Jun 2 - Waste Trade Groups Press EPA on Greenhouse Reporting Requirements (Waste Business Journal)

In a reversal, it appears the federal government may be coming closer to recommending the phase out of Bisphenol-A.  A draft of a new study by the National Toxicology Program strengthens the link between the chemical and certain cancers.  The compound is widely used in reusable water bottles.

Read and Article in the Wall Street Journal>>

Read the Study>> 

A year from today, will be the beginning on digital TV broadcasting, saying goodbye to analog TV. The February 18, 2008 switch will affect around 13 million households that get their TV broadcasts over the air (i.e. with an antenna) or TV's without an internal digital turner. If you have one of these TVs, don't fret, you don't have to throw out your TV, you will just need to purchase a digital-to-analog converter box. The boxes will run around $40-$50, but the government has already set up a program for U.S. households to receive up to two coupons, each worth $40, for the purchase of these converter boxes.

Read more about the switch.

What You Can Do

• Learn more about it from the Federal Communication Commission's DTV website.
• If you do want to get a new TV, first find a place to properly dispose of your old ones.

President George Bush signed the Energy Independence Security Act today. Among setting new fuel economy standards for cars and more energy efficient appliances, H.R. 6 also sets new energy efficiency standards for light bulbs. All light bulbs will need to be using 25% to 30% less energy than today's products by 2012 to 2014, starting with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 to 400-watt bulbs in January 2014. By 2020, all light bulbs must be 70% more efficient.

Read an article.

Link to the bill language, H.R. 6

Earlier this year, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 1109 (Huffman), which also sets new energy efficiency standards for light bulbs by reducing the average statewide electrical energy consumption by not less than 50% from the 2007 levels for indoor residential lighting and no less than 25% for indoor commercial and outdoor lighting by 2018.

What You Can Do

• Remember that light bulbs still contain hazardous materials and need to be properly disposed of. Find a place to recycle your old light bulbs.