Wind Farms: Could They Be The Next Big Wedding Venue?/RNN

Who knew?

Love is in the air – and in the wind. One Energy hosted the wedding ceremony Saturday, June 2 for local couple Erin Kashawlic and Chris Roekle at the North Findlay Wind Campus. Tying the knot under wind turbines made for a unique, unprecedented setting that Erin and Chris knew their friends and family would always remember. “Having our wedding under wind turbines brought that wowfactor to our friends and family. We picked these turbines because Findlay is our home and we wanted to share more insight into our lives since most of our family doesn’t live around here,” said Erin. A first-of-its-kind Wind Campus® wedding venue, the wow factor was definitely there. But what makes these turbines so special for sharing that personal insight is Erin’s role in the development and construction of the Wind Campus® in 2015. Chris remarked on their big day being special already, but “what makes it even more special is that Erin has had a big part in growing the company that put up the turbines and even was a part of laying the foundation for these turbines specifically.”

As a Technical Manager for One Energy, Erin sees these turbines every day. Holding the wedding under them allowed her, Chris, and their families to see wind energy from a different angle. “They all think it’s the coolest thing ever,” said Chris of his family’s reaction to the Green Campus℠ venue. “And they were really excited to take tours of a turbine beforehand.” In addition to turbine tours, guests also enjoyed yard games surrounded by wind-themed decorations like oversized pinwheels. One Energy was delighted to host the newlyweds and show their families around. “Our Wind Campus® is enjoyed every day by our employees, customers, and guests,” said Angela DeBoskey, Head of Storytelling for One Energy. “Erin and Chris exchanging vows just a couple hundred feet from the spinning turbines, surrounded by family and friends, was a perfect backdrop to a beautiful day.” For more information about the North Findlay Wind Campus and the wind turbines, visit www.oneenergy.com.

Father and son trek to South Pole, using only renewable energy

Christina Capatides

 

Thirty-two years ago, Robert Swan made history as the first person to walk to both poles. Even as a young man, these grueling expeditions took a harsh toll on his body. Passing directly beneath the hole in the ozone layer, Swan's face became badly burned and his eyes even changed color. But the Arctic explorer now says that all of that physical duress pales in comparison to the agony of watching his son go through the same experience 32 years later.

This past winter, after years of preparation, Robert Swan set out to trek the 600 miles to the South Pole again -- this time, with his 24-year-old son Barney by his side. And this time, with an additional challenge built in: they would survive exclusively off of renewable energy.

It was a "swan song" with a very important goal. If the father-son team could get by on renewable energy in the harshest environment on Earth, then people in the comfort of their own homes could do it, too.

"At the age of 61, it's not really something that people should do," Swan told CBSN Originals of his decision to undertake the difficult journey across Antarctica a second time. "But Barney convinced me that together as father and son, together as the millennial generation and the older generation, we need to join together because this can't be a bunch of young people thinking one thing and a bunch of old people thinking another. We've got to join together because we are in a survival situation on planet Earth."

The success of the expedition necessitated the pioneering of new equipment that would use renewable energy to melt snow and ice into hot water on the move in the Antarctic. So, while Robert had previously used jet fuel to cook his food and keep warm in the -40-degree temperatures, this time he and his son used biofuels derived from wood chips to do the job. They used solar panels, provided by NASA, that plugged into their sleds to melt ice and snow into drinkable water.

"We're attempting to do something that no other expedition has tried yet in the hope to really show that these technologies can work, not only in our own nations, in our own homes, but in the world's most hostile place," Barney explains in the CBSN Originals documentary, "Expedition Antarctica," as he and his father are preparing to set off on their unprecedented journey.

While the energy sources sustaining them were different, Antarctica's climate was as unforgiving as ever. And once again, the combination of subzero temperatures and strenuous physical activity began taking a harsh toll on Robert's body.

"His legs, his inner thigh, everywhere in between, it was like repellent," Barney recalled to CBS News. "We're talking like bits of flesh falling off him. He was decaying. And to think that all it takes is that one degree too far and you could die; I was literally watching my father on the slow road to death."

Robert finally realized that in order for the expedition to succeed he would have to bow out. The team had to keep up its pace or risk running out of food and fuel; slowing down or waiting until he recovered weren't options. So he made arrangements for a helicopter to transport him back to base camp, and he made the excruciating decision to leave Barney behind to finish what they'd started.

