Chicago Charged Up About Electric Vehicles

Soon there will be a lot more charging options for Chevy Volt owners in Chicago. Image Credit:  www.chevrolet.posterous.com

Rahm Emanuel's mayoral victory isn't the only event electrifying the Windy City lately. The City of Broad Shoulders has big ambitions to become the most-electrified city in the U.S. in terms of number of charging stations installed in the region.

The city of Chicago and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently announced plans to install 280 charging stations by the end of 2011. The announcement of the $8.9 million Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project is notable for the amount of what are called "DC quick-chargers" that can recharge an electric car battery to 80% capacity in only 30 minutes.

After a competitive bidding process, the contractor for the installation and maintenance of the charging stations will be San Diego-based 350Green LLC.

And Chicago is doing a lot more to solidify its credentials as one of the greenest large cities in America. Chitown was recently recognized by Smarter Cities -- a project of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Chicago earned a place among the top 15 U.S. smart cities through innovative measures such as having businesses display a bus tracker to their customers and increasing the efficiency of freight train movement in and out of Chicagoland.

Metro Escalators: The Sound of Epic Failure

Image Credit: WTOP/Andrew Pitts

Washington Metro's escalator problems have been well documented. And to the subway system's credit, they are taking measures to repair and replace their many escalators, which have been poorly maintained over the years and frequently break down or even worse, put passengers in danger by malfunctioning in operation.

Just last Friday morning an escalator at the Foggy Bottom station collapsed, "creating a gaping hole in the ascending staircase" writes the Washington Post. And this embarrassing incident happened at the same station where Metro recently began a three year project to replace three older escalators with new ones.

Perhaps the best example of Metro's epic fail when it comes to its escalators is at the East Falls Church station on the Orange Line in Arlington. I remember visiting this station months ago and hearing what sounded like a dying whale or the ghosts of poor lost transit souls stuck underneath the escalators. Whatever the escalators sounded like, it was, in a word, horrific.

Fast forward to last Friday night at EFC and what do I hear but the same awful sounds, except this time they are coming from both escalators, not just one, creating a symphony of horror for the poor patrons waiting outside in the cold for their train.

Here is video of the escalator from hell. Be sure to turn up the volume very loud to get the full effect.

Now, contrast this with a YouTube video I found of an escalator ride on the fast, efficient, clean and quiet Vancouver SkyTrain mass transit system. This video was taken at the underground Granville Station, which is directly underneath downtown Vancouver and opened in 1985. That makes this station a year older than the East Falls Church station. Yes, folks, that's right. East Falls Church opened in 1986.

But this is what happens when one country, that being Canada, funds its public transportation system, and when another, America, neglects its buses and trains in favor of the automobile. So while transit systems across the country have to fight for funding every single year just to maintain their aging infrastructure, and deficit-crazed House Republicans want to target the miniscule $150 million in federal funding Metro receives, Canadians enjoy bipartisan support for government funding of public transit. This is exemplified on the Canadian government's website Infrastructure Canada, which features three dedicated funding sources to improve infrastructure and transit across Canada, part of a seven-year program called the Building Canada Plan -- $2.1 billion for the Gateways and Border Crossing Fund; $1.25 billion for the Public-Private Partnership Fund; and $8.8 billion for the Building Canada Fund. And longer term regional funding sources include the Gas Tax Fund, Goods and Services Tax Rebate and Provincial-Territorial Base Fund.

No wonder Vancouver has topped the list of the world's most livable cities for the past five years. The West Coast city in British Columbia scored a 98 in the 2011 Liveability Ranking and Overview by the Economic Intelligence Unit. The rankings factored in stability, healthcare, education, environment and infrastructure. Other Canadian cities in the top ten include Toronto at number four and Calgary in fifth.

The highest American city is Pittsburgh at 29. That's right. 28 cities were ranked higher than the first city in the United States. The point is, our leaders need to recognize the urgency of committing to a dedicated funding source -- what would be called a National Infrastructure Bank -- to reverse America's decline. Because unless we find a way to pay for infrastructure and transit improvements now then the deficit won't matter when our bridges collapse and our trains stop working.

Tesla Motors Opens D.C. Showroom

Tesla Motors -- the pioneering Palo Alto, California-based electric car company -- recently opened their sixteenth worldwide showroom and first in Washington, D.C.

In addition to showcasing the iconic Roadster -- the zero emissions sports car that gets 245 miles per charge and 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds -- the opening night reception also featured the Model S Sedan, which will be available in 2012 and is slated to get 300 miles to a charge. The Model S Sedan will be entirely manufactured in California, creating thousands of domestic jobs in the process.

