Video: A new way to hammer home your opinion

A decade ago, newspaper editorial writers and columnists who wanted to convince you of their argument had to rely on a skillful use of words to appeal to your sense of logic and emotions. Today they have a powerful new weapon: video.

It’s one thing to imagine the argument, another to see it.

To stay connected to a generation that was raised on television and  now gets its news and opinion primarily from internet sources, newspapers are learning that the use of  video is not only important but perhaps crucial.

Most newspapers are just starting to catch on. Smart publications, like the (Newark) Star–Ledger are using video with increased skill.

An example is The Tool Kit has to happen,  which ran in yesterday’s edition and may have been missed by many readers in the deluge of election day coverage. 

Click on the arrow inside the picture below to see how Brian Donohue uses props and previous press conference video clips to, well, hammer home his point.

Do you like the use of video in today’s electronic newsletters? 
What else do you like about the online format?  Are you still reading the paper edition of your daily newspaper?  What keeps you using and paying for that format?  Share your opinion in the box at the bottom of this post.

Our most recent posts:
Enviro-Events Calendar for November 2010
Ex-NJBPU commissioner named to DOE advisory panel
Dramatic mine rescue shines spotlight on two PA firms
EnviroPolitics Events Calendar for Oct 24 2010
How you can save your town some money and energy

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NJ-based Langan expands to California with acquisition

Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, a 500-employee, privately held consulting firm, headquartered in Elmwood Park, NJ, has established a West Coast beachhead with the acquisition of  Treadwell & Rollo, a 70-employee geotechnical and environmental engineering firm based in San Francisco. 

It’s the first acquisition in Langan’s history and gives the firm a new market for its services in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Sacramento where Treadwell & Rollo has offices.

In a news release, Langan said:

“In an era where large public corporations have routinely acquired smaller firms, the Langan/Treadwell & Rollo deal signifies a strategy for growth and expansion between two independent firms. As a result, the combined forces of Langan and Treadwell & Rollo will instantly attain true nationwide reach; have access to shared technical resources; and remain privately held, which enables swift responsiveness to client needs on all projects.”

Langan’s major projects include the New Meadowlands Stadium for the Giants and Jets, the Four Seasons Hotel (the tallest building in South Florida), and the Shops at Atlas Park, which won the 2007 Phoenix Award, EPA Region 2.

The firm also supports development projects for academic institutions, hospitals, and governmental agencies, as well as large-scale national and international infrastructure projects. Langan’s environmental practice specializes in compliance programs for major corporations in the petro-chemical, utilities, and manufacturing industries, and is active in remedial designs for brownfield and Superfund sites.

In New Jersey, Nick DeRose, a Langan Senior Principal, serves as president of the  Licensed Site Remediation Professional’s Association.  His colleague, Dr. Jorge Berkowitz, was appointed by Governor Chris Christie to serve as a member of the state’s Licensed Site Remediation Professional’s Licensing Board.

Related:
Elmwood Park-based Langan Engineering buys California firm shifting away from a 40-year pattern of organic growth

Our most recent posts:
Enviro-Events Calendar for November 2010 
Ex-NJBPU commissioner named to DOE advisory panel
Dramatic mine rescue shines spotlight on two PA firms
EnviroPolitics Events Calendar for Oct 24 2010
How you can save your town some money and energy
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EnviroEvents Calendar for Oct 29 2010

 

November 2, 2010
USGBC-NJ Education: Part 1
Fundamentals of Sustainability & LEED
9 a.m.
14 Maple Ave., Suite 2  01
Morristown, NJ

 
This 4 hr workshop is intended for those who are just beginning their journey into the sustainability realm beginning with an introduction to the effects our built world has on our environment; what green building technologies can achieve; the basics of sustainability for our future and more. Often individuals take Part 2: LEED GA Exam Prep workshop also.
See Nov 16th listing. These trainings sessions have a minimum of 10, maximum of 25 attendees. Click Here for Details for process to become a LEED GA

Express Registration

November 4, 2010
Crash Course on PA’s New Soil and Stormwater Regulations
8 a.m. to 9 a.m. (breakfast buffet provided)
Saul Ewing LLP’s Chesterbrook office
1200 Liberty Ridge Drive, Sui9te 200
Wayne, PA 19087

 
Need a crash course on Pennsylvania’s new Erosion and Sediment Control and Stormwater Management Regulations before they take effect on November 19, 2010? Attorneys in Saul Ewing’s Environment and Natural Resources Practice Group can help. We invite you to attend a breakfast seminar in the firm’s Chesterbrook, PA office that will focus on these new regulations, which are certain to affect all commercial and industrial activities that “move dirt.”
Please RSVP to Chris Lautenbacher at clautenbacher@saul.com or 215.972.1885 by Thursday, October 28, 2010.
 


