<?xml version="1.0"?><rdf:RDF    xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"   xmlns:pprc="http://www.pprc.org/news/"   xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/"   xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">   <channel rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/">      <title>PPRC News</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/index.cfm</link>      <description>Pollution Prevention news from the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center</description>      <dc:date>2012-02-07T03:56:23-05:00</dc:date>      <items>       <rdf:Seq><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5831" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5830" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5829" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5824" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5826" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5822" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5821" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5823" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5825" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5827" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5828" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5819" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5820" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5816" /><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5818" />    </rdf:Seq>    </items>   </channel>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5831">      <title>Green Business Certification for Landscape Firms</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5831</link>      <description><![CDATA[Clackamas County Water Environment Services and the Clackamas County River Water Providers are hosting a free workshop on February 22, 2012 at Happy Valley City Hall, 16000 SE Misty Drive, for landscape businesses to learn about the EcoBiz certification program. The workshop includes information about how a company can become certified, and the benefits of certification. Certified businesses will also be on hand to discuss their most innovative green landscape practices, and how this program has helped to protect the public&apos;s health.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-02-07T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5830">      <title>WEBINAR: Case Study: Transitioning to Greener Chemicals and the Benefits</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5830</link>      <description><![CDATA[Cintas-Washington State implemented a program to eliminate 25,000 gallons of detergent that contained nonylphenol ethoxylates  (NPEs) in the laundry process.  James Wagoner with Cintas will be discussing the process of which Cintas transitioned to new greener chemicals and the benefits. Roy Praechter and Jim Gifford with Washing Systems Inc will be discussing the development of greener wash chemicals. Cintas won a 2012 MVP2 Award for their work on chemical reduction and cutting cost.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-02-07T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5829">      <title>Cosmetic pesticides face ban in province</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5829</link>      <description><![CDATA[Manitoba will soon join most other Canadian provinces and ban cosmetic pesticides -- sprays such as WeedEx and Roundup that keep lawns perfect by killing weeds and bugs.

Newly minted Conservation Minister Gord Mackintosh said he plans to release a discussion paper this spring exploring how a ban might work. Then, he&apos;ll seek input from the public and lawn-care companies over the summer before introducing legislation this fall or, more likely, early next year.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-02-01T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5824">      <title>Airport-Raised Bacteria Eats Toxic De-Icing Fluids</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5824</link>      <description><![CDATA[Air travelers may not think much about what happens to the de-icing fluid that keeps planes flying in the winter. But airports, including Portland International, have to find safe ways to dispose of thousands of gallons of used product.

Here, airport officials are going to feed the waste to bacteria that love to eat de-icing fluid. The bacteria, or bugs, began incubating in September.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-31T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5826">      <title>Cloquet Neighbors Unhappy a Greener, Liquefying Cremation Process Could be in their Neighborhood</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5826</link>      <description><![CDATA[Some residents in Cloquet are upset over one funeral home&apos;s plans to send human remains down the drain, but it&apos;s part of the process for a newer and greener type of cremation that uses less energy.

Some residents spoke Tuesday at a public hearing at City Hall about the moral dilemma of having bodies biocremated in their neighborhood at the Atkins Northland Funeral Home, and whether that could lower their property values.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-31T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5822">      <title>Fresh Wave&#xae; Claims Victory Over Athletic Odors by Signing Fresh Wave Sport&#xae; to the Team</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5822</link>      <description><![CDATA[In an effort to keep athletes on top of their freshness game, Fresh Wave announces the launch of Fresh Wave Sport, a line of natural odor-eliminators developed with the needs of athletes -- professionals, amateurs and weekend warriors alike -- at its core.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-31T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5821">      <title>Greening EPA&apos;s Seattle Office</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5821</link>      <description><![CDATA[The Region 10 Science Steering Council recently hosted our first &quot;Science Caf&#xe9;&quot; to discuss how our Seattle office building is working toward LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification as we undergo a major remodel. LEED is a third party certification program administered by the U.S. Green Building Council that focuses on the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-31T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5823">      <title>Kaiser Gets Green Infusion with Safer IV Equipment</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5823</link>      <description><![CDATA[As to Kaiser&apos;s latest supply chain move, the organization isn&apos;t the first to eliminate PVC and DEHP from IV equipment. Catholic Healthcare West stopped buying IV bags and tubes with the chemicals about seven years ago. However, Kaiser is the largest to do so, according to Gerwig and Robert Gotto, Kaiser Permanente&apos;s executive director of national facilities services procurement.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-31T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5825">      <title>Leaked document reveals Rio+20 sustainable development goals</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5825</link>      <description><![CDATA[Countries will be asked this summer to sign up for 10 new sustainable development goals for the planet and promise to build green economies at the first earth summit in 20 years.