"We think D.C. is a fantastic market," said Tesla spokesperson Camille Rickets, who also told Green Center that there are close to 50 Roadsters already owned in the D.C. area.

"We are hoping to sell a lot of cars in the D.C. area. We think the people in D.C. are very savvy and have a great sense of the environmental goals behind Tesla, but also value energy security and energy independence," said Rickets.

Uniquely, the opening night event also celebrated SpaceX's historic December flight of the Dragon spacecraft by displaying the charred but intact module (the reentry into the earth's atmosphere through temperatures of 2,000 to 3,000 degrees really leaves a mark). The space exploration company is owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which is the reason behind the joint celebration.

"I think we really share a philosophy of innovation, and what that means is we are both taking very unique approaches to goals that have been stated for years – commercial space flight and electric vehicles," said Rickets.

Added Rickets: "It’s incredibly fun to see people respond to the cars in the showroom. Yesterday people were just walking by with the lights on and just put their faces up against the glass. And people were like 'wow, this is an electric car?' For some reason there is this disbelief where they say 'no really, there is no gas in this car?' And you have to tell them a couple times before they catch on."

Obama's Budget: Win Future With Clean Energy

President Barack Obama wants the love affair to begin between America and clean energy. On Valentine's Day the Commander-in-Chief unveiled his 2012 budget and it includes $8 billion for clean energy. The President also wants us to break up with fossil fuels, so he is asking Congress to repeal oil, natural gas and coal subsidies to pay for the clean energy investments.

Some highlights of the budget include:

• $3.2 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
  
  
• Promoting renewable energy and energy efficient projects with $300 million in credit subsidies to support approximately $3-4 billion in projects.
  
  
• $36 billion to help jumpstart the domestic nuclear power industry.
  
  
• $5.4 billion to the Office of Science to expand research into energy and environmental solutions.
  
  
• $550 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to continue support for the promising early-stage research projects that could deliver game-changing clean energy technologies.

While there are sure to be battles in Congress over the budget, let us all hope that our leaders can come to some sort of consensus that in order to keep America moving forward, we need stop our subsidies to 20th century energy sources like oil, coal and natural gas and instead ramp up investments in 21st century clean energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels.

Keeping America competitive in the global clean energy race has to be a bipartisan issue.

D.C. Auto Show Gets Volt of Energy

This wasn't your typical auto show in our Nation's Capital. Not when the major car makers are trying to out-green each other instead of out-gas-guzzle their competitors. Heck, even Cadillac was showing off a Hybrid version of the Escalade.

Of course, GM was happily showing off their new clean, green Michigan machine -- the plug-in hybrid electric Chevy Volt. And not to be left out, Ford was grinning over its all-electric Ford Focus. Downstairs Nissan was beaming over its 100 miles-to-a-charge, zero tailpipe emissions Nissan Leaf. And not to be outdone, Toyota was offering test drives of its popular Prius brand, which started the whole hybrid craze.

I took a spin around the Washington Convention Center neighborhood of Mount Vernon Square in a 2010 Prius with professional driver Jeff Andretti, who told me that he has heard testimonies of people getting 55-60 miles per gallon highway and up to 70 mpg in the city with their Prius. That means very few trips to the big bad gas pump and more money in their pockets.

Jeff Andretti gives a thumbs up to the Toyota Prius.

Tafara Brumbeck, a product specialist at Chevrolet, went over the many benefits of the Volt, including the fact that it is the only EV that you can plug into a standard 110 or 120 volt outlet. And of course the range extending gas generator that allows you to travel hundreds of extra miles beyond the 40 miles you get on a charge.

And if you charge the Volt at night during off-peak hours it will only cost about $1.50 a day for a charge, which is about the same as your standard refrigerator and freezer. So that comes out to roughly $40 a month to charge up the Volt or the Leaf, as compared to the average $40 a week most Americans spend on gasoline. So you are talking about a potential savings of $120 a month and $1440 a year. Brumbeck told me that the mpge, or miles per gallon equivalent, on a single charge is 93 mpge. And even in range extending mode it is a solid 37 mpge, which combined make for an incredibly fuel efficient vehicle.

I asked about the General Electric charging station on display and Brumbeck informed me that GE is currently working with a number of utility companies to make EVs a nationwide and global phenomenon.

"More charging stations will make it more convenient for everybody and continue this trend of electric vehicles," said Brumbeck.

