St. Louis Green Blog

Volunteer for Ground Hope St. Louis this Saturday!

Posted Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 by Erin

We are looking for a few good volunteers to help volunteer for Ground Hope St. Louis this Saturday!  Ground for Hope St. Louis: Mobilizing Interfaith Action for the Earth will be held from 12:30 – 4:30 pm on Saturday, May 4 at Christ Church Cathedral. The Cathedral is located on 13th Street between Olive and Locust downtown, next to Central Library.  The day will provide a  a free training afternoon for congregational teams and individuals interested in learning how to make their buildings and members lives more environmentally sustainable.

Leading the event will be Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith, whose mission is to “inspire, educate and mobilize people of diverse religious backgrounds for environmental leadership.” Two St. Louis congregations — Central Reform Congregation and United Hebrew Congregation — are already working with GreenFaith in their certification program.
We just need some friendly folks to help spread the word about St. Louis Green programs from 1-4 on Saturday.  If you are available, please call our office at 314-222-8004, or email Erin at erin(at)stlouisgreen.com.
Thanks!

Posted in Volunteer Opportunities | No Comments »


Regulators OK Ameren’s Pure Power Program

Posted Monday, April 29th, 2013 by Erin

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Regulators will let Ameren Missouri continue its Pure Power green energy pricing program in the face of criticism from the Public Service Commission staff, which argued that the program lacks transparency.

Ameren has offered the voluntary program for almost six years. The PSC staff, a group of accountants, engineers and lawyers who advise the commission, has raised concerns about the program almost since its inception.

Most recently, the PSC staff asserted that Ameren’s 5,000 or so Pure Power participants don’t know how much of their money is going to aid renewable power development and how much of the money is used for marketing and administration.

“Customers have no idea what portion of their paid rates actually go to support renewable energy generation,” the PSC staff said in a brief filed with the commission this month.

The PSC disagreed on Wednesday. In a 17-page order, the commission said it wasn’t moved by the staff’s argument because the program is reasonably priced compared with others in Missouri and throughout the United States and it’s totally voluntary, and customers can drop out without penalty.

The PSC did attach one condition to its approval, though. Starting next April, Ameren must file an annual report describing how much of the money paid into the Pure Power program goes to support renewable energy and how much is used for other purposes.

The information, however, won’t be released publicly, so consumers won’t have any better idea where their money is going.

Still, Natelle Dietrich, director of the PSC staff’s utility operations department, said the reporting requirement should bring more transparency to the program by giving the commission staff a glimpse of how the money is being spent.

Ameren, meanwhile, is “pleased that the commission sees the value of the Pure Power program,” said Bill Barbieri, the utility’s director of renewable strategy, policy and generation.

Ameren began offering Pure Power in mid-2007. Today, customers have several ways to participate. They can pay an extra 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity or purchase 1,000 kilowatt-hour blocks for $15 or 500 kilowatt-hour blocks for $7.50.

Historically, Ameren kept $1 of every $15 raised and the rest went to 3 Degrees Inc., the California-based company that administers the program. But starting May 1, the price of blocks of Pure Power will be reduced to $10, and all of it will go to 3 Degrees.

Barbieri said the cost of participation price was well below the $16 national average, and it’s the second lowest of nine green power pricing programs offered statewide. Of those, Pure Power is the only one offered by a utility.

Customers who enroll in Pure Power aren’t physically purchasing renewable energy; they’re helping purchase renewable energy certificates, or RECs, that in effect subsidize green power development.

In each of the past two years, 3 Degrees has sourced all of the RECs purchased on behalf of Pure Power customers from a single Missouri wind farm — Iberdrola Renewables’ 146-megawatt Farmers City wind farm in Atchison County.

“That’s the other advantage of our program is (the money) is going to support renewable development in the state of Missouri,” Barbieri said.

The PSC staff had argued that the program should be de-tariffed — a decision that would have forced Ameren to end the program or offer it as an unregulated service.

Barbieri said that would have required the utility to bill Pure Power participants separately for the service. And that would have killed the program.

“The administrative costs would have skyrocketed,” he said.

