conditions and biodegradable plastics cannot be composted in a backyard compost pile. Because the material requires very high heat, these plastics can only degrade in a commercial composting facility.

Plastic #7

Recycling plastics 1-6 is usually pretty straightforward, as each category correlates with a specific resin. But plastic #7 is literally the “catch-all” category. Dubbed as “Other,” plastic #7 includes those resins that do not fit into categories 1-6, including most bioplastics.

Recycling programs for the “other” category vary greatly by location. Since it is such a broad category, many curbside programs will not accept plastic #7 at all. However recycling programs are changing collection guidelines, throwing out resin codes and accepting materials based on product.

Medication

Your medication’s label will denote if it can be safely flushed. If it does not, check the FDA’s website for a list of flushable medications and the substances that can contaminate waterways.

If your medication cannot be flushed, contact your city or county government’s household trash and recycling service to check if your community offers drug take-back programs or other household hazardous waste programs that may accept the substance.

Pizza Boxes

Many people assume that pizza boxes are recyclable. In fact, most boxes have recycling symbols on them and are traditionally made from corrugated cardboard. They are, in and of themselves, recyclable.

However, what makes parts of them non-recyclable is the grease and cheese from pizza that soil the cardboard. Pizza boxes that are tarnished with food, or any paper product that is stained with grease or food, are not recyclable – unless you remove the tainted portions.

Tires

Many retailers that sell tires will accept a limited number when you make a purchase. If you’re in the market for new tires, be sure to ask if recycling your old ones is an option.

Your state may also have a waste tire plan, which would be headed by your state environmental department. Many states require recyclers to file for a permit to accept tires, so they will also know of locations that accept tires for recycling.

Plastic #5

Plastic #5 includes yogurt cups, hummus tubs or cottage cheese containers. Medicine bottles and some microwave-safe take-out containers, are typically made from plastic #5, or polypropylene. This type of plastic is lightweight, yet durable and can withstand high temperatures, moisture and oil, making it ideal for food and other containers.

If your community doesn’t have curbside #5 recycling, or there aren’t plastic #5 recyclers near you, here are two programs that can help: Preserve Gimme 5 and Aveda.

Batteries

Many battery retailers will accept them for recycling. This includes both automotive and household batteries. You can also find mail-in programs that allow you to collect batteries over time and send them in all at once. You’ll want to properly prepare batteries prior to recycling, otherwise they could explode during shipping.

Once batteries are collected, any acids are drained for reuse, metals are reprocessed for recycling into new products and plastic casings are melted down and recycled into new plastics.

Expanded Polystyrene

It’s in our to-go boxes, our packing supplies, even in our fertilizer. Plastic #6 (also called polystyrene) is undoubtedly a pretty common material, as well as one of those mystery plastics that’s often hard to recycle due to its light weight.

While most curbside programs do not accept plastic #6 or EPS, there are several community programs that will recycle the material. A simple search on Earth911.com will pull up recyclers in your specific area. If there are no programs that fit your specific needs or are near your location, AFPR offers a mail-in program for consumers. Average shipping fees range from $1.50 to $9, based on the total packaging weight and volume.

Amanda Wills

Amanda Wills is the Managing Editor of Earth911.com. You can follow her on Twitter @AmandaWills.

Whether you approach spring cleaning with dread or a sense of positivity is entirely up to you, but either way, it has to get done. With a bit of preparation, the right tools, a good attitude and some information, you can zip through your cleaning quickly and feel great about it afterward.
Prepping for spring cleaning

Materials to have on hand: Clothing to cover skin, gloves, bucket of soapy water, trash bags, recycling bin, pencil and paper for notes

When undertaking a dirty and demanding chore like cleaning the understory of your home, have what you need before you start. There’s nothing worse than getting covered in dust only to realize that you forgot something at the store.

