Sustainable Industries Daily Round Up

Please pardon our recent unannounced hiatus on these daily round-up posts. We're still working out the kinks in this blog's workflow. We appreciate your understanding. Now, on to the news!

• As we all know by now, Waxman-Markey passed the House on Friday by a mere two-vote margin. Over at NRDC, Lane Burt exposes some missed effieicny opportunities in the version that passed.
• Saving water and using it better is all the vogue. Unfortunately, in some Western states, collecting rainwater is illegal. Collecting rainwater is now legal in Colorado.
• Still wondering what a green job is? They know in Oregon where three percent of the state's job's are green jobs.
• Do you have the next big idea (or the first big idea) for the smart grid? The DOE is giving out $3.3 billion in grants for smart grid projects. First round of applications are due July 29.
• The ports of Tacoma, Seattle, Portland, Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland lobbied on Capitol Hill for funding for improved rail corridors. They're worried about losing business to Canada and Mexico.
• Here's a very graphical look at the renewable enrgy landscape in the Western United States.
• Cleaning products maker Ecover walks the walk and talks the talk when it comes to sustainable manufacturing, and everything else, it seems.