Stephanie Tavares

In Business/ Sun Reporter

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Pilot programs spur uptick in county’s total recycling: Friday, Dec. 4, 2009; Chris Detweiler is Republic Services of Southern Nevada’s material recovery facility division manager.
Expert: Environmental deal in Copenhagen unlikely: But Bill Antholis of Brookings says progress toward climate change treaty is possible; Monday, Nov. 30, 2009; A week from today, dignitaries from across the globe are to meet in Denmark to try to hash out an agreement on reducing carbon emissions and curbing deforestation.
Sales of green products brisk as tax season nears: Friday, Nov. 27, 2009; Black Friday may come but once a year, but green has been in for months for many consumers and the home improvement stores where they shop.
What old pines seem to like may kill them: Higher temps have mountain trees thriving — for now; Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009; Nevada’s famous Great Basin bristlecone pines are experiencing a growth boom as temperatures have risen in their high-altitude homes. But the cause of the trees’ heyday could also signal that death is finally coming for the bristlecones, the world’s oldest single living things.
Popular sport fish could solve Lake Mead's clam infestation: Researchers hope mollusk-munching redear sunfish can solve pest problem in valley's main water source; Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009; Nature appears to have a brightly colored solution to the quagga mussel invasion at Lake Mead. The redear sunfish is waiting in the wings to be introduced as the potential savior of the Las Vegas Valley’s main water source. UNLV biologist David Wong, the region’s chief quagga fighter, has long suspected that fish appetite could be the best answer to the clam infestation.
Amargosa Valley solar plant to use less water: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009; A California-based solar developer has abandoned plans to use one of the most water-intensive technologies at a solar thermal power plant it has planned for Amargosa Valley, the company announced Monday.
Shawn Gerstenberger, Associate Dean of UNLV’s School of Community Health Sciences: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009; Shawn Gerstenberger is the executive associate dean of UNLV’s School of Community Health Sciences, where he oversees a team of researchers and an army of college students trying to find ways to improve quality of life and to eliminate health disparities in Las Vegas.
Group seeks 'imperiled' status for Southern Nevada waterways: Monday, Nov. 16, 2009; The Center for Biological Diversity has petitioned the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to name the Las Vegas Wash, Las Vegas Bay and Lake Mead "imperiled waterways." The environmental group said it filed the petition in an attempt to limit the amount of toxins and potentially harmful chemicals released into the wash, and subsequently the lake, via area waste water treatment plants.
In Nevada, nuclear raises touchy issues: Plants’ voracious thirst, state’s Yucca stand complicate idea for Ely; Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009; Nevada’s long-standing common sense argument against Yucca Mountain has been that the state doesn’t even have a nuclear plant, so it would be patently wrong to force it to be the nuke dump site for the rest of the nation. That line might not be valid in the future, however. Ely is considering going nuclear.
One state's trash …: Promisingly for Nevada, planned show plant aims to turn waste from other places into energy; Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009; Californians are planning on dumping more of their garbage in Nevada, and federal law says Nevada can’t simply ban it, officials say. So Gov. Jim Gibbons and others are proposing that Californians pay for a state-of-the-art recycling and waste-to-energy plant that could turn that garbage into much-needed revenue.
Wood: Not the renewable energy some had in mind: State requirement prompts experimental mixing with coal; Monday, Nov. 9, 2009; When people talk about renewable energy, many mean the latest in clean-energy technology, not a fuel that was pioneered by cavemen. But for NV Energy, what’s old is new again. At the Reid Gardner coal plant about 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, the utility last month began mixing wood chips with the coal burned to produce electricity at the plant.
Quagga mussels a toxic threat to Lake Mead: Because of what they eat and excrete, quagga mussels could poison lake; Monday, Nov. 9, 2009; Anyone who doubts that the quagga mussels in Lake Mead are a critical issue should consider this warning from the experts: If the quaggas are not stopped, they could poison the lake. There are two reasons for this: poop and algae.
