Living Wall Art/Ad

PNC financial in downtown Pitssburgh recently created the world's largest living wall. Part art, part ad, it's rad.


From Inhabitat.com:

The 2,380 sq foot living wall is soil based and includes many regional plants, all acquired locally within 500 miles of downtown Pittsburgh. The living wall system, which is made up of 602 2×2 ft square panels, is anchored directly into the reinforced concrete masonry on the south facing wall. Cenkner Engineering Associates of Coraopolis, PA and BD&E Strategic Branding and Design of Pittsburgh provided engineering and additional design. So far, the panels are reducing the temperature of the building, with preliminary studies showing that the wall behind the panels is 25% cooler than ambient temperatures.

Watering of the living wall is expected to be minimal, with 15 minutes of watering per week via an internally controlled irrigation system, and when fully saturated, the wall will weigh 24 tons. The 8 varieties of plants are actually evergreen, meaning they should remain green throughout the year with some even flowering in the spring. In addition to their living wall, PNC recently completed a new park around the corner full of drought resistant plants and has many LEED certified branch locations throughout the US. They may be a big corporate business, but they definitely know how to do good green design.

Music by Birds

I love this! Reading a newspaper, Jarbas Agnelli saw a picture of birds on electric wires. He cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit).

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Facts About Natural Gas

I'm passing along a cool video done by Spectra Energy on the benefits of natural gas. It also gives you a chance to hear Jesus Jones’ “Right Here, Right Now.” (Raise your hand if you once owned that album.)

TVA Clean Up Continues

The Tennessee Valley Authority has cleaned up more than 1 million cubic yards of coal ash that spilled into or perilously close to the Emory River last year in East Tennessee, president and CEO Tom Kilgore said last week.

That's about a third of the ash sludge closest to the river. Another 2.4 million cubic yards remain on the other side of a dike TVA built to keep it out of the water.
The Kingston cleanup project, along with plans to convert coal ash ponds at TVA's coal-burning plants to dry storage, could reach costs of $3 billion. Read the full article here.

Project MAX Celebrates 25 Years

Twenty-five years ago, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division employees pioneered a program, Project MAX, to help repair and weatherize homes and build wheelchair ramps for low-income, elderly and disabled residents in Memphis and Shelby County.

MLGW will celebrate the program’s 25th anniversary with Project MAX founders, coordinators, volunteers and beneficiaries at a special luncheon at BRIDGES on October 7.

Over its 25-year history, Project MAX has made repairs to more than 4,000 homes. During that time, more than 113,000 volunteer hours have been donated to the program by more than 2,300 volunteers.

Project MAX insulates attics, weather-strips doors, caulks windows, constructs wheelchair ramps, makes some plumbing and minor carpentry repairs, and also helps out by supplying materials for clients who have skilled volunteers.

Project MAX has been a mainstay of MLGW’s volunteer programs. In 1989, MLGW was honored for its employee-volunteer efforts by the Thousand Points of Light Foundation. In addition to MLGW volunteers, Project MAX also engages other organizations in the area to provide volunteers on worksites.

The Project MAX 25 Years of Community Service celebration will be held Wednesday, October 7, 2009, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at BRIDGES, 477 N. 5th Street. Attendance is by invitation; the media is invited to attend.

For more information, contact MLGW Communications and Public Relations at (901) 528-4557.

Happy Birthday, Project Max!

Park Your Car on the Lawn

Park your car on the lawn the next time you wash it and kill two birds with one stone. (That way you are watering lawn and preventing runoff water from entering storm drain.) Not that anyone's lawn needs much watering after the last two weeks!


Here are some other eco-friendly car washing tips, compliments of our friends at Dominion Energy.

* Choose a biodegradable soap.

* Swap out the paper towels and use re-useable microfiber towels.

* Make sure your hose has an automatic shut off valve so you are not wasting water. Better yet, try the waterless car wash spray.

* Wash during the morning or evening, avoid the direct sunlight so you don’t get water spots and prevents evaporation.

Poster Contest

October is National Energy Awareness Month and MLGW is sponsoring the annual Energy Awareness Month Poster Contest for Memphis and Shelby County students.

The contest theme is Energy Awareness and Energy Conservation. The deadline for submitting entries is Friday, Nov. 13.

