GreenGeezer

"Neighborhood Effect" Resulting from High Oil Prices

The cost of oil is putting a crimp in globalization, according to the New York Times.  As the cost of fuel rises, products shipped around the world become less profitable and it makes more sense to produce them nearby to consumers.  Locavores will already be ahead of the game, as food is one of the products that will start to be produced locally. 

Production chains that no longer make sense include that of Tesla's electric-powered cars, whose 1,000-pound battery packs were made in Thailand, shipped to Britain for installation, with the partially-assembled cars shipped to the U.S.  Now they'll be entirely made in California.

"Globe-spanning supply chains — Brazilian iron ore turned into Chinese steel used to make washing machines shipped to Long Beach, Calif., and then trucked to appliance stores in Chicago — make less sense today than they did a few years ago....The cost of shipping a 40-foot container from Shanghai to the United States has risen to $8,000, compared with $3,000 early in the decade, according to a recent study of transportation costs. Big container ships, the pack mules of the 21st-century economy, have shaved their top speed by nearly 20 percent to save on fuel costs, substantially slowing shipping times." --The New York Times

Other signs of the "neighborhood effect":

• Ikea opened a factory in the U.S. and more furniture is being made in America
  
• Electronics companies who moved to China from Mexico are moving back
• Chinese steel exports to the U.S. are falling while U.S. production rises
• Avocadoes in Chicago in January and bananas all year round will make less and less sense

Smart Meters Help Even Older Homes Save Energy

Image Credit: www.carboncommentary.com

A story in today's New York Times highlights the gains made in energy savings in the UK through the increasing use of Smart Meters.   Smart Meters provide real-time information on energy use so that homeowners can immediately see the effect of appliances, light bulbs, and computers on their energy usage and, their bills.   It has been shown that such feedback (as any Prius owner will tell you) changes behavior, especially as the cost of energy rises. 

In the UK, where creaking old homes vastly outnumber sleek new "green" homes (as they do in most cities of the world), Smart Meters are fostering such energy-saving behaviors as:

• Installing highly efficient windows
• Insulating under roofs
• Installing solar water heaters
• Using incandescent light bulbs little and replacing most or all bulbs with compact fluorescents
• Giving up using an electric teekettle, a notorious energy hog

Britain's Low Carbon Trust  has been a major force in making the city of Brighton and its neighbor Hove, traditional and ancient towns, into prototypes for the new green village.  The trust is sponsoring home tours  so energy-saving Brighton homeowners can share how they have transformed their older homes.

In the U.S., Smart Metering has been tried in several locations, including Chicago and the state of California. By all accounts, they are a raving success. Duke Energy Indiana  plans to install 800,000 Smart Meters starting this year.  According to Energy Design, Strategy and News:

"Some 50 million old meters in the United States are likely to be replaced by advanced meters by 2010 at a cost of about $18 billion, according to a recent analysis by Deutsche Bank. Worldwide, only 6% of electricity, 8% of gas, and 4% of water meters are even automated, according to Texas Instruments Inc, which sells a variety of chips for meters. In fact, in the electric industry alone, 500 million meters worldwide could be replaced over the next 10 years, resulting in semiconductor sales of at least $7.5 billion.."

Okay, so let's get on with it.

Mixed-Use, Affordable, Sustainable Housing in Calgary, CA

The latest issue of Eco-Structure magazine features Vento Residences, designed by Busby Perkins + Will.  Calgary, Alberta demolished its general hospital and decided to create a green, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented urban community where the hospital used to be.  The community is certified LEED Platinum, and the homes are performing 44% better than Canada's Model National Energy Code.  Green features include:

• increased density in the inner city and surrounding the public transut
• pedestrian oriented design
• live-work units
• solar orientation
  
• low maintenance vegetation
• construction waste management plans
• water efficient irrigation
• indoor/outdoor bicycle parking
• low volume toilets and shower heads

Affordable units are included in the mix, as are small, local businesses on ground level Wouldn't it be great if Chicago decided to initiate a development like this out of the hulk that is Cook County Hospital?

GreenSwitch Provides Convenient Way to Save 20-40% on Electricity

One of my subscribers is a distributor for GreenSwitch, which addresses the problem of "vampire loads"
-- appliances that stay in "standby" mode and use a great deal of energy.   Having had great success in the hotel and office arena, the product has been launched to the consumer market.

The ubiquitous Ed Begley, Jr. stars in a demonstration video. 

How it works:

• All appliances (except those that need to stay "on" such as fax machines) are programmed into the wireless monitor.
• GreenSwitch provides one switch that can be flipped on when leaving the house.
• Designated light switches and wall plugs will automatically turn off.
• Air Conditioning/Heating System is automatically set to the unoccupied mode allowing for more energy efficient operating temperature range

Some comments on the TreeHugger site grouse about the cost (around $1,100) and point out that one could just turn off the switches, but the point is do they?  No.  That's why a product like this can be a real energy-saver.

Image Credit: Good Magazine and Cnet.com