Got Water?

Like many parts of the US, Tucson, Arizona has been faced with water shortages and concerns about adequate water supply for over 25 years.  The city has implemented a number of water conservation strategies aimed at addressing the challenge.  Water in short supply is a way of life in Tucson, so in October of 2008, it was no real surprise when the city council took a more aggressive stance and enacted the first  “Commercial Rainwater Harvesting Ordinance,” in the nation.  The ordinance requires commercial facilities to provide 50% of their landscape watering needs by a rainwater harvesting system.   

Tucson also limited the restriction on water use to residents and business by codifying a number of other water conserving strategies into law, including ordinances for emergency water conservation, residential gray water, water waste, xeriscaping and  enhanced plumbing codes.

Tucson is but one city that has had to make radical decisions, ordinances and laws concerning water conservation.   This growing awareness has becoming more common as the understanding that demand for water is outpacing supply.    Water conservation and awareness is definitely an important first step in the journey towards more efficient use of water, but we must take our knowledge a step further if we are going to make a measurable difference.    

Mike Reed is a landscaping and rainwater harvesting specialists with Whiz-Q Stone in Ft. Worth.  He represents a number of rainwater harvesting systems that range in size and cost and are appropriate for the homeowner, large commercial client, or municipality.  Designs include rain barrels, plastic tanks, matrix systems (adaptable water catchment building blocks), metal tanks and what he calls “show-off tanks. The concept is the same in all of these systems, they are meant to capture rainwater from areas such as rooftops or other hardscapes and hold that water for landscaping, agriculture or other non potable uses when needed.  

The design applications are vast and vary from home use, to large underground tanks with pervious brick pavers for commercial buildings.  There is even a matrix system that can be installed under a city street and will withstand the weight of a cement road and automobile traffic.  The applications are incredibly flexible. 

Water supply and conservation is something we must all be aware of and strive to make changes where possible.  Tucson is an example where people no longer have the luxury of choice on many decisions concerning water supply and use.  Perhaps it is time that we all do what we can to change our behavior.  We can start with simple changes like taking  shorter showers, planting drought tolerant plants, washing our clothes in cold water and only when the machine is full, turning off the water when brushing, installing low flow toilets and fixtures, and perhaps implement a rainwater harvesting system when possible.  There is a limited supply of fresh water in this world--a limited supply.  When you take time to really think about what that means, there is no choice, but to conserve.  Think about it.

Tucson Arizona Water Conservation Ordinances: http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/water/ordinances
Materials calculator: http://www.whiz-q.com/calculator.htm
Whiz -Q Stone: http://www.whiz-q.com
75  Ways to Conserve Water: http://www.h2oconserve.org/?page_id=3

Adam Cohen - There's Something Fishy About Those Plants

Armed with Bachelors Degree in Marine Biology and Marine Fisheries from Texas A&M Galveston, Adam Cohen is a wealth of knowledge on aquaculture and hydroponic systems and how the the backyard gardener can apply these techniques to create their own sustainable food production supply. 

You may be wondering what exactly is aquaculture and hydroponics?

Aquaculture (also known as aquafarming) is the raising of aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish, or prawns in tanks.  

Hydroponics is cultivating plants in water without the use of soil.   

When you combine aquaculture and hydroponics you get a naturally occurring symbiotic process called aquaponics.  aquaculture + hydroponics = aquaponics

In the real world, plants filter waste from stormwater and agricultural run off, helping to limit, or in some cases eliminate, the toxic waste and other harmful chemicals that too often end up in our rivers and oceans.  In the ocean fish create waste, and that waste, if captured, can be converted into fertilizer for and by plants.  The same techniques and methods that occur in nature can be simulated in an aquaponic system.  Water in a fish tank will eventually become toxic, but if  you pump that water into a solid medium, such as expanded shale with planted seeds, the toxic water will naturally be filtered by the plants and converted into organic fertilizer.  The clean water can then be recycled back to the fish tanks.   The fish and the plants take and get what they need to survive, creating a closed loop system of reciprocity, and without the use of hormones, chemical fertilizers, or genetically modified seeds.  

