Asia is one the worst hit regions by sudden impact disasters; including floods, earthquakes, tidal waves, tropical storms, volcanic eruptions, and landslides. Floods are a type of natural disaster most frequently associated with sudden migration of large populations and food shortages. Earthquakes cause the greatest number of deaths and overwhelming infrastructural damage.

Asian countries including Pakistan face the greatest risk from severe climate change, which could force millions of people to flee their homes and trigger environmental migration, according to an Asian Development Bank report. The report titled “Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific” says Bangladesh, India, Maldives, and Pakistan face the greatest risk, but Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China and South Korea are also especially vulnerable.

Global Warming Refugees?

Over 42 million people across the world and 30 million just from Asia were forced to flee due to Natural hazard’s disasters in 2010, according to a new study by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)’s Geneva?based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). In 2009, 17 million people were displaced by such disasters, and 36 million in 2008. Considering that figure, projections that 50 million people will be displaced by climate change globally by 2020 seems an optimistic projection. Reports from the International Organization for Migration say by 2050 there could well be 1 billion people driven from their homes.

The number of natural disasters reported has doubled from around 200 to over 400 a year over the past two decades. In 2010, over 90 per cent of disaster displacement within Asian countries was caused by climate?related hazards, primarily floods and storms.

Asia Hit Hard by Natural Disasters

In 2009 major floods of India and China which covered a huge area of the southern provinces, as well as some in central and even the north displaced over 15 million people. And in 2010 flood of Pakistan. In Pakistan in mid?2010, at least 11 million people were forced to leave their home areas, and had their homes and livelihoods destroyed by the flood waters.

“The scale of displacement is enormous. Every single number in this report is a person whose life is severely affected, and it is vital that those women, men and children who are being displaced by the impact of climate change and natural hazards receive the assistance and protection they need”, said NRC Secretary General Elisabeth Rasmusson at the launch. “This report provides us with evidence of the extent and urgency of the problem that we cannot ignore. We must increase collaborative efforts to prevent displacement by natural disasters, and do a better job of protecting those displaced”.

“Globally, eight to 10 countries with the largest number of people living in low-elevation coastal zones are in the region,” the report says. Bank warns that migration driven by environmental factors is emerging as a serious concern. “It’s not just a threat. It’s something we’ve already seen,” said Bart Edes, director of ADB’s Poverty Reduction, Gender, and Social Development Division, stressing the need for policymakers and leaders “to take action now in order to help address the problem.”

Some 26 million people worldwide currently live in situations of internal displacement as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. They were forced to flee their homes because their lives were at danger, but unlike refugees they did not cross international borders. Although internally displaced people now outnumber refugees by two to one, their plight receives far less international attention.

Data Shows Environmental Disasters Increasing

Heart breaking data results shows that natural disasters are all increasing with time. More refugees are moving from affected areas to safe places for their survival. In these disastrous conditions of flooding, storms, and earthquakes, a large number of contagious and epidemic diseases are spreading due to sanitation and water contaminations.

The need of the hour is to sensibly utilize energy resources and pre-plan for coming disaster changes. As many countries face already such destructive hazards, sometimes they learn nothing from their past experiences.

Written by: Naseem Sheikh

^{Some rights reserved by mikebaird}

Naseem Sheikh

Globally, the water crisis is much worse than most people realize. We are fast approaching a world in which the most hotly-contested resource for development and survival is not oil, but water.

Water sectors are likely to be the most sensitive to climate change. Fresh water availability is expected to be highly vulnerable to the anticipated climate change. While the frequency and severity of floods would eventually increase in river deltas. The arid and semi-arid regions
could experience severe water stress in countries like Pakistan, India, and the Philippines.

Water demand will be affected by many factors, including population growth, wealth, and distribution. Globally, it is estimated that between half a billion and two billion people are already under high water stress, and this number is expected to increase significantly
by 2025. The primary reason for the increase is population growth.

The consequences of climate change for water resources depend not only on possible changes in the resource base (supply)…but also on changes in the demand, both human and environmental, for that resource.

Water quality would suffer from the projected impacts of climate change. Poor water quality effectively diminishes the availability of potable water, and increases the costs associated with rendering water suitable for use. Changes in water quantity and water quality are inextricably linked. Lower water levels tend to lead to higher pollutant concentrations, whereas high flow events and flooding increase turbidity and the flushing of contaminants into the water system.

River flows are expected to become more variable in the future, with more flash floods and lower minimum flows. Both types of extremes have been shown to negatively affect water quality.

Warmer air temperatures would result in increased surface-water temperatures, decreased duration of ice cover and, in some cases, lower water levels. These changes may contribute to decreased concentrations of dissolved oxygen, higher concentrations of nutrients such as
phosphorus, and summer taste and odour problems.

Modern climate change is dominated by human influences, which are now large enough to exceed the bounds of natural variability. The main source of global climate change is human-induced changes in atmospheric composition. These perturbations primarily result from emissions associated with energy use, but on local and regional scales, urbanization and land use changes are also important.

Although there has been progress in monitoring and understanding climate change, there remains scientific, technical, and institutional impediments to planning for, adapting to, and mitigating the effects of climate change. There is still considerable uncertainty about the rates of change that can be expected, but it is clear that these changes will be increasingly manifested in important and tangible ways, such as changes in extremes of temperature and precipitation, decreases in seasonal and perennial snow and ice extent, and sea level rise.

Anthropogenic climate change is now likely to continue for many centuries. We are venturing into the unknown with climate, and its associated impacts could be quite disruptive.

The following list compiles important information related to water:

• 3.575 million People die each year from water-related disease.
• 43% of water-related deaths are due to diarrhoea.
• 2.5 billion People lack access to improved sanitation, including 1.2 billion people who have no facilities at all.
• The majority of the illness in the world is caused by faecal matter.
• Lack of sanitation is the world’s biggest cause of infection.
• At any one time, more than half of the poor in the developing world are ill from causes related to hygiene, sanitation and water supply.
• About 2 in 3 people lacking access to clean water survive on less than $2 per day, with 1 in 3 living on less than $1. (WHO)
• The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. (UNDHP)
• 84 percent of water related deaths are in children ages 0-14. (WHO)
• 1.4 million Children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. That’s 4,000 child deaths a day or one child every 20 seconds. (UNICEF)
• 98 percent of water-related deaths occur in the developing world (WHO)
• Nearly one billion people – about one in eight – do not have access to clean drinking water.

Written by Naseem Sheikh

Mitsubishi just happened to be touring in my neighborhood, the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon after eating lunch when I was asked to test drive the MiEV. I declined to test drive right then and there because I had to run home and get my camera and then rush back.

