here. - Green Fire Times

Transcription

July 2009
Volume 1, Number 3
News & Views from the Southwest
•S
ustainable Technologies Center
Hub of the Local Green Economy
• Sostenga
Community Conversations
• NM's Emerging
Biofuels Industry
• Feeding the
Soil: Humates
• Dreaming NM
Geothermal
• Solar News
• Green
Remodeling 101
www.GreenFireTimes.com
Demystified
• Something
Puzzling
July 2009 • Green Fire Times
1
The Green Gala
Support Santa Fe’s Emerging Green Economy
a green tie event
At Santa Fe Community College
6 to 9 p.m., Friday, August 14, 2009 in the Fine Arts Center
Hosted by GROW Santa Fe Community College Foundation
$125 per person ($100 is tax deductible)
Design by W. Robert Kreger, AIA
Custom interpretations of Santa Fe Style integrated with Sustainable Practices
K
K
REGER
DESIGN/BUILD,
LLC
505 660.9391
www.kregerdesignbuild.com
W. Robert Kreger, AIA
Nancy Dean Kreger, BFA in Visual Design
The Green Gala is a fundraiser for SFCC’s Sustainable Technologies Center, which provides
education and training for a green workforce in renewable energy, trades and industry.
For details, visit www.sfccnm.edu.
To purchase tickets, call (505) 428-1175
or email [email protected].
SANTA FE
COMMUNITY
COLLEGE
FOUNDATION
Quality Service & Value
Electro/Mechanical
Solar
“We Show Up On Time &
You Can Feel Safe With
Us In Your Home!”
Michael Connolly,
Owner
Serving Santa Fe and
Northern New Mexico
Let Us Help You Manage
The High Cost of Energy!
• Grid Tied & Off Grid Solar
Electric Systems
• Sales & Installation of Solar
Hot Water & Space Heating
• We Can Help With Energy Tax
Credits & Utility Incentive
Programs!
Member of:
BBB • SEIA • SEI • NMSEA • REIANM
505-660-9047
Lic #085064 Bonded & Insured
2 Green Fire Times • July 2009
New Mexico's Emerging Biofuels Industry..................................4
SFCC Sustainable Technologies Center........................................5
Geothermal Dreaming...............................................................6
The Age of Renewables — Solar / Hydro-Biofuels.........................7
Green Remodeling 101..............................................................8
Green for Real...........................................................................9
Sostenga: Community Conversations........................................10
Newsbites.................................................................................11
©Seth Roffman
Solar Newsbites........................................................................12
Something Puzzling..................................................................13
Feeding the Soil to Feed the Garden.........................................15
Humates Demystified...............................................................15
What's Going On! Events / Announcements................................22
Young corn and chile plants, Zia Pueblo, June 2009
Vol I, No. 3
Green Fire Times
July 2009
Publisher
Green Fire Publishing, LLC
Skip Whitson
A
long with the environmental crisis, the economic crisis has exposed the severe shortcomings of business as
usual, growth for its own sake, consumerism and the current order. As we reinvent a new economy, communities
and nature must be valued as integral to economic activity. Social and environmental impacts should be incorporated
into costs. The economic crisis can teach us to live more simply and focus more locally. Buying supplies locally, a concept dismissed as quaintly old-fashioned under the globalization regime, often makes good financial sense because
it reduces shipping costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
Managing Editor
Seth Roffman
Artistic Director &
Graphic Design
Dakini Design, Anna Hansen
Sustainability is not a frill or a marketing program that can be deferred or discarded in tough economic times. It
is a vital strategy for these times. To become more sustainable — and profitable — businesses must make their
business and supplier relationships greener, starting with enforcing and expanding environmental standards for
suppliers. Some companies have insisted on third-party environmental audits of their suppliers. Many green supplies cost no more than conventional ones and sometimes cost less.
Contributing
Photographers
Anna Hansen, Seth Roffman
Contributing Writers
Kenny Ausubel, Steve Baer, Charles
Bensinger, Camilla Bustamante,
Nan Fischer, Bob Kreger, Seth
Roffman, Kim Shanahan, Peter
Warshall, Susan Waterman.
To create a sustainable and equitable future, it is clear that growth is needed in the areas of good jobs and incomes,
education and training, infrastructure for climate-friendly and green technologies, water and waste management, replacement of obsolete energy systems and the restoration of ecosystems and local communities. Growth is also needed
internationally to assist sustainable, people-centered development for the half of humanity who live in poverty.
Copy Editor Intern Mary C. Garcia
Being less focused on spending and acquiring can help us rediscover that the truly important things in life are
not for sale. We must realize that we are not separate from our environment. As we look deeply into our lives, we
can see what we can do to preserve, restore and renew the environment. Our bioregion, local community and the
global community are connected. Wherever we are is where we can act in a practical and compassionate way.
Distribution
Victoria Carrey, Nick García,
Andy Otterstrom, Tony Rapatz,
Skip Whitson, John Woody.
▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Ad Sales
Skip Whitson 505.471.5177
Green Fire Times
c/o The Sun Companies
PO Box 5588
Santa Fe, NM 87502-5588
Green Fire Times provides useful information for anyone – community members, businesspeople, students, visitors – interested
in discovering the wealth of opportunities and resources available in our region. Knowledgeable people provide articles on subjects ranging from green businesses, products, services, entrepreneurship, jobs, design, building, energy, and investing – to sustainable agriculture, arts & culture, ecotourism, education, food, the healing arts, local heroes, native perspectives, natural resources,
recycling, transportation, and more.
This publication is being widely distributed from Albuquerque to Taos. An online edition may be accessed at www.GreenFireTimes.com. Feedback, announcements, event listings, advertising, and article submissions to be considered for publication are
welcome. Contact Skip Whitson at 505.471.5177 or email [email protected].
Ph: 505.471.5177
Email: [email protected]
COVER: Rio Grande near Pilar, NM. Photo © Anna Hansen. SFCC President Sheila Ortego with NM Lt.
Governor Diane Denish (l-r), Solar Panels, Photos © Seth Roffman.
•
News & Views from the Southwest
© 2009 Green Fire Publishing, LLC
PRINTED LOCALLY WITH 100%
SOY INK ON 40% RECYCLED,
CHLORINE-FREE PAPER
3
New Mexico’s Emerging Biofuels Industry
Charles Bensinger
H
ave you noticed the price of gasoline lately? It’s up a whopping
47% since March. A gallon of crude
oil is now above $70/barrel. Some
industry experts are predicting $200/
barrel oil within four years.
Even though there’s plenty of excess
oil stashed in anchored tankers and
large storage tanks, we still need to
stop using the stuff. And soon. Otherwise U.S. fuel dollars will continue to
support hostile international activities,
old fossil greenhouse gas emissions
will continue to ravage our climate,
and our local economies will suffer as
our hard-earned money is siphoned
off to Wall Street and beyond.
But we have options. We can make
our own renewable fuels right here
in New Mexico from a wide variety
of non-food based feedstocks. We can make high
quality biodiesel from recycled restaurant oils and
sustainably-grown energy
crops such as camelina,
and algae. We can make
clean-burning ethanol to
power our gasoline engines from waste sugars
such as stale donuts and
cookies, reject wine and
beer and discarded fruit.
Ideal ethanol crops include sorghum
and the ubiquitous buffalo gourd tuber, both of which grow well in New
Mexico as dryland crops.
A new generation of enzymes currently under development and emerging gasification technologies will
enable the production of green fuels
from garbage, plastic, paper,
wood chips, grass and weed
clippings etc. In fact, several
wood chip-to-ethanol facilities will go online this year
in British Columbia and
Georgia.
New Mexico is also ground
zero for the emerging algae
industry as our state has
plenty of open, inexpensive,
flat, non-agricultural land
with scads of sunlight falling on it every day. Lurking under the surface in
the northwestern and southern parts
of the state are vast amounts of high
saline, “produced water.” The oil and
gas industry pumps millions of gallons
of this water daily from several thousand feet underground, then extracts
oil and gas from it and re-injects the
Luz Energy ad: 1/4 page ad (4 3/4 x 6 1/8) for Green Fire Times publication—July 2009
Solar Electrical & Mechanical Contractors since 1985.
Go SOLAR with
organics
hydroponics
indoor grow
lights
AHL Garden Supply has the largest
selection of organic fertilizers, potting
soil, amendments and pest controls in
the state. We also have everything for
your indoor gardening needs! Visit our
well-stocked store in Albuquerque or
mail order for next day delivery
throughout New Mexico. We provide solar systems for:
 New construction & existing commercial/residential
applications
 Solar electrical for home, business, & RV
 Solar water pumping and pool heating
 Solar hot water, radiant heat, and forced hot air
 Repair, replace, & upgrade existing solar systems
 Service after the sale
These companies and others will require skilled workers as they plan to
expand their operations dramatically
over the next few years. In the cue is
a new 20-million gallon/yr biodiesel
plant expected to open next spring
continued on page
7
O
ur advertisers make the
Green Fire Times possible. Please let them know
that you appreciate their
support of this publication.
AHL Garden Supply
1051 San Mateo Blvd SE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
The Green Gold Rush is on — with
hundreds of million of dollars in federal and venture capital money rushing
toward various cellulosic ethanol and
algae biofuel projects. New Mexico is
presently home to two fledgling algae
operations — one in Artesia, operated by the Center for Excellence in
Hazardous Waste Management, and
the flagship Sapphire Energy project, which is located in Las Cruces
and funded by Bill Gates. Both these
projects involve large open pond algae bioreactor systems. Sapphire Energy plans to make millions of gallons
of “Green Crude” to be marketed as
“Biojet Fuel” for aircraft.
505-877-3304 /www.luzenergy.com
AHL — New Mexicoʼs indoor garden
specialists since 1993
