Plaza at Turtle Creek Amenities:

• Wood-Cabinetry
• Granite Countertops
• Gourmet Kitchens
• State-of-the-art appliances
• Elegant finishes
• Breathtaking views
• Concierge
• Valet
• Laundry & housekeeping service
• Two Fitness Centers
• Pool
• Wine Cellar
• Car washing service
• Conservatory

If you’re thinking of buying a new mower, trimmer or garden tiller, it might be worth waiting. Yesterday, three congressional delegates from Vermont introduced legislation that, if passed, would offer consumers a 25% tax credit up to $1,000 toward the purchase of environmentally-friendly lawn, garden or forestry power equipment.

The bill titled “Greener Gardens Act” (every pun intended presumably) is the brainchild of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and is designed to provide “immediate incentive for people to purchase clean, alternative fuel engines that…operate on little or no fossil fuel.” Qualifying equipment would include that powered by a motor drawing current from solar, electricity or rechargeable or replacement batteries, as well as equipment run off other alternatives to gasoline–such as propane or compressed natural gas. It would also include “hybrid” machines whose cutting systems are powered by a generator or electrical storage device combines with a small engine.

While such equipment is still not widely available compared to gas-operated machines, more well-known brands such as Troy-Bilt, Cub Cadet, Ariens, Husqvarna, and Black & Decker– among others–have been adding non-gasoline fueled products to their lineup in recent years. One notable constituent of the bill’s authors is Neuton Inc. of Vergennes, Vt., which makes battery-powered mowers (pictured here) and yard tools.

The bill was endorsed by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, a trade association, which says it will push for any final legislation to include provisions for the commercial market as well as for homeowners.

Tax credits are gaining fast traction as a way to help fuel President Barack Obama’s clean energy agenda. Right now, there are lucrative incentives in place for making energy-efficient home improvements. They include up to $1,500 in tax credits for adding qualifying windows, doors, insulation, roofs, heating and cooling equipment, water heaters and even wood and pellet stoves to your house in 2009 and 2010. Perks for installing pricier solar technology, small wind-energy systems or a geothermal-well system include a tax credit of 30% of qualifying expenditures with no upper limit through 2016.

Readers, are you investing in any energy-efficient home improvements or environmentally-friendly lawn equipment this year? Do these tax credits make such upgrades more appealing?

Read the article here.

“EPA’s new budget reflects the President’s commitment to growing a clean energy economy while protecting human health and the environment,” said Administrator Jackson. “These investments demonstrate that it is possible to work towards both a green economy and a green environment by positioning EPA to lead the way in green jobs, in innovation and technology, and in action on global climate change.”

Budget Highlights:

Maintaining and Improving Clean Water Infrastructure: To maintain and improve outdated water infrastructure and keep our wastewater and drinking water clean and safe, EPA has budgeted $3.9 billion. The funding will support efforts around the country to build and renovate an estimated 1,000 clean water and 700 drinking water infrastructure projects, support green infrastructure and create thousands of technical and construction jobs. Funding will also be available to help communities repair and upgrade the aging network of drinking water and wastewater pipes that are overwhelmed and breaking down.

The budget includes a $475 million multi-agency Great Lakes Initiative to protect and clean up the largest fresh water lakes in the world through restoration efforts, invasive species control, non-point source pollution mitigation and critical habitats protection. The budget also includes funding for crucial efforts to protect, maintain, and restore the Chesapeake Bay and Anacostia River, Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay, Lake Champlain and other large waterbodies.

Addressing Climate Change: To address the growing threat of climate change, EPA will make key investments in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory. That involves new analytical tools, upgraded testing capabilities, and coordination with other agencies on research and green initiatives.

EPA’s $17 million GHG registry investment will include data reporting and implementation efforts, data management systems, guidance and materials for the regulated community and source measurement technologies. The budget also includes an additional $2 million for EPA to continue to reduce its own GHG emissions by 3 percent each year.

