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| 2003
Sustainable Atlanta Roundtables
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Friday,
February 14
Two Roundtables at Greenprints
-Linking Affordable Housing and Green Building:
Social Equity and Sustainability
-Adding Value to Greenspace: Green goes Gold
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Friday,
July 11, 2003
Overcoming Barriers to Sustainable
Design: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Several Exemplary
Metro Area Projects
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Friday,
November 7, 2003
The state of quality growth: The
Regional Business Coalition reports on its Quality Growth
Audit.
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Friday,
January 10, 2003
The
New Energy Code - What's in Store for Commercial
Construction?
On January 1, 2003 a new edition
of the Energy Code becomes effective in Georgia. This new
Energy Code represents a significant step toward lowering
energy consumption, cleaning the air and addressing growth
issues in our region. Our Roundtable panel consists of experts
who helped draft the new code.
Join us to hear not only what
compelled them to work diligently toward the new standards,
but as professionals involved in commercial construction,
how the code's adoption will impact their day-to-day operations.
Speakers:
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Tom Carty-
Chief Building Official, Peachtree City, Georgia; Member,
State Energy Codes Task Force
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Gregg Johnson,
PE- Consulting Engineer, Johnson Spellman & Associates;
Member, State Energy Codes Advisory Committee
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Jim Vaseff,
AIA- Urban Advisor, Community Development, Georgia Power;
Chair, State Energy Codes Task Force
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Mike Barcik,
moderator— Director of Technical Services, Southface
Energy Institute; Member, State Energy Codes Task Force
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Friday,
February 14—Two Roundtables at Greenprints
These discussions are part of Southface’s
annual green building conference, Greenprints: Sustainable
Communities by Design.
Linking Affordable Housing and Green Building:
Social Equity and Sustainability
Join us to create a common language,
make the connection and build the bridge between green building
and affordable housing. Explore how environmental justice,
social equity and real world experiences are a sustainability
issue. Join the dialogue and begin the action.
Speakers:
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Jim
Hackler, EarthCraft House and Southface
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Denise
Lofman, Global Green, USA
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Na'Taki
Osborne, Center for Environmental Public Awareness
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Nathaniel
Smith, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership
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Bill
Bolling—moderator, Atlanta Community Food
Bank
Adding Value to Greenspace: Green goes
Gold
Boston's Post Office Square is green
space with a valuable revenue stream. Greenspaces can be
planned and developed to improve financing options and increase
opportunities for preservation. Join this roundtable to
hear success stories from Boston, Chattanooga and Alabama.
Speakers:
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Andrew Feiler,
Metro Developers and Research Atlanta,
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Margaret Gray—moderator,
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
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| Friday,
March 7, 2003
The Rural/Urban Interface:
Preserving farmland in the Atlanta Metropolitan Region
As part of a newly released
study, the American Farmland Trust created maps identifying
prime farmland in the United States at risk of development.
Farmland provides critical habitat for wildlife, maintains
greenspace, mitigates the effects of pollution in our air
and water and is a source of locally produced food. Some have
interpreted the study's results as a warning to the Metro
Atlanta region, as the area continues to lose farmland to
expanding suburban areas.
Join us for a discussion about
the value of maintaining a local agricultural base and hear
about different community-based strategies to protect these
areas from unbridled growth.
Speakers:
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Jeff Dorfman - Professor
of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University
of Georgia
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Deborah Stark -Hydrologist
USDA-ARS
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Doug Parsons, moderator -The Georgia
Conservancy
Report from MARCH 2003
Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable
Brian Holland, Southface
intern
The past few decades have
seen tremendous growth in Atlanta, from Gwinnett to Cobb to
Cherokee County. And there is no end in sight. Recently the
Atlanta Regional Commission expanded the definition of "metropolitan"
to include counties clear to the Alabama border. While many
of Atlanta's residents are aware of how this ubiquitous sprawl
affects our air, water, and transportation resources, another
victim of sprawl often goes unnoticed.
An unprecedented loss of
farmland is accompanying the drive of development, and according
to this month's panelists, all Georgians suffer as a result.
The agricultural sector and the land that sustains it provide
many economic and ecological services to society, services
that are squandered when growth is unrestrained. Well-managed
farmland can preserve soil and reduce erosion and sedimentation,
preserve riparian buffers around streams and rivers, and provide
much needed greenspace for habitat and psychological well-being.
The economic benefits of
farmland preservation are also substantial, as explained by
Dr. Jeff Dorfman of the University of Georgia's Agricultural
and Applied Economics school. Though only 1 percent of Americans
are engaged in farming, the agricultural sector indirectly
provides one-sixth of all jobs and tax revenue, through the
processing, equipment, and chemical
industries. Greenspace can also raise property values and
provide free services such as clean water that would otherwise
need to be financed through public funds.
According to studies conducted
by Dorfman and others, the hard costs to society of "greenfield"
residential development, such as infrastructure costs and
new school operation, exceed the tax revenues generated by
such development. One academic study of South Carolina concluded
that if, over twenty years, the state develops urban and suburban
areas at twice the density it has in the past twenty years,
$20 billion of public revenues would be saved. Farmland preservation
is in many ways essential to the responsible use of tax funds.