www.AHLgrows.com
505.255.3677
800.753.4617
“waste water” back down to 13,000
feet. This confluence of land, sunlight,
and non-potable water makes for ideal algae growing and harvesting conditions. Algae are expert at capturing
carbon dioxide and using sunlight and
water to make oxygen and energy. This
energy, which is stored as lipids and
carbohydrates, can then be converted
into ethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen, protein and omega 3 oils. And let’s not
forget that petroleum is, after all, just
ancient algae that’s been pressed and
cooked for several hundred million
years.
Bonded & Insured with Free estimates
Qualify up to
40% on personal
income tax credits for
your solar heating and
electrical systems.
see www.dsireusa.org
T
o advertise in GFT, call Skip
at the Sun Companies: 505471-5177 or email: [email protected].
economy
SFCC Sustainable Technologies Center:
H ub of L ocal G reen E conomy
Green Gala to Celebrate Cutting Edge Facility
Seth Roffman
T
he city of Santa Fe has made a
pledge to invest in energy independence. Santa Fe Community College’s Sustainable Technologies Center (STC) will be the hub of the local
green economy, providing hands-on
training to the rapidly expanding
fields of sustainable design, renewable energy and green building. The
STC will also offer programs in solar,
biomass and wind technologies. The
building itself will be LEED certified
and function as a living laboratory for
testing environmental technologies
through partnerships with local companies producing green products.
A public groundbreaking for the fulfillment of SFCC president Sheila Ortego’s vision will be on August 14th at
5 p.m. followed
by a “Green
Tie” fundraising
gala at 6 p.m. to
raise awareness
about the programs and the
building, as well
as to provide
scholarships for
students taking
green technology classes. Dr.
John Fogarty,
executive director of New Energy
Economy is the keynote speaker. The
school is awaiting confirmation of
NM Lt. Governor Diane Denish’s
participation.
Jean Marquardt, executive director of
GROW, the SFCC’s Foundation, explained, “The STC is the only one of
its kind geared toward renewable energy. It will provide specific training in
the trades: plumbing, electricity, welding and HVAC (heating, ventilation
and air conditioning) to facilitate high
paying jobs for people in NM in the
production, installation, maintenance
and operation of wind turbines, solar
voltaics, solar collectors and biomass.”
Randy Grissom, the STC’s director
added: “We’ve offered a green building certificate, but we haven’t had the
ability to do the actual hands-on construction trades here. The nice thing is,
we’re going to be able to start them up
with the latest, greatest and greenest
versions. We’re going to have the ability and the space to build rooms and
small houses, plumb them and wire
them and see the whole process there.
The STC will be housed in the Trades
and Advanced Technology Building, a
36,000 sq. ft. structure scheduled for
completion by Fall 2010. Some of the
classes will be monitoring the construction of the STC, which will have
four shops that are two stories high.
“This whole building is part of the
curriculum,” said Grissom. “We have
concentrated solar that’s going to be
for both the heating and the air conditioning. We have a solar photovoltaic array and solar film. We’re also going to have the more traditional solar
thermal for domestic hot water. Small
wind turbines will be on the roof.
We’re working with a local manufacturer whose product prototype should
be ready about the time we have the
building ready. The building materials
are going to be exposed for [teaching]
the construction trades. Rainwater
catchment systems will channel water off the high roof, to be used for
flushing the toilets. We’re not going
to waste potable water for things that
don’t need to be potable.”
SFCC also has its own biomass heating system. Grossom went on to explain the STC. “We’re going to have
trombe walls (solar heat collectors) on
the south facing buildings. There will
be lots of daylighting. And for everything that’s producing energy, both on
the building and also out on the demonstration yard, we’re going to have a
grid control room with monitors so
people can see what’s being produced
and also what’s being consumed by
the building, and what’s going back to
the main campus.”
“Our newest program is the biofuels
program,” Griscom said. “We’re really
focusing in on non-food feedstock
like algae and other plants such as camalina and buffalo gourd, which is a
weed here in NM. We will be actually processing and making biodeisel
and ethanol, and we hope to use that
in our college vehicles. Our initial
continued on page
5
21
GEOTHERMAL
New Mexico Tech Planning
Geothermal Project
New Mexico Tech, the science and engineering university in Socorro,
is applying for an energy department grant to help in the development
an $11 million geothermal plant to heat all of the school’s buildings
and replace the current natural gas heating.
The proposed plant would utilize the natural features of the region.
Precipitation is heated in large reservoirs under the Magdalena
Mountains and then flows through rifts in deep crystalline rocks.
Elevation differences between the mountains in the area facilitate
the water’s movement. The NM Tech project would inject lower
temperature water through a heat exchanger.
First NM Commercial Geothermal
Power Plant Planned
Raser Technologies, Inc., a Utah-based company, is planning to
build NM’s first commercial geothermal power plant south of
Lordsburg. It is expected to produce enough electricity for about
5,500 homes in the Phoenix area.
Geomthermal Dreaming
D.N.M.
New Mexico’s geothermal dream envisions local use, competitive prices and
multi-tasking. Geothermal is most profitably utilized in combination enterprises; electricity plus greenhouse heating plus fish farming, or electricity generation plus home heating and spas. Multiple-use makes geothermal
energy economic. Already, New Mexico has the most geothermal greenhouse acreage in the nation. High temperature (>350˚F) is best for 20MW
electric generation; mid-temperature (190˚–350˚) is best for 3–10MW; and
low temperature (<190˚F and 15-30˚F above surface temperature) can be
used for greenhouses, aquaculture, space and district heating, ground-heat
pumps, and cooking and drying onions or chilies or curing foods. In the
dream, 30–200MW of electricity and heating equivalents would come from
geothermal. Geothermal can be used to “firm up” (even out) the power flow
from the more erratic production of solar and wind.
Energy
THE AGE OF RENEWABLES
SOLAR / HYDRO-BIOFUELS
The Dreaming New Mexico Project
Project Directors
Kenny Ausubel and Peter Warshall
New Mexico’s dream
is local, renewable biofuels
at a competitive price.
B
iofuels are made from “biomass” which,
in turn, comes from organic material produced by living microbes, plants and animals.
To reduce climate change, biofuels should
produce zero net carbon dioxide equivalent
during their life cycle – from growth to fuel
use. Biofuels include fuels from crops like
sorghum, milo and corn; “crops” like oil rich
algae; wood wastes from thinning forests or
pecan orchards; cow manure; sewage biosolids, and landfill gas.
New Mexico has limited potential for biofuel
crops and wood waste
because of the scarcity of
water and high costs of
production. Estancia will
attempt a wood waste
biofuel plant. A few bioethanol plants (Tucumcari) will use field crops
but the competition with
food production of crops
like corn will limit their
numbers. A biofuel facility in Anthony uses waste
tortilla grease. Dairies are
planning electricity from
manure. Albuquerque recycles some sewage biosolids and landfill gas for heat and
electricity.
The greatest vision is: New Mexico becomes
the U.S. leader in algal-based biodiesel for
trucks, engines and some aircraft, especially
algae grown in brackish waters. Algal bioreactors can produce 7,000 gallons of biodiesel per acre (much more than other biofuels) and some labs claim yields of 18,000.
When mixed with low-sulphur diesel, the
fuel can run diesel cars and trucks, generators, and some aircraft. The bioreactors have
been attached to flue pipes from coal-fired
power plants and to carbon dioxide mines.
They may significantly reduce greenhouse
gas and toxic emissions in the near future.
www.dreamingnewmexico.org
Next Month: Wind Power
BIOFUELS include fuels from crops (sorghum, corn), oil-rich algae for
biodiesel, wood wastes from thinning, manure, sewage biosolids and
landfill gas. Rainfall and heat limit crop and tree resources.
Wildcard Technologies
A breakthrough technology could re-direct our energy future almost overnight. A new method to make
hydrogen from biomass would accelerate fuel cell use and new kinds of cars. A bio-syngas from the
smokestacks of coal would reduce the need to sequester greenhouse gases. A bacterium that eats coal
and makes biomethane would completely alter our energy mix. A vastly improved solar photovoltaic
cell at the right price could change our cities. A brackish-water algae that makes bio-diesel would
drastically reduce trade in some fossil fuels. A proven method to store compressed air in caverns in the
earth would accelerate wind farm development. A new “organic” battery with superior storage would
accelerate wind and solar energy installations. Our dream is not an agenda or predetermined strategic
plan. It invites imagination and invention.
From Dreaming New Mexico / A Bioneers Project
NM's Emerging Biofuels Industry continued from page 4
in Belen. Also, several woodchip and
municipal solid waste to ethanol facilities have been proposed for in
Northern New Mexico over the next
few years.
The emerging New Mexico Biofuels
Industry will need operators, processors,
lab technicians, administrators, marketing staff and entrepreneurs. Ever on the
cutting edge, the Santa Fe Community
College is stepping up to provide the
necessary basic training through a new
Biofuels Certificate Program to be
launched in the fall of 2009. Students
will survey the full range of alternative fuels including ethanol, biodiesel,
hydrogen, natural gas and electricity,
examine advanced vehicle technologies
and explore the growing role of public
transportation in New Mexico. In the
Biofuels I and II classes, students will
make ethanol and biodiesel, collect,
cultivate and process algae and investigate the various applications of algae
for transportation fuels, nutraceuticals,
pharmaceuticals, animal feed and plastics. Funding to initiate this program
is being provided through an Innovation Award from the New Mexico De-
partment of Workforce
Solution’s
WIRED
(Workforce Innovation
for Regional Economic
Development) program.