Set aside a long-sleeved shirt and pants that will cover your skin and that you don’t mind getting dirty. Sometimes there can be toxic stuff in a basement or garage (there’s some in mine left by previous owners), and it’s easier to clean clothes than one’s skin of paint, glue or random unidentifiable dripping materials circa 1997. I always put my hair back and cover it too, as my basement is very dusty and sometimes hair can get caught when moving things around awkward spaces.

Make sure you have a set of good thick gloves (plastic kitchen gloves or something nonpermeable is best) to deal with materials that may irritate skin. Keep a bucket of warm soapy water and plenty of rags on hand. Be sure to have trash bags (especially if you expect a lot of trash) and a couple boxes for recyclables of various kinds. Lastly, keep a paper and pencil handy to make a list of items you might need to refresh, repair or otherwise remind yourself to deal with later.
Getting started

Rule: If you pick it up, you have to find a place for it.

It can be daunting when you first walk down the stairs and see the mess and jumble of useful stuff and what you know is garbage. The best way to begin is to pick the furthest corner from the door and work in a grid or quadrangle, if your basement is relatively square.

Try to avoid walking from one area to another picking up random stuff. Make it a rule that when you pick something up, you don’t put it down until it’s in an appropriate pile, put away where it belongs or in the trash/recycling.
Sorting and tossing

Create categories: garbage, recycling, keep, sell/give away

As you pick up each item in the grid or quadrangle you are working in, ask yourself if you can put it in one of four categories: garbage, recycling, keep, sell/give away. Force yourself into choosing one of the four categories for each item.

For items you are keeping, try to group items that are used together in one area of the basement. For example, pots, cloth gloves, rakes and seeds should all be together in a gardening section. Paint brushes, caulk, paint, trim and your toolbox can all go together as they are most often used for minor home improvement projects.

Use available wall space to hang things so they are within reach, and any unused bookshelves or tables can be repurposed to display categories of things so you don’t have to dig through boxes; camping equipment or winter sports gear is easier to get to if you can see just what you need.

Dispose of items that are broken and can’t be fixed, or are too old to be of use to anyone. Donate items that are usable, and be sure they are relatively free of dust and dirt (basements can be musty) before doing so.

Old electronics
Otherwise known as e-waste, defunct electronics can be one of the more confusing things to know what to do with. This includes old TVs, computer monitors and CPUs, phones, cords and peripherals. They contain some very toxic components, so DO NOT throw them in the regular trash. Many retailers will accept e-waste for recycling, including Circuit City, Best Buy and Staples, and if you have an old Apple, Dell, Sony, or HP product, they will all accept their old stuff for proper disposal. All types of batteries can be recycled through Call2Recycle.

Paint
Paint is another common material that can – and should – be recycled, since it is made from toxic materials. Many people still think pouring paint down the drain is OK, but the combination of chemicals that holds color for years and enables one to clean it with a cloth can wreak havoc on water health – paint becomes part of the water supply if it is poured down the drain and will end up in your local lake, river or sea. Read more about recycling paint.

Lumber and wood
Lumber and wood are commonly found in basements, piling up after new shelves are installed or getting pulled out when improvements are made. It seems like wood is recyclable, since it’s easy to do so with paper…but it’s not. It has to be reused. Some ideas include donating it to a local high school that has a shop class, or to Habitat for Humanity (locate one in your area here) to help reduce their buying costs for new lumber. There are also home construction waste recycling companies popping up across the country.

Recreational equipment
Used sneakers can be recycled through Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program, and polyester fleece jackets, blankets and pants can be sent or brought to a Patagonia store for recycling through its Common Threads program. Old skis and snowboards can be made into benches or shelves (remove the bindings first) or donated for other rad reuse ideas like this one.

Toilets and other fixtures
Bathroom fixtures and porcelain get put in the basement when new ones are installed (hopefully low-flow, water saving options!), and most dumps won’t accept toilets. What to do if your contractor has left the old one behind? This is one that really depends on your community. There are some companies out there that grind porcelain and glass up and make fill, paving or other materials (like CPRC in Maine). In Virginia, old toilets are used to create homes for oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.

by Starre Vartan

Starre Vartan is the author of "The Eco Chick Guide to Life" and publisher of Eco-Chick.com. She has written for a number of online and print publications.

