Here's a funny video of a bird attacking several pedestrians outside the San Francisco financial district. We had a bird like this outside of our visitor's lot a few years ago and it got me several times! It was extremely creepy. And much more effective than parking tickets. (Technically employees should not park in the visitor's lot!)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Would you like electricity with that burger?
And now for something completely different from the North Carolina News Observer...
Watts are free at new McDonald's
BY SUE STOCK, STAFF WRITER
CARY, N.C. - When it opens Tuesday, the McDonald's at 1299 Kildaire Farm Road will be the country's first McDonald's with an electric vehicle charging station.
The station will allow drivers of electric cars to plug them in and charge them while they eat.
McDonald's is one of several chains exploring green store design. Wal-Mart and Target are revamping their stores to conserve energy. Subway has opened its first stand-alone LEED-certified restaurant in the state in Chapel Hill.
The Cary McDonald's is under review to be LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. It would become the third McDonald's to receive certification, after restaurants in Savannah, Ga., and Chicago.
To start, the restaurant will feature two charging stations, which will sit at the front of a parking space. If the feature proves popular, McDonald's can expand the system to add more stations, said Helda Rodriguez, president of NovaCharge, the Florida distributor of the ChargePoint stations.
Th charge is free.
Watts are free at new McDonald's
BY SUE STOCK, STAFF WRITER
CARY, N.C. - When it opens Tuesday, the McDonald's at 1299 Kildaire Farm Road will be the country's first McDonald's with an electric vehicle charging station.The station will allow drivers of electric cars to plug them in and charge them while they eat.
McDonald's is one of several chains exploring green store design. Wal-Mart and Target are revamping their stores to conserve energy. Subway has opened its first stand-alone LEED-certified restaurant in the state in Chapel Hill.
The Cary McDonald's is under review to be LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. It would become the third McDonald's to receive certification, after restaurants in Savannah, Ga., and Chicago.
To start, the restaurant will feature two charging stations, which will sit at the front of a parking space. If the feature proves popular, McDonald's can expand the system to add more stations, said Helda Rodriguez, president of NovaCharge, the Florida distributor of the ChargePoint stations.
Th charge is free.
What's in Your Bottled Water?
Stricter labeling urged for bottled water
By EMILY FREDRIX, AP Food Industry Writer
Consumers know less about the water they pay dearly for in bottles than what they can drink almost for free from the tap because the two are regulated differently, congressional investigators and nonprofit researchers say in new reports.
Both the Government Accountability Office and the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, recommend in reports released Wednesday that bottled water be labeled with the same level of information municipal water providers must disclose.
The researchers urged Americans to make bottled water "a distant second choice" to filtered tap water because there isn't enough information about bottled water. The working group recommends purifying tap water with a commercial filter, however.
Both reports were released at a congressional subcommittee Wednesday morning.
Bottled water — an industry worth about $16 billion in sales last year — has been suffering lately as colleges, communities and some governments take measures to limit or ban its consumption. As employers, they are motivated by cost savings and environmental concern because the bottles often are not recycled.
Bottled water sales were growing by double-digit percentages for years and were helping buoy the U.S. beverage industry overall. But they were flat last year, according to trade publication Beverage Digest.
Beverage Digest editor John Sicher said some consumers are turning on the tap during the recession simply because it's cheaper.
From 1997 to 2007, the amount of bottled water consumed per person in the U.S. more than doubled, from 13.4 gallons to 29.3 gallons, the GAO report said.
The issue before a subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee was less about waste and water quality concerns and more about the mechanics of regulating bottled water.
As a food product, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and required to show nutrition information and ingredients on its labels. Municipal water is under the control of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The two agencies have similar standards for water quality, but the FDA has less authority to enforce them, the GAO said, and the environmental agency requires much more testing.
Subcommittee chairman Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said the subcommittee was requesting information Wednesday from a dozen bottled water companies on their water sources, treatment methods and two years' results of contaminant testing. It was not immediately clear which companies were being contacted.
"Consumers may not realize that many regulations that apply to municipalities responsible for tap water do not apply to companies that produce bottled water," he said in statements opening the hearing.
The GAO noted the FDA has yet to set standards for DEHP, one of several chemicals known as phthalates that are found in many household products, while the EPA limits the presence of phthalates in tap water.
In a survey of officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the GAO found they think consumers are misinformed about bottled water.
"Many replied that consumers often believe that bottled water is safer or healthier than tap water," according to the GAO report.
The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group said in its report that consumers do not get enough information to determine which water is best for them.
Both groups said some bottled water brands include the same information required of tap water providers on either labels or company Web sites.
