Troubled Calif. nuke plant aims to restart reactor

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The operator of California’s troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant on Thursday proposed to restart one of its twin reactors, more than eight months after the seaside facility was shut down following a break in a tube carrying radioactive water http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2012/10/04/future-damaged-calif-nuke-plant-coming-clearer/oiFAhAPYuEGuokHdmFPDPN/story.html

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Michal R. Blog /Associated Press

Burning a Forest to Save It

Controlled burning of grasslands and forests has been used for thousands of years to stimulate plant germination, replenish the ground with valuable nutrients, thin out trees and burn dry pine needles and tree limbs on the ground. When humans were not intentionally setting fires, lightning strikes completed the job.  http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/26/burning-a-forest-to-save-it/?ref=earth

Article courtesy of The New York Times Green Blog posted by Glenn Swain

U.S. Declares a Disaster for Fishery in Northeast

BOSTON — The Commerce Department on Thursday issued a formal disaster declaration for the Northeastern commercial groundfish fishery, paving the way for financial relief for the battered industry and the communities that depend on it.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/us/commerce-dept-declares-northeast-fishery-a-disaster.html?ref=earth&_r=0

Article courtesy of The New York Times by Jess Bidgood and Kirk Johnson

Robo-sharks: Robots used to track movement, behavior of sharks

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Sharks are among the most mysterious and elusive creatures on earth. No one really knows how great white sharks mate, where they give birth or even why they sometimes attack humans.

But two Southern California scientists and their young students are making breakthroughs in their respective fields, and their research is revealing new insight into the behavior of sharks. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8823629

Article courtesy of KABC-TV Los Angeles by Marc Brown 

Solar Energy Farm to Transform Hackensack Brownfield

New Jersey’s Public Service Electric and Gas will invest $883 million in Hackensack to transform a former hazardous-waste storage site into a solar energy farm. The project is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfield and Land Revitalization Program. Over 225 megawatts of solar capacity will be installed, and 300 direct jobs per year will be created over the next five years.
To learn more: http://www.areadevelopment.com/newsItems/8-2-2012/pseg-solar-project-hackensack-nj-12613418.shtml#.UEFyxe5_ocQ.gmail

Article courtesy of Smart Growth online

Los Angeles Launches Fifty Parks Initiative

Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa recently announced the city’s Fifty Parks Initiative. The city is acquiring land for fifty new parks, predominantly in park-poor, population-dense neighborhoods. The new city parks will feature a number of sustainability features, including less turf, more mulch, and more permeable pavers in place of concrete.
For more information: http://la.streetsblog.org/2012/08/24/villaraigosa-announces-ambitious-initiative-for-50-new-parks/#.UDzevf0Hocw.gmail

Article courtesy of Smart Growth online

Phoenix Tests Sustainable Strategies to Mitigate Heat Waves

Planners in Phoenix are working to reduce the impacts of increasingly frequent summer heat waves. City officials hope to make Phoenix a laboratory for testing strategies to mitigate increased urban temperatures. Ideas being considered including covering 25 percent of Phoenix with shade trees, and zoning for higher and more-dense buildings.
To learn more: http://www.planetizen.com/node/58070

article courtesy of Smart Growth online