Boulder Green

Great Frontier Fest down in Denver this weekend

 

Generally, I am pretty skeptical of any event that starts off with the description "community celebration" but I am willing to meet them half way.   I just can't seem to figure out what it is about. From what I can gather from the site -  Green Frontier Fest,  it's about the broader environmental effort here in Colorado and making the Democratic Convention the "greenest political convention in modern American history.".  Although, I think the description is a bit over the top I do think it is fantastic to read about and hopefully will establish Colorado as a leader in this field.

And there is something called the "New Energy Station", which is showcasing all new hip and cutting edge green technologies.

Have you ever noticed that the moment you come up with a cool label for something instead of calling it what it is, you immediately introduce confusion? Maybe it's just me. I think the New Energy Station is about a solar house, a bike station and a  new grid. But the word station means what? A place to depart? A place to pump gas?

Anyway if you are downtown and don't mind the potential crowds, check it out!  

Great time at Green Drinks - Boulder

So, I checked out Green Drinks last night at Redfish and had a great time. It was a perfect summer evening, so they had the garage door/windows rolled up and there were lots of people milling around inside and out. There must have been about 30 people or so and it was such a great crowd. Everyone was very friendly and approachable and I met some really interesting people.  I met a landscape designer named David Bailey, who owns Urban Oasis and has been in the business almost 9 years. Bryan Beckett, the organizer, who I didn't get a chance to talk with but owns/works for (I couldn't tell) EcoGreenOffice products.  Then I met a really cool couple from Wiser World Travel, who can help you organize your eco-sensitive travels. It sounded like a really great idea and they both seemed really excited about their work.

I went with my neighbor, who I didn't see much of because we were both flitting around meeting people. But when we did meet up she mentioned to me that someone had seem my nametag and said something like, "Sun? What does Sun do that's Eco?". I couldn't believe that. Sun only has one of the best WFH programs out there that keeps me off of 36, has a pretty aggressive on-site recyclable collection stratetgy and is continually developing new servers that run cooler and require less energy.  They have come up with a datacenter in a container idea that uses a closed-loop water cooling system making it 40% more energy efficient at cooling than a typical datacenter.

I should have tracked him down and corrected his image of Sun instead I yantered onto it to my friend and David from Urban Oasis. Very effective strategy to rail against the people who were just the messengers. But all in all great time and I'll definitely head back next month.    

Headed to Green Drinks - Boulder

Heard from my neighbor that Green Drinks have kicked off again, or perhaps I just lost the thread. So, I am headed over to the Redfish Brewery at 5:30 to meet up.

Been Busy Avoiding a Layoff and Studying for LEED (still)

It's been a busy few weeks ducking and diving to avoid a layoff at my company. Not really, I guess, but it sounds better than saying I was nervously sitting in a pool of my own anxiety-sweat waiting for a phone call to inform me whether I had a job or not. But I did make it and still feel pretty good about the place, so there we are. Coupled with the low-grade throb of tension, I am still studying for LEED and getting pretty tired of it. The more I read, the less comfortable I feel. Of course, not reading anymore would ensure my failure but would make me feel more confident about my ignorance. Difficult balancing act.

As part of my effort to avoid studying, I have been researching study guides. This act alone makes me feel like I am hard at work learning the finer points of ASHRAE.

• IntheLeed is a great site and the guy just passed so you know his study materials are good.
• LEED Test preps - this site has automated flash cards. I was unable to answer most but was thrilled by the ease with which I was able to do it. 
• And some other Test-Taking Resources, which will make you feel prepared simply by printing them out

I am signing up for the test in August and come bank failures, mortgages crisis and war, I'll be there. (Modern and tasteless twist on an old cliche).

