News-Record.com

The Greensboro Chamber of Commerce will host an hour-long presentation called "Go Green & Save Money" at its Piedmont Triad Business Showcase on May 14. Details here.

Bike riders of all ages and persuasions are encouraged to pedal in downtown Greensboro on May 1 from 6-9 p.m. in support of Shop by Bike, an initiative by Bicycling in Greensboro (BIG) and Ped Power geared to promote camaraderie and healthy living through cycling.

The organizers have partnered with Downtown Greensboro Inc.’s First Friday showcases of the art community for this event. First Friday attendees who travel by bike and show their helmet can receive discounts on purchases, according to a press release. Posters will be displayed on storefront windows or inside stores to denote participating merchants.

This event could be a good way to fulfill your Triad Commute Challenge pledge.

Bike riders are also encouraged to artistically decorate their bikes and helmets in celebration of First Friday. First Friday attendees traveling by car are encouraged to be mindful of bike traffic as there may be an influx of evening bike riders; cyclists should also remember to adhere to the same traffic laws as motor vehicles. Find a map of bike racks here.

For more information about Shop by Bike call 215-1890.

Earth Share of North Carolina has launched One Environment Network, a social networking site that aims to aid environmentally-minded employees in creating green teams to promote sustainable practices in their workplaces and daily lives. Unlike programs that exist to support sustainable business practices at the management level, the network is uniquely designed to support action at the employee level, by giving employees the structure and resources to inspire co-workers to adopt small changes that make a big difference, according to a press release:

"On the OEN web site, users will be able to download a step-by-step guide for starting a workplace green team, get ideas for workplace projects such as “A Plug for the Mug” – a campaign to reduce the use of disposable cups, register their team and provide a team profile for other workplaces to view. Users can also view videos, photos and articles on how green team projects have been implemented, and participate in discussion boards to share experiences, challenges and project ideas with other green teams across the state. In addition, the site includes a continuous newsfeed of articles on sustainable practices, and an updated calendar of volunteer opportunities with environmental non-profits in North Carolina."

The Business Committee on Energy of the N.C. Institute for Emerging Issues released today its recommendations for how to position the state as a leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and green technology:

"The work of IEI’s Business Committee on Energy revealed a clear need for North Carolina to reconsider how its institutions are organized to meet the energy challenges and opportunities ahead. Companies consistently cite the lack of clarity about the state’s energy policy priorities as a barrier to doing business here. The state must rework its institutional arrangement to offer a coherent voice and strategy for energy policy, including the appointment of an executive level energy official in the Governor’s office, reform of the existing Energy Policy Council and redesign and relocation of the State Energy Office. Then, the state could more effectively consider how economic development incentives, renewable energy tax credits, small business assistance, and workforce education can meet companies’ needs."

Background here and here.

Check out the latest episode of Turning Point, based on "Cradle to Cradle" architect William McDonough's visit to UNC Chapel Hill last week. (Read some background on this design philosophy from a previous post.)

More than 800 people attended his lecture and book signing, the largest crowd in the history of the 41-year- Fred T. Foard Jr. Memorial Lecture series.

McDonough has designed the Greenbridge mixed-use development in downtown Chapel Hill, which will offer 98 condos, a retail area, green roofs, solar panels, rainwater runoff systems and a community learning center to teach sustainable living practices. (Interestingly, one of the development partners, Tim Toben, is the son of Carolyn Toben, co-founder of the Center for Education, Imagination and the Natural World in Whitsett.)

Some McDonough quotes from his presentation last Wednesday:

"The question at this point in history that we're looking at is what is our intention as a human species? We clearly are now the dominant one."

"What we're looking for is 100 percent fabulous where things can be environmentally intelligent, economically intelligent and socially fair."

"The environment wants to be nurtured. It wants to be fecund. It wants to be generated and regenerated."

"Efficiency isn't necessarily beautiful. The idea of being effective is more interesting to us."

"The question is are we doing the right thing? Then we can go about doing it the right way."

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Update (April 9): Eco-cities are not having much success in China, including one of McDonough's projects, according to this article.

