News

EPA Retail Industry Portal. This site provides access to the many EPA programs and resources available to help prevent and resolve environmental issues at retail establishments -- compliance resources that help in meeting current regulatory obligations, and sustainability resources that help in voluntarily going beyond regulatory obligations to protect the environment

National Science Foundation Grants for Fundamental Research in Environment Engineering.  Grants totaling $29 million are available to academic institutions for interdisciplinary teams of researchers to embark on rapidly advancing frontiers through two new programs under its Emerging Frontiers In Research and Innovation 2010 (EFRI-2010) program. The two areas are (1) Renewable Energy Storage (RESTOR) and (2) Science in Energy and Environmental Design (SEED): Engineering Sustainable Buildings. EPA and the Department of Energy are partnering with NSF on SEED.  Letters of intent must be received by October 09, 2009, with preliminary proposals due in November 13 and full proposals by March 31, 2010.

Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. EPA has joined with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation in a partnership agreement and set of six guiding livability principles that will provide a vision for sustainable growth. The agreement, announced on June 26, 2009, will guide the agencies' efforts to improve access to affordable housing, provide more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide.

Science and Technology of Biofuels. Complete videos and slides from this special session of the May 2009 annual meeting of the American Institute of Biological Sciences include presentations by Alan Hecht, Robert Larson and Donna Perla of EPA’s Office of Research and Development and John Regalbuto of the National Science Foundation. The overall theme of the AIBS meeting was Sustainable Agriculture: Greening the Global Food Supply.

Federal R&D Agenda for Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance Green Buildings (PDF) (76 pp, 2.8 MB, About PDF) The National Science and Technology Council report describes necessary research and development activities in order to reduce negative impacts on natural resources and improve indoor environments while reducing greenhouse gas emissions (October 2008).

Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels: Economic Drivers, Environmental Implications, and the Role of Research (PDF) (167 pp, 2.4 MB, About PDF). The Biomass Research and Development Board commissioned this economic analysis of feedstocks to produce biofuels. The Board seeks to inform investments in research and development needed to expand biofuel production. December 2008.

National Biofuels Action Plan (PDF) (24 pp, 4.9MB, About PDF). In this report the Biomass Research and Development Board outlines research needed to advance sustainable biofuel production (October 2008).

Additional documents related to biofuels and other topics related to environmental sustainability, please visit More Resources.

Coming Events

2005–2015. UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. An educational effort that aims to encourage changes in behavior that will create a more sustainable future.

September 9–11. Global Challenges for Sustainability International Colloquium.   Hosted by Colorado State University, speakers will include EPA Director for Sustainable Development Alan Hecht. Fort Collins, Colo.

September 13–17.  Healthy Buildings 2009.  Syracuse University and the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems are hosting the Ninth International Healthy Buildings Conference and Exhibition. Syracuse, N.Y.

September 22–24.  Green Manufacturing Expo. The Green Manufacturing Expo features a wide spectrum of economically sound solutions for the manufacturing enterprise interested in improving process efficiency, reducing costs, and conserving energy and resources. Rosemont, Ill.

September 25–26.  2009 World Green Energy Symposium and Exposition: The Power of New Energy. Government and business leaders, businesses, innovators, university and college students, and consumers will meet to exchange on new and alternative green energy possibilities and opportunities. More than a dozen sponsors include the Department of Energy, two U.S. senators, and several businesses, universities, chambers of commerce. Philadelphia, Penn.

September 29–October 2.  Life Cycle Assessment IX.  The American Center for Life Cycle Assessment hosts this annual conference for life cycle professionals, industry, government, and NGOs to discuss LC approaches to sustainability, both from technical and practical viewpoints. Boston, Mass.

October 7–9.  2009 Algae Biomass Summit. The 2009 Algae Biomass Summit will feature discussion of issues of critical importance to the emerging algae industry, including the commercial viability of algae production, current government and private initiatives, evolving technologies, processing concepts, life cycle analysis, and venture and project finance. Organized by the Algal Biomass Organization. San Diego, Cal.

October 10–11. Green Festival - Washington, D.C. One of five Green Festivals held in U.S. cities. This event will feature more than 125 renowned speakers and 350 green businesses, how-to workshops, green films, a Fair Trade pavilion, yoga classes, organic beer, delicious organic cuisine and live music.

October 25–29. First International Conference on Sustainable Cities.  Specialists in urban planning, energy, environment, good government, economy and society, will present their ideas and generate new ones through the interchange of experiences, opinions and points of view about how we can move toward sustainability. Five keynote speakers including a Nobel Prize, conferences, NGO stands, sponsor exhibits, social and cultural events. Morelia, Mexico.

October 28–29.  2009 Western U.S. Pollution Prevention and Sustainability Conference.  Presented by the Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network and (WSPPN) and the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC), meeting jointly with EPA’s Regions 9 and 10). The conference theme is “"P2 Solutions to Climate Change and Sustainability." San Diego, Cal.

November 13–15.  Green Festival – San Francisco. See description of similar event October 10–11 in Washington, D.C., above.

November 16–18. Brownfields 2009. The 13th National Brownfields Conference, organized by EPA and ICMA (the international association of local management officials), will gather stakeholders from community, planning, real estate, finance, and policy interests to focus on cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned, underutilized, and potentially contaminated properties in the nation. New Orleans, La.  

December 6–9.  Risk Analysis: The Evolution of a Science.  This annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) will bring together nearly 1,000 international scientists and practitioners from a wide range of disciplines representing academia, government, industry, NGOs, and private firms. The meeting will include several plenary session as well as technical sessions. Alan Hecht, EPA Director for Sustainable Development, will speak on “Assessing Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Systems.” Baltimore, Md.