Dorfman urges, "We need balanced growth. Farmland not only
gives us ecological amenities, it also gives us economic amenities."
Despite these economic benefits
of farmland for society, the individual farmer is often compelled
to sell his or her land to the developer. Competition in global
commodity markets is intensifying the incentive to sell farmland
in order to provide income for the family. "Row crops cannot
compete with houses," says Dorfman, though another panelist
suggested some strategies could protect farmland from the
whims of the market.
Debbie Stark is a volunteer
advocate for Oconee Partnership for Farmland Protection. Oconee
County is experiencing sprawl pressures emanating from nearby
Athens, and prime farmland is being lost in the process. The
Partnership is pursuing several strategies for farmland preservation,
including the use of agricultural conservation easements,
in which government or non-profit agencies purchase development
rights and enter into legal arrangements to preserve the land
even if it is sold. Transferable development rights (TDRs),
the topic of next month's Roundtable, also offer a promising
and mutually beneficial arrangement between society, farmers,
and developers. TDRs allow farmers to sell their land rights
to developers, who transfer those rights in-town in the form
of higher density allowances from the zoning authority.
Perhaps the best way to preserve
farmland is to preserve the livelihoods of those who cultivate
it. Farmers are beginning to find local and regional niche
markets and marketing techniques for their products, especially
in landscape plants, organic produce, farmer's markets, "pick-your-own"
berry or pumpkin farms, and Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) farms where community members buy shares of diverse
produce from a local farm. According to Stark, "Most people
like farmland, but they don't know what they can do to save
it." Atlantans are beginning to find innovative ways to do
just that, by advocating smart growth planning measures and
buying local, sustainably-harvested produce.
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| Friday,
April 4, 2003
Transfer of Development
Rights:
Is South
Fulton setting the stage for the region?
Transfer
of Development Rights (TDR) programs have been used successfully
in various locations of the U.S. to protect large quantities
of threatened greenspace. New initiatives are underway in
Fulton County and statewide to use TDR more effectively. Is
TDR a “win- win” tool that provides property owners value
for development rights, protects greenspace and promotes density
in the right locations? Can TDR be an effective tool for the
Atlanta region? Can south Fulton County be a model for the
region and state?
Join us for the answers to these questions and more as we
hear from experts working on concept, implementation, regulation
and advocacy issues related to TDR.
Speakers:
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Laurie
Fowler —University of Georgia, School of Law and College
of Environment and Design
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Alice
Wakefield —Deputy Director, Fulton County Department
of Environment and Community Development Atlanta
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Tom
Williams —Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance
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Dan Reuter,
moderator —Land Use Division Chief, Atlanta Regional
Commission
Report from April 2003 Sustainable
Atlanta Roundtable
by Kathleen Sciole, Southface Intern
Of the 342,400 acres in Fulton County, about 40,000 are
about to be preserved as permanent greenspace. With 4.1
million residents in Atlanta, the sprawl movement into surrounding
counties has been threatening the remains of Atlanta's rural
land for decades. Some communities have foreseen the future,
and want to keep greenspace as a part of their community.
The Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance is a group of property
owners with tracts ranging from 8,400 acres to less than
one, has teamed up with the Nature Conservancy, the National
Park Service and the Georgia Conservancy to come up with
an ambitious long-range plan for how their land should develop.
Chattahoochee Hill Country has preserved 30,000 acres of
greenspace. The land will be permanently protected from
development by the use of Transfer of Development Rights.
On April 2nd the Fulton County Board of Commissioners unanimously
voted to adopt a TDR program to ensure a heterogeneous community
in the coming years. To address the changing needs of South
Fulton County, the April 4th Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable,
hosted by Southface Energy Institute, presented a discussion
on the TDR process. Concerned citizens, students, neighbors,
policy makers, architects and environmental advocates participated
in the discussion to support Fulton Counties' TDR program.
Dozens of communities nation-wide have adopted a TDR program.
Laurie Fowler, a proponent for TDRs and Environmental Law
Practicum Director and Public Service Outreach Director
at the University of Georgia Institute of Ecology presented
examples of TDR in several states, including Maryland. According
to the TDR concept, communities like South Fulton County
need to assess their land into two categories, sending areas
and receiving areas. The sending areas are those parcels
that are deemed protected, such as undeveloped land or farmland.
The receiving areas are those sections of the community
that are already developed and are suitable for further
development. With zone realignment, a new community wide
goal is developed--preserving open space and natural and
cultural resources while accommodating growth and minimizing
sprawl.
Those citizens that may be wary of the TDR ordinance may
be comforted to learn that this is a voluntary shift in
zoning ordinances; all landowners need not participate.
Participants in the programs do, however, seem to prosper.
According to Fowler, since 1980, Montgomery County, Maryland
lost 3500 acres of farmland every single year to development.
