One Way to Reduce Miami’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Posted on 30. Aug, 2010 by Howard Salus in Business, Education, Environment, Florida News, Green Business

By Susie Glass, LEED AP

When one thinks about green house gases being emitted into the atmosphere the natural assumption would be that transportation contributes the greatest number of total combined emissions. And, although transportation does rank close to the top of the list, Miami’s number one ranking is actually held by buildings. An overwhelming 54% of greenhouse gases can be attributed to buildings alone here in Miami. Just as a refresher, green house gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation emitted from the earth, and as a result temperatures rise and raise sea levels. Greater Miami is one of the most vulnerable urban areas in the world when it comes to rising sea levels. At current, there is 400 billion dollars of property at risk by rising sea levels and based on current trends that number is expected to increase to 3.5 trillion dollars by 2070. Although Miami is in such a challenging position it should be noted that the city’s greenhouse emissions do rank in the lowest one third in 100 metropolitan cities.
In Miami, commercial buildings represent 35% of the built square footage yet consume 60% of the city’s electricity.  In fact, 90% of Miami’s energy usage comes from electricity. One of the main reasons buildings consume so much electricity is that Miami, unlike most other metropolitan cities, relies heavily on electricity versus natural gas for energy. This is due to the fact that Miami’s climate does not have as much of a need for natural gas since the majority of the energy usage relates to cooling. Nationally 47% of energy usage is for heating and in North Florida that number drops to 15%. In Miami, only 2% of the energy used is for heating. In addition, an average Miami home’s cooling, refrigeration, lighting and water heating account for 77% of electricity consumption.
This leads us to the obvious question, how can Miami reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere when it comes to energy? There are many ways to incorporate lowering energy consumption across the board; in fact, there are actually too many to mention in this short amount of space. Since the largest contributor of green house gas emissions are buildings, it would logically follow that the first order of business is to reduce the amount of gases that buildings emit. How can this be done? One of the answers lies in a building certification process that is starting to gain traction here in South Florida, and that certification process is called LEED. Developed by the United States Green Building Council, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and there are over 63 certified LEED projects here in South Florida with 16 here in Miami-Dade County. LEED is essentially a process of building commissioning which verifies a building is operating and built as designed. LEED standards are not necessarily easy to achieve, the process is thorough and requires numerous minimum building, design and performance standards that focus on building efficiency as well as the impacts the project will have on the environment. LEED is flexible enough to be incorporated into existing buildings, interiors, schools, homes, new construction and major renovation projects.
According to recent studies, 30% of the energy used by buildings are used inefficiently or unnecessarily. Amongst the many benefits that LEED certification has to offer, LEED certification helps to reduce wasteful usage of energy and demands efficient energy usage. Depending upon the size and scope of the project, a certified LEED building can no doubt greatly reduce the amount of energy a building consumes, in turn lowering the amount of green house gases emitted into the atmosphere which then lowers the risk of rising sea levels. Municipalities are also seeing the need for more efficient buildings, including the City of Miami which has previously released MiPlan, a climate action plan that seeks to reduce green-house emissions by 25% as early as 2015 (based on 2007 levels) and part of that reduction includes encouraging LEED certification for buildings. In addition, Miami-Dade County offers incentives for business that operate out of LEED certified buildings and implement energy saving technologies as well as expedited permitting for LEED registered projects. The benefits of a LEED certified building are many and to learn more about LEED certification in South Florida your first step is to visit the South Florida Chapter of the United States Green Building Council’s website at www.usgbcsf.org. This site provides information on LEED certified projects that have been completed, a database of LEED accredited professionals and educational workshops, seminars and meetings all pertaining to green building. The Chapter’s database makes it easy for you to locate professionals in your specific area that can walk you through the LEED certification process. As a caveat, LEED may not be the best choice for every project and there are other green building certification options available here in South Florida, including the Florida Green Building Coalition. The wise choice is to consult with green building professional to see if LEED certification is the best choice for the project.
References & Resources:
www.usgbcsf.org – USGBC South Florida Chapter
www.floridagreenbuilding.com – Florida Green Building Coalition
www.miamigov.com/msi – City of Miami Office of Sustainable Initiatives
www.miamidade.gov/oos -Miami-Dade County Office of Sustainability

