Summer Is Here, well almost..

The spring semester is coming to an end, bringing with it the summer.  A career fair behind us, many of the students in the Rinker School of Construction at the University of Florida have found internships for the summer.  I am not one of those students.  I made the crucial error of not attending the career showcase.  In the past couple of weeks, I have been getting emails from our job placement coordinator with new openings.  In one of the more recent emails, I came across the company Ryan Homes that constructs highly energy efficient, residential communities.  They are 100 percent Energy Star certified and third-party verified to deliver savings. 

 Energy Star homes are quieter, save money, and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.  A typical Energy Star home is 20-30% more efficient than a standard home. Every home this company sells receives a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score.   They achieve efficiency through use of Energy Star appliances, an ICP air conditioning system, air ducts are sized specifically to each home to increase efficiency.  Insulation is added between living spaces and the attic, while insulated basements keep out moisture.  House wrap and silicone sealants protect against excess heat and cold and moisture.  

Kitchens are made by a company that is specially certified for environmental stewardship.  Carpeting is fully recycled and vinyl siding contains 30 percent recyclable material.  Interior and exterior paints are low in volatile organic compounds for better air quality.  Landscaping is done with native plants to reduce irrigation.  Quite frankly, I'm impressed with Ryan Homes'  dedication toward sustainability.   Nearly fifty companies came to the career fair this spring.  Some of them have projects that are sustainable.  Some also have sustainability listed as part of their commitments.  But not one company I have researched was solely committed to all sustainable construction like this residential builder. (Disclaimer: I have researched most, but not all of the companies listed on the attendance sheet)  In the future, companies will be forced to build completely green structures.  Federal and State laws are demanding less energy use from buildings.  Ryan Homes will have an advantage having built relationships with suppliers and subcontractors through the years that are already working toward sustainability.  

The career path I'd like to take includes both the residential and sustainability sides of the industry.  I've already started working the idea with my friends to either retrofit their homes or build new, net-zero energy homes!  I figure once I have some experience under my belt, they'll also be at timely point with their assets.  Hopefully, I will have also established relationships as Ryan Homes has with its suppliers and subcontractors.  Hollywood stars, meet your next green GC!

This Fracking Guy

I started my master's program at the University of Florida with the hope of one day contributing positively to society.  Having worked in other industries, I wanted to move into an industry I thought would be more meaningful.  The plan was to earn a degree in building construction and upon graduation start a job at a company that focuses on building more sustainable, green buildings.  This is my first semester enrolled in a sustainability course.  My romantic notions haven't changed.  I still want to pursue a career making sustainable, green buildings.  What has changed is it's not as easy as I thought.  There's a lot of new technology.  There are also a lot of different materials and energy resources to take into consideration. Each decision made on product and design comes with its trade-offs.  After reading and researching alternative energies, I am more confused than prior to taking this course.  Most of my past knowledge came from the media or documentaries.  And of course, both are skewed resources.  I thought there was an answer to move from oil and coal to the use of biofuels and natural gas.  Biofuels are renewable.  So, at first glance it seems to be a no-brainer, but when the cost of food and supply are affected negatively, biofuels aren't as appealing.  From what I have seen from television advertisements and a few of the president's speeches, natural gas is the future and answer to solving the United States energy dependency problem.  Advertisements suggest that natural gas is a cleaner fuel that is abundant in the United States.  It does have a cleaner burn, but the process to extract the gas has gained skepticism.  Natural gas lies trapped deep below the surface in shale rock.  In order to extract the gas, a process called fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has been developed.  

Drilling more than a mile deep and then horizontally across the rock allows for highly pressurized fluids to extract the gas.  The tunnels are lined with cement to prevent groundwater contamination, but there still seems to be leakage.  The chemicals used in the fracking process are kept secret, but growing evidence is showing a very deadly result.  Gasland is a documentary that aired on HBO that delves into the natural gas industry.  The director travels across the heartland of America exposing many communities afflicted with illness, polluted lands and lakes, and an increase in animals deaths due to the mess the natural gas companies have made by fracking.  Chemicals are released into the water.  Gas is also released into drinking water.  Many times potable water becomes saturated with gas after the drilling that flames can be lit on faucets. The natural gas companies continue to deny the harm fracking causes and many people believe natural gas to be the solution.  

