South Shore Clean Cities Newsletter
Early Fall EditionSeptember 2011
In This Issue
Soy Event
Green Fleet Conf. and Expo
Article Headline
Back to School
Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List
Greetings!

 

We've had a very busy summer hosting events that ranged from natural gas to soy products to propane and we don't plan on slowing down anytime soon.  Besides hosting upcoming events we are currently talking with many fleets about the ways they can decrease their oil consumption and the numerous grants available to help them do it.  If you want to be part of the discussions, please don't hesitate in contacting me.   

 

 

Sincerely,

 


Carl Lisek
219-644-3690
Soy Events a Success, Don't Miss Out on the Next One 
South Shore Clean Cities hosted The Soy Generation: Home Grown Independence on July 28th.  Attendees heard from two local builders who frequently use soy biobased products.  

 

On September 8th we're hosting another soy event at Purdue Technical Center (9300 Connecticut Dr., Crown Point, IN) from 9am to 11:30am.  Biodiesel: A Great Fuel for a Great Lakes Region will feature two panels on biodiesel and soy biobased products and Keynote Speaker Jim Evanhoff, an Environmental Specialist for Yellowstone National Park. 

United Soybean Board Logo

 

This event is free to the public but registration is required.  A continental breakfast will be provided.

 

If you are interested in attending this event, please contact Debbie Zorich at 219-644-3690 or dzorich.legacy@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Save Now on the 2011 Green Fleet Conference and Expo
Clean Cities and their stakeholders are being offered a special rate on this years Green Fleet Conference and Expo in Grapevine, TX on October 3rd and 4th.  The conference is offering $200 off rate of registration.  If you register before September 9th you can save an addition $100 and pay only $295.

2011 Green Fleet Conference
Last years conference had 455 attendees that included 60 exhibiting/sponsoring companies that encompassed 175 people.

You can register for the Green Fleet Conference and Expo Here
Training the Leaders of Tomorrow - and Today
by Shannon Brescher Shea

Argonne Nationla Lab
While most of us believe our jobs are benefitting "future generations," Clean Cities is directly influencing the next set of clean transportation leaders with a slew of workforce development initiatives.  From pairing college students with coordinators to providing specialists with continuing education, Clean Cities is finding new ways to educate us all.

Providing benefits to both students and coalitions, the Clean Cities University Workforce Development Program has placed 80 interns with 46 different coalitions since it was launched in the summer of 2011.  Run by Argonne National Laboratory, the program helps match students interested in sustainable transportation with appropriate coalitions. Interns carry out a variety of responsibilities, including gathering market data, organizing events, reaching out to university fleet managers, and creating communications products.  By providing a stipend, the program helps students focus exclusively on their Clean Cities' responsibilities and gives them the flexibility to move if needed.  See the news section below to find out which coalitions have been selected to receive interns for the Fall/Winter 2011 season.
After only a few semesters, several interns have moved on up in the world, applying the skills they gained in their internships to long-term jobs. 

In fact, beyond connecting with potential interns, DOE's student competitions are educating future engineers and science communicators.  The latest competition, EcoCAR, wrapped up in June 2011 with two weeks of intense testing.  After the competitors ran their vehicles for the final time and finished their presentations, the overall winner emerged - Virginia Tech's plug-in hybrid flex fuel vehicle (PHEV FFV). The Ohio State University won second place with their PHEV FFV, as well as the prize for Best Collaboration with a Clean Cities coalition.  The University of Waterloo placed third with their unique PHEV fuel cell vehicle.  

With the EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future competition gearing up this fall, coalitions have a great opportunity to get involved right at the beginning. In fact, each team's outreach coordinator is required to work with a local Clean Cities coalition or other community group to maximize their score.  EcoCAR 2 teams can provide a coalition with opportunities to connect with the local university, conduct outreach to elementary schools, and of course, possibly recruit a great intern.

So no matter what your age or professional level, Clean Cities has educational opportunities available for you.
Back to School but NOT Back to Idling  
Back to school means a lot of different things whether it is buying school supplies or helping your child with their homework, but what it should not mean is idling while waiting in the drop-off and pick-up lines during mild temperatures. By not idling you can reduce petroleum consumption, as well as pollutants and noise that are being emitted right outside of your child's school.  

According to the Department of Energy idling can use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on your engine size and if you use the air conditioner. Thus, assuming a passenger car gets 22 mpg and idled in line for 45 minutes a day when gas costs $3.65, it would burn roughly the same amount of gas as driving 10 miles (Source: www.FuelEconomy.gov). This would emit 20.8 grams of Hydrocarbons, 200 grams of Carbon Monoxide, 10 grams of Nitrogen Oxides, almost 10 pounds of Carbon dioxide, and uses almost half a gallon of gasoline (Source: EPA).   According to the American Lung Assocation, children's lungs are still developing until they are 18 and air pollution can cause lasting damage to their lungs, cause asthma attacks, and even decrease growth

School BusThere are both behavioral changes and technological advances that can reduce idling. Education about the effects of idling can help drivers be informed about the excess fuel consumption and potential hazards to their health. For instance, if a vehicle is stopping for more than 30 seconds, the driver should stop the engine, which is agreed upon by many automakers.
 
Remember that when you idle you're gettting 0 miles per gallon.