An analysis of the most recent transit use data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that transit use grew by up to 47% in major metropolitan areas in the U.S. from 2006-2008, with several metro regions in the South and West growing by more than 10%.

The South and West, being more dominated by automobile-oriented development and auto use, have historically struggled to get significant transit ridership. However, the top ten cities with the highest recent increase in ridership include several metro areas in the South and West, including Charlotte, NC (47%), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (26.7%), Pheonix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ (23.6%), San Antonio, TX (15.1%) and others. This seems to shine a light of hope on increased transit use in the southern and western U.S. in the future.

First, however, why are we seeing a boom in these places?

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Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, is taking the green diploma to an even higher degree. University officials are betting a new Living Learning Center will meet the Living Building Challenge, the world’s most stringent green building rating system from the Cascadia Region Green Building Council, a chapter of the USGBC and its Canadian counterpart.

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The Tower Grove Farmers’ Market and Bazaar in St. Louis is not only a community center piece, but a regional one. And the group is candidly joining a nation-wide line of community-minded organizations who are in economic straits and need support.

Understanding that there are many worthy groups asking for assistance these days, the one that organizes the Tower Grove market is asking, in particular, for those who already value what it creates in the St. Louis region — shoppers and friends who stop by, even just twice a season — to consider stepping forward. The support can be monetary or otherwise.

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As a thoughtful follow-up, Debbie Johnson in the Public Information department for MSD left a comment for that initial posting, updating readers on the program’s status. Here is that information:

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Being a Missourian, it is particularly nice to see this Midwestern, conservative state step up to the green plate at times. Recently, a Missouri tax holiday was announced for the purchase of energy-efficient home appliances.</

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported:

From April 19-25, the state is waving its 4.225 percent sales tax on washing machines, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, water heaters, furnaces and air conditioners if the new appliance is Energy Star-certified. Nine counties and just over 50 cities also are waving their sales taxes for the week.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/04/09/missouri-offers-green-tax-holiday-apr-19-25/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/04/02/st-louis-sewer-district-sells-rain-barrels/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/04/02/st-louis-sewer-district-sells-rain-barrels/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:22:43 +0000 Adam Williams http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/04/02/st-louis-sewer-district-sells-rain-barrels/ The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) in St. Louis, Mo., is selling rain barrels through 5 p.m. on April 3.

As of the end-of-business on Thursday more than 1,000 barrels had been ordered, according to the office personnel handling the orders. A news story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch laid out the general information this way:

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is offering its customers the opportunity to help take the burden off those creeks — and its storm water system — by purchasing 55-gallon rain barrels to collect and store rainwater that would otherwise flow into a storm drain.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/04/02/st-louis-sewer-district-sells-rain-barrels/feed/ http://gas2.org/2009/03/28/worlds-largest-battery-powered-truck-comes-to-us/ http://gas2.org/2009/03/28/worlds-largest-battery-powered-truck-comes-to-us/#comments Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:46:59 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://gas2.org/2009/03/28/worlds-largest-battery-powered-truck-comes-to-us/ Smith Electric Vehicles to build electric trucks in Kansas City

Company officials at the UK-based Smith Electric Vehicles announced on Friday that they will begin manufacturing “The world’s largest battery-electric-powered truck” at a new plant in Kansas City, Missouri.

The battery-powered Newton will be the first vehicle to be produced at the new plant, but starting next year, the plant will manufacture an electric version of the new Transit Connect light-duty vehicle in collaboration with made by Ford Motor Co.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/03/28/worlds-largest-battery-powered-truck-comes-to-us/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/07/green-minded-coffee-wine-house-opening-in-st-louis/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/07/green-minded-coffee-wine-house-opening-in-st-louis/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:21:14 +0000 Adam Williams http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/07/green-minded-coffee-wine-house-opening-in-st-louis/ The Map Room in the historic Benton Park neighborhood in St. Louis, Mo., is about to open. There are 7 days, 0 hours, 11 minutes, 24 — no, wait: 23…13…8… Well, the seconds keep ticking us closer to the grand opening, as the countdown clock on The Map Room’s Web site proudly — and funly — indicates.

