News-Record.com

I'm on Rep. Pricey Harrison's e-mail list and thought I'd pass along this legislative update regarding environment and energy-related bills:

"The House has passed my bill, House Bill 1287*, which would prohibit disposing of mercury in unlined landfills, would require removal of products containing mercury in buildings prior to demolition, and will require state agencies to recycle light bulbs and thermostats containing mercury....

House Bill 1353*, which I filed to protect an individual’s right to hang a clothesline on their property, has been approved by the House. The bill prohibits cities and counties from enacting ordinances prohibiting clotheslines. Dryers can represent as much as 10-25% of a home’s annual energy bill. If every household used a clothesline for six months of the year, Americans would reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by close to 4 percent. We enacted similar legislation last year to protect solar panels from restrictions."

Check out my latest Turning Point podcast about the N.C. Farm to Fork Summit taking place this week. The Center for Environmental Farming Systems convened the summit on Monday and Tuesday to finalize proposals to promote and strengthen sustainable agriculture and local foods consumption in the state.

You can track the progress of the summit at the Farm to Fork Web site. There, you can check out highlights from Monday's discussions and find most of the "game changer" and local actions ideas on the Web pages of the specific working issues teams. I heard that speaker presentations will also be added to the site this week.

About 400 people from across the state registered to attend the summit. Some of the Triad area registrants represented Urban Harvest in Greensboro, the Guilford, Davidson and Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Service agencies, the Piedmont Conservation Council, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Deep Roots Market, Healthful Living Organic Farm, Peregrine Farm, N.C. A&T, city of Greensboro Parks & Recreation, Slow Food Piedmont Triad, and Garden Discovery Tours.

Today, Gov. Perdue is expected to address the summit participants at 9 a.m., with the rest of the day focused on regional proposals. (I couldn't make it as I have another story to work on.)

Gov. Perdue's office announced today that nearly $40.5 million will be awarded to 35 communities in 28 counties for public water supply projects from the first-round distribution of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.

Triad area communities to benefit include: The village of Alamance, Green Level, and Elon (Alamance); Winston-Salem; and Gibsonville.

According to a state press release, funds will be awarded as 50 percent zero-interest loans and 50 percent principal forgiveness loans. In accordance with ARRA requirements, priority is given to projects that can proceed quickly, already have any required permits and have additional funding committed, if needed. Round Two funding applications will be due June 3.

Seventeen coal ash disposal sites in North Carolina pose serious health risks to nearby residents, according to a new analysis of 2002 EPA data. Those sites are in several counties, including Rockingham and Stokes counties.

Quick searches turned up stories by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Charleston Gazette in West Virginia. I was off yesterday so I didn't have time to do anything.

According to the report by Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice:

"An EPA risk assessment documents excess cancer risks of up to 1 in 50 for residents living near unlined ash ponds. The study also shows risks to fish and wildlife may exceed known safe levels by a factor of 1,000 or more. Risk estimates first identified in 2002 were blacked out by the Bush Administration in Freedom of Information Act responses."

And,

"The EPA‘s 2007 risk assessment shows that the disposal of coal ash, especially in unlined ponds, results in alarmingly high risks of cancer and diseases of the heart, lung, liver, stomach and other organs and can seriously harm aquatic ecosystems and wildlife near disposal sites. These risks are driven by exposure to toxic metals that leach from groundwater into drinking water, surface waters and sediment. Some of the sites evaluated by the EPA may no longer be active, but the Agency has warned that contamination from coal ash ponds will not peak until about 78 to 105 years after waste is dumped, while peak exposure from landfills may occur after even longer periods of time."

The Sesa Group, an events planning firm in the Triangle, is organizing a career fair for people looking for a "green job." The "Hybrid Future" green career expo will take place on Sept. 17 in Morrisville.

Jessica Averhart, executive producer of the Sesa Group, said she hopes to have 50 companies represented and at least 1,200 attendees at the expo. She also hopes to eventually hold three of these expos a year, with events possibly in Charlotte and Wilmington, she said.

"We want the audience to be broad enough so that it's technical and skilled labor as well as middle managers and executives," Averhart said about who should attend the expo. "It's really across the board."

