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the Trustees of Reservations /Ipswich, MA

Organizational Overview:
The mission of the Trustees of Reservations is to preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. The organization cares for over 100 properties that comprise more than 24,000 acres and monitor 285 Conservation Restrictions protecting another 16,700 acres. In 1891, the Trustees of Reservations was founded by a small band of visionary volunteers. Over the past ten years, the organization has evolved into a dynamic $20M operation with 180 year-round employees who are led by a volunteer governance structure and supported by over 45,000 member households. A recent strategic planning process strengthened the core organizational goals and set an ambitious plan in motion to increase the organization’s impact and visibility through 2017.

Position Overview:
The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) is currently seeking a dynamic leader to serve in the newly created role of Director, Strategic Programs and Enterprise to provide overall strategic and operational leadership over the organization’s two flagship properties, the Crane Estate and Appleton Farms. These properties are visited by over 300,000 people annually and currently generate 60% of the $5+ million of earned income that TTOR generates on an annual basis. The Director will report to the Executive Vice President, serve on a senior leadership team, work closely with the CFO and several board committees and directly supervise up to 10 full-time employees in addition to overseeing the work of 150 additional seasonal staff members. Responsible for developing and implementing new initiatives to maximize the revenue potential of these two highly visible properties, while also evaluating new business opportunities for the organization, this is a wonderful opportunity for an experienced manager to support the growth of an entrepreneurial and results-oriented organization.

Responsibilities include:
• Develop and manage the strategic vision for the two flagship properties: the Crane Estate and Appleton Farms
• Provide overall leadership, building and sustaining a high performing team that includes 32 year-round staff and up to 150 seasonal staff
• Lead the financial management of all activities on the properties, including: developing long and short-range financial plans; creating and monitoring operating and special project budgets; ensuring that sound financial controls are in place; and setting financial priorities that support the needs of enterprises, programs and staff.
• Oversee the stewardship, preservation and maintenance of the properties’ historic, cultural and ecological resources in accordance with organizational guidelines
• Build, expand, and diversify effective coalitions with a variety of internal and external stakeholders including staff, local communities, partners, donors and volunteers
• Develop programs and strategic partnerships with organizations and individuals to engage broader audiences
• Work closely with the CFO and the Business Development Task Force to optimize existing revenue sources and identify, plan and implement new income-producing activities
• Collaborate with the Advancement and Communications & Marketing departments towards integrating visitor engagement and enterprise efforts with fundraising and membership objectives

Qualifications:
• 10-plus years of management experience preferably in the nonprofit sector or the hospitality, visitor service, recreation or tourism industries
• Demonstrated business, financial and marketing expertise and a proven track record building and managing operational systems for a dynamic, entrepreneurial, results-oriented organization
• Strong commitment to staff development and a successful track record of recruiting, retaining and leading a diverse team; experience managing programs that utilize part-time or seasonal employees a plus
• Demonstrated success implementing new programs to increase and/or diversify revenue streams and engage broad, diverse audiences
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills;
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; Master’s degree in business, non-profit management or related field strongly preferred

To Apply: Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Kathy Abbott outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity, both in Word format, to http://jobs.cgcareers.org/application.aspx?id=1656. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The Trustees of Reservations is an Equal Opportunity Employer
and makes a particular effort to recruit candidates from all backgrounds.

About Commongood Careers: The Trustees of Reservations has partnered with Commongood Careers to conduct the search for a Director, Strategic Programs and Enterprise. Commongood Careers is a nonprofit search service that connects talented individuals to organizations that are dedicated to creating positive social change. Founded and staffed by nonprofit professionals, Commongood Careers offers personalized, engaged services to jobseekers and organizations throughout the hiring process, as well as access to a wealth of knowledge about nonprofit careers. Learn more about nonprofit jobs at Commongood Careers.


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by Jonathan Hiskes.

