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Thank You to our Sponsors
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Consulting
services you can rely on for accurate financial evaluation and design
of energy efficiency improvements, solar thermal, solar
PV, wind, hydro, and sea water heat resources.
Green Star
Member Discount
10% off energy audits
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Green Star Staff
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Kim Kovol
Executive Director
Lilly Capell
Technical Assistance
Coordinator
Megan Pool
Membership
Coordinator
Jeanne Carlson
Outreach
Contractor
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SHINING STARS
Welcome to our newest enrolled members:
Come out to support recent Award-certified organizations as they receive their awards:
- Rural Energy Enterprises - Anchorage Chamber of Commerce "Make It Monday" presentation scheduled for April 12
- Lynden Transport (Anchorage, Fairbanks and Kenai locations) - Anchorage Chamber of Commerce "Make It Monday" presentation scheduled for May 10
- MACTEC Consulting & Engineering -- Green Star Member Mixer, May 11
Green Star loses a star supporter
Guy Barton, a former Green Star board member and a strong supporter of recycling in Anchorage and Mat-Su, passed away on March 5. He will be greatly missed. |
EVENTS & REMINDERS
Earth Day Expo -- April 17
Join the Anchorage School District and the recycling community at the Anchorage School District Education at the corner of E. Northern Lights and Boniface on Saturday, April 17 from noon to 3pm. The event will feature games, recycled crafts, music, contests, and educational booths. Participating organizations include ASD recycling clubs, ASD energy conservation programs, ASD composting, Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA), Green Star, Alaska Waste, Smurfit-Stone Recycling, MOA Solid Waste Services, and Total Reclaim. Enjoy free popcorn and ice cream. Call 348-5151 for more information.Earth Day -- April 22
Join the Green Generation! Visit the Earth Day Network site for events and personal actions that you can take.
Bike to Work Fashion Show and Festival -- May 1
Join the Green Star at this fun and functional event on May 1st from 1pm to 3pm at the University Center.
Learn about:
-- Active commuting/fitness
-- Bicycle Safety
-- Cycle repair/maintenance
-- Local bike club events
-- Bicycle rentals/tours
-- Organizing a team for
Bike
to Work Day (May 21)
If you are interested in displaying clothing, bikes, safety gear and
such in the fashion show, contact Green Star at 278-7859.
Also call
Green Star if you are a government or non-profit organization interested
in staffing a display for outreach purposes.
Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage will host a bike corral in the parking
lot near the Sadlers entrance to the mall.
Hospitality Luncheon -- May 5
Pike's Waterfront Lodge, Fairbanks. 11:30am - 1pm.
Learn how to "green" your hotel or restaurant. Free luncheon, space limited. Please RSVP to info@greenstarinc.org or 278-7827.
Speakers include:
House Rep. Jay Ramras, Pike's Waterfront Lodge
Joe Carr, ServiceMaster Quality Cleaners
Dick Wells, Automated Laundry Service & Supply
Spring/Summer A to Z Guide (Anchorage to Zero Waste)
Watch your mailbox in mid-April or check it out at www.muni.org/sws.
Recycling & Renewables Rap BLOG
Don't forget that you have a daily online recycling resource at the Anchorage Daily News. Visit the Recycling Blog to see what's happening in the recycling world or to ask questions.
Cascadia Region Green Building Council's "Living Future" - May 5-7
This event is coming to Seattle on May 5-7, 2010. Group rates are available for firms wanting to send  multiple employees. Get conference content and pricing info. Last year the conference sold out!
Recycled Paper Still Available!
Contact Valerie at Alaska Center for the Environment or Heather at National Wildlife Federation to purchase 100% post-consumer recycled, processed chlorine free, acid-free, copy paper at just $5.50/ream or $55/case.
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Member Mixer Reminder
Green Star's next Member Mixer will be on May 11 from 3 to 5pm at Midnight Sun Brewery in the Loft. Free food and soft drinks will be provided by The Loft and, of course, you can enjoy a healthy
array of fresh brews from the Midnight Sun bar (no-host). This event is to encourage Green Star members (new and old, enrollees and awardees)
to network and get to know one another. Any prospective members also are
invited to the event! We will have some fun give-a-ways. Please RSVP to megan@greenstarinc.org.
We hope to see everybody there!