Managing Resources Efficiently: The budget reflects important concerns of accountability. The President, the Congress, and most importantly, the people, demand that the federal government manage its resources responsibly. EPA will be increasing funding for the Inspector General’s office to monitor public dollars entrusted to the agency.

Restoring Communities: The EPA budget is investing in hazardous waste cleanups like Superfund and Brownfields programs that employ thousands of people across the country and restore properties for economic use.

$1.3 billion will go to increase the number of hazardous waste sites ready for anticipated use and fund ongoing site cleanups. The budget proposes to restore the Superfund tax known as the “polluter pays” policy, which expired in 1995, to fund future clean-up efforts. Beginning in 2011, the Superfund tax is estimated to generate $1 billion of revenue a year, rising to $2 billion a year by 2019.

The budget proposes $175 million for the Brownfields program, which will provide additional assessment, clean-up, and job-training grants. The budget also contains $128 million for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank and Underground Storage Tank programs and $18 million for the Oil Spill Response program.

Managing Chemical Risks: A total of $55 million will go to an enhanced toxics program to screen, assess and reduce chemical risks. Funding will be invested in monitoring air toxics at schools and to provide technical assistance and coordination with states and local communities. Other major investments include funding for continued efforts to reduce lead exposure and grants to states, tribes, and other partners to promote worker safety, protection of water sources and endangered species from pesticide exposure.

Reinforcing Scientific Integrity: This budget supports rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analyses with $842 million for science and technology. The budget also proposes additional funding for water sustainability to assess, develop and compile scientifically rigorous tools and models that will help advance the deployment of green water infrastructure.

Protecting Communities: Approximately $600 million will go to the EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance program. It includes an increase of nearly 30 additional enforcement staff and will enhance efforts to integrate environmental justice considerations in EPA programs and policies. It will also aid in the work to fulfill environmental requirements with respect to other federal agencies’ recovery act projects.

Strengthening Partnerships: Administrator Jackson emphasized that states, localities and tribes are the front line in many environmental programs, as they implement major portions of almost all EPA programs. The budget includes $1.1 billion for categorical grants to states and tribes.

More information on the FY 2010 budget: http://www.epa.gov/budget/

Textbooks
In some respects, though, the new Kindle (which will, after all, see its debut at a college) is probably geared more towards the textbook market than the newspaper business. For textbook publishers, electronic (and DRMed) editions aren’t so much about convenience for students, but about cutting out the used-book market, where a lot of students get their books and where the publisher gets absolutely nothing. In 2005, the market for used textbooks in the U.S. was valued at about $1.6 billion, about a third of the total market for educational and professional books.

As Larry Dignan points out in detail, if Amazon could sell electronic versions of these textbooks for cheaper than a college bookstore, it could cut the incentive for students to buy used books, even as it cuts out the option to sell new copies back to the bookstore at the end of the semester.

Newspaper
As for saving newspapers, hopefully, the papers that are said to be launch partners for the new Kindle, including the New York Times, will realize that they can’t just recreate an electronic copy of their morning papers and hope that it will be successful. After all, the main reason why newspapers have lost their must-read status is that most of what’s printed in the morning is already old news.

For a newspaper on the Kindle to to be successful, the Kindle version of the paper would have to be updated continuously throughout the day, just like the paper’s web site. However, the fact that papers are clamoring for a larger version of the Kindle so that it would be easier to replicate the feel and layout of their dead-tree editions makes it likely that the large-screen Kindle, if it turns out to be real, will see the same subscription model for newspapers, where a new copy of the paper will be downloaded automatically once a day.

Read the article here.

Additional information on SPCC regulations is available at http://www.epa.gov/oilspill

On April 8, 2009, an EPA inspection of the company’s oil field production facility in Wichita County, Texas, found an unauthorized discharge of oil field brine generated by production activities to a tributary of Wolf Creek and ultimately to Wolf Creek. The inspection also revealed that water located at the discharge point of entry into the tributary was contaminated from brine discharges and salts and extensive salt staining was observed in the tributary and Wolf Creek.

