going green memphis 12-12-10

8/8/2019 Going Green Memphis 12-12-10

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2 GOING GREEN | S u n d ay , December 12, 2010 co mm er ci a l a pp ea l.com

Recycling is old news at IP

The paper giant has been recyclingfor more than 20 years, long beforethe green movement began.

Broad statement

Livable Memphis givescommercial district a

temporary new face.

Curbside service

Nearly 70 percent ofSouthaven households

stick with city program.

Downtown building a green LEED-er

Court Square annex achieves gold-level LEEDcertification, the first in the city.

Food safety forthe holidays

Critics cry foulover Volt claims

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!Going Green is a special online publication ofThe Commercial Appeal. We welcome your commentsand suggestions. Follow Going Green on Twitter at

w w w .t w i t t e r .co m /G o G r e e n M e m p h i s .Ed i t o r : Kim Coleman, 529-5243,goi n gg r e e n@co m m e rci a la pp ea l .com

Community Editor: Emily Adams Keplinger,ke p l in ger @ co m m e rci al a p pea l.com

Whats in this issue ...

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The Commercial Appeal S u n d ay , December 12, 2010 | GOING GREEN 3

The Green Page

Ac h i ev e m e n t

The Doubletree Hotel Memphis onSanderlin has been named the citys firstcertified green hotel by the Tennessee

Hospitality Association.The associations program recognizes

energy-saving, water conservation andwaste-reduction measures such as high-efficiency light bulbs, recycling programsand a program that allows guests theoption of not having bed linens and towels

changed daily.Its one of 21 certified Tennessee Green

Hospitality hotels statewide, including twoother Doubletree Hotels also owned byMemphis-based Cooper Hotels.

The Doubletree Hotel is thrilled to bethe first hotel in Memphis to be certified, said general manager Howard Reines. Wehope to inspire the many other hotels here,and statewide, to participate in theimportant Tennessee Green Hospitalityprogram.

Green greetings

Celebrate the holidayseason with friends and lovedones this year and give backto the Earth with the help ofthe nonprofit Arbor DayFoundation. Send holidaygreetings and plant a tree all at the same time byusing the Foundations Give-A-Tree Cards.

Give-A-Tree Cards areunique in that every cardplants a tree in one of thenations forests in honor ofthe recipient. By sendingGive-A-Tree Cards, you helpreplant forests that havebeen devastated by wildfires,insects and disease.

Give-A-Tree holiday cards

come in 21 varieties, someof which are available inboxed sets of 5 or 10 cards.This year, you can sendGive-A-Tree Cards using yourfavorite picture with theFo u n d a t i o n s new photocards. To purchase holidaygifts that give back to theEarth, go to arborday.org.

Green Organizations

To find out what other green events are happeningaround the area, visit the websites of these organizations:

Citizens to Preserve Overton Park (C P O P)w w w .o v e r t o n p a r k fo r ev e r .o r g

Clean Memphisclea nm em p h i s.org

Coalition of Livable Communitiesl i v a b l e m e m p h i s .o r g

Friends for Our Riverfrontf r i e n d s fo r o u r r i v e r f r o n t .o r g

Greater Memphis Greenlineg r ea t e r m e mp hisg r e e n lin e.org

Lichterman Nature Centerm e m p h i s m u s e u m s .o r g / l i c h t e r m a n - o v e r v i ew

Memphis Botanic Gardenm e m p h i s b o t a n i c ga r d e n .co m

Shelby Farms Park Conservancys h e l by fa r m s p a r k .o r g

Sierra Club Chickasaw Groupt en nes s e e.s ie r r a c lu b.org /ch i c ka s aw

Strawberry Plains Audubon Centers t r aw b e r r y p l a i n s . a u d u b o n .o r g

Tennessee Ornithological Societyt n b i r d s .o r g

Tennessee Trails Association Memphis Chaptert en nes s e e tr a i l s .o r g /m e m ph i s .p h p

V&E Greenlinev e g r e e n l i n e.o r g / i n d ex . h t m l

Wolf River Conservancyw o l f r i v e r .o r g


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4 GOING GREEN | S u nd ay , December 12, 2010 co mm er cia l a pp ea l.co m

By Suzanne Thompson

Special to Going Green

Long before the greenmovement began,International Paper wasre c yc l i n g.

The paper giant has been

recycling for more than 20years, according to EricEvenson, south central zonegeneral manager for therecycling operations at IP.

We have 19 facilitiesthroughout the U.S. and twoin Mexico, he said.

The company also operates15 containerboard mills andis one of the largest recyclersin North America.

As the attitude towardrecycling has expanded, sohave the companys efforts.

The initiatives out thereand the people who are willingto support the efforts to recyclehave grown over the years, and

we ve been able to grow withthem,Evenson said.

He estimates that theamount of paper recycled perday at the Memphis plant isan average of 100 to 150 tons.

A tractor-trailer filled withpaper weighs 40 tons, so the

Photos by Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Demetria Cooper (left) and Erica Powell tosscases of catalogs in with medicine packets to berecycled at the International Paper recyclingfacility on South Third Street.

Long paper trailIP growing recycling business for 20 years


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The Commercial Appeal S u nd ay , December 12, 2010 | GOING GREEN 5

Bales of compacted recyclable material sit piled in

the loading area at the International Paper recyclingfacility waiting to be transported to the appropriateprocessing facility.