There are three basic types of aquaponics systems. 

Ebb and Flow - Water in grow beds go up and down.   Also known as a flood and drain system.

Continuous Flood -  Plants are in a solid medium such as gravel or clay beds and flooded with water 

Deep-water raft - Styrofoam rafts are set up to float in a relatively deep aquaculture basin in troughs 

Adam has created a prototype of a continuous flood system in his backyard in Dallas, Texas.  His system is a 750 gallon, 60 square foot garden, with 100 pounds of Tilapia (his fish of choice).  He has recently launched his own company called Green Phoenix Farms, that he hopes to turn into a non-profit in the future.  His mission is to teach people how to farm using aquaponics techniques.

Adam is part of a growing but small community of like mined people that meet once a month to discuss their adventures in aquaponics and to help those new to the idea or just curious.  He is a crusader for the cause and passionate about his hobby, turned business, even if he is not sure where this will all lead.  There is something inspiring and endearing about that kind of blind faith, and if you are around him long enough, his enthusiasm is contagious.   Who knows, he may have recruited a new disciple in me.   

If you would like more information on aquaponics or live in the Dallas area and want to know more about Green Phoenix Farms, please see the links below. 

Will Allen - “The People’s Farmer” - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Allen_(urban_farmer)

Aquaponics 101 - http://www.howlingmoose.com/09-resource-fair-presentation.pdf

Travis Hughey - http://greenphoenixfarms.com/

Adam Cohen - adam@greenphoenixfarms.com

Enviroglas - A New Spin On An Old Technique

EnviroGLAS is a Dallas based company that specializes in environmentally friendly countertops and landscaping materials made from a mixture of 100% post recycled glass, mirrors, windows, mother of pearl, and the most recently added aggregate -  porcelain.  The design mix is created and combined with a special polymer based epoxy resin, poured into slab molds, smoothed off and allowed to dry for several hours.  Once dry the slab is sanded and polished to the desired finish.  The end result is a beautifully honed piece of art.

The process that Enviroglas uses to create their unique slabs is fundamentally based on the same principal that has been used for many years in the manufacturing of Terrazzo. 

Granite and other natural stone countertop options have become predictable and over the last few years have begun to lose favor.  With a multitude of aggregate colors available, Enviroglas offers an almost endless array of color options and design patterns.   The customer has the choice of selecting from an existing pattern or “preferred design,” or can create a custom pattern of their own.  The percentage of each chosen color (or aggregate) is weighed and calculated and the unique “recipe” is catalogue for each customer.  So if an order is placed today for example, and the customer decides that he or she wants more of the same pattern at a later date, Envoroglas would be able to recreate the custom design on a subsequent order, matching the initial order perfectly.  You do not have that option with granite or another natural stone.  Good luck placing  separate orders at different times and getting a color match.  You need to plan ahead with natural stone and order all that you will ever need in your original order. 

Besides a custom design, if you are looking for something different in your next kitchen or bath plan for hard surface areas, then Enviroglas may be an option you want to consider.  The product is lightweight, easily fabricated, beautiful, durable, unique and requires little or no maintenance.  It is made from 100% recycled material that is readily available, is VOC free, resistant to bacterial growth, stain, burn and chip-proof.  From an artistic and sustainability point of view, you would be hard pressed to find a better choice in countertop options than Enviroglas.

Enviroglas Video (3 minutes)

http://www.enviroglasproducts.com/EnviroGLAS_wb/index.html

The Urban Reserve

       

In the 1980’s the land just East of I-75 between Forest and Royal Lane was not particularly disable, and seemed to serve as a place for illegal dumping for asphalt and concrete, and channelized dirt from White Rock Lake.  Most of the plots of land there were owned by several individuals.  Along came a developer, who saw potential in the forgotten pieces of land and he began to contact the owners in an attempt to purchase and piece together a building site.  He was successful in his efforts to lock down 13 acres, but still a long way from turning this site into anything that most people would even consider building on.  The contract to the property was ultimately assigned to Diane Cheatham, who became the Developer of what is now known as the Urban Reserve. 

