News-Record.com

The Piedmont Triad Research Park in Winston-Salem will hold a meeting for people in the community who want to shape the Northern District development plans, which aim to incorporate energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

That meeting was postponed from this week to 3-4 p.m. on Jan. 27 in the Chestnut Room at 115 S. Chestnut St., Winston-Salem. RSVP to Kate Casas at 314-335-2950 or e-mail Katherine.casas@urbanstrategiesinc.org.

The park announced in June that it planned to adopt Sustainable Development Guidelines based on the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating systems. The guidelines will include; specific performance targets, processes, and recommendations for energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, storm- water management, reduction in potable water consumption, care and management of material resources, and other areas of development and operation.

I hope you've had an opportunity to read of the "Green Voices" columns recently published on the goGreenTriad.com site. One of the my ideas behind the site was to create a venue for members of the community to share their ideas about how the region and country could respond to our environmental and energy challenges. Check out what Laura Black, Eric Henry and Elaine Stover had to say.

Those interested in submitting a column should e-mail me at morgan.josey@news-record.com. I will then send you the submission guidelines.

The national Interfaith Power & Light organization is sponsoring a contest in 2009 to motivate faith congregations to lower their carbon emissions. Those that enter by Dec. 31 of this year and compete during the next year will be eligible to win $5,000 in cash prizes. Find out more here.

Other events:
* The Solar Energy Research Center and the Research Triangle Energy Consortium will hold a symposium on next generation photovoltaics and solar fuels in January at UNC Chapel Hill.

* The N.C. Sustainable Energy Association will begin taking early bird registrations for a February energy forum called "Making Energy Work."

* Clergy and laity can register for a "Caring for Creation" conference in March at Lake Junaluska Retreat Center. Find out more here.

Speaking "United Nations" and "Poland" in the same sentence is likely to draw yawns from North Carolinians far removed from the deliberations of international law, security, economic development, and social equity that occur at various conferences and events throughout the world.

But some people are closely following the UN climate talks occurring this week in Poland as momentum builds on the grassroots level around concerns about global warming. I received this dispatch today from two Greenpeace USA campaigners, who are attending the conference and providing updates to the media:

I just learned via Ed Cone's blog that Bank of America will stop financing coal companies that rely on mountain top coal removal:

"Bank of America is particularly concerned about surface mining conducted through mountain top removal in locations such as central Appalachia. We therefore will phase out financing of companies whose predominant method of extracting coal is through mountain top removal. While we acknowledge that surface mining is economically efficient and creates jobs, it can be conducted in a way that minimizes environmental impacts in certain geographies."

Other banks to follow?

Update: The award will actually go to the Northwest High School band that participated in the contest and will receive $1,000 from Harris Teeter, according to a booster parent.

Northwest Guilford High School will apparently get some nice green moolah for participating in Harris Teeter's first annual "We Think Green" contest. The grocery store company will give a check for an as yet unannounced amount to the school at a ceremony on Friday, according to a Thursday press release.

From the release:

"Harris Teeter has a responsibility to act as a good corporate citizen and has instituted multiple recycling programs into its day to day operations. The company thinks it is important to also educate shoppers about what they can do to help ensure a sustainable future. Through Harris Teeter’s Together in Education program, the company launched We Think Green to teach students the benefits of recycling and provide schools with yet another opportunity to earn cash.

During the We Think Green contest, nine schools – a first, second and third place winner from each Harris Teeter region – will be presented with a check for collecting plastic bags for recycling. In Harris Teeter’s Central Region, Northwest Guilford High School won first place, collecting 3,876 pounds of plastic bags during the month-long contest!

Harris Teeter is concerned about the environment and believes that by working together, we can all help achieve an environmentally friendly future. We hope media will join us for the check presentation."

Congratulations to Northwest.

Update: I just learned that the city of Winston-Salem is also applying for the grant. The city has already completed its greenhouse gas inventory and the City Council also approved an action plan earlier this year (Greensboro has yet to complete its municipal and community inventories). A community sustainability program committee, similar to Greensboro's, is in the works.

* * * * * *

The city of Greensboro and N.C. A&T have teamed up to apply for a Sustainable Skylines grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The city's Community Sustainability Council will help put the proposal together and will talk about this on Monday during its regular monthly meeting.

