Question of the Week: How has your community used smart growth for environment-friendly development?
Posted on February 23rd, 2009 - 10:30 AMEach week we ask a question related to the environment. Please let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.
Communities grow to meet demand for homes, schools, shopping, offices, roads, and everything else. But community growth can affect the environment due to increases in traffic, energy and utilities, waste, and more.
How has your community used smart growth for environment-friendly development?
Tags: smart growth
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Question of the Week
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Nothing to speak of in Danville NH
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February 23rd, 2009 at 12:05 pm
We’ve banned tree houses because they are not energy efficient.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Here in Kansas City MO, we have alot of idle traffic. We have traffic lights that are slow to change and basically a municiple traffic department that won’t change them in areas where it makes sense to do so.
Another problem is Broadway bridge southbound in the morning. We are only the 36th largest metropolitan area in the U.S., so there shouldn’t be 5 mi + backups. There should be a traffic sign indicating several miles in advance that there is a stalled car. It’s rather lengthy to explain, but statistically we have about 1 stalled car or accident per week approximately. I hope someone from the EPA or other governmental agencies would take notice of this. What a waste of time, fuel, and human productivity. Due to 1 stalled car, literally several hundred, perhaps thousands of labor hours are lost each time this occurs. Over a year, due to this single stretch, tens of thousands of hours of productivity are lost every year due to the avg 1 stalled or fender bender. I think many policy makers and private industry would take interest if they saw this more magnanimously i.e. ‘the bigger picture’. Dealing with this effectively will save money and lower GHG immediately.
Feel free to reply to narnold@debruce.com if you have any comments you’d like to share not in a blog format.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 12:09 pm
No, there is nothing “Smart” about my city’s growth plan. My city, Bellevue, is a suburb of Seattle. Seattle has been very proactive about all things green, but my city is more conservative and remains with its head dug deep in the sand. Unfortunately, this problem is increased by Seattle “borrowing” a share of Bellevue’s regional bus service some years ago and never giving back that borrow. The end result is that my neighborhood, among many in King County, does not even have bus service! And King County promised our neighborhood that if we took on higher density they would provide bus service. Well we got higher density housing but still no bus service! Hopefully, now that our King County Executive Ron Sims has moved on to that OTHER Washington — Washington DC — hopefully we will be able to get a New County Executive that “Walks the Talk” and doesn’t just “Talk the Talk the Talk…” to death!!!
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February 23rd, 2009 at 12:12 pm
re: Kansas City MO Sorry, that was an example of the opposite of smart growth. An example of smart growth is curbside recycling put into effect about 4-5 years ago. Unfortunately some neighborhoods and in the suburbs, they are talking about going to recycling pick-ups every other week. This is a bad idea since recycling materials will be overflowing and blowing around in the streets after two weeks of accumulation.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
My community, Lake Linganore and Eaglehead on the Lake in Frederick County, Maryland, is NOT using environmentally-friendly approaches for growth.
Both Frederick County and the Maryland State Dept. of the Environment approved a ridiculous plan for installing a new sewage line that involved cutting down a wide swath of trees (some on a steep hillside) for about a mile directly adjacent to a stream that runs into a protected drinking water source. They could have accomplished the same task with much less environmental damage. Now, over 15 months later, the soil is still bare and every small rain causes a massive run-off of soil into the stream and into the nearby drinking water lake (which already had a silt problem). To further the damage, they have poorly planned drainage they are installing that will further damage the stream and cause increased erosion, and they plan to PAVE a large area of the hillside where they cut down the tress with no plans for installing any control for that additional runoff into the drinking water source. To add to how irresponsible this all is, if that is possible, the drinking water quality in this area is already very poor.
If you are interested in protecting the environment in Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, please write to county and state officials requesting they reverse their plans to pave this area, and that they immediately revisit and revise their approvals to include a more environmentally-friendly and drinking-water protection approach to this currently active project.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Nothing smart like that being pushed here!
San Jose and Santa Clara County politics prevents true smart growth or any real eco-friendly development.
Why?
A. Silicon Valley is a toxic Valley.
http://www.santaclaraweekly.com/1086.html
Silicon Valley is where green washing was invented.
Developers have penetrated every level of local politics and leadership to promote total build out of the valley floor. Their emphasis on actual eco improvement is inappropriate and based on the high value of housing.
These one sided ideas have resulted in additional harms to come the population as toxic soil has been found all over this valley from past mistakes related to agricultural chemicals.
Increasing the hurdle, unions hinder innovation which aim to solve governments problems with greening. Technology to solve chemical exposure to the pubic has been introduced ti SCC executives.
( http://www.metroactive.com/metro/10.10.07/news-0741.html )
The result of the review. http://www.californiacompliant.com/images
However SCC and SJ government management fears the Union more than the taxpayer!
and that is the facts people.
Do what you can for yourself, Santa Clara County government is not here to help improve the environment or make this valley liveable….no one retires in Santa Clara anymore.