I found out about these weekend events late, but still thought I'd pass them along:

Art of Well Being and Golden Flower Tai Chi in Winston-Salem will show a film called "The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community," on Friday from 7-9 p.m. I was told this film was done by Peak Moment Television, but apparently another group is working on a documentary about the same subject. Below, a portion on an interview with social critic and writer David Korten:

David Korten on Equity from Chris Landry on Vimeo.

Also, Saturday is the grand opening of Lakeside Avanti Salon and Spa, a Greensboro spa dedicated to green and sustainable practices. Read more from this press release.

March 27 update below

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State environmental regulators face this challenge: How to protect North Carolina's natural resources without getting in the way of state goals to reduce landfill waste.

That is the heart of the tensions between members of the composting industry and the Division of Water Quality, which has taken steps in recent years to better regulate wastewater coming from composting sites.

Susan Massengale of the DWQ explained that the division previously permitted these facilities through its stormwater program, but officials found nutrients and other contaminants in the water running off the compost piles that could pollute nearby waterways. So the division decided that facilities that did not recycle water on site might need a wastewater permit as well.

“It’s not like they’re being picked on,” Massengale said. “There are standards that are true of all discharge facilities across the state…. I think it’s wonderful that what they are doing is keeping waste out of the landfills and they are a great green industry. But they need to complete that cycle of not polluting the water either.”

Read a 2006 draft memo that explains the division's rationale.

From the draft memo:
"DWQ will not issue a stormwater permit for any rainfall that contacts active composting areas, including raw material storage and processing areas, or rainfall that contacts final compost or mulch storage areas. Stormwater that contacts these materials is considered a wastewater and should be permitted through an alternative program. However, DWQ will issue a stormwater discharge permit for rainfall that does not contact these areas or materials. This policy affects all composting operations, as well as some facilities in the Timber Products industry."

But members of the composting industry believe the division has switched course without adequate stakeholder input or evidence that composters are causing water pollution. Some are seeking help from state lawmakers; Rep. Lucy Allen told me last week that she plans to file a bill that would require a study of composting practices and the development of best management practices that are not too onerous and expensive for businesses to adopt. The bill must be drafted by Thursday and filed in the House in early April, she said.

“I do plan to go ahead and file it because I feel like it’s going to guarantee that whoever asks for a permit that they won’t pollute the waters of the state," Allen said.

Clarity on this issue is important because the Triad area does not yet have access to a local commercial composting facility that can process food waste. Thus, any move by citizens to encourage composting at restaurants, cafeterias and other facilities are likely to hit a brick wall. What more, facilities need access to compost facilities to properly dispose of compostable products. (Read this prior story for background.)

Gary Bilbro, director of the Carolina Recycling Association, is working on the issue. He tried to start a composting facility in Winston-Salem but could not get the necessary permits.

“We exist because we care about the environment," Bilbro said at a recent meeting with members of the industry. "We want to divert materials from landfills. We’re trying to do our part to protect the environment and what we’re looking for is a fair shake here.”

And the fact is, North Carolina has not had much success reaching a 17-year-old law that the state reduce landfilled material by 40 percent. Overall, per capita waste disposal has increased since the base year of 1991-92, according to a 2007-08 annual report by the Division of Waste Management. When waste disposal did decrease, it was attributed to a weakening economy.

It seems reasonable that the current recession could further drive down consumption, and thus waste, but that might not bode well for composters who need a sound business model to convince people to have their food scraps hauled away. The DWQ is working with the N.C. Composting Council to study the water regulations issue, though, with a one-year study of current compost facility practices in the works. I suppose Allen's bill could help get the ball rolling and establish a deadline for all this.

“We have great sympathy for the industry on this point,” said Ken Pickle, a permitter with DWQ. “We figure they have not figured this into their game plan or their site plan or their engineering plan and now they are scrambling to do so.”

Update (March 27)
Case in point of what I wrote about: UNCG tried unsuccessfully to start a joint food composting program at N.C. A&T's farm, and failed partly because of difficulty meeting the stricter water regulations, said campus sustainability manager Jenny Paige.

