Daily Loaf

What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Is solar PV dead in Florida? – In an important proceeding at the Florida Public Service Commission in Tallahassee, approval of large-scale solar projects is in doubt.

Obama and other world leaders fess up: No climate change deal likely in December – After all of the efforts from people around the globe to get our world leaders to listen up and take action against climate change in December in Copenhagen, it looks like things aren’t going to be changing any time soon.

Tips on heating, cooling and sealing your home to save energy and some green (video) – Did you know that you can save energy and money on your utility bill just by properly using your thermostat and keeping your house sealed from outside air?

Ponzi schemes target green investors – The SEC reports of a $30 million Ponzi scheme involving 300 investors nationwide who participated in a purported environmentally-friendly investment.
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Halloween has and always will be one of my favorite holidays. It is the one day of the year that you can actually walk out of your house wearing just about anything and you get a ‘free pass’ on weird or strange looks from neighbors. Hey, anything goes on this day, right?  Not to mention the candy – oh, the candy.

So how can one ‘green‘ up the holiday a bit and teach the neighborhood kids a good lesson about recycling and reducing trash? The famous candy aspect that the kids know and love is a start. Realistically, it is hard to give out any fresh made organic goodies as it has long been taboo to do such a thing with rumors of poisoned candy and the like that has been circling for generations. So, instead, hand out pre-packaged organic candy like the ones found at endangered species chocolate.  Then use a pillow case to hand out the candy, it looks funky and scary and limits the use of the regular plastic containers. The kids will happily be surprised to try something new and tasty that is also better for the environment.
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I intend to describe an emerging tribe that is being formed, not only in the Tampa Bay area, but across the state as well. But while doing, so I want to showcase my own observations of the mindset of a large section of the population that is emerging. I believe and have witnessed the cohesive power of this tribe en mass. This cohesiveness is being brought about with courage from an unknowable source. The people standing up for the changes within our culture are ones that have jumped into a new dark abyss. They go forward with lamps showing the way for others to follow.

Last weekend, I attended the 4th Annual Campus and Community Sustainability Conference and Expo at the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus. One of the first seminars I went to was about a group of young architect students from the USF Center for Community Design and Research designing a sustainable community.  These young ladies entered a contest to design a sustainable city, their design being at the heart of  Tampa between Ybor and downtown Tampa. They readily valued community supported agriculture as a method of enabling people to consume food, not measured in miles, but in feet. Light rail mixed with walkable communities enabled the commuters to enjoy a short stroll to anything needed in daily living. Driving a bicycle was just about the only vehicle allowed within most of the area. There was a centralized farmers market where hundreds of stands could be set up, bringing in the local community garden’s food, as well as that from local farmers.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Builder goes green with their eco-friendly homes in Terrace Park, Tampa- One company, Rising Force Construction, has undertaken the task of creating affordable, energy efficient homes that promote sustainable living in Terrace Park, an established neighborhood just south of the University of South Florida.

Two more screenings scheduled for Fresh: New thinking about what we’re eating- You now have two more chances to see this new film about what’s wrong with the mega-industrial food industry.

Hope springs from tragedy: A city rebuilds to become better, stronger and greener- Greensburg, Kansas rebuilds to be an all green city. Vote in their green home design competition!
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The City of Tampa has a limited supply of affordable housing that is also environmentally friendly. City Council, led by Councilman John Dingfelder, passed an ordinance last year that would promote green building practices for new construction. That ordinance while still a long way from achieving its goal of prompting mainstream builders to incorporate green building practices into their projects. Although several buildings have been LEED certified in the area, they have considerably higher price tags than non-green projects.

One company, Rising Force Construction, has undertaken the task of creating affordable, energy efficient homes that promote sustainable living in Terrace Park, an established neighborhood just south of the University of South Florida. Residents have the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint on several levels: They can live, shop, work and enjoy recreational activities; and they can live in a home that reduces utility consumption by 30 to 40 percent over an existing home of the same size. For those that are tired of seeing their budgets eaten up by ever rising gas prices, they can walk, bike or take public transportation.
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We all want to save money on energy and utility bills during this time when money is tight. Some people have the misconception that going ‘green’ and putting energy efficient installations in their home can be expensive, but it’s quite the contrary. Why not learn how these solar powered/energy efficient components work and see them in action in homes and buildings around the Tampa Bay area?

