What City of Seattle Partnership with Nissan to build EV Charging Stations means to you.

(photo courtesy grist.org)

From the press release "The Renault-Nissan Alliance today announced that Nissan and the City of Seattle are forming a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network. Nissan will introduce zero-emission vehicles in the United States in 2010 and will mass market them globally two years later."

Further in it states: "As part of the agreement, Nissan and the City of Seattle will develop plans to promote a charging infrastructure for EVs, as well as the deployment, operation and maintenance of a charging network. The partners also will work to coordinate the establishment of policies and help streamline the deployment of an EV infrastructure. Nissan also has agreed to make available a supply of EVs in and around the Seattle metropolitan area."

So Seattle will plan to join San Francisco and Portland Oregon in building a network of charging stations (Portland now has 11 such stations funding by their local Public utility PGE).

According to what I could find, the cost appears to be about $3,000 per charging station. One article talks about the cost to build a "network" at about $1 billion dollars. So where is that money going to come from?

Here's part of that answer "Electric vehicles received a major jolt yesterday from the new economic stimulus bill, which allocates $2 billion in grants for manufacturing advanced batteries, plus tax credits to cover the cost of manufacturing facilities. Additionally, tax credits of up to $7,500 will be available to those who buy new plug-in electric vehicles along with $300 million set aside for federal agencies to buy alternative fuel vehicles (including plug-ins), and $400 million for “transportation electrification.” Another $4.5 billion will be set aside for improving the nation’s electric grid."

And, never missing a trick, the city has also figured out a way to slip a tax increase into the plan. The announcement of the partnership also revealed the city’s plans to mandate residential permits for EV home charging stations. This appears to mean that the city will collect additional revenue by forcing EV owners to buy a permit to charge their electic vehicles, even if they are doing so at their own home on their own dime.

In my view, the biggest problem in the equation of course is not the absence or need for charging stations, it's the batteries in the cars themselves. Most electric vehicles today haul around heavy, lead-acid batteries – that take hours to charge to only get a very limited range (estimated about 40-miles). The Volt’s lithium batteries are lighter but far more expensive. This limited range may be okay for commuters, but range is a major consideration for anyone who wants to drive farther without having to own two cars.

On the good side, there are going to be significant tax credits to consumers to purchase an EV, and there are more and more options coming from both Nissan and other manufacturers. And then there are "plug in hybrids" which I personally think are a much larger market for consumers offering the benefits of both short and long term commuting. I'd personally rather see more focus there than spending money building charging stations and taxing us for it, but that's just me.

Is a No Paper and Ink Paper Working? 'Editor and Publisher' says "'P-I' Sinks Without Print Boost" But do stats support?

Every once in a while my advertising vocation and "green" advocation converge. Such is the case with the P.I. online as it is in many ways a "green issue".

Hence the inclusion of this post from Editor and Publisher, who bills themself as "America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry". This from Jennifer Saba Published: April 22, 2009 12:10 PM ET

"EXCLUSIVE: Seattle 'P-I' Sinks Without Print Boost. NEW YORK: Maybe print does drive online readership. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which published its last edition on March 17, was knocked off the list of top 30 newspaper Web sites in March, according to the latest figures form Nielsen Online."

Here's the full article

But hold on, I double checked the stats from www.alexa.com a site that tracks web traffic - they are a little harder to drill down, but actually DO NOT show the same readership decline.

Over past three months, they show pageviews up 1.2%, reach up 7.8%, yes traffic rank is down but traffic rank isn't as important as the raw numbers (it just means they dropped relative to other sites, not that they lost any views, other sites could have grown)

Alexa's overall reporting COMBINES both the PI and the Times on-line numbers so it's possible readers are in fact just trading one for the other - but from the detail I see the PI still has a VERY slight edge over the Times. (47.6% PI compared to 47.4% for the Times).

