It goes without saying that Portland, Oregon is an environmentally conscious city. The urban area frequently lands on top ten lists of the greenest cities in America (and around the world). It is known as an international leader in urban sustainability because of its comprehensive renewable energy programs, climate protection policies, inner-city redevelopment efforts, accessible public transit, toughest anti-sprawl ordinances in the nation, and higher number of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings per capita, than nearly every other municipality it size.
Living in the first American municipality to develop a city-wide plan for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, Portlander’s take their environmental responsibilities seriously. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, for the last four years in a row, Portland residents have purchased more renewable power (through Portland General Electric) than subscribers to any other utility in the U.S. And in 2009 the Census Bureau reported that 17,365 Portlanders (6.4%) commute to work on bike; more than in any other city of its size.
With hundreds of planted roofs now covering 19 acres of roof-tops, Portland has also become a national leader in green roofs. Offering incentives to homeowners, local businesses and developers, the city hopes to encourage the creation of another 43 acres of planted roofs over the next five years. The city government has gotten on board, as well. For example, the Multnomah County Building, has 12,000 square feet of greenery on its roof.
Efforts continue to improve the sustainability of the Portland area. With the City’s Bureau of Environmental Services projects coming in $40 million under budget, Portland plans to use some of the funds to simultaneously further two projects: Green Streets and Bicycle Boulevards. The Green Streets Plan, launched in 2007, revolves around planted “bioswales” that utilize natural systems to direct storm water away from sewers, provides a swath of greenery and slows traffic. The later is what makes it a perfect companion to the Bicycle Boulevard program that aims to increase the miles of
bike friendly corridors paralleling high-traffic roads and encouraging bikes to leave busy arteries to vehicular traffic.
Mayor Sam Adams also recently announced a new program, Clean Energy Works Portland, to provide thousands of dollars in financing to homeowners who’d like to upgrades the energy-efficiency of their houses.
Rather than resting on their laurels, the city and citizens of Portland are committed to finding new and innovating ways to continue improving their sustainable reputation.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Renovation Nation--How Green Was the Shredder?
I was watching the "Sandy Springs, GA" episode of Renovation Nation on Planet Green today and found myself disturbed by the images on the screen. Suddenly I wasn't sure I was watching environmentally conscious home renovations at all.
Renovation Nation host Steve Thomas was visiting the home of a Georgia couple who were determined not to have any waste left over from their construction. To reach this admirable goal they were primarily unfortunately relying on the "super shredder," an enourmous chipper that shredded wood waste into an environmentally friendly and biodegradable mulch. Only problem? The "waste" fed into the super shredder included 2x4 boards that appeared brand new.
Once again, I am reminded that while recycling is an important and necessary step in saving our planet, it is not nearly as good as reducing our consumption of resources and reusing materials as many times as possible before they are recycled. When it comes to building materials, that would mean having all remaining lumber used in other projects until only small scraps remained.
Sandy Springs, Georgia might not be as fortunate as we are in Portland, Oregon to have a place like the Rebuilding Center dedicated to promoting the reuse of salvaged and reclaimed materials; but their first choice still shouldn't be to cram it into a super shredder--no matter how much fun the guys seemed to be having doing so.
Renovation Nation host Steve Thomas was visiting the home of a Georgia couple who were determined not to have any waste left over from their construction. To reach this admirable goal they were primarily unfortunately relying on the "super shredder," an enourmous chipper that shredded wood waste into an environmentally friendly and biodegradable mulch. Only problem? The "waste" fed into the super shredder included 2x4 boards that appeared brand new.
Once again, I am reminded that while recycling is an important and necessary step in saving our planet, it is not nearly as good as reducing our consumption of resources and reusing materials as many times as possible before they are recycled. When it comes to building materials, that would mean having all remaining lumber used in other projects until only small scraps remained.
Sandy Springs, Georgia might not be as fortunate as we are in Portland, Oregon to have a place like the Rebuilding Center dedicated to promoting the reuse of salvaged and reclaimed materials; but their first choice still shouldn't be to cram it into a super shredder--no matter how much fun the guys seemed to be having doing so.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Can RVing Go Green?
Considering how enormous and opulent gas guzzling recreational vehicles (RVs) have become, most people wouldn’t consider RVs environmentally friendly nor believe that greening the RVing lifestyle was even possible. Yet, as The New York Times first reported 18 months ago, it is not only possible, it is already happening. There’s a growing number of RV enthusiasts attempting to not only adopt green technology themselves but also pressure the entire RV industry to become more sustainable.