Averhart has yet to finalize the list of participating companies; when she does, I'll pass that information along.

First, the good news: More businesses are relying upon recycled waste as a feedstock for the manufacture of their products.

The bad news: Because of this, the recycling industry is a lot more vulnerable to economic recessions. You've probably heard or read by now that many recyclers all over the country are suffering because of the drop in demand for recycled glass, metals and other materials. And the same economic downtown that causes people to buy less stuff -- and thus send less of it to the landfill -- is also hurting the state's chances of reaching its recycling goals.

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources set a goal last year of recovering 2 million tons of recyclable materials per year by 2012. The amount recovered in 2007-08 was 1.26 million tons, compared to 1.35 million tons the year before, according to a report. Scott Mouw, recycling program director with the Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, attributed much of that to a drought-caused reduction in the collection of yard waste.

But he expects recycling rates could again be lower during the 2008-09 year, which wraps up in June.

Still, Mouw and others expect that recycling rates to increase over the long term.

"One of the reasons we set the goal was that we saw that over time more things would become divertible from the waste stream and we believe organics is one of those sectors," Mouw said.

Yard waste is already heavily diverted so environmentalists and the recycling industry have set their eyes on the undertapped market of food composting. Gary Bilbro, executive director of the Carolina Recycling Association, said he expects the state could more easily reach its 2 million ton goal if the use of large scale food composting expanded. Bilbro said since he started backyard composting the number of garbage bags he and his wife fill each week has decreased from three to one.

The Carolina Recycling Association works to educate the public about the benefits of recycling as well as lobby the General Assembly for policies favorable to the recycling industry. (The association's current battle is trying to relax current composting regulations.) Bilbro aims to increase its membership from the approximate 450 throughout North Carolina and South Carolina into the thousands.

"The future is not in disposal," he told me this week. "The future is not in mega-landfills. The future is in zero waste."

A new $2 per ton state tax on landfilled waste is also helping to encourage recycling and Bilbro hopes that over time local governments will charge residents per garbage bag as a way to further encourage recycling. A number of New Hampshire communities in fact have "pay-as-you-throw" programs. This, along with modern technology, could make recycling more profitable for facilities as they find a secondary market for even more materials, Bilbro said.

Update: A comparison of per capita disposal and recycling rates.

Also, I just received a county ranking of the per capita recycling rates (in pounds) for 2007-08. It turns out Guilford's ranks 11th, outranking both Wake and Mecklenburg as well as other Triad counties. However, I'm not sure yet why these numbers don't match those listed in the October press release.

Update: I've been told that the newer numbers don't include the yard waste totals in order to provide apples to apples comparisons between the counties.

Rep. Lucy Allen filed a bill on Monday requiring the development of best management practices for composting facilities. Background here.

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.

Sen. Charles Albertson filed last week a bill that seeks to establish a state food policy council and set a goal of 10 percent of the food consumed in North Carolina coming from within the state. This is part of the work being done by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (read background here; by the way, the Farm to Fork Summit has been rescheduled for early May).

From the bill:

"The General Assembly finds that the time is right for the State to build its sustainable local food economy. Building a sustainable local food economy will create jobs, stimulate statewide economic development, and circulate money from local food sales within local communities.

Other important benefits of a sustainable local food economy in North Carolina include preserving open space, decreasing the use of fossil fuel and thus reducing carbon emissions, preserving and protecting the natural environment, increasing consumer access to fresh and nutritious foods, and providing greater food security for all North Carolinians."

Just found this out: Three lawmakers, including Guilford County Rep. Pricey Harrison, introduced this week House and Senate bills to ban plastic bags. More here.

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.

I recently learned that a few N.C. cities will join hundreds across the globe in turning off the lights for Earth Hour on March 28: Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Lincolnton and Asheville, as well as Triad Air Awareness. Now, I'm trying to find out what buildings in those cities will go dark at that 8:30 p.m. hour.

Earth Hour is an annual symbolic event in which communities demonstrate their commitment to finding solutions for climate change.

Update: Winston-Salem facilities manager Randy Rogers responded that city employees will turn off all non-essential lighting at City Hall and the municipal building. His department has also distributed information to other city departments encouraging them to do the same.