More doom-and-gloomery
in the battle to save Property
Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), a once-popular finance tool that helped
homeowners cut energy waste and add rooftop solar panels: The mortgage giants
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac issued letters today saying that homeowners must pay
off PACE assessments before refinancing their mortgages, if they have
sufficient equity.

That doesn’t change
things for the large majority of PACE programs that were suspended or canceled
before launch because of Fannie and Freddie’s opposition (backstory
here). But it could make life harder for the comparatively few homeowners
who have already used local PACE programs to finance energy-efficiency
retrofits.

“To mitigate the risk
posed by PACE obligations that take lien priority over the mortgage, Fannie Mae
is requiring that borrowers with sufficient equity pay off the existing PACE
obligation as a condition to obtaining a new mortgage loan,” Fannie’s guidance
states.

Homeowners without
enough equity to pay off the lien can refinance with the PACE assessment still
in place.

The continued
antagonism from Fannie and Freddie isn’t surprising; they’ve stuck to their
attack on PACE assessments despite criticism from building contractors, local
leaders, governors, members of Congress, and the Obama administration. Last
week, their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, doubled down on its
opposition to PACE by rejecting
the possibility of a pilot program that would test whether PACE really
threatens lenders, as it alleges.

Todd Woody reports on
today’s letters at
the New York Times’ Green blog; Interestingly,
he refers to pass assessments as “loans”—a point of contention between PACE
advocates and the mortgage institutions. PACE works by letting homeowners pay
for improvements through a surcharge on their property taxes, paid back over 10
to 20 years. Local governments frequently use such tax assessments to fund
improvements like schools, sidewalks, and sewer systems. PACE advocates argue
that the tool should be considered another such assessment. Fannie and Freddie define
PACE as a “loan” program that shouldn’t get lien priority over mortgages. They
would seem to have the Times on their
side.

Related Links:

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‘Skeptical environmentalist’ Bjørn Lomborg reverses his climate skepticism

With drilling stalled in the Gulf, Big Oil sets its sights on the Arctic

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by Ashley Braun.

As a healthy, affordable, and non-polluting way of getting around, the two-wheeled wonder that is bicycling can’t be beat, which is probably why it’s enjoying such an enthusiastic resurgence in popularity right now. However, U.S. streets, drivers, and even pedestrians may not be quite ready to welcome an influx of well-spoked folk. The pervasive attitude that roads were made for cars, not bikes, has pushed cyclists toward guerrilla street art to get their point across (and toward some cult-ish tendencies too).

In homage to those positive and creative forces pushing non-gas pedals across the nation, we invite you to strap on a helmet and steer yourself into the “I’m loving bikes” lane with these artistic examples of bike activism taken quite literally to the streets.

Ah, the rowdy, monthly bike rallies of Critical Mass —always ready to swarm bike-munching cars and always handy with a can of spray paint.

When you’re looking for that extra boost during your morning commute, forgo coffee and try this Mario Kart-style route in Portland, Ore., instead. Once you’re in this bike lane, you’ll soon be feeling invincible … as long as you can avoid the banana peels. 1-UP!

Hat tip to Grist reader Caleb, who regularly bikes this route—around the bananas.

Cycling’s benefits aren’t limited to those doing the two-wheeling. Streets with painted bike lanes are 40 percent less dangerous to those of us going about on two feet, according to New York City’s Department of Transportation. That’s good news for cyclists who may be reincarnated as pedestrians.

Perhaps you’re starting to catch on that cyclists are not often—to put it delicately—“transportation neutral.”

This is where those odd, cultish tendencies reveal themselves.

H8ers gonna h8, but it’s no sweat off our bike-commuting backs.

Well, unless you’re in Black Hawk, Colo., that is.

If car = oil-fueled war, then bike must = love.

Can you imagine what the streets would be like if they started letting Velociraptors use the bike lanes? There’s no talon what they would do!