There are many different steps RV owners can take to counter the environmental cost of operating their vehicles; starting with converting their engines to run on biodiesel and integrating solar panels and battery storage systems. RV Solar Electric, which provides equipment for going solar, maintains that installing a solar system into an RV can be as easy as putting in a new electrical outlet. In addition to the obvious environmental advantages, adding solar electric provides RVers the freedom to cut the cord, so to speak, and go off grid without sacrificing the comforts of electricity.
Another method for reducing the environmental impact of RVing is to downsize the vehicle itself. Lost Campers USA, an RV rental company based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has a unique solution: shrinking gas-guzzling, road-hogging behemoths down to maneuverable (and budget-friendly) vans, which they have stripped down and converted to camping vehicles equipped with beds, awnings and all the camping necessities.
Meanwhile, at Earthbound RV, the entire company is dedicated to building camper trailers that are earth-friendly, made from recyclable construction materials that are virtually free of volatile organic compounds (V.O.C.). These featherweight vehicles are 1,000 pounds lighter than comparable RVs, leading to better gas-mileage and dramatically reducing their carbon footprints. Going the other direction, the Lodge-on-Wheels campers are far from light and aerodynamic, but if you’re looking for something unique and rustic, check out their hand-crafted, one-of-a kind, tow-able log cabins.
Some industry leaders argue that none of the above-mentioned efforts are even necessary. They argue that RVing is already a greener alternative to traditional travel. Pointing to the results of a 2008 study by PKF Consulting, they maintain that RV vacations have lower carbon footprints than equally long vacations involving plane travel, car rental and hotel stays. Since PKF is hardly an independent research firm--their main source of income is the hospitality industry--we have to take these results with a grain of salt, but that doesn’t detract from the truth: we should keep an open mind when considering which vacation options are greener than others.
While efforts at greening RV travel are already afoot, there’s still a great deal more work to be done--and not only from a technological point of view. Environmentally-conscious RVers need to share their convictions and demonstrate to their fellow consumers that going green needn’t detract from their RVing experience. Because it will take consumer pressure to force industry-wide changes.
There are many different steps RV owners can take to counter the environmental cost of operating their vehicles; starting with converting their engines to run on biodiesel and integrating solar panels and battery storage systems. RV Solar Electric, which provides equipment for going solar, maintains that installing a solar system into an RV can be as easy as putting in a new electrical outlet. In addition to the obvious environmental advantages, adding solar electric provides RVers the freedom to cut the cord, so to speak, and go off grid without sacrificing the comforts of electricity.
Another method for reducing the environmental impact of RVing is to downsize the vehicle itself. Lost Campers USA, an RV rental company based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has a unique solution: shrinking gas-guzzling, road-hogging behemoths down to maneuverable (and budget-friendly) vans, which they have stripped down and converted to camping vehicles equipped with beds, awnings and all the camping necessities.
Meanwhile, at Earthbound RV, the entire company is dedicated to building camper trailers that are earth-friendly, made from recyclable construction materials that are virtually free of volatile organic compounds (V.O.C.). These featherweight vehicles are 1,000 pounds lighter than comparable RVs, leading to better gas-mileage and dramatically reducing their carbon footprints. Going the other direction, the Lodge-on-Wheels campers are far from light and aerodynamic, but if you’re looking for something unique and rustic, check out their hand-crafted, one-of-a kind, tow-able log cabins.
Some industry leaders argue that none of the above-mentioned efforts are even necessary. They argue that RVing is already a greener alternative to traditional travel. Pointing to the results of a 2008 study by PKF Consulting, they maintain that RV vacations have lower carbon footprints than equally long vacations involving plane travel, car rental and hotel stays. Since PKF is hardly an independent research firm--their main source of income is the hospitality industry--we have to take these results with a grain of salt, but that doesn’t detract from the truth: we should keep an open mind when considering which vacation options are greener than others.
