VOLUME 60

 SUSTAINABILITY CONNECTION 

 

Do the thing we fear, and the death of fear is certain.

 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

 
As a customer of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, we value your feedback! We would appreciate it if you would take 5-10 minutes to fill out our customer service survey. You may choose to remain anonymous, and your responses will be used to help determine what we are doing well and what opportunities we have for improvement. This survey may also be found on our website at any time.

 

Click Here to take the survey.

  Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union Green-Certified

 

                                                            

The Leaf-Chronicle recently reported on a new certification for a Tennessee company in Clarksville.

 

The latest business to complete requirements for Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification and host a Green Ribbon-Cutting is Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union.

 

Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers, Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan, and Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melinda Shepard were there to congratulate the Credit Union employees for their certification.

 

Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union chairman of the Board, Tom Denney, was also on site to greet the mayors and thank the employees for their "green" efforts.

 

Bowers asked them to share what they had done to become CMC Green-Certified.

Director of Mortgage Lending, Kim Clarkson, who led the certification effort, said, "We recycle everything possible at our main location and have plans in place to expand recycling beyond paper in our other locations. To reduce energy, we've installed occupancy sensors in a few branches, adjust thermostat settings, set computers and printers to sleep mode when not in use, ask employees to turn out unnecessary lights and use the stairs rather than the elevators. We host two free shred days per year for our customers to keep their information secure and the paper out of the landfill."

 

"Technology has played a major role in reducing the amount of paper we use. We successfully transitioned the majority of our customers to online banking statements in 2013. Last month we added mobile banking which allows customers to bank anywhere in the world with us. It has reduced paper and the need for members to drive to a branch location when they want to bank by phone or computer," Clarkson added.

 

McMillan expressed her gratitude for their work, asked if employees were practicing recycling and energy conservation in their homes, and encouraged them to do so if they were not already.

"Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union has deep roots here in Montgomery County so we're especially motivated when it comes to preserving the area's resources. Our team has worked hard on this initiative and we're proud to be the county's first Green-Certified credit union. We look forward to introducing even more recycling and energy conservation measures in the coming months," said Tom Kane, CEO of Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union.

 

Bowers said, "Each of us plays a role. Sometimes people think, I'm not paying the bill so why worry, but we have an individual responsibility to do our best at work and at home. It takes effort from all of us working together to make a difference."

 

Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union is celebrating its 60th year serving the Clarksville, Fort Campbell, Oak Grove and Hopkinsville area as a full-service financial institution open to all residents of Montgomery County and surrounding areas. For more information about the Credit Union, visit www.fortcampbellfederal.org.

 

For details on how your business can participate in the Green Certification Program, contact Michelle Newell at manewell@mcgtn.net.

 

Group Joins Forces to Bring Back Recycling to Downtown

                   
Local Memphis recently reported on efforts to bring back recycling to the downtown area.
  

Going green initiatives are sprouting up across the country, that includes downtown Memphis. 

 

Unfortunately, some fade after a while if they lose interest or funding. 

 

One neighborhood was in danger of losing recycling until a group of three stepped up. 

 

"We previously had recycling down here on South Main and it was so well received because many of the condos didn't have recycling available," Angela Copeland said. 

 

Copeland lives downtown and has spearheaded an effort to keep recycling at Front Street and G.E. Patterson. 

 

The Memphis Office of Sustainability used to supply the cash to keep the bins going, but when that well went dry Angela and her team explored the options. 

 

"We got the chance to tour a recycling facility here in Memphis called ReCommunity. It's a single stream facility and we found that it would only be $100 a month for the entire neighborhood," Copeland said. 

 

That's $1200 a year and you don't have to live in the neighborhood to use them. Also, it was not just the neighborhood who gave green to go green. 

 

"We raised it online. Members of the community donated one at a time anywhere from $5 to $50. Then the DowntownMemphis Commission came in and matched the $1200 that we raised," Copeland said.  That's $2400, enough to keep the bins open for 2 years.

 

That is like music to Bob Lundy's ears. He's a retired engineer who lives about 300 feet from the bins. He crunched the numbers. "I realized I was putting 75% of my stuff here instead of the garbage that the city pays, or whoever pays, $30 a ton to send to the landfill, so this made sense," Lundy said.  

"Folks had to throw away things that they had been recycling for an entire year before," Copeland said.

 

Lundy, along with Sharon Leicham, teamed with Copeland to make the bins possible. As awareness grew, the old bins were collecting two tons of recycling a month. The crew hopes these will gain the same kind of attention.

