"This brief summarizes the approaches used by energy efficiency program administrators when assessing incentives to be used in energy efficiency programs."

This is a brief to summarize the approaches used by energy efficiency program adminstrators when assessing incentives to be used in energy efficiency programs (p. 1, para. 1).

Increased use of bicycles can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution - and have positive impacts on human health. The Working Group on Transport (WGT) under OECD’s Environment Policy Committee discussed measures to promote bicycle use at a meeting (27-28 January 2010). Below are the presentations that were made on that occasion.

Broad Funding Opportunity Announcement Project: Delphi is developing power converters that are smaller and more energy efficient, reliable, and cost-effective than current power converters. Power converters rely on power transistors which act like a very precisely controlled on-off switch, controlling the electrical energy flowing through an electrical circuit. Most power transistors today use silicon (Si) semiconductors. However, Delphi is using semiconductors made with a thin layer of gallium-nitride (GaN) applied on top of the more conventional Si material. The GaN layer increases the energy efficiency of the power transistor and also enables the transistor to operate at much higher temperatures, voltages, and power-density levels compared to its Si counterpart. Delphi is packaging these high-performance GaN semiconductors with advanced electrical connections and a cooling system that extracts waste heat from both sides of the device to further increase the device’s efficiency and allow more electrical current to flow through it. When combined with other electronic components on a circuit board, Delphi’s GaN power transistor package will help improve the overall performance and cost-effectiveness of HEVs and EVs.

This document evaluates the Copenhagen climate talks, including the status of the negotiations on the key issues under the formal negotiating tracks and the provisions of the Copenhagen Accord, and draws implications for the implementation of actions in developing countries.

Summary describing the work completed at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.). Coastal Studies Institute. for a study involving platform recruited reef fish. It includes background information on the project funding and sponsorship, goals, methodology, and findings.

"The objective of this study was to determine if a trace element isotope ratio fingerprint could be detected and described as unique to red snapper inhabiting the platforms."

"This Quadrennial Defense Review represents an important step toward fully institutionalizing the ongoing reform and reshaping of America's military."

A final report made to the US Forest Service that addresses savannah restoration research findings from research conducted at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

Broad Funding Opportunity Announcement Project: EaglePicher is developing a sodium-beta alumina (Na-Beta) battery for grid-scale energy storage. High-temperature Na-Beta batteries are a promising grid-scale energy storage technology, but existing approaches are expensive and unreliable. EaglePicher has modified the shape of the traditional, tubular-shaped Na-Beta battery. It is using an inexpensive stacked design to improve performance at lower temperatures, leading to a less expensive overall storage technology. The new design greatly simplifies the manufacturing process for beta alumina membranes (a key enabling technology), providing a subsequent pathway to the production of scalable, modular batteries at half the cost of the existing tubular designs.

The 2009 UNEP annual report provides detailed information about various UNEP activities during the year of 2009, including analysis of the outcome of the Copenhagen United Nations Climate Change Conference. The report emphasizes the need to mobilize behind climate action in 2009 and to continue to ensure that environmental sustainability is recognized both as a legitmate goal in itself and as a means to achieving all other development objectives including the Millennium Development Goals.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Arthur Bertanzetti. Bertanzetti joined the Army in February of 1941. After 2 years he transferred to the Army Air Forces. He was commissioned in 1943. He flew B-24s and was assigned to the 489th Bomb Group, 846th Bomb Squadron. In 1944 Bertanzetti traveled to England and completed 31 combat missions. On the last mission his plane went down. He and the crew bailed out over Germany, were captured and taken as prisoners of war to Stalag Luft III. He was a POW for 10 months, then liberated by Patton???s 3rd Army. Serving later in the reserves, Bertanzetti was discharged from the service in October of 1967.

News release about an online contest for the best photo of a couple kissing on a DART vehicle as part of a DART Valentine's Day promotion.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is in the midst of many changes and one of the most challenging periods in its history. The space shuttle is slated to retire this year, the International Space Station nears completion but remains underutilized, and a new means of human space flight is under development. Most recently, the administration has proposed a new direction for NASA. Amid all this potential change, GAO was asked to review the key issues facing NASA. This testimony focuses on four areas: 1) retiring the space shuttle; 2) utilizing and sustaining the International Space Station; 3) continuing difficulty developing large-scale systems, including the next generation of human spaceflight systems; and 4) continuing weaknesses in financial management and information technology systems. In preparing this statement, GAO relied on completed work. To address some of these challenges, GAO has recommended that NASA: provide greater information on shuttle retirement costs to Congress, take actions aimed at more effective use of the station research facilities, develop business cases for acquisition programs, and improve financial and IT management. NASA concurred with GAO's International Space Station recommendations, and has improved some …

