Plastic Bag Ban Legislation Introduced in California

Sonoma County Assemblyman Marc Levine has introduced legislation that would ban the use of single-use plastic bags in the state of California by the year 2015. The bill, known as AB 158, would target grocery stores with more than $2 million in annual sales, or retailers with more than 10,000 square feet of floor space. In place of plastic, the stores would have to make reusable bags available for purchase. A similar bill is moving through the senate for the County of Sonoma, California.

47 Japanese Nuclear Reactors Placed in “Long-Term Shutdown”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has officially changed the status of 47 Japanese Nuclear Reactors to “Long-Term Shutdown,” or LTS, on its online database known as the Power Reactor Information System (PRIS). Japan’s loss brings the world total of operational nuclear reactors from 437 down to 390, making for the lowest levels since 1986. Still, many question the validity of the IAEA’s evaluations, as there seems to be no consistently clear set of rules used to determine activity status judging by the wide ranging characteristics of previously listed LTS sites. Nonetheless, the fact that only two nuclear reactors are currently functionally operating in Japan is testament to the country’s environmental progress in spite of a purportedly pro-nuclear Japanese administration.

Rail power generated by passing trains could save more than $10 million

A way to harvest energy from vibrations generated by passing trains could save more than $10 million in trackside power costs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3,000 tons in New York alone, says its inventor, Stony Brook University professor Lei Zuo.

The device converts the irregular up-and-down vibration of a train track to a unidirectional rotation of a generator. The concept is similar to other energy-harvesting devices such as the speed bump.