What I have learned thus far this semester is to be skeptical. There is never really a complete alternative or solution.  Many times the consequences aren't known until after the process has been completed.  Society needs to look for alternatives to our current consumption and energy use, but with a cautious approach.

Spring Break 2013: I Got Hammered

This past week I had the privilege to do community service work in Statesville, North Carolina.  I had applied in the fall semester to do an alternative break through the University of Florida.  During my undergraduate years, I had never heard of such a thing.  Breaks consisted of going to Key West, Panama City,  Cancun, or some other tropical place where college students party hard every night.   I heard about these alternative breaks upon returning for my graduate degree.  I thought what better way could I spend my time.  Not only would I be contributing to the community and helping people in need, but I'd also gain hands-on experience in the field I had gone back to school to earn a master's degree in. A newsletter is sent weekly to students, and, finally, the application was advertised.  I applied early and was accepted to work with the University of Florida's Habitat for HumanityCollegiate Challenge program.  Sunday morning, the car arrived at an ungodly hour.  We drove the 9 hours up and made it before dinner.  The other school, Muhlenberg College, had already arrived and settled in. So we unpacked and became acquainted with what was to be our new home for the week.

The next morning we arrived at our site with little knowledge of how to hammer, saw, or use tools.  The foundation and a few of the piers had been built, but the rest was now up to us.  The first day consisted of hundreds of expletives and frustrated faces, hundreds of swings of the hammer, hundreds of bent nails, and a lot of hurt fingers! The morning was spent filling in dirt around the foundation wall and piers. Once the dirt had been filled, we were instructed to knock off any extra mortar that bulged out of the CMU blocks.  This is when the sustainability factor came into play.  A special insulation is applied to the slab to create a higher energy efficiency.  Its application must be made on a smooth surface, otherwise the insulation won't work properly. As we continued working through the week, I asked our general contractor, Billy, how Habitat forHumanity proceeds to build energy efficient homes.

Many steps are taken to reduce energy needs.  Some measures include sealing every crack in the home with caulking, using windows covered in a specialized film, and insulation below and above the living areas (ie crawl space and attic).  What I found to be the most interesting measure, though, is that the plumbing can only span a specific distance from the water heater.  By doing this, the water travels smaller distances and there is less loss of heat.  As the wall framing came up, we could see the layout of the house.  No surprise, the two bathrooms and kitchen are all within the same region of the house.  Sustainable homes require a lot forethought to the design.

By spending such a short time on this project, I was able to gain a better perspective of what goes into the design and building of an energy efficient home.  It was the best experience and I highly recommend everyone try it at some point.

Your 2012 Ford becomes my 2022 Ford

The European Union already has directives requiring car companies to be responsible for the recovery of a car at the end of its life.  By January of 2015, for all end-of-life vehicles, the reuse and recovery is to be a minimum of 95% by an average weight per vehicle and year. The reuse and recycling will be increased to a minimum of 85% by an average weight per vehicle and year. The vehicles produced have to have low energy consumption, easy dismantling, suitable recycling, and less toxic metals.  Essentially, the car manufacturers are leasing the cars because they are getting them back in the end.  By putting the responsibility of disposal on the manufacturer, manufacturers are becoming more innovative in design and material use.  If a company knows it is gaining material back at the end of the life cycle, it can save money and design for easier disassembly. 

 

 In the United States, Ford has announced a plan to cut landfill waste by 41%. The five year plan of Ford would take the 22.7 pounds of waste per vehicle in 2011 and cut it to 13.4 pounds of waste per vehicle by the year 2016.  They had previously cut waste by 40% from the 2007 amount of 37.9 pounds per vehicle down to the 2011 of 22.7 pounds per vehicle. By keeping with these improvements in design, Ford is significantly reducing waste to the landfill.  Ford has also announced that it plans to reduce its energy use in factories by 25 percent.  Ford's Chief Executive Officer, Alan Mulally, has introduced new hybrids and plug-in models in the past year.  They are self-proclaimed "environmental industrialists", supporting sustainability and fuel efficiency.  (Pictured above is the new model of a fuel efficient Ford Fusion.  Personally, I think it looks pretty sleek.) In Flat Rock, Michigan, Ford's assembly plant is the flagship for many pilot projects.  The paint solids that would normally be sent to landfills is being sent to nearby utility companies as a source of fuel.  Metallic particles, abrasives, and oils left from production of engine and transmission parts is being reduced by the use of less oil during lubrication.  Such projects have now been introduced in Ford's Chicago and Dearborn assembly plants.  In 2012, the company was able to create $225 million by recycling 568,000 tons of scrap metal in the United States and Canada.