The poster contest is open to students in grades K-12 in both city and county schools; the goal is to give students the opportunity to learn and share ideas about saving energy The poster contest will be judged in three categories – elementary school (grades K-5), middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12). A Community’s Choice will also be selected. The entries will be judged on their ability to clearly and creatively communicate the theme “saving energy.” MLGW will oversee the judging of the artwork.

Each category winner will receive a $125 award and an energy-saving kit. Each winner’s teacher will receive a $125 gift certificate to the Art Center and an energy-saving kit. All contestants receive a certificate of participation, and all entries become property of MLGW and may be used for future energy-saving promotional purposes.

Entries must be the original artwork of the student submitting the entry; photographs and computer-generated artwork will not be accepted. Contestants will submit their artwork to the art teacher at their participating school. Official rules, guidelines and entry forms are available through City and County Schools.

Interested students should contact their school’s art teachers, or their school system’s representatives, Gregg Coats (City Schools) at CoatsG@mcsk12.net and Amanda Galbraith (Shelby County Schools) at agalbraith@scsk12.org. More information, rules and entry forms can be found here.

Click here to see last year's winners.

Paper Recycling Rules!

Did you know...

The EPA estimates that 40% of solid waste in the U.S. is paper products.

Paper can actually be recycled up to seven times, and it is easier and cheaper to make pulp from recycled fibers than from wood.

Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees and those 17 saved trees can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air each year!

Now that you are recycling the tops of your pizza boxes, I thought you might like to know some other paper recycling rules:

1. Keep it dry. Recyclers purchase paper by weight, so the entire lot may get rejected if they see wet paper. Check the weather before taking out your bin! (Solid Waste Director, Andy Ashford, confirmed that they will pick up wet paper, but only so as not to discourage people from recyling.)

2. No food! Dirty paper plates, napkins, paper towels, etc. can be composted but not recycled. Keep them out of your bin so they don't contaminate other recyclables.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff. Little things like small paper clips, plastic envelope windows, staples, labels, metal envelope latches and even notebook spirals are easily separated in processing.

4. Watch out for adhesives! Heavily glued (sticky) items can ruin batches of recycled paper. Don’t toss in those “complimentary” address labels and other stickers. Post-It Notes are fine but if an envelope has a heavy self-stick flap, tear it off first.

5. Allow tape in moderation. Some tape here and there won’t hurt, but if a box is wrapped in yards of shipping tape, remove it as best you can. Paper tape is A-OK!

6. Don’t shred paper unless you must – most recyclers don’t like accepting shredded paper because it’s a challenge to sort. If you are a “shredder”, contain it in a paper bag first(or compost it).

7. Skip the heavy-dye, saturated papers with deep, dark or fluorescent color. It’s difficult to bleach them back to a usable form.

8. No plastic or wax coated papers (like paper cups), but glossy papers (like magazines) are acceptable.

Thanks to Mom Goes Green for the great info.

Four Tens

Glen Thomas, the Communications & Public Relations Supervisor, did an interview with Mary Cashiola that appears in this week's Memphis Flyer. The article is mainly about the future of suburbs but it also discusses MLGW's offering of four-day work weeks to employees.

Remaking Suburbia
Why we need to redevelop out-of-date suburbs into more urban, sustainable spaces.

Last summer, as gas prices hit the $4 a gallon mark, employees at MLGW started talking about a way to save money on their daily commute.

This June, several of the utility's departments began a pilot project: a four-day, 10-hour-a-day workweek.

"The economy drove the discussion and ways to deal with escalating gas prices," says Glen Thomas, supervisor of communications and public relations at MLGW. "For the individual employees who live a little ways out, they're paying less in fuel costs."

The program is optional and isn't offered to some departments or positions. But Thomas says the advantages include longer hours of operation at MLGW and employees getting an extra "weekend" day to run errands.

"I don't want to portray it as a huge environmental thing, but our carbon footprint is a factor," he says.

But MLGW is hardly the only company whose employees have a long commute.

"People are saying their employees are willing to work four 12-hour days if they don't have to drive to work," says Ellen Dunham-Jones. "Suburbia is based on the premise of cheap oil. I think we can all agree that oil is not staying cheap for that much longer."

