Volvo Cars claims it was the world’s first car maker to introduce EPIs (Environmental Product Information) for cars (in 1998).- Idling a [gasoline] car engine for more than 10 seconds emits more pollution than turning it off and back on again. – Honolulu Advertiser 6/15/2009
- 3 billion gallons (11 billion liters) of vegetable oil are discarded annually. Restaurants pay to dispose of this energy source. – Bill Nye on Planet Green
- By 2020 there be more than 1 billion cars on Earth.
240 trees are needed to absorb the 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted from one U.S. car each year. – Environmental Defense Fund
I Don’t Understand Parking Lots
In an op-ed a few months back I alluded to the coming diatribe against parking lots. As a form of land use, parking lots make no sense to me. Conversely, ...
The Angry Pedestrian: An Introduction
Let me say first off that I own a car. I drive. I don't drive a ton, I don't drive everyday, I don't drive to my job, but I understand ...
What Will It Take to Make Mass Transit the Norm?
Will people start consistently riding mass transit when gas prices stay above $5 per gallon? $10? What about when we are paying the true cost of driving (i.e. emissions, disposal)? ...
Five Friday Facts
by Justin Manger on July 10th, 2009
Pickens Halts Wind Farm Plans
by Justin Manger on July 9th, 2009
Oil tycoon turned wind and natural gas promoter T. Boone Pickens has decided to hold off on his plans for a massive wind power project in the Texas Panhandle, at least temporarily. What was to be the largest wind farm in the world has been shelved due to tight credit markets and low natural gas prices. According to Pickens’ BP Capital Management spokesman Jay Rosser, interviewed by the Washington Post, “Boone still remains committed and focused on developing wind energy in the United States. The timing is not as aggressive as he originally outlined because of the collapse of the capital markets and because of the steep downturn of natural gas prices.” (Many utilities are choosing natural gas to generate electricity).
Denver’s Bike Sharing Program “B-Cycle” to Launch Next Spring
by Eric Wilson on July 7th, 2009
As part of the monthly S2: Sustainability Lecture Series at Wynkoop Brewery in Downtown Denver, tonight’s speaker (Steve Sander from Denver’s Office of Economic Development) discussed how the city’s new bike sharing program addresses:
- Affordable transportation
- Lower carbon emissions
- Reduced obesity
According to the city of Denver’s website, Mayor John Hickenlooper and community partners announced “a citywide bike sharing program – Denver B-Cycle – that will make 500 bikes available to the public at 30 to 40 stations throughout the city beginning this summer. Denver will be one of the first cities nationwide to launch such a comprehensive, bike sharing program, which will be funded initially with a $1 million donation from the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee.” During the convention, bikes were made available by Free Wheelin. A similar program will take its place next year in Denver.
Integrity of “Organic” Label Questioned
by Justin Manger on July 6th, 2009
The organic food movement has recently been growing very rapidly. The Washington Post states that “relaxation of the federal standards, and an explosion of consumer demand, have helped push the organics market into a $23 billion-a-year business, the fastest growing segment of the food industry.” Now there is some question as to whether growth has come at the expense of authenticity. There are loose standards and numerous grades of “organic,” with food made from only 70% organic ingredients still receiving the “Made With Organic” label under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) classification scheme. The Post article contains a break down of what actually constitutes being labeled organic: Apple and Costco Ramp Up Their Electronics Recycling Programs
by Eric Wilson on July 5th, 2009
Last year’s 60 Minutes exposé on electronic waste (also known as e-waste) recyclers may have sparked some corporations, including Costco Wholesalers and Apple, to fill the void of “responsible” electronics recyclers. A recent story in The New York Times also discussed the burgeoning recycled electronics field in light of the conversion to digital television signals.
Through the end of August, Apple’s Education arm will recycle old electronics. From their website, “Apple will recycle your school’s old, unwanted Mac computers, PCs, and qualifying peripherals from any manufacturer—for free. There’s no purchase required, and all accredited K-12 and higher education institutions with at least 25 pieces of recyclables are eligible to participate.” In order to qualify, schools must register by July 31, 2009.