Related Links:

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War-era food posters: Wacky, well-meaning, and still relevant [SLIDESHOW]

When streets tell the truth about people riding in cars (and on bikes)

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Applied Process Technology, International, LLC/Williamsburg, VA

The Project Engineer (PE) is responsible for directing engineering and technical resources to meet project requirements. The PE is the interface responsible for executing the technical needs of a specific project on behalf of the Project Manager and the Customer, while also representing the Director of Engineering in maintaining the quality and integrity of the Company’s core technologies and practices.

The PE will perform the full scope of project management and project engineering activities on engineering-only projects, including internal R&D projects or small scale projects. As available, the PE will also assist with estimating, preliminary engineering and other services in support of marketing and project development. When not performing project work or marketing support, the PE reports functionally to the Director of Operations as a staff engineer.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
• B.S. degree in engineering from an accredited, 4 year college.
• Minimum 5 years work experience as a process or mechanical engineer, with at least 2 years experience in project engineering or similar position.
• Previous Ethanol or Chemical Process experience
• Working knowledge of state and federal regulations and requirements applicable to major design and construction projects.
• Excellent speaking, writing and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop high level management control programs.
• Computer proficiency sufficient to generate cost and schedule reports with Company’s preferred software programs.
• Personal characteristics and attitude conducive for maintaining harmonious internal relations and excellent client relations.
• Willing to travel in support of sales, project development, contract and customer operations.


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by Jonathan Hiskes.

Bjørn Lomborg—Danish
statistician, self-styled “Skeptical
Environmentalist,” shrewd self-promoter—is updating his long-held
position that climate change isn’t much of a problem, the
Guardian reports:

The world’s most high-profile climate change sceptic is to
declare that global warming is “undoubtedly one of the chief concerns
facing the world today” and “a challenge humanity must
confront,” in an apparent U-turn that will give a huge boost to the
embattled environmental lobby.

Bjørn Lomborg, the self-styled “sceptical environmentalist”
once compared to Adolf Hitler by the U.N.‘s climate chief, is famous for
attacking climate scientists, campaigners, the media, and others for
exaggerating the rate of global warming and its effects on humans, and the
costly waste of policies to stop the problem.

But in a new book to be published next month, Lomborg will
call for tens of billions of dollars a year to be invested in tackling climate
change. “Investing $100bn annually would mean that we could essentially
resolve the climate change problem by the end of this century,” the book
concludes.

Lomborg used to mock
climate “hysteria” by saying that even if climate change is happening, global health and other humanitarian concerns
were more worthy targets for public spending (an obvious false
choice; we should do both).

He and his fellow researchers
at the Copenhagen Consensus Center revisited their previous research and
concluded it’s now worth spending more on climate change. He comes up with a fairly
standard prescription for a carbon tax and more investment in clean-energy
R&D as well as geoengineering:

Examining eight methods to reduce or stop global warming,
Lomborg and his fellow economists recommend pouring money into researching and
developing clean energy sources such as wind, wave, solar, and nuclear power,
and more work on climate engineering ideas such as “cloud whitening”
to reflect the sun’s heat back into the outer atmosphere.

In an interview with the Guardian, he said he would finance
this investment through a tax on carbon emissions that would also raise $50bn
to mitigate the effects of climate change, for example by building better sea
defences, and $100bn for global healthcare.

Grant him this: Dude
knows how to play the media. Who else could get such attention for adopting a
position already held by millions of sensible people? I for one am not giving
him and his book any more undeserved publicity. Oh wait.

Related Links:

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U.N. climate panel needs to ‘fundamentally reform,’ review finds

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by Clark Williams-Derry.

This Advertising Age article discussing the massive decline in driving among young Americans is a bit old now.
But it’s both fascinating enough, and aggravating enough, to be worth some
attention. 

The basic facts are the fascinating part: Young people simply don’t drive as much as they used to. Between
1978 and 2008, for example, the share of 17-year-olds with a valid a driver’s license
fell by a third. Likewise, the share of total miles logged by 20-somethings fell from 20.7 percent in 1995, to just 13.7 percent in 2008. All the evidence points in the same direction: younger people are putting the brakes on their driving habits.

