Florida Technology Journal

IBM  unveiled a new experiential exhibit at Disney’s Epcot Resort, which explores the idea of building a “smarter planet.”

The exhibit is powered by a new Smarter Data Center, providing a real-life demonstration of optimized computing that reduces energy costs by up to 25%.

SmarterPlanet offers visitors a “behind-the-scenes” glimpse of how technology is helping solve the world’s most complex problems–from reducing road traffic and city crime to improving food safety and local water supplies.

Full story

St. Petersburg Shines E-newsletter

A new program offered through the Pinellas County in partnership with the University of Florida Extension Service, now provides a green designation for local businesses. After completing a self-evaluation checklist through the Extension’s website, Pinellas County staff provides support in implementing many green practices and to help maximize the ability of businesses to operate in a sustainable way, resulting in a Green Business Partnership award.

Click here to learn more

Hillsborough County continues its commitment to green practices with its recent vehicle purchases. The two diesel hybrid electric trucks, equipped with an aerial platform, will be used to repair traffic signals and other traffic control devices maintained by the County.

The electric hybrid system allows the man-lift to operate without running the diesel engine. In addition, the electric motor provides a reduction in noise, making it ideal for early morning or late evening operations.

These trucks are estimated to use up to 60 percent less fuel for utility type applications and 30 – 40 percent less fuel while driving. They also will require up to 87 percent less idle time and their regenerative braking feature captures energy to charge the battery that would normally be converted to heat and waste. In summary, more than $5,000 annually will be saved per vehicle.

One of these vehicles will be on display at the E3:  Energy, Environment and Economics Regional Forum held tomorrow (Jan. 29) at the St. Pete Times Forum in downtown Tampa.

While these are Hillsborough County’s first heavy duty hybrid-electric vehicles, they are not the first alternative fuel vehicles in the fleet. Hillsborough County Fleet Management Department’s 18 existing alternative hybrid vehicles include one Honda NGV, 10 Toyota Prius hybrids, and seven Ford Escape hybrid SUV’s. In addition, Hillsborough County has a large number of flex fuel vehicles that are capable of operating on either gasoline or E85 Ethanol.

Hillsborough County Fleet Management continues to implement green initiatives that have already earned them national recognitions over the past two years. The County’s fleet has been reduced by more than 380 vehicles and pieces of equipment, and this fiscal year, fuel usage is expected to reach its lowest since 2002. A reduction of 264,000-gallons in fuel was realized in FY09 with a recently implemented utilization and fuel conservation program.

The installation of on-board oil filtration technology systems eliminates the need for oil changes on certain pieces of heavy duty vehicles and equipment used in Fire Rescue, Solid Waste Management and the Sunshine Line. Among its many benefits, this system, allows for a longer engine life, improved fuel economy, reduced consumption of petroleum based products, reduced downtime, and a 90 percent reduction in waste oil generation, handling and storage. Fully implemented, this project is projected to save up to $1.5 million over the useful life of the participating vehicles, which does not include the cost and ongoing liability associated with handling up to 1 million quarts of waste engine oil over the lifecycle of these vehicles. In addition, preventive maintenance service intervals have been extended on light and medium duty vehicles to maximize oil usage and minimize waste oil generation, resulting in $235,000 in annual savings.

Hillsborough County Fleet Management maintains more than 3,800 vehicles and pieces of equipment used by more than 25 departments. It has been named the No. 1 public sector fleet department in North America by Government Fleet Magazine for the past two years, and has earned the Environmental Protection Commission’s Green Star Certification for implementing best management practices and pollution prevention strategies.

For more information on Hillsborough County’s Fleet Management Department visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/fleet

We thought why not create a store that is as committed to the planet as much as it is to delivering the freshest items to our customers? A store that is environmentally friendly, and committed to conserving energy and water. A store that wastes less and recycles more. A store that puts the people, planet and product first. So we did. And you can see it for yourself at our newest store in Tarpon Springs.

These changes from our traditional building methods, may help qualify this new Sweetbay Supermarket in Tarpon Springs for LEED certification. LEED is an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building performs in terms of energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

More information

Tampa Downtown Partnership E-news

Finally the decision about where the high speed rail federal funds are spent is upon us. A station in downtown Tampa with a train from Orlando could be a game-changer. We ask that you act now to help us win this. And please ask your networks to do the same before Feb. 1. Here is how from Connect Us: The President of the United States needs to hear that Floridians want High Speed rail and  the jobs it will create. The easiest way to learn more and to send this message to the President is to go to the ConnectUs website and Action Center.

• Text 24453 and enter “Jobs” OR
• Call the White House at 202-456-1111  OR
• email www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/

Visit www.fastrailconnectus.com for complete contact information and a draft prepared message.