Maggie Ullman with the city of Asheville's sustainability office said she is recommending that the city shut off outdoor spotlighting on City Hall and the Council will make a decision next week.

The Biofuels Center of North Carolina announced this week the recipients of $2.8 million in grants for feedstocks research. N.C. State University got a chunk of the funds; the center awarded no grants to Triad-area entities.

Find a summary of the projects here. I found this one interesting:

"The Craven County Schools 'Farms to Fuels Program' will benefit the students of West Craven High School and Havelock High School, local farmers and community members with training in the development of renewable fuels using agronomics for oilseed crops such as canola as a winter cover crop. Students in agriculture and science classes will receive instruction, participate in hands-on training, visit fuel production facilities, and produce fuel to be consumed in a renovated bus and school tractor."

A sampling of what's happening across the state:

Appalachian State University in Boone plans to start installing a 100-kilowatt wind turbine on its campus in April. This turbine will be the largest in the state and the student-led Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) will hold an information session about it for the community next week.

From a press release:

The project was conceived and coordinated through the student-led ASU REI. Funding for this project comes in part from a 5$ (sic) per semester student fee that is allocated towards bringing renewable energy to ASU campus. This particular project is also co-funded by New River Light & Power. Additionally, the ASU senior class of 2009 has decided to allocate its senior class gift fund towards the turbine project. Installation is set to begin around April 1st, 2009.

Also, the Nature Conservancy and a corporate partner will announce next week a major gift to research climate change adaptation in coastal North Carolina. A 2008 study by the University of Maryland identified North Carolina’s coast as one of the country’s most vulnerable areas to climate change. The Conservancy research will explore ways to make the coast more resilient to rising sea levels, according to a press release.

From the University of Maryland report:

In addition to their impacts on property, sea level rise and more intense hurricane activity will hurt the tourism industry in North Carolina. Costs to tourism include losses of beach area due to sea level rise and decrease in demand for beach trips due to more unpredictable weather patterns. These costs also include losses to area businesses because of decreases in tourism. Estimates suggest that the present value of the welfare costs to beach recreation inflicted by an increase of 46 cm (18 inches) in sea level by 2080 could be as high as $10.6 billion, assuming a 2 percent discount rate (Bin et al. 2007).

Other revenue losses could occur in the fishing sector of the economy. Recent estimates
suggest that aggregate consumer welfare losses for anglers in North Carolina could
amount to $17 million per year by 2080 (Bin et al. 2007).

One proposed method to protect coastal infrastructure from rising sea levels is building a seawall or bulkhead along the coast... For North Carolina’s 301-mile coast, building such a structure would cost the state $1.89 billion (NC Department of Commerce 2008).

The Conservancy and its partners have an interest in this type of research because of its large investment in preserving coastal property -- more than half a million acres in northeastern North Carolina.

Check out this overview of the federal stimulus package that state energy Director Larry Shirley gave to lawmakers this week:

"In many instances funds will be distributed through existing formulas to programs with proven track records and accountability measures already in place.... Governors, mayors or others making funding decisions must personally certify that the investment has been fully vetted and is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars. "

For those of you curious about possible funds for energy efficiency projects, North Carolina stands to get around $6 billion from the federal stimulus package. According to a memo from Gov. Perdue, amounts for weatherization and the state energy office range from $78 million to $140 million and $12 million to $77 million, respectively.

From a press release: Nominations will be accepted through March 13 for the Leadership in Sustainable Energy Awards, which are presented annually at the N.C. Sustainable Energy Conference to entities and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution in helping North Carolina achieve its sustainability goals.

The awards will be presented at the sixth annual conference, which will be held April 14-15 at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. They include:

* The Sustainable Energy Champion award, represents the pinnacle of statewide leadership in at least two of the following categories: renewable energy, alternative fuels, energy efficiency, economic development, and environmental stewardship.

* The four Sustainable Energy Leadership awards will recognize the programs, businesses and/or individuals who have demonstrated the greatest impact in at least one of the categories listed above.

Nomination forms are available on the State Energy Office Web site (click on Nominations Form). Please fax completed nomination forms to Jeannette Martin at 919-733-2953 or e-mail to energyinfo@doa.nc.gov. Call 919-733-2230 for more information.

