“Travel for Good” with Travelocity

I’ve posted before regarding Virgin Atlantic Airlines offering their passengers to offset their carbon footprint while flying on one of the enormous planes. But another travel-related company is offering its customers to opportunity to make their entire trip “green.”

When you book through Travelocity’s “Travel for Good” website, you can help the environment. One of the ways the website offers is to offset your carbon footprint, but it also offers “Volunteer Vacations.” NBC News’s Scott Gordon sat down with Travelocity’s Genevieve Shaw Brown:

“They are just offered in San Francisco and New Orleans, and it’s basically just spending one day of your trip volunteering and doing something good along the way.”

Travelocity is also getting some big music support from The Dave Matthews Band. The band has partnered with Travelocity allowing the travel website to setup a booth in the “eco-village” at all of the band’s 2008 North American Summer Tour stops. At these booths, concert-goers can learn about Travelocity’s efforts in keeping the earth clean as well as other activities people can participate in to do their part for Mother Earth.

All Paths Lead to Lake Mead

A short, but simple reminder. I’ve seen these before but it bares reminding.
I found this on a curb near a drain on Spencer near Serene in Henderson.

Austin Retailers Promise Change

Retailers in Austin, Texas are promising to change the world, one plastic shopping bag at a time. Several retailers have promised to reduce the amount of plastic bags being used.

A new agreement among retailers in the Texas city is expected to reduce plastic bag usage by 50 percent by June 2009.

Some of the companies that have already jumped on the bandwagon are Walgreens, Wal-Mart, H.E.B., Target, Randall’s and Whole Foods. Whole Foods, in fact, has already banned plastic bags and encourages its customers to purchase reusable bags available at all Whole Foods locations.

In another move, Austin is going to begin plastic bag recycling curbside later this year.

Nevada Power Vows to Meet and Surpass State Requirements

You’ve seen the billboards all over town. Nevada Power is touting that they are using “green” power when available. Nevada Power’s billboards say, “Number One in Geothermal Power per Capita,” and “Number One in Solar Power.” But what else is Nevada Power doing to provide its customers when clean power?

According to Nevada Power Company’s parent company, Sierra Pacific Resources, renewable energy is not something novel to the company. In 1983, Sierra Pacific signed a contract for geothermal power.

Today, Nevada Power obtains its power from 27 renewable energy sources. Some of the renewable resources Nevada Power uses include geothermal, solar, hydro and biofuel.

Along with the power company using renewable resources, the State of Nevada has also decided to be more earth friendly. According to Nevada Power Company, the state law, Renewable Portfolio Standard, mandates that a “significant” portion of energy sold to customers must come from renewable resources. State lawmakers originally set the law up in 1997 to require only 1 percent of renewable resources to be used by the year 2010. But with the increased price for oil and the increasing awareness of natural resources and global warming the state when back and rewrote the books to require companies to have 15 percent by the year 2013. Once again, lawmakers revised the law requiring that companies use 20 percent by 2015.

But Nevada Power plans on going beyond the requirements of the law. According to Adam Grant in Corporate Communications for Nevada Power,

“By 2015, a minimum of 20% of our energy must come from a combination of renewables and conservation programs. We see the RPS as a floor, not a cap, because Nevada is blessed with abundant renewable resources in the form of geothermal, solar and wind energy.”

Regardless of the upcoming changes, a significant portion of our electricity is still being created at coal-burning power generating plants. Grant explains where and how Nevada receives power:

“Nevada Power generates electricity at its own power plants in southern Nevada and imports electricity from out-of-state sources. Since 2006, Nevada Power Company has added about 1,800 megawatts of company-owned generation to its fleet. These newer, more efficient plants use less fuel and water and produce less emissions. The addition of these plants also has allowed older, less-efficient plants to be closed.

Of the electricity used by our customers — a combination of company-owned power plants and power purchased from other providers — about 70 percent comes from natural gas-fired generating units.”

 

SOLAR POWER

In Nevada, one of our abundant resources is the sun. As Nevada Power Company’s billboard boasts, Nevada is number one in solar power usage. With cooperation from Nevada Solar One they operate the third largest solar power plant in the world, according to the Environmental News Service. When the facility opened, it was the largest solar plant built in 14 years.

The facility has a large plant that is built of basically mirrors that are similar to the ones that are in bathrooms. The mirrors take the sunlight and capture the heat into a main pipe. Inside the pipe there is specialized oil that the mirrors and the sun’s natural rays and heat help to warm to a temperature of 735 degrees. That specialized oil is then converted to steam. This steam turns a turbine and makes electricity. The plant creates, on average, 66 megawatts during the hours of 8am to 7pm.

