Green Options » Cleveland

150 MPG “Algaeus” Plug-In Prius To Cruise Coast-to-Coast On Algae Fuel

Christopher DeMorro — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:03:58 +0000

In an effort to drum up attention and support for their algae-based biofuel, Sapphire Energy has announced they will conduct a coast-to-coast journey in their “Algaeus” plug-in hybrid. Part electric hybrid, part biofuel vehicle, Sapphire claimes the Algaeus will get 150 miles per gallon from its hybrid/biofuel drivetrain.

The Algaeus will visit 10 cities, starting in San Francisco on September 8th and ending in New York City on the 18th.

Cleveland Oil Recycling Plant Suspected in Deaths of 500 Gulls

jpaul — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:24:57 +0000

In late June, more than 500 ring-billed gulls were found dead in Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River, only a couple days after the 40th anniversary of the day the river caught fire at roughly the same spot. On Monday, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District issued a report naming Sanimax, Inc., a nearby oil recycler, as a suspect in the spill of hundreds of gallons of cooking oil that caused the incident. Lab results comparing oil from the spill to oil being released by Sanimax were indefinite, though, so Sanimax has not been directly blamed.

A Local, Green Forum

Philip Proefrock — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:14:02 +0000

Cleveland, Ohio doesn't get a lot of respect. It's been the butt of countless jokes, an environmental scapegoat, the "City whose river caught on fire," and a symbol for the declining cities of the "Rust Belt" of the American midwest.

But that doesn't mean that there isn't a green heart in the Cleveland area. Even a city in the middle of the rust belt can be a center for "Think Globally - Act Locally." In fact, I've recently found that the Cleveland area has a vibrant local/regional blog at Green City Blue Lake, covering the local and regional scene from a green perspective. GCBL arose out of an earlier site called EcoCity Cleveland, which remains online as an archive with a wealth of information still available in its pages, but is no longer actively supported.

Recent content on the Green City Blue Lake site ranges from articles about alternative energy policy to articles about local wildlife to a recent decision by county commissioners to demolish an existing landmark office tower rather than rehabilitating it.

It's an excellent example of a regional interest blog. GCBL aims to be a hub for sustainability with a broad list of objectives including creating a regional agenda for sustainability, focusing on "11 areas of practice – water, energy, economy and sustainable business, regional food systems, land and conservation, transportation, green building and neighborhood development, health, arts, education, and spirit." The site also seeks to "Promote a positive GreenCityBlueLake identity for Cleveland and the region — a new image that will make the outside world see us differently and will make us break out of our tired, Rust-Belt mindsets and imagine new futures."

Even though the preceeding EcoCity Cleveland site, which led to GCBL, is no longer actively being updated, it still also contains a wealth of good information. Some of it is local, but much of it is widely applicable, and it is another resource that ought to be bookmarked.

The only thing I could think of to ask for is a link to other, similar regional blogs (such as one closer to my own community) or a clearinghouse site that could direct people to appropriately local blogs for their particular regional interests. I'm not aware of anything of its kind in my area, but I'm going to start looking. I'd also be very interested in gathering a list of regional interest blogs (post 'em in the comments below, if you like). Some of this might be less interesting to you if you don't live in Cleveland, or if you don't live in a region that is similar to the Cleveland area. But even if you are in a completely different part of the country (or outside the US entirely), I think this is still a good example to look at to see how a regional blog might be organized.

Let's see if a network of these sites can be organized. Rather than coming from a top-down organization, if local, regional blogs like this include links to other blogs with a similar approach, the connections will grow and it will be possible to find regional information on sustainability across the country.

Cleveland Goes Green

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:10:00 +0000

One news item making the rounds in the Sustainable Blogosphere is Cleveland, OH’s hiring of Andrew Watterson as its new sustainability programs manager. As the Plain Dealer points out, Cleveland joins other cities such as Seattle, Chicago and Portland, OR, in putting its money where its mouth is in terms of environmental protection. What will likely make this venture successful is that Watterson isn’t simply a “treehugger” — he also recognizes and promotes the economic benefits of “going green”:

“We live in a capitalist society,” Watterson said. “You need to put [your message] in that context.”

So he dresses in a jacket and tie and emphasizes words such as “high performance” to get his message across. If he can show a manager of a city department or a CEO looking to bring his business to Cleveland that the ideas save money, Watterson is off to a good start.

That’s why, for now, Watterson is targeting what he calls low-hanging fruit - the relatively simple, inexpensive changes the city can make immediately to save energy and money.

They include replacing incandescent light bulbs with low-mercury, longer-lasting fluorescent bulbs; establishing a no-idling policy for diesel-fueled city trucks; and completing an energy audit on a city building to pinpoint how to cut costs.

Watterson also supports money-saving moves already under way, such as the city’s three-year plan to install LED bulbs in all traffic lights. The LED bulbs are more expensive than traditional incandescent ones, but they last up to 7Â½ years longer, saving the city on labor costs. Incandescent bulbs usually need to be changed after six months; LEDs can last eight years.

The move is expected to save $2 million annually when completed, Watterson said.

Another project he hopes will reap significant savings is a new City Hall roof. In the fall, he will recommend an energy-saving replacement for the dark concrete block pavers that sit atop the Lakeside Avenue building. One option is a “green” roof, which would include grass, trees and plants.

Watterson wants to eventually position Cleveland as one of the cheapest cities in which to do business - at least when it comes to heat and electricity costs.

We hear so much from state and local governments about creating a “business-friendly climate” in their state or community. Usually, that means giving away the farm in terms of tax revenue and regulation. Hopefully, Cleveland’s experiment with incorporating sustainable development into its economic plan will demonstrate that “going green” may be a much more effective way of sustaining a healthy economy.

On a seperate but related note, I decided to browse the City of St. Louis‘ website to see where we are in terms of sustainable development. In a word, behind. We do have programs like Operation Brightside (which deserves recognition and support), but we’re clearly behind the curve in terms of the local government’s support of sustainability. On the upside, we do have many non-governmental organizations devoted to environmental progress and sustainable development.

Technorati tags: government, sustainability, sustainable development, economics, Cleveland, St. Louis