After the county switched to a TDR program in 1980 the loss
of farmland has only been 3000 total acres! To ensure a
successful switch in ordinances, these communities must
have well defined goals, public input on their wants and
needs, clearly defined sending and receiving areas and economic
analysis of the area to determine the baseline value for
land credits. Clearly defined incentives for land owners
also need to be created.
Alice Wakefield, the Deputy Director for the Fulton County
Department of Environment and Community Development foresees
the next step for South Fulton County to be the establishment
of a bank to hold, buy, sell and process the credits allocated
to each landowner. Five Board Members, established by the
Board of Commissioners, will run the bank in South Fulton
County. Landowners receive credits for their land included
in the TDR program, and credits can be bought or sold at
any time. The value of a land credit is determined according
to community input and the amount of land contributed for
TDR. Developers, investors or any interested party can buy
land credits in receiving areas to build the community infrastructure.
Organizations such as land trusts are able to purchase the
land as well. The bank operates as a non-profit organization
to store and distribute these land credits.
The success of a TDR in the remainder of Fulton County
will come from the cohesion of the surrounding community,
warned Tom Williams. Tom Williams is the Vice Chair of the
Chattahoochee Hill County Alliance, and a prominent landowner
in the Chattahoochee Hill Country. From the beginning stages
of Chattahoochee Hill Country's TDR program, the community
involvement was the primary concern. Knowing each citizen's
zoning needs was crucial. This information and community
cohesion eventually encouraged excitement from most parties
involved. With ample public education and community support,
the Transfer of Development Rights may just save enough
land in South Fulton County to halt the encroaching sprawl.
The citizens of South Fulton County have chosen to guide
the future of their community by strategically developing
their land and protecting greenspaces.
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| Friday,
May 9, 2003
Health and Air Quality in Atlanta:
Looking to a Clear Future
If Atlanta’s citizens were
given a crystal ball to look into our environmental future,
we would be hard pressed to see where we are going through
the haze. It’s no coincidence that as the counties facing
air quality challenges grow, Atlanta is also seeing increased
emergency room traffic due to asthma, rising energy demands
and greater traffic congestion. What are the environmental,
health and economic costs created by our present air pollution
problems?
Join us at the Roundtable
to learn what is being done and how you can be part of the
solution for clearer skies, improved travel patterns and technologies
and a healthier future for us and the environment.
Speakers
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Marlin Gottschalk,
Ph. D.—Senior Policy Advisor, Georgia Environmental
Protection Division
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Tony Delucia, Ph.
D.—National Chairman of the Board, American Lung Association;
Professor, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee
State University
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Michael Halicki,
moderator—Communications Director, The Clean Air
Campaign
Report
from May 2003 Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable
by Jason Sydlowski, Southface
Intern
If Atlanta's citizens were
given a crystal ball to look into our environmental future,
we would be hard pressed to see where we are going through
the haze. It's no coincidence that as the counties facing
air quality challenges grow, Atlanta is also seeing increased
emergency room traffic due to asthma, rising energy demands
and greater traffic congestion. What are the environmental,
health and economic costs created by our present air pollution
problems?
Our May Roundtable included
presentations from Marlin Gottschalk, Ph. D, Senior Policy
Advisor, Georgia Environmental Protection Division and Tony
Delucia, Ph. D, National Chairman of the Board, American Lung
Association; Professor, Quillen College of Medicine, East
Tennessee State University. Our moderator was Michael Halicki,
Communications Director, The Clean Air Campaign
Introduction
During the 1990's, 8.5 million people moved to Metro Atlanta,
and this migration has put stresses on the quality of our
land and water as well as the air that we breathe. Three-fourths
of Georgia's population live in the northern half of the state,
and this high concentration of people creates air pollution
issues due to energy production, traffic and industry. According
to Gottschalk, Brunswick is the only city in Georgia that
meets current air quality standards. Despite the fact that
our population has doubled over the last 20 years, our air
pollution has not increased because we've been taking positive
efforts to control population-causing pollution. In fact,
to say "we're holding our own on the air pollution front"
is a pretty fair statement.
Pollutants & Particles
Six major air pollutants are monitored throughout the state:
carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide
(NO2), particulate matter (PM), ozone (O3) and lead (Pb).
Of these, Atlanta has the greatest problem with O3, which
is produced when volatile organic compounds (anything that
produces an odor) interact with nitrogen oxide (NOx). About
half of all NOx emissions are emitted from on-road mobile
sources and a majority of the other NOx emissions are produced
by stationary and non-road mobile sources.
PM is also emitted into the
atmosphere by the previously mentioned sources as well as
through natural sources including forest fires and wood burning
stoves. Fine particulate matter can be as small as 1/7th the
diameter of a human hair. O3, in addition to PM, contributes
to many lung ailments ranging from minor difficulty breathing
and asthma attacks to hospitalizations and premature mortality.
Studies have linked air pollution to heart attacks and heart
disease as well. According to DeLucia, 4.3 million Georgians
are living in counties with unhealthy air. The quality of
air is especially poor during "Smog Season," May 1 to September
30. During this time the Clean Air Campaign issues smog alerts
according to the level of pollution.
