Mon 28 Mar 2011

Watch Live! Portland’s Skyline School To Raise Wind Turbine Today

Posted by benstu under BEF News , Good to Know , Portland events
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The Skyline School in Portland, Oregon is raising its wind turbine and tower today between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. today Pacific Time. You can check out a live video cam feed of the installation at:

http://www.solar4rschools.org/node/953

Enter USERNAME: skylinek8 (lowercase)
PASSWORD: windy (lowercase) to view the live feed.

You may need to enter the username and password several times at each prompt.

The XZERES 110 is a 2.5 kilowatt (KW) wind turbine that will be placed on a 90-foot monopole tower that is capable of producing approximately 4,265 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually.

That is enough energy to power two average classrooms for a year or a video game system for 25 years straight!

The Skyline School Wind Turbine Project was made possible by funding from the Northwest Environmental Defense Council, the Energy Trust of Oregon, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and the Oregon Department of Energy Business Energy Tax Credit.

 

Tue 15 Mar 2011

BEFer brings light to Sierra Leone school

Posted by benstu under BEF News , Climate Change , General , Good to Know , Staff Communication
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The lights of the school came on at 1 a.m. and the Norway Town’s people began chanting and singing their praises for a job well done.  The solar panel installation on the school was complete and the super LED bulbs chosen for the project were lighting the whole building up.  The group of us representing Volunteers for International Development and Aid (VIDA) breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the intense planning put into preparing for the trip to eastern Sierra Leone had paid off.  The school can now be used twice as long each day, allowing for additional classes at night and further use as a meeting space for community leaders.

Norway Town was established six years ago to provide support to amputees of the civil war that raged from 1991 to 2002.  At the request of the community Engineers without Borders (EWB-SE) stepped in to build a school for the local children in the Hanga region while VIDA provided funding for the construction of the building and the addition of a solar array for lighting and phone charging.

Sierra Leone is a safe place to travel, but there is still a ways to go to get power to its 5.5 million inhabitants.  The major cities are without consistent power and beyond city limits there is no power at all.  Norway Town is like so many small towns and villages in the country where socializing ends when darkness comes.  Flashlights are common but most exist as built-in components of cell phones that are difficult and expensive to maintain.

The Norway Town School’s solar panels address both lighting and phone issues for the community.  The extended use of the building added new capabilities for the facility and the phone charging station saves folks money that they would otherwise need to charge their phone at a vendor downtown.  The money will be set aside for maintenance of the system of the solar array over time as well as for school material needs.

Many of the children had never seen light bulbs before let alone an LED bulb that uses only 7 watts but produces the lumens equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent.    They were mesmerized buy the technology, as too were many chiefs from around the region who paid visits to this one-of-a-kind installation in the region.  Perhaps the greatest power provided by these solar panels is the optimism and inspiration they offer to a nation just beginning to conceive of its energize future. Here in a place where just 120 watts can light an entire school and keep a community connected.

 

Tue 15 Mar 2011

Goo Goo Clusters Go Green With BEF

Posted by benstu under BEF News , Climate Change , General , Good to Know , Trade Shows & Events
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The famous Goo Goo Cluster candy bar will turn 100 years old in 2012, but instead of reminiscing about the past, the company is looking forward to its future and the future of the planet.

Earlier this year, Standard Candy Company partnered with BEF to purchase green energy to power its Goo Goo Cluster manufacturing line in Nashville, TN. With the purchase, Goo Goo Clusters became the first candy bar to buy BEF Renewable Energy Credits.

“This was an important thing to do,” said Executive Vice President of Goo Goo Cluster, LLC, Lance Paine. “It helps move us into the 21st century.”

Long known as the premier candy bar in the south, Goo Goo Clusters are welcoming their upcoming 100-year anniversary with updated packaging graphics, a new website and several sustainability measures including compostable packaging and the purchase of green energy through BEF.

The company also looked at its ingredients. It improved the quality of its chocolate and removed vanillin, partially hydrogenated oils and wheat germ to create what they call a “clean” label product. Goo Goo Clusters come in three flavors – original, supreme and peanut butter. Visit www.googoo.com for more information.

 

Tue 15 Mar 2011

BEF Hits The Red Carpet, Takes A Ride With The President And Helps Protect A National Park

Posted by benstu under BEF Carbon Offsets , BEF News , Climate Change , Good to Know , Trade Shows & Events , Travel and Carbon Offsets
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The Bonneville Environmental Foundation hit the red carpet, rode along with the President and partnered with a National Park over the winter to continue to bring new renewable energy to the country.

The nation-wide tour began in January, when the Natural Resources Defense Council offset President Obama’s motorcade ride from the White House to Capital Hill for the State of the Union speech in Washington D.C.  NRDC purchased BEF Carbon Offsets for the ride.

“Offsetting the president’s motorcades is meant to put on tonight’s agenda an awareness of the need to move America more vigorously toward a clean-energy economy, and that personal actions matter,” said Peter Lehner, executive director of NRDC, in a press release.