Dunham-Jones, director of the architecture program at Georgia Tech, spoke at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art last week as part of the local American Institute of Architects' sixth annual Architecture Month. Other events include the annual chalk-art competition and Dining by Design, a dinner at Ballet Memphis.

Dunham-Jones, who wrote Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs with June Williamson, spoke about the need to redesign suburbia.

"The reality is that [the suburbs] are getting kind of old, and they weren't designed to be sustainable," she says.

America's Best Idea

Don't miss this!

Natural Gas in the News

I was listening to NPR this morning and they did a story called Rediscovering Natural Gas By Hitting Rock Bottom. The story focused on new successes in getting gas out of shale rock. Furthermore, The Potential Gas Committee, loosely affiliated with the Colorado School of Mines, reported in June that natural gas reserves in the United States are actually 35 percent higher than believed just two years ago, and some geologists say even that estimate is too conservative. (Part 2 of the story is tomorrow if you want to tune in!)

Looks like the hubbub is coming from a new study just released by the American Gas Foundation...

Washington, DC- Technological advancements in end use applications will position natural gas to remain a key component in an energy efficient, low-carbon future in the United States, according to a study released today by the American Gas Foundation (AGF). By capitalizing on research, development and demonstration (RD&D) opportunities for natural gas end uses in the residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors, the natural gas industry can meet today’s and future energy demands cleanly, efficiently and cost-effectively.

Prepared by Neil Leslie of the Gas Technology Institute, a not-for-profit research and development organization, the study suggests that additional significant reductions in carbon emissions can be achieved by integrating natural gas with renewable energy systems such as solar thermal and biomethane.

By implementing the proposed RD&D programs outlined in the report, says AGF, the United States would reduce energy use by more than five quads and CO2 emissions by nearly 440 million metric tons by 2030, thereby saving customers $4 - $9 billion annually, while significantly improving the environment.

The executive summary and the complete “Natural Gas End Use: A Vision for Today and the Future" study are available on the AGF web site at www.gasfoundation.org. For a hard copy, please call Kelly Batte at (202) 824-7026.

United Way Day of Caring

Today is the United Way of the Mid-South's Day of Caring. Teams and representatives of corporations and organizations across the area are gathering at Christ the Rock church to plan and begin their campaigns.

This year’s General Campaign Chairman is Jerry Collins Jr., President and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas and Water. MLGW’s Steering Committee and volunteers from across the Division will be in attendance. United Way of the Mid-South’s 2009 campaign slogan is “Live United.”

After the opening ceremonies and words of encouragement, the teams of volunteers will head out to work sites around the community where they will assist community centers, churches, educational facilities and other organizations with much-needed repairs, remodeling, cleaning, etc. MLGW volunteers will assist at the Memphis Center for Independent Living, 1633 Madison Ave., and Harwood Center, Inc., 711 Jefferson Ave.

MLGW's United Way fundraising campaign will run November 2-13. Last year employees raised over $800,000!

Solar Farm Gets Approved

From the Commercial Appeal...

Governor announces approval for solar ‘farm’
By Richard Locker

NASHVILLE -- Tennessee won federal approval Tuesday for a $62.5 million economic stimulus grant for a solar power demonstration farm in Haywood County and solar research institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Gov. Phil Bredesen announced the U.S. Department of Energy's approval at his annual economic conference. The next step is an environmental assessment of the roughly 20-acre site alongside Interstate 40 in southwestern Haywood County, about 40 miles northeast of Memphis. That's where the state plans to erect 22,300 solar panels.

The money will be divided between the two components of the "Volunteer State Solar Initiative," which Bredesen hopes will position Tennessee as a center for clean-energy research, development and manufacturing, and a magnet for nonenergy companies that want to jump on the green-energy bandwagon.

Bredesen said he envisions the farm as a "test bed and showcase" for solar power products and also encouraging other manufacturers who want to emphasize their "commitment to environmental stewardship" to locate in a 1,500-acre West Tennessee industrial "megasite" the state is planning adjacent to the solar farm.