RECYCLING FACTS

In 2009 a record-high 63.4 percent of the paperused in the U.S. was recovered for recycling.

In 2009 the amount of paper recovered for recyclingaveraged 325 pounds for each man, woman and child in

the United States.Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3

cubic yards of landfill space.87 percent (268 million) of Americans have access

to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.

From Paperrecycles.org

equivalent of three or fourof them is kept out of locallandfills daily.

Every ton of paperrecycled saves more than3.3 cubic yards of landfill

space, according to thewebsite paperrecycles.org.IP recycling facility

employees separate paperproducts into sortedpaper, hard white paper,cardboard and oldnewspapers. Once paperis sorted, it is bundledinto bales about the size

of a compact car, and sentto the proper mill.

It goes through aprocess that reduces it topulp and is then used tomake new paper.

Encouraging andhelping customers torecycle their paper issomething IP doesro u t i n el y.

One of the first thingswe do once we learn of anew opportunity is weoffer them a waste audit.We look at whats goingon in their waste stream,and we identify a programthat would work best for

them based on that auditand what they have thatcurrently is beinglandfilled, Evenson said.

IP is glad to helpbusinesses start recyclingand has representativeswho approach customersto suggest a plan, but

sometimes its the

customer who contactsthem about recycling, hes aid.

Its a two-way street,Evenson said. We areopen to anybody whowants to recycle becauseobviously, if they want torecycle they have

something that is going

into a landfill right nowand we certainly want tohave the opportunity tokeep it out of a landfill andrun it through our system.

International Paper willsend people to pick upmaterial for recycling, orcustomers may make it to


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6 GOING GREEN | Su n d ay , December 12, 2010 co mm er c ia l a pp ea l.co m

CatherineJackson

moves pilesof recyclablematerial to asorting area.From 100 to150 tons of

paper isrecycled per

day at theMemphis

plant.

the facility themselves, Evenson said.Its on a case-by-case basis, he said.

The American Forest & PaperAssociation keeps track of the countrysrecycling efforts, and Catherine Foley,group vice president of paper, saidresults show goals are being exceeded.

That initial goal set years ago was 40percent, and the industry associationhas continued to ratchet up the numberonce the goal was met, she said.

Recent figures show 63.4 percent ofpaper recovered was recycled, Foley said.

Its been a real success story for theindustry and one that we are very proudof, Foley said.

The forest industry in Americaproduces more renewable energy thanall the wind, solar and geothermalenergy combined, according to theo rga n i z at i o n s website.

Compared to some of our competitors,we are way ahead of them, she said.

Information from the U.S. EnergyInformation Administration shows that

recycling a ton of paper can save up to17 trees and uses 50 percent less water,so the recycling efforts at IP savethousands of trees per day.

Although the AF&PA tracks recyclingefforts of its members, its memberorganizations themselves, like IP, thatare responsible for making the goal ofrecycling a reality.

In fall 2010, IP moved its recyclingfacility from Saturn Avenue to North

Third Street, which provided more space.Recently, when we made the move

into the new facility two or three driversor opportunities came from that,Evenson said.

We re going to be able to service ourcustomers more efficiently t h at s notonly outbound and bring it back to theplant, but also the customers who bringthe material to the facility, because wehave a better facility and obviously fromour standpoint efficiencies will beimproved quite a bit because its a muchlarger facility.


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The Commercial Appeal file photo

International Papers100% recycled, 100%biodegradable Ecotainer.

IP aims to demonstrategreen side of paper useNew campaign touts protection of forests

By Toby Sells

sells@commercialappeal .com

A new push byInternational Paperstresses the idea thatusing paper is good for

trees and forests.The Memphis-based

p a p e r m a ke r s new GoPaper. Go Trees.campaign is intended torefute the notion thatgoing paperless is apathway to greens alvation.

Teri Shanahan, IPsvice president ofcommercial printing, saidshe knows the ideaseems counterintuitive.She also readily admittedthat the paper industryhasnt done a good job ofhelping consumersconnect the dots.

People think that if youuse less paper, youll savea tree, Shanahan said.While one particular treemight not be harvestedunder that scenario, thewhole forest might nothave an opportunity tostay as a forest.

One-third of the U.S. isforested, according to thecampaign; of that, 750million acres areprivately owned andmost of those owners aretree farmers. These

farmers plant about 4million trees per day,about three to fourtimes more than theyharvest , Shanahan said,to replenish their stock.

According to thecampaign, tree farmershave a financial incentiveto be good stewards of thefo re s t s , which couldotherwise be leveled fordevelopment .

Shanahan saidelectronic payments andcommunication are notenvironmentally freeand that many companiesthat are pushing paperless

payments are looking toget their money faster, notnecessarily trying to beenvironmentally friendly.

I understand whythey want to do it and Idont blame them fortrying, but if they justsay its more convenient

to bank online or wellgive you $10 to bankonline, thats fine,Shanahan said. Theyshould not be making theclaims that this willsomehow help theenvironment if you bankonline.

A separate push is underway by the AmericanForest and PaperAssociation to toughenlaws on g re e nwa s h i n g , falsely marketing a product

as environmentallyfriendly. In October, theFederal Trade Commissionposted proposed rules forits Guides for the Use ofEnvironmental MarketingClaims.