Initial feedback on our house energy audit

The guy from LightlyTreading emailed our energy audit report yesterday. I haven't read the entire report, just glanced through a few things. I kinda got hung up on the "Your house is leaky"... feedback and didn't get much further. I'll print it out later this weekend and read through the whole thing. In the meantime, I'll sit in my leaky house and drink a glass of wine.

image source

Energy Audit - A Blower Door Test

A few weeks ago, we had a guy out here from Lightly Treading to do an energy audit. He poked around our house, looked at windows, the level of insulation in the attic and what was going on in the garage. I fully expected him to say "you know, you should really think about moving" but instead he had a number of really good ideas, things we could do now to help our home become more energy efficient. He also punctured a few preconceived bubbles I had, which was a good thing. He said good blinds, the kind that have tracks along the inside of a window well, can be really great for keeping cold air out. If your windows are trash, like ours are in the basement, you may still have to replace them but before spending gobs of cash look at the type of blinds you have.

In the attic, make sure you have the appropriate amount of insulation for your area and that your doors  have a good seal. He is sending us a report but it seemed like there are a number of "smallish" things we can do now before really having to dig into our wallets.

The picture above is the equipment that is used during the blower test. I almost forgot to clean out the fireplace, which would have meant the entire house coated in fine ash during test, but the fine folks at LightlyTreading reminded me.  All the windows and door have to be closed during the test so that the tester can wave a wand of smoke around various openings to see how much escapes. I am fairly certain our home probably looked like it was emitting some sort of distressed smoke signal. Unfortunately, the poor guy had to come back and retest the house as he was getting some odd numbers during the reporting. I'm not entirely looking forward to the results from those tests but I should get the final report-out this week. So, I'll post the report once I get it if I haven't used it to better insulate a window.

Early Morning Coffee Ride to Stone Cup

For the past couple of Saturdays, I have been heading out very early to ride to Lyons for a cup of coffee. In the past, I would have gotten my Americano at the Barking Dog, a great, cycling-friendly coffee shop just on the main street into Lyons. Perfect spot. But recently, I thought we'd change things up a bit and hit the Stone Cup for a bit of the brew.

One thing I have to say about Lyons is their coffee shops each have charm and are unique. The Stone Cup is a bit more spacious and perhaps has a bit more of a menu but the Barking Dog still wins on the coffee front. But for overall lounging the Stone Cup is perfect, huge garage doors open out onto patio where hanging baskets overflow their blooms, lots of other cyclists and locals hang out at the flagstone tables to give it a bit of a buzz and they appear to be hugely committed to creating an environmentally sustainable business. You can't buy bottled water, your coffee is served in compostable coffee cups, they rely on 100-percent powered by renewable, non-polluting wind power. Their environmental commitment is written up and available on their site. It looks like their effort is part of the ConservEd Project, which is part of the Green Heart Institute. I'm not quite sure how they are related, so I guess that will have to wait for another post.

But if you are looking for a cool place to hang on a Saturday in Lyons, you would be hard-pressed to find a much better spot than the Stone Cup. And you can recycle that cup your drinking out of, as well.

San Antonio - Goes Organic

So, to indulge in a bit of stereotype I would have to admit that San Antonio is not the first city that comes to mind when you think about organic restaurants. But recently I went home and discovered this cozy little restaurant where the old Pearl Brewery used to be. The place is called Texas Farm to Table and they serve up local favorites made from ingredients from local farmers. So, you can still get your fill of tacos and quesadillas but they strive to use only in-state produce when possible.

We sat outside the day we ate there. I had an enormous taco (fulfilling yet another stereotype) and my mom and husband had the eggs benedict. All of the dishes were great and we weren't stuffed when we finished.

The location is a bit interesting. The building appears to be made out of limestone and shares its space with Aveda, which seems to have some sort of school/shop space. 

Anyway, it was great to see these types of places popping up in the home town.

San Antonio goes green and where did I go

I spent about 10 days in San Antonio recently and noticed even deep in the heart of Texas, people are beginning to change their ways. Yes, they may still drive their Suburbans and Excursions like Miatas but they are headed to the grocery story with canvas bags. And the monopoly that is the HEEB (read: HEB) has started selling canvas bags and has an environmental affairs page on their Web site. Smashing!

