As E-Cycling Laws Proliferate, EIA Urges a Federal Approach
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A patchwork of electronics recycling laws is emerging from state capitals across the country, presenting manufacturers with a major challenge and Congress with a golden opportunity, the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) said today.  Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Connecticut Gov. M.
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The U.S. government needs to step up its push for electronic health records because they are not being adopted quickly enough, a group of health advocates said Friday.
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(InfoWorld) - The EIA (Electronic Industries Alliance), a trade group representing manufacturers of tech products, has come up with a recycling agreement supported by both television and computer hardware makers, it said Thursday. The agreement, covering TV sets, computer monitors, desktops, and laptops sold to consumers, is the first e-waste plan supported by a consensus of TV and IT hardware manufacturers, said Matthew Flanigan, the EIA's interim president and CEO. EIA members will use the agreement to push for the U.S. Congress to pass a consistent national e-waste policy, EIA officials said. Five states have passed electronics recycling laws, and all of those laws differ significantly, said Richard Goss, EIA's vice president of environmental affairs. Congress "is our preferred venue for getting this issue resolved," Goss said. "I don't think it serves anyone's interest -- the manufacturers, the retailers, the recyclers, the general public alike -- to have this patchwork of state approaches." Under the EIA plan, retailers of TV sets would collect a recycling fee when the sets are purchased. That fee, not yet determined, could give the entire cost of transport and recycling for televisions. For computer hardware, manufacturers would be required to offer "reasonably convenient" recycling services at no cost to consumers. Several IT hardware makers have already instituted recycling programs, while most TV set makers have not. The TV fee would be temporary to help pay for the recycling of the millions of TV sets already sold, EIA officials said. The EIA will share the agreement with members of Congress interested in e-waste issues. One bill in Congress, introduced in January by Representative Mike Thompson, a California Democrat, would establish a recycling program through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The recycling fee could not be more than $10 per piece of hardware. Several manufacturers praised the agreement. The plan is an "important step forward in achieving industry consensus," Matt Krupnick, public policy counsel for Dell, said in a statement. The agreement would require manufacturers to keep recycling records and to use recyclers that meet environmental management standards. Another part of the agreement calls for manufacturers to meet hazardous materials restrictions established by the European Union's Restriction on Hazardous Substances directive and a similar California statute. It's important for manufacturers marketing products worldwide to have similar requirements in the countries they sell to, Goss said.
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By ERICA WERNER  WASHINGTON - The Transportation Department acknowledged Tuesday encouraging members of Congress to weigh in with the EPA on California's request to implement global warming controls on automakers.
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Cycling's governing body will use target testing and blood profiling to beef up its anti-doping program and try to restore credibility to the sport.
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In a first-of-it's kind program, the government hopes to put charging stations all over the country and get gas guzzlers off the roads starting in 2010
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Cycling needs more investment from the government, a transport watchdog warns.
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In a world headed toward billion-car gridlock, here's one vision of a green global transportation system.
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By ACHIM SCHMILLEN  DO YOU REMEMBER every Web site you visited, every e-mail you sent, and every word you Googled during the last two years? Probably not, but your Internet service provider might  especially if a proposal currently popular in Washington becomes law.
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For several years, the General Services Administration has urged other federal agencies to set up telecommuting programs. Now, the GSA plans a big push on its home turf.
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More than a decade after the drive began to convert electricity from a regulated industry into a competitive one, many states are rolling back their initiatives.
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Federal scientists want to tighten smog standards, a step that would allow tens of millions of Americans to breathe easier but also would clash with President Bush's plan to wean Americans away from gasoline
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The high court will take up federal regulation of vehicle emissions in a case that could have broad implications for the auto industry and for public health. In Autopia.
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The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) is stressing incentives over regulations to improve the energy efficiency of datacenters.
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If helping the environment isn't a good enough reason to buy a hybrid car, lawmakers are contemplating a powerful appeal to drivers' self-interest: an easier commute.
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The Bush administration and Congress should accept a mandatory programme of tradeable permits to limit greenhouse emissions and tighten fuel efficiency standards for vehicles
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In our gadget-hungry society, where iPods have become the accessory du jour, one lawmaker wants device devotees to wake up and hear the traffic. He's pushing a proposal to make plugging in on New York streets a crime.