Toby Sells: 529-2742


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8 GOING GREEN | S u n day, December 12, 2010 co mm er c ia l a pp ea l.co m

Southaven program gains steamNearly70% of

customersparticipate

incurbsiderecycling

Stan Carroll/The Commercial Appeal files

Ernest Powell, with grandson Darion Powell, was one of the firstSouthaven residents to receive a recycling cart in September, when CalebTucker (left), with Bucy Sales & Service, delivered one to his home.

By Yolanda Jones/ yojones@desotoappeal .com

NEARLY 70 PERCENT of Southaven households

are sticking with the citys curbside recycling program.

As of Dec. 1, about11,000 families, or 68.7percent of households, haddecided to keep taking theirrecyclable items to the curbfor a monthly fee, while

5,000, or 31.2 percent ofhouseholds, had informedthe city that they do notwant to participate in thep ro g ra m .

The program was offered


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for free to residents for threemonths October, November andD e c e m b e r.

The city asked residents to decidewhether they wanted to opt in or

opt out of the program by Dec. 1.That date was set as a deadline to

decide whether to participate inorder to simplify the billing process,said Bradley Wallace, Southavensdirector of operations. The city willcharge each household$6.25 per month forcurbside recycling.

The fee, added tomonthly water bills, ischarged a month inadvance for theservice. So, theJanuary bill for thecurbside recyclingprogram is reflectedon this months waterbills.

Residents can optout of the program bythe end of thismonth, Wallace said.After that time, ifthey have not opted out by Jan. 1,they will be billed for the program.

Called RecycleBank, the programallows residents to earn rewardpoints by tossing recyclable material,

including newspapers and aluminumcans, into a single recycling binrather than in with the trash.

The material is weighed andresidents receive points, which canbe redeemed for discount coupons,2-for-1 purchase options, cash-value

certificates and even gift cards atgrocery stores, restaurants, nationalchains and several local businesses.

In September, the city delivered16,000, 96-gallon wheeled recycling

carts to households throughout thec i t y.

The city is the first in Mississippiand the first in the Mid-South toimplement a rewards-recyclingp ro g ra m .

Mayor Greg Davissaid he was happywith the participationrate to date.

This is a goodstart , he said. Iveheard from somesenior adults, whosaid they were optingout of the program(only) because theydidnt generate a lot oftrash, and didnt have

anything to recycle.Davis said sincesince the programstarted in October,the city has kept 50 to

70 tons of trash per week out of thelandfill.

Resident Dexter Varnell said he andhis wife, JuneRose, like the program.

We have a lot of newspaper, and it

makes sense to recycle them, he said.Wallace said if residents want to

opt out of the program or havequestions, they can call the citysutility department at (662) 796-2490.

Yolanda Jones:(901) 333-2014

RecycleBank allows

residents to earn

reward points by

tossing recyclable

material, including

newspapers and

aluminum cans, into

a single recycling

bin rather than inwith the trash.


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10 GOING GREEN | S u n d ay , December 12, 2010 co mm er cia l a pp ea l.co m

Broad smiles

Organizers revel in success of bikable, walkable event

Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Working in front of the future home of his business, Lubin PropertyManagement, Ryan Lubin paints parking spaces next to the new bike lane.

By Tom Bailey Jr.

baileytom@commercialappeal .com

Judging by what happened to therestaurants and sidewalk food vendors atNew Face for an Old Broad, Memphishas an appetite for pedestrian- and bike-friendly business districts.

So many people flocked to the event

in November that the food ran out.

It exceeded our expectations andthen some, said Emily Trenholm,director of the Community DevelopmentCouncil of Greater Memphis, whoseLivable Memphis joined the HistoricBroad Business Association andMemphis Regional Design Center toorganize the event.


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EARTH TALK

States, localg ove r n m e n t smaking callson recycling

Dear EarthTalk: Giventhe environmental and

economic benefits, why

doesnt the U.S. have afederal law mandatingrecycling nationwide?

N. Koslowsky,Pompano Beach, Fla.

The U.S. governmenthas historically relied onstate and localgovernments to handlewaste management in allof its forms, includingre c yc l i n g.

Although there havebeen a few attempts topush legislation throughCongress to mandateminimum nationalrecycling rates, none have

made it out of committeehearings. Federallawmakers are loathe totake waste managementregulatory powers awayfrom individual stateswhich have vastlydifferent needs.

For instance, less

Livable Memphisestimates 13,000 peoplecame. The businessassociation estimates16,000.

There were so many

people they had to standin the bike lanes insteadof the sidewalk, s aidCharles Chooch Pick-ard, executive directorof Memphis RegionalDesign Center. A hugesuccess.

Part demonstrationproject, part festival,

New Face t e m p o ra r i l yre-engineered the three-block district to showwhat a more walkable,bikable commercialdistrict could be like.

Volunteers paintedlines on the asphalt tocreate on-street parkingthat slows traffic andused parked cars onboth sides of Broad toprotect new, temporarybike lanes. They also setout planters and antiquelight poles to beautifyBroad and calm traffic.

It was probably oneof the best things to

happen for my business,said Katelynn Meadows,owner of Sweetly.