The GAO called for more research but said the FDA should start by requiring that bottled water labels tell consumers where to find out more.
Community water systems must distribute annual reports about their water's source, contaminants and possible health concerns.
Consumers should know where all their water comes from, how it is treated and what is found in it, said Richard Wiles, senior vice president for policy and communications for the Environmental Working Group.
"If the municipal tap water systems can tell their customers this information, you would think that bottled water companies that charge 1,000 times more for this water could also let consumers know the same thing," he told The Associated Press.
The bottled water industry's trade group, the International Bottled Water Association, planned to testify Wednesday that the product, — subject to the same regulation as other soft drinks, teas, juices and other beverages — is safe. Additional standards apply for bottled water products labeled as "purified water" or "spring water," among other labels, because they must prove a connection to those sources, according to planned testimony from Joseph Doss, president and chief executive of the International Bottled Water Association.
Doss said consumers can learn about bottled water by contacting the company, reading its Web site and visiting sites run by state governments.
State safeguards for bottled water often exceed the federal, though they are less stringent than for tap water, the GAO wrote.
The trade group declined to comment on the reports before they are released.
By EMILY FREDRIX, AP Food Industry Writer
Consumers know less about the water they pay dearly for in bottles than what they can drink almost for free from the tap because the two are regulated differently, congressional investigators and nonprofit researchers say in new reports.Both the Government Accountability Office and the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, recommend in reports released Wednesday that bottled water be labeled with the same level of information municipal water providers must disclose.
The researchers urged Americans to make bottled water "a distant second choice" to filtered tap water because there isn't enough information about bottled water. The working group recommends purifying tap water with a commercial filter, however.
Both reports were released at a congressional subcommittee Wednesday morning.
Bottled water — an industry worth about $16 billion in sales last year — has been suffering lately as colleges, communities and some governments take measures to limit or ban its consumption. As employers, they are motivated by cost savings and environmental concern because the bottles often are not recycled.
Bottled water sales were growing by double-digit percentages for years and were helping buoy the U.S. beverage industry overall. But they were flat last year, according to trade publication Beverage Digest.
Beverage Digest editor John Sicher said some consumers are turning on the tap during the recession simply because it's cheaper.
From 1997 to 2007, the amount of bottled water consumed per person in the U.S. more than doubled, from 13.4 gallons to 29.3 gallons, the GAO report said.
The issue before a subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee was less about waste and water quality concerns and more about the mechanics of regulating bottled water.
As a food product, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and required to show nutrition information and ingredients on its labels. Municipal water is under the control of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The two agencies have similar standards for water quality, but the FDA has less authority to enforce them, the GAO said, and the environmental agency requires much more testing.
Subcommittee chairman Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said the subcommittee was requesting information Wednesday from a dozen bottled water companies on their water sources, treatment methods and two years' results of contaminant testing. It was not immediately clear which companies were being contacted.
"Consumers may not realize that many regulations that apply to municipalities responsible for tap water do not apply to companies that produce bottled water," he said in statements opening the hearing.
The GAO noted the FDA has yet to set standards for DEHP, one of several chemicals known as phthalates that are found in many household products, while the EPA limits the presence of phthalates in tap water.
In a survey of officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the GAO found they think consumers are misinformed about bottled water.
"Many replied that consumers often believe that bottled water is safer or healthier than tap water," according to the GAO report.
The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group said in its report that consumers do not get enough information to determine which water is best for them.
Both groups said some bottled water brands include the same information required of tap water providers on either labels or company Web sites.
The GAO called for more research but said the FDA should start by requiring that bottled water labels tell consumers where to find out more.
Community water systems must distribute annual reports about their water's source, contaminants and possible health concerns.
Consumers should know where all their water comes from, how it is treated and what is found in it, said Richard Wiles, senior vice president for policy and communications for the Environmental Working Group.
"If the municipal tap water systems can tell their customers this information, you would think that bottled water companies that charge 1,000 times more for this water could also let consumers know the same thing," he told The Associated Press.
The bottled water industry's trade group, the International Bottled Water Association, planned to testify Wednesday that the product, — subject to the same regulation as other soft drinks, teas, juices and other beverages — is safe. Additional standards apply for bottled water products labeled as "purified water" or "spring water," among other labels, because they must prove a connection to those sources, according to planned testimony from Joseph Doss, president and chief executive of the International Bottled Water Association.
Doss said consumers can learn about bottled water by contacting the company, reading its Web site and visiting sites run by state governments.
State safeguards for bottled water often exceed the federal, though they are less stringent than for tap water, the GAO wrote.
The trade group declined to comment on the reports before they are released.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Food for Thought
Sometimes when I drive down Walnut Grove, or any other well-manicured street, I think about what that street would look like if everyone had a garden instead of a lawn.
