GreenTown: The Promise of LEED and neighborhood development
(This article is part of a series of postings based upon our attendance of the GreenTown Conference in Grand Rapids.)
The last morning session featured Doug Farr, founder of Farr Associates Architecture and Urban Design, Inc. Farr has written a book on sustainable urban planning entitled Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature.
Farr acknowledges that efficiency is not enough, since research shows that the more efficient we make things in the US, the more people will consume, which in essence cancels out any gains made in efficiency.
Farr also acknowledges that LEED buildings in a one building at a time approach is also not very effective and ultimately not sustainable. LEED construction needs to be more strategic and part of a larger system of sustainability.
One example Farr gave is when one community built a new school 3 miles outside of town. The new school was a LEED building, but it was no longer in a neighborhood and forced more people to drive their kids to school.
Another example was that of a fitness center that had an escalator outside for people to get to the building from the parking lot. LEED planners might ask if the escalator could be more efficient instead of asking whether or not it was needed.
Farr looked at other examples in various communities around the country. What Farr ultimately suggested was needed is to have LEED being discussed as part of municipal master plans, where LEED construction is part of a larger view of planning an design, which incorporates transit, water diversion and other sustainable components.
One example that Farr provided was a community where instead of a traffic round about where no people could be, they fought to get the round about to be a place that people could enjoy – sit and recreate.
Farr then discussed a model for a residential area in South London (discussed in detail in his book) that incorporated energy, housing and land use. What was interesting was that the project not only utilized good technology, but it changed people’s attitudes and behavior, something that the presenter said is always difficult to measure, but an important component for future sustainability.
LEED-ND incorporates the 10 principles of Smart Growth and the outcome of what he referred to as the “New Urbanism.” He showed the audience a map of the US and Canada that were involved in a LEED-ND project, but unfortunately no Michigan communities were included.
Farr then discussed more of the how to’s with implementing what he called LEED-ND pre-requisites, such as walkable streets, smart locations and green infrastructure and buildings. Farr says that residential density is important, accessibility, local food production and neighborhood schools should also all be part of LEED certification. Farr even said that they received significant support and endorsement from health professionals with the CDC.
The last example he showed the audience was in Victoria, Canada. This project was a LEED-ND, where all 26 buildings were platinum certified and the investor was making money off the project even more than he thought because they were taking household waste and making energy pellets to sell to the local municipality. Farr then said that here is a great example of how capitalism can work and in fact the presenter said he believes in capitalism and that it will work if we all think better about how to make this happen.
While the presenter provided some interesting data and some good examples, he did not address how LEED-ND could be a strategy that benefits everyone, particularly the growing number of those living in poverty. Farr did not address the concerns that many critics have that LEED and LEED-ND primarily serves the interests of those with more disposable income and the new urban professional class.
This concern is not a marginal one and unfortunately because of time constraints was not part of the dialogue during the Q&A, since the session was already running overtime and did not afford more audience participation with the presenter.
GreenTown: Future of Energy and Economy Session
(This article is part of a series of postings based on our attendance of the Greentown Conference in Grand Rapids.)
Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell was the moderator for this session that featured two panelists from the government sector and two from the private sector.
Fred Keller, Chairman and CEO of Cascade Engineering was the first panelist to speak. Keller spent a few minutes talking about the evolution of his company from a focus of auto manufacturing to some renewal energy development. Keller didn’t address anything concrete other than his company’s shift from spending thousands of dollars on waste removal and is fast approaching zero waste.
Greg White with the Michigan Public Service Commission spoke next and addressed the struggles with trying to develop renewal energy systems at the state level. White acknowledged that the state has struggled until recently when they have developed a new platform for renewal energy. Their goal is to have 10% of the state’s energy generation be renewable by 2015.
The next panelist was Jon Allan, the Executive Director of Environmental Policy & Intergovernmental Affairs with Consumers Energy. He began his comments by addressing the importance of a regulatory industry that he believes will be beneficial for the private energy sector.
Allan then cited some data on what Consumers Energy has done in recent years to implement energy efficiency for residential consumers. He said that Exelon just bought John Deer and will now be a major energy player in Michigan. What he didn’t say was that Exelon is a major coal powered energy company and a leading nuclear power entity that has been contributing over a million dollars to political campaigns since 2002. Allan also did not mention their role in pushing for an increase in coal-burning power plants throughout the state nor the public campaign to confront Consumers Energy on their role in perpetuating ecologically disastrous energy sources.
Consumers Energy is developing wind farms in a few counties in the state and they believe that they are moving in the right direction in regards to renewable energy. He emphasized the entrepreneurial opportunities with energy, particularly lighting. However, Allan spoke primarily in terms of what they do and how it relates to “customers” instead of citizens.