Her clothing line forlittle girls was one of thetemporary or pop-upbusinesses that helpsshow what a vibrantretail scene in a

t ra d i t i o n a lneighborhood districtcan be like. In return forpreparing and fillingempty retail space,businesses got free use

of the buildings.The ability to havemy clothes out there forfree and the advertisingand still make money,Meadows said. P re tt yincredible. ... There wasa constant stream ofpeople through thebuilding all night Friday

and Saturday.The Alliance for

Biking and Walking hasgiven Livable Memphisa $25,000 matchinggrant for permanentlyengineering the bikelanes through the BroadDistrict and beyond.

Broad will be an anchorfor the GreenlineConnection Project, afuture bike lane linkingOverton Park to theShelby Farms Greenlineterminus at Tillman.

Livable Memphis,working with theMemphis RegionalDesign Center, will startplanning early next yearfor a similar Fa c el i f tMemphis event atanother, yet-to-be-determinedn e i g h b o rh o o d .

Tom Bailey Jr.: 529-2388


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populous western stateswith lots of extra land forsiting landfills might notbe as inclined to push forhigher recycling rates asthose crowded easternstates with less room tostore their trash.

According to Chaz

Miller, director of StatePrograms at the NationalSolid Wastes ManagementAssociation, Americasvery first federal solidwaste law, 1965s SolidWaste Disposal Act itself an amendment to theoriginal Clean Air Act

didnt even mentionrecycling. Eleven yearslater, Congress passed theResource Conservationand Recovery Act, whichremains the cornerstoneof federal solid waste andrecycling legislation,reports Miller. RCRA

abolished open dumps andrequired theEnvironmental ProtectionAgency to createguidelines for solid wastedisposal and regulationsfor hazardous wastemanagement, but hadlittle to say about

recycling except to call foran increase in federalpurchases of productsmade with recycledcontent. The EPA alsopublished manuals and

workshops onimplementing curbsiderecycling programs,although funding for suchprograms dried up by1981.

Nevertheless, the seedhad taken root. Pioneeringprograms inMassachusetts and

elsewhere led to thedevelopment of curbsiderecycling programs inmore than 600municipalities throughoutthe U.S. mostly in theNortheast and on the WestCoast by the mid-1980s. In addition, 10states introduced b o tt l ebill laws to encouragerecycling of beer and softdrink containers. Twostates, Rhode Island andNew Jersey, both beingsmall, densely populatedand short on landfill space,implementedc o m p reh e n s i ve

approaches to recycling.They began requiring localjurisdictions to pick upre s i d e n t s and businessespaper, metal and glass,and helped towns andcities set up systems forpick-up, sorting andmaterials recovery. Most

Nathaniel Brooks/The New York Times (file)

The Nantucket Solid Waste Recycling and

Composting Facility is a municipal facility runthrough a public/private partnership on the islandof Nantucket, Mass. The facility integrates landfillcleanup, recycling and composting for islandresidents. Those who live on the island can eitherhave their recycling, compost and trash picked upat their home for a fee by a private company orthey can drop it off at the facility.


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The Commercial Appeal S und ay, December 12, 2010 | GOING GREEN 13

of the 8,600-plus municipalrecycling programs inexistence today aremodeled on these earlye f fo r t s .

Just a few decades ago,

Americans recycled lessthan 10 percent of theirsolid waste. Multimaterialand curbside collectionprograms were nonexistent,paper was only collectedsporadically when a localscout troop or similar grouporganized a paper drive andfamily-owned scrap dealers

would occasionally buypaper and metal scrap basedon limited market demandfor additional raw materials.

Today, the EPAestimates that Americansrecycle some 32 percent ofthe 350 million tons ofrefuse they generateannually. While it still hasno federal platform fordoing so, the EPA, throughits Resource ConservationChallenge program, ispushing for Americans toup that rate. Forty-twostates now have their ownrecycling or wastediversion goals, and 18 are

trying to divert upward ofhalf their waste viarecycling or composting.

Send questions toEarthTalk, c/o E TheEnvironmental Magazine, P.O.Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881,or toearthtalk@ emagazine.com .

Graywater report looksat wastewaters potential

By Susan CarpenterLos Angeles Times

About 50 percent ofthe water used insideU.S. homes can bereused to irrigatelandscapes and flushtoilets, according to agray-water reportrecently released by theOakland, Calif.-basedPacific Institute.

The Overview ofGreywater Reuseexamined theapplication of gray-watersystems worldwide todetermine how the

wastewater generatedfrom sinks, baths,showers and clotheswashers could be reusedto reduce demand formore costly, high-qualitydrinking water.

In California, thereare a lot of reasons why

we re looking for newand innovative watersources, including thelegal restrictions thatare coming to bear onour ability to movewater around the state,said Juliet Christian-Smith, senior research

associate at theOakland-based researchinstitute. C l i m aticchanges are occurring.... We are looking at afuture with less of anatural reservoir in oursnow in the Sierras andless water availablefrom the ColoradoRiver system.

In 2009, Californiamodified its plumbingcode to allow the reuseof certain types of graywater. The PacificInstitute was interestedin examining how thatchange might affect the

state and aid itsdevelopment of a softpath of watermanagement .

The 20th centurywas dominated by aparadigm of watersupply and waterextraction which

focused on large-scalecentralized resourceslike reservoirs, canalsand pipelines that havebeen very successful atmoving water andproviding a higherstandard of living butalso come with social,


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14 GOING GREEN | S und ay , December 12, 2010 co mm er c ia l a pp ea l.co m

environmental, energyand economic costs thatwe re n t apparent from thebeginning, Christian-Smith said.