November 4, 2010 
The Spotlight Roundtable Series
The Future of NJ Solar Policy
11:45-1:30, Trenton
Lunch will be served / Seating is limited

Register
Join us for an in-depth discussion in an intimate setting on the future of NJ solar policy. Issues will include what’s the true cost of the state’s solar program and what does it deliver in terms of economic growth? Some argue that New Jersey’s solar policy drives up the cost of doing business in the state. Others point to solar’s hidden success as the fastest-growing segment in a faltering economy. This year, with potential changes to the Energy Master Plan that may modify fees that fund incentives, an open discussion of NJ’s solar policy is critical.

Tom Johnson, co-founder and energy writer for NJ Spotlight, will moderate a round-table discussion with solar industry leaders and Upendra Chivukula, chairman, Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee. Join with industry leaders, policy-makers and those who shape the debate.
Managing Energy Costs November 12, 2010
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Pines Manor, Edison (Route 27)
Cost (includes continental breakfast): $129 (member),
$169 (nonmember)


Register Now

How to Cut Your Energy Costs and Go Green

It seems like everyone is trying to save energy these days. Conserving energy and becoming more efficient can save your business money and improve your company’s image at the same time.  At this half-day program, energy experts, energy providers, and top government officials will explain:

bulletHow to use new strategies and tactics to make your company more energy efficient
bulletHow to get government financing for energy projects, and
bulletHow to get help from your utility providers

Ask questions. Get answers. Make contacts.
Register now or download brochure for details.

November 17, 2010
Greenbuild 2010
Chicago
Event information & registration


November 18
Biomass Energy for New Jersey Farmers 
8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Rutgers EcoComplex – Columbus, NJ
 
While solar and wind renewable energy are receiving much attention, biomass energy may be within the reach of more New Jersey farmers. Rutgers research and Extension personnel and others will discuss the potential for biomass crops in the Garden State.
Topics include:

* Recent findings regarding biomass on farms

* Challenges facing biomass energy
* Private sector advances in biomass
* Experiences with biomass on farms in NJ and PA
* Existing and potential funding sources for biomass
   
Attendance is free. Coffee and danish at 8:30. Lunch provided after the program at noon.
Sponsored by the Rutgers NJ Agricultural Experiment Station and the NJ Farm Bureau.
Seating is limited. Registration is required. Reserve your seat at 609-393-7163  
 
 
November 23, 2010

EBC Environmental Roundtable
8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
PSE&G Training & Development Center
234 Pierson Ave.
Edison, NJ


The EBC Environmental Roundtable meets to discuss relevant environmental issues, regulatory changes and new developments provided by our subcommittees that may impact our members focusing on: Regulatory Affairs, Brownfields & Site Remediation, Natural Resource Damages, Water, Air, Environmental Technology, International Trade, Sustainability, Energy, Enforcement & OSHA News and Regulations.  Lanny Kurzweil, McCarter and English, LLP, Moderator. Tracy Straka, Creamer Environmental, EBC Chair SEATING IS LIMITED.  This meeting is complimentary to CIANJ members. The cost is $ 80 for non-members.


November 30, 2010
LSRP Summit:
Update and Assessment of the ‘New World Order’ 

Trenton Marriott at Lafayette Yard
Trenton, NJ
Hear from NJDEP Assistant Commissioner David Sweeney and key leaders in New Jersey on the latest legislative, regulatory and technical developments in the LSRP program as we prepare for legislative hearings, new regulations and sweeping technical changes that are under way. All of this plus key insights from a distinguished panel on their experience with the LSRP program. RSVP: Alicia Johnson, Langan Engineering & Environmental Services
ajohnson@langan.com  or 215.491.6529 


 
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For free publication, send your event information to: editor@enviropolitics.com

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Your chance to weigh in early on NJ E-Waste regulations

There’s a system in place in New Jersey that guarantees that anyone can get their opinion considered by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) whenever new environmental regulations are proposed in the New Jersey Register.

In the case of upcoming rules for the recycling of used televisions and computers, you can weigh in even before the proposals are made public.
The Department announced yesterday that, because of the level of  public interest and the significant increase in the generation of electronic waste in recent years, it is going above and beyond its normal rulemaking process “by giving the public, environmental advocates, businesses, and manufacturers of covered electronic devices an opportunity to provide comments before we formally propose regulations.” 
New Jersey’s Electronic Waste Recycling Law
The rules are designed to implement the state’s so-called E-Waste Recycling Law (formally, The Electronic Waste Management Act) which bans the disposal, beginning Jan. 1, 2011, of televisions and all personal or portable computers – including desktop, notebook and laptop computers, as well as computer monitors.  The law requires manufacturers of the devices to establish and finance a free system for the collection and recycling of the material.
     
