A Roof Designed for Our Hotter Future

Written by Susan Kraemer

Given the climate change coming to most regions of the US, this new roof idea is a great passive cooling solution worth looking at even if you don’t live in the desert regions… now.Because, by century’s end; you might.

“Summer temperatures in Florida could rise by 10.5F, with the heat effect multiplied by decreased rainfall under the higher emissions scenario. There would be increased hurricane intensity and rising sea levels leads to loss of wetlands and coastal areas.”
“When you’re out in the desert, shade is gold. It’s the most valuable asset you have, so to make more shade was [the] strategy,” says Lloyd Russell of this house he designed to withstand both the scorching heat and the cold of the desert for a client in Southern California.

Russell’s very low carbon way to cool a home is another example of how creatively some architects are thinking out of the box and in the process creating an entirely new design vernacular - architecture for zero energy use in a carbon-constrained, hotter, wilder new world.

You might find this image vaguely familiar already. Open hay barns often have a giant metal roof like this providing shade. In this case this provides constant shade for the house and its patio areas, maintaining a relative cool micro-climate under the extra shade roof. The huge overarching steel roof shades the completely separate building underneath.
Over the next few centuries, this passive cooling design might be mitigating the new hotter climate that much of the US will be feeling.

Once Michigan feels like Georgia, wouldn’t a tempting solution be to just put another roof literally over the whole house? This might be among the the climate mitigation design solutions typical of the 2100’s.

This house is a basic rectangle under its hay barn sun shade. The naturally rusting walls and large sliding openings are indicative of both a rustic and modern acceptance of the harsh extremes of desert life.

Desert temperatures can range from 10 degrees to well into over 100 degrees, and winds can top 90 miles per hour. So this low-tech approach makes sense, making a very adjustable structure where many of the walls can be fully opened or securely closed for industrial scale heating or cooling.

The homeowner calls it “the ultimate desert structure,” both inside and out. The house also reflects the make-do culture and cowboy aesthetic this owner shares with his neighbors in Pioneer town - a very different aesthetic from that of nearby Palm Springs, with it’s A/C controlled homes still shutting out reality in gated communities.

Out here the residents embrace the desert as it is. As the homeowner puts it: “This place is bulletproof.”

In another sustainable touch; reused materials from an architectural salvage shop inside the rugged metal shell of the house reduce both costs and environmental impact. This typical example - an old elementary-school drinking fountain is used as a bathroom sink.

“It’s either recycled stuff, or stuff that’s going to last forever. And to me that’s as green as you can get,” is the homeowner’s assessment. “It’s going to be there, you never have to go back and retouch it or fix it.”

China 66 Percent Drop in Plastic Bag Use

by Ben Block

A strict Chinese limit on ultra-thin plastic bags significantly reduced bag-related pollution nationwide during the past year. The country avoided the use of 40 billion bags, according to government estimates.

Plastic bags are commonly found in waterways, on beaches, and in other "unofficial" dumping sites across China. Litter caused by the notorious bags has been referred to as "white pollution."
The State Council, China's parliament, responded in January 2008 by prohibiting shops, supermarkets, and sales outlets from providing free plastic bags that are less than 0.025 millimeters thick.

The State Administration of Industry and Commerce also threatened to fine shopkeepers and vendors as much as 10,000 yuan (US$1,465) if they were caught distributing free bags.

In its first review of the ban, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced earlier this month that supermarkets reduced plastic bag usage by 66 percent since the policy became effective last June. The limit in bag production saved China 1.6 million tons of petroleum, the NDRC estimated.

Prior to the ban, an estimated 3 billion plastic bags were used daily across China, creating more than 3 million tons of garbage each year. China consumed an estimated 5 million tons (37 million barrels) of crude oil annually to produce plastics for packaging.

The China Chain Store and Franchise Association undertook an analysis of the ban as well. The association announced earlier this month that foreign-owned and local supermarkets reduced plastic bag usage by 80 and 60 percent, respectively.

"Supermarket consumers are used to bringing along shopping bags and reusing plastic bags," an association statement said. "The awareness of environment is enhanced. The declined usage of plastic bags has no negative effect on the sales of supermarkets."

But compliance with the ban appears to be inconsistent across the country. A survey by Global Village, a Beijing-based environmental group, found that more than 80 percent of retail stores in rural regions continued to provide plastic bags free of charge. The survey also found that nearly 96 percent of open food markets throughout Beijing continued to provide bags. The policy exempts the use of plastic packaging for raw meat and noodles for hygiene and safety reasons.
The commerce administration enforced the ban through a 600,000-strong army of regulators who inspected some 250,000 retail stores or markets, according to China Daily. The regulators dispensed about 2 million yuan (US$293,000) of fines.

Suiping Huaqiang Plastic, a 20,000-employee bag manufacturer, experienced the ban's economic effects almost immediately. The company went out of business last year, soon after the government announced the plastic bag policy. Despite backlash from the plastics industry, numerous countries and cities worldwide have adopted bag limits in recent years. Mumbai, India, banned thin plastic bags in 2000 to prevent garbage from clogging storm drains during monsoon season. Bans or taxes have since been adopted in localities including Australia, Ireland, Italy, South Africa, and various U.S. cities. In Tanzania, selling a thin plastic bag risks the maximum penalty of six months in jail and a 1.5 million shilling (US$1,170) fine.

