Winter is a great time to plant a few trees, while the roots are dormant. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension office provides two tree giveaways on January 22nd.
The TreeFest is a tree event on January 22 and 23 in Wilimington, NC. More than 12,000 trees will be given away-- up to five seedlings per resident. A $3 donation will help buy trees for next year’s event. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The event location is Independence Mall, JC Penney Wing; 3500 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403. Contact John Wooldridge for more information at (910) 798-7664.
In Lumberton, NC, you could receive Free Longleaf Pine Seedlings also on January 22nd, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Bodenhamer Tree Farm will provide up to 25 free seedlings per person at the Cooperative Extension Center located in the O. P. Owens Agriculture Center, Highway 72 West, Lumberton, (first-come, first-served). For more information, please call Everett Davis at (910) 671-3276.
Searching for an image, I found this wonderful set on "Trees I've admired," from Daniela Duncan's Flickr. They are all lovely-- too beautiful to pick one.
Plant a tree, and green the world!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Clemson Gets Grant for Wind Energy Study
Clemson University has been awarded $98 million for research to support wind energy! It is the largest single grant ever received by the university, according to the Clemson Newsroom. The Department of Energy (DOE) is giving Clemson $45 million in federal financing under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Local sources are providing $53 million in matching money.
In this five-year grant, Clemson's Restoration Institute and its partners will test newly developed wind turbines and drive trains, in a facility to be built on the former Navy base in North Charleston. In the short term, the Institute estimates the initiative will create at least 113 temporary jobs associated with construction of the facility and 21 permanent jobs. It also will generate 568 indirect jobs for a total of 852 jobs.
Also, the market for wind energy is increasing in the other nine states along the East Coast. An off-shore wind farm is shown in the photo at left, from the DOE. South Carolina already has GE Energy’s wind turbine plant in Greenville, and port, rail and shipbuilding facilities near Charleston. With this exciting new research program, the state may become a hub for the industry, according to Nick Rigas, director of the Institute’s Renewable Energy focus area. In fact, the DOE estimates that the state could gain 10,000 to 20,000 new jobs related to the wind power industry, over the next 20 years.
“This is a great example of how a research university like Clemson can be a catalyst for economic development,” University President James F. Barker said. “We have expertise in many fields — energy, engineering, sustainability — as well as a track record of successful collaboration between the university and our partners in industry and the public sector." The university’s partners in this project are: the Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority; the State of South Carolina; the SC Department of Commerce; SC Public Railways; the SC State Ports Authority; and private partners RENK AG, Tony Bakker and James Meadors.
Planning and construction of the facility will begin in the first quarter of 2010 with a targeted operational date in the third quarter of 2012. We applaud the hard work of everyone that made this project a reality!
For more information, contact Nick Rigas or (843) 554-7226, ext. 114.
In this five-year grant, Clemson's Restoration Institute and its partners will test newly developed wind turbines and drive trains, in a facility to be built on the former Navy base in North Charleston. In the short term, the Institute estimates the initiative will create at least 113 temporary jobs associated with construction of the facility and 21 permanent jobs. It also will generate 568 indirect jobs for a total of 852 jobs.
Also, the market for wind energy is increasing in the other nine states along the East Coast. An off-shore wind farm is shown in the photo at left, from the DOE. South Carolina already has GE Energy’s wind turbine plant in Greenville, and port, rail and shipbuilding facilities near Charleston. With this exciting new research program, the state may become a hub for the industry, according to Nick Rigas, director of the Institute’s Renewable Energy focus area. In fact, the DOE estimates that the state could gain 10,000 to 20,000 new jobs related to the wind power industry, over the next 20 years. “This is a great example of how a research university like Clemson can be a catalyst for economic development,” University President James F. Barker said. “We have expertise in many fields — energy, engineering, sustainability — as well as a track record of successful collaboration between the university and our partners in industry and the public sector." The university’s partners in this project are: the Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority; the State of South Carolina; the SC Department of Commerce; SC Public Railways; the SC State Ports Authority; and private partners RENK AG, Tony Bakker and James Meadors.
