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NOAA Researchers: Blue Whales Re-establishing Former Migration Patterns

Washington (May 11)—Scientists have documented the first known migration of blue whales from the coast of California to areas off British Columbia and the Gulf of Alaska since the end of commercial whaling in 1965. In the scientific journal Marine Mammal Science, researchers from Cascadia Research Collective in Washington state, NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in California, and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans identified 15 separate cases where blue whales were seen off British Columbia and the Gulf of Alaska. (More)


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Secretary Locke to Meet with Supply Chain Industry Leaders, Keynote Conference

Washington (May 8)—U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will deliver keynote remarks at the Game Changers in the Supply Chain Infrastructure: Are We Ready to Play? Conference on Monday, May 11. The conference, jointly hosted by the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Transportation, is the first meeting between supply chain industry leaders and key Administration officials to discuss how America’s freight infrastructure must be improved to boost the competitiveness of U.S. firms in the global economy. A live webcast of the keynote address will be available beginning Monday, at 9:00 a.m. EDT. (Webcast) (Remarks)


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New Study: Home Energy Savings Are Made in the Shade

Gaithersburg, Md. (May 5)—Trees positioned to shade the west and south sides of a house may decrease summertime electric bills by 5 percent on average, according to a recent study of California homes by researchers from Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The first large-scale study of its kind, the research paper considers the effects of shade on 460 single-family homes in Sacramento during the summer of 2007 and provides hard statistics showing how well-placed shade trees can reduce energy costs and atmospheric carbon as well. (More)