As we move into the21st century, werestarting to think aboutother options ... such asdemand management conservation andefficiency and to look

at new technologies thatreuse water.

Australia is the most

progressive country interms of gray-waterpolicy. The governmentfor this drought-pronecontinent not onlypromotes gray-waterreuse but providesmonetary incentives forsystems that recycle

wastewater from showersand sinks to flush toiletsand irrigate outdoorplants. Korea, Cyprus,Japan and Germany arealso at the forefront of

gray water technologyimplement ation.

While there is nonational policy in the U.S.regarding gray water,about 30 of the 50 stateshave some sort of graywater regulation, some ofwhich require treatmentof the wastewater beforeits reuse. Other states,including Arizona andCalifornia, use alandscapes soil as anatural filter to reducepotential contaminants.

According to thereport, which cited astudy conducted in

Barcelona, Spain, thisyear, factors determiningpublic acceptance of graywater include a perceivedhealth risk, perceivedcost, operation regimeand environmentalawa re n e s s .

The Overview of

Greywater Reuse is astarting point, Christian-Smith said, to a largerproject that will start tooutline supportive andprotective instrumentsfor understanding thelong-term impacts ofgray-water reuse.


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A n nexLEEDsin greenCourt Square buildingpaces energy planning

Roman Greene/Looney Ricks Kiss

The CA2 building used the foundation walls of the old Court Annex and the 124-year-old Lowenstein Building as a fourth wall as part of its design that achieved the

citys first gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

By Wayne Risher

risher@commercialappeal .com

THE SLEEK, MODERN cube of glass,

steel and concrete overlooking Court Square

got a lift from the distant past on the way to

becoming the citys greenest new residential

building to date.

Designers incorporated the old Court

Annex buildings foundation walls into the

new CA2 buildings footprint and backed the


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16 GOING GREEN | Su n day , December 12, 2010 co mm er c ia l a pp ea l.co m

five-story structure upagainst the 124-year-oldLowenstein Building.

The recycled foundationand savings associatedwith eliminating a fourth

wall helped boost CA2 togold-level certificationunder the U.S. GreenBuilding CouncilsLeadership in Energy andEnvironmental Designp ro g ra m .

Its the highest LEED-rated new building inMemphis so far under a

program that serves as ayardstick of greenbuilding practices, saidarchitect Jason Weeks ofLooney Ricks Kiss.

CA2 was completedlast fall, the newconstruction piece ofCourt Square Center inDowntown Memphis,which includes therenovated Lowensteinand Lincoln-American

Tower buildings.Original plans called for

the Court Annex buildingto be rehabilitated, but itwas destroyed by an Oct.6, 2006, fire attributed to

wind-blown embers froma blaze that leveled FirstUnited Methodist Church.

Developers John Basek,Willie Chandler and YorkeLawson brought in LooneyRicks Kiss to design thenew building. The firmdesigned the countys first

LEED-certified building,Independent BanksGermantown branch, asilver-level project.

Its something we wereall familiar with, and its a

little bit of Do the rightthing, to be attentive tothe environment, to beattentive to energyconsumption, Chandlers aid.

The LEED gold honorwas announced re c e n t l yto local members of theGreen Building Council,which met at the NewConsortium of Law andBusiness, tenant in CA2scommercial space.

The natural lighting,peaceful color scheme,and flowing floor plan canshow everyone that a

LEED building can bebeautiful and veryfunctional, said ReginaHunt of Central Sales Co.,a council member. I wasvery impressed with the

project as a whole, Hu n ts aid.The design took

advantage of the sitesbrownfield status andvarious energy-, material-and water-conservationf e at u re s .

About 35 percent ofproject cost went to

reused resources suchas concrete from the oldbuilding, which wascrushed and reused asaggregate. The projectdiverted from landfills awhopping 99 percent ofrubble left by the fire anddebris generated by newconstruction.

Placing the structure,like the Court Annexbefore it, against theLowenstein provided athermal mass to supportmore efficient heating,ventilation and cooling.

The exteriorsdominant feature, a glass

curtain wall that facesCourt Square, usesenergy-efficient glass andcoatings to guardinteriors againstultraviolet rays andswings in temperature.

In addition to high-efficiency plumbing,

The natural

lighting, peaceful

color scheme, andflowing floor plan

can show everyone

that a LEED

building can be

beautiful and very

functional.

REGINA HUNT

council member


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heating, cooling andlighting, interiorfinishes includedpaints, sealants andcoatings of the lowvolatile organic

compound variety, saidarchitect Bill Davies ofLooney Ricks Kiss.

Chandler estimatedthe green effort added2-3 percent to overallcost .

Architect FrankRicks, principal inLooney Ricks Kiss,

said more clients areclamoring forsustainable design andbuilding practices.

The firm isdesigning the newFedEx Family House atLe Bonheur ChildrensHospital with LEEDcertification in mind.

Melissa Thomson,26, graduate student atthe University ofMemphis, signed onfor a second year atCA2 in October.

Before moving in,she was concerned thesouth-facing wall of

windows would spellhigh utility bills. Iknow the first time Igot my utility bill, Ithought it was amistake it was so low,

Thomson said.

