Earth Day is Fast Approaching!
April 22 is Earth Day, a day intended for reflection on the immeasurable value and beauty of the Earth’s diverse ecosystems and natural environment. To catalyze global activities on the issue, Earth Day Network (EDN) developed its “A Billion Acts of Green” campaign as the theme for Earth Day 2011, and is continuing it for Earth Day 2012. From switching off a light to planting a tree, each “act of green” by groups or individuals brings us closer to a more sustainable future.
World Water Day
Today is World Water Day, and this year’s theme is Water and Food Security: The World is Thirsty Because We are Hungry. In honor of this, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will announce a new U.S. water public-private partnership (USWP) that will share U.S. knowledge, leverage and mobilize resources, and facilitate cross-sector partnerships to find solutions to global water accessibility challenges in the developing world. Watch her remarks here. Read more 
UK/US State Visit; Obama Energy Agenda; America Doubles Renewable Energy Capacity; Wind up 27%; Nevada Solar; Ohio’s Green Button; New China Tariff
Broadly covered by news outlets last week, President Obama hosted Prime Minister Cameron for a state visit to Washington, DC. During the joint press conference, the President praised US/UK efforts toward improving maternal health and preventable deaths of children in Africa, and the increased support for the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Today is World Water Day. March 24 is World TB Day.
I will post separate blog entries describing U.S. and partner country efforts in both of these efforts. Covered in this week’s U.S. government news are the President’s campaign for an All-of-the-Above energy strategy and a progress report from six federal agencies showing significant gains in U.S. renewable and clean energy over the last three years. President Obama visited four states to showcase such energy efforts, and the U.S. Energy Information Agency’s (USEIA) opened a web portal showing state renewable energy portfolios. I provide specific examples from Wisconsin and Oregon of initiatives at the state and local level. Finally, there is a discussion of a new tariff on Chinese solar panels, Energy Star’s twenty year anniversary, a bacteria-engineered source for biofuel, scientific efforts to locate dark matter in space, and a light-hearted video showing how the White House prepared the Prime Minister’s state dinner.
All-of-the-Above Approach to Energy. The White House released a new energy agenda for gasoline in America. It reduces America’s dependence on foreign oil and increases fuel efficiency standards for light trucks and passenger vehicles. In his weekly video address, the President called for continued investment in new clean energy technologies. “We’ve got to develop every source of American energy,” said the President, “not just oil and gas, but wind power and solar power, nuclear power, biofuels.” Watch the address below. Read more
UK/US Space Weather Collaboration; $1 Billion Clean Vehicle Challenge; 2012 Energy Innovation Summit; Cal, Wisc, Okla Initiatives; Other U.S. Gov’t News
As many media outlets have begun reporting on an upswing in solar flares striking the Earth’s magnetic field possibly causing damage to global communications and electric grids, I begin this week by highlighting US/UK collaboration on space weather. You will also find highlights on a Senate bill that if passed would create a national clean energy standard, a $1 billion White House program to spur deployment of clean vehicles to local communities, and an Energy Department Electric Vehicle challenge. There is a video of Energy Secretary Chu having a fireside chat with Bill Gates during the 2012 Energy Innovation Summit, and examples of new clean technology start-ups in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and California. I finish with ozone pollution research, wildlife and wetland preservation efforts, U.S. collaboration with Mexico and the Caribbean on hurricane preparedness, and a new USAID/OXFAM partnership seeking to empower women on health issues.
All-of-the-Above Approach to American Energy; $44 Million for Nat Gas & Biofuels; Going Green in North Carolina & Massachusetts; Other U.S. Gov’t News
This week’s summary of U.S. government news starts with President Obama’s “All-of-the-Above Approach to American Energy,” which stresses America’s need to wane itself off foreign energy and shift to renewable sources. The plan involves in part increased research and development on natural gas and biofuels, investment on new nuclear power, and continued efforts at improving energy efficiency. As examples, I note two recent success stories in North Carolina and Massachusetts. There are also summaries of new programs to improve water in the Middle East, the economic gains from America’s national parks, a report showing minimal fallout within the U.S. from Fukushima, and NASA’s latest satellite, which will monitor the Earth’s ozone layer.
U.S. Announces “Coalition Against Climate Change”; $2.4 Billion CCS Plant; New Nuclear Reactor Licenses; Other U.S. Government News
This week, I highlight America’s ongoing commitment toward tackling climate change and bringing international stakeholders together to achieve specific, measurable results. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on February 16 the formation of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a new global initiative to combat climate change and reduce short-lived climate pollutants—methane, black carbon, and many hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs)—that account for approximately one-third of the current global warming. Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) are other coalition partners. I describe several efforts by the Departments of Energy, Commerce, EPA, and USAID to invest millions of dollars in new clean energy projects and training programs. There is also a summary of newly released climate change research from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
$120 Million Storage Hub, NY Tidal Energy Project, CCS Research, and other U.S. Government News
This week, I highlight several developments in clean energy technology and energy efficiency: a new battery storage “catapult-style” technology hub, the first commercially licensed U.S. tidal energy project, an Energy Department carbon capture storage (CCS) research agreement, new energy efficiency awards, and a publically-accessible clean energy database. The federal government also launched several new initiatives toward preserving America’s forests, cleaning up its beaches, investing in STEM education, and taking a first step toward eradicating malaria. I finish with two videos, the first from NASA’s GRAIL satellite of the far side of the moon and the second from the Washington Monument during last year’s earthquake. In follow up to last week’s blog entry, here is a fact sheet released by the White House that explains President Obama’s energy agenda in simplified, graphic representation. Read more
U.S. & Partners Unite to Control or Eliminate 10 Neglected Tropical Diseases by 2020
On January 30 in London, the U.S., U.K. and U.A.E. governments; global pharmaceutical companies; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; international research and development organizations; donor groups; and NTD-endemic countries came together to announce new and extended collaborative commitments to control or eliminate 10 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Watch the archived webcast here. Read more
World Wetlands Day is here!
Congratulations to the winners of our Wetlands Photo Celebration fan favorites — with images and photographers from around the globe in the four categories of the Wetlands and Tourism theme: Plants, Landscape, Tourists and Wildlife. Check out the lush stilt village in Ghana, a peaceful river in West Virginia, a snorkeler in the gorgeous coastal wetlands of Mexico, and a beautiful damselfly in Cambodia. The four fan favorites chosen by the public were: Read more
Weekly Highlights of U.S. Government News
In his third State of the Union Address last Tuesday, President Obama outlined his vision for “an America that lasts”—one that will bring about a new era of American manufacturing, and promote homegrown and alternative energy sources—and presented a blueprint to achieve that vision. Check out this video that goes behind the scenes as President Obama prepared the speech.
In this week’s U.S. Government Highlights, I provide a read out on President Obama’s announced American-made energy policy, the results from America’s version of the Red Tape Challenge, new pollution transparency tools from the EPA, the first WaterSense label award, several grants to improve energy efficiency, and advances in science and technology. Read more