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If anybody's wondering what ever happened to Mike Causey and Dodge Lodge Farm at the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market, I have an answer for you. He has started another produce market at 505 N. Greene Street that operates six days a week and includes local and non-local produce (most of it comes from North Carolina). I'll have a full story in the newspaper tomorrow.

Also, I didn't have room to put this in the story, but another market of sorts could be in the works. Urban Harvest has applied for a federal grant that would fund a mobile produce market that could serve residents and workers in downtown and low-income neighborhoods. The organization would both sell fruit and vegetables and educate customers how to cook and plan menus around a seasonal diet. You can read more about it at the organization's blog.

Note: Starting next week, my position has changed from covering sustainability to covering Rockingham County. I will let you know about the future of this blog as soon as I know. I appreciate your readership.
 

Can a "green" home ever be affordable for a moderate income family? Guilford Technical Community College seeks to answer that question as faculty and students construct a demonstration home that will eventually go on the market in a mid-priced neighborhood.

GTCC students build a home every year as part of their learning experience, but this time the college wants to focus on sustainable construction and renewable energy training as part of the N.C. community college system's "Code Green" initiative.

The college received a $164,576 grant from Duke Energy to help design and outfit a certificate program in solar photovoltaic installation and repair, and to help pay for the design, construction and landscaping of the home. The grant funds will be used to develop the curriculum; train faculty in the construction technologies, architectural technologies, HVAC and plumbing departments; purchase training and equipment; advertise for public tours of the green home; and pay for the cost of seminars and speakers to educate the public about renewable energy.

Today, six faculty members met to review the blueprints of an 1,800-square-foot, three bedroom house that will be built on a corner lot in a subdivision near Walmart off South Elm-Eugene Street. A 2,400 square foot house is currently listed in the neighborhood for $139,000 so that gives you an idea of the price range GTCC has to deal with. In contrast, most of the new green homes in this area that I hear about cost at least $200,000-$300,000.

"We're trying to price it so it fits into the neighborhood but it still provides an opportunity for our students to do a PV installation and solar thermal and do as much sustainable construction as we can afford," said Shanna Chastain, who oversees industrial construction and engineering courses at the college.

The faculty intend to pursue some type of green building certification for the house, preferably LEED. The house will include passive and active solar elements, as well as full insulation, eco-friendly materials,  rainwater harvesting, and outdoor native plants. Construction should begin on the house next year using modified student designs. Chastain said she hopes to get a donated PV system or at least offer one for purchase to prospective homebuyers.

Chastain said she used to live in a 4,000-square-foot passive solar house with solar hot water and her utility bills were half as much as what she paid when she moved into a typical house half that size.

"I feel strongly that medium income homebuyers really need energy efficiency in a home," she said. "And using that location as an educational tool is really a strong part of our grant commitment."

I plan to follow this project and write about it formally once construction starts.

On Monday, the Community Sustainability Council, an advisory group appointed last year by Greensboro City Council, worked to finalize a list of proposals for a $2.5 million federal energy grant that needs council approval next week in order to meet a Dec. 3 U.S. Department of Energy deadline. Grant funds must be spent within 3 years.

The council made its decision based on a series of public meetings, city staff input and feedback from consultants hired using administrative funds from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. Following is a breakdown of what the group is recommending the city pursue:

City programs

1. Improve city facility recycling. (Grant portion: $150,000; total estimated cost:$375,000) This would purchase recycling carts and Dumpsters to increase recycling rates at city facilities, such as parks, fire stations, police substations, city hall, etc. This should save money for the city in the long run because it costs less for the city to recycle than to send waste to the landfill. Expected jobs created or retained: 1

2. Building automation system improvements. ($203,000/$240,000) This involves purchasing software and hardware necessary to implement an energy management program for 10 city facilities and save the city an estimated 600,000 kilowatt-hours a year. Jobs created or retained: 2.6

3. Hydroelectric turbine. ($361,000/$722,000). This involves the installation of a reverse pump type turbine at Mitchell Water Treatment Plant. This would produce electricity and save the city about 824,000 kilowatt-hours a year. Jobs created or retained: 3.9

4. Energy efficiency retrofits to city buildings. ($850,000/$1 million) This would provide upgrades to city buildings not already included in the current performance contract and save about 1.2 million kilowatt-hours and 6,000 therms a year. Jobs created or retained: 10.9

5. Solar LED street lights. ($106,600/$303,000) This would pilot the installation of 33 solar-powered streetlights for Phase 1A (along Freeman Mill) of the new downtown greenway, saving a total of about 36,000 kilowatt-hours a year. Jobs created or retained: 3

6. Solar hot water for fire stations. ($81,000/$120,000) This would install solar hot water systems at eight additional fire stations, saving a total of about 2,200 therms a year. Jobs created or retained: 1.3

 Community Projects

1. Green jobs development infrastructure. ($129,600/$384,000) This would retrain workers displaced from manufacturing jobs in Greensboro and provide training for career technical students in Guilford County secondary schools in the areas of solar technology, energy audits and retrofits, weatherization, and energy efficiency related to water conservation. GTCC has expressed interest in partnering. Jobs created or retained: 4.2

2. Residential energy program. ($238,000/$618,000) This would fill the gap in existing programs for residents getting energy audits. The consultants assumed that Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas will help offset the costs of the audit, but a PNC spokesman at the meeting said don't count on it.