According to a leak of the draft agenda document seen by the Guardian, they will also be asked to negotiate a new agreement to protect oceans, approve an annual state of the planet report, set up a major world agency for the environment, and appoint a global &quot;ombudsperson&quot;, or high commissioner, for future generations. Dozens of heads of state, political leaders and celebrities are expected to go to the UN&apos;s Rio+20 sustainable development meeting, to be held in Brazil in June.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-31T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5827">      <title>Nest Thermostats: Making Home Energy Use Smarter &amp; Sexier</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5827</link>      <description><![CDATA[About 40 percent of the 92 million residential thermostats in the United States are programmable, which would be a great thing for energy saving, except that only about 10 million of devices are actually programmed.

The problem is that most of the gadgets are too hard to use and people aren&apos;t inclined to figure them out, Nest co-founder Matt Rogers told attendees at the GreenBiz Forum today in San Francisco.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-31T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5828">      <title>Want to Sell a Green Product? Don&apos;t Call It Green</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5828</link>      <description><![CDATA[Consumers want better products, not necessarily greener products, according to Method Co-Founder Adam Lowry.

That means creating products that work better and give consumers a selfish reason to buy them, even if that reason is simply convenience. But if the only differentiator is a better environmental profile, forget about it.

&quot;I fundamentally believe that if you build something and ask people to buy it for the sole reason it&apos;s green, you&apos;ll ultimately fail,&quot; Eric Ryan, Method&apos;s other founder, agreed. &quot;That&apos;s about my best piece of advice.&quot;]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-31T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5819">      <title>Renewables pass nuclear as power source in U.S.</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5819</link>      <description><![CDATA[Renewable energy sources -- wind, water, solar and others -- passed nuclear generation as a share of U.S. power in September, according to the Energy Information Administration.

In the EIA&apos;s latest report on energy sources and usage in the United States, which covers the nine months ended September, the nine-month total for both renewable production and consumption were higher than those for nuclear power.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-12T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5820">      <title>Webinar: Strategies and Tools for Green Procurement</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5820</link>      <description><![CDATA[Federal, state and local governments are facing increased complexity with creating and managing green procurement strategies. This webinar is meant to give an overview of some of the key challenges institutions are facing for green purchasing and provide information on tools and resources that organizations around the country are using to overcome these challenges.  The presentation will cover specific web-based tools, calculators, information resources, reporting mechanisms, and other resources that you can use to help implement and manage green procurement.  The webinar will also include a demonstration of Greencurement, a new tool to help purchasers identify products that meet their specifications and increase compliance with green purchasing.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-12T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5816">      <title>2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data from Large Facilities Now Available</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5816</link>      <description><![CDATA[For the first time, comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) data reported directly from large facilities and suppliers across the country are now easily accessible to the public through EPA&apos;s GHG Reporting Program. The 2010 GHG data released today includes public information from facilities in nine industry groups that directly emit large quantities of GHGs, as well as suppliers of certain fossil fuels.

&quot;Thanks to strong collaboration and feedback from industry, states and other organizations, today we have a transparent, powerful data resource available to the public,&quot; said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA&apos;s Office of Air and Radiation. &quot;The GHG Reporting Program data provides a critical tool for businesses and other innovators to find cost- and fuel-saving efficiencies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and foster technologies to protect public health and the environment.&quot;]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-11T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item>   <item rdf:about="http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5818">      <title>Managing Stormwater in the Northwest</title>      <link>http://www.pprc.org/news/NewsItem.cfm?ID=5818</link>      <description><![CDATA[The Business of Stormwater Regulation and Compliance. Stormwater regulations continue to tighten, third-party lawsuits continue to be an enforcement threat, and for property owners and managers, the economics of compliance matter more than ever. This conference addresses these challenges and presents practical answers for companies and service providers in Washington and Oregon.

Strategies for Cost-Effective Compliance. Now in its fifth year, this one-day specialty conference will examine the current compliance landscape and how property owners and managers can implement cost-effective prevention and control practices that save money in the long run -- while doing the right thing. By bringing together regulated parties, solutions providers, and regulators, this event provides a unique forum for learning and networking.]]></description>     <dc:date>2012-01-11T12:00:00-05:00</dc:date>   </item></rdf:RDF>