"It was the worst moment of my life for the simple reason that I knew what lay ahead," Robert recalled through tears in an interview at Davos. "I felt a failure as an expedition leader. I felt a failure for my son. I felt absolutely appalling, but I knew that this expedition wasn't about Robert Swan. This expedition was about inspiring people on energy use. It was about doing the right thing and the right thing for me to do was to put myself second and the expedition first. I just had to, for once in my life, realize my limitations. And I went back to the base camp and had the worst week of my life, dealing with the word failure. And I had to listen to what was happening with my son's feet. His toes were turning black. ... And I was sitting there thinking, 'I should be there.'"

Father and son explorers Robert and Barney Swan discuss their mission to save the planetBarney, however, didn't see his father's decision as a failure. On the contrary, the 24-year-old, whose toe was turning black due to the brutal negative-40-degree temperatures and repeated banging on his boots, was overcome with pride for his dad.

"I don't think I've ever been as proud of my dad," an emotional Barney told CBS News. "It takes courage to tell your team you don't have it in you, and that's what he did today."

Barney, more determined than ever, continued on toward the south geographic pole. And when he was 60 miles from the goal, Robert choppered back in to join him, so that together, they could complete their mission.

"It was a moment where I let go of so many things in life because he'd done it," Robert recalled, looking lovingly at his son. "Those stupid words like 'failure' and everything else disappeared because there he was in my arms."

Now, father and son have both inked their names in the history books. They've risked their lives to send a dramatic message to the rest of the world about the feasibility of climate solutions. And they've proven that a passion for adventure, innovation and discovery just may be something that's passed along, from generation to generation.

"The last thing I said to Barney as I got on that plane," says an emotional Robert Swan, "[was] just remember whose son you are. And my blood's in your blood. And you can bloody do this.' And to do it, he had to go through hell and he's still going through hell, but we did it."

Environmentalists Sue Shell Over Port Of Providence Facility/NPR

Here's a really good example of environmental conditions forcing potential business changes.  

For many years ports have maintained operations in very low-lying coastal locations.  Generally, they have run fairly safely.  Yet, it looks as if those days may be numbered.  Here a well know conservation group, Conservation Law Foundation (interviewed many times on our show), is suing a major oil company, claiming their port handling facility needs to be shifted away from their site along the upper bay.

Public safety is an agreed goal, but not easy to deliver.  The risks continue to rise.  Solutions are long-term, and we are short-term thinkers.  Corporate responsibility grows each day.  The tightening arm of legal accountability is very long and stretching.  That is OK as long as policy and regulation is reasonable and not so onerous that it puts companies out of business.  

  

An environmental advocacy group is suing Shell, the global oil and gas company, over a storage facility at the Port of Providence. They claim Shell is failing to protect it from the threat of climate change. 

The Conservation Law Foundation filed its lawsuit last fall in Rhode Island U.S. District Court. 

The organization is arguing that Shell is violating its permit by failing to use good engineering practices since the facility is built at sea level on the Providence River. 

Christopher Kilian, vice president of strategic litigation at the Conservation Law Foundation and lead attorney on the case, siad that’s a big concern if a major hurricane were to hit.

"A facility like this stores millions of gallons of products in tanks that if they are to breech or float off their moorings or if there’s a pipe that’s destabilized, can release massive amounts of oil out into the river," Kilian said. 

Kilian said Shell needs to develop a plan for rising sea levels, whether that means elevating its facility or moving it to higher ground.

"What isn’t a solution is leaving a very dirty facility like this right at sea level in a Federal Emergency Management Agency flood zone with no consideration of the impacts of climate change," he said. 

However, Shell wants the lawsuit thrown out. The company filed a motion to dismiss earlier this year saying risks from extreme weather events are speculative and remote.

A district court judge will make a decision on Shell's motion in the coming months.

The Conservation Law Foundation also claims Shell is violating its permit by failing to submit adequate spill control and counter measure plans to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management; failing to develop a storm water pollution plan; failing to implement best management practices; and failing to monitor pollution from its facility. 

When asked via email if Shell was in violation of its permit, the Department of Environmental Management said "because its a pending case and given our sensitive position, we're not going to comment on it." 

Shell did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Shell's Providence Terminal spans across more than 20 acres of land and has been used for the storage and transfer of petroleum products for more than 20 years. 

* The headline for this story has been updated to reflect that the facility operates out of the Port of Providence but is not part of ProvPort.

BEGINS WITH A PROMISE/Transportation Electrification Accord

We love those words:  BEGINS WITH A PROMISE.

So true.  So many good journeys in life start with an ironclad commitment.  Here we see it applied to pushing cars, trucks, buses away from gas into EV's.  It is a promise of today and, more importantly for those who come after us, and tomorrow.

You don't need to read the whole thing, but just get  a sense of how important this accord is to our future, smart mobility and, we hope, be inspired to participate and sign on to help build a brighter future.