Michael White of the Electric Vehicle Association of Washington, D.C. helped to dispel some common myths about electric vehicles. He said the group was founded in 1985 because they weren't going to wait for industry and the government to get us off our oil dependency and wanted to educate people about the many benefits of owning an electric vehicle.

Michael White, right, talks about the electric Smart Car with a visitor to the D.C. Auto Show.

White said one of the biggest myths he has to correct is that electric cars are simply taking pollution from the tailpipe to the power plant.

"Technically that is true until you realize the reason electricity is cheaper at night is because they have to generate 24/7, it's just not being used. The utilities have excess capacity at night to charge like four million cars," said White. "When you look at it like that, power plants are a bit more efficient than cars." He added that many utilities are integrating more renewable energy sources into the power grid as well. For example, Pacific Gas & Electric maintains the largest private hydroelectric power system in the country.

Another popular exhibit in the cavernous building was the one featuring actual biomass, which looks like a bundle of hay. Novozymes North America spokesperson Jason Blake said the Danish company was showing how it is investing in renewable, sustainable biosolutions.

"We're here today to try to educate the public about the benefits of second generation cellulosic ethanol," said Blake. He said there is a lot of agricultural reside left on different farming locations that can be used for fuel. There is a lot of leftover sugars in corn stover, wood chips and even trash and waste that can be fermented into ethanol.

This bundle of corn stover can fuel that car.

Blake said the biomass on display was made of corn stems, leaves and even some corn cobs all rolled up. At one ton, this biomass can be converted into 100 U.S. gallons of ethanol.

"What we are trying to demonstrate today is that getting access to these types of agricultural residue can create biofuels that decrease our reliance on foreign oil, help the domestic economy, bring jobs back to America as well as bring a better world around us because the CO2 emissions from this particular ethanol is a reduction of about 90 percent of greenhouse gas emissions," said Blake.

'Gasland' Exposes Evil of Natural Gas Drilling

Would you drink this water?

I just saw the powerful Oscar-nominated film "'Gasland" by Director Josh Fox and it is the most important film of the year. What is being done in communities across the country is a crime. This is the United States of America and the oil and gas industry is running roughshod all over this great country in the name of creating jobs and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

The consequences of this unregulated hydraulic fracturing of oil shales is nothing short of catastrophic for the victims who happen to live near one of the thousands of facilities popping up seemingly everywhere. "Gasland" documents cases of contaminated drinking water in communities from Kansas to Colorado and the results are incredibly disturbing.

These toxic chemicals are seeping into the water supply without sufficient regulation as a passive Environmental Protection Agency is unwilling to effectively monitor companies like Halliburton that were able to dismiss themselves from the Clean Water Act and other environmental and health protection laws thanks to Dick Cheney and his oil and gas industry friends in Congress, who exempted fracking from regulation in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

The water in Iraq and Afghanistan is cleaner than some of the water tested in "Gasland." If this is the consequence of energy independence than no thanks. What I wished the film did at the end was make the case for other forms of renewable energy that don't endanger the rivers, humans and wildlife like drilling for natural gas does. Imagine all the needless suffering that could be averted if we just invested more in solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and biofuels.

We are making the same mistakes we made when we went crazy drilling for oil and mining for coal. I hope "Gasland" wins an Oscar so more people see how greedy and sinister the oil and gas industry is.

Why Republicans Should Love High Speed Rail

House Republicans want to kill this? Say it ain't so.

According to the Wall Street Journal, House Republicans are going to fight President Obama's passenger-rail plans. Why? We are attempting a new era of bipartisanship to move this country into the 21st century and the GOP is blocking the one issue everyone should be able to agree on. Again, I ask why?

Earlier this week Vice President Joe Biden, a formerly frequent Amtrak train traveler from Wilmington, Delaware to Washington, D.C., spoke at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station about the importance of rail travel in America and the White House's plan to invest $53 billion over the next six years on building and upgrading passenger rail lines to achieve true high speeds similar to what Europeans and Asians have been enjoying for decades.

So these shortsighted Republicans would like to continue to hold American citizens hostage to an antiquated 20th century passenger rail network while traffic worsens and the grip tightens on our addiction to foreign oil. It just doesn't make sense. Not only does the GOP want to cut funding for high speed rail, but they want to cut funding for Amtrak as well. All in the name of the deficit and taxes -- two familiar themes the GOP loves to talk about that have no basis in reality when it comes to modernizing our badly outdated transportation infrastructure.