That could include "a solar company or any company that wants to be part of the green revolution," he said. "Volkswagen, for example, is not a solar company, but the things that we're doing in green energy were an important part of their decision to locate in Chattanooga. I think you might find an automobile company, for example, that's got a real interest in showing their commitment in this area, or another kind of manufacturer."

The farm will also contain an educational and visitors center, which Bredesen said he hopes will inspire schoolchildren to pursue science education.

He applied for the huge grant in mid-May and said then that he expected approval by the end of that month.

But with Tennessee's request being far different from other states' more conventional plans for their shares of energy funding, Energy Department officials took four months negotiating with the governor's staff before approving it.

The governor acknowledged the state accepted some changes in plans for both the solar farm and the institute.

The farm will no longer be built on the planned "megasite" -- a marketing term used by the Tennessee Valley Authority for large tracts of land that it certifies as ready for industrial development. It will be separate from the larger project, partly because the state didn't want to delay the farm for the larger environmental assessment required of the megasite.

Although the institute will still conduct basic research with other money, it will parcel out its share of the stimulus money to companies and organizations for technology commercialization, technical assistance and workforce development in the field.

Bredesen said the farm can be producing electricity before he leaves office in January 2011.

As for the separate Haywood County megasite, he said he believes it is moving forward despite last week's delay by the State Building Commission of $40 million for the project.

"I was a little concerned," he said. "But I think the constitutional officers (the state treasurer, state comptroller and secretary of state, who are members of the Building Commission) had some very legitimate questions."

--Richard Locker: (615) 255-4923

Volunteer State's Solar Initiative gets OK

The U.S. Department of Energy approved Tennessee's application, filed in May, for a $62.5 million economic recovery and stimulus grant for a two-part solar power initiative that includes:

A 20-acre solar power demonstration farm, educational and welcome center in southwestern Haywood County. Plans call for installation of more than 22,000 solar panels producing 5 megawatts of electricity for TVA's power grid. It is to be operated under contract to Genera Energy, a nonprofit arm of UT.

A solar institute likely housed on UT's new Cherokee Farm research campus in Knoxville. The institute itself will be state-funded, but it will parcel out much of its half of the grant money to other organizations as "innovation grants."

Toot Toot v2

More good news to share!

MLGW’s Web site receives national recognition

MLGW's website has been ranked in the top quartile in the new “E Source 2009 Review of North American Electric and Gas Company Web Sites.” Ranking 23rd out of the 100 utilities surveyed, mlgw.com advanced up 44 spots from E Source’s previous survey conducted in 2007. The survey represents the largest benchmark of electric and gas web sites available.

“I’m very proud of the accomplishments of the MLGW web site in not only keeping up with the advances in current technology, but also becoming an Internet leader for the utility industry. The web site, as well as MLGW as a whole, has undergone a renewed focus and transition that puts a direct and dedicated emphasis on customer satisfaction,” said MLGW President and CEO Jerry Collins, Jr.

Responding to customers’ requests for enhanced online options, MLGW has worked aggressively to develop a series of new electronic billing and information services such as MLGW’s My Account Dashboard, Bill Analysis and live outage map.

More than 120,000 customers have registered for MLGW’s My Account, where they can view bills, pay bills, analyze factors that caused the bill to change and find ways to save energy, thereby lowering their utility bill.

MLGW’s Bill Analysis application enables customers to explore the reasons behind monthly billing fluctuations—such as temperature, usage, billing period, service fees, home improvements and other factors.

“MLGW’s ranking in the top quartile demonstrates its commitment to having a web site that gives customers what they need online,” said Andrew Heath, director of E source Customer Satisfaction Services.

SocialCamp

On Saturday, MLGW will be presenting at the second annual SocialCamp at 9:00am. The event is from 8:00 – 4:30 at the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering (1254 Jefferson Avenue).

SocialCamp isn’t just a social media conference. It’s an unconference. What does that mean, exactly? That’s up to the attendees. Scheduled presentations (like ours) will be in the morning half of the conference, but the afternoon is decided on-site by voting for the presentations participants want to hear.

For a full schedule, registration, and other details visit the SocialCamp website.

Return to Returnables

When I was a kid, I used to gather all of our empty bottles and take them to the convenience store at the corner. Then I'd use the deposit money to buy candy. It was win-win!