While efforts at greening RV travel are already afoot, there’s still a great deal more work to be done--and not only from a technological point of view. Environmentally-conscious RVers need to share their convictions and demonstrate to their fellow consumers that going green needn’t detract from their RVing experience. Because it will take consumer pressure to force industry-wide changes.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Wind Power Turns To Nanotech
Ahead of the pack when it comes to economically feasible large-scale alternative energy sources, the wind-power industry is hardly resting on their laurels. In the past few years, wind-power has been super-sized, evolving from individual and often isolated windmills to enormous wind farms, where rows upon rows of giant turbines tower over the landscape, rising higher than a six-story building with swinging blades more than 300 feet long.
But as they’ve gotten larger, the blades of turbines have also gotten heavier, slowing down the rate at which efficiency grows. In order to counterbalance that equation, new lighter-weight material must be found.
To solve these and other problems impacting efficiency, the wind-power industry has had to turn away from their bigger-is-better motto to focus on the small scale--the really small scale. In fact, they’re turning to products that are smaller than a spec of dust: the molecular scale of nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology involves the study and manipulation of microscopic matter one thousand to ten thousand times smaller than the thickness of a single sheet of paper.
Pradeep Haldar, head of Nanoengineering at the University of Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, says nanotechnology is already helping to improve wind-power efficiency by reducing friction created by the spinning blades.
“New lubricants that contain nanoparticles that act like mini ball-bearings help reduce the friction generated from the rotation of the turbines,” says Haldar, “decreasing wear-and-tear on the machine throughout its life cycle. Advancements in nanocoatings, such as de-icing and self-cleaning technologies, also help improve efficiencies, rendering ice and dirt buildup on the turbines virtually nonexistent.”
But the greatest contribution nanotechnology may make to wind turbine manufacture is the creation of nanocomposites that could provide the building blocks for creation of both lighter-weight (not to mention stronger) blades. With lighter material. manufactures could build still larger turbines--to capture more power--without sacrificing efficiency.
"Incorporating nanostructures into wind turbine blades as composite materials can enhance their mechanical strength considerably and allow these blades to be built with longer spans, increasing the power delivered from each wind turbine," says Haldar.
The current power-grid system is flawed in part because it offers no storage capacity. To date wind-power has suffered from this same limitation. But now there are researchers working to solve this problem with nanotechnology, creating micro-thin batteries to store energy in the form of DC current.
Wind turbines also utilize permanent magnets derived from rare earth materials, which, according to the January 2010 edition of Scarlet (a newsletter for the faculty and staff of the University of Nebraska Lincoln), is becoming harder to acquire.
“Nearly all of the world’s supply of rare earth metals comes from China,” according to an unnamed writer at Scarlet, “which has more than half of the ore deposits. Demand for these metals is skyrocketing, and China is restricting exports.”
To combat the addiction to rare earth metals, researchers in UNL’s Center for Materials and Nanoscience recently received a Department of Energy grant to create a competitive permanent magnet utilizing nanotechnology in place of rare earth metals.
As these examples illustrate, nanotechnology is already revolutionizing the wind-power industry by improving the efficiency and power producing capability of turbines. As the field of nanotechnology continues to grow, experts say there will undoubtedly continue to be new and exciting contributions to the wind-power industry.
But as they’ve gotten larger, the blades of turbines have also gotten heavier, slowing down the rate at which efficiency grows. In order to counterbalance that equation, new lighter-weight material must be found.
To solve these and other problems impacting efficiency, the wind-power industry has had to turn away from their bigger-is-better motto to focus on the small scale--the really small scale. In fact, they’re turning to products that are smaller than a spec of dust: the molecular scale of nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology involves the study and manipulation of microscopic matter one thousand to ten thousand times smaller than the thickness of a single sheet of paper.
Pradeep Haldar, head of Nanoengineering at the University of Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, says nanotechnology is already helping to improve wind-power efficiency by reducing friction created by the spinning blades.
“New lubricants that contain nanoparticles that act like mini ball-bearings help reduce the friction generated from the rotation of the turbines,” says Haldar, “decreasing wear-and-tear on the machine throughout its life cycle. Advancements in nanocoatings, such as de-icing and self-cleaning technologies, also help improve efficiencies, rendering ice and dirt buildup on the turbines virtually nonexistent.”
But the greatest contribution nanotechnology may make to wind turbine manufacture is the creation of nanocomposites that could provide the building blocks for creation of both lighter-weight (not to mention stronger) blades. With lighter material. manufactures could build still larger turbines--to capture more power--without sacrificing efficiency.
"Incorporating nanostructures into wind turbine blades as composite materials can enhance their mechanical strength considerably and allow these blades to be built with longer spans, increasing the power delivered from each wind turbine," says Haldar.