But shouldn't Republicans be for improved passenger rail service? It creates jobs, helps American business be more competitive by reducing travel times, conserves the environment by reducing the carbon footprint, and increases our national security by lessening our dependence on foreign oil.

I thought conservatives were all about "conserving," which should apply to energy and the environment. I also thought conservatives were all about making it easier to do business. Wouldn't zipping on a high speed rail line from DC to NYC or LA to SF increase productivity? And what about all the talk of increasing national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil?

Does the rigid ideology of obstructionism, deficit hawkism and anti-tax fervor trump all that?

It appears some House Republicans would like us to lose the future. I hope Obama doesn't let that happen.

Why Representative Doug Lamborn is Wrong About Energy

In an op-ed column in the Washington Examiner Tuesday, Doug Lamborn, a Republican Representative from Colorado's 5th District and Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, lambasted the Obama Administration for not taking action to "drill, baby, drill."

Mr. Lamborn takes the oil, gas and coal industry line that these fossil fuels are somehow marginalized and that we aren't fully taking advantage of our domestic energy resources. Really Mr. Lamborn? Sir, with all due respect, this is not constructive and not in the spirit of bipartisan solutions to our energy and climate problems.

And speaking of climate, not once does Mr. Lamborn mention how the carbon emissions from our excessively heavy use of oil, gas and coal to feed our insatiable appetite for cheap energy contributes to climate change.

Nor does Mr. Lamborn mention the unfairly large oil, gas and coal industry tax breaks and the miniscule amount of money this country invests in renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectricity, geothermal and biofuels. I find it ironic in a piece that is titled "Natural resources hold the key to economy, creating jobs," that Mr. Lamborn leaves out the most abundant resources available to us -- the sun, the wind, the waves, thermal energy and the many sources like algae that make biofuels.

Do these clean energy industries not create American jobs Mr. Lamborn? And without polluting the environment and endangering the health of millions of Americans and sacrificing the future of the planet.

And Mr. Lamborn goes on to criticize environmental regulations against oil shale drilling for natural gas, but fails to mention the countless communities that have had their water supply contaminated by unregulated drilling.

And Mr. Lamborn, while praising the mining industry for creating jobs, fails again to mention the egregious safety violations from companies such as Massey Energy.

What Mr. Lamborn just doesn't get is that he is propping up 20th century forms of energy that are harmful and finite. What he should be doing is supporting the Obama Administration in their forward-thinking efforts to transition America more towards renewable energy sources.

Contrary to his statement that the president needs to "reverse his attack on American energy," Obama is doing everything he can to move American energy into the 21st century. But his vision of American energy is very different than yours Mr. Lamborn. Wind, solar, geothermal, hydro power and biofuels are actually sustainable, while oil, coal and gas are not. It really is as simple as that.

And what exactly is our government, military and private industry doing without the help of an intransigent Congress deeply tied to the fossil fuels industry?

Here are some examples both large and small:

• The Department of Energy is pursuing the "SunShot" initiative to reduce the costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by about 75% to make solar panels cost competitive with other energy sources by the end of the decade.
  
  
• Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced a major initiative to boost offshore wind power, including funding opportunities of up to $50.5 million for projects to support offshore wind energy. This will help realize President Obama's goal of generating 80% of the nation's electricity from clean energy sources by 2035.
  
  
• DOE is leveraging fossil energy expertise to test the reliability and efficiency of geothermal power generation at oil and gas fields. The goal is to reduce the upfront costs of geothermal development and improve its effectiveness.
  
  
• The U.S. Air Force is testing biofuels to power its plane engines with the goal of acquiring half of its domestic jet fuel from alternate sources by 2016.
  
  
• Washington State, where Boeing manufactures its airplanes, is proposing legislation to promote making aviation fuel out of wood waste.
  
  
• British Airways is working with U.S. company Solena to build a facility in London to convert household waste to fuel.
  
  
• North Jersey Media Group is working with KDC Solar to install 20,400 solar panels at the publisher's Rockaway, New Jersey printing and packaging plant.
  
  
• Cox Communications has completed an 800kW fuel cell installation in Orange County, California. The alternative energy installation joins a 100kW photovoltaic rooftop array.
  

'Gasland' Director Josh Fox Responds to Gas Industry Attacks

Director Josh Fox has written an open letter to journalists condemning the attempts by the oil and gas industry to remove his documentary "Gasland" from Oscar consideration. The anti-fracking film has stirred up controversy because of its claims that drilling for natural gas is contaminating the water supply.