The council plans to incorporate recommendations from a November community gathering of local environmental organizations. Check out the full list of suggestions, but council Co-chairman Robert Powell noted that projects relevant to the grant would be:

* A green bike program;
* A home audit/upgrade program;
* Greening the Greenway;
* Water use reduction/lawn reduction
* Intergenerational collaboration for sustainable Greensboro;
* A bus idling program;
* A commercial building educational program; and
* An educational/community based project

Supporters of President-elect Barack Obama are coming together on Dec. 13 and 14 to discuss what ideas they have. His transition team will be collecting the feedback and is encouraging people to sign up to host or attend a "Change is Coming" house meeting.

This would be a good opportunity for the public to talk about the challenges the country is facing in the areas of energy and the environment and brainstorm ways to address it on the federal level (although individual and community action might be the most effective in the long run).

Check out Obama's agenda concerning these matters and let me know if you host a meeting next weekend. Three meetings are already listed for Greensboro.

Mark Raines and Trish Holder, owners of the "Greenspiration Home" in Northwest Greensboro, will host a free lunch on Friday with local homebuilders to demonstrate energy efficient and enviromentally-friendly features of the house they are building. The meeting will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

According to the press release:

Several vendors will be present to discuss the products used in this LEED® registered home, including the manufacturer of the geothermal system, the solar tube lighting, and the whole house ventilation system. Energy efficient lighting, insulation, and a unique hot water system selected to minimize water waste are also on the agenda....

"Lots of people say they are interested in green building. This is a chance for builders to come face to face with suppliers in a unique home setting and talk about things like cost, comfort, and practicality. And they can talk to us – the owners! Our goal throughout this project was to be candid about what worked and what did not. We want builders to learn from our mistakes!” said Trish Holder.

Contact Trish Holder at mail@trishholder.com or 668-9264 for details.

Don't expect too much change on climate change in 2009. That's the gist of news reports coming out of the United Nations conference taking place in Poland.

(Photo courtesy of Greenpeace International)

Following are recent field reports forwarded to me from Greenpeace campaigner Eva Erbskorn attending the conference. From today:

"Today, countries met again to discuss their long-term vision for a climate solution. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration once again revealed their deep ties to industry with a proposal to dump money into nuclear energy and coal technology. While it was disappointing to hear, it was not surprising that an administration known for its close ties to the oil industry was now trying to pass off dirty, expensive coal and nuclear as a global solution to climate change.

Thankfully, the American people have made it clear - we are ready for
change. We know that investments in truly clean energy like wind and
solar will cut global warming pollution and create good, high paying jobs.

Americans and people the world over are looking forward to the start of
the Obama administration. It's exciting to think that our leaders will
finally help us break our addiction to fossil fuels and bring forward a
clean energy economy."

The Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and Merchants Association are encouraging residents to shop at locally-owned businesses this holiday season.

The two groups have partnered on a "Buy Local" campaign, something businesses throughout the country are doing as concerns about energy, climate change, the recession and globalization increase.

According to a Tuesday press release:

“It’s so important to encourage people to spend money locally rather than on internet purchases during the holiday season,” commented Greensboro Chamber President, Rob Clapper. “Even if people decide to shop at national chain stores, the sales tax generated is invested back into Guilford County and shoppers are helping to employ local people.”

Steve Branch, Vice President of the Greensboro Merchants Association also commented,” as everyone feels the global financial crisis, its imperative that we focus in on our own community and local economy. We are all a part of a whole and if we divert our holiday spending from other cities and from the internet back to a downtown retailer, to Battleground Avenue, or to Friendly Center, we are helping our friends stay in business and we are preserving our own neighborhoods.”

Of course, "local" can mean different things. The most local businesses are those that are owned by people who live in the same city, county or immediate region as most of the customers, and grow or manufacture the product locally, such as the craft vendors at farmers markets. From there you have the owners who live in the community but sell products made elsewhere.

Businesses furthest removed from a local community are those owned and operated by people outside of the region or state. After that are your national businesses that market online and/or source materials from different countries.

Some Greensboro businesses have been working this past year to promote shopping at locally-owned businesses. For example, Deep Roots, a natural foods cooperative, has partnered with several businesses to offer discounts to Deep Roots owners.

Some businesses also offer discounts to members of the Winston-Salem-based Piedmont Environmental Alliance.

