Georgia Tech Named Tree Campus USA

Georgia Tech’s commitment to environmental best practices received a boost as the Institute was recognized for its planting and managing of campus trees.

The Arbor Day Foundation designated Tech a Tree Campus USA on Nov. 18. Tech is the 10th institution awarded this distinction for best practices in campus forestry, and is the first in the state of Georgia.

Hyacinth Ide, landscape manager with Facilities, received the award Nov. 18 in Atlanta at the Partners in Community Forestry Conference. Ide’s staff works to not only maintain and replace, but also increase the roughly 6,000 trees across Tech’s campus.

The criteria requires five core standards for institutions seeking award consideration: a campus tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures on the plan, involvement in an Arbor Day observance and institution of a service-learning project to engage students.

To achieve the goals set in the 2006 Campus Landscape Master Plan, Facilities established the Institute’s Campus Tree Care Plan in September. These goals include a 55 percent tree canopy, 22 percent woodlands coverage area, managing the impact of development and construction on campus trees, and ensuring proper removal and adequate replacement of trees.

“The reason our [designation] went so fast is that we were already doing most of this,” Ide said. He applied for the designation in October.

The committee membership overseeing this plan is comprised of students, area neighborhood representatives and members across several Institute departments—Facilities, Housing, Capital Planning and Space Management, Parking and Transportation, the Center for Geographical Information Systems and the School of Biology.

Tech must reapply annually to retain the Tree Campus USA designation.

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More Variable and Uncertain Water Supply: Global Warming’s Wake-Up Call for the Southeastern U.S.

The second major drought of the last decade is a wake-up call for the Southeast United States, showing the region’s vulnerability due to its reliance on scarce supplies of fresh water.

The region has been operating under the best-case water availability for the last 50 years, during which drought conditions were relatively rare. But, the region has historically experienced regular droughts. Global warming is the future wildcard, potentially causing both more extremely dry periods and more heavy rainfall events. At the same time, warming-induced sea-level rise will increase the risk of saltwater intrusion into important groundwater aquifers.

A new report from National Wildlife Federation offers the latest scientific research on global warming and water supplies, competition for resources, demographic factors, and how to better prepare for managing the region’s water availability challenges.

“Since 1960, the region’s population doubled and water use for municipalities, irrigation, and thermoelectric power more than tripled. The Southeast is one of the fastest growing parts of the country,” said Amanda Staudt, Climate Scientist for National Wildlife Federation.

In fact, 58 of the 100 fastest growing counties in the nation are in the nine states of the Southeast. The report includes information about Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

More Variable and Uncertain Water Supply: Global Warming’s Wake-Up Call for the Southeastern U.S. details how:

Water supplies in the Southeastern United States will be more variable and uncertain in the coming decades;
Rapidly expanding population, irrigation, and thermoelectric power use has increased water demand;
Recent droughts underscore the Southeast’s vulnerability;
The astonishing biodiversity of the Southeast is at risk; and
The Southeast should plan for increasing variability in water supplies.
Strategies for meeting the increasing demand for water in the Southeast have not typically accounted for the regular occurrence of drought, as illustrated by recent droughts. During 2007 alone, crop losses are estimated at more than $1.3 billion and wildfires ravaged 600,000 acres in Georgia and Florida.

Climate changes will affect water supplies to communities and put the amazing biodiversity of the Southeast at risk. The river basins of the Southeast are globally renowned for fish, mussels, salamanders and other freshwater species, many of which are already imperiled. Climate change—and the increasingly extreme weather patterns it brings—now poses new threats to these species.

“Global warming presents new challenges for managing America’s water resources, especially in our southeastern states,” added Dr. Staudt. “To prevent the worst impacts of climate change and limit the impacts on communities and wildlife, we must reduce global warming pollution.”

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American Express Announces Atlanta, The City of Trees, to Receive $300,000 Worth of Green for Participation in Root for Our City Challenge

-(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Express announced today that it is giving the City of Atlanta $300,000 for tree-planting projects as part of the American Express Root for Our City Challenge, an initiative designed to help make eight U.S. cities cleaner, greener and more beautiful. The “City of Trees” will receive funding for tree planting programs led by Trees Atlanta, which will support the planting of 300 trees and their maintenance in residential neighborhoods and retail districts throughout the city.