Successful manufacture
and processing of biofuels involves biology and
chemistry, so certificate
students will take these
courses as well. Other
classes will cover mechanical systems
and business skills. Several field trips
will enable students to visit operating
algae farms where future
internships may become
available next summer.
Class space is limited,
so it’s advisable to sign
up soon.
Charles Bensinger has worked
in renewable energy for over
20 years. During the past
five years he has focused on
bringing biofuels distribution
infrastructure to NM. As
Co-Director of the nonprofit Renewable Energy Partners of NM, he
manages two biofuels retail outlets in Santa
Fe. Charles is now Santa Fe Community
College’s Director of Alternative Fuels.
7
Green Remodeling 101
Nan Fischer
I
f you are thinking of remodeling,
go green. From simple painting to
a major overhaul, you can incorporate
green features that create a healthier
environment for you, the planet and
your pocketbook.
power production, coal consumption
and transportation costs. Anytime you
reduce the demand of a utility, you
are saving money, reducing emissions
and extending the life of our natural
resources.
You will:
• save energy and natural resources
• reduce your emissions and your
carbon footprint
• save money
• increase your home’s value
• improve your health
A green home will increase in value,
as all homes do, but green features will
become more and more desirable as
fuel sources become scarce and prices
rise. Many real estate associations now
offer green features on their multiple
listing services, allowing you to buy or
sell with energy efficiency in mind.
According to the EPA, buildings in
the U.S. account for:
• 39 percent of total energy use
• 12 percent of the total water consumption
• 68 percent of total electricity
consumption
• 38 percent of the carbon dioxide
emissions.
You can help reduce those numbers
with a green remodel of your home.
Create a healthier
environment for
you, the planet and
your pocketbook.
By adding green features, you will cut
back on energy consumption. This
conserves our finite resources and reduces the emissions created through
their mining and drilling, production,
transportation and final use.
Energy is expensive, and cutting back
will reduce your bills. You already save
money by turning down your thermostat and shutting lights off when not in
use. With a green remodel, you would
reduce your bills even further. Energy
efficient appliances and ceiling insulation are two low-cost, effective ways to
save money.
By installing solar hot water and/or
electric, or a wind turbine, you generate your own power, greatly reducing
the quickest and highest return on
your investment. You shouldn’t spend
more than you can reasonably recover
in a short period of time.
efficient features to your home. This
will continue to save you money while
you enjoy your newly remodeled,
healthy, energy efficient home.
Check the Database of State Incentives for Renewable & Efficiency
(http://www.dsireusa.org/) for federal
and state tax credits for adding energy
Nan Fischer is a Taos-based Certif ied
EcoBroker® specializing in energy efficient
real estate. 505-770-3055, Email nan@
nanfischer.com or visit www.nanfischer.com.
Better indoor air quality will improve
the health of you and your family.
Toxic air inside our homes can be a
contributing factor to health problems
such as asthma, ADD, cancers and allergies. Paints, sealants, glues and new
furniture can “out-gas” while we live
with them. Remodel with non-toxic
paints and finishes low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Buy natural
fiber rugs and natural flooring, or use
recycled materials that have already
out-gassed. Increase the ventilation in
your home to keep fresh air moving in
and unhealthy air moving out.
Remodeling is more environmentally
friendly than new construction. Fewer
materials are used, creating less waste,
and large pieces of land are not eaten
up. Land is finite, and once it’s built on,
it can never revert to its original condition. Consider remodeling your home
or buying a home to remodel instead
of building new.
When you remodel, recycle as much
waste as possible. Windows, bathroom
fixtures, lighting fixtures and doors
can be donated to a Habitat Re-Store
or other facility.
Before you remodel, consult with a certified energy rater. Find one through
RESNET (Residential energy Services
Network), www.resnet.us. A rater will
conduct an energy audit of your home
and recommend the best ways to improve your energy efficiency. The report will indicate what will give you
Green building
Green for Real
Bob Kreger and Kim Shanahan
emember President Obama’s
bold inaugural speech?
“…and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy
strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.”
By 2030 we will have very different
assumptions defining such notions as
“quality of life” “sense of place,” and
“valuing the City Different.” How can
we confidently predict what we will
value? Visionary futurist Buckminster
Fuller said, “The best way to predict
the future is to design it.” We can
present sustainable visions and demonstrate solutions here and now.
We are employing
third party
verifications
supported by
building science
specialists.
But how do we navigate the Green
evolution and learn to distinguish
“greenwashing”from “Green for Real”?
Who gets the final word? What team
should we empower to understand
what’s innovative and actually delivers
on the promise? We hear these questions frequently.
The State of New Mexico believes so
strongly that it has an answer to this
question that it has pledged $5 million per year for the next 10 years to
incentivize sustainable residential solutions (www.cleanenergy.com). There
are Green builders right here right
now who refer to their present work as
“Sustainable” or “High Performance,”
and they don’t ask you to believe
them. They point to 3rd-party certifications with names like “EPA Energy
Star,” “Build Green,” “NM Emerald”
or “LEED Platinum.” What are they
doing, how do they do it, and what’s
in it for you?
You buy a new light bulb to save money and because it’s “environmentally
responsible.” CFL’s (compact fluorescents—those spirally-looking bulbs)
fit that bill, right? Maybe…
Then you hear that a CFL light fixture
is even better. When the bulb expires,
you can only replace it with a bulb
that has pins and inserts into a socket. It doesn’t allow you to screw in a
“standard” bulb, thereby thwarting the
option of those nasty wasteful incandescents. Is this “greener”? Maybe…
Another lighting manufacturer surfaces and tells you something like
“This light fixture won’t burn down
your home so we don’t need a UL listing on it. Trust me.” Can we take his
© Seth Roffman
Expect efficiency and embrace
renewable energy!
word for it? The “Code” says no. Not
even maybe.
Consider these examples:
Once we really internalize the profound challenges of Climate Change
(now becoming Climate Chaos), once
we viscerally “get it,” our actions become more informed. Many proactive
people in both New Mexico’s public
and private sectors believe there is potential abundance for all here on our
high mesa and elsewhere. Included
in that group, and presently driven
by not much more than passion and
purpose, a few innovative local homebuilders are saying in chorus “We can
do better.”
Collectively we have enormous purchasing power to shape our growth
either by rewarding “business as usual”
or by demanding sustainability. With
or without us, by 2030 the only new
home offerings will be Zero Energy
Homes (ZEH).
Current near-ZEH solutions in
Santa Fe already cross the affordability
spectrum. We will showcase solutions
from $100,000 Santa Fe Habitat for
Humanity homes to the $2.2 million
Emerald Home inside Santa Fe city
limits, a true ZEH. We are not talking
about Santa Fe Style. It’s about how
the home performs.
We have food labels to inform and protect us. Why not Home Sustainability
Labels? Where would that consumer
protection label come from? Who would
be the arbiter? How do we know we can
trust him? We have answers.
Money talks
We have huge voting power in our
wallets. Should we continue to reward
a “business as usual” homebuilder or
developer with our purchasing power
or perhaps consider our options?
© Seth Roffman
R
Bob Kreger
Kim Shanahan
Bob Kreger is a licensed architect and custom
homebuilder in Santa Fe specializing in
new high-performance homes: Contact
[email protected]. Kim Shanahan,
Executive Director of the Santa Fe Area
Homebuilders Association, is leading the
charge for affordable sustainability in Santa
Fe. He is also a recovering homebuilder.
Contact [email protected].
The design evolution towards sustainable residential is accelerating. Local
Green pioneers such as Faren Dancer,
Danny Buck, the authors of this column and others are producing progressively greener, more affordable, far
more comfortable and durable homes
than 10 years ago by embracing informed integrative design processes
including:
• sustainable land development methods
• water efficiency
• conservation first, renewable energy
second
• informed use of locally produced
materials
• focusing on your indoor environmental quality
• and finally, teaching you to use all
these new ideas.
We are defining Green for Real by
employing not only disruptive technologies, but also cleverly integrated
off-the-shelf systems, and most importantly, third-party verifications
supported by building science specialists like HERS Raters as well as
appraisers.
9
Sostenga: Community Conversations
before the
community
RECIPROCITY
meeting.
I have exOTHER
perienced
(Individual
Communication
YOU
Community
Information sharing
many times
Members)
with
an
o
r
g
a
n
i
z
a➤
tion or civic
RESPECT
planning
entity, anticipation
of having the community members
When communication avenues are
show up. We wait anxiously because
not extended in a manner that is inthey can really tell us what people
clusive of all members (still leaving
think of the project. But we only find
it up to them if they want to particieither the usual players, the outraged,
pate), there is dissension and breakor low attendance is what makes up
down, and opportunities for inclusion
the event. Where are the gatekeepers?
remain untapped.
Ultimately, when decisions are made
at times when people cannot attend or
When considering tradition as having
do not feel that they have a voice, there
a defining role in inspiring sustainabilis often fragmentation and a sense of
ity, it is important to ensure that the
disenfranchisement, which has been
gatekeepers, those who practice and
observed when meetings or events are
maintain cultural tradition, are particconducted by entities outside of the
ipating. In most small towns and rural
