With more than ten million members, the Blue-Green Alliance is a partnership between the largest labor unions in the US and the nation's major environmental organizations. The importance and relevance of the conference was validated by more than 2,500 participants who attended over 125 workshops and presentations given by Cabinet-level keynote speakers and panelists. BRSI's regional leadership role, and our array of sustainability projects, sparked a significant amount of interest throughout the conference.

Especially important was the Institute's participation in the conference's Green Jobs Advocacy Day which focused on presenting a three-pronged mandate to Senate and House offices on Capitol Hill. The mandate consisted of the following: 1) Create Clean Energy Jobs; 2) America's Economy Requires 21st Century Transportation; and 3) Protect the Health of Our Communities and Workplaces.

In addition to supporting the conference-wide advocacy event, BRSI attended private meetings with North Carolina's Congressman Heath Shuler, and the legislative staffs of Senators Kay Hagan and Richard Burr. These representatives expressed enthusiasm for BRSI's mission, programs and projects. The congressional delegation was particularly interested BRSI's planned symposium, "Regional Implementation of Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Energy, Environment and Economic Performance." This symposium will be jointly-convened in Asheville this spring with National Ocean and Atmospheric Association and the US Forest Service. Both the Executive Order and the symposium were described in February's Newsletter.

The final leg of a hectic, but productive, week in Washington was a visit to the Council on Environmental Quality at the White House to encourage participation at the nationally-focused Executive Order symposium. 

BRSI has accepted responsibility for the management, coordination and regional alignment of the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry's Weatherization Campaign. The Campaign's scope was introduced in BRSI's February newsletter.  Tim Ballard, a recent graduate of Oberlin College, is leading the Weatherization Campaign effort on behalf of BRSI. 

An important part of BRSI's mission focuses on regional energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy.  In support of the Weatherization Campaign and commitment to our mission, BRSI's "Energy Action Council" is being assembled in order to provide assistance to the developing campaign.  Toward the goal of securing appropriate funding, the BRSI team is preparing grant requests to several foundations and government agencies.  

According to the EPA, brownfields are "real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant." It is estimated that there are approximately 450,000 brownfield sites in the United States. Developers often have an interest in redeveloping an old site due to the site's proximity to the urban core of a city and to existing infrastructure (such as roads, sewers, and water lines). However, developers are not willing to assume liability for a potentially contaminated site. Therefore, something was needed to help break through the barriers to redeveloping these underused and/or abandoned, potentially contaminated properties. 

Brownfield Agreements were developed as "not to sue" agreements wherein a developer would have limited liability for a site, as long as the developer had not contributed to its contamination. Under a Brownfield Agreement with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a developer agrees to perform the actions deemed necessary to make the site suitable for its proposed reuse. In exchange, DENR agrees to limit the liability of the developer to the cleanup or remediation actions described in the agreement. The parties responsible for the contamination, if they are known, are still liable for the contamination.  A Brownfield Agreement allows the developer to approach its lending institution with the knowledge of the cost of its environmental liability. DENR signed its first Brownfield Agreement in 1998.

By redeveloping brownfield sites, developers reduce the amount of undeveloped land and farmland consumed.  This also saves local government from having to extend services, such as water and sewer lines, to those areas. Redeveloping property in established areas also helps local governments save money by allowing them to focus on updating outdated infrastructure instead of building new infrastructure. In addition, cleaning up and reinvesting in brownfield properties protects the environment, reduces blight, and increases property values.

To offset some of the additional expenses associated with redeveloping a brownfield site, the EPA makes grant funds available to local governments.  Brownfield sites may be less expensive to purchase than other sites.  Developers may also realize tax incentives, offered by cities and counties, to those who agree to clean up contaminated sites prior to their redevelopment.   

Local Brownfields Programs

Councils of government such as the Land-of-Sky Regional Council and Isothermal Planning and Development Commission are working hard to help clean up sites in Western North Carolina.  Both have been successful in receiving grants from the EPA over the past several years for the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites. They also maintain an inventory of brownfield sites that are in various stages of the cleanup and redevelopment process. For more information see http://www.landofsky.org and http://www.regionc.org.