I can't imagine any real decline, if there is one, would be completely unexpected. This is a very new enterprise, not to mention a new concept and like any change, one would expect there to be some "churn" as readership "adjusts".

As far as I can see, there hasn't been any promotion for the "new" P.I. and that of course is going to be needed to drive traffic. And, bottom line, with reduced overhead, maybe there doesn't need to be as many readers for it to be financially viable so there are lots of variables.

I for one, continue to support it and hope parent Hearst gives it time to succeed.

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not just for today - but for every day.

EARTH DAY TIP #10

There IS a difference between the little stuff and the big stuff.

Yes, saving the lint that clogs the screen in your dryer and re-using it is a "green" thing. But it's not as green as reducing your carbon footprint.

When I'm not blogging I'm in the advertising business and so I'm especially sensitive to all the "green noise" out there. Products that promote themselves as green, but really are no different than they used to be, products that aren't as green as they could be, and "greenwashing"in general.

Use common sense.

I've tried to give you some ideas here. And while little Green Ideas are cool, try for some of the big ones.

Pick on area of change that you're most passionate about, and start today.

Not only will the Earth thank you - you'll thank yourself.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your EARTH DAY.
GH

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not just for today - but for every day.

EARTH DAY TIP #9

Take advantage of recycling events near your home.

The 'Take It Back Network' is a great place to start. You can recycle almost anything from light bulbs, to old computer monitors and cell phones. You'll feel great getting that box of stuff out of your garage. I did!

But remember, the recycling obligation begins the day you bring the thing home so think about how you'll get rid of it BEFORE you buy it and make that part of your shopping selection process.

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not just for today - but for every day.

EARTH DAY TIP #8

Those Chemicals inside your house are killing you.

I'm talking about the ones you have up in the cupboard and under the sink. One cleaner for the window, one for the floor, one for the toilet, and the worst one of all, the one for the oven. There's a reason you have to store them out of reach of children.

Doesn't it seem odd that something that's supposed to leave your house fresh and clean is toxic?

So dispose of all that stuff you've been using (properly of course), and instead buy one or two environmentally friendly all purpose cleaners. We personally use and can absolutely vouch for Shaklee products - but there are a number of good types out there. Not only will be end up saving money - but your house will actually smell like nothing. And that's the cleanest smell of all.

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not just for today - but for every day.

EARTH DAY TIP #7

Give you house an 'energy audit'. Go through, around and UNDER your house and look for ways you can save energy. All those pesky little cell phone chargers, sleeping computers and the like continue to use energy even while YOU sleep. We put the ones that don't mind being turned off onto power strips and at night or when we're done with them, flick the strip off. Sure, it's minimal, but it adds up.

For even bigger savings, go UNDER your house. Mine was built about 30 years ago and when I did I discovered that a number of the 'return heating ducts' were sagging and quite a bit of heat was leaking out, wasting energy and MY money.

Also, be sure to change that furnace filter at least once a year, if not twice, and have the furnace serviced (cleaned) on a regular basis. You'll see the results of your efforts in your power bill and if you're like me you'll love not only feeling good about what you've done but also the additional savings in your pocket.

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not just for today - but for every day.

EARTH DAY TIP #6

Rethink not only what you drive, but HOW you drive. We've blogged extensive on this blog and my greenhuman.net blog about the wonderful fuel efficient transportation choices. But whether you're an 'alternative fuels' guy like me (a VW TDI Jetta that burns a combination of low-e diesel and bio-fuel) or a hybrid person, one thing that totally affects fuel economy is HOW you drive.

In short, driving with a heavier foot costs you. Drive with a LIGHTER FOOT and you'll save fuel, which uses less of our resources, and will also save you money. You'll probably be less stressed

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not just for today - but for every day.

EARTH DAY TIP #5

Plant a Tree.

Look around. Do you see more trees in your neighborhood this year than before? If your neighborhood is anything like mine, I'm guessing no.