A national organization that has worked to strengthen local businesses on a comprehensive level is the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. (It also defines "local".)The organization's vision:

BALLE believes in the power of local businesses to transform communities for the better by working cooperatively toward a shared vision. We imagine cities and towns of every size and political stripe engaged in shared learning to build community assets like sustainable agriculture, green building, renewable energy, community capital, zero-waste manufacturing and independent retail - what we call the building blocks of Living Economies. We envision a time when local economies not only generate community wealth, but also are catalysts for civic action, social diversity and ecological health -- for sustainable communities.

BALLE defines "living economies" as defined by the following principals:

* Living economy communities produce and exchange locally as many products needed by their citizens as they reasonably can, while reaching out to other communities to trade fairly in those products they cannot reasonably produce at home. These communities value their unique character and encourage cultural exchange and cooperation.

* Living economy public policies support decentralized ownership of businesses and farms, fair wages, taxes, and budget allocations, trade policies benefiting local economies, and stewardship of the natural environment.

* Living economy citizens appreciate the benefits of buying from living economy businesses and, if necessary, are willing to pay a price premium to secure those personal and community benefits.

* Living economy investors value businesses that are community stewards and as such accept a "living return" on their financial investments rather than a maximum return, recognizing the value derived from enjoying a healthy and vibrant community and sustainable global economy.

* Living economy media provide sources of news independent of corporate control, so that citizens can make informed decisions in the best interests of their communities and natural environment.

* Living economy businesses are independent and primarily locally owned, and value the needs and interests of all stakeholders while building long-term profitability.

The group lists a North Carolina chapter in Asheville.

One trend that I am tracking closely is embracing of "local economies," particularly as it relates to sustainability. For example, I just learned that TS Designs in Burlington is working on a T-shirt making project that will result in shirts made from cotton that is "grown, ginned, spun, knit, finished, sewn, printed, and dyed all within a 150 mile footprint."

I also know of a Triad man who has a biodiesel plant in south Virginia that uses canola grown on local farms and is used to fuel vehicles at an adjacent truck stop. Let me know of any other "local businesses" in the area.

I just found this out today, but apparently a national energy forum is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday. It's free and online.

Details from a press release:

WHO: Fortune 500 CEOs, COOs, CFOs, public policy leaders, sustainability & energy experts & innovators of energy products & services.

WHAT: www.VirtualEnergyForum.com, a free online-only conference, brings together 5,000 Fortune 500 executives, public policy leaders & energy innovators in an innovative interactive format. Live video presentations by energy experts, with questions answered real-time.

Topics: Obama administration, federal funding, municipal or public works, green building, energy-efficient technologies, sustainability, alternative energy, clean technologies, and manufacturing.

WHEN: Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.

WHERE: Entirely online at www.VirtualEnergyForum.com. Register and Login Dec. 10-11 to attend this live, interactive event, from the ease of your PC. To view coverage of the last Virtual Energy Forum by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, or to view the complete list of speakers and agenda, visit www.VirtualEnergyForum.com.

WHY: President-elect Barack Obama pledged on Dec. 6 to launch the biggest public works program since the construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s. The estimated $700 Billion plan is projected to include a push to make federal buildings more energy efficient.

The Virtual Energy Forum includes speaker sessions that address this topic, including:

· Mike Kearney of Siemens Building Technologies, speaking on "Practical Strategies to Green Existing Buildings" on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

· Kevin Kampschroer, US General Services Administration, "Making the Federal Green Building a Reality" on Thursday at 5:15 p.m.

· Public sector keynote speakers at the event include:

o The Honorable James T. Kelliher, Chairman of the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

o The Honorable Ed Markey, US House Select Committee on Energy Independence

o Kathleen Hogan, US Environmental Protection Agency

o Paul P. Bollinger Jr., United States Army

o Kevin W. Billings, of the United States Air Force.

This sounds interesting and I will try to check it out this week.

Local food enthusiasts and newcomers will meet at SciWorks in Winston-Salem tonight to brainstorm ways to encourage and develop local food economies that are based on sustainable agricultural practices in North Carolina. More than 100 people have RSVP'd.

The meeting is being held by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and is the fifth one held this year after strong participation at meetings in Raleigh, Burgaw and Asheville. The meetings will culminate in a statewide conference in March, to be followed by the creation of a state action plan.

The center has made available the notes from the previous meetings, including questions and comments participants had about defining "local food" and what is needed to develop it.

Update (Dec. 17): The report is now available.
-------------------------------------

I posted last month about a vehicle mile tax being floated by the state's 21st Century Transportation Committee, which officially released its final report of recommendations to lawmakers today (I'm trying to locate an online copy). The recommendation's don't seem to impress many people.