Barbieri said Ameren would provide a breakdown of Pure Power program expenditures next year as required by the commission’s order.

But, he said, the data cannot be released publicly because renewable energy certificates are sourced from a single supplier, the Iberdrola wind farm, and the information is considered proprietary.”

SOURCE: St. Louis Post-Dispatch 

Posted in Local News, Renewable Energy | No Comments »


Volunteer Opportunity with the St. Louis Rams Green Team!

Posted Thursday, April 25th, 2013 by Erin

The St. Louis Rams’ Green team has a spring volunteer opportunity on Saturday, May 4, with Gateway Greening to help them with their planting and gardening efforts on downtown St. Louis’ Market Street.

They are holding volunteer spots for the Rams Green Team for this event, so if you would like to help, please RSVP to Lisa Boaz at lboaz(at)rams.nfl.com with your name, age (if under 18) and e-mail address. We look forward to the Rams Green Team joining us on May 4th!

Posted in Volunteer Opportunities | No Comments »


Missouri Senate votes to cut funding for recycling program

Posted Thursday, April 25th, 2013 by Erin

On Monday evening, the Missouri Senate debated a bill to cut recycling funding to the state’s solid waste management districts.  The bill was debated for over 2 and-a-half hours, more than any other bill that came to the floor that night.  While the original proposal, which was contained in the House bill, vowed to cut all funding, the Senate bill restored over one half of the funding (about $4 million).  This funding directly impacts the programs at St. Louis Green, and we’d like to thank everyone who called their Senators to keep some solid waste funding intact.  This bill will now move on to a Conference Committee, so our work is not yet done! Please continue to call your Senators and tell them that you want to keep recycling in the St. Louis region!!!

Here is an excerpt of a news article, from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

“The state budget that the Missouri Senate is considering would chop funding for a statewide recycling grant program, a move that recycling advocates call shortsighted.

At issue is a program funded by a fee trash haulers pay when they dispose of solid waste in landfills or take it to transfer stations where it is consolidated for shipment to a landfill.

Money from the fee is distributed to 20 regional solid waste districts around the state. District officials then award grants to businesses and groups to increase recycling options and promote public awareness of recycling.

Supporters say the program has been successful at diverting waste from landfills. But the program has drawn fire from Appropriations Committee Chairman Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, for what he considers exorbitant overhead costs.

“It’s a tremendous waste of money,” Schaefer, an environmental lawyer, said in an interview earlier this year.

Schaefer wanted to cut all the districts’ money. But after 2 ½ hours of debate Monday night, he agreed to restore $4 million of the funding, which he said represented half of the districts’ spending. He said he hopes the cut will provide leverage to get the solid waste districts to negotiate with him to change how the program is run.

Information provided by his office indicates that some of the waste management districts used half of their funds for administrative costs last year. The highest percentage spent on overhead was 54 percent, in Region D in northwestern Missouri.

“When you bring this to peoples’ attention, they think it’s ludicrous,” Schaefer said.

But not all districts spent such a high percentage on administration. The St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District, which covers St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County, spent 23.6 percent on overhead, according to Schaefer’s data.

The St. Louis-Jefferson district approved more than $2.1 million in funding for 60 grant recipients last year, according to John Haasis, manager of the solid waste management program at the St. Louis County Department of Health.”

Read more here. 

Posted in Activism, Local News, Recycling | No Comments »


Earth Day Festival this Sunday in Forest Park!

Posted Thursday, April 18th, 2013 by Erin

Celebrate “Common Place” at this year’s St. Louis Earth Day Festival.

Gather in St. Louis’ favorite common place for this year’s Earth Day celebration on Sunday, April 21st  from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Muny Grounds of Forest Park. At the 24th annual St. Louis Earth Day
Festival, enjoy three stages of entertainment, learn about sustainable products and services offered by local businesses, meet area non-profits that share the mission of Earth Day, and participate in a variety
of hands-on educational activities.

