We will meet in the Library for a brief presentation on the district’s successes and then have a tour of a couple key LEED areas. Below is the Mission and Vision of Hickory Hills and more about their plans and goals regarding sustainability.

What: SPS Sustainability and Hickory Hills Middle School

When: Tues, June 8, 7:30 a.m.

Where: Hickory Hills Middle School (4650 E. State Highway YY)

Please RSVP by Friday, June 4. Feel free to pass this to the appropriate person/people in your organization.

Web Freeman
Communications Coordinator
Partnership for Sustainability
417.862.8459
webfreeman@greenozarks.org

Hickory Hills School Green Curriculum Implementation

MISSION:

The mission of the Hickory Hills Green Team is to increase awareness of environmental and sustainability issues and solutions within our school and community and model best practices to better the Earth.

VISION:

That Hickory Hills will be a school that protects the health of our students and staff members and create an atmosphere where all students will achieve their full potential. Using the building as a teaching tool we will educate our students and community what it means to live green, why it is important, and what role can we all have in protecting our environment. We want Hickory Hills to be a school that will attract families to our community because we are green.

GOAL 1: Reduce – Reuse and Recycle

GOAL 2: Incorporate Green Cleaning Products / Health Initiative

GOAL 3: Outdoor Classroom

GOAL 4: Renewable Energy Demonstration Models

GOAL 5: Green Roof Top Terrace

GOAL 6: Student Green Clubs

GOAL 7: Curriculum Integration

GOAL 8: Communication – Community Awareness

When it comes to promoting themselves as sustainable, many companies find green packaging an excellent way to cut costs and boost their image.

Asen Strategic Advertising & Marketing understands the importance of maintaining a company’s image through packaging and has provided five tactics that can transform packaging from the same old bag or box into something a little … greener:

1. Purchase packaging material from local manufacturers. Buying packaging products from local vendors can be beneficial for the environment, the consumer and the business. Materials purchased from local sources don’t travel as far, helping to reduce fuel consumption and the emissions produced by shipping. Also, products using local components appeal to those consumers who seek out goods that come from their own region.

2. Try bioplastics. Plastic is one of the most popular packaging substances. The problem with plastic is that the majority of it is derived from nonrenewable sources, such as petroleum and natural gas. However, there are some plastics, bioplastics, that are made from renewable resources, like plants. Bioplastics are often biodegradable and typically release fewer toxins when decomposing, as compared to their synthetic counterparts.

3. Use recycled materials. Glass, aluminum, paper, steel and some plastics are easily recyclable and often without a loss of quality in the product. Using recycled materials in packaging is a good way of making a package green. In fact, some materials, such as glass, steel and aluminum, are capable of indefinite recycling. Encouraging consumers to re-recycle the package is a good way to keep a reusable material out of the landfill. It’s also great for your brand’s image.

4. Implement a packaging reduction program. Smaller packages or packaging with compact elements means the manufacturer can fit a greater number on a pallet during shipping. If fewer pallets are needed to complete an order, that means fewer trips for polluting trucks and barges, which in turn, means fewer harmful emissions are sent into the air. The same principal applies to reducing weight. A truck will use less fuel, and produce less pollution, if its load is lighter.

5. Give green. If you can’t improve the sustainability of your current packaging, donating a portion of your sales to a green non-profit agency is an excellent way to improve your company’s image. Most companies choose to not disclose the amount of per-sale profit they donate, so this option can be inexpensive.

http://eponline.com/articles/2010/05/17/five-ways-companies-can-green-their-packaging.aspx

BKD Green Team accepts award.

with their first Environmental Excellence Award, recognizing a business whose efforts toward environmental stewardship serves as a model for business and industry. BKD, LLP, is the 10th largest CPA and advisory firm in the US and is thoroughly committed to the environment. They moved into their new location in the fall of 2009 – a Silver level LEED certified building featuring low-emission vehicle parking spaces, low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy efficient heating and air systems, water efficient landscaping, a white roof designed to reduce urban heat, motion sensitive lights and internal recycling collection sites of plastic, aluminum, toner cartridges and paper. In addition, they are shifting into a paperless operating environment. Employee participation is another key component to the success of the Company.