There are tons of ways you can get involved in this kind of activity, your local Parks Dept. would be happy to help and Seattle Parks has all kind of activities planned (see my post below on Earth Day Events). Churches, Scout Troops, Nature Societies, and other community organizations can help. Or just go get one from the nursery, talk to them about where you intent to put it and they'll help you get the right one. It's a good lesson for the kids too!

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not just for today - but for every day.

EARTH DAY TIP #4

Start using re-usable grocery bags. Hopefully by now you have one of two cloth ones laying around. Throw them in the back seat of your car and take them with you into the store. If you don't have any, you can get them in lots of different styles and colors and I predict the day will come when the other people in the line glare at you if you DON'T have one. You'll save trees, paper and (if Mayor Nickles has his way), money that you'd have to pay for the Plastic Bag Tax.

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not just for today - but for every day.

EARTH DAY TIP #3

Get rid of your lawn - or at least some of it.

If you think about it, you're growing a monoculture - that is you are trying to get only one thing to grow and nothing else. To do that you have to use fertilizers, and pest control. Then when you do get it to grow, you cut it down - likely using a gas powered mower. The whole thing is kinda silly when you think about it.

Of course, I love lawns (especially on a golf course) and if you use yours for some other activity than just looking at it they make sense. Consider doing what I did and replace 1/2 your lawn with native plants. I love it. It's less maintenance, and I save on my water bill too.

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not for today - but for everyday.

EARTH DAY TIP #2

Think Global, but buy Local. Whenever possible buy stuff that comes from around here. Food is especially good. There are about 20 seasonal markets in this area plus natural food Stores, plus even traditional grocery stores are distinguishing and offering more and more locally grown product.

Buying local means the thing didn't have to be transported from as far away, which impact not only the transportation costs, but probably the packaging. If it's food, you also benefit because it probably tastes better.

Today is Earth Day - Hourly Tips.

While going Green is a Global vision, the truth is it needs to happen one Human at a time. Make a commitment to do something good for the Earth - not just for today - but for everyday.

EARTH DAY TIP #1

Stop using disposable plastic water bottles. They take resources to make, fill, transport, store and dispose of or recycle. It's been proven that the water inside isn't really any different from the water coming out of your tap, and in some cases, it's worse.

Buy a stainless water bottle and keep it handy in your car or wherever and fill it up when you need it. The water will be fresher, and you'll be saving resources, not to mention money.

Environmental Film Festival At Edmonds Comm College

More Earth Day Related Events. Free Movies and more at Edmonds Community College, the public is invited. Co-sponsored by Brown Bag, Sustainability Initiative, and Convergence Writers Series.

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 3:00PM - 8:15PM
Black Box Theatre, Mukilteo Hall 135

3:00PM Join us for refreshments, and find out information about environmental issues and sustainability on campus and in the community starting at 3pm and lasting throughout the festival..

Schedule of films:
3:30PM Garbage with introduction and Q&A session with filmmaker.
5:30PM Manufactured Landscape
7:30PM Waste = Food

Friday, April 24th, 2009
10:00AM - 2:45PM
Snoqualmie Hall 203

10:00AM Good Food
11:15AM Panel discussion with community partners
12:30PM Manufactured Landscapes
2:00PM Panel discussion with community partners

Alan Durning
Wednesday, April 29th 12:30PM - 1:30PM
Black Box Theatre, Mukilteo Hall 135

Author of Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things will read from his latest book and talk about Stuff and Sightline Institute, the non-profit organization he founded.

The Bay vs. The Bag

Green LA Girl writes a great blog about S. Cal Green. Here's something she posted on her site from Northern Cali based non-profit "Save the Bay" that is too good not to share especially in the context of the Plastic Bag Tax vote coming to Seattle and the Puget Sound soon!

Extremely well done and worth a look.

An Earth Day Celebration

Bunch of cool stuff going on for Earth Day. Here's another one.