Planning and construction of the facility will begin in the first quarter of 2010 with a targeted operational date in the third quarter of 2012. We applaud the hard work of everyone that made this project a reality!
For more information, contact Nick Rigas or (843) 554-7226, ext. 114.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
2009 Sustainable North Carolina Awards
Thursday night, Sustainable North Carolina (SNC) gave awards to groups and individuals that advance sustainability in our state. Click on the names of this year's award winners to find out more about the great work they are doing!
The first three awards go to businesses:
The Triple Bottom Line award is for a company that successfully integrates social, environmental, and economic objectives. The winner is SAS. For their many constructive efforts, we applaud this company, that built a one-megawatt solar farm, generating 1.7 million kilowatt hours per year, using "sheep to maintain the grass for the array." This year, the company also offered its SAS Curriculum Pathways free to educators and students in grades 8-14 for schools in the United States. Thank you!
Entrepreneurship recognizes Riley Life Industries, a small business that demonstrates a positive impact on its employees, community and environment.
The Innovation award goes to BreezePlay. Their energy management systems can be useful for individuals, communities, and energy providers.
The Catalyst award is given to non-profits, government agencies and educational institutions for outreach initiatives that have broad positive impact. This year the two winners are Central Piedmont Community College and Natural Capital Investment Fund.
More winning categories provided additional recognition for nominees. The Champions award recognized efforts for advancing sustainable “triple bottom line” approaches in our state’s businesses and institutions, and was presented to Patricia Johnson, City of Gastonia; and Eric Henry, T.S. Designs. Walking Fish/Duke University was selected for the new SparK Award for the most inspiring finalist.
For the event, they also asked three local caterers for culinary creations. Square Rabbit, Green Planet Catering and Kaplan Catering accepted the challenge, using organic and local foods. The audience chose Green Planet Catering as the winner for the Chefs Sustainability Challenge this year.
Congratulations to all the winners, and all the nominees for your work. Thanks so much to SNC, for creatively linking economic prosperity, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship together. For complete results, see 2009 Finalists and Winners.
The first three awards go to businesses:
The Triple Bottom Line award is for a company that successfully integrates social, environmental, and economic objectives. The winner is SAS. For their many constructive efforts, we applaud this company, that built a one-megawatt solar farm, generating 1.7 million kilowatt hours per year, using "sheep to maintain the grass for the array." This year, the company also offered its SAS Curriculum Pathways free to educators and students in grades 8-14 for schools in the United States. Thank you!
Entrepreneurship recognizes Riley Life Industries, a small business that demonstrates a positive impact on its employees, community and environment.
The Innovation award goes to BreezePlay. Their energy management systems can be useful for individuals, communities, and energy providers.
The Catalyst award is given to non-profits, government agencies and educational institutions for outreach initiatives that have broad positive impact. This year the two winners are Central Piedmont Community College and Natural Capital Investment Fund.
More winning categories provided additional recognition for nominees. The Champions award recognized efforts for advancing sustainable “triple bottom line” approaches in our state’s businesses and institutions, and was presented to Patricia Johnson, City of Gastonia; and Eric Henry, T.S. Designs. Walking Fish/Duke University was selected for the new SparK Award for the most inspiring finalist.
For the event, they also asked three local caterers for culinary creations. Square Rabbit, Green Planet Catering and Kaplan Catering accepted the challenge, using organic and local foods. The audience chose Green Planet Catering as the winner for the Chefs Sustainability Challenge this year.
Congratulations to all the winners, and all the nominees for your work. Thanks so much to SNC, for creatively linking economic prosperity, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship together. For complete results, see 2009 Finalists and Winners.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Duke University To Go Climate Neutral
We applaud Duke University's plan to become "climate neutral" by 2024, one hundred years after its establishment. "Duke has long been a major center for the study of the environment," President Richard H. Brodhead said. "We are committed to being a leader in best practices in responding to climate change.” Since 2003, their new buildings have met the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.