Advertising Age finds an expert who attributes the decline in driving to
the digital revolution.

The automobile, once a rite of passage for
American youth, is becoming less relevant to a growing number of people under
30 … William Draves blames the internet. Mr. Draves, president of Lern, a
consulting firm which focuses mainly on higher education, and co-author of Nine
Shift, maintains that the digital age is reshaping the U.S. and world early in
this century, much like the automobile reshaped American life early in the last
century … His theory is that almost everything about digital media and
technology makes cars less desirable or useful and public transportation a lot
more relevant.

This seems both right and
wrong. The internet really is reshaping our lives. After all, you’re reading
this, aren’t you? And the digital age does make public transit pretty useful—as a matter of fact, I’m writing this on the bus!

Still, I just have a hard time believing that a third of
potential 17-year-olds drivers are too busy Tweeting and Chatrouletting to take
driver’s ed. Young folks themselves don’t seem to buy it either:

The
environment is the reason Gen Y-ers most often give for wanting to drive
less.

Hm. I’m not sure that’s
right either. In fact, I gotta go with the explanation from the guy with the
National Automobile Dealers Association—who argues that it’s the economy, first and foremost, that’s driving young people’s declining appetite for car travel. 

And it’s not just the recent economic downturn that’s contributed to the decline in driving. Some trends are much longer-standing. Consider, for example, the fact that teen employment has been falling for most of the last decade. In 1978 (the beginning of the period that Advertising Age looks at) about 48 percent of driving-age teens in the U.S. held a job. By 2008, that number had fallen to 33 percent, and it now stands at just 26 percent. (Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.) And while I couldn’t find reliable stats on the relationship between teen employment and teen driving, it’s easy to believe that falling employment meant that teens had less reason to drive, and also less money to pay for cars and gas.

Likewise, the fall in teen employment coincided with both an increase in college attendance, and a decline in the real earning power of minimum wage work, particularly in the 1980s and the early- to mid-2000s. Rising college attendance may have have contributed to a decline in the need to drive, while falling minimum wage earnings reduced teens’ purchasing power.

And then consider the effect of rising oil prices. The chart below shows the difference 1970 and 2008—a different period than Advertising Age looked at—but the lesson is pretty clear: By 2008, it was taking an awful lot of time for a young worker to earn enough money to fill the tank.

Just to be clear, I’m not saying that the internet, or environmental awareness, are completely irrelevant to the trends in youth driving. I’m sure they play some role. Still, it’s hard to look at numbers without thinking that fairly mundane matters of demographics and economics (yawn!), rather than the Digital Revolution (sexy!), best explain the trends. 

I shouldn’t be surprised that Advertising Age, of all outlets, was more interested in sizzle than substance. But I always hope for better. After all, mundane matters of economics and prices—ie., making it costly to pollute, and cheap to live lightly on the planet—may be our very best hope for reducing our impact on the climate. So it’d be good for every outlet to look for the obvious explanations before they seek out the sexy ones.

This post originally appeared at Sightline’s Daily Score blog.

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Get your granny hip to climate change [VIDEO]

‘iPod zombie’ walkers are threatening the lives of innocent SUV drivers

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Southern California Edison/San Clemente, CA

Basic Qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience interacting with the NRC's Nuclear Regulatory Oversight Process.
- Must possess a minimum of seven years experience in commercial nuclear power plant operations, maintenance, engineering or a related technical discipline.