That leaves UNCG with the option of outsourcing the work. Paige said university employees are now working to draw Brooks Contractors to the area by finding other large scale food users in Greensboro who will start composting programs. I talked to Amy Brooks of the Goldston composting facility a while back and she said the company was interested in starting a Greensboro route but needed several clients to make it practical.

“It’s a hard situation because you don’t want to say we’re building a composting base for one business, but we need to compost,” Paige said.

UNCG is doing a lot as part of its sustainability initiative. Paige added that UNCG also plans to compost yard waste on the campus and would like to purchase compostable products for cafeteria use. But...

“It doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have a composting program in place," she said.

Update: The conference flier.

The Center for Energy Research and Technology will hold a conference on March 19 called "Sustainable Energy Alternatives and Their Impact on Low-Income Citizens." The conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with a banquet at 6 p.m.) at the A&T alumni-foundation event center at 200 N. Benbow Road. The conference is the result of a partnership with the American Association of Blacks in Energy.

Presenters include Nita Patel, of Duke Energy in Cincinnati; Joe Lucas, of the Association of Clean Coal; Paul Quinlan with the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association, Gary Sink, of Red Birch Energy in Virginia, and others.

Workshops will focus on clean coal opportunities, green jobs, biomass uses and the effects of green technologies on personal lifestyles. All with a focus on impacts on the low-income community.

Registration is $25 (plus another $25 for the dinner and banquet). Contact coordinators Venetia Fisher or Matthew O'Brien at 256-2406 or frseng@ncat.edu for more information.

TS Designs announces today the launch of its "Cotton of the Carolinas" T-shirt brand, using cotton grown, ginned, cut, dyed and printed in North Carolina. More here.

Taking green building to the next level: lifecycle construction. A Southeast conference is planned for late February and takes place in Atlanta. Early registration ends Jan. 31.

From the Web site:

This is the first conference of its kind focused on the Southeast! We will examine issues that may have substantial impacts on design and construction in the Southeast such as: drought, congestion, diminished air quality, stormwater, energy costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and construction waste and recycling. The conference will consider the complete construction lifecycle-- site preparation, building materials selection, debris management, air pollution control, stormwater and sediment control, demolition, converting buildings for reuse, design for disassembly and creating buildings that facilitate and anticipate future changes. You will hear from Regional and National experts on the full construction lifecycle; and network with federal, state and local government officials and regulators.

Related:

Turning House Millworks, a subsidiary of Bassett Mirror Co. in Virginia, hopes to position itself as a leader in the Southeast for reclaiming and giving new life to rare and precious hardwoods - Southern Longleaf Pine, wormy chestnut, fiddleback maple - used in industrial buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The company expects to recover roughly one million board feet of lumber out of the mill, enough to floor more than 650 homes and save 19,000 trees.

"We don't believe the economy will change the direction of our society," said Jerry Dodson, president and chief operating officer of Turning House Millworks and sister company, Turning House Furniture. "The green building movement is long term. We are well-positioned to ride that wave."

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Attention entrepreneurs: North Carolina will soon accept applications for $950,000 in grants available next year through a state Green Business Fund.

The fund awards competitive grants to North Carolina organizations with innovative projects focused on the following areas: development and commercialization of the biofuels industry; development and commercialization of the green building industry; attraction and leverage of private sector investments; and entrepreneurial growth in environmentally conscious clean technology and renewable energy products and businesses.

Businesses with fewer than 100 employees are eligible to apply for a maximum of $100,000 per company. Fiscal Year 2009 solicitation will be available in mid-December. Workshops on grant writing for this program will be held at the following locations:

Dec. 1 - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cape Fear Community College North Campus Auditorium in Wilmington. The event is free but requires attendees to register.

Dec. 2 - Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College - Enka Campus from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Haynes Building. Please contact Abby Gage at agage@abtech.edu or (828) 254-1921 ext. 5858 to register.

Dec. 8 - Vance-Granville Community College in Building 7 Room # 7107 from 6-9 p.m.Please contact Diane Finch at (252) 492-2061 ext. 3275 or 3240 to register.

Dec. 13 - Western Wake Technical Community College from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room #118. The event is free; but limited to 80 seats. To register for the workshop, please send an e-mail to caroix@waketech.edu.

