Smart Commute Week

Will you be a smart commuter this week? It's as easy as walking or riding your bike to the grocery store for a gallon of milk. Better yet, hitch a ride with a co-worker and pick up someone else on the way! Since the weather has gotten nicer you've been saying, I should really be riding my bike to class. You wanted to walk with your child to the park but getting in the car was faster and more convenient. We invite you this week to try out the convenience of the great out doors! Start your day with a friend at the office before you even arrive to work. Discover the TART trail and the many places in can take you.

They're even giving us free breakfast all week! Check out the Smart Commute website for details.

http://smartcommutetc.org/

Granholm Bicycle Production Incentive!

Check this out! Since spring has sprung and biking is on the brain, can't you just see Michigan's carbon footprint falling?!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Governor Granholm Signs Bicycle Production Incentive Package, Sets
Stage for Growing Industry in Michigan

Contact: Liz Boyd 517-335-6397

Part of economic stimulus plan to grow economy, create jobs

LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today signed into law
legislation designed to grow the bicycle industry in Michigan, setting
the stage for hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment
that will create jobs in the state.  The legislation was proposed by
the governor in her State of the State address and is part of an
overall economic stimulus plan to grow Michigan¹s economy and create
jobs.

³We¹re going to grow this industry and in the process, grow our
economy and create jobs,² Granholm said.  ³Across the country and
around the world, the bicycle industry is a multi-billion dollar
industry.  We¹re going to bring some of that investment to Michigan.²

Granholm said Michigan¹s bicycle incentive program is now the most
aggressive in the nation.  Not only is it designed to increase the
number of bicycles produced in Michigan, it is designed to attract
production facilities, grow industry activities that support the
bicycle industry, create jobs, and train workers for those jobs.

³This program is designed to attract bicycle companies and aftermarket
production facilities that will be employing people and growing an
industry to support the growing community of bicyclists here in
Michigan² Granholm said.  ³We¹ve seen the excitement that is generated
when Lance Armstrong is in the Tour, and when Americans like Kristen
Armstrong and Jill Kintner are competing at such a high level
internationally, we want to turn that excitement into jobs and
community investment so that families can stay in the area and raise
children here that can enjoy a healthier future²

Bicycle incentives in other states have resulted in short- and long-
term economic benefits, including investments in infrastructure. In
Maine, bicycle tourism brings $66.8 million to the Maine economy. In
the Minneapolis- St. Paul area, for every 400 meters closer a median-
priced home is to an off-street bicycle facility, its value increases
by $510. The Wisconsin bicycle industry brings $556 million and 3,420
jobs to the state, and more than $1 billion to the Colorado state
economy.

Bicycling also brings summer business to ski areas: 161 U.S. ski areas
open trails to mountain bikers in the summer, and 84 run lifts for
cyclists. In 2005, 19.8 million bicycles were sold in the U.S., 4.4
million more than all the cars and trucks purchased in the U.S. that
year.

Michigan¹s new bicycle production program provides incentives for
bicycle frame and parts production, infrastructure development,
financing and workforce development with an emphasis on hiring
Michigan workers and making use of existing factory facilities in
Michigan¹s 103 core communities, urban communities, and traditional
centers of commerce.  It also provides a number of other incentives
for growing the industry in Michigan, including enhanced engagement
with the National Bicycle Dealer Association.

Specifically, the new laws provide a 45-percent refundable or
transferable tax credit for producing bicycles, in part or in whole,
in Michigan, with an added 2-percent rebate for parts produced in core
communities.

The new laws also provide 25 percent tax credit for bicycle and
pedestrian infrastructure investments for such facilities as building
in bicycle parking and covered access enhancements for mass-transit
projects currently in planning and production.

Bicycle frame and parts production companies are now eligible to
receive job creation tax credits issued by the Michigan Economic
Growth Authority (MEGA) against MBT liability for the creation of
jobs; loans from the Michigan Strategic Fund under the 21st Century
Jobs Fund program for up to $15 million per qualifying bicycle frame
and parts productions in Michigan; loans against bicycle frame and
parts tax incentives; and are eligible to participate in the capital
access program established by the Michigan Strategic Fund under the
21st Century Jobs program.

In an effort to grow the number of bicycle industry jobs in the state,
the new laws establish a Bicycle Frame and Parts Manufacturing Job
Training Tax Credit of 50 percent for expenditures incurred by a
production company providing on-the-job training for Michigan
residents.  Bicycle frame and parts manufacturers are allowed free use
of state property for film and digital media productions, an option
that local governments are allowed to authorize, as well.