Boulder Beer Saves the Planet One Beer at a Time

Getting a Single Track or Sundance at the Boulder Beer Pub is probably the most perfect and easiest way to a green drink. Well, for us it is because we live within a 10 minute walk. We just found out about this but the Boulder Beer Company has since 2007 made huge efforts to introduce eco-friendly policies and steps at their brewery. Here are some of the steps they have taken (this is pulled from their pub flyer):

• An avg of 130 tons of their spent grain and yeast is reused as feed supplements by local farmers every month
• Their brewery recovers heated water from the heat-exchanger to use in future brews
• Their walk-in cooler has economizers that use outside air to cool the warehouse during the cold months
• The pub is PACE certified (People for A Cleaner Environment)
• Earth friendly printing and packaging
• Recycle kitchen fryer oil for bio-deisel
• Use all recycled or compostable "to go" containers
• Compost food waste

So, lots going on in the neighborhood and it is so tremendous that our local watering hole is making changes like this in the way they do business.

An interview with Neal from American Solar Energy Society

I met with Neal Lurie, who is Director of Marketing & Communications at American Solar Energy Society. His job is to make sure that everyone knows about the good work ASES is doing to increase the use of solar energy.

Eco-Blogger: Tell me a little about the American Solar Energy Society?

Neal Lurie: We've been around for over 50 years,  probably started long before most people had even heard of solar energy. Today we're leading the renewable energy revolution. We're a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the use of solar energy and energy efficiency across the United States with a primary focus on education and outreach. We have some great programs and resources to help people learn more about solar. For example, the first week in October is the ASES National Solar Tour, which occurs in nearly all 50 states and gives the public an opportunity to tour solar homes and get first-hand testimonials and tips from neighbors who went solar (www.nationalsolartour.org). Last year more than 115,000 people attended. Another great resource is our magazine called Solar Today. It comes complementary with an ASES membership. These and our many other programs help people learn what options there are in solar, best practices, tips and how-tos.

EB: How are you getting the word out about solar?

NL: Talking to people like you.  The Solar industry is booming and that is for a few reasons. One, the cost of conventional forms of energy is rising; two, the cost of renewable forms of energy continues to  become price competitive, and three, people are looking to tackle climate change. This combination of factors is driving unprecedented interest in solar energy. I mean, if people are presented with a choice to get energy from a polluting source like coal or from a clean source, like solar, it really is a no-brainer. Economically and environmentally, it just makes sense.

EB: What does a boom mean for the Solar industry?

NL: Booming means annual growth of more than 40% year. There are some sources that report that the solar sector grew at 57% last year. It depends on the study but this illustrates that people are hungry to find new sources of energy and they're looking to learn more about solar.

In some cities, like in Boulder, many of the codes promote sustainability and more energy efficient buildings. But among the public, when it comes to solar, there is a big misperception. A lot of people think of solar energy exclusively as generating electricity, without even considering solar thermal heating for their showers, spas, where the payback can be even quicker. There can be federal and state incentives for many forms of solar, which can sweeten the deal. But the first step is to educate yourself on the different solar options, and a good place to start is to visit our Web site (www.ases.org). Another great resource is the dsireusa.org site, which offers state by state comparisons of what the solar rebates are.

Something to keep in mind is that there is a sense of urgency to take advantage of federal incentives for solar as they are currently set to expire this Dec. Now, there is an excellent coalition of which we are part of working to extend these incentives, but if folks are thinking about going solar, now is a good time.

EB: What are some of ASES' most recent successes?

