SBEP ANNOUNCES BLUE DOLPHIN AWARD WINNERS

SARASOTA, FL – The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) has announced the winners of the 2012 Blue Dolphin Awards. The awards recognize local champions of Sarasota Bay and the SBEP mission to restore and protect Sarasota Bay spanning Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

The winners include Charles Edwards, a long term volunteer member of the SBEP Citizens Advisory Committee, Jack Merriam, the recently retired environmental manager with Sarasota County and an advocate of low impact development, Martha B. King Middle School in Bradenton, an active supporter of the Bay Guardian volunteer program managed by SBEP in partnership with Around the Bend Nature Tours, Raindrops Cisterns, a Sarasota business focused on rainwater harvesting and water storage solutions, and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, a non-profit group focused on protecting sea turtles, shorebirds and their habitat.

SBEP will host a private party April 4 at Crosley Estate Mansion to honor the award recipients. Local commissioners that serve on the SBEP Policy Board will present the awards in front of more than 150 guests including many local professionals that support Sarasota Bay waters and habitat. Participating commissioners include Sarasota Commissioner Jon Thaxton, Manatee Commissioner Michael Gallen, City of Bradenton Commissioner Marianne Barnebey, and Town of Longboat Key Commissioner Lynn Larson. Mark Alderson, the Director of SBEP will host the event with his staff. Randy Moore, the SBEP marketing contractor will serve as the master of ceremonies.

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is dedicated to restoring the area’s greatest natural asset—Sarasota Bay. Its unique program strives to improve water quality, increase habitat and enhance the natural resources of the area for use and enjoyment by the public. Sarasota Bay is one of 28 estuaries in the United States that have been named by the U.S. Congress as an “estuary of national significance.” Partners include Sarasota County, Manatee County, City of Sarasota, City of Bradenton, Town of Longboat Key, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Florida Water Management District, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

www.sarasotabay.org

Researchers in the US have built a prototype device which they say can generate electricity from waste water.

The team at Pennsylvania State University says the technology would simultaneously treat the water.

They suggest the process could be adopted in developing countries, providing clean water and power for homes.

Details are published in the journal Science.

Scientists in the Netherlands have for some years been exploring the idea of generating renewable power along the country’s coastline, where fresh water from rivers meets the salt water of the sea.

Using a process called reverse electrodialysis (RED), fresh water and seawater are placed in intermittent chambers separated by membranes, and an electrochemical charge is created.

A Norwegian company is developing a similar technology using saline and fresh water.

The Penn State team says RED technology is problematic because of the large number of membranes required, and because power plants have to be located by the sea.

They claim the number of membranes can be reduced and the power output boosted by combining the technology with what are called microbial fuel cells (MFCs). These use organic matter in solution to create an electric current – in this instance waste water.

The prototype technology also bypasses the need for salt water by using ammonium bicarbonate solution as a substitute, meaning the system could work in communities far from the sea.

The ammonium bicarbonate solution would be constantly recycled, using waste heat from local industry.

“If we treat waste water in just a microbial fuel cell, we don’t create much power and it takes a long time,” lead researcher Professor Bruce Logan told BBC News.

“In our process, we have the MFC part which is treating waste water and creating energy, and we have the RED stack which is just boosting that process, it’s making it happen more efficiently.”

He says the process could potentially be used anywhere, but could provide both clean water and power to communities in developing countries.

“The main application right now is in waste water treatment where you could effectively treat the water, but also gain some extra energy from waste heat.

“Instead of having a net drain, we have a net gain.”

Professor Logan and colleagues have previously reported on how the combination of microbial fuel cells and electrodialysis could generate hydrogen supplies.