St. Petersburg College’s Natural Science Department planted a teaching botanical garden, consisting only of native Florida plants, on the Clearwater campus on Jan. 11.

            “Bio-diverse native gardens typically require less maintenance, water and herbicide treatment,” said Jason Green, the college’s Sustainability Coordinator.  “Because of that, in Florida we expect to see an increase in this responsible way of gardening as natural resources become scarcer.”

            The botanical garden will be used as a teaching tool for upper and lower level biology classes, according to John Williams, academic chair of the Natural Science Department.

            “The garden will allow students an excellent opportunity to leave the classroom and learn in a more natural environment,” Williams said.

            According to Williams, a number of partners will be involved in the development of the garden:

• Bruce Turley of Wilcox Nursery, who designed the garden, will deliver the plants the morning of Jan. 11.
• Tom Fowler, St Petersburg College’s Landscape Crew Leader, will install a drip irrigation system and construct a compacted mulch pathway for wheelchair access soon after the planting is completed.
• Plans are being made for a site specific sculpture suitable for the garden which will be designed and developed by members of SPC Fine Arts Department under the direction of Department Chair Paul Miehl.
• Jason Green will oversee the planting, which will be handled by volunteers from SPC’s “Club Green,” Emerging Green Builders, Honors College and other interested faculty, students and staff.

            The garden will be 60 feet wide by 25 feet deep.  Plantings will include spider lilies, yaupon holly, Florida golden aster, coontie, wild petunias, flatwoods plum, Bahama cassia, beautyberry and other native species.

WorldChanging Team,

by Sarah Goodyear

The question of how to get more women on bikes has received quite a lot of attention recently, in part because of a recent article in Scientific American that suggested women are an “indicator species” for bike-friendly…

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010829.html

by Staff Report, The Bradenton Times

That next coral reef photo you take could be the one that not only advertises protecting the reefs, but gain you a nice prize.

Mote Marine Laboratory’s Protect Our Reefs Photo Contest is on, and the winning photo will adorn campaign materials for Mote’s Protect Our Reefs specialty license plate in 2010. Sales of the Reef Plate will fund coral reef research, conservation and education.The grand prize winner will also get a Key West getaway for two, including a two-night stay at the Island City House Hotel in Old Key West, a half-day dive trip for two from Captain’s Corner Dive Center to the USS Vandenberg, a ship recently sunk off Key West as an artificial reef and a Fury Water Adventures “Commotion On The Ocean” Sunset Sail for two. Photos should show vibrant scenes from natural Florida coral reefs with live corals and other marine life. You can submit one image per week (Sunday begins each new week) until 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2010. See each week’s semi-finalist photos on Mote’s Protect Our Reefs Facebook page. The grand prize winner will be chosen from the nine semi-finalists. Visit the contest site for more information, contest rules and to submit your photo. For a little inspiration, visit this site and scroll down to “Kids Care About Coral Reefs.” http://www.thebradentontimes.com/index.php?cid=647994&src=news&refno=1039&category=Environment&curlid=1874

By Joel Makower

I’ll admit to entering the halls of Greenbuild — the mammoth green building conference and expo, held last week in Phoenix — with a cynical theory: Greenbuild would be filled with greenwash. I assumed that with nearly 1,100 exhibitors, up 25 percent from the previous year amid a horrid economy, the U.S. Green Building Council, the event’s organizers, had lowered its standards, accepting anyone that had a green story to tell. It would be, I surmised, a case study in what happens when green goes mainstream: that good intentions and high standards give way to the lowest common denominator of the mass market. We’d seen it before with organic foods, where just about any fat-laden, additive-intensive food could be deemed “organic.” I assumed history would repeat itself here. I’m happy to report that I was wrong.

Read the full story>>

http://www.greenerbuildings.com/blog/2009/11/16/searching-greenwash-greenbuild

Changing a City: Inside Portland’s 80 Percent by 2050 Target

by Alex Aylett

Last week the City of Portland and Multnomah County jointly passed one of North America’s most ambitious Climate Change Action Plan (CAP), which commits the city and county to reducing their overall emissions by 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

Portland has been a leading city on climate change policy since 1993, when it became the first city adopt a strategy to reduce carbon emissions. It is also the only North American city that has managed to reduce its emissions below 1990 levels (despite an 18 percent growth in population). Nonetheless, the plan opens with the sobering point that “perhaps the most important lesson learned from local climate protection work to date is the frank recognition that our good work…is not nearly enough.” (A familiar mia culpa, well in line with how serious things have gotten.) What follows in the rest of the 70 page plan (pdf) is an example of what it might look like if cities truly take sustainability seriously. The plan is packed with useful information and strategy. You can find more complete review here. Read the full story >>http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010712.html