the environment on blast
December 14th, 2009

You Can’t Seriously Still Be Buying Bottled Water

http://www.onlineeducation.net/bottled_water/water_full.jpg

It Continues at http://www.onlineeducation.net/bottled_water/water_full.jpg

by Libby Kimzey | Posted in Education and Outreach | No Comments » |
December 13th, 2009

Carbon Absorption of Green Roofs: Numbers Crunched

More good news from the front lines, some solid estimates of capabilities of green roofs to sequester carbon! I can almost see the CCURB proposals… or maybe the 2010 Mayor’s Green Summer Job Corps.

From Miller-McCune.com:

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at Michigan State University have calculated the carbon sequestration benefits extensive green roofs can provide. Findings from horticulturalists Kristen Getter and Brad Rowe in October’s Environmental Science & Technology revealed green roofs’ potential as carbon sinks.
… Two experiments were run to measure the potential of storing carbon in green roofs…

All the green roofs were planted with Sedum, a genus of leafy succulent known for its hardiness and often used as ground cover. “We planted what we knew would grow,” said Getter.

Over a two-year period, the plants on the East Lansing campus were periodically harvested. Leafy parts stored on average 168 grams of carbon per square meter, the roots and the soil respectively stored 160 and 300 grams on average. Combined, each plot had the capacity to store 375 grams of C02 per square meter.

http://www.miller-mccune.com/science_environment/cooling-the-asphalt-jungle-1671

The researchers estimated the city of Detroit has 219 acres of roof space available for conversion. If black tar roofs were retrofitted, 55,000 tons of CO2 could be removed from the air — enough CO2 to offset the carbon emissions of 10,000 mid-sized SUVs or trucks for an entire year, they calculated.

And some straight-up economic benefits:

Inside his office, Mumford has noticed a marked difference. White noise has been reduced. He’s saved 23 percent on his electric bills. And rather than redoing his roof every 10 to 20 years, he believes his green roof can last up to 60 years if maintained properly.

A study by the Berkeley Lawrence Lab found that if 15 percent of the buildings in Los Angeles installed reflective or green roofs, daytime temperatures would be reduced by 3 degrees Celsius — saving Los Angeles half to 1 gigawatt of power during peak-use hours.

by Libby Kimzey | Posted in Energy | No Comments » | Tags: , , ,
December 13th, 2009

Tuvalu shows mettle at Copenhagen

December 9, 2009 - the day that "Copenhagen" beat out "Tiger Woods" in the rankings of hot search terms. Thank you, treehugger.com.

Ben Jervey is covering this story here and here.

Tuvalu, speaking for all of AOSIS (the Alliance of Small Island States, needs a legally-binding deal, and they want China, India, and other emerging economies to be factored into it. They’ve seen the science, run the numbers, and know that a world without limits on China’s and India’s emissions is a world in which they can’t survive.

In this meeting, Tuvalu spoke up early, asking for (again) a new contact group to discuss an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, one that would lift emerging economic powers (and rapidly growing emitters) like China and India into their own category, with some responsibilities.  Obviously, China isn’t keen on this idea, preferring the current commitment-free arrangment. For a good 45 minutes, Tuvalu and China plead their cases, and a virtual roll-call emerged during which Parties took the floor for uncharacteristically brief comments of support. Lesotho: we support the Tuvalu proposal. Saudi Arabia: we support China’s proposal.

The US hasn’t been escaping pressure, either. Tuvalu’s lead negotiator Ian Fry led this morning’s plenary meeting  by calling out  the U.S. Senate and President Obama, urging “that the entire population of Tuvalu lives within 2 meters of sea level, that their very existence as a nation is at stake, and that he isn’t trying to embarrass anyone, cause trouble, or make a show, but merely serve the people of Tuvalu and protect their future.”

I’m cheering on Fry, for one. The Ocean State a whole lot riding on the projected rising sea levels. In this spring’s Projo article,  G. Wayne Miller describes the most optimistic real-life projection for the year 2100:

Buildings have been lost, roads displaced, parks submerged. Wells have gone bad, polluted by encroaching salt water. Septic systems have failed. Beaches and valuable coastal wetlands have disappeared. Even moderate storms now cause unprecedented damage as waves and surges at least 3 feet higher than nine decades before pack an unprecedented punch.

After the jump, learn about the effects on our shoreline here, and what protection is needed/anticipated. Read the rest of this entry »

by Libby Kimzey | Posted in Lobbying | No Comments » | Tags: , , , ,
December 13th, 2009

Congratulations, Providence!

Thanks to Jef Nickerson @ Greater City: Providence for this announcement:

A report by the Environmental Working Group ranks Providence’s municipal water as second best (of metropolitan areas over 250,000 people) in the country. EWG compiled information from water utility tests going back to 2004 in 48,000 municipalities in 45 states. Arlington, Texas beat us out for the top spot. The only other New England city in the top ten is Boston at number 5.

