Tracking sustainability news and events in Savannah, Georgia (and beyond)
Category
Conservation
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03.05.09Site offers social networking for tree loversA Web site called "The Grove" has been launched by the Georgia Urban Forest Council and the Georgia Forestry Commission "to engage and encourage Georgia’s citizens to plant trees and help protect Georgia’s urban tree canopy." A tip from a Sustainable Savannah reader suggests that one appeal of the site is its social networking function: "The Grove allows members to create a profile, post stories and upload pictures of tree planting experiences that can be shared with friends and family. This site celebrates families that come together, both on and offline, to ensure their descendants live in a healthy urban forest, ...
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01.06.09Hoping our next president goes by the bookIn the Internet circles I frequent there is a great deal of concern about what how President-elect Barack Obama is planning to spend that stimulus money. Will the transportation infrastructure come in the form of projects that will help us lessen our dependence on oil, improve public health, rebuild shattered communities, combat climate change, restore a sense of place, and better equip us to live prosperous, comfortable and meaningful lives in a future of increasingly scarce energy and resources? Or will we get more of the inefficient, neighborhood-destroying, sprawl-producing type of infrastructure that mandates automobile use for all trips ...
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01.04.09Savannah Morning News: We must keep America addicted to drivingThese things happened yesterday: The warm weather coaxed many of my neighbors outside and they were visible and audible on my quiet, narrow residential street. They walked dogs, tended to their yards and simply inhabited the public realm. Hurtling through the middle of this pleasing scene came a car traveling at least 50 m.p.h. That's double the speed limit. In front of the Home Depot on Victory Drive, shoppers nervously eyed the river of cars separating the parking lot from the store. They hurried through small gaps between the slowly moving vehicles. Some drivers were annoyed with having to momentarily tap the ...
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12.09.08City debuts hybrid streetcar, reintroduces bicycle fleet with “Climate Action Parade”Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson and other city officials gathered on River Street today to show off North America's first hybrid streetcar. The event also included more traditional city vehicles that, like the street car, are running on biodiesel from Refuel Savannah. Also on display were bicycles from the city fleet and an electric scooter used by city's film office. Elected officials including Jeff Felser, Mary Osborne, Mary Ellen Sprague and Tony Thomas took turns pumping biodiesel into the streetcar. Savannah Alderman Larry Stuber, who spoke at the press conference, serves on the National Executive Committee of Climate Communities. The press conference was ...
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12.09.08Energy Assistance or Community Opportunity?An article in today's SMN got my attention. It was about the increasing numbers of local residents seeking assistance with their energy bills. Energy assistance funds trickle down from the federal government to the state's Energy Assistance Program. Funds are then allocated to local agencies based on a formula that includes county poverty levels and weather zones (the poorer and colder a county is, the greater the allocation). The local agency that allocates funds is the Economic Opportunity Authority for Savannah-Chatham County, Inc. (EOA). The EOA has people who need energy assistance go and wait in a room for their number to ...
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11.24.08The Marina They Deserve?Last week, in a case involving a proposed coastal Georgia development, the GA Supreme Court voted (5-2) for a narrow interpretation of Georgia's 38 year old Coastal Marshlands Protection Act. The central legal issue before the Court was whether development on land adjacent to coastal marsh, rather than just in the marsh itself, is covered by the CMPA. You can read more background on the case and the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act HERE. Savannah Morning News coverage is HERE. Summer Teal Simpson's excellent piece of journalism about a related case is HERE. And if all that isn't enough, check out the Court's ...
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11.11.08Savannah Tree Foundation looks to the westThe Savannah Tree Foundation is directing its attention outside of the Savannah city limits, with a tree planting in Pooler scheduled for Nov. 15. According to the foundation's Adrienn Mondonca, working in western Chatham county indicates a new area of concern. "This is the second tree planting our organization has done in Pooler and one of a handful we have done in the western reaches of Chatham County. It represents a new focus for our organization on the west side of our community, where development trends have resulted in tree canopy loss over a number of years" The foundation will need 100 ...
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10.10.08Tybee Island City Council Strikes AgainAt a time when we are witnessing what happens when greed and short-sightedness mix with lack of regulation and oversight, the Tybee Island City Council voted (again, last night) 4-2 to repeal the city's shoreline protection ordinance. Since its passage in 1999, the city's ordinance has provided a level of protection (from the negative impacts of ever encroaching real estate development) above and beyond what the state requires. The repeal not only strips away this additional layer of protection, but also hands jurisdiction back to the state. The four council members above voted for the repeal. I have four questions for them ...
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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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09.30.08Recent News of NoteTrip highlights river ecology, history "When you think of the Savannah River you think of the ports and the issue of harbor deepening and you've heard about (nuclear power) Plant Vogtle," Neal said. "You think it's going to be an industrial corridor, but really it's an isolated wild river. That's what makes those issues vital. It's a great viable wild river right at our back door." Read more of Mary Landers' story in the Savannah Morning News here. Bill Dawers: Whitaker Street, growth, city's future shape "... despite several years of ambitious private investment, Whitaker is in bad shape. In ...
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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.