Original article posted at BBC News by Neil Bowdler

As America’s expanding urban areas struggle with major water supply shortages and runoff pollution problems, capturing rainwater from rooftops provides a tremendous untapped opportunity to increase water supply and improve water quality, according to a recent analysis on Capturing Rainwater from Rooftops by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

In its report, NRDC demonstrates the benefits and potential of rooftop rainwater capture, a “green infrastructure” practice that can be used to retain stormwater runoff on-site, by analyzing ways in which eight diverse U.S. cities could incorporate this simple water collection approach. By comparing annual rainfall totals to rooftop coverage, NRDC determined that opportunities exist in each city to capture hundreds of millions of gallons of rainfall every year for reuse. By doing so, residents of these communities would obtain inexpensive onsite water supplies for non-potable uses, such as yard watering and toilet flushing, reduce runoff pollution, and would lower energy costs associated with treating and delivering drinkable-quality water.

“Our analysis shows that solutions to one of America’s biggest urban challenges are right in front of us—in this case, literally falling from the sky,” said Noah Garrison, lead author of the report and NRDC water policy analyst. “The potential exists for cities throughout the U.S. to capture hundreds of millions or even billions of gallons of rainwater each year from urban rooftops. We encourage policymakers to look closely at the bottom-line benefits of rooftop rainwater harvesting, and consider implementing policies and incentives that generate more momentum for rainwater collection while making the practice more accessible as well.”

Specifically, NRDC’s report illustrates opportunities for capturing, treating and supplying harvested rainwater for non-potable purposes in Atlanta, Ga.; Austin, Texas; Chicago, Ill.; Denver, Colo.; Fort Myers, Fla.; Kansas City, Mo.; Madison, Wisc.; and Washington, D.C. Several success stories also demonstrate the effectiveness of rooftop rainwater capture for new construction in New York, N.Y., and redeveloped buildings in Santa Monica, Calif. The total annual volume of rainwater falling on rooftops in these cities alone, if captured in its entirety, would be enough to meet the water supply needs of at least 21 percent to as much as 75 percent of each city’s population.

The report comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of updating its national standards for controlling runoff pollution from new development and existing paved areas. NRDC encourages the agency to adopt national standards for on-site stormwater retention that will increase green infrastructure approaches such as rainwater harvesting. As a result, communities can effectively transform polluted runoff flowing to our waterways into captured rooftop rainwater used as an on-site water supply resource.

“Urban areas struggling with water supply issues and runoff pollution should look to this report for ideas and encouragement,” said Jon Devine, senior attorney in NRDC’s water program.

NRDC encourages cities and states to develop policy options and incentives to encourage more rainwater harvesting. These include:

• Adopt stormwater pollution control standards that require on-site volume retention.
• Adopt standards that require or promote rainwater harvesting and/or water efficiency.
• Review building, health and plumbing codes for barriers to reusing rainwater.
• Provide incentives for decreasing stormwater runoff and promoting water conservation.
• Require use of rainwater harvesting on all public properties.

The complete NRDC report is available by clicking here.

Original article posted at EcoWatch

Rainwater Harvesting, what’s that? It’s something so easy, a homeowner can do it. As most of you already know, the concept has been around for years, BUT…how do you make it a concept you can retrofit into your home?

What was at one time an engineering marvel is now a quick, easy 30 minute installation. If you want to start capturing rainwater from your roof today, all you would need is a diverter, barrel or cistern, 30 minutes of your time and a few common tools you are sure to already own. Although, not all Rainwater Harvesting Systems are created equal, this would give the novice an opportunity to “get their barrels wet”.

You can start with a simple barrel system as I have described, or you can purchase a complete Rainwater Harvesting System which is more intricate, packaged and ready to ship. In this case all you would need is that same 30 minutes of your time and a few common tools. You have to ask yourself, what do I attempt to accomplish by harvesting the rainwater from my roof?

Do you want to reuse water in every room in your home? Maybe not, but do you have a garden?  Do you want to save money? Do you want to make a difference? Maybe you are one of the many people who are realizing the impact water has on our society. As water sources grow scarce, more and more people turn to water recycling. Rainwater Harvesting is the easiest way to start recycling water in your home.

Barrel systems are smaller, typically between 55 and 65 gallons. This is perfect if you are new to this concept or just don’t have the money or the need to harvest any more than this amount of water. If you are like most of us, your demand for water will be far beyond the capacity of a rain barrel. If you would like to capture a larger amount of water for your garden or for non-potable use in your home, a complete rainwater harvesting system would be the easiest option. These systems come with cisterns (tanks) as small as 350 gallons as well as all of the necessary components needed to have your new system up and running in 30 minutes.

