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WASHINGTON – At the direction of President Obama and after an unprecedented outreach effort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is today releasing the Clean Power Plan proposal, which for the first time cuts carbon pollution from existing power plants, the single largest source of carbon pollution in the United States. Today’s proposal will protect public health, move the United States toward a cleaner environment and fight climate change while supplying Americans with reliable and affordable power.

“Climate change, fueled by carbon pollution, supercharges risks to our health, our economy, and our way of life. EPA is delivering on a vital piece of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan by proposing a Clean Power Plan that will cut harmful carbon pollution from our largest source–power plants,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “By leveraging cleaner energy sources and cutting energy waste, this plan will clean the air we breathe while helping slow climate change so we can leave a safe and healthy future for our kids. We don’t have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment–our action will sharpen America’s competitive edge, spur innovation, and create jobs.”

Power plants account for roughly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. While there are limits in place for the level of arsenic, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particle pollution that power plants can emit, there are currently no national limits on carbon pollution levels.

With the Clean Power Plan, EPA is proposing guidelines that build on trends already underway in states and the power sector to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants, making them more efficient and less polluting. This proposal follows through on the common-sense steps laid out in President Obama’s Climate Action Plan and the June 2013 Presidential Memorandum.

By 2030, the steady and responsible steps EPA is taking will:

· Cut carbon emission from the power sector by 30 percent nationwide below 2005 levels, which is equal to the emissions from powering more than half the homes in the United States for one year;
· Cut particle pollution, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide by more than 25 percent as a co-benefit;
· Avoid up to 6,600 premature deaths, up to 150,000 asthma attacks in children, and up to 490,000 missed work or school days—providing up to $93 billion in climate and public health benefits; and
· Shrink electricity bills roughly 8 percent by increasing energy efficiency and reducing demand in the electricity system.

The Clean Power Plan will be implemented through a state-federal partnership under which states identify a path forward using either current or new electricity production and pollution control policies to meet the goals of the proposed program. The proposal provides guidelines for states to develop plans to meet state-specific goals to reduce carbon pollution and gives them the flexibility to design a program that makes the most sense for their unique situation. States can choose the right mix of generation using diverse fuels, energy efficiency and demand-side management to meet the goals and their own needs. It allows them to work alone to develop individual plans or to work together with other states to develop multi-state plans.

Also included in today’s proposal is a flexible timeline for states to follow for submitting plans to the agency—with plans due in June 2016, with the option to use a two-step process for submitting final plans if more time is needed. States that have already invested in energy efficiency programs will be able to build on these programs during the compliance period to help make progress toward meeting their goal.

Since last summer, EPA has directly engaged with state, tribal, and local governments, industry and labor leaders, non-profits, and others. The data, information and feedback provided during this effort helped guide the development of the proposal and further confirmed that states have been leading the way for years in saving families and businesses money through improving efficiency, while cleaning up pollution from power plants. To date, 47 states have utilities that run demand-side energy efficiency programs, 38 have renewable portfolio standards or goals, and 10 have market-based greenhouse gas emissions programs. Together, the agency believes that these programs represent a proven, common-sense approach to cutting carbon pollution—one in which electricity is generated and used as efficiently as possible and which promotes a greater reliance on lower-carbon power sources.

Today’s announcement marks the beginning of the second phase of the agency’s outreach efforts. EPA will accept comment on the proposal for 120 days after publication in the Federal Register and will hold four public hearings on the proposed Clean Power Plan during the week of July 28 in the following cities: Denver, Atlanta, Washington, DC and Pittsburgh. Based on this input, EPA will finalize standards next June following the schedule laid out in the June 2013 Presidential Memorandum.

In 2009, EPA determined that greenhouse gas pollution threatens Americans’ health and welfare by leading to long lasting changes in our climate that can have a range of negative effects on human health and the environment. Taking steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants will protect children’s health and will move our nation toward a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations, while supplying the reliable, affordable power needed for economic growth.

Fact sheets and details about the proposed rule available at:
http://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan

More information on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan: http://www.whitehouse.gov/climate-change

CHICAGO, IL – Secretary Moniz today announced $3.2 million to launch the National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy, which will create a national support network to serve the clean energy small business and entrepreneur community, providing critical technical assistance and training services in order to bring these businesses and entrepreneurs closer to market readiness. The Initiative will establish a suite of technological and training resources, connect critical industry and energy sector partners, enhance incubator best practices, and increase access to information about industry resources to advance innovative clean energy technologies emerging from universities and federal laboratories.

“Small businesses and entrepreneurs make crucial contributions to our nation’s economy every day,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “With the right tools, these businesses and entrepreneurs can make an even bigger contribution to the development of advanced clean energy technologies. This initiative will drive innovation and foster cooperation in the clean energy business community, further advancing our clean energy economy and bringing the U.S. closer to its low carbon future.”

“This funding will help to support the growth of over 100 new clean tech jobs in Chicago, a sector that is increasingly vital to our competitiveness in the global economy,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “This effort will bridge the gap between the technologies being developed by startups and the needs of large organizations strengthening our economy and positioning Chicago as a leader in addressing complex energy and resource challenges.”

The Initiative will fund a national organization, the Clean Technology Accelerator Program (CleanTAP), led by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). CleanTAP will receive $979,783 to coordinate clean energy-focused business incubators nationwide and provide robust online and technical resources to support the innovation and entrepreneurship community. Building on the President’s lab to market initiative to open national laboratory assets for entrepreneurs to test and demonstrate their technologies, the national organization will develop a National Asset Map to make private and public resources nationwide more readily available to individual businesses and entrepreneurs across the country.

As a cornerstone of the Initiative, additional awards will go to the three incubators announced today to run innovative programs with commercialization services for startups including mentorship, business development, capital access, and testing and demonstration. These incubators will work with the national organization to develop best practices for clean energy incubators that can be replicated nationwide. With a combined 25 years of experience, the three selected individual incubators have worked with hundreds of startups that have raised more than $1.2 billion in follow-on funding.

NextEnergy and Clean Energy Trust Midwest Innovation Bridge: The NextEnergy (NE) Center in Detroit, Michigan and its partner, the Clean Energy Trust (CET) in Chicago, Illinois, will receive more than $745,000 to establish the Midwest Innovation Bridge. Through the Bridge, startups and entrepreneurs will have access to a robust set of testing and demonstration facilities in both Michigan and Illinois. Additionally, NE and CET will support the development of new, commercially viable companies and industry tech-teaming partnerships through a newly established Energy and Transportation program that mirrors the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps, encouraging companies to engage directly with potential customers. The partnership will host showcases and recruiting events with industry stakeholders where startups have target-rich opportunities to present their products in a real-world environment.

Southwest Regional Clean Energy Incubation Initiative (SRCEII): The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) at the University of Texas, Austin will receive more than $745,000 to form the Southwest Regional Clean Energy Incubation Initiative (SCREII). ATI and its partners offer a collection of diverse and substantial tools for entrepreneurs, including facilities for testing and prototyping a wide variety of technologies and access to world-renowned facilities, including those of project partner Pecan Street, Inc. SCREII’s network will support entrepreneurs in both rural and urban communities across Texas and New Mexico by providing an integrated incubator network that will bring resources directly to entrepreneurs, virtually or in person.

California Cleantech Commercialization Coalition (4C) Program: The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator’s (LACI’s) California Cleantech Commercialization Coalition (4C) Program, led by LACI, will receive more than $729,000 to establish California’s first statewide clean energy incubator collaboration, which will connect stakeholders, including state and local government organizations, major California utilities, and investors to provide resources and support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The 4C Program will leverage its partners’ networks to commercialize clean energy technologies and provide access to demonstration facilities focused on testing market-ready technologies.

These organizations will demonstrate the power of incubator programs, while also fostering innovation in clean energy sectors across the country. For more information on the Technology-to-Market program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, please visit http://energy.gov/eere/about-us/technology-market-team.

