globalbriefs


Hot ‘n Sunny Cheaper Solar Panels Spur Job Growth


Solar industry jobs are up nearly 20 percent in the 14 months through November 2013 as cheaper panels and rising electricity rates spurred people to turn to solar, according to a report by the non- profit Solar Foundation research group.


At latest count, solar companies employ nearly 143,000 solar workers, up more than 23,000 from September 2012—a job growth rate that’s 10 times faster than the national average and is helping local economies, according to the foun- dation. The industry is expected to create 22,000 new jobs in 2014, although at a slower pace than 2013. Cuts of 8,500 positions are projected in the sector that generates electricity from fossil fuels.


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Solar firms surveyed in the report said that more than 50 percent of their business and homeowner customers turned to solar to save money, while nearly 23 percent said they invested in panels because costs are now comparable with utility rates. The report noted that the cost of solar equipment has fallen about 50 percent since the beginning of 2010, motivating more people to go green.


GMO Go-Ahead Feds Give Dangerous Green Light


The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a draft statement essentially giving the green light to the mar- keting, sale and planting of Dow Chemical’s geneti- cally modified (GM, GMO, GE) corn and soybeans


resistant to 2,4-D, which will trigger a huge increase in the use of the toxic herbicide. The determination under the Plant Pest Act comes despite intense opposition over the past two years from farmers, more than 400,000 other individuals and some 150 farm, fishery, public health, consumer and environmental groups and private businesses.


Meanwhile, the Grocery Manufacturers Association has issued talking points against GMO labeling laws for food industry lobbyists that claim the laws are un- constitutional, violating the First Amendment, although other legal experts say the assertion is baseless.


Take action at Tinyurl.com/PushToLabelGMO. Learn more at OrganicConsumers.org.


Porous Pavement Widespread Use Awaits Cleaning Machines


Rainwater flows through porous pavement, allowing it to quickly reach soil, which helps keep pavement clearer from ice and snow in the winter and reduces the amount of pollutants that rain washes off of streets and into bodies of surface water. “It works about 50 percent of the time,” says David Drul-


linger, an environmental quality professional with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. He explains that dirt, sand and other debris get stuck inside the pavement; for it to be effective again, it must be cleaned. More machines capable of unclogging these road surfaces are needed before widespread installation is viable. As more contractors gain experience working with the new material, the more effective it may become. Several communities in Michigan already are adopting the use of porous pavement for its benefits.


Source: GreatLakesEcho.org


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