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I once read somewhere that people often overestimate what they can accomplish in a year, but underestimate what they can get done in a decade. That thought came to mind as I reflected upon the many steps TS Designs in Burlington has taken to make its business more sustainable -- more specifically, following the triple bottom line of pursuing economic prosperity, social justice and environmental stewardship.

TS Designs hosted on Saturday what they hoped to be the first of many Piedmont Green Galas. The company and its roughly 300 guests that day celebrated the additions of an 8.6 kilowatt per hour solar array atop the roof and biofuel fill-up station outside for members. Inside and outside demonstrated what can happen when a business, organization or family does something... and then something else... and then something else.

In TS Designs' case, they started with getting rid of Styrofoam cups and planting trees. Now, the organic T-shirt-making company composts, brews biofuel and Fair Trade coffee, uses grey water to flush toilets, and gardens to supplement employees' meals.

(Behind garden, visitors check out a solar-powered go-cart.)

Update: Also coming up: Campout! Carolina and Choctoberfest at Ten Thousand Villages.

On Thursday, Oct. 9, Andy Wood will present "Global Warming: Its Impacts on Birds, Biodiversity and People" at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Library at 7 p.m. Wood is the state Audubon's director of education and a weekly contributor to Wilmington's public radio station WHQR.

Consultant and Greensboro resident Michiel VanderSommen will give a free talk about residential passive solar use at the Kathleen Clay Edwards library branch on Oct. 22. VanderSommen recently compiled information on green living and sustainability energy on a Web site, free to the public.

On Saturday, Nov. 15, Clean Water for North Carolina will hold “Managing North Carolina’s Water for Health and Justice,” a statewide conference on fair water resource management, public health and environmental justice. UNCG's Department of Public Health Education co-sponsors the event on campus in the Bryan Building. Registration: $20, including lunch.

Topics:

* A New Paradigm for Water Infrastructure
* Water and Energy: the Need and Opportunities for Freeing and Protecting Our Water Resources
* Privatizing a Human Right? Economic, Health and Environmental Impacts
* Protecting Safe, Affordable Water for 2.7 Million Rural NC
Well-Users

Commission votes to keep Greensboro farmers market local; study finds commuter rail feasible for Greensboro and Burlington; Proximity Hotel earns top LEED certification; and Triad transit systems respond to increased demand.

Update: The Institute for Emerging Issues holds an energy forum in Greensboro on Nov. 6. (By the way, I'm scratching my head on the panelists listed on the agenda. The N.C. Zoo?)

I'm waiting on details but I just found out that some Stokes County residents will hold their own sustainability festival, complete with alternative energy displays, local food and music, on Nov. 8 at Prabhupada Village in Sandy Ridge. More here.

Also, Lester Brown, a renown environmental analyst who founded the Worldwatch Institute and Earth Policy Institute, will be speaking about an hour away at the Center for the Environment in Salisbury. Free event but registration required.

Brown will speak on his latest book, “Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization.” Below, one of four YouTube clips of Brown speaking on his plan.

Piedmont Green Gala? Check. Emerging Issues forum? Check. Nov. 13 Greensboro community sustainability gathering? Check. My calendar is filled with local energy and environment-related forums and workshops taking place this fall. But I'm still waiting for a comprehensive conference on how Triad governments, businesses, community groups and individuals can best prepare for the end of the fossil fuels era. One that draws more than the "experts" and activists.

I'm sure some of these conversations are going on behind closed doors and around the water cooler but the public needs to hear it and talk about it. Many questions are lingering in my mind:

1. How can local foundations and grant-making organizations help fund community-based initiatives to create local energy production or resilience? What obstacles do they face to diverting funds to these projects?

2. What can Triad communities afford to do under a worst-case scenario of limited/declining investment dollars?

3. What strengths or opportunities do Triad governments have that can be applied to the tackling of future energy challenges? For example, one county might have a stellar economic development team that could turn on a dime to draw alternative energy businesses; a city might have public strong support for public transit.

4. What is the public educational system doing and not doing to prepare students for 21st century energy challenges and new lifestyles?

5. What level of agreement do communities have about climate change and peak oil and their potential consequences? In what ways are shared and separate approaches needed?

6. In what areas do cities and homeowners associations need to relax, modify or add codes to help residents and businesses adapt to more expensive energy? What other reasons -- be it health, quality of life, etc. -- exist for making changes?