Weather
Another area of great concern is changing weather patterns.
This climate change could drastically affect the health and
welfare of the environment and its inhabitants. If present
pollution conditions continue, some experts predict increased
severity and frequency of tropical storms, rising sea levels,
decreasing crop yields and spreading disease as a result of
poor quality drinking water.
Automotive & Industrial
Standards
Future air quality improvements will be seen as national vehicle
engine and fuel standards are upgraded. By 2004, more stringent
emission standards will take effect for all light and heavy
duty, on-highway cars and trucks. By 2007, the engines used
in cars and light trucks should be about 95% cleaner than
ones in production now. Low sulfur, lower emitting gasoline
and diesel fuel will be available in 2004 and 2006 respectively.
Federal, state and local legislation
now in the works should also work towards mitigating some
of the current U.S. air pollutions problems. President George
W. Bush's Clear Skies Initiative calls for capped emissions
for stationary sources by 2018. However, this initiative does
not include CO2 limits. Gottshalk noted the Clean Power Act
sponsored by Jim Jeffords (I) Vermont does address CO2, along
with more stringent guidelines that would go into place sooner.
North Carolina's Clean Smoke Stacks legislation, Georgia's
State Energy and Environment Initiative, the Atlanta Clean
Air Campaign and Atlanta Regional Coalition's Livable Centers
Initiative are all efforts being made to combat air quality
problems and resolve the issues causing the problems.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although efforts are in place to improve the
air Atlantans breathe, we have a long way to go to ensure
a safe breathing environment for the metro area. With the
help of progressive legislation and concerned citizens, this
city and others like it can create a healthier, better quality
of life for us and future generations.
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| Friday,
June 6 2003
Environmental
Update from the Landmark 2003 Legislative Session
The 2003 Legislative Session
was literally a watershed moment for Georgia's environmental
community. While the flag and the budget frequented the headlines,
many lobbyists and legislators were hard at work protecting
Georgia's natural resources. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
published a list of this session's winners and losers, with
the environmental lobby in the "win" column- a result of the
victory over water trading permits and a vote to preserve
a portion of green space programs.
Having concluded a tumultuous
first half of a two-part session: What issues will likely
resurface next year? And how can you become part of a team
to create another "win" for sustainability under the gold
dome?
Speakers
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Senate Majority Leader
Tom Price-Republican, Roswell, Georgia, District 56
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Senator Sam Zamarripa-Democrat,
Atlanta, Georgia, District 36
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Jason Rooks-Moderator,
Executive Director, Georgia Conservation Voters
Report from June 6 Sustainable
Atlanta Roundtable
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/leg/legislation.htm
With the budget a main concern
during the 2003 Legislative Session, the environmental coalition
still made headway by successfully preserving the green space
program and closing loopholes in water trading permits. Georgia
State Senate Majority Leader Tom Price and State Senator Sam
Zamarripa came to the Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable on June
16 to update the community on the results of the session.
Georgia Conservation Voters
Executive Director Jason Rooks started off the roundtable
by giving a brief overview of the past Legislative Session,
beginning with the recognition of the two Senators Price and
Zamarippa for defeating House Bill 237, which would have provided
private interests with more leeway over water trading permits.
They also helped to close loopholes allowing developers to
surpass timber harvesting and erosion control ordinances.
Rooks also took a conservationist stance on two other issues--the
need for a statewide water plan and the need to make sure
that the Northern Arc issue is put to rest.
State Senate Majority Leader
Tom Price, the Republican representative from Roswell, District
56, began his update with thanks to the environmental activists
and conservation coalition represented in the audience. Senator
Price said two of the bright spots of the longest running
legislative sessions in over 100 years included the 15 freshman
Senators like Senator Zamarippa, and the fact the that conservation
coalition was able to ignore party lines. He also recounted
the budget concerns of the session, citing that the current
16.1 billion dollar budget was significantly reduced due to
the two consecutive years of negative growth for the first
time since the Great Depression. This led to a $620 million
shortfall, which was recovered in part by cutting into such
vital programs as the preservation of green space in Georgia.
Even though the green space program was cut from 30 million
dollars to 10 million dollars for the 2004 budget, Price believed
that his diligent efforts to preserve the program resulted
in the conservation coalition victory to keep the program
in the budget despite other legislators' desire to cut the
program from the budget entirely. He hopes that the green
space program's budget apportionment will return to the original
30 million dollars once the economy is in on an upswing.
Senator Price touched on the
issues of power transmission and the Northern Arc as well.
SB359 addresses issues relating to public utilities and public
transportation, which would change provisions relating to
location of certain electric facilities, the power of eminent
domain and integrated resource planning. In addition, the
bill proposes enactment of the "Transmission Facility Siting
Act" and would provide for applications and permits for electric
transmission facilities. He stated that utilities must make
their justifications for power line expansions "rock-solid."
As far as the Northern Arc is concerned, Senator Price does
not believe that the issue will come back. Although he believes
in the easing of commercial transport in the East-West direction
across Georgia, he does not believe that it will come in the
form of the Northern Arc.