DENVER, – Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] Commercial Launch Services (LMCLS) will launch the WorldView-3 commercial remote sensing spacecraft, placing it into orbit on August 13 for DigitalGlobe, a leading provider of commercial high-resolution earth observation and advanced geospatial solutions. WorldView-3 will be launched aboard an Atlas V. The launch is scheduled for 11:29 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time from Space Launch Complex-3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

LMCLS is the exclusive provider of Atlas rockets to all non-U.S. government customers. With dedicated launch sites, unparalleled orbital insertion accuracy, and 116 consecutive successful launches to date, Atlas is unmatched for performance, reliability and schedule assurance.

WorldView-3 is the first multi-payload, super-spectral, high-resolution commercial satellite for earth observations and advanced geospatial solutions. Operating at an expected altitude of 617 km, WorldView-3 will have an average revisit time of less than one day and will be capable of collecting up to 680,000 square kilometers of imagery per day, further enhancing DigitalGlobe’s capacity for rapid and reliable collection. The range of customer applications enabled by the DigitalGlobe constellation is expanded by WorldView-3’s ability to sense both the visible spectrum as well as deeper into the infrared spectrum. Its data-rich imagery will enable customers to search for new sources of minerals and fuels, manage forests and farms, and accelerate DigitalGlobe’s exploitation of Geospatial Big Data™ – a living digital inventory of the surface of the earth.

LMCLS, a business unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, provides Atlas V launch services to all non-U.S. government satellite customers worldwide and also offers Athena launch services for small satellites and multi-payload RideShare missions. LMCLS is responsible for contracts, licensing, marketing, sales and mission management for Atlas and Athena missions. Under subcontract to LMCLS, United Launch Alliance provides Atlas launch vehicles and launch support services.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 113,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

This news is courtesy of www.lockheedmartic.com

As part of the agency’s Asteroid Grand Challenge, NASA is partnering with private internet technology company Slooh to engage citizen scientists in the effort to track and characterize near-Earth asteroids (NEOs) that are potentially hazardous to human populations.

Slooh’s global network of web-connected telescopes will be available for use by amateur astronomers for monitoring and characterizing NEOs. Citizen scientists without access to professional equipment will have the opportunity to be a part of the global challenge to find hazardous NEOs. NASA also is partnering with Slooh on live astronomy events.

“We are excited by the opportunity to tap into Slooh’s network of amateur astronomers, who are already producing scientific papers with their work,” said Jason Kessler, program executive for the Asteroid Grand Challenge. “We look forward to expanding the meaningful science the Slooh network can provide in support of the grand challenge.”

The live astronomy events on which NASA and Slooh will partner include the LINEAR comet meteor shower, occurring Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24. Slooh will provide live feeds of the event from 6 p.m. EDT Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday on the company’s website and the UStream feed for NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc
Live astronomy events through the NASA and Slooh platforms increase the number of people who can watch and actively participate in science as it happens. Future events will include NASA experts offering commentary on live events. Slooh plans to provide NASA with relevant observation data from these events, which may be used for grand challenge citizen science efforts.

“This partnership is a great validation of our approach to engage the public in the exploration of space,” says Michael Paolucci, founder and CEO of Slooh. “NASA understands the importance of citizen science and knows a good way to get amateur astronomers involved is to offer them ways to do productive astronomy. Slooh does that by giving them remote access to great telescopes situated at leading observatory sites around the world.”

The Asteroid Grand Challenge is built on such collaborative efforts. The partnership with Slooh augments grand challenge partnerships with SpaceGambit and Planetary Resources Inc., and extending the search from existing data to direct observation through telescopes.

Through NASA’s asteroid initiative, the agency seeks to enhance its ongoing work in the identification and characterization of near-Earth objects for further scientific investigation. This work includes locating potentially hazardous asteroids and identifying those viable for redirection to a stable lunar orbit for future exploration by astronauts. The Asteroid Grand Challenge, one part of the asteroid initiative, expands the agency’s efforts beyond traditional boundaries and encourages partnerships and collaboration with a variety of organizations.

This news is courtesy of www.nasa.gov

Working in wind tunnels, software laboratories and work stations across America, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) partners continue to make strides in advancing the designs of the American spacecraft and rockets that will carry humans safely and reliably into low-Earth orbit from U.S. soil by 2017.

Blue Origin, The Boeing Company, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) are accomplishing milestones established through Space Act Agreements as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Development Round 2 and Commercial Crew Integrated Capability initiatives.

CCP’s engineering team is working closely with its partners as they develop the next generation of crewed spacecraft and work toward challenging evaluations and tests this year. Ultimately, NASA intends to certify and use American-made commercial systems to fly astronauts from U.S. soil to the International Space Station, and back, ending our sole reliance on Russia to get to space.

“What we have seen from our industry partners is a determination to make their components and systems work reliably, and in turn they’ve been able to demonstrate the complex machinery that makes spaceflight possible will also work as planned,” said Kathy Lueders, Commercial Crew Program manager. “These next few months will continue to raise the bar for achievement by our partners.”

Boeing completed its most in-depth evaluation in April of the software planned to operate the CST-100 spacecraft. Called a critical design review, or CDR, the evaluation confirmed the computer coding can be used in flight tests. Spacecraft are increasingly dependent on computers that automate systems and perform split-second commands, making the software one of the most crucial elements of the spacecraft.

SNC put models of its Dream Chaser spacecraft through rigorous wind tunnel tests at facilities across America as it refined the design by studying its reaction to subsonic, transonic and supersonic conditions it will encounter during ascent into space and re-entry from low-Earth orbit. Several Dream Chaser scale model spacecraft were subjected to multiple wind tunnel tests in various configurations, including the integrated launch stack of Dream Chaser on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

SpaceX conducted an integrated critical design review in April of major hardware and software elements of the company’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket. The critical design review took into account a host of previous reviews of the design of the vehicles along with the testing involved in verifying the systems.

As in building a house or other complex structure, these advancements set the stage for upcoming accomplishments on the path to a completed space transportation system. Blue Origin is closing in on an interim design review for the subsystems of its Space Vehicle design, a biconic spacecraft the company is developing to carry humans into low-Earth orbit.

Boeing will complete a critical design review that will cover all elements of the crewed spacecraft, rocket, as well as ground and mission operations in the coming months.

SNC is preparing to share its results from a series of tests of the reaction control system motors for the Dream Chaser spacecraft at a subcontractor facility, and main engine motor tests at SNC’s Poway, California, facility.

SpaceX continues to develop hardware for a series of flight tests later this year that will put the Dragon’s launch abort system through simulated emergencies to make sure it will perform for astronauts in the unlikely event of a mishap during launch or ascent into orbit.

Milestones achieved by CCP’s partners continue to advance commercial spacecraft and transportation systems from design to reality. The successes of NASA and American aerospace companies are ushering in a new generation of space transportation capabilities, which will enable new opportunities for humans to live and work in space.
This news is courtesy of www.nasa.gov

Our individual global water-energy “splashprint” is much higher than most of us think. Consider that it takes 2,867 gallons of water to make one pair of jeans or 1,500 gallons to make a desktop computer. Two critical needs – clean water and on-demand energy – are intimately intertwined. The 2030 Water Resources Group reports that by 2030, global water requirements are expected to grow by 50 percent, and analysts are predicting that our available water supplies will satisfy only 60 percent of demand.

This year’s United Nations World Water Day is centered on re-focusing our lives to lessen our water-energy splashprint through technology that helps us conserve.

Recognizing the perilous state of the water-energy nexus, Dow scientists have developed breakthrough polymer chemistry that is the most advanced water purification science available today. Introduced in 2013, DOW FILMTEC™ ECO Reverse Osmosis (RO) Elements are helping to deliver manufacturers 40 percent better water purification while using 30 percent less energy.

As a technology helping to improve the world’s ability to solve sustainable water supply challenges, FILMTEC™ ECO Technology is recognized as Dow’s second-ever Breakthrough to a World Challenge. The technology is also a finalist of the coveted 2014 Edison Award, recognized in the Energy/Sustainability and Commercial Resource Management categories.