They all leave the state for affordable living with healthy air somewhere else.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 12:51 pm
There are many ways in which communities can use smart growth techniques to make more sustainable urban areas. I am originally from Chicago and there are many techniques that are used to make sure development is more environmentally-friendly. Chicago is known for green roofs and there is an initiative to increase the amount of green roofs to 6,000 by 2020 and plant an estimate 1 million trees. The use of green roofs benefits the environment in many ways including CO2 capturing, minimizing urban runoff, reducing heat and A.C. bills through insulation, and minimizing urban hot-spots.
Chicago plans to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by the year of 2050 and will utilize green roofs, green standards in building renovations and new buildings, investing in transportation infrastructure and green business incentives. By requiring all new and old buildings to report to strict LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) standards Chicago will hopefully achieve its goal and be a great example of environmentally friendly development for other communities.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Our community hauled off a bunch of old tires to a company that shreds them to recycle. It would have been a lot easier and less costly just to burn them but we were under a burn ban.
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Nathan Arnold reply on February 23, 2009 2:17 pm:
With the shredded tires, can’t you make nature trails out of them with little or no run-off toxicity threats? I am fairly certain my high school’s track was based on that solution. In fact about three in the area were. My friend’s company produces sports surfaces… might be worth your community to check this out. Maybe they can sell the tire scrap to someone like that.
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Cameron Colson reply on February 27, 2009 1:46 pm:
Correct me if I am wrong but I think that there are VOC issues with those surfaces. Something like a heat sink that worsens. Note: I am not sure if this is only subject to rubber turf only or both products.
However maintenance on these surfaces is an issue I am curious about.
and what type of paint is needed or is just cleaning necessary to bring the brite out in the white. There is that black that is killing the red around the areas that don’ t drain so well. Alot of pollen in the fall, inapppropriate tree planting.
Reminds me of the paver craxe Now Mossy and slippery weeds in cracks.
These installations were going to prevent pollution of our water by letting it soak in…….NOPE maintenance is spraying chemicals to kill the weeds and moss…..
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madeline reply on February 25, 2009 10:33 am:
Hey Jimmy - You really don’t want to burn tires anyway - the pollutants released could pose a big problem for your community. A short term money gain but a potential long term environmental problem.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Yes. Houston has initiated numerous ” green measures” too numerous to detail.
Rob Young, Houston, Tx.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I’m not aware of any in Kalamazoo, MI.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
We have a lot of development starting in this desperate, once very poor, little ole town. Most of the developers are picking properties that were once large lots owned by individuals with single houses and not much other use. No forests or conservations existed on the properties and so the builders are creating small developments on the properties and kind of concocting their own man-made forests between the lots. In one development, they did have to utilize some property with forest, but they integrated it into a self sustained village with it’s own little shop, multiple housing types, preserved forest and water body spots, and it’s own school/daycare to reduce the amount of travel that residents have to endure. Also, the town commits to an Environmental Lands Aquisition Committee in which they aquire lands for conservation and then ressurect parks, repleat with learning centers etc, to get citizens more involved with preserving nature. The town employs a bus service that stretches through four cities and then attaches itself with another public bus service to aid with transportation issues. There is much more to do, but so far my town has shown a great effort towards environmental sustainability while trying to attract new residents and develop.
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Fay reply on February 24, 2009 7:20 am:
interesting to learn, could I know please where is this attractive town?
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February 23rd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
My community has developed into those mega-houses, but the community I work in Daybreak, in South Jordan Utah is wonderful. I just wish I could afford to live there.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 2:19 pm
City of Buffalo wishes it had more growth. No traffic problems and no issues with population since it’s been steadily declining since 1970, only now more precipitously due to cuts in State and Federal funding. The biggest issue I feel we have is how to handle the immense burden of brownfields abandoned in the City, including residential housing, that have fallen prey to neglect and vandalism.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
There was a CNBC or 60 minutes (I don’t remember which) segment where a gentleman from San Francisco (I think but again don’t remember exactly) was promoting green jobs among the inner city. He was particularly teaching them how to install solar pannels. Does anyone remember this? Can someone send me a link if they watched it? Thanks. Nathan Arnold narnold@debruce.com or arnieworld@hotmail.com
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Christy reply on February 24, 2009 11:23 am:
Van Jones-Green For all
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February 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
The town of Pipestone MN has done nothing to protect the environment, in fact it continues to do the opposite, completely disregarding flood plain and clean water act rules.
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Nathan Arnold reply on February 23, 2009 4:52 pm:
Pipestone MN is served by the BNSF railroad and is among heavy soybean and corn production. It would be in their interest as well as MN state Ag to protect that are of the state, even if it is merely a small town. The implications of small towns are huge on the national level.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Louisville, KY developed and adopted the “Cornerstone 2020″ long range land use plan in the 1990s and continues implementing it. Last year a Karst protection ordinance was added to a land development code that already allowed cluster development and mixed-use neighborhood land forms, protects riparian buffers and requires tree canopy restoration.
Louisville’s public-private 21st Century Parks collaborative has raised more than $50 million private dollars for land acquisitions of undeveloped property to add to a “City of Parks” that will encircle the community and protect riparian corridors. It will include a 100-mile multiple use trail linking the new parks with the Olmsted Parks (that Louisville built on the outskirts of town in the 1890s) and the Ohio Riverwalk and other existing greenways. Land purchases have also expanded municipally-owned Jefferson Memorial Forest to more than 6000 acres of protected woodlands on the steep “knobs” along the southern edge of the county.