But one of the downfalls of this type of energy production is something nobody can control, as Bob Cable from Nevada Solar One notes,

“If you see the sun, we can make power, when it’s hazy out, we can still make power…if the sun is gone, we’re no longer able to make power.”

At its current operating procedure, the plant captures enough power to power 14,000 Nevada Power customers. There are plans to increase the size of the plant so that it can add enough power for 200,000 homes.

GEOTHERMAL POWER

Another resource that Nevada has a surplus of is geothermal power. And, Nevada is second in geothermal power. Nevada Power, along with its parent company, takes advantage of geothermal power.

This type of energy production uses the heat from the earth to create power. Advantages to this type of energy are that the heat occurs naturally beneath the earth’s surface. Furthermore, heat taken from the earth can be used to put back into the ground to be used again. Thus, not adding anymore heat to the earth than is already available. This method is better than solar in the fact that these power plants can operate 24 hours a day. Sierra Pacific Resources receives power from 16 geothermal power plants around and within our state.

WIND POWER

In Southern Nevada, we all know that wind in our area can certainly ruin our outdoor plans. But it does help us when we move our events inside.

Wind power has been used for multiple purposes for years. You’ve seen the power of wind with the iconic Dutch windmills. Wind power can be used to grind grain, pump water and generate power.

Wind farms are generally large and have several wind generators. Creating power through wind is possible by using a combination of the power of the wind and drag created by the blades help to spin a generator at the top of the tower creating electricity.

Regardless of the method Sierra Pacific Resources and it’s subsidiaries, Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific Power, has a three-part strategy to help to change and improve the quality of electricity in the state. This strategy includes, increasing energy efficiency and conservation programs, expanding renewable energy initiatives and investments, and building new generating plants. The building of new power plants would be able to close down older, less efficient plants.

Nevada Power’s Adam Grant notes the importance of all three steps,

“All three of these are integral to our goal of providing clean, safe, reliable electricity to our customers at reasonable and predictable prices. They work in tandem in that none individually can achieve this goal.”

The Environment and Nevada Power — Major Story

I sent an e-mail last week to a member of Nevada Power’s administration and they advised me to go to the Nevada Power Website. As I have to conduct an interview for Journalism 310, I had to find someone who was willing to answer a few questions. Needless to say, the media department advised that I e-mail them a few questions. I did that and am still waiting for a response. I’ve conducted my research and my article is finished, I am just waiting for my interview to add a few more things to my story.

T-Mobile Politely Makes a Request to Engadget

According to the Citizen Media Law Project, a website that says it is all about researching cyberspace, sharing in its study, and helping to pioneer its development, T-Mobile has recently sent a letter to Engadget to request that they stop using the color magenta in their logo on their Weblogs, Inc. hosted web page.

While this may seem trite, the letter from T-Mobile clearly, and as the website points out, politely says that the logo of T-Mobile is known worldwide, specifically in the United States and in the United Kingdom.

The two logos use the same color magenta to identify itself to the world.

Source: Deutsche Telekom / T-Mobile demands Engadget Mobile discontinue using the color magenta

The T-Mobile letter is also available on their website. The letter explains how they have marketed their look and how customers may get confused by the similarity of the logos. The letter further details how consumers may get confused about the sponsorship of the web page. With respect the consumer, the closeness of the logos may give the false impression that T-Mobile sponsors the web page, or vice-versa, creating a conflict of interest for those people who go to Engadget to check out the latest in mobile technology.

Many people I’ve spoken with do research prior to purchasing a phone. Jevaunda Bond, a T-Mobile customer says, “Before I bought the T-Mobile SDA, I spent two months researching the phone. I checked the T-Mobile website, CNet.com, and other community board type websites.” I showed her the two logos and ask her opinion on the situation and her response was, “A color is a color, but when you look at [the Engadget logo] and you realize the website is all about mobile technology, you are drawn to think it is somehow affiliated with T-Mobile. We are in a logo-heavy world…look at Coca-Cola. They are recognized world wide, of course if a soft drink consumer board came out with a similar logo, of course Coca-Cola would have a problem.”

If you visit Engadget today, you will see they backed down to T-Mobile, to the dismay of some fans of the website. But to operate a fair and balance marketplace you must not be or create the impression that you are affiliated in anyway with a company that you might praise or denounce.

