Green Options » Georgia

Atlanta Brewery Produces Rainwater Beer

Becky Striepe — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:00:19 +0000

Rainharvest Systems and Five Seasons Brewing teamed up to create a microbrew made from 100% on-site captured rainwater!

TVA Ships Toxic Coal Ash to Georgia and Alabama

Becky Striepe — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:00:26 +0000

Georgia and Alabama are now storing more than 1000 tons of the fly ash that leaked from a Tennessee coal fired power plant in December.

[Creative Commons photo by Jim Combs]

The spill, which dumped over 5.4 million cubic yards of toxic sludge in the area around the Kingston coal plant, was over 120 times larger than the Exxon Valdez. It destroyed homes in the area and contaminated local water supplies. Cleanup is still underway from the disaster six months later.

So why is the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) shipping tons of this toxic substance from Tennessee to Georgia and Alabama?

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Georgia Using Stimulus Bill Funds for Lamest Renewable Energy Grants Ever

Levi Novey — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:27:26 +0000

Falling into the category of “I guess it’s better than nothing,” the state of Georgia has passed a bill that will use economic stimulus funds to provide retroactive grants to organizations that have already installed clean energy projects.

Why is this so lame? Thanks to the Georgia State Government, it’s just more of the same Republican policies that don’t work and aren’t an appropriate use of stimulative funds.

So say you live in Athens, Georgia and want to put some solar panels on your house. Can you apply for a grant to buy the panels and get professional help installing them? “Hell no! Put up those damn solar panels yourself, buddy, and then we’ll talk about reimbursing you. Oh yeah, and you need to own a business by the way. Once you start a company and install some solar panels– get back to us.”

>>Read the latest about discounts on solar power in Phoenix at 1bog.org

How is such a grant stimulative? It only puts money back into the pockets of companies who could afford it earlier or made the effort to install clean energy systems in the first place. Who’s to say they would use the money to develop more clean energy capacity?

Maybe I’m wrong, but I think this is one of the lamest renewable energy grants ever. It rewards those companies that didn’t need a helping hand in the first place. If anything, why couldn’t the grants both reward retroactive and future projects? And why can’t they also be distributed to actual citizens rather than just companies?

Way to go Georgia! Economy stimulated!

Photo Credit: Sea of Legs on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

Local Atlanta Activists Organize Ride MARTA Day this Friday

Becky Striepe — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 07:00:40 +0000

It’s slightly short notice, I know, but this Friday is Ride MARTA Day here in Atlanta!

A group of local activists is working to help raise awareness about MARTA and speak out against the threatened service cuts. They hope folks will pull together this Friday to boost ridership, introduce new riders to the system, and get folks thinking about the MARTA crisis. Check out more details and what you can do to help after the jump!

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Possible Bailout for Atlanta Transit System

Becky Striepe — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:00:07 +0000

Regional officials are talking about using $25 million in bailout money to help MARTA cover its operating costs.

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) recommended last week that funds earmarked for transit improvements go towards keeping MARTA afloat. The transit system is unable to cover its budget shortfall and operating costs, due to strict regulations on how it spends its revenue. MARTA gets the bulk of its funding from sales tax revenue, and it’s required to spend 50% on operating costs and 50% on capital expenses. This $25 million dollars would be a band aid fix, but it certainly beats cutting a day of service, like the MARTA board was proposing.

Not everyone is thrilled about this idea.

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Tell Georgia Governor Perdue to Make Transit a Priority

Becky Striepe — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:00:41 +0000

Governor Sonny Perdue is refusing MARTA officials’ request for a special session to address the crisis affecting Atlanta transit.

According to this story from the AJC, the Governor says that, “Special sessions are something we shy away from.” He said that his transportation staff met with MARTA officials, but he will not hold a special session to help the transit system address its financial woes. As a commenter on the AJC article pointed out, Perdue was happy to call a special session in 2006 when a judge struck down Georgia’s gay marriage ban. Maybe Perdue meant he tries to avoid special sessions when the issue at hand isn’t one that matters to him?

I gave Governor Perdue a piece of my mind, and you can get heard too! Here’s the letter I sent to his office and contact info so you can send one of your own.

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Atlanta-Area Recycling Event with a Side of Greenwashing

Becky Striepe — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:00:56 +0000

Who knew you could even recycle Styrofoam? Sure, recycling the stuff is better than tossing it into a landfill. Every bit of this petroleum product that’s recycled is a bit less made from new materials. We shouldn’t see this as a green light to stock up on the packing peanuts, though, like Styrocyclers, the recycling company handling the Styrofoam at the Roswell event seems to advocate.