“Water is, without a doubt, the world’s most precious resource,” said Neil Hawkins, Dow’s corporate vice president, Sustainability. “Dow is committed to advancing science that directly addresses global challenges like water, energy and climate change through our innovations and our 2015 Sustainability Goals. We help people around the globe process more than 15 million gallons of water per minute. Our scientists are employing breakthrough chemistry to revolutionize reverse osmosis – the most advanced water purification technology available today – to help fight global water scarcity.”

FILMTEC™ ECO Elements are helping to save water and energy while also helping to reduce operational costs in facilities by 16-19 percent. In the first ten years of use, FILMTEC™ ECO Elements will produce 15 trillion m3 of clean water (more than 6 million Olympic-sized swimming pools), while providing more than 2 billion kWh (Kilowatt hours) of energy savings and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 1.5 million metric tons.

FILMTEC™ ECO Elements are making waves in the industrial and manufacturing worlds. Utility providers are reducing their chemical usage and improving their power production time and electronic manufacturers are increasing water purity for higher performing tablets, smartphones and computers. Even brewers are using FILMTEC™ ECO Elements to brew beer more sustainably.

“The industrial use of water is one of the largest uses of treated water, and increasing water scarcity has driven companies to seek out new ways to purify water and promote water reuse that are cost-effective and environmentally conscious,” said Snehal Desai, global business director for Dow Water & Process Solutions. “FILMTEC™ ECO Elements offer added ecological and economical value, increasing sustainability over time and reducing energy and chemical costs. Energy consumption is the first controllable resource in the water-energy nexus, and FILMTEC™ ECO elements are playing a key role in helping manage water and energy resources around the world.”

Dow offers extensive expertise and a robust portfolio of advanced pipe and water technology solutions that help customers make water distribution safer, cleaner and more cost-effective. With water purification and separation technologies as well as advanced and sustainable microbial control and scale inhibitor solutions, Dow combines the creativity of our people and our technology expertise to help reduce the global water crisis—setting the standard for sustainable water use, purification and management. For more information about Dow’s commitment to water security, visit www.dow.com/sustainability/globalneeds/world-water-day/

Splashprint Stats Social Corner

Energy needs water, #water needs #energy. Dow helps enhance water-energy nexus w/ #reverseosmosis tech #WorldWaterDay http://www.dow.com/sustainability/globalneeds/world-water-day/index.htm
#RO tech from Dow will produce 15,000 m3 of pure #water (>6 Olympic size pools) in next 10 years #WorldWaterDay http://www.dow.com/sustainability/globalneeds/world-water-day/index.htm
FILMTEC ECO #ReverseOsmosis delivers manufacturers 40% better #water purification using 30% less #energy #WorldWaterDay http://www.dow.com/sustainability/globalneeds/world-water-day/index.htm
FILMTEC ECO recognized as Dow’s 2nd Breakthrough to a World Challenge tech & finalist for 2014 Edison Award #WorldWaterDay http://www.dow.com/sustainability/globalneeds/world-water-day/index.htm
Watery paper: It takes 2.64 gallons of #water to produce 1 sheet of paper #WorldWaterDay http://www.dow.com/sustainability/globalneeds/world-water-day/index.htm
1 cotton t-shirt = 400 gallons of #water. Dow #RO tech reduces water & #energy use & increases purity in mfg #WorldWaterDay http://www.dow.com/sustainability/globalneeds/world-water-day/index.htm
#DYK it takes 2,867 gallons of #water to make 1 pair of jeans or 1,500 gallons to make a desktop computer #WorldWaterDay http://www.dow.com/sustainability/globalneeds/world-water-day/index.htm
About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company is driving innovations that extract value from the intersection of chemical, physical and biological sciences to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, clean energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s integrated, market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 180 countries and in high growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and agriculture. In 2013, Dow had annual sales of more than $57 billion and employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 6,000 products are manufactured at 201 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program is seeking proposals for technologies that could be used on future exploration missions. The new proposals will build on the most promising ideas developed in the program’s first phase.

The NIAC program funds cutting-edge concepts that have the potential to transform future missions, enable new capabilities, or significantly alter current approaches to launching, building, and operating aerospace systems.

NIAC’s Phase II studies provide an opportunity to develop the most promising Phase I concepts. These are aerospace architecture, mission, or system concepts with transformative potential. They must continue to push into new frontiers, while remaining technically and programmatically credible. NIAC’s current portfolio of diverse efforts advances aerospace technology in many areas, including construction, human systems, transportation, imaging, and robotic exploration.

“During the second phase of our NIAC program, visionary concepts are matured to advance concepts from notional to feasible,” said Michael Gazarik, NASA’s associate administrator for space technology at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “These advanced technology concepts are critical for kick-starting innovation that will enable our future missions.”

Recent NIAC Phase II studies have included a concept for a sample return for extreme environments, which could lead to a simple and efficient way to obtain multiple samples drilled out of an asteroid crust.

Another NIAC Phase II study is examining “SpiderFab,” an approach to 3D-printing of large structures in space. This could one day enable NASA to produce giant telescopes in orbit without having to design them to fit within a rocket shroud or withstand the vibration and g-loads of launch.
“In NIAC Phase I Studies, the focus is basic feasibility and potential benefit. In Phase II, we can get into real systems engineering and in some cases even demonstration” said Jay Falker, NIAC program executive at NASA Headquarters. “This is critical for taking concepts from paper studies to engineering implementation. Phase II also helps address the important technology development needs of NASA’s current and future programs.”
NASA will be accepting NIAC Phase II proposals of no more than 20 pages until June 3. Selection announcements are expected later this year. This solicitation is open only to current or previously awarded NIAC Phase I concepts. Complete guidelines for proposal submissions are available on the NIAC website at

http://www.nasa.gov/niac

NASA expects to select approximately five new Phase II studies this year. The number of awards will depend on the strength of proposals, availability of appropriated funds, and the overall number of Phase I and Phase II awards. Selected proposers may receive as much as $500,000 over two years to further analyze and develop their innovative concepts.

“Over the next 18 months, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate will make significant new investments that address several high priority challenges for achieving safe and affordable deep-space exploration,” Gazarik added. “These focused technology thrust areas are tightly aligned with NASA’s Space Technology Roadmaps, the Space Technology Investment Plan, and National Research Council’s recommendations.”

NIAC is part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, which is innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use in NASA’s future missions. To view the NASA NIAC Research Announcement for this solicitation and for more information about the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, visit:
http://go.usa.gov/R1N

MCLEAN, Va. & CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MCLEAN, Va. & CINCINNATI—-Mars, Incorporated and The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) today announce that Mars has agreed to buy the IAMS®, EUKANUBA®, and NATURA® brands in major markets for US$2.9 Billion in cash. This is a significant strategic move for Mars Petcare to complement its large and growing global Petcare business.

The companies expect to complete the transaction in the second-half of 2014, subject to regulatory approvals.

Mars Petcare is one of the world’s leading pet food and veterinary care providers and employs more than 35,000 Associates across 50 countries. Upon completion of the transaction, IAMS®, EUKANUBA®, and NATURA® brands will join Mars Petcare’s billion dollar stable mates PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, BANFIELD®, and ROYAL CANIN®.

Mars Petcare Global President, Todd Lachman, said: “We view the addition of the IAMS®, EUKANUBA®, and NATURA® brands as exceptionally strategic. This acquisition is a perfect fit with our Mars Petcare vision of making A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™. The deal reinforces our leadership in pet nutrition and veterinary science, attracts world class talent and grows our world leading portfolio.

“Paul Iams, an animal nutritionist, founded the Iams Company in 1946. His philosophies created very strong foundations for these remarkable brands which will now complement our existing Mars Petcare portfolio.”

P&G’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, A.G. Lafley, said: “Exiting Pet Care is an important step in our strategy to focus P&G’s portfolio on the core businesses where we can create the most value for consumers and shareowners. The transaction creates value for P&G shareowners, and we are confident that the business will thrive at Mars, a leading company in pet care.”

