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Today’s Stories:

U.S. Can Curb Global Warming and Lower Energy Costs

With the right policies in place, the United States could dramatically cut the heat-trapping emissions that cause global warming and, at the same time, lower energy costs in every region of the country, according to the findings of a two-year, peer-reviewed study by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

“We can protect the environment and Americans’ pocketbooks by adopting the right policies,” said UCS President Kevin Knobloch. “Our analysis shows we have the technology and the know-how to do this. What we now need is the political will.”

UCS found that implementing a cap on emissions with a suite of energy and transportation policies would trigger investments in efficiency improvements, renewable energy technologies, clean vehicles, better transportation choices, and low-carbon technologies and fuels. A copy of the report can be found here: “Climate 2030: A National Blueprint for a Clean Energy Economy”

Twenty-nine species in more than 20 states may need federal protections to avoid extinction, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The agency said Tuesday that 20 plants, six snails, two insects and a fish may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act but in-depth studies are needed first.

Among the 29 that federal officials said may need protection are the Yellowstone sand verbena, which only lives on the sandy beaches of Yellowstone Lake, several species of milkvetch in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, and a Midwestern mollusk called the Frigid Ambersnail.

Diane Katzenberger, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman in Denver, said each of the species will now get a detailed review, including identification of its range, distribution and threats. Federal officials will then decide whether each needs to be protected as a threatened or endangered species.

The Fish and Wildlife Service said several of the 29 species being considered for protection could be affected by climate change, including the meltwater lednian stonefly that’s only been found in Montana’s Glacier National Park. The loss of glaciers in the park by 2030 as predicted by some scientists could jeopardize the fly’s habitat, the agency said.

Aluminum Can Recycling Nears 55 Percent

Earth 911

The Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) released recycling figures for 2008 showing that 54.2 percent of aluminum cans were recycled in 2008, making it once again the most commonly recycled beverage container.
The only curbside recyclable with a higher recycling rate is steel, which is buoyed by strong numbers for car and construction material recycling, to put it over 65 percent. Both these metals can be recycled continuously and can be turned back into metal containers and other metal products.

The energy saved by recycling a single aluminum can can power the average TV for 4 hours. It takes 95 percent less energy to manufacture a new can using recycled aluminum.

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80,000 Students Can’t Be Wrong!

Our General Manager at WP 88.7fm has been doing this thing recently where he forgoes eating animals on Monday, dubbing it Meatless Mondays. Apparently he’s a trendsetter because according to Treehugger.com, students of the Baltimore City Public School System, all 80,000 of them, will be the first to participate in the Meatless Monday Program.

Tony Geraci, chairman of BCPS wants to lead the country in reconnecting our next generation with food cultivation and food preparation. The Baltimore City Public School System has even been working with local farmers to bring in local, fresh produce.

Cutting down on meat is not only healthy, but it reduces your ecological footprint as well.

In recognition of BCPS’ efforts, the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future presented the school system with its 2009 Award for Visionary Leadership in Local Food Procurement and Food Education.

Chamber of Commerce Members Dropping Like Flies

Apple is the latest company to resign, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!, from the United States Chamber of Commerce, according to the New York Times. “We strongly object to the chamber’s recent comments opposing the E.P.A.’s effort to limit greenhouse gases,” wrote Catherine A. Novelli, the vice president of worldwide government affairs at Apple, in a letter dated today and addressed to Thomas J. Donohue, president and chief executive of the chamber.

It seems that the Chamber of Commerce has been very naughty when it comes to the environment, threatening litigation if the Environmental Protection Agency moves forward with regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

And Apple isn’t the only one. Over the past several weeks, Pacific Gas & Electric, PNM Resources, Exelon, and even the shoe company Nike have pulled out of the chamber’s board over climate policy differences.

You know, back in school, if no one wanted to sit with you, that meant you were either too cool for school or the smelly kid in class. Looks to me like something is rotten in the Chamber of Commerce!

Obama Lays the Smack Down on Government Buildings

We couldn’t end the news without mentioning President Obama, making our job easier since 2009. His latest adventure in greendom? Energy-wasting government buildings.

Coming to us from the Huffington Post, President Obama signed an executive order last week directing all agencies to set the first-ever targets for reducing climate-altering pollution from government buildings, fleets and federal workers’ commutes.

The agencies will have 90 days to tell the White House how much they plan to measure and reduce greenhouse gases from buildings and vehicles by 2020. Targets for employees’ commutes and travel will be due June 2010.

This is actually a continuation of a previous executive order by former President George W. Bush who had the right idea for once but neglected to require agencies to set emissions targets.

President Obama said, “As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the federal government can and should lead by example when it comes to creating innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”