Green Options

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Residential applications for solar panels have been making news for several years. But as rising fuel prices spur consumers to look for alternate energy sources, another clean power source is beginning to get attention: wind energy.

Even though the residential wind power sector has seen tremendous growth over the last decade, an article in The Arizona Republic estimates that there are still only 4,000 residential wind turbines nationwide. The primary reason that wind energy has been slow to take hold is that wind turbines are fairly visible, and therefore highly controversial, installations. According to the American Wind Energy Association, small wind systems (100 kilowatts or less) need to be at least 30 feet above barriers which might break the force of the air currents reaching the turbine. Right now, the industry recommends wind turbines only for sites that are at least one 1 acre in size. Consequently, wind turbines in urban areas are still quite rare. (In a September 2007 post, earth2tech featured a San Francisco home which sports a turbine, and pointed out that this may be the first urban wind turbine in the country.)

Unfortunately, individual efforts to experiment with wind power, even in outlying areas, have encountered a lot of roadblocks. Proposed turbine installations are usually evaluated by local governments on a case by case basis, since most city zoning laws have height restrictions which would implicitly prohibit turbines. Oftentimes, even if permission is granted and a turbine is erected, neighbors unite to fight the decision. (For individual turbine projects that have made news for seeking exceptions to local codes, see these articles on Wayne, New Jersey and Atlanta, Georgia).

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?

According to the Population Reference Bureau, nearly 80 percent of you probably live in an urban area. Some of you may be lucky enough to have a weekly farmers market in a nearby city park or square, but I wonder if you’ve ever thought there might be an actual farm near you. Over the past decade, a growing number of urban agriculture projects have taken root in major North American cities, making it possible for urbanites to get in on the sustainable food movement in at a whole new level. Typically not more than an acre or two, these city farms are redefining traditional cultivation practices and communities alike.

You’re an ideas person. It’s why running your own business appeals to you, and it’s the reason why you see solutions where others see problems. Turn those ideas into exposure this summer by entering the Re:Connect urban design competition.

A 200-word essay, a clever solution, and a $25 fee secure your entry into this international competition that seeks to build sustainable urban communities. Re:Connect encourages ecopreneurs to consider the role of technology in urban environments, the localization of key services, and biomimetic neighborhood design.

Register for the competition by June 1st and submit your innovative entry by June 15th for consideration. Prizes include $2,000 in cash, media promotion, and the opportunity to sustainably transform an urban landscape. While on the Re:Connect site, be sure to browse additional competitions and resources including:

Urban Agriculturalist is a series on the ways city and suburb dwellers use their land as a food resource.

Los Angeles has a dearth of publicly owned fruit trees, but who owns the fruit they produce? The three activists behind Fallen Fruit dare to ask, “Is this my banana?” By their estimate, 22 different crops can be harvested from public land trees in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles alone. Among these are citrus fruits, quava, walnuts and even prickly pear cactus pads, which can be turned into the Mexican delicacy, nopalitos. Their mission is to encourage city planners and officials to plant only fruit trees as part of municipal landscaping. Public funds and worker hours go into maintaining municipal land, so why not have these plants also produce edible harvest? Fallen Fruit also organizes fruit harvesting events, usually at night and usually in plastic lab coats for effect.

A less political example is the Fruit Tree Project of Vancouver - a community initiative that connects residents who have fruit trees on their property with soup kitchens and other community organizations that help eradicate hunger. The group also hosts canning workshops in an effort to encourage local eating during the winter months. The movement has an additional benefit: it is sponsored by Nelson Bear Aware, an organization that tries to eliminate human-bear conflict. It turns out, the spoiled fruit from urban fruit trees has been attracting bears for decades, exposing them to the possibility of being shot or run over.

A couple of weeks ago, Kemper Barkhurst at EnvironmentalSurvival.com dropped me a note about a concept he was developing: urban harvesting. In his post on the topic, Kemper notes that much (perhaps most) of the food we eat in the US travels long distances to get from farm to plate; at the same time, many people with fruit trees in their own yards let that produce go to waste. The urban harvesting service that Kemper’s proposing would assist home and landowners with harvesting that fruit:

Our mission is to directly connect this otherwise wasted fruit with the local markets, processing facilities, and food banks. We also plan to share all our experiences with this service by openly extending this information with the rest of the World. We hope others will adopt our strategy and start similar services in their own community.

Like Christopher Uhl’s neighborhood gardening concept, urban harvesting is incredibly simple and sensible. There’s no mystery to why fruit that’s as local as our own backyards often goes to waste: Kemper notes “..most homeowners lack the time and interest to properly share or store this food.” But, of course, there are people and organizations that could use this locally-grown bounty, so Urban Harvest plans to connect the supply of and demand for this fruit that will otherwise rot.

One of the ongoing challenges of the Internet seems to be the ability to provide specific, local information. Case in point: I can find the GDP of Uzbekistan ($10.78 billion, in case you’re wondering) more easily than I can find an eco-friendly dry cleaner open past 7:00 in my neighborhood. Go figure.

Luckily, companies around the country are stepping in to fill this void. Here in Los Angeles, Greenopia is definitely the leader of the

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If not us, WHO? If not here, WHERE? If not now, WHEN?

These are the questions that gave birth to the Bay Area Urban Alliance of Sustainability three years ago. With a mission to "Inspire and integrate the sustainability movement,” and a vision to "Support the transformation of the world into a harmonious social, economic and natural environment for the benefit of all," UAS is working to connect local green organizations and individuals

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These Come From Trees Sticker

What would you think if you saw one of these stickers on a paper towel dispenser in a public bathroom? The folks at TheseComeFromTrees.com hope you'll think about the source of the paper towels and use as little as possible. By placing these stickers in plain view on paper towel dispensers, they're calling out an often

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