Louisville is embarking on installing significant “green infrastructure” for stormwater control and energy conservation on municipal buildings and had plans ready and was able to submit them for funding when the call came for stimulus projects.
A grassroots “Green Convene” sustainability forum was organized by a bunch of interested concerned citizens last Saturday. Sold out at 150 people, it brought together representatives of public agencies, NGOs, advocacy groups and private citizens to organize themselves into an ongoing “voice” to advocate for sustainability at the local and state level.
We have problems and issues like other communities, but at least here, we have the “possibility” that comes from positivity. Instead of being people who sit around thinking ’somebody should do something’ we have people who think “I AM somebody” and they DO it.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
In my town and all the surrounding towns; we have a very large population. I don’t think in the initial beginning of the developmental years there was any idea our area is so heavily populated.
We have pipelines running down many areas here and they were installed in the 1940s. We have a very very high rate of leukemia at our hospital.
These chemicals can get into the water table and create vapor intrusion in your home and create toxic air pollution. I have tested 11 towns for benzene with a certified lab. Many of the homes had unacceptable levels.
We need to take precautionary measures to make sure these are not leaking or need to be replaced.
Sincerely,
Tricia
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Cameron Colson reply on February 27, 2009 2:01 pm:
CONTACT CONTACT LENNY http://www.cpeo.org/staff.html
Cameron
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February 23rd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
My local community is stuck in the “sprawl” think of the 50’s and has not done anything to promote smart and compact growth. Instead of following the sage advice of the state of Oregon, which has led the nation in innovative land use planning since the 70’s, this ugly little failed timber resource town still believes that houses = tax base. Instead of working hard to re-develop the hundreds of acres of brownfields left by the abandoned timber mills and understanding that non-historic, underdeveloped sites are ripe for innovative re-use, this town constantly lusts to ruin virgin farm/forest lands - for more unneeded houses!
Luckily, the state of Oregon has a wonderful oversight process which will require that complex goals be fulfilled before any new development outside existing city borders occurs. Citizens are primary in the land use process in Oregon so citizens are primary in holding the city’s feet to the fire to employ efficiency measures BEFORE any “new” land is added to city limits.
As small towns like this, far from viable employment and goods and services, continue to naturally decline, we can salute the state of Oregon from refusing to allow unnecessary growth in places that can’t sustain all modern goals for transportation, energy conservation, parks, and all other green services necessary for 21st century towns to thrive.
In the “new” economy we can’t trust developers and land speculators to direct growth. The state of Oregon directs the green vision for all Oregon cities by constantly upgrading the land use goals so that farm/forest/wildlife resource lands are protected from poorly planned “growth”. Otherwise, out state would be in the terrible position of the state’s like Florida, Nevada, and California, with worthless foreclosures stretching for miles and no buyers in sight.
Perhaps all of America needs stronger land use oversight to require that cities see themselves as islands which must grow up instead of out? How many depressions will it take for Americans to learn that sprawl is destructive and not supportive of a green economy, due to driving distances required for home owners to reach family wage jobs? We all need to support the concept of smart, compact growth for a green future!
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Cameron Colson reply on February 27, 2009 2:11 pm:
EXACTLY! well put!!!!!!!!….San Jose can blame former mayors like Joe Head for and he and other well place board members such as George Marcus for this mess. Such Influence over government, land conversion of public for development should be seriously scrutinized. How these people got land to be sold from public for private development is frightening. And worse in El DOrado hills thousands of two story homes with stucco are mold traps. Blame it on Value engineering. Now known as sick buildings. The cure re engineer to meet specifications omitted in the site engineering. County inpsectors don’t engineer, don’t blame it on them…Lyon HOMES is responsible for some serious misery onto american families.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Here in my southwestern, drought stricken and economically damaged town, the politicians talk the Smart Growth, “sustainability” talk but local government staff can’t walk the walk due to the lack of real leadership. I have a feeling that this is true elsewhere too.
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Cameron Colson reply on February 27, 2009 2:13 pm:
Hand holding is the best way to do anything….that is is the other hand is willling at this point it is like were all handcuffed togther……
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February 23rd, 2009 at 6:42 pm
In our community, developers make sure all sub-divisons tracts are 100% stripped of vegetation and left as noxious weed beds while the remainder are vacant for years. This helps ensure dust blows throughout the town and sediment runs off into the storm sewers. During the next heavy rain, the streets flood and the nearby river becomes chocolate-colored with sediment. PS: The developer-friendly town has an unofficial policy of “no penalties” in Pocatello, Idaho. Welcome developers!
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February 23rd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
how are some ways to protect our environment with water? by washing dishes more quickly or even maybe take more quick showers,when drinking a water bottle when you are done with it put the rest of it in the fridge,dont constantly drink water every second and other things. i wanted to find out more ways to save water so…when i went on this site i wanted to find more but i didn’t find any i think this site should have maybe some facts to help us find out how to save water!
sincerly,melanie thanks! (:
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February 23rd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
There is not enough green work going on in New Hampshire. I will say many towns have implemented green teams, but they are only concerned about building energy savings. What about pollution and protecting our resources like water? Don’t these items fall under green work? We have not heard too much about the use of chemicals and pesticides in our soils, except from individuals like me that are supporting the idea of a chemical free soil, or lawn. Of all the programs in the “Stimulus Plan”, as well as the idea to push “Green” is all about energy conservation and brown fields. What about the pollution of chemicals in our waterways from chemicals flowing into the storm drains and wetlands from chemical lawn and agriculture products? What about the conservation of Water? I used to laugh when people where buying bottled water, today it is a different story. Let us remember, without water, we die! What about planting trees in our urban areas?
