STUFF

Admin fracking compromise. Comps drilling on public lands must now ID chems used, but not until they start drilling.

Fed compiling info to make case for US ownership of vast areas of ocean floor so Senate can eventually ratify long-stalled treaty necessary to make claims.

Chu (DOE) wants to dedicate $6.5M this fiscal year, $5M more next year for new methane hydrates research. Industry, enviros agree it's not enough money.

U of Wash research reported overall flow of ice from Greenland glaciers into ocean sped up 30% in '00-'10.

13 state govts may buy NG vehicle fleets. Why not EV?

Asian Development Bank: developing world must act now to avoid climate crisis.

First Energy to close 3 coal plants, leave 3 operational.

New Zealand, Australia missed deadline for new Kyoto targets.

TransCanada reapplied for Keystone XL permit.

Calif's San Onofre nuke plant may partially restart in June.

USDA offering $334M in loans for rural electric co-ops.

Mass preparing to ban food waste. And NYC created recycling/sustainability director position to double recycling rate from 15% now by '17. Also going for curbside collections of food scraps for composting.

Report: biofuels could supply 30% of transportation fuels with no impact on food using 600M hectares worldwide where food production has been abandoned.

Minn extended E20 eth mandate for 2 yrs, B10 biodiesel for 3 yrs.

UN: 1.6% of oceans now set aside for marine protected areas. Nations agreed in '10 to have 10% set aside by '20.

American Bird Conservancy has web map highlighting >2K places in US where birds are likely to be particularly vulnerable to impacts from wind power development.

Most wheat crops in Kansas ripening 2-3 weeks early throughout state.

In '10, NY's gas fracking wells produced >23M gal of waste, most going to sewage treatment plants (a growing concern) or used to de-ice roads.