A collection event for hard-to-recycle items returns to the Festival for a third year, including the DEA Medication Take-Back Initiative. The Recycling Extravaganza will take place in the parking lot of the St.
Louis Community College Forest Park campus, off Oakland Avenue, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A full list of acceptable items, including everything from mattresses and appliances to batteries and carpet, is updated regularly online so you can plan your spring cleaning accordingly.

Start the celebration early at Earth Day Eve – a family-friendly evening with food and music on the Festival grounds, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the corner of McKinley and Theatre Drives in the Earth Day Café
neighborhood, presented by Wells Fargo. All are welcome and a donation of $5 is suggested to support St. Louis Earth Day. Big Brother Thunder and the MasterBlasters headline the event with their soulful
energy and funky tunes.

Before the Festival opens, join Trailnet at the Missouri History Museum for a guided bicycle tour of Forest Park’s ecosystems. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the ride begins at 9:30 a.m. After your bicycle tour, head over to the Community Stage for free yoga, face painting, henna and an eco-art activity, 10a.m. to 11 a.m. Return to the Community Stage area, just East of The Muny covered walkway, for the St. Louis Teachers’ Recycle Center’s “Great Green Re-Read Outside”. Throughout the day, visitors can select a book to keep and explore areas of the park where you can read outside, sponsored by Great Rivers
Greenway.

At 12 p.m., join the Honorable Mayor Francis G. Slay at the KDHX Main Stage for the opening ceremony, when Earth Day Action Grants will be awarded to successful projects. The Festival officially kicks off
with the All Species Parade. All are welcome to join this costume pedestrian parade through the event grounds, led by the Joia World Percussion Ensemble. A themed-neighborhood layout makes it easy for visitors to navigate the Festival and experience all the celebration has to offer. Visitors can explore the following neighborhoods: Alternative Transportation and Fuels by Ameren; Arts and Crafts; the Earth Day Café; Energy and Green Building; the Farmers Market by Chipotle; Home and Pets by Purina; Nature, Recreation and Wildlife; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; and, Wellness and Spirituality. Visitors are also invited to reflect upon their experiences and connect with the Earth at the Peace Garden, where activities will take place throughout the day.

Over 30 Educational Exhibitors are scattered throughout the grounds, present in almost every neighborhood with a wide range of hands-on activities for kids and adults. Visitors can engage with
ecosystem models, role-playing games, or create something beautiful with ‘trash’. All are invited to help paint a Metro bus with Metro Arts in Transit and Firecracker Press, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Ameren exhibit  provides information about energy efficiency and conservation, and the Chipotle Cinema in the Farmers Market area features short films about cultivating a better world. Over twenty food and beverage vendors will be serving up diverse, local cuisine and drinks throughout the Festival. Schnucks will be showcasing products from its Full Circle organic line in the Earth Day Café where you will find organic vegetarian jambalaya, empanadas, St. Louis style barbeque and everything in-between. Schlafly Beer will be serving Organic Pale Ale and other favorites. Stop by the Nature’s Own booth and enter for a chance to win free bread for an entire year!
Presented by Nature’s Own, the 88.1 KDHX Main Stage will feature Andy Coco’s Rhythm Section Road Show and Little Rachel and The Loot Rock Gang; and, you can enjoy The Root Diggers, Shannon Wurst,
Banjo Kellie and many more on the Folk School of St. Louis Café Stage! Musical performances begin at 11 a.m. and continue all day on both stages. The Green Strum Band Scramble will close the Café Stage when participating musicians put their upcycled instruments to the test in front of local celebrity judges—hosted by Ryan Spearman and Kelly Wells of The Lulus. The Worm’s Way Community Stage features a variety of local entertainment, including dance troupes, a cappella performances, and theater groups, with special programming from the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Educational Tour and the Wild Bird Sanctuary.

