Top 5 Energy Stories of 2009
Posted by Sonja Ebron
This year has been a watershed for the U.S. energy industry. The environment and the economy have become linked to energy production and use like never before, and there’s no going back. Here, in no particular order, is my list of biggest energy-related stories this year:
- The EPA finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health, which would negate the need for climate change legislation and give the agency regulatory authority over every aspect of the economy
- New techniques for extracting natural gas found to threaten fresh water supplies
- The failure of U.S. oil companies to win bids on any Iraqi oil contracts, while countries opposed to the U.S. invasion met Iraq on its own terms
- The oil/economy merry-go-round that spun us from recession (due to high oil prices) to relief (lower oil prices due to slowing economy) back to recession (higher oil prices due to rising economy)
- Coal ash stored at the nation’s electric power plants labeled hazardous waste after dams broke at two separate ponds and released toxic sludge into nearby waterways
Next year promises to be even more exciting. See my 2010 energy trends in this month’s Atlanta Tribune, on newsstands now. Happy New Year!
Super Tuesday Celebrates Atlanta’s Black Business Women
Posted by Sonja Ebron
The Atlanta Business League put on a fine celebration of the achievements of Black business women last week. ABL was established in 1933 as an affiliate of the National Business League, founded by Dr. Booker T. Washington. In 1984, under the leadership of Alice White Bussey (of Bussey’s Florist), ABL’s Women In Business committee created Super Tuesday to raise awareness of African American women business owners. Last week’s celebration marked the 25th anniversary of this sistah-fest, headlined by Radio One magnate Cathy Hughes. More than 1000 women (and quite a few men) gathered to meet and greet and do business with Atlanta’s best and brightest Black women leaders at the Atlanta Marriot Marquis.
Lisa Borders for Mayor of Atlanta
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Atlanta has earned its reputation as headquarters of the Dirty South. The city emits more than half a million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the combined emissions of 150,000 households. Atlanta’s air pollution is one of the worst in the nation. Atlanta residents are projected to run out of water by 2030, and water quality declines every year. Urban sprawl and the need to commute lead to increasing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the city, and our street congestion is among the highest for any metro area. While state and federal governments play the major role in environmental outcomes, local policies and practices can set a tone for citizens that can lead to positive and lasting change. Lisa Borders has the most potential to set the right tone and the right example for a green Atlanta.
Lisa Borders
Lisa is a major advocate for the Atlanta Beltline, an alternative transportation program that will add 22 miles of light-rail transit and 1,200 acres of green space around the city while boosting the local economy. Mayor Shirley Franklin committed the city to reduce its carbon footprint to 7% below 1990 levels by 2012 and to be carbon neutral by 2030, and Lisa will follow through on that commitment. She is also a strong promoter of the Atlanta Sustainable Building Ordinance, which would reduce energy and water use in all city facilities.
Even the Borders campaign office is green. Staff are collecting food and paper waste in compost bins to fertilize gardens around town. There are recycle bins for glass, aluminum and plastic waste, and employees are encouraged to carpool or use MARTA. Just as Michelle Obama’s vegetable garden has inspired all Americans to rethink our food choices, Lisa Borders’ green office practices will challenge all Atlantans to treat our environment better. This is the leadership Atlanta needs and deserves.
Your Lifestyle Off The Cliff
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Grist.org has a great piece today on whether American lifestyle changes are needed to address climate change. Apparently, some folx believe we can simply change our light bulbs and drive hybrids, and all will be well! Since some of us would rather let the planet boil than give up our iPods, we should pretend there’s no need to change the way we live. Yeah, like Wile Coyote off the cliff, some of us will get the memo too late.
2009 Energy Town Hall Meeting in Atlanta
Posted by Sonja Ebron
With a collapsing economy and stable gasoline prices, you wouldn’t expect Atlanta activists to come out strong for a discussion on energy. But like most places, Atlanta had a rough year energy-wise, and people want to know what happened last year, what’s happening now, and how to avoid the next crisis. On some level, most of us understand the link between energy and the economy, as well as the huge potential of green jobs. So all ears were open for blackEnergy’s first Energy Town Hall Meeting of 2009 on March 9th.
Low-Cost Solar Heater Made From Soda Cans
Posted by Sonja Ebron
The green economy is here, and those seeking to profit from it must keep an ear to the ground for new business ideas. As a sign that green thinking has reached the grassroots, I recently found a Daily Kos diary describing how to heat your home with soda cans. The materials are easy to find at most hardware stores, and the process is relatively simple. This could be a great money-maker for an industrious entrepreneur with a little mechanical skill.
Here’s what you do:
- remove the ends of 240 soda cans,
- glue 16 cans together with caulk to make a column,
- repeat step (2) until you have 15 columns and let them dry for 2-3 days,
- drill 15 circular holes into two 2 x 6’s to make column manifolds,
- fit the soda can columns between the two manifolds,
- make a rectangular box with a plywood base and line with aluminum foil,
- place the cans and the manifolds inside the box,
- cover the box with Lexan sheeting and seal the edges,
- connect the columns with flex duct on the top and bottom of the box,
- attach some piping, an in-line fan, a thermostat and other accessories.
Despite all the high- tech research on new products to save energy and the environment, these are the proven, low-tech, low-cost concepts that will see most of us through.
