The center of gravity on all things green in the U.S. has shifted to Washington, D.C., over the past 18 months, as regulatory, legislative, executive, and judicial actions -- and inactions -- have set the course for the nation on energy, climate, and other matters. That's certainly true lately. Last week, as you likely know, congressional Democrats scuttled the climate bill for the time being. It was a major disappointment for climate activists, but also for corporate executives seeking certainty on climate policy.

But not all the news is dreary. This week, we report on a spate of actions and activities emanating from the Nation's Capital that, individually and together, will help shape environmental activity in the U.S. For example, President Obama ordered the federal government to promote greener employee commuting habits, reduced business travel and other measures to scale back indirect greenhouse gas emissions 13 percent within a decade. The Energy Department announced it was funneling more than $100 million to six projects that will turn carbon dioxide into fuel, plastics, cement and more. The U.S. Postal Service said it is more than two thirds of the way to reducing energy use by 30 percent by 2015. And a bill introduced in the House would require the cosmetics industry to list all ingredients on product labels and their websites.

So much for the sweltering dog days of summer.

Brewing Opportunity: You might want to stave off the heat with an ice-cold beer -- or, at least, read about it. Toward that end, we bring you Heather King's latest View from the C-Suite column: a Q&A with Tom Long, MillerCoors President and Chief Commercial Officer. Among other things, he talks about how MillerCoors achieved zero waste in three of its eight breweries, and other measures the company is taking to make its beer less -- well, landfilling.

Speaking of which, we've had a tremendous response to this week's webcast, Getting to Zero: How Companies Profit from Eliminating Waste. There are a handful of seats left for the event, live this Thursday, July 29. Don't miss out.

The Power of 10: We've been enjoying bringing you a series of top-10 lists, part of ongoing our 10-year anniversary celebration. Last week, Melissa Schweisguth weighed in with 10 tips on how companies can evaluate certifications and eco-labels. This week's installment focuses on the smart grid -- specfically, the 10 things industry veteran Anto Budiardjo has learned about its opportunities and challenges. There's much more to come, and you can read all of our past top-10 lists here.

This report from Friends of the Earth identifies more than $200 billion in wasteful government subsidies that are damaging to the environment and harmful to consumers.

This easy-to-read, fact-filled resource covers everything from how a cool roof works, material selection and applications to precautions, considerations and roof care and cleaning.

Join Waste Management’s Jim Hall and Caterpillar’s Jim Blass in conversation with Joel Makower, Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com, in an exploration of how companies are achieving zero waste. You’ll hear a first-hand account of Caterpillar’s pursuit of zero waste at its facility in Aurora, Illinois, and insight into the bottom-line impacts of a typical zero-waste program.