From the beginning, the Urban Reserve did not take the traditional path of residential development.  For starters, each lot would be “sold as is” which might have included large pieces of concrete left from the illegal dumping days, and would most likely vary slightly in size and shape in a attempt to keep with the rhythm and lay of the land. 

With support from Dallas City Hall, the street that runs through the Urban Reserve is only 22 feet, which is more narrow than the typical 24-28 foot residential street size.  The homes are built on zero lot lines and do not require the homeowner to leave a 5 foot space between their property line and their neighbors. The idea being that when you butt up against your neighbor's lot, you (and your neighbor) have a larger green space on one side of your home without taking out the 10 feet of wasted allowance used in most developments.   The landscaping that is added to the naturally woodsy site is native to Texas and drought tolerant, and includes Bald Cypress, Dessert Willows and Horsetail Reeds.  The grounds include rain gardens with French drains, 2 retention ponds and 30 acres of water shed irrigation.

The homes are modern in design and have attracted notable local and nationally recognized architects including Dan Shipley, Lionel Morrision, Max Levy, Vince Snyder and others.  The homes should feature low impact, energy efficient living with design that respects the natural environment.  Homeowners are expected to build to LEED standards and encouraged to use design and construction elements such as geothermal HVAC , spray foam insulation, and Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs), dual flush toilets, on-demand water heaters, advanced framing, structured slab on piers, and zero VOC paints.     

Perhaps not surprisingly, the demographics vary among homeowners and the community at the Urban Reserve has organically created the types of demographics that many areas try to achieve by design and marketing.  The age range of the development varies from 28-76 years old and the home prices run from $300,000, on the low end, to over $2 million on the high end.  What unites this group of people is their love for contemporary design, a connection to nature, efficient building standards, proximity to city conveniences and an opportunity to meet like minded people.  

The model seems to be successful and is perhaps the shape of things to come in residential development.  What is seen as unique today may one day soon become the standard.    


Urban Reserve http://www.urbanreserve.net/

Living Earth Technology - It's In The Mix

Living Earth is the largest manufacturer of compost, landscaping and mulch materials in  Texas.  The company was founded in 1985 as a single location in Houston, Texas and after a series of acquisitions, Living Earth has grown to 19 locations - 7 in the Dallas Ft Worth area and 9 the Houston area. 

The product line has expanded to include various types of flag stone, chopped rock, boulders, crushed and decomposed granite, limestone, paver base, Mexican beach pebbles, pea gravel, sand, and a large selection of specialty mixes for a variety of Texas soils.  

I recently had the opportunity to tour the Dallas location at 1901 California Crossing with one of the co-founders of Living Earth Technology, Paul Tomaso, and I was quite impressed with the size and scope of the operation.  Paul patiently toured my group around the entire yard and explained what each product was, where it came from, and how it was made.  

Coincidentally, I had researched compost and mulch options for a new flower bed that I created at my home a couple of months ago and happened to have  purchased a couple of yards of compost from Living Earth.  Now that the new planting bed has had a couple of months to get established, I can speak with some experience that a good compost has made a huge difference in the plants' size and shape as compared to an older garden bed that was not amended with Living Earth soil.  

Paul  explained that the specialty planting mix that I had used is made up of Texas Green Sand and Expanded Shale, and that combination helps promote drainage and over time breaks down the clay soil so common to our area.  Living Earth makes several specialty soils including one for Dallas and one for Houston.  The Dallas version has a “fine-textured sandy loam with fine compost added” to it, while the Houston version is of a heavier nature.  

If you are one who purchases your mulch or compost each year by the bag full you might be surprised to learn that you can drive over to your local Living Earth and purchase in bulk for less pound for pound.  The average price per cubic yard (about one bulldozer load) of compost or mulch is between $25-$40 depending on the mix.  If you still prefer the convenience of purchasing bags of mulch and compost for small jobs, you can purchase Living Earth products at  Albertson's and Kroger on a seasonal basis. 