The man dedicated to saving the lake from little invaders: Monday, Nov. 9, 2009; David Wong came to Las Vegas to try to save it from an alien invasion.
Companies vying to power Nevada's future: To realize renewable energy’s potential, Nevada needs transmission lines. Two utilities want to build them, but at what cost to customers?; Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009; NV Energy’s plan to build a transmission line to move electricity between the northern and southern parts of the state could unnecessarily stick ratepayers with a half-billion-dollar bill, the state’s consumer advocate warns.
As agencies bicker, a butterfly species loses ground: Clark County, federal authorities quarrel over whose job habitat conservation is; Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009; A special arrangement between Clark County and federal agencies has made life easier for developers and fueled Southern Nevada’s explosive growth since 2001. But to assess that arrangement’s success in protecting endangered animals, insects and plants — which was its main purpose — advocates for those species say take a look at the Mount Charleston blue butterfly.
Boos as Obama taps Yucca supporter: Senators urged to reject choice for nuclear commission; Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009; Anti-nuclear groups are fighting the Obama administration’s nomination of a pro-Yucca Mountain nuclear industry insider to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Water usage, treatment brings increased power consumption: Power mostly generated with fossil fuels, contributing to global warming; Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009; Southern Nevada has gained a reputation as the future of clean, renewable energy and for its aggressive outdoor water conservation campaigns.
But behind this apparently eco-friendly exterior is an ugly truth: The water we take from and return to Lake Mead every day requires a massive output of electricity, much of it generated from fossil fuels.
Budget woes put surveillance plane water-use data out of the picture: Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009; The secret weapon that has triggered a dramatic reduction in water use in the Las Vegas Valley hasn’t been the water cops patrolling city streets or bean counters examining water records.
Melting Arctic a U.S. concern: Brookings Institution expert says nation needs to act aggressively to combat climate change; Friday, Oct. 16, 2009; In glum terms, an expert on Arctic politics told an audience at UNLV this week that if nothing is done to combat climate change, the United States could be thrown into an epic battle for Arctic supremacy.
Nevadan honored to serve regulators in ‘unique time’ for energy: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009; Thomas Sheets never expected to be the legal brains behind one of the nation’s most powerful regulatory agencies. He spent decades representing the interests of energy companies as they waded through Nevada’s regulatory processes. But an old rival had other plans.
Food — and why so many go hungry — on the table: Panel discussion to focus on disparity between what the rich, poor have to eat; Friday, Oct. 9, 2009; While tourists dive into Las Vegas’ endless buffets and the wealthy enjoy dining on grass-fed Kobe beef, more than 200,000 Las Vegans are struggling to feed themselves. About 141,000 children get government-subsidized school lunches, and 60,000 children have no stable daily source of food outside their schools.
Financing lag holds up geothermal: Expert says sharp drop in ’09 land lease sales a ‘leveling out’ of market; Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009; When the Bureau of Land Management released results of the 2009 Nevada geothermal energy land lease auction in mid-August, it looked like the industry’s balloon had burst.
Neighbor’s open door a boon to Nevada: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009; Nevada’s renewable energy industry is breathing a sigh of relief after attempts by California’s legislature to ban renewable energy imports were smacked down by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Last week he scuttled attempts by his state’s legislature to require California utilities to acquire all or most of their renewable energy from plants in California.
Vision for desert solar power plant expands: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009; California-based BrightSource Energy on Tuesday announced an agreement to build a 960-megawatt solar thermal power plant within the Coyote Springs development, 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The company had previously planned a 600-megawatt solar thermal plant for the site.
Dirty detail: Solar panels need water: How much is the question, as developers downplay frequency of cleanings; Friday, Sept. 18, 2009; Southern Nevada may pose more of a dirty little problem for some solar plant developers than they realize or are letting on.