Case Study

  Drover's Rest, Marshall, NC

The former French Broad Chevrolet site was purchased in September 2006. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) identified petroleum soil contamination at the site from leaking underground storage tanks removed in 1999.

The site received EPA Community-Wide Brownfields Assessment Grant funds through the Land-of-Sky Regional Council's Regional Brownfields Initiative. The building was redeveloped for mixed used with both residential and commercial spaces in 2007. This project contributes to the revitalization of downtown Marshall.

Comments from John G. Stevens,

BRSI Executive Director

Political Agenda Trumps Science 

"The idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know when they do what they do you've got more carbon dioxide."

  - John Boehner, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

For decades, the scientific community has provided society with data and results that have helped advance our understanding of the world. Many scientists have taught us the ways in which our environment is delicate. In my youth, I vividly remember reading Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring. This was both my wake-up call and the beginning of my fascination with the secrets and complexities of our biosphere. As a young scientist, I took my responsibility to society very seriously as I strived to comprehend the world about us. In my lifetime, I have seen many social benefits of this scientific understanding.  One example of scientific knowledge that has improved society is the major reduction in the pollution of natural resources.  Pollution issues have been addressed with resounding success.  Streams that had stopped hosting aquatic life have now returned to their natural function. There are numerous examples of insights from the scientific community that have improved our quality of life - some of the most obvious are in the area of medical advances, endangered species, acid rain, and the ozone hole.  Recently, I have noticed the content of scientific publications shift from identifying our challenges to addressing the solutions.

It is unfortunate that science has been "beaten-up" over global warming.  While it is a vital characteristic of scientists to enjoy collegial debates around ideas, findings, and understandings within the protective walls of our community, the global warming dialogue has become a political discussion, not a science discussion.  This is brutal new territory with a different set of rules that has left many of us in the scientific community feeling frustrated and ill-equipped.  

As noted in a recent article in Science magazine, scientific researchers have wrestled with three big questions for the past 40 years: Is the world warming? If so, are humans the cause? And are natural processes likely to rein it in?  In recent years, climate scientists have reached agreement on the answers: yes, yes, and no. The scientific community has gone to great lengths, not seen before, to proclaim our understanding of global warming. This is witnessed not only by the infamous 1995 United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, but also by an unprecedented number of other reports by many mainline scientific organizations such as the National Academy of Sciences - all of which have answered: yes, yes, and no.

It appears there is a four-part strategy at work to debunk the scientific community's findings on global warming: a combination of discrediting scientists; focusing media attention on a small minority of science results counter to global warming; driving a barrage of misinformation to the public; and investing a huge amount of financial capital in the argument against the science of global warming.  It is now a matter of record that the administration under former President George Bush altered climate science reports to downplay the possible effects of climate change.

The scientific community is responding to this onslaught. Recently, more than 2,500 scientists signed a letter to Members of Congress in response to attacks on the Clean Air Act. In the letter they said, "Because the EPA's finding is based on solid science, any effort to prevent or delay the agency from taking action to reduce global warming emissions is a rejection of the science..."  

The scientific community is under attack in ways it has not experienced for decades. The scientific community is continuing to act responsibly and for the greater good. The new question is: Can we count on the political community to do the same?  

 

  New Options for Recycling   

Recycling is one of the simplest things we can all do to contribute to greater sustainability. Recycling saves natural resources and energy, reduces the area needed for landfills, and helps foster a culture of concern about the environment. But like everything else in life, options for recycling are changing.

The four panelists at BRSI's March 21st Green Monday will explore new approaches to recycling.

• Cathy Ball from the City of Asheville will talk about the trial program they are conducting on mixing recyclable material and explain what the "big, blue bins" are all about.
• Tim McCoil, of TADS Recycling, will take a different approach as he explains the potential of achieving higher recycle rates with greater segregation of recyclables.
• Josh Hale, of Whole Foods Market (Greenlife), will talk about their recycling of No. 5 plastic and other materials, and show some of the products made from these recyclables.
• Derrick Brown will discuss a program that Evergreen Packaging hopes to bring to Western North Carolina that aims to recycle coated cardboard containers used for milk, juice and other liquids.  