For more information, contact Rikard at rvrikard@nccommerce.com, (919) 716-0110.

You can also find out information about grants to recycling programs here.

The mango-banana smoothie was right on target. And the relaxed bohemian atmosphere made me want to kick off my shoes and settle in with a good book. But what really drew me to the Juice Gallery on West Market Street was owner Gael McAllister's declaration that she planned to go carbon neutral by the end of 2009.

McAllister, who opened the shop in March, has already tackled the low-hanging fruit when it comes to environmental stewardship and energy efficiency: a recycling can for customers, conservative use of the heating and cooling systems, compact fluorescent bulbs in the lamps, organic fair trade coffee, and corn-based cups that claim to biodegrade in 40 days. She said she next plans to start a community compost bin behind the shop and purchase carbon offsets from a credible company to cover the energy she does use.

"I didn't want to do it because it's trendy," said McAllister, a Greensboro native. "I want to do it because it's a good idea."

McAllister acknowledges that she doesn't carry the baggage that large, established companies and corporations might have when it comes to going green. She is the sole proprietor and began the transition early on. But she does pay a premium -- about 13 cents per cup -- for the bioplastics.

"That's the one thing about going green," she said. "You've really got to want to do it because in some small ways it will affect your bottom line."

Still, she sees her commitment as a part of a community-wide goal to become more sustainable and she hopes to engage in some friendly competition with local businesses, she said.

Anybody game?

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.)

Sit in on a discussion about the jobs of the future and theories abound -- as do theorists -- as to the shape future jobs will take. Some people believe globalization will keep chugging along, with careers drawing upon math and science skills the high payers. Others agree that the next labor trend will fit within the existing capitalism paradigm, but it will have a green twist to it.

For example, the Ella Baker Center defines the green economy as "a rapidly growing billion-dollar sector that includes renewable energy sources, organic produce and products, green buildings, alternative fuel vehicles, and more."

The center defines a "green-collar job" as "a paid position providing environmentally-friendly products or services; term suggests high standards regarding fair wages, equal opportunity and healthy working conditions; employer may be a private business, government, non-profit or cooperative. For example: organic farmer, sustainable forestry worker, recycling technician or solar panel manufacturer."

In other words, the green economy is just a new-and-improved, decentralized version of industrialization. Investment flows to the most promising technologies and business ideas that ultimately generate more wealth. Green entrepreneurs also are motivated by a desire to stay competitive against other companies producing similar or identical products.

One doesn't have to live next to a smokestack or mountain top removal coal mining site to understand and sympathize with the plight of people living on the underbelly of industrialization.

All one needs is a sense of decency and compassion. But as this country lurches from one economic crisis to another, the question becomes will decency and compassion or fear and competition undergird the next wave of jobs? And can the transition being pushed by many to a "green economy" happen without repeating the social sins of America's past?

About 200 activists, community organizers, educators, students and business owners struggled with this and other questions at a green jobs conference that took place on Saturday at N.C. Central University.

This movement, pioneered in New York and California, has taken hold in the Tar Heel state and folks wanted to know how North Carolinians could enable and benefit from new industries that pay adequate wages while reducing the state's dependency on fossil fuels and better managing its natural resources.

Friendly Center and The Shops at Friendly Center have increased the number of bicycle racks at the shopping complex in response to this summer’s record-high gas prices.

And to raise bicycling awareness, Friendly is partnering with the Greensboro Department of Transportation to hold a free bike safety event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20 in the Pembroke Road parking lot (behind Signature Place, just off the Pembroke Road intersection with Northline Avenue).

GDOT will place special emphasis on the laws, rules and responsibilities associated with using pedal power. Activities will include a bike rodeo, helmet fitting, helmet giveaway for children under age 16, bike-on-bus demonstration, and a “Road 1” bicycle course overview.