NL: There are many, but here are a couple of examples. We just rolled out  a groundbreaking report, which quantifies the number of green jobs across the country and their economic impact. This is exciting as it is the first comprehensive, national economic report on the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. In the past, the talk about renewable energy was as if it was always years away, something for the future. But this report shows that the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors already generate 8.5 million jobs and nearly a trillion dollars in annual revenue in the U.S.You can download the report at: http://www.ases.org/ASES-JobsReport-Final.pdf This type of reports starts shifting the debate from something that "is this good for the environment" to "this industry creates jobs and boosts the U.S. economy". There's been a lot of attention around the topic of green-collar jobs lately and we feel  this report has been a major catalyst. Even the presidential candidates have begun to talk about the importance of green-collar jobs. So, the word is getting out.

Another success is that we recently rolled out our tackling climate change report that took a detailed look at how renewable energy and energy efficiency can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. What we found is that these sectors can play a huge role in helping to reduce carbon emissions to the levels we need to get to by 2050. The measures outlined in this report show how these technologies can help to mitigate the impacts of climate change. You can download the report at:

Together, these two reports shows that solar energy (and other forms of renewables) can not only help tackle climate change but also boost our economy. Our goal is to then help promote the education and outreach needed to keep accelerating the use of renewable energy/energy efficiency practices and to promote policies at state and national level.

EB: Why do you keep mentioning Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency?

NL: RE/EE are two sides of same coin. People often look at energy issues in the context of how we can generate more energy, to increase the available supply. The more immediate results, though, are generated through efficiency and reducing demand for various forms of energy. In our report, we showed that over the next few decades, energy efficiency can play an even bigger role in reducing carbon emission than renewable energy. For example, it is easier to use a more energy efficient car than to find a new source of fuel to run the car.

EB: Why would an individual be interested in joining ASES?

NL: The biggest reason is that the best way to start tackling our energy problems, like cost, security, climate change, is to work as part of a coalition and to work collaboratively to address these issues head-on. These issues need widespread involvement to make that happen.  One example of a collaborative effort is at the ASES National Solar Conference in San Diego. This is the 37th year of the conference (we run it). The conference brings together many of the leading experts on renewable energy to a single location to share ideas, insight, and breakthroughs. Wide ranging topics are discussed to help attendees understand where solar is headed, where it is now, and how it will play an increasing role in generating green-collar jobs.

EB: Anything else you would like to mention?

NL: One other thing, there is another great site called findsolar.org  that we help coordinate, which allows users to calculate an estimate to install solar energy in their community. People can type in their zip code and what they currently spend on energy find out what federal, state and local rebates may be available and what the total costs might come out to. It is a ballpark figure but it is a good place to begin.

EB: Thanks, Neal. And good luck

We Can Solve It...

I just signed up at the  We Can Solve It Web site...a project from the The Alliance for Climate Protection --to find out more about what I can do to address climate change. What I like about the site or the theme is that it has moved beyond, "Oh crap, the world is imploding" to "we can change this". The site has some great information on things each person can do that doesn't cost extra money and might even save you some. They also have some videos, one of which I thought was great.

Another great feature of the site is the listing of contacts you can use to send letters to encourage the press and our leaders to take more of an active role in the discussion.  There was an analysis on the site of the number of climate questions asked of the candidates by the press:

"A League of Conservation Voters’ study found that ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked presidential candidates more than 767 questions -- only 5 of which were related to global warming. CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked more than 402 questions -- only 5 were about global warming. Sadly, other political commentators and reporters have shown a similar disregard for this key issue."

But I am fairly certain our press discussed why Hillary cried, why Obama is wonderful and isn't McCain's mother great for being out on the campaign trail.

Green Got Ugly

A couple of weeks ago, a conversation about green building in my class turned a a bit heated. The exchange occurred between a student and a couple of the presenters. It was a disagreement around what  buyers are willing to pay for when they are looking for a home. The instructors were trying to present the idea that  you are selling comfort, selling  a healthier home rather than reducing the buying experience to an inventory of price points. It was a good discussion but it quickly devolved with the student saying that for buyers it's all about the price and instructors responding that green is not anymore expensive than a standard home; it's just where you choose to invest your money.

