REBUILD THE UNITED STATES!

INLAND WATERWAYS BILL WILL FAST-TRACK ESSENTIAL MODERNIZATION BY STAS MARGARONIS, RBTUS Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) reports that on May 15 the U.S. Senate passed by a vote of 83-14 the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to, among other water resources areas, modernize the nation’s inland waterways.  The House of Representatives will now take up its version of the bill. In a press release...

U OF MAINE LAUNCHES FIRST FLOATING WIND TURBINE BY STAS MARGARONIS, RBTUS A University of Maine (UOM) team launched the first American floating wind turbine, VolturnUS, on May 31st incorporating innovations that could fast-track wind farms on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as Hawaii. Regional wind farms can be anchored off the shores of major U.S. population centers and connected to the...

Public Banking Conference Urges Grass Roots Support For New Finance By Stas Margaronis, RBTUS   The failure to reign in banks after the 2008 financial collapse reflects the banks’ success in controlling elected representatives and financial regulators, according to participants at a conference panel sponsored by the Public Banking Institute. The event took place at Dominican College, Marin...

METROLINK: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAIL TRANSIT FACES CHALLENGES BY STAS MARGARONIS, RBTUS Metrolink, the Southern California rail transit carrier, is projected to increase ridership by 2% in 2013, modernize its locomotives, upgrade its traffic control system, and navigate past a cash flow crisis as well as four recent train-related deaths. ACCIDENTS Jeff Lustgarten, public information director for...

JAPAN’S PILOT OFFSHORE WIND FARM WILL DEPLOY FIRST WIND TURBINE IN 2014 BY STAS MARGARONIS, RBTUS Japan will deploy its first floating wind turbines as part of a larger offshore wind farm to be developed off the coast of Fukushima in 2014, according to a wind energy consultant. Annette Bossler, managing director at Main(e) International Consulting told participants at a Maine Ocean and Wind...

MARIN COUNTY PIONEERS CALIFORNIA RENEWABLE ENERGY EFFORT BY STAS MARGARONIS, RBTUS California-based Marin Clean Energy (MCE) is pioneering a county-based effort to source high levels of renewable energy for consumers. As of April 2013, the average MCE residential customer can expect to pay about 90 cents more per month for MCE’s 50% renewable energy, as opposed to Pacific Gas and Electric...

SEAMEN’S CHURCH RESCUES MARINERS BY STAS MARGARONIS, RBTUS Over one million seafarers operate container ships, tankers, and bulk carriers which help provide the critical logistical flow that keeps the world economies viable. These men and women face piracy challenges, shore leave obstacles and at times difficult access to health care according to Reverend David Rider, president and executive...

ARE WE EVER GOING TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT  NEW JOBS? BY STAS MARGARONIS, RBTUS The news that the U.S. economy added only 88,000 jobs in March was a sharp drop from previous months and  raises questions about rosy economic predictions  that ignore the crisis in employment and living standards. The worsening jobs situations  is likely to get even worse as federal budget cuts kick in to re-enforce...

SONOMA CLEAN POWER AUTHORITY AIMS AT 33% RENEWABLES   BY STAS MARGARONIS, RBTUS   Sonoma County, California established the Sonoma Clean Power Authority (SCPA), and solicited energy partners to move the county toward a 33% renewable energy goal. Cordel Stillman, deputy chief engineer for the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) is heading the SCPA program, established as a Community...

SOLMETRIC CEO URGES RENEWABLE ENERGY SURGE BY STAS MARGARONIS, RBTUS Willard Mc Donald, president and CEO of Solmetric, a maker of testing equipment for the solar energy industry believes that solar energy is a fundamental source of energy. McDonald spoke at the Green Jobs Conference at Santa Rosa (CA) Junior College on March 1st in which he urged participants to intensify their support for the...