Project: Green Industry

‘Not so fast, my friend …’

OK, maybe skyscraper greenhouses AREN’T the wave of the future. We reported in our most recent Weekly Dirt that a Swedish company wants to develop a “vertical greenhouse” in the heart of a major city. According to AFP, the masterminds behind the plan said an urban greenhouse would give city dwellers better access to fresh food and cut down on transportation and shipping costs. For now, the greenhouse plans are still on the drawing board, though several cities in China and Scandinavia have expressed interest.

Reader Gregg Short, a greenhouse engineer, thinks the vertical greenhouse idea isn’t built on the firmest of foundations:
“You've got to be kidding about this vertical greenhouse thing...right? Did you catch the part about 30 days from seed to tomato? Light is the constraining value, and going vertical doesn’t solve that problem – rotating or not – especially if the neighbor building is the same height and is shading you out. Now, if we really want to talk seriously about growing produce in an urban setting, then we should be talking about green roofs and hydroponic greenhouses on the roofs.That makes some sense.”

So does Gregg’s e-note. And we appreciate him letting us share it here.

-- Yale

‘Green living’ doesn’t mean ditching the lawn

Here’s yet another article, this time on Examiner.com, discussing how downsizing the lawn is the ‘green’ way to go.

You can count me among the gardeners out there who have converted a portion of the lawn to a flower garden. The island bed I created in my front yard almost three years ago is now firmly established, and I’m pleased with the results. But I wouldn’t dream of sacrificing any more of my precious green grass for two reasons:

1. My husband would loudly rebel. Like many men, he has a love affair with his lawn. (It must be attached the Y chromosome or something. I don’t know.) Last night we were looking through photos of our kids hunting Easter eggs earlier this year. He commented about how the children grow up so quick, etc. Which he followed up with, “And just LOOK how good my grass looks! HA!” And he’s right. Our lawn was thick, beautiful green turf. In contrast, the next door neighbor’s was a patchwork of crusty, dead Bermudagrass and dandelions.

2. The kids have to have somewhere to play. You can’t easily kick a soccer ball, play tag or smack balls off of a T-ball stand wedged between two mixed perennial beds.

So the lawn stays. Which means it has to be watered. And mowed. And fertilized. Three activities that are considered “less than green” these days. But I don’t believe choosing to maintain a lawn means you have to sacrifice your eco-friendly credentials. My creed is based on two criteria.

Be realistic. My husband and I both know when the wretched Texas heat descends in July our lawn will turn into a crispy carpet. We’d rack up an enormous water bill if we tried to keep it green. It’d be a futile effort anyway. So we let it go during the summer, and look forward to it greening up again in the fall.

Practice moderation. Whether you use organic or conventional methods, I think fertilization is best done in moderation. It works for us at least. ALWAYS read labels and follow application instructions. You don’t want to create a bunch of runoff, period—whether it’s from organic or synthetic sources.

Retailers—what “real life” advice are you giving customers about maintaining their lawn? Or do you think ditching the turf is the way to go?

-- Sarah

Students get a charge out of working out

Most of us are trying to cut our energy costs and stay in shape. The University of Oregon has come up with way to help its students stay fit while helping to lower its electrical use. The university has installed 15 fitness machines in its student recreation center equipped with devices that enable exercising students to generate electricity, reports the Register-Guard. The electricity is then returned to the recreation center’s electrical supply, lowering the building’s overall electric use.

It’s not a lot of electricity. An average 30-minute workout on one of the retrofitted elliptical trainers generates enough electricity to power a laptop computer for an hour or a compact fluorescent light for 2½ hours. The paper said it would probably take about 10 years to generate enough electricity to recoup the nearly $22,000 cost of the system.

Dennis Munroe, director of the university’s physical education and recreation program, told the paper that the students are very enthusiastic about sustainability issues. “That really bodes well for our future, because they are the ones who will be out there educating and designing and building,” he said.

ReRev in St. Petersburg, Fla., is the company that installed the electronic system, which is called ReCardio. The system captures and diverts the kinetic energy produced through exercise and given off as heat. Since some of the heat produced by the elliptical machines is dissipated, it takes less air conditioning to cool the room.