Through the Root For Our City Challenge, American Express has committed $1 million toward tree planting projects for further expansion of the nation’s urban tree canopies, with Atlanta securing the largest portion of the $1 million. The additional participating cities, which included Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC, will each receive $100,000 for tree planting projects in those cities that will be spearheaded by local environmentally-focused organizations.

“Trees play an important role in our local communities, from cutting carbon emissions and spurring economic development to making an area look beautiful,” said Kathy King, vice president of marketplace development, American Express Merchant Services. “While we congratulate the Atlanta community for their strong participation in the Root For Our City Challenge, we thank all of the eight participating cities, merchants and the local communities for rising to the challenge and working to green their cities.”

The final Root For Our City ranking is as follows:
1. Atlanta
2. Los Angeles
3. San Francisco
4. Miami
5. Chicago
6. Washington, DC
7. New York
8. Boston
“Trees Atlanta is absolutely bursting with this amazing news!” said Marcia Bansley, Executive Director of Trees Atlanta. “This contribution will enable us to demonstrate to the community that life can truly be more rewarding with trees – cleaner air and water, cooler temperatures, lower energy costs…the list goes on.”

“This is such an honor for Atlanta,” said Mayor Shirley Franklin. “This gift from American Express will have a tremendous impact on our city and will allow us to continue to be known as the City of Trees.”

The Root for Our City Challenge is part of American Express’s commitment to community improvement and the environment. From September 22 through October 31, 2008, American Express Cardmembers were able to vote for their city through every purchase made at a participating merchant. Cardmembers were also able to visit the rootforourcity.com website to locate merchants and learn more about the benefits of trees in an urban environment.

Project plans for the eight participating cities range from replacing storm-damaged and aging trees, to the planting of hundreds of native trees that would significantly increase the tree canopy in urban areas.

For more information about the American Express Root For Our City Challenge, visit http://www.rootforourcity.com.

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Duke Study Pinpoints Potential 'Green-Collar' Job Growth in U.S.

During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama proposed an economic plan that would create 5 million jobs in environmental industries. These so-called “green collar” jobs do, in fact, present the next frontier for U.S. manufacturing, says a new report from Duke University.

Highlighting the direct linkages between low-carbon technologies and U.S. jobs, Duke researchers say U.S. manufacturing is poised to grow in a low-carbon economy. Their report, “Manufacturing Climate Solutions,” provides a detailed look at the manufacturing jobs that already exist and would be created when the U.S. takes action to limit global-warming pollution. A copy of the study is available at http://www.cggc.duke.edu/environment/climatesolutions/.

“Until now, there was no tangible evidence of what the jobs are, how they are created and what it means for U.S. workers. We are providing that here,” said Gary Gereffi, a Duke professor of sociology and lead author of the report. “We don’t guess where the jobs are; we name them. Our report uses value chains to show that clean technology jobs are also real economy jobs.”

Led by Gereffi, researchers at Duke’s Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness (CGGC) assess five carbon-reducing technologies with potential for future green job creation: LED lighting, high-performance windows, auxiliary power units for long-haul trucks, concentrating solar power, and Super Soil Systems (a new method for treating hog wastes).

They conclude that hidden economic opportunities exist within the supply chains that provide parts and labor for these five industries. The report includes a snapshot of the opportunities for U.S. manufacturing jobs, with a detailed breakdown of the supply chains and maps highlighting the location of companies positioned to support green jobs. States that stand to benefit most from jobs in these sectors include Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California.

“Meeting the challenge of climate change will ramp up the supply chains that wind their way through the heart of American manufacturing,” said Jackie Roberts, director of sustainable technology at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), one of the report’s sponsors. “It’s concrete evidence of the link between U.S. jobs and climate solutions.”

“While some seek to pit the environment against economic growth, we see economic opportunity in the solutions to the climate crisis,” added Bob Baugh, executive director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council, another one of the report’s sponsors. “But, to succeed it means making certain that, from production to construction, these green investments are made in the U.S. That is the best way to assure that their positive ripple effects are felt throughout the entire economy.”

“This report shows that each climate solution creates significant positive ripple effects throughout the economy in the labor and materials needed to supply low carbon technologies and products,” said Abraham Breehey, director of legislative affairs for the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, also a report co-sponsor. “It demonstrates the real economic opportunity in the solutions to the climate crisis.”

