Read the full story in the Daily Herald.
After learning about the ways in which plants can provide cleaner water to the environment, a Prairie Crossing Charter School student decided to put his knowledge to good use.
Brian Mace, an eighth-grader from Grayslake, spent a total of 12 hours preparing and planting a rain garden at the Grayslake Public Library as part of his service project, and plans to continue to maintain it.
The EPA National Library Network Strategic Plan outlines a three-year strategy (Fiscal Years 2012-2014) for building on the Library Network’s successes and accomplishments to provide EPA employees and the public with convenient and timely access to environmental information. It lays out goals in four key areas:
The strategic plan reflects significant contributions and input from the EPA National Library Network community, including library staff and Federal Library Managers, as well as many internal stakeholders. EPA’s advisory board from the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) and Federal Library Information Network (FEDLINK) reviewed the plan and supported its publication (3 pp, 906K, About PDF). An Executive Summary provides a broad overview of the full-length plan.
I’ve created a LibGuide called Getting Started with Social Media: A Guide for Nonprofit Organizations and Government Agencies. I developed it in conjunction with a talk I’m giving tomorrow on the same topic at the 13th Annual Illinois Leadership Conference. The guide includes a link to my slide deck as well as information on making the case for social media, creating an acceptable use policy, and developing a social media strategy. I’ve also included links to social media tools and statistics.
As always, comments are welcome.
Read the full story at Shareable.
With government data transparency programs on the chopping block due to budget cuts, the gov 2.0 community has needed some good news. Last week it received some, with the announcement of a new management team and $250,000 in funding for Civic Commons, a project to build a commons of government tech tools that can be shared across agencies and municipalities.
Read the full story in Library Journal.
Green means a lot to the future of library design. An important criterion for LJ’s New Landmark Libraries project is sustainable design, and the winners are models of green choices inside and out. Some communities, like Phoenix, have their own mandatory green building requirements for public facilities while others require a specific level of LEED certification. Other libraries have no mandate to meet but the one defined by increased interest and need for green solutions.
Poplar Creek Public Library expanded its building from 44,000 square feet to over 96,000. Built green, but without a certification, it showcases a gigantic planted green roof, LED light fixtures, sun “scoops” to capture heat in the winter and decrease it in the summer, as well as high efficiency boilers, water heaters, and chillers. But, instead of doubling its utility bill, the library decreased it by 19 percent, saving a whopping $17,000 a year.
While not hugely evident in the New Landmark Libraries applications, it does appear that more libraries are choosing to carry green practices into the operation of the building. For example, the Roseville Library chose a waste free opening event, while Westhampton Free Library and Hamilton Mill Branch Library use green cleaning and pest management practices.
Green strategies commonplace in New Landmark Libraries and Honorable Mentions are:
- Occupancy sensors
- Low flow plumbing fixtures and waterless urinals
- Green roofs
- Reflective membrane roofs
- Computer controlled window shading
- Automated lighting systems
- Highly efficient and automated heating, cooling, and ventilation systems
Here are 17 of the best green practices from LJ‘s New Landmark Libraries and Honorable Mentions that are ready for adoption:
EPA State and Local Climate and Energy Webcasts
June 14, 2-3:30 PM (EDT) – Quantifying the Emission Impacts of Clean Energy Initiatives
Sponsored by EPA’s State Climate and Energy Program, this Tech Forum is the second in a three-part series on Assessing the Multiple Benefits of Clean Energy. On June 14, Part II will cover two methods for quantifying emission impacts of clean energy initiatives. Speakers will provide an overview of important concepts for quantifying emissions from the electric power sector, explain why and how the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments built an emission reduction calculator, and discuss a California clean energy benefits quantification tool and the potential uses of this tool in air and energy planning at the state and local levels. Part III will cover the economic benefits of clean energy. Register athttps://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/391230586
Other EPA Webcasts