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether the Behavioral Health Unit of the Titus Regional Medical Center is a "private facility" for purposes of section 118.055, Local Government Code (RQ-0795-GA)

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Biomonitoring, which measures chemicals in people's tissues or body fluids, has shown that the U.S. population is widely exposed to chemicals used in everyday products. Some of these have the potential to cause cancer or birth defects. Moreover, children may be more vulnerable to harm from these chemicals than adults. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is authorized under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to control chemicals that pose unreasonable health risks. One crucial tool in this process is chemical risk assessment, which involves determining the extent to which populations will be exposed to a chemical and assessing how this exposure affects human health This testimony, based on GAO's prior work, reviews the (1) extent to which EPA incorporates information from biomonitoring studies into its assessments of chemicals, (2) steps that EPA has taken to improve the usefulness of biomonitoring data, and (3) extent to which EPA has the authority under TSCA to require chemical companies to develop and submit biomonitoring data to EPA."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "We recently reported that Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) workers applied for U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) occupational disability benefits at a rate 12 times higher than workers from the other commuter railroads covered under the Railroad Retirement Act. RRB provides an occupational disability benefit to eligible workers whose physical or mental impairments prevent them from performing their specific railroad jobs. For example, a railroad engineer who cannot frequently climb, bend, or reach, as required by the job, may be found occupationally disabled. On March 18, 2009, Congress asked us to conduct a systematic review of RRB's occupational disability program. Per our discussions following the release of our September 2009 report on LIRR and commuter rail workers' experience with the program, Congress refined its request. It told us that its primary interest was quickly determining whether unusual patterns in claims like those exhibited at LIRR exist elsewhere across the rail industry, including class I, II, and III railroads. This letter formally conveys the information we provided during a briefing with Congress on December 2, 2009. In summary, we found that no other rail employers in our analysis had …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Norman Price. Price was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces in May 1942. He served as a B-17 pilot and flew missions during the Guadalcanal Campaign. He was selected to serve with the 509th Composite Bomb Group, 393rd Bomb Squadron. Price became a qualified B-29 commander, and piloted the bomber titled Some Punkins, arriving at Tinian in June 1945. On 6 August he made the final check of the Enola Gay and other aircraft as the expeditor for the mission. After the war, Price remained active in the Air National Guard at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bob Bloomfield. Bloomfield joined the Navy in 1942 as a Naval Aviation Cadet. In June of 1943 he received his wings. Beginning around August, Bloomfield joined Fighter Squadron Six (VF-6), with Butch O’Hare. He served as tail-end Charlie of O’Hare’s division, flying the Grumman F6F-Hellcat. Bloomfield participated in the carrier raids around Marcus Island and Wake Island. He later served as a wing man to Harry Harrison. In late 1943, Pearl Harbor served as his base of operations. From there they completed missions, participated in raids and supported landings in the Solomons, Coral Sea, Rabaul, New Hebrides, Espiritu Santo, Tarawa, the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands. He was discharged around late 1945.

Transcript of interview with Durwood Allen "Boss" Merritt, a descendant of the Merritt and Foster families, from Hunt, Texas. Merritt speaks of his life in the rural area of Hunt, his family history, his time serving in the army during World War II, and founding the Hunt Methodist Church.

News release promoting the use of DART transportation options to the NBA All-Star game in Arlington.

This report summarizes NOAA's budget request for the 2011 fiscal year.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether the South Texas Water Authority may adopt an effective tax rate under the provisions of chapter 26 of the Tax Code (RQ-0815-GA)

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Angelo Gagliano. Gagliano joined the Navy in August 1942. He describes his experiences in basic training at Newport, Rhode Island. Gagliano was assigned to an air service unit and then transferred to the USS Langley (CVL-27). He became an aviation storekeeper and also served as an ammunition handler on a 40mm gun. Gagliano describes a time when he was a passenger on a TBF that catapulted off of the ship and how he blacked-out. He also discusses shipboard life and his duties. Gagliano describes seeing USS Princeton (CVL-23), USS Franklin (CV-13), and USS Lexington (CV-16) all take serious damage in battle. He also discusses what it was like to go through a typhoon and how several destroyers were lost. He was transferred to shore duty in New York and then Alameda where he signed off on returning aviators who were returning their gear. Gagliano left the Navy in March 1946.