Here is the press release:

February 7, 2011 -- With the recent Oscar nomination of my documentary film GASLAND, Big Gas and their PR attack machine hit a new low in its blatant disregard for the truth.

In an unprecedented move, an oil and gas industry front group sent a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences saying that the film should be ineligible for best documentary feature.

We are honored and encouraged by the Academy’s nomination. It is terrific to be acknowledged as filmmakers by the film world’s most prestigious honor. But perhaps more than that, I believe that the nomination has provided hope, inspiration and affirmation for the thousands of families out there who are suffering because of the natural gas drilling. The Oscars are about dreams, and I know that for all of us living with the nightmare of gas drilling the nomination provides further proof that someone out there cares.

Now Big Gas wants to take that away, as they have shattered the American dream for so many.

GASLAND exposes the disaster being caused across the U.S. by the largest domestic natural gas drilling campaign history and how the contentious Halliburton-developed drilling technology called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking threatens the water supply of millions.

Fracking is a whole-scale industrialization process that pumps millions of gallons of toxic material directly into the ground. Thousands of documented contamination cases show the harmful chemicals used have been turning up in people's water supplies in fracking areas all over the map.

We stand behind the testimonials, facts, science and investigative journalism in the film 100 percent. We have issued a point-by-point rebuttal of the group’s claims (“Affirming Gasland”), posted on our website: www.gaslandthemovie.com.

It’s not just us they’re after. The gas industry goes after anyone who tries to punch a hole in their lie. Last week the same pro-drilling group, Energy in Depth (EID), attacked an investigative piece on drilling pollution by ProPublica, the highly credible public interest journalism organization.

And just last week, T. Boone Pickens, the most visible promoter of gas fracking, went on The Daily Show claiming that he personally has fracked over 3,000 wells and never witnessed any contamination cases, even when Jon Stewart asked him about GASLAND point blank. He simply stated over and over again the industry lie, that fracking is safe. Not a single word of acknowledgement, or responsibility for the claims of thousands and the threat posed to millions.

The gas industry believes it can create a new reality in which their nationwide onshore drilling campaign isn’t a disaster. But no amount of PR money or slick ads can keep the stories of contamination coming from thousands of Americans from being any less true.

On Monday, Congressional investigators called out frackers for pumping millions of gallons of diesel fuel directly into the ground, exposing drinking water sources to benzene and other carcinogens. This makes EID’s specious and misleading attack on the science and data in GASLAND especially ironic since Halliburton stonewalled Congressman Henry Waxman’s investigation into fracking, refusing to provide data on their use of diesel and other harmful chemicals injected in the fracking process.

There are major watershed areas providing water to millions of Americans that are at risk here, including the watershed areas for New York City and Philadelphia. The catastrophe has been widely covered not only in GASLAND, but also by hundreds of news stories, films and TV segments. This is a moment of crisis that cannot be understated.

Even before its release, the power of the film was not lost on the industry. In the March 24th edition of the Oil and Gas Journal, Skip Horvath, the president of the Natural Gas Supply Association said that GASLAND is “well done. It holds people’s attention. And it could block our industry.”

GASLAND was seen by millions and I personally toured with the film to over 100 cities. In affected areas, people came to the screenings with their contaminated water samples in tow. They came to have the truth they know shared and confirmed

As Maurice D. Hinchey, U.S. Representative (NY-22) recently said, “Thanks to GASLAND and the millions of grassroots activists across the country, we finally have a counterweight to the influence of the oil and gas industry in our nation's capital."

Big Gas is blocking the truth in their pursuit of hundreds of billions of dollars of profit. Their clear goal is to ensure our nation remains addicted to fossil fuels for the rest of this century. They seek to stifle the development of truly renewable energy.

They’re playing dirty in more ways than one, attacking the film and the testimonials and science in it instead of taking responsibility and addressing the contamination, destruction and harm that they are creating. I now know how the people in my documentary feel, to have the things they know to be true and the questions they are raising so blatantly discounted and smeared. It is truly unfortunate that the gas-drilling industry continues to deny what is so obvious to Americans living in gaslands across the nation.