Next Thursday, September 17th, there will be a public forum on the proposed Tennessee Bottle Bill from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the Agricenter International Ampitheater (7777 Walnut Grove Road).

The Bottle Bill is the proposed litter and recycling legislation based on a 5-cent deposit on glass, plastic and aluminum beverage containers, with returns to independent “redemption centers.”

The session will be moderated by Jackson Baker, political editor, Memphis Flyer and panelists include: Susan Collins, Container Recycling Institute; John Burnes, Marglen Industries; John Ferrari, NexCycle California Operations; and numerous local perspectives.

All citizens, legislators, investors, entrepreneurs, scrap dealers, local governments, nonprofits, tourism businesses, manufacturers, recyclers, bottlers, and retailers are encouraged to attend.

No Impact Man's Top 10

No Impact Man's Top Ten Eco-Lifestyle Changes

For more ideas and ways to join a community of people who are searching for happier, more eco-friendly lives, go to NoImpactProject.org.

1. Stop eating beef. Worldwide, beef production contributes more substantially to climate change than the entire transportation sector. Plus, a diet with no or less beef is better for you anyway.

2. Give up bottled water. The production of plastic water bottles together with the privatization of our drinking water is an environmental and social catastrophe. Bottled water costs more per gallon than gasoline. Plus, the health consequences of drinking water from plastic are not clear.

3. Observe an eco-sabbath. For one day or afternoon or even hour a week, don't buy anything, don't use any machines, don't switch on anything electric, don't cook, don't answer your phone, and, in general, don't use any resources. In other words, for this regular period, give yourself and the planet a break. Keep your regular eco-sabbath for a month. You'll find that the enforced downtime represents an improvement to your life.

4. Tithe a fixed percentage of your income. Currently, many of our societal health and welfare services, at home and abroad, are tied to consumer spending which, in turn, depends upon planetary resource use. But the idea of buying stuff to help people is crazy, especially when you consider that our consumption is harming the habitat that we depend upon for our health, happiness and security. If you want to help, don't go shopping. Just help. Commit to tithing part of your income to the non-profits of your choice.

5. Get there under your own steam. Commit to getting around by bike or by foot a certain number of days a month. Not only does this mean using fewer fossil fuels and creating less greenhouse gasses, it means you'll get good, healthy exercise and we'll all breathe fewer fumes. A city with pedestrian and bike traffic is a lot more pleasant to live in than a city filled with vehicles.

6. Commit to not wasting. Wasting resources costs the planet and your wallet. Don't overheat or overcool your home--a few degrees make a huge difference. Let your clothes hang dry instead of using the dryer. Take half the trips but stay twice as long. If your old cell phone works, consider not getting another. Repair instead of rebuy. The list goes on and on.

7. Build a community. Play charades. Have dinners with friends. Sing together. Enjoying each other costs the planet much less than enjoying its resources. Let's relearn to joke around and play in ways that cost nothing to our pocketbooks or our planet.

8. Take your principles to work. The old adage "the cost of doing business" can no longer hold true. We must act as though we care about the world at work as much as we do at home. A company CEO or a product designer has the power to make a gigantic difference through their business, and so do the rest of us.

9. Dedicate a day's worth of TV viewing to eco-service each week. The average American watches four and a half hours of TV a day. Take one day off from the tube each week and joining with others to improve our planet. Voluntary eco-service is a great way to find community who support your values and also a great way to learn about environmental issues and the quality of life issues that go along with them.

10. Believe with all your heart that how you live your life makes a difference to all of us. We are all interconnected. We make a difference to each other on many different levels. Every step towards living a conscious life where we consider the consequences of our actions provides support to everyone else--whether you know it or not--who is trying to do the same thing. We are the masters of our destinies. Let's act as though it is so.

For more ideas and ways to join a community of people who are searching for happier, more eco-friendly lives, go to NoImpactProject.org.

Don't Make an Impact

My coworkers think I am pretty hardcore about recycling, avoiding plastic, etc. But I've got thing on No Impact Man.

No Impact Man, a book, and now a movie, tells the story of Colin Beavan, who decides to completely eliminate his personal impact on the environment for the next year.

