April 6th, 2009
Cities Leading the Way to Sustainability
Stumble it!
Until recently, the federal government wasn’t what we would consider a friend of the environment. Fortunately, some cities have spent the last few years (or decades!) looking forward, and have worked hard to implement sustainable practices and policies.
All of the cities discussed below have wide-reaching programs for improving their impact on the environment, including transportation, energy use, and water conservation. Here’s what a few of the forward-thinking cities in this great country of ours have been up to.
Portland, Oregon
Long known as a mecca for green – both the leafy kind and the environmental kind – Portland reins supreme over many a list of America’s greenest cities Why? Because they do it all. As the first city in the country to adopt a plan to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, Portland managed to reduce their emissions to 17% below 1990 levels by 2007 (when adjusted for population growth). With results like that, it’s hard to argue the City’s green cred.
But that achievement only fueled Portland’s fire to make further reductions. The City has set a goal for receiving 100% of the power used in municipal operations and facilities from renewable sources, and has retrofitted traffic signals with energy-sipping LEDs, saving 3% of emissions and $265,000 per year.
Portland also uses unique methods for implementing sustainable practices, including getting their citizens involved. For example, to eliminate the use of pesticides in parks, the City enlists volunteers to help staff with weeding. They have also implemented integrated pest management methods. After a successful three-year trial program at three parks, two additional parks have been added to the program. These simple changes, partnered with a little hard work, provide Portland’s citizens with tons of pesticide-free green space.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is working hard to green their city – their Climate Action Plan has set a goal for reducing carbon emissions to 25% below 1990 levels by 2020. Ambitious, considering the plan was just released last year.
To address the issue of energy use, the City is investing heavily in cogeneration, a method for creating electricity that also makes use of the heat generated in the process. Heat is a byproduct of electricity production that is usually just vented into the atmosphere. Cogeneration uses the heat from burning fuel to heat water, producing steam that in turn runs a turbine, producing additional electricity. Any additional heat can be used to heat the building housing the cogeneration system. This method is expected to supply 1.5 billion kilowatts of energy, enough for 25% of the increase in use in Chicago during 2000 – 2010.
In addition to addressing energy use, Chicago has launched many other initiatives, including a Green Office Challenge to motivate offices to reduce their eco-impact, and establishing drop off locations for expired or unused prescriptions. Oddly, many people flush their prescriptions, adversely affecting our water supply and wildlife
Boston, Massachusetts
Like Chicago, the City of Boston has specific goals for reducing its carbon footprint, and is tackling energy use as a means to meet those goals. Plans are in the works for a methane-fed power source, based on the grass clippings of Boston residents. The City has also announced its new Boston Buying Initiative, a program that will combine the energy purchasing power of small businesses. The initiative will not only reduce costs for small businesses struggling to make ends meet in this difficult economy, but will provide access to tools and resources to cut energy use, saving even more money and reducing their impact on the environment. Other initiatives focus on improving buildings and structures, transportation, and land and water use.
Austin, Texas
The City of Austin, known mostly for its music scene and as the home of the University of Texas, also sports a reputation as the most progressive of Texas cities. In regards to the environment, Austin sets the standards for the state – an important role, considering three of the country’s largest cities are in Texas (Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas).
If you’re at all familiar with Austin, then you likely know about Barton Springs Pool – an oasis of natural beauty and abundance that only adds to Austin’s uniqueness. Under threat from commercial development, efforts to protect not just the springs but all of Austin’s water supply are seen in many aspects of Austin’s plans for sustainability. For example, the Green Building Program includes many water-related requirements, including protecting native plants, minimizing water used for landscaping, and educating contractors on water conservation.
Other programs include “Dillo Dirt,” (Texan translation: ‘dillo is short for armadillo) a compost made from residents’ landscaping trimmings and sewage sludge. A Heat Island Containment Policy provides incentives and requirements for reflective roofs and shade tree plantings, thus reducing the City’s heat island effect (Austin certainly doesn’t need to be any hotter in the summer!)
San Francisco
Though California as a whole enjoys a reputation of leadership when it comes to environmental progress, many early steps are first taken in San Francisco. For example, San Fran was the first city to ban single-use plastic bags, a move that many other cities are following.