The grand day begins at 7 a.m. on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day. The address is: 1901 Withnell (at Lemp).

The countdown clock tells me there’s an I-can’t-wait atmosphere over there. That tells me to expect a smile when I walk in the door. And everything I’ve read so far on the Map Room’s site — and via email exchange with one of the inspirations energizing the place, Michele Floyd — tells me I can probably believe a number of the thoughts already put out on the coffee & wine house’s site:

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/02/07/green-minded-coffee-wine-house-opening-in-st-louis/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/24/st-louis-ranks-among-most-polluted-cities-in-america/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/24/st-louis-ranks-among-most-polluted-cities-in-america/#comments Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:21:59 +0000 Adam Williams http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/24/st-louis-ranks-among-most-polluted-cities-in-america/ St. Louis, Mo., rates as one of the dirtiest cities — in the bottom 10 percent — in the United States “in terms of air releases of recognized carcinogens,” according to scorecard.org.

It pains me to have to put more horrifying news about St. Louis out to the world. If anyone not from St. Louis, my home city, thinks anything of this historic, blues-music thrumming, Gateway Arch-boasting, Stan Musial-loving, Mississippi River-guarding city, it’s likely about the city’s position in the annual “most dangerous city” rankings.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/24/st-louis-ranks-among-most-polluted-cities-in-america/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/23/building-bridges-what-red-communities-are-going-green-from-the-grassroots-up/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/23/building-bridges-what-red-communities-are-going-green-from-the-grassroots-up/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:50:44 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/23/building-bridges-what-red-communities-are-going-green-from-the-grassroots-up/ I wrote my first “Building Bridges” post on a lark: the article I referenced on carbon offsets tied in nicely with ideas about bridging the divide between the environmental community and “Red America” (which tends to distrust, at the very least, environmentalists). Since then, I’ve been digging into existing success stories… and I’d love your input.

For the next round of posts, I’d like to feature “case studies” of “red” communities (and I hate that designation, but it conveys the rights characterization) that are implementing “green” practices. I’m particularly interested in “homegrown” initiatives put forth by local residents, as I think ideas that come from within will get a better reception — we’re all a bit more open-minded about ideas that come from people we know and trust. So far, I know about the following communities:

• Rock Port, Missouri: This town of 1300 residents is the first 100% wind-powered community in the United States.
• Reynolds, Indiana: Designated “Biotown USA,” Reynolds has set the goal of total energy self-sufficiency (as part of a larger state program).
• Greensburg, Kansas: Greensburg has received a ton of attention for its decision to rebuild to LEED Platinum standards after 95% of the town was destroyed after a tornado.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/23/building-bridges-what-red-communities-are-going-green-from-the-grassroots-up/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/22/will-work-for-food-security-five-tips-to-volunteer-with-purpose/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/22/will-work-for-food-security-five-tips-to-volunteer-with-purpose/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:12:18 +0000 Lisa Kivirist http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/22/will-work-for-food-security-five-tips-to-volunteer-with-purpose/ Next to bathroom breaks and brushing teeth, eating may be one of the most routine, daily activities we engage in. Yet perhaps because food is so engrained in our everyday existence, we forget that it can readily be a strong means for us to activate some activism, no committee sign-ups required.

Instead blend your own creativity and contribution and come up with your own vision and project for promoting sustainable agriculture and local food. Come up with your own project to work towards a secure, healthy food system. Think out of the box and beyond just the dollars you spend at your farmers’ market. How can you contribute your skills, interests and enthusiasm toward bigger-picture change?