It means eating vegetarian, buying only local food, and turning off the refrigerator. It also means no elevators, no television, no cars, busses, or airplanes, no toxic cleaning products, no electricity, no material consumption, and no garbage.

No problem – at least for Colin – but he and his family live in Manhattan. So when his espresso-guzzling, retail-worshipping wife Michelle and their two-year-old daughter are dragged into the fray, the No Impact Project has an unforeseen impact of its own.

Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein's film provides an intriguing inside look into the experiment that became a national fascination and media sensation, while examining the familial strains and strengthened bonds that result from Colin and Michelle’s struggle with their radical lifestyle change.

I'm not sure when (if?) the movie will play in Memphis, but I sure hope it does. Here's a peek at the trailer:



Inspired? Why not become a No Impact Man/Woman for a week? Check out the No Impact Project.

Forest Faire

Come visit us tomorrow at the Forest Faire being held in conjunction with the Wolf River Day Expo at the V&E Greenline Stationhouse (620 N. Avalon at Tutwiler) from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

This urban exposition will promote the conservation and enhancement of one of our region's most important natural assets--the Wolf River--as well as protection of its wildlife, trees, water and wetlands.

The event will be held in a park-like setting, and will offer a wide array of kid- and family-friendly activities. Stroll beneath the shady tree canopy of Memphis' first rails-to-trails greenline, perusing green exhibits while enjoying arts and crafts vendors, urban forestry exhibits, talks by greenway experts, local food vendors, live music, a kids' bike parade, and a bike recycling station sponsored by Revolutions Community Bicycle Shop.

Throughout the day there will presentations on bees, butterflies, community gardening, and native flora and fauna.

Hope to see you there!

Toot Toot

Excuse me while I toot our horn a bit...

Seminar teaches businesses to use Twitter to keep customers informed
By James Dowd

Even on a good day, serving nearly 430,000 customers can prove challenging.

For the folks at Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, June 12 was definitely not a good day.

That's when a storm slammed the area, knocking out 71 circuits and shutting off power for 140,000 MLGW customers.

The company's response provided the foundation for "How to Twitter through a Crisis," a seminar Wednesday hosted by the Memphis chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

The program offered an unvarnished look at how the utility company harnessed the power of social media -- particularly Twitter -- to keep customers informed.

"The utility industry has been a little behind with regard to social media, but that's changing," said Glen Thomas, a supervisor at MLGW. "It's not always a walk in the park because this is the age of the Internet tough guy, but it's proving worthwhile for us."

Before June 12, one person managed the company's Twitter account, which had been operating on an occasional basis since last year. There were fewer than four dozen tweets and about 200 followers.

Today, MLGW boasts a "Twitter team" and counts more than 1,800 followers. Daily tweets about outages, energy efficient measures and green practices are routine.

The company also answers customer questions and offers safety tips during times of extreme weather.

"At first it wasn't really coordinated, we just decided to send out a message on Twitter because we had an account," said Richard Thompson, MLGW communications specialist. "Then it exploded. A lot of people realized they could come on Twitter and talk to us directly."

The ability to communicate in real time with thousands of customers makes Twitter an ideal way to disseminate information, said Chris Stanley, lead media relations director for MLGW and local PRSA president. And that makes it a powerful tool that other companies can -- and should -- utilize.

"Your business is being talked about on Twitter, whether you're joining in on the conversation or not," Stanley said. "You need to join the conversation and protect your brand."

For newbies, Stanley recommended starting slowly and getting a feel for social media first. Learn the language and rules of Twitter or any other site, he stressed, before posting anything.

"Think about everything you say because once it's out there, it's public forever," Stanley said.

The social media experiment has been overwhelmingly positive for MLGW, but that's not to say there haven't been rough spots, Thomas said. Customers have posted negative comments about the company, but instead of becoming offended, staffers are encouraged to use the critiques as opportunities to improve service.

And in times of emergency, maintaining communication is vital.

"We've had thousands of conversations with customers that wouldn't have been possible without social media," Thomas said. "Even if people are complaining, we're listening and now it's easier and faster to let them know we're addressing their problems."

In addition to Twitter, MLGW has a Facebook page, posts videos on YouTube and maintains a blog.

