by jboullion | Apr 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Jim Leute on GazetteXtra.xom (Janesville):
JANESVILLE — The wind blows and the sun shines across state lines.
And the Great Lakes lap the shores of eight states, not just Wisconsin.
Renewable energy can play a critical role in the economic resuscitation of the Midwest, but only if communities, counties and states are willing to shed the traditions of their parochial past.
“The place to begin is to think across borders in terms of infrastructure, taxation, planning and education,” said Richard Longworth, author of “Caught in the Middle: America’s Heartland in the Age of Globalism.”
Published in 2008, Longworth’s book paints a grim picture of the Midwest’s losing battle with foreign competition. The former chief foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune has become a popular speaker in Midwestern communities—large and small—that are withering away.
Thursday, Longworth was in Janesville as the keynote speaker for an “Opportunities in Renewable Energy Summit.” Wednesday, he’ll be back in town to speak at a Professional Development Day at Blackhawk Technical College.
Longworth said the Midwest rested much too comfortably on its roots in agriculture and heavy industry manufacturing. The Industrial Age, he said, was very good to the Midwest, but it’s over, and the area is now a global backwater.
“The Midwest did two things really well, and globalization has tossed them both into the air,” he said. “We’re not coping with that very well …
“This sense of splendid isolation is one we can no longer afford.”
Regional collaboration, particularly in attracting emerging renewable energy industries, will help the resource-rich Midwest compete in a global economy, said Longworth, a senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and distinguished visiting scholar at DePaul University.
by jboullion | Apr 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a story on WXOW-TV (La Crosse):
LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) -Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is taking a tour of the Gundersen Lutheran hospital, a facility she says is a good example of a insitution striving for energy independence.
Baldwin says, “I had heard some time ago that this is one of the few hospitals and clinics that was really analyzing their energy usage.”
The tour featured the hospital’s efforts to leave a smaller carbon footprint.
Thompson says, “Some of them are really pretty simple. It’s exhaust fans that are running 24 hours a day that need to be on 6 to 12 hours a day, replacing old chillers with new ones that are twice efficient.”
Other examples… Gundersen Lutheran is also partnering with La Crosse City Brewery to turn its waste methane discharge into electricity for the hospital.
And has installed solar panels on Gundersen Lutheran’s new parking ramp to help power the structure.
Thompson says, “There is some cost to some of these, but we think of it as an investment.”
by jboullion | Apr 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Rachel Zwirlein on Wisbusiness.com:
VERONA – Motorists have used carports for decades to shield vehicles from the ravages of weather, including paint-fading sun. Now comes an idea for using solar-collecting carports to help power vehicles.
Solar Carport Canopy is a product that can provide an innovative solution for businesses looking to economically power plug-in hybrid vehicles while reducing costs and their carbon footprints.
As a contestant in the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, Farhat Iqbal of Verona developed the idea for the Solar Carport and was one of 50 entrants to move to the semi-final phase of the competition.
Iqbal is the president of Silica Solar LLC in Verona. The idea for Solar Carport came from her desire to create a tangible way to use solar energy to generate electricity for plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Solar Carport would be leased to individual firms to recharge company-owned and employee plug-in hybrids throughout the Madison area and beyond.
Although it is mechanically and structurally engineered for Wisconsin winds and snow, Iqbal said, Solar Carport can be used in any location where there is a need.
Businesses are going to start looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprints and non-polluting solutions. “Solar is one of the options,” Iqbal said.
by jboullion | Apr 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:
Buying your home was probably one of the largest investments you’ve ever made. Now it’s up to you to care for that investment and enhance its performance by making home improvements that are smart for you, your family and the environment. The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program can show you how to do this.
How the Program WorksHome Performance with ENERGY STAR is an energy efficiency program sponsored by Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative. The program has a network of partnering consultants throughout Wisconsin who have been trained to use the most advanced, state-of-the-art equipment to test homes, identify problems and recommend solutions. The program’s qualified contractors and trade partners can then implement the recommended improvements, ensuring the work is done to Home Performance with ENERGY STAR standards.
Finding a Partnering Consultant or Qualified ContractorThe first step is to schedule an in-home evaluation with a consultant or qualified contractor who partners with the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program. Every consultant and qualified contractor listed on the Focus on Energy Web site has been trained by Focus on Energy and has agreed to uphold the standards set for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. Each consultant and qualified contractor operates independently, running their own business and setting their own fees. Focus on Energy recommends calling more than one consultant or qualified contractor to compare
prices.
by jboullion | Apr 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Meredith Thorn in the Stevens Point Journal:
Environmental sustainability can be a large concept. But from grants to purchase hybrid buses to a designation of Tree City USA, Stevens Point officials say small steps must be taken when talking about environmental sustainability and saving energy.
“We’ve got to get our feet wet before we jump into the deep end of the pool,” Mayor Andrew Halverson said.
Wednesday marked Earth Day, a day of recognition for the environment that began in 1970 and was founded by Gaylord Nelson, a then U.S. senator from Wisconsin.
With all the talk about carbon footprints, sight is often lost of the simple things that can be done for the environment, such as planting a tree, Halverson said Wednesday at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he spoke at a tree-planting to commemorate Earth Day.
He said it’s about taking small steps that will help the city, which was declared an eco-municipality in June, achieve realistic goals. This can include the planting of trees, but also planting vines on fences, or growing in a denser way, he said. As a city, he said, we’ve go to start somewhere.
by jboullion | Apr 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
A news release from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation:
Any commuter in Wisconsin who would like to find someone to “share the ride” to work, may now access the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT’s) interactive ride matching service online. A program that was originated several years ago for residents of the heavily populated southeastern region of the state is now available statewide.
“We are pleased to offer this interactive service to commuters across the state,” said WisDOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi. “Ridesharing saves money for commuters, reduces the number of cars on the road during the busiest hours of the day and reduces pollution from car exhaust. Now, commuters in areas that are faced with some of the longest commutes will have an equal opportunity to find carpool matches.”
Karen Schmiechen, program manager for the Wisconsin Rideshare Program, said the program is easy to use, free and without obligation. Commuters enter their commute information and immediately receive matches for carpooling, vanpooling, park and ride lots and even biking. The computer shows matches with similar commutes and work hours. Bikers are also matched by level of expertise. Users make their own contacts with matches to set up ridesharing arrangements.
The program was computerized two years ago, and has become so popular WisDOT decided to make it available to all state residents.
Wisconsin is one of many states and municipalities across the country offering this service. As gasoline prices fluctuate, and the economy remains unstable, ridesharing is a viable alternative, saving dollars and the environment.
For more information go to the state’s Rideshare Web site.