Melinda and Dan Hemmelgarn provide super-sized inspiration in such self-initiated, purposeful volunteering. Long-time supporters of their local farmers’ market in Columbia, Missouri, this creative couple blended their talents and passions into creating a calendar featuring area farmers: Farm Hands – a Tribute to the hands that feed us.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/22/will-work-for-food-security-five-tips-to-volunteer-with-purpose/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/21/how-to-get-a-mob-of-customers-to-your-liquor-store/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/21/how-to-get-a-mob-of-customers-to-your-liquor-store/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:57:51 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/21/how-to-get-a-mob-of-customers-to-your-liquor-store/ Hold a sale on high-end vodka? Give away free samples of your latest bourbon shipment?

These could work. But for Kansas City’s World of Spirits, the answer is committing revenue to greening the store… really.

Yep, the Carrotmob has come to town… remember them? Started in San Francisco, Carrotmob is an activist organization dedicated to greening business.  Rather than using traditional, “stick” tactics (protesting, street theater, etc.), Carrotmob offers a “carrot” to businesses that commit to greening themselves: as they put it, “Carrotmob organizes consumers to make purchases that give financial rewards to those businesses who agree to make socially beneficial choices.” Though the organization is new, they’ve already been quite successful: their first event resulted in about five times the normal revenue for K&D Market on 16th St. in San Francisco.

In Kansas City’s choice, this involved approaching fifteen Midtown businesses with a proposal: “We’ll bring a mob of paying customers, if you commit the highest percentage of revenue to going green.” A bidding war broke out, and World of Spirits won by committing 24% of the revenue from its “mob event” towards making the business more energy efficient. Take a look:

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/21/how-to-get-a-mob-of-customers-to-your-liquor-store/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/24/st-louis-green-homes-renewable-energy-festival-this-weekend/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/24/st-louis-green-homes-renewable-energy-festival-this-weekend/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:40:26 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/24/st-louis-green-homes-renewable-energy-festival-this-weekend/ For a number of years, St. Louis’ Earthways Center has held a celebration of energy efficiency and renewable energy on the last weekend of September.  Vendors showed their wares, non-profit groups passed out information, and the local electric company sold CFLs for a really low price. This year, that event has morphed into the Green Homes Renewable Energy Festival, which is co-sponsored by the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. In addition to the usual displays and tours of the Center itself (a Victorian-era home in St. Louis’ Midtown which has been rehabbed into a green showpiece), visitors to this free event can enjoy:

Workshops and Presentations: Throughout the day on Saturday, Sept. 27, the festival will offer a range of workshops and presentations next door at Cardinal Ritter High School. According to the Festival’s website, “Workshops will cover a range of topics like solar and wind energy, home and vehicle efficiency, urban farming, composting, recycling, and more. Participants can attend multiple workshops for only $5.”

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/24/st-louis-green-homes-renewable-energy-festival-this-weekend/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/22/missouri-state-law-for-motorists-interacting-with-bicyclists/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/22/missouri-state-law-for-motorists-interacting-with-bicyclists/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:23:55 +0000 Adam Williams http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/22/missouri-state-law-for-motorists-interacting-with-bicyclists/ With cycling perhaps getting an uptick in popularity of late due to increasing gas prices and fuel economy concerns (and overall greater consciousness of the environment?), it seems worth noting the laws of the road — for safety and for clarification between motorists and cyclists.

Do cyclists belong on the road or the sidewalk? Should cyclists defer at all times to motorists? Who has right of way in any given situation? How can bikes and cars peacefully coexist?

Various municipal and state laws address these questions, among others. To identify what statutes apply to your home area, view the Mass Bike list, which links to various state’s laws online.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/22/missouri-state-law-for-motorists-interacting-with-bicyclists/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/23/missouri-town-powered-fully-by-wind/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/23/missouri-town-powered-fully-by-wind/#comments Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:50:59 +0000 Joshua S Hill http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/23/missouri-town-powered-fully-by-wind/ The town of Rock Port, in Missouri, is another of the growing number of towns and cities laying claim to be powered entirely by a renewable energy. And though the small town only boasts a population of 1,300, it is the first community in the United States to be powered entirely by wind power.