After snapping some photos of the beautiful MiEV, I handed over my driver’s license to prepare for the test drive. I was handed the keys as I hopped in, popped the keys into the ignition, and fired it up. With no gasoline engine I could barely tell the difference of whether the car was on or off, thankfully, I had the Mitsubishi folks pointing to the LED’s that showed me I was ready to roll.

The car has a rather large screen for a rearview camera in case of assistance needed in backing up. Needless to say, I just looked around my shoulder the good old fashion way which lead to my venture out of the parking lot. I drove the Mitsubishi i around the neighborhood for about 5 minutes and I couldn’t help but notice it runs whisper quiet. Driving around in that car just makes you feel special because you know that all that quiet is because of its eco status and zero emissions. Think back when everyone thought the Toyota Prius was hot stuff, and everyone you knew would make fun of how people could be such Prius snobs…well for a brief moment, I felt like a MiEV snob *snap*.

Now to the more serious stuff…

Nearly the first question that everyone asks about an electric vehicle is how far can it go on a single charge?
This eco bad boy has a driving range of 62 miles on a charge, but I was told if you drive it nicely that it could get up to 85 miles or so.

Another common question is how much does it cost in electricity to charge?
At the current national average of 12 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), it costs approximately $3.60 for every 100 miles traveled to “fill up” the Mitsubishi i. On a yearly basis (if you drive about 15,000 miles) you’ll end up spending approximately $541 on electricity. Your costs could be significantly lower if “off peak” electricity pricing is available in your area. Portland General Electric charges between 10 and 11 cents per kWh so for Oregonians it would be slightly cheaper.

The MiEV or Mitsubishi i has a MPGe of 112.
MPGe stands for “miles per gallon equivalent.” It’s a new ranking system developed by the EPA to measure the efficiency of electric/alternative energy vehicles, much like “miles per gallon” explains the efficiency of gas-powered vehicles with a simple number. It means that the energy present in one gallon of gasoline (if you converted that gallon into electricity) can send the Mitsubishi i a whopping 112 miles. I think I heard a Mitsubishi rep brag that it has a higher MPGe than the Nissan Leaf, which is true after I checked online, it has a mere 99 MPGe.

If you were curious about seating and storage…
You’d be surprised at how amazingly roomy it felt inside the car. It has four doors and some cargo space in the back for groceries, suitcases, or whatever.

There are a million benefits to buying an EV, even at this early stage of the EV industry. I’m not going to list them all out to you, but some of the major reasons are zero emissions (so super awesome for the environment), federal, state, and local tax credits that reduce the upfront costs (super awesome for your wallet), and less maintenance due to less hardware and less long term fuel costs (another long term wallet saver).

Seeing and test driving the Mitsubishi i, made me feel giddy inside. Why? Because I love electric cars…they are the future, and I can’t wait for them to be mainstream. Unfortunately, there are some hurdles to overcome in the meantime such as the build up of a public network of charging stations and advancements in battery technologies that are needed to help curb range anxiety.

To test drive the Mitsubishi i (MiEV) for yourself (while they’re still in the Pacific Northwest), check out their tour schedule for Oregon and Washington. Also, definitely check out the rest of the site for all the awesomeness that is the Mitsubishi i (MiEV).

Biodiesel and biofuels report: The EPA is responsible for developing and implementing regulations to ensure that transportation fuel sold in the United States contains a minimum volume of renewable fuel. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program regulations were developed in collaboration with refiners, renewable fuel producers, and many other stakeholders.

The RFS program was created under the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005, and established the first renewable fuel volume mandate in the United States. As required under EPAct, the original RFS program (RFS1) required 7.5 billion gallons of renewable- fuel to be blended into gasoline by 2012.

Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the RFS program was expanded in several key ways:

• EISA expanded the RFS program to include diesel, in addition to gasoline;
• EISA increased the volume of renewable fuel required to be blended into transportation fuel from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons by 2022;
• EISA established new categories of renewable fuel, and set separate volume requirements for each one.
• EISA required EPA to apply lifecycle greenhouse gas performance threshold standards to ensure that each category of renewable fuel emits fewer greenhouse gases than the petroleum fuel it replaces.

Global production of biofuels increased 17 percent in 2010 to reach an all-time high of 105 billion liters, up from 90 billion liters in 2009. High oil prices, a global economic rebound, and new laws and mandates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, and the United States, among other countries, are all factors behind the surge in production, according to research conducted by the Worldwatch Institute’s Climate and Energy Program.

The United States and Brazil remain the two largest producers of ethanol. In 2010, the United States generated 49 billion liters, or 57 percent of global output, and Brazil produced 28 billion liters, or 33 percent of the total. Corn is the primary feedstock for U.S. ethanol, and sugarcane is the dominant source of ethanol in Brazil. High oil prices were also a factor in Brazil, where every third car-owner drives a “flex-fuel” vehicle that can run on either fossil or bio-based fuels. Many Brazilian drivers have switched to sugarcane ethanol because it is cheaper than gasoline.

Although the U.S. and Brazil are the world leaders in ethanol, the largest producer of biodiesel is the European Union, which generated 53 percent of all biodiesel in 2010. Biodiesel and biofuels see increases in production worldwide and are advancing alternatives to petroleum.

In Argentina, the biodiesel industry grew not only because of favorable conditions for growing soybeans, but also in response to a new B7 blending mandate, which requires the fuel to be 7 percent biodiesel and 93 percent diesel.

Asia produced 12 percent of the world’s biodiesel in 2010, a 20-percent increase from 2009, mostly using palm oil feedstock in Indonesia and Thailand.

Virtually all of the 1.5 billion liters of Argentina’s biodiesel exports, representing 71 percent of total production, went to Europe.

Biodiesel became the first domestically produced fuel to qualify as an advanced biofuel under the RFS2 because it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent over petroleum diesel. The RFS2 called for 1.15 billion gallons of biodiesel to be used in the United States by the end of 2010 and ensures the domestic use of at least 1 billion gallons of biodiesel annually beginning in 2012. By 2022, when the RFS2 will be fully implemented, the Environmental Protection Agency expects biofuels production to increase U.S. net farm income by $13 billion, or more than 36 percent.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

^{Climate Change – The Environmental Blog}

Wikipedia describes climate change denial as a term used to describe organized attempts to downplay, deny, or dismiss the scientific consensus on the extent of climate change, its significance, and its connection to human behavior, especially for commercial or ideological reasons. Typically, these attempts take the rhetorical form of legitimate scientific debate, while not adhering to the actual principles of that debate. Climate change denial has been associated with the energy lobby, industry advocates and free market think tanks, often in the United States.