Josh Fox
Director, GASLAND

www.gaslandthemovie.com

Garamendi Goes High Tech With Mobile Video Town Hall

John Garamendi, a Democrat, represents California's 10th congressional district. The district includes San Francisco's East Bay suburbs of Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

Tomorrow at 9:15 p.m. EST/6:15 p.m. PST, California Congressman John Garamendi will make history when he becomes the first Member of Congress to host a Mobile Video Town Hall. The event will be live streamed on the website Visible Vote with the ability for anyone to submit questions during the telecast. Visible Vote is also available on Facebook and as a free app on Google Android, iPhone and Blackberry smartphones. Here is Garamendi in his own words about this historic event:

"In the days of Washington and Jefferson, Members of Congress had a difficult time reaching the people they represented. A horse and buggy ride from Washington, DC to most states in the union was quite the journey, and most Americans were lucky to have access to their Congressperson one month a year. From the railroad to the telegraph to commercial air travel to this blog, new technologies have made it easier for Members of Congress to reach the American people. On Tuesday, February 8th, at 9:15 PM EST/6:15 PM PST, I'm honored to continue in this tradition by becoming the first Member of Congress to host a live mobile video town hall - or as Josh Richman at the Oakland Tribune coined it, 'Garamendi on the Go.'"

Washington Greenskins?

The Dallas Cowboys cleaned up Johnson Creek near their new environmentally friendly stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Dear Washington Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder,

We all know these are troubled times for Washington's football franchise. During your unfortunate tenure over the Redskins, you have managed to accomplish the one thing I didn't think was possible -- lose the Nation's Capital.

Yes, there is still a huge population -- mostly inner city African-Americans and rural white Virginians -- that will pack in FedEx Field win or lose. And there are even fans who will defend you over your frivolous lawsuit against the Washington City Paper. And, there are even certain citizens who will vigorously defend the racist name of the team. But it is a losing battle.

Regardless of what side of the fence you are on, the name has created controversy when the focus should be on the team. It has become a negative distraction. These are more racially sensitive times we live in (there is a black man in the White House) and the Redskins is a name from a bygone era, coined by their rabidly racist owner George Preston Marshall, who stubbornly refused to integrate the team until he was forced to by the federal government under the threat of revoking the lease on D.C. Stadium (now R.F.K. Stadium). Shamefully, the color barrier was broken on the Redskins a full 15 years after the rest of the league had integrated.

So here is my proposal, Mr. Snyder, if you want to bring back the fans who want to root for the team but cringe at the thought of the racist name and logo. Go Green. Huh? If you want to one-up your arch rivals -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, then out-green them. You see, not only do their team names not offend an entire part of the population (well, unless you are a cowboy or eagle I guess), but their stadiums -- Cowboys Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field -- are two of the greenest stadiums in the world. In fact, they are even featured in National Geographic's picture guide to the greenest stadiums.

An eco-friendly highlight of Cowboys Stadium includes the restoration of a creek next to the stadium to get fans out of their cars and into nature. And The Linc plans to deliver 100% of its energy from renewable sources by the start of next season -- from 2,500 solar panels, 80 vertical wind turbines, and a generation plant that can run on biodiesel.

An artist rendering of a greener Lincoln Financial Field with wind turbines lining the top of the stadium.

So Danny Boy, I'm not advocating you change the name of the team to Greenskins (even though that would still be better than Redskins). The right thing to do is to change the team name, but whatever the new name will be, whether Senators or Presidents or Monuments or whatever, that is for you to decide. No, what I'm advocating for is a green initiative for your football team.

That means greening FedEx Field by investing in clean energy like The Linc. It means promoting sustainable waste management, water conservation and local, healthy food options. And it means encouraging fans to take Metro and other forms of public transportation to the game instead of only promoting expensive parking as an option. That also means working towards eventually building a new transit-friendly stadium in the District of Columbia.

Otherwise, Mr. Snyder, if you continue the unsustainable course you are on with the offensive name and suburban stadium and lawsuits, well then, Washingtonians are smart enough to spend their time and money elsewhere. I for one am now a Baltimore Ravens fan. And there is a gigantic city on the other coast that is clamoring for a football team. Los Angeles is close to building a new stadium downtown next to the L.A. Live complex and they would love to have the Redskins (with a name change of course). The $1 billion, 75,000 seat stadium aims to be the NFL's first LEED-certified facility by using 40% less steel than other stadiums, integrating mass transit and using solar power and reclaimed water. Check out this L.A. football promotional video and get your act together Daniel.



Sincerely,

Former Washington football team fan and current Baltimore Ravens fan

Charging Up the Chamber of Commerce

On Monday President Obama will head across Lafayette Park to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to extend an olive branch to the organization that has been at odds with his administration the past two years.

I commend the president for attempting the thaw the relationship with this important business lobbying group.

