29 Dec 2010 Green News & Milestones – Highlights & low points

Please log in and submit corrections and additions to this list, which is in no particular order, news about Austin’s Green Scene in 2010.

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The City of Austin took a big step toward institutionalizing sustainability leadership by conducting a national search and hiring a Chief Sustainability Officer that reports directly to the City Manager. Lucia Athens, who used to work at Austin Energy Green building and went on to become a national leader in green building, returned to Austin to fill the post. She is assisted by Katherine Gregor who left the Austin Chronicle to work with the City’s Public Information Office. Her assignment is to help report on and promote sustainability initiatives, working with Lucia, the Climate Protection Plan and other green City initiatives.

Austin Energy went through major changes as its visionary leader Roger Duncan retired and Larry Weiss was hired as General Manager. Also, after much stakeholder engagement and hand wringing the City Council adopted an energy generation plan. It was initially criticized by environmentalists as being weak, especially around the issue of getting "out of coal", but now looks like it is under threat of being weakened. Unfortunately conversations about purchasing nuclear energy are bubbling up and should not be dismissed as unbelievable.

Participants in the Imagine Austin comprehensive planning process have been trying to figure out how to integrate sustainability into the long-term plan for shaping the future of Austin’s development.

Leadership changes at local green organizations included:

• Environmental Board member Rodney Ahart was hired as Executive Director at Keep Austin Beautiful while Brian Block moved to a job with Solid Waste Services at the City.
• Founder/CEO of American Youthworks Richard Halpin was replaced by an internal promotion of Parc Smith who used to be Director of the Environmental Corps.
• Long-time TreeFolks Executive Director, Scott Harris, oversaw the recruitment of April Rose as the new ED leaving him free to go be a flower farmer and boat captain.
• Diane Miller left Envision Central Texas to start her own project called Civic Collaboration.

Nationally we saw the launch of the Chevy Volt PHEV and the all-electric Nissan Leaf, and the corresponding installation of a few local electric charging stations at Whole Foods Market, Dell, and Mellow Johnny’s. Austin Energy is a ChargePoint America Grant Program recipient and will be installing 100-200 Level 2 charging station in public locations by the end of 2011. They are seeking Station Hosts for these charging stations.

Las Casas Verdes opened their demo home in South Austin for a 20-home subdivision that pushes the envelope on solar generation and rainwater catchment which feeds both the landscaping and the toilets (a first!)

Austin EcoNetwork partner Collective Strength has been contracted to deliver work to the Obama Office of Sustainability.

The Austin area has more farmer’s markets (Sunset Valley Farmer’s market moved to Barton Creek Mall and changed its name accordingly. It wad replaced by the Sustainable Food Center Farmers Market at Sunset Valley at Toney Burger Center. Cedar Park started a Farmers’ Market, and Travis County Farmers Market on Burnet road re-opened.

We now have several more natural grocer options in addition to long-standing Wheatsville and Whole Foods Market (which announced two future locations in Bee Cave and SW Austin). New ones include Sprouts Farmers Market Newflower Farmers Market, and Natural Grocer. 

On the buy local front, Go Local really exploded this year, in part thanks to energetic former Austin EcoNetwork staffer Erin Hickok. Austin Independent Business Alliance hired founding board member Rebecca Melancon to be its Executive Director. Also, in south Austin at a 60,000 Sq ft Albertsons has been reinvented as Community Renaissance Market, home to businesses including an organic dog treat baker, cloth diaper maker, farmers’ market, antiques boutique, smoke shop, computer repair station and a 12,000-square-foot amusement park composed of inflatable rides. 

We now have green living supply stores in South Austin (Eco-Wise), Central Austin (House + Earth) and North Austin (EcoShoppe).

As of this fall, the Sustainable Food Center is managing the Citizen Gardener Program (and reservations for spots in the next courses are now open)

Austin is now home to the first co-op brew pub in the United States – Black Star Brewery.

On the questionable futures front, Council voted to dedicate millions of dollars to proceed with Water Treatment Plant 4 (WTP4). SOS Alliance and other green groups maintain that the plant is costly and unnecessary and locks us into greater use of water when the came money invested in conservation and progressive water management techniques would set us up for a conservation-oriented approach that is necessary in a water-restricted area like Central Texas.

Austin EcoNetwork partner ImagineSolar became the first in nation to offer the NABCEP Alternative Experience Pathway to solar installer certification.

This year the City of Austin invested in a composter rebate program and an extremely generous energy efficiency rebate program which is still available.

Residential and commercial composting got a big boost from Microbial Earth who received a $250K USDA  Value-Added Producer Grant USDA grant to expand operations around producing compost tea.

A steady stream of greenevents helped advance and grow the green community and expand green practices. These include:

• Slow Money event in April at City Hall featuring Woody Tasch
• Green LIving and Home Products Expo at the Convention Center
• The Green Cities Festival at City Hall
• 2-day Climate Protection Plan charette and follow-on meetings.
• Renewable Energy Roundup in Fredericksburg
• SEEN and CLEEN quarterly networking events
• Children in Nature conference
• Green Business Networking event at 904 West

What else?

You tell us! What should we be cheering or jeering?