3. Financial incentives assistance and revolving loan fund. ($327,000/$510,000) This program would establish a revolving loan fund to provide low- or no-interest loans to finance renewable energy and efficiency projects in the residential and multi-family sectors as well as for commercial and institutional buildings. The idea is for people to pay back the loan through their energy savings. Several CSC members felt that this could be a strong project for the city and create market demand for both green jobs training and services. Jobs created or retained: 5.4

4. Materials recycling enhancement program. ($294,000/same) This would essentially provide outreach and incentives to increase the community's recycling rate. It could also help pay for or expand an existing recycling pilot at eight mulit-family complexes. Jobs createad or retained: 3.2

5. Planning and regulations. ($60,000/unknown) This would help pay for the city's overdue update in its comprehensive plan and incorporate relevant energy efficiency and conservation topics, such as encouraging vegetative or reflective roofs. The city is currently in the process of revising its land development ordinance, which is part of the comprehensive plan. Jobs created or retained: 0.7

6. Energy outreach coordinator. ($210,000/same) This program would support one new full-time coordinator for the city, or in partnership with a non-profit, for three years. His/her responsibility would be to coordinate with local schools to develop young leaders and enhance classroom environmental education programs; develop and deliver a Green Certified Neighborhoods Program with an early focus on a neighborhood energy challenge program; and reach out through neighborhood liaisons, the real estate community, business groups, newcomers, etc. Jobs created or retained: 1

7. City communication program. ($25,000/same) This is essentially for an advertising campaign to get the word out about tips, initiatives and available programs. Jobs created or retained: 0.3

Now is a good time to clean out your children's closets for the holidays and donate their unwanted and gently used toys to Santa's Workshop.The Greensboro Youth Council requests both new and used toys for infants and children up to age 13, from Nov. 16 to Dec. 7. Santa’s Workshop is one of the few toy drives that accept used toys. Find a full list of toy giving guidelines here. 

Donation sites for Santa’s Workshop:
• All SunTrust Bank Branches in Greensboro High Point and Summerfield (the bank will also accept monetary donations)
• The Children’s Museum; 220 N. Church St.
• GYC office at the Greensboro Farmer's Curb Market (501 Yanceyville Street)
• Cultural Arts Center, 200 N. Davie St.
• Simpkins Sports Pavilion
All City of Greensboro Recreation Centers:
• Brown Center, 302 E. Vandalia Road
• Craft Center, 3911 Yanceyville Street
• Glenwood Center, 2010 Coliseum Blvd.
• Leonard Center, 6324 Ballinger Road
• Lewis Center; 3110 Forest Lawn Drive
• Lindley Center, 2907 Springwood Drive
• Peeler Center, 1300 Sykes Avenue
• Smith Senior Center, 2401 Fairview Street
• Trotter Center, 3906 Betula Street
• Warnersville Center, 601 Doak St.

The youth council, which donated to more than 400 local families and 1,300 children last year, also needs volunteers to help clean and sort toys into specific types and appropriate age groups. Toy cleaning will take place at Windsor Recreation Center on the following dates:

o Dec. 5: 1-5 p.m.
o Dec. 9: 4 - 6 p.m.
o Dec. 10: 4 - 6 p.m.
o Dec. 11: 4- 6 p.m.
 

FYI: Starting this month, customers of any Harris Teeter store will be able to recycle bottles and cans in addition to plastic and paper bags in the front lobby. The new in-store recycling program is intended for items including drink containers, milk bottles from the coffee shop, pharmacy bulk bottles and deli containers.

I received two unsolicited copies of of Kate Heyhoe's "Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen -- The New Green Basics Way", which I reviewed for this Sunday's N&R book page. That makes them eligible for one of my occasional giveaways for goGreenTriad.com.

I will draw two names on Thursday from the list of subscribers to my weekly e-newsletter, The Green News Sampler, so you have until Wednesday night to sign up. You can access it on the right side of the main page at goGreenTriad.com. I will then e-mail the winner to request mailing information.

Believe it or not, but second lives do exist for the goopy, dirty, dusty and smelly remains of our everyday personal and industrial activities. And the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources is doing what it can to encourage more people to trade their wastes instead of sending them to the landfill.

Available to the public is the N.C. BiomassTrader, an online listing of organic waste products for trade. A glitchy version of the site existed for a few years but only started getting much interest about a month ago, said Brian Rosa, who works for the Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance.

Examples of products that can be listed in N.C. BiomassTrader include:

* Sawdust, wood chips and shavings
* Industrial pallets and crates
* Waste vegetable oil and grease (i.e. biofuels production)
* Old corrugated cardboard containers and paper waste
* Surplus and discarded food items (i.e. composting)
* Glycerin and other biodiesel production byproducts (i.e. soap production)

N.C. BiomassTrader aims to help develop biomass markets in North Carolina and increase job creation in the state’s biomass economy. The Web site is a spin-off of the free commodity trading site, N.C. WasteTrader, a 6-year-old site that steadily grew with numerous entries from users listing all kinds of commodities.