Earth Day Celebration April 18th, 2009 Live Music from Bards of the Koad, Lorraine Bayes and the Scared Fire Choir. They will be accepting donations from Northwest Harvest and other local charities at the event. Please bring a nonperishable food item.

Location: A Gathering Grove. 2820 Oakes Street, Everett Washington,. Opening Ceremony begins at 2:30 pm. Music and Teaching start at 5:00pm. Event Speakers Include: Roger Fernades and other speakers from United Indians at all Tribes Foundation. Julie Charettenunn. Reknown herbalist, shaman and Earth warden.

Goodbye for Now, Green Portland - Shelby Wood leaves PDX Green

Another one bites the dust.

We bloggers try and keep track of one another to share links and (when appropriate) stories. For the past year Shelby Wood has been blogging for PDXgreen, the on-line blog of the Oregonian. In my opinion, it's been one of the better local resources for NW Green News. She joins the ranks of the PI's dateline Earth Time blog that was discontinued last month. No definative word on who may replace her or how/if the blog will continue.

What follows is her final column and blog entry for PDXgreen. It's worth a read.

**********************

After one year, two weeks, 49 columns and countless blog entries, I am done. Someone else will take over PDXgreen, while I figure out my next act beyond The Oregonian.

Nearly 15 years in daily journalism has made me who I am. But the past year was a different animal.

The gig changed me.

For one, my bar for kooky, beyond-the-pale behavior is way higher. Composting my banana peels doesn't seem weird anymore, probably because I do it. I have biked to work and survived; as a result, I never make a right turn in my car without checking my blind spot for a cyclist. Sometimes twice.

I am irritated beyond reason at sit-down restaurants that offer only throwaway plastic cutlery. I have an aversion to apples not grown in Oregon or Washington. When I shopped for a new home, its "walkability" score was a determining factor. I am excited by post-consumer content, as long as it doesn't cost twice as much as the pre-consumer kind.

In all this, I suspect I'm not unlike many Portlanders, many Americans even, who have begun to raise their own kooky bars because they think it might make a difference to the health of the world in their lifetimes, or in their kids' lifetimes. Right in time for the mainstream, here come U.S. car companies in a rush to deliver a viable electric car, while an organic veggie garden goes in at the White House.

Yet the biggest lesson I take from the past year isn't about the merits of composting or turning lights off on the way out of a room.

It is to reserve one's limited time, energy and outrage for the big ticket items on the sustainability shelf -- or risk getting lost in the green weeds.

I'm speaking here for those who consider climate change, our nation's reliance on oil we don't produce and the wastefulness of our consumer culture to be big problems in want of solutions - but who can't or don't want to give their entire lives over to the cause.

It's important to listen to the most committed folks because they're often right, years before the mainstream reluctantly agrees. But for most of us, there's only so much time in the day to make lifestyle changes in service of a greater green good. So you've got to make them count, and some efforts simply matter more:

What we drive, and how often. Where we live. How we heat and cool our homes. What we teach our kids.

What matters less: Persuading your retired parents that it makes no sense for them to buy a GMC Yukon that seats six, given that they are only two, and neither works in construction. Worrying about how to recycle a screw-top wine closure. Living in a dismal blue glow because you bought low-quality compact fluorescent light bulbs and can't stand to waste the purchase. (Recycle the lame CFLs, upgrade to a decent brand, and move on.)

There are other dangers to getting lost in the micro-eco, such as becoming an angry and intolerant person.

I used to report on religion for The Oregonian. But I hadn't encountered unblinking, unthinking religious fervor until I suggested that some CFLs don't work so well, and that not everyone can afford to buy all organic, all the time. Green blaspheme! I'm lucky we don't do witch trials anymore, or this column might have ended a lot earlier.