Energy Kits for Procrastinators

TVA announced they have extended the deadline for residential customers to qualify for a free energy kit. The deadline has been moved to 3/31/2010. More than 14,000 MLGW customers have qualified through My Account so far, with an unknown number using other methods.

You can qualify for their free energy kit by registering for "My Account" at MLGW.com, login and complete the "Home Profile" and "My Appliances" question sets under the "Home Energy Center tab." You will automatically receive a kit at your home address within 2-3 weeks.

The free TVA kit contains:

* Filter whistle that sounds when the heating or cooling system filter is 80 percent clogged and needs to be changed

* Outlet and light switch gaskets - insulation to help stop drafts and save energy

* Faucet aerators (two) - water-saving filters that improve efficiency

* Hot water temperature card that measures temperature of hot tap water and indicates if thermostat adjustment is needed to save money and prevent water scalds

* Energy use thermometer gauge that helps check energy costs for heating and cooling. Each degree thermostats are set back eight hours a day can reduce heating bills by as much as 3 percent, and up to 5 percent on cooling bills.

Tire Dumping

Tire Godzilla photo courtesy of Flickr.

Illegal dumping of tires is a major problem in Memphis. A proposed new ordinance would give people a 50-cent reward for each discarded tire they haul to a recycling center. Read more here.

Also in case you didn't know, homes or businesses serviced by the City may place up to four tires curbside for free collection by the City. Tire collection may require special arrangements; therefore, your patience is appreciated. For further information call 576-6851 Ext. 1. or click here.

Saving the Environment One Pizza Box at a Time

Soiled pizza boxes aren't recyclable, but you can recycle the top part if it isn't dirty--just tear it off.

Check out this nifty new pizza box designed by E.C.O. Incorporated.

River Rats Wanted

Despite its name, a river rat isn’t a rodent, but a person who spends his or her time paddling, fishing and exploring rivers. More than that, they spend their time defending the importance of rivers, from the habitats they support to the human lives they enrich.

Dale Sanders, 74, a self-described river rat (Rattus fluvius?), avid paddler and volunteer/director for the Wolf River Conservancy, is looking for converts.

Read the very thorough and inspiring A River Runs Through Us: Memphis’ once and future connection with the Wolf by ERIC SMITH in this week's Memphis News.

Downtown Employees Give From the Heart

A couple of weeks ago an elderly man walked into MLGW's downtown Community Office attempting to get his utilities turned back on with only $70 of his $387.53 bill. After speaking with a Credit Counselor and discovering that his minimum payment was $220 which was beyond his means, the customer immediately got emotional saying that he, his daughter, and grandchild, who has a heart condition, have been living in their home without air conditioning since July 31st.

The customer did receive a disability check, but not until the end of the month. However, the MLGW credit counselor offered to call CSA for the customer hoping they could provide immediate financial assistance. That particular day, CSA was accepting emergency calls only and the elderly customer would have to go through an interview process later that day. Since he was without a home phone, this was not a viable option.

MLGW's lead cashier and the two security officers on-duty consoled the emotionally distraught customer. The cashier expressed, “We see a lot of customers who come in and shower us with reasons why they can’t pay their bills, but occasionally there are customers who are genuinely experiencing hard times. My heart goes out to those customers.” The employees decided immediately that they would pay the customer’s remaining balance, $317.53.

The man was grateful, “I don’t care what anyone has to say about the company, you all are nice people.”

Recycled Houses

About 12 years ago, Dan Phillips started Phoenix Commotion, a construction business in his hometown, Huntsville, Tex., where he builds low-income housing out of salvaged items.

So far, he has built 14 homes on lots either purchased or received as a donation. A self-taught carpenter, electrician and plumber, Mr. Phillips said 80 percent of the materials are salvaged from other construction projects, hauled out of trash heaps or just picked up from the side of the road. (Read the full story here.)


Check out the amazing slideshow on the New York Times' website.

Corn Dogs, Turkey Legs & Energy Savings

For the next ten days, MLGW will be set up at the Delta Fair. Come by and say hi, play Plink-O, and get some energy savings tips. We're inside, booths 60-61.