7. What conflicts do we see arising in necessary changes and business models that have to be addressed (i.e. city revenue vs. decreased water usage; discouraging plastic bags use vs. needed them for recycling business)?

8. What roles do the formal, informal and household economies play in community adaptation? Should residents expect to reduce their energy use and environmental impact through the purchase of goods or services, barter/gifts or do-it-yourself?

9. What social mores, expectations and taboos need to be shifted (i.e. quick and convenient travel, readily-available ice cold drinks, etc.)

10. What grand projects must communities sacrifice because of a shift in priorities?

What questions do you have that you would like to see addressed in a public forum?

The national version of "Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-energize America," a documentary about America's electricity generation, will air on UNC-TV locally this month. The tentative schedule for Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem is 10 p.m., Oct. 23.

Visit the Web site to find out how to purchase a DVD or host a screening. I viewed an earlier version of the film last year and found it very practical and down-to-earth. Intended audience: those who have not yet switched to compact fluorescent bulbs.

If you take pictures, send them my way with captions/descriptions and I will post as many as I can on the blog. E-mail me at morgan.josey@news-record.com. I plan on camping out myself at Shakori Hills.

"There" could have been almost anywhere, of course, except inside. I participated in this year's Campout! Carolina at Shakori Hills, pitching a tent for the first time. I learned about zero waste and wild medicinal herbs, and woke up in the middle of the night to The Duhks and African drums.

Below are weekend photos of boy scouts at Farrish Park in Mayodan submitted to me by Mike Brumble, scoutmaster of Troop 75 in Elon.

E-mail me your pictures with a description and I will post on my blog. Try to keep the file size low and jpeg.

Update (Oct. 15): Below is a photo from Lee Bush, an assistant professor at Elon University, of friends setting up a tent in the back yard of her Gibsonville home. Her students helped promote the event and she said more than 2,000 campers participated this year compared to last year.

The Greensboro Community Sustainability Council invites members of environmental/energy-related organizations to attend a community gathering from 4-7 p.m., Nov. 13, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on North Greene Street. The networking meeting will help determine the advisory group's focus going forward.

One group that recently joined local green efforts is Action Greensboro with its "Naturally Green, Cool by Design" campaign. April Harris of Action Greensboro told members of the sustainability council at a Monday meeting that committees are trying to determine how to best support current initiatives. Harris said the organization's goal is to promote green building programs and connect neighborhoods to the outdoor environment.

Action Greensboro is also pushing for passage of a $134 million transportation bond that would provide funds for a 4.8-mile downtown greenway.

The N.C. State Fair is calling its latest eco-friendly endeavor "Funnel Cakes for Fuel." That is, processing the thousands of gallons of vegetable oil used to deep fry everything from corn dogs to candy bars into biodiesel.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services expects to collect about 8,000 gallons of used oil this month and process it at its 18 agricultural research stations. The fuel will be used in department tractor-trailers that deliver food to North Carolina schools.

In addition, the fair will add a new exhibit called Green NC that will highlight alternative fuels, renewable energy sources, locally grown foods, recycling, water conservation, etc. Another overdue move: four recycling stations on the fairgrounds that will accept plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

Green jobs supporters in Greensboro will be participating in a national fundraising and grassroots organizing event for presidential candidate Barack Obama from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 20 at Sticks and Stones restaurant on Walker Avenue.

Clean Tech and Green Business for Obama (CT4-O) and other environmental leaders from around the country are organizing, with the support of the Obama Campaign, an “Evening to Re-energize America.” The event will bring together thousands of people at over 300 house parties/fundraisers across the country, including San Francisco and Colorado Springs.

Attendees are responsible for their own food and drinks. To RSVP, e-mail pjmdesign AT gmail.com.

By the way, find here the environmental positions of Obama and John McCain along with a comparison by the League of Conservation Voters. Let me know of any related events going on in support of McCain.

What more incentive do Greensboro residents need to recycle other than the satisfaction of knowing they can help the city save money and keep reusable items out of the landfill? Um, could it possibly be more money in the residents' pockets too?

It turns out the city's solid waste division is considering an incentive program with RecycleBank that would provide coupons for discounts at local businesses to residents based on the amount they recycle. Division manager Sheldon Smith said today at a Triad Mobile CARE meeting that he hopes to propose a 10,000 home pilot at the next City Council briefing on Oct. 28.