“That’s something to be very proud of, especially in a rural area like this - that we’re doing our part for the environment,” said Jim Crawford, a natural resource engineer at the University of Missouri Extension in Columbia.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/23/missouri-town-powered-fully-by-wind/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/28/the-little-epa-winnebago-that-could-thanks-to-wind/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/28/the-little-epa-winnebago-that-could-thanks-to-wind/#comments Wed, 28 May 2008 14:26:01 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/28/the-little-epa-winnebago-that-could-thanks-to-wind/ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken its share of lumps (and rightfully so) over the past seven Bush years, so it’s nice to see true acts of environmentalism occasionally coming from the organization.

Writing in Greenversations, the EPA’s blog, Jeffery Robichaud writes about his travels through the Midwest in a Winnebago to audit regional air-quality monitors in areas around Kansas City and St. Louis. The typically breezy nature of the region inspired one of the EPA audit team members to supplement the Winnebago’s gas-powered generator with wind energy.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/28/the-little-epa-winnebago-that-could-thanks-to-wind/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/13/trendy-thieves-eye-used-grease-metals/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/13/trendy-thieves-eye-used-grease-metals/#comments Tue, 13 May 2008 18:38:07 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/13/trendy-thieves-eye-used-grease-metals/ Rising prices for everything from copper and platinum to flour, gas and cooking oil are creating new markets for trend-minded thieves across the U.S.

With gasoline prices in the U.S. breaking new records weekly, for example, law enforcement officials are seeing more cases of cooking grease thefts from fast-food establishments and other restaurants. Why used grease? Because cooking oil can be converted into biodiesel fuel that can be sold at a cool profit.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/13/trendy-thieves-eye-used-grease-metals/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/05/first-wind-powered-city/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/05/first-wind-powered-city/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 19:00:49 +0000 Sarah Lozanova http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/05/first-wind-powered-city/ Rock Port, Missouri is the first 100% wind powered city in the US. Loess Hill Wind Farm, with four 1.25 MW wind turbines is estimated to generate 16 gigawatt hours (16 million kilowatt hours) of electricity annually. 13 gigawatts hours of electricity have historically been consumed annually by the residents and businesses of this town of 1,400 people.

The local electric company, Missouri Public Utility Alliance, will purchase excess electricity when available. They will then supply power when there is not enough wind energy available. Excess wind energy will not be stored but rather fed into the city’s high voltage line, making it an intermittent source of power.

Several factors made this smaller scale project possible. The city has a bluff within the city limits with good resources, John Deere’s Wind Energy financing the project, and proximity to the power grid.

Related Posts on Renewable Energy:

What’s Holding Wind Power Back?

Solar Thermal Electricity: Can it Replace Coal, Gas, and Oil?

The Unlimited Potential of American Wind Power: AWEA

Planetthoughts: First Town in the US to be 100% Wind Powered

Offshore Wind: How Europe Plans to Meet Clean Energy Goals

]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/05/05/first-wind-powered-city/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/01/monsanto-1-common-sense-0-for-now/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/01/monsanto-1-common-sense-0-for-now/#comments Thu, 01 May 2008 19:43:07 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/01/monsanto-1-common-sense-0-for-now/ Hats off to Derry Brownfield, a Missouri radio broadcaster who spoke truth to Monsanto’s power and, as a result, lost his access to the broadcast studio in a company he co-founded.

The Corporate Crime Reporter tells the story in great detail, but here’s the tale in a nutshell:

Thirty-five years ago, Brownfield and Clyde Lear established Learfield Communications, now one of the top college sports radio broadcasters in the U.S. Lear bought out Brownfield in 1985, but Brownfield continued to broadcast for the company from its studios, eventually hosting a daily show called The Common Sense Coalition. On that show, he recently started assailing Monsanto, the multinational king of genetically modified crops and a company known for going after farmers who knowingly or unknowingly grow Monsanto-patented crops.

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