Does anyone really know what the term “Green” is? Why is the real green term, the protection from chemicals in our soil been a banded? The bottom line is: All is important and not one item should be forgotten.
EPA get some additional grants to encourage individuals, families, farmers, and especially the states we all live in to promote the use of non chemical on our land. The organic industry is still small and cannot lobby like the chemical producers do. Send some additional grants to researchers in our universities like Cornell, Rutgers, Penn State, UMass of Lowell, and Rhode Island University, so they can find or improve the organic lawn concept with new products and methods. And send some funds my way, or to people like myself that are promoting a chemical free land through projects, workshops and lectures.
And tell the chemical producers to release the organic products that were found or fortified in our bordering pesticide/chemical free country of Canada. It’s not politically correct for them to hold back on products of value from the citizens of the United States.
We all must do our part whether or not we believe in Global warming. The real truth is our resource like water needs just as much attention as energy conservation. Chemicals play a part a part in global warming. Let us stop trashing mother earth and give her a face lift.
I welcome comments
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Bertrand Piggins reply on February 26, 2009 12:38 pm:
How’re the MSW Incinerators in Claremont and Concord working out for you? I am concerned becasue I am fro the area, used to spend summers at Sunapee, so when I heard about these I looked them up. I was shocked to find that NH allowed Wheetabrator to operate incinerators in NH [in cities to top it off!] given the known air emissions of dioxin/furan, cadmium, lead, mercury and other toxic metals, as well as PM, SO2, NOX and particulate matter. To say nothing of the toxic(?) ash that must be landfilled.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Twenty years ago, I lived in Sioux Falls, SD. They set their speed limit on the major thoroughfares at 30, then heavily publicized the fact that you could travel from one end of the city to the other without stopping by driving 28 mph because of the way they synchronized the traffic lights. Twenty-odd years later, I haven’t found another city employing such sensible, inexpensive and energy saving measures, while at the same time regulating speed and reducing accidents.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 9:58 pm
The Village of Caledonia, between Milwaukee and Racine, WI, used community meetings to develop a Land
Use Plan, that encourages residential development in select (already has utilities) areas, and a form of Smart Growth that keeps considerable (communal) open space around all residential developments, instead of each home-with-a-big-yard.
Unfortunately, our present Village Trustees almost ignored it as they listened to the next speaker at Board meetings.
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February 24th, 2009 at 7:32 am
“Smart growth” is NOT taking place in the Williamsburg, VA area. Large shopping centers and big box stores are now more visible than colonial fife and drum corps, with the loss of acres of trees in the process. Requests for changes in zoning (from rural to “low density”) are continuing. Low density means 4 homes per acre!
Opportunities for the county to maintain green space are threatened by grandiose plans for hotels and shops in watersheds. The colonial atmosphere is alive and well in Colonial Williamsburg, so please visit. But the two nearby counties look just like the rest of the country.
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February 24th, 2009 at 7:33 am
EPA
Greed is still in charge over Smart Growth in the NYS Ramapo River
Valley in Orange and Rockland Counties.
The Orange County, Town of Tuxedo massive PUD development called Tuxedo Reserve (Related Companies) of 1,195 housing units
that threaten the Ramapo River Watershed Basin a EPA Sole Source Aquifer (EPA has done nothing either) with its ground water Wells of 400,000GPD for such subdivision, from ACOE & NYSDEC wetlands that recharge the Ramapo River that provides 35 % of Rockland Counties drinking water and 2 million persons in near by New Jersey.
Now Tuxedo Reserve has submitted a new special permit that includes the SmartCode Zoning to control their project. The SmartCode Zoning will (if Town Board adopted) power over the local Town zoning code.
The SmartCode concept is not Smart Growth on community protection and why isn’t the EPA bring out this fact ?
Thank You… John
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February 24th, 2009 at 10:10 am
I live in the City of Danville, Illinois. Though nobody will admit it, the community continues to die each and every day of each and every year. The youth appear to take no interest by getting involved in preserving the neighborhoods that we ALL live in. The Cities Mayor and Alderman continue to live in the past and refuse to look outside the “Box” and even with budget cuts still don’t find it necessary to implement a “5 Year Energy Plan”. They REFUSE to implement a Green Building Ordinance, Tree Preservation Ordinance, Storm water Management, LED Traffic Lights, LED Street Lights, Golf Cart Ordinance, etc. We have some street lights that stay on all year long, and we still don’t have any provisions in city ordinances that allow people to install Solar Panels or Wind Turbine technologies within the city limits. Food waste still goes in with the regular garbage, that we use NEW Diesel guzzling trucks to pick up. We don’t have curbside pick-up of recyclables and the city has no plans in the near future to do so. However, on a BRIGHT note we do have a few recycling drop-off’s that are sponsored by the Vermilion Co. Health Department. “Keep Vermilion County Beautiful” campaign. And there are other groups or individuals in the city and county that do pick-up and clean-up roadsides and neighborhoods.