Clean Energy Rally at Port Everglades

Posted on 25. Aug, 2010 by Howard Salus in Education, Environment, Everglades, Green Events

Contact: Andrea Cuccaro, 1Sky Florida Organizer, 786-925-1151

1Sky and Allies in the South Florida Clean Energy Network Rally for Clean Energy at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

On Saturday, August 21st at noon, at Welcome Park near the entrance of Port Everglades about 40 concerned citizens united for a rally to document the 4-month anniversary of the BP Oil Spill Disaster, to speak up in favor of mandatory oil rig safety and better regulatory practices and to demand clean energy instead of expanding offshore oil drilling.
“1Sky and the South Florida Clean Energy Network are urging U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and George LeMieux to support a cap on carbon with tax breaks for renewable energy that will transition us away from fossil fuels to a green economy,” said 1Sky Florida Organizer Andrea Cuccaro. “We also want them to follow the House and support oil rig safety and an increase in the cap on funds for oil spill clean ups and an end to the revolving door between folks who work for oil companies and the Department of Interior,” she said.

Over a year ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to place a cap on carbon that ratchets down each year which we need to address climate change in time, while also providing incentives for clean energy with 2 million jobs and plentiful tax breaks. Environmentalists call such legislation “jump-starting the green economy” because while penalizing carbon and promoting more green power, it takes one giant leap from one to the other. At the end of July of this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill for better safety regulations, increasing the cap on funds for oil spill cleanup, and to end the revolving door for employees moving between Big Oil and its regulator, the Department of Interior. All that’s left to move these efforts into law is for the U.S. Senate to pass a similar plan. 1Sky has several thousand supporting members in Florida who have petitioned for clean energy solutions from Congress for over a year.
Even as the Gulf disaster grows, British Petroleum and other oil companies continue to push for new offshore drilling anywhere oil might be found regardless of the risks they pose. Scientists have discovered a 22 mile oil plume in the Gulf of Mexico, discrediting previous reports that state that 75% of the oil is gone. Once again, the reality of the spill’s impact and magnitude has been far more sobering than the rosy picture painted by BP and the government. Together we have an opportunity to change America and the world. It is time for our leaders to take bold, courageous steps and open the door to clean energy and renewables and free our country from its addiction to oil.
“I actually saw President Obama speak in Miami Beach last week,” Cuccaro said. “He promoted green jobs, tax breaks for small businesses, and in general a carbon cap and clean energy tax breaks mean helping small local businesses get access to the energy market.” Cuccaro recounted, “The president also mentioned the $20 billion in recovery funds for fisherman and businesses affected by the spill and how U.S.  Representative Joe Barton responded. Yelled Obama, ‘He apologized to BP! It’s like, Are you serious?’”
1Sky and allied clean energy advocates aim is to raise awareness of the methods for institutionalizing clean energy sources, and recognize that there are many non-allies in Congress, which is why it’s important to push hard and raise more awareness from folks in the community to pick up the phone and call their senators. Speak out for a cap on carbon, a transition to a clean energy economy, and urge leaders to work for mandatory safety valves, better regulatory practices, and abandon expanded offshore oil drilling and adopt policies that encourage clean and renewable energy sources.
“At a time when our country is finally assessing the true cost of dependence on fossil fuels – no need to recap the horrors we’re all seeing daily,” said Matthew Schwartz, Political Chair of the Broward Sierra Club “this is the time to move things in a very different direction. We must say NO to offshore drilling and YES to clean energy. Now!”
Representatives from local chapters of 1Sky, Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Sea Shepherd, and the newly formed South Florida Clean Energy Coalition provided critical information to the public and media regarding who in congress is leading the way and how to promote passage of the current proposal in the house and the Senate, and were interviewed by ABC News.  As many oil and gas trucks passed by toward the port, even the drivers honked and gave peace signs in support of an end to drilling and a transition to clean energy.