St. Louis Earth Day encourages visitors to use alternative methods of transportation to reduce the event’s environmental impact and to reduce traffic in Forest Park. Metro is “Your Official Ride to Earth
Day”, and the Forest Park/DeBaliviere Metrolink station is only a half-mile from the Festival, with the Forest Park Trolley connecting riders to the Muny Grounds. Trailnet will be offering free bike valet
parking in two locations at the Festival. Park at St. Louis Community College to utilize our free shuttle service – hop on the St. Louis Lambert International Airport biodiesel bus or Super Park compressed natural gas (CNG) bus, leaving every 15 minutes on the hour between 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Take the Earth Day Challenge by bringing a reusable bag, refillable water bottle or using alternative transportation to get to Forest Park. Visitors who accomplish two of the three challenges receive an eco-friendly prize, like CFLs from Metro Lighting, Better Life products or Metro Transit day passes. St. Louis Earth Day is a non-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to make every day earth day by  cultivating environmental stewardship and engaging individuals, governments, businesses, schools and the non-profit sector in celebration, education and action to support a healthy and sustainable future.

The St. Louis Earth Day Festival is grateful for the support and partnership of many local businesses, companies and organizations. This event is presented by Nature’s Own, Ameren Missouri, and Metro Transit and sponsored, in part, by Chipotle Mexican Grill, The City of St. Louis, KPLR 11/Fox 2, Missouri American Water, MO Department of Conservation, Schlafly Beer, USAgain, and Schnucks.

For detailed information and a complete list of sponsors, or to volunteer, visit www.stlouisearthday.org.

Posted in Air Quality, Climate Change, Composting, Energy Efficiency, Events, Gardening, Green Building, Green Jobs, Local News, Pollution, Recreation, Recycling, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Business, Transportation | No Comments »


350.org to premier “Do the Math” on Earth Night

Posted Thursday, April 11th, 2013 by Erin

On April 21st, 350.org will premier “Do the Math,” a film documenting Bill McKibben’s tour around the country last fall to educate and empower the people of our country to take action against our fossil fuel economy.

See the newly released preview of the film here:

Posted in Activism, Air Quality, Climate Change, Education, Energy Efficiency, Green Jobs, movies, National News, Policy, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Business, Transportation | No Comments »


Webster University students strive to raise awareness of environmental practices

Posted Wednesday, April 10th, 2013 by Erin

These kids give us hope for the future!

Check out this great article in the Webster-Kirkwood Times about these Webster University students taking strides to educate and promote sustainability in their community.

An excerpt:

For many adults, local recycling programs and reusable shopping totes may signal a relatively recent sustainability focus. For students who’ve grown up with these changes, sustainability is more than gathering green glass and newspapers.

Sustainability for younger folks is a lifestyle approach that weaves through their purchasing decisions, their mode of transportation, their education, and how they interact with society as a whole.

“I am very proud of watching the students become passionate about sustainability and protecting future generations and the planet,” said Lindsey Heffner, president of WSES (Webster Students for Environmental Sustainability). “I feel WSES is a vital group that can reach out to students to help us change our lifestyle choices – sustainably.”

Heffner’s passion has led her to get involved in the 2013 Sustainability Conference at Webster University. The event slated for April 12-13 will offer more than 40 sessions, covering everything from a debate about “what is green chemistry” to a look at sustainable business practices by local companies such as Schlafly Brewing Company.”

Read more: http://www.websterkirkwoodtimes.com/Articles-Features-i-2013-04-05-185968.114137-Sustainability-Our-Common-Future.html#ixzz2Q4cc0lnS

Posted in Climate Change, Education, Events, Green Building, Local News, Recycling, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Business | No Comments »


Last week to apply for the Sustainable Business Advantage!

Posted Thursday, April 4th, 2013 by Erin

Last week to apply for the Sustainable Business Advantage!

The St. Louis Regional Chamber is offering a new and unique program to assist small and medium size businesses to become more sustainable through strategies that reduce environmental impact and improve their bottom line.

The Sustainable Business Advantage is a special four-month program tailored for small businesses that helps explore the first steps in “going green”. This program will help you:

·  Kickstart your company’s “green team” with easy-to-accomplish first steps

·  Create sustainability policies for your employees, vendors and supply chain

·  Introduce utility and energy efficiency programs that aid your company’s bottom line

·  Develop strategies for waste and energy reduction, clean transportation, and carbon footprint metrics

·  Provide educational tools to help teach sustainability at work and at home

The Sustainable Business Advantage starts on Thursday, April 11th with a Green Business 101 Seminar, led by the experts at the EarthWays Center, featuring cost-saving sustainability success stories from local companies. The meeting will be held at the EarthWays Center (4651 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110) from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.  Registrations must be received by Monday, April 8th to participate in this exclusive program.