Depending on its composition, plastic debris can require more than a century to decompose, gradually breaking down into smaller pieces over time. The Pacific Ocean is home to a floating heap of debris estimated to be twice the size of France and to weigh at least 3 million tons.
The world's plastic debris and other refuse is often digested by wildlife and kills an estimated 1 million seabirds per year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The agency reported earlier this month that plastic, especially plastic bags and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles, accounts for more than 80 percent of marine litter, the most common source worldwide. The report was the first assessment of marine debris in the world's 12 major sea regions.

Plastics can also damage boats, fishing gear, and agricultural facilities. Phasing-out thin plastic bags at the source is often regarded as a cheaper alternative than removing the debris later by hand or machine, UNEP said.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner has recommended that all countries ban thin plastic bags. "Some of the litter, like thin-film single-use plastic bags which choke marine life, should be banned or phased-out rapidly everywhere," Steiner said in a statement earlier this month.

"There is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere."

U.S. Neighborhoods Air Could Cause Cancer

WASHINGTON — illions of people living in nearly 600 neighborhoods across the country are breathing concentrations of toxic air pollutants that put them at a much greater risk of contracting cancer, according to new data from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The levels of 80 cancer-causing substances released by automobiles, factories and other sources in these areas exceed a 100 in 1 million cancer risk. That means that if 1 million people breathed air with similar concentrations over their lifetime, about 100 additional people would be expected to develop cancer because of their exposure to the pollution.

The average cancer risk across the country is 36 in 1 million, according to the National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment, which will be released by the EPA on Wednesday. That's a decline from the 41.5 in 1 million cancer risk the EPA found when it released the last analysis in 2006. That data covered 1999 emissions.

"If we are in between 10 in 1 million and 100 in 1 million we want to look more deeply at that. If the risk is greater than 100 in 1 million, we don't like that at all ... we want to investigate that risk and do something about it," said Kelly Rimer, an environmental scientist with the EPA, in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Parts of Los Angeles, Calif., and Madison County, Ill., had the highest cancer risks in the nation _ 1200 in 1 million and 1100 in 1 million, according to the EPA data. They were followed by two neighborhoods in Allegheny County, Pa., and one in Tuscaloosa County, Ala.

People living in parts of Coconino County, Ariz., and Lyon County, Nev., had the lowest cancer risk from air toxics. The counties with the least toxic air are Kalawao County, Hawaii, and Golden Valley County, Mont.

"Air toxic risks are local. They are a function of the sources nearest to you," said Dave Guinnup, who leads the groups that perform the risk assessments for toxic air pollutants at EPA. "If you are out in the Rocky Mountains, you are going to be closer to 2 in a million. If you are in an industrial area with a lot of traffic, you are going to be closer to 1100 in 1 million."

The analysis predicts the concentrations of 124 different hazardous air pollutants, which are known to cause cancer, respiratory problems and other health effects by coupling estimates of emissions from a variety of sources with models that attempt to simulate how the pollution will disperse in the air. Only 80 of the chemicals evaluated are known to cause cancer, EPA officials said.

The information is used by federal, state and local agencies to identify areas in need of more monitoring and attention.

The data to be released Wednesday covers pollution released in 2002.

Earn $4,500 For Your Gas Guzzler

If you trade your old vehicle for one that gets better mileage the government could provide you with federal vouchers of up to $4,500. An addition to the $106 billion dollar wartime spending bill, the Cash for Clunkers provision is an attempt to get gas-guzzlers off the road.

If you own a car that's bought after 1984 that gives you 18 miles to the gallon or less, you're good to go. For a trade with a car that gives you 22 mpg, you get $3,500. But you'd get $4,500 if the new car is 10 mpg higher in fuel efficiency. So who qualifies?

Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date

Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify

Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements)

Trade-in vehicles must be registered and insured continuously for the full year preceding the trade-in

You don't need a voucher, dealers will apply a credit at purchase

It needs to be worth less 4,500

You cannot trade it in for a car that costs more than 45,000

There's lots of controversy surrounding this bill, and critics argue that the program could end up providing vouchers towards the purchase of new gas-guzzling SUVs -- since the fuel efficiency requirements aren't stringent enough.

Others contend that the bill could take perfectly operational cars off the road and force consumers to buy new cars. But while details need to be worked out (there still isn't a proper plan for the disposable of old cars), car manufacturers are eagerly waiting for a rise in their sales charts.

To find the current EPG on the car you drive, click here: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

Obama Calls On House To Pass Energy Bill

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is calling on members of the House to pass legislation that he says will "spark a clean energy transformation" and reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

Obama told reporters at a Tuesday midday news conference that the legislation will also deal with the problem of pollution that causes global warming. And he says it will be paid for by the polluters.

Obama said the measure will bring energy savings to Americans, while developing technologies that could create millions of new jobs. He said again that a nation that leads the way to a clean energy economy will lead the global economy in this century.

10 Tips to Improve Your Gas Mileage

How often do you have to stop and fill up your tank? Frequent trips to the gas station may be a sign that you’re not maximizing your car’s fuel efficiency. As it turns out, trading your ride in for a hybrid isn’t the only way to improve your gas mileage. Here are some simple pointers to get started.