UPDATE: Las Vegas Valley CFL/Mercury Recycling Center Information

In the Las Vegas Valley, consumers of these light bulbs may drop off burned out CFLs at:

Republic Service’s Recycle Center
333 W. Gowan Rd.
North Las Vegas, NV

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Pose a Threat to Humans and the Environment

The compact fluorescent light bulb that has become all the rage in environmental friendliness may actually pose a risk to the people that use them, the people that dispose of trash and ultimately everyone in the world.

The fluorescent light bulbs, known as CFLs, are the little coiled light bulbs that have been proven to use 50% less energy than their incandencent counterparts.

Even though these lightbulbs are environmentally friendly when it comes to energy consumption, it’s the disposal that is the concern. According to MSNBC, all CFLs contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage. The amount of mercury contained in a single CFL is miniscule. But, according to Stanford University research on mercury, the 5 miligram amount can contaminate up to 6,000 gallons of water and make it undrinkable.

The problem isn’t when the CFL is burning properly in its socket or is packed away in it’s original packing. It is when you drop the bulb breaking it or when the bulb finally does burn out and you are ready to dispose of it.

Brandy Bridges of Ellsworth, Maine shared her story with MSNBC’s Alex Johnson.

“It was just a wiggly bulb that I reached up to change,” Bridges said. “When the bulb hit the floor, it shattered.”

When Bridges began calling around to local government agencies to find out what to do, “I was shocked to see how uninformed literally everyone I spoke to was,” she said. “Even our own poison control operator didn’t know what to tell me.”

The state eventually referred her to a private cleanup firm, which quoted a $2,000 estimate to contain the mercury. After Bridges complained publicly about her predicament, state officials changed their recommendation: Simply throw it in the trash, they said.

 But the Environmental Protection Agency disagrees and has released a Frequently Asked Questions pamphlet, in cooperation with Energy Star. The EPA says if a CFL should break in your home you should take steps to preserve your safety as well as your community and environment:

Before Clean-up: Ventilate the Room

1. Have people and pets leave the room, and don’t let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
2. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
3. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces4. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
6. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
7. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug:4. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
6. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
7. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Disposal of Clean-up Materials
8. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
9. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
10. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Ventilate the Room During and After Vacuuming
11. The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
12. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
Source: Frequently Asked Questions
Information on Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) and Mercury

When a bulb has finally burned out the EPA recommends that you contact your local recycling center to dispose of the CFL properly.

EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent light bulbs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org to identify local recycling options. 

If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection. CFLs should not be disposed of in an incinerator.

Source: Frequently Asked Questions
Information on Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) and Mercury

“G”-Mobile

T-Mobile is getting into the greenness too! I just received my usual monthly cell phone bill from T-Mobile. I usually read the inserts they place in the envelope with the bill to see whats going on. On this particular insert, the headline reads: “It’s easy being green.” The idea is that if you sign up for paperless billing T-Mobile will plant a tree for you through the Arbor Day Foundation.

The insert reads:

Your tree will be part of the Restoration Project, planted where it’s needed most — in damaged regions like Southern California and New Orleans, where trees aren’t growing back on their own.

It seems all touching and loving doesn’t it. But upon further discover you notice an asterisk at the end of the advertisement that reads, in very small print:

Limit one tree per account.

I commend T-Mobile for helping the environment, but on my account alone, with one phone line I receive 5 pages of calls. What happens to those accounts that have numerous phone lines and tens of pages of bill?

“Not a Light is Burning in a House Across Town”

Tonight is Earth Hour. The organization Earth Hour is inviting people all over the world to turn their lights and all electronic devices off for one hour. In your respective timezone simply shut down your computer(s), televisions, DVRs, (I hope) energy-saving fluorescent lights, Nintendo Wiis and anything else that runs on electricity. People all over the world will show their support of this event and for the environment.

And for all those Internet savvy people, and even for those who are new, Google.com has become a staple in our online experience. So, when you go to Google.com today don’t freak out…as Google says on their homepage: “We’ve turned the lights out. Now it’s your turn.” If you are like me and have iGoogle, then you need to click on the link at the upper right that says “Classic Home” to see the lights off at Google.

I will be at a comedy show tonight watching Margaret Cho light up the faces of many using no electricity at all…except for the mic. Nonetheless, I will unplug all of my electronic devices tonight prior to leaving the house just to make sure I am in accordance with Earth Hour.

Finally, in a daring move, I would normally leave my cell phone on during Margaret’s show. Naturally, I would have it on silent but for one hour (because that’s all I can stand) I will shut my phone off! That’s one less hour of charge that will have to be compensated for.