Companies participating in the Sustainable Business Advantage will be recognized at the 2013 St. Louis Green Business Challenge Award Ceremony and in the Accomplishments and Innovations booklet published at the end of the year. The Sustainable Business Advantage will prepare your company for the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, a comprehensive sustainability program completed by more than 100 leading St. Louis area companies who have formed a regional network of sustainability leaders.

 

Sign up today to start learning how sustainability can help your company’s growth! The Sustainable Business Advantage program is available only to Chamber members for only $195. To register click here or for more information, contact Andrea Harper at aharper@stlregionalchamber.com or (314) 444-1152.

Posted in Local News, Sustainable Business | No Comments »


Northeast states can make a huge dent on climate-altering pollution

Posted Monday, April 1st, 2013 by Erin

Check out this new report from Environment America.  If the ten Norteastern states between Maryland and Maine formed a county, this country would be the tenth largest emitter of carbon pollution in the world.  The report also shows that lowering carbon pollution is consistent with a growing economy.

An excerpt from the release:

“In the wake of Winter Storm Nemo, Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Irene, the Northeast must double-down on its commitment to lead the nation in reducing the pollution that’s warming the planet and changing our climate,” said Rob Sargent, energy program director for Environment America.

The report: ‘A Double Success: Tackling Global Warming While Growing the Economy with an Improved Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative‘ also shows that lowering global warming emissions is consistent with a growing economy. Between 2000 and 2010, the economies of the ten Northeast states grew twice as fast per capita as other states while per capita carbon dioxide emissions declined 25 percent faster.

“By promoting clean energy and energy efficiency programs, RGGI helps keep energy dollars in our local economy while reducing the risk of climate change-related costs,” said Pat Stanton, senior vice president for policy and advocacy at the Conservation Services Group, a large energy services company. “In the last five years, RGGI has helped to spur CSG’s growth. We have added over 450 new employees and improved the efficiency, comfort, and affordability of thousands of New England homes.”

Recent analyses also indicate that RGGI has produced a $1.6 billion economic boost to the region through 2011 and that strengthening RGGI could produce an additional $8 billion in economic benefits.

“By using RGGI to accelerate investments in energy efficiency, the Northeast states have made RGGI into a winner for businesses and consumers in the Northeast,” stated the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships’ public policy director Jim O’Reilly. “This report shows that RGGI will continue to be a critical tool for states to manage their energy use and maintain our competitive advantage as we emerge from the economic downturn.”

 Read more here. 

Posted in Air Quality, Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, National News, Policy, Pollution, Renewable Energy | No Comments »


Washington University releases sustainability plan

Posted Thursday, March 28th, 2013 by Erin

From Washington University’s Newsroom page:

Washington University in St. Louis has released its Strategic Plan for Environmentally Sustainable Operations.

The plan details the university’s sustainability achievements, aspirations and challenges in terms of energy and water use, food sources, recycling and transportation, among others.

The plan also details the university’s sustainability goals and its plans on how to meet these goals:

  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 greenhouse gas emissions levels by 2020 without purchasing carbon offsets
  • Building more sustainably by meeting at least LEED Silver qualifications and pursuing LEED Gold when appropriate
  • Decreasing solo-occupancy vehicles coming to campus by 10 percent by 2012
  • Working with WUSTL Dining Services to purchase more food that is produced and distributed locally, humanely, fairly and in an ecologically sound manner
  • Reducing solid waste by 20 percent on the Medical Campus and 30 percent on the Danforth Campus
  • Using more native plants in landscaping
  • Fostering a culture of responsible use of resources among faculty, staff and students.

    Read more here.  

Posted in Agriculture, Climate Change, Education, Energy Efficiency, Green Building, Local News, Pollution, Recycling, Renewable Energy | No Comments »


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