The staff from Living Earth is very knowledgeable and helpful about the proper soil amendment for plants and area specific mixes.  If you have a do-it-yourself gardening project on the horizon, you might save yourself a lot of trouble by using the right dirt the first time.  I can certainly speak from experience about the disappointment of clearing, preparing and planting a new bed only to watch it die from poor drainage and less than optimal dirt.  

You can also feel good about buying from Texas based Living Earth because they recycle over 500,000 tons of green materials each year.  Through partnerships with local lawn services, municipalities, and several food manufactures, Living Earth diverts, recycles and reuses cut and pruned tree branches, yard brush, leaves, grass clippings, and pre consumer fruit and vegetable waste away from the landfill and returns it to an organic material used for beautifying our yards and green space.  

Living Earth locations

http://www.livingearth.net/locations/

Products and Services

http://www.livingearth.net/products-and-services/

Michael Kawecki - Axiom Sustainable Consulting

Michael Kawecki offers a wealth of LEED services at Axiom Sustainable Consulting including LEED assessments, LEED project reviews, consulting agreements, public relations for changing policy at USGBC and GBCI, and a number of online and in-person education and training courses intended for building owners, building designers, construction personnel and those interested in pursuing a Green Associates or LEED AP credential.

At the Axiom website you will find webinars, resources with case studies, archived newsletters and much more.  The newsletter provides the reader with thought provoking articles related to LEED and sustainability.  In the most recent newsletter you can read about Wal-mart’s Move to Go Green, UPS’s Plastic Vehicle, the “Universal Recycling Label,” Axiom Webinars, LEED for Healthcare, and more.   You can sign up to receive the newsletter at www.axiomsustainble.com 

What is LEED?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  LEED is an internationally recognized point rating system developed by the USGBC and is divided into the following categories.

• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality 
• Innovation and Design
• Regional Priority

What is USGBC?

The United States Green Building Council is a non-profit that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated. 

What is a LEED AP?

Since 2001, more than 130,000 building professionals have earned the LEED AP credential

This voluntary AP test demonstrates an individuals understanding of sustainable building design, construction and operations

About Axiom

www.axiomsustainable.com

USGBC

http://www.usgbc.org/

LEED Rating Systems

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19

Dan Dean, Design Engineer with Greenland Energy Dynamics

Dan Dean essentially designs and sells renewable energy systems for the home or business.  His company offers a comprehensive approach on a wide variety of "off the grid" and energy reducing solutions including:

• Geothermal
• Solar Electricity
• Wind Turbines
• Water Cooled Air Conditioners
• Radiant Floor Heating
• Monitoring and Control Systems
• Thermal Windows
• Energy Audits
• LED Lighting
• Spray Foam Insulation
• Back up Generators

Dan lists three main components of sustainability.  These are areas that each of us can be aware of and make changes in that would make a difference in our energy costs and reduce our carbon footprint. They are... 

1. Building Materials
2. Energy Usage and Choice 
3. Behavior

According to Dan, we can can expect energy costs to double every 10 years.  To encourage people to make changes in their energy systems the Federal government is offering a  30% Tax Credit until 2016 for renewable energy systems, and a 10% credit on High Efficiency residential HVAC systems for 2011. 

Geothermal is one of the options that Greenland Energy Dynamic recommends, it is up to 90% more efficient than traditional HVAC systems and will significantly reduce the homeowners electricity load.  A geothermal system captures the earth's constant temperature, between 60 to 68 degrees F, to cool the house and heat the home in summer.  The average cost of a geothermal system is about $7000 - $11000 a ton compared to $2000 - $3500 a ton for an standard HVAC system - considerably more upfront cost for a geothermal system, but what is the payback?