Freshman State Senator Sam
Zamarippa spoke following Price at the Roundtable. He threw
his support behind the issue of walkable communities and pedestrian
precursors to the quality of life. Zamarippa's coined the
term "mindshare" to describe political leaders' awareness
of issues and the portion of a political leader's attention
paid to particular issues. He urged the conservation coalition
to continue their lobbying efforts to increase the "mindshare"
of their legislators on issues of sustainability. Senator
Zamarippa addressed the issue of the Northern Arc by reminding
the audience that Governor Sonny Purdue vetoed the bill that
would allocate the toll proceeds from Georgia Highway 400
to go to the construction of the Northern Arc. He believes
that transportation is the issue to move environmental issues
forward, but difficulties lay in vesting the rural communities
in these issues. The Senator emphasized the importance of
increasing connectivity through all areas of Georgia through
a commuter rail system. He stressed the point by stating emphatically,
"…we must break through the commuter rail issue," acknowledging
that Georgia will need the help of the federal government
to make this a reality. To deter the pressure on rural citizens
to move toward metropolitan areas, commuter rail will be the
"ticket to provide rural communities with a high quality of
life." Relating to the budget, Senator Zamarippa observed
that there is currently an intermission in the economics of
the Southeast, but after this economic downturn, the coalition
need not accept
the 10 million dollar allocation for green space programs,
but to increase it to the original level. He ended by noting
that the next session was bound to reveal the vision of our
new Governor, and we should be looking forward to and preparing
for it.
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Friday, July 11, 2003
Overcoming Barriers to Sustainable Design:
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Several Exemplary Metro Area
Projects
Recent
sustainable development success stories indicate that projects
are emerging to address the quality of life challenges in
our region. By the time the project makes the news, however,
it's highly likely the development team has encountered
many hurdles. From the design and planing process to market
forces and community engagement, how are developers who
are trying to 'do the right thing' overcoming these obstacles
and what barriers still remain?
Join
us at the Roundtable for a first-hand look at in-town infill
and outlying area examples of sustainable development in
the Atlanta Region.
Speakers
Walter
Brown, Vice President, Green Street Properties, LLC
Alycen Whiddon, Principal, Tunnel Spangler - Walsh
& Associates
Jim Hackler, Moderator, Director, EarthCraft
House & EarthCraft House Communities Initiative
Report from July 11 Sustainable Atlanta
Roundtable
by Tara Bynam
There is a way to reign in Atlanta's
sprawling borders. According to the Alycen Whiddon and Walter
Brown, the answer is smart growth or "development that accommodates
growth in smart ways." Smart growth encourages infill urban
development instead of sprawling neighborhoods of newly
constructed homes built outside of the city limits. There
is a movement to implement smart growth design in the Atlanta
metro area in order to reduce transportation and infrastructure
costs and encourage migration back into Atlanta's city limits.
More and more, businesses and governments are realizing
the potential tax benefits and increased urban wealth that
is associated with suburban migration back into the city.
Despite hesitations in the past, builders, developers and
consumers have shown an increased interest in smart growth.
The design principles of traditional neighborhood communities
and new urbanism have joined forces with the EarthCraft
House Communities program in order to promote smart growth
and energy efficiency in neighborhood design.
Despite these advances in demand and
public opinion of smart growth, there are still sociopolitical
and institutional barriers to its widespread implementation.
Together, Whiddon and Brown discussed eight barriers to
Atlanta's smart growth development - quality of public schools,
zoning and public works regulation, covenants, hilly terrain,
connectivity, market economic hurdles, environmental issues
and brownfield redevelopment. Whiddon outlined social and
political concerns and offered several solutions to the
first four points, using Glenwood Park, an infill development
near downtown Atlanta, and Clarks's Grove, a Covington ex-urban
development, as examples. Her solutions ranged from integrating
schools into the new developments to creating covenants
that mandate certain smart growth and energy conservation
features to designing walkable communities that reduce arteriole
roadway traffic congestion.
Walter Brown discussed the last four
points and paid particular attention to the transportation,
energy and infrastructure cost reduction that occurs with
smart growth. He focused primarily on Glenwood Park and
the environmental issues and redevelopment concerns of the
area. One major concern is the way in which market economic
hurdles hinder urban migration. Families do not want to
return to urban living because of the perception that good
educational and social resources are not available in the
city.
Despite these barriers, smart growth
and design is gaining ground in Atlanta. New developments
using smart growth and smart building principles include
Glenwood Park, Chattahoochee Hill Country, Vickery and Clark's
Grove. The movement toward smart growth is a struggle against
entrenched sociopolitical
systems, but nevertheless it will help save the environment
and cultural forms that sustain community.
Friday, August 1, 2003
Energy Smart Schools
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates
that America's schools could save $1.5 billion annually
through better building design utilizing widely available
energy efficient technologies, sustainable site practices
and improvements to operations and maintenance. Furthermore,
studies show that these measures result in healthy learning
environments, leading to improved student performance, reduced
absenteeism and increased employee retention.