It’s just a shame, the City of Danville doesn’t hesitate to complain that they have less revenue as businesses close or relocate leaving the city with even less revenue and jobs thus reducing it’s tax dollars even more. Had they taken the time 5 Years ago when it was suggested to draw up and implement a “5 Year Energy Plan” of action to conservatively spend taxpayer dollars that they are responsible for. Then we MIGHT not be having the budget crunch that currently are? Rather than investing in their budget to create a “Livable City” by introducing GREEN technology, we continue down the same path that we always have instead of “The Road to Progress”.
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February 24th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Arlington County, Virginia, seems to love building parking lots and other areas for cars first, and pedestrians second. Planners there don’t seem to have a problem with pushing growth, rampant growth, but they could certainly do a lot (A LOT!) better about the so-called smart aspects. How hard can it be?
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February 24th, 2009 at 11:11 am
I live in southeastern Washington State. The climate here is the complete opposite of the western coast line. It is dry and arid for most of the year. It is desert like terrain. The tri-city area, Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, have experienced substantial growth over the past few years. I do not believe that the cities have been very green-minded in their construction and environmental impact.
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February 24th, 2009 at 11:27 am
we just convinced the local Education Dep. to plann a new school to meet the new Leed standarts of green building rather then the old plans of conventional school building as was in 1980.
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February 24th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
We live in one of the very few equestrian areas in Los Angeles
county. We try to keep our area rural and eco-friendly.
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February 24th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
In Manatee County Florida, the Developers run our County Commission, pushing excessive growth and less construction regulations. The Commission has allowed phosphate mining to continue in our EPA Level 4 watershed and wetlands. Drought conditions persist, yet Mosaic is allowed to draw 100,000 gallons of fresh water to extract the phosphate, while homeowners are on restrictions or using recycled water. This has got to stop! The DEPA and the EPA must do something to end this now! Maybe the CORE of Engineers will do the right thing and deny the permit to mine the Altman Tract, also. We’ll see.
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February 25th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Monroe - Charlotte, NC. We’re under a watering banned still. Our cities are cutting jobs, growth, schooling, etc. to meet a city budget for 2010. Charlotte is planning on raising taxes, while the colleges are planning to raise cost and cut programs. Smart-Growth funds must of gone into someone’s pocket.
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February 25th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Long Beach, CA. From my standpoint; viewing changes as I drive to and from work, the grocery store, and visiting friends and family, I notice slight differences… A few construction sites as Down Town Long Beach continues it’s restructuring plan. These construction sites for new appartments appear to be using particle board and lumber with Iron I beams for support. (More empty appartments and condos for sale!)
Other areas where change has occured seemed to have been around for years now:
LED traffic lights
Solar Panal operated signs and call boxes
Mass transit busses, 15% of them are either Natural Gas or Hybrid (Where is all the waste going from the major push to build better batteries … ie: Lead and Acid)
Cosistent beach clean ups.
Drians to Ocean signs on all the sewers (doesn’t seem to stop all the trash and oil slick from gettting to the ocean)
Reclaimed water use for golf courses and parks
Recycle bins (bums make a living fishing through them and spread trash all over)
The other day I happened to buy some Hermit Crabs which let me to scoop a sand off the beach for their living quarters.
I was amazed at how much stryrofoam was in it!
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February 26th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Global Warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don’t need to wait for governments to find a solution for this problem: each individual can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It’s the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late.
Here is a list of some simple things that everyone can do in order to fight against and reduce the Global Warming Do not leave appliances on standby
Use the “on/off” function on the machine itself. A TV set that’s switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
Move your fridge and freezer
Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.
Eat less meat
Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.Keep your car tuned up
Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.
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February 26th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
I live in Vienna, northern Virgina [near Arlington, 180 degrees from Oregon or Boulder, CO] where”smart growth” means urbanization, profits for developers backed by County and local politicians.
Developers needed a catchy label, something better than “Dumb Growth”, and by gooly, “smart growth~” does the job: alot of sleepy citizens are mislead by the ap0parently benign “smart growth” slogan, reassured, they dont look at the corrupt local [cough] “planning” process, and wait for EPA or the Corps to save the day.
Follow the money.
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February 26th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
hi clean world!
we protect from every clean energy .
in car, metro, monopole ,every set that save energy for best use like new capacitor ( save lightning ) and nano cell that can replace with sun cell and nuclear battery ,this battery can generate long long time energy and Hybrid machine .
in my area oil is the first energy source and we are solicitous for this RELATIONSHIP .
we can give electricity from nature energy in windy area(roodbaar) from wind ,in beach area (chabahaar) from river or sea , in sunny area(yazd) from sun, in high area(sabalan) from brunt variation ,in fogy area from fog ,in uranium area from uranium rather clean , we scan for that for NATIVE and new one.
we think those energy expensive but in long time we have very clean and CONSONANT natural energy .
first think of our community keep environment-friendly, then energy.