Not everyone out there believes that global climate change is rapidly ascending on us. In fact, gallup polling revealed that just 51% of Americans saying they worry a great deal or fair amount about global warming. That number is significantly lower from the year 2000 when the same question was asked by gallup and 72% of Americans said they worried a great deal or fair amount about global warming. So the question begs…”Are you in climate Change denial?” Even if the answer is a resounding “NO”, you probably know a guy/gal or two who’d be more that willing to talk your head off over all the reasons that global warming is the biggest scam on earth.

Well if you’ve forgotten about climate change from the good old years of Al Gore…you’re not alone. Maybe you feel that climate change is exaggerated or that ‘nature is nature and will do what it does’. Other reasons still are shifts in short-term world temperature, the controversy over some scientists who deal with global warming data, the concerted effort to criticize global warming among some conservatives, and the bad economy.

Despite all the reasons that some people are skeptical about climate change in general, there is strong support for issues like renewable energy, increased automobile fuel efficiency, and reduced energy sources from coal or natural gas.

One way of explaining these reasons might be that even those who don’t believe in global warming see other good reasons to make the shift from fossil fuels to renewables — like getting off oil before it runs out, cleaning up the air their children and grandchildren will breathe, sending less money to foreign countries they don’t like, building a new growth sector for the U.S. economy, and so on.

It must be remembered that public debate over global warming would have been decided long ago if not for a massive lobbying drive by companies vested in business-as-usual energy systems — and, to a shameful degree, willing to rely on covert messengers and disinformation to defend them.

No doubt these tactics have helped to drive recent shifts in opinion on the simplest, true/false questions about global warming, at least temporarily. But on the campaign’s real objective — undermining public confidence in alternative energy, and building public opposition to greenhouse gas regulation — the battle isn’t going nearly so well since there is strong public support for these.

Newsflash, the science is mounting up, the evidence is getting louder and stronger.

Climate Deniers Caught

American Petroleum Institute – Recruited scientists who shared the industry’s views of climate science and trained them in public relations that convinced journalists, politicians and the public that the risk of global warming is too uncertain to justify controls on greenhouse gases. They were paid off to the tune of $5 Millon – New York Times

American Enterprise Institute - offered British, American, and other scientists $10,000, plus travel expenses, to publish articles critical of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment back in 2007. – The Guardian

ExxonMobil – gave $2.9 million to American groups that “misinformed the public about climate change,” 39 of which “misrepresented the science of climate change by outright denial of the evidence”. -The Guardian

^{Wind Power Turbines – The Environmental Blog}

In the burgeoning field of renewable energy, big state players in the United States are pitching for each others business. The great state of Wyoming is saying “Hey California, we have some wind energy for sale.”

California may give it a close look because last year California committed to obtaining one third of their electricity from renewable sources by the year 2020! It’s the most ambition renewable energy policy plan set forth by any city or state. As of now, the plan is for them to produce this power in state, but if time is running out and California isn’t able to meet their targets then perhaps they’ll consider the pitch from Wyoming.

Wyoming officials are calling attention to the study by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. The report suggests that Wyoming could produce renewable energy in their remote regions and transmit it to California at a much cheaper cost than California could produce on its own.

Some long-distance transmission to access remote renewable resources appears to be costeffective when compared to some of the local renewable generation assumed in the Plan’s Expected Future

California’s electricity already costs about twice as much as in Wyoming, a state that ranks among what is now a minority without a renewable energy portfolio standard. Not to suggest that the act of having a renewable energy portfolio standard drives electricity costs upwards…but the higher upfront costs associated with starting on renewable energy isn’t as cheap as burning coal. In fact, shutting down coal plants are the “in” thing to do as exampled by Oregon shutting down its only coal plant early.

Yet to be built high-voltage, direct-current power lines are laid out as possible projects by 2020 in the WECC study which start in Wyoming and criss cross Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California.

Nearly all of Wyoming’s renewable electricity generation is wind power. Although solar power is becoming more affordable, wind power remains much less expensive. Perhaps Oregon and other nearby states to California will make pitches of their own in California’s electricity rates start to increase by too much year over year in the coming decade.

^{Photo credit: gearburn.com}

There is rapidly becoming more attention being paid to preserving the environment, which is opening the door for more green products to be released and become successful. When many people think about becoming greener, one of the last things they probably think about is their mobile phone. More and more mobile phones are hitting the market that will allow you to get your entire technology fix while also reducing your carbon footprint. There are several green mobile phones for sale, but these are 5 of the best:

Samsung Galaxy Ace

Samsung is easily one of the greenest of the mobile phone companies, so it is no surprise to see their phones on this list. They have been running mobile phone battery drives for years that allow you to dispose of your phone’s battery in an eco-friendly manner. Samsung has now started producing their mobile phones with recycled materials, and that is exactly what they have done with the Samsung Galaxy Ace. Not only is the Samsung Galaxy Ace a green mobile phone, but it is also one of the nicest touch screen smart phones on the market. You can get full internet access and Android applications when connected to a mobile broadband connection.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X8

Sony has put several key guidelines to insure that their new mobile phones are green. One of these key guidelines is banning some materials so that they cannot be used in the making of their phones. After their phones are produced, they have them tested to make sure that none of these substances are in the phone. One of the first mobile phones to be produced since Sony adopted this new strategy is the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8, which is an Android smart phone that features a touch screen. This allows you to get some great apps and games through the mobile broadband connection.

Nokia C6-01

Nokia is also making major strides to ensure that their products are eco-friendly. The entire mobile phone is made from recycled material, and the battery is the most energy efficient that you will find in a mobile phone. Along with being great for the environment, the Nokia C6-01 features one of the best cameras that you will find on a mobile phone.

Motorola Citrus

The Motorola Citrus is another Android smart phone that is also great for the environment. The entire Motorola Citrus is produced without using any carbon, and is made with only recycled plastic. You can even make your own website designs using the HTML feature when connected to the mobile broadband network, it also has great internet browsing and apps delivered from Android.

Nokia E7-00

The four prior mobile phones have all been touch screen smart phones that did not feature a physical keyboard. If you want a green mobile phone, but like the feel of a physical keyboard, then the Nokia E7-00 is the phone for you. While featuring the same smart phone capabilities of other phones, the Nokia E7-00 is also completely free of toxic compounds that harm the environment when recycled.

A guest post by Spencer Hogg from Broadband Expert where mobile broadband deals can be found.

The 12th Annual Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival kicks off in Toronto on October 12 with the green carpet premiere for the very entertaining Revenge of the Electric Car (follow-up to Who Killed the Electric Car?), and will close on October 16 with the Ryan Reynolds-narrated film The Whale.