 

And don't worry about sorting, Copeland said it is easy. "People can throw all of their recycling in one bin and they don't have to separate it. These are single stream bins," Copeland said.

 

 
  Nissan Leaf Global Sales Reach 100,000 Units

 

 

Nissan News just reported a milestone in sales of the popular Leaf vehicle. 

 

The 100,000th all-electric Nissan LEAF has been purchased by a customer in the United Kingdom. The Nissan LEAF, the world's first mass-produced zero emissions vehicle, remains the best-selling EV in history with a 45% market share.

 

Since its launch in December 2010 Nissan has seen the pace of sales increase consistently and 2013 was a record year. The LEAF is now available to customers in 35 countries on four continents. In Norway, the Nissan LEAF topped sales charts, out-selling conventional gasoline powered vehicles in October 2013.

The 100,000th Nissan LEAF customer is Dr. Brett Garner, the owner of a dental practice in Fareham in the UK.

 

"I have chosen my Nissan LEAF because I am very interested in its running costs," Dr. Garner said. "The cost of ownership such as maintenance, insurance and charging also convinced my wife. She had the experience of driving 500 miles in a borrowed LEAF and the low cost was remarkable. So she was converted and insisted that we had a LEAF."

 

As a father of three, Dr. Garner says the car is convenient and comfortable for his family.

"The Nissan LEAF is perfect for everyday commuting, and there is no problem with charging it. It is ideal for the family as it is quiet and not tiring even on longer journeys, because there is no vibration. Above all, it is a fun to drive car!"  One of the first Nissan LEAF customers was Mr. Wasei Hirai, the Buddhist priest.

 

"It is profound that Nissan LEAF sales have reached 100,000 units," he said at his temple in Tokyo in Japan. "Natural beauty and history are very important for me, but I often drive a car because it is necessary for life. That is why I have chosen 100% zero emission Nissan LEAF. The Nissan LEAF driven by electricity produces zero emissions, no sound, and no vibration. That new type of driving car attracted me."

 

"Surprisingly, the innovative aspect of the Nissan LEAF matches this old temple quite naturally," he continues. "So, I believe that such a temple should take the initiative to propose messages about the environment and a way of living. I think the day will come that whenever people think of a car, it will be an electric car."

 

Nissan developed the Nissan LEAF to realize its corporate vision of Zero Emissions, new forms of mobility that are safe, fun and environmentally friendly. Nissan's research into on-board lithium-ion battery technology began in 1992. The Nissan LEAF offers powerful acceleration, quiet operation, energy efficiency and low cost of maintenance. Nissan has extended the standard warranty for the battery-power holding capacity with its own additional warranty for customer satisfaction and assurance.

 

Nissan is continuing to innovate in electric vehicles and is determined to maintain its dominant leadership position in the market. The company is working with governments and corporations to further expand the infrastructure of charging stations to encourage the take-up of EVs. Nissan believes that now with over 100,000 Nissan LEAF EVs on the road throughout the world, it has access to invaluable market experience that can be utilized to further promote and enhance the future of EVs.

 

After leading the era of electrification in passenger vehicles with the LEAF, Nissan will in 2014 bring an all-electric light commercial vehicle to market. The e-NV200 will go on sale in Europe and Japan bringing the benefits of quiet, cost-efficient, zero-emissions mobility to businesses.

 

In June 2014, Nissan will participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the NISSAN ZEOD RC and aims to set a record for the fastest all-electric, zero-emissions lap of the circuit. Nissan is committed to using the EV platform to break new ground in both the commercial-vehicle and motorsports arenas.

 

 

      

                          

The Tennessee Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards are the most prestigious environmental and conservation awards in the state. For more than 25 years, the awards have been presented to individuals and organizations making significant contributions to the protection and improvement of our natural resources and wildlife.

 

The awards are designed to bring about a greater knowledge and awareness of effective practices and projects and to give proper recognition to those persons and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the natural resources of their community and the state.

 

 

Nominations will open January 1, 2014 and be accepted until March 31, 2014.

 

Click on the above logo for more information. 

Did You Know?
There's a company in Switzerland called Algordanza that will turn your ashes into a diamond for your family.
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This newsletter was published by the TDEC Office of Sustainable Practices. If you have any suggestions for content please submit your information to this address.
 
Sincerely,
TDEC Office of Sustainable Practices