Membership Dues
The deadline for 2010 membership
dues was March 31. If you still have not paid your membership dues, we can still accept payment and maintain your membership status. Contact megan@greenstarinc.org.
Otherwise, we will be dropping nonpaying organizations from our member list this month. If you received a member invoice and do not
wish to renew your membership, please let us know.
Advertising Opportunity for
Green Star Award Certified Organizations
If your business or
organization would like to be featured in an Alaska Business Monthly ad
designed by Green Star highlighting your commitment to environmental
excellence, please contact Megan at 278-7839 or megan@greenstarinc.org.
Green Star Award Logo
Decals
Are you displaying your
Green Star Award logo publicly at your workplace? Let us know if you've misplaced your Green Star logo
decals and we will deliver more ASAP. Email megan@greenstarinc.org.
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 The Anchorage area's bike trail network, including Eagle River and Chugiak, may increase to more than 500 miles, doubling its current infrastructure, thanks to the hard work of the biking community.
A plan to make Anchorage more bicycle
friendly over the next 20 years by adding bike lanes, pathways and
connections between trails won unanimous Anchorage Assembly approval this month.
The plan, in the works since October 2007, encourages an expanded
network of roads and paved paths geared for cycling to make it more
convenient and less dangerous.
Cyclists turned out in force
to support the plan, as they did at an Assembly public hearing earlier this month.
Skeptics have questioned the cost, more than $100 million over 20-plus
years. But parts of it may never be built, such as a pathway through
town along the Alaska Railroad right-of-way.
Much of the
essential work can be done
cheaply and quickly, supporters say. Striping in bike lanes on roads
already wide enough and marking safe bike routes with signs could be
done for about $8 million, over 14 years, according to Lori Schanche,
the city's non-motorized transportation coordinator.
If the plan succeeds, the number of
people cycling for transportation would double, crashes would drop by
one third, and the size of Anchorages network of roads, bike lanes and
paths would grow dramatically.
Information from Anchorage Daily News, March 24, 2010
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OZONE: NATURE'S SANITIZER AND LAUNDRY REVOLUTION
Automated Laundry Systems & Supply
Helps the Hospitality Industry 
Automated Laundry Systems & Supply is one of Green Star's newest
members and is an Alaska-owned and operated company. The company
leads Alaska and the industry in ozone laundry and sanitation equipment sales
and service, earning national honors as #1 dealer in 2008 and 2009.
Ozone is commonly referred to as "nature's sanitizer." It is produced when a
high-energy source, such as lightning, splits normal oxygen (O2) molecules, which then reform as three parts of oxygen or ozone (O3). The bond between
the normal molecule of oxygen and this additional atom of oxygen is weak and
unstable, allowing for this molecule to virtually attack and neutralize almost
anything organic that it comes in contact with. It is this instability
that makes ozone such a strong oxidizer and sanitizer. In fact, it is the
second strongest known oxidizer but its Material Safety Data Sheet is indicates that ozone is benign and non-toxic in its
liquefied state. Ozone has diverse applications. It has
been used for many years for bottled water sanitation, cleaning poultry plants,
military laundry and cleaning space shuttle parachutes. Ozone is now used
in many laundry and housekeeping applications, in food processing, and is often a
replacement for chemical sanitizing and cleaning. The technology is as green as
it gets using no chemicals. This not only reduces the overall use of chemicals but reduces the need to manufacture and ship additional products, using fossil
fuels.
In traditional laundry systems, hot water is needed to activate
detergents. Ozone-injected water activates detergents without hot
water and can reduce hot water needed and the
associated electricity costs by up to 95%. In fact, Alaska's extremely cold water makes it an ideal location for using ozone laundry systems.
Ozone laundry systems also use less water in the rinse cycles. The process slightly opens the weave of
fabrics to make linens softer to the touch and reduces drying times by 10-30%.
Green Star staff visited Automated Laundry and learned firsthand how
the company helped fine tune this relatively new technology. Automated Laundry has installed systems
all over the state and country including Denali Park Resorts, Princess
Wilderness Lodge and the MGM properties in Las Vegas. Wade Green, Laundry Manager at Denali Parks Resorts, has seen the results of this
system.