Lighten your load. Take out your golf clubs, toolbox and other heavy items when you don’t need them. Any extra weight reduces your car’s fuel efficiency.

Use cruise control as much as possible because driving at a constant speed increases your gas mileage. Plus, it sure makes that daily commute a little more bearable.

Switch into overdrive to decrease the engine’s speed and save gas.

Keep the idling to a minimum. Instead, turn off the engine while you’re waiting for your pals to pick up something from the store or finish getting ready.

Gradually accelerate to waste less gas.

Maintain your tire pressure to ensure that your tires are always properly inflated. In addition to better gas mileage, it will help your tires last longer.

Use the grade of motor oil recommended by your car’s manufacturer, whether it be 5W-30, 5W-20 or 10W-30.

Give your engine a tune up on a regular basis.

Only turn on the air conditioning when you’re dripping sweat and threatened by heat stroke. Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme, but you get the idea. Use it sparingly.

Take off bike or luggage racks when you aren’t using them. They interfere with the aerodynamics of your vehicle and cause drag, which causes your car to expend more energy than necessary.

Lucrative Jobs from Obama's Stimulus Plan

by Carol Tice
President Barack Obama's plan to get the U.S. economy going has a strong focus on creating jobs. Two of the bills he's recently signed, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Making Home Affordable program, provide funding that will create a wide variety of job opportunities with good salaries. Better yet, many of these jobs don't require a four-year degree, so job-seekers may be able to move into these careers pretty quickly.

Here's a selection of some of the best-paying stimulus jobs:
Computer Security Specialist
A big chunk of the ARRA money is dedicated to health-care information-technology initiatives -- digitizing medical records so they're easier to transmit and share between doctors, hospitals and pharmacists. Computer-security experts who can help keep electronic medical records locked away from computer hackers and other unauthorized users will be in high demand as the health-care sector modernizes, says Laurence Shatkin, author of "Great Jobs in the President's Stimulus Plan."
Other specialists will be needed to train workers on how to keep the data safe. A brief certificate program may suffice to get you started in this field, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says. "There's going to be a special role here of how to keep prying eyes away," Shatkin says. Median annual salary: $78,376

Cost Estimator
For each of the major infrastructure projects that receive stimulus funding, an estimator must determine the likely cost of material plus labor so that accurate job bids can be submitted and budgets properly prepared. Shatkin says laid-off workers with a background in construction, who are familiar with the industry's labor and materials costs, should find opportunities here, though many estimators have a four-year degree. Median annual salary: $58,868

Civil Engineer
For each of these big federally backed construction projects, Shatkin points out, civil engineers must make sure structures are properly designed to withstand the elements. Engineers also make sure construction projects are executed correctly. You'll need at least a college degree, usually in engineering. But the BLS notes a degree in science or mathematics might work to get you started here, too. Median annual salary: $66,638

Insulation Installer
The ARRA is focused on making federal facilities more energy efficient, starting with simple methods such as weatherizing buildings with more insulation to save energy. Projects are happening all over the country, Shatkin notes, at science labs, military installations, and other federal buildings. High-school graduates often can receive on-the-job training, the BLS says. Median annual salary: $44,460

Solar Panel Installer
President Obama has made cleaner, greener energy use a top administration priority. The ARRA includes funding for the installation of solar panels to cut energy use at many federal buildings ... and that means someone with an understanding of electric, water and heating systems will need to climb up on the rooftops and put up these systems. Training programs may be as short as six months, Shatkin notes. Median annual salary: $44,460

Physical Therapy Assistants
The ARRA included an extension of medical benefits for workers laid off in the recent downturn, Shatkin points out. That will keep business brisk for medical professionals, including physical therapy assistants. Assistants may have a two-year degree, or can be trained on the job, to assist patients who need exercises or must use crutches or other devices, according to the BLS. Median annual salary: $48,999

Loan Officer
Just signed into law in May, legislation entitled Making Home Affordable provides federal incentives for banks to help up to 9 million distressed homeowners renegotiate their loans. Because each mortgage agreement and piece of property is unique, the work is time-consuming -- a loan officer must sit down with each homeowner individually.
This initiative is creating a sudden need for more mortgage loan specialists who can renegotiate with homeowners, says Joseph Burkhart, director of recovery-related business development at recruiting firm The Mergis Group in McLean, Va. Burkhart says the majority of the nation's loan-renegotiation work traditionally took place in the Dallas market, but that the huge volume of loan workouts planned means banks will be hiring all across the country.
"The mortgage industry in January only did 100,000 refis," he says. "Now they're projecting that millions of them will take place every month."
Because of high demand, Burkhart says employers are looking at applicants with a variety of past work experience -- former bank loan officers and others who understand contracts. One background that's of interest, Burkhart says: call-center workers who've made contract offers over the phone. Median annual salary: $43,070

Source: All salary data is from PayScale.com. The salaries listed are median, annual salaries for full-time workers with 5-8 years of experience and include any bonuses, commissions or profit sharing.