Dark Sky - Earth Hour 2009

Now that Earth Hour 2009 has come and gone, I hope everyone got the chance to put some thought into why this day is of significance. Is it just about saving energy or is it more? Bird migration, star gazing, even criminal behavior? Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and is now reaching over 1,400 cities world wide. In our own great state, Ann Arbor is paving the way on the age old question, so what do we do now? The city is making plans to regulate their use of lights in a way that still lights the town creating a sense of safety, but looking out for the birds that have been killed by the obstacles that are over-lit sky scrapers. Check out this article for the full story. If you didn't participate in Earth Hour 2009, look out for it next year!

Biking to Beat Traffic

The Green Wave in Copenhagen is a bike route with high levels of bicycle traffic. If you cycle at 20 km/h the lights are timed so that you'll hit green all the way into the city centre. 35,000 bikes use this stretch each day.

This 4 minute video filmed rush hour bicycle traffic.
Check it out: http://vimeo.com/1910758

Welcome Back! Renewable Energy

When you think of renewable energy, especially in Michigan, you're probably thinking a lot about wind. West Michigan has an undeniable opportunity to harvest this wind into clean, renewable energy. With its countless acres of farm land and rural communities, space for wind turbines is plentiful. So not only are we talking about sustaining our beautiful area for generations to come, we're talking about jobs. Jobs involving new, growing technology as apposed to older, outdated energy sources.

http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2008/07/renewable_energy_standard_can.html

Follow this link for more an interesting article by Imad Mahawili

The City's Initial Results!

SEEDS presented our baseline inventory findings to the Commissioners of the City of Traverse City at their regular meeting, March 24, 7pm. This inventory included data from 2005 on electricity and natural gas consumption; fleet and commuter vehicle-miles; and solid waste generation.

The City’s municipal operations - including community services - emit over 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents each year. This number is quite large compared to other municipalities of our size only because we happen to control our own electric utility, Traverse City Light & Power. TCLP accounts for 95% of our emissions because it is generating power for all residents and businesses.

If we take the utility out of the equation, the City’s municipal emissions total just over 1,600 metric tons of CO2 equivalents that come primarily from:

Water and wastewater treatment and pumping,

Building inefficiencies, and

Street lighting. This means that electricity usage creates 80% of the City's emissions, followed by natural gas (8%) and gasoline (6%). Where to go from here?

First of all, you should be happy to know that the City already has plans in the works that will reduce emissions including:

1. LED traffic signal retrofits
2. Conversion to 5% biodiesel for the diesel fleet
3. Improved operating efficiency of the wastewater membrane bioreactor, and
4. Improved emissions profile for electricity purchased from TCLP by 2012.

With these measures in place, the City (again, not including TCLP) can expect by the year 2012 to see a 9% reduction in emissions and an annual savings about $47,000 due to decreased electricity consumption. TCLP has plans in place to return to 2005 emissions levels by 2015 and decrease them by 47% by the year 2020.

Though the City is implementing some progressive plans, SEEDS cannot recommend the status quo. As a mission-driven organization, we must advocate for Carbon Neutrality or 100% reduction in emissions. Therefore, we suggested that the City aim for a 25% reduction by the year 2012, which we think is quite doable.

How? Here are our Five Recommended Steps going beyond what they already have planned:

1. Improvements in building electrical efficiency by 15%
2. Conversion of Public Services diesel fleet to B20 (20% biodiesel)
   
3. LED streetlight retrofits
4. Variable frequency drive motors for water and sewer pump stations
5. Advance TCLP's planned 2015 renewable energy portfolio to the year 2012.

If all this were accepted and done, by the year 2012 the City would not only reduce their emissions by 25% over 2005 levels, they would also look at an annual savings of nearly $150,000, according to our initial calculations.

Pretty good news, I'd say.

Be a Citizen Scientist!

You can collect important data about climate change through Project BudBurst. By registering, you can submit data online about plant-life you observe in your own back 40 including first buds, first flower, seed and fruit dispersal.

This data is being collected across the country offering scientists a way to better track and understand how plant species react to climactic variation locally, regionally, and nationally. The BudBurst website will help you identify plants native to our area, describe the stages of growth and report your observations.

Take it on as an individual, a family, or a classroom.