BKD’s Green Team has been a key factor in the ongoing and continued success of their sustainability efforts. BKD has office recycling programs and information posted in all of their public information areas. They have set measurable goals for 2010 to further increase recycling and reduce waste generation. Ceramic dishes and stainless flatware reduce disposable paper and plastic goods. BKD is the first business in the Ozarks to achieve the Green Level from Ozarks GreenScore. This is the highest ranking designation. John Wanamaker, Managing Partner, BKD, LLP accepted the award. Michael Garner, who is also vice president, UMB Bank, and chairman of the Partnership presented the award.

Activities, educational displays

Contact: Laurie Duncan – 862-9910

4/10 – Rockin’ Recycle Party

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
South Haven Church Family Life Center
2353 S. Campbell Ave.
Youth-led event focus on how recycling can be fun with games, activities, music.
Bring 5 recyclable items per person to get in free – otherwise admission $1
Contact: Quinlan and Amanda – 417-234-1999

4/10 – South Creek Greenway Clean-up

9:00 a.m. – noon
Greater Ozarks Audubon Society
Contact: Myra Scroggs – 883-4015

4/14 – Annual Choose Environmental Excellence Awards Luncheon

Contact: Barbara Lucks 864-2005

4/15 – Babes in the Woods Celebrate Earth Day

Springfield Conservation Nature Center – 888-4237

4/16 – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Address

MSU Public Affairs Conference
 
Contact: Mary Ann Wood 836-5073

4/17 – Wilder Elementary Green Run

4/17 – Babes in the Woods Celebrate Earth Day

Springfield Conservation Nature Center – 888-4237

4/17 – E-Waste Collection

Computer Recycling Center – 866-2588
9:00 am – 3:00 p.m. Recycling fees may apply to some materials

4/17 – Waste Tire Collection

Ozark Empire Fairgrounds
Contact: Bob Horton – Urban Neighborhoods Alliance – 865-4774

4/17 – Party for the Planet – Dickerson Park Zoo

Contact: Erin Sorensen – 417-883-1570

4/17 – Earth Day Celebration and Free Day @ Discovery Center

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Activities, educational displays
Contact: Laurie Duncan – 862-9910

4/21 – Summit School Activities

4/22 – EARTH DAY

4/22 – Earth Day Speaker at Southeast Rotary – Doug Neidigh

“Springfield’s Air Quality”

4/22 – JV Advisory Committee – Tree Planting Jordan Valley Park Trail

Contact: Olivia Hough – 864-864-1932

4/22 – Computer Recycling Center Open House/Dedication of expansion 10th Anniversary Celebration

l0:00 a.m.
Contact: Ken Reiss – 866-2588

4/22 – James River Basin Partnership Clean-up

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Contact: Melissa Bettes 836-4847

4/22 – Urban Garden Kick-Off

Boyd Elementary
Contact: Community Partnership of the Ozarks – 888-2020

4/22 – Earth Day Trail Day – Lake Springfield

Contact: David Riggs – 891-1550

4/22 – Nathan P. Murphys 2nd Annual Rock & Recycle

Gunshot Lizzie & more
Doors open at 7:00 p.m. for all ages show
Cover $

4/$8 (under 21)
Door net proceeds go to “Think Green!” at Drury University

4/23 – Ozarks Community Technical College (OTC) Green Fair

Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team
Danna Lunday 417-447-8981

4/24 – Schweitzer United Methodist Church Earth Day Activities

4/24 – Habitat for Humanity ReStore Earth Day Festival

2410 S. Scenic
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
50% off sale, live music, educational activities
Free hot dogs and soda from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (or while they last!)
Contact: Eric Allen 829-4001, Ext. 103