The geographic regions included in the acquisition, which account for approximately 80% of P&G Pet Care’s global sales, include North America, Latin America and other selected countries. The agreement includes an option for Mars to acquire the business in several additional countries. Markets not included in the transaction are primarily European Union countries. P&G said it is developing alternate plans to sell its Pet Care business in these markets.

P&G Financial Impacts:

P&G said that it will begin reporting results of the global Pet Care business as discontinued operations as of the April-June 2014 quarter. As a result, P&G expects to restate earnings of approximately $0.03 and $0.04 per share from core earnings to discontinued operations for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, respectively, leaving its fiscal year 2014 core earnings per share growth rate guidance unchanged. The company added that the one-time earnings impact from the divestiture and ongoing earnings per share dilution are not expected to have a material impact on fiscal year 2015 results. P&G said that net cash proceeds from the transaction would be used for general corporate purposes.

About Mars, Incorporated
In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, NUTRO®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and CESAR®; Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints. Food –UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA ® Coffee Roasterscoffee, THE BRIGHT TEA CO.® tea,DOVE®/GALAXY® Hot Chocolate, and FLAVIA® brewer; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA® and WISDOM PANEL®.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves approximately 4.8 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Duracell®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, Wella® and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

– See more at: http://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/mars-incorporated-buy-significant-portion-procter-gambles-p#sthash.vDRmhluc.dpuf

DECATUR, Ill., – Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) and Hawkins, Inc. today introduced Chill-Pro, a USDA Certified Biobased heat transfer fluid made using ADM Evolution Chemicals™ propylene glycol.

Chill-Pro is designed to maintain a constant temperature and provide superior freeze protection for closed-loop, water-based HVAC systems. It is formulated with a comprehensive food-grade inhibitor package that provides corrosion protection without reducing the efficiency of the system components. The corrosion inhibitors first passivate the surface of the metal to maximize the corrosion resistance and then buffer the organic acids formed through the glycol oxidation process to prevent the fluids from becoming too acidic.

“ADM recognizes the increasing demand for renewable chemicals, and we’re excited to partner with Hawkins to offer Chill-Pro to a range of customers,” said Lindsay LeMaster, manager of propylene glycol at ADM Evolution Chemicals. “Our high-quality biobased propylene glycol and Hawkins’ excellence in customer service and support provides customers an alternative to traditional petroleum-derived chemicals.”

The benefits of Chill-Pro over petroleum-derived products include the fact that the majority component, propylene glycol, is 100% biobased and has lower cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas emissions. The USDA Certified Biobased Product label indicates that the product contains 100 percent biobased content. ADM is the first company in the world to make biobased propylene glycol that complies with both industrial requirements and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) specifications.

For more information on Chill-Pro and other Hawkins products, visit www.hawkinsinc.com. For more information about Evolution Chemicals, visit www.adm.com/evolutionchemicals.

About Evolution Chemicals™
ADM’s Evolution Chemicals™ line of biobased products is derived from renewable resources like corn and soy. Evolution Chemicals places ADM’s renewable chemicals, such as isosorbide, propylene glycol, glycerin, industrial ethanol and ethylene glycol, under one brand. ADM has more than 100 years of experience producing renewable chemicals. The first product offered for sale by the Daniels Linseed Company in 1902 was linseed oil, which is still used in industrial applications such as paints and varnishes. Today, ADM produces polymers, solvents and starches for industrial and personal care applications like paints, plastics, household cleaners and pharmaceutical excipients. To learn more about Evolution Chemicals, visit adm.com/evolutionchemicals. For more information or to order products, contact ADM at 800-637-5843 or ADMEvoChemCS@adm.com.

About ADM
For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve vital needs. Today, 31,000 ADM employees around the globe convert oilseeds, corn, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses. With more than 270 processing plants, 470 crop procurement facilities, and the world’s premier crop transportation network, ADM helps connect the harvest to the home in more than 140 countries. For more information about ADM and its products, visit www.adm.com.

This news is courtesy of www.adm.com

WASHINGTON, – The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency today announced a joint initiative to improve access to clean water and wastewater infrastructure for U.S. communities along the Mexico border. This initiative is part of USDA and EPA’s ongoing partnership to increase the sustainability of rural drinking water and wastewater systems.

“For many living along the U.S.-Mexico border, access to safe, reliable water and wastewater treatment – something that most Americans take for granted – is nonexistent,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “We cannot tackle the problem of persistent poverty in the region without first addressing these stunning infrastructure failures, which have serious health, environmental and economic consequences. The resources provided through USDA and EPA will help mitigate health and environmental risks, advance economic development, and improve the quality of life for families living in the region.”

“Americans deserve access to clean drinking water and adequate wastewater systems,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “EPA is proud to partner with USDA to help communities along the border tackle serious environmental and public health concerns.”

Many border communities lack the funds to build or rebuild their drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Failing wastewater systems can significantly harm the environment, spilling untreated wastewater into streets, streams and rivers, and forcing raw sewage to back up into homes. Failing and inadequate water systems can harm community health by increasing the risk of water-borne illnesses such as salmonella and hepatitis A and gastrointestinal diseases.

USDA and EPA have conducted an initial needs assessment for water and wastewater infrastructure in the border region. The findings are published in the U.S. [FJ-RWD1] Mexico Border Scoping Assessment Phase 1 Report. The report identified communities in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas that need improved water infrastructure and/or face environmental and/or public health risks associated with inadequate or failing water infrastructure systems.

USDA plans to award up to $500,000 through Rural Development’s Technical Assistance and Training Grant program to a private, non-profit group for an in-depth priority assessment of the counties identified in the report. The assessment will include recommendations on the best way to deliver technical assistance. USDA anticipates that this analysis will be completed in late 2014.

Based on this analysis, USDA and EPA will target technical assistance to the neediest communities and establish partnerships to provide or improve access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

This initiative is part of USDA and EPA’s ongoing partnership to increase the sustainability of rural drinking water and wastewater systems. Through this effort, USDA and EPA are helping rural communities implement strategies and tools to protect public health, improve water quality and create sustainable communities. This partnership has produced tools such as the Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable Utility Management. It provides a step-by-step guide for sustainable operation and management of small water and wastewater systems. The partnership has also produced the Workshop in a Box manual, which provides materials to technical assistance providers who would like to market and conduct workshops based on the guidebook.

USDA has invested more than $125 million in water and waste projects in colonias since the start of the Obama Administration. USDA’s StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity Initiative is utilizing the full array of resources in the poorest parts of rural America, including the colonias along the border. Colonias are small, rural communities along the border, some in federally-recognized Native American tribal areas, that have not had regular access to water and modern sanitation systems because that type of infrastructure was not required to be installed at the time the properties were sold and their houses built.

President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA’s investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values.

This news is courtesy of www.usda.gov

Colgate-Palmolive has issued a new Policy on No Deforestation, including a pledge to achieve full traceability of its palm oil supply back to the plantation by 2015. The policy outlines commitments to responsibly source the forest commodities of pulp and paper, palm oil and derivatives, soy and soy oil and beef tallow and is an integral part of the Company’s strategy to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.

It is estimated that over the past 50 years, about half of the world’s original forests have been lost. Deforestation of tropical rainforests and peatlands has been especially devastating to endangered animal species and has led to significant release of carbon emissions. Colgate and other consumer packaged goods companies can have an impact on deforestation through sourcing decisions for packaging and ingredients. Colgate has joined the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) in pledging to mobilize resources to help achieve zero net deforestation by 2020, and this policy will enable Colgate to fulfill this pledge.

“Our values of Caring, Global Teamwork and Continuous Improvement are the foundation of our sustainability commitments,” said Ian Cook, Chairman, President and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive. “This policy reflects our values and our commitment to grow the business ethically and responsibly.”

