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US States Allow Pesticide Use on Public Property

With increasing public concern about the use of toxic and polluting pesticides because of adverse impacts on people and the environment, a national study finds that states are lagging behind on “green” standards for managing their state lands and buildings. The report, “Ending Toxic Dependency: The State of IPM”, to be published in the Summer issue of “Pesticides and You”, finds that statewide integrated pest management (IPM) laws do not exist in 40 states and the District of Columbia, and existing laws in only 10 states are limited and mostly inadequate. Only four states call for pesticide reduction and alternatives that do not rely on toxic chemicals in their IPM law. Six of the 10 states adopt the definition most promoted by the chemical and pest control industry – a combination of methods without priority being given to non-chemical practices and absent toxic reduction or elimination goals and least-toxic chemicals. “While people are increasingly concerned about pollution, global warming, and fossil fuel use, state legislatures have a responsibility to ensure that pest management practices on state property are environmentally sound,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, and co-author of the report. “The toxic and petroleum-based pesticides are not […]

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American Superconductor Receives $70M Order

American Superconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: AMSC) has received a follow-on $70 million order for wind turbine electrical systems from Beijing-based Sinovel Wind Corporation Limited. The order calls for AMSC’s wholly-owned subsidiary, AMSC Windtec, to ship the customized electrical systems to Sinovel in 2008 for use in Sinovel’s 1.5 megawatt (MW) wind energy systems. AMSC Windtec turbine electrical systems provide reliable, high-performance wind turbine operation by controlling power flows, regulating voltage and controlling the pitch of wind turbine blades to maximize efficiency. “The wind power industry is stronger than ever in China, and Sinovel is doing everything in its power to satisfy the increasing demand for environmentally friendly wind energy systems,” said Han Junliang, Chairman and President of Sinovel. “AMSC Windtec has been – and will continue to be – a valued ally in our drive to become a leading wind energy system manufacturer in China and around the world.” In March 2007, AMSC announced that it had signed a contract with Sinovel under which AMSC Windtec and Sinovel will jointly develop 3 MW and 5 MW wind energy systems for which Sinovel has global intellectual property rights. Sinovel plans to market and sell these wind energy systems worldwide. Sinovel is developing […]

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