The cost for a 5 ton system is about $40,000, minus the $12,000 Federal Tax Credit for a total net cost of about $28,000.  Dan estimated that the homeowner in this scenario has average annual electricity bill of $3600.  A 5 ton geothermal system would cut that bill down to about $1200 a year, netting an annual savings of about  $2000-$2400 or a payback at around 14 years.  Depending on how long a family or person would be in the home, a geothermal system might make perfect sense.  One would also assume that if they moved out before the payoff, that they could recoup a large portion of their investment in the geothermal system on the sale of the home.

So what does all of this mean for me?  I am not sure I am ready to run out and purchase a renewable energy system just yet, but I will strongly consider making the investment before the Federal Tax Credit ends in 2016.

The Environmental Education Center of Plano

The Environmental Education Center of Plano was designed as a teaching facility for local residents, teachers, students, civic and business leaders to learn about environmental, social and economically responsible building practices, sustainable building design and construction, and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.  

The building features many examples of LEED credits which exemplify a long-term thinking approach to durability, the use of local and regional materials, recycled content, energy efficiency measure, water conservation, waste reduction, site section, indoor air quality, and innovative design.   

Examples of the design principals featured at the Environmental Education Center:

Building orientation designed to maximize energy efficiency with roof overhangs, east - west orientation and shade from trees. 

Water conservation measures include a rainwater harvesting system (with a large on-site catchment tank), gray water recycling, low flow fixtures in the bathroom,  drought tolerant and native landscaping to reduce water use, and an irrigation system . 

Energy efficiency through the use of solar panels (located on the top of the parking overhang) and solar thermal heaters (below).  The building is also designed and oriented to capture natural lighting, the HVAC system is a high efficiency unit and there is a heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system to help keep the building cooler in the summer.

They have used recycled or renewable content when possible including low VOC paints and fabrics, fly ash in the concrete, Enviroglas table tops (recycled glass) and recycled carpet.  

The Center plans to feature many education and awareness opportunities through displays, interactive programs, on-site training classes, workshops and presentations. 

There is still some work to be done at the Environmental Education Center, but it is a fine example of easy to understand LEED credits and once the programs are up and going, the outreach to the surrounding communities will be far reaching and serve as an example for other cities interested in increasing their awareness about sustainability in the built environment and reducing their ecological footprint. 

University of Texas at Dallas Student Services Building

The recently opened Student Services Building (SSB) at the University of Texas at Dallas, can boast that it is the first LEED Platinum facility in the UT system.  Housing many of the primary departments including the Career Center, Health and Counseling Center, Multicultural and Women's Center, Financial Aid and Housing.

“Achievement of this rating was accomplished through a committed team effort by all the individuals who were involved in the project, including personnel from the architect and their consultants, the general contractor and their subcontractors, the project management from the UT System Office of Facilities Planning and Construction, as well as numerous UT Dallas employees,” said Rick Dempsey, Associate Vice President for Business Affairs, Facilities Management, at the University. “This building  demonstrates our commitment to sustainability.” 

Designed by Peter Busby of Busby, Perkins and Will, the 74,000 square foot, four story building was completed in 2010 at a cost of 27.5 million. 

Many of the features of the building were designed with occupancy comfort and reduced energy and water cost in mind.  Some of those features include:

A lighting system that adjusts based on the sunlight in the building

Solar hot water panels

Local and regional materials 

Enhanced building mechanical systems 

Erecycler

The third Saturday of every month Erecycler of Garland, Texas pulls up in an 18 wheeler in the parking lot of the Christ United Methodist Church of Plano.  A handful of people set up camp under a tarp with a small weighing machine, a couple of cash registers and a few eager young men with rolling carts stand ready to accept any number of household electronics for safe and complete recycling.

Cars line up in a steady flow of traffic, and just minutes after set-up, carefully balanced stacks of cellophane wrapped televisions and computers are piled 6 feet or so high on rolling carts ready to be loaded up and hauled away.  Before the day is over there will be at least one 18 wheeler full of unwanted electronics that will not find their way to the landfill. 

Erecycler has partnered with the city of Plano to offer this “Monthly Electronic Collection” service at three church parking lots on scheduled Saturdays, and if Plano is not convenient, then you can also drop off your unwanted items Monday-Friday  from 10-4 at their Garland location.