The policy, which was published on the Company’s Sustainability website, details specific requirements for the sourcing of forest commodities, including:

Obtaining verification that pulp and paper materials from high priority countries are of low risk of coming from controversial sources contributing to deforestation
Increasing our purchase of physical Certified Sustainable Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil where possible each year, and continuing to purchase GreenPalm Certificates to cover the remaining percentage of our requirements, gradually phasing out the need for the purchase each year
Requiring additional independent verification that the palm oil supply to Colgate does not come from areas where High Carbon Stocks (HCS) and High Conservation Value (HCV) forests were deforested; fire was used for clearance; and peat lands were developed into plantations or drained
Procuring soy and soy derivatives that are not linked to deforestation by 2017
Requiring all applicable tallow suppliers to be in compliance with the “Minimum Criteria for Industrial Scale Cattle Operations in the Brazilian Amazon Biome” by 2017

Colgate, in consultation with key stakeholders such as Greenpeace, developed this policy to clearly communicate its commitment on this critical issue. The Company will work closely with customers, suppliers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other key stakeholders to increase awareness and commitment to the new policy and to build the capability to achieve the 2015-2020 targets.

About Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate-Palmolive sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, elmex, Tom’s of Maine, Sanex, Ajax, Axion, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet. For more information about Colgate-Palmolive’s global business, visit the Company’s website at www.colgatepalmolive.com. To learn more about Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures®, Colgate’s global oral health education program, please visit www.colgatebsbf.com.

This news is courtesy of www.colgatepalmolive.com

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Flint Hills Resources of Port Arthur has agreed to implement innovative technologies to control harmful air pollution from industrial flares and leaking equipment at the company’s chemical plant in Port Arthur, Texas. This settlement is part of EPA’s national effort to advance environmental justice by protecting communities such as Port Arthur that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution. The company is also required to pay a $350,000 penalty for Clean Air Act violations.

Once fully implemented, EPA estimates that the settlement will reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including benzene and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), by an estimated 1,880 tons per year, and will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by approximately 69,000 tons per year.

“This agreement reflects the Justice Department’s and the EPA’s commitment to alleviate the environmental and human health challenges faced by vulnerable communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Robert G. Dreher of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement will mean cleaner, healthier air for residents of the Port Arthur area who continue to bear a disproportionate burden from the impacts of industrial pollution.”

“Communities like Port Arthur are a focus of our enforcement efforts as they have been hit hard by air pollution,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “ By working with EPA, Flint Hills has advanced new air pollution controls that will help EPA bring similar air quality improvements to other American communities. EPA will continue to focus on tough pollution controls and cutting edge technologies in order to reduce the burden of air pollution on Americans who need it most.”

The settlement requires Flint Hills to operate state‑of‑the‑art equipment to recover and recycle waste gases and to ensure that gases sent to flares are burned with 98 percent efficiency. The company has spent approximately $16 million to implement these required controls on industrial flares.

When the agreement is fully implemented, the company estimates it will spend $28 million to reduce “fugitive” pollutant emissions that may leak from valves, pumps, and other equipment. The company must monitor leaks more frequently, implement more aggressive repair practices, adopt innovative new practices designed to prevent leaks and replace valves with new “low emissions” valves or use packing material to reduce leaks.

To further mitigate pollution impacting the community, the company will spend $2 million on a diesel retrofit or replacement project that is estimated to reduce nitrogen oxides and particulate matter by a combined 85 tons, in addition to 39 tons of carbon monoxide, over the next 15 years. The company will also spend $350,000 to purchase and install technologies to reduce energy demand in low income homes.

For the past several years, Flint Hills has operated a system to monitor the ambient levels of the hazardous air pollutants benzene and 1,3-butadiene at the boundaries of the facility, also known as the “fence line.” The company has used the information collected to identify and reduce potential pollutant sources for communities living near the facility. In this settlement, Flint Hills has agreed to make its fence line monitoring data available online to the public.

The complaint, filed by DOJ on behalf of EPA at the same time as the settlement, alleges that the company improperly operated its steam-assisted flaring devices in a way that emitted excess amounts of VOCs, including benzene and other hazardous air pollutants. It also alleges violations of EPA regulations designed to limit emissions from leaking equipment.

The measures required by the settlement will cut emissions of pollutants that can cause significant harm to public health. VOCs are a key component in the formation of smog or ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs, exacerbates diseases such as asthma, and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Chronic exposure to benzene, which EPA classifies as a carcinogen, can cause numerous health impacts, including leukemia and adverse reproductive effects in women.

Today’s settlement is part of EPA’s national effort to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants, with a particular focus on industrial flares and leaks from equipment. Improper operation of an industrial flare can emit hundreds of tons of hazardous pollutants into the air. EPA encourages companies to flare less, and when they do flare, to fully burn the harmful chemicals found in the waste gas.

Flint Hills’ plant in Port Arthur manufactures chemicals that are used in a variety of products, including medical devices, automotive parts and appliance components. The Port Arthur facility has the capacity to produce nearly 1.4 billion pounds of ethylene and 700 million pounds of propylene annually.

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), thundered into space at 1:37 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 27 (3:37 a.m. JST Friday, Feb. 28) from Japan.

The four-ton spacecraft launched aboard a Japanese H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island in southern Japan. The GPM spacecraft separated from the rocket 16 minutes after launch, at an altitude of 247 miles (398 kilometers). The solar arrays deployed 10 minutes after spacecraft separation, to power the spacecraft.
“With this launch, we have taken another giant leap in providing the world with an unprecedented picture of our planet’s rain and snow,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “GPM will help us better understand our ever-changing climate, improve forecasts of extreme weather events like floods, and assist decision makers around the world to better manage water resources.”

The GPM Core Observatory will take a major step in improving upon the capabilities of the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM), a joint NASA-JAXA mission launched in 1997 and still in operation. While TRMM measured precipitation in the tropics, the GPM Core Observatory expands the coverage area from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. GPM will also be able to detect light rain and snowfall, a major source of available fresh water in some regions.
To better understand Earth’s weather and climate cycles, the GPM Core Observatory will collect information that unifies and improves data from an international constellation of existing and future satellites by mapping global precipitation every three hours.

“It is incredibly exciting to see this spacecraft launch,” said GPM Project Manager Art Azarbarzin of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “This is the moment that the GPM Team has been working toward since 2006. The GPM Core Observatory is the product of a dedicated team at Goddard, JAXA and others worldwide. Soon, as GPM begins to collect precipitation observations, we’ll see these instruments at work providing real-time information for the scientists about the intensification of storms, rainfall in remote areas and so much more.”

The GPM Core Observatory was assembled at Goddard and is the largest spacecraft ever built at the center. It carries two instruments to measure rain and snowfall. The GPM Microwave Imager, provided by NASA, will estimate precipitation intensities from heavy to light rain, and snowfall by carefully measuring the minute amounts of energy naturally emitted by precipitation. The Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR), developed by JAXA with the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Tokyo, will use emitted radar pulses to make detailed measurements of three-dimensional rainfall structure and intensity, allowing scientists to improve estimates of how much water the precipitation holds. Mission operations and data processing will be managed from Goddard.

“We still have a lot to learn about how rain and snow systems behave in the bigger Earth system,” said GPM Project Scientist Gail Skofronick-Jackson of Goddard. “With the advanced instruments on the GPM Core Observatory, we will have for the first time frequent unified global observations of all types of precipitation, everything from the rain in your backyard to storms forming over the oceans to the falling snow contributing to water resources.”

“We have spent more than a decade developing DPR using Japanese technology, the first radar of its kind in space,” said Masahiro Kojima, JAXA GPM/DPR project manager. “I expect GPM to produce important new results for our society by improving weather forecasts and prediction of extreme events such as typhoons and flooding.”

The GPM Core Observatory is the first of NASA’s five Earth science missions launching this year. With a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based observation campaigns, NASA monitors Earth’s vital signs from land, air and space. NASA also develops new ways to observe and study Earth’s interconnected natural systems with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. The agency freely shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet.

This Press Release is courtesy of www.nasa.gov

NASA is partnering with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to develop and apply new technology and products to better manage and monitor the state’s water resources and respond to its ongoing drought.