The motorcade offset marks the second time BEF has worked to green an event for President Obama. In May, 2010, BEF partnered with NRDC to offset the travel of 2,600 attendees to the White House Corresponent’s Dinner.
BEF’s 2011 tour continued in February, when it landed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the 53rd GRAMMY Awards. The Recording Academy purchased BEF Renewable Energy Credits to offset the power needs of the event.

Later that month, BEF and the National Park Service partnered to provide collectable Carbon Offset Stickers at Lewis & Clark National Historical Park near Astoria, Oregon.

The stickers cost $2.00 and will create 100-kilowatt hours of clean, renewable energy each, or enough to offset the pollution associated with a typical drive to the park.

 

Tue 15 Mar 2011

BEF Announces 10-Year Model Watershed Projdect On The Methow River

Posted by benstu under BEF News , Climate Change , General , Good to Know , Watershed Restoration
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The Bonneville Environmental Foundation is extremely pleased to have recently entered into a 10-year Model Watershed Project agreement with the Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation.  The Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation is a member of the Methow Restoration Council, a unique collaboration of locally operating state and federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private citizens committed to the common goal of restoring healthy populations of native fish in the Methow River watershed.

The Methow River is a tributary of the upper Columbia River.  It drains a 1.1 million acre watershed that lies on the eastern slopes of the North Cascades mountain range in north-central Washington.  Historically, the Methow River supported prolific runs of ocean-going Chinook and coho salmon, steelhead trout, and Pacific lamprey.  The watershed also held abundant populations of native westslope cutthroat trout, redband rainbow trout, and bull trout.  However, soon after Euro-American settlement of the greater Columbia Basin, many of these native fish experienced considerable declines from their once prodigious numbers.  The members of the Methow Restoration Council now collaborate to implement a multi-species recovery plan that was completed in 2007 and is coordinated by the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

As a Model Watershed partner, the Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation will receive BEF funding of up to $300,000 and technical support over a ten-year period.  This partnership will increase the capacity of the Methow Restoration Council to implement the salmon recovery plan, manage the implementation of monitoring programs, and provide a community-based forum to facilitate outreach and education programs of a restoration program that supports and values community participation and stewardship.

For more information, visit  Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation: http://www.methowsalmon.org/index.html and  Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board: http://www.ucsrb.com/.

 

Tue 15 Mar 2011

National Hockey League Scores With BEF RECs

Posted by benstu under BEF Carbon Offsets , BEF News , Climate Change , energy efficiency , General , Good to Know , Green Tags , Renewable Energy
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The National Hockey League scored two goals for the planet this winter with an assist from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

As part of a larger sustainability initiative, called NHL Green, the league purchased BEF RECs to offset the electricity usage of all activities associated with the 2011 Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA and the 2011 All-star Game at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC.

These renewable energy resources meet rigorous environmental criteria developed by leading environmental organizations, including the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Besides purchasing BEF RECs, the NHL teamed up with local groups on a wide assortment of environmental initiatives. At the All-Star Game, the NHL partnered with the RBC Center to divert up to 40 tons of waste from landfills through recycling. At the All-Star Wide Open Street Fair, North Carolina State University and corporate sponsor Honda hosted sustainability booths. And another booth, by Raleigh’s Scrap Exchange, allowed fans to make arts and crafts entirely from recycled materials.

At the Winter Classic at Heinz Field, the NHL focused on parking lot recycling and partnered with the Pennsylvania Resources Council to collect aluminum cans, glass containers and plastic bottles and cups in six designated stadium parking lots.

“Sporting events provide a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of recycling, and education is a key component of this campaign,” said Dave Mazza, Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council. “PRC and its campaign partners are encouraging people to recycle when they’re away from home by making the activity easy and convenient.”

BEF Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) represent renewable energy from sources such as wind, solar, or biogas projects where clean energy has been delivered into the North American power grid to reduce carbon emissions from existing fossil fueled power plants. One REC represents the environmental benefits of 1-megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable electricity generated and delivered to the power grid.

 

Tue 15 Mar 2011

BEF Welcomes Two New Project Coordinators

Posted by benstu under BEF News , Good to Know , Portland events , Solar 4R Schools
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The newly formed Renewable Energy Group is pleased to welcome Emily Barrett and Sean LaFreniere to the Solar 4R Schools team.

Emily Barrett joins the group after working with BEF for a year while a research fellow for Natural Resources Defense Council.  During her fellowship, Emily wrote “Solar Electric Energy for your Stadium or Arena,” a guide which BEF and NRDC co-released in August 2010 to support professional sports clubs in installing photovoltaic systems.

After graduating from Tufts University and before moving to Portland to devote herself to renewable energy issues, Emily spent some time doing invasive species eradication in Arizona and in Ireland working and learning about sustainable agriculture.