Lazy Environmentalist Debuts on TV

By Dan Shapley
It was 1996 and Dorfman realized that his sales beat was on the cusp of a consumer explosion. The country was developing at breakneck speed and very soon, millions of bicyclists could very well be driving cars instead. Dorfman could hear mama nature weeping. Inspired by his reckoning, Dorfman returned to the United States, earned an MBA in international business at Arizona's prestigious Thunderbird and set a goal: To find a balance between preserving nature and our insatiable desire to shop, shop, shop. No small task. "I realized the one thing we do every day is consume," Dorfman says. "And rather than guilt trip or moralize, why not find a way to make the alternatives attractive enough so people will be drawn to it?"So Dorfman began with shelter, selling eco-friendly furniture and home furnishings through his newly created company Vivavi.

Eventually he became a highly successful eco entrepreneur and spokesperson for environmental change, appearing on Martha Stewart's show, writing columns and giving talks. Someone close to Dorfman, however, felt he was more talk than walk. "Are you really an environmentalist?" she challenged. "You talk like one but you don't behave like one." She felt Dorman's personal habits, like taking long showers, did not line up with those of a true environmentalist. "She really ripped into me about this," he remembers. "So two days later I wrote a blog called 'The Lazy Environmentalist.' I realized, like so many people, there are some areas in my life I'm not giving up. I still take long showers because I do my best thinking in the shower. And I don't want to drive a Prius; I'd rather have an Audi convertible, if I can afford one. It came down to this: What can I do to help people have the quality of life they want without ruining the planet? Guilt tripping does not move us to action. "So I set out to find ways to take environmental action that also appeals to our self interest. We want to save money and we want to find the alternatives that are convenient." Thus "The Lazy Environmentalist" boom began.

The blog led to a Sirius radio show, more speaking engagements, a commentator gig on Sundance Channel's "Big Ideas for a Small Planet," and two books: The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide To Easy, Stylish, Green Living and The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save The Planet.

Dorfman hosts The Lazy Environmentalist series on the Sundance Channel.

Virginia’s First LEED Platinum Home

by Evelyn Lee
Arlington, Virginia recently received its first LEED Platinum home, which simultaneously holds the honor of Best Single Family Residential Project from the Virginia Sustainable Building Network. A collaboration between Metro Green and Kaplan Thompson Architects, the four bedroom family home and loft merges contemporary architecture with a sustainable footprint that leaves even us totally green with envy.



The house is just as green on the inside as it is on the outside and is put together using SIPS, a geothermal HVAC system, grid-tied solar panels and low-e argon windows. By placing a primary focus on saving energy, the architects were able to reduce heating and cooling costs for the 3825 sq ft house to little more than $300 for an entire year. If you think that’s impressive, you should see the interior energy saving appliances that have contributed to the house receiving a 5+ Energy Star rating in addition to its certification for exceptional indoor air quality.



The house is located less than five miles from Downtown, Washington, DC and is little more than a hop skip and a jump away (one block) from public transportation should its future residents want to leave less of a footprint of their own on their way to and from work. To “top it all off”, the crowning glory of the home is its green roof and use of pervious surfaces throughout. These surfaces ensure zero runoff in the event of a rainstorm up to one inch, which helps contribute to the future health of nearby Chesapeake Bay.

Flexible Solar Cell Roof Shingles

by Jorge Chapa

By far one of the most wasted spaces of every residence is the roof - of course it is there to protect us from the elements, but surely it can be put to better use. Aiming to innovate upon conventional roof cladding, researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently unveiled a new breed of flexible and moisture resistant solar panels that are designed to be rolled out en masse as energy-generating roof tiles!

Solar Panels are a great source of green energy, but unfortunately they’re not the prettiest of things - massive solar arrays tend to stick out like sore thumbs. Traditional photovoltaic panels, such as those incorporated into building facades, also tend to be costly, and producing them in a cheap and usable quantity has been a common problem.

Researchers at PNNL developed a film encapsulation process that was initially used for protecting flat panel displays over 15 years ago. However with the recent emphasis on energy generating technologies, they decided to take a second look at the materials and encapsulation process. It turns out that this encapsulation process can be used to protect components that are intended to be exposed to ultraviolet lights and natural elements, making it perfect for waterproofing thin-film solar panels.

PNNL hopes to produce a solar panel that can be installed on a residence and generate power for a few cents on the dollar. Research is currently being undertaken in conjunction with Vitex and Batelle, and hopefully we’ll see a marketable product soon.

Green Power the checkout with 'Kinetic Plates'

Kinetic energy plates at Sainsbury's Gloucester Quays store.

A supermarket chain will open its first "people-powered" store this week using technology that captures energy from vehicles to power its checkouts.

In a European first, Sainsbury's will install the invention at its new store in Gloucester, opening this Wednesday. Energy will be captured every time a vehicle drives over "kinetic road plates" in the car park and then channelled back into the store.

The kinetic road plates are expected to produce 30 kWh of green energy every hour — more than enough energy to power the store's checkouts. The system, pioneered for Sainsbury's by Peter Hughes of Highway Energy Systems, does not affect the car or fuel efficiency, and drivers feel no disturbance as they drive over the plates.

Alison Austin, Sainsbury's environment manager, said: "This is revolutionary. Not only are we the first to use such cutting-edge technology with our shoppers, but customers can now play a very active role in helping make their local shop greener, without extra effort or cost.