William Chameides, Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment, and others began in 2007 to assess the university’s greenhouse gas emissions. It's about 300,000 metric tons, caused mostly by energy and transportation uses. Duke is addressing these, converting the East Campus steam plant to run on natural gas, for example. The plan includes reducing the number of commuters who drive to campus alone and increasing the number of those who take buses or park-and-ride shuttles. The university intends to offset the emissions it cannot reduce by investing in projects that improve the local environment. An example might be helping North Carolina farmers capture methane and other harmful gases found in hog waste.
More information is available at Duke News and the Raleigh News-Observer.
William Chameides, Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment, and others began in 2007 to assess the university’s greenhouse gas emissions. It's about 300,000 metric tons, caused mostly by energy and transportation uses. Duke is addressing these, converting the East Campus steam plant to run on natural gas, for example. The plan includes reducing the number of commuters who drive to campus alone and increasing the number of those who take buses or park-and-ride shuttles. The university intends to offset the emissions it cannot reduce by investing in projects that improve the local environment. An example might be helping North Carolina farmers capture methane and other harmful gases found in hog waste.More information is available at Duke News and the Raleigh News-Observer.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Play on National Public Lands Day
A free event to celebrate National Public Lands Day is happening at the Cradle of Forestry on Saturday, September 26th. A Naturalist will lead a "Water Wonders" (Maravillas del Agua) walk on the paved Forest Festival Trail. The tour will tell about public lands and how the forests affect watersheds and water quality. Kids ages 5-12 can then play in a short game to learn more about the water cycle. This program is presented in both English and Spanish, at different time periods. The Cradle of Forestry has free admission for everyone on this special day!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Habitat Weatherization - Volunteer Sept 26
Welcome to the home of Henry and Bertha Buchanan! Last month volunteers from Habitat for Humanity and the Sierra Club arrived to weatherize their house. It's part of a plan to preserve affordable housing, while reducing the need for energy. And the Buchanans will save on their monthly power bills. At 7 a.m. this Saturday morning, the partnership will tackle two more houses in South Charlotte. Want to help?This project is exciting because of how well the pieces fit together. Sierra Club's Charlotte Cool Cities focuses on environmental education. For this, a laboratory is needed, and it is provided by Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repairs Division. Tim O'Neil, of Habitat, says the Division has focused on necessities for owner-occupied homes, such as roofs and floors, to make them safer and drier. Now they are adding weatherization, to help conserve energy and to help the owners save money.
In the photo at left, volunteers are repairing the furnace ductwork, usually a leading cause of energy loss. Before the work begins, Matthew Coapman, of Greenhome, is donating comprehensive home energy audits and teaching volunteers. Some very eager volunteers are students in the Sustainable Technology program, begun this fall by Central Piedmont Community College. Mark Helms, CPCC's Director of Service Learning, met with a class in Energy Efficiency recently to explain this project. The class of 27 students is divided into 4 teams; each team will participate in the weatherization of at least one home, the first one this weekend.Besides helping our neighbors stay warmer this winter, all parties plan to extend this project outward. The Sierra Club plans to share this model program nationally. Helms wants to prepare packets, to hand out at conferences, on replicable design. The goals would be learning how to do energy audits and weatherizations, lowering carbon footprints, and helping people save their homes.
If you can't make it this month, you can join in continuing efforts on this project. For more information, please contact Eric Geppi or call (704) 343-0047.
Buchanan and Sarah Little, relaxing on the porch after a job well done.All photos by Rob Singh-Latulipe, copyright 2009.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
River Trip!
The Riverspeak News from the Winyah Rivers Foundation offers an upcoming paddle trip on the Waccamaw River. This photo, taken by Ed Kay, shows members of the Yakkity Yakers Club on a previous river run. The paddle series, “If The River Could Talk,” continues with a new trip you can join. On Saturday, October 3rd, the morning float on the Waccamaw River departs at 9 a.m. from Wacca Wache Marina in Murrells Inlet, SC. We can row along with the Waccamaw Riverkeeper and Foundation members to enjoy the river's delights.A reservation is required. Contact Winyah Rivers Foundation in Conway, SC; 843-349-4007, wrk@coastal.edu, or www.winyahrivers.org for more details.
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