From Food not Lawns...
Today, 58 million Americans spend approximately $30 billion every year to maintain over 23 million acres of lawn. That’s an average of over a third of an acre and $517 each. The same size plot of land could still have a small lawn for recreation, plus produce all of the vegetables needed to feed a family of six. The lawns in the United States consume around 270 billion gallons of water a week—enough to water 81 million acres of organic vegetables, all summer long.
Photo by Jez Page
Flying High
Last week I took a field trip to substation 4 with some of the engineers to check out the new safety features, environmental upgrades, and daredevil starlings. (Ok, I really just wanted an excuse to wear safety goggles and a hard hat.)
Hanging out in a substation is rather exciting--especially if you have an engineer telling you about all of the high voltage surrounding you (and it's potential danger). Apparently no one has told the birds. They just fly through without a care in the world, oblivious to the fact that they are just millimeters away from doom!
Hanging out in a substation is rather exciting--especially if you have an engineer telling you about all of the high voltage surrounding you (and it's potential danger). Apparently no one has told the birds. They just fly through without a care in the world, oblivious to the fact that they are just millimeters away from doom!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
EcoBuild Tops 500 Mark
EcoBUILD, MLGW's green building program, has topped the 500-mark! We have certified 514 homes since construction of the first EcoBUILD home began in October 2003. The 500th house is a 3-bedroom, 2061-square-foot home built in Midtown. This is the builder's first EcoBUILD home but may not be the last, as he is considering EcoBUILD for a 10-lot infill subdivision.
With 514 certified homes, EcoBUILD now accounts for 667,797 square feet of green housing in Shelby County. Based on average energy savings identified in the 2006 Uptown study, we estimate collective annual electricity savings of 2.3 million kWh, plus natural gas savings of 267,000 Ccf. (We plan to repeat the energy savings study, sampling a larger number of homes and using 2009 data, early next year.) The avoided electric use is enough to meet the annual power needs of 146 average Memphis households. It also represents avoided power generation emissions equal to 3.76 million pounds of carbon dioxide.
With 514 certified homes, EcoBUILD now accounts for 667,797 square feet of green housing in Shelby County. Based on average energy savings identified in the 2006 Uptown study, we estimate collective annual electricity savings of 2.3 million kWh, plus natural gas savings of 267,000 Ccf. (We plan to repeat the energy savings study, sampling a larger number of homes and using 2009 data, early next year.) The avoided electric use is enough to meet the annual power needs of 146 average Memphis households. It also represents avoided power generation emissions equal to 3.76 million pounds of carbon dioxide.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Smart Spending
Smart Spending: Make home more energy-efficient
By ASHLEY M. HEHER, Associated Press
CHICAGO — Times may be tight, but in making your home more energy-efficient it’s actually true that the more you spend the more you save.
Here’s the scoop: This year’s federal economic recovery legislation offers rebates for some energy-efficient appliances. And the resourceful can score tax credits of up to 30 percent of the cost of other improvements aimed at making a home more green.
The changes, repairs, installations and general improvements also can lower your utility bills, which helps your wallet as well as the planet — though most of the credits are capped at $1,500.
“Everyone still wants to be green, but the economy is just such where they’re really looking to cut back and save as well,” said Home Depot spokeswoman Jean Niemi. “They don’t want to spend a lot of money on products, and they want those products to save them on their energy bills.”
You can start saving by unplugging every gadget that’s not in use, from nightlights to video game consoles, a step that can quickly cut a home’s electricity use by 10 percent. Then check out these tips — guaranteed to be cheap and easy weekend projects — to help green both your home and your bank account.
1) GET AN AUDIT. Before you invest in a project, you need to know what areas of your home need an upgrade and which will be most cost-efficient. You can hire a professional to do an energy audit, sometimes at a cost of a few hundred dollars, but there’s nothing to keep you from trying one on your own. Get tips at www.energysavers.gov. Lowe’s Cos. Inc. and The Home Depot Inc. also offer online audit guides that can help you figure out where to focus your energy.
2) SEAL AIR LEAKS: As temperatures fluctuate, building materials expand and contract, and cracks can form that let outside air in — and inside air out. To cut air seepage, shell out about $3 for a spray can of foam sealant or a bit more for weather stripping.
If you’re not sure where the leaks are, use an infrared thermometer ($30 and up) to find where temperatures fluctuate. Or (carefully) hold a lit match near where you suspect drafts. Or try holding tissue paper nearby to see if it flutters.