"We want to continue offering great value but we also want to make the weekly shop sustainable. Using amazing technology like this helps us reduce our use of carbon and makes Sainsbury's a leading energy-efficient business."

The kinetic road plates are one of a number of energy-saving measures at Sainsbury's new store in Gloucester Quays, Gloucester. The store will harvest rainwater to flush the store's toilets and solar thermal panels will heat up to 100% of the store's hot water during the summer, and more than 90% of the construction waste was re-used or recycled.

David Sheehan, director of store development and construction at Sainsbury's, said: "The new environmental features within the Gloucester Quays store mark a very exciting time in store development. We are able to use cutting-edge technology to improve our services and the store environment for our customers and colleagues, at the same time as ultimately reducing our carbon footprint across the UK."

Scientists pointed out that the energy generated by the devices is nottotally "free". Rather, they capture a tiny amount from each car thatpasses over them, increasing each vehicle's fuel consumption by a tinyamount.

New York’s High Line Park in the Sky

by Yuka Yoneda and Jill Fehrenbacher
An elevated park in the sky built on top of the skeleton of an old rail system? It may have sounded impossible only five years ago, but today, the eagerly awaited High Line elevated urban park officially opens for thousands of New Yorkers looking to escape the hubbub of the city below!

Renovated / designed by James Corner Field Operations, Lead Designer, with starchitects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, The High Line was originally constructed in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District in the 1930s to lift dangerous freight trains off of city streets. Abandoned in the 1980’s the High Line went into decay and disrepair and was rediscovered in popular consciousness in 2000, after acclaimed photographer Joel Sternfeld captured the beauty of the industrial relic in photos: overgrown with wildflowers — an abandoned human structure essentially reclaimed by nature in a matter of 20 years.



The City of New York was originally planning to tear down the High Line, but a group formed, called ‘Friends of the High Line’, to protect, preserve, and renovate the High Line. This eventually lead to a design competition, and the commissioning of landscape architects James Corner Field Operations and architects Diller Scodifio + Renfro to rehabilitate this abandoned space into a lush, green, elevated paradise for Manhattanites.

Renovations spanned a time frame of several years (with another section yet to be complete until 2010), but visitors to the park yesterday all seemed to agree that it was well worth the wait.

So what was our verdict? Well, while we view slick renderings of concepts for urban green spaces almost everyday, it is an entirely different thing to actually step into a completed project and see it with our own eyes. We weren’t sure if it was going to be possible for a starchitect-designed renovation to maintain the simple, stark beauty of the original, overgrown High Line - the one that had captured the imagination of so many Manhattanites in 2000. But we were impressed and pleasantly surprised!



The feeling at the High Line was one of excitement, optimism and pride that our city was able to take something that was just a gleam in our eyes a few years ago and turn it into something that we, and hopefully generations to come, can enjoy. For New Yorkers like myself, who are just witnessing the beginnings of an urban space revolution, the High Line is a tangible manifestation of what the future could look like.



That being said, you’re probably wondering what it looked like. The most prominent features of the long and winding park are the preserved rail tracks that poke out through the porous layer of concrete that has been cut away in strips here and there emphasizing a linear aesthetic. Lush shrubbery, reedy grasses and watercolor-hued flowers surround the rust-red tracks in a way that seems deliberate yet natural. Farther down along the meandering pathway, sunbathers relaxed on blocky wooden chaise lounges, some of which have casters that look like they can roll right along the tracks (although they can’t, we tried). Vistas that were unseen to most New Yorkers, like a view of the clubs in the Meatpacking district from above and peeks into the posh lofts that are at the same level as the High Line were visible, for the very first time, from here.



Finally, congratulations to this lovely couple who celebrated their wedding day at the opening day of the High Line. What a beautiful and symbolic way to commemorate their special day!

Ditch ‘global warming’ PR firm says

by Jonathan Hiskes

The non-profit PR shop ecoAmerica finally released the findings of its public opinion research today, bringing a trove of information about how on-the-fence Americans respond to different messages about climate change and energy.

The firm conducted an impressive amount of research in February through March—focus groups, a phone survey, an online survey—all focused on finding better talking points for wooing folks who are undecided about this whole global warming/clean energy/green jobs business.

This was the report whose summary was accidently sent to a bunch of media outlets after a White House briefing from ecoAmerica in April, leading to a not-very-flattering story in the New York Times. The story suggested it’s cynical to try to sell the climate crisis the way you’d sell toothpaste, and it’s true that the report wholeheartedly embraces a public-relations way of looking at things:

Remember to speak in aspirational language about shared American ideals, like freedom, prosperity, independence and self-sufficiency while avoiding jargon and details about policy, science, economics or technology.


The earnest English major in me is pitching a fit right now (“Gah! The truth doesn’t need talking points.”) Maybe you’ve got the same beef, but there’s fascinating stuff here. Think of it as “rhetoric” if that sits better than “PR.” For anyone who communicates about climate and energy, it’s worth reading the whole report, “Climate and Energy Truths: Our Common Future.” Here are a few highlights for starters:

Ditch “global warming.” It makes people think of Al Gore more than anything else, too polarizing. “Climate change” is almost as bad. “Our deteriorating atmosphere” is the term soccer moms and other “environmental agnostics” respond to best, the report found.