Six Questions for Sajjad Ahmad: Hydrologist and professor at UNLV; Friday, Sept. 18, 2009; When Sajjad Ahmad moved to Las Vegas three years ago to take a professorship at UNLV, the hydrologist thought he’d hit the research jackpot.
Brightsource pulls out of solar project: 500-megawatt plant would have been in intended nature preserve; Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009; A California solar energy developer with proposed projects in Nevada has pulled out of controversial plans to build a solar thermal power plant in an intended nature preserve near the California-Nevada border, the company announced today.
Increase in water rates over two years gets OK: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009; The Southern Nevada Water Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously today to raise water rates over the next two years. The board agreed to raise the rate it charges municipal water agencies by 10 cents per 1,000 gallons.
How can gas bills fall when rates rise?: Answer: Wholesale prices are down, expected to stay down; Monday, Sept. 14, 2009; Southwest Gas last week tried to persuade the state Public Utilities Commission to approve an increase in the general rate that consumers pay to cover the company’s operating expenses.
Latest obstacle to rural solar plants a tiny toad: Friday, Sept. 11, 2009; First came the fish, now it’s the toads.
BLM responds to residents’ anger: Direct comments will be allowed at follow-up meeting this month on Amargosa Valley solar power project; Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009; The Bureau of Land Management is scrambling to accommodate angry Nevadans who were not allowed to speak directly to the people planning a controversial solar power plant for Amargosa Valley. The agency hosted a meeting on that topic Aug. 17. Officials told audience members they had to either submit comments in writing or recite them to a court reporter on the premises, angering those who attended and wanted a discussion.
Solar isn’t powering local budgets: But that could change with legislation that would force some lease revenue to be diverted to states, counties; Friday, Sept. 4, 2009; Nevada might aspire to be as successful with solar energy as Saudi Arabia is with oil, but it faces numerous obstacles before it can cash in.
Steve Strasser, Power Efficiency Corp. CEO and Chairman: Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009; Steve Strasser is positioned to be at the center of Nevada’s greener energy future, but he isn’t in the solar or wind power business. His Power Efficiency Corp. designs and builds electronic sensing equipment that makes motors use electricity more efficiently. When Congresswoman Dina Titus’ staff put together last Thursday’s panel discussion about energy efficiency, Strasser, 61, was one of the first people tapped.
Massive desert wildlife refuge effort nears OK: Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009; The Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex is on the verge of becoming a reality.
Cloud seeding creates rain Northern Nevada needs, Las Vegas wants: Monday, Aug. 31, 2009; When Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy suggested the agency fund a shuttering Desert Research Institute cloud seeding program, it turned more than a few heads.
Utah pipeline unlikely to bring relief at the pump: Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009; Nevada’s Office of Energy recently reported that a planned gasoline pipeline connecting Las Vegas to refineries in Utah would lower prices at Southern Nevada pumps. The report came at the behest of Gov. Jim Gibbons.
Power lines tying up progress?: Solar projects snagged on law protecting historic artifacts; Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009; When considering Nevada’s cultural and historic artifacts, one thinks of Hoover Dam, American Indian petroglyphs, even the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. Generally power lines are not on the list. But that’s the latest hiccup solar energy developers are swallowing. Under the law, any infrastructure on public lands that is at least 50 years old could be considered historic, even a working transmission line.
Not in my back yard, say foes of planned solar plants: Residents of Primm, Amargosa Valley areas see threat to lifestyle; Monday, Aug. 24, 2009; If renewable energy is the industry of the future, people who live and play near proposed plants are wishing the future was happening a little farther away.
25 years out, no end in sight to water pipeline fight: Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009; Facing scores of angry eastern Nevadans, the water authority’s board of directors instructed its staff on Thursday to continue working on permits to build a 300-plus-mile pipeline so water from the Great Basin can be drawn south.
Authority reaffirms support for water pipeline: Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009; In a move largely seen as a vote of confidence for Director Pat Mulroy, the governing board of the Southern Nevada Water Authority today voted unanimously to allow staff to continue the permitting process for a planned water pipeline from White Pine County to Las Vegas.
