How does Your Footprint Measure Up?

Mary Campbell, Urban Sustainability Agent

You know the size of your footprint, right? Or maybe not, if we are talking about the imprint that you leave on the planet from the resources you use and the waste you generate. But what if you are doing the right things to reduce your environmental footprint like recycling, energy conservation and buying local? How much does that make a difference?

Americans on average have the largest footprint in the world due to our high level of consumption. We consume 24% of the world’s energy with only 5% of the population. So is that a problem? If everyone starts to live like we do it is. With developing countries like China and India aspiring to similar lifestyles – multiplied by the population (2.6 billion) – we could have a major overshoot of our planet’s resources. If everyone lived the lifestyle of the average American we would need 5 planets.

There are methods to calculate your ecological or environmental footprint. Calculators are available on-line to help you determine how many planets it would take if everyone lived the same lifestyle as you. The ecological footprint has emerged as the world’s premier measure of humanity’s demand on nature. It measures how much land and water area a human population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its wastes, using prevailing technology. Conceived in 1990 by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees at the University of British Columbia, the ecological footprint is now in wide use by scientists, businesses, governments, and individuals working to monitor ecological resource use and advance sustainable development.

Check out one of these calculators:
Global Footprint Network www.footprintnetwork.org
Redefining Progress www.myfootprint.org

Join me for Solutions in 30 Webinar on Wednesday, March 31 at 12:15 pm to learn more about Calculating Your Environmental Footprint

Green Retrofit: Good Business in a Bad Economy

Tarpon Springs - January 20, 2010 - Capitalism usually trumps environmentalism in hard times but this time a confluence of the two is driving a wave of interest in green building improvements.

To learn more join us Tuesday, Feb. 16 from 4:30p – 6:30p at the Palm Harbor Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Herzog for "Green Retrofit: Good Business in a Bad Economy."

The business case for green retrofits is undeniable. Property owners are slashing building-operating costs and even collecting higher rents in some areas as a result of green upgrades. Find out who, where, how, and why financing might not be the obstacle you think it is.

The meeting is free of charge and open to commercial property owners, managers and contractors. Attendance is limited to 25 and space is reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. So, please, RSVP ASAP.

Because North American buildings account for about 40 percent of the continent’s greenhouse gas emissions, inefficient older buildings don’t just pollute. They waste money.

Property owners who install green retrofits today can cut operating costs by as much 50 percent and limit future costs for years to come. Meantime, President Obama has proposed big green-retrofit rebates in an effort to create jobs and drive economic growth.

For details about what this could mean for you join us Feb 16.

Lacey Willard, 2009 Treasurer of BOMA Greater Tampa Bay, will discuss a recent study by CB Richard Ellis that lays out a business rationale for green building construction and refurbishment.

Advait Mantri, LEED Certification Auditor for the Green Building Certification Institute, will discuss LEED prerequisites, utility incentives and specific, cost-cutting retrofits.

Ed Crawford, a consultant for Soltility, Inc. will discuss tax credits and financing options, including a means by which Florida buildings can be converted to photovoltaic power with a minimal initial investment.

To RSVP contact David Hackett at RAM Insurance Services by calling 727-942-9363 or send email to DHackett@RamInsuranceCo.com

CONTACT:
David Hackett
email: DHackett@RamInsuranceCo.com
RAM Insurance Services
210 S. Pinellas Avenue
Suite 195
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
727-942-9363

Grants for ‘Green’ Job Training

Vestina F. Crayton, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability.

On January 6th the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the availability of approximately $100 million dollars in grant funds for ‘green’ training. $28 million is earmarked for the communities that were impacted by the auto industry reorganization. These funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The DOL has made ‘green’ jobs a primary focus. To show their commitment, in November 2009, the DOL awarded $55 million dollars in grant funds to various organizations for workforce training.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis “believes that strong partnerships are the key to the country’s success in strengthening not just training programs but also employers and industries. That’s why the training initiatives at the Department of Labor frequently involve strong partnerships with community colleges, local businesses, and workforce development boards.” Source: Department of Labor

These DOL grant funds will assist unemployed individuals with acquiring the critical skills needed to take advantage of emerging green industries. Areas of opportunities can be found in energy efficiency and the development of clean and renewable energy sources. Some of the careers of interest include but are not limited to solar panel installers, weatherization specialists, energy and wind workers and hybrid/electric auto specialists.

What does this mean for Florida? Join Vestina F. Crayton, Urban Sustainability Extension Specialist for Pinellas County Extension’s Solutions in 30 Webinar Green Jobs on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 12:15pm- 12:45pm to learn more.

