• Farmer Fails to Stop Keystone Pipeline in Texas Court
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Texas   |   August 24, 2012
• Lamar County Court-at-Law Judge Bill Harris found TransCanada Corp. had the right to condemn a farmer's property and take the land it needed to install the pipeline.
• 2 Comments

• Philadelphia Joins Cities with New Zoning Codes
• Source: Philadelphia Inquirer   |   Philadelphia   |   August 24, 2012
• Many large cities, including Chicago, Miami, and Denver, have recently overhauled their zoning codes to reflect changes in the way Americans live and work. Philadelphia's code has been similarly crafted to make its neighborhoods more walkable, discourage parking, and allow residents to enlarge their homes and add roof decks more easily.

• States' Drilling Powers Would Expand Under Romney's Energy Plan
• Source: Businessweek   |   Nation   |   August 23, 2012
• Mitt Romney would give states control over energy production on federal lands within their borders and allow drilling off the East Coast as part of his plan to reduce crude oil imports.
• 4 Comments

• Natural-gas Reliance Sparks Concern in Northeast
• Source: Boston Globe   |   Northeast   |   August 23, 2012
• New England’s increasing reliance on natural gas has regional energy officials worried about potential shortages over the next few years that could disrupt electricity production, especially if the area is hit with an extremely cold winter.
• 1 Comments

• Farm Bill Struggles for Support Outside Agriculture-producing Areas
• Source: Des Moines Register   |   Nation   |   August 23, 2012
• As the farm bill languishes in Congress, much of the blame is being hoisted on lawmakers from small or non-agricultural-producing districts who have been unwilling to throw their support behind the half-trillion-dollar legislation.
• 1 Comments

• Value Engineering: Saving Money While Enhancing Quality of Life
• BY: Stephen Goldsmith   |   August 22, 2012
• In dealing with its combined-sewer-overflow problem, Philly is demonstrating a better approach to big infrastructure projects.
• 7 Comments

• EPA Coal Pollution Rule Struck Down in Court
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   August 22, 2012
• In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the rule targeting emissions from coal-fired power plants "exceeds the agency's statutory authority" by requiring some states to clean up more than their fair share of pollution. For a list of the coal-fired power plants that could have closed as a result of these regulations, click here.
• 9 Comments

• As New Yorkers Await Gas Drilling Rules, Ad War Heats Up
• Source: New York Times   |   New York   |   August 22, 2012
• As Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration finishes up new regulations on where and how to allow hydraulic fracturing in New York State, groups on both sides of the issue are turning to the airwaves in a late-inning effort to press their cases.

• Smart Meter Security
• BY: Jessica Mulholland   |   August 21, 2012
• Public utilities nationwide are installing smart meters to streamline operations and empower customers, but whether these systems are secure is still of concern.
• 4 Comments

• West Hollywood OKs Plastic Bag Ban
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   West Hollywood   |   August 21, 2012
• West Hollywood's ordinance follows decisions by a string of California cities to prohibit single-use plastic bags. The bans aim to reduce landfill waste.
• 1 Comments

• CO2 Emissions in U.S. Lowest in 20 Years
• Source: AP/Politico   |   Nation   |   August 17, 2012
• Many of the world's leading climate scientists didn't see the drop coming, in large part because it happened as a result of market forces rather than direct government action against carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.
• 1 Comments

• Bonds: A New Way to Fund Clean Energy
• BY: Penelope Lemov   |   August 16, 2012
• A new initiative hopes to pair the science of alternative energies with the power of bond financing.
• 2 Comments

• 1st Interstate Water Quality Trading Program to Begin
• BY: Brian Peteritas   |   Nation   |   August 16, 2012
• Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky will allow businesses to buy water quality credits from farmers across state lines to help them meet environmental standards.

• Bag Bills Being Pushed in New Jersey
• Source: Philadelphia Inquirer   |   New Jersey   |   August 16, 2012
• In what may be shaping up as a big battle in the fall legislative session, environmental groups and clean-ocean advocates are pushing lawmakers to either ban single-use plastic bags or charge consumers a fee if they opt for them.

• Cleveland is 1st to Get Sustainable Green Printing Certification
• BY: Government Technology   |   Cleveland   |   August 15, 2012
• The city of Cleveland's Division of Printing and Reproduction has become the first government agency to receive certification from the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership.
• 1 Comments