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.

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!

By Christal Padilla

Six years ago when I bought my current car I really wanted a hybrid vehicle.  Unfortunately the wait for the then-newish technology was 20 months (give or take) and my car at the time would not last that long.  So, I got the next-best thing in a fuel-efficient vehicle with just enough room and cargo space for our family.  I have often wondered if, environmentally speaking, I should trade in my decent vehicle for a more virtuous hybrid now that they are more readily available.  However, financially-speaking, my car is paid off and our expendable income is a bit, let’s say, less expendable, these days.

So, how can you be greener (or ish) if you can’t afford to buy a new vehicle, or simply can’t squash your family and all their soccer gear, dance shoes, groceries and pets into a Prius or Insight?

Well, here’s the good news according to Andrew Davis of the Environmental Transport Association, a UK organization that studies environmental transportation issues: “Of all the main environmental variables involved with buying a car . . . it is the length of time a car is kept that is crucial. . .”  Davis’ point is that whatever kind of car you have, you should keep it for its entire useful life, as each day you own the same vehicle essentially lessens the carbon footprint used to plan, produce and transport that vehicle.

Davis also adds that “how and when you drive is far more important than what type of car you buy.”  Regardless of what vehicle you drive as long you maintain it and drive it efficiently, you can reduce your pollution contribution.  He is referring to “hypermiling” which means, simply, maximizing gas mileage through a combination of adjustments to one’s vehicle and one’s driving habits.

So, what exactly is hypermiling, you ask? First, it is important to make sure your vehicle itself is running as efficiently as possible by tracking your gas mileage, keeping it tuned up, making sure your tires are inflated properly, getting rid of extra cargo and removing roof racks and bike carriers when not in use.  Secondly, you need to change how you drive.  This is the hard part, trust me.

Full disclosure: I have always been a fast driver.  Just ask my high school Driver’s Ed teacher who named me lead-foot Smalley the first day of instruction.  Also, I am nearly always in a hurry and am usually distracted on some level while driving.  This is not good, I know, but it is not uncommon either.  When child A gets out of school at 3:30 and child B has dance lessons at 3:45 clear across town, some of the techniques required to hypermile seem impossible.  However, over the last month, I have made a genuine attempt with increasing levels of success.  According to fueleconomy.gov my car should get an average of 27 mpg and I have been able to increase that on average by about 6% to 28.65.  Not the 30% that some say is possible, but it’s a start.

Generally, fuel economy is maximized when acceleration and braking are minimized. So hypermilers attempt to anticipate what is happening ahead, and drive in such a way so as to minimize acceleration and braking, and maximize coasting time. Idling for any reason is to be avoided because, guess how many miles per gallon you get when you are standing still?  That’s right, zero (this means no drive-thru folks). Hypermilers believe that they can even lessen congestion with well-timed application of the techniques.

To hypermile you:

1.     Use your cruise control for highway driving whenever possible.  A consistent speed will net better miles-per-gallon.

2.     Accelerate slowly.  It is recommended that you push down the gas pedal no more than half an inch when accelerating.  Warning – this can seem maddeningly slow if you are not used to driving this way, and people behind you won’t like it.

3.     Don’t drive aggressively.  Mashing down the gas pedal which floods the engine with more gas than is really needed, then slamming on the brakes, negating the momentum you just used that gas to achieve, is truly the least efficient way to drive.

4.     Coasting to a stop or into a slowdown is ideal.  This way, you are using the momentum you already gained, instead of more fuel only to stop or slow down using your breaks.  This requires that you pay attention, think ahead, and observe a fairly large following distance.   This, by the way, is impossible when talking on your phone, yelling at your kids, or going over your to-do list. Again, people behind you aren’t going to like it, so toughen up and ignore those tailgaters.

5.     Don’t speed.  Gas mileage decreases dramatically over 60 miles per hour and the faster you drive the less likely you will be able to anticipate slowdowns and stops, making braking more necessary.

6.     Be courteous to your fellow travelers.  Not allowing other cars to merge may seem like the best idea when you’re in a hurry, but it only makes the other drivers behave more aggressively, leading to people cutting each other off and thus, more brake slamming.  Traffic congestion is not only caused by how many vehicles are on the road, it is directly affected by how those vehicles are being driven.  If everyone could merge and move along smoothly the daily slowdowns would be much shorter and a lot less frustrating.