known community structure.
communities, including those in New
Mexico, it is crucial to recognize that
Proactive community-based particimost big decisions are actually already
pation while planning for sustainabildecided in face-to-face conversations
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING MODEL
ity requires integration and inclusion.
The priority approach takes the valued
concept of community autonomy and
integrates it with the valued concept
of group effectiveness. Of greater importance is that an integrated process
encourages individual and inter-organizational relationships. This model
is based on strategies for relationship
building based on the basic principles
of reciprocity and respect, on the values
and experiences of persons and groups
as well as the dynamics of communication and information sharing.
My dear mentor, as he likes to be called,
Jose L. Villa shared a favored lesson for
community participation in a course we
co-taught in Española – Respeto y Permiso (Respect and Permission). Meaningful community participation can only
start from this premise. In a relationship
reciprocity model, there is respect and
permission at each end of the dialog.
Understanding the appropriate venue
for communication can be one step in
the respect for what a community values
of which there is rarely greater meaning
than face-to-face and one-to-one.
�
Camilla
Bustamante,
PhD, MPH
is Chair of
Environmental
Science at
Northern
NM College.
E m a i l :
cbustamante
@nnmc.edu
© Seth Roffman
Merriam
We b s t e r
defines
community as people with
common
interests
living in a
particular
area.
�
While many accept the community
meeting as the gold standard for sharing information and garnering the
perspective of a community, even when
planned to be interactive, it falls short
in getting to the real point of defining what the community really wants.
Any real community-based pro-active
planning takes advantage of human
interaction in as many of the accepted
venues within the community as possible. Communication through the
internet, for example, would not be
appropriate in an area where some do
not have access. Communication in
communities takes place at multiple
levels; late-night phone conversations,
the casual resolana at a favorite stopping place or a platica at a neighbor's
table. Unassuming as these casual conversations may be, they are integral in
defining and preserving the values of
a community.
Santa Fe Alliance community food & fuels forum, La Cienega, June 2008
➤
As the generators and preservers of
values and ethical systems, families
and communities are crucial components to meaningful community
development. Unfortunately, many
voices go unheard when the civic process is based on a community meeting structure where announcements
are either posted or placed in local
newspapers or radio stations, and interested persons attend the meeting
that is typically set at a time and place
convenient to the sponsoring party.
John Gardner states, “No society can
remain vital or even survive without a
reasonable base of shared values.”
© Seth Roffman
Camilla Bustamante
Beneficial Farms CSA
Featuring quality toys and
games from fair-labor
manufacturers in America,
Europe and ports around
the world
Join now and receive fruits & vegetables weekly
Budget Friendly
Convenient Pick-up Locations
Monday - Thursday 10 - 5ish
Friday & Saturday 10 - 5:30ish
Sunday 12 - 4ish
Call 505-470-1969
or email: [email protected]
www.beneficialfarm.com
Plaza Mercado • 112 W. San Francisco St. • Suite 212-C • 982-9373
a 21st Century COOP
Media Contact: Amy Hetager NEWSBITES
News & Views
© Seth Roffman
production; conservation and pollution mitigation; and training and support.” The
definition provides a groundbreaking framework for tracking jobs, investments and
economic growth over time and allowing the public and private sector to evaluate
the effectiveness of policy choices and investments.
Community Leaders Launch Effort to Reform Immigration
L
abor, faith, government, and community leaders gathered at a press
conference in front of the Lady of Guadalupe Statue in Santa Fe to
launch a public campaign to support immigration reform. The event
was part of a broad-based national effort. "What Americans want across
the country, and what we all want here in New Mexico is a workable,
practical solution that brings working families out of the shadows, that's
fair to everyone, and that helps lift our economy out of this crisis," said
Santa Fe Mayor David Coss. Chris Chávez, Executive Director of the New
Mexico Federation of Labor-AFL-CIO, added, "Immigration reform is a
worker's issue. It's the only practical way to ensure that all workers in
the U.S. can be here legally, unscrupulous employers cannot undercut
honest competitors, and fairness is restored to the labor market. It will
lift wages for workers, restore tax fairness, and create a level playing
field for law-abiding employers."
Over a dozen immigrant leaders from Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Farmington
and Roswell subsequently took part in the National Immigration Town
Hall Meeting and met with New Mexico's Congressional Representatives
in Washington, D.C.
Green Jobs Report: A Good Way to Prosper in NM
A new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts says growth for jobs in the New
Mexico’s clean energy economy was 25 times greater than for total jobs from
1998 to 2007. Kil Huh, project director for The Pew Center on the States, says
the clean energy investment dollars flowing into NM in recent years already have
created more than 4000 new jobs and it's just the beginning. The figures, he says,
are impressive. The state attracted nearly $148 million in venture capital in the
past three years, more than half of which has been invested in clean energy generation. Additionally, New Mexico has set an ambitious goal of purchasing 100
percent of state agencies’ power from renewable sources by 2011.
Phyllis Cuttino, director of the U.S. Global Warming Campaign for The Pew
Environment Group, says the Land of Enchantment is a bright spot in an even
brighter national trend. "The private sector really sees this as an investment. In
2008, venture capitalists, even in a downturn, invested $12.6 billion in the clean
energy economy." Nationally, the report says green jobs grew at a rate of about
nine percent, while total jobs grew at less than half that rate.
The Pew report finds that the emerging clean energy economy is creating wellpaying jobs in every state for people of all skill levels and educational backgrounds. Included in Pew's definition are jobs as diverse as engineers, plumbers,
administrative assistants, construction workers, machine setters, marketing consultants, teachers and many others, with annual incomes ranging from $21,000
to $111,000. Cuttino says it's important to note that researchers only counted
actual jobs and investment dollars. Critics of previous reports on similar topics
have pointed to flaws in formulas that were used to make estimates. The study
does not include employment data from the past 18 months, a volatile time for
the energy industry.
The full report, "The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and
Investments Across America," is online at www.pewtrusts.org.
New Mexico Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A new report from Greenpeace based on U.S. Department of Energy data says
that New Mexico emitted more greenhouse gas pollution from the use of fossil
fuels from 1960 to 2005 than 137 of the 184 countries with available comprehensive records. NM produced 2,040 million tons of carbon dioxide during that
45-year period, ranking 33rd among all U.S. states. Wyoming had the most per
capita, while Vermont had the least. Coal-fired power plants accounted for 54
percent of NM’s carbon dioxide emissions. Vehicle emissions were 25 percent of
the state’s total.
The report, America’s Share of the Climate Crisis, indicates that the U.S. is the
world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming and climate change. The U.S. produced 26 percent.
In 2007, New Mexico joined the Western Climate Action Initiative (WCI)
along with Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington. The WCI sets a regional global warming emissions reduction goal. Also, in 2005, NM established
a statewide goal to reduce global warming emissions to 2000 levels by 2012, 10
percent below 2000 levels by 2020, and 75 percent below 2000 levels by 2050.
New Renewable Energy Division in State Land Office
A new Renewable Energy and Commercial Leasing Division has been established within the New Mexico State Land Office. Land Office Assistant Commissioner Dallas Rippy was appointed by Commissioner Patrick Lyons to lead
the new division. Assistant Commissioner Jerry King is in charge of managing
special projects and renewable energy projects. Galen Garcia and Shawna Maloy
are staffing the Renewable Energy program.
The state Land Office leases state trust land and uses the funds to support public
schools and higher education. The Office has leased or signed options to lease 144,000
acres of trust land for wind energy development. Option agreements have also been
executed for development of utility-scale solar thermal projects on 30,500 acres.
Pew's definition of the clean energy economy is based on research and input from
experts in the field, including an advisory panel convened to help guide the study.
“A clean energy economy generates jobs, businesses and investments while expanding clean energy production, increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, waste and pollution, and conserving water and other natural resources. It
comprises five categories: clean energy; energy efficiency; environmentally friendly
11
SOLAR NEWSBITES
New Mexico
Giant Solar Tower Energy Plant to be Built
Last month Governor Bill Richardson announced the construction of New
Mexico’s first solar thermal power plant, a 92-megawatt facility near the
Santa Teresa port of entry in southern New Mexico near El Paso, Texas.
Officers from the three companies involved in the project, El Paso Electric,
NRG Technologies, and eSolar joined the governor at a Santa Fe press
conference. Work on the “New Mexico Suntower” project is scheduled to
begin early next year and is expected to take up to 16 months.
the debate, which pits renewable energy advocates against the state’s three
main utilities. The utility companies assert that allowing solar or wind energy
companies to connect to the power grid and profit from the utility’s customers violates New Mexico’s franchise laws.
Seeking to reduce its carbon footprint by over 5 percent per year, the city
of Santa Fe wants to have the solar-energy developer SunEdison build and