As much as those of us who care about climate change and clean energy cringe at the thought of the president reaching out to the Chamber of Commerce, any attempt to bring this organization to the center is a good thing for keeping America competitive in the 21st century global marketplace.

While it is outrageous the Chamber of Commerce is opposed to regulating greenhouse gas emissions, questions the science behind global warming, defends the fossil fuel industry and the worst polluters, and puts its money behind right-wing Republicans, this is still an important business lobbying group that wields enormous influence. We simply have no choice but to deal with it, and Obama understands that.

While some companies such as Apple and Nike have left the Chamber of Commerce over its climate positions, others such as General Electric have made public their dissatisfaction with the Chamber regarding its opposition to climate legislation. In fact, the Chamber would be wise to listen to members like GE, because they are leading the way in creating clean energy jobs here in America. The company is currently undergoing a green renaissance with what it calls "ecomagination." I saw it firsthand at the D.C. Auto Show when I witnessed a GE charging station next to the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle display.

This is the sort of American innovation that the Chamber of Commerce has dismissed for far too long. Hopefully Obama and the Chamber can reach some common ground and instead of being an obstacle, the Chamber will be an important part of America moving forward to a clean energy future.

Check out GE's Electric Cow Biogas Technology Super Bowl Commercial:

Awesome Expo Line Video

The Expo Light Rail Line is moving full steam ahead in Los Angeles. When completed, it will be the first rail line to connect downtown to the Westside since the Pacific Electric Railway, which was the largest electric railway system in the world at its peak in 1925. The commute from downtown to Santa Monica will take 46 minutes. Sounds better than sitting in traffic on the 10 freeway doesn't it? Phase one of the 15.2 mile line will end at Culver City with service expected to begin this year. The extension to Santa Monica will be ready for service in 2015. Exciting times for public transit in the traffic-choked City of Angels!

Here is the video:

Anti-Fracking Film Creates Controversy

The documentary "Gasland" has been nominated for an Academy Award and the oil and gas industry is not pleased about it. An industry group recently sent a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences claiming that the many factual errors in the film should rule it ineligible for best documentary.

I have not seen the film, but plan to. My view is that hopefully this controversy will help create a constructive national conversation about the pros and cons of shale gas extraction and the hydraulic fracturing method. What are the benefits to reducing our dependence on foreign oil? How much cleaner burning is this fossil fuel then petroleum? How clean is natural gas compared to renewable energy sources like wind, solar and geothermal? What are the health and environmental consequences of unregulated drilling? Is it contaminating the water supply? Do we need more government regulations and oversight of industry so they have clear safety guidelines?

Obviously there have been lots of questions generated by this film. Click here for the link to the Greenwire story on the Oscar controversy and watch a preview of "Gasland" below.

Trailer

Scientists: Smart Meters Are Safe

Smart Meters are crucial to fighting climate change because they are the first step in implementing the Smart Grid, which promises to make it easier for households to become more energy efficient and also integrate clean energy sources into their residential electricity system.

That is why it is a relief that, unlike cell phones, there is no cause for concern with the radiofrequency (RF) radiation of Smart Meters. That’s because the wireless devices produce an infrequent and incredibly weak RF field, according to scientists interviewed by Green Center. Essentially they are computers that automatically send real-time information to the utility allowing homeowners to electronically manage their energy usage.

The meters not only exceed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) safety standards, but mainstream scientific groups including the World Health Organization, the National Cancer Institute, Health Canada and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention all say that low-intensity RF is safe.

Green Center interviewed two experts in the area of radiation about the risks associated with Smart Meters. They were:

-- Richard Tell, who has 38 years of experience working on issues related to RF hazards, including stints at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where he served as Chief of the Electromagnetics Branch and helped develop public exposure standards for RF fields;

-- and Dr. Jerold T. Bushberg, Clinical Professor of Radiology and Radiation Oncology at the University of California-Davis School of Medicine, and a member of the main scientific council of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP) as well as its Scientific Advisory Committee on Radiation Protection in Medicine.

Tell says that Smart Meters are so low powered that they operate in FCC license free bands, meaning they are deemed very unlikely to cause interference because they use an ultra high frequency of 900 mhz and one watt or less of power.

“They transmit very infrequently in terms of percentage of times of day. As an example, they may only transmit a few seconds in a day,” Tell explained. “If you look at the intensity of the field produced by transmitters, the RF fields are quite low in comparison to applicable safety standards for human exposure.”

Both Tell and Bushberg believe the current FCC standards are adequate. But Bushberg says the agency goes even a step further by requiring every meter to go through a stringent certification test to meet FCC rules.