Featuring five days of galas, film screenings, workshops and more, Planet In Focus will once again shine a spotlight on provocative subjects ranging from rising sea levels, slash-and-burn agriculture, the globalized food trade, desertification, glacial recession and how the generation of coal and nuclear energy are transforming global land and seascapes.

In 2006, thousands of new electric cars were purposely destroyed by the same car companies that built them. Today, less than five years later, the electric car is back… with a vengeance. In the highly entertaining documentary REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR <--link for trailer, director Chris Paine (Who Killed the Electric Car?) gets extraordinary access behind the closed doors of Nissan, GM, and the Silicon Valley start-up Tesla Motors to chronicle the story of the global resurgence of electric cars.

THE WHALE, executive produced by Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johannson and narrated by Ryan Reynolds, tells the true story of Luna, a baby orca who gets separated from his family and starts to make friends with humans on the rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island. The
film is produced and shot by Suzanne Chisholm.

“I am delighted to have these two powerful films bookend our festival,” says Sarah Margolius, Executive Director of Planet in Focus. “They embody the often contradictory forces at play in debates about the state of our planet. One is a provocative documentary about the quest to develop a zero emission automobile, which will help to end our society’s reliance on fossil fuels, and the other is a majestic personal tale of how a lone, lost baby whale reveals the difficulties of wildlife protection in the face of shrinking natural habitats. There is truly something for everyone at this year’s festival.”

This year, Planet in Focus will shine a spotlight on the theme of landscapes, looking at contemporary film- and videomakers who are challenging and redefining our changing perceptions of landscape.

The full program for the festival is available here.

^{Some rights reserved by IBRRC}

The terrible oil spill off the Gulf coast caused by faulty equipment used by BP had many ramifications. One of the worst oil spills in recent history, the toll of life, both human and animal a like, was devastating. The apparent negligence has caused many of us to close our garage doors each day and drive past BP oil stations, in favor of a different, more appealing choice. Natural landscapes were marred – perhaps forever. The loss of flora and fauna is immeasurable. Many people even had to leave their homes, and some even found themselves out of jobs.

As this crisis continued to unfold, it became more and more apparent that it could have, in fact, have been prevented. In the months that have passed, a number of lawsuits have been brought against BP for a variety of different grievances. It seems that now BP will have to pay, literally, for their negligence. Investigations into BP prompted by this accident found that this horrible tragedy could have been avoided, a number of times over, with normal, best practice behaviors; meaning that the loss of life, natural habitats, and livelihoods were completely preventable.

A lawsuit against ExxonMobil was, in the end, successfully mitigated for the most part, however it caused such a great deal of negative publicity that it appears that BP wishes to avoid this public relations nightmare. It appears that BP wants to settle their lawsuits for a hefty sum of upwards of $30 billion dollars to keep itself from being mired in court for countless decades to come. Much of the settlement money will go to the fishermen who’s livelihood was dashed when the spill occurred, as well as to the families who’s homes and property were destroyed in this devastating event.

Though it does nothing to change or remove the damage caused by negligence and avoidable mistakes, it is a small victory on the part of those who’s lives were inadvertently turned upside down by virtue of where they live. Companies live and die by that proverbial bottom line and this lawsuit hits BP “right where it counts”, in the bottom line. Even for a company such as BP, $30 billion dollars is quite a hunk of change. This will hopefully send a message to other oil companies that if any problems arise from the use of their processes, they will be held liable.

Chris Keenan is a green and general blog writer. He writes for many sites including Precision Garage Door. Chris also maintains a personal house and garden blog.

With all the craze involved in getting back to school…be it elementary school, middle school, high school, or college, it never hurts to take a different approach with the new school year. Greening your back to school routine is simple and can save you some money too. Let’s go over some tips that will help benefit the environment and your wallet:

Walk or ride your bike to school.
Not only will this option of transportation save you on the costs of operating an automobile, but it will also benefit your health.

Take a school bus or public transportation instead of driving.
Taking public transportation to school reduces auto congestion and thereby keeps pollution to the environment at a minimum.

If there is no way of getting to school without a car, try carpooling and splitting gas costs.
Not everyone has the ability to ride a bike or take public transportation to school. Not to worry, take turns carpooling with your neighbors or friends to reduce your gasoline usage.

Try to make last years supplies last into this year.
If you have leftover pens, paper, or binders from last year, be sure to utilize those before you buy more. Also, ask friends or neighbors who may have leftover supplies to donate you.

Utilize a reusable bottle for water rather than store bought bottled water.
We all need to drink water. But instead of buying cases of bottled water, just get a reusable bottle and fill with tap or filtered water.

Use tupperware or a lunch box instead of paper bags for food time.
If you are making your own lunches to save on your wallet, be sure make use of reusable containers such as lunch boxes or tupperware instead of buying and using paper lunch bags.

Don’t forget to turn your computer off.
When you are not at home, be sure you turn off your computer to save on energy costs.

Buy used textbooks.
Buying used textbooks from craigslist or anywhere online will save you a ton of money off the high sticker price of new school books. Using older editions of the same book will still get you through your classes. Sometimes only a few pages are updated which the publishers use to slap on a new edition and charge full prices to unsuspecting students.

^{Amtrak Cascades – Portland, Ore. – The Environmental Blog}

Ridership projections show a new all-time record will be set. Amtrak is projecting that for the first time ever its annual ridership will exceed 30 million passengers and in the process set a new all-time record when the current fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

Basic Amtrak Facts

• During FY 2010 (Oct. 2009-Sept. 2010), Amtrak® welcomed aboard more than 28.7 million passengers, the largest annual total in Amtrak’s history. An average of more than 78,000 passengers rides more than 300 Amtrak trains per day.
• Amtrak operates a nationwide rail network, serving more than 500 destinations in 46 states and three Canadian provinces on more than 21,200 miles of routes, with more than 20,000 employees. It is the nation’s only high speed intercity passenger rail provider, operating nearly 60% of its trains at top speeds in excess of 90 mph/145 kph.
• In FY 2010, Amtrak earned approximately $2.51 billion in revenue and incurred approximately $3.74 billion in expense. No country in the world operates a passenger rail system without some form of public support for capital costs and/or operating expenses. In 2009, the most recent year for which data for other railroads is available, Amtrak’s farebox recovery (percentage of operating costs covered by revenues generated by passenger fares) was the highest reported for any U.S. passenger railroad.
• In 2010, an average of more than 862,000 people every weekday depended on commuter rail services that used Amtrak-owned infrastructure, dispatching, shared operations, or rode commuter trains operated by Amtrak under contracts with local or regional agencies.
• Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) is the busiest railroad in North America, with more than 2,200 trains operating over some portion of the Washington-Boston route each day. More than a quarter of a million riders use the NEC on every weekday, generating more than 4.9 million daily passenger miles.
• If included among U.S. airlines in 2008, Amtrak would rank 8th in the number of passengers served. On average, there are nearly twice as many passengers on an Amtrak train than there are on a domestic airline flight.
• The Boston-New York-Washington portion of the Northeast Corridor carried 10,375,209 passengers in FY 2010 on Acela Express, Regional Service or other trains. Three other corridors had ridership that topped one million or more: Pacific Surfliner Service (San Diego-Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo, 2,613,604), Capitol Corridor Service (San Jose-Oakland-Sacramento-Auburn, 1,580,619) and the Keystone Corridor Service (Harrisburg-Philadelphia-New York City, 1,296,838).
• Five other corridors had ridership in excess of a half-million passengers:
  • Empire Service (New York-Albany-Niagara Falls): 981,241
  • San Joaquin service (Oakland-Sacramento-Bakersfield): 977,834
  • Amtrak Cascades service (Eugene-Portland-Seattle-Vancouver, B.C.): 836,499
  • Hiawatha Service (Chicago-Milwaukee): 783,060
  • Lincoln Service (Chicago-St. Louis): 572,424