The report was sponsored by Environmental Defense Fund, the Building and Construction Trades Department (AFL-CIO), Industrial Union Council (AFL-CIO), International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, and United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters.

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Cleaner Coal Technology Key to the World’s Energy Future

(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Energy and the University of Wyoming today announced an agreement to further cleaner coal technology, making coal-fired power generation more viable in America. Under the agreement, GE and the university will develop the High Plains Gasification Advanced Technology Center to accelerate the commercial use of cleaner coal technology.

In the United States, coal supplies more than 50 percent of the country’s current electricity generation and it plays an important role in meeting the nation’s energy needs. Coal is an abundant, low-cost, domestic, natural resource that continues to be a significant part of America’s energy mix.

Wyoming is uniquely positioned in the nation’s energy landscape and has vast coal resources capable of supporting a substantial portion of the nation’s energy needs. The state produces approximately 40 percent of all of the coal used in the United States to generate electricity.

The new center will include a small-scale gasification system that will enable researchers from GE and the university to develop advanced gasification solutions for Powder River Basin and other Wyoming coals. The research is expected to expand the range of coals that can be used with GE’s integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) technology for power plants. The facility is expected to be operational by 2012.

To create a path forward for coal, future climate change policy will be needed to incentivize the deployment of already-available low carbon technology and to foster further improvements that will bring down the cost of carbon capture and sequestration.

“This project underscores the commitment of both the University of Wyoming and GE to work toward U.S. energy independence and plan for future energy needs,” said Steve Bolze, president and CEO of GE Energy’s Power & Water business. “We believe that our country’s energy and environmental policies should promote a balance of available, reliable, cleaner and low-cost energy. The use of cleaner coal technology helps create jobs, support economic growth and positively impacts the environment.”

GE is a world leader in IGCC technology and has been at the forefront of IGCC technology since the Coolwater project, a 120 MW technical demonstration IGCC project started in 1984. GE's IGCC technology also has operated at the 250 MW TECO Polk I station in Florida for more than 12 years. Today, GE offers a 630 MW IGCC reference plant that produces 75 percent less SOx, 33 percent less NOx, 40 percent less particulate matter, uses 30 percent less water and offers 90 percent mercury capture, compared to a traditional pulverized coal plant.

In addition to providing a cleaner alternative for power generation, IGCC is well-suited for carbon capture. Carbon capture technology is in use in GE’s industrial gasification applications around the world today. IGCC technology will offer cost and efficiency advantages for carbon capture and storage, once clear policies and regulations are in place to support storage and an economically viable value is established for carbon.

Although IGCC technology is relatively new, gasification is more than a century old. The process uses pressure, heat and steam to convert carbon-based materials like coal into a synthesis gas (syngas) that has a variety of uses including the production of chemicals or fertilizers and power generation.

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Altamaha Riverkeeper Receives Outstanding Grant

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Altamaha Riverkeeper (ARK) is the recipient of a $48,000 matching grant from the Malcolm Fraser Foundation. ARK members from all over the state gave generously from June - August 2008 to support ARK's work in the watershed and met the Foundation's challenge by raising an initial $48,000. ARK is using the funding for its fieldwork, advocacy, outreach, and education.

"We are happy to support ARK's outstanding work in the watershed and applaud their efforts," said Jane Fraser, president of the Malcolm Fraser Foundation. "Unbridled development in low lying areas contributes to the many water problems we are seeing in Georgia; and the Altamaha Riverkeeper's work stands out as a shining example of what needs to be done statewide."

In August, ARK celebrated its ninth anniversary of working to protect and restore the habitat, water quality, and flow of the Altamaha from its headwaters in the Oconee, Ocmulgee, and Ohoopee Rivers to its terminus at the Atlantic Coast.

"Environmental problems are a growing challenge, and because of this, additional funds are needed," according to ARK's Executive Director Deborah Sheppard. "The rapid pace of destruction throughout the watershed is building awareness and concern about the short and long term future for our water resources."

"Development is encroaching on wetlands and marshes and illegal land disturbing activities are increasing. Government agencies are overwhelmed and failing to enforce laws to protect water quality. Support for protection work is growing as more citizens become involved and call on our organization for help," she says.