Other universities in the Northwest where the system has been installed are Oregon State University and Portland State University. The same system has also been installed at the University of Florida and Gainesville Health & Fitness Center in Gainesville, Fla.

-- Dave

“Green” racing car runs on chocolate

There have been recent concerns in Formula 1 car racing over the rising costs of operating competitive racing teams and doubts by sponsors over the commercial value of their investment. Researchers at Warwick University in Coventry, United Kingdom, decided to build a competitive racing car using sustainable components to show the racing industry what was capable in regards to current environmentally sustainable technologies. The WorldFirst Formula 3 racing car made its debut on May 5.

The racing car that was designed and built meets all Formula 3 standards except for its biodiesel engine, which is configured to run on fuel from waste chocolate and vegetable oil. Formula 3 cars currently cannot run on biodiesel.

Components of the car made from plants include a race specification steering wheel derived from carrots and other root vegetables, a flax fiber and soybean oil racing seat, a woven flax fiber bib and plant oil based lubricants. The radiator is also coated with a ground-breaking emission destroying catalyst.

Makes you wonder if NASCAR race driver Kyle Busch has an unseen advantage over other drivers when he’s racing his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry.

-- Dave

Ohio Master Gardeners teaching green

During Master Gardener Volunteer Program Week, May 17-23, Ohio State University Extension Master Gardeners will be showcasing their efforts to be more “green.” The Volunteer Program Week, which began last year, honors the hard work and dedication of Master Gardener volunteers throughout the state and recognizes the university extension’s efforts in promoting the Master Gardener volunteer program. The program provides leadership and educational development to individuals interested in gardening and giving back to their communities.

“Master Gardeners Volunteers Teaching Green” is this year's theme for Volunteer Program Week. Activities and programs will be held throughout Ohio’s counties emphasizing the theme.

“Volunteers are helping communities and residents learn about and implement projects such as rain gardens, low-impact pest management strategies, best plant selection options for minimal input, backyard vegetable gardens and much more,” said Pam Bennett, OSU Extension statewide Master Gardener Volunteer coordinator. “Volunteers are quietly making a difference in their communities focusing on a variety of quality of life issues. Volunteers often do their projects with little or no funding. Therefore, partnerships are a large component of each program in each county.”

More than 3,100 Master Gardeners volunteer their time and services in 67 Ohio counties. In 2008, volunteers contributed nearly 120,000 hours to Ohio communities and raised over $200,000 in donations to conduct programs in their communities.

Planned activities
The following counties are holding events, programs and activities in celebration of Master Gardener Volunteer Program Week.

In Clark County, Master Gardeners will donate trees to the National Trail Parks and Recreation District to replace the damage done by Hurricane Ike. This past winter Security National Bank offered online banking customers the opportunity to make a contribution to a local green industry or organization. For every dollar the bank’s customers donated, the bank provided a matching sum. The Master Gardeners organization received the funds and voted to give the funding back to the community by planting trees.

Erie County Master Gardeners will work on two projects to help residents get started on their gardening activities. On May 16, volunteers will renovate flowerbeds at the Erie County Fairgrounds. On May 18, OSU Extension and Master Gardener volunteers will offer a free workshop, “Gardening 101: Just the Basics” to the public. Topics include: where to place your garden, how to prepare the garden bed, what garden tools are needed, how many plants to buy, reading seed packages and plant tags, when to plant, watering, fertilizing and garden design.

In Fairfield County, Master Gardeners will refurbish the plants around the County Courthouse and Hall of Justice in Lancaster. The Courthouse Garden Project was established in 1998, and each year Master Gardeners come together to maintain the garden.

On May 22, Master Gardener volunteers in Hamilton County will help plant the Master Gardener garden at the Floral Paradise Gardens in Delhi Township. Delhi Township was once home to almost 60 greenhouses that supplied plants to the tri-state region. Many of the businesses are now closed and the Floral Paradise Gardens are a tribute to that heritage.