7.     Avoid driving during peak traffic hours.  Obvious, but easier said than done.

These strategies, like many environmental tactics, are fine when one person uses them, but their effects grow exponentially as more people join in.  For example, if, let’s say, one-third of the people on the Reno freeway at rush hour practiced hypermiling, then congestion would be reduced, allowing smoother merging and less need for quick braking, thus increasing fuel economy for everyone as a whole. This then would reduce demand for oil, which we know is a major environmental problem.  And, similarly, if enough people kept their vehicles for their full useful life, demand for new vehicles would be reduced, saving vast amounts of precious resources and keeping more cars out of landfills.

So, I’m going to continue my efforts to hypermile and keep my car as long as it will cooperate.  And maybe when I need a new vehicle, alternative fuel technology and local public transportation will have made such great advances that my choices will be more and simpler.  Come on and join me.  I’ll give you a friendly wave instead of a fist shake when I see you slowly coasting to a stop.

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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 – 2^nd 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.

We’re proud to announce that the Volume 004 of GReNO is now available for you to pick up for free at any of these central locations: distribution map!

And when you’re done enjoying this “POWER UP!” edition, be sure to pass it along to a friend!

You can also download your free PDF copy of this edition GReNO_Vol.4_PowerUp! Enjoy!

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.

- Ms. Divided – Reno, NV

Dear Ms. Divided,

I am glad to hear that you are thinking about the nutritional and environmental impacts of our current industrial food system. The ideal would be to buy produce that is both local and organic, but this is not always an option – there are a few ways to cut this conundrum. Local sustainable farming benefits our community, our economy and enhances our environment by enriching the soil, protecting air and water quality and minimizing energy use. I will be forthright with my bias towards the fresh and seasonal option wherever possible, yet understand that sometimes you want a Strawberry in November.

I eat what is grown seasonally in our local region because it tastes better, it is better for my body and the global environment. Produce is the most nutritionally dense within three days of harvest and most of our local farms are turning towards organic methods of growing (some are just too small to be certified, but have been growing food without pesticides for a long time).  Some local farms I recommend are Lattin Farms, Hungry Mother, Churchill Butte and Nana Dew. When the farmers markets open, or when you go to a local grocery or restaurant that has locally grown fruit and vegetables – do your body a favor and give it the good stuff!

When you are shopping for produce grown in other parts of the world, there is a list of things you should always buy organic for health reasons. After you finish reading this letter please head straight to the Environmental Working Group’s website www.foodnews.org. The EWG provides consumers with a complete list of produce rated from worst to OK to buy non-organic: peaches are the worst (always buy organic), followed by apples, sweet bell peppers, celery and nectarines. The EWG is a reliable stop for pesticide related information, and they are motivated by the fact that pesticides “are designed to kill living organisms – insects, plants, and fungi that are considered “pests.” Because they are toxic by design, many pesticides pose health risks to people.”

Lastly, industrial food production is entirely dependent on fossil fuels, which, when refined and burned, create greenhouse gases that are significant contributors to climate change. When a tomato travels 1500 miles, and its growth was motivated by what it would look like on the shelf when it arrived at Scolari’s in Nevada – your health was not the priority, remember that! As much as forty percent of the energy used in the food system goes towards the production of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. By adding transportation, processing and packaging to the food system equation, the fossil fuel and energy use of our current food system puts tremendous stress on the environment.

Ultimately, the choice is yours, both organic and local have a positive value and impact. So, if you are motivated to have the smallest impact and gain the best nutrition for you and your family, buy seasonal and local first, and organic outside of our region for most things, but keep it as close to home grown as possible.

Sincerely,

Econista

by Dale Carlon, Certified Arborist

We all learned in school the values of trees; providers of shade, producers of oxygen, screeners of winds. These are all important contributions, but there are so many more ways we can use trees to enhance our environment when utilized correctly.

Everyone can recognize a tree that has been planted in the wrong place, the roots are buckling the sidewalk because the tree is too close, or fruit bearing trees littering yards with rotting fruit, the list is endless. But how often do we say “Wow, that tree is placed perfectly in that space!” The most common mistake we see are large growing trees planted in small areas, this may look good in the beginning, but years later extensive pruning and even removal may be required. To avoid this, check out mature trees of the variety you are interested in and see if they would fit the area you intend to plant fifteen years from now. Consider placing a deciduous tree on the west or northwest side of your house, providing shade to assist in cooling in the summer but in winter with leaves gone allows for a passive heating source. You can increase efficiency of air-conditioning units by placing an evergreen between the afternoon sun and the unit. We use the evergreen for this so that falling leaves will not get into the unit. Winds can make a backyard virtually unusable in the afternoon, the columnar evergreen fits this role perfectly, we can plant these close together and they put on height quickly. Using one of the Pine varieties gives interest to the landscape in winter and provides a safe haven to birds year-round. Providing a canopy of shade over your lawn and shrubs can reduce water usage significantly. Try placing a tree with fragrant flowers like Prairiefire Crabapple between the prevailing wind direction and a house window, just open the window on a spring afternoon and bring a beautiful, natural perfume into your home.

