Tracking sustainability news and events in Savannah, Georgia (and beyond)
Category
Climate Change
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10.22.08Here come the hybrids: CAT provides a sneak peek at new busNear the end of today's Chatham Urban Transit Study Policy Committee meeting, Chatham Area Transit Interim Executive Director Joe Murray Rivers announced he had something to show the group. Near the corner of State and Drayton streets waited a Gillig Hyrbrid low floor transit bus. Rivers said CAT has ordered 11 hybrid buses, which will be carrying passengers in Savannah in 12-18 months. Eric Curl wrote about the buses in the Savannah Morning News earlier this year. According to promotional literature, the buses are powered by "GM Allison Hybrid Ep Systems" that deliver improved fuel economy: "The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) ...
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10.02.08Curious about bicycle commuting? Join your neighbors and give it a try on FridayBicycle commuting offers many benefits and not the least of them is a closer connection with changing seasons, a relationship with the world that is available these days mostly to farmers and others who spend the majority of their time outside. Except in the case of the bicycle commuter, he or she is able to experience these changes not over the course of entire days, but within the context of twice a day sampling of weather conditions. As a result, I can tell you exactly what it feels like to be on a bike in Savannah at 8:05 a.m. on ...
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09.19.08Red, White and Blue. And Green!This post on Boing Boing led me to a wonderful gallery of high resolution images on the American Legion Web site. In the gallery are hundreds of posters used during World War II to encourage civilians to change their daily routines to aid in the war effort. The individual, who originally posted the link, suggested the posters are, "relevant to a peak oil, global heating world..." I agree. And ours is a country again at war, despite the fact that no similar sacrifices have been demanded of most of us, nor have we been asked to cooperate or conserve. Folks who ...
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08.20.08City goes live with ThriveTonight's City of Savannah town hall meeting served as a launch, of a sort. Introduced was the city's "Thrive: Environment • Economy • Community" theme. During the meeting, the mayor and city council publicly took the "Thrive Pledge." It reads: "I will strive to understand the social and environmental consequences of my actions and pledge to help Savannah Thrive by taking part in activities that promote an eco-friendly and sustainable community." A video screened during the meeting cataloged initiatives the city is currently undertaking or considering, including: Elimination of desktop printers in City offices LEED certified government buildings Energy audits Fuel efficient vehicles Flextime and telecommuting programs ...
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07.21.08The myth of the environagSome of my fellow citizens have written letters to the editor of the Savannah Morning News complaining about high gasoline prices. The vast majority of these advocate offshore drilling and/or cracking down on shadowy speculators, who are allegedly driving up the price of oil. The beauty of both these suggestions that they conveniently allow us to blame others for the fix we're in. Even folks who are big on bootstraps and personal responsibility are happy to shift into helpless victim mode when it comes to our dependence on oil. From one of the recent letters to the editor, I learned a ...
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07.09.08ImaginationLast night, creative city making champion Charles Landry spoke to a packed house. I had the pleasure of being in the audience along with most of the usual suspects (govt., real estate development, business, downtownies, a few artists & SCAD folk) . . . you were probably there too. He was worth standing up for, even if my feet are paying the price today. For those of you who couldn't make it, I'll briefly summarize. Landry defines creative cities as those in which ordinary people (along with their local bureaucracies) solve problems (or rather, create opportunities) in imaginative ...
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06.16.08It Doesn’t Always Have to be the WestIt's summer and I've had air conditioning on the brain -price to run it, high; emissions from it, high; temp in the grocery stores these days, way too low; etc. I was working on minimizing my home usage without melting away when I came across this announcement from my alma mater. The University of California, Davis' Western Cooling Efficiency Center and its partners (including Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Sempra Energy, Southern California Edison, Target Corporation, Wal-Mart, the California Energy Commission, and the U.S. Department of Energy, among others) announced the Western Cooling Challenge for the ...
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06.09.08Erik Writes, I Get SchooledErik Blachford, CEO of TerraPass, saw my post on carbon offsets and wrote to ask if he could help us better understand the wonderful world of carbon offsets –Of Course!, I replied. Talking to him helped me realize how complex the carbon finance world is AND got me motivated to learn more. The following is my list of highlights . . . A carbon offset is a financial instrument that represents a reduction or removal of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, PFCs). Countries, companies or individuals can purchase offsets ...
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06.08.08Where’s the Beef?WorldChanging columnist, Clark Williams-Derry reports here on a recent study from a couple of Carnegie Mellon profs that compares life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with food production against food miles. Summary of the findings: A dietary shift can be a more effective means of lowering an average household’s food-related environmental footprint than “buying local.” Shifting less than one day per week’s worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG reduction than buying 100% locally sourced food. Small sacrifice, big impact . . . gotta love that. Still, all else being ...
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05.30.08Engaged OffsetsTraveling over the past week, I visited the queen of sustainable cities, Portland, Oregon and a prime example of Midwestern disinvestment, Hutchinson, Kansas. Getting there, I spent time in the Houston, Atlanta, Memphis and Kansas City airports and, according to the newly revamped TerraPass air travel carbon emissions calculator, emitted a whopping total of 7,066 pounds of CO2. I am not about to see all my bike riding, recycling, second-hand shopping, local food buying, energy star appliance using and non-air conditioned house living get canceled out by a few flights. So I’m thinking of spending $39.60 to purchase carbon ...
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About
Transportation, land use, local farming and green building are all potential topics for Sustainable Savannah. The goal is to aggregate content about local events and projects, so there will be a central place to review everything that’s happening. The site is aimed at encouraging collaboration and information sharing between groups and individuals currently engaged in sustainability efforts. The site can also provide a snapshot of Savannah for green-minded people who are considering visiting or moving to the area.