5 Ways to Be a Better Recycler

by Jennifer Berry
Published on February 21st, 2011

Do you have your home recycling straightened out? There may be new rules you missed.

We’ve got good news, and we’ve got bad news.

The good news is that Americans are doing a better job recycling, at least when it comes to one particular type of materials: plastics.

According to a recently released report on non-bottle plastic recycling rates for 2009 by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), “A minimum of 479 million pounds of post-consumer non-bottle rigid plastic was recovered in 2009.”

This figure represents an increase of 33 percent over 2008, which is a significant jump. Huzzah!

Now, the bad news: You can’t get complacent. This report only covers one aspect of the recycling spectrum, and there’s still a great deal more that could be done to boost overall rates around the country.

So, what’s a well-meaning recycler to do? Here are our top five tips to make sure you’re a pro in no time flat.

1. Revisit Local Rules

The past few years have been tough on the recycling industry, and some local communities saw changes in the way they recycle. “We’re starting to see more and more single-stream recycling programs across the country,” says Melissa Quillard, communications manager for Waste Management of Arizona.

So, to make sure you’re taking care of the “low hanging fruit” in this improvement scenario, take a look at how your community works and make sure you’re still up to speed. Try visiting your town or city website for information on what is being collected. This may seem rather simple, but even Earth911 staffers have been known to mess up their recycling – and we’re the experts here.

The point: Even know-it-alls like us get things wrong, so be sure to double-check your own practices at home.

2. Know Your Codes

Some types of materials, like plastic, take a little extra examination before you toss them into the bin. As we learned from the epic example of recycling pizza boxes, contamination in the recycling stream is a big problem.

If your community collects plastics with rules that use wording such as “all containers and tubs,” then you may have lucked out on this tip. But, if you use a recycling program that has guides that read closer to “#1 and #2 plastic, no bags or film,” you’ll probably have to keep an eye out. This holds especially true with children (or roommates!), who might not know how to tell the difference.
Find your local recycling solution
for plastic bottles

The point: It’s not just enough to know the rules – you’ve got to get down to the nitty gritty.
wine corks in a jar

Take your recycling beyond the bin. The ReCork program at Whole Foods is a good place to start.

3. Get Off the Curb

You’ve probably mastered your curbside pickup collection, but what about the rest of the waste your home generates? No doubt there are items like electronics, wine corks, plastic containers, CDs, candy wrappers and the like that could actually be recycled if you just did a bit of homework.

The ACC report notes that “There is a growing trend of manufacturing companies creating community collection programs for their own products or to amass a specific resin that isn’t contaminated by the curbside stream.”

Try a search on Earth911 for something unusual (CFLs, construction debris, Tyvek envelopes, etc.), and see what’s available either in your area or through a mail-back program.

The point: Pros take a look at their waste and find new ways to recycle it outside the home.

4. Buy Recycled

Buying power makes the world go ’round, and consumers’ decisions to purchase products made with recycled materials ensure continued demand for recycling.

“One of the great things about recycling is the end-use innovation that it has sparked, a whole new industry is starting,” Quillard tells Earth911. “I have detergent whose container is made with recycled content, I have toilet paper made with recycled content, paper towels, tissues, basic household items.”

If you pay attention to the labels on the products you buy, you should be able to tell if the packaging or product itself is made with recycled materials. Continue the work you’re already doing at the curb by aiming to purchase those same materials in a new life. Look around the next time you’re at the store for how you can “vote” for recycled products with your all-mighty dollar.

The point: Buying recycled products keeps the cycle of reuse in motion.
Greenopolis machine

New reverse vending machines reward you for recycling everyday items. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

5. Make Some Money

So you’ve mastered the simple steps above. Why not get a little extra in your pocket for your good deeds?