operate electrical generating facilities on eight city-owned sites. The plan is
on hold pending the energy regulator’s decision.
“This cutting-edge facility will turn New Mexico’s renewable energy
potential into reality, and it will add a green boost to our economy,”
said Governor Richardson. “This keeps our state on the path toward
efficiently utilizing our natural resources and moving us toward a clean
energy economy. We are setting an example for the rest of the nation
and sending a clear message that NM will play a key role in developing
the new energy economy.” NM law requires utilities to get 6 percent of
their total energy sales from renewable energy such as solar or wind. The
requirement progresses to 10 percent in 2011, 15 percent in 2015 and 20
percent in 2020.
Arizona
Solar thermal power tower technology utilizes a field of parabolic mirrors
low to the ground to concentrate sunlight on receivers placed on top of
towers that are about 180 feet tall. Motors on the mirrors keep them
aligned with the sun. This allows liquid housed in the receivers to be heated
to very high temperatures and produce super-heated steam, which then
turns a turbine that produces electricity, similar to other power plants.
There will be 32 mirror fields when the Santa Teresa plant is completed,
consisting of approximately 390,000 tracking mirrors focused on 32
power towers.
Land Rush for Solar in Arizona
The Bureau of Land Management has received 37 applications to use
720,000 acres of public land in Arizona for solar-power plants. Outlying
subdivision land is experiencing a boom as public utilities and speculators
fuel a land rush. State and federal subsidies plus economic stimulus funds for
solar are added incentives. Most of the plants are proposed for untouched
desert. Environmentalists are concerned about the impact on sensitive sites
and groundwater. The BLM is developing a multi-state environmental impact study to set guidelines for approving the applications.
The project will create 220 green construction jobs, and will provide more
than 20 permanent, full-time jobs when the plant is fully operational. The
power plant will generate enough electricity to serve about 74,000 homes;
making it the largest such project to date in the U.S. The energy companies
hope to replicate the project in other parts of the state.
Flagstaff Community Power Project
Under Arizona Public Service’s Community Power Project, Flagstaff
customers have the opportunity to join a “free” pilot solar energy program,
under which APS will own and receive energy from solar panels installed on
about 300 customer rooftops. Participating customers will receive a 20-year
fixed power rate for the solar portion of their electricity. Participants will not
have any up-front costs or other requirements – just a desire to support a clean
renewable energy source. In essence, APS is building an interconnected power
plant – one rooftop at a time.
Sacred Power for Navajo Homes
An Albuquerque-based American Indian-owned company, Sacred Power, has been awarded over $500,000 to build and install solar electric
systems for remote Navajo Nation homes north of Flagstaff. The company partnered with chapter houses in Arizona and New Mexico to receive U.S. Dept. of Agriculture grants for modular hybrid photovoltaic
stations, which include a small wind turbine or propane generator as a
backup. sentence. Sacred Power recently was chosen among 6,500 applicants as a winner of the 2009 Inner City 100 competition. The award
highlights growing companies that contribute to the development of
healthy urban communities.
NM Utilities Assert Franchise Rights Over Power Grid
The NM Public Regulation Commission plans to review and make a
ruling as to whether it is legal for a Public Service Company of New
Mexico customer to obtain renewable energy from another supplier.
Questions on the issue have surfaced during cases involving the 2008
Renewable Energy Procurement Plans submitted to the commission by
the state’s public utilities. A hearing examiner is accepting legal briefs on
Two years ago, the PRC required utilities to diversify their sources for meeting the state's renewable energy standard. 10 percent is to come from renewable sources by 2011 and 20 percent by 2020. The utilities have largely relied
on large-scale wind farms. The PRC now requires utilities to have some of
their renewable energy to also come from solar installations and "distributed
sources," which can include rooftop solar panels or wind generators installed
in yards by utility customers.
Starwood Solar 1
Arizona Public Service has announced Starwood Solar 1. When completed in
2013, the concentrating solar thermal plant will be in contention for the title
of the world’s largest solar facility. The plant, to be built in the Harquahala
Valley about 75 miles west of Phoenix, will not only generate enough electricity
to power 73,000 homes; it will have an economic impact of nearly $3 billion
during its two years of construction. With the addition of Starwood Solar 1,
the 280-megawatt Solana Solar Station announced last year and other solar
projects; APS says it will provide more solar electricity per customer than any
other utility in the country
Kingman's Sixth Solar Plant
A 1.5-megawatt photovoltaic plant will be built about 20 miles northeast of
Kingman, Arizona. It will be the sixth solar power generating station in the
area. Backers of the project plan to hook into existing transmission lines from
UniSource Energy..
energy
Something Puzzling
Steve Baer
S
omething puzzling is behind the
clamor for green energy. It is
powered by politics and subsidies; not
thirst for natural energy. No one notices
the beautiful, cost-effective traditional
use of the sun, given up as we subsidize
the generation of solar electricity and
wind power.
day. Why subsidize grid-connected
photovoltaic panels when the grid
merely feeds an electric sewer?
WalMart, to their credit, is an exception.
They use prismatic light-diffusing
skylights and leave their lights off on
sunny days.
The most obvious defeat is daylight. We
build walls and roofs without skylights
or windows. New shopping centers
have acres of such roofs with electric
lights on all day during sunny weather.
These buildings, which disregard
well-known traditional use of the sun,
unnecessarily gobble up the electricity
generated by the solar power plants.
The contradiction could not be more
apparent than in the blank windowless
walls of the new Schott solar factory
rising at Albuquerque’s Mesa del Sol
development.
Worse than a waste of money for
electricity is the spell cast by the
florescent bulbs. This electric spell is
widespread and effective. It swallows
each of us when we step through
another electric door to enter another
florescent sales belly.
Along with the many tours of green
buildings, we need a shame parade for
the acres and acres of Lowes, Office
Max, Walgreens, Staples, Pep Boys and
dozens of other chain stores that have
their electric lights on all day every
It takes the same electricity for the
mundane task of drying a quantity
of water as it does to lift it 146 miles,
yet clotheslines, which dry the clothes
by simply holding them in the air are
forgotten or even outlawed while solar
electricity, which might have had high
value off-grid at remote sites, ends
drying clothes.
Everything assumes we must use
electricity, yet we hardly had electricity
a mere century ago. I worry about
these puzzles because at Zomeworks
we have tried to modify and expand
non-electric passive uses of nature
such as inexpensive solar water heaters
and reflector shades for sunlight and
windows. We have test buildings that
stay cool in the hot Albuquerque
summer by radiating heat to the night
sky. No fans, no pumps, no drafts.
These are similar to our Cool Cell
metal cabinets which cool batteries and
electronics and which we sell around
the world to international corporations.
It is odd that we are more successful
selling passive equipment to take care
of machinery than people.
When I become discouraged with
our failure to interest the public in
reflector shades for skylights, passive
heliostats for daylighting or passive
solar water heating, I remind myself
that we are fighting to avoid a huge
detour of nature. How can our products
succeed when windows and skylights
with centuries of success behind them
are losing out to light bulbs fed by
subsidized green power?
We already know how to do daylighting.
All over Albuquerque there are old
buildings with good daylighting. If the
car companies told us we must drive
because people can’t walk barefoot,
we might remember that we already
wear shoes. However, when it comes
to daylighting, clotheslines, and passive
heating and cooling, our past successes
are forgotten and new subsidized
industries are created.
News of solar energy from television
and the press usually concerns contrived
state subsidized business opportunities
or energy policy. It may be better for
your local utility that you light your
shop with light bulbs powered by PV
panels instead of windows, but it isn’t
better for you or me.
We are in the midst of a silent
impersonal revolution. Traditional,
intimate, natural ways of using the
sun are replaced by the synthetic:
big business, government and grid
electricity for everything.
The green revolutionaries who staff
this attack on tradition do so without
understanding. How could they be
mistaken? There are scientists who
support them. The green revolutionaries
don’t expect anyone to take personally
what is being done to them and their
traditions in the name of science,
progress and greenness, but look
around you.
Steve Baer, president of Zomeworks, has been
working on solar projects for 44 years. He has lived
in a drum wall passive solar house for 36 years. More
of his views on solar energy policy can be found on his
website: www.taxshine.com. Steve may be contacted
at 505.242.5354 or 800.279.6342. For more info,
visit www.zomeworks.com.
13
— NoN-attorNey advertisemeNt —
ACTION DISABILITY
REPRESENTATIVES
John Bishop represents New Mexicans seeking
Social Security/SSI Disability Benefits.
!
D
O
O
G
S
I
FRESH
Burritos, tacos, fresh salads and a
LARGE SELECTION
OF VEGGIE SPECIALS
plus a hot & spicy salsa bar.
With the freshest of ingredients,
we’re fast, fun, friendly
and BEE-licious!
2 Locations in SANTA FE • Downtown on Jefferson & Southside on Cerrillos
1 Location in ABQ • NOB HILL off Central Ave. bumblebeesbajagrill.com
www.actiondisability.com
(866) 515-4667
SM
I have experienced
rich freedom
and
poor freedom.
Rich freedom is better.
Dandy
Burgers
at the Y in
Española
MAJOR MEDICAL
INSURANCE
which can include a
HEALTH SAVINGS
ACCOUNT
telephone for
information
John Woodie
505.913.1066
Just because we come from
small places
does not mean we cannot
nurture big dreams!