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February 27th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
My township has banned “big box stores” (over a certain square footage). This ban was challenged an almost overturned. We have plenty of big box stores already, so I really hope we never get another one. Traffic is bad enough now, we don’t need more stores.
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February 27th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
hello
can you give me information about Environmental Empact Assessment?
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February 27th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
I live in Los Angeles and there is very little that is smart with our community’s growth. I think we need more taxis or more frequent buses or anything other than static transit. It seems that because of our weather patterns Los Angeles was not forced to invest in rail and relied on cars. Allowing people to drive 70 miles one way to work seems barbaric and we don’t seem to be doing much to help people live without cars. I travel a six mile radius for 99% of my travels but without a car it would be almost impossible to get around due to the lack of transporation options in a city of 4 million people.
Something smart about growth would be more flexible transit options that are not tied to certain routes or time schedules. Creating niche markets for transit needs could solve some growth problems because people could meet their needs without having to replicate everything for every community by making destinations more accessible i.e. sports arenas, civic centers, theme parks, etc.
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February 27th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
In my community, there are buses and some bike lanes. The city is encouraging high-density housing downtown. And there are parcels of open space being purchased by the city. We also have a recycling program that has been in place for many years, including recycling yard waste/compost.
But there are some areas where the city has blundered. They had an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to preservation and they failed. I am thinking of the new high school, built in a what was formerly a beautiful woods — not within walking distance from more than a handful of homes. And the attempts by a local group to have a floodplain near downtown designated as a preservation zone/greenway are not being positively accepted by the city.
At least now, people have caught on to the fact that the environment matters. And with a slowing economy, I think there is an opportunity to re-think what growth we want to have - use the pause wisely.
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February 28th, 2009 at 1:06 am
My small town of St. Joseph, Minnesota has made some good moves in the last few years. We have a farmers’ market (weekly in the summer, monthly in the winter), which helps both local producers and customers. We have only a small grocery store in town, so this provides a great source for fresh produce in the summer with less driving involved. It’s also a great social event, with musicians and other entertainers.
We are currently on the end of a bicycle trail (the Wobegon Trail - we’re in Lake Wobegon country), which is heavily used by bicyclists, skaters, and walkers. There is a plan in the works to extend the trail to the larger city about ten miles away, which will provide an alternative form of transportation for part of the year.
We just built a new K through 8th grade school, which is full of energy-saving and truly green features (I believe it’s LEED certified) - lights that adjust to the level of daylight coming through the windows, solar panels and a wind turbine, etc. Best of all, the school is incorporating environmental studies into their curriculum. Students can find out how much energy the school is producing and consuming each day. I think it will make a huge difference for the kids to grow up being familiar with the latest in green technologies. There’s also a paved walking/bicycle trail from the town to the school, separated from the roadway.
So there’s some good stuff happening here!
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February 28th, 2009 at 4:49 am
in my country india haryana state I am working as junior engineer in public haelth engineering depatment to supply safe &potable water to everyone . No body here has knowledge of saving air & Water from pollution just by lack of this everyone spoiling environment which will harmfull for life in future
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February 28th, 2009 at 10:40 am
I wonder what the EPA will do to protect 90% of this nation’s fresh water (23% of the world’s supply) when mining for gold begins on the Great Lakes? What will the EPA demand in an Environmental Statement or will they even get involved? Will the process of using cyanide in gold mining be allowed to leach into our fresh water or will the EPA put in place protections? Questions that just don’t seem to get answered. I sure hope the EPA becomes “proactive” instead of having to “react”….. water is too important to play games for $$$.
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February 28th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Our communities have utilized smart growth by preserving critical private lands with conservation easements. This keeps the land on the tax rolls and under private ownership but restricts subdivision and development. Farms and ranches, critical wildlife habitat and our incredible scenic vistas in the Eastern Sierra of CA have been permanently preserved!
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February 28th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I have not seen truly environmentally-sustainable urban development. For truly sustainable development, I envision mini-composting & recycling plants to service city-block size areas. Residents within each city block will dispose of their compostable trash into the compost plant instead of disposing via traditional municipal waste collection. The compost plants will then convert the waste to useful fertilizer and methane. The fertilizer can be used by the local residents for their potted plants our community gardens, while the methane can be burned by a miniature power generation unit to produce electricity for the community. It may be additionally possible to treat wastewater using the same facility if designed correctly.
Benefits
The benefits of this closed, local system are numerous. First, instead of relying solely on centralized power production, local areas can generate a portion of their energy in a distributed manner; thereby minimizing outage risks, transmission inefficiencies, and complicated distribution grid maintenance. Second, landfill waste is minimized by 20-40% by diverting the organic waste to the local compost plant.
In addition to the direct environmental benefits, there are social benefits that can be achieved through community self-sufficiency, community involvement in utility concerns, and community ownership of their utilities. A neighborhood culture can grow stronger when it is the collective community that is in charge of their organic waste disposal, energy production, and local food growing. The community members will act as a system of checks on each other and on the maintenance of the composting system, as each has a stake in its functioning properly.
I would like to be involved in a community pilot of this sustainable development method and have been looking for a community ready for this systemic development approach.