“We are having a very strong year because people around the country are choosing the convenience, efficiency and hassle-free environment of Amtrak to meet their travel needs,” said President and CEO Joe Boardman. “Amtrak has wisely invested the federal funding we have received to improve infrastructure and equipment. Continued investment in Amtrak and passenger rail will support the further growth of this increasingly vital transportation option.”

Amtrak is basing its projection of more than 30 million passengers on strong June ridership numbers and expected ticket sales for July, August and September. June 2011 was the best June on record with more than 2.6 million passengers for the month and marked 20 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership growth, a streak that began in November 2009.

This strong performance is part of a long-term trend that has seen Amtrak set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, including more than 28.7 million passengers in FY 2010.

Comparing the first nine months of FY 2011 (October – June) to the same time period in FY 2010, national Amtrak ridership is up 6.4 percent so far this fiscal year and all three major business lines are showing gains: the Northeast Corridor up 5.6 percent, state-supported and other short distance corridors up 7.8 percent, and long-distance trains up 3.9 percent.

Amtrak Cascades in the Pacific Northwest operates three daily round trips between Portland and Seattle; one daily round trip between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., and one between Portland and Vancouver, B.C.; and two daily round trips between Eugene and Seattle, via Portland. Amtrak Cascades achieved significant ridership growth in the second quarter of 2011, carrying nearly three quarters of a million people and breaking the record reached in 2010.

Factors contributing to the continuing success of Amtrak include high gasoline prices, continued growth in business travel on the high-speed Acela Express trains with free Wi-Fi service, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel, and effective marketing campaigns.

^{Ross Island Sand and Gravel – The Environmental Blog}

Ross Island Sand and Gravel is a major supplier of aggregate in the Portland area. Dictionary.com’s definition for aggregate is any of various loose, particulate materials, as sand, gravel, or pebbles, added to a cementing agent to make concrete, plaster, etc. From the 1920s until the summer of 2001, the company mined and processed sand and gravel from the Willamette River at the site on Ross Island. To meet site reclamation requirements, Ross Island Sand and Gravel began importing fill material in the early 1980s. Some of the material the company obtained from Port of Portland shipyards was determined to be unsuitable for unconfined open water disposal due to the presence of contaminants.

This material was placed lawfully in depressions within the lagoon and covered with clean material creating confined aquatic disposal sites. In 1999, Ross Island Sand and Gravel and DEQ determined that mining activities had extended into one of the capped areas resulting in a breach of a confined cell. Between 1999 and 2002, Ross Island Sand and Gravel and the Port of Portland conducted environmental investigations at the site which identified the following contamination as potentially posing unacceptable risk to human health and the environment:

• Elevated concentrations of zinc and arsenic in surface soil samples collected in the vicinity of the processing plant.
• Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, also known as PAHs, detected in surface soil immediately adjacent to the southern portion of the lagoon at concentrations that could pose a threat to fish and wildlife within the lagoon if soil erodes into the lagoon.
• Contaminated material removed from lagoon disposal cell 5 during mining activities.
• PAHs detected at levels slightly exceeding EPA ambient water quality criteria in a grab groundwater sample collected adjacent to the southern portion of the lagoon.
• Elevated concentrations of PAHs, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls, also known as PCBs, detected in a limited number of surface sediment samples collected from the southern portion of the lagoon where reclamation filling has occurred and in the vicinity of the recapped breach area.
• Elevated pH detected at several locations along the southern shoreline of the lagoon assumed to result be from concrete waste fill.
• Highly contaminated material present in the five confined disposal cells for material dredged from Port of Portland facilities.

The following is what Ross Island Sand and Gravel has done to address the environmental issues over the years:

• In summer 2000, closed the eastern portion of the settling pond containing contaminated material mined from confined aquatic disposal cell 5 and covered it with clean sediments dredged from the western portion of the settling pond.
• In June and July 2007, removed approximately 900 cubic yards of soil contaminated with metals from the processing plant area; placed the soil in a prepared cell located within the capped former settling pond; and capped the cell with clean soil.
• In summer and fall 2007, installed a variety of erosion control measures in the southern shoreline areas immediately adjacent to the lagoon. Measures included: installing drainage berms, stabilizing slopes, and covering with clean fill.
• In May 2007, sampled groundwater in the southern shoreline area. Contaminant concentrations did not exceed conservative screening levels and DEQ determined no further action for groundwater was necessary.
• Between 2001 and 2010, placed approximately 2,400,000 tons of fill in the lagoon achieving a minimum three-foot cap of clean material over contaminated sediment and further stabilizing slopes adjacent to the southern bench area.

Ross Island Sand and Gravel prepared a long-term monitoring/maintenance and contingency plan for the site addressing each aspect of the cleanup. In addition to regular monitoring and maintaining of the cleanup components, Ross Island will inspect caps and stormwater controls after any extreme events including: seismic events of magnitude six or greater, rainfall exceeding 3.4 inches or greater in a 24-hour period, and Willamette River levels of 18 feet or greater.

Based on evaluation of the actions described above, DEQ has determined that no further action, aside from monitoring, is required at the Ross Island Sand and Gravel site and that Ross Island Sand and Gravel has completed its obligations under DEQ Consent Order No. WMCVC-NWR-99-09.

If you believe that Ross Island Sand and Gravel has done a good job of protecting the environment with their normal business practices then forget about ever reading this post. However, if you feel that they could do a better job of protecting the Willamette River than simply monitoring, let your voice be heard by submitting a comment to the DEQ before September 30th @ 5:00pm, 2011.