Emily was drawn to working with the Solar 4R Schools program because of her desire to be involved energy solutions and her belief that education is paramount in tackling these systemic issues. She enjoys the cross-functionality of her work at BEF and is grateful for the many learning opportunities, which constantly present themselves.

Sean LaFreniere was born in Santa Barbara, CA and moved to Portland to study English and History at Lewis and Clark College, graduating in 1995.  After working in high tech during the early 2000’s, Sean entered the University of Oregon’s sustainable architecture program, studying at the Portland Center for Urban Architecture and with the Danish International Studies program, and completed his Master’s degree in 2007.

Noted explorations and studies included touring San Francisco and the Berkley hills with architects and professors Gerry Gast and Hajo Neis, attending the final lecture series of urban planning legend Jan Gehl in Copenhagen, Denmark, and exploring Finland in winter with architect and polar explorer John Anderson.

Living abroad also allowed Sean to join his friend and Middle East journalist, Michael Totten, in road trips through Turkey; Iraq,; Cyprus; Bosnia; Kosovo; Romania; and Ukraine, where reconstruction and sustainability were of particular importance.  Sean presents his travel photos online at seanlafreniere.com and at local venues such as Starbucks, Wholesome Blends, and the Shaken Martini Lounge.

Sean is excited to put his technical skills and design experience together to support renewable energy and sustainable education at Bonneville Environmental Foundation and is currently working on solar installations at the Feiro Marine Life Center in Port Angeles, WA and at View Park Preparatory High School in Los Angeles, CA.

 

Wed 5 Jan 2011

BEF’s Innovative WRC Program On Display At TEDX

Posted by benstu under BEF News , Climate Change , General , Renewable Energy , Watershed Restoration
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As an organization with a long history in watershed restoration work, BEF is continually looking for innovative ways to solve one of the most pressing water crises we face today — scarcity.
BEF’s latest innovation — Water Restoration Certificates — are an entrepreneurial solution to the environmental problem of water scarcity.
One of the creators of BEF’s WRC program was asked to speak at TEDx. Check out his brief, 7 minute, illuminating talk about the history of water rights in the West.

 

Thu 9 Dec 2010

Chevrolet Partners with BEF to Reduce 8 Million Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide

Posted by benstu under Uncategorized
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Thursday, November 18th marked the official launch of Chevrolet’s ambitious initiative to reduce 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions– a number that represents the emissions associated with driving the 1.9 million vehicles they expect to sell between 11/18/2010-12/31/2011. Over the course of the next 3- 5 years, BEF will help Chevrolet/GM to find and support $40 million in renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon reduction projects. BEF will act as GM’s buyer’s agent and research analyst throughout the course of the project. Follow the various links below to view Chevrolet’s carbon reduction website and the BEF- Chevrolet co-branded landing page:

http://www.chevycarbonreduction.com/

http://www.b-e-f.org/chevrolet/

 

Thu 9 Dec 2010

Groups work to reintroduce fish in Central Oregon

Posted by benstu under Uncategorized
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At a presentation last month in Portland, Ryan Houston, the Executive Director of The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, said one of the jobs his team is working on in restoring Whychus Creek is informing local people that the stream exists in the first place.

The creek, once one of the primary steelhead spawning and rearing streams in the upper Deschutes Basin in Oregon, runs from its headwaters in the Three Sisters Wilderness, through Sisters, Oregon, and empties into Deschutes River south of Lake Billy Chinook.

But more than a century of subdivision, stream straightening and diversion has turned the one-time home for approximately 9,000 adult steelhead into a forgotten Central Oregon jewel.

Today, Houston’s organization along with the Deschutes River Conservancy, the Deschutes Basin Land Trust and Bonneville Environmental Foundation have joined forces to restore the Whychus. And visible progress is being made.

The groups and many other stakeholders are working on a host of projects aimed to increase water flow in the stream in order to lower its temperature and create more habitat for rearing fish.

In the past, the much of the water of the creek was diverted to area farms. To conserve some of this water the groups are piping large stretches of irrigation canals. These large piping projects help to reduce the approximately 50 percent flow loss that occurs because the water in these canals seeps into the ground through the porous, volcanic soil.

Further downstream, the partners are also restoring a critical habitat area known as Camp Polk Meadow, located just north of Sisters, Oregon. The group is returning a straight, riffled stretch of stream back to its natural winding route and bringing back healthy steelhead and redband trout populations with it.

Since 2007, steelhead fry have been re-introduced into the stream, led by Portland General Electric, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, with a restoration target of 400 adults by 2025.

To reach this target, the Camp Polk Meadow and piping projects are just a pair of nearly a dozen projects the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council is working on to restore the creek’s habitat.

BEF is proud to be a part of this project, having provided funding through its 10-year Model Watershed Program. For more information about the work at Whychus visit www.restorethedeschutes.org.

For more information on BEF’s Model Watershed Programs, visit www.b-e-f.org/watersheds.