More reason for us Providencians to give up the bottled water habit.

View the full report here.

Via Yahoo! Green Blog and Po-Tee-Weet?.

by Libby Kimzey | Posted in Education and Outreach | No Comments » | Tags: , ,
December 8th, 2009

Events from the Environmental Council of Rhode Island

ECRI Calendar 12/7/09

  1. Public Info Sessions on Pawtucket’s Proposed WasteZero System to Reduce Trash and Increase Recycling

    2. Tue, Dec 8 at 7:00 PM at Potter Elementary School, 973 Newport Avenue
    Tue, Dec 15 at 7:00 PM at Varieur Elementary School, 486 Pleasant Street
    Wed, Dec 16 at 7:00 PM at Winters Elementary School, 481 Broadway
    Thur, Dec 17 at 7:00 PM at Greene Elementary School, 285 Smithfield Avenue

  2. Community Review Meeting – ARRA-Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program – (background here)

    3. Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 6:30 – 8:00 PM,
    RI Department of Health Auditorium, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI

  3. RI Green Building Council Presentation on the RI Green Building Act

    4. Thursday, December 10, 2009 from 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
    New England Tech Student Lounge, 2480 Post Rd, Warwick, RI

  4. Keynote Panel on Improving Our Stewardship Of Creation by RI-IPL

    5. Thursday, February 11, 2010, 4:30 pm – 9:20 pm
    La SALLE ACADEMY, 612 Academy Avenue, Providence, RI,

  5. RISCC Rally – A call for green jobs, clean energy, and strong emissions cuts

    6. Thursday December 10th, 5pm
    Corner of Washington St. and Exchange St. (Burnside Park)

  6. Audubon Society – Armchair Naturalist Series: Owls of New England

    7. December 16, 2009, 6:30 to 8:00 pm
    Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI,
    Program Fee: $8/member, $10/non-member;
    To register call (401) 949-5454, ext. 3041 or email programs@asri.org.

  7. Help Clean Water Action thank Annie Costner and welcome Nicole!

    8. Thursday, December 10, 2009, 6:00-9:00pm
    Local 121 – 121 Washington Street, Providence

  8. RI Environmental Education Association Annual Meeting and Celebration

    9. Tuesday, January 12, 2010 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm
    Roger Williams Park Zoo

  9. Providence Green Drinks hosted by Apeiron, Sierra Club, People’s Power and Light, and Ecotope

    10. Thursday, Dec 17, 5 to 8 pm,
    17 Gordon Ave, Providence, RI

December 8th, 2009

A Call for Green Jobs, Clean Energy, and Strong Emissions Cuts

Happy to see this post @ RIFuture! Thanks to Michael Roles.


Join us as Senator Whitehouse hears our VOICES

The Rhode Island Student Climate Coalition urges you to join concerned citizens from all over Rhode Island to thank Senator Whitehouse for his bold and important stances on climate change.  Senator Whitehouse continues to support strong legislation to curb carbon emissions, in addition to supporting green jobs and sustainability initiatives.  We will be holding a rally at Burnside Park (across from Kennedy Plaza) to applaud his past leadership – but also to remind him that our clean energy future depends on his continued bold stance. Senator Whitehouse must continue to be a climate champion, pushing for stronger carbon reduction targets and mechanisms, and more green jobs.  But, he needs to continue to pressure the White House and Congress to take hard stances on climate change and develop green jobs, as their efforts, overall, have not been enough.

While we hold this rally, world leaders will be gathering in Copenhagen to negotiate a Global Climate Treaty.  At this rally we will also be rising to ensure that the United States and world leaders understand that we expect them to do what is ethical in order to secure our future, and commit to the fight against climate change, and move forward to create a more just, sustainable world.

Please join us to stand for green jobs, clean energy, and strong emissions cuts!

Date: Thursday December 10th
Time: 5pm
Location: Corner of Washington St. and Exchange St. (Burnside Park)
Bring: Yourself, a friend, and a sign!
Questions?  RIStudentClimateCoalition@gmail.com
December 5th, 2009

Aw, Shucks

nwf photoThe National Wildlife Federation just released a report on “Generation E,” laying out 35 ways in which students are “cutting carbon emissions, saving resources and equipping the coming generation for a green energy economy.”

The CCURB Project HeatSave was highlighted, and our own dashing Adam Yarnell ‘10 is holding down page 22.

Plenty of the work done by students at the 165 colleges and universities in 46 states, represented in this report, has counterparts at Brown, through initiatives like the Real Food Challenge, the Beyond the Bottle campaign, Eco-Reps and individual projects like trayless dining, the revolving loan anticipated for the EEAC on-campus project dollars, and many more.

As emPOWER contemplates the coming semester and how to shape priorities and projects in spring of 2010, it’s worth a look at what other student groups are pulling off across the US.














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