If I could show you a
safe, simple way to double
your full-time income on
part-time effort,
would you take a look?
Earning What
You’re Worth?
If not, maybe we
should talk!
Shared Marketing The No Selling/No Risk
Way to Build
your Fortune
at the Service of Others!
Call 505.690.6603
Ask for Dan
Gardening
My Own
Garden
Feeding the Soil to Feed the Garden
Susan Waterman
G
rowing our own food in a sustainable way means feeding the
soil without relying on non-renewable
resources such as chemical fertilizers.
In every season of gardening, plants
are taking up nutrients from the soil
that must be replaced. For example,
carbon, nitrogen and various minerals
are taken out of the soil as plants grow,
and can be added back in the form of
compost and green manures. Planting
deep-rooted crops can bring up nutrients that are out of the range of most
roots, and these nutrients end up in
the topsoil if these deep-rooted plants
are composted and added to the topsoil. By adding cured compost, nutrients that were previously unavailable
are made available to the plants.
It may be necessary to bring in some
organic sources of nutrients one or two
times to jump-start a sustainable nutrient cycle in your garden, and to bring
back the living microorganisms
in the soil.
Nurseries
offer plant
food products that are
labeled organic. YumYum Mix,
for example,
is produced
in New Mexico and is very well suited
for NM soils. The primary plant nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (N, P, and K) are present in gentle
amounts in organic plant foods so that
the plants absorb them as needed instead of being forced to grow large by
excessive levels of chemical fertilizers.
Also, humates are natural organic soil
conditioners (see accompanying
story).
Carbon-rich
plant
materials may
also need to
be brought
in initially so
that humus
will accumulate in the
soil. Humus feeds the soil microorganisms that maintain soil health by creating a good soil structure with ample
water-holding capacity, as well as fertility. These organisms also help nutrients
in the soil become available so plants
can take them up. Corn, amaranth
and wheat (straw) will all provide this
needed “brown” material to support the
microorganisms.
In contrast, intensive use of chemical fertilizers kills the life in the soil,
damages the soil structure by adding
excess salts that accumulate after repeated applications, and stresses the
plants so that further remedies such
as pesticides are needed. The price of
forcing plants to grow large and “watery” with excessive chemical inputs of
N, P and K is a less-nutritious food
for you to eat.
Building a Compost Pile
Composting is a natural way to rejuvenate and feed your soil. Compost
recycles nutrient elements such as
carbon, nitrogen, magnesium, sulfur,
calcium, phosphorus, and trace mincontinued on page
21
Humates Demystified:
A Natural Soil Conditioner
Susan Waterman
©Seth Roffman (2)
Background
A
ll across New Mexico, soils depleted
of humus (organic matter) as a result
of over-grazing and erosion are crying for
sustainable rehabilitation and maintenance,
both for the sake of agriculture and for the
well-being of our planet. Restoration includes rejuvenating the soil as well as establishing appropriate plant communities.
The process of soil restoration creates a soil
environment that allows microscopic and
larger soil organisms to thrive, bringing the
soil to life. These organisms affect the soil
pH, and improve the availability of mineral nutrients for plants, the soil structure and soil
stability. In turn, the plants are able to thrive even in the harshest conditions.
Humus, the dark material in soils, comes from the ongoing process of plant growth and
decay. Crop rotation, planting legumes, plowing in green manures and cover crops, and the
application of manures and compost all add humus to the soil. The humus provides humic
acids, which help build the soil. Soils rich in humus have greater water-holding capacity.
These humate soil conditioners are a time-honored gift of Nature, uniquely beneficial to
plants and soils. One of the few sources of naturally occurring oxidized lignite, or humates, is
the Fruitland Formation in northwestern NM.
continued on page
17
HUMATES
Natural Organic Soil Conditioner
Ideal for NM Soils
For Garden, Landscape, Farm
Maya Collection/Harvest-By-Hand
Richard Muirhead 505-982-2029
[email protected]
Susan Waterman, www.harvestbyhand.com
15
Shawn’s
chimney sweep
and stove company
(505) 474-5857
[email protected]
www.shawnschimneysweep.com
Cleaning, repairing & installation of fireplaces,
wood-pellet stoves and fireplace inserts.
21 point safety inspection.
CHIM SCAN video inspection system.
Dangerous creosote glaze removed.
Custom & kiva fireplaces built, masonry repairs.
Advanced Technology.
Animals removal & bat control.
10 year Chimney Saver water repellent.
Lifetime warranty on chimney cap spark arresters.
Lic. # 85170 • Serving all of New Mexico • CLEANLINESS GUARANTEED • Since 1984
Gardening
Feeding the Soil continued from page 15
erals. These nutrients not only feed the
plants directly, but sustain the natural
life cycles of the soil by feeding the
microorganisms that live there. The
organic acids in compost like humic
acid and fulvic acid make nutrients in
the soil more available for plants.
Compost piles can be in a pit or trench,
in a pile or in a container. The pile
can be contained by a small fence or
straw bales and should be a minimum
of 3’x3’. Loosen the soil beneath the
pile to about 12” deep. First add a 3-4”
layer of heavier brown material like
twigs, corn, sunflower stalks and other
coarse vegetable stems. Then add a 2”
layer of soil. Follow this by a 3-4” layer
of brown material that is carbon-rich,
like dry leaves, straw, a few pine needles and other dry vegetation. Next,
add another 2” of soil, then a layer of
green vegetation like grass cuttings,
plant cuttings, and kitchen wastes. The
green layer and manure add nitrogen
to the pile to feed the microorganisms
Humates
doing the composting work. Manure
can be added between the green layers
and the dry layers, or a small amount
spread over each layer. Repeat the layers as you build your pile. You may
want or need to purchase worms to
start in your pile if your soil has none.
Keep the pile evenly moist to sustain
biological activity for decomposition,
but not soggy. Too much water will
drown out the microbial life. The compost may be ready in a few weeks, or
from 3-6 months. One turning can be
done after 3-4 weeks. The aroma of a
finished pile will be earthy and sweet.
The texture should be even and uniform. Your compost is ready to feed
your soil and nurture your plants.
Susan Waterman has a Ph.D. in botany
and over 25 years experience in sustainable
agriculture. Her dream is to see everyone
growing at least some of his or her own
food year-round. For more info, visit www.
harvestbyhand.com. Questions? Email
[email protected].
continued from page 15
What are Humates?
Natural, unaltered oxidized lignites, or humates, are ancient geological deposits of mainly vegetable matter. Humates are a source of concentrated humic and fulvic acids, carbon-rich molecules with related chemical structures
and different “active” components. Humic acids have the capacity to hold lots
of plant nutrients in reserve and to release them slowly, as well as releasing soil
minerals from their basic crystal structures in the soils, making these essential
nutrients available to plants and soil organisms. Sources of humic and fulvic
acids include soil, peat, compost, manures, oxidized lignites, and other coals. Oxidized lignites in temperate soils can be present from 250-1000 years or longer.
Lignites, resistant to further oxidation, are not significant direct energy sources
for soil microbes, but work in conjunction with organic and inorganic molecules
present in soils.
The relative amounts of humic acids and fulvic acids vary in different sources of
oxidized lignites. According to the routine tests used, the material from NM is
about 70% humic acids. It is difficult, however, to obtain accurate independent
measurement of the amounts of fulvic acids and humic acids. Lignites may be
chemically treated to increase the yields of humic and/or fulvic acids or the concentration of active groups, but the success of such costly treatments is highly
variable.
Use of Humates in Gardening and Agriculture
Humates are used sparsely in the garden or fields. They may be applied in liquid
or solid form. Solid material is available as uniformly milled particles or various
mixes from fines to larger. Recommended rates of application in fields vary from
75 pounds per acre to 250 pounds per acre for soils low in humus, or 2 to 20 to 40
pounds per 1000 square feet of garden area. In our demonstration plots in Santa
Fe that have garden vegetables, a buckwheat cover crop and an ordinary grass and
wildflower mix, we see significantly enhanced growth at 20 pounds (or less) of
humates per 1000 square feet.
Benefits to Plants and Soils
• Humic acids reduce toxicity from metals, pesticides, herbicides and other agrochemicals.
• Humic acids bind clay and organic matter together in the soil, to increase soil
structure, water-holding capacity and to improve aeration. Humic acids (except
for the very smallest) will not leach.
• The fulvic acid fraction holds inorganic nutrients in solution so they are available
to plant roots.
• Fulvic acids/humates bring phosphorous and metal micronutrients into solution.
This is important when hard water is being used to irrigate, because the calcium,
magnesium, carbonate and bicarbonate ions of hard water bind up phosphate and
metal micronutrients so plants can’t take them up as needed.
• On various crops tested, humic acids have been shown to increase water absorption and respiration, and for some crops, to increase seed germination.
• Applications of humic acids have been shown to increase root mass in beans, corn,
cucumbers, grapes, millet, peppers, sugar beets and tomatoes.
• Humic acids increase uptake of plant nutrients from the soil, resulting in higher
yields and larger plant size in many crops.
• Foliar applications can reduce transpiration (water loss from the plant) and increase shoot size.
Humates are available at some farmers’ markets and can also be purchased through HarvestBy-Hand (www.harvestbyhand.com) and Maya Collection ([email protected])
17
“The varied menu of radio stations in the Hutton Broadcasting group offers one stop shopping
for whatever product you have to sell or whatever demographic you want to reach.
The Santa Fe area is lucky to have such a variety that is professional, convenient and cost effective.”
Always in your corner.
David OakeleyExecutive Director of Marketing
Buffalo Thunder Resort