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National Wildlife Honors Georgia Tech for Sustainability

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has recognized the Georgia Institute of Technology as an exemplary campus as part of their initiative, “Campus Environment 2008: A National Report Card on Sustainability in Higher Education - Trends and New Developments in Leadership, Academics and Operations.”

Georgia Tech emphasizes sustainability throughout its campus with 21 endowed chairs and 23 research centers that include significant sustainability components.

The recent study analyzed trends and new developments in environmental performance and sustainability at 1,068 institutions recognizing colleges and universities for exemplary efforts and awards for collective, national performance on environmental literacy, energy, water, transportation, landscaping, waste reduction and more. The 2008 survey is the nation’s largest study to date created to gauge trends and new developments in campus sustainability. It was also the first study of its kind when conducted in 2001.

Georgia Tech emphasizes sustainability throughout its campus with 21 endowed chairs and 23 research centers that include significant sustainability components. The Institute has also set a goal that every student takes at least one of more than the 100 courses with a sustainability emphasis. In addition, the Institute has a number of environmental sustainability programs that embrace initiatives ranging from green cleaning and solid waste recycling to landscape and building design to a sustainable food project.

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New UGA Biomass Technology Dramatically Increases Ethanol Yield from Grasses and Yard Waste

University of Georgia researchers have developed a new technology that promises to dramatically increase the yield of ethanol from readily available non-food crops, such as Bermudagrass, switchgrass, Napiergrass—and even yard waste.

“Producing ethanol from renewable biomass sources such as grasses is desirable because they are potentially available in large quantities,” said Joy Peterson, professor of microbiology and chair of UGA’s Bioenergy Task Force. “Optimizing the breakdown of the plant fibers is critical to production of liquid transportation fuel via fermentation.” Peterson developed the new technology with former UGA microbiology student Sarah Kate Brandon, and Mark Eiteman, professor of biological and agricultural engineering.

The new technology features a fast, mild, acid-free pretreatment process that increases by at least 10 times the amount of simple sugars released from inexpensive biomass for conversion to ethanol. The technology effectively eliminates the use of expensive and environmentally unsafe chemicals currently used to pretreat biomass.

The technology is available for licensing from the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., which has filed a patent application.

Inexpensive waste products—including corn stover or bagasse, the waste from corn and sugar cane harvests, fast-growing weeds—and non-food crops grown for biofuel, such as switchgrass, Napiergrass and Bermudagrass, are widely viewed as the best sustainable resources for ethanol made from biofuels.

“Using non-food crops that can be grown on marginal lands, like grasses, and fibrous waste streams like corn stover, is important because of the ongoing food-versus-fuel debate,” said Peterson. “When agricultural crops, such as corn or potatoes, are grown for biofuels production, the cost of the starting material may fluctuate greatly because of competing demands for food and feed. The trade-off with using a biomass like grasses is that grasses are harder to break apart than corn or potatoes, and the cost of making the same fuel, like ethanol, rises.”

Developing an efficient, cost-effective process to convert the fibrous stalks, leaves, and blades of plant wastes into simple sugars is the biggest challenge to bio-based ethanol production. Thick, complex plant cell walls are highly resistant to efforts to break them down.

Currently, woody biomass requires soaking under high pressure and temperatures in expensive, environmentally aggressive bases or acids before it is subjected to enzymes that digest it, producing simple sugars. The harsh pretreatment solutions subsequently must be removed and disposed of safely. They also cause formation of side products that can slow down the conversion of the sugars into ethanol.

In contrast, the environmentally friendly UGA technology eliminates the expense of harsh pretreatment chemicals and their disposal, and the formation of side products is minimal.

“The new technology has commercial application for the biomass industry, including producers of sugar cane, corn, switchgrass, Napiergrass and other woody biomass crops,” said Gennaro Gama, UGARF technology manager responsible for licensing this technology. “It may also help renewable energy and biofermentation companies—and local governments.

“By allowing for the use of myriad raw materials, this technology allows more options for ethanol facilities trying to meet nearby demand by using locally available, inexpensive starting materials,” he added. “This would greatly reduce the costs and carbon footprint associated with the delivery of raw materials to fermentation facilities and the subsequent delivery of ethanol to points of sale. Local production of ethanol may also protect specific areas against speculative fluctuations in fuel prices.