You want to be an orthodontist? Perhaps you’d like an MBA, too: Henderson dental school gives students business education with medical training; Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009; Two years ago as Philip Kierl was wrapping up his dentistry degree, he endured pointed teasing from his father, a CPA, and his businessman cronies. Dentists, they told him, make terrible businessmen. So he figured someday, probably after he finished his orthodontics residency, he’d have to get a master’s degree in business. It meant at least four more years of school. When he was admitted to the University of Southern Nevada School of Dental Medicine last year, that time was cut almost in half.
For veterans, a new world at college: Thanks to the GI Bill, veterans at UNLV will have fewer worries and, the hope is, more support; Friday, Aug. 14, 2009; For the better part of his college life — at a two-year college and now at UNLV — the only times anyone acknowledged Marine Corps veteran Michael Dakduk’s military service was in classroom debates about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or when teenage classmates wanted to hear war stories.
Dakduk, a senior, says he didn’t always feel comfortable, let alone welcomed, on campus.
Utah, Nevada draft water agreement: Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009; Nevada and Utah have hashed out a tentative water sharing agreement for the Snake Valley area. The agreement, mandated by 2004 legislation championed by Sen. Harry Reid, establishes how water in the basin, which is shared between the states is allocated and managed. It was developed over four years by a committee comprised of state water experts, landowners and legal advisers.
Harry Reid leads tour of Nevada's clean energy potential: Majority leader shows off state’s green projects under way; Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009; One of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s mantras is that the emerging clean energy industry will create valuable and desperately needed jobs. On Tuesday, in the wake of his National Clean Energy Summit, he staged a short road show to illustrate his point. He could have taken his five guests on a tour of the Ausra solar manufacturing plant near McCarran International Airport, or the green building and design exhibits at the Springs Preserve or the hundreds of acres of solar thermal and photovoltaic fields in the Eldorado Valley.
Dread spreads at UNLV over less money, more students: Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009; When UNLV students return this month for fall classes, they will be paying more in fees and tuition but won’t notice many other effects of the budget cuts handed down by the Legislature this year.
Clinton: Efficiency efforts would bring jobs boost: Energy summit begins amid protests from activists outside; Monday, Aug. 10, 2009; Former President Bill Clinton today urged America to take control of its energy future. In a nearly hour-long speech at the National Clean Energy Summit at UNLV, Clinton urged Americans to support energy efficiency measures, including green building practices and weatherization retrofits on all buildings.
Stardust is next stop in virtual tour of Old Vegas: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009; In the fall three masters-level students from an Italian university teamed up with UNLV’s entertainment engineering and design program to create a 3-D virtual Sands hotel and casino.
He may stay in UNLV’s top job for 3 years: Regents will take up long-term interim appointment next week; Thursday, July 30, 2009; When then-UNLV President David Ashley hired zoologist Neal Smatresk as provost of UNLV in 2007, he knew he was getting a solid scientist with strong leadership skills. He couldn’t have known he’d be hiring his replacement.
Experts call U.A.E. friendly location for UNLV center: Thursday, July 30, 2009; When UNLV’s hospitality school asked permission last year to open a satellite campus in the United Arab Emirates, much as it operates a campus in Singapore, proponents noted that the coast of the Persian Gulf is the epicenter of the Middle Eastern hospitality industry.
UNLV’s master of traffic: Professor, with his students, applies expertise in math, electrical engineering and robotics to smooth the way from Point A to Point B; Sunday, July 26, 2009; When you notice that car crashes and road construction aren’t tying up Las Vegas Valley traffic for as long as they used to, remember this name: Pushkin Kachroo. The co-director of UNLV’s Transportation Research Center is considered something of a genius by traffic engineers. The university lucked out when it got him. He came to Las Vegas two years ago from Virginia Tech only because his wife landed a job as a marketing professor at UNLV.