--Dave

A refreshing shade of green

We just got wind of this:

Eagle Creek Growers in Mantua, Ohio, has installed a 50KW Wind Turbine as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to self-sustainability and green operations. The turbine, funded by federal and state alternative energy grants from the USDA and the Ohio Department of Development, and installed by Genesis Energy Systems, is expected to reduce Eagle Creek’s annual energy consumption by 30 to 40 percent. Eagle Creek plans to apply for a second series of grants in order to install a second turbine, allowing for the company to generate approximately 80 percent of its energy on-site and off the public power grid.

The wind turbine is Eagle Creek’s newest addition to its ongoing self-sustainability program. Eagle Creek’s greenhouses will soon have high-efficiency light fixtures equipped with motion sensors that trigger the lights only when people enter, thereby reducing power consumption by one-third. Additionally, Eagle Creek has installed ebb-and-flow flooring designed to recycle all water used on site, reducing runoff and overall consumption. Moreover, all company greenhouses have energy curtains designed to maintain appropriate temperatures overnight, thus reducing heat use by 50 percent.

The company also has installed a bio-mass heating system that generates heat using recycled wood chips and horse manure, thus eliminating gas and oil consumption. Finally, Eagle Creek has a plastic pot recycling program for customers. Customers bring plastic pots back to the store, and Eagle Creek recycles them for the following season.

If ever there was a company that has turned green into gold, it’s Eagle Creek, which also has what it bills as a family-owned-and-operated indoor/outdoor lifestyle center. Eagle Creek Garden Center offers plants, flowers, trees, shrubs, landscape design, lawn and property maintenance, water feature design, hardscapes and pavers, winter services, and holiday services.

For more information, visit www.eaglecreekgrowers.com.

-- Yale

Frito-Lay offers its SunChips in plant-based renewable packaging

Beginning in 2010 snack-maker Frito-Lay will begin selling its SunChips line of multigrain snacks in the first fully compostable snack-chip bag. Made from plant-based materials, the change is designed to significantly improve the environmental impact of the company’s packaging.

This month, Frito-Lay will begin marketing its 10 ½-ounce size SunChips in packages consisting of an outer layer made with polylactic acid (PLA), a compostable, plant-based renewable material. By Earth Day 2010, Frito-Lay plans to market its SunChips in packages in which all layers are made from PLA material, making them 100 percent compostable. When the packaging is 100 percent compostable, it will fully decompose in about 14 weeks when placed in a hot, active compost pile or bin.

Current snack food packaging has three layers: a printed outer layer with packaging graphics, an inner layer, which serves as a barrier to maintain the quality and integrity of the product, and a middle layer that joins the other two layers. NatureWorks LLC is providing the PLA, which is trademarked under the Ingeo name.

“Using plant-based renewable materials, we have a promising solution that will transform packaging and significantly impact the billions of snack food bags produced annually,” said Jay Gehring, vice president of packaging R&D at Frito-Lay North America.

Once the 100-percent compostable bag is introduced, the company anticipates the switch will lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the production of the packaging and the elimination of petroleum-based packaging material.

To inform consumers about its new packaging efforts, Frito-Lay will be communicating through traditional marketing efforts, including print, TV and digital advertising. As part of the current SunChips packaging change, the front panel of the current 10½-ounce package features a callout, “Renewable materials make up 33% of this bag.”

To communicate the 100 percent compostable bag, the digital strategy includes a video showing how the bag decomposes over 14 weeks. Also, samples of the fully compostable material will be distributed at major retailers nationwide and as part of a special People magazine ad.

--Dave

Green tripping

More Americans are considering the environment when they make travel plans this year. Based on the response of 3,000 U.S. travelers to TripAdvisor’s annual travel trends survey (October 2008), a greater number of Americans said they will be environmentally conscious in their travel decisions and more plan to visit eco-friendly hotels. TravelAdvisor is the world’s largest travel community. Its branded Web sites have more than 25 million unique monthly visitors, over 10 million registered members and more than 20 million reviews and opinions.

The primary trends for 2009 identified in the TravelAdvisor survey, are that travelers are seeking to go green and becoming lean by visiting national parks, hiking and engaging in adventure activities. A larger number of Americans indicated they will be environmentally conscious in this year’s travel decisions, and more plan to visit eco-friendly hotels in the coming year.