The location of the 18 bike racks:
Ann Taylor Loft, 629 Friendly Center Road, Friendly Center

Custom Creations, 3352 W. Friendly Ave., Suite 142, The Shops at Friendly Center

Eddie Bauer, 801-A Friendly Center Road, Friendly Center

The Grande Cinemas, 3205 Northline Ave., Friendly Center

Great Outdoor Provision Co., 3104 Northline Ave., Friendly Center

Harris Teeter, 3330 W.t Friendly Ave., The Shops at Friendly Center

J. Crew, 3334 W. Friendly Ave., Suite 105, The Shops at Friendly Center

Jason's Deli, 3326 W. Friendly Ave., Suite 140, The Shops at Friendly Center

REI, 3334 W. Friendly Ave., Suite 140, The Shops at Friendly Center

United States Postal Service, 610 Pembroke Road, Friendly Center

The Piedmont Environmental Center will host a free talk on sustaining your business on July 17 at the Piedmont Environmental Center in High Point. Refreshments will be served. Questions answered include "who represents the new green audience" and "what going green means to your future."

Green building efforts are slowly gaining momentum in the Piedmont Triad. Two groups have kicked off education and certification programs within the past two years. The Piedmont Triad Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council has more than 200 members now and the Greensboro Builders Association's Green Building Council, which launched in January, has about 55 members and has plans to expand to Winston-Salem and Burlington.

I spoke with Cheryl Collins of the Greensboro Builders Association and she said the National Association of Home Builders has a set of homebuilding guidelines that are similar to the LEED standards being promoted elsewhere.

Speaking of LEED, Greg Savage, chairman of the Triad's new chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, said the Triad has 14 LEED-registered building projects, and more than 200 such projects are registered in the state. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a national benchmark for sustainable green building and development.

Savage, who spoke last week at a Piedmont Real Estate Council meeting, said buildings will eventually need to meet new energy standards set forth in building codes now under development.

In a press release, Savage said: "The U.S. construction industry represents 20 percent of the U.S. economy, uses 30 percent of the nation's raw materials, uses 13 percent of all potable water, generates 40 percent of all landfill wastes and represents 70 percent of all electricity consumption. Everywhere we go, we see a vital need for construction to adopt green sustainable standards."

Cheryl Collins said the building industry is still resistant to these new practices because consumers purhase homes based on location and amenities, not energy efficiency. That's why the group is stepping up its educational efforts, including holding seminars and giving away 1,000 compact flourescent lightbulbs and reusable shopping bags at the Southern Ideal Home Show that was held in Greensboro this past weekend.

I wonder if Greensboro needs two groups to accomplish this task. I asked Collins if she was concerned about competition.

She said, "What we're encouraging is to take any action at all toward green building. They are both good programs."

Deep Roots Market, a food cooperative on Spring Garden Road, has started a new community discount partners program that provides owners discounts at other local businesses, such as The Green Bean and Empire Books. The program, begun in January, is an attempt to encourage the patronage of locally-owned businesses and general manager Joel Landau said this small effort is just the beginning. He wasn't familiar with the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) but immediately I thought that was a direction this could go in if it becomes successful.

Deep Roots, which has actually outgrown its current location, has also begun a community volunteer prorgram where coop owners get credit for volunteering at one of seven organizations, including Greensboro Urban Ministry and Food Not Bombs.

In case you don't know, Landau ran unsuccessfully for an at-large seat on Greensboro City Council last year. But he has been very busy, helping the city sign on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. He told me Thursday that efforts to create an environmental advisory committee with city council are bearing some fruit and Mayor Yvonne Johnson might bring this up at Tuesday's regular meeting. Stay tuned....

Shell just released a report summing up the dialogue that occurred between company executives and the consumers, community groups and politicians in 50 cities over the past two years. The purpose of the tour was to better educate the public about the challenges the country will face in diversifying its energy portfolio and to find out what was on the minds of the average Sally and Steve.

So what did Shell learn? A few notable points:

Further along the coast, in the Southeast, we found a focus on education. Residents want the public to be more aware of the current energy situation -- and they also emphasized the need to educate elected officials. We found considerable support for increased access to domestic resources and greater refinery output, again balanced by a concern for safety and environmental protection. Clean coal and carbon sequestration were in the mix. We also heard a call for greater fuel efficiency through automotive technology improvements and Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, commonly referred to as CAFE standards. Throughout the state of Florida, residents told us that they did not want, and would fight, new exploration and production off the Florida coast."