From the Wilmington Star-News (commenting on the draft recommendations):

A committee of designated thinkers has been pondering that very question and has a few suggestions, one of which should be quickly discarded: replacing the gas tax with a tax on the number of miles driven in North Carolina. Aside from a the Big Brother aspect, it would seem to pose a number of problems.

An odometer reading at the annual inspection presumably would determine the amount of the tax, but the 21st Century Transportation Committee has yet to explain how to distinguish between in-state and out-of-state miles. And what of the out-of-state vacationers, truckers and business travelers who cruise through North Carolina on the way somewhere else? Many of them currently pay the gas tax as they fill up, but it would be awfully difficult to track them down to pay by the mile.

The North Carolina Justice Center’s Budget & Tax Center says the committee presented a piecemeal approach that endorses pro-traffic congestion policies, glosses over critical issues, such as misallocation of resources, and doesn't flesh out how the vehicle miles tax would replace current revenue sources such as the gas tax.

“The report offers no consistent vision for how to move forward,” said Steve Jackson, a public policy analyst who focuses on transportation issues for the North Carolina Justice Center’s Budget & Tax Center. “Given how fundamental our transportation problems are in North Carolina, this is very disappointing. The policy solutions suggested are more 1955 than 2055.”

I'll post the report once I get a copy.

More about the 250 acre tract here.

Interior architecture students at UNCG unveiled today a prototype bus shelter they created this past semester. The project, called "seeds for change," is intended to raise awareness about the city's lack of adequate bus shelters for its bus system. Students talked with Greensboro Transit Authority employees and bus riders and found that the city has only 64 shelters among 1,100 bus stops.

I was told the shelter, made mostly of pine wood, will stay on display for a couple weeks. Learn more about the project here.

The UNCG Sapphires sing after the ribbon cutting of the bus shelter.

Students Ben Adams, Meg McMillan and Megan Schwarz sit on a smaller prototype on Tate Street.

The U.S. Department of Energy has established a goal of supplying 20 percent of the nation's electricity by 2030.

Wind currently supplies 0.8 percent, and the DOE says the goal would require the number of turbine installations to increase from approximately 2000 per year in 2006 to almost 7000 per year in 2017. Whew.

Duke University's Climate Change Policy Partnership issued a policy brief last week echoing some of the concerns brought out in the DOE's July report. In summary, the wind power industry, just like other alternative energy sectors, will have a difficult time meeting these ambitious goals.

"While the DOE goal for wind power is inspiring, we must recognize that it will not be easy," said lead author Chi-Jen Yang. "In 2007, the nation's total installed wind power capacity was 16.9 gigawatts. Annual growth rates during the last decade hovered around 20 percent. High natural gas prices contributed to this rapid growth. If natural gas prices drop, wind power's competitiveness might decline significantly. To reach the DOE target of 305 gigawatts by 2030, annual wind power installation must maintain an average growth rate of 14 percent for the next 22 years. Whether or not we can maintain such a high rate over decades depends on the policies we enact in the next few years."

Well looky here, at least one natural gas company is already requesting a rate drop because of the decline in wholesale prices. (And more declines could come if the auto industry goes bankrupt.)

Yang elaborates on the barriers faced by the wind industry:
• Long-term investment uncertainty;
• Transmission Limitations;
• Wind turbine shortage, quality and reliability;
• Workforce education and training;
• Research and development; and
• Siting and landscape issues.

We basically have 21 years to make this happen. Anybody think this goal is achievable?

The UK Guardian today featured an interview between journalist George Monbiot and Fatih Birol, chief economist with the International Energy Agency, which released in November its game-changing World Energy Outlook report.

It's hard to understand the change in tone and urgency as well as contradictions within the latest report if you haven't been reading the energy outlooks of the past. I've posted about the report before and the oil situation is not looking good, especially in light of the global recession and climate change concerns.

Anyway, Birol had this to say about the global oil situation:

"In terms of non-Opec [countries outside the big oil producers' cartel]," he replied, "we are expecting that in three, four years' time the production of conventional oil will come to a plateau, and start to decline. In terms of the global picture, assuming that Opec will invest in a timely manner, global conventional oil can still continue, but we still expect that it will come around 2020 to a plateau as well, which is, of course, not good news from a global-oil-supply point of view."