Plano: http://www.zvents.com/z/plano-tx/erecyclers-monthly-electronics-collection--events--159863845

Garland: http://www.erecycler.net/drop_off.htm

Erecycler offers total disassembly prior to destruction and never ships any waste to China. Because their service is labor intensive and they handle hazardous materials found in many electronics, they charge a small fee of $10 for each television and $5 for each computer monitor plus 15 cents a pound for other accepted items.   

You can also be assured that your hard drive will be destroyed and the process is secure and permanent.  Erecycler shreds all hard drives and will offer you a certificate with your serial number for assurance before shredding if you would prefer.

See shredding video at the Garland location here; http://www.erecycler.net/drive_destruction.htm

Erecycler safely processes tons of electronic scrap.  

What will Erecycler accept? 

• Computers

• Circuit Boards

• Servers

• Cellphones

• Engineering Samples

• Radios

• Rma Product

• Hard Drives

• Cds

• Networking Equipment

• Back up Tapes

• Discontinued Product

• Set Top Tuners

• Videos

Connemara Meadow Preserve

Founded in 1981, by a gift of 72 acres of meadow land from Frances Montgomery Williams and her daughter Amy Monier, the Connemara Conservancy was established as the only regional Land Trust dedicated to the preservation and protection of open spaces in North Central Texas. Today the Connemara Conservancy has grown to cover over 200 acres and 33 counties of Blackland Prairie, Post-Oak Savannah, Cross Timbers and Rolling Plains. 

The Connemara Meadow Preserve is the original 72 acres of dedicated land located in  Allen, Texas.  The Preserve is open to the public for volunteer guided, or self guided tours, and serves as a wonderful example of old growth bottom land forest.  Divided into four distinct areas of land and bisected by Rowlett Creek, the “Pecan Grove,” the “Wetlands,” the “Lower Meadow,” and “Upper Meadow,” are a mix of native and non-native species of woody plants, grasses, insects, bugs, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and wildflowers. 

The juxtaposition of standing in the Connemara Meadow and seeing the tops of large houses in the distance just over the towering trees is a reminder of just how important it is to have a green space preserved and unspoiled by man.  A natural oasis where time moves with nature's rhythm, the Preserve serves a as a slice of countryside in the city--a place for nearby residents and visitors to connect with nature.  

Connemara Conservancy  : http://www.connemaraconservancy.org/main/meadow.php

Paul Westbrook, Sustainability Development Manager for Texas Instruments

Where to start?  To say Paul Westbrook is a green crusader does not even begin to cover some of his incredible accomplishments.  His interest in sustainability began many years ago and reached what proved to be a defining moment in Paul’s life when, in 1996, he decided to research, design, and build the most energy and economically efficient home possible.  The home began to capture the attention of the surrounding community and eventually several executives at TI who asked for a tour of the home.   Paul pointed out that he had located his home site in relation to the path of the sun, a design strategy better knows as passive solar orientation, and he had constructed the buiding envelope using structurally insulated panels (SIPs), added a 1.8 kW wind turbine, a geothermal heat pump, a solar water heater, a desiccant wheel air-to-air heat exchanger and many more “green” features.   Some very interesting gadgets and visuals for sure, but once the “higher ups” at TI realized that Westbrook’s 2700 square foot home had an average monthly electric bill of $81 a month, then Paul really had their attention.  They naturally wondered if the same principals could be applied to a new manufacturing facility planned for construction in Richardson, Texas (RFAB).   They challenged Paul to find out, and empowered him with the tools and resources he requested, including an opportunity to partner with the renowned environmental scientist and author, Amory Lovings of the Rocky Mountain Institute.  