3) HEATING & COOLING: Programable thermostats start as low as $20 and a novice can install one in an hour or so. The benefit? Many have up four different settings, letting you decide what days and what times to turn on the AC or the heat. Like sleeping when the temperature is cooler? Experts say correct use of a programmable thermostat can cut energy bills an average of $180 a year.
Another easy step with a big payoff: installing a ceiling fan to circulate cool air in the summer and — once you change the way the blades face — warm air in the winter.
Finally: Make sure air filters are cleaned regularly. If they’re clogged with dirt, dust and pet fur, it makes a furnace or air conditioner work harder. And harder working equipment means higher energy bills.
4) LIGHTING: The twisty compact fluorescent light bulbs called CFLs are definitely more expensive, starting at about $10 for a four-pack of 75-watt bulbs. But they pay for themselves in about 6 months because they use about 75 percent less energy — and then they last about 10 times longer than a standard incandescent light bulb to keep saving you money. Lowe’s experts recommend swapping five of your home’s most-used incandescent bulbs for CFLs to save as much as $70 in energy bills over the life of the five bulbs.
About a quarter of a home’s energy is used for lighting and appliances. You can cut the lighting use dramatically by buying LED lights, which use up to 90 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb. But the selection remains limited.
“Changing out a light bulb is a common thing,” said Lowe’s spokeswoman Karen Cobb. “It’s something we all know how to do. It’s easy. It’s inexpensive. And there is an almost immediate return on your utility costs.”
By ASHLEY M. HEHER, Associated Press
CHICAGO — Times may be tight, but in making your home more energy-efficient it’s actually true that the more you spend the more you save.
Here’s the scoop: This year’s federal economic recovery legislation offers rebates for some energy-efficient appliances. And the resourceful can score tax credits of up to 30 percent of the cost of other improvements aimed at making a home more green.
The changes, repairs, installations and general improvements also can lower your utility bills, which helps your wallet as well as the planet — though most of the credits are capped at $1,500.
“Everyone still wants to be green, but the economy is just such where they’re really looking to cut back and save as well,” said Home Depot spokeswoman Jean Niemi. “They don’t want to spend a lot of money on products, and they want those products to save them on their energy bills.”
You can start saving by unplugging every gadget that’s not in use, from nightlights to video game consoles, a step that can quickly cut a home’s electricity use by 10 percent. Then check out these tips — guaranteed to be cheap and easy weekend projects — to help green both your home and your bank account.
1) GET AN AUDIT. Before you invest in a project, you need to know what areas of your home need an upgrade and which will be most cost-efficient. You can hire a professional to do an energy audit, sometimes at a cost of a few hundred dollars, but there’s nothing to keep you from trying one on your own. Get tips at www.energysavers.gov. Lowe’s Cos. Inc. and The Home Depot Inc. also offer online audit guides that can help you figure out where to focus your energy.
2) SEAL AIR LEAKS: As temperatures fluctuate, building materials expand and contract, and cracks can form that let outside air in — and inside air out. To cut air seepage, shell out about $3 for a spray can of foam sealant or a bit more for weather stripping.
If you’re not sure where the leaks are, use an infrared thermometer ($30 and up) to find where temperatures fluctuate. Or (carefully) hold a lit match near where you suspect drafts. Or try holding tissue paper nearby to see if it flutters.
3) HEATING & COOLING: Programable thermostats start as low as $20 and a novice can install one in an hour or so. The benefit? Many have up four different settings, letting you decide what days and what times to turn on the AC or the heat. Like sleeping when the temperature is cooler? Experts say correct use of a programmable thermostat can cut energy bills an average of $180 a year.
Another easy step with a big payoff: installing a ceiling fan to circulate cool air in the summer and — once you change the way the blades face — warm air in the winter.
Finally: Make sure air filters are cleaned regularly. If they’re clogged with dirt, dust and pet fur, it makes a furnace or air conditioner work harder. And harder working equipment means higher energy bills.
4) LIGHTING: The twisty compact fluorescent light bulbs called CFLs are definitely more expensive, starting at about $10 for a four-pack of 75-watt bulbs. But they pay for themselves in about 6 months because they use about 75 percent less energy — and then they last about 10 times longer than a standard incandescent light bulb to keep saving you money. Lowe’s experts recommend swapping five of your home’s most-used incandescent bulbs for CFLs to save as much as $70 in energy bills over the life of the five bulbs.
About a quarter of a home’s energy is used for lighting and appliances. You can cut the lighting use dramatically by buying LED lights, which use up to 90 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb. But the selection remains limited.
“Changing out a light bulb is a common thing,” said Lowe’s spokeswoman Karen Cobb. “It’s something we all know how to do. It’s easy. It’s inexpensive. And there is an almost immediate return on your utility costs.”
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