Savvy marketers and earnest activists can make the case that every tiny green bit matters, from buying only organic chocolate-covered raisins to employing reusable menstrual cups (I don't make this stuff up). On some level, it does all matter -- but so does getting to work on time, saving for the kids' college fund, being generous to the parents who raised you and actually experiencing the planet that all our recycling is meant to preserve.

In the words of Edward Abbey, "...it is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here."

So as I figure out my next steps -- more writing, or perhaps a new career altogether -- I'll try to keep up with the bus riding, energy saving and composting. I'll be happy if my daughter grows up to consider it all routine, rather than kooky.

Worth the effort, in other words.

Thanks for reading.

Seattle Earth Day- Earth Month Events - Volunteer and get involved!

Earth Day began with Senator Gaylord Nelson and evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. In November 1969, Senator Nelson thought he had a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political "limelight" once and for all. His idea was to persuade President Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour.

The President agreed and began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. For many reasons the tour did not succeed in putting the issue onto the national political agenda. However, it was the germ of the idea that ultimately flowered into Earth Day, now in it's 40th year.

There are a number of events you can get involved in, both that day and leading up to it.

Here's a list of volunteer projects you can help with in connection with Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Here's another list compiled by the PI.

Happy Earth Day! Get involved. See you out there and let us know what you did.

Portland to Portland Test Drive on kirotv.com

KIRO TV CBS Seattle ran a nice story on our Green P2P Event.


Take a look.

Recycle Your Old Cell Phone Now

If you're like me, you probably have an old cell phone laying around (or if really you're like me, probably two, or three). It makes sense to keep one as a "back up", but how about the others?

The good news is there are some really great programs that make it super easy to recycle your phone (working or not). AND, not only will you feel good about helping the planet, your donation helps in other ways too!

I'm a T-Mobile customer so I looked there first. T-Mobile has a "Handset Recycling Program" that is one of the many new efforts connected with the EPA's Resource Conservation Challenge. In general, a wireless phone handset consists of 40% metals, 40% plastics, and 20% ceramics and other trace materials.

T-Mobiles program promotes the recycling and reuse of old wireless devices that might otherwise end up in landfills or incinerators--and 100% of the net proceeds from handset recycling benefit the charitable efforts of the T-Mobile Huddle Up program. T-Mobile Huddle Up is a national community outreach program that connects kids, primarily from single-parent families in high-need, urban communities to positive people, places, and programs. The cool part about Huddle Up is it's not only money, T-Mobile employees donate their TIME to this cause as well.

Verizon also has a program to recycle phones. Their long-running HopeLine program collects no-longer-used wireless phones and equipment in any condition from any service provider. The used phones are either refurbished or recycled. With the funds raised from the sale of the refurbished phones, Verizon Wireless donates wireless phones and airtime to victims, and provides funding and other contributions to non-profit domestic violence shelters and prevention programs across the country.

Verizon Wireless also concentrates on protecting the environment by collecting spent rechargeable batteries for recycling. Through HopeLine's recycling efforts, more than 1 million phones and more than 200 tons of electronics waste and batteries have been kept out of landfills since October of 2001 when Verizon Wireless launched its national recycling program.

Both Verizon and T-Mobile accept ANY phone at their stores. They accept all brands and models of wireless phones, batteries, PDAs, and accessories for recycling. You can also MAIL them your old phone. Get more details at Verizon's or T-Mobile pages.

Whole Foods to Stop Use of Plastic Bags by April Earth Day

This from ENN

The Whole Foods grocery chain plans to stop offering customers plastic grocery bags, and instead use only recycled paper or reusable bags.

A rising number of governments and retailers are banning plastic bags, or discouraging their use, due to concerns about their environmental impact.

Whole Foods had previously tried to get customers to buy reusable bags, but the concept did not catch on until they began offering them for 99 cents.

Whole Foods officials estimate that the store currently distributes 150 million plastic bags a year.

Plastic bags are typically thrown away after one use, do not break down easily in the environment, fill landfills, and float into trees, rooftops, roadways and oceans.