Core Competencies:
- Bachelor's Degree in applicable profession, business, or technical discipline or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Typically possesses ten or more years managing and supervising one or more organizations or units.
- Demonstrated experience working with compliance, license support and the development of regulatory response strategies for emerging regulations from the NRC.
- Demonstrated influence and leadership experience motivating other department personnel to precisely follow regulatory requirements.
- Demonstrated experience providing leadership to staff including counseling, training and development, salary administration, selection and/or approval of selected personnel, affirmative action, equal opportunity and disciplinary action.
- Demonstrated broad knowledge and experience with Nuclear Industry policies, objectives, strategies, and goals, and applicable governmental laws and regulations.
- Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic business plans, prioritizing strategic business initiatives, and developing and implementing performance improvement functions.
- Demonstrated experience interfacing effectively with clients, direct reports, executives, and all levels of management to develop solutions and facilitate the integration of business processes across the organization.
- Demonstrated experience assessing, assigning and tracking and insuring the completion of regulatory commitments and NRC requests/mandates.
- Broad technical understanding of nuclear generation principles and operation.
- Demonstrated ability to balance priorities for safety, reliable operation, budget and equipment reliability.
- Demonstrated ability to achieve results through others by prioritizing activities, delegating and monitoring the progress of assignments, and empowering employees with the authority necessary to accomplish objectives.
- Demonstrated ability to motivate others to overcome challenges and achieve long-term strategic goals.
- Must demonstrate strong teamwork and problem solving skills.
- Must create and maintain a safety conscious work environment.
- Must demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills to deliver information across all levels of the organization, some of which may be technical or sensitive in nature.
- Must demonstrate the ability to integrate work across relevant areas, develop the business and services to enhance customer satisfaction and productivity, manage risks and safety appropriately, develop and execute business plans, manage information, and provide exceptional service to internal and external customers.
- Must demonstrate effective resource and project planning, decision making, results delivery, team building, and the ability to stay current with relevant technology and innovation.
- Must demonstrate strong ethics, influence and negotiation, leadership, interpersonal skills, the ability to manage multiple demands, and engage in continuous learning.
- Frequent travel to Washington, DC and Arlington, TX is required.
- ANSI: Shall have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Engineering or the Physical Sciences. Shall have a minimum of three years of professional level experience in nuclear services, nuclear plant operation, or nuclear engineering. Shall have the necessary overall nuclear background to determine when to call consultants and contractors for dealing with complex problems beyond the scope of owner-organization expertise.

COMMENTS: Additional testing may be required as part of the selection process for this position. Candidates for this position must be legally authorized to work directly as employees for any employer in the United States without visa sponsorship. This position requires frequent travel to Washington, DC and Arlington, TX.

Preferences:
Master's Degree in Engineering.
Juris Doctorate.
Former Licensed Senior Reactor Operator.
Former Nuclear Regulator.

Typical Responsibilities:
The successful candidate will manage the daily activities of the Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Division at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) at Southern California Edison (SCE). This individual will be responsible for ensuring that the Company and Station meets the extensive regulatory requirements associated with maintaining two operating reactor licenses, one independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI), special nuclear materials license and various other licenses to keep current with changing regulatory requirements and to meet Station needs (10CFR50). Typical responsibilities will include: Managing interactions with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) resident inspectors and regional inspectors. This could have significant operational or financial impact on the Company; managing the formal inspections by the NRC and its onsite resident and regional inspectors; overseeing compliance, license support and the development of regulatory response strategies for emerging regulations from the NRC; demonstrating influence and leadership capabilities to motivate other department personnel to precisely follow regulatory requirements; balancing a mix of day-to-day operations and policies with strategic planning; managing significant financial and employee resources with potential substantial organizational impact; assuring that regulatory and business strategies from senior management are carried out; developing medium- to long-term business plans and objectives for the organization that deal with performance and regulatory issues; contributing to the development of departmental business plans and corporate objectives; meeting on a monthly basis with senior and executive management to present performance status for regulatory issues; providing information and using one's influence to help set strategic direction; presenting solutions to executive management, and receiving input, direction and approval for strategic issues; making decisions on key business initiatives which have a direct impact on the department or division, and indirect impact on other departments and/or the Company; having weekly contact with inter- and intra-department directors, managers and supervisors; assessing, assigning, tracking and insuring the completion of regulatory commitments and NRC requests/mandates; accountability for the NRA Division's compliance with the Station's Corrective Action Program Requirements, Human Performance Program requirements, fulfillment of Emergency Response staff assignments, employee development, knowledge transfer, and succession planning; providing leadership to staff including counseling, training and development, salary administration, selection and/or approval of selected personnel, affirmative action, equal opportunity and disciplinary action; acting for the department head or division manager in their absence; frequent travel to Washington, DC and Arlington, TX is required; and performing other duties and responsibilities as required.

