Go With The Growing Flow Of Bike Lanes

Business, Conservation, Politics
Jul 192010

By Terry McAfee, Nevada Bicycle Coalition

Q. What is the biggest thing that you can do to help save the planet and have a blast doing it?

A. Park your car and ride a bicycle!

If more people bicycled instead of driving cars, money would be saved, less oil imported (and spilled in the Gulf), the air cleaner, the roads less congested and waistlines would be smaller. So, why don’t more people bicycle? Why don’t you bicycle more?

Many people don’t feel safe riding on the streets. It’s valid, sharing the road with motorists, more distracted than ever, can be intimidating. What makes it less intimidating and a lot safer are bike lanes.

In a 1998 study by University of Washington Professor William Moritz, on-street bike lanes were found to be 3.4 times safer than multi-use paths and about 40 times safer than bicycling on a sidewalk. Bike lanes make roads safer for bicyclists and make roads “feel” safer, too.

There are almost 200 miles of bike lanes and paths in Washoe County. The general rule for new bike lanes is that every new regional road is designed and built to meet federal standards, which require enough shoulder to make a bike lane. Local government decides if it is to be striped and signed for a bike lane. The general rule for a bike lane to be installed on an existing regional road is: 1) is it in the regional plan? 2) is the road being resurfaced or rehabilitated? 3) is there room? That last criteria is usually the sticking point, especially if parking has to be removed to make room for a bike lane.

The Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), with the help of the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, is in the process of doing a thorough survey of Washoe County’s bicycle and pedestrian facilities. About this time next year, they should have a professionally designed plan for a bicycle lane and path transportation network that the RTC, Washoe County, Reno and Sparks can use as a design guide for future transportation improvements. One of the requirements when seeking federal funds is that the project be part of a comprehensive plan.

Recent improvements to the local bicycling infrastructure have included a bicycle boulevard on Riverside Drive between Wingfield Park and Idlewild Park. Have you tried it? Plans taking place this year include “road diets”, like Mayberry and Wells Avenue, Holcomb, Arlington, El Rancho and parts of California, calling for a total of 24 more bike lane miles to be added.

Like much of life, bike lanes are what you make of them. You can make the safest bike lane really dangerous by riding against traffic, on the wrong side of the road. Some bicyclists believe that riding against traffic flow gives them the advantage of being able to see the biggest threat to their safety, the car coming directly at them. Unfortunately, that is not where the biggest threat lies. The biggest dangers are cars waiting at intersections and in driveways preparing to cross the bicyclist’s path. When a bicyclist is on the wrong side of the road, the crossing motorist doesn’t expect a bicyclist to be there so he doesn’t look there. A surprised motorist is a dangerous motorist. Don’t be a victim of a motorist who will say, “I never saw him.” Always ride with the flow of traffic.

Enjoy those bike lanes safely!

Terry McAfee is the President and Founder of the Nevada Bicycle Coalition, Inc. The mission of the coalition is to promote safe bicycling in Nevada.

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GReNO Volume 5 Is Here!

Advertising, Business, Conservation, Networking, Politics, Renewable Energy
Jul 092010

We’re excited to announce that GReNO’s Volume #5 is currently in distribution for your reading enjoyment throughout Reno.

You can also download your free PDF copy here!

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Training for the Green Economy in NV

Conservation, Networking, Politics, Renewable Energy
Jun 062010

by David Gibson and Tamara Wright

It is time to train a new labor force if we are to develop and sustain a green economy in Nevada. Nevada has people who are ready and available to work, the products and systems to install, and the ability to position itself to be a leader in green industries, but education is crucial.

Many of Northern Nevada’s high school graduates will be entering the working world in June with a national unemployment rate of 9.7%. Nevada’s unemployment rate is 13.4%, the worst in state history, and currently second highest in the nation – 2nd only to Michigan!

If we are going to succeed as a state we must place a level of urgency in our plans, focus our energy on collaboration, and work together to educate the children and re-skill adults.

Workforce training is essential to shift the local economy and to bridge gaps that exist between industry sectors, education programs, and market demand.  If we focus education dollars on program development strategies we can begin to bridge some of these gaps.

Recently, Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation was awarded several grants for workforce training, some of which can be used for green jobs.

One example is the State Energy Sector Partnership Training Grant, providing $6 million to teach workers the skills required in emerging industries, including efficiency and renewable energy.  The grant will be used to create an integrated system of education, training and supportive services that promote skill attainment and career pathway development for low-income, low-skilled workers leading to employment in green industries.

Northern Nevada’s higher education system is rising to the challenge as well. Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Renewable Energy to prepare students for jobs in solar, wind, geothermal and energy efficiency.  University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) has created a Renewable Energy Center that “will focus efforts and coordinate programs for competitive research with plans to increase Nevada’s national stature in the renewable energy field.”  UNR students can also earn a minor in Renewable Energy through the Engineering Department.

Over the last few years several non-profit organizations have also begun to work with educational institutions, collaborating to bring about real change in our students’ experience of sustainable practices and future possibilities.   GREENevada Schools, is a new partnership with a mission to grow resources for environmental education in Nevada schools. GREENevada is a partnership between six organizations that are committed to making schools sustainable, believing that “every school can be green and every child can learn global responsibility through local example. Together, we can change the way students learn.”

