Wednesday, October 26, 2005

[Schools] Building designs integrate sustainability Although their facades may be far from green, both the new Chemistry Research Building and the Malone Center are shining examples of green architecture. [Source: Yale Daily News] 4:17:11 PM Google It!    [Biomass energy] Biomass Good For Heat, Say Task Force Britain should use biomass to generate heat, say the Biomass Task Force. The Task Force concludes that biomass (fuel from forestry, crops and waste) could reduce the nation's carbon emissions by almost three million tonnes a year if used to provide heating. The carbon saving would be the equivalent of taking 3.25 million cars off the road. [Source: Green Building Press] 4:15:43 PM Google It!    [Schools] eSN Special Feature: Surviving soaring energy costs Smart technologies and efficient design can prevent budget shock. [Source: eSchool News Online] 4:13:12 PM Google It!    [Green power] Voluntary Green Power Purchases Increased Tenfold in 5 Years Supporting renewable energy by purchasing green power is popular with both individuals and businesses, causing a tenfold growth in green power purchases over the last five years. Green power purchases now support new renewable energy projects totaling 2,200 megawatts in capacity. [EERE Network News] 4:07:36 PM Google It!    [Mass transportation] New York City Orders 500 Hybrid Buses and Allows Hybrid Taxis The next time you hail a cab in New York City, you could be riding in a hybrid vehicle, since hybrids just earned approval to serve as taxicabs in the city. And with 500 hybrid buses coming to the city soon, the odds are good that if you skip the taxi and catch a bus, you'll still be riding a hybrid. [EERE Network News] 4:06:39 PM Google It!    [Hybrid cars] Tokyo Auto Show Features Hybrid and Fuel Cell Concept Vehicles The Japanese rolled out plenty of concept hybrids at the Tokyo Auto Show, but the real innovation was displayed in their fuel cell vehicles. The vehicles pointed toward the future with in-wheel motors; compact, freeze-resistant fuel cell stacks; by-wire technology; and advanced hydrogen storage. [EERE Network News] 4:05:41 PM Google It!    [Wind power] New Transmission Line Projects Could Benefit Wind Power Proposed new transmission lines in the West could help bring wind power from Wyoming and South Dakota to population centers in Arizona, Colorado, and Minnesota. The federal government is trying to help this process along by designating "energy corridors" on western public lands. [EERE Network News] 4:04:45 PM Google It!    [Environmental responsibility of business] "Green' is an Economic Necessity". Via sustainablog (bold type is my emphasis): Those of you who've followed sustainablog for some time know that I'm no fan of the Bush administration, and that I generally only point to ideas from it or its supporters in order to ridicule them. I certainly disagree with Carol Bartz's claim in this essay from Forbes that "...President George W. Bush moved the country one step closer to energy independence" by signing the Energy Policy Act of 2005; at the same time, I'm very encouraged by the thesis of her essay: "Going 'green' is an economic necessity." Bartz makes a strong business case for sustainable development: Today, energy costs are at all-time highs and are trending up, not down. No business can afford to ignore that equation, whether for its own bottom line or that of its customers. Second, customers--both business and consumer--are weighing eco-friendliness as part of their buying decision. Business can't afford to ignore customer demands and hope to prosper. Third, reducing waste by consuming less in the manufacturing or construction process is not only good for the environment, it's more profitable. Bartz also notes that the private sector, in recognizing these market facts, is in a position to move now: "...in business, we're not only looking to lawmakers to come up with solutions for tomorrow: We're listening to the demands of the marketplace and using our advanced technology to take action today." While I'd love for the Administration to take her claims seriously, I think getting CEOs to listen may ultimately be much more productive. 4:03:10 PM Google It!    [Sustainable development] Sustainable Suburbs? Via sustainablog: I know -- it seems like a contradiction in terms, and David Holmgren's opening description (in this essay) of suburbs in Australia (which could easily apply to the US and other "developed" countries) illustrates why: The suburbs of our Australian cities have, in the main, become sterile wastelands, lacking in any true spirit of community, impoverished of local resources, and filled with fearful people whose daily efforts are [focused] elsewhere. What has happened to the Australian "suburban dream"? Holmgren, the co-creator of the Permaculture concept, notes that the original post-WWII "suburban dream" did look more sustainable, and that suburban communities actually have the resources necessary to move in a much more sustainable direction. There is a real and viable alternative to this seemingly alarming scenario - a retrofit of suburbia - a remodelling of local neighbourhoods and communities for the energy-descent future. The "refit manual" will bring together and integrate features such as: * Home-based work, telecommuting, and cottage industries serving a local clientele; * Extended families, lodgers and shared households; * Recycling of storm water, waste water, and human waste; * Soils of improved fertility, and the water supply and infrastructure for urban agriculture; * City farms, cooperative gardening, Farmers' Markets, and Community Supported Agriculture schemes (CSAs). Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a scheme in which customers undertake to buy a regular box of in-season fruits, vegetables, eggs, etc. from one or more local producers, thus providing the latter with a secure income and the ability to diversify the types of produce they provide. I have trouble envisioning such a radical departure from the current state of "suburban bliss," which consists of homogeneous oversized houses coupled with homogeneous oversized vehicles used to drive to homogeneous oversized businesses. As with Wal-Mart (which, of course, is naturally associated with contemoporary suburban development), it's difficult to imagine change occurring when the original model (or, at least, the current version of it) is so unsustainable. "Sustainable suburbs" would require a radical rethinking of middle-class life, and that's where it gets tricky... 3:58:04 PM Google It!    [Schools] University of British Columbia Ahead of Schedule to Meet Kyoto Goals Via sustainablog: While most of this article from Canada's Georgia Straight discusses the upcoming Living in the Global City series of "public discussions and community events that will highlight urban sustainability," the first paragraphs provides some encouraging news: The University of British Columbia is on the verge of meeting the Kyoto Protocol target for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Freda Pagini, UBC's director of sustainability, told the Georgia Straight that the institution will achieve the Kyoto goal of a six-percent reduction below 1990 levels by next year. Canada and B.C. are not even close to meeting this objective for cutting greenhouse gases, which cause global warming. Under the 1997 Kyoto agreement, signatories must meet the target between 2008 to 2012. UBC will beat the deadline by two years. "There is a growing body of people on the campus who really want the university to be moving in this direction," Pagini said. Pagini noted that UBC's greenhouse-gas reduction was achieved at the same time as the campus population increased by 24 percent. She attributed this to energy conservation and a reduction in vehicle trips. "Buildings use almost half of the energy in Canada," she noted. "If we can make buildings that are more energy-efficient, that will save carbon emissions big-time." While we're certainly talking about a relatively small community meeting the Kyoto goals (thought not that small -- UBC's website boasts a student population of about 43,000), it's important to note that the University is achieving such progress on greenhouse gas emissions through fairly straightforward conservation measures. Perhaps more green building/rehabbing and mass transit could at least get us off the climate-change precipice we seem to be teetering over. Of course, that assumes that merely meeting Kyoto standards will have a major effect, and I'm not sure that's the case -- we probably need to shoot higher. 3:55:40 PM Google It!    [Mass transportation] High gas prices drive people to Decatur Public Transit Jack Crawford used to drive to work almost every day. With gas prices hovering at near-record prices, the Decatur man has been more likely in recent months to hop on a Decatur Public Transit System bus. [Source: Decatur Herald & Review] 3:51:22 PM Google It!    [Environmental protection] Poll Results Underscore Majority of Americans' Environmental Concerns According to the results of a recently conducted Harris Interactive Poll, nearly three-quarters of American adults agree that protecting the environment is important and standards cannot be too high. Meanwhile, almost half of the 1,200+ respondents surveyed believe the federal government should get more involved in environmental protection. Only one-fifth feel there is too much environmental regulation currently. [Source: E-The Environmental Magazine] 3:47:05 PM Google It!    [Green chemistry] Chemistry: A cleaner way to nylon? The polymer nylon-6 is much in demand. An innovation in producing the precursor molecule, e-caprolactam, involves a one-step process that is environmentally benign and may be scaled up for bulk production. [Source: Nature] 2:20:29 PM Google It!    [Grants] Study and Analysis of Strategies for the Technology Innovation in the Transportation Sector Applications due Dec. 14, 2005 This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible institutions for study and analysis of innovative strategies for encouraging the development and adoption of new vehicle and fuel technologies for control of emissions including consideration of impact on criteria pollutants, toxic emissions and greenhouse gas emissions. Studies and analyses should consider barriers for technological innovation and opportunities for overcoming these barriers. 2:04:00 PM Google It!

© Copyright 2005 Laura L. Barnes. Last update: 11/1/2005; 1:07:48 PM.