Earth, Baseball and the Federal Blogger

What is it about government bloggers and baseball? I can't explain the connection, but the correlation appears to be growing. Peruse the evidence for yourself:

The folks over at the Smithsonian American Art Museum started off the trend almost two years ago with not one, but two, different entries on baseball in art.

I followed by blogging about baseball field designs back in InfoFarm's early days, and then, the very next day, the Department of State's blog, Dipnote, trotted out its own baseball reference.

Last month, the Library of Congress blog stepped on the field with an entry on their impressive collection of baseball-related photos and artifacts.

Then, a few weeks later, Colleen, one of the GovGab bloggers, covered our national pastime with an entry aligned with the Opening Day.

Finally, today, the Environmental Protection Agency launched its new blog, Greenversations, with a posting that brings together baseball and Earth Day.

Must be something in the water at federal buildings. Or maybe baseball still is the national pastime, despite some suggestions to the contrary.

Whatever the case, I'm psyched to be joined by so many baseball fans in the federal blogosphere.

I'm psyched, too, since it is Earth Day, to read that the EPA has worked with the New York Mets to identify the latest green technologies and practices that will be incorporated into the Mets' new stadium.

The Mets aren't the only team considering our environment though. From what I've read, brand new Nationals Park, home of our very own Washington Nationals, was built with green design principles. According to the team's site:

Nationals Park will strive to become the first major stadium in the United States accredited as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ certified ballpark. The new ballpark will pay particular attention to issues affecting the health of the Anacostia River, such as stormwater management and minimization of water pollution.

Newsweek covered the greening of the new ballpark last week. And earlier USA Today provided a neat graphic detailing the various environmental design measures that have gone into Nationals Park, from the lighting to the green roof, from the building materials to the cleaning products, to the water filtration system alluded to above.

But the earth-friendly improvements don't stop there. Larry DiVito, Head Groundskeeper for the Nationals, did his homework when it came to field maintenance equipment. He acquired an outfield mower that runs on biodiesel and a utility vehicle powered solely by electricity.

So worry not, Nats fans, the home turf -- Kentucky bluegrass for those who care -- will be well cared for.

But if you'd like some tips on keeping your own fields "green," check out the environmentally friendly techniques the Nationals' DiVito provided for Earth Day 2007, along with a great collection of turf-related sites from my NAL colleagues. Do your part to help make every day Earth Day.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Blogging and Energy on April 22, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Ag Words on the Growing Edge

As a follow-up to yesterday's entry on locavores, I wanted to quickly mention the other agriculturally related words that have recently been in the running for Word of the Year.

In 2005 Oxford gave the nod to "podcast," a decidedly non-agricultural word, but a technology the aggies have certainly taken advantage of, including the folks over at USDA's Economic Research Service and National Agricultural Statistics Service.

And among the runners-up that year we had "bird flu" and "trans fats," two very different but significant challenges to our health that ag researchers are addressing.

The following year was also big for agriculture and the environment. "Carbon neutral" took the top spot, encouraging all of us to reduce our carbon emissions and to then balance "our remaining emissions...by purchasing a carbon offset, paying to plant new trees or investing in 'green' technologies such as solar and wind power."

Then "CSA," community supported agriculture, occupied a key runner-up position, and -- who knows? -- maybe contributed to "locavore's" win in 2007 by building momentum in the "buy local" movement.

For the librarians in the audience, 2006 also brought us "DRM," digital rights management, a mere hop, skip and a jump from the copyright issues we discussed the other day.

Then, as noted earlier, "locavore" snagged Oxford's latest blue ribbon, but the mysterious "colony collapse disorder" made the list, as did "upcycling," a innovative alternative to waste disposal, one that puts a value-added spin on recycling.

So, not bad, nine words in three years related to agriculture, the environment, nutrition or librarianship. (I cast a wide net.)

But what did Oxford miss? Any other good, new agricultural words out there? Send 'em along or make 'em up. We're always ready to push that growing edge.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Animals and Energy and Food and Nutrition and Marketing and Trade and Plants and Crops on January 18, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Hello! Nice site ;) Bye

Submitted by: BersJonrete on January 20, 2008 12:26 AM

Submitted by: David Engel on January 23, 2008 09:57 AM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on January 23, 2008 01:26 PM

Submitted by: Lori Finch on January 24, 2008 05:18 PM

Are You a Locavore? Should You Be?

So, do you consider yourself a locavore? If so, you're environmentally conscious and trendy, wearing a label declared the "Word of the Year 2007" by the New Oxford American Dictionary.

For those who've never heard the term, it was coined just a few years ago by Jessica Prentice, one of four women in San Francisco who set out to eat food grown or produced within 100 miles of their homes. They weren't the only ones doing so, but their word caught on, at least in some circles, and is now, as Oxford sees it, a "word to watch."

It has gotten a few amateur (maybe even professional) lexicographers in an uproar: Should it be "localvore," (with an "l")? Should it be "localtarian," to convey the choice implied (a la "vegetarian")? Should we even care?

Of course, the last question touches upon more than just the word, but on the choices and actions the word encompasses -- eating locally, supporting nearby farmers and producers, reducing the transportation and shipping costs associated with what we eat.