It is important to mention that there are things to look out for when purchasing a rainwater harvesting system. Is the barrel/cistern made of food grade plastic? Does the rainwater harvesting system contain cheap components that will break in the near future? It is important to ask questions if you do not already know the difference. Why is this so cheap? Why is this so expensive? Do not be afraid to ask, how else would you know?

Once you have decided on a barrel or cistern and your rainwater harvesting system is set up, you can now research some of the fun and convenient accessories you can purchase for your new system. From rainchains to solar pumps, there are many optional additions for your new system. Solar pumps are great. If your barrel or cistern system is in direct sunlight, you can enjoy the convenience of a pump without having to use any electricity. Whether you are looking to save money, live “off the grid” or just want to do your part being a member of the green movement, solar pumps are by far my favorite accessory to any rainwater harvesting system. Whenever I think about the solar pump, I start day dreaming about living off of the grid. It’s really the one thing stopping you from harvesting rainwater…power. A solar pump is THE solution.

Just think of the effect it would have on our society and ecosystem if everyone were to recycle water. Rainwater harvesting is growing in popularity more and more each year. Will you be the next person to start harvesting rainwater? Maybe you already do. If you do, tell a friend about it. You are doing a great thing. I encourage anyone who is not familiar with harvesting rainwater, but curious to do so, to ask questions and do whatever it takes to break down the barrier preventing you from starting today.

The Georgia Museum of Art is the newest building on campus to become LEED certified.

The museum, which opened its expanded and remodeled building on Jan. 29, 2011, received LEED Gold certification last week — the second highest rating a building can receive.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a green certification process that rates buildings based on their energy and water saving efforts, building material selection, sustainable site development and indoor air quality. The museum is the third building on campus to receive LEED certification, joining Tate II and Building 1516, both of which are certified Gold.

 

Hillary Brown, director of communications at the Georgia Museum of Art, said the museum staff was excited to hear the new building got the rating it did.

“We’re all environmentally minded people and we wanted to disrupt the environment as little as possible,” she said. “This was a goal for our project from the very beginning.”

Museum staff worked with the Office of University Architects to incorporate sustainability into several aspects of the museum. The expansion was built on an existing parking lot, with 91 percent of the construction waste being salvaged or recycled for use on site or in campus projects. Two 25,000-gallon cisterns were buried near the building to provide water for the museum’s fountain and irrigation for the sculpture garden and lawns, and rain gardens were created to clean runoff from the roof and parking lot. Low flow plumbing fixtures, which will reduce water consumption by 44 percent, were also installed in the building.

Brown said one of the most exciting additions to the museum is the use of natural light in addition to regular lighting in the exhibition halls and corridors. Using natural light in art museums can be difficult because sunlight can damage the artwork, but Brown said the OUA was able to successfully incorporate it into the building’s design.

“It manages to illuminate the galleries; keep the art safe; it’s beautiful and it uses a lot less energy. So it works on every aspect that it possibly could have,” she said.

Brown said the environmentally-friendly additions to the building will help save money on water and energy costs, though she isn’t sure yet how much.

Kevin Kirsche, direct of sustainability at the University, said LEED certification is growing on campus — the Pharmacy South building, Special Collections Library and Visual Arts building are all in the process of becoming LEED certified.

“I think the Georgia Museum of Art is showing their tremendous leadership in valuing sustainable design,” he said.“It’s a growing trend among museums to construct a LEED certified facility that in and of itself is a work of art; that houses art in an inspiring and environmentally responsible manner.”

Original article posted at The Red and Black, Author KATIE VALENTINE

Retrofitting your house could mean cutting down household costs while helping to preserve the environment.

If you want to reduce your household costs and greenhouse gas emissions, the key is retrofitting.

But what does this mean and how does it help?

Derek Wrigley, the author of Making Your Home Sustainable, explains:

What is retrofitting?