Wayne Risher:529-2874

By Michael dE st r i e s

Mother Nature Network

The PhiladelphiaEagles, alreadyrecognized in the NFL as asustainability leader, haveannounced a massiverenewable energyinstallation that willcatapult them ahead of anysporting club worldwide.

At a gathering at LincolnFinancial Field, the Eaglesmanagement teamannounced a partnershipwith renewable energycompany Solar Blue thatwill effectively take theNFL stadium off-grid.

The plan, scheduled tobe finished in time for thestart of the 2011 NFLseason, will see 80 spiral-shaped wind turbinesattached atop the stadiumand 2,500 solar panelsinstalled. Natural gas andbiodiesel fuel will power

the 7.5-megawatt co -

generation plant.The energy to be

generated is comparable tothe annual electricityusage of over 26,000homes. In the off-season,the organization expects tosend over 4 megawatts ofenergy back into the grid.

The PhiladelphiaEagles are proud to takethis vital step towardsenergy independence fromfossil fuels,Eagles ownerJeffrey Lurie said. Itunderscores our strongbelief that environmentallysensitive policies areconsistent with sound

business practices.Solar Blue will pour$30 million into theproject in an effort to getthe retrofit ready for nextseason. The Eagles expectthe deal to help reduceenergy costs by almost 25percent in the first year.

Eagles hope stadium goes off grid

The Philadelphia Eagles Lincoln Financial Field


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18 GOING GREEN | S und ay , December 12, 2010 co mm er c ia l a pp ea l.co m

By Merry Young

and Paul McRandle

SimpleS teps.org

Nothing gets you into theholiday spirit like a feast withfamily and friends. But eve nthe healthiest foods can beharmful when food safetybasics are neglected.

While consumers cantstop these outbreaks from

occurring, proper foodhandling at home willhelp keep you fromexposing guests todangerous food-borne pathogenssuch as E.coli,s almonella,c a m p yl o b a c t e r,

staphylococcus andlisteria. Theseorganisms pose healthrisks ranging from a sickstomach to very serious, andsometimes life-threatening, illness.

Here are a few tips and resources to helpmake your holiday meals safe and healthy.

Food safety for the holidays

Cleaning

To prevent the spread of bacteria andfood-borne illnesses like E.coli andsalmonella poisoning, always washhands in hot soapy water beforepreparing food and after using thebathroom, changing diapers, blowingyour nose, sneezing and coughing, andafter handling pets.

Always wash hands before and afterhandling raw meat.

Also wash cutting boards, knives,utensils and countertops in hot soapywater after every use, taking extra care tokeep meats, eggs and vegetables separatedwhile you work to avoid cross-cont amination.


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Ideally, separate cuttingboards should be used forraw meats and for breadsand produce, and theyshould be replaced oncethey develop deep

grooves, scratches or cutswhere bacteria can hide.Sponges and towels are

also breeding grounds forharmful pathogens andshould be freshly washedwith soap and hot water.

CookingMeat-free options avoid

many of the health perilspresented by undercookedpoultry, ham or beef. Butif meat is on the menu, besure to cook it properly.

Tu rk e y : B eforechoosing a turkey, keep inmind that pathogens runrampant in factory farmsand slaughterhouses andanimals raised in theseconditions are more likelyto be exposed to food-borne bacteria. For asafer option, look forlocal, pasture-raisedpoultry and labels likeUDSA Certified Organic,Free Farmed or Certified

Humane. If you plan onpurchasing a fresh turkey,bring it home no morethan two days in advance.

When preparing afrozen turkey, it should bethawed in the refrigeratorat 40 degrees, never leftout at room temperature

(allow 24 hours for everyfive pounds of turkey). Itcan also be defrosted in itsoriginal wrapper in coldwater, as long as the wateris changed every 30

minutes. (Allow about 30minutes per pound withthis method, and cook itimmediately aftert h aw i n g. )

When cooking, use afood thermometer tocheck that the internaltemperature of the innerthigh and the thickest part

of the breast reach 165degrees before removingthe turkey from the oven,and let it stand 20 minutesbefore serving. Alwayswash the thermometer inbetween temperaturechecks. Cooking turkey toa temperature of 165degrees is especiallyimportant when servingchildren, the elderly,pregnant women and theimmune compromised.

The safest way to cookstuffing is to prepare itseparately, but if it iscooked inside the bird itshould be moist, and

packed loosely. Whethercooked separately orinside the bird, stuffingshould be cooked to atleast 165 degrees. Placeturkey in ovenimmediately after stuffing(avoid fresh pre-stuffedturkeys altogether).

Ham: Ham is oftenlabeled fully cooked, andthese can be eaten rightout of the package. Allham must be processed toUSDA guidelines to kill

trichina, a worm that issometimes present inhogs. Fresh hams will beara safe-handling label andmust be cooked to aninternal temperature of160 degrees, in an ovenset to at least 325 degrees,before eating. Fullycooked hams may be

reheated to 140 degrees.B eef: Roast beef and

steaks may be safelycooked to 145 degrees formedium rare, 160 degreesfor medium and 170degrees for well done. R awbeef should be refrigeratedat 40 degrees and cookedor frozen by the Use bydate. Marinating in therefrigerator is safe for upto five days, but be sure toboil any used marinadebefore it comes intocontact with cooked beef.Never reuse uncookedleftover marinade.