Survey results include:

• 32 percent said they will be more environmentally conscious in their travel decisions this year, than they were the year before. Last year, 26 percent said they would be more environmentally conscious.

• 73 percent of U.S. respondents said they plan to visit a national park in 2009, up from 62 percent a year ago.

• 53 percent will go hiking, up from 50 percent last year.

• 47 percent will engage in an adventure activity, an increase from 40 percent in 2008.

• 33 percent of travelers plan to go cycling and biking, up from 28 percent.

• 11 percent are likely to participate in an extreme sports activity, compared to 8 percent one year ago.

• 34 percent plan to visit an environmentally-friendly hotel or resort in the coming year, up from 30 percent in 2008.

• 83 percent of U.S. respondents are concerned about germs, bacteria and viruses when traveling. Airplanes are considered the most “germy” by 34 percent of respondents, followed by public transportation and hotels.

• 18 percent of travelers said they are taking a “staycation” this year.

--Dave

Seattle citizens to vote on bag fee

The citizens of Seattle will have the opportunity to tell Mayor Greg Nickels and the City Council whether to bag the 20-cent plastic-bag fee ordinance that they approved last summer. The fee had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2009. With funding from the American Chemistry Council, retailers and the Coalition to Stop the Seattle Bag Tax collected over 20,000 signatures to allow voters to decide if the fee would take effect.

The fee was put on hold once it was confirmed by the King County Elections Division that an adequate number of valid registered voter signatures had been collected. George Griffin of the Coalition to Stop the Seattle Bag Tax told the Seattle Times that it only took two weeks last August to collect the signatures necessary to put the issue on the ballot.

Referendum 1 calls for the repeal of the ordinance that would impose a 20-cent tax on every carryout bag distributed by grocery, drug and convenience stores. The vote on the referendum is expected to occur during a primary election on Aug. 18.

The Coalition to Stop the Seattle Bag Tax reported that the bag tax is only the second issue to qualify for a referendum in Seattle in over 20 years. If the bag tax ordinance is not repealed, consumers will be required to bring or purchase reusable bags or to pay a tax on every new checkout bag that they use to carry home products purchased.

Griffin told the newspaper that the fee was too much of a burden on consumers during tough economic times and would especially impact low-income consumers. The paper reported that the coalition favored voluntary, educational efforts to reduce the use of plastic bags and to encourage consumers to recycle the bags.

--Dave

The gray side of green

The Navigator column (Page 13) in the March/April 2008 AARP Magazine, talks about the “Tree Amigos,” older eco-activists who are using the Internet to spread the word about doing what’s right for the planet. Joyce White, a 64-year-old grandmother from Ames, Iowa, started her own environmental crusade by trading in her car for a bike. When she couldn’t find information on additional eco-activities online, she co-founded www.greenseniors.com. She assumed the blog name Green Granny and now provides visitors to her Web site with advice, news and stories about the good work being done by groups and individuals.

Max Lindberg, a 76-year-old citizen of Tucson, Ariz., interviews activists and authors on his Planetsave Podcasts. One of his interviews was with 80-year old environmental activist Betty Krawczyk, who ran for mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, in November 2008. Another interview deals with eco-anxiety, the fear concerning environmental issues.

The Web site Gray is Green (www.grayisgreen.org) was founded by the residents of Whitney Center, a retirement home in Hamden, Conn. These residents consider themselves to be members of the “Civic Generation,” which took an interest in public affairs, voted in elections and organized groups to fight for civil rights.

This group also believes that it exploited the Earth’s natural resources like no other generation before it. Having become aware of the results of its actions, the group is seeking to repair the damage it caused as best as possible and to leave the world a more habitable and greener place.

The retirement home residents have developed a Pledge to Planet Earth, modeled after the Athenian Oath, and are asking others to take the pledge to leave the world a better place. They have organized “green teams” that seek to conserve energy, recycle waste, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, police pesticide use, control water runoff, guide purchasing toward low carbon footprint products, and encourage builders to follow LEED standards. The residents seek to educate themselves and others by presenting conservation exhibits, publishing “green tips” and volunteering to manage their Web site dedicated to conservation by and for the elderly.

--Dave