Project Manager: Jennifer Sutter
Phone: 503-229-6148
E-mail: Jennifer Sutter (sutter.jennifer@deq.state.or.us)

^{Photo by Steve Allen – The Environmental Blog}

Some people may baulk at the thought of giving up car parking spaces for bike parking, but that’s exactly what some businesses and city’s are implementing. From New York City to Philadelphia to Portland. The great thing about promoting bicycle use among other things are reduced auto congestion and increased health benefits. However, the downside to increased bike usage is the lack of proper bike parking in downtown cities. A lack of bike parking can lead bicyclists to seemingly park their bikes anywhere, like on the parking sign shown above or on trees and such.

In New York, they’ve gone a step further to add bike parking by retrofitting old parking meters into bike parking. It saves cities the trouble of digging the poles out of the foundation, and gives bikers a much-needed place to lock up. According to Transportation Alternatives, there’s only one bike rack for every 31 cyclists in New York City.

Formerly a parking meter, now a bike rack on Columbus Avenue (photo by Kate Hinds) - transportationnation.org

The ongoing discussion among Portland officials is where to put in more bike parking. An obvious idea is to remove some car parking in certain areas of the city where bike traffic is high. However, it seems that Portland is hesitant to pursue this option in a big and useful way. An ambitious plan to increase Portlander’s commuting by bike to 25% from the current 7%-9% will require the city to accommodate more and more bike parking facilities at the expense of some auto parking spaces.

According to bicyclinginfo.org the following is a breakdown of costs for bike vs car parking:

Cost to purchase and install bike racks: $150 to $300 each (parks two bikes)
Cost to purchase and install bike lockers: $1000 to $4000 each (parks two bikes)
Cost to provide car parking space: $2200 surface lot, $12,500 garage
Number of bike spaces in one car space: 10–12

Do you feel there is a need to increase bike parking in your city? Car parking? It always seems to me that there is never enough parking either way. I suppose the idea is to strike the right balance depending on historical use vs projected use of transportation modes.

ReVolt, a battery technology company, which has developed a rechargeable Zinc-Air battery system, announced that it will complete its new R&D and head office facility on the 27th September 2011. Revolt was recruited to Portland back in 2009 by the Portland Development Commission, a Portland agency who’s mission is to promote economic development in targeted industry clusters such as clean tech and advanced manufacturing. ReVolt managers chose Portland for their U.S. headquarters, saying they would ultimately hire about 250 people. Last year, Revolt received a $5 million US government stimulus grant that was targeted to aid cutting-edge research projects with the potential to dramatically transform how we use energy.

The new facility, in Portland’s Airport Way Urban Renewal Area, is already in operation and will be used for development of the company’s Zinc Flow Air Battery (ZFAB) for electric vehicles and energy storage applications. This new class of rechargeable battery system combines key innovations from the fields of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. The technology has the potential to provide a battery system with three times the energy density of today’s technologies at approximately half the cost and with lower environmental impact.

“Portland is on a technology roll,” said Mayor Sam Adams. “ReVolt’s commitment to innovation and job creation for our talented workforce advances our mission to become a global leader in clean technology. We welcome ReVolt as a vital addition to Portland’s bright, collaborative, exciting business community.”

Mayor Sam Adams has also been quoted “As a company on the cutting edge of the electric-vehicle industry, ReVolt is bringing to Portland its commitment to innovation and Portland is one step further down the road to being America’s EV hub.”

“New technologies like ReVolt’s battery and energy storage are critical to our clean energy future,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “I am thrilled Revolt has invested in Oregon and is part of our state’s growing clean economy sector.”

“We are delighted to have this opportunity to thank all those who have helped us in our move to Portland,” said James P. McDougall, CEO of ReVolt Technology Group. “Everyone involved has worked very hard to realize the completion of this new R&D center and the team we have recruited here in Portland is already making great strides in the development of our technology. Portland and Oregon provide us with a great base for the development of our business here in the US and we are looking forward to a long and happy association with the city and state.”

About ReVolt Technology

ReVolt Technology is developing a Zinc-Air battery technology that will transform the global market for stored energy solutions. ReVolt’s technology performance attributes provide the highest-energy density (up to 3 times that of Lithium Ion), low-cost, safe and green. These attributes pose both a disruptive influence on the competitive landscape and significant step-change in performance for some consumer electronics, electric vehicles and grid-based alternative energy storage solutions.

Presentation on Marine Zoning in Saint Kitts and Nevis by Vera Agostini and Shawn Margles of The Nature Conservancy (October 26 at 2 pm EDT/11 am PDT/6 pm GMT).Intense usage of coastal areas is threatening the biological diversity of marine habitats and the ecosystem services they provide. Marine zoning, one of the possible outcomes of a marine spatial planning process, has emerged recently as an approach to address these issues. The case for marine zoning is particularly strong in the Caribbean, but there are few examples to date of comprehensive marine zoning for tropical island nations. This webinar will present a project that initiated a marine spatial planning process and developed a draft marine zoning design for the small island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean. St. Kitts and Nevis was chosen as the project site because it met a set of selection criteria, including that its government was aware of marine zoning as a useful management approach and was interested in applying it in their country. The project lay the groundwork for future implementation of marine zoning in St. Kitts and Nevis by assisting in the development of a draft marine zoning design using the tool MarZone and providing a set of tools that could inform this and other management efforts. Learn more http://conserveonline.org/workspaces/ecbiotaproject/documents/1a.-st.-kitts-and-nevis-marine-zoning-technical. Register for this webinar at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/697057040.

Presentation on Building Capacity for Coastal Conservation Planning in Georgia by Ian Varley and Patrick Crist of NatureServe (November 9 at 3 pm EST/Noon PST/8 pm GMT). Coastal Georgia (U.S.) is under intense development pressure and faces increased threats through global climate change. Although the state's coastal habitats are in a relatively natural condition compared to other East Coast states, without immediate action these stressors are likely to cause irreparable loss of significant ecosystem processes and wildlife habitat that have supported Georgia's coastal communities for centuries. This project utilized a variety of EBM tools to assess current and future threats to biodiversity throughout the 11-county coastal region and in-depth in two pilot counties and also developed conservation priorities. MaxEnt was used to develop predicted species distribution models, and Circuitscape was used to model connectivity among species’ populations. We constructed scenarios using NatureServe Vista to express threats from land use, infrastructure, management practices, and sea level rise over multiple timeframes to identify ecosystems, habitats, and species under greatest threat. We then utilized Marxan to create conservation scenarios. State, regional and local organizations were provided the conservation database,methods, decision support tools, and training in the use of the system to continue the adaptive planning and implementation process. Learn more at http://www.accg.org/content.asp?contentid=1534. Register for this webinar at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/891517889.