The current power-grid system is flawed in part because it offers no storage capacity. To date wind-power has suffered from this same limitation. But now there are researchers working to solve this problem with nanotechnology, creating micro-thin batteries to store energy in the form of DC current.
Wind turbines also utilize permanent magnets derived from rare earth materials, which, according to the January 2010 edition of Scarlet (a newsletter for the faculty and staff of the University of Nebraska Lincoln), is becoming harder to acquire.
“Nearly all of the world’s supply of rare earth metals comes from China,” according to an unnamed writer at Scarlet, “which has more than half of the ore deposits. Demand for these metals is skyrocketing, and China is restricting exports.”
To combat the addiction to rare earth metals, researchers in UNL’s Center for Materials and Nanoscience recently received a Department of Energy grant to create a competitive permanent magnet utilizing nanotechnology in place of rare earth metals.
As these examples illustrate, nanotechnology is already revolutionizing the wind-power industry by improving the efficiency and power producing capability of turbines. As the field of nanotechnology continues to grow, experts say there will undoubtedly continue to be new and exciting contributions to the wind-power industry.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Introduction
The Greening of America is a venue to examine the multitude of efforts being made across the United States to create sustainable and ecologically healthy futures. I'm especially interested in how green efforts are helping to reboot the American economy; how technological breakthroughs are impacting the environmental movement; what people are doing in middle America and rural communities to go green; and who the pioneers are who will lead us into a greener future.
First, a little about me:
My name is Jacob Anderson-Minshall. I'm a freelance journalist, environmentalist and radio host.
I grew up in rural Idaho, raised by two stream ecologists-turned-homesteaders who moved out to the farm to live off the land and become self-sufficient. We built our own home, raised our own food, plowed the field with draft horses and heated the house with a wood burning stove.
In addition to degrees in Peace and Global Studies and Rhetorical Criticism, I've received certificates in Graphic Design and from the National Park Ranger Academy and have taken additional courses in ecological restoration.
Over the years, I've worked for a number of environmental organizations including the Sierra Club, The California Academy of Sciences and Sawtooth Society. I've also spent time out in the field: first assisting with stream ecology studies such as one examining the impact of the Yellowstone National Park Fire on aquatic communities; then joining habitat restoration efforts and later becoming an Open Space Ranger managing a 2,800 acre watershed and participating in natural rescource studies.
Since them I've become a novelist, graphic designer and freelance journalist writing for numerous publications and launching a radio show. I recently founded Renewvelope, a start-up company aimed at reusing nonrecyclable padded envelopes . Currently we're focusing on the Portland, Oregon region and are in the process of building partnerships and diverting used envelopes from ending up in landfills. Our next step is to reclaim these reusable items and make gently-used and renewed products available for purchase at a fraction of the costs of buying new.
Enough about me. Let's learn more about what other folks are doing to revive the economy and save the planet.
First, a little about me:
My name is Jacob Anderson-Minshall. I'm a freelance journalist, environmentalist and radio host.
I grew up in rural Idaho, raised by two stream ecologists-turned-homesteaders who moved out to the farm to live off the land and become self-sufficient. We built our own home, raised our own food, plowed the field with draft horses and heated the house with a wood burning stove.
In addition to degrees in Peace and Global Studies and Rhetorical Criticism, I've received certificates in Graphic Design and from the National Park Ranger Academy and have taken additional courses in ecological restoration.
Over the years, I've worked for a number of environmental organizations including the Sierra Club, The California Academy of Sciences and Sawtooth Society. I've also spent time out in the field: first assisting with stream ecology studies such as one examining the impact of the Yellowstone National Park Fire on aquatic communities; then joining habitat restoration efforts and later becoming an Open Space Ranger managing a 2,800 acre watershed and participating in natural rescource studies.
Since them I've become a novelist, graphic designer and freelance journalist writing for numerous publications and launching a radio show. I recently founded Renewvelope, a start-up company aimed at reusing nonrecyclable padded envelopes . Currently we're focusing on the Portland, Oregon region and are in the process of building partnerships and diverting used envelopes from ending up in landfills. Our next step is to reclaim these reusable items and make gently-used and renewed products available for purchase at a fraction of the costs of buying new.
Enough about me. Let's learn more about what other folks are doing to revive the economy and save the planet.
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