nytimes.com - by Michael Cooper - February 22, 2013

States are increasingly alarmed that they could become collateral damage in Washington’s latest fiscal battle, fearing that the impasse could saddle them with across-the-board spending cuts that threaten to slow their fragile recoveries or thrust them back into recession.

Some states, like Maryland and Virginia, are vulnerable because their economies are heavily dependent on federal workers, federal contracts and military spending, which will face steep reductions if Congress allows the automatic cuts, known as sequestration, to begin next Friday. Others, including Illinois and South Dakota, are at risk because of their reliance on the types of federal grants that are scheduled to be cut.

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Ships lie uselessly at anchor and lay-offs loom as deep Congress-imposed spending cuts look ever more likely to go ahead

economist.com - February 23, 2013

“HOW can Congress go on a recess with the country in the shape it’s in?” asks a constituent of Bobby Scott, a Democratic congressman for the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, to applause and cries of “Amen!” The angry voter is referring to the “sequester”, an unpopular slate of cuts to the federal budget due to take effect on March 1st unless Congress intervenes. The cuts, as Mr Scott explains, were intended to be so painful that lawmakers would feel obliged to come up with some sort of substitute.

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Volunteer Candice Osborne is able to quickly respond to the needs of Superstorm Sandy victims with the help of social media.

cnn.com- by Katie Walmsley - November 30, 2012

(CNN) -- It has been in operation only since October 30, but the Facebook page for "Giving back to those affected by Sandy" has a longer timeline than most Facebook members.

The page, started by the group "BK girls give back," began as a way to help people stranded in areas with no cell service or way to communicate after the superstorm. Soon, it took on a life of its own. Shelters in need of supplies, residents in need of a ride, organizations needing volunteers and even people who lost and found pets all posted on the timeline.

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Image: Graph of wind- vs nuclear-generated electricity in China.

earth-policy.org - February 19th, 2013 - J. Matthew Roney

Wind has overtaken nuclear as an electricity source in China. In 2012, wind farms generated 2 percent more electricity than nuclear power plants did, a gap that will likely widen dramatically over the next few years as wind surges ahead. Since 2007, nuclear power generation has risen by 10 percent annually, compared with wind’s explosive growth of 80 percent per year.

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submitted by Albert Gomez

urbangreencouncil.org - February 2013

The greatest obstacle to a responsible approach to climate change mitigation is a sense that the problem is insoluble. Urban Green Council’s latest research report, 90 By 50, demonstrates that the emission reductions required are in fact possible using technologies that are known and in almost all cases currently available, and that the cost is manageable from a citywide perspective.

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Document - 90 by 50 - NYC Can Reduce Its Carbon Footprint 90% By 2050
http://issuu.com/urbangreen/docs/90by50?mode=window

Study: 90 by 50 - NYC Can Reduce Its Carbon Footprint 90% By 2050 (56 page .PDF file)
http://www.urbangreencouncil.org/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=015U0000000nD3r

Andy Wandilak, owner of Two Boots Pizza

CNN - by Jessi Hempel - November 23, 2013

Thanks to social networks, grassroots relief efforts scaled quickly and efficiently in Sandy's aftermath, giving them a bigger presence in many places than even the established aid agencies.

On the day Hurricane Sandy decimated entire neighborhoods of New York, Andy Wandilak offered to feed and shelter the family of a musician who plays at his restaurant. The guy's descriptions of the storm's aftermath were tragic. So Andy started cooking. He used Facebook and Twitter to ask the restaurant's patrons for support.

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The disposal facility for mixed and low-level radioactive waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state is shown in an aerial image.  U.S. Department of Energy

NBC News - By Mike Baker and Shannon Dininny, The Associated Press - February 15, 2013

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A tank that holds radioactive liquids is leaking at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site, Wash. Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday, raising concerns about the integrity of other storage facilities at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

The U.S. Department of Energy said liquid levels are decreasing in one of 177 underground tanks at the nuclear reservation. Monitoring wells near the tank have not detected higher radiation levels, the agency said. Inslee said the leak could be in the range of 150 gallons to 300 gallons over the course of a year.

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(SEE ADDITIONAL SOURCE BELOW)
http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=2627&z=34

(U.S. RESILIENCE SYSTEM MEMBERS ARE ASSISTING WITH RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THIS DISASTER THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION OF A FACEBOOK PAGE TITLED "HATTIESBURG, MS TORNADO - DO YOUR PART".  CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE "HATTIESBURG, MS TORNADO - DO YOUR PART" FACEBOOK PAGE.)       

Hardy Street in front of the University of Southern Mississippi campus is obstructed by debris blown by an apparent tornado in Hattiesburg, Miss., Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/The Student Printz, Jana Edwards)

hattiesburgamerican.com - February 11, 2013

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has received reports of damage from nine counties as a result of severe weather that moved through the state on Sunday.There were at least 63 injuries, two critical and the rest minor. There are no reported deaths.

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https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151357820591716&set=a.208096366715.141536.201357451715&type=1&theater

NOAA Graphical Forecasts

Press Release from the United States Environmental Protection Agency - February 4, 2013

Improving housing quality can dramatically affect the health of residents

WASHINGTON – Several federal agencies today unveiled Advancing Healthy Housing – A Strategy for Action. White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Nancy Sutley, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, M.D., and Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman discussed the new plan during an event at the National Building Museum this morning.

The initiative represents a bold new vision for addressing the nation’s health and economic burdens caused by preventable hazards associated with the home. The Strategy for Action encourages federal agencies to take preemptive actions that will help reduce the number of American homes with health and safety hazards.

The 2013 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit is the premier event dedicated to transformative energy solutions. It brings together leaders from academia, business, and government to discuss energy issues and facilitate relationships to help move cutting-edge technologies into the marketplace.

Don't miss this chance to network with federal government leaders, breakthrough technology companies and entrepreneurs, and researchers ready to collaborate.

Image: Thousands of birds fill the sky above the White Nile at sunset. (Photo by Jon Waterhouse)

Submitted by Samuel Bendett

newswatch.nationalgeographic.com - January 18th, 2013 - Jon Waterhouse

A December 23rd fire in South Sudan prompted a fast, steady and miraculous aid response.

For the last four years, in the remote village of Old Fangak, South Sudan, a health-focused team of Alaskan volunteers have labored long and hard beside steadfast community members. The focus of their combined effort is the construction of a humble medical clinic. A disease called kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis), often referred to as Black Fever, has ravaged the area for decades and in 1989 Dr. Jill Seaman (featured in the January 2013 issue of National Geographic Magazine) arrived in Old Fangak.

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