Likewise, people don’t want to hear about “cap-and-trade.” Too wonky. When you’re talking about cap-and-trade, call it “Clean Energy Dividend” or “Clean Energy Cash Back.” This fits a central theme of the report—the climate-action camp needs to learn how to translate think-tank language into kitchen-table language.

Even “renewable” and “alternative” energy are too vague. (Were you clear on the difference anyway?) Instead, talk about energy sources that run out and ones that don’t run out. Or energy sources you have to burn and ones you don’t have to burn.

Talk about values, not facts.
“Activating multiple values tends to be stronger than just invoking a single value.” Bring prosperity, national security, and personal health into your argument. The report doesn’t mention human rights or climate justice arguments—odd, since evangelicals have already shown they can rally behind this perspective.

One the other hand, one good fact packs more punch than a string of facts. You don’t win people over with a relentless barrage of facts, says the report. That only muddles the brain. Somehow this connects to Joseph Stalin’s “One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic.”
For your one key fact, the report’s authors especially like the phrasing, “Local temperatures always fluctuate naturally. But when the 10 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1990, we have a problem.”

Finally, the report says it would be a travesty to let the Right own “comprehensive energy solutions”. Show why your side, not theirs, is the true “all-of-the-above” option. As with everything else, it works better to stay on the offensive and make the other side defend their position.

OK, but the report doesn’t seem to acknowledge that most people have bull**** detectors that kick in at some point. Calling a cap-and-trade plan “clean energy cash back” makes it sound like you’re promising to create money out of thin air. You can call it a “free beer and hot wings” plan, but at some point, citizens are going to ask for more than spin.

Studio Shift’s Center For Disease Control

by Evelyn Lee
Scientific research unites with the public landscape in Studio Shift’s honorable mention submission for Taiwan’s Center for Disease Control. Cited as a gateway to the future development of the Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park, the CDC literally reaches out via its architectural design, through two central arms which welcome the public into its lush garden landscape. The footprint of the building adds nearly as much green space as it occupies, through the addition of a massive landscaped roof, accessible by a recreational path that links to the grounds below. In addition, views from the path invite the public to peek into the inner happenings of the CDC, which is constantly working to be a cooperative with the public it serves.



As suspected, Studio Shift has included a plethora of sustainable systems throughout their design for Taiwan’s new Center for Disease Control - including solar power collection, solar shading devices, geothermal technology, reclamation strategies, natural landscaping, and overall energy optimization. Studio Shift made certain that their submission integrated many properties from the site to make it more energy efficient. They sum up the union of science and architecture in the journey toward progress stating, “…the architecture of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control must embody the same fervor and determination found in its researchers’ quest for scientific progress. It must also promote connectivity and cohesion within the scientific community at large while opening its arms to the public which it serves.”

Green Movement Heads to People of Color

In an attempt to diversify, national environmental groups expand to become more relevant to minorities

By Olivia Gentile

A little over a decade ago, the major players in the environmental movement tried to take on Florida's sugar producers. The industry's fertilizers were polluting the Everglades, and the environmentalists asked Florida voters to approve a penny-per-pound tax on sugar companies that would yield $35 million a year for cleanup work.

But "Big Sugar" responded with a multimillion-dollar campaign to portray the environmentalists as white elitists attempting to weaken an industry that employed blacks and Latinos. Jesse Jackson joined forces with the industry, telling Floridians, "We should never have a showdown between alligators and people." With the help of minority group blocs, voters soundly rejected the tax.

Slideshow: More than a dozen "environmental justice" projects in action
The defeat was a wake-up call for the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy and other large environmental groups, which at the time were staffed and supported mostly by white people. In recent years, these organizations have begun to devote a great deal of money and effort to engage minority groups—not just to foster a sense of inclusiveness, but to survive in a demographically changing society. Nonwhite people make up 33 percent of the U.S. population, and the Census Bureau expects that figure to increase to 50 percent by 2042. Meanwhile, a survey of 60 environmental groups conducted in 2002 found that minorities made up less than 13 percent of their staffs.

Whites don't have greener sensibilities than nonwhites. Rather, many minority environmentalists have declined to join the large environmental organizations because they think the organizations focus too much on wilderness preservation and not enough on public health issues such as toxic dumping and lead poisoning problems that disproportionately affect minorities and poor people. In the 1990s some of these minority activists formed parallel campaigns—the "environmental justice" movement—that consists mostly of small, community-based organizations.

Today, the large national organizations are trying to bridge the divide between the two crusades. Audubon has undertaken an ambitious, nationwide effort to turn blighted sections of inner cities into nature education centers. They offer after-school programs, summer camps and internships to children who will—if the plan succeeds—grow up to be environmentalists and, perhaps, Audubon staff and members. In the past two years, such centers have opened in Dallas, San Antonio and Seattle, and two more are scheduled to open this summer in Columbus, Ohio, and Phoenix. Audubon is raising money for centers in Baltimore and Philadelphia, among other cities, although the recession is making this effort difficult.

But much of the work necessary to diversify Audubon and other mostly white environmental groups has nothing to do with fund-raising and construction. "Opening an Audubon center in a community isn't like building [a restaurant], where you can just plunk something down and customers will come," remarks Audubon president and CEO John Flicker, one of the environmentalists who was inspired to reach out to minority groups by the Florida sugar tax defeat. "An Audubon center is all about building trust and building relationships in the community, and that just takes time."