4/24-25 – Garden Adventures Nursery

Nixa, MO 725-3223
Azalea Festival and Art in the Garden

Information compiled by: Barbara Lucks
Materials Recovery/Education Coordinator
Solid Waste Management Division Springfield Public Works
417-864-2005
blucks@springfieldmo.gov

Complete listing of Earth Day activities available on www.OzarksEnvironment.com or by calling the City of Springfield Recycling Hotline at 417-864-1904

Just up I-44, Saint Louis University has teamed up with Discovery News to give you ten tips for staying healthy and H1N1-free this season. Bless you!

The last thing you expected just joined the 21st century. The Butterball turkey hotline (tied with emergency responders as the number one call next week!) is going digital. Tips for the perfect turkey can now be found on Facebook, Twitter, and your smartphone.

Can a farm-in-a-backpack save Sub-Saharan Africa?  Treehugger takes a look at this food source in a bag that’s presenting a sustainable, autonomous solution to need.

Whether you’re saving gas or trying to save yourself, you know biking’s one of the best transportation options available today. GOOD backs this up with a stunning infographic examining the effect of biking on obesity statistics.

If you think things are looking up, you’re seeing green. News just arrived that the US Labor Department will be allocating $55 million for green jobs training.

Don’t you always wonder what would happen if you ate a white dwarf star? You do? Great! PopSci has the breakdown (and it’s not pretty).

And if you’re making this for Thanksgiving, we’re coming over to your house. This week’s Feast Your Eyes is pumpkin gnocchi.

It’s living inside the city limits that makes people think that same lifestyle is out of their hands. Admittedly, there’s not a lot of farmland in downtown Springfield, but that doesn’t have to stop urban dwellers from growing and enjoying their own harvest. In Fresh Food From Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener’s Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting, author R. J. Ruppenthal takes this rural idea and puts a decidedly city spin on it. Ruppenthal gives a pretty comprehensive “how-to” for urbanites who want to eat sustainably in their own spaces.

The key advice? You don’t need much space to grow your own food. Small living spaces lend themselves to growing “sprouts on a counter top, salad greens on a windowsill, dwarf fruit trees on a patio, [and] tomatoes on a balcony.” Mushrooms and sprouts can thrive indoors, while many vegetables can be grown just fine in containers outside.

Ruppenthal’s Top 5 things every urban ecoist should know about urban gardening:

1. “You can grow a lot of different food crops in limited spaces, even in apartments, condos, townhouses, and other small homes.”
2. “Start with something that is relatively trouble-free (such as salad greens, peas, or even tomatoes) and work up from there. You will learn a lot from your successes and your failures.    If you try some simple crops and do everything you can (such as provide good soil and water) to ensure their success, then you will experience some success.”
3. “Do not be afraid to fail. All of us have our hits and misses. Sometimes you forget to water or you planted the wrong variety for your climate, or for whatever reason, a particular plant simply was not happy. …The only difference between a ‘black thumb’ gardener and a ‘green thumb’ gardener is that green thumbs learn from their mistakes, try again, and keep trying until they get it right. Then they replicate and build upon their success. There is a learning curve associated with gardening, just as there is with anything else.”
4. “People do not realize that they can build a garden bed directly on top of concrete, stone, or rocky soil. Almost anything can grow well in containers, but even a patio, driveway, or walkway can be converted to a productive garden bed by building the soil up (as opposed to digging down, which you would not be able to do without a jackhammer). Twelve inches of soil is deep enough to grow almost anything. This really increases the available growing space in cities; so much of our good space is paved over, but it is no longer off-limits to creative gardeners!”
5. “Try to reuse your resources in the garden. I wash my produce in a bowl or basin, then dump that water back into the garden. It conserves water and saves a small amount of good soil from going down the drain. Then compost your food scraps along with any coffee grounds, newspapers, cardboard, and old plant material. Start a compost pile or buy a tumbler, bin, or worm composter. For plant fertilizer, though, do not rely on your own compost: you will need to add some organic fertilizer as well, which is available from your local nursery.