DeKalb County's Arabia Mountain School
Project has incorporated the needs of its students, teachers,
staff, community and parks department to create a model
under the DOE's Energy Smart School program. Join us at
the August Roundtable to learn the challenges and opportunities
in creating high performance schools that produce high performance
students in Georgia.
Speakers:
Dr. Stan Pritchett -- Associate Superintendent, Business
Affairs and Plant Services, DeKalb County Schools
Jeffrey G. Ross-Bain, PE -- Senior Research Engineer,
Southface Energy Institute
Dr. Jennie Springer -- Co-Chair, Arabia Mountain
School Project, DeKalb County Schools
Moderator: Robert L. Brown, Jr., FAIA -- President
and CEO, R.L. Brown and Associates
Report from August 1 Sustainable Atlanta
Roundtable
Report by Marie Reedy
As Atlanta's population of school-age
children increases, so does concern over the space available
to educate them. By 1996 many Dekalb County students were
being taught in the school system's 400 portable classrooms.
The overpopulated schools were creating a drain on the county's
students, teachers and budget. Dekalb County responded to
the dilemma by looking for innovative ways to raise money
for new classrooms as well as saving money on existing and
new building operation costs. At Atlanta's August Sustainable
Roundtable, a panel of energy and educational experts joined
community members to discuss the Dekalb County School System's
plan to put to action and gain the benefits from building
energy efficient, high performance schools.
High performance schools are designed
to save energy by combining readily available, energy efficient
technologies with strategic decisions about orientation
and site selection. Jeff Ross-Bain, Senior Research Engineer
at Southface Energy Institute, presented some inexpensive
solutions for saving energy in schools. He encouraged using
"off the shelf" products, such as compact fluorescent light
fixtures, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and low emissivity
(low-e) windows, along with low-tech innovations. Rainwater
and greywater harvesting systems are also easy to design
and can benefit the bottom line as well as the environment,
by reducing consumption of potable water for irrigation
and toilets. Intelligent decisions made during the design
process can allow the building to take full advantage of
the sun for daylighting and reducing energy use of Heating
and Cooling systems. Employing strategies such as these
will significantly reduce the life long operating cost of
the building while contributing to the health and productivity
of the occupants.
Robert L. Brown, of RL Brown and Associates,
noted that insufficient budgets often threaten to restrict
many school systems from making progressive improvements
in educational environments. Dekalb County overcame funding
limitations by creating a Special Project Local Option Sales
Tax (SPLOST) that was approved by voters in 1997. The first
SPLOST was a one-cent sales tax that raised over $307 million
of revenue according to Dr. Stan Pritchett, Associate Superintendent,
Business Affairs and Plant Services for Dekalb County Schools.
The SPLOST has been successful in allowing the construction
of over 1,000 classrooms while keeping property taxes low
for Dekalb County residents. SPLOST funds will also provide
funding for energy efficient school renovations and the
construction of high performance schools. High performance
schools sometimes, but not always, have slightly higher
construction cost. The good news is that school districts
benefit in the long run as reduced operating costs provide
savings throughout the life of the building that more than
make up for initial costs of energy efficient building.
When Dekalb County officials proposed
the building of a new High School and Middle School in the
Stonecrest area, they realized that this school needed to
offer more than just energy savings. The proposed a building
site next to Murphy Chandler Elementary, which is surrounded
by the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area. The Arabia Mountain
Heritage Area offers many unique environmental and historical
learning opportunities. The School System of Dekalb County
formed committees responsible for creating the Arabia Mountain
School with a curriculum focused on environmental stewardship.
This school will not only be Georgia's first high performance
school, but it will also incorporate themes and examples
of energy efficiency and environmental education into the
daily lessons. The Arabia Mountain School allows Dekalb
County to set an example of energy efficiency to other school
systems as well as many new generations of students.
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Friday, September 5, 2003
"Green" Power: How to Generate
Electricity for Georgia While Protecting Our Air and Water
Air quality presents ongoing concerns
for the citizens of our region. Although mobile sources
contribute heavily to our environmental woes, so do traditional
methods for generating electricity. Georgia relies on coal,
oil, natural gas and nuclear fuel to generate power for
cooling our homes and operating our businesses. Not only
impacting our air, these power generation sources require
enormous quantities of water.
Many electric providers in Georgia are
now offering power generated from renewable resources to
help lessen impacts on the natural environment. Please join
us in September to learn more about new opportunities to
balance the demands of our modern world with our fragile
natural resources.
Speakers:
Kevin Kelly—Policy and Planning Advisor, Georgia
Dept. of Natural Resources
Jeff Petrea—Green Energy Manager, Georgia Power
Company
Nelson Hawk—President, Enervision; Consultant, GreenPower
EMC
Moderator: Susan Zinga—Director of Energy Policy,
Southface Energy Institute
Report from September
5 Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable
Green Energy is not just a fad, it's
the wave of the future. 'Green Energy' refers to the production
of electricity from renewable power sources, though there
is a lot of controversy as to what 'renewable' power sources
are. European countries have really been the leaders when
it comes to development and implementation of green energy
projects, but it has caught on quickly over the last several
years in the United States with over 100 utilities and electric
service providers offering green power options.