The Tampa Solar Homes tour will show you how to go ‘green’ and save money on your utility bills by installing photovoltaic systems, solar hot water heaters, back-up batteries and solar attic fans. Listen to some solar power experts, get a solar photovoltaic system tutorial, and check out the numerous homes and businesses around the Bay that are using these practices- for free! Bonus: There will be a free shuttle to tour participants around to see all of the sites on this tour.

Read more:
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Fixing sprawl and redesigning suburbia- Grant Rimbey CNU explores a possible strategy towards improving existing sprawl. Fixing the sprawl that we have, along with sprawl demolition and recycling, are strategies that could be employed in the future as a new green industry.

Nation’s largest solar facility to be in DeSoto County by next year- Florida Power and Light is currently building the nation’s largest photovoltaic plant in DeSoto County, a $173.5 million, 25 megawatt solar generating facility.

Fresh: New Thinking About What We’re Eating screening – What’s wrong with the mega-industrial food industry- Struggling small farms, problems with food safety rules and the mega-industrial food industry, and a film about all of the above.
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Scattered about me are books and magazines. On one the poster child of the climate change movement, the polar bear swimming in icy clear water. Audubon chose the title Sink or Swim: Another Assault on the Arctic and How You Can Help Stop It. In all honesty, I think it’s too late. We are currently witnessing the fifth or is it the sixth mass extinction since life first emerged from the slime or rocks or whatever that latest scientific findings happens to suggest. But remember when compared to our life spans this extinction will take an insanely long time. So the urgency just doesn’t seem to be there, because if it did, then we would all be in the streets marching on Washington, D.C. and the United Nations demanding that something be done yesterday.

Another magazine, the April/May 2009 issue of Free Inquiry, has a time bomb on its cover. The number on the clock 6,790,064,816. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of August 16, 2009, at my time of 10:15 a.m., the human population is 6,845,146,634.  In 1960, it was 3 billion. By 2044, 9 billion. That’s a 6 billion jump in less than 100 years. For me, this is the number one problem plaguing Homo sapiens. There are just too many of us, which leads to greater and greater demands on water and food, both quite finite. And the energy demand will only increase GHGs if viable alternatives are not found – think China and India. If human population growth does not slow down, we will not have the resources to feed everyone. I have to smile when I think about the town hall meetings and the misinformation being propagated with end-of-life issues and death squads. If we don’t stop breeding who knows. Sounds like a great story for a movie, though. Oh wait! It’s already been done - Soylent Green.
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Last month, I decided to unplug my clothes dryer and line dry – or over a rack, chair, or railing.

Every few years, the Pew Research Center asks about 1,000 Americans what they think about various appliances. Three years ago, 83 percent responded that a clothes dryer was a necessity. Now one in every three Americans sees this appliance as an unnecessary extravagance requiring a huge commitment of energy to run. In many households, the dryer is the third most energy-hungry appliance after the refrigerator and washer. Air-drying your clothes can reduce the average household’s carbon footprint by 2,400 pounds a year.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Living with the land: Florida’s first Earthship (video) – Eric Stewart gives a firsthand look at Florida’s first Earthship in Manatee County, and gets his hands dirty while helping out.

Not getting a million-dollar bonus this year? Think local stimulus- Scott Milinder shows us a real stimulus package that will work for us: we all commit to “Buying Local First.” According to recent economic studies, shifting your buying habits to locally owned businesses creates more circulation of money, more economic activity and more jobs in the local economy.

Eco-friendly summertime fashion accessories- Are you searching for a unique and beautiful purse to enhance your summer wardrobe? Then why not consider one of these recycled handbags that are made from recycled items that help to promote a cleaner and healthier world, reports Jen Meier.
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As you’ve seen from a post earlier this week in the Green Community, Florida is getting its first Earthship. But what exactly goes into making an Earthship and what makes it so energy efficient and eco-friendly?

Not only do Earthships utilize solar and wind energy (for heating, cooling, and electricity), they are made completely of natural and recycled items and are built to harvest their own water, have contained sewage treatment, and their own built-in gardens so inhabitants can harvest their own food.
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