Edison International and Southern California Edison reserve the right to close or cancel a posting at any time.

To view job at edisonjobs.com please select the "Southern California Edison" or "Edison International" logo.

If you are interested in this position, please submit your resume in confidence by visiting www.edisonjobs.com.

Edison International is an Equal Opportunity Employer.


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by Sue Sturgis.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding the first in a series of
seven official public hearings today to collect comments on a proposal
to federally regulate coal ash. Today’s hearing will take place at the
Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va. from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and
is expected to draw attendees from across the country.

The event comes amid growing evidence of utilities’ failure under the
current state-led regulatory system to protect communities from the
serious health hazards of coal ash.

A report released last week by environmental advocacy groups documented 39 additional sites in 21
states where coal ash has contaminated water supplies with arsenic and
other toxic metals. That brings the total number of coal ash damage
cases that have been documented to date to by regulators and independent
watchdogs to 137 sites in 34 states.

A recent EPA risk assessment [PDF] found that people who live near coal ash impoundments and drink
from wells have as much as a 1 in 50 chance of getting cancer due to
contamination with arsenic, one of the most common and dangerous
pollutants in coal ash. The same assessment found that living near coal
ash dumps also increases the risk of damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs,
and other organs.

“There is no greater reason for coal ash
regulation than preventing the poisoning of our water,” says Lisa Evans,
an attorney with the nonprofit law firm Earthjustice, which released
the report along with the Environmental Integrity Project and the Sierra
Club. “We now have 39 more good reasons for a national coal ash rule.
The mounting number of contaminated sites demonstrates that the states
are unable or unwilling to solve this problem.”

The states where
the new sites were identified are Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida,
Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North
Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. At least 18 of the 39
newly documented sites are located within five miles of a public
groundwater well that could potentially be affected by pollutants from
the coal ash.

A February 2010 report by EIP and Earthjustice documented 31 cases of coal ash contamination in 14 states. And a 2007 EPA report [PDF] identified 67 proven and suspected damages cases across the
country. These 137 sites represent about 29 percent of the approximately
467 power plants plants that dispose of coal ash. For a chart
listing all 137 sites by state along with the companies responsible and
locations, click here [PDF].

The
state with the most coal ash damage cases identified to date is
Wisconsin with 13, followed by Illinois with 12, North Carolina with 10,
Indiana and Pennsylvania with nine each, and Florida with eight.

The latest
count of contaminated sites was compiled using state groundwater
monitoring data obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests.
It’s possible there are other contamination cases that still have not
been discovered, since many states don’t require groundwater monitoring
at coal ash dump sites.

Large coal ash-generating states that
don’t require such monitoring include Alabama, Arizona, Georgia,
Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, and Tennessee, where
the 2008 collapse of a coal ash impoundment at the Tennessee Valley
Authority’s Kingston plant brought the issue of coal ash regulation to
national attention. Mississippi is the only state in the South where a
coal ash damage case has not been documented to date.

In May, the EPA released two proposed options for regulating coal ash—a stricter version that would regulate it under Subtitle C of the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which governs hazardous waste,
and a less strict option that would handle coal ash like ordinary solid
waste under RCRA Subtitle D, offering guidelines but leaving oversight
largely up to the states.