Monbiot wonders if countries will have time to prepare:

Birol's date, if correct, gives us about 11 years to prepare. If the Hirsch report is right, we have already missed the boat. Birol says we need a "global energy revolution" to avoid an oil crunch, including (disastrously for the environment) a massive global drive to exploit unconventional oils, such as the Canadian tar sands. But nothing on this scale has yet happened, and Hirsch suggests that even if it began today, the necessary investments and infrastructure changes could not be made in time. Birol told me: "I think time is not on our side here."

Yeesh. Just one more thing to worry about.

Plus, an audio interview with peakniks Robert Hirsch and Matthew Simmons. Also, more oil production projects get shelved, according to the New York Times.

Organizers are seeking volunteers, exhibitors and sponsors for two Earth Day festivals scheduled for April 2009.

Greensboro
The Kathleen Clay Edwards library branch in Greensboro will holds its festival on April 4. The library encourages groups to participate in Greensboro Beautiful’s city-wide litter clean-up that morning (contact Gerry.Alfano@greensboro-nc.gov for information), and then exhibit at the festival at the library in the afternoon.

Groups interested in participating in Earth Day events should contact Melanie Buckingham, the environmental resources librarian, at Melanie.Buckingham@greensboro-nc.gov. Organizers will schedule an upcoming planning meeting.

Winston-Salem
The Piedmont Environmental Alliance will host its fourth annual festival on April 18 at Wake Forest University. The organization expects more than 100 exhibitors and 7,500 attendees. Details here.

The zero-waste event will feature:

* exhibits on a wide range of environmental topics, sustainable solutions, and local initiatives

* Passport to the Earth, 12 geographically themed stations featuring fun, interactive children's activities

* hands-on demonstrations on a wide variety of topics

* green building information offering ways to green your home

* green jobs section

* green car parade

* eco-friendly gifts and goods for sale

* all natural food and drink for sale

* entertainment featuring local talent all day long

A new survey out by the National Restaurant Association ranks locally grown produce at the top of the list of "what's hot" in 2009.

Other trends that made the Top 20 (some of these made last year's list):

* Organic produce
* Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes
* Sustainable seafood
* Organic wine
* Free-range poultry/pork

Transition United States, a wiki site whose mission is modeled off the Transition Town grassroots movement in the United Kingdom, has added North Carolina and other states to its network. The transition movement is one of the more fascinating social movements taking place in the realm of sustainability, and it focuses on reducing communities' reliance on fossil fuels.

Plus, a critique of the Transition Town movement.

The Environmental Protection Agency will award grants in 2009 to projects that seek to reduce releases of toxic pollutants and minimize people's exposure to them. Deadline for applications is March 16. Details here.

The program will also conduct three national information sessions for cooperative agreement applicants via Webcasts on the following dates:

* Feb. 3, 12:30 - 2 p.m. eastern time
* Feb. 24, 12:30 - 2 p.m. eastern time
* Feb. 27, 10 - 11:30 a.m. eastern time

Register here.

Story here.

My Nana’s homemade pickles ranged from the lip puckering sour green tomatoes to the smoldering dilled cucumbers. And I could devour a half jar of her picked okra in an afternoon.

Those childhood memories of my paternal grandmother’s canning abilities inspired one of my “slow living” resolutions for 2009, to start preserving my own food.

To be honest, I only remember the artifacts of her efforts, not the process itself. Only until recently did I discover the various ways of pickling vegetables (or that beets, green beans and onions could be on the menu).

I suspect that many my age have no hands-on experience with canning, fermenting, dehydrating or even freezing. I grew up for the most part on 30-minute Hamburger Helper and the pop-a-top Del Monte green beans.

The Sustainability Festival makes a comeback in Stokes County as the Hare Krishna community in Sandy Ridge hosts its second event in January, this time focused on food production.

The community held its first event in November and included workshops on everything from solar photovoltaics and sustainable businesses to finding security in uncertain times. Organizer Mitra Das said someone remarked to him that subsequent festivals should elaborate separately on the topics of food, shelter and transportation.

The centerpiece of the upcoming event will be a sit-down with local farmers who will share their agricultural wisdom with whoever desires to listen. Also planned for the agenda are presentations on seed saving, gardening for lazy people, encouraging young and new farmers and harvesting year-round without a greenhouse. Local music and food, to boot.

Who should go?

"Anyone with a mouth and a stomach," Mitra Das said. "Each and everyone of us depends on food everyday."

The festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Prabhupada Village, 1283 Prabhupada Road, Sandy Ridge. The event will be indoors; shoes off in the temple according to tradition so wear nice socks.