THE TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION

A C C O R D

The following sets forth principles of the Transportation Electrification Accord (the “Accord”). We invite a diverse set of organizations representing NGOs and businesses to sign onto the Accord and to use it for policy design, education and outreach.

The Accord outlines how transportation electrification can be advanced in a manner that benefits all utility customers and users of all forms of transportation, while supporting the evolution of a cleaner grid and stimulating innovation and competition for U.S. companies.

CONTEXT AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES

1. There is a clear case for electrifying transportation, which can provide benefits to all consumers (including the socioeconomically disadvantaged), advance economic development, create jobs, provide grid services, integrate more renewable energy, and cut air pollution and greenhouse gases.
2. Electrified transportation should include, not only passenger cars, but also larger vehicles (e.g., transit buses and delivery trucks), as well as off-road equipment (e.g., airport and port electrification equipment).
3. Accelerating an appropriate deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure based on market penetration projections along highway corridors, as well as throughout local cities and towns, is a critical element of electrifying transportation.
4. It is critical to support electric transportation at the state and local government levels, whether it be through governors, state legislators, state commissions, state transportation agencies, state energy offices, mayors, or local governments.
5. Electric utilities regulated by state and local commissions and boards, who serve the interests of the state and the public at large, have made substantial progress in accelerating the retirement of costly and less efficient fossil generation, and are poised to continue to make progress in promoting innovation, spurring greater grid efficiencies, and reducing harmful air pollution.
6. Under appropriate rules, it is in the public interest to allow investor-owned and publicly-owned utilities to participate in and facilitate the deployment of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and/or supporting infrastructure for residential and commercial applications in their service territories to accomplish state and local policy goals. The distribution grid is incorporating new grid-edge features such as advanced demand response and distributed energy storage. In that broader context, utilities are well positioned to ensure that installed EVSE, whether owned by utilities or other parties, maximizes the public benefits of these innovations, through appropriate integration of these technologies in order tomaximize electrical system benefits for all classes of customers.
7. The build out of EVSE must optimize charging patterns to improve system load shape, reduce local load pockets, facilitate the integration of renewable energy resources, and maximize grid value. Using a combination of time-based rates, smart charging and rate design, load management practices, demand response, and other innovative applications, EV loads should be managed in the interest of all electricity customers.
8. To drive innovation and foster competition in the transportation electrification space, it is vital that open charging standards or protocols are adopted for both front-end and back-end interoperability. An open system also promotes greater transparency of vital data and information, which can be shared with a variety of innovative companies. The guidelines developed by the Open Charge Alliance (OCA) should be used as the baseline. Data developed by third parties from behind-the-meter devices should also be made available to utilities for use in planning system architecture and EVSE.
9. Consumers and EV owners will benefit greatly from a smart, efficient, and open architecture throughout the EV infrastructure. Ensuring interoperability throughout the EV architecture means that consumers should be able to roam easily among the different networks, with a common identification and authentication process, with as little hassle as possible. In addition, key consumer protection principles should be adhered to for all deployed EVSE regardless of the EVSE owner, including transparent pricing and open access policies. Drivers who charge in a manner consistent with grid conditions should realize fuel cost savings. Mapping locations and signage of the stations should also be provided for all consumers.
10. Utilities should proactively engage their regulators, consumers and all stakeholders in developing rate designs, infrastructure deployment programs, and education and outreach efforts that benefit all utility customers and allow reasonable cost recovery, while accelerating widespread transportation electrification that supports a reliable and robust grid.
11. Best practices, standards and codes should be a priority for all transportation electrification infrastructure installations. As new open standards and more advanced security measures are developed, these should be implemented in a timely manner by all operators of EVSE. It is critical that industry participants continue to collaborate on consistent communication protocols between the vehicle, infrastructure and grid to ensure system safety, security and reliability.

229 acres in Cumberland set aside for water protection, recreation/PBN

Good example of private/public cooperation and investment in core natural resources, open space and quality of life.


GREEN SPACE: 229 acres of land in northeast Cumberland has been purchased by the Town of Cumberland for $1.5 million, primarily for conservation. Above, the land shaded red was involved in the transaction. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Sisters of Mercy in Cumberland, part of an international religious institute of Catholic women, has sold most of its local property in a deal with R.I. state and local officials to protect public drinking water and preserve the land for conservation and recreation.

Announced this week, officials told Providence Business News the $1.5 million sale is designed to protect the water supply to thousands of homes and businesses in Pawtucket, Central Falls, and most of Cumberland.