"To date we have seen
a reduction in drying time of 40 - 50%. The quality of the linens is
better than I have ever seen," says Green. "It not only smells much cleaner, but it also
feels softer. I have also noticed a reduction in lint output from the dryers of 50% and from the washers by 50%. And most linens are washed in cold water. I am very happy and impressed with not only the ozone system but the new chemicals as well."
Benefits of Ozone Laundry:
Reduced
chemical use Reduced
drying times Increased
production times Improved
linen quality Reduced
linen replacement Reduction
in hot water use Reduction
in natural gas use
Automated Laundry's experience in installing
systems and developing chemicals for ozone laundry and housekeeping applications has saved its clients thousands of dollars in energy, labor, linen and mechanical
equipment. Contact Automated Laundry for a no-obligation survey to determine if ozone
is right for your facility.
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MEMBER MOMENT
AWWU Keeps Anchorage Water Clean
Water is the one resource that we Alaskans tend to take for
granted. How often do we have to think about the length of our showers or the
safety of our drinking water? And how many of us have any clue what
happens once we flush the toilet?
Green Star staff recently took a tour of the Eklutna Water
Treatment Facility and the Eagle River Wastewater Treatment Facility to learn
more about this precious resource and just exactly what does happen to all the
wastewater.
The gem of Anchorage
Water & Wastewater Utility is the Eklutna Water Treatment Facility located
about 36 miles north of Anchorage. The water source is the beautiful glacier-fed Eklutna Lake, located 886 feet above sea level. This elevation allows AWWU
to move the water all the way from Eklutna to South Anchorage by gravity alone!
This elevation also allows the Water Treatment Facility to harness some of that
hydro energy to power its entire building and operations with a remaining
energy surplus. AWWU's Eklutna Water Facility moves 35 million gallons of water per
day (mgd).
During the winter months, average water use in the Anchorage bowl is
around 25 mgd. During the summer, average water use increases to 40 mgd. Most
water is used or called for on a daily basis during a four-hour peak demand
period. This period of time coincides with when most of Anchorage gets home
from work and starts to use water to garden and lawns, cook and wash cars. The record four-hour peak demand period is 97.3 mgd set in July 2004.
The Utility also
operates the Ship Creek Water Treatment Facility and numerous wells throughout the
Municipality as back-up sources of water. A network of 20 water reservoirs helps
to provide more than 60 million gallons of water for storage, fire demand and
emergency reserves, ensuring a continuous water supply at all hours of the day.
After Green Star staff saw where Anchorage's water comes from, we moved
on to one of the places where the water goes -- the Eagle River Wastewater
Treatment Facility. We observed raw sewage as it entered the system where it goes through a process
that thickens and removes the solids from the water. The solids are then
transported to an incinerator where they are turned into ash to be deposited
in the landfill.
Natural bacteria and
other bugs continue to process the water that is extracted from the sewage,
breaking down the remaining biological components. The water is then filtered and treated with
UV lights (as opposed to a chemical treatment) to sanitize it before being
discharged into Eagle River.
The amazing part is that the water leaving the
treatment facility looks as pure as the water coming out of Eklutna Lake.
From our friends at the Wastewater Facility, we would like
to pass on to Utility customers... "Please do not flush those 'flushable'
disposable wipes (either baby wipes or the household cleaning wipes) down the
toilet. They do not break down like toilet paper and bog down the machines."
Green Star Staff would like to thank Green Star Board member Chris Kosinski and the AWWU staff, Tim Metcalf of the Eklutna Water
Treatment Facility and Billy Gould at the Eagle River Wastewater Treatment
Facility, for the tours and enlightening us about our local water resources.
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SPRING BREAK-UP
ON THE ROAD
We've all witnessed that haze in the air at the end of break-up
when the roads start to dry and tires kick up dust.
Even simple tasks like raking our yards and cleaning driveways and
sidewalks can create clouds of dust.
These dust clouds of particulate matter can be dangerous. Airborne particulate matter is composed of dust, ash, soot,
smoke or liquid droplets emitted into the air by industrial sources and
fires, construction activities, paved and unpaved roads, and from
natural sources like volcanoes, and wind blown dust.
Smaller size particulate
matter is most likely to cause adverse
health effects. In 1987, the U.S. EPA established a particulate
standard for particles with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10
microns. These particles, called PM10, can be inhaled into the thoracic
or lower regions of the respiratory tract where they can do the most
harm.