Public health and environmental advocates favor the stricter option,
pointing out that state oversight has failed to adequately protect the
public from the dangers of coal ash. But the politically powerful
utility industry does not want coal ash to be treated like hazardous waste, arguing that such an approach would be too costly and discourage efforts to recycle coal ash.

The
agency will be accepting public comments on the proposed regulations
through Nov. 19. Besides today’s public hearing in Virginia, other
official hearings are planned for Denver on Sept. 2, Dallas on Sept. 8,
Charlotte, N.C. on Sept. 14, Chicago on Sept. 16, Pittsburgh on Sept. 21,
and Louisville, Ky. on Sept. 28. For more details on the proposed rules
and the official hearings, click here.

There is also a people’s hearing planned for Sept. 2 in Harriman, Tenn., where a coal ash impoundment at TVA’s Kingston plant collapsed in 2008, sending a billion gallons of toxic coal ash waste onto a residential community and into the Emory River.

Among those planning to attend today’s hearing in Virginia is John Wathen, the Hurricane Creekkeeper from Alabama. After documenting extensive problems with the landfill in the impoverished rural Alabama community where TVA
and EPA chose to dump most of the coal ash spilled in the Kingston
disaster, he turned his attention to documenting the BP oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico. He sees a connection between the two catastrophes.

“Coal
or oil, it is the same thing,” Wathen says. “Disemboweling the Earth
for temporary energy and destruction of natural resources, people, and
the quality of life we are all guaranteed under the Constitution.”

(A version of this story originally appeared at Facing South.)

Related Links:

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Attention Congress: China is shutting down its old coal plants

Toxic Coal Ash Threatens At Least 137 Sites In 34 States

View full post on Grist – the latest from Grist

by Umbra Fisk.

Send your question to Umbra!

Q. Dear Umbra,

Regarding the urban gardening that is blossoming out in cities around the country, I wonder how safe the soil is for growing food.  It would seem that it would be severely polluted from decades of applied chemicals, the casual dumping of anything and everything associated with urban households, and even the fallout from local industry. Is there any attempt to determine the safety of the foods derived from such sources?

Best regards,
John Bader

A. Dearest John,

Mary, Mary would have been quite contrary if lead or other toxins had made her garden grow. And so should we all be, John. Food grown in soil with lead and other toxic heavy metals is definitely something to be avoided. But it’s not just urban farms whose soil might be soiled.

“You can’t assume what you buy at the grocery store is any safer,” Edie Stone told The New York Times. Stone is the executive director of GreenThumb, a division of the New York City Parks and Recreation Department that supports urban gardening.

Better living through chemistry has sent a lot of new chemicals into our water supply and soil. Lead is just one example. From paints to leaded gasoline—introduced in the 1920’s to boost octane levels and completely banned in 1996—lead has had a strong polluting presence for more than 100 years. Soil near highways is often lead laden. Acid rain leaches the lead from house paint and into soil.

Getting the lead out—of everything—is crucial. Lead remains one of the top environmental hazards to children and babies, causing brain and nerve damage, according to the EPA. And it isn’t good for grownups either. Lead can lead to high blood pressure, hypertension, nerve disorders, concentration and memory problems, and muscle and joint pain in adults.

The good news is that even if lead or other toxins are present in soil, it doesn’t mean you have to give up the idea of growing food or eating urban- or suburban-grown produce. Soil, from suburbs to cities and beyond, just needs to be managed properly. With smart soil management, no one need turn into a Mad Hatter from eating backyard melons. The phrase is “Eat Local” not “Eat Loco,” after all.

If you are eager to replace that concrete with a garden, like the characters in the comic strip My Intentional Life, be sure you test your soil first, especially if you’re planning to grow edibles. It costs less than $30 to have your soil tested for toxic metals. Brooklyn College’s Environmental Analytics Center and the University of Massachusetts Soil Testing Lab test soil samples from across the country.