Programs that reward you for recycling are springing up around the country. Greenopolis gives you points for using its kiosks that you can redeem for items like movie tickets and members-only shopping. The ecoATM or Gazelle.com can give you money for your electronics that are outdated but in working condition.

Curbside programs that pay out are also on the rise. RecycleBank rewards homeowners with points that can be cashed in with hundreds of retailers. Quillard even gave Earth911 a hint that Waste Management has plans to start its own community-based recycling rewards system.

If you don’t have a curbside program that could earn you credit for your good works, ask for one. “Because its the consumer advocates that will help get programs like these put in place,” Quillard advises.

The point: Why not get rewarded for doing the right thing?

Politics and Environment: What to Expect in 2011

by Ryan Huffman

President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Jan. 25, 2011 in which he very briefly discussed his environmental goals for 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama spent about four minutes of his Jan. 25 State of the Union address discussing conversion to a clean energy economy as a key component of “winning the future.”

“We’re issuing a challenge,” Obama said. “We’re telling America’s scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we’ll fund the Apollo projects of our time.”

But a shift to business-centric language and a thinning stable of political allies has left some environmentalists to wonder whether there is hope for the President to achieve his ambitious environmental agenda.

Obama’s call to expand America’s use of renewable energy will generate significant debate, but it is just one of many environmental issues that will dominate Washington in the coming year. Here’s a rundown of key environmental action that politicos will be keeping their eyes on in 2011:
President Obama’s renewable energy goals

President Obama used his State of the Union address to unveil his plan to spur a still-struggling American economy through innovation and technological advancement.

During his State of the Union address, Obama laid out two specific goals he wants America to achieve as part of his plan to transition America to renewable sources of energy: being the first country to have one million electric cars on the road by 2015, and requiring 80 percent of America’s energy to come from renewable sources by 2035. Achieving the latter goal would mean roughly doubling the current percentage of American energy that comes from renewable sources.

“Is it ambitious? Yes,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said at a Town Hall meeting on Jan. 26. “Is it over-the-top, we can’t achieve that? No. We think we can achieve that.”

The President already has one key ally on Capitol Hill: Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), chair of the important Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Bingaman said he is already working with the White House on legislation to set a renewable energy standard, which he hopes will find broad appeal in the Senate.

“I plan to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the Committee to determine how we can craft a workable legislative proposal to achieve what the President has set out as his goal,” Bingaman said.

But even so, the plan is not without its detractors. Smaller-government proponents have already voiced concern over what they perceive as a new government mandate, and Obama’s suggestion to pay for clean energy incentives by removing tax breaks for oil companies is not likely to sit well with free market enthusiasts.

As for the President’s other goal – to place one million electric vehicles on America’s roads by 2015 – the administration appears to be taking the approach that the goal can be achieved solely through shrewd use of Department of Energy funds.

“Where does the technology have to go in order to be picked up by the private sector… and how can the Department of Energy help accelerate that path and make our industries more competitive?” Chu said. “We are always looking for how any precious dollars we are given by Congress, how those precious dollars can be used in the most leveraged sort of way.”

Regulation of Greenhouse Gases

Notably absent from the President’s State of the Union address were the phrases “global warming” and “climate change.” Obama briefly mentioned that embracing renewable energy would “protect the planet,” but otherwise his pitch remained focused on its economic benefits.

This marks a shift in the energy agenda of the Obama administration, which spent much of the last Congress lobbying for a comprehensive bill to tackle climate change. Chu said in a Feb. 4 conference call that he does not think there is much hope for such a bill to be passed in the new Congress.

“In the next two years, I think the prospects of getting comprehensive climate legislation – a cap on carbon, a price on carbon – is probably not in the cards,” he said.

The administration seems content to focus on clean energy innovation, while letting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulate carbon emissions under the authority of the Clean Air Act. Republicans and Democrats alike scoffed at the EPA’s move, which requires large polluters to buy permits for the greenhouse gasses they emit into the atmosphere.