Perhaps surprisingly, San Francisco has also jumped into solar energy production with both feet. Turns out, solar panels work just fine in the fog…who knew? After a successful installation at Moscone Convention Center generated enough electricity to fully power it during events, the City started installations at many different municipal facilities. Residents, too, are joining the bandwagon. Check out this cool solar map to see all of the installations! San Francisco also focuses on broader issues like environmental justice (clean food, water, and air for all!), zero waste, and toxics reduction.
We’re thankful for the local leadership that has paved the way towards sustainable cities. With a new president and a new focus on greening our country, expect to see even more initiatives coming soon to your city!
Popularity: 3% [?]
April 6th, 2009
Why Going Vegetarian For One Day Will Help Stop Global Warming
Written by Brian Liloia, courtesy of Planetsave.com
Americans eat lots of meat. So much so that livestock is now one of the leading contributors to global warming, responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions as measured in a carbon dioxide equivalent.
A recent United Nations report concluded that the meat industry causes almost 40% more greenhouse gas emissions than all the world’s transportation systems — that means all of the globe’s cars, trucks, planes and ships combined.
Kathy Preston poses an important question for meat-eating Americans concerned about the effects of global warming: what are the effects of going vegetarian for just one day? Here are her astounding statistics about how going vegetarian for a single day can help prevent global warming:
If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save:
- 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;
- 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year;
- 70 million gallons of gas — enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;
- 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;
- 33 tons of antibiotics.
If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent:
- Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France;
- 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages;
- 4.5 million tons of animal excrement;
- Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant.
It is undoubtedly clear that human activity causes increased global warming, and America’s dangerous over-consumption of meat is a major contributor to climate change. Adopting a vegetarian diet is an important step towards preventing global warming. And as these alarming statistics suggest, simply decreasing the amount of meat in your diet can have a major impact.
For more information about how going vegetarian can help prevent global warming, check out the original article.
Popularity: 3% [?]
April 3rd, 2009
Walk Score - How Does Your Neighborhood Rank?
One of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to drive less, or even better get rid of your car all together. If you live in a city like San Francisco, New York or Chicago, this is a no brainer. In fact, you’re probably better off without the car - no worrying about parking, getting tickets, gas, or insurance, and in reality it’s usually easier and faster to walk or take public transportation. But what if you’re not in one of these cities, what if you’re in Denver, Portland, or even Los Angeles? Can you live without your car, or use it less?
A new website called Walk Score may just give you the boost you need to leave the car behind and set out on foot to reach restaurants, shops and other amenities.
Popularity: 3% [?]
March 22nd, 2009
President Obama Announces $2.4 Billion in Funding for Electric Vehicles
Written by Clayton B. Cornell, courtesy of Gas2.0
President Obama announced today that $2.4 billion will be made available for the US-based development of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.
The fund is intended to spur growth in research and manufacturing of next-generation plug-in hybrid vehicles and advanced battery componenents for electric cars, while creating tens of thousands of US jobs and reducing US petroleum dependence. It should also help meet the President’s goal of putting one million plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road by 2015.
The President made the announcement while visiting Southern California Edison’s Electric Vehicle Center. SCE is one of the largest electric utilities in the country and researches battery-powered and hybrid engines, along with potential impacts of having massive numbers of electric vehicles taking power from conventional utility networks.
This investment will not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it will put Americans back to work. It positions American manufacturers on the cutting edge of innovation and solving our energy challenges.
-President Obama
The plan was partially outlined on the Department of Energy’s website:
- The Department of Energy is offering up to $1.5 billion in grants to U.S. based manufacturers to produce these highly efficient batteries and their components.
- The Department of Energy is offering up to $500 million in grants to U.S. based manufacturers to produce other components needed for electric vehicles, such as electric motors and other components.
- The Department of Energy is offering up to $400 million to demonstrate and evaluate Plug-In Hybrids and other electric infrastructure concepts — like truck stop charging station, electric rail, and training for technicians to build and repair electric vehicles.
Popularity: 4% [?]
March 20th, 2009
10 Myths About Sustainability
In a recent article for the Scientific American, Michael Lemonic wrote about the Top 10 Myths About Sustainability. The article is a great reminder that we still have a ways to go - not only in our understanding of what sustainability is, but in how to live a more sustainable life. The following is a summary of Lemonic’s Top 10 Myths. (more…)
Popularity: 6% [?]