“It’s easy to imagine that this easy-to-use, inexpensive technology could be used by local governments, alone or in partnership with entrepreneurs, to meet local demand for ethanol, possibly using yard waste as a substrate,” he said.

Princeton Review Awards Georgia Tech Top Green Ranking

Georgia Tech is one of eleven universities to receive a top score of 99 for green efforts from Princeton Review. The “Green Honor Roll” included six public universities and five private schools.

The criteria for the rating cover three broad areas: 1) whether the school’s students have a campus quality of life that is healthy and sustainable, 2) how well the school is preparing students for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges, and 3) the school’s overall commitment to environmental issues. The institutional survey included questions on everything from energy use, recycling, food, buildings and transportation to academic offerings (availability of environmental studies degrees and courses) and action plans and goals concerning greenhouse gas emission reductions.

More than 534 schools were given a green ranking; the other ten schools receiving the top ranking are Arizona State University (Temple campus), Bates College, Binghamton University, College of the Atlantic, Emory University, Harvard College, University of New Hampshire, University of Oregon, University of Washington and Yale University.

Georgia Tech emphasizes sustainability throughout its campus with 21 endowed chairs and 23 research centers that include significant sustainability components. The Institute has also set a goal that every student take at least one of more than the 100 courses with a sustainability emphasis. Georgia Tech has several institutional environmental sustainability programs that embrace green cleaning, solid waste recycling, drought-tolerant vegetation and storm water capture and reuse. (Georgia Tech received the 2008 American Forest & Paper Association College and University Recycling Award. AF&PA’s awards program recognizes outstanding school, business and community recycling efforts.) The Institute is also implementing a Sustainable Food Project encouraging environmentally responsible dining habits, like trayless dining to conserve.

Southern Company and Environmental Partners Award Wetland Restoration Grants Through Five Star Program

PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southern Company, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Association of Counties and Wildlife Habitat Council announced today that 10 new wetland, riparian and coastal conservation grants have been awarded in the Southeast through the Five Star Restoration Program.

This year, Southern Company provided $246,000 in grants and, combined with partner matching funds, a total of nearly $532,000 will benefit projects in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. Since 2006, Southern Company has contributed $621,000 through 33 grants, resulting in an on-the-ground conservation impact of $1.89 million.

"EPA's Five Star Restoration Grant Program will help promote conservation and environmental stewardship in these communities," said Jimmy Palmer, EPA Regional Administrator. "Community-based projects, such as these, improve environmental awareness among local residents and create lasting relationships for protecting and sustaining wetlands, streams and coasts."

The Five Star Restoration Program is a national initiative providing financial and technical support to wetland, riparian and coastal habitat restoration projects. It brings together citizen groups, corporations, students, landowners, youth conservations corps, and local, state and federal government agencies to build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach and training activities. In 2006, Southern Company pledged $1.2 million over five years to fund community-based, wetland and streamside restoration across its four-state service territory. Additionally, Southern Company collaborates with the program partners to select the projects each year and distribute funds to grantees.

"As Five Star Restoration's lead corporate sponsor for the Southern region, Southern Company has committed five years of matching funds for projects in our region," said Chris Hobson, senior vice president of research and environmental affairs for Southern Company. "Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, providing habitat for reptiles, fish, waterfowl, mammals, plants and more. Grassroots efforts through this program will make a significant contribution to our environmental landscape and underscore the importance of healthy wetlands environments in the communities we serve."

The following grants have been awarded in Georgia for 2008:

-- Conasauga River Alliance - to treat 500 linear feet of collapsing streambank in order to restore riparian integrity to a 3,800-foot segment of Swamp Creek, a tributary to the Conasauga River. The site will be used for an in-field, community-based workshop to showcase actual installation of currently underutilized, ecologically-preferable streambank stabilization techniques to area developers, designers and landowners. Additional project partners include Whitfield County, Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Limestone Valley RC&D Council, D2 Land and Water Resources and private landowners.

-- DeKalb County Parks Department - to restore and protect more than one-half acre of wetlands at the historic Evans Mill site, including 200 linear feet of riparian buffer, along Pole Bridge Creek. Junk automobile parts and other debris will be removed from the project area along with invasive plant species and restored with native plants. The site will serve as a rest/picnic area at the terminus of a nearby multi-use trail and five local schools will be involved. Project partners include DeKalb County Parks and Greenspace - Office and Department of Watershed Management, Salem Middle School, University of Georgia Extension 4H Program and University of Georgia Alumni Association - DeKalb Chapter.