Obviously, there are many steps the auto industry  has taken toward a more sustainable future.  With governments intervening through implementation of more stringent laws, innovative car designs are producing less waste. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  We see this all over the University of Florida's campus.  It is reassuring to read that an industry notorious for pollution is following suit. Reuse the metal, the nuts, and the bolts.  Reduce the fuel needed to run the cars and machines.  Reduce the raw materials extracted for new cars.  Recycle electrical parts and scrap metals.  As the second largest automaker in the United States, Ford is leading the industry toward a more sustainable future.  Hopefully, others will follow their lead.  Hopefully, the United States government  follows the European Union's lead.  It seems like I end every blog with hope.  Hope for the future. Hope that it's not too late.  Hope for change.

Restaurant Sustainability

Some of the most waste comes from restaurants.  Water, food, and energy is wasted.  From the buildings themselves, to how the food is produced and brought to the restaurant, to running the restaurant, to throwing food in the garbage, waste is everywhere.   An English chef, Arthur Potts Dawson, is trying to change the restaurant industry through his vision of sustainable restaurants.  His childhood was meager, growing up on a farm in Dorset.  With little money around, his family learned how to get by with what they had.  If it was cold, the heat wasn't turned on.  Rather they'd throw on jumpers.  Turning off the lights was essential to keeping energy costs down. Arthur's background set the stage for his passion in food and conserving resources.  He has worked along renown chefs including Jamie Oliver.  He opened two restaurants in England.  This is when he started practicing sustainability in the kitchen because he had free reign to what he wanted in his own place.  His restaurant Acorn House is made up of sustainable and recyclable floors.  The chairs are recycled and recyclable.  The tables are forestry commissioned.  There is use of wall space with shelving to hold products that customers can view.  The restaurant runs on sustainable energy, wind in particular.  All bulbs and paint are energy efficient and low chemical. There is a reconditioned coffee machine.  His emphasis is on reuse.  He uses a car tire for a pot that is growing an orange tree which uses compost as fertilizer.  His menu is created to allow the customer to choose the amount and volume of food they want as opposed to a traditional restaurant forcing you to choose what is on  its menu.  Food waste is put into a special dehydrating machine which is then put into a compost.  

He uses the compost and soil for his rooftop garden which produces much of the food used in the restaurant.  This eliminates transportation energy.  There is a water filtration system to reuse water.  Water is essential.  And so much to Arthur Potts Dawson, that his second restaurant is called Waterhouse.  

The interior design is similar to Acorn House, but Waterhouse is completely run on electricity and in particular, hydroelectricity.   There is no air conditioner, but the restaurant sits alongside a river where the temperature of the water is used to cool and heat the restaurant.   He is moving to make a total of five restaurants, but Arthur Potts Dawson is trying to reach the general public. Most people who go to his restaurants are already looking for the sustainability factor he offers.  His next project is to make a no-waste supermarket with the hopes to reach everyday people.  As more companies turn toward higher efficiency and sustainability, Arthur Potts Dawson and his restaurants could be used as a model of what's possible.

Politics, Schmolotics..Bi-Partisanship is necessary for change

We've seen super storms, such as Sandy, and droughts take huge tolls on our communities and farms.  Devastation that we are still recovering from has been noticed.  The public can no longer deny that climate change is real.  In 2009, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, and Lindsey Graham worked together with environmentalists and industries alike to propose a bill that would shift America's carbon consumption.  Upon sitting with the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, they introduced their bill.  Emanuel informed them if they could not get the 60 votes needed by the Senate to pass the bill, the White House would put little effort into climate change.  The senators had the backing of major green parties and even the biggest polluters in industry.  This was unheard of! But now they needed the backing of the Senate.  The Senate was comprised of 59 Democrats, just under the 60 required to pass the bill.  Of the 59 Democrats, certainly a few would deny the bill.  The three sat with Emanuel to assure him that five Republicans would pass the bill, one of which was sitting across from him, Lindsey Graham.  The trio, comprised of a Democrat, Republican, and an Independent, could change their reputations and that of the Senate by working together for a brighter future.  