Ruppenthal adds that if you have the chance to grow just one type of food in your small space, in order to save money, the most viable option is potatoes. “For a survivalist crop, nothing beats potatoes (and homegrown potatoes taste great!) You can grow a meaningful amount of potatoes in a pretty small space. Spuds pack more calories per square foot of soil than any other crop. They can grow in most climates and in most soils [and] you can store them for months at a time.”

Whether you’re a trying to cut back on your carbon footprint, newlyweds trying to save up money, or a student avoiding fast food and the dining hall, urban gardening is an easy and sustainable goal for your own square foot of the Ozarks. Are you a city-dweller getting into gardening, or an experience green thumb with tips of your own? Share them in the comments!

–

(Quotes from R.J. Ruppenthal from the Makenna Goodman interview on the Huffington Post, November 16, 2009.)

Mouzon says sustainable places are:

• Nourishable
• Accessible
• Serviceable
• Securable

And sustainable buildings are:

• Lovable
• Durable
• Flexible
• Frugal

What does sustainable building mean to you? Is it a cavernous brick hearth, a repurposed old firehouse, or a modernized century-old home? Let us know in the comments, and get more inspiration with Mouzon’s video below.

Steve Mouzon on Learning from Old Buildings from Lloyd Alter on Vimeo.

]]> http://www.greenozarks.org/2009/11/18/steve-mouzon-on-learning-from-green-buildings/feed/ 0 http://www.greenozarks.org/2009/11/17/too-much-guesswork-in-going-green-an-eco-survey-may-be-the-solution/ http://www.greenozarks.org/2009/11/17/too-much-guesswork-in-going-green-an-eco-survey-may-be-the-solution/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:51:17 +0000 Web Freeman http://www.greenozarks.org/?p=952 For many businesses, the cost of eco-consultation outweighs the benefits of shrinking the company’s carbon footprint.  But taking a good look at your energy consumption can be the right first step toward shrinking your energy bills and encouraging green awareness in your employees and customers.

You likely know the obvious points: turn off the lights, recycle, consider alternate transportation. Highlight behavioral changes like flipping the light switch every time you leave a room. Encourage carpooling among your employees.  Basic energy-saving techniques can encourage ongoing change. What do you do when you’re ready to see that change on the bottom line? Do an eco-survey.
Doing an eco-survey of your business is a do-it-yourself approach to energy savings. By doing a walk-through checklist (like those on Carbon Trust) you can pinpoint areas of unnecessary energy usage, cut energy use effectively, save money, and decrease your carbon footprint.

A quick primer on a DIY eco-survey:

• The tried-and-true standards? Turn out the lights, avoid keeping outside doors open, change your fan circulation to increase heat, etc.
• Install energy monitors (like the Efergy) that chart energy usage through regular meter reading.
• Ask your energy supplier for a detailed bill showing regular energy consumption.
• Plot your energy consumption (from the bill or meter) on a chart that compares energy usage with regular business hours and activities.
• Look at unnecessarily high energy usage. Does the graph show spikes during quiet periods? This is a good time to check for vampire power.
• Monitor real-time electricity readings. The Energy Saving Trust claims this can save you between 5 and 15% of energy consumption.
• Take a look at the people involved. How do your employees contribute to your company’s carbon footprint? Encourage them to find do eco-surveys of themselves.

Now, a simple walkaround can miss major factors like transport emissions, but an eco-survey can take some of the guesswork out of going green. Once you’ve taken an effective look at your business and established your carbon footprint, you may find that a few targeted changes can make a big impact. You’ll save money by keeping close attention to what you’re paying for, since seeing stark figures can encourage you to keep improving things. And maintaining a record of your eco-survey will help–keeping tabs on progress can motivate you to carry out and continue changes!

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