Author Archives: Laura B.

About Laura B.

Laura L. Barnes is a librarian at the Prairie Research Institute Library, embedded at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, and writes for Environmental News Bits.

Recent GAO reports of interest

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Laura B.

Climate Change Issues:  Options for Addressing Challenges to Carbon Offset Quality.  GAO-11-345, February 15. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-345 Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d11345high.pdf Recovery Act:  Status of Department of Energy’s Obligations and Spending, by Franklin Rusco, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Publications | Leave a comment

EPA Issues Extension to Greenhouse Gas Reporting Deadline

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Laura B.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final rule that extends the deadline for reporting 2010 data under the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Program to September 30, 2011.  The original deadline was March 31, 2011. EPA previously announced its … Continue reading →

Posted in Air, Climate Change, Regulation | Leave a comment

A New Process Cleanly Extracts Oil from Tar Sands and Fouled Beaches

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full story from Penn State University. An environmentally friendlier method of separating oil from tar sands has been developed by a team of researchers at Penn State. This method, which utilizes ionic liquids to separate the heavy viscous … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Remediation, Research | Leave a comment

Webinar: P2 Greenhouse Gas and Cost Savings Tools

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Laura B.

Wed, Mar 30, 2011 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CDT Register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/366263678 Natalie Hummel and Kathy Davey of EPA will present an overview of the P2 Greenhouse Gas and Cost Savings Tools along with examples of how specific P2 … Continue reading →

Posted in Meetings & Webinars, P2Rx, Pollution Prevention | Leave a comment

DOE Webcast April 7: Utility Energy Service Contracts and Energy Project Incentive Funds

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Laura B.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) will present a webcast on Utility Energy Service Contracts and Energy Project Incentive Funds on Thursday, April 7, 2011. Presenters Julia Kelly of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Phil Coleman … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Funding Opportunities, Meetings & Webinars | Leave a comment

Weighing the Value of Green Outcomes

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full story in Governing. Even a decade later, I still recall a conversation I had as the mayor of Indianapolis with a regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official about the challenges of dealing with combined sewer overflows (CSO). … Continue reading →

Posted in Green Government | Leave a comment

Pennycress energy crop developments show real progress

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full story in Biodiesel Magazine. As a dedicated energy crop, some might describe field pennycress as that old, clichéd saying, “too good to be true,” but companies such as Arvens Technology and Alion Science and Technology assert they … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels | Leave a comment

USDA seeks applications for renewable energy funding

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full story in Biodiesel Magazine. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on March 14 that USDA is seeking applications to increase the production and use of renewable energy sources. Funding is available from three USDA Rural Development renewable energy … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Funding Opportunities | Leave a comment

Legislation would alter biodiesel tax credit

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full story in Biodiesel Magazine. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Tim Johnson, D-S.D., introduced the Securing America’s Future with Energy and Sustainable Technologies Act March 10. According to information released by Klobuchar’s office, the bill, known as … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Policy | Leave a comment

What If Every Environmentalist is Actually Wrong?

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full post at Treehugger. When I asked whether organic eggs taste the same as regular eggs, commenter Grouch kindly noted how important it is to be constantly “examining and testing one’s assumptions and beliefs”. Others, however, seem to … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior change, Green Lifestyle | Leave a comment