The Roswell Recycling Center and Styrocyclers will hold a one-day polystyrene, or Styrofoam, recycling event on Saturday, May 2 from 8am to 2pm. They’re only accepting polystyrene packaging. Egg cartons, plates, takeout containers, and cups can’t be recycled.

While researching about the event, I came across this little gem on the Styrocyclers website (emphasis mine):

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Atlanta Transit Facing Service Cuts

Becky Striepe — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:00:16 +0000

Strict restrictions on how MARTA spends its revenue mean the system can’t afford to pay for its operating costs.

[Waiting for the Train. Creative Commons photo by Wesley Fryer]

The General Assembly voted down Senate Bill 120, which would have allowed MARTA to tap into $65 million in capital reserve funds. Since the system receives absolutely no state funding, it relies heavily on sales tax revenue to stay afloat. It’s a state restriction that is tying up the much needed money: MARTA is required to spend 50% of its revenue on operating costs and 50% on capital expenses. The really infuriating part of this vote is that the bill failed for reasons that had nothing to do with Atlanta’s transit system.

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What Defines a Drought?

Becky Striepe — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:00:20 +0000

It’s been stormy here in Atlanta. We’ve had a wet winter and rainy early spring. In a drought-stricken region like this, you tend to hear variations on the same joke every time it rains: “Well, I guess that pesky drought is over!”

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With all the rain this week, some folks have once again been saying we’re out of the drought. Only this time, it was no joke.

Georgia’s state climatologist, David Stooksbury, declared the drought over this week. All of the good rain we’ve had lately has apparently pulled North Georgia out of its water shortage with the exception of Lake Lanier and Lake Hartwell basins. So as long as you don’t count the two lakes where we get a large part of the region’s water, the drought is over!

Wait, what?

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Tough Times for MARTA Could Mean Service Cutbacks

Becky Striepe — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:00:45 +0000

I have to admit that I’m a little embarrased. Yesterday, I gushed about Atlanta’s great green future, and then today, The Atlanta Jounral Constitution published this:

Without new revenue sources from the state or region…MARTA will be forced to dramatically reduce service levels, eliminating bus routes, cutting rail service (either certain days or times, or entire lines altogether), and potentially seriously impacting the overall economic well-being of this region and state.

This is from a memo that MARTA sent to state lawmakers. Atlanta’s transit system has been dealing with a $60 million budget shortfall since December. That, combined with a dramatic decrease in predicted sales tax revenue for the coming year have put the system into crisis. For a transit system funded entirely by sales tax revenue, it’s not surprising that MARTA is having trouble making ends meet. MARTA is one of the few, if not the only, transit systems in the nation that does not receive a penny of state funding.

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Atlanta Announces its Carbon Footprint

Becky Striepe — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 07:00:29 +0000

Yesterday, the City of Atlanta announced its municipal carbon footprint and plans to reduce that impact by 7% over the next three years.

[Creative Commons photo by Steve Hardy]

That might not sound like a huge reduction, and I know that 7% (or 37,800 metric tons of greenhouse gases) isn’t going to save the world, but it’s a good first step! It’s the equivalent of 179 rail cars’ worth of coal or protecting 239 acres of from deforestation.

The City of Atlanta released a Sustainability Report outlining where they’re at and where they plan to go in terms of lowering the city’s carbon footprint.

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Atlanta Middle Schoolers Plant 1000 Trees

Becky Striepe — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:00:05 +0000

Atlanta’s Brown Middle School teamed up with Trees Atlanta and Atlanta Audubon to launch a pilot environmental education partnership.

[Creative Commons photo by Jesse Budlong]

Together Green, the folks behind Pennies for the Planet are at it again! They’ve issued a grant that’s allowing Trees Atlanta to work with local schools on plantings and education. The program kicked off on Thursday with a student-only tree planting at Brown Middle that’s focused on giving Atlanta’s West End neighborhood along the BeltLine bird-friendly, native trees and shrubs.

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Broken Hearts and Bicycle Parts

Becky Striepe — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:00:10 +0000

Sopo Bicycle Co-op’s annual fund raiser, bicycle scavenger hunt, and dance party is coming up this weekend in Atlanta!

At least year’s event, 150 cyclists raised over $2000 for the local nonprofit.

Located right in the heart of East Atlanta, Sopo Bicycle Co-op is an amazing resource for local cyclists. The shop provides tools, education and free bicycle maintenance to anyone who pops in with a ride. You can even build your own bike there! Frames and various parts are available on a suggested donation basis, and their knowledgeable volunteers are always around to help out during shop hours.

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Meet Some More U.S. Eco-Heroes

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:20:50 +0000

When you’re looking to green your lifestyle, it helps to learn from the experiences of others rather than trying to reinvent the wheel yourself. That’s why, from time to time, I like to highlight the stories of various “eco-heroes” across the country.