“The preservation of this land will help protect the raw water used to supply a population of 125,000 retail and wholesale customers with clean, safe drinking water,” said Chris Collins, source water manager for the Pawtucket Water Supply Board.

About three years in the making, the 229-acre sale by the the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Northeast Community to the Town of Cumberland also involves the Pawtucket Water Supply Board and the state Department of Environmental Management, among others.

SISTERS OF MERCY has sold 229 acres of land, primarily for conservation and partially for community ball fields. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

The site – with woodland, open fields, and wetlands in the northeast corner of Cumberland – is near the Diamond Hill Reservoir and the Diamond Hill Reservation.

In addition, officials said, the land will be preserved for environmental and recreational purposes, such as hiking, bird watching, and cross-country skiing. And it includes 17 acres that will be used to develop community ball fields.

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Northeast Community will retain control of a few acres of land near the site, occupied by its administrative building, the Mount St. Rita Health Centre, and other facilities, officials said.

The sale of the 229 acres is intended to fulfill a goal for the land set many years ago.

“The Sisters of Mercy of the former Rhode Island Province voted over 30 years ago to explore options to place their sacred land in conservation,” said Sister Jacqueline Marie Kieslich, president of Mercy Northeast Community.

“This land hosted their home and center of prayer, and later, Mount St. Rita Health Centre, their health care ministry,” Sister Kieslich said.

“The sisters’ long-held intention has come to fruition at last, and we are delighted that the fields and forest lands that have given us so much joy and consolation are going to be preserved into the future,” she added.

The deal involved financial backing from the Town of Cumberland ($405,000), the Pawtucket Water Supply Board ($300,000), The Nature Conservancy ($295,000 via a grant from the Champlin Foundation), and the Cumberland Land Trust ($100,000).

Also, in exchange for a $400,000 state Open Space grant, the Town of Cumberland has conveyed a conservation easement of more than 211 acres of the land to the state Department of Environmental Management.

“History is being made with the acquisition of this prime 229-acre site,” Cumberland Mayor William Murray said. “We are preserving a wilderness, protecting our water supply, and creating 17 acres of recreation fields for our youth.”

Trump Drowns Ocean Protections During National Ocean Month/Huff Post

Government, we know, sets the playing field on building a sustainable future.  Their policy, laws, financial incentives, mandates, goals, public support or lack of all move pieces around on the green board.  From there public sentiment and funding many times follows.

Here we see Washington pulling back on ocean protection.  Not sure what they are seeing, in terms of why the oceans no longer need help, but we worry that our progress in protecting them will recede, like the waves.

The president revoked an Obama-era order aimed at protecting and restoring ocean and coastal health


Waianapanapa State Park in Hawaii. On June 19 — during National Ocean Month — President Donald Trump revoked Obama-era protections for U.S. oceans, coastlines and Great Lakes waters.

n proclaiming June National Ocean Month, President Donald Trump called on the nation to “reflect on the value and importance of oceans” and “celebrate this immense natural resource.”

But this week, in the midst of that celebration, he signed an executive order to revoke Obama-era protections for U.S. oceans, coastlines and Great Lakes waters. Trump’s directive focuses on energy extraction, fishing, trade and national security, further highlighting that he believes that the greatest value of federal lands and waters lies in the commodities that can be harvested from them.

“Ocean industries employ millions of Americans and support a strong national economy,” reads the order, which Trump signed Tuesday. “Domestic energy production from Federal waters strengthens the Nation’s security and reduces reliance on imported energy.”

Missing from the order are words like “conservation,” “stewardship” and “climate change,” as well as any mention of numerous other threats facing the world’s oceans, including plastic pollution, coral bleaching and acidification.

Signed in 2010 in the wake of the deadly Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and oil spill, Barack Obama’s executive order established a federal policy for protecting, maintaining and restoring ocean health and biodiversity.

“America’s stewardship of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes is intrinsically linked to environmental sustainability, human health and well-being, national prosperity, adaptation to climate and other environmental changes, social justice, international diplomacy, and national and homeland security,” the Obama order states.

While the fishing and offshore energy industries celebrated Trump’s rollback, environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers were quick to blast the move.

Jacqueline Savitz, the chief policy officer for the nonprofit group Oceana, said the new order “undercuts important conservation measures needed to support strong coastal economies.”

“Every decision involving the ocean also affects fish, wildlife and water quality with resulting costs or benefits for coastal communities, fisheries and tourism,” she said in a statement. “We need strong national policies to help restore our fisheries and protect our oceans.”

In a Twitter post, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called Trump’s declaration of National Ocean Month “a nice sheen” on an ocean policy that could lead to another massive oil spill.