The payoff comes in terms both personal and global. The food I get from our neighborhood farmers' market is generally fresher and tastes better than the long-distance stuff. Even the meat is more flavorful. And I get all that while doing something positive for the environment.

Not so fast, interjects Sarah Murray. While buying locally might supply those benefits, "food miles" shouldn't be the sole factor taken into account when buying food. We must also consider harvesting and production methods, storage requirements, food packaging, and other steps along the road from farm to fork.

Murray cites the example of a British snack company that teamed up with the Carbon Trust to measure the carbon footprint of a bag of its potato crisps. In calculating the carbon dioxide emissions in the making and shipping of the crisps, they found that the troublespot was not transportation, but "storing and frying the potatoes." Making changes there, Murray points out, could reduce emissions more than constraining the miles the crisps travel to consumers.

Okay, sounds good. But what about the formula used for calculating a product's carbon footprint in the first place? What gets included? What doesn't? And how far down the growth and production chain do you go? As an article in The Economist points out, how you answer these questions significantly impacts your formula, and, of course, the results.

And taking a consumer's position on this, how will I know which formula is "right"?

Obviously, this carbon footprint stuff is tricky business, and the scientists will be hashing out the details for some time. Until then, though, until we see standards, I'll work with what I do know and buy locally as much as I can. I might never be a true locavore -- I like chocolate way too much for that -- but I'll do what I can, even if it does address just one factor in a lengthy environmental equation.

But what are you doing? Have you tried being a locavore, even on a short-term or seasonal basis? Do you grow your own herbs or veggies? Have you joined a community supported agriculture program? Are you a regular at the local farmers market? Let's hear your tips for reducing our individual carbon footprints.

Or offer your comments on our latest Word of the Year. Does "locavore" work for you? Got a better idea? Propose it here and you might find fame via your well-chosen neologism. Wouldn't that be cool?

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Energy and Food and Nutrition and Marketing and Trade and Plants and Crops on January 17, 2008 EST | Permalink

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Growing Green

I was a kid during the energy crisis of the 1970s. I don't remember sitting in long lines at the gas pumps, but I do remember watching news stories about them. And I very much remember hearing my dad's "Who left the TV on?" echo through the house when he found Hogan's Heroes pulling another one over on Colonel Klink without someone there to watch the shenanigans. The plea that we'd be "coming right back" carried little weight.

I can easily imagine similar exchanges still happening today, as parents try to keep a lid on rising fuel and utility costs.

And that might not be any more true than in rural America, where small farms struggle to stay afloat, making energy efficiency an economic imperative. "Being green," it turns out, can be as much about the money in your pocket as the fuel in your tank.

Farm energy options now run the gamut from wind, solar and geothermal power to the biofuels we're hearing so much about. And simply conserving energy and increasing efficiency can yield substantial, immediate benefits as well.

Find information about all these forms of renewable energy at the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center here at NAL. Then, once you've settled on the energy choices that work for you, find what you need to make it happen with the Farm Energy Search Tool, which will point you to equipment dealers, installers, fuel distributors, funding sources and technical assistance in your state.

And if you're already using alternative energy on your farm or in your home, tell us about it below. What differences have you noticed in your processes and your bottom line?

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Energy on October 05, 2007 EST | Permalink

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I remember only being able to buy gas on alternate days during the energy crisis of the '70s--based on whether your license plate # ended in an odd or even digit. How did we get here? What kind of collective amnesia lead us from those days to giant SUVs and unrivaled energy consumption?

Submitted by: Jamie on October 10, 2007 03:03 PM

Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 11, 2007 03:25 PM

Submitted by: Cindy on October 30, 2007 02:04 PM

Gardening with a Mission (and a View)

Here's a stunning statistic for you: The Federal government is the nation's single largest consumer of energy, spending more than $9 billion to power its vehicles, operations, and approximately 500,000 facilities throughout the United States.

And stunning statistic #2: The Department of Agriculture is the second largest landholder in the Federal government, occupying approximately 89 million square feet of office and laboratory space; operating over 23,000 buildings; and managing 193 million acres of land. That's a massive agency with equally massive energy needs.

But the Department, along with the entire Federal government, is taking steps to conserve energy and to move toward sustainable operations.

Conserving water, recycling, reducing waste, and shifting to alternative fuels and biobased products are just some of the measures already in place to cut energy use.

For the most visually attractive measure though, you'll have to check out the green roof (PDF | 140 KB) recently installed at USDA headquarters in downtown Washington, DC.

Green roofs, also known as living roofs or vegetated roofs, originated in Germany, but they're catching on here in the States, especially in urban areas. They bring together vegetation, soil and a waterproof roofing membrane to create an environmentally friendly, energy efficient alternative to traditional roofing. Among their benefits:

• Insulating the building below from temperature extremes
• Reducing water run-off
• Absorbing air pollution
• Providing habitats for birds and other small animals
• Improving the building's aesthetics

For some great pics of other green roofs, check out the city halls of Chicago and Atlanta, and a handful of projects in Portland, Oregon.

But green roofs aren't just for large buildings. Homeowners are installing them too, often with great success. Just hit the Web to learn more.

And check back tomorrow for more energy talk, this time on the farm side.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Energy on October 04, 2007 EST | Permalink

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