It is a way of modifying an existing house to take advantage of the abundant natural energy which is all around us but insufficiently recognised by homeowners and, unfortunately, most builders.

A retrofitted house can produce very significant and worthwhile savings in annual running costs.

Why should people retrofit their homes?

1. To reduce electricity usage as much as possible unless it comes from a green renewable source. The installation of Photovoltaics (which converts light into electricity) is the best way – I pay no electricity bills.

3. Install a vertical buoyancy air-flow system to eliminate the need for airconditioning – it’s much cheaper, more effective and less polluting.

4. Install southern reflectors to southern windows to heat cold, southern rooms in winter. Up to 7kWh of heat and glorious sunlight can be acquired every sunny day in a well-designed house.

What are your tips to retrofitting a bathroom to reduce water consumption?

Train your fingertips to reduce flow, (you can clean your teeth in an eggcup-full of water). Install low-flow shower heads, dual-flush toilet cisterns or modify the cistern mechanism to supply only what is necessary – easy.

What household items can we source greywater from?

You can source it from wash basins, showers and washing machines. Avoid dishwashing machines unless outflow is captured safely – care is needed.

How can we identify which solar hot-water system is best for our style of home and our needs?

The usual black plate absorbers (of solar energy) required optimal placing in regards to the sun’s path during the day, but the evacuated tube absorbers allow a little more flexibility and can be more effective.

The latter is more frost-resistant but is more expensive. The heat-pump systems are much more flexible as they absorb their heat from the surrounding air and can be placed indoors, so do not affect roof designs. They are, however, not quite as efficient in their use of electricity, but nevertheless are effective converters of ambient heat into useful domestic heat.

What is solar access, what are the benefits and how can homeowners increase it?

It is the ease of access of solar radiation to a house or building so that the energy impinging on it can be used in an effective way.

Trees and other buildings can block solar access and most buildings up to recent times have not been designed efficiently so that radiation can be effectively used in the house.

This includes daylight, sunlight (psychological value), sunlight in the form of infra-red heat energy and ultra-violet radiation, which can be used to purify polluted water.

What are the options for shading our homes and keeping them cool in summer and warm in winter?

Good orientation of the main rooms is an essential start. External shading of sunlit windows is much more effective than internal shading measures such as curtains and blinds.

External shades should prevent infra-red heat radiation from reaching windows but should permit daylight to penetrate the window so that electric lighting is not required in the daytime. Such shading should be adjustable to shade in summer and permit the winter heat radiation to pass through.

Fixed eaves that are good in summer are often ineffective in letting the heat through in winter, so northern eaves must be adjustable.

East and west windows require more careful design as the sun is lower in the sky.

What are “silent consumers” around the home?

Unnecessary lighting which is not being utilised, stand-by lights on appliances, clocks on ovens and microwave ovens; opaque external blinds shading the windows in winter causing the electric lights to be on inside.

How important is insulation in reducing energy usage and how can we determine which type of insulation is best for our home?

Insulation is essential in winter to prevent expensive heat loss from inside to outside and vice versa in summer.

Bulk insulation (soft and fluffy) is best to resist heat flow (by conduction) through walls, floors and ceilings and reflective insulation is better where radiant heat is flowing (up or down).

Reflective foil, however, needs an air space on the shiny side if it is to work effectively and horizontal foil (shiny side up) over the ceiling can be ineffective because dust settles on top.

* Making Your Home Sustainable: A Guide to Retrofitting by Derek Wrigley is published by Scribe, available online.

Original article posted at The New Zealand Herald

A leading council on environmental design recognized the first green county fire rescue station in Florida.

Alachua County Fire Rescue Station No. 10 was honored at Tuesday’s Alachua County Commission meeting for being a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified building. It was certified in September by the United States Green Building Council.

The county facility department presented the commission with the station’s certification plaque Tuesday.

The plaque, which will hang on the front of the building, names the station as the first LEED-certified fire rescue station in Florida.

After the original building design was drafted in 2008, the Alachua County Commission had the station redesigned to meet national green and sustainable standards.

It was completed in 2009.

In order to become certified, buildings must meet certain guidelines.