NASA scientists, DWR water managers, university researchers and other state resource management agencies will collaborate to apply advanced remote sensing and improved forecast modeling to better assess water resources, monitor drought conditions and water supplies, plan for drought response and mitigation, and measure drought impacts. “Over the past two decades, NASA has developed capabilities to measure and provide useful information for all components of Earth’s freshwater resources worldwide,” said Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division in Washington. “Working with partners like DWR, we are leveraging NASA’s unique Earth monitoring tools and science expertise to help managers address the state’s water management challenges.”

In January, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. declared a drought state of emergency and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for water shortages as 2014 shapes up to be one of the driest years on record in California.

NASA and DWR began exploring opportunities to apply remote sensing data and research to the process of water resource management through a partnership established with funding from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Ongoing collaborations include monitoring California delta levees; mapping fallowed agricultural lands; and improving estimates of precipitation, water stored in winter snowpack, and changes in groundwater resources. The agencies also are working to combine data from NASA satellites and DWR’s network of agricultural weather stations to improve estimates of crop water requirements for California farmers seeking to better manage irrigation.

“We value the partnership with NASA and the ability of their remote sensing resources to integrate data over large spatial scales, which is useful for assessing drought impacts,” said Jeanine Jones, Interstate Water Resources Manager, DWR, Sacramento. “Early detection of land subsidence hot spots, for example, can help forestall long-term damage to water supply and flood control infrastructure.”

In April, NASA and DWR will resume flights of NASA’s Airborne Snow Observatory to map the snowpack of the Tuolumne River Basin in the Sierra Nevada and the Uncompahgre watershed in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Tuolumne watershed is the primary water supply for 2.6 million San Francisco Bay Area residents.

The airborne observatory measures how much water is in the snowpack and how much sunlight the snow absorbs, which affects how fast the snow melts. These data enable accurate estimates of how much water will flow out of a basin when the snow melts. Last year, observatory data helped water managers optimize reservoir filling and more efficiently allocate water between power generation, water supplies and ecological uses.

Another pilot project is demonstrating the feasibility of using satellite imagery to track the extent of fallowed land — cultivated land intentionally allowed to lie idle during growing season — in California’s Central Valley. NASA is working with DWR, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and California State University at Monterey Bay to establish an operational fallowed land monitoring service as part of a California drought early warning information system. New methods using time-series of crop data from NASA and USGS satellites can provide information on land fallowing and reductions in planted acreage early in the year. The team is preparing to produce data and maps of fallowed acreage in the Central Valley beginning this April to help monitor the impacts of the ongoing drought.
Faced with an inability to fully irrigate their crops due to drought, Central Valley farmers often must prioritize use of limited available water supplies to sustain perennial crops. Taking land out of production reduces farm income and agricultural sales and increases unemployment. Timely and accurate knowledge of the extent of fallowing can give decision makers vital insights into the severity of drought impacts and provide a basis for sound drought response decisions.
Another NASA project mapped areas of subsidence, or ground sinking, in the San Joaquin Valley from 2007 to 2011 caused by decreased groundwater levels. Groundwater is increasingly important in water resource management, yet knowledge of groundwater levels is not uniformly available. Satellite-based and airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar can monitor groundwater levels by measuring surface deformation due to the withdrawal and recharge of aquifers.

Satellite radar maps produced to date reveal significant areas of subsidence. NASA produced regional maps of the rate and total amount of subsidence, along with animations and detailed histories of individual locations that can help deduce year-to-year changes in groundwater storage. Researchers hope to extend the data to the present day to give state water managers updates on how subsidence has progressed during the drought and detect possible new areas of concern. The data can be used to focus on problem areas where too much water is being pumped. The maps also help managers of infrastructure that can be affected by subsidence, such as aqueducts, flood-control channels and the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

NASA is teaming with DWR, University of California at San Diego and others to conduct airborne campaigns, satellite studies and analyses of weather and climate models to enhance understanding and improve forecasts of atmospheric rivers. These narrow, low-altitude, elongated corridors of water vapor account for most major flooding events, provide about 40 percent of California’s freshwater, and often are “drought busters.” They help scientists understand and predict the global water cycle and its regional extremes.

NASA satellite data and modeling studies have contributed to a better description and understanding of the Madden-Julian Oscillation, a recurring pattern of tropical weather and climate that impacts weather in Earth’s mid-latitudes, including California. Weather forecast models now demonstrate the ability to forecast this pattern as much as four weeks in advance, potentially providing new, long-lead precipitation forecast information for California. The NASA team is working with the global weather and climate forecast communities to enable and improve routine forecasts of this phenomenon.
Three of the five new Earth science missions NASA is scheduled to launch this year will contribute to water cycle research and water-related national policy decisions.
The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, a joint satellite project with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency scheduled for launch Thursday, Feb. 27, will inaugurate an unprecedented international satellite constellation that will produce the first nearly global observations of rainfall and snowfall. The new information will help answer questions about our planet’s life-sustaining water cycle, and improve water resource management and weather forecasting.

ISS-RapidScat, scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) in June, will extend the data record of ocean winds around the globe. The data are a key factor in climate research, weather and marine forecasting and tracking of storms and hurricanes.

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), launching in November, will inform water resource management decisions on water availability. SMAP data also will aid in predictions of plant growth and agricultural productivity, improve short-term weather forecasts and long-term climate change projections, and advance our ability to monitor droughts and predict floods and mitigate their related impacts on people’s lives.

NASA also plans to launch four additional water-related satellites in the next seven years: The Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2); Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow-on; Surface Water Ocean Topography mission; and the NASA-Indian Space Research Organisation Synthetic Aperture Radar mission. These satellite missions join more than a dozen NASA airborne sensors focused on regional-scale issues, understanding detailed Earth science processes and calibrating and validating NASA satellites.

NASA monitors Earth’s vital signs from land, air and space with a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based observation campaigns. NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth’s interconnected natural systems with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. The agency shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet.d

This Press Release is courtesy of www.nasa.gov

CINCINNATI -Oral-B® will introduce its interactive electric toothbrush – the world’s first of its kind with Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity – at Mobile World Congress 2014 beginning Monday, February 24. As an essential element to the well-connected bathroom, the product will be showcased in the GSMA Connected City exhibition space, a realistic city environment showcasing cutting-edge mobile products and services for the increasingly connected life. Available for purchase in limited quantities this spring, the product is poised to set a new standard in personal oral care.

This new innovation gives you unprecedented control over your oral care, and in turn, the outcome of your dental appointments. Via Bluetooth 4.0 technology, the interactive electric toothbrush connects to the Oral-B App that provides real-time guidance while you brush, and records brushing activity as data that you can chart on your own and share with dental professionals, helping to create smarter and more personalized brushing routines.

Features & Benefits of the Oral-B App

Utilizes Two-Way Communication: Not only does that app receive brushing data and report it back to you, but you can also program the app so that it communicates with the brush for personalized brushing.
Delivers Expert Guidance with Focused Care: The purpose of this new technology is not to outsmart dental professionals, but to work hand-in-hand with them. Dental professionals can program patients’ brushing routines in the app to help improve their brushing behaviors and focus on problem zones within the mouth.
Programs Personal Brush Settings: You can use your smartphone as a “remote control” to customize your brush to your needs, including setting your target session length and selecting your preferred modes.
Stores Your Data: It is not always convenient or easy to remember to have your smartphone in the bathroom while you brush, so the Oral-B interactive electric toothbrush handle can store up to 20 brushing sessions. The data is transferred the next time the app is connected to the toothbrush, updating your records.
Fosters Better Brushing: The app and interactive electric toothbrush help drive patient compliance, which determines a large part of the success of dental appointments.
Helps You Stay Informed: The app helps maintain your attention and motivation while brushing with news, weather and oral care tips.
Available for free on iOS and Android
Additionally, pre-tests of the app have shown that when connected, brushing time increases from less than 60 seconds with a manual toothbrush to two minutes and 16 seconds with an electric toothbrush, surpassing the dental professional-recommended two-minute per session.

“Oral-B has been a leading innovator in oral care for more than 60 years, and we’re proud to introduce this new interactive electric toothbrush with Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, which was developed in conjunction with leading dental experts around the globe,” said Wayne Randall, Vice President, Global Oral Care at Procter and Gamble. “It provides the highest degree of user interaction to track your oral care habits to help improve your oral health, and we believe it will have significant impact on the future of personal oral care, providing data-based solutions for oral health, and making the relationship between dental professionals and patients a more collaborative one.”

