07 May EcoBits May 7th – May 14th, 2015: Happy Mother’s Day, Bike Month, and the Tesla Powerwall
[Energy] Tesla has wowed the world yet again with the release of a potentially game-changing new product, and it has chosen Austin as one of the first cities to start selling it in. A home battery system dubbed the Powerwall, this new innovation from Tesla could for the first time, offer up a mainstream solution to a problem that has long plagued rooftop solar systems – storage.
Owners of solar panels can enjoy their emissions-free power only when the sun is shining. When it's not, they still must rely on power from the grid (and fossil fuels). But, with the Powerwall, all of that could change. The Powerwall can store excess powergenerated during the day and save it so that it can be used at night when the solar panels are no longer producing energy. If the Powerwall catches on, the possibilities are endless.
In the meantime, the product is still pretty new. Powerwalls won't be available until late summer, but when they hit stores, Austin will be one of the first places to get them. TreeHouse has been chosen as the first authorized retailer of the Tesla Powerwall.Learn more>>
[Recycling/Zero Waste] On a bit of a spring cleaning kick? Before you start throwing out everything in your attic, consider a higher use for your waste. That's what Michael Waite did. He is one of the many people around the country who have taken the Unshopping Challenge with Yerdle. Instead of throwing out the things that he doesn't use anymore, Michael gives them away, to people who actually want them, using the Yerdle app. You can learn how to join Michael and take the Unshopping Challenge here>>
[Zero Waste/Gardening] Celebrate Mother's Day this weekend by honoring Mother Earth. Austin Resource Recovery is offering a free composting class this Sunday, May 10th from 11:30am to12:30pm at HOPE Farmers Market. So if your mom has a green thumb, spend the day with her at the market shopping for local produce and learning how to give back to the earth. What a meaningful way to spend the day! Learn more>>
[Zero Waste/Gardening] The results from Austin Resource Recovery's Soil Kitchen are in! If you dropped off a soil sample for testing at the Fusebox Festival last month, use this link to search for your sample number. Each number is accompanied by a full list of metals and materials found in the soil. While none of the samples had significant amounts of contamination, some did test positive for low levels of lead or arsenic. If your soil contains lead or arsenic, be sure to wear gloves while gardening and add additional soil, compost, or mulch regularly. More tips about how to deal with this type of soil are available 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>>
[Kid Friendly] Growin' Together summer camp registration is now open! At Growin' Together, the values of community, sustainability, and respect for the planetare 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>>
[Transportation] It's Bike Month! You can celebrate by trying out bike commuting as part of the Commute Solutions challenge. Log every mile you bike from May 11th to May 22nd on myCommuteSolutions.com and be entered to win all sorts of fun prizes, including an iPod Shuffle and a FitBit. Learn more>>
[Transportation] And while you're celebrating Bike Month, don't
[Transportation] How do you get around Austin? How do you wish you could get around Austin? Make your voice be heard with MobilityATX, an online public forum designed to solicit opinions and solutions about Austin's traffic problems. A collaborative effort amongst several community groups, businesses, and Capital Metro, MobilityATX only works if the general public gets involved.
Over the next few 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>>
All of this is according to a new study from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, which released a national opinion mapping tool on climate change last month. The tool shows opinions on climate change at the county, state, and national levels.
Perhaps the most surprising thing to come out of the tool is the fact that Texans' opinions on climate are pretty similar to those of the rest of the country. Fifty-four percent of Texans are worried about global warming, as are 52 percent of Americans. Sixty-one percent of Texans believe that global warming will harm future generations, as do 61 percent of Americans. Learn more>>
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