The last panelist was John Hieftje, who is the Mayor of the City of Ann Arbor. Hieftje talked a bit about their mass transit improvements and the incentives they offer to promote more bicycle commuting for residents. Ann Arbor is also working on improving their recycling processes and has increased their use of solar energy systems in the city.
The mayor of Ann Arbor did acknowledge that just across the border in Canada they are doing so much more with renewable energy production with wind and solar. Hieftje asks the question about why Michigan is not doing more of that and do we have the capacity to make these kinds of things happen. He also said that he has put out an invitation to any energy company that they would sign a long-term contract for renewal energy for the City of Ann Arbor, but not one company has stepped forward to offer such a service. This certainly says something about what the energy profiteers are not doing.
The first question asked of the panel addressed accessing data on energy use and if that information was more public would that be useful in terms of determining what actions to take. The Consumers Energy representative argues that the data is private and that the “responsibility” of energy use is on those individual entities – residents, business and municipalities. This response avoided the importance of what it would mean to have more public transparency of energy use in order to develop better strategies and hold each other accountable.
A second question addressed street lighting and energy efficiency, which was responded to by the Michigan Public Service Commissioner. However, the answer was somewhat muddled and did not address the concern about efficiency that the questioner posed.
The last question was addressed to Consumers Energy and addressed the need to improve and expedite the possibility of getting more customers to participate in their energy efficiency program. The Consumer’s rep said that they wanted to move in that direction, but also placed some of the burden on the current regulatory laws in Michigan.
Overall the panel spoke mostly in generalities and did not address many specific solutions or strategies around energy and the economy. It was clear that no one on the panel addressed the possibilities of energy being held in the public sector or as part of “the commons,” where everyone would have a say in how energy is produced and used. An energy commons would also take out the profit motive and operate as a public service in the same way that libraries or municipal recycling systems do.
Reporting Live from Afghanistan – Journalist Anand Gopal to speak in Grand Rapids
As part of a series of events for the 9th anniversary of the US invasion/occupation of Afghanistan a local group called Grand Rapids for Justice & Peace in Afghanistan will host an event with journalist Anand Gopal.
Gopal has been reporting from Afghanistan for years and will provide a first hand account of what the US occupation means to Afghanis. Anand has reported for the Christian Science Monitor, the Wall Street Journal and numerous other news outlets.
Friday, October 8
7pm
Calvin College
Commons Lecture Hall
This is a free event, but we will accept donations to cover the travel & lodging costs. For more information on other planned activities go to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10150114773985291.
The video below is an interview that was done with Anand Gopal 7 months ago where he discussed torture and other US military actions in Afghanistan.
Today on front-page of the Region section of the Grand Rapids Press, reporter Myron Kukla wrote a short article about members of the DeVos family speaking at an event in Holland that is part of the Edgar Prince “Lessons in Leadership Series.”
The article shares comments from Helen DeVos, Richard DeVos and Dick DeVos Jr., who shared the stage with Betsy DeVos, Rick DeVos and his wife. The Press reporter shared comments from each of the family members that were presented in such a way that made you feel like we were all just sitting in some typical family living room and drinking tea.
The article does mention the Amway business, the creation of Windquest Group, their ownership of the Orlando Magic basketball team, Kids Hope USA and Rick DeVos’ involvement with ArtPrize.
There was no historical context and no discussion about how the family has used their wealth over the years. Even if those aspects were not discussed at last nights event it would not be unreasonable for a journalist to explore those angles, especially considering the DeVos family arguably has more economic and political influence on West Michigan than any other family.
People need to know about the Richard DeVos Sr.’s long time funding of far-right causes around the world. In fact, Helen, Dick, and Betsy DeVos have also contributed to far-right causes such as using public tax money for private education, English only campaigns, anti-gay legislation, pro-corporate policies and counter-insurgency campaigns around the world.
For a reporter to not ask questions or raise questions about such influence is unacceptable. The public deserves more from journalists, especially if they want people to participate at any level of the democratic process. Maybe the Press reporter knows that if you challenge or even question the power that the DeVos family wields there will be consequences, such as what happen to sports journalist Dave Zirin who exposed Richard DeVos’ support of far-right activities in a recent book.
The Press reporter did mention who the moderator of the event was, Rev. Robert Sirico, who was referred to as a “family friend.” Sirico is the founder and president of the far-right think tank The Acton Institute based in Grand Rapids that weds capitalism and Christianity and has a history of supporting anti-environmental and other reactionary policies. Sirico is also a “family friend” and spiritual advisor to Erik Prince, the war profiteer who has fled the country in order to avoid any consequences for the growing scandal surrounding the activities of Blackwater.
Any competent journalist would have a least frame the event with the DeVos clan with some acknowledgement that there are serious criticisms of their influence, but not much can be expected from the Grand Rapids Press, which the day before made the new home of Dick and Betsy DeVos their front-page story. Instead, the Press reporter merely acted as a stenographer of power.