It may be tempting to

rinse meat under the tapbefore cooking, but its notsafe. Rinsing raw meat canspread bacteria to areasaround your kitchen, likethe sink and counter space.

For more on meat safety,see the USDAs meatpreparation fact sheets.


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The Commercial Appeal S und ay, December 12, 2010 | GOING GREEN 21

StoragePoorly stored foods make food

poisoning all too easy. Follow theserecommendations to keep foods fresh.

Separate leftovers into shallowcontainers and cool quickly in the

refrigerator, rather than leaving themout on the counter.

All prepared foods should becovered to prevent cross-cont amination.

Be careful not to overload thefridge, as there must be enough roomfor cold air to circulate.

Do not store perishable foods onthe door of the fridge where thetemperatures fluctuate more often.

Turkey should be carved off thebone and stored in smaller portions,separate from stuffing and gravy.

Try to eat turkey leftovers withinfour days; stuffing and gravy within two.

When reheating leftovers in themicrowave, put them in ovenproof glassor ceramic containers eve n

microwave -safe plastic containers mayleach chemicals into food when heated.Leftovers can also be covered

efficiently with freezer-recommendedmaterials and frozen at 0 degrees fortwo to six months.

Avoid slowing the freezingprocess by stacking packages untilthey are frozen throughout.

Only defrost food in the

refrigerator, in cold water or in themicrowave, never on the kitchencounter. Any items thawed in themicrowave should be cookedi m m e d i at el y.

And once all the work and preparationare out of the way, dont forget to relaxand have a great holiday meal.

Boxed winehas come along wayfrom tackyBy Libby Volgyes

Cox Newspapers

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Iadmit it. Perhaps, occasionally, wemight have turned up our elegantnoses at the concept of boxed wine.

Maybe it was a bad experience incollege or just a general pooh-poohing,but weve never really given boxedwine the time of day. Or night. Or inb e t we e n .

All this changed when Octavinbrought a whole new kind of boxedwine to the table: four bottles of winesqueezed into one big, value-minded,eight-sided box with a spout. Thepackaging design guarantees freshnessup to six weeks after tapping (turning)the box.

They save oodles of money byeliminating cork, glass and closuresand its better for the environment.Their website boasts reducingpackaging waste by 85 percent andcarbon emissions by 55 percent.

I can see this concept being perfectfor two situations: the casual drinkerwho likes to have just one (or one and


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22 GOING GREEN | Su n day , December 12, 2010 co mm er cia l a pp ea l.co m

a half) glasses of wine every night,and for a big party. I decided to facemy prejudices and put the box to thetest at a recent party.

I served Bodegas Osborne Seven,which I received as a sample. Its a

Spanish red comprising sevenvarietals: 25 percent cabernetsauvignon, 25 percent merlot, 18percent syrah, 8 percent petit verdot,8 percent tempranillo, 8 percentgarnacha and 8 percent graciano. Itsalcohol level is a sensible 13.6percent, and itsells for about$20 for a 3-litercont ainer.

T h at s a ro u n d$1 a glass,people.

The firstnight I had it, Ifound the nosepleasant andvery berry:

cherries,ra s p b e r r i e s ,blueberries andmixed berries.Its dry in anOld World stylewith a smooth mouth feel andmedium body. The finish wassurprisingly spirited, the tanninsunder control but just a touch

unbalanced.It was an easy, uncomplicated

drinker that was absolutely perfectfor a crowd.

But it really won me over a fewdays later. I had opened up a coupleof bottles of wine and dumped both ofthem down the drain because they

reminded me of everything bad thatcan happen to good grapes. I wasalmost going to give up on a glass ofwine with dinner completely when Iremembered the box.

It was the perfect solution. Still

good, interesting, reliable. Asteadfast relief and downright tastywith our roasted veggies and porkchops.

Octavin currently makes six typesof wine, everything from a NewZealand Silver Birch Sauvignon

Blanc, a BigHouse fromCalifornia anda Pinot Evil (ablend of pinotnoir and pinotgrigio) fromHu n ga r y.

This is notnecess arilywhat Im goingto whip out to

the sound ofoohing andahhing at mynext fancydinner party.But I wouldnt

hesitate to buy this wine for anothercasual kegger with friends.

And if youre the type who takes awhile to finish a bottle and are

satisfied with the same wine everynight, this might be the best thing tohappen to your pocketbook in a longtime.

The Swirl Girls J. Gwendolynne Berry(Dry), Lynn Kalber (Bold), Jennifer Podis(Earthy) and Libby Volgyes (Sweet) write about wine for The Palm Beach Post.

Octavin boasts that the companyreduces packaging waste by 85 percentand carbon emissions by 55 percent.


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Out of the

garden andonto thew i n dow s i l l

By Robin Shreeves


If you still have someherbs growing in whatsleft of your garden, itmay not be too late totransplant them intocontainers that cangrow inside all winterl o n g.

These five frequentlyused herbs grow well in-doors on sunny win-d ow s i l l s :

Pa rs l e y : So manyrecipes call for parsley,and this hearty herb willgrow in full sun or a bitmore slowly in partialsun.

O regano: O re ga n ois perfect for all thosecomforting pasta dishesyo u ll cook during thecold weather. It likes fullsun best.