^{PSU Researchers Study Relationship of Green Roofs and Solar Panels – Photo from solar.pdx.edu}

A symbiotic relationship might exist from solar panels that benefit from the decrease in temperature that green roofs provide, when the two are combined, while green roofs benefit from solar panels that provide shade in hot summer months. Since Portland is known for having many buildings that boast green roofs and solar panels, who thought that combining the two would make for a perfect match.

The Portland State University researchers are looking into the effects of combining single-cell silicon photovoltaic (PV) solar panels with green roof technology. The project they came up with, located on the roof of PSU’s Science Building 2, consists of four pans totaling 720 square feet of planting area for the green roofs with PV panels donated by SolarWorld partially shading the back half of the pans. The project is funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation of more than $600,000 for three years, and was installed in 2010.

The data collected from panels is posted online for everyone to see. You can chart by year, week, or by 48 hours. It’s actually kind of neat to see historical data of total collected energy during winter months. If you notice how much energy is collected during summer months, and if you were to compare that to your own utility bill, would you be able to stay within that energy budget?

One of the advantages of green roofs is that they absorb water that would flow off a traditional roof and into the sewers. In a 2002 report looking into the water retention capabilities of two green roofs in Portland, BES calculated that 69 percent of all rainfall was absorbed.

Other advantages of green roofs include:

• Increased building insulation – reduced energy costs
• Reduced urban heat island effect
• Absorption of pollutants from rainwater
• Extended roof life

More relevant to the PSU project, green roofs lower the temperature of the air around them. The researchers believe that since the silicone in a PV panel is a semiconductor, and semiconductors are more efficient when they’re cooler, locating arrays over the green roofs might increase their output.

On the other side of the equation, the PV panels provide shade for the plants. While the rain may seem as if it never stops during the Portland winters, it can be hard to come by in the summer when average monthly rainfall is approximately three inches and 30-60 day stretches without any rain at all are common.

Because of the lack of moisture during the summer, green roofs in Portland are usually planted with sedum, a succulent plant native to the area that holds moisture and weathers the summers better than many other plants. They still suffer heat damage, though. By shading the plants, the PV panels protect them and allow them to stay healthier and more efficient year-round. The researchers think the efficiency of the roofs and panels can be increased even more through irrigation and greater biodiversity on the green roof portion.

To explore the idea that biodiversity can improve the efficiency of the green roofs and the solar panels, the researchers planted two of the pans with a sedum mix, and two of the pans with a mixture of sedum and herbaceous plants such as sage, thyme, grasses, and yarrow. Over the summer, the team has been irrigating one sedum pan and one mixed pan, while letting the other two dry out naturally.

We all should all know by now that electronics that are turned off are still consuming energy in a phenomena called vampire electronics. Certain electronics like tv's, computers, speakers, dvd and blu ray players are all charging you extra wattage on your utility bill even though these products are switched off. Now, I don't know about you, but that does not make me a happy camper. Luckily, there exists this awesome product to help you in your journey of lowering your energy bill and thus saving the environment. It is called a smart strip. It works by cutting off the vampiric energy by using a master product such as a tv or computer that when switched off will switch off the peripheral devices connected to the strip as well. If you have a lot peripheral devices, you can get a smart strip with 10 outlets.

So say you have a plasma tv, DVR set, blu ray player, surround sound audio system, xbox, and a mac mini connected to your tv like I do. You would plug the your plasma tv into the master switching device, the DVR set would plug into the always on plug since you don't want that device off when your favorite shows are recording, and everything else gets plugged into the peripheral plugs. Now when your TV is off, it will automatically switch off all the other devices and stop them from wasting wattage. Depending on the devices hooked up, you could be saving some serious wattage which will add up to significant savings over the long run.

To help you find out exactly how much watts you are saving, their is another nifty product for that too, it's called Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor. They typically run for $15 to $20 on Amazon. The cool thing about this product though is that you plug in your electronic device into the monitor and it will display how much watts it's actually using when the device is on, and when it is off as well to see what vampire effect your turned off product is using. Obviously, this part isn't required to help you green your home, but it is a really nice tool to have to help you identify what electronics in your home are using the most energy.

I am telling you, once you get thinking about how you can cut your energy costs down in terms of watts and in terms of dollars, it becomes insanely addicting. You even inadvertently become more aware of the things that you turn on and off on a regular basis. So just being aware of trying to save energy can have the positive side effect of you turning things off more promptly than you might have otherwise done in the past.

To get you a rough estimate of savings, their is a really cool energy savings calculator I found online. You can use it to estimate your savings by how much your state charges in kilowatts from your utility bill. This is a good tool to help make a financial decision since products like led lighting and these smart strips can be a little costly upfront. The savings are clear in the long run though, and are evident on your monthly bill from the power company.

Let us know if you've had success with these smart strips and how much watts and dollars you've saved.

I just have to say that something came over me when I got a utility bill that was about 15 % higher than my normal bill and it got me obsessed with trying to lower it. What better way to do that than with a full assessment of my energy usage? I often never really thought about my energy usage because I live in a studio apartment, and my bills were never really that much...but I challenge you out there to do your part.

I think the first place to start is by asking yourself: Are ALL of my lightbulbs energy efficient? For me the answer was NO...tisk tisk I know. I have some track lighting - 4 lightbulbs (PAR30 size) that are sucking 65 Watts a piece! How Dare I!!!

I did some research and found this expensive environmental LED lighting alternatives...for $30 I found a GE LED bulb including shipping. Now just as a sanity check, this same bulb was on sale in Ace Hardware for $45 (I just checked yesterday) so this is a steal. But don't forget that there are some sellers on ebay selling led bulbs for a steal as well. I'm a big proponent of led bulbs since their energy consumption is so low AND they are not toxic (CFL's have dangerous mercury in them) when tossing away. But the other good thing about these bulbs is their lifetime. Some boast 20,000 to 50,000 hours of use...I calculated that if you use these bulbs for 5 hours a day everyday, they would last between 11 and 28 years!

There are some 6W environmental LED lighting bulbs I found on Amazon for $9.85 a pop. These might be worth replacing even your 15W or 20W CFL's that you might have around the house. At 6 Watts per bulb, my CFL's look like energy hogs!

LED lighting is going to be the future of lighting, so why not snag some now and start watching your energy bills go down today. I'll follow up with another post on more ways you can save on your energy bill.

Below is a guide that I pulled from Amazon just as an FYI about bulbs with some added notes of course:

Choose the Right Bulb for Your Lighting Needs ( just keep in mind the wattage)
One bulb is as good as another, right? Actually, no. Choosing the correct light bulb for your various fixtures can save energy, increase safety, and help create the right ambiance. But it's not always easy to select the right bulb. Use the following guide to help determine the appropriate bulbs for your fixtures at home.