References:

Department of Labor ‘Good Jobs, Safe Jobs, Green Jobs’ online article 2010 January 6

Solutions in 30 – What is a Green Job?

With concerns about pollution, climate change and energy dependence, green industries – those businesses that focus on sustainability - will become more important in the future economy. This will ultimately lead to more jobs in these new and exciting fields.

Join Pinellas County Extension Services at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20 for a 30-minute introductory webinar addressing these newly-emerging green jobs.

Vestina Crayton, Extension Urban Sustainability Specialist, will describe what a green job is, what training is required, where to apply for employment and what experts are predicting for the industry.

A webinar is an audio and visual seminar transmitted over the Internet through the computer so internal or external speakers are necessary to get the full benefit. Webinars also allow visitors to interact with the presenter and the content. Solutions in 30 seminars also make sense because the format offers time saving results by eliminating travel, looking for parking spaces and the hassles of scheduling. Participation is fast, convenient, easy and ideal for multiple listeners.

To register and learn more about this free webinar, visit www.pinellascountyextension.org, click on the “Online Class Registration” button and click on the Solutions in 30 button or call (727) 582-2100.

President Obama’s Job Summit

On December 3rd, over 100 leaders from across the nation representing the business community, educational system, local governments and others met at the White House to discuss new and innovative ways to create jobs. There is still much work to be done to get people back to work even though the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a decline in the unemployment rate of 10.2 to 10. Although slight, this is one of the most encouraging reports since the economic decline in December 2007.

After the half-day workshop, although many ideas were discussed, the following six areas of opportunities were compiled and presented to the Obama Administration:

• Give employers incentives to hire
• Create green energy jobs with a “cash for caulkers” program
• Boost credit availability for small firms
• Boost infrastructure spending or aid to states
• Expanding exports
• Use the TARP fund as a pool of jobs money. (source: CSMonitor.com)

President Obama is encouraging leaders at the local level to organize forums in their own communities to discuss ways the business community can expand and create jobs. The President emphasized the need to include local academic and training institutions in these discussions. This will ensure there are resources in place to prepare individuals to fill the positions as they become available.

STEM, Science, Technology Engineering and Math, is one initiative that connects the workforce community with the educational community. Created by Workforce Florida and Enterprise Florida, this program was designed to provide students with the skills to meet the needs of some of today’s fastest growing industries such as alternative energy, aerospace engineering and information technology. “This collaboration is the right opportunity at the right time for Florida,” said Allan Bense, Vice Chairman of Enterprise Florida. “Florida’s success in the 21st Century economy will depend greatly on our ability to train, retain and retrain a ready workforce of problem solvers and innovators who are well skilled in STEM fields.”

Visit this blog frequently to receive timely information on what is happening in our community.

Make My Coffee Green

Mary Campbell, Pinellas County Extension Director, Urban Sustainability Agent

One of our favorite beverages – coffee - can provide another opportunity to support sustainability or go green. “Fair trade” is an organized and market-based approach to empowering small farmers and promoting sustainability.

Coffee was the first commodity in the United States for which there is an independent monitor that guarantees that producers are paid a fair wage for their product, work in decent conditions and follow sustainable farming methods. More and more people care about the conditions of the people who produce the products they buy and that the product has fewer environmental impacts.

Fair trade produce remains a small percentage of world trade, but it is growing. Only 3.3 percent of coffee sold in the United States in 2006 was certified fair trade, but that was more than eight times the level in 2001, according to TransFair USA. Like consumer awareness of organic products a decade ago, fair trade awareness is growing. In 2006, 27 percent of Americans said they were aware of the certification; up from 12 percent in 2004, according to a study by the New-York based National Coffee Association.

TransFair USA, a nonprofit organization, is one of twenty members of Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International (FLO), and the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States.

Big chains are marketing fair trade coffee to varying degrees. Espresso served at the 5,400 Dunkin' Donuts stores in the United States is fair trade. McDonald's stores in New England sell only fair trade coffee. In 2006, Starbucks bought 50 percent more fair trade coffee than in 2005.

There is no governmental standard for fair trade certification, the same situation as with "organic" until a few years ago. Some fair trade produce also carries the organic label. Currently over 60%of Fair Trade Certified coffee in the U.S. is also certified organic. One important difference is the focus of the labels: organic refers to how food is cultivated, while fair trade is primarily concerned with the condition of the farmer and his laborers.

Transfair Fair Trade Coffee http://www.transfairusa.org/