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February 28th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Unfortunately our community (Gem Co Idaho) is controlled by politician / recipients of the farm welfare subsidy programs. On Monday March 9th the Gem County Commissioners are amending the County’s only CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operation) ordinance.
Amendments to the Gem County Code in section: Title 11-6-5
Deletes ALL requirements of Animal Feedlots / CAFO’s to comply with:
1 – Placement / location of CAFO’s next to any residence.
2 – Nuisance factors such as odor.
3 – Health authority requirements of water quality control.
The EPA - Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Water:
“Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) can contaminate aquifers and thus impose health risks and welfare losses on those who rely on groundwater for drinking water or other uses. Of particular concern are nitrogen and other animal waste-related contaminants (which come from manure and liquid wastes) that leach through soils and ultimately reach groundwater. Nitrogen loadings convert to elevated nitrate concentrations at household and public water system wells, and elevated nitrate levels in turn pose a risk to human health.”
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1 – Voice your concerns on MONDAY, March 9, 2009, 7:00 P.M. AT THE GEM CO. COURTHOUSE.
2 – Call and email your Gem Co. Commissioners and request that your water and public health safety be protected: (208) 477-2018 COMMISSIONERS@CO.GEM.US
3 – Contact the Organization to Protect Gem County Water for additional information: (208) 573-8405 http://WWW.GEMCOH2O.org.
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February 28th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
In Los Angeles, Smart Growth is an empty excuse to hand billions of dollars of profits to real estate developers. They are the entrenched interest that is killing the quality of life in Los Angeles. The administration of Antonio Villaraigosa and City President Eric Garcetti have overseen the approval of massive condo projects located more than 15 minutes away from the one subway line in Hollywood. This is laughably characterized as accessible to transit and therefore, the City administration PRESUMES a large percentage of the new luxury condo owners will immediately abandon their cars and walk 15 minutes one way to get on a subway line that probably will not take them where they need to go.
On this total fiction, Los Angeles is waiving parking requirements guaranteeing that the streets will be filled with autos of the tenants because, as we all knew, no one will abandon their car in Los Angeles until there is alot more transit available.
In Los Angeles, Smart Growth = Multi-Million Dollar Forgiveness of Park Requirements. It’s a farce.
See the Los Angeles City Council article at http://www.laweekly.com for more information.
Sincerely,
Daniel Wright, an environmental attorney in Los Angeles
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February 28th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
We already have the infrastructure across the US to dramatically increase electricity from renewable sources. We should install small vertical wind turbines to the all the high tension wire support structures. These turbines are relatively small, and are efficient (they look like egg-beaters). They could easily be added to the existing towers and feed into the power grid.
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March 1st, 2009 at 1:07 am
The only city I know of that has managed their growth is Portland, Oregon. For some proven solutions, look at what they started in 1975 with “1000 Friends of Oregon” (there’s a website) — they made the tough choices back then, and now they are reaping the rewards with one of the most liveable cities in the USA.
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March 1st, 2009 at 2:25 am
In Miami-Dade County, Florida sustainable growth(here usually referred to as “Smart Growth”) is an oxymoron. It’s not sustainable and only NO growth would be “smart.” We have no more room, resources, or infrastructure to support more residents. The political machine has pretty much destroyed our “paradise” by cow towing to their hefty campaign contributors - developers. They have landscape ordinances, but make “exceptions” for development. They allow less parking spaces because they think people will walk to the busways.
Currently, there is a huge residential complex planned by Lennar Corporation to be built so far west that it is outside the development boundary lines we have to keep development out of the Everglades. There will be 7200 more homes with only about 3500 jobs provided in the new development. That one development will put 18,000 more cars on the road every work day. All coming east at the same time. Our roads have grades of C,D or F already. We are on permanent water restrictions because there are already water shortage problems with the population that we have now. Lennar has emphasized their “green” building in this development - which consists of only using grey water and water treatment on site. I won’t be surprised if they get their mitts on some of that stimulus money to build this development under the guise of being green.
One city within Dade County is presently writing legislation that will require anyone who wants to sell their home to subject themselves to an interior home inspection $$ where zoning employees will note any improvements that need to be made to the property to make it “greener” before the homeowner is allowed to list the house. It should raise plenty of money for the city in new fees.
Under the guise of smart growth our County Commissioners are promoting high density housing along our major north south corridor, increasing building height allowances and zoning well beyond what is currently permitted. Landscaping and green space requirements can now be met by adding hardscapes - concrete pavers, colonades etc. Again, parking spaces are reduced. One Commissioner has said they want Miami to look like New York.
So, my hope is that there is very close over sight of any funds that make it to Miami-Dade County, because most certainly there will be attempts to side track the funds to special interests.
Smart Growth = corruption
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March 1st, 2009 at 12:28 pm
One suburb of upstate NY stated they were going to start using small windmills. both in the residential and business section. Many people wanted more information and requested that other areas also be allowed to do this. All they got was silence. Nothing more was mentioned. Many people want to try this and other things but our local government is not responding with any good ideas or interest.
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March 1st, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Santa Monica city promotes a local farmer’s market (which has become kind of a gourmet’s mecca), and has pledged all city electricty come from renewables. The Office of Sustainability and the Environment tracks a commitment to “open and green” spaces, but densification is in our future.