Below is information on some of the groups involved in the GREENevada Schools’ effort and what each organization is doing to bring about systemic and sustainable change:

Envirolution has recently started Project ReCharge, a service-learning program for middle and high school students, which provides an opportunity for students to learn about building science, energy conservation and green careers while being empowered to take actions to reduce their school’s environmental impact. Students conduct a supervised energy audit of their school before creating a final report of cost-saving recommendations, which they present to school officials while emphasizing cost-effectiveness and available incentive programs.  The project also demonstrates to students how they can save energy at home. www.envirolution.org

Urban Roots has been actively working with elementary school children for the last nine months changing the way kids eat and learn through place-based gardening and seed-to-table education.  www.urgc.org

Black Rock Solar provides schools with educational field trips, consultations for solar installs, and on-the-job training in the field of solar.  www.blackrocksolar.org

Sierra Nevada Journeys engages students in science and outdoor education while developing problem solving and critical thinking skills. www.sierranevadajourneys.org

NV Energy and the Desert Research Institute (DRI) created GreenPower to support the education of K-12 students in Renewable Energy and incorporating conscious living practices into their daily lives. www.nvenergy.com and www.dri.edu

Collaboration is the key to success and we have the start to great future! If we are successful, we will look to these moments as the foundation of the Green Economy in Nevada!

David Gibson is currently an AmeriCorps VISTA for Envirolution working on energy conservation service-learning programs.  He has a degree in civil and environmental engineering and is a LEED Accredited Professional for building design and construction.

Tamara Wright, LEED AP, has a background in architecture, sustainable environments and community.   Since coordinating the Women in Green Jobs roundtable for the Department of Labor, she has been working closely with Envirolution to expand their programs relating to green economic development and green jobs.

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Greenwashed.

Advertising, Business, Food, Networking, Politics
Apr 102010

image courtesy of ecojovenes.com

by Marc Tiar from EcoReno

Have you ever seen packaging or advertising for a product, proudly proclaiming the environmental virtues of the company or product, and wondered how “green” it really is? Or seen earth-loving claims by a company that reeks of pollution, excess packaging, and conspicuous consumption? Then you have potentially been greenwashed.

The term “greenwashing” is slowly creeping into the mainstream, and while the term may still be unknown to the majority of consumers, more and more people are getting familiar with the concept. In fact, the word was been in the Oxford English Dictionary for over a decade now, defining greenwash as “Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present anenvironmentally responsible public image.” While I would argue that “disinformation” may be a narrow view of greenwashing, implying that green claims are outright lies, that is at least part of it.

Much more broadlyseen are the sugarcoating, wolf-in-sheeps-clothing, and distractions from the man behind the curtain that go on in over 90% of “green” products investigated by environmental marketing firm Terrachoice. Terrachoice has defined the “Seven Sins of Greenwashing” in an effort to bring more public awareness to the widespread practices of companies looking to cash in on consumers’ efforts to be more environmentally aware.

The classic example of greenwashing I couldn’t omit, as it was this practice that led to the coining of the term – although I can’t quite decide whether it’s the Hidden Trade-Off or the Lesser of Two Evils – is hotels asking you to reuse towels and linens to “save the planet” when, in fact, their main reason for doing so is to increase profits, and when you look around the hotel, you see all kinds of energy waste, no recycling, and little to no environmental effort made anywhere else.

It’s not hard to figure out why greenwashing is rampant in today’s marketplace. Everyone knows green is the new black, so to speak, and the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) consumer segment is worth more than $200 billion per year. According to an article in Time magazine last year , sales of organic products alone went from $10 billion to more than $20 billion in four short years, from 2003 to 2007.

So, what can you do to avoid being greenwashed? The Federal Trade Commission is working to update their so-called Green Guides (originally issued in 1992 and updated in 1998), and there are slowly emerging legitimate “seals of approval” from third-party certification organizations .

But until such standards are common in the marketplace it’s up to you to do your homework, research companies environmental claims, and be skeptical. You can also go online to greenwashingindex.com or Greenpeace’s stopgreenwash.org to check out examples.

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Home Means Nevada

Conservation, Politics
Jan 182010
by Alicia Reban, President of Nevada Land Conservancy

I remember a particularly interesting conversation around the time a group of us were starting the Nevada Land Conservancy, the first independentland trust in Nevada. I was chatting with someone who took no care to mask his disdain for what we were setting out to accomplish. He was certain we were going to be “in the way” of progress. We talked further about what makes this area unique. I listened for the essence of his attachment to this area. It didn’t take long to find. As a child, some sixty-odd years ago, he spent every possible minute on, along, and in the Truckee River. He spoke of “his” swimming hole and where he learned to fish. He reflected on the stunning seasons along the river, when the cottonwoods turn from green to brilliant yellow in the fall. I said “That’s exactly what we’re going to do. We are going to protect those kinds of places, and those kinds of experiences, for future generations.”

It’s been eleven years since I had that conversation, and much has changed. Nevada Land Conservancy has helped protect over 35,000 acres of Truckee River corridor, private parcels within wilderness study areas, trailheads, scenic valleys, and the tops of mountain ranges. We’ve helped Nevada ranching families stay on their land, and we have built coalitions of people to find conservation solutions together. We’ve done it for wildlife, recreation, and water. We’ve done it today for Nevada’s future generations.

I didn’t have any “future generations” of my own until 2002; now the objective is more personal. I want my children, and yours, to know: how cold water feels right where it springs from the earth and how massive lenticular clouds form in a clear blue sky. I want them to know infinite distance – the vast gold, brown, purple, and blue horizon of the Great Basin — and the magical Black Rock under a full moon. I want them to know the fresh smell of sagebrush after rainfall and the changes in light and sound after snowfall. I want them to see the tops of distant peaks where the mule deer, the pronghorn, and the pygmy rabbits play. I want them to climb to the top of the hills where young children stood a thousand years ago. I want them to know where birds stop to rest as they journey through in spring and fall. I want them to have “their” swimming holes and know where trout hide in the Truckee River.

I want our children’s hearts to be full of “belonging” to this place, their home – Nevada.

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