To register or learn more about the Sustainable Energy Conference, call the N.C. State University Office of Professional Development at 919-515-2261, or visit the Web site (click on Conferences).

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission released this week its "green growth toolbox" to be used by communities to preserve natural habitats.

From a press release:

The Green Growth Toolbox contains information on the state’s most important habitats, as well as community-planning methods and site-design techniques that can help conserve North Carolina’s priority species.

“Our goal is not to inhibit development,” said Jacquelyn Wallace, a biologist with the commission. “We want to show how we can build new homes, businesses and shopping centers while conserving habitats. We have put together a menu of conservation strategies that counties and towns can pick and choose from, and we can help communities choose the best options.”

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources released its 2008 State of the Environment report this week.

A message from Secretary Bill Ross to employees:

"You and I together have written many stories in the past eight years; some chapters are complete, while the structure, rhyme and rhythm of others are just coming together. The stories we have written -- by conserving land, protecting water quality, ensuring the environmental health of our state, helping the people of North Carolina overcome the impacts of drought, putting out fires both natural and man-made, and bringing environmental education opportunities to residents and businesses -- stand testament to the talent you bring to bear in protecting the environment, for the health, well-being and benefit of all."

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

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:

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 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.

An alliance of environmentalists in North Carolina is calling for Secretary William Ross of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to use his powers to stop the rampant destruction of the state’s natural resources. This follows the August deaths of millions of fish in the Pamlico River, which has preliminarily been linked to a potentially toxic algae.

More on the Pamlico River:

"Unfortunately, the Pamlico River has been plagued with environ mental problems. This region began to attract public concern in the 1980s. The excessive growth of algae and increasing numbers of diseased and dying fish began to suggest a decline in water quality. Many municipal treatment plants were dis charging wastewater into rivers and streams. Runoff from “nonpoint” sources —such as farmland, timber operations and urban areas—also contributed pollution."

The Neuse River also has problems.

Various dates: Greensboro Community Television, Cable Channel 8, will air a 90 minute presentation about peak oil given in July by Peter Kauber of Guilford Solar Communities at the following times: Sunday, Aug. 17 at 6:00 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 29 at noon; and Monday, Sept. 1 at midnight.

Aug. 20: Greensboro Green Drinks (5:30-7:30 p.m. at Natty Greene's)

Sept. 20: A "Growing a Just, Green Economy" conference will take place in Durham on the campus of North Carolina Central University. Early registration fee is $20.

Keynote speakers include environmental justice activist, Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx, and minister, community activist and State President of the NAACP the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. The day-long event will also feature panels and workshops covering policy, business development, job assessment, education and training, and resource security.

Sept. 25: “No Child Left Inside” talk and book signing, starting at 5 p.m. at Greensboro Montessori School, 2856 Horse Pen Creek Road. Call 668-0119 for more information.

According to the school: Author Richard Louv, whose award-winning book "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder" has sparked an international movement to reunite children and nature, will bring his message to Greensboro at a public lecture and book signing at the school.  The free event, which will be held (appropriately) outside, will begin with an array of family-friendly activities; Louv will speak at 7. 

Louv’s visit to Greensboro will be the centerpiece of a community-wide celebration of national "Take a Child Outside Week," September 24-30 that will include everything from a night hike at the library’s Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch to a workshop on wilderness skills at Bur-Mil Park. 

Sept. 29: Starting on this day, UNCG will host a "Sustainability" book club. To register, call Barry Miller at 256-0112 or go here.    

Other events here and here.

The N.C. Sustainable Energy Association is asking residents to sign a petition requesting strong rules for connecting solar systems to the electrical grid (net metering, which would allow households to supply electricity). The Vote Solar Initiatve is an effort to bring solar energy into the mainstream.

Read more here.