"Our advertising campaign with Hutton Broadcasting has been, by far, the most successful local advertising that we've done!
We routinely have customers coming into the store saying that they heard us on the radio.
These ads have translated into an increase in sales!
Thank you for the affordable prices and very successful radio advertising options!"
Barbara Venn, C. Ped, Owner & Jeffery Anderson, Manager
Foot Solutions
“While many businesses think they can buy Albuquerque based radio to reach here and points North,
Santa Fe consumers gravitate to their own locally based radio.
Lets face it, KBAC Radio Free Santa Fe and Blu 102 cannot be copied, yet some have tried and failed.
Throw in Outlaw Country, Project 105, ESPN and progressive Talk 1260 AM and you have a large percentage
of the listening audience demographics covered. Radio combined with added value promotion works
and Hutton Broadcasting delivers it 24/7!”
Curt Hanlen
Hanlen Company Inc.
“I’ve always felt that most advertising was a waste of time, effort and money… especially, radio advertising!
My thoughts were that it was a shot-in-the-dark, and purely accidental if someone were to hear my ad, and respond – no way!
Well a few months back, Hutton Broadcasting approached us to do some radio advertising. I was at wit’s end with how to
increase business at Baja Tacos. Business was flat and I had no fresh ideas so I said “I’ll try anything!” We began our brief
ad campaign and, WOW, not only did we start experiencing growth, when others were feeling the economic pinch, we
actually had customers saying, “We came in because we heard your ad on the radio”,
“What cute ads you’re running on the radio” and “We want to try those fresh-from-scratch taquitos”!
We have extended this campaign and are in the planning stage now for a second one for our other restaurants.
We are now, excited converts… thank you Hutton!”
Stan Singley, Owner
The Pantry Restaurant
“Beaver Toyota DOES business with Hutton Broadcasting for one reason….they drive traffic to our front door!
Beaver Toyota ENJOYS doing business with Hutton Broadcasting for another reason….they are great people!
Beaver Toyota WILL continue to do business with Hutton Broadcasting for many reasons…
• Scott and his entire team are some of the most creative individuals in state!
• Scott and his entire team really get to know their client’s and develop action plans that deliver!
• Scott and his entire team always deliver more than they promise!
Beaver Toyota does business with only the most effective advertising companies in New Mexico!
Hutton Broadcasting is a winner in our book! They’ll be winners for you too!”
Matt Calavan, GM
Beaver Toyota Scion
“O’Farrell Hat Company happily uses Hutton Broadcasting!
Our business used to be mostly tourists, but since starting our radio campaign, the amount of locals coming in the door
has increased significantly! In fact the same day our ad started airing, a nice lady from Santa Fe came in and bought a hat.
Its refreshing to work with a team of professionals that will bend over backwards to make what we need.
Advertising is a must and Hutton Broadcasting is now at the top of our advertising list.”
Scott O’Farrell
O’Farrell Hat Company
To hear from more of our satisfied partners, visit www. HuttonBroadcasting.com
or for advertising information, call 505-471-1067
©Seth Roffman
The San Francisco Peaks near
Flagstaff, Arizona - Last month the
Supreme Court denied a petition by
the Hopi, Navajo and other tribes
to hear a case to protect the Peaks.
For nearly a decade the tribes
have fought the use of recycled
wastewater to make snow for a ski
resort, and have fought the resort’s
expansion. The tribes contend that
the ruling undermines the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act.
Santa Fe Community College’s
new
Biofuels Program
Work in the biofuels industry or create your own alternative
fuels business.
Learn to make biodiesel, ethanol and algae oil from local nonfood
source feed stocks such as native plants, waste materials and algae.
Courses include:
• Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Technologies
• Biofuels I, Biofuels II and Labs
• Biology, Chemistry and Labs
• Introduction to Sustainable Technologies
• Electrical and Mechanical Fundamentals
• Planning the Entrepreneurial Venture
Train for jobs in areas such as plant or laboratory technicians, process
coordinators, administrators, public relations, and owner/managers.
Learn More.
Visit ww.sfccnm.edu
or call (505) 428-1641.
Alaska's
Soon-To-Be
Climate
Refugees Sue
Energy Companies
for Relocation
K
ivalina, a small Inupiat village in
northwestern Alaska, is being forced
to relocate. Its 400 residents will shortly
become some of the world's first climate
refugees. And they're taking a rather novel route for paying for the move: They're
suing a group of energy companies for
creating a public nuisance and for conspiracy – that is, for funding research to
"prove" there is no link between climate
change and human activity.
The case, Native Village of Kivalina v.
ExxonMobil Corp., et al., went to court
recently in California and could be enormously important. It is one of the first
lawsuits tied to anthropogenic global
warming that seeks to use conspiracy
law to press for civil damages from
transnational corporations – in this case,
up to $400 million, the upper-bound
estimate for relocation costs. Kivalina
is endangered because thinning sea ice
and surging seas threaten its territorial
integrity. Waves that were once blocked
by sea ice now regularly lap and slam
into the community's buildings. The
suit asserts that the companies that have
profited most from emitting carbon into
the commons should have to pay for the
consequences of their actions.
19
™
O
ur advertisers make the
Green Fire Times possible. Please let them know
that you appreciate their
support of this publication.
o advertise in GFT, call
Skip at the Sun Companies: 505-471-5177 or
email: [email protected].
the original
aronia juice
blend
T
PANTONE 375
to learn more about the biggest thing in natural whole food nutrition
contact:
Name
Phone
PANTONE 2612
oki Immune Enhancing
Anti-Aging Products
Baby Boomers! How did this happen? Here we are in our 50’s and 60’s
– grandparents – some of us retired
already, with arthritis for God’s sake!
Well I don’t know about you, but I
fully intend to continue to be healthy
and to live for a long time to come.
550-B St. Michaels Drive, Suite 2
(Use Galisteo to access Dental Ofﬁce, next to Aspen Ballet)
471-7000
Hablamos Español
Esmael Valdez
DDS
Here’s what our clients are saying
about us...
“I am usually hesitant to go to the dentist, but I was very comfort
able during my visit. I am looking forward to my next visit because I
know it will be great, again.” Joey F.
“I can’t say enough about how Divine Dental has changed my entire
view about going to the dentist. The professionalism and friendliness
of the Divine Dental staff is exemplary. It is apparent that the stafftruly cares for their patients. They have state of the art equipment
with a serene and calming atmosphere. My family dreaded dental
visits, not any more; my entire family is sold on Divine Dental. I
would recommend everyone to try Divine Dental.” Suzette L.
Christie Baca
RDH, CPDH
Call today to schedule an appointment
I plan to do this is by eating healthy,
which for me means no junk food,
very few processed foods, lots of
protein, veggies and fruit; walking
my dog every day, doing some additional workouts with hand weights,
and taking these amazing vitamins
and supplements I recently found
out about!
Have you heard of Orenda yet?
Well, you are about to. Here is my
story: I own a retail business. I’m 61
years-old(!!) and last year I was just
exhausted all the time to the point
where I was actually praying for an
answer. My friend Pam told me about
these products, saying they would
give me more energy. I thought, okay,
I’ll try it. So I bought a value pack and
started taking the vitamins, immune
capsules, the O-Tropin spray containing natural amino acids, and also
drinking the delicious Super Food
juice, Oki, made with the Aronia or
Chokeberry, which has way more
antioxidants than even Acai. And
Guess What??? I immediately had
more energy, I sleep better at night,
my night vision has improved, I look
younger, I’ve lost weight, my moods
are better and I FEEL GREAT!!
If you want those kinds of results
and more, call me, Carol Rose, at
660-9311 or e-mail me at carose47@
gmail.com. You can also access the
Orenda website at: www.orendainternational.com.
Here’s to great health!
EDucation
Sustainable Technologies Center
continued from page 5
�akini
�nna �ansen
Santa Fe, New Mexico
&
Consulting
Design
event Planning
Community BuilDing
©Seth Roffman
PhotograPhy
graPhiC Design
program this fall is small; 15 people
can enroll in it since it’s our first time
around. It’s a one-year certificate program. Students will actually go out
and harvest algae in different areas
of Northern NM, analyze it and see
which are best for producing lipids,
which is what you need if you’re going to make fuel. You can also make
proteins, neutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals.”
“A nice thing about algae, especially
if you’re using it for fuels, is that you
can use salty water, you can use…not
heavily contaminated water, but water
treated by our wastewater treatment
plant. Also, we’re going to be capturing some of the carbon that’s emitted
from our biomass, and using that as
feed for the algae.”
©Seth Roffman
The STC intends to work with NMbased businesses to demonstrate their
[email protected]
products. Plans also include the addition of green features around the campus such as an area with solar shades
to provide free plug-in parking for
students who have electric vehicles.
Some grant funding has been received
for different parts of the STC project.
Additional funds are being sought
through the federal Green Jobs Act,
which is geared toward training.
Funding is still needed to help equip
the labs with state-of-the-art equipment, and to help pay teacher salaries.
The gala will include a silent auction.
A SFCC culinary arts class, using local foods from the farmers’ market,
will cater a “sustainable dinner.” “All
of our vegetables and everything will
come with the lowest carbon footprint
we can get,” said Grissom.
For more information on the Sustainable Technologies Center,
contact Randy Grissom at
505.428.1641 or email randy.
[email protected]. For information or tickets to the
Green Gala ($125 per person; $100 is tax-deductible),
contact the GROW office at
505.428.1175 or email grow@
sfccnm.edu.
• Extensive beer & wine list
• Live Entertainment
• Outdoor Patio
CELEBRATIONS
Breakfast 7:30-11 • Lunch 11 - 3:30
7 days a week
Sunday Brunch 7:30-3:30