In Anchorage, evidence suggests an association
between elevated PM10 and increases in outpatient visits for asthma and
upper respiratory illness.
Here are a few ways you can help to
keep dust down:
Slow down! Fast moving vehicles
stir up dust. Studies show
PM10 emissions go up with vehicle speed. A reduction in speed from 40
mph to 20 mph reduces dust emissions by 65%. So take it easy on dirt
roads or heavily graveled roads.
Don't drive. Reducing the numbers
of vehicles using the
roads can reduce dust too. Consider alternate means of transportation,
especially during prime dust times of year. Be careful if biking on roads that have not yet been swept. Deposits of gravel/sand can cause accidents if you make a quick stop or turn.
If your workplace has a parking
lot, be sure it is
cleaned, using wet-sweeping methods, early in the season and often
enough to ensure it is free of dust and gravel for the summer.
The highest PM10 concentrations occur during "break-up" in late
March and early April and during "freeze-up" in late October and early
November. Typically, concentrations are lowest in mid-summer and
mid-winter.
Most PM10 in Anchorage is believed to have manmade origins. PM10 can be
generated from vehicle traffic on unswept roads loaded with winter
traction sand or from unpaved roads and parking lots. Anchorage
sometimes nearly exceeds the NAAQS during spring break-up especially
near heavily traveled roads where traffic stirs up a winter's worth of
accumulated road sand.
Significant changes in road sanding and clean-up methods were
made beginning in 1996. The amount of winter traction sand applied to
roadways was cut by more than half. The amount of fines allowed in the
sand has been cut from 5% to less than 1%. The Municipality and State
are now using magnesium chloride deicer in lieu of road sand when
appropriate and this has helped to reduce the amount sand applied to
roadways over the course of the winter.
Melting during the day provides a mechanism to carry fine dust
particles from roadway shoulders heavily laden with accumulated road
sand into the traveled portion of the road surface. The melt water
dries up at night when temperatures fall below freezing leaving these
fine dust particles where they can be more easily re-entrained by
passing traffic. Elevated PM10 concentrations occur during the period
when temperatures fall below freezing, particularly during the morning
commute when traffic is heavy.
Surprisingly, the highest PM10 levels normally occur on days
with low wind speeds. When wind speeds are low, atmospheric mixing is
often poor and PM10 emissions are trapped close to the ground.
Moderately windy days, with improved atmospheric mixing, normally have
lower PM10 levels. However, during periods of extreme winds, (i.e.,
sustained winds of more than 25 mph) PM10 levels can be very high
because of an increase in wind blown dust.
The Municipal Department of Health and Human Services monitors
air quality on a continuous basis. Air quality updates can be obtained
by calling the Air Quality Hotline at 343-4899.
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ENERGY STAR STEPS UP
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of
Energy today outlined a series of steps to further strengthen the
trusted ENERGY STARŪ program.
This action comes at a
critical time for American consumers, many of whom struggle to keep up
with their monthly energy bills. In addition to third-party testing
already underway, EPA and DOE have launched a new two-step process to
expand testing of ENERGY STAR qualified products.
This week, DOE began
testing of some of the most commonly used appliances, which account for
more than 25% of a household's energy bill, and both agencies are now
developing a system to test all products that earn the ENERGY STAR
label. The steps are part of an overall effort by the Obama
Administration to improve the energy efficiency of homes and appliances
to save families money.
"Energy efficiency is more important than ever to American families,"
Gina McCarthy, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation said.
"As our economy gets back on its feet, ENERGY STAR is an easy way for
consumers to save money and help fight climate change."
"Consumers have long trusted the ENERGY STAR brand for products that
will save them energy and save them money," said Cathy Zoi, DOE
Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "The
steps we're taking now will further strengthen and improve the program,
building on the results that consumers have come to expect."
Consumers can feel confident in ENERGY STAR because in 2009 alone,
Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR saved enough energy to avoid
greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 30 million cars-all
while saving nearly $17 billion on their utility bills.
More details...
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Access past issues of E-News, sorted by topic or date. Please send comments, questions, or suggestions for future E-News topics to us at jeanne@greenstarinc.org. Forward this newsletter freely. Send us any email addresses you wish us to add to our mailing list. Thank you!
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