30 Apr EcoBits April 30th – May 7th, 2015: Women in Solar Podcast, Austin Traffic + Growth, and Eco Teachers
[Energy] May 7th is a big day for Austin Energy. It's the first day that city council could take a vote on the soon-to-expire contracts held by about a dozen large, energy-consuming businesses operating here in Austin. For years, these businesses, which include Samsung, have enjoyed favorable contracts, paying electricity rates lower than those paid by other Austin Energy customers. If council votes to extend the contracts, Austin Energy predicts that it will leave the utility $25 million in the hole, forcing residential customers to pay more in order to close the gap.
Samsung, on the other hand, says that if the contracts are not extended, its electricity bills could jump up by about 40 percent. The Texas legislature has also weighed in, threatening Austin Energy with deregulation if electricity prices for these large business customers get too high.
So what is the city going to do? Earlier this week, the Austin American-Statesman reported that Mayor Adler is considering a short term contract extension while longer term deals are worked out. Stay up to date on what city council is planning by frequently checking in on this upcoming week's city council agenda>>
[Recycling/Zero Waste] Did you know that in the city of Austin we produce 5.11 pounds of trash per person per day? That's a lot of waste. One Austinite is trying to change that, reducing her own personal footprint by taking the Austin Unshopping Challenge.
By taking the Austin Unshopping Challenge, Melissa Rothrock is giving her old clothing away and swapping it out for other people's used clothing. That way she gets to continuously update her wardrobe, while at the same time eliminating clutter and remaining mindful of her own personal environmental impact.
The entire process has made Melissa think more deeply about living a zero-waste lifestyle. She says that this new way of living, "requires being more intentional and finding the time," to truly change your behavior. You can learn more about Melissa and her quest to go zero-waste with the Austin Unshopping Challenge here>>
[Climate Change] What is resiliency? According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it's, "the ability to overcome challenges of all kinds and bounce back stronger and wiser." On Monday, city council explored this issue of resiliency from a climate change lens, examining how extreme weather and rising temperatures could impact Austin in the future. A panel of experts from the city's Office of Sustainability, Texas Tech University, Center for Public Policy Priorities, and the Austin Fire Department all spoke about the potential risks and challenges associated with climate change and discussed ways to ensure that Austin is preparedfor the worst. You can watch the entire video of the policy briefing here>>
[Food/Gardening] Connect deeply with nature and learn about her intricacies with the 2015 Summer Intensive Permaculture Design Course from the Austin Permaculture Guild.
The course is designed to expand your working knowledge of sustainability and permaculture design. You will be camping on the 2-acre property, at the Whole Life Learning Center, with a group of like-minded and inspired individuals, sharing in community, education, and wholesome food. In this enriching environment you will learn all of the skills necessary to holistically and creatively design a sustainable homestead, farm, or business that will be resilient and regenerative.
The course runs from June 1st – 14th and the cost covers camping, 3 meals a day sourced locally and organically, hands on projects, and classroom instruction from two experienced instructors, Theron Beaudreau and Taelor Monroe. This two week intensive immersion in permaculture design will earn you a PRI certified certificate in permaculture design. Learn more>>
Over the next three months, MobilityATX will guide several online and face-to-face discussions to solicit the best ideas from the community about ways to fix Austin's traffic problems. Afterwards, they will present those ideas to city council and other decision makers that have the power to put them into action. They're calling them crowdsourced public policy solutions, but it won't work without the crowd, so get involved today>>
[Transportation] In order to better educate the public and improve the quality of the MobilityATX forum,MobilityATX hosted its first livestream discussion this week. Transportation experts talked about the effect that Austin's exploding growth has had on the city's transportation infrastructure and came up with several short term solutions to fix the city's traffic problems. Some of these included:
- better utilization of existing bus lines
- increasing the frequency of bus service in neighborhoods where it already exists
- encouraging flex hours for employees
- just experimenting with different short term traffic solutions, like temporary bus or HOV lanes, in order to see what works and what doesn’t
- getting trucks off of I-35
[Transportation] The efforts of MobilityATX have attracted national attention as well. Earlier this week, US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx visited RideScout headquarters to talk about the MobilityATX initiative, as well as Austin's booming growth. Key topics of discussion included:
- the decline in car ownership and rise in downtown living amongst the millennial generation
- technology's role in improving transportation on a national, state, and local level
- the potential impact of autonomous vehicles, like the Google driverless car
You can learn more about Secretary Foxx's visit to Austin with this blog from RideScout>>
[Transportation/Green Design] One Austin bus stop is about to get a major facelift. A team of designers have just been chosen as the winners of the American Institute of Architects' and Capital Metro's Bus Stop Shelter Design Competition, which tasked competitors with designing a new stop at 1717 South Pleasant Valley in east Austin. The winning concept includes a rainwater harvesting system, a pocket park, and a shelter to protect riders from the rain and sun. You can learn more about the project here>>
[Kid Friendly] Growin' Together summer camp registration is now open! At Growin' Together, the values of community, sustainability, and respect for the planet are shared with kids from the ages of 4 to 12. Their camps explore a new theme each week and all kids are invited to explore at their own pace and level of interest. You can learn more about each of the week's themes or sign your kids up for camp here>>
[Eco Education] This one's for all you teachers out there! The US Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools and EcoRise Youth Innovations have teamed up to create an online educational platform, providing K-12 schools with one-stop access to the best educational resources for sustainability. Teachers can now apply to take part in a one-year pilot program, receiving free access to the new platform and thinking up ideas to make it even better. Learn more about the program or apply today>>
[Eco Education] Registration is now open for Groundwater to the Gulf, a summer institute for Central Texas educators. Every year, water experts from over 13 agencies in Central Texas combine forces to take 50 teachers to the aquatic hotspots in and around Austin. They go caving, canoeing, hiking, and splashing in streams – all in the name of science.
It is a fun, free way to earn 22 continuing education credits and gives teachers the opportunity to dip their hands into local water topics and activities. You can learn more about the institute or register to attend here>>
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