Very little of the electricity on the
grid today comes from green energy. Though specific numbers
can vary somewhat, the electric power sector (utilities
and independent power producers) produces mostly from coal.
Nuclear provides about 23 percent, 12 percent from natural
gas, 6 percent from hydroelectric and only one percent from
non-hydro renewables. In Georgia, coal represents 65 percent
of the mix, nuclear 30 percent, natural gas only three percent,
with non-hydro renewable power providing less than one percent.
Any effort to meet our energy needs by
increasing efficiency is really the greenest source of all.
Using sunlight for lighting, using more efficient lighting,
insulating our buildings more effectively and creating more
efficient industrial properties are really the greenest
options. It is important that we move toward integrating
renewables into our power generation mix because of the
polluting nature of fossil fuel sources. Nitrogen Oxides
are produced in combustion and are precursors to ground
level ozone as well as acid rain. These particulates are
associated with an array of respiratory problems. Sulfur
dioxide is emitted primarily from coal-fired generation
and leads to the formation of both fine particles and acid
rain and exacerbate reparatory illnesses. Mercury causes
cancer and nervous damage. And global climate change is
caused by carbon dioxide. As of 2001, 133 million Americans
lived in counties with pollution above ambient air quality
standards.
Biomass is the largest part of the non-hydro
renewable sector, but wind is the fastest growing sector
nationally. In Georgia, to date, there has, for the most
part, only been landfill gas. Financial and production incentives,
mandates, public benefits funds, net metering, generation
disclosure and consumer choice programs would help the availability
of renewable energy a great deal.
Georgia Power has just begun to implement
a green pricing program to allow those who are interested
in supporting green power to pay a premium price to have
a portion of Georgia Power's energy mix derived from renewable
sources-primarily landfill gas. The goal is that by the
end of 2005, Georgia Power will have one percent solar,
16 percent wind and 83 percent landfill gas. Anyone who
produces electricity from a solar source can be paid 15
cents per KiloWatt Hour (kWh) by Georgia Power, an incentive
to bring more solar power to market. These programs are
not cross-subsidized, so the entire cost is borne by those
who decide to pay extra for the program.
Georgia Power is not the only electricity
provider in the state and not the only company providing
alternative energy sources and programs. Many consumers
get their electricity from Electric Membership Cooperatives
(EMCs), who also offer electricity produced by various types
of green power. These organizations try to bring electricity
to their members as close to cost as possible. A number
of Georgia EMCs decided to start a green power marketing
program and formed a non-profit organization, Green Power
EMC, to provide renewable resources to Georgians. They are
hoping to have 15 MegaWatts (mW) of green power capacity
-9 mW of biomass production will be online in coming year-and
between five to ten percent of customers sign-on to support
the program. Prices range from four to five dollars for
150-kWh blocks. Other EMCs are encouraged to join the program
and see the potential of this fast growing market of renewable
energy sources.
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Friday, October 3, 2003
Intown Transit & Smart Growth: The
BeltLine brings mobility and redevelopment to Atlanta
The Atlanta region faces tremendous challenges related
to air quality and transportation that greatly impact our
quality of life. One proposed solution, the Atlanta BeltLine,
is an intown transit greenway which uses underutilized and
abandoned urban railroads as a new transit line to serve
the City's intown neighborhoods.
Creating an "emerald necklace" around the central city
- a 22 mile linear park - the BeltLine also proposes to
generate new development in 4,000 acres of underutilized
industrial and commercial properties. The BeltLine is quickly
becoming a groundbreaking collaboration between private
and public interests.
Speakers:
Ryan Gravel, Architect Surber Barber Choate & Hertlein
Architects, Inc.
Cathy Woolard, President Atlanta City Council
Moderator: Ceasar Mitchell, Member Atlanta City
Council
Report from October 3 Sustainable
Atlanta Roundtable
The proposed Atlanta BeltLine will transform 22 miles of
underutilized and out-of-service rail lines into a light
rail transit loop around the city of Atlanta. Alongside
the light rail will be multi-use trails and a parkway, which
will range from 75 to 200 feet wide. The loop will be, on
average, within a two miles diameter of downtown. Cathy
Woolard, the Atlanta city counsel president, said that the
beltline is a three-part proposal. First, it is a network
of green space, connecting existing parks as well as adding
new green space. Second, it will provide transportation
choices in the form of light rail and multi-use pedestrian
trails. The light-rail line will hit five existing Marta
rail stops, and will cross more than 50 Marta bus routes.
The third aspect is the instigation of mixed-use redevelopment
around the beltline. Woolard mentioned that there are at
least 2,500 acres of underdeveloped land around the beltline,
much of which could be used for mixed-use housing. One hundred
thousand people could move into the surrounding areas of
the beltline if the properties are fully utilized and developed.
The BeltLine helps tie communities together by not just
getting rid of the old rail lines, which are an eyesore
at best, and often a magnet for crime, but by making these
once forbidden areas become places of community interaction.
