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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

SEMINOLE DISCUSSION GROUP ON RECYCLING & SUSTAINABILITY

Monday, March 5, 2012     

10:00 am to noon


Seminole Community Library Program Room
9200 113th St. N.
Seminole, Florida 33722  

TOPIC: Bio Reactors

SPEAKER: Brooks Stayer, Director, Waste Resource Management, Polk County, Florida

Information: Contact Mary, queenofrecycle@hotmail.com

Friday, February 24, 2012

Ask Extension!

Mary Campbell, Extension Director
and Urban Sustainability Agent 

Do you want answers to your questions from a local source that you can trust? There are several ways to get information from an Agent at the UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension office. If you are looking for the ease of access that the internet provides, look no further than http://www.askextension.org/. This online database of frequently asked questions provides answers to many questions that Extension hears all the time. With this tool, you'll get the quick and easy answer that you are looking for from one of our experts. UF Faculty at Extension have expertise in health and wellness, horticulture, energy, environmentally friendly practices, natural resource conservation, youth and much more.


Once you access the webpage at http://www.askextension.org/, click on the category drop down list and look for the subject that you are interested in. The list of questions will appear on that topic. If you would rather search by key words, type them into the search box and the available questions and answers will pop up. What if you do not see your question? Look at the top navigation and click on Contact. A page will pop up that allows you to put in a name, e-mail address and your specific question. You will get an answer as easy as that! Don’t be shy – try it today.

Another easy way to access us online is through the http://www.pinellascountyextension.org/ web site. Click on Contact us at the top of the main page: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/contact.shtml and go to the bottom of the page and click on Question in the large box. Type in your question and away you go.

It has never been easier to get science-based, factual information from a reliable source. Get the facts you need at the click of a mouse!

Friday, February 10, 2012

So, What Exactly is a Green Job?

Pinellas Energy Efficiency Project

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a Green Job is either:

1. A position in a business that benefits the environment or conserves natural resources
2. A position which involves makes the business’ production process more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources

These could include jobs that improve the energy efficiency of electronics, buildings, and vehicles. Other green jobs can be in businesses which provide education and training related to green technologies & practices. Businesses involved in the growing, distributing, and purchasing of locally produced foods are also categorized as green.

To learn more about the definition of green jobs, download this pdf fact sheet from the Florida Energy Systems Consortium.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Vancouver’s Transportation Tale

Ramona Madhosingh-Hector
Urban Sustainability Agent, Pinellas County Extension

Continued from A Short Stop in Vancouver, B.C.



Vancouver can certainly boast of its transportation system with multiple modes of transit from buses to trains to ferry services (SeaBus) and Sky Train. TransLink is Vancouver’s transit information hub. There you’ll find schedules, maps, station locations and travel time for every mode of public transit in the metro area.

Vancouver also has trolleys that include the customary double decker tourist attraction as well as trolley buses. These trolley buses look like regular buses but draw its electricity from overhead wires. Two wires and two poles complete the electric circuit for these “green” buses which rely on hydro-electric power producing fewer emissions. They also reduce noise pollution since they are quieter than diesel buses.

I was particularly impressed with the Waterfront Station on Cordova Street. Its modern interior was a contrast to its old architectural style indicating its reuse as a premier transit hub. The station was clean and comfortable with shops, eateries and security. It had great signage displaying the various transit modes available as well as maps displaying other metro connections and what was available within a five-minute walk from the station. SeaBus service was also available at the Waterfront Station which as it’s aptly named is located along the Port of Vancouver within close proximity of Canada Place. Canada Place, a mixed use commercial facility, is home to the Convention Center, World Trade Center and the Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal.

It was easy to navigate Vancouver’s street grid and I certainly wasn’t alone. Pedestrian traffic was steady and heavy at the intersections and no matter what time of day it was, I certainly always had company. In Vancouver, sidewalks were well maintained and cars actually yielded to the pedestrian!

With such a variety of transit options residents can choose which one works best for them. Vancouver’s emergence as a leading green city is certainly tied to its transit system since it encourages residents to own fewer vehicles, drive less, and rely on alternative modes of transportation. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions, conserves energy, improves public fitness and health, increases household wealth, and contributes to vibrant local economies. With such positive implications, it’s easy to see why the sustainable lifestyle has taken root in Vancouver.

Resources:
Transit Oriented Development
Walk Score
Canada Place
Mixed Use

Florida Author to Speak on Water Issues

C-SPACE and the Florida Studies Program present: Cynthia Barnett and the Case for a Water Ethic


Thursday, February 9 • 3:30 pm • Davis Hall 104

Longtime Florida journalist and author of two books about water issues, including the recently acclaimed Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis (Beacon Press, 2011), Cynthia Barnett will engage the USFSP community about a key issue in Florida and the U.S., as well as globally.

Americans use more water than any other culture in the world, much to quench what’s now our largest crop—the lawn. Yet most Americans cannot name the river or aquifer that flows to our taps, irrigates our food and produces our electricity. And most don’t realize their freshwater sources are in trouble. Barnett proposes the most important part of the solution is also the simplest and least expensive: a shared water ethic among citizens, government and major water users.

Part of a lecture series sponsored by the university's Center for Science and Policy Applications for the Coastal Environment (C-SPACE) and the Florida Studies Program, this event is FREE and open to the public.

For more information, please visit www.usfsp.edu/cspace and www.usfsp.edu/floridastudies or call (727) 873-4872.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

SEMINOLE DISCUSSION GROUP ON RECYCLING AND SUSTAINABILITY

Monday, Feb. 6, 2012
10:00 a.m. to noon
Seminole Community Library Program Room

9200 113th St. N.
Seminole, Florida 33722


TOPIC: LOCAL FOOD AND AGRICULTURE AS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE OF OUR TIME
SPEAKER: Karen Fraley, Florida West Coast Resource Conservation & Development

This presentation will include information about Native Americans, Florida's first population, and how they used the land for a good life. Current practices of land development will be discussed in relation to its impact on our culture and lifestyle. Finally, there will be a discussion of working food production into our community for healthier people, land, and food. Come with your questions and helpful comments. Bring a friend along, too!

CONTACT: Mary, queenofrecycle@hotmail.com

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