On Feb. 2, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) released draft legislation that would permanently strip the EPA of its authority to regulate these gasses. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced similar legislation in January that would suspend the EPA’s authority for two years.

“[My bill will] suspend the EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations for two years, in order to give the Congress – not unelected bureaucrats at the EPA – the time that’s needed to set our national energy policy and tackle emissions without killing jobs,” Rockefeller said in a press release on Jan. 6.

Rockefeller was one of several Democrats who were hesitant to sign on to cap-and-trade legislation in the last Congress, citing his fears that it could devastate West Virginia’s coal-based economy. With other Democrats fearing how such a bill could affect American competitiveness, and climate skepticism becoming more and more popular among Republicans, hope for such a bill looks bleak.

However, Bingaman said he plans to re-introduce a bipartisan energy bill that passed out of his committee in 2009 but was never voted on in the full Senate. With indications that Obama is shifting his priorities, a smaller-scale energy bill like Bingaman’s will likely get a much closer look this year.
New Policies on Off-Shore Oil Drilling

The National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill released its final report on Jan. 11, and several legislators are already proposing legislation to implement the report’s recommendations. Reps. Ed Markey (D-MA), Henry Waxman (D-CA) and George Miller (D-CA) introduced a bill last week that would implement many of the bill’s recommendations, and Sen. Bingaman plans to introduce similar legislation.

“One of the important lessons learned from the National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill is that, in the long run, no one – least of all the regulated industry – benefits from inadequate regulation and underfunded regulators,” Bingaman said.

Bingaman passed a bill out of his committee last year that would have put in place restrictions on oil drilling, but it was never voted on. While many legislators are reluctant to impose harsher regulation on offshore oil drilling, the public backlash from last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill yields hope that a compromise can be reached.

“I hope that we can repeat our bipartisan success of the last Congress in developing a bill that recognizes our need to develop the rich resources of the Outer Continental Shelf, but also minimize the potential impacts of developing those resources on the marine and coastal environment and on human health and safety,” Bingaman said. “This is important work that needs to be completed.”

The enormous Christmas tree that lights up Rockefeller Center each year is one of the most iconic visuals of the holiday season.

The 74-foot-tall Norway Spruce in Rockefeller Center will be recycled in partnership with Habitat For Humanity. Photo: Amanda Wills, Earth911

But one has to wonder about the tree’s story. Where did it come from, and what will happen to it after the holiday season has come and gone?

This year’s tree is a 74-foot-tall Norway Spruce donated by the Acton family from Mahopac, N.Y. It’s approximately 75 years old and weighs about 12 tons. The tree sheds its light over downtown Manhattan from Nov.30 through Jan. 7, and millions of locals and tourists flock to Rockefeller Plaza to share in the awe striking holiday cheer.

While standard treecycling may not be a viable option for the holiday giant, this king-sized cheer-giver will still be recycled after the season.
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for Christmas trees

Since adopting a more eco-friendly model in 2007, Rockefeller Center has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to reclaim their trees’ wood for building materials.

Lumber from the first tree was used to build a Habitat house in Mississippi for a family who lost their home after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Wood from the following trees helped to construct multifamily condominium complexes in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Stanford, Conn.

In addition to recycling the wood from the gigantic tree, Rockefeller Center has taken drastic steps to make its festive lighting more earth-friendly, too.

The tree is typically lit with five miles of lighting, and as you can imagine, all those lights use up a huge amount of energy. But since 2007, the tree has been lit exclusively with LED lights, which draw a fraction of the power traditionally required by the tree.

By switching to eco-friendly lighting, Rockefeller Center has managed to decrease the tree’s daily energy consumption from a massive 3,510 kwH per day to a significantly-less massive 1,297 kwH per day. Hundreds of solar panels atop one of the Rockefeller buildings help power the new LEDs, making daily operation of the tree more energy efficient than ever before.

by Mary Mazzoni
Published on December 28th, 2010