For example, the Audubon Center at Debs Park in a Latino section of East Los Angeles has been open since 2003, but a survey taken last year showed that 70 percent of nearby residents didn't know it existed, says Jeff Chapman, the interim director. "People tell us, 'We thought this beautiful building was a private facility [where] we weren't welcome.'" To address this misperception, the Debs Park staff has been working closely with day care providers, health clinics and schools—"trusted voices" in the neighborhood.

Keith Russell, an ornithologist who's helping lay the groundwork for an Audubon center in the low-income, mostly black neighborhood of Strawberry Mansion in Philadelphia, says it's important for Audubon and other groups to "listen first and not assume anything" as they reach out to minorities. Russell, who is black, has been teaching Strawberry Mansion residents about birds and nature, but he's also been tailoring his programming to their preexisting interests. "We had one walk right before Mother's Day, and the group said, 'Let's make it a Mother's Day promenade,' and people can come out in their nice hats."

Even though Russell grew up middle-class, he says he has credibility in Strawberry Mansion that a white Audubon staff member wouldn't—and that it's "critical" for Audubon to hire as many people of color as possible to be liaisons to minority groups.

Robert Bullard, one of the founders of the environmental justice movement and a sociology professor at Clark Atlanta University, applauds Audubon's urban nature center campaign, which he says provides "a pipeline for young people to understand that the environment and nature are in their community, not just at the Grand Canyon and Yosemite." But Bullard hopes the Audubon centers will go beyond educating kids about nature and address public health issues such as childhood obesity and the scarcity of grocery stores in inner cities—issues that have historically fallen under the aegis of the environmental justice movement.

The Sierra Club opened an environmental justice unit in the 1990s, in response to criticism from minorities, but in recent years the entire club has made diversity a priority, according to Sanjay Ranchod, a Sierra board member and an environmental lawyer in Atlanta. "Folks really see this as not optional work. This is really necessary for the club to achieve its conservation goals," he says. Sierra's spokespeople now routinely reach out to Spanish-language and black TV networks (Univision and BET, respectively); last year the club elected an Asian-American president, Allison Chin; and a diversity council has formed to oversee the club's efforts to attract more minority staff, members and volunteers.

The Nature Conservancy recently hired a diversity manager, VonGretchen C. Nelson, to help the organization attract and retain minority staff members. In recruiting this summer's paid interns, Nelson focused her efforts on colleges with a preponderance of black, Latino and Native American students; she's hoping that some of the 26 interns will eventually be hired full-time. And The Conservancy is raising money to expand its Urban Youth Program, which pays city high school students to live and work on nature preserves. As the director of the program, Brigitte Griswold, says, "If we can't reflect the overall population, how are we going to engage with the greater community?"

Energy Stock Price Jumps 61.7 Percent

GRAPEVINE, Texas — Renewable energy company Greenhunter Energy declined to comment Tuesday on what the New York Stock Exchange called "unusual activity" after its stock jumped 61.7 percent in a single day.

Greenhunter shares rose 71 cents to close at $1.86. After hours, the stock advanced another 15 cents. Contacted by the NYSE, Greenhunter said its company policy was not to comment on unusual market activity. A company spokesman said the same when contacted by The Associated Press.

Greenhunter works on wind, hydropower, geothermal solar and other renewable energy projects. It has the nation's largest biodiesel refinery in Houston and a biomass-fired power plant in Brawley, Calif.

Climate Bill: Families Receive $300 Rebates

WASHINGTON — A new analysis predicts that low-income families will receive hundreds of dollars a year to help pay higher energy bills if Congress enacts the first-ever limits on the gases blamed for global warming.

But it is unclear just how much more those families will have to pay for energy.
A Congressional Budget Office analysis of global warming legislation estimates that low-income families could initially receive $161-$359 in the form of a credit or rebate, if the bill becomes law. That amount could rise to $282-$628 by 2019, depending on the family's size.

The money would come from the government's auction of pollution permits.
Studies have estimated that the average household could pay an extra $98 to $1,600 a year in energy costs because of the bill.

Free Green Cabin Plans

Enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors from the spectacular front porch of this solar powered charming cabin from the folks at Free Green.

A crawl space foundation was chosen for The Cabin to accommodate a rural lot where full basements and slab on grade are often not feasible. Wood windows will hold up well in climates with extreme exposures. Vertical cedar board siding is time tested exterior finish and can be painted any color or left raw to reflect rustic charm. If properly treated and maintained cedar will last many years.

In keeping with the rustic theme we have chosen a clear finish for the cabinets, windows, doors and interior trim. The kitchen is adequately sized to serve the needs of a large group. The kitchen is open to the dining room, which itself, can open up to the front porch through two double French doors. The high ceiling and exposed structure is the defining element of the interior spaces of The Cabin.. A crawl space foundation was chosen for The Cabin to accommodate a rural lot where full basements and slab on grade are often not feasible. Wood windows will hold up well in climates with extreme exposures. Vertical cedar board siding is time tested exterior finish and can be painted any color or left raw to reflect rustic charm. If properly treated and maintained cedar will last many years.