Parking Lot Garden

The Jack Robinson Gallery is just down the street from MLGW's main office. On a recent lunch time stroll I noticed that they had turned a small strip of earth lining their parking lot into an amazing garden bursting with eggplant, peppers, melons, and more. Their scarecrows dressed as Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were also a nice touch. Just think how cool it would be if everyone lined their parking lots with edible gardens.

Community Conservation Day Tomorrow!

Stop by an MLGW Community Office tomorrow between 11am-1pm and receive a free energy conservation kit! Employees will provide information on our Energy Smart program and answer questions.

CFLs Shine in Tests

I heard an interesting story about CFLs on NPR yesterday. Here's the transcript for your reading pleasure. (If you prefer, you can listen here).

Heard on All Things Considered

August 31, 2009 - ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

So, incandescents are getting more efficient, but how do they compare to the other options out there - compact fluorescents and LEDs, or light-emitting diodes? How do they compare in efficiency and cost and in environmental impact? Well, for some answers, we're joined by Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman who is the deputy home editor at Consumer Reports and in their October issue, due out tomorrow, they put compact fluorescent bulbs to the test. Welcome to the program.

Ms. CELIA KUPERSZMID-LEHRMAN (Deputy Home Editor, Consumer Reports): Thanks very much.

SIEGEL: And let's start with efficiency. How do these new incandescents compare to what you've seen out there from compact fluorescents?

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMAN: They're still far less efficient than compact fluorescent bulbs and less efficient than LEDs. Now, we actually tested one of these hybrid bulbs - the Philips Halogena, which also says it's going to save 30 percent of the energy and it did. The problem is that these bulbs are very expensive. We paid $9 for two bulbs. So, even at 30 percent savings in terms of energy, you're just never (unintelligible) these bulbs and never going to pay for themselves.

SIEGEL: Well, let's talk cost. Compact fluorescents have come down a lot in price, but are they a better deal than incandescents?

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMAN: Yes, they are. Long term, they are a much better deal. They've come down and price quite a bit. We had some of our Consumer Reports best buys are about a $1.50 a bulb. Those can save you $56 over the life of a bulb. And when you think of the fact that the average house has about 40 light bulbs in it roughly, you really can start seeing some significant savings.

SIEGEL: Although I gather the life of the CFL is not quite so long as might have been advertised when they first hit the market.

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMANP: They're getting much better. And that's one of the things we also found in our test was that the energy star bulbs did perform better. So, we're seeing that they are starting to - you know, they're all going to perform and last much longer than an average incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs last about 900 to a 1,000 hours and all of bulbs that we had in our ratings were still burning brightly after 3,000 hours and we keep them going. So, we're going to update that.

SIEGEL: Mm-hmm.

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMANP: But in our previous tests, we have bulbs that burned for 10,000 hours.

SIEGEL: Now a big downside to compact fluorescents is the issue of toxicity, they contain mercury. And one is one can never simply throw them away - bad news for folks who buy them hoping that they'll be planet friendly. But, is that a reasonable argument in favor of incandescents or LEDs?

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMANP: Well certainly - I don't think really in favor of incandescents because you're saving so much electricity and that electricity is being generated often by coal-powered electric plants. And that's dumping a lot of the same pollutant's mercury into the air. The compact fluorescent bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury, five milligrams or less for the energy star bulbs. And five milligrams is actually a very small amount. When we test it, most of them actually contain significantly less than the five milligrams. And five milligrams itself is actually the amount you would need to cover the tip of a pen or a pencil.

SIEGEL: Now, here's another criterion for judging light bulbs: esthetics. Incandescents make great light, you can put them on the dimmer. Can CFLs or LEDs ever come close to that a kind of warm light?

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMANP: Well, CFLs has gotten a lot closer. You have to know how do you find the CFL with that same light quality. And that's one of the things that people do. They confuse brightness with color and light quality. Color is how blue or white or yellow the light is, is actually defined by the temperature of the light. And if you look for a CFL that is 2,700 K, that is pretty close to an incandescent bulb. So, it's just important to look for that number so that you can see that. And a lot of that number is now on the packaging. It's required on the packaging of energy star bulbs.

SIEGEL: Well, Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman, deputy home editor of Consumer Reports. Thank you very much for talking with us.

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMAN: It was my pleasure.

(Soundbite of music)

SIEGEL: This is NPR, National Public Radio.