Caesar Mitchell is most excited about this aspect, and the
fact that it will connect 45 communities. Other benefits
include the quality of life improvements gained by increased
parks, including improved health and safer communities,
and an economic revival of many underutilized and run-down
areas. Woolard stressed that the BeltLine will not be disconnected
from the surrounding communities. Rather the greenspace
will branch off to side streets, bringing the community
and park together.
The BeltLine is currently in numerous regional transportation
plans, and the City of Atlanta is pursuing the purchase
of the land. Woolard stated that the BeltLine will qualify
for many federal grants, but she will not let the project
idle while waiting for federal money. Instead there is a
push for private funding to turn BeltLine plans into reality.
Woolard, Mitchell and Ryan Gravel are thrilled by the incredible
support that the proposal has received, especially from
citizens who will live along the proposed route. Woolard
stressed the community involvement, like the interaction
at the Roundtable, is needed in order for the project to
come to fruition. Visit www.cathyatlanta.com to learn how
you can help the BeltLine succeed and make a difference
in the community.
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Friday, November 7, 2003
The state of quality growth:
The Regional Business Coalition reports on its Quality Growth
Audit.
How we develop land
has powerful effects on water quality, traffic congestion,
housing affordability, air quality and infrastructure costs
- in short, the quality of life in our region. Despite regional
and local quality growth policies, many zoning codes make
it illegal to develop new communities that look like downtown
Savannah.
Atlanta's Regional
Business Coalition (RBC) identifies and advocates for quality
growth solutions that foster greater economic vitality.
At the November Roundtable, you'll hear the latest on its
Smart Growth Audit. Come learn how we are doing regionally,
and what steps remain to ensure a healthy environment for
our businesses and our citizens.
Speakers:
Eric Meyer- Executive Director, Regional Business
Coalition
Larry Kaiser- Director of Dept. Public Works and
Engineering, Rockdale County
Moderator: Dan Reuter- Land Use Division
Chief, Atlanta Regional Commission
Report from November 7 Sustainable
Atlanta Roundtable
Forecasts for the Atlanta region tell us to expect drastic
increases in population and jobs in the next thirty years,
and we cannot continue the past development patterns from
the last thirty years into the next thirty years. Most of
the vacant land is outside the core of the city, and "quality
growth" is a critical issue to practice to ensure a high
quality of life exists. Practices to achieve this quality
of life include mixed use, high-density development, preservation
of green spaces and public transit-oriented development.
While there is the most need for good planning outside the
perimeter, programs such as the Livable Centers Initiative
(LCI) seek to improve existing urban centers. At the Roundtable,
Eric Meyer gave a regional planning perspective, citing
a broad survey of local zoning codes for elements of quality
growth. Then Larry Kaiser provided a close look at Rockdale
County's shift to quality growth practices.
Meyer's organization takes the initiative in implementing
quality growth, seeking to engage the local government in
the benefits of sustainable planning. Four key issues within
this planning are transportation, air quality, water resources
and land use. While it is the local zoning codes that implement
planning practices, regionalism is important to consider.
A business's scope is regional, and our natural resources
are regional in nature, not extracted and consumed or polluted
locally. However, a disconnect exists between regional plans,
which often embrace quality growth principles, and local
zoning codes. This incongruence explains why the current
development we see is not a picture of sustainable planning.
The Regional Business Coalition engaged in a survey of 26
local codes in the ten-county Atlanta region to see how
well the codes fit with the regional plan. The survey screened
for mixed use development, sidewalks, residential lot size
and green space for residential development.
There was much variation from county to county, and the
survey results determined that much work to be done in getting
local code practices to match the principles of quality
growth that are being embraced at the regional level. For
example, sidewalk codes had a lot of varying requirements.
The environmental planner's ideal is wide sidewalks along
storefronts, with benches and greenspace as a barrier to
the street Yet concepts such as building orientation to
the street, and therefore customer ease of access, were
often not even addressed.
The familiar quagmire of environmentalists known as "Not
in my back yard" (NIMBY) revealed itself in this sphere
on the topic of lot size. Many codes have minimum lot size
and minimum house size requirements, essentially deterring
the possibility of high-density housing, especially eliminating
the option of building apartments. The false perception
that high density housing reduces property values both encourages
and maintains these aspects of the codes. Ironically this
is an issue even in-town, where presumably a person moves
for the enjoyment of mixed-use properties, high density
housing and a community feel that defines city living.
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Friday,
December 5, 2003
The 2004 Legislative
Session: Crafting a Sustainability Agenda
With the 2004 Legislative
Session right around the corner, key players at the Capitol
are setting their sights upon a "sustainablility"
agenda from the start. With water quality and quantity,
land conservation and transportation likely hot topics,
what else will it take to craft legislation that truly balances
environmental and economic concerns for all Georgians?
Join us at the December
Roundtable for an open discussion of upcoming legislative
issues impacting our quality of life.
Speakers:
Ross King- Assistant Director, Association of County
Commissioners of Georgia
John Sibley- President, The Georgia Conservancy
Moderator: Kevin Green- Vice President of Environmental
Affairs, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
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