In this year's State of the Union Address, President Obama vowed to make climate change a priority. The solution, it seems, is to introduce a market-based solution. It comes in the form of cap-and-trade.  The mechanism promotes innovation through incentives.  A company is limited to the amount it can pollute.  There are environmental taxes to be paid based on the amount of pollution created.  If a company chooses to innovate and comes in under the allowable pollution set by permits, they can 'trade' with other companies.  The 'trade' is when the company coming under their pollution allotment sells their permits to companies who may use more energy and create more pollution.  By adding extra incentive through the generation of extra income, a company will look for better solutions.  With the backing of the White House, it seems we are heading in the right direction.  Looking for alternative forms of energy will mitigate climate change, boost the economy, and lessen the dependency America has on foreign countries for sources of fuel.  

Many Republicans look at climate change as being a farse, but hopefully they will realize change needs to be made before it's too late.  The environment shouldn't be a party issue, but a priority of the people.  Future generations are dependent on what we do now!  Polls show a high support of President Obama's statement for climate change efforts.  Hopefully, the Senate will listen to the people and also show support.

GMOs

As a higher percentage of energy comes from biofuel, the effect of weather becomes greater.  Biofuel needs to stay competitive economically, but global warming's impact is already being seen, extreme storms and weather patterns in recent years are affecting crop production.  There is no guarantee in a given year that the crop will have a high yield.  Another source for biofuel is through second-generation technology.  It requires non-food or non-grain crops as a primary source of feedstock.  Most of the cellolosic biofuel can be made with grasses that do not require nutrients that food crops require.  The main obstacle is the high production cost incurred during the conversion process from the lignified plant cell walls which limits large-scale adoption of cellulosic ethanol production. Transgenic alterations, also known as genetically modifying an organism, are one way to reduce the high production cost.  The breakdown and yield become more efficient when the grass is altered genetically.  Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, have been used in food crop production. Companies such as Monsanto provide farmers with seed that has been modified to withstand the Monsanto herbicide.  

There are many benefits to using genetically modified seeds for crop and biofuel production.  There is typically a higher yield due to insecticides and herbicides applied to the fields. Plant disease and insect infestation become a nonfactor in risk of production.  Some GMOs also show promise of withstanding more extreme weather.  Future seeds may be able to withstand drought.  With the production of a higher yield in food crop, overall food prices will not increase with the use of crop for biofuel.  Genetically modified grasses can be used instead of starch crops for biofuel.  It seems like a no-brainer to turn to genetically modified organisms, but they do not come without cost either.

The debate on health risks is first of all based on theoretical considerations, and second on the knowledge derived from mammalian experiments fed on GMOs.  There is little known about the effects genetically modified organisms have on the human body.  Some studies on animals suggest that GMOs have serious health risks including immune system problems, accelerating aging, disruption of insulin and cholesterol regulation, gastrointestinal issues, and changes in organs. Not only is there a risk to humans, but also to the environment.  Massive amounts of herbicides are sprayed that have led to resistant weeds.  It is similar to the idea of a 'superbug' that has adapted and mutated itself to exposure of antibiotics.

Prior to researching biofuel production and cost, it seemed the clear-cut answer to the world's energy crisis.  Upon further review, there is no definitive answer.  Biofuel is a cleaner fuel that is renewable.  There is no question the world needs to move away from nonrenewable energy sources.  Is biofuel the complete answer?  It is probably not.  The cost to poorer communities and developing countries is too great.  Food price increases would be detrimental to all.    Genetically modified organisms could provide a solution to higher production and less weather dependent crops, but they do not come without a cost.  There are too many unknown consequences to using GMOs.  A more balanced solution is needed.  Biofuels used in combination with other energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro could be the solution the world needs.