Even if you are a conscientious recycler, come join our discussion and learn about new options to further reduce your landfill contribution.

BRSI's March 21 Green Monday will be held from 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the second floor meeting room of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, 36 Montford Avenue, Asheville, NC.  

Join us on March 21st from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. for what promises to be a lively and informative discussion.  Monthly Green Monday events take place at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Retrofitting Buildings for Sustainability   

Buildings, and the appliances in them, accounted for 42% of U.S. energy use in 2009. Appliances have short lifetimes, thirty years or less in most cases. However, buildings can last a century or more in many cases. Improving their energy efficiency requires retrofitting.

The four panelists at BRSI's February 28th Green Monday addressed the techniques available for retrofitting buildings, benefits of those retrofits, and the barriers to their implementation.

Marcus Renner, a certified energy auditor, asked the audience to think about their homes as collections of systems. For example, our heating systems have three parts, a furnace or heat pump to heat the air, ductwork to distribute it, and a building envelope to retain it. Many times our homes are not well heated because the building envelope is not retaining the heat. Energy auditors are trained to look holistically at the systems in our homes, and to consider safety and comfort in addition to energy efficiency. Building envelopes are critical, but because we as home buyers want a low purchase price, most homes are built to minimum building code standards, without consideration of what this means for heating and cooling cost or comfort. An energy audit can identify what is needed to improve a home's energy efficiency and comfort.  An audit will also help prioritize the cost effectiveness of retrofitting steps.

Carl Donovan, founder and owner of Conservation Pros, an Asheville-based energy efficiency company, started his presentation explaining that the average homeowner in the U.S. could save $500 per year by making simple retrofits.  The average home wastes approximately 30% of the energy being used to heat and cool the home. A reliable benchmark for our area, if you heat with gas or electricity during the coldest month of the year, you should be spending about ten cents per square foot to heat your house. If you are spending more, you could achieve significant savings from using an energy audit to assess your home's energy efficiency. An audit also helps you identify which retrofit will have the biggest return on investment. For example, replacing windows yields one of the lowest returns on investment of potential energy efficiency steps. An exception to this would be if you have seriously poor quality windows, such as jalousie windows, they may be worth replacing.  Steps like air sealing, duct sealing and improving insulation offer much better returns. Donovan stressed that it is about more than simply dollars and cents. Greater home comfort and reduced environmental impacts are also important. 

Frank Marshall, Director of Sales and Marketing at FLS Energy, an Asheville-based solar energy company, said that solar is now going mainstream and being installed by all types of energy users. Customers are demanding that businesses incorporate efficiency and sustainability into their operations, resulting in a huge increase in the number of hospitality businesses incorporating solar. The military is also embracing solar technologies. FLS is adding solar hot water systems to 2,200 homes at Camp LeJeune. According to a NC State Energy Office Study, after weatherization retrofits, solar hot water, which has a 5-7 year payback, is the most effective step you can take to improve your home's energy efficiency. Photovoltaic systems, which generate electricity from the sun, are a more expensive technology and would be a second step toward reducing your home's energy needs.

Kathleen Stahl, a Senior Energy Engineer at Progress Energy Carolinas, described the "Energy Efficiency for Business Program." The program, now in its third year, offers rebates to non-residential customers for installing energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling, refrigeration, efficient electric motors, and for going beyond code in the construction of new buildings. Examples of rebates include $25 for replacing a 40 Watt incandescent bulb exit sign with a 4 Watt LED sign, $1.50 per bulb for replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs, and $45 per unit for installing high-efficiency variable speed drives on fans and pumps. These incentives pay for most, or in some cases all, of the cost of the new equipment. Progress Energy will consider creating a customized incentive for measures taken to save electricity or gas, but that are not covered by the existing program.  Progress Energy also offers technical assistance in the design of new buildings and building retrofits. To date, the program has paid $775,000 in rebates to over 100 projects and which has led to 7.4 million kWh saved annually in Progress Energy's western region alone.