Photo Credit: Tom Olsen

Join the 1Sky Florida group on facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=149011449694
1Sky is a collaborative national campaign for strong federal action to tackle global climate change and invest in building the clean energy economy of the future. As one of the largest national campaigns in the country, 1Sky combines the force of 620 allied organizations, 201,959 committed climate advocates, 4,238 volunteer Climate Precinct Captains covering more than 394 congressional districts in 50 states, and a team of 24 including 9 organizers in 50 states working to mobilize constituent support.

Oil spill may put Florida wildlife at risk

Posted on 29. Apr, 2010 by Howard Salus in Environment, Everglades, Florida News

Everglades Advocates Gathering to Push for Restoration Progress

Posted on 08. Jan, 2010 by admin in Environment, Everglades

Flying low over the southern shore of Lake Okeechobee, Everglades advocates look out the window and visualize the time before sugar cane fields and cities blocked the life-giving flow of lake water that once drifted slowly south.

Decades of draining, dike building and water pumping allowed agriculture and development to take over vast swaths of former Everglades land, choking off the flow of water to Florida’s famed “River of Grass.”

Read more…

Conserving Water, Preserving Life

Posted on 03. Jan, 2010 by admin in Environment, Everglades, Florida News

Grant Campbell
South Florida Audubon Society
Director of Wildlife Policy
Conservation Chair

“Conservation of water is an important means of achieving economical and efficient utilization of water and ensuring the sustainability of the water resources of Florida,” says Eric Buermann, Chairman of the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District. South Florida’s natural ecosystems have suffered due to the severe drought that has now persisted for two years. This drought has put additional strain on Florida’s unique natural systems and the wildlife that depend on them. Water conservation is an appropriate and necessary strategy to govern decisions regarding a scarce resource that should be protected for the public’s benefit.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Water Conservation Initiative (2002) notes that “drought is not the only time when water should be used efficiently. Florida continues to grow rapidly and traditional sources of water are limited. Conservation will be an important way to meet new needs while protecting Florida’s water-dependent natural environment.” Therefore, implementing two day-a-week year-round landscape irrigation measures is necessary as a permanent strategy.

Reduced landscape irrigation is critical to ensuring the long-term availability of fresh water supplies for the natural and human environments. In addition to the environmental benefits, water conservation can lead to both economic and water supply benefits. Water conservation measures can reduce the rate of escalating costs by increasing the availability of water for water supply without having to create additional infrastructure to meet demands. Similarly, any increased demand can be satisfied with the existing supplies, rather than having to create new supplies.

Many Florida water utilities, however, are opposed to aggressive conservation because the more water that is wasted, the more money they make. These utilities are now threatening to challenge the Landscape Irrigation Rule and to go even further in an attempt to undermine important state water law. The utilities, in essence, want to claim ownership of water that belongs to the public and to weaken state laws that ensure water is managed in the public interest. This must not be allowed to happen.

Florida has strong laws to protect freshwater resources needed for healthy rivers, lakes, streams, and ecosystems and to ensure clean water for the benefit of the public. When decisions are being made about how to allocate water, a set of tools in Florida Statute Chapter 373 ensures that the environment is given preference and that water supply is provided through permits that impose strict tests on use.

Florida is blessed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and a rich network of rivers, streams, lakes and marshlands in between. Uncontrolled economic and population growth are straining the long-term viability of these water resources. Fresh water for our communities is already limited and demand is projected to increase by another 20% by 2050.

The Everglades is a unique ecosystem and a great benefit to the public, as it provides important services, such as recharging the Biscayne aquifer, cleansing and storing freshwater to nourish the plants, animals and human communities that depend on this resource. Additionally, restoring the Everglades is a national and state priority which taxpayers have invested billions in accomplishing.