-- Georgia Wildlife Federation - to restore 3.5 acres of wetlands along the Alcovy River at East End Road in Covington. Invasive exotic flora will be removed and replanted with desirable native wetland species. This will be used as a demonstration site to educate the community about the economic and ecological values of healthy riverine ecosystems. Additional project partners include The Conservation Fund, Georgia Future Farmers of America-Future Career and Community Leaders of America, Georgia River Fishing, Newton County Keep Covington-Newton Beautiful, Oxford College of Emory University, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Department of Environmental Protection Division, Adopt-A-Stream and Rivers Alive, Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, Newton County Extension and Master Gardeners and Air Conditioning Specialists.

-- Chattahoochee RiverWatch, Inc. - to restore 2.2 miles of riparian forest buffer along Lindsey Creek from Macon Road to Bull Creek, a major tributary of the Chattahoochee River watershed. The project will engage the local community in stewardship of their water resources and help produce an education video about the impacts of storm water and non-point source pollution on water quality in the watershed. Additional project partners include Columbus Consolidated Government, Columbus State University Environmental Science Program and Georgia Forestry Commission.

-- Elachee Nature Science Center - to restore 15 acres of riparian forests of the Chicopee Woods by treating exotic invasive plants and restoring the area with diverse native plants. This site will help train volunteers and teach the public and local elementary students about the threat of exotic invasive plants in Georgia and promote local conservation efforts. Additional project partners include Chicopee Woods Area Park Commission, Chicopee Woods Weed Management Area, Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council and City of Gainesville.

-- Upper Oconee Watershed Network - to restore 800 feet of riparian buffer and streamside wetlands in the Trail Creek Watershed. This effort will be used to teach citizens about the relationship between residential land management and riparian habitat condition, stream health, downstream water quality, and the species that depend on these ecologically valuable corridors. This project will provide local residents with tools to initiate their own backyard wetland habitat improvements and the project will conduct a series of workshops to educate and engage local citizens in watershed health and maintenance. Additional project partners include Oconee River Greenway Commission, Chicopee-Dudley Neighborhood Association, University of Georgia, Athens-Clarke County Departments of Leisure Services, Public Works and Central Services and Athens Garden Club.

The goal of EPA's Wetlands program is to motivate and inspire the Nation to value, protect and restore the ecological integrity of its wetlands and aquatic ecosystems. The Wetlands Program accomplishes this through co-leadership of the Clean Water Act's wetlands regulatory program, and by fostering effective wetlands management in strategic partnerships with states, tribes, local governments and other key partners. EPA's vision is for America to have abundant and healthy wetlands and aquatic ecosystems that sustain biologically diverse plant and animal life, improve water quality, protect communities from flooding and provide recreational opportunities.

Georgia Tech Groups Support Local Food Efforts

The Georgia Tech Office of Environmental Stewardship and the Georgia Tech Students Organizing For Sustainability have signed A Plan For Atlanta’s Sustainable Food Future: The Atlanta Local Food Initiative (AFLI). The plan outlines goals and objectives designed to create a food system that provides safe, nutritious, and affordable food from local, sustainable farms and gardens. The initiative, known as ALFI, seeks to “enhance human health, promote environmental renewal, foster local economies, and link rural and urban communities” (http://www.georgiaorganics.org/Files/ALFI.pdf).

“Georgia Tech has been a leader in sustainability for over a decade,” said Georgia Tech’s Director of Environmental Stewardship, Marcia Kinstler. “As advocates for a sustainable campus, we fully support initiatives involving local and organic food supplies.”

Georgia Tech students also support the ALFI initiative. Georgia Tech Students Organizing for Sustainability (GT S.O.S.) member Liam Rattray worked to bring local organic foods to campus through a community supported agriculture program. The program allows students, faculty, and staff to purchase fresh, organic produce on a weekly basis. The GT S.O.S also works to engage the Georgia Tech and Atlanta communities through discussions about buying organics, composting, and creating community gardens.