Based on these findings, PGI Operating, LLC has been ordered to cease all discharges of pollutants from the facility, remove all brine and contaminated soils from the facility and the tributary as well as Wolf Creek, and within 30 days provide written certification to EPA that these activities have been completed.

For the second year in a row, Intel Corporation is the nation’s largest single purchaser of green power with purchases of more than 1.3 billion kWh of green power per year. This corresponds to CO2 emissions from the electricity use of nearly 130,000 average American homes.

Kohl’s who more than doubled their green power purchase secured a No. 3 spot on the National Top 50 list. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Dannon, Sony DADC and Motorola for the first time appeared on the National Top 50 list securing the No. 15, No. 33, No. 40 and No. 44 spots, respectively.

EPA’s Green Power Partnership works with more than 1,000 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use. Overall, EPA Green Power Partners are buying more than 16 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to the CO2 emissions from electricity use of more than 1.5 million American homes.

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. Green power electricity generates less pollution than conventional power and produces no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

More information on top 50 list of green power purchasers: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/top50.htm

Soda fountains, hamburger shops and Heritage Crossing, with its parks, plazas, vintage shops and historic homes, are part of the small-town framework that has made South Irving so charming.

If beautiful, historic neighborhoods are what you crave, then look no further than South Irving. This area is brimming with spacious yards, meticulous landscaping and towering shade trees, all of which beautifully frame the historic homes in this neighborhood.

Parks within South Irving include Delaware Creek Park, Founders Park, Heritage Park, Millennium Park and Heritage Senior Center. South Irving maintains its commitment to growth through city incentives for businesses that are starting up or relocating south of Northgate Drive.

In addition, the city of Irving is supporting its local businesses in Heritage Crossing by overseeing the development of a new development program which will feature offices, homes, shops, restaurants, and parks surrounding the Trinity Railway Express Station.

Read the full article here.

The program, which begins at 9 p.m. Central time on April 20, will take Science Channel viewers inside the 3-million square foot stadium, which was engineered by Walter P. Moore, constructed by Manhattan Construction Co. and designed by HKS Sports Entertainment Group.

The show allows viewers a sneak peek at what makes the new stadium unique–such as the building’s 180-foot-long HD video screens; the world’s largest operable glass door and the stadium’s retractable roof, which is the largest and longest ever constructed.

By B.J. Novitski, March/April 2009 issue of GreenSource

Before there was architecture, ancient humans were immersed in nature, on which they were directly dependent for food, water, and shelter—in short, basic survival. In the millennia since then, we’ve developed more convenient, comfortable means for obtaining these basics, but we haven’t evolved away from a psychological dependence on the natural world, an affinity known as “biophilia.” Evidence demonstrates benefits in physical and mental health attributable to contact with nature. Sustainable design can be biophilic, and vice versa, because both relate to natural systems and materials.

The term “biophilia” was coined in the 1980s by Edward O. Wilson, professor emeritus of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. More recently, Stephen R. Kellert, professor of Forestry & Environmental Studies at Yale, has coauthored, with Judith Heerwagen and Martin Mador, Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life. These authors urge architects to do what they can to incorporate nature in the design of buildings.

Biophilic design might include, for instance: daylighting and natural ventilation; organic forms and natural materials; visual diversity and views to nature; and access to plants, both inside and out. These features are closely tied to familiar ideas of energy conservation and renewable materials. A vegetated roof, for example, which limits ambient heat build-up and reduces stormwater runoff, can also provide an urban garden and views of nature. Natural ventilation can reduce cooling loads and air-moving equipment, while also providing fresh air. Carefully shaded glazing provides heat and light, without overheating or glare, while bestowing on interior spaces the subtle diurnal changes in the color and quality of light. Thermally massive walls combined with glazing that selectively filters heat and light for passive solar design can mimic the often-cited biophilic amenity of “prospect and refuge.” This harkens back to early humans on the African savanna who felt sheltered at the forest’s edge, while seeing prey in the distance. What was once a matter of survival, prospect and refuge now produces a sensation of comfort and security. If this sensation is absent, as in buildings without views of nature, anxiety can result.

Read the rest of the study here.