During National Ocean Month in 2017, Trump announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord, signed by nearly 200 countries in an effort to help prevent global temperatures from increasing by 2 degrees Celsius, the magic number scientists say the world must stay below to prevent the worst effects of climate change.

Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Here’s how

Garnier Becomes First Mass Market Skin Care Brand to Achieve Cradle to Cradle Certification/RNN

Setting a fast track to improved sustainability rests, many times, on setting aggressive goals.  We believe Corporate America is helping lead the way on this as we see here:



L’Oréal USA announced that five products in its Garnier SkinActive line achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified™ SILVER recognition. The product line, manufactured at L’Oréal USA’s facility in Franklin, New Jersey, earned this certification based on an evaluation of material health, material reutilization, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship and social fairness practices. Garnier is the first mass market skin care brand to receive this certification for its products and is also one of the few skin care brands to have multiple products certified in a portfolio. Garnier, a skin care, hair care and hair color brand, joins Biolage and Kiehl’s as the third L’Oréal USA brand to achieve Cradle to Cradle certification for a selection of its products.

The announcement was made during this year’s Sustainable Brands conference in Vancouver, B.C. in conjunction with the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and MBDC, the creators of the Cradle to Cradle® Design Framework and assessors of L’Oréal products. The certifications are the result of L’Oréal USA’s global commitment to innovate, produce and develop sustainably through its global sustainability program, Sharing Beauty With All.  

“The Cradle to Cradle certification is a multi-attribute certification that mirrors L’Oréal USA’s holistic approach to sustainable product development,” said Danielle Azoulay, Head of CSR & Sustainability for L’Oréal USA. “We know our consumers value sustainability and to us that means demonstrating sustainability leadership across the value chain, from formulation to manufacturing to renewable resources to social fairness. We are thrilled that Garnier is the third brand in our portfolio to achieve this major milestone and look forward to continuing to integrate this best-in-class certification across L’Oréal USA’s products.”

Cradle to Cradle Certified products are awarded at five levels (BASIC, BRONZE, SILVER, GOLD, and PLATINUM), with each level imposing a more rigorous set of requirements. The lowest score in any quality category establishes the product’s overall score. All five Garnier SkinActive products achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified™ SILVER, with four products reaching PLATINUM for the Material Health attribute and all products achieving GOLD for Material Reutilization. Certified products are required to show continuous improvement every two years.

The newly certified products include:

Garnier SkinActive Deep Pore Facial Cleanser with Green Tea;
Garnier SkinActive Refreshing Facial Cleanser with Aloe Juice;
Garnier SkinActive Soothing Cleansing Milk with Rose Water;
Garnier SkinActive Deep Pore Exfoliating Face Scrub with Green Tea; and
Garnier SkinActive Refreshing Cream Cleanser with Aloe Juice.

All of the newly certified Garnier products were produced in L’Oréal USA’s Franklin, New Jersey facility which is powered with 100 percent renewable electricity and features optimized vessel cleaning systems that have led to a reduction in water consumption. Sustainable packaging was a priority for all of the newly certified products, the packaging for Garnier’s SkinActive Deep Pore Exfoliating Face Scrub with Green Tea is made from 50 percent PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic while the packaging of all three of Garnier’s certified cleansers are made from 30 percent PCR plastic.

“L’Oréal continues to set an incredible example for how the beauty industry can make our world a better place,” said William McDonough, co-founder of MBDC, the originators of the Cradle to Cradle Certified program and assessors of the certified Garnier products. “Their commitment to design, develop and take to market Cradle to Cradle Certified products not only empowers customers to choose products that are good for the world, but also encourages other businesses to follow suit. L’Oréal is, in effect, inviting their industry to join them in collaborative advantage as they seek the highest standard.”

“As the largest beauty company in the world, L’Oréal has taken the responsibility of sustainability seriously, with multiple products from brands across its portfolio achieving Cradle to Cradle certifications,” said Lewis Perkins, President of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, which administers the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program. “By using the Cradle to Cradle Certified product standard as a framework for the continuous improvement of the material health and impact of its products, L’Oréal is leading the beauty industry towards greater transparency and trust with its consumers.”

Through Sharing Beauty With All, L’Oréal USA is committed to reducing environmental impacts throughout the product lifecycle. To further these efforts, the company has developed its Sustainable Product Optimization Tool (SPOT) to improve the environmental and social profile of its products. SPOT focuses on five elements of product sustainability: packaging, formula, ingredient sourcing, manufacturing and social benefit. In 2017, L’Oréal integrated SPOT into the design and launch process of its entire brand portfolio.