June 7, 12:30-1:30 pm (EDT) – Counting Consumption: Measuring the Impacts of What We Consume
Sponsored by EPA’s Pacific Northwest Regional Office, this webinar will discuss how and why we measure the environmental impacts of our consumption. Speakers will discuss different ways we commonly look at the “greenness” of products and how single attributes such as recyclability, recycled content, compostability, and “local” don’t necessarily correlate well with actual reductions in environmental impacts. Another speaker will discuss how some communities are using life cycle analyses to better understand the greenhouse gas footprint of consumption at the scale of a city, county, and state, as well as share preliminary results of consumption-based greenhouse gas inventories from several communities. Register at http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/ECOCOMM.NSF/climate+change/consumption-webinar-june7
June 16, 1-2:30 PM (EDT) – Greener Products – Progress and Challenges
Sponsored by EPA’s Resource Conservation Challenge, this webinar features experts from varied backgrounds in the greener products industry who will discuss updates on new advances and current challenges in green purchasing. http://www.epa.gov/waste/rcc/web-academy/2011/jun11.htm
ENERGY STAR Webcasts
June 7, 2-3 pm (EDT) – K-12 Benchmarking 101
Sponsored by ENERGY STAR, this webinar teaches you the basics of benchmarking your K-12 buildings using EPA’s Portfolio Manager, which can help you measure and track energy and water use across an entire portfolio of buildings and identify weak links in energy performance. Buildings can earn an energy performance score compared with peer facilities across the country, and top-performing buildings are eligible for national recognition. https://energystar.webex.com/mw0306lc/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=energystar
June 15, 1-2 PM (EDT) – Purchasing and Procuring Efficient Equipment
Sponsored by ENERGY STAR, this webinar includes information about ENERGY STAR resources to help your organization purchase products with superior energy performance, guidelines that define energy performance for numerous products, sample procurement language for stipulating energy performance attributes to vendors, and energy saving software that calculates the life cycle costs of ENERGY STAR products and their less efficient counterparts. https://energystar.webex.com/mw0306lc/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=energystar
June 16, 2-3:15 (EDT) – Benchmarking Water/Wastewater Treatment Facilities in Portfolio Manager
Sponsored by ENERGY STAR, this webinar will cover how to track the progress of energy efficiency efforts and compare the energy use of wastewater treatment plants with that of other peer facilities across the country. Attendees will learn how to measure and track energy use and carbon dioxide emission reductions in wastewater treatment plants to establish baseline energy use, prioritize investments, set goals, and track improvements over time. https://energystar.webex.com/mw0306lc/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=energystar
June 28, 1-2 PM (EDT) – The Biggest Green IT Opportunities for Nonprofits and Libraries
Sponsored by ENERGY STAR, this webinar will cover the biggest green IT opportunities for nonprofits and libraries, including ways you can save money on purchasing IT equipment, reduce your electrical bills, and certify your organization under ENERGY STAR’s new Low Carbon IT Campaign https://energystar.webex.com/mw0306lc/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=energystar
DOE Webcasts
June 9, Noon-1 PM (EDT) – Fuel Cells and Renewable Portfolio Standards
Sponsored by DOE’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program, this webinar will explore the reasons why Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPSs) in some states have included both fuel cells that use renewably generated fuels and fuel cells that use natural gas. The webinar will also provide detailed information that state policymakers need to take into account when considering whether to include fuel cells in an RPS. Additionally, the webinar will discuss the reasons why more states are giving increased attention to distributed generation systems—energy systems in which power is produced onsite instead of taken from the grid—including fuel cells. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=540
June 15, 3-4 PM (EDT) – Community Wind Projects
Sponsored by US DOE, this webinar will discuss community wind projects. http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/filter_detail.asp?itemid=3077
June 21, 2-3:30 PM (EDT) – Best Practices for Establishing Municipal Funds for Energy Efficiency Projects