This week, Elon University will hold its 8th annual fall environmental forum, this time focused on sustainability in business. The forum will take place on Friday, with two tours scheduled to the Proximity Hotel and a New London farm where T.S. Designs in Burlington sources cotton for its North Carolina-made shirts.

Registration is $10 and still open to the public. Learn more about the events here.

The versatility and weakness of sustainability is that it means different things to people and attracts different motivations. It can be a source of business innovation, a marketing ploy, an aesthetic ideal, a response to better information, a new economic paradigm or a sociocultural aspiration.

For Graphik Dimensions Ltd., a High Point printing and frame supply company, sustainability is an opportunity to do what they do better. The 44-year-old company has stepped up efforts over recent years to reduce its waste stream, offer eco-friendly products and support worthy charities. A few months ago the company started offering warehouse sales to service the local artist/photography industry and cut back on waste.

"We're always looking for ways to not have stuff going into the landfill," said Robyn Feinsod, manager of marketing and merchandising for the company. "We're all about reduce, reuse, recycle."

Last week the company launched two eco-friendly picture frame collections made from bamboo, organic water-based stains, and matboard incorporating recycled content.  As part of the launch, the company ran a special (ending today) that provides 10 percent off to customers and donates 5 percent of the sales to American Forests’ Global ReLeaf program. Find a fulll list of the company's efforts here.

Feinsod acknowledged that one of the challenges of a business going green is defining what a green or sustainable product is.

"How you define an eco-friendly frame product, depending on your perspective, comes in a hundred shades of gray," she said.

For example, some customers prefer metal frames because the material can be recycled; while others steer clear of mined and/or non-renewable resources, she said. Some people prefer the quick-growing bamboo grass even though it's an invasive plant in the U.S. and is often imported from overseas. Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) has been criticized for years for containing formaldehyde, even though the product reuses wood production waste.

"In a million ways MDF is super green and good for the environment," Feinsod said.

This challenge ultimately makes sustainability a process, an education, a never-ending series of questions without firm and final answers; this can give the whole objective a sense of "running in place."  It's up to both business owners and consumers to ask questions about what they sell and buy and then make decisions based on their personal hierarchy of values. For example, a large family with tight finances might choose to use non-toxic homemade cleaning supplies. Someone else buys more effective supplies from the store even though it generates more waste. All choices come with advantages and tradeoffs.

What do you prioritize when buying products? Do you ever feel comfortable that what you buy (the reality) meets the ideal of living sustainably? 

Rob Clapper, president of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, planned to meet this morning with representatives from the Greensboro Merchants Association and Buy Triad First to find out how to support the young grassroots group. I picked his brain a little bit for my research on a piece about the "buy local" and relocalization movements.

Buy Triad First emerged this summer as a way for independent business owners in the Greensboro area to distinguish themselves from and compete with national chain stores. The network is currently affiliated with the national 3/50 Project, which encourages people to spend $50 at three locally-owned businesses, and founder Cinda Baxter spoke to the group this week in High Point.

Clapper told me that he is trying to figure out how to help the group get its message out without compromising the chamber's role of supporting all types of businesses that serve the Greensboro community. (Note: The chamber has its own Buy Local campaign too.)

The upside of the chamber and merchants association supporting Buy Triad First is that it has the potential to bring those two groups additional members. But the chamber doesn't want to use member dues to support non-member businesses.

"Unfortunately as an organization, the way the chamber is, that can't be our focus for the entire year," he said. "We want to serve as a conduit and support mechanism and not be perceived as a competitive program."

On another note, I asked Clapper if the local chamber has seen any fallout from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce/climate bill controversy. Last week, the N.C. Conservation Network, an environmental group supporting federal legislations limiting greenhouse gas emissions, held a teleconference with business owners opposing the national group's stance. Erik Lensch, President of Argand Energy Solutions in Charlotte, said his company was unlikely to renew its membership with the local chamber based on the U.S. chamber's position.

Clapper said no businesses have withdrawn their membership from the Greensboro Chamber, although he has responded by e-mail to questions from a few members. Clapper said that while the local chamber is a member of the national association, its dues do not pay for political lobbying. The Greensboro Chamber has not taken a position on the proposed House and Senate climate bills.

"I am 99.999 percent sure that our dues for the U.S. Chamber are for professional development and educational programs," Clapper said.

In fact, the Greensboro Chamber is active in promoting green business practices and has partnered with the new Sustainable Greensboro, which I wrote about previously. The chamber will offer a speaker series on green technology in November and plans to participate in the Green Plus business certification program next year. I'll have more information about Green Plus later.

"Most of our membership know that we're committed to making Greensboro a better community," Clapper said. "We're doing what we can to begin and look at green opportunities and how we can make Greensboro a more sustainable community."