Shell stated in its report that while it does not buy the "peak oil" argument (instead believing in a plateau and then general decline of oil supplies), the company is concerned about unrealistic expectations of energy independence from the public:

"What was most frightening? The overwhelming disconnect between the perceptions of many consumers and the hard realities of the energy picture. This is the crux of our dilemma as a country in determining an energy path forward – the belief that there are easy answers that are readily available, when in reality the choices we have to make will not come easily or swiftly."

Obviously there is a disconnect in the political sphere when our Congressmen and women are busy talking about profits from greedy oil companies rather than engaging in a comprehensive public discussion about the changing energy environment we find ourselves in. We need to move from scapegoating to honestly assessing our predicament and devising appropriate strategies for adaptation.

Did you know that African-Americans faced a higher immediate unemployment rate following the Middle Eastern oil embargos during the 1970s? Or that American families earning $10,000 or less per year spend 29 percent of their income on energy versus 13 percent for families with incomes between $10,000 and $25,000 and 4 percent for those earning more than $50,000?

Energy professionals and students from N.C. A&T State University gathered for a one-day conference on Thursday to discuss ways to overcome the vulnerability of minorities, particularly low income blacks, to climate change and environmental damage. The American Association for Blacks in Energy and the university co-sponsored the conference and the two hope to work together to provide internships and mentoring in the energy sector for engineering students.

Read more about the conference in Saturday's Monday's News & Record.

One of the reoccurring questions at the conference was the balance between innovation/technology and actual downsizing and sacrifice. For example, Carl Wilkins of Advanced Energy brought up the point that many newer model televisions use more energy than the older models and on top of that people just move the old tv to another room, not reducing energy consumption at all. Another issue is the paradox of energy efficiency in the fact that it can actually help increase consumption. So are we just kidding ourselves that Americans can actually have declining per capita energy consumption (let alone declining consumption as a population)?

One of the funnier points made was by Leslie Fields, director of environmental justice with the Sierra Club on how difficult it is to change the mindset of the American consumer:

"It is a huge disconnect," Fields said. "There is a disconnect in my own family. I'm a failed environmentalist. My brother drives an Escalade and he doesn't care what I think."

At lunch, Hilda Phinnix-Ragland of Progress Energy asked who in the room was driving an energy efficient vehicle. Only one person out of about 50 raised his hand (Read my reflection on that issue here). She asked who was conserving water? More hand went up, but there were several untouched glasses of water on the tables. Hello.

"We're so accustomed to heavy flows," Phinnix-Ragland said. "We expect to have water on the table whether we drink it or not."

But many at the conference aren't giving up hope. As Morry Davis of Peabody Energy Corp. cleverly put it: "There's no silver bullet. There's silver buckshot."

On a lighter note, UNCG had a strong turnout of about 175 people at the showing of Power of Community last night. After the showing, Joel Landau, owner of Deep Roots Market and former city council candidate, announced that he and others are working with Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson to try to establish an environmental working group for city council. Let's hope for progress there.

Is it possible? One Greensboro man is helping residents find out. Kyle Smythe has started a business called Green H.O.P.E., which enables customers to reduce and offset their carbon footprint by purchasing renewable energy certificates or carbon offsets.

The RECs help finance the generation of electricity through renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. Carbon offsets essentially help companies lower their own carbon emissions through steps such as capturing carbon and storing it underground.

Smythe said as RECs gain demand, customers may actually get to decide where their power comes from, such as the sun instead of coal.

"The more RECs we can buy as consumers, the more they will realize there is a demand," he said.

Smythe, whose primary job is in the commercial insurance business, said he started researching global warming about a year ago and launched his site in November. Smythe attends Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and is a member of the city's Environmental Stewardship Group.

"Growing up in the mountains I think I have a different appreciation for nature than most people do," he said.

By the way, for you eco-preneurs, be sure to check out a new $1 million North Carolina fund that will provide grants to those who come up with innovative green business ideas. Find out more information about this at the N.C. Board of Science and Technology.