“The evidence with low exposure to smart meters is very reassuring and the standards are adequate,” said Bushberg. However, he did caution that no legitimate scientist will ever say that any chemical agent is 100% safe, and that there are still things the scientific community would like to know and that further tests are warranted.

He said there is a latency period between exposure to a carcinogen such as radiation, and cancer. This period varies depending on the strength of the carcinogen and the type of cancer. That is why he advocates for epidemiology studies on populations that are occupationally exposed to high levels of radiation, such as plastics workers and cell tower climbers.

“Of all the exposures of RF energy, Smart Meters would be very low and relatively easy to avoid,” said Bushberg.

Both Tell and Bushberg say that RF intensity inside the home is very low because as you back off only a few feet from the meter the intensity drops off dramatically. Also, meters transmit their signals out away from the homes they are mounted on, not towards the house. And finally, building materials and walls reduce the intensity of the already weak signal.

But what about people who claim they suffer from something called electrohypersensitivity, a condition that causes insomnia, split second head aches, high pitched ringing in the ears and nausea.

“I don’t understand how the RF fields produced by the Smart Meters (could) have caused any effects in these people. What I’m saying is that the strength produced by Smart Meters is so feeble in comparison to any health side effects of it. It’s not plausible,” said Tell.

And what about mesh networks and many meters in close proximity in an apartment complex. Wouldn’t that increase the intensity? No, says Tell, because the RF fields are linear so if you are close up to them you will only be exposed to the meter right in front of you. And if you back up a long distance from the meters, the RF is so weakened by the point it reaches you that it is harmless.

There are also some people who advocate for fiber optics instead of the wireless Smart Meter. According to Tell, this approach is not realistic because it is infinitely more expensive to have a wired connection to each home that wants one. And he says if people are really concerned about being exposed to radiation by a wireless Smart Meter, then the alternative of sending signals over a power line by a carrier current will have the unintended consequences of creating RF concerns near the power line and on the wires that go into your house.

The Obama Administration allocated $3.4 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to jumpstart the installation of Smart Meters in every home as the first step in the National Smart Grid that will enhance energy efficiency and make widespread adoption of renewable energy easier.

“This investment will place Smart Meters in homes to make our energy bills lower, make outages less likely and make it easier to use clean energy,” President Barack Obama said on February 17, 2009 after signing the bill into law.

Nearly two years later the consumer-level technology is rapidly being installed across the country by utility companies – there are ten million already installed in the United States and two million in California alone. Not to mention the 27 million Smart Meters already installed in Italy and nearly one million in Canada. And the United Kingdom has mandated that all homes have Smart Meters by 2020.

Other benefits of Smart Meters include remote meter reading, which takes carbon-emitting utility vehicles off the roads; the ability to pinpoint power outages, which improves response time; the ability to instantly shut off power if there is a house fire; the ability of families to monitor their energy usage online, potentially reducing consumption and saving money on electric bills; and more accurate readings than older meters.

“Smart Meters can’t help but enhance the reliability of the current system because utilities can know in real time what is going on in terms of loads. There are other people arguing that it’s big brother spying on me now. I would say that it’s really helpful for the utilities to better manage the grid itself to help better manage brownouts and blackouts,” said Tell.

L.A. Bus Story

A Santa Monica-bound Metro Rapid Bus 720 on Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood. Image Credit: AllyUnion

Yes, America. People walk in L.A. And they bike. And they take the bus. And the subway. Oh, and some of them drive cars too. But SoCal's preferred mode of transportation isn't what a recent story in the Washington Post Travel section is all about. Writer Necee Regis takes readers on a bus-riding adventure along the wide boulevards of the City of Angels and has only positive things to say about her experience traversing the sprawling, car-centric city.

I can certainly identify with the article because I used to live in Los Angeles and about a year before I moved back to D.C. I sold my car and exclusively took public transportation from Venice to downtown to Burbank and everywhere in between. So I was happy to see L.A.'s excellent bus system get such a positive write-up.

Click here to read the story "Above it all in L.A. traffic."

Integrated Sink and Toilet?

I was perusing the latest issue of EcoHome Magazine and came across a picture of this dual-flush toilet with a sink and faucet on top. According to maker Caroma's website, the integrated sink saves water by allowing hand-washing water to be reused for toilet flushing. After flushing, fresh cold water flows through the faucet for hand washing and drains into the tank to be used for the next flush.

So, what do you think? An innovative and eco-friendly idea to save water and space or taking it too far? Add your comment below.