Government Roundup

Carbon dioxide emissions from the U.S. energy sector increased in 2013 for the first time in three years, the Energy Information Administration reports. The annual increase is small, roughly 2%, and due to a slight increase in coal consumption for electric power. Overall CO₂ emissions for 2013 were about 10% below 2005 levels.

The Fermi Award, a presidentially bestowed prize and one of the government’s oldest and most prestigious awards for scientific achievement, will go to Allen J. Bard, the Hackerman-Welch Regents Chair in Chemistry at the University of Texas, Austin. Bard was tapped for the award last week.

Cosmetics that contain ingredients known or suspected to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm are listed in a new database launched by the California Department of Public Health. Consumers can search the database by product type, product name, or company name.

North Carolina State University will house the first of three planned manufacturing institutes aimed at boosting energy efficiency and advanced manufacturing, the White House says. Financed by a $70 million grant from the Energy Department, the institute will focus on developing the next generation of high-power electronic chips and devices.

Assessing alternatives to hazardous substances found in products is the focus of a new guide from a group of state regulators. The Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse guide is available at bit.ly/1as54jP.