Wall Street Aggressively Filling Republican Coffers After Many Months Supporting Democrats
(This article is re-posted from the Center for Responsive Politics.)
Wall Street-related political donations are bolstering Republicans’ political fortunes this summer as financial interests have suddenly — and dramatically — shifted their contributions away from Democrats, who they largely favored last year.
In both the first and second quarters of this year, the broad finance, insurance and real estate sector has favored Republican candidates and committees in its political giving, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis finds. The same holds true for both the more narrow commercial banking and securities and investment industries.
This trend is a notable departure from last year, when the finance, insurance and real estate sector sent more money to federal-level Democrats than Republicans during each quarter, the Center finds. People and political action committees associated with the securities and investment industry favored Democrats as recently as 2009’s 4th quarter, while the commercial banking industry favored Democrats as recently as 2009’s 1st quarter.
The findings by the Center, which underscore a preliminary analysis from August, indicate an increased frustration with congressional Democrats by Wall Street interests, many of which are still smarting from passage of federal financial reforms they consider onerous. (Download a full quarter-by-quarter breakdown of Wall Street contribution amounts here: financequarterly.xlsx )
People and political action committees associated with the finance, insurance and real estate sector significantly favored Democratic candidates during the early months of 2009.
But in February, a dramatic shift occurred — to Republicans’ advantage, the Center finds.
That month, Republicans represented 17 of the top 25 federal-level recipients of finance, insurance and real estate-related money. It’s a shift that’s persisted, too: In each month since June, at least two-thirds of the sector’s 25 favorite candidates have been Republicans.
It’s with little irony that this change in donation patterns coincided with congressional Democrats’ aggressively pushing financial reform legislation — legislation highly unpopular with many banks and financial houses.
Follow the shift in how many candidates among the finance, insurance and real estate sector’s top targets were in each month Democrats and Republicans:
And click here to download a month-by-month list of the top 25 recipients of finance, insurance and real estate sector political contributions from January 2009 to June 2010: FIREcontribs.xlsx
Consider the case of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), traditionally a prime Wall Street target.
In each month between January 2009 and August 2009, Reid ranked among the top five federal-level recipients of finance, insurance and real estate-related donations but for one month — March 2009 — when he ranked No. 7.
But between September 2009 and June, Reid failed to crack the top five even once.
His best showing, in May, placed him 6th among congressional candidates — one of only three times since September 2009 that he’s even managed to finish a month in the top 10.
By June, only two of the top 10 recipients of finance, insurance and real estate-related political cash were Democrats: Sens. Charles Schumer ($237,700) and Kirsten Gillibrand ($259,471), both of whom count Wall Street as a constituent.
Among the Republicans within June’s top 10 list: Senate candidates Carly Fiorina of California, Marco Rubio of Florida, Rob Portman of Ohio and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
Overall, the finance, insurance and real estate sector has funneled about $194.4 million into federal politics through June 30, with Democrats for the entire cycle maintaining a narrow edge in overall contributions — 51 percent to 48 percent.
Such a figure puts the finance, insurance and real estate sector on pace to easily exceed its federal-level political contribution total from the 2006 midterm cycle — $262.9 million.
During this year’s second quarter, the finance, insurance and real estate sector pumped $28.54 million in federal-level contributions into the political system, with $16.29 million going to Republican candidates and interests, while about $12.1 million went to Democrats.
Compare that to the first quarter of 2009, when the sector sent $15.32 million the way of Democrats, compared to $10.1 million to Republicans.
Through June 30, political action committees alone from the finance, insurance and real estate sector had contributed $49.4 million to federal political candidates and committees. That already exceeds what PACs from this sector spent for the entire 2002 election cycle — $47 million.
What We Are Reading
Below is a list of books that we have read in recent weeks. The comments are not a review of the books, instead sort of an endorsement of ideas and investigations that can provide solid analysis and even inspiration in the struggle for change. All these books are available at The Bloom Collective, so check them out and stimulate your mind.
The Empire’s New Clothes: Barack Obama in the Real World of Politics, by Paul Street – Street has been one of the most consistent writers in terms of analyzing the Obama administration since the day he took office. In this sequel to the book that Street wrote just before the last presidential election, Street provides clear analysis of the “progressive agenda” that the President was elected on and whether or not it has translated into real policy reform. The author looks at the Obama administration’s economic policy, health care legislation, foreign policy and the claim of whether or not we are in a post-racial America. Street’s main conclusion is that the current administration is just as imperialist as the last administration and just as beholden to private capital.
