Jun 20 12

The Green Jobs Source for Wednesday, June 20

BLUEGREEN ALLIANCE TAGS: The Source

This is The Source for June 20, 2012, green jobs news every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.

Making It Here in Cleveland. Sign up today for Making It Here: Manufacturing Our Energy Future in Cleveland, Ohio July 11-12. Participants will spend two days shaping the future of America’s wind, solar, natural gas, industrial energy efficiency and advanced transportation manufacturing efforts. Use discount code BGAF to sign up for the low price of $375.

TOP THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW FOR JUNE 20

Senate Democrats Make New Transportation Offer. Continuing their efforts to get Americans back to work fixing our roads and bridges, Senate Democrats made a new offer for a long-term transportation bill.

U.S. Could Be 80% Renewable Powered. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently released a study that found today’s renewable energy technology is “more than adequate” to fill 80 percent of America’s energy needs by 2050.

PCB-Free Schools. The building housing P.S. 146 Brooklyn New School and Middle School 448 Brooklyn Secondary School for Collaborative Studies will be getting new light fixtures free of PCBs sooner than expected. Learn more about BlueGreen Alliance policy efforts to green our schools to make them healthy, safe and energy and water efficient on our website.

National and International Blue-Green

The Rio+20 Conference begins today. Some of the media coverage of the conference includes:

E&E News: 'The Girl Who Silenced the World' returns to Rio
Guardian: Rio+20 summit: Opening day live blog
Guardian: Rio's reprise must set hard deadlines for development
Guardian: Rio+20 summit must move world beyond 'grow now, clean up later'
Huffington Post: Finding the Heart of the Rio+20 Earth Summit: A Growing Call for Action From around the World
Washington Post: On eve of Rio summit, Americans see environment deteriorating

According to Reuters, “The world's eight largest development banks said on Wednesday they will invest $175 billion over 10 years to support low-emission transportation programs.”

The Hill considers the proposed changes to the U.S. Green Building Council’s green building standards.

E&E News looks at Senator Frank Latenberg’s efforts to reform America’s out-of-date Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

During a floor speech Tuesday, Senator John Kerry stated, “In the United States, a calculated campaign of disinformation has steadily beaten back the consensus momentum for action on climate change.” The Hill has more.

Politico states transit safety is still lagging in America.

To the States

A new report has found increasing the use of solar power in Texas could save consumers $520 million.CleanTechnica has more.

A letter to the editor Columbus Dispatch says the federal government must renew the renewable energy Production Tax Credit in order to “protect Ohio jobs and plan for a clean-energy future and real energy independence.”

CleanTechnica looks at the largest smart grid trial in the United States.

WJBC outlines what Heartland Community College in Illinois has done to improve its energy efficiency.

Blue-Green Links

Washington Post: Are we wildly underestimating solar and wind power?

Hill: Little blood shed as compromise transportation, housing bill advances

Environmental Health News: Birth of the movement: "People have to stand up for what is right." A Q&A with two environmental justice pioneers.

New York Times: Deadly Particles

WIRED: Report: healthy forests are the key to a strong global economy

National Journal: Romney Opposes EPA Mercury Rule

National Journal: Poll Finds Public Backs EPA, Not GOP, on Mercury

National Geographic: “Blue Jobs” Key to Future Fisheries

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: U.S. House: Bulldozing environmental laws