RELATED ARTICLES

Free Reusable Bags at Whole Foods
Ikea to Charge U.S. Customers for Plastic Bags
D.C. proposes fees for paper, plastic bags

Portland to Portland Green Test Drive. What we did and why we did it!

The Green Human team drove a 2009 Clean Burning Diesel Jetta and a 2008 Toyota Hybrid across the country almost 8,000 through a wide variety of terrain and conditions from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon via the Eastern seaboard, Florida and Colorado.

Our goal was not to repeat previous tests, nor to challenge previous results. There are already lots of reviews and stats on each vehicle which anyone with an internet connection and enough time on their hands can read and use to support their own conclusions. We chose instead to do an “experiential” experiment where our objective was to intensively drive and experience the cars in a real world environment traveling a significant distance over a relatively short time.

For those of you solely fixated on stats, the MPG part of this was that the CBTDI Jetta acheived an average of 41.4 MPG against the Prius 40.96 MPG.

Honestly, this isn't great mileage for EITHER vehicle, I usually get a good 44- 48 MPG on my '06 TDI that I drive here in the Northwest (combo city/highway) and I won't even start on the Prius stats I'm sure the good folks over at 'PriusChat' can (and probably will) throw at me. But they are what they are - and we promised transparancy. Remember, we drove these cars HARD like real people - not like a bunch of hyper-milers or MPG gauge watchers. The journey inherently contained a lot of highway mileage - we typically drove at or over the speed limit (like real people do) and while we did switch drivers on a fair and regular interval - we drove both cars with a heavy foot.

For us, this challenge wasn’t about mileage – as we said, the internet is filled with that stuff – for us the real “test” in our case, was a (Green) Human one. Traveling 8,000 miles in a few short weeks amounting to a lot of driving and gave our testers the chance to really get to know each vehicle. The challenge was about cars and PEOPLE.

Speaking only for myself, I personally liked the Prius more than I thought I would. It was extremely quiet, and performed better than I expected. I went through the whole “Jetta versus Prius” thing a couple of years ago when I was shopping for a new car (yes, I ended up buying an 06 Jetta TDI but that was after LOTS of visits to different dealers and even more research and deliberation). One reason at the time was the feeling that the Prius had somewhat of an “anti-car” along the lines of “we know you think cars and pollution are bad so we designed one you can hate less” versus the Jetta’s “we know you love to drive so here’s one more reason you can feel good about doing it”. I think in the interceding years the Prius has evolved and become more “driver friendly” although for pure highway driving, and focusing only on the driving experience and not things like mileage, at the end of it all I still felt the Jetta offering more "driving enjoyment and fun" on this trip.

The other team members had their own opinions which they will share in their posts.

Remember, these are just our OPINIONS and anyone seeking a “greener” vehicle should FIND OUT FOR THEMSELVES by getting behind the wheel of BOTH cars and seeing what they personally like best. “Clean burning diesels” and “Hybrids” are both moving targets and while Toyota and VW are both leaders, other manufacturers are also thankfully continuing to push that envelope gaining lower pollution levels and better fuel economy with each generation. There’s a place at the table for BOTH technologies.

Until now, Hybrids have been about the ONLY (50 State) answer to get better mileage out of light duty passenger vehicles, not even considering that a great portion of the vehicles out there are diesel because they need to be diesel to do what they do (haul freight or whatever). So gaining fuel economy and cleaner burning emissions with diesel undisputedly has a place at the table, and the new clean burning TDI Jetta is a fantastic evolution of that line of technology. And Biodiesel, whether from waste or feedstock represents another option that, over time as it develops, can play a significant role in our overall goal of lessening our dependence of foreign fossil fuel.

That's my view - but this is an interactive challenge and of course I'm very interested in anyone's reactions to this. Thanks again to everyone who helped us out and showed us kindness along the way. This was a great event that we were proud to be a part of.