Bulb Type Basics

Incandescent:

The incandescent bulb is the one most people are familiar with. Light is created by passing electricity to a filament and heating it until it glows a warm, white light.

Advantages: These bulbs are usually inexpensive, produce a pleasing and consistent white warm light, and are dimmable. Incandescent bulbs are good for many household applications.

Disadvantages: They generally have a short life compared to other bulbs, and they waste energy since they transform energy into heat rather than light, which makes them hot to the touch. In fact, 90% of the energy is lost by producing heat instead of light...it's very inefficient.

Halogen:

A halogen bulb is an incandescent bulb that uses halogen gas and a filament to generate light. To perform properly, the operating temperature of the bulb filament is very high and the halogen gas must be at the appropriate pressure. Quartz glass is used to protect against the increased heat.

Advantages: These bulbs produce a bright white light, tend to have a long life compared to standard incandescents, are dimmable, and offer good beam control. Halogen bulbs are great for displays, accent lighting, task lighting, and under-cabinet usage.

Disadvantages: They're more costly than incandescents and are also very hot to the touch.

CFL:

To produce light, CFL bulbs use the interaction between mercury and other gases; the resulting glow mimics the warm, white light of incandescents.

Advantages: CFLs are energy efficient and are an easy replacement for inefficient incandescents. They tend to have a long life and come in a wide range of shapes, colors, and sizes. CFLs are great for use at home, as well as commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings.

Disadvantages: They tend to cost more than incandescents and are temperature sensitive. All linear fluorescents require separate ballast. Also, disposing of these can be some trouble, since the mercury in the bulbs are toxic, you must handle these with care and make sure they are recycled properly.

LED:

An LED bulb houses clusters of light-emitting diodes--tiny electronic chips that glow when electricity passes through them--instead of filaments or gasses.

Advantages: LEDs have a longer lifespan than incandescents because of their energy efficiency (manufacturers are testing Energy Star qualifications), are durable and low maintenance, and are ideal for spotlighting artwork because they don't emit ultraviolet or infrared light, which can often cause fading and other damage.

Disadvantages: LED bulbs tend to be on the expensive side--plus, since they serve as directed light sources, they aren't ideal for ambient lighting.

GreenLocalJobs.com is proud to announce the launching of its Portland, Oregon featured webpage.

Featured Articles from Interviews Conducted with Local Portland Experts

TOM BREUNIG
Director Of Marketing And Communications
Earth Advantage Institute
• Any job can be green. Look for opportunities to make an environmental impact in careers that are not traditionally thought of as green.
• Energy efficiency is vital to the growth of green building industry because it is very cost effective. Retrofitting residential and commercial buildings can save significantly on energy costs.

Earth Advantage Institute offers certification, education, research, and technical services to the growing green building industry. Tom Breunig, Director of Marketing and Communications, pointed out the Earth Advantage Institute's role in sustainable construction. Green building classes are offered for builders, real estate professionals, appraisers, and lenders. Multiple types of certification can be acquired through the Institute.

In addition, this organization, conducts research into new techniques and practices in sustainable building. The Portland area is a national leader in green building technologies and a great place to learn this growing trade.

JENN BILDERSEE
Program Coordinator
Portland Brownfield Program
• A variety specializations, including biology, chemistry, real estate, urban planning and public policy can lead to a career in managing contaminated site cleanup programs.
• Find internships in public and private organizations if you are looking for specialized environmental careers such as brownfield development.

Brownfields are empty lots seen in every city that may or may not contain pollutants and contaminants. Jenn Bildersee coordinates the Brownfield Program for the city of Portland, Oregon and helps the public report, identify and test these lots for contaminants such as PCBs, petroleum, lead or arsenic. Often, the tests come back negative and the owner of the property is free to use it without worrying about harmful pollutants. When a brownfield tests positive, the city can direct the owner to the proper resources for removal of the pollutants.

Portland was the first of many city governments to test brownfields. City government will always have a need for environmental education, environmental cleanup programs, and environmental code enforcement. Cities need dedicated professionals to insure the quality of life and health of its citizens.

STACY HOLTMANN
Office Manager
Ecotrust
• Focus on one area that you want to get involved with. If you are too broad in your search you will overwhelm yourself and it will be harder for organizations to find the right fit for you. By focusing on one area you differentiate yourself.
• Networking opportunities abound if you get involved with a project or an issue. The more meaningful events will be harder to find, but much more worthwhile. There are groups that you can get involved with that have networking nights such as Net Impact, or Oregon Environmental Council.

Ecotrust's mission is to "innovate, invest, and inspire in ways that create reliable prosperity," and they have an impressive list of innovative green programs that do just that.

These programs are run by committed environmental professionals, such as Stacy Holtmann, in the Portland Oregon Ecotrust office. In addition to marine and forestry programs, Ecotrust runs a local food-to-farms program that creates a sustainable local food economy by connecting regional agriculture to schools.

SANDY PICKARD
Business Manager
Solar Energy International
• Take classes at Solar Energy International. Workshops are offered in solar, thermal, green building, and even hydro technologies. Classes are offered in twelve locations around the US.
• Roofers can improve their skills by taking classes in solar energy installation.
• Solar energy installation and commercial size energy efficiency projects are the hottest areas of green technology.

Solar Energy International has been providing education in solar and other renewable energy technologies for 20 years. They have become one of the premiere institutions for accredited renewable energy workshops and offer classes in a number of locations.

Business manager Sandy Pickard highlighted the important work this non-profit does through their educational mission. Solar Energy International has expanded to include workshops in solar electric, solar thermal, micro-hydro, and wind energy. Classes are also offered online.

CHRIS STEVENS
Communications Director
Center For A Sustainable Future
• Organic farms offer volunteer positions, and can be good places to learn renewable agriculture.
• Iowa State University has a great educational resource: The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State is a great place to learn about the newest advances in sustainable agriculture.
• Another excellent resource, The Stone Barn Center, (north of Manhattan) is a non-profit education center and farm. They offer education for sustainable agriculture.

The Center for a Livable Future (CLF) at John's Hopkins university works in research, educational outreach, and community action targeted at "farming, eating, and living for our future." As Communication Manager for the CLF, Chris Stevens works daily in support of these goals.

Sustainable, or resilient, farming has recently gained exposure with the continued environmental and health problems associated with factory farming. In essence, much of sustainable farming is really a "return to traditional farming," Chris explained. In traditional, or sustainable, farming, animals are not raised in a factory environment in very confined spaces and large amounts of dangerous antibiotics and pesticides are avoided.