What the law does not cover: DEP notes that the law does not cover celll phones, DVDE players, VCRs, game consoles or radios or TVs found in automobiles (although some county, municipal and other recycling programs do collect them.
Why is New Jersey requiring old TVs and computers to be recycled?  Because they can contain such toxic materials as lead (the reason old computer screens are so heavy), mercury, nickel and cadmium which would end up in landfills or waste incinerators if not recycled.
The U.S. Environmental Agency says that e-waste is growing two to three times faster than any other component of the waste stream because of the high turnover in consumer purchases of electronic devices.
Here’s where you can find a copy of NJDEP’s draft electronic waste recycling rules.

Reminder: You must submit your comments by November 15, 2010.
Our most recent posts:
Ex-NJBPU commissioner named to DOE advisory panel
Dramatic mine rescue shines spotlight on two PA firms
EnviroPolitics Events Calendar for Oct 24 2010
How you can save your town some money and energy
Gilbert & Sullivan meet Obama & the Tea Party

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Ex-NJBPU commissioner named to DOE advisory panel

Fred Butler, a former commissioner on the New Jersey
Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and now the chief of regulatory affairs for Petra Solar in South Plainfield, NJ, has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Electricity Advisory Committee.

The 27-member panel advises the DOE on modernizing the nation’s electricity infrastructure, ensuring that system is secure from terrorist attacks or natural disaster, and maintaining a diverse and stable supply of reliable energy. 
Its members come from a variety of backgrounds, including state government, the energy industry, environmentalism and consumer advocacy.

During his 11 years on the NJBPU, Butler was an active member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. He chaired the Water, International Relations and Ad Hoc Global Climate Change Committees and consecutively served as the Association’s Second Vice President, First Vice President and President.

Petra Solar is the pioneer of SunWave™ systems, pole-mounted, distributed solar generation system that has attracted $54 million in private capital since 2007. The company is implementing a $200 million contract with PSE&G, New Jersey’s largest utility, for the installation of  200,000 of its solar cells on treet light and utility poles in 300 New Jersey municipalities. To fulfill the PSE&G contract, Petra Solar has built a workforce that has grown from 15 employees in the spring of 2009 to more than 140 employees, almost a ten-fold increase.

The company also is partnering with Atlantic City Electric on a demonstration project featuring solar photovoltaic systems mounted on utility poles in Cape May Point and Ocean City.

In September, Sandia National Laboratories awarded Petra Solar a $3 million Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems contract as part of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program.

Our most recent posts:
Dramatic mine rescue shines spotlight on two PA firms
EnviroPolitics Events Calendar for Oct 24 2010
How you can save your town some money and energy
Gilbert & Sullivan meet Obama & the Tea Party
Environmental bills on Monday’s NJ Assembly voting list  
NJ lawmakers write prescription for med-waste dumpers

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Dramatic mine rescue shines spotlight on two PA firms

The worldwide news focus on the dramatic drilling effort that freed trapped Chilean miners also “gave two small Pennsylvania drilling-equipment companies a priceless opportunity to display their products on a global stage, ” reports the Wall Street Journal.

“The drilling rig that blasted though more than 2,000 feet of rock was made by Schramm Inc. of West Chester, Pa., near Philadelphia, and the drilling bits came from Center Rock Inc. of Berlin, Pa., 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

“We just happened to have the right rig in the right place at the right time,” said Frank Gabriel, vice president of sales for Schramm. He said it was too early to say how the event might affect the company’s sales but added: “Certainly, the phones have been ringing because of this.” 

MineCo

Center Rock President Brandon Fisher, left, with a colleague
at the mine. (Associated Press Photograph)

Both companies stressed the humanitarian aspect of the work. However, Brandon Fisher, founder and president of Center Rock, agreed that the publicity could help sales. He called the use of Center Rock’s bit “an opportunity of a lifetime,” adding, “You’re either a hero or zero at the end.”

Mr. Fisher, whose company also helped rescue coal miners trapped 240 feet below ground for three days in 2002 at the Quecreek mine in southwestern Pennsylvania, said he has urged federal and state regulators to help him assemble a team of drilling experts and equipment to be ready for rescues.

“They all loved the concept but no one would step up and fund it,” he said. Now Mr. Fisher plans to resume that effort. “We can maybe use this momentum to our advantage and get something rolling here,” he said.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said the agency is working with the mining industry and related parties to improve readiness for emergencies. The agency has developed a mapping tool to help locate equipment needed for rescues, she said.

Read the full Wall Street Journal story: U.S. Drilling Companies Get Moment in Spotlight


Our most recent posts:
EnviroPolitics Events Calendar for Oct 24 2010
How you can save your town some money and energy
Gilbert & Sullivan meet Obama & the Tea Party
Environmental bills on Monday’s NJ Assembly voting list  
NJ lawmakers write prescription for med-waste dumpers


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Like this? You’ll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics
Try it free for 30 days!
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Dramatic mine rescue shines spotlight on two PA firms Read More »