Archive for the ‘Florida’ Category

Why Is It Always Jobs vs. Environment?

Foamy water in Perdido Bay. (Photo courtesy of Friends of Perdido Bay.)Why does the argument that businesses should do more to reduce pollution and protect the environment often boil down to the issue of jobs vs. nature? Advocates of green living around the world are increasingly making the argument that green business is good business, and that clean energy and other green sectors actually generate jobs. Too often, though, many businesses still aren’t buying it.

Environmental-minded residents of the Perdido Bay area at the Florida-Alabama border have been fighting that battle for years. The conflict in this case: the economic interests of International Paper, which operates a paper mill in the Florida town of Cantonment, vs. the lifestyle- and nature-oriented interests of the area’s residents.

Read the rest of this entry »

Solar Energy Could Power U.S. Many Times Over

The Sunshine Energy Solar Array near Sarasota. (Photo courtesy of Florida Power & Light.)If the U.S. moved aggressively to start harnessing the solar power it receives daily, it could generate enough clean energy to meet the country’s needs many times over, according to a new report from Environment Florida.

The report, “On the Rise; Solar Thermal Power and the Fight Against Global Warming,” touts the multiple benefits of solar thermal power that the U.S. has barely begun to tap. One, it’s a clean source of energy that could replace other power sources that generate greenhouse gases and worsen climate change. Two, by storing thermal energy, it can generate electricity even when the sun isn’t shining. And ,three, it’s wildly abundant in the U.S., offering way more clean energy than we currently use on a daily basis.

Read the rest of this entry »

How to Save Gas with ‘Real’ Affordable Housing

Housing-transportation affordability in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, with yellows showing the most affordable areas. (Image courtesy of The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index.)When is a housing bargain not a bargain? When you add in the costs of getting from home to work, school, the stores and elsewhere.

Seems logical, right? But knowing how your transportation costs can affect your decision on where to live isn’t easy. Fortunately, along comes a new online tool that makes it considerably easier.

The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index lets you see which parts of the U.S. are truly affordable when you factor in both housing and transportation costs. The index lets you zoom in and explore 52 metropolitan areas across the country and, to be honest, it’s both fascinating and a little addictive.
Read the rest of this entry »

Three-Day Weekend Could be a Gas-Saver

Traffic. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Case via Wikimedia Commons.)Here’s an idea even the most un-green person could warm up to: a four-day work week.

Several communities across the U.S. are considering four-day work weeks for government employees as a way to reduce commuting demands and gas consumption. The various efforts have typically been inspired by today’s record-high fuel prices, but the idea promises other benefits too: lower greenhouse gas emissions, happier and more well-rested employees and cost savings elsewhere (i.e., less energy to cool/heat and light offices, reduced need for work-time child-care, etc.).

Read the rest of this entry »

The Simpsons Ride Takes Green to New Heights

Green is Universal logoLast year, I covered a press conference touting GE’s ecomagination initiative, which detailed the progress that the corporate giant had made in its new lines of business. It was exciting to see “green” applied across the board in so many varied areas, including entertainment division Universal Studios. And though the event had a Hollywood feel (even the Governator was there) I would never have expected Bart Simpson to get into the act.

Well, not Bart exactly, but his theme park counterpart, “The Simpsons Ride” at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort. The first of its kind, the new rides use  a variety of technological innovations in their design and construction to reduce their environmental impact. Ay, carumba!

Read the rest of this entry »

Orlando Now a ‘Solar America City’

City of Orlando flag.Orlando, Florida, recently became one of 12 cities across the U.S. chosen as a federal Department of Energy (DOE) “Solar America City.”

Each of the dozen cities will receive $200,000 to advance the use of solar technologies in their communities. All the cities were selected for “their commitment and comprehensive approach to the deployment of solar technologies and the development of sustainable solar infrastructures,” according to the DOE.

Read the rest of this entry »

Earth Day 2008, Florida-Style

LFlorida’s 1861 state seal (image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).ooking for Earth Day activities in Florida? Following are some of the events scheduled in communities across the state:

In Pensacola, the University of West Florida (UWF) will host a day of environmental symposia at the University Commons Auditorium. Among the topics speakers will tackle: “The Gulf Coast Main Ecosystem Partnership: A Story in Large Landscape Management,” “Small-Scale Wind Turbines: A Joint UWF/University of Florida Study” and “Climate Change: Facts, Fantasies and Solutions.” Following Mike Papantonio’s keynote address on “The New Art of Fighting Back,” attendees will be able to view a screening of the film, “Sacred Planet.” All the programs are free and open to the public.
Read the rest of this entry »

Modest Victory for Pensacola Trees

An historic Southern live oak in Florida. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user John Bradley.)One of the most beautiful trees in the Deep South is undoubtedly the live oak: its thick trunk, twisting branches and wide canopy evoke romantic images of “Gone With the Wind” allees, and its strong, sturdy nature lets it survive and thrive for hundreds of years, droughts, hurricanes and fires notwithstanding.

The only thing that really seems to threaten these stately oaks is, of course, people … development in particular.

Fortunately, more people are choosing trees over development, or — at least — over over-development. And the trees have won at least a partial victory in the northwest Florida city of Pensacola, whose old historic center is graced with many majestic Southern live oaks.

Read the rest of this entry »

Going Native in Florida

A native purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)As a trying-to-reform black-thumb gardener in Florida, I’ve learned to appreciate the benefits and advantages of native plants. They’re the smartest way to go for anyone who loves greenery but hates the constant battle against bugs, drought, heat and the region’s other environmental challenges.

Which is why I was impressed to learn about Stetson University’s Native Plant Initiative.

I confess I’d never even heard about Stetson University when I came across a DeLand newspaper article about the Garden Club of DeLand’s Home and Garden Tour, which features a tour of Stetson University’s new Vera Lea Rinker Native Plant Garden. The acre-plus garden features more than 80 different types of trees native to Florida, as well as hundreds of native shrubs, flowers, ferns, grasses and palms.

Read the rest of this entry »

Fighting for the Everglades, Florida Conservation

A white ibis flies over the Everglades’ “River of Grass.” (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.)Let’s just forget about restoring the Everglades, OK? And all those hundreds of thousands of acres of natural lands that Florida has acquired over the years under the conservation-aimed Florida Forever program? Who needs ‘em? Tourists mostly come to the state for that mouse in Orlando anyway, and if the locals want nature, they can plant some palms in their backyards, right?

If that’s not how you feel — and I certainly don’t — now’s the time to send a message to your elected officials in Florida asking them to reconsider what could certainly be described as the political equivalent of cutting off your nose to spite your face: a plan to address the state’s legitimately serious financial troubles by allotting zero dollars — that’s ZERO — for  the Florida Forever conservation program and Everglades restoration.

Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s Sponsor