Toward Climate Justice: Perspectives on the Climate Crisis and Social Change, by Brian Tokar – In this short book author/activist Brian Tokar presents an important perspective on both the status of the global climate justice movement and where it needs to go. Tokar believes that those of us living in rich societies must always begin our discussion/analysis of climate justice by coming to terms with the fact that it is poor people in Third World countries around the world who are most impacted by climate change. Rooting our actions in this fact would drastically alter our actions and strategies and lead to a more honest a radical movement.
Signal:01 – This new book by PM Press is a treasure for anyone interested in the intersection between art and politics. Signal 01 is a collection of interviews and examples of the art from numerous insurgent artists and art collectives around the world. The book talks to print makers, graffiti artists, cartoonists, photographers and graphic designers. What makes this book so important, besides the beautiful pictures of art, is that it frames the question of the work of cultural production outside of the typical privileged narrative. “The question we need to ask is whether our cultural production is used to uphold the massive levels of inequality that exists across the globe, or to challenge capitalism, statecraft, patriarchy, and all the systems used to produce and reproduce that disparity.”
Thriving Beyond Sustainability: Pathways to a Resilient Society, by Andres Edwards – In this new book from New Society Publishers, Andres Edwards attempts to push the envelope on how we should not only view the issue of sustainability, but think about our relationship with the natural world. The author begins his analysis by looking at examples of how indigenous cultures around the world have developed a vision/ethic about how to live with nature instead of trying to control it. However, when it came to concrete strategies I felt that the author was too limited and tended to mimic much of the current liberal writing on sustainability.
Free canning workshop at The Bloom Collective
Canning How-To
1 – 5 p.m.
Sunday Sept. 19 & Oct. 24
The Bloom Collective
Steepletown Center
671 Davis NW
(Corner of 5th & Davis)
As the food industry separates us farther from the sources of our foods—and the nutrients real food provides—people seeking more sustainable and healthier mealtimes are taking up the nearly lost art of home canning. Some of us remember the jars of peaches, pickles and tomatoes lining our grandmother’s pantry shelves. Sadly, others have been brought up on foods jarred, canned, boxed or frozen in factories—and know nothing else.
As the industry’s mouthpiece, corporate media has Americans convinced that it’s difficult to cook from scratch and dangerous to can your own foods. But guess what? It’s easy and it’s safe. You don’t have to worry about those six-syllable food additives poisoning your family. And, canning your own can save you bundles of money. (That can mean less time working to live and more time working at life.)
You can learn the basics of canning at two upcoming free workshops sponsored by The Bloom Collective. On Sunday Sept. 19 from 1 to 5 p.m., experienced home canners from The Bloom, Our Kitchen Table and the GR Free School will show folks how to can salsa. On Sunday Oct. 24 from 1 to 5 p.m., the topic will be applesauce. Bring your own produce, jars, lids, a cutting board and knife.
For information, visit www.thebloomcollective.org or email bloomcollective@gmail.com.
CEO Pay and the Great Recession
(The article is re-posting from ZNet.)
CEOs of the 50 firms that have laid off the most workers since the onset of the economic crisis took home 42 percent more pay in 2009 than their peers at S&P 500 firms, according to CEO Pay and the Great Recession, the 17th in a series of annual Executive Excess reports from the Institute for Policy Studies.
“Our findings illustrate the great unfairness of the Great Recession,” says Sarah Anderson, lead author on the Institute study. “CEOs are squeezing workers to boost short-term profits and fatten their own paychecks.”
PSAs Challenge Bigotry, Church’s Quran-Burning Event
(This article is re-posted from PRWatch. GRIID equally condemns hate crimes of any kind directed at the Muslim community abroad and here in West Michigan.)
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Los Angeles is responding to a wave of anti-Muslim bigotry sweeping the U.S. by running public service announcements aimed at helping defuse the growing hatred.
Two of the three spots remind the public that many of the first responders at the World Trade Center site on 9-11 were, in fact, Muslims. These two spots conclude with the line, “9/11 happened to all of us.”
The third PSA features Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders describing the “Golden Rule” as their faiths define it, and ends by saying “We have more in common than we think.” The third PSA is designed to demonstrate the commonalities between faiths and challenge people who seek to divide Americans along religious lines, like the member of the church in Florida who plan to burn Qurans on September 11. The PSAs will be disseminated to TV stations and through social media sites.
Media Bites – Nike and Mountain Top Mining
In this week’s Media Bites we take a look at a recent ad campaign by Nike in conjunction with the University of West Virginia football team. Nike has contracts with numerous college sports programs and often will do ad campaigns to accompany those contracts.
In this ad Nike attempts to honor miners killed this past April, but the ad really ends up normalizing mountain top coal mining. We point out that not only is the ad misleading, but coal mining is also a burden on working people and taxpayers in general because of the deaths and environmental impact.
We also note that because of public pressure the ad was changed just prior to the opening of the college football season, which was last weekend.