Dinner Tues - Sat 5:30-9:00
.
OS
ILL
R
ER
C
RD
CELEBRATIONS
College of
Santa Fe
ST. MICHAEL’S
ST. MICHAEL’S
PLAZA
O
.
ST
1620 St. Michael’s Dr. • 989-8904
AN
Seth Roffman is a writer and
photojournalist. His work has
appeared in the New York Times, the
Christian Science Monitor, Native
Peoples, New Mexico Magazine
and other publications. He has edited
Sustainable Santa Fe: A Resource
Guide for four years.
Join us at CELEBRATIONS where Family, Friends
and Tradition come together.
LL
Andre Prince, Grant Ldafet and Jeff McKenna
(r-l) of Amethyst Electric hook up a solar
system at Santa Fe Prep.
505.982.0155 H/O
505.920.0957 Cell
please check our website for current live entertainment schedule - celebrationssantafe.com
21
What's Going On!
Events / Announcements
ALBUQUERQUE
Bernalillo County Open
Space Events: Aldo Leopold
Centennial Celebration
RSVP Colleen Langan: 505.314.0398
or email [email protected]. For more
info: www.bernco.gov/openspace
Sanchez Farm Open Space
Curanderismo and its
Roots: Session 1
July 26, 1-3 p.m., Dr. Arturo Ornelas
will present esteemed curanderos from
Mexico to share the earth-honoring
cultural traditions of medicine men and
women. Latranca, from Cuernavaca, will
also discuss our relationship with plants
and the indigenous uses of herbs.
Curanderismo and its
Roots: Session 2
August 16, 1-2 p.m., UNM professor
Eliseo “Cheo” Torres will present a brief
historical description of curanderismo
and its roots. The ritual and impact on
patients will be discussed. The popular
medicinal plants will be displayed and
demonstrated.
Gutierrez-Hubbell House
Backyard Breakfast: Intro
to Urban Chicken Keeping
July 11, 9:30-11 a.m., 6029 Isleta Blvd.
SW - Keep chickens in your own backyard! KT LaBadie’s topics include raising
baby chicks, proper chicken diet, health
and diseases, chicken coops, how to handle a chicken, egg production, and more.
Lunar Living and Water
Harvesting
July 18, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 6029 Isleta
Blvd. SW - Discover how to align gardens and ourselves to the natural cycles
of rest and abundance. Zoe Wilcox and
Bard Egrignton will also discuss methods of collecting utilizing and utilizing
rainwater and greywater.
Medicinal Gardening
August 15, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Mary Lou
Singleton will present an opportunity to
learn about native herbs and plants that
have medicinal qualities, a great resource
for keeping families healthy.
SouthWest Green
Building Center
A new business owned by Cathy
Kumar has opened at 5620-L
Venice NE. The center offers a wide
variety of environmentally friendly
building materials. 505.821.6259,
[email protected].
SANTA FE
"Win-Win for Women"
Negotiation Skills Seminar for Business
& Life with Matthew Mitchell, July
10th, 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Quail
Run Country Club. For registration and
details, visit www.matthewmitchell.com
or call 505.988.9595
Santa Fe Alliance, Second
Tuesday Networking
July 14th 5:30-7 p.m. at Las Cumbres
Community Services, 805 Early Street,
#F, Topic: "Business Growth Addition"
where businesses owners are sharing
thoughts, ideas, techniques and promotions that they are using to maintain clients and customers in the current economic climate.
Green Business Networking
Meeting
Third Friday morning of the month, July
17, 7:30 -9 a.m. at Annapurna Chai Shop
in the Casa Solana Shopping Center; coffee and breakfast refreshments provided
La Montanita Coop. Call 505.989.5362.
Venus Monologues
July 19th, 3-6 p.m."Navigating Possibilities" Unitarian Church Becoming a Force
of Nature, with Norma Tarango and Annie Rafter - A series of explorations on
the emerging leadership and wisdom of
the Feminine. For information and registration, call 505.984.8262 or annierafter@
gmail.com.
Youth Media Project
Santa Fe Community College and the
Youth Media Project are offering a Summer Intensive, July 20th through July 31.
This program is ideal for students ages 15
to 25 interested in hands-on training in
recording and broadcasting, creating feature stories, personal narratives, commen-
tary, soundscapes and music, interviewing,
hosting, engineering and producing radio
broadcasts and podcasts. Dual credit (3
credits) and tuition waivers are available
for high school students. For more info
contact Judy Goldberg: 505.986.1880
FELTING CLASSES USING
SHEEP’S WOOL
July 4th and 5th: Historic Coal Mine
Museum tour - from 2-6 live music and
food on the museum grounds - $5 admission; Self-guided walking tour of the town,
highlighting key aspects of Madrid’s history from before the turn of the century
to today; July 5th: Stagecoach rides down
Madrid’s main street from 2-6 p.m. $5.
Sharon Costello, internationally known
felt maker will be teaching 3 classes in felt
making. Sculptural Felt Vessels: July 23 &
24, 10-4 p.m., Unitarian Church, 107 W.
Barcelona. Needle Felt a Sculpture of Your
Dog or Cat: July 25, 10-4 p.m. for ages 13
through adult. 11 Chapala Rd., Eldorado.
Felt a Merino Wool and Silk Scarf, July
27, 10-4 p.m. Ages 15 through adult. Unitarian Church. Learn to use wool in a fun
and easy craft. For more information call
Pam Grob: 505.466.4337 or visit www.
grobsf.com.
Sacred Activism Workshop
Green Drinks
Doug Fine Presentation
July 29th, 6:30. p.m. The Teahouse,
821 Canyon Road.Topic: the co-op
business model.
August 26th, 6:30. p.m
July 15, 7 p.m., Jemez Springs Library,
Highway 4 – Journalist, NPR contributor,
writer (Farewell my Subaru) and international adventurer will present a slideshow
and a funny, inspiring and informative
talk. Think Jerry Seinfeld meets Al Gore.
For more info, call 575.829.9155
Joe's Diner,
2801 Rodeo Road
For more info go to
www.greendrinks.org.
HERE AND THERE
Madrid Fourth of July
and Heritage Days
Celebrate the town of Madrid’s historic
July 4th traditions and unique heritage
as a coal-mining town turned ghost town
turned creative-artistic community. Over
40 galleries, shops, and restaurants. Located on the scenic Turquoise Trail (State
Highway 14), 45 minutes north of Albuquerque, 25 minutes south of Santa Fe.
For additional info, contact Diana Johnson: 505.471.1054.
July 4th, 10 a.m. Softball game - Mine
Shaft Tavern vs. Java Junction at the historic Oscar Huber Memorial Ball Field,
Noon - July 4th parade as unique and
eclectic as the town itself.
July 7-11 - Five day workshop, at Taos’
historic Ft. Burgwin for activists, creatives,
spiritual seekers searching for an inspiring,
hopeful vision of action. Creative writing,
contemplative practice, teachings of poetmystics Rumi, St John of the Cross, etc.
Explore how the "dark night" of our current crises provides opportunities for personal & global transformation. Andrew
Harvey, internationally renowned author,
mystic, Rumi translator. For more information go to www.cctaos.org
The Next Big Idea: Festival
of Discovery, Invention,
and Innovation
July 17-18, downtown Los Alamos – This
is an annual event that highlights Los
Alamos' unique creative heritage while
providing an opportunity for inspiring
young people throughout the state about
possible futures in science, technology,
engineering, math, and innovation. The
weekend of family-friendly events is designed to educate, illuminate, inspire,
and entertain by celebrating discoveries,
inventions, ideas, and innovations in science, technology, arts, food, and music.
For more info, contact Jeremy Varela:
505.661.4844 or [email protected].
Cultivating Womans
Leadership
With Nina Simons and Toby Herlich,
August 17-22. Ocamora Retreat Center, Northern NM. This work is proving
Announcements
deeply valuable to women at all levels of
their own journey. Presented in partnership with Bioneers. For more info and
registration, contact Felicia Marohn, [email protected] or call 505.986.0366
ext. 129
Women Only Colorado
River Trip
August 31 - September 5 - River Writing
and Sculpting Journey featuring Roxanne
Swentzell, renowned Santa Clara Pueblo
sculptor, and author Page Lambert for a
fabulous "women only" trip down the
Colorado River (Cataract Canyon in
beautiful Canyonlands National Park,
Utah) with the West's premier leader of
outdoor adventures, Sheri Griffith Expeditions. Six days, five nights: August
31 - September 5, 2009. $1,550 plus tax
and gratuity (Optional: $130 scenic flight
back from Lake Powell to Moab). Deposit: $300 to hold your space. For more info,
visit http://www.pagelambert.com.
Sustainable Farming
Internships and
Apprenticeships
A directory of on-the-job learning opportunities in sustainable and organic
agriculture in the U.S. has been published
since 1989 by the National Center for
Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and
its National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. The program is funded
under a grant from the United States
Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service. The on-line
directory is intended to help farmers and
apprentices connect with each other. The
listed farmers are primarily seeking interns/apprentices from North America.
The farmers have submitted all listings on
the site. There are currently 23 listings in
New Mexico. Visit: http://attra.ncat.org/
attra-pub/internships/.
EPA Grants to Develop
"Climate Showcase
Communities"
$10M in EPA Grants Available to Develop "Climate Showcase Communities"
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is announcing the availability of up
to $10 million in grants for local and tribal
governments to establish and implement
climate change initiatives. The Agency expects to award approximately 30 cooperative agreements ranging from $100,000
to $500,000. EPA requests proposals that
create replicable models of sustainable
community action; generate cost-effective
and persistent greenhouse gas reductions;
and improve the environmental, economic, public health, or social conditions in a
community.
A 50 percent cost-match or cost-share is
required for this program with the exception of tribal governments and intertribal
consortia, which are exempt from matching requirements. Proposals are due by
July 22, 2009, at 4 p.m. EDT. Awards are
expected in January 2010 and may run
through January 2013. More information
is available at: http://epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-programs/state-and-local/
showcase.html.
23

here. - Green Fire Times

Transcription

Similar documents

ART: MAZATL | LEARN MORE: ENERGY

sunray solar 190 - National Signal Inc.

Untitled - ertex

KPAC Case Study Solar

About APSYS Models and Features Application Demonstrations

Angiosperm Latin Name: Cyperus involucratus Common Name

COMMERCIAL SOLAR CASE STUDY – GARELICK FARMS

Ports of Entry and Economic Development on the New Mexico

Tomasita`s Offers a Powerful New Addition to Its Northern New

COMMERCIAL CASE STUDY – “Brotherhood Winery”