After Paul’s report on the potential energy and water savings the new facility could realize, the TI executives decided to move forward with a sustainable design for the RFAB, but only if the design and construction cost could be accomplished at 30% savings to previous fab designs.  This challenge forced out-of-the-box design strategies such at rethinking space efficiency (building two levels instead of three levels), adding dual size chillers for heat recovery and reduced energy cost, site solar orientation, reflective roof material, planting native grass that would use only natural irrigation (after established) and adding an on-site lake to capture rain water from the slope of the land and building.  Paul not only met but exceeded the challenge presented to him, and in 2006, his efforts resulted in the opening of the world's first LEED certified Semiconductor Manufacturing Facility.  A beautiful 92 acre campus site (with room to expand), 1.1 million square foot facility, which includes a 284,000 square foot “clean room.”   

Surprisingly, the 30% savings challenge (or $180 million) was not aggressive enough, according to Shaunna Black, vice president of TI.  TI invested a total of 1.5 million in LEED related cost (or about 1% of the projects budget), and in return realized a savings of over $150 million -  including $44 million saved for space efficiency measures, $42 million saved on electrical reductions in system sizes and complexity, and $32 million saved in chemical and gas improvements.  

Additionally TI saved $1 million in operating cost in the first full year, and at full build out, has saved more than $4 million in operating cost per year by reducing energy cost by 20%, reducing water usage by 40%, and eliminating emission reductions by 50%.

As a result of the success of the RFAB site, all new major projects of TI’s will be LEED registered projects.  

Paul continues to facilitate and encourage efficiency strategies at all TI location world wide, and this August will serve as guest host to representatives from all TI locations for an “Energy Champions Workshop,” where advocates from other sites can share ideas and learn from each other about sustainable strategies that are working.  Sustainability is now part of the culture at TI and the triple bottom line approach of people, planet, and profit is a company mantra.  Yet another example of how the power of one person can grow to affect real change on a global scale. 

For that I can only say, a very respectful thank you to Paul Westbrook. 

John Darling - The Compost Man

What began as a hobby of composting soon caught the attention of two woman from UTA who, on behalf of John, applied for a “Solid Waste Disposal Grant,” through the North Central Texas Council of Government (NCTCOG).  The $130,000 award was used to purchase new water lines, a Bobcat (that John affectionally calls his “office”) and a large container.   The new additions were enough for John to be able to take his hobby to the next level and begin to work with and for UTA composting for the benefit of the campus green space.   

John’s work in composting has led to some interesting observations and concerns for the world that he sums up as his “two big thoughts.”  What are they?

1. Food waste

2. Soil erosion

John says that over 1/3 of every food item that Americans purchase ends up in a landfill.  Japan and the US are even worse at almost 40% food waste.  When you factor in the added waste associated with planting, watering, fertilizing, and transporting food, the waste is even greater. 

What can be done to reduce food waste?  Well, in order of importance, the focus should be on...

source reduction

feeding hungry people

feeding animals

industrial uses (e.g.,  methane gas conversion into energy)

composting

landfill/incineration

While composting is the second to the last item on the list, it is something we all, industry and individuals alike, can participate in.  

To quote the Dirt Doctor, Howard Garrett, “The only wrong way to compost is to send your stuff to the landfill.”

Next on John’s mind is the very dangerous problem of soil erosion, believed by many scientist to be the second biggest problem the world now faces.  What’s number one?  Over population.  In the US we are losing soil 10 times faster than nature can replace it, and China and India are even worse losing top soil about 30 times faster than it is replaced.

What are the main culprits?  Deforestation, over exploitation for fuelwood (mostly in developing countries), overgrazing, agricultural activities and industrialization. 

What is the solution?  There are no easy and fast answers--only awareness of what we can each do.  The data is so overwhelmingly negative that thinking about it too much could make one discouraged about the future. Composting is certainly one of the answers to food waste and soil erosion.   A simple solution, yes, but one in which we all can participate.  These are just two of the "big thoughts" that occupy John Darling, a man alone in his Bobcat doing his part to help nature along, divert waste, create living soil and educate those that will listen.  

Websites: 

Cornell compost - http://compost.css.cornell.edu/

City farmer - http://www.cityfarmer.org/

Master composter - mastercomposter.com