Guidelines include reducing water use, using technology in bathrooms that cuts down on waste water and using energy-efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems inside the building, according to the U.S. Green Building Council website.

The fire rescue station features a solar heating system that will save 70 percent in hot water costs, said Charlie Jackson, Alachua County facilities manager. Waterless urinals will save 7,500 gallons of water annually. The site also features a rainwater harvesting system that will provide more efficient irrigation.

The fire rescue station is the only county building that is LEED-certified, Jackson said. Three other county buildings are registered and waiting for certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Original article posted at The Independent Florida Alligator, by Author Adrianna Paidas, Alligator Write

Jhundpur is not fuel for the media’s breathless portrayals of India’s growth.

The village lies about an hour north of Delhi, past power plants and construction sites, on some days covered by a layer of thick, gray smog.

On approaching highways, shops hawk baskets of vegetables that join local women’s garb in offering a colorful contrast to the bleak landscape.

Closer to the village, dusty roads are lined with neatly stacked dung patties, a gift of fuel from the cows roaming the area. Homes made of stone and grass hearken back to an earlier era.

More than half of India’s 1.1 billion people are villagers. They belong to a class that has in some ways been left behind by the growth taking place in the bustling cities. This is evident at rural schools, where books, computers and even proper toilets are hard to come by.

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. is leading an effort to show how big changes can come from small donations.

With a team of partners including news network NDTV, Coke is driving a campaign called Support My School in eight clusters of schools in 10 Indian states. NDTV publicizes the needs, and Coke drives the fundraising, both directly and through telethons and other activities. The message? Keep kids in school.

A year into the three-year plan to reach 1,000 schools, the response has been overwhelming, said Atul Rajbhushan, a Coke manager of public affairs for India. If the success proves sustainable, the India model could be adapted and exported to other countries with similar needs.

A team from the Coke headquarters in Atlanta and a representative from the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation on Feb. 4 visited GMS Jhundpur, a pilot school where the program began in earnest a year ago.GlobalAtlanta joined them while in Delhi on an India reporting trip.

The team saw simple improvements that had made a profound impact. For an average cost of about $10,000, the partnership plants trees, installs rainwater harvesting systems and water filters, sets up playground equipment and educates kids on healthy living.

Rainwater is conveyed from a rooftop pipe system into the ground, expanding and improving the groundwater supply, which is tapped through a well and filtered for drinking.

The success of the initiative is easy to read in the school’s enrollment numbers, Mr. Rajbhushan said. GMS Jhundpur has 560 students this year, 130 more than last year. They are taught by just six teachers, up from two the previous year.

“That’s the picture of success for us,” said Mr. Rajbhushan. “I’ve seen the children from the private schools, they’re joining here.”

The key to bringing them back? Bathrooms.

Throughout rural India, girls are leaving schools because of sanitation problems. In schools lucky enough to have one toilet, girls have to take turns with boys. In less fortunate areas, students are forced to use the nearby fields, a process that can be difficult and embarrassing for girls.

For Yagdutt Arya, the principal of GMS Jhundpur, the new bathrooms are revolutionary. Having basic needs met allows the school to focus on education, which wouldn’t have happened without private intervention, Mr. Arya said.

Government funding is limited because it has to be thinly spread among so many needy schools, he said.

“It’s not enough, but we manage somehow,” Mr. Arya said of the funding he receives from the state.

To fill in the gaps, Indian schools will have to work creatively with private companies like Coke or individuals like the local farmer who donated about $1,000 to fix the school’s crumbling front gate, he said.

There’s only one problem: As more kids come back to school, the needs multiply, Mr. Arya said. Just a year after getting its first suitable facilities, the school will soon need a second set of toilets.

Coke can’t tackle every problem but hopes to call attention to the needs so that the government and other donors will take the baton, Mr. Rajbhushan said.

In the future, Coke plans to drive the initiative and attract more funding from local companies and international non-governmental organizations, he said.

Some big names have already begun to help. TATA Teleservices has provided used computers to teach students basic Internet skills. Britisheducational outfit Pearson Group has given new books to form a small library.