An invitation to formal and informal educators from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh: 

Join the Museum of Natural Sciences as we explore natural areas our state! Our itinerary includes stops at a number of state parks: Mt. Mitchell, Stone Mountain, Hanging Rock, Falls Lake, Jones Lake, and Hammocks Beach. We'll spend a lot of time in and on the water kayaking the Dan River (class 1 rapids - no experience necessary but loads of fun!) and canoeing on Salters Lake (a Carolina Bay in eastern NC), plunging in swimming holes, cooling down in waterfalls, and everywhere examining the geology and ecology that shape the streams, rivers, lakes, and coast of our state! No camping experience is necessary - we'll have an "advance team" of Museum staff to help with the camp setup and cooking (and there will be showers at almost all campsites!). There will be moderate to strenuous activities over the course of the week, including hiking, kayaking, and canoeing. It should be an amazing adventure! We hope you'll join us.

Location: Various natural sites around NC
Date: Sunday, July 20–Saturday, July 26, 2008
Cost: $250 (includes transportation from Raleigh, camping fees, 
most meals, take-home materials and kayak rental)

Spend a week traveling from the highest point in the mountains, the spruce-fir forest atop Mt. Mitchell, to the barrier islands along our coast. As we explore the diversity of North Carolina, we'll examine changes in the geology and ecology, including a close look at the characteristics and inhabitants of our streams, rivers and estuaries. We will camp our way across the state to experience the changes in local climates — from cool mountain air to salty ocean breezes. Most camping equipment can be provided by the Museum;  participants need to provide sleeping pad and bag.

For more information or to sign up, call Melissa Dowland at (919) 733-7450 ext. 613
or e-mail at melissa.dowland AT ncmail.net

The Rev. Canon Sally Bingham, president and founder of Interfaith Power and Light, asked as much during the closing keynote addresses at the conference on faith, spirituality and environmental stewardship, I attended with almost 300 others in Salisbury last week. With all the work to do globally regarding climate change, it seems the pace of change on the government, business and community level is mighty slow.

But Bingham and other presenters made the case that people of faith have much to contribute to the transition away from a carbon-based society to one that relies on conservation, efficiency and renewable energy to meet its needs. I left quite inspired to do as much as I can personally and professionally in Greensboro.

Bingham said: "I think we are at a point where enough people have realized we are destroying ourselves.... I see a wonderful horizon. It may get worse before it gets better but I believe it will get better."

To which Gary Gardner, senior researcher of the Worldwatch Institute, responded: "I don't think we should underestimate the challenge that is before us. The challenge is huge."

Highlights from the conference (pictured below is Dr. Samuel Dansokho, an associate professor at Hood Theological Seminary, who gave a presentation):

Gardner said humans need a new understanding of progress, one that is not based on material consumption and lack of boundaries. He said religion can spiritually ground people to find their self-worth in something other than wealth generation.

Matthew Sleeth, an evangelical Christian who gave up his career as an ER physician to preach a green message, said that churches are starting to open up to the message of being better stewards of their natural resources. One session he gave was on observing the sabbath, both as a way of taking care of one's health and also as a way of reducing material and energy consumption. Sleeth said on Sunday, he and his wife only drive to church. They take walks and don't require anyone else to work on that day, for example, by ordering takeout.

"I don't think God intended our lives to be one long run-on sentence," Sleeth said.

Erik Assadourian of the Worldwatch Institute listed 10 ecological ethical choices for people to follow in their daily lives: right diet, just livelihood, active political engagement, life of service, mindful consumption, family for all families (population control), renewing life rituals (and planning green versions of funerals, weddings, etc), preparing for a changing world, spreading community and shifting perspective. Assadourian said he doesn't see any reason why a coffee shop can't use reusable items, compost its waste and provide locally-produced products, such as garden produce, etc. (Sounds like a business idea!)

Of course, a lot more happened, but I think you get the point. If you are interested in any particular session, I will try to provide more information. Also, the Center for the Environment plans to some video of the keynote speakers online.

N.C. Policy Watch: "Seventy-five percent of North Carolina voters favor the state taking action now to reduce global warming pollution, according to a recent statewide survey by Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling.  The poll, commissioned by Environment North Carolina, also shows that voters support the Clean Cars Program—one way of reducing global warming pollution—by a three to one margin."

Guilford County Rep. Pricey Harrison to the rescue: She is pushing for clean car legislation. Harrison is co-chairwoman of the Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change.