Oral-B’s participation in the GSMA Connected City marks the first time an oral care brand has debuted its mobile capabilities at Mobile World Congress, the largest and most premier exhibitor in mobile developments.

“The GSMA Connected City was created to showcase the most innovative developments in mobile technology and demonstrate how they will have a positive impact on people’s lives. So we are delighted to welcome Oral-B,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “The progress of connected devices and machine-to-machine communications continues to grow at an incredible pace, shaping the world around us and we hope that visitors to the City will be inspired by what they see this year.”

The Bluetooth 4.0 technology will be available in a variety of Oral-B electric toothbrushes, including the new sophisticated and elegant Oral-B SmartSeries.™

Features & Benefits of the New SmartSeries with Bluetooth Connectivity 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity: Links electric toothbrush to smartphone app via low-energy Bluetooth
Oscillating-rotating-pulsating technology: Removes up to 100 percent more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush
Six different cleaning modes: Daily Cleaning, Deep Clean, Whitening, Gum Care, Sensitive, Tongue Cleaning
Compatible with six different brush heads: CrossAction, Precision Clean, 3D White, Sensitive, Floss Action, TriZone
Pressure sensor: Signals and decelerates the speed when the user is brushing too hard
Travel accessories: Protects the brush and charger during travel
The new Oral-B interactive electric toothbrush with Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity and the Oral-B App will be available in limited quantities in Germany this spring, with a global rollouts – including the SmartSeries – launching in June 2014. The new Oral-B App will be available in iOS in May, and in Android in August.

About Oral-B
Oral-B is the worldwide leader in the over $5 billion brushing market. Part of the Procter & Gamble Company, the brand includes manual and electric toothbrushes for children and adults, oral irrigators and interdental products, such as dental floss. Oral-B manual toothbrushes are used by more dentists than any other brand in the U.S. and many international markets.

About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves approximately 4.8 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Ace®, Always®, AmbiPur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Duracell®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Fusion®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Iams®, Lenor®, Mach3®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, Prestobarba®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, Wella®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

This Press Release is courtesy www.pg.com

DETROIT – Chevrolet is investing in clean energy efficiency initiatives of U.S. colleges and universities through its voluntary carbon-reduction initiative. The brand helped develop a formula where campuses can earn money for certain upgrades that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This marks the first time college campuses can use carbon performance methodologies to make money via greenhouse gas reductions that result from energy efficiency. As carbon emissions continue to contribute to the warming of the earth, such funding enables universities to reduce their impact and save money on utility bills while engaging and educating students in their efforts. The funding opportunity is timely given that 675 campuses have pledged to reduce their carbon emissions.

“Historically, campuses purchased other organizations’ carbon credits to help achieve carbon neutrality,” said Eban Goodstein, director of Bard College’s Center for Environmental Policy in New York. “Now they are earning revenues for the carbon reductions achieved right on their own sites, where the long-term clean energy benefits lie for their community.”

Campuses are increasingly pursuing aggressive clean energy efficiency efforts from installing more efficient building equipment to using renewable energy to help power operations. With this initiative, Chevrolet will buy and retire carbon credits resulting from some campuses’ greenhouse gas reductions from either their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings or other campuswide energy-saving initiatives.

Chevrolet is dedicated to securing a cleaner energy future through efficient vehicles, responsible manufacturing and supporting community-based carbon-reduction projects.

“Electric cars like the Chevrolet Volt and Spark EV drawing electricity from a cleaner energy infrastructure is a win-win for our customers and the environment,” said David Tulauskas, GM director of sustainability. “The Chevrolet carbon-reduction initiative is about supporting the ingenious ways people are reducing their carbon emissions, like the efforts of leaders driving the higher education sustainability movement.”

For the last two years, Chevrolet has been the largest U.S. corporate buyer of voluntary carbon credits by volume, according to the nonprofit Forest Trends Ecosystem Marketplace. The brand has supported many projects, from helping a landfill heat a hospital with methane gas to helping truckers avoid idling their engines at rest stops. The initiative is part of the brand’s voluntary goal set in 2010 to prevent up to 8 million metric tons of carbon emissions from entering the earth’s atmosphere. That’s like the annual carbon reduction benefit of a mature forest the size of Yellowstone.

With this next phase, Chevrolet aims to spur even more carbon-reduction activities that benefit college campuses, their communities and job creation.

To develop the new methodologies, Chevrolet worked with an advisory team led by the Climate Neutral Business Network with support from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The methodologies have been approved through the Verified Carbon Standard.

Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. and Valencia College in Orlando, Fla. are among the first to apply these new methodologies with pilot projects, confirming that funding such as Chevrolet’s is strategic to their other efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

Chevrolet’s funds will be used for additional energy efficiency retrofits at Valencia. Ball State’s pilot involves selling some of the carbon reductions from installing the largest geothermal system at a U.S. college.

Said Robert Koester, professor of architecture and chair of the Ball State University Council on the Environment: “Without such third-party financing of this type, most colleges and universities would not be able to capitalize on the more significant investments needed to bring down their carbon load on the atmosphere.”

Visit Chevrolet’s website for more information about the carbon-reduction initiative.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality.

This Press Release is courtesy of www.gm.com

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has announced that they have fulfilled their Bid Book obligation to mitigate the direct carbon footprint of the Games in Sochi in 2014 before the Games even get underway. The direct carbon footprint includes all the emissions associated with the travel and accommodation of athletes, staff, and volunteers, as well as the operation of the sports venues and the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee’s activities from 2007 until the Paralympic Games’ Closing Ceremony.

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee made this commitment in 2007 – when Russia received the privilege to host its first Olympic Winter Games. The program to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases is carried out jointly with Worldwide Olympic Partner and Official Carbon Partner of the Organizing Committee, Dow.

Any human activity leads to CO2 emissions, and the mitigation of direct footprint of the Games is one of the main objectives of the program – to host “Games with minimal impact on the climate.”

The direct carbon footprint of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, calculated together with a group of Russian and international experts, is estimated to be up to 360,000 tons of CO2 equivalent, and has been fully mitigated. In total, starting from March 2013 thanks to energy efficient technologies implemented by Dow across the country in such areas as infrastructure, industry and agriculture more than 500 000 tons of greenhouse gases have been mitigated today, which already exceeds the stated figures, and this is all thanks to Dow.

Moreover, the Organizing Committee has not only mitigated 100% of their own carbon footprint, but also voluntarily offset the footprint associated with the travel of spectators and media attending the Games. Embracing the global spirit of the Olympic Games, the travel offset program includes the retirement of carbon credits from environmental projects in Russia, Brazil and South Korea – countries hosting the next Olympic Games, as well as a project carried out at one of Dow’s own manufacturing plants in the United States.

“We are proud to announce the achievement of one of the main objectives of the organization, Games with minimal impact on the climate. Thanks to Dow and the “Sustainable Future” program, the Organizing Committee has been able to mitigate the direct carbon footprint of the Games before opening them. The program also promotes the latest technological developments and opens up new approaches to conserve our environment for the future Organizing Committees, ” – said the president of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko.

“The Worldwide Olympic Partnership allows Dow to showcase its solutions on the world’s most revered global sports stage,” said George Hamilton, vice president, Dow Olympic Operations. “Our capabilities and expertise make us a key player to advance the 3rd pillar of the Olympism – the environment – and this is how we have been working with Organizing Committees and the IOC to deliver game-changing innovations for the Olympic Games moving forward.”

This Press Release is courtesy of www.sochi2014.com

WASHINGTON – As part of the Energy Department’s efforts to develop efficiency standards that cut carbon pollution and save money by saving energy, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz today announced that the Department has finalized new energy efficiency standards for metal halide lamp fixtures, which are used in lighting for big box stores and parking lots. Over 30 years, these standards will help reduce harmful carbon pollution by up to 28 million metric tons – equivalent to the annual electricity use of 3.9 million homes – and save consumers more than $1.1 billion on their energy bills. These standards support President Obama’s call to cut energy waste, save families money on their utilities bills and help reduce pollution, as outlined in the State of the Union address this week.