Sponsored by DOE’s EECBG/SEP Technical Assistance Program, this webinar will discuss the necessary steps for setting up an internal fund to pay for municipal building energy efficiency upgrades. The presenters will discuss how to identify projects to fund, decide how the money is handled, and set up a system to measure and verify the energy savings. In addition, two EECBG grantees, one with a pre-ARRA fund and one with an ARRA-funded fund, will share their experiences and lessons learned. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/solutioncenter/webcasts/default.html
June 23, 3-4:15 PM (EDT) – Geothermal Heat Pumps: In Policy and Practice
In this webinar, sponsored by DOE’s Technical Assistance Program,presenters will explain how they have cut energy costs by installing a geothermal system as well as a variety of other energy-efficient technologies and conservation measures in ice rinks in the City of Eagan, Minnesota. This webinar will briefly describe the planning and implementation process, and show how the project was accomplished in approximately six months with no loss of ice rental time to the building users. http://www.nrel.gov/applying_technologies/state_local_activities/webinar_20110623.html
June 28, 2-3 PM (EDT) – Partnering with Utilities 101: Introduction to Utility Energy Efficiency Programs and Developing New Partnerships
Sponsored by DOE’s EECBG/SEP Technical Assistance Program, this webinar will discuss how to take advantage of existing utility energy efficiency programs and develop strategies on how to leverage utility offerings for near-term projects and long-term programs. The webinar will also disucss how to develop a productive and long-lasting relationship with utility providers, and will cover the types of utility programs available—from standard product incentives to engineering assistance. The speakers will provide advice on how to initiate and develop points of contact in utility departments. The webinar will also help participants understand why utilities promote energy efficiency, and will provide perspective on the timelines for energy efficiency programs, which sometimes can be shorter than expected. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/solutioncenter/webcasts/default.html
June 29, 2-3 PM (EDT) – Interior Lighting Efficiency for Municipalities
Sponsored by DOE, this webinar will cover the fundamentals of energy-efficient indoor lighting for municipal applications. Topics to be discussed include next-generation lighting technologies, daylight harvesting, adaptive lighting controls, and online tools that can help identify energy savings opportunities. This presentation is for municipalities that are interested in gaining the understanding needed to implement an efficient lighting project, and the confidence to act on it. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/solutioncenter/webcasts/default.html
NOAA Webcasts
June 30, 2-3 PM (EDT) – How Has Your County Changed?
Understanding how a coastal county’s land cover has changed over the years is an excellent way to document trends, understand the effects of past land use decisions, and consider future land use planning needs. The Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) examines land cover changes in the nation’s coastal areas. The C-CAP Land Cover Atlas is a new Web-based tool that does not require GIS or advanced technical expertise. This tool helps users explore and communicate land cover change and trend information with county-specific maps, statistics, and reports.
In this webinar, participants will see how:
Read the full post at The Long Now Blog.
I imagine a library atop a remote mountain that collects the essential information needed to re-learn practical knowledge essential to civilization. This depot, open to anyone who journeys there, is the cultural equivalent of the Svalbard seed bank, a vault on the Arctic Circle that holds frozen seeds of crop plants from around the world. The utilitarian documents in this vault would be the seeds of culture, able to sprout again if needed. It would be the Library of Utility, and it would serve as civilization’s backup.
Read the full story at Shareable.
During the debate over the 2011 federal budget, contentious ideological fights dominated the news cycle. Less-covered was the slashing of the budget for government open data initiatives from $34 million to $8 million. The move is somewhat surprising, considering that the open data initiative is one of the few items in the budget that enjoys some degree of bipartisan support. Pols on both sides of the ideological divide seem to value transparency in government data, at least in principle. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif has been an outspoken advocate of transparency in government data practices, and though he’s been critical of the efficacy of the Obama Administration’s efforts, Issa has vowed that current open gov projects will not be shut down during a recent panel discussion about transparency sites.
You must be logged in to post a comment.