Some would call Coke’s effort a classic case of corporate social responsibility. Neville Isdell, the former chairman and CEO of the company, might say it’s a manifestation of “connected capitalism,” a term he coined to describe actions that are core to a company’s business interests but also benefit local communities.

Mr. Arya, the principal, believes that companies will eventually reap the benefits from their investment in India. But regardless of whether they get tax breaks or future customers, the help is necessary now.

“It’s very good for us that companies are coming and helping (schools),” he said. “They’re not taking anything from them. They’re just helping, and the government has no problem with it.”

Original article posted at by Global Atlanta, Author Trevor Williams

A series of environmental best practices adopted by Sula Vineyards, one of India’s largest wine producers, has enabled it do away with diesel gensets for generating power, meet 60-70 percent of its water requirement from water harvesting and 40 percent of its fertiliser needs through vermiculture.

“At Sula, we’re not just focused on making great wine, we’re focused on making great wine well. And since great wine starts with the environment, it’s in our best interests to take good care of it in the long run,” Sula Vineyards CEO Rajeev Samant told IANS.

“Our sustainable agricultural practices and efficient winery operations are environmentally friendly, economically sound, socially responsible, and mindful of the earth’s limited resources. We are continuously working to improve our own sustainability and that of our growers, through experimentation and experience sharing,” he added.

To move away from coal- and diesel-based power, the winery has installed enough solar water heaters to heat 5,000 litres of water a day to 70°C.

“This is enough for almost all of our hot water requirements. For a few requirements, such as bottle cleaning, where we need water at a higher temperature, we will soon be installing a wood-fired boiler, fuelled entirely by woody vine clippings from the vineyard,” Samant said.

Speaking about the winery’s three-phase watershed management project that aims to harvest rainwater and excess irrigation runoff, Samant said the storage capacity of its two reservoirs is now at over 30 million litres — 14 million litres collected annually from rainwater and 19 million liters via check dams.

“We are now meeting 60-70 percent of the winery’s annual water needs through water harvesting,” he added.

Noting that pomace — grape skins, seeds, and stems that remain after the crush — can constitute up to 30-40 percent of the original harvest yield Samant said instead of being thrown away, it is used for vermiculture.

“These workaholic wrigglers are an environmentally conscious farmer’s best friends. They chew their way through the mix to produce a crumbly black compost that is odourless and rich in organic matter, which we then use back on the vines as fertilizer.

At present, our homemade organic compost meets 40% of our fertilization needs. Over time, our aim is to replace all chemical fertilizers,” Samant said.

This apart, the winery has a bottle collection programme that sees 800,000 bottles reused each year.

“This not only meets 25 percent of our bottling requirements, but it has also created jobs for 30 local women as bottle washers, who clean 3,000 bottles per day between them,” Samant said.

Samant established Sula Vineyards in 1999. Today, it is spread over 1,700 acres — 300 acres owned by his and his friends and the balance by some 250 small farmers.

The company sold five million bottles last year and hopes to cross the six-and-a-half-million mark this year.

“We are benefiting from a demographic dividend,” Samant explained of the growing sales.

“Not only are more and more people per se moving away from hard liquor to wine, but increasing numbers of women, particularly in the metros are quite comfortable with a glass of wine,” he added.

Over the years Sula has pioneered many classic grape varietals in India like Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc in 2000, Zinfandel in 2001 and Riesling in 2008. In 2005, Sula launched its first reserve wine, the Dindori Reserve Shiraz, as well as India’s first dessert wine, the Late Harvest Chenin Blanc.

The company is also a leading wine importer under the umbrella of Sula Selections, with a portfolio of prestigious brands from leading producers like Remy Cointreau, Constellation Wines and Chianti Ruffino.

Originally posted at Hindustan Times

JWT, a top marketing agency developing award winning branded content for brands such as Freixenet, Ford and HSBC, has included rainwater harvesting as one of the “100 Things to Watch in 2012″.  Check out the rest of the list on their website.

Its refreshing to see rainwater harvesting is gaining traction and getting noticed. Just imagine the impact, if we all had a rainwater harvesting system.