The division has managed to increase the amount of recyclables it processes since Smith took over in 2006. The division renegotiated its contract to bring the tip fees for recycling below the tips fees for the landfill transfer station (from about $62 per ton to $21 per ton for recycling, in comparison to $41 per ton for the transfer station), Smith said.

The division also reworked the recycling truck routes, from once a week pick up for residences to every other week starting in late January. Smith said the recycling volumes did not justify weekly pick up and the new routes and other initiatives saved almost 4,500 miles between Jan. 28 and June, and $1.4 million in the budget. Still, set out rates increased from 35 percent to 55 percent recycling was up 1 percent for the year.

No specific efforts exist yet to promote composting but Smith said he has spoken with county officials to explore grants for such promotion. Smith said he ultimately hopes to increase the amount of recyclables the city collects from about 17,000 tons per year for residential to 24,000 tons while reducing the amount going to the landfill.

What do you think about the RecycleBank idea? Would you recycle more if you could get coupons to your favorite restaurant? What do you think about the city's recycling services in general?

You may have noticed this blog has a new name and header. The reason: I have expanded my focus beyond Guilford County and the blog will become part of a wider initiative by the News & Record to document the "green" movement in the Triad.

We will soon launch a Web site called GoGreenTriad.com and my new column, Green Notes, will start running on Tuesday. The site and column will describe the various actions businesses, grassroots groups and government agencies are taking to transform the Triad into a region of communities that lead in the areas of energy self-sufficiency, food security, strong local businesses and environmental stewardship.

The site will launch in very basic form before the end of the month, and ultimately feature local news, how-to guides, videos, a community discussion forum, calendar of events, buying guide and directories of businesses and environmental organizations.

We hope these platforms will foster a comprehensive and lively public discussion about how to establish and reach the goals that have risen to the forefront of our national dialogue over the past few years. I will manage the site's content and invite the public to contribute related columns to the site. Those interested can best contact me at 373-7078 or morgan.josey@news-record.com.

Prepare for the Institute for Emerging Issues' Triad energy forum by reading its October progress report on the state's new energy economy.

In summary, the institute says North Carolina needs to do the following: improve energy efficiency in buildings, reform the utility regulatory environment, recruit and sustain new energy businesses, develop a green workforce and create financing options. By the way, there's still time to register for this free event.

Also, North Carolina Green Drinks participants will gather with the Sustainable Furnishings Council in High Point on Friday for a socializing event.

Faith groups in this area increasingly have the desire to reduce the environmental impacts of their buildings and members lifestyles, but they don't necessarily have the know-how.

A new Greensboro organization has stepped up to educate the more than 400 congregations in the city about energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation and other practices. Environmental Stewardship Greensboro (ESG) has met for less than two years but has already accomplished a great deal, most recently creating a "Cool Congregation" certification initiative. The program provides an outline of steps congregations can take to expand environmental awareness and action among members and the wider community. Steps include outdoor worship services, nature walks, use of organic and Fair Trade products, rain barrel installation and carpooling.

In the past, ESG has partnered with the Glenwood Neighborhood Association to purchase rain barrels for residents and organized studies of Thomas Berry's "The Great Work." On Nov. 21, the group will hold its first fundraiser by inviting Walkin' Jim Stoltz to hold a concert at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. (Note: I have attended some of the meetings as a representative of Presbyterian Church of the Covenant.)

For more information about Cool Congregations or the upcoming concert, call Tom Clary at 292-6283 or e-mail Annette Green at AnnetteZG AT hotmail.com; Eric Hoekstra at HoekstraEB AT yahoo.com; or Nelson Stover at StoverN AT bellsouth.net.

The Green Revolution of the the 20th century is indeed a "green" trend that is financially, socially,and environmentally out of touch. This is a 21st century reality that many people across America and the world are waking up to.

People are rediscovering the joys of eating locally and simply, disillusioned with the technological advancements that brought us petroleum-based pesticides and fertilizers, soil compacting machinery, consolidated farms and processing plants and now, genetically-modified organisms and hybrid seeds with "terminator" genes. Heritage tomatoes brought directly from the farmer is now in vogue, not the tasteless variety plucked off the supermarket shelf.

One such woman working to promote sustainable agriculture in North Carolina is Jennifer Curtis, who spoke about the topic at a Piedmont Environmental Alliance meeting in Winston-Salem on Thursday. She framed the transition from conventional, fossil-fuel dependent agriculture to local, organic production as a means of restoring economic, social and physical health to North Carolinians while also protecting us against foreign terrorist threats.