Once you know the results, managing your soil is the key to safe growing. “That’s why most community gardens are on raised beds,” says Karen Washington, an urban farmer, activist and president of the NYC Community Garden Coalition. “We’re not on the ground. The soil [in the beds] is 10 inches deep. We had our soil tested last year and it is fine within the beds.”

You can also help rehabilitate toxic soil by growing crops such as sunflowers or spinach. Both help remove lead and other toxic metals. “But do they absorb enough?” asks Karen Washington. “Some people say
they help, some people say what they do isn’t sufficient. So you’re
gonna have the debate on both ends. The bottom line is that you need to
have your soil tested regardless.”

Until your soil tests clean, make sure you dispose of your “soil helpers” rather than consuming them. That’s better than a lead salad. And don’t forget to dispose of them as hazardous waste.

Another way to amend bad soil is to use compost. “It’s always good for people to put compost in their soil because it will bind up the lead and make it unavailable to the roots of plants,” said Lenny Librizzi, assistant director of the Open Space Green Program GrowNYC.

If you’re more of an eater than a grower, John, you’ll be glad to know that urban farmers are accountable for the safety of their soil and food. “We have to supply the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets with a crop plan, including what we’re going to grow,” says Ms. Washington. “Inspectors come by to inspect your market.”

If you’re still concerned about the soil where local food is grown, just ask the farmer. The beauty of local agriculture is that you get to know and trust your neighborhood farmers and their products.

Dirtily,
Umbra

Get Off Your Ass Alert: If you’d like to dive deeper into the wonder that is soil, check out Dirt! the movie. it’s a glorious ode to the “living skin of the Earth” we so often taken
for granted.  You’ll feel inspired and may want to plant something in
soil as soon as you see the film.  I planted a window garden immediately after viewing. Another viewer went home and tasted a handful of dirt. Enjoy the dirt candy!

Related Links:

D.C.‘s first-ever state fair a hit—and so are my zucchini

War-era food posters: Wacky, well-meaning, and still relevant [SLIDESHOW]

Posters from the past that can guide us in the future [SLIDESHOW]

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Ecos/Allentown or Harrisburg, PA

Lighting & Products

The Lighting & Products business unit boasts a rock-solid track record of delivering reduced energy consumption on behalf of our Residential clients. This business has grown rapidly the last few years and has an extensive network of trusted trade allies, retail partners, manufacturers, and measurement and verification partners. This team leverages those relationships to deliver the energy savings or peak power solutions our utility customers most desire.

As our Residential clients gear up their energy efficiency and distributed generation programs, the opportunities are plentiful for making a large impact while we continue to grow Ecos. Our Lighting & Products Team has an immediate need for a Field Coordinator residing in the Allentown or Harrisburg, PA area, reporting to our Manager of Lighting and Products. Candidates must reside within a 50 mile radius of one of these cities, as a solid knowledge of the geography and the ability to respond quickly to our customers is desired for this position. In this newly created role, you will experience all the benefits of working for a fast-paced, entrepreneurial company while having a significant impact in energy efficiency, climate and sustainability.

Role Description

As our Field Coordinator, you will be supporting Efficiency Programs by processing orders, preparing reports and correspondence to internal and external customers, and fulfilling customer needs to ensure customer satisfaction. Using your interpersonal skills, you represent Ecos and our clients to resellers and distributors by ensuring company products and services are up-to-date and accurate in assigned territory. Additionally, you will represent the company in all activities associated with reseller/channel support. In the role of Field Coordinator, you will communicate program goals and activities to the participating retailers, customers and your team. You will distribute program materials and provide retailers with appropriate training on ENERGY STAR® and the Program. You will assist with outreach events and support the Program through product market activity.

As our Field Coordinator, you will convey new and upcoming developments in the program to resellers and customers. You will gather valuable feedback to help track and measure the Program’s success in transforming the marketplace. You will serve as the communication link between Ecos, the client and the retailers. Additionally, you will support the Program by connecting all three parties to the field program through client communication, Program events, special events, and ENERGY STAR® training and support.


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