“By working with industry and efficiency groups, we are developing appliance standards that are saving billions of dollars while helping to fight carbon pollution,” said Secretary Moniz. “Building on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the Energy Department continues to make good progress to help communities and businesses save on their utility bills and build a more sustainable energy future.”

Under the Obama Administration, the Energy Department has finalized new efficiency standards for more than 30 household and commercial products, including dishwashers, refrigerators and water heaters, which are estimated to save consumers more than $400 billion and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1.8 billion metric tons through 2030.

To build on this success, the Administration has set a new goal: Efficiency standards for appliances and federal buildings set in the first and second terms combined will reduce carbon pollution by at least 3 billion metric tons cumulatively by 2030 – equivalent to nearly one-half of the carbon pollution from the entire U.S. energy sector for one year – while continuing to cut families’ energy bills.

Metal halide lamp fixtures include the ballast which starts and regulates the electrical current for these lighting systems. They are commonly used for parking lots and streets, flood lighting, athletic facilities, big-box stores and warehouses. On average, one metal halide lamp fixture consumes about 2,210 kilowatt hours of energy per year.

The efficiency standards established today will update the 2007 standards for metal halide lamp fixtures. These standards incorporate feedback from industry, consumer and environmental advocacy groups and other stakeholders and will go into effect three years after publication in the Federal Register.

This Press Release is courtesy of www.energy.gov

NASA is inviting the public to help astronomers discover embryonic planetary systems hidden among data from the agency’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission through a new website, DiskDetective.org. Disk Detective is NASA’s largest crowdsourcing project whose primary goal is to produce publishable scientific results. It exemplifies a new commitment to crowdsourcing and open data by the United States government.

“Through Disk Detective, volunteers will help the astronomical community discover new planetary nurseries that will become future targets for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope,” said James Garvin, the chief scientist for NASA Goddard’s Sciences and Exploration Directorate.
WISE was designed to survey the entire sky at infrared wavelengths. From a perch in Earth orbit, the spacecraft completed two scans of the entire sky between 2010 and 2011. It took detailed measurements on more than 745 million objects, representing the most comprehensive survey of the sky at mid-infrared wavelengths currently available.

Astronomers have used computers to search this haystack of data for planet-forming environments and narrowed the field to about a half-million sources that shine brightly in the infrared, indicating they may be “needles”: dust-rich disks that are absorbing their star’s light and reradiating it as heat.

“Planets form and grow within disks of gas, dust and icy grains that surround young stars, but many details about the process still elude us,” said Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “We need more examples of planet-forming habitats to better understand how planets grow and mature.”

But galaxies, interstellar dust clouds, and asteroids also glow in the infrared, which stymies automated efforts to identify planetary habitats. There may be thousands of nascent solar systems in the WISE data, but the only way to know for sure is to inspect each source by eye, which poses a monumental challenge.

Public participation in scientific research is a type of crowdsourcing known as citizen science. It allows the public to make critical contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by collecting, analyzing and sharing a wide range of data. NASA uses citizen science to engage the public in problem-solving.
Kuchner recognized the spotting of planetary nurseries as a perfect opportunity for crowdsourcing. He arranged for NASA to team up with the Zooniverse, a collaboration of scientists, software developers and educators who collectively develop and manage citizen science projects on the Internet. The result of their combined effort is Disk Detective.
Disk Detective incorporates images from WISE and other sky surveys in brief animations the website calls flip books. Volunteers view a flip book and classify the object based on simple criteria, such as whether the image is round or includes multiple objects. By collecting this information, astronomers will be able to assess which sources should be explored in greater detail, for example, to search for planets outside our solar system.

“Disk Detective’s simple and engaging interface allows volunteers from all over the world to participate in cutting-edge astronomy research that wouldn’t even be possible without their efforts,” said Laura Whyte, director of citizen science at Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Ill., a founding partner of the Zooniverse collaboration.

The project aims to find two types of developing planetary environments. The first, known as a young stellar object disk, typically is less than 5 million years old, contains large quantities of gas, and often is found in or near young star clusters. For comparison, our own solar system is 4.6 billion years old. The second planetary environment, known as a debris disk, tends to be older than 5 million years, possesses little or no gas, and contains belts of rocky or icy debris that resemble the asteroid and Kuiper belts found in our own solar system. Vega and Fomalhaut, two of the brightest stars in the sky, host debris disks.

WISE was shut down in 2011 after its primary mission was completed. But in September 2013, it was reactivated, renamed Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE), and given a new mission, which is to assist NASA’s efforts to identify the population of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs). NEOWISE also can assist in characterizing previously detected asteroids that could be considered potential targets for future exploration missions.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., manages and operates WISE for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. The WISE mission was selected competitively under NASA’s Explorers Program managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The science instrument was built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah. The spacecraft was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colo. Science operations and data processing take place at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at the California Institute of Technology, which manages JPL for NASA.

This Press Release is courtesy of www.nasa.gov

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J.– Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that it has entered into a supply agreement with Asahi Glass Company Ltd. (AGC) to increase production for HFO-1234yf, a new refrigerant for automobiles with a global warming potential (GWP) of less than 1. This GWP is 99.9 percent lower than that of the current refrigerant in use, HFC-134a, and even lower than the GWP of carbon dioxide.

AGC will manufacture HFO-1234yf in Japan, and Honeywell will market the product to customers in the U.S, Europe and Asia. Under the agreement, AGC’s production is expected to begin in mid-2015.

“Honeywell’s supply agreement with AGC will help us meet immediate demand for HFO-1234yf, which is steadily increasing in response to concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and the need to comply with regulations,” said Ken Gayer, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Fluorine Products. “We continue to work with our customers to anticipate long-term demand, which will be met by a new high-volume manufacturing plant we will build in Geismar, Louisiana. Manufacturing locations in both the U.S. and Asia will provide automotive customers with improved supply chain reliability and security.”

Last month, Honeywell announced that the company and its suppliers would invest about $300 million to increase capacity for HFO-1234yf, including building a new manufacturing plant for the refrigerant at Honeywell’s existing Geismar location. The plant will use new process technology and is expected to be fully operational in 2016. The exact size of the plant will depend on supply agreements that Honeywell is putting in place with major customers.

HFO-1234yf is being implemented by automakers in part to meet the EU MAC Directive, a landmark piece of legislation that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of air-conditioning systems in passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The directive requires that refrigerants in all new vehicle types sold in Europe after Jan. 1, 2013, have a global-warming potential (GWP) below 150.

GWP is a relative measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere, with carbon dioxide setting the comparison with a GWP of 1. HFO-1234yf offers a GWP that is less than 1, giving it even less of an environmental impact than carbon dioxide. (See “Comparison of Greenhouse Impact” table below.)

All cars sold in Europe after 2017 must meet the new GWP requirement of less than 150. HFO-1234yf, with a GWP below 1, not only meets this requirement but is more than 99 percent below the new, stricter regulation.

Automakers in the U.S. are also adopting HFO-1234yf to help comply with Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and vehicle greenhouse gas standards, which aim to improve the average fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with cars and light trucks. Because HFO-1234yf has an extremely low environmental impact (a GWP of less than 1 compared with a GWP of 1,300 for the current refrigerant, HFC-134a), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows automakers to receive credits for using HFO-1234yf.

Nearly half a million cars are on the road today safely using HFO-1234yf, and by the end of 2014, the number of vehicles is expected to exceed 2 million. Third-party data shows that HFO-1234yf’s widespread adoption globally would have the greenhouse gas equivalent of permanently removing more than 30 million cars from the road worldwide, or about 3 percent of the total global fleet.

HFO-1234yf has the proven ability to perform as an effective automotive refrigerant in all regions of the world, and Honeywell continues to develop a global infrastructure to support its global customer base.

This Press Release is courtesy of www.honeywell.com