Everglades ecosystem restoration will replenish some, but not all, essential natural systems and will help to protect the water supply for existing and future users. However, our current over-usage of our fresh water supply is jeopardizing Florida’s entire potable water supply. Loss of public ownership of our water resources will lead to higher cost to consumers and poorer quality water through the over-burdening of our aquifers.

A cornerstone of Everglades Restoration is getting the quantity, quality, timing and distribution of water right. Attempts by utilities to both undermine water conservation and claim a right of ownership of a resource that is theirs to use by permit, but not to own, puts the health of the Everglades ecosystem at risk. Lobbyists for the utilities have called on the Legislature to block the Landscape Irrigation Rule. The utilities used public funds to hire lobbyists to block a water conservation rule that is essential to Everglades restoration. They are even planning to sue in state court to block this important rule.

Water is a finite resource. Even though every drop that we use is returned to the Earth in eons-old hydrologic cycles, we are using water at a faster rate than our aquifers can be replenished. The combined effects of global warming and climate change are leading to changes in the distribution of rainfall, stronger storms, increased drought, and more violent hurricanes.

The stripping of vegetation and the subsequent erosion along with the penchant for paving every square inch of land that doesn’t have a building on it allows storm water to run into our lakes, streams and rivers and then into our oceans long before it has a chance to penetrate the ground and trickle back into the aquifers.

Since the water we have now is all that we have ever had or ever will have, and population is slated to increase to 9 billion in this century, the only way we will be able to quench worldwide thirst will be by water conservation and by desalination.

Some 70% of the water we use today is for agriculture which includes home lawns and gardens. Since inexpensive desalination is in the distant future, we must conserve what water we can now. This can be done, but it will be through multiple channels, including water restrictions, water recirculation and waste water reuse. Water conservation should be the focus of action rather than a change in ownership of a commodity that should be shared by all people on Earth.

How we fertilize and irrigate can have a direct impact on our environment, so it is imperative that the green industry and homeowners adopt environmentally responsible landscape maintenance practices. Florida has about 4 million acres of residential and commercial lawns — lawns that are frequently overwatered and over fertilized. To maintain the water we now take for granted, we need to develop new habits that we can all live with over time. Water — whether its groundwater, surface water, or reclaimed water — should be used efficiently. “Florida Friendly” or xeriscopic landscaping practices such as planting native plants rather than water-hogging exotics will help to conserve irrigation water.

Washing small boats and automobiles at facilities that recirculate water will also help.
A significant amount of water is wasted by some hotels and complexes that have air conditioning systems that draw cooling water from wells and discharge it directly into the ocean through outfalls or drainage ditches. Cooling towers that remove the heat from cooling water and recirculate it through chillers must be installed to replace these outmoded systems. Such systems not only waste water, they affect the coral reefs by promoting algae growth which smothers the coral.

Broward County receives approximately 60 inches of rainfall per year, much of which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. Such fresh water discharge to tide is comprised primarily of essential flood control releases and gravity seepage along the coastline. With the additional water storage and treatment facilities that will be a large part of the Everglades restoration effort, pumping to tide will be reduced boosting aquifer recharge capability as well as providing a backup water supply.

An added benefit to the establishment of Stormwater Treatment Areas is new habitat for vanishing wildlife. STA 5 in Hendry County is already experiencing an increase in the numbers of Roseate Spoonbills, Snail Kites, otters and other species that have been in decline for decades.

Even though the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted unanimously to enact three-day-per-week watering restrictions — drought or no drought — throughout the district’s 16 counties, many Broward residents and leaders feel that conditions unique to Broward County warrant tougher restrictions and endorse the 2 day per week rules on a permanent year round basis.

There are many ways to conserve water, but the first move should be to implement and enforce the two day per week restrictions. The two-day per week water restrictions currently under study are a necessary fact of life, but the money- hungry utilities must not be allowed to usurp control of our most precious resource. Contact your state and local representatives and let them know that you, as their constituents, are opposed to the utilities taking control and that you support the 2 day per week rule.