November 09, 2009

Coal combustion waste may be reclassified as a hazardous waste. That's a significant change from its current categorization as a solid waste, which has created a secondary market for the byproduct in recycling circles.

The investigations into coal ash have been ongoing but the pace has picked up over the last year after a retention wall broke, allowing 5.4 million yards of yuck to escape into the Tennessee Valley Authority's territories. So, after years of checking it out, the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is likely to act by year-end to reclassify it, noting that increasing evidence exists to suggest that coal ash adversely affects human health and the environment.

October 23, 2009

The gleaming, metallic gray Schwarze Pumpe coal-generating complex rises in eastern Germany, not far from the Polish border. At the facility, Vattenfall is now running one of the most advanced efforts in the world to capture carbon for long-term storage.

The project is relatively small in scope. A visitor can circle the equipment in a 5-minute stroll. But the national and economic stakes are huge. There is now a growing consensus that the future of the global economy, the energy sector and the environment will in large part depend on whether an affordable way can be found to capture and sequester carbon dioxide, which is created as coal is burned. At stake, some estimate, will be tens of trillions of dollars.

Sustainable San Mateo County, RecycleWorks, and the San Mateo County Chapter of the American Institute of Architects sponsor the Green Building Award to support sustainable design in architecture and to recognize the designers, builders, and owners of green buildings in San Mateo County. We are happy to announce the winners of the 2009 Green Building Awards.

 Architects and engineers draw plans and contractors build buildings, but neither really controls what goes on there. The power of the bank account puts the owner in control of every project. With constantly increasing energy costs, along with many other factors, more owners are investing in green buildings. A recent national survey of the commercial real estate sector revealed that nearly two-thirds of respondents allocated funds to green initiatives, while the majority said their sustainability investment would increase in 2008. While the future is definitely looking greener, it is important to take a brief look at how this green initiative started.

September 11, 2009

A new government study is likely to give the Obama administration more fire power when it comes to enacting tougher mercury emission controls. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey have found the toxic substance in every one of the 291 fish they analyzed with more than a quarter of those having dangerous contamination levels.

The survey, which has been underway for about 10 years and before the Obamas moved to Washington, has been released by the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it would consider enacting mandatory, drastic mercury cuts. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has started the regulatory process whereby mercury releases from some coal-fired power plants would have to be reduced by as much as 90 percent.