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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is leading a new national effort to plant more trees in cities.
As a first step, Glickman announced that USDA will contribute 100 historic trees to each state's capital city, the District of Columbia, and each American Territory to help create Millennium Groves. Glickman said USDA will work with state officials "to design a grove and choose trees that reflect the unique character of the state." For more information, click here. Sustainability Review Available Now A new biweekly e-zine called Sustainability Review started publishing in September. The purpose of this publication is to circulate the most current information on ideas, methodologies, tools, and success stories involving people, places, and organizations attempting sustainable development. For your free subscription, fill out the form available at http://www.eeeee.net/ee01026.htm. Speakers For Conferences Or Events
Green Energy Education Resources To help teachers and students learn about energy options that help protect the environment, the Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) offers an on-line Green Energy Tour. REPP is also offering green energy education brochures. To obtain a limited quantity, to special order larger quantities, or to order electronic copies on a Zip disk, contact Mary Kathryn Campbell at (202) 293-2898, by FAX at (202) 293-5857, or by e-mail at mkcampbell@repp.org. Turning Brownfields To Brightfields A new Department of Energy program, called the Brightfields Initiative, will incorporate solar energy into the redevelopment of industrial brownfield sites. In addition to supporting the productive reuse of these contaminated sites, the program will create high-tech jobs, improve air quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "Incorporating solar and other renewable energy technologies into the reuse of industrial properties," explains Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, "makes economic and environmental sense. This effort can serve as a national, even international model for the kind of development that promotes livable communities." For more information, visit http://www.eren.doe.gov/brightfields. Financing Programs Promoting Sustainability The Department of Energy’s Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development is offering a new web site which brings together a wide range of resources related to financing sustainable development efforts. The new financing site describes grant programs and information, taxes and fees, voluntary programs, bonds, and loans. The remaining subsections provide links to resources for financing projects in the primary focal areas of community sustainability. To visit this new site, click here. Oregon Small-Scale Energy Loan Program The Small Scale Energy Loan Program’s purpose is to promote energy conservation and renewable energy resource development. The program offers low-interest loans for projects that:
SELP can loan to individuals, Oregon businesses, municipal corporations, federal agencies, public corporations created by the state or federal governments, tribes, state agencies, schools and non-profit organizations. For more details, click here. This EPA online tutorial includes a grant-writing exercise, information on applying for EPA funding, proposal examples, and a guide to other useful online resources. To take the grant-writing tutorial, click here. Smart Growth Funders’ Network Launched The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities informs and strengthens philanthropic funders' individual and collective abilities to support and connect organizations working to improve quality of life, create better economies, build livable communities, and protect and preserve natural resources. It is designed to be an active resource and focal point for foundations, nonprofit organizations and other partners working together to create opportunities by positively impacting the environmental, social, and economic issues exacerbated by suburban sprawl and urban disinvestment. To check out the Smart Growth Funders’ Network, visit http://www.fundersnetwork.org. Metropolitan Council Nonpoint Funding Info Many funding programs are
available for nonpoint source pollution management.
To check it out, click here. Energy Efficiency Can Yield A Positive Cash Flow The Cities for Climate Protection Program of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) offers a web site which includes a financing handbook for municipalities, information on energy efficiency financing options, and examples of innovative financing programs for energy-efficient retrofits. "Policies that reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions locally not only save money and create new municipal revenue," according to the ICLEI site, "but often tap private financing for necessary capital. Rather than competing with other priorities, energy efficiency initiatives can be largely self-financing.... Furthermore, financial transactions can be arranged so that energy efficiency savings not only service the financing, but provide a municipality with an immediate positive cash flow." To find out more about the information available from ICLEI, visit http://www.iclei.org/finance.htm. The Sustainable Business Challenge The Foundation for Business and Sustainable Development offers an online exam to help business leaders learn important principles for sustainable business operations. To take the Sustainable Business Challenge, visit http://odin.bi.no/sbc/default.htm
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