She defined a sustainable food system as one that satisfies human food and fiber needs, is economically viable, environmentally sound and socially just.

Discovering the treasures of one's own community is one of the themes in today's sustainability movement that seeks to rebuild local economies, wean society off fossil fuels, reverse environmental degradation and restore people's connection with their natural environments.

On Saturday, Nov. 8, Stokes County residents will come together to for a "sustainability festival" at the Hare Krishna temple grounds in Sandy Ridge (1283 Prabhupada Road). The festival will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and feature local food, musicians and speakers.

Organizer Mark Walters, who goes by the name of Mitra, said he's hoping for a crowd of about 200 people. The event will include presentations on creating a local economy by Eric Henry of TS Designs in Burlington; on community-supported agriculture by Tony McGree of Stokes CORE; on the history and possible revival of hydroelectricity in Stokes County; local herbs and their uses; on and turning scarcity into abundance by Greensboro activist Liz Seymour.

"The world is ready for good ideas and it's exciting," said Mitra, who works for a new organization called My Green Earth Foundation. "It's become a patriotic thing to save energy and try to do something sustainable."

The festival will also include a solar oven competition, talks about alternative vehicles and a tour of a straw bale house and cob structure. Mitra said people who are not of Hindu faith should not be deterred from participating.

"We're not going to try to stop people from being Christians or whatever their religion is," he said. "I don't want people to be scared away thinking we are trying to lay something on them."

Above, a photo Mitra sent along of Norma-Jean and Lewis Hutchens, who will be supplying sweet potatoes for the event.

FYI: North Carolinians who planned to upgrade to an energy efficient appliance can get a break from the state sales tax by scheduling the purchase on Nov. 7-9. State legislators last year established a sales tax holiday on the first Friday-Sunday of November for certain Energy Star appliances.

I recently posted on Greensboro's efforts to increase recycling rates, particularly among residential customers, while saving the city money. Here are budget (2007-08 and 2008-09) and contract documents I requested from the city regarding the recycling program. You can see from this table that recycling rates among residences are slightly up, while down in the commercial sector.

They do if you compost! Check out one of the first videos we will be featuring on goGreenTriad.com, part of a guest series called The EnviroMentals.

The Financial Times ran a story yesterday saying that it obtained a draft version of the much anticipated World Energy Report by the International Energy Agency. In summary: "Without extra investment to raise production, the natural annual rate of output decline is 9.1 per cent."

The story says, "The findings suggest the world will struggle to produce enough oil to make up for steep declines in existing fields, such as those in the North Sea, Russia and Alaska, and meet long-term de­mand. The effort will become even more acute as prices fall and investment decisions are delayed."

The IEA is not happy about the leak.

Not at all, according to many in the peak oil community, including Richard Heinberg and writers for The Oil Drum. They argue that the tumbling fuel prices, in response to the global economic slowdown, could actually result in global peak oil production arriving sooner because less wealth is available to invest in projects that will increase production over the long term. We'll see.

While some groups argue that countries should direct a bulk of its remaining wealth in mitigating both peak oil and climate change, others say dividing our efforts to stave off global warming is a mistake.

"Our obsession with climate change is dangerous," said Randy Udall, co-founder of ASPO-USA, at a recent peak oil conference. "It's dangerous because it's distracting us from the more immediate peril that we're in."

I've been reading about peak oil for two years now and find the theory fascinating, frightening and compelling. Of course, some people believe peak oil is hogwash. So what do you do? Ignore it until there is undeniable evidence? Throw money after it with abandon? Or hedge your bets?

It is true that oil depletion doom-mongerers have cried wolf for decades and their predictions this year that oil prices would just keep rising to the $200 per barrel mark were wrong. But major oil companies now acknowledge that the Age of Cheap Oil is over. And history -- just go back seven years! -- shows us that experts and leaders often wait until too late to prevent or mitigate a problem, even though they had ample warning: Sept. 11; Hurricane Katrina, the housing and economic crises of 2008. And we saw what happens when gasoline prices at the pump double within a year.

Wise adults and institutions prepare for high impact events that have both low and high probabilities because the cost of doing nothing will more than outweigh the cost of preparations. That's why we have insurance. If peak oil is wrong, great. We only have a monstrous national debt to worry about, the current recession, the mass retirement of Baby Boomers, the future of social security and other federal entitlement programs, drought and so on.

But what if they are right? Can and should peak oil and climate change be tackled together? Or should we wait for more evidence?