Update (June 2): Deep Roots Market also kicks off an eat local food challenge on June 10.

All you budding localvores out there can participate in a challenge to eat only North Carolina-produced food during the week of July 7-13. (Why not get an early start by holding an all local Independence Day food fest?)

This challenge is being publicized by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, which has the goal of increasing the number of organic farms in North Carolina and South Carolina. The association wants participants to blog about their experiences.

Food and gardening challenges are all the rave now and have become a popular tool for raising awareness about particular issues or initiatives. Path to Freedom has just started a social networking site called Freedom Gardeners and participating bloggers can add widgets/icons to their sites representing various challenges, including the 100 Foot Diet and Harvest Keepers (for the more radical gardeners out there).

Are any of you out there participating in online challenges or sticking to a local diet, for that matter? Share your stories and/or photos and I'll post them on my blog.

Logo courtesy of Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

I attended the 5th annual Sustainable Energy Conference in Raleigh last week as part of my reporting on a project for the N&R. Gov. Mike Easley and others spoke about the need for the U.S. and North Carolina to become more energy independent (i.e. stop importing foreign oil) and the importance of creating a decentralized, diverse energy infrastructure. Overall, the presenters tried to sound hopeful about our opportunities. Below, photos from the conference.

Listen here to the speech Easley gave participants during the conference luncheon (about 20 minutes of unedited audio). He wrapped up his speech by saying:

"We're all trying to get independence from foreign oil. We know we have to have that to survive. America has to have independence from foreign oil to survive.... What will get us there is that new way of life, bringing the future to us now, taking those mini steps in unison."

Scott Sklar, president of The Stella Group, a marketing firm for renewable energy, said Americans must use less energy and become decentralized in our infrastructure, similar to what happened with the Internet and cell phones. He said:

"It is very hard to bring in the new technology when to this very day we're subsidizing the old technology.... They think this is a free market. It is not."

Even with the work being done, government leaders are taking a 10- to 20-year view on reducing energy consumption and some question whether we have that much time to adequately curtail global carbon emissions and prepare for a peaking in conventional oil production. Richard Heinberg, for example, has a greater sense of urgency.  

This following comes by way of an Environmental Stewardship Group of Greensboro listserv post this week from the N.C. Conservation Network:

"North Carolina is facing a major transportation problem. Since 1989, our state has focused heavily on creating new roads, expanding existing roads, and building sprawl-inducing highways. Now, the combination of increasing construction costs, greater awareness of climate change, and a growing maintenance backlog within the Department of Transportation shows that North Carolina’s over-the-top emphasis on building new roads can’t last.

"The NC Conservation Network has joined with a broad coalition of groups—North Carolinians for Transportation Reform and Modernization (NC TRAM)—to promote a better transportation future for North Carolina. This week the group released a set of five principles to help guide North Carolina in creating a new transportation future. The five principles are: (1) prioritize projects using objective standards, not political patronage; (2) build different kinds of projects, not just roads; (3) dedicate a larger share of spending to maintenance; (4) link transportation and land use planning; and (5) pay for our transportation system fairly, not by raiding education and health programs or by privatizing our public roads. Help protect North Carolina’s future by asking your state legislator to support investment in maintenance and public transit!"

The group also has a blog.

North Carolina's transportation practices are a big ship that is going to be hard to turn around, given the amount of financial and social investment North Carolinians have in seeing highways expand. I remember when I worked for the Gaston Gazette writing articles about the Garden Parkway and how an investment company (with a state legislator on staff) had bought up land around the proposed toll highway back in the 1990s with an anticipation that the land will become highly valuable for residential and commercial development. N.C. DOT can't exactly get religion about more sustainable transportation practices and renege on its road-building promises without creating a firestorm. But at some point the state will have to prioritize maintenance. Is a moratorium on building necessary?

By the way, I have heard a couple times that truckers are starting to drive slower on highways to conserve fuel with the $4 diesel prices they are facing (and apparently some want U.S. taxpayers helping to pick up the tab). I would argue they should be driving slow anyway for safety reasons, but there is an incentive to drive faster to get products to their destination on time. If fuel prices keep going up, truckers may have to do more than drive slow (park, perhaps?).