Anyway, they volleyed back and forth for several minutes.  Some people began to squirm in their seats, others tried to join the fray and some stared straight ahead waiting for the gale to blow through. It was touched off by a comment by one of the presenters around a $1400 dishwasher and its high level of water efficiency.  This little match sparked a fair degree of indignation. 

It all came down to the question of where do people want to spend their money. We could all drive Pintos but we choose not to, we could watch tv on a standard box or invest in a flat screen, we could buy a dual-flush toilet or stick with our bog standard. For some, there isn't a choice and price is the determining factor but we make decisions all the time and prices is one of the variable which influences our decisions but not the only. Whether it's a car, a home, a pair of shoes I don't believe that our buying decisions can be simply reduced to a single variable - price. Or, how could I possible explain the velvet pants with sequence around the pockets.

I think my fellow student was right to argue that the cost of green can be too high but there are options. The important thing may be that when you are ready to replace your dishwasher, you consider the one rated EnergyStar and that you can probably get from Home Depot for about $500.

Boulder Global Warming Expo

The second annual Global Warming Expo is this April 3rd. The list of speakers looks entertaining. I would be keen to hear from Tom Plant, the Director of the Colorado Governor's Energy office.

I went to the first one last year and wasn't that jazzed when I left but I don't want to jump to any conclusions on this one. And I do remember they had a pretty good bag of schwag (or Action Kit) at the end. BUT you had to stay until the very end to get one, which seemed a bit mean.

On to other topics....I have two remaining class meetings of my Green Building Cert. course and then I am all done. I have kind of mixed emotions because while I am pleased not to be driving down to Denver every week, I am also beginning to wonder "What Next". I guess my time will be spent preparing for the LEED test but it has been good to meet other people interested in this subject.

Although, I have enjoyed the class I feel like we have not tackled the real problem of what to do with our existing homes. It's easy to move out to yet another area and build homes to a green spec. It's much harder to tackle a built home and retro fit it economically and sustainably and I just don't feel the course addressed that issue, which is really why I signed up. I wanted to learn what I could do about a home built in 1986. But maybe it just comes down to the obvious: improve the windows, install a higher-efficiency furnace, make sure your attic is well-insulate, etc. etc...

Here is a picture of one of the windows in my basement. I generally describe them as being made from tin foil and saran wrap. Perhaps, I can start by replacing them.

I've called her "Pearl"

I've had my Kawaski C3 for about a month now and so far it's been a blast. There are a couple of less than lovable traits about it, like putting gas into it is like filling up a nalgene water bottle with a water blaster and going up some of our Colorado hills feels almost a little beyond its capabilities. But all in all, it's exactly what I wanted and allows me to get up to Interlocken without a problem. I've noticed some drivers don't quite know what to do about me as I cruise along. I'll be going the speed limit, sometimes even a little over, and they still can't resist getting in front of me. Honestly, I think that is great as I much rather have them in front of me than behind and (potentially) impatient.

What has been unexpected about riding a scooter is noticing things normally I don't see when I'm driving. I ride down Cherryvale, where a few farms are located,  and I can smell the farm animals. I mean really smell them. I also noticed 5 birds sitting on a street lamp at the intersection of McCaslin and Marshall the other afternoon. They just looked so out of place. There were no other birds around - just those 5 sitting on a street lamp. It has been an unexpected treat.

Now, I just need to know if I "ride" a scooter or "what" with a scooter.  Sometimes, other motorcyclists will give me a wave - a subtle flick of the wrist. I feel quite happy, like I am part of a new club  but also a bit like a poser as they are riding the real thing and I am just wearing a full-face helmet to ride a scooter. I wonder if they realize I am riding a scooter before they give me the whole solidarity wave or feel deep pangs of regret after they hear that undeniable scooter sound.