They also have the best bus system in the greater LA area. PS: why people from LA don’t look at the sucesses of the LA River projects I don’t get. We all know we will be adding more buildings to sustain a larger population….
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March 1st, 2009 at 9:26 pm
A year ago, I was a piano teacher living in my car because I had to spend $150 per week on gas to get to my job that earned me slightly under $1000 per month gross. I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, am a Combat Veteran courtesy of the Marine Corps (and, it should be said, Dick Cheney’s personal interest in encouraging war). Just as the economy was crashing in late September, I was offered a job as the creative mind behind an electronics recycling company in Silicon Valley. I saw what Obama was doing, was working hard to help him win the election, and took this “Green Job”. As many businesses fail, we are expanding. I have a good paying job that is helping to clean our nation of its waste, and we are putting money into dozens of other businesses we work with - electricians, contractors, equipment suppliers, and environmental engineers. I can see first-hand that this is our way out of this mess. Obama is wise for pursuing this path out of recession, because it not only is a new market, prime for growth, but it is reliant on education - America’s greatest “export” - and is helping to create a better world for us to live in.
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March 1st, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Nothing is being done here in the suburbs of Memphis. They have been tearing down trees at an alarming rate to build more Walgreen stores, banks, and starter castles. They build houses that are way to big and expensive. There is no Smart Growth here.
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March 2nd, 2009 at 6:59 am
We have spent a lot of money that we dont have, but what the heck its only our grandkids money. Let them eat soup so we can install LED lighting and solar panels.
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March 2nd, 2009 at 9:59 am
Charlotte has been developing under a “Smart Growth” model, but developers are determined to create Atlanta II. As hard as the planning department tries to douse the flames of sprawl, they cannot control private property outside of their sphere of influence. Since the NC/SC border is also Charlotte’s city limit, border towns are booming with sprawlers. Charlotte is also trying to ‘go green’, but really it’s a lot of greenwashing to disguise impossible ‘cost-benefit’ standards. These small-town-city politicians are in the pocket of the development community, and when NAHB or REBIC squeak, they get grease by the truckload. Hoping (but not holding my breath) for some real leadership on development issues in my community.
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March 2nd, 2009 at 10:18 am
While not “my community” exactly, the state of Montana through Montana State University, holds a contest every year for green businesses statewide called EcoStar. You apply for the award by list and quantify how your business attributes to green practices, sustainability and pollution prevention. Our organic, chemical-free bed and breakfast has won two years in row. Winners are feted at the capital by our green governor, Brian Schweitzer, and given free statewide publicity. In order to win each year, you must set a green goal and achieve it. Networking with other green businesses is the best part of the program.
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March 2nd, 2009 at 11:32 am
I am a Canadian LEGALLY in the United States, married to an american. I am dumbfounded at the lack of care for the environment here in Louisiana. There is virually NO program enforcing recycling, bottles and beer cans have no return value so they end up tossed in the rivers or land fills. My husband is a memebr of a hunting club and up until 3 years ago, no one threw there garbage in the trash, they simply threw it in the woods. After much beleaguring, the hunting club FINALLY adopted a no littering law and the following year, added a fine to any sort of littering in the 2300 acre wooods but that has not stopped these yahoos from throwing ALL KINDS OF GARBAGE INTO THE RIVER. People picnic and fish on the river bankis and when u return later, the area is filled with empty bottles and cans, dirty diapers and wasted food. I asked some of the parish ‘elders’ to put up no littering signs on the approaches to the river and they declined. I saw loggers takeout COMPLTE cypress bottoms with trees that were ten times the size of a man and maybe a thousand years old. Maybe the stimulus package will allow entreprenuers to do something about this horrible situation.
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March 2nd, 2009 at 1:25 pm
A few years ago we had some little weather events down here in La., called Katrina and Rita. Prior to such, a few of us were beating on the doors saying we need to have Smart Growth planning. In the process of rebuilding, thankfully with some assistance of numerous foundations and some guidance from the EPA, there was developed an approach that brought in numerous entities that focused on Smart Growth/New Urbanist pratices. You can find the results in Louisiana Speaks. What has amazed me is that via the open and transparent process the citizens of La. spoke out about how they would like to see the community develop by incorporating enlightened land use pratices. I live in a very conservative rural area, you can’t get more conservative than rural Louisiana, which was selected to conduct a comprehensive planning study. A major finding of the study as it pretained to the economy was that of “Keep it Green”. This was before the Presidential election, before Green was in.. With the emphasis now on sustainable energy, the discussion now is how can we use our biomass resources to solve several issue. A close examination of the principles of Smart Growth wil note that it is also Smart Energy. Bottom-line, if this can happen in Louisiana, it can happen anywhere. The key is to provide the opportunity of all citizens to have constructive input. I suggest that as the money from the Recovery Act begins to flow we need to implement a similiar open process of how it will be utilized. Otherwise the decisions will be left to small groups behnd closed doors and run the risk of political manipulation. Ever heard of Gov. Jindal?
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March 2nd, 2009 at 7:01 pm
in our school university of Mindanao an organization has been formed since 1993 its name is ” junior earth savers” recently we conducted mangrove planting and coastal cleaning.
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