In keeping with the rustic theme we have chosen a clear finish for the cabinets, windows, doors and interior trim. The kitchen is adequately sized to serve the needs of a large group. The kitchen is open to the dining room, which itself, can open up to the front porch through two double French doors. The high ceiling and exposed structure is the defining element of the interior spaces of The Cabin.

Toyota Lease Plug-In Hybrids in 2009

TOKYO — Toyota said Wednesday it will start leasing plug-in hybrid cars, that are even greener than its hit Prius, by the end of this year in the U.S., Japan and Europe.

Toyota Motor Corp., the world's top automaker, will start leasing 200 plug-ins in Japan, 150 in the U.S. and 150 in Europe, mostly for rental, such as through special government-backed programs, it said in a release. Toyota will for the first time use lithium-ion batteries in the plug-ins. The batteries are already used in some cars but more common in laptops and other gadgets.

Toyota hybrids now use nickel-metal hydride batteries. Using a lithium-ion battery will produce more energy, allowing the car to run more as an electric vehicle, but there have been some technological hurdles.

A plug-in recharges from a regular household socket. When the battery runs low, it will start running as a regular hybrid so drivers don't have to worry about running out of juice on the road.
Automakers around the world are working on plug-in models. Recharging stations are expected to proliferate in the cities of the future, much like gasoline stands, for recharging.

The booming sales of the revamped Prius, which went on sale last month, have been a rare bright spot for Toyota. Battered by the global slump and the strong yen, the maker of the Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models recorded its worst loss in its seven-decade history for the fiscal year ended March.

Toyota dealers have received 110,000 orders for the Prius in Japan. Toyota acknowledged this week an order placed this month won't get delivered until November or later.
Toyota leads the world in cumulative hybrid sales because of the popularity of the Prius, now in its third generation. The first-generation Prius went on sale in 1997.

The Case for Building-Integrated Wind

Wind speed typically increases with height, as it is less affected by trees and surrounding topography. Putting wind turbines on top of buildings—especially tall buildings—should allow them to take advantage of height without an expensive, full-size tower.

In some cases, building geometry can enhance wind turbine performance. Several manufacturers of building-integrated wind turbines are taking advantage of the increased wind velocities at building parapets—where the wind rises up the façade of a large building and curls over the edge. Some architects are designing wind scoops right into the structures of buildings or situating building towers to funnel wind into turbines.



Most of our electricity is used in buildings, and generating the electricity on site reduces the need for transmission. This in turn reduces transmission losses as well as the materials needed for wiring and poles. In addition to this practical benefit, wind turbines spinning on a building provide a visible testament to a building owner’s commitment to the environment. While building-integrated photovoltaics (PV) can make a similar statement, the modules just sit there; we don’t see them generating electricity.

Finally, many consider wind turbines to be beautiful. The graceful AeroVironment wind turbines that top an office building at Logan International Airport are an aesthetic feature. Architects and building owners spend a lot of money on non-functional, decorative elements of buildings; why not install decorative elements that actually do something?

Unique Underground Home Design

Underground homes tend to conjure mental images of hobbit holes and otherwise rounded, earthen residences. This extremely modern house by KWK Promes defies popular conventions and, despite its organic green roof, is constructed of clean lines and clear shapes.



Viewed from above or around, the house blends wonderfully into the landscape - even the gentle curves and straight lines seem to work with the horizon and trees in the distance. The grass also absorbs moisture and helps regulate temperatures inside of the home.



The barrier between inside and outside is highly permeable, providing continuous connections for residents with the natural world around them through giant sheets of floor-to-ceiling glass.
Best of all (for the owners anyway): the lush green roof is only accessible from inside of the house through a set of secure stairs, reserving it as a private getaway for the home.



While from certain perspectives the home blends visually with its surroundings, from other angles it appears to be simply a well-designed modernist house like any other.

Dragonfly Vertical Farm Future New York

by Alexandra Kain
Modeled after the wings of a dragonfly, this incredible urban farm concept for New York City’s Roosevelt Island intends to ease the problems of food mileage and shortage, and reconnect consumers with producers.



Urban farming is a growing trend amongst savvy city dwellers today, but in a densely packed borough like Manhattan, growth must come vertically. Spanning 132 floors and 600 vertical meters, the Dragonfly can accommodate 28 different agricultural fields for the production of fruit, vegetables, grains, meat and dairy. A combination of solar and wind power make Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut’s Dragonfly concept %100 self sufficient.



In this utopian superstructure offices, research labs, housing, and communal areas are interspersed between orchards, farms, and production rooms. Plant and animal farming is arranged throughout the Dragonfly’s steel and glass set of wings so as to maintain proper soil nutrient levels and reuse of biowaste.

The spaces between the wings are designed to take advantage of solar energy by accumulating warm air in the exo-structure during winter. Cooling in the summer will be facilitated through natural ventilation and evapo-perspiration from the plants.

Exterior vertical gardens filter rain water which is then mixed with domestic liquid waste. Together they are treated organically before being recirculated for farm use, preserving and distributing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This urban farm, perhaps more appropriate for Dubai than New York, is intended to be cultivated by its own inhabitants, thus closing the loop of self-sustenance.