Green Options

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… for production of renewable energy and maybe carbon sequestration.

Carbon neutral is gaining popularity these days, but Mantria Corporation is taking it a step further.

“We pledge Mantria Place will be the first carbon negative community in the nation by 2011,” states Troy Wragg, Mantria Corporation Chairman and CEO. “Carbon neutral is simply not good enough given today’s environmental issues. At Mantria, we believe that we must go much further to truly help our planet. Our goal is to be carbon negative.”

Located in Sequatchie County, Tennessee,  Mantria Place will be Tennessee’s largest master planned community weighing it at 5,500 acres. Nearly half of that will be green space in addition to two championship golf courses. A big question looms: can new, luxurious development really be green? With luxuries like two golf courses, how can their carbon footprint make it below par? Mr. Troy Wragg was kind enough to speak with me to answer that very question.

By 2010, China will unveil a modern city powered by 100% renewable resources, capable of growing all of its own food using organic farming methods and recycling all of its waste.

The future city, Dongtan, is growing out of an island at the mouth of the Yangtze River Delta. The unique Ecocity being built on the island is also a creative way to protect the island’s ecologically sensitive wetland environment from China’s fast-paced development.

What will life in China’s first ecocity look like?

For all of Southwest Florida’s problems (congestion, a troubled real-estate market, etc.), apathy about the environment doesn’t seem to be one of them.

According to a recent telephone poll by Audubon of Florida, 91 percent of Naples/Ft. Myers residents believe the concerns of wildlife, and not just people, need to be considered when planning for development and growth. Seventy-six percent of those polled added the natural environment is very important to the quality of their life.

Expanding on a previous post, the development of proposed I-3 has taken a fresh turn as legislators push for development and opposition continues to mount. There have been set-backs and victories on all sides, and now the stakes are raised. I-3 is moving slowly towards the first inklings of action while another major road is proposed through the same region. Like an ancient, sleeping monster, the cliche-inspired “Corridor K” has reared its head to threaten not one, but two major recreational rivers and two wilderness areas.

I-3 Update:

After years of political maneuvering and bureaucratic mire, 1.3 million dollars have been allocated to study possible routes for I-3. Even this seemingly small step has not gone without controversy or contention. Paul Broun of Georgia campaigned against I-3 last year and won a seat in the House of Representatives, affirming,”I am totally against I-3. I would like to de-fund the study” on June 29, 2007. Safely elected, today he sings a different tune; he favors the road but not in his home state: ”There are always environmental impacts from a highway, but it would be much less on the South Carolina side than on the Georgia side.” But even before Broun’s turn around, local opposition has been fierce in Georgia.

“In a town hall meeting in Hiawassee on May 24th 2005, 650 people showed up to voice an overwhelming opposition to the project. Then on June 7th in Rabun County, 178 citizens applauded and gave a standing ovation to the Rabun County Commissioner’s unanimous opposition to the proposed interstate through the north Georgia mountains.”

Change your lightbulbs, buy local food, keep your tires properly inflated: all of us in the green publishing space, both online and off, promote such actions as ways for all of us to live greener lives, and, more specifically, to cut our carbon footprints. “Low-hanging fruit” approaches to personal sustainability appeal to us because of their simplicity: we don’t have to make major changes in our lives to feel like we’re making a difference. As we attempt to reach beyond the “green” audience to people who are still “testing the waters,” and who are intimidated by the notion that “going green” means making major sacrifices, tips provide a valuable introduction to lowering one’s personal impact.

Still, the “simple actions” approach to sustainability also runs the risk of becoming simplistic, and even moralistic. Many of us are probably guilty of looking aghast at someone when we find out they don’t recycle, or buy their produce from the neighborhood farmers’ market. “It’s so simple,” we tell ourselves. We feel justified, then, in judging others, perhaps harshly, for the actions they don’t take.

In the latest issue of The New Yorker (published today), writer Michael Specter takes a look at the “simple” actions not only taken by individuals and families, but also promoted by the business world to consumers. British supermarket chain Tesco, for instance, has announced it will look for an easy method for identifying the carbon footprint of the products it sells. Walkers crisps (potato chips) already carry such a label. These are steps forward, no doubt, in providing information that consumers want. But, as Specter points out, there’s nothing simple about determining the carbon footprint of a product:

In order to develop the label for Walkers, researchers had to calculate the amount of energy required to plant seeds for the ingredients (sunflower oil and potatoes), as well as to make the fertilizers and pesticides used on those potatoes. Next, they factored in the energy required for diesel tractors to collect the potatoes, then the effects of chopping, cleaning, storing, and bagging them. The packaging and printing processes also emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, as does the petroleum used to deliver those crisps to stores. Finally, the research team assessed the impact of throwing the empty bag in the trash, collecting the garbage in a truck, driving to a landfill, and burying them. In the end, the researchers—from the Carbon Trust—found that seventy-five grams of greenhouse gases are expended in the production of every individual-size bag of potato chips.

I used to work on the Chattooga River, which is the northwest border of South Carolina and Georgia. Designated “Wild and Scenic” by Congress in 1974, it is one of the last undeveloped free-flowing rivers on the east coast. Located in three National Parks, it is carefully protected and jealously regulated by the National Forest Service. Only three professional outfitters are allowed to operate on its pristine waters and enjoy world-class white water rapids. But the proposed development of a major Interstate highway threatens the river. Nearly all attractions in the area are directly connected to the Chattooga or the many local waterfalls; damaging the watershed would damage the outdoor tourist industry, which brings hundreds of thousands of people to the region each year.

The valleys and gorges through which the river flows are beautiful examples of Appalachia’s rich biodiversity.

“Local researchers have established that the Chattooga River watershed is a unique ecotone for the temperate deciduous forest — a transitional area providing habitats for both northern boreal and southern tropical species in one drainage basin” (Bruce et al., 1995).

Many threatened and endangered species live here, and the well-managed head waters ensure that the river is clean and clear. If you don’t mind giardia, you can even drink the water. Tourists travel hundred or thousands of miles to sample the Chattooga’s rugged wilderness, unique and exciting rapids, and get a taste of Hollywood history: Deliverance was filmed here and is often credited for bringing white water sports into the public eye.

Blood Diamond exposed to the movie-going masses the horrors of the diamond industry's operation in the West African country of Sierra Leone. Four West African countries, Angola, The Congo, Guinea and Sierra Leone, where the diamond trade is bloodiest, produce about 20% (PDF) of the world's rough diamonds. The growing global market for diamonds reached nearly $70 billion dollars in 2005 fueled largely by the insatiable appetite of US consumers who

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The technical support offered to Fair Trade producers covers a vast array of programs, all with the end goal of helping producers achieve success. In agricultural produce this support can mean education on sustainable farming practices, help and funds to navigate the way to organic certification, and educational tools to create a successful, democratic co-op. Acording to TransFair USA (PDF), “Fair Trade co-ops often invest in technical training in soil improvement, agroforestry, organic production,

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Providing financial support to Fair Trade producers moves beyond simply paying fair price for products. Many times financial support simply means pre-payment on at least a portion of placed orders to allow the producers to secure raw materials. Remaining payments are to be made promptly, unlike large corporate counterparts which typically wait 60-90days.

While purchasing items on several months’ credit is commonplace in business making an artisan or farmer to wait several months

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