Water Seminar to Focus on Business’ Role

While a number of smaller lakes and reservoirs have recovered from last year’s searing draught, Lake Lanier, a main water supply for much of metro Atlanta, remains low and state environmental leaders say conservation will be as important as ever as we head through what promises to be a long, dry summer.

To highlight what business can do, should be doing, and is doing, to conserve water , Georgia State University’s Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility will host a day-long seminar featuring top environmental experts, executives from some of the area’s most environmentally-conscious companies and local government leaders, including Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.

Water: A Natural Resource in Peril will be presented from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 17 at the Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker Street.

Linda DiSantis, an executive-in-residence at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business’ ethics center and the seminar’s lead organizer, says more and more companies are thinking about their environmental impact and use of natural resources.

Beyond companies that use water in production, like beverage bottlers who depend on a continuous supply of clean water, she said companies are thinking about how their use of resources is viewed, and how to make their operations sustainable.

“Companies need to behave responsibly because water is a limited resource and if they are viewed as not being responsible, they could suffer the consequence of a backlash,” she said. “It’s not something you do just because it’s a nice thing to do. It’s an important strategy issue.”

Presenters at the seminar will include keynote speaker David Orr, the Paul Sears distinguished professor of environmental studies and politics at Oberlin College, and Jason Morrison, director of the Pacific Institute’s Globalization Program and a project coordinator for the U.N. Global Compact CEO Water Mandate.

Their discussions will give attendees a “big picture” view of the world’s water resources, said Steven Olson, the director of the Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility.

“A lot of people in the room – it’ll be a real eye-opener for them,” Olson said.

Greg Koch, the Coca-Cola Co.’s director of Global Water Stewardship; Jeff Carrier, the sustainability manager for the Carpet and Rug Institute; and Gary Black, president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council will address best practices and water usage by the private sector during a panel discussion.

Olson says the carpet industry tackled its water use years ago, and can be viewed as an example of how companies can work together within an industry to solve environmental challenges.

“They’ve had to really get their hands around this,” Olson said. “Many of these sustainability issues can’t be addressed at the firm level. They have to be addressed at the industry level.”

Atlanta’s Mayor Franklin, who has dubbed herself the “sewer mayor,” is expected to discuss where business stands as the city grapples with water supply and infrastructure issues. The city is in the midst of a massive $1 billion sewer rebuilding project and the sewer plan is just one part of the $3.8 billion Clean Water Atlanta initiative to improve drinking water and reduce pollution.

Gail Cowie, a senior planning and policy advisor from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, will also give an overview of the statewide water plan, adopted by lawmakers and signed into law in February, and explain what will be expected of business under the plan.

Georgia EPD Order Brings Some Relief for Parched Landscape, Pools

Citizens in 61 drought-stricken north Georgia counties can fill swimming pools and hand water their landscape effective immediately, according to an order issued by the director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). However the water use exemptions must also have the approval of the local water provider, such as a local government or water utility.

Hand watering of existing landscape must be done between midnight and 10 a.m. on designated days based on odd-numbered and even-numbered addresses for no more than 25 minutes. Odd –numbered addresses may water Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Even-numbered addresses may water Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Hand watering is defined as one person with one garden hose with a spray nozzle that shuts off automatically when it is released.

There are no clock or calendar restrictions on the filling of swimming pools, although local water providers must also agree to the pool exemption. The swimming pool exemption was granted due to concerns that neglected and partially filled pools could pose risks to public health and safety, said EPD Director Carol A. Couch.

Director Couch also ordered that people who successfully complete an Outdoor Water Use Registration Program be allowed to water newly installed landscape up to three days a week following the odd-even schedule for a period of ten weeks following planting. Registrants learn proper watering techniques and the importance of water conservation. The Outdoor Water Use Registration Program will be available online at www.urbanagcouncil.com beginning March 15, 2008. Citizens can also contact their county extension agents for information about the registration.

Director Couch also announced that starting April 1, monthly water use in the 61-county drought area would be compared to April-September 2007 average monthly water use. Governor Sonny Perdue has ordered that water use in the region be reduced by at least 10 percent, and emphasized that water conservation goals must still be achieved even with the exemptions.

The Drought Response Unified Command comprises the directors of the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, and the Georgia Division of Public Health. It was established by Governor Sonny Perdue to coordinate the state's role in mitigating the effects of Georgia's ongoing drought. For more information, visit www.droughtjic.org.