Top 10 Bike Friendly Cities Around The World
by Eric Wilson on July 4th, 2009
Travel and Leisure magazine recently released a top ten list of bike friendly cities (in no particular order). Several American cities, including Minneapolis, Minnesota, made the list. Both Portland (discussed here in a recent series) and Seattle were also recognized. Only two cities in the Southern hemisphere, Bogotá, Columbia and Perth, Australia were among the ten. A significant number of European cities were highlighted. Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris, and Munich all received mention. The Canadian city of Montreal rounded out the group.
According to the Danish government, “an estimated 36 percent of the population [choose] the bicycle [as] the preferred mode of transport to work or to school” in Copenhagen. There are more than 180 miles (roughly 300 kilometers) of bike trails and lanes throughout the Danish capital. Tourists can take part by picking up free bicycles “at any of the more than 100 bike-share stations peppered throughout the city’s core.”
Portland, Oregon was included on the list because of it’s distinction as “the only large U.S. city to receive the League of American Bicyclists’ top rating.”
Five Friday Facts
by Justin Manger on July 3rd, 2009
- The five “greenest” cities in the U.S., according to Popular Science: 1) Portland, OR 2) San Francisco, CA 3) Boston, MA 4) Oakland, CA 5) Eugene, OR
- Americans buy 28 billion single-serving plastic water bottles every year, and 80% of those end up in landfills, according to the Container Recycling Institute.
- Recycling one ton (2000 pounds) of paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water.
- The U.S. is home to less than 5% of the world’s population, yet consumes 26% of the world’s energy. (SolarEnergy.org via American Almanac)
- Even with the recent increase in producing energy coal has been the fastest growing fuel in the world for the six consecutive years. (BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2009)
Where Are Your Tax Dollars Going? White House Unveils USAspending.gov
by Justin Manger on July 3rd, 2009
Unveiled the other day as part of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (interestingly introduced by Senator Tom Coburn, for himself and Senators Barack Obama, Tom Carper and John McCain and then signed by President George W. Bush in 2006), the site aims “to provide the public with information about how their tax dollars are spent.” USAspending.gov is easy to navigate and does a good job of creating a central place where people can come to see where government loans, grants, contracts, and other assistance are being spent. As noted on the site, “Have you ever wanted to find more information on government spending? Have you ever wondered where Federal contracting dollars and grant awards go? Or perhaps you would just like to know, as a citizen, what the Government is really doing with your money.”
Portland’s Burgeoning Green Building Community
by Eric Wilson on July 2nd, 2009
In the final post on Oregon companies that were featured in the documentary Passion for Sustainability, the future of buildings takes center stage. If Americans are to play major a role in a sustainable future, they can lead the way with the buildings they construct. As mentioned in an earlier post on businesses in Oregon, architects in and around the city are working on designing buildings that have a smaller impact with regards to materials and energy consumption.
Paul Schwer, Principal engineer at PAE, was selected to receive the Better Bricks award as a result of his work in reducing the energy consumption and overall impact of buildings. PAE worked on the Tualatin Valley Water District’s addition (mentioned in an earlier post), as well as Sokol-Blosser’s Wine Aging cellar, both of which achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver status. Mr. Schwer is a proponent of nuclear energy, but not the fission based kind of today’s reactors.
Timber’s Future: Sustainably Managed Forests
by Eric Wilson on July 1st, 2009
As mentioned at the end of yesterday’s post on Carleton Hart Architects and the Tualatin Valley Water District, today’s subject deals with another facet of Oregon’s Natural Step movement. Timber, at the heart of America’s expansion in the 19th century, represents a major opportunity in sustainable development. Although wood is a renewable resource, it has not been harvested sustainably throughout American history. Those companies that understand the value American forests will set the example for a more sustainable future.
Marc Gaudin, owner of the Joinery, worked as a forester for 10 years and developed a sense of appreciation for woodlands he helped steward. When he began his furniture company, he decided to harvest wood from sustainably managed forests. In addition, he decided to build all of his pieces by hand. Mr. Gaudin obtains some of his cherry and maple wood from a sustainably harvested forest. People like Truman Collins, founder of the Collins Company, began working to ensure the health of American forests more than 100 years ago. To develop sustainably, his employees were imbued with a sense that their jobs were secure as long as the health of the forest was at its optimum.
Today, the Collins Company (based in Portland, Oregon) has three sustainably managed forests