C hi v e s : Chives areversatile, and youll beglad to have them closeby to snip whenever youneed instant flavor. Finda very sunny window

for this herb.B asil: Fresh basilcan make all the differ-ence in a dish. Keepbasil in full sun, andyo u ll never need to

reach into the spice cab-inet for dried basil thisw i n t e r.

Th y m e : Dig upyour thyme and bring itindoors. You can use it

for seasoning poultry,spicing up breads andmore. It will do best infull sun, but it will stillgrow in less-sunny win-dows too.


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24 GOING GREEN | S u n d ay, December 12, 2010 co mm er c ia l app ea l.co m

By Jim Motavalli


Flame wars! Theblogosphere got incrediblyheated up recently by theincendiary charge thatGeneral Motors liedabout the Chevrolet Voltwhen it claimed that thecar runs on electricity allof the time. In fact, itdoesnt the gas motorpartially drives the wheelsat speeds above 70 mph.

But the difference ispretty technical. GMshould use every trick inits arsenal to get maximumrange, fuel-efficiency andreduced emissions fromthe Volt. Doug Parks, aglobal electric vehicleexecutive at GM, swore tome that all of these things

are improved because of itspreviously undisclosedtrick of using the gasengine to indirectly drive asecondary ring gear afterthe battery runs down (athighway patrol speedsonly). This sneaky use of

mechanical energy allowsthe main electric drive toratchet back a bit at highspeeds, improvinge f f i c i e n c y.

GM is guilty ofmisleading the publicabout the gas engine neverdriving the wheels. If, asthe company says, the new

development was s e c re ts auce,a proprietary tradesecret awaiting patentapproval (until three weeksago), the company shouldhave just shut up about thatparticular aspect, or saidsomething ambiguousuntil the press launch.

Instead of leaving wellenough alone, thecompany said the Volt isan all-electrically drivenveh i c l e that has no directlinkage from the engine,through the drive unit tothe wheels. The key wordthere is direct . T h e re snot a direct link, but there

is an indirect one. Andaccording to Kevin Kelly,manager of EV and hybridcommunications, atspeeds over 70 mph thatindirect link is supplying70 percent of the carspower (leaving 30 percentfrom the electric motor).

Chevy gets a jolt over Volt fuss

John T. Greilick/Associated Press

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson flashed the Vfor Volt after driving the first Volt on stage at theDetroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant last month.

Technically, car

isnt all electric,critics point out


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Ford announces which cities get first crack at Focus Electric

While the engine isrunning, we found a wayto boost range and makethe extended-range modemore efficient, Pa rkssaid. We are actuallyvery proud of our system.If wed just wanted tocover our you-know-what,we could have lost a few

miles of range and neverconnected indirectly tothe gas engine. The mostimportant thing is thatthe car is better becausethat system is in place.

As my colleague JimHenry points out,customers arent likely to

care much about this kindof dispute, and theyshouldnt. What mattersmost is whether the Voltdelivers on itsenvironmental promises,and is it, in fact, the no-compromise planet-friendly car it claims tobe. I think, for most

people, it will deliver thatbecause theyre going tobe traveling within theup-to-50-mile range of thebattery pack.

Jay Leno agrees withme. In a phone interview,he told me the Volt is thesmart one, because its

an electric car 95 percentof the time. But when youneed to go to Vegas or SanFrancisco, it turns into aregular car. Thats the key.

OK, on the rareoccasions when I take myVolt over 70 mph, as Iwatch for Smokies, Ill heara tiny mechanical whirring

noise as the secondary ringgear engages. And it willbe the sound of GM lyingto me. And Ill get over it.

Jim Motavalli is thetransportation blogger forMother Nature Network(mnn .com/featured-b l ogs / j m o t av a l l i ) .

Fo r d s first all-electric, zero emissionsvehicle, the Ford Focus Electric, will go onsale in late 2011. As is the case with theChevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf, initialavailability will be limited to certain

markets. Ford has announced that the firstwave of Ford Focus Electric sales will bemade in 19 American cities.

In late 2011, customers in the followingmarkets will be eligible to purchase Fordsfirst electric vehicle: Atlanta; Austin, Texas;Houston; Boston; Chicago; Denver;Detroit; Los Angeles, San Francisco andSan Diego; New York; Orlando, Fla.;Phoenix; Tucson, Ariz.; Portland, Ore.;Raleigh Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va.;

Seattle; and Washington, D.C.The markets were chosen for several

reasons including current hybridpurchasing trends, the acceptance ofelectric vehicle technology by localgovernments and the potential tocollaborate with utility companies.

Making electric vehicles a viable optionfor consumers requires teamwork across avariety of industries and governmente n t i t i es , said Nancy Gioia, director ofGlobal Electrification, Ford Motor

Company. Working with utilities,governments and technology companies isa key part of our electric strategy to makesure the infrastructure and support forelectric vehicles is in place as we beginrolling them out.

The Ford Focus Electric will be poweredby a 23 kWh lithium-ion battery with anestimated 100-mile range that can berecharged by both 120V and 240V power

sources. Compact Power Inc, located inHolland, Mich., will manufacture thebattery. The Focus Electric will be builtalongside the standard Focus at theMichigan assembly plant.

Melissa Hincha-Ownby,Mother Nature Network

going green memphis 12-12-10

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