There is a great deal of information out there available to help you in choosing the right tree for your yard .On the web try communityforestry.org, a site by the Truckee Meadows Community Forestry Coalition . Also on the web is the treesaregood.com site by the International Society of Arboriculture. For a more personal connection try a visit to the University Of Nevada Cooperative Extension at 5305 Mill street which is staffed by some of the most knowledgeable people around.

So, whether you have a new yard to landscape or an existing yard that could use some “sprucing” up, (pun intended) think about using trees, the venerable and beautiful sustainers of the landscape.

by Meghan Collins and Amber Sallaberry

Imagine you are a one-dollar bill, crinkled in the stuffy pocket of a Reno foodie. Your short-term use for your transporter is to purchase tomatoes, who faces a decision: run to a big-box store or shop at the local grocer down the street. This is a choose-your-own-adventure story of a dollar bill spent in one of Reno’s locally owned grocers vs. that spent in a brand-name grocery chain.

OPTION 1: BIG -BOX SPECIAL!

Your shopper walks through the sliding doors to the produce section, where she notices a large pyramid of tomatoes on the left wall. Choosing tomatoes only takes an instant because they are all the same shape, size and faint smell.

As she checks out, your rumpled dollar-bill-self goes in the drawer next to a few others of its kind, and it begins the journey in our global economy. It’s a fact that only 43% of money spent in a non-local business remains in the community (www. the350project.net). Where does the rest go on this hypothetical journey?

You, the weary dollar, enter into a pool of many others of your kind. This pool is divided in many ways. The first destination is to the retailer, taking a large percent of the revenue to cover overhead. Payroll stays local, as do taxes and utilities, but there is a great deal of money that is spent afar. Sources of products, supplies, and equipment are likely to be sourced from out-of-town. These chain stores also have the buying power to purchase distributors in large quantities from far-away industrial zones, contract with overseas merchants, or to the intensive costs of transportation and packaging itself. Past the owner of the franchise, a portion of the monies heads to the corporation’s HQ for research and development on market trends (heard of green washing?), advertisement, and costs of lobbying the federal government.

National and transnational shareholders, depending on the chain, often times see a large portion of year-end profits. This is significant because those monies are not being rolled back into location where money was spent to improve it, where individuals might have a vested interest in improving the community.

OPTION 2: HAND-PICKED BASKET

One alternative path for our tomato dollar begins at the independent grocery store, taking the locally-owned food cooperative as an example. In this case, the breakdown is much simpler. Compared to the $43 above, in the local scenario $68 of $100 returns to the community through payroll, taxes, and other similar expenditures (www.the350project.net).

Shopping takes a bit longer in this case. The owner of the dollar is surprised by the tomato selection at the Co-op. Because this enterprise supports many local Nevada growers, there is a large variety to choose from: slicing tomatoes, vine-ripened tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes and roma tomatoes.

The patron picks out a Cherokee purple heart heirloom and can smell its strong flavor even before cutting into it. The rumpled dollar is handed over to a worker paid a living wage for the region, and the patron’s eye catches a photo.

It depicts the farmer who grew the tomato. Next to this biography is a map of the Co-op’s ‘foodshed’ of the 95-mile radius around Reno, from which it aims to source the majority of its goods.

In the Co-op’s case, many supplies and equipment have been donated by members of the community. Some are recycled, some are handmade, and others come from other locally-owned businesses. The retail floor reflects a mentality of ‘bigger is not always better’, where products are sustainably produced and fresher, and where the space restriction might require you to get to know other ‘neighbors’ shopping alongside you.

Marketing in the case of the Co-op refers to education. Why is it important to buy local? What is the true cost of food, factoring in farm workers’ conditions and environmental aspects such as transportation and production methods? Why do individuals collaborate to form cooperatives in the first place? The list goes on…

The moral of the story is that spending the dollar locally provides more power to the region, as opposed to diluting it at a convenient franchise.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?  Visit www.greatbasinfood.coop or come and visit us at 542 Plumas St. Reno, NV 89509 (775) 324-6133