If gas hits $4

If gas hits $4 dollars here in the US, I wonder if we might see something like this over HWY36:

I found this video on Copenhagen Cycle Chic and couldn't get over how many bikes crossed that bridge.

Eco-friendly School Supplies

I just stared back at CSU for their green building for residential course  a couple of weeks ago. This class is definitely more demanding than the commercial one was, which is odd since LEED doesn't yet have an AP test for residential. It may be more demanding but they have given out cooler stuff this year. Look at this nifty recycled binder we got:
  Not bad. I don't know that I found the maker/distributor for these but I did find them on this site called inhabit but I think they are actually made by a company called Sustainable Group.

Been Traveling

I've been traveling for work and have had little time to update my blog, which is a shame. But I'll be back with it this week as I start up the residential portion of the Green Building course down at CSU this Wednesday. I am really excited about this upcoming class as I hope to learn about things I can do to improve my own home.

I picked up a couple of interesting (and used) books from Amazon recently:

• Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough
• Green to Gold by Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston

The Cradle to Cradle book is interesting as it isn't actually made from paper but from plastic resins. It feels like waxy paper but it's water proof and can be reused to make paper.

Tried riding the scooter to work today only to encounter wispy clouds of grey carrying snow. I had to turn around in the drive way. I guess I was a little overly exuberant about the relatively clear weather.

I am signing up for the Seattle to Portland ride in July. I am very excited and pretty psyched about training for a 200 mile event. I am supposed to start putting in the mileage this weekend and if the weather clears I will take my first ride of the year.

I have heard lots of talk from the candidates about including provisions for green jobs in their economic stimulus packages. I wish I knew where to go to find out more information about what that means but I am thrilled to hear the candidates talking that way.

Ready to ride...well, once the weather has warmed up

I just did something pretty rash in light of the news about the economy tanking...I bought a Yamaha C3 in white. It wasn't an entirely random event. I took a motorcycle class this past summer, passed the exam and scared myself sufficiently to want to hold off on buying my own motorcycle. But I still wanted to get something I could use to get to work and run quick errands around town. This scooter is a 4-stroke engine so it's not a big polluter like a two-stroke engine and it gets 116 mpg and holds 1.2 gallons of gas. WOW!! Of course, I expect to get less up here in Boulder but even if I just get 100 mpgs that will be pretty darn sweet. It's also got some pretty roomy space under the seat for runs to the grocery store and work.

Dave down at Colorado Power Sports (be prepared when you go to the site, the music is pretty loud) was great. I test rode one this past weekend and was really happy with it. It takes awhile to pick up speed and you would be hard-pressed to get it up to forty without a fair bit of road in front of you but it's absolutely perfect for what I want it for.

I also got a full-face helmet, which might seem a little extreme but if you consider the size of the scooter compared to an Excursion, then it doesn't seem quite so silly.

 

So, now I just need some temperatures above freezing and I'll be on the road.

OpenEco & Sun Microsystems

Look at this interesting site co-sponsored by my company Sun Microsystems called OpenEco. The site combines the ideas of corporate responsibility, community and environmental measurement into one site. The other sponsors of the site are:

• Ceres - this looks like a company that can help you invest responsibly
• Inspiring Green Leadership - helps corporation go on energy diet for 6 months
• Natural Logic - looks like they are sustainability consultants that provides the tracking tools available on the site

To get started, you need to register your company and then you can calculate your greenhouse gases and compare them with other organizations. There are other tools that allow you to track, there are faqs to read and discussion forums to review and post responses. The most interesting point of all this is the community aspect to the site. It'll take a brave organization to honestly calculate their greenhouse gases knowing that other comparable orgs will do the same but therein lies the biggest benefit - organizations working together to address a common problem.

I couldn't get to far into the site as I don't really know our organizational details and I don't think it would be too friendly to plug in bogus information. The event in March sounds great - Carbon Disclosure Project Spring Workshop