In my last feature — “Going Green? Learn from these Pros” — some of the stars were folks like Mike Turner, who retrofitted an old Honda Civic for a super imrovement in mileage, and Elizabeth Rogers, creator of a new Website (Shift Your Habit) that demonstrates the money-saving power of eco-friendly habits. This time, I’ve got some new green success stories to share:

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Composting For House and Apartment Dwellers Alike

Becky Striepe — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:00:07 +0000

[Creative Commons photo by Anne Norman]

The weather in Atlanta felt like Spring this weekend, which got me thinking about our Spring garden and, of course, our compost bin. Composting is a fabulous, cheap source of fertile soil. On top of that, keeping a compost bin prevents your food scraps from heading to the landfill where they break down and produce methane, a more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2.

While some communities offer curbside composting, most do not. Luckily, it’s really easy to get your own bin going! Whether you’re living in a house or an apartment, there are great composting solutions out there. Here’s a roundup of some options, so you can have your compost ready in time to get that Spring garden going!

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More Trouble for Atlanta Transit

Becky Striepe — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 07:00:26 +0000

In the wake of MARTA announcing a 60 million dollar budget shortfall, Atlanta got hit with more bad news for anyone hoping to ditch their cars. AMTRAK and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) are putting the proposed system of light rail, trails, and planned development into jeopardy.

[Creative Commons photo by Brett Weinstein]

What is the BeltLine?
The Atlanta BeltLine is a solution. While Atlanta does have a rail and bus system now, MARTA, the rail portion is pretty limited and the buses are a bit unreliable. The BeltLine was going to change the face of Atlanta’s transit system, connecting neighborhoods and making alternative transportation a viable option for more folks in the Atlanta area. They describe the BeltLine:

Our vision is that the BeltLine will be a continuous, connected corridor of parks, trails, greenspace, quality development and transit - completely unique to anything in any other U.S. city. It will connect in-town neighborhoods and promising business centers throughout the city and will link directly into MARTA rail and other public transit systems. Ultimately, the BeltLine is how Atlanta chooses to develop over the next 50 years.

Why would anyone want to stop a project like this?

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Habitat for Humanity Founder Buried in Shipping Crate, Without Headstone

Adam Williams — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:56:52 +0000

During the moments I take to write this blog entry, Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity and an international beacon for the poor and the do-gooding prosperous alike, is finding his final resting place at Koinonia Farm in Georgia. He died earlier this week at 74.

Millard Fuller impacted my life profoundly — lastingly — as he did countless others.

Eleven years ago, as a college student, a young American from the Midwest, I traveled to Honduras on a Habitat for Humanity International building opportunity. It was my first experience outside of my home country. It shed light on worldly truths I had never before been able to so accurately imagine.

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Talking Sustainability with Scott Kellogg

Becky Striepe — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:14:40 +0000

Last night, Scott Kellogg from the Rhizome Collective spoke at Charis Books in Little Five Points. He talked about permaculture and taking back the word sustainability.

[Creative Commons photo by Chad Hanna]

Marketers and large corporations have co-opted the word sustainability to sell products. It’s come to mean expensive bamboo counter tops and organic cotton bedding. We need to take back that word to its original meaning. Sustainability is living within your means. It’s closing the waste cycle and finding ways to turn trash into something that’s usable again. Last night, Kellogg talked about some ways that Rhizome is accomplishing these things. Ways that we can, too!

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Conserving Water: Rainbarrel Love

Becky Striepe — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:00:13 +0000

It feels like you can’t check the news lately without hearing about another area coping with severe drought. Here in Atlanta, we’ve been dealing with a water shortage for years, as have folks in California.

Texas is in a worsening drought situation, too, which is leading to cattle deaths. There’s no grass for the poor cows to graze on because there has been so little rain. The lack of food means they’re too weak to survive the cold January temperatures. It’s hard to grow anything when there are such long periods in between rainstorms.

So how can those of us in these drought-stricken areas save the precious little water we get when it does rain? How about installing a rain barrel or two!

I have to admit here that I’m not the most handy person. My husband, Dave, and his dad, Denis, did most of the installing, while I provided moral support (aka: snacks and beer). The project can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. Here are some tips straight from Dave and Denis on getting started!

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Recycle That Christmas Tree

Becky Striepe — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:00:04 +0000

The gifts are all gifted and your green Christmas party was a hit! Now, that poor Christmas tree is looking a little sad and you’re wondering about the best way to dispose of it.

[Trash Day. Creative Commons photo by Brooke]

You’re not alone. North Americans buy over 30 million Christmas trees each season. Luckily, Earth 911 can help you recycle that tree rather then sending it off to the landfill!

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