Thank you to all the folks reading this blog daily. There’s plenty of interest, lets hear your ideas!
If you’re interested in a summer project, here’s an idea for you to consider. (warning, if successful, this project will never truly end as it continues to improve, grow, evolve, long past summer, and you’ll want it to go on and on. It’s sustainable remember?)
If you have some examples of some real world successes in other areas (think global) you would like to share, and/or ideas and suggestions and would like to help develop a community dialogue to help make Fargo and our area a more sustainable community, please contact me at mjwilliams@cityoffargo.com
Thanks, it’s great to hear from you.
It was a blast going to the Kilbourne Groups announcement today for three new projects downtown. Congratulations to all involved in these exciting projects. Two restored buildings and one new all with multi-use features where folks can live, work, and play all in the same area, and possibly a rooftop garden or two? Here’s more on that story online. 
Margie Bailey, Mike Allmendinger and half of Doug Burgum at the Kilbourne Group announcement. (Sorry Doug!)
Before that bash was over, I raced over to the Fargo Landfill to help give a tour to the 
NATURE Camp of area Native American high school students staying at NDSU for a week to study science, math, engineering and today, renewable energy and conservation, my favorite subject. This is the ninth year of this exciting program. All were sufficiently impressed with both the solar, wind, and methane generators at the landfill as well as "Big Green" and the MAT transit garage with all it’s conservation and energy saving features. The students learned about the biodiesel blender pump at the MAT garage that let’s us punch in our own blends from two tanks. We’re running a B-20 blend right now.
Fargo’s fortunate to have enthusiastic, visionary people like Terry Ludlum Solid Waste Manager. He and Bruce Grubb have really been the ones seeing to all the details of the new landfill projects that turn trash into energy and cash! This project is getting national attention, who knew trash could be so much fun?
The common theme from the events today were about creating a more sustainable community, with conservation features and making the best use of our resources including sustainable buildings built to last and efficient land use with smaller footprints.
"Sustainable development means development that maintains or enhances economic opportunity and community well-being while protecting and restoring the natural environment upon which people and economies depend. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This quote is from the Minnesota PCA website.
I’m in contact with the director of the Sustainable Communities Network to learn more about it and how to join.
Here’s a link to a network of Sustainable Communities.
I found this nice description of sustainable communities on the Minnesota PCA website. There seems to be a growing awareness, and pent up public demand for consideration of our overall environment in a more holistic fashion. This includes a methodolgy for quantification and evaluation of what the many positive returns of what more proactive pubic investments may be. As they state: "Considers the full environmental, economic and social impacts/costs of development and community operations."
As Fargo is ranked the #1 city for best overall environment by the Earth Day Network this year, we have a good start already. Here’s the description:
~ Sustainable Communities ~
A sustainable community can persist over generations, enjoying a healthy environment, prosperous economy and vibrant civic life. It does not undermine its social or physical systems of support. Rather, it develops in harmony with the ecological patterns it thrives in.
A sustainable community is one that:
a.. Acknowledges that economic, environmental and social issues are interrelated and that these issues should be addressed "holistically."
b.. Recognizes the sensitive interface between the natural and built environments.
c.. Understands and begins to shift away from polluting and wasteful practices.
d.. Considers the full environmental, economic and social impacts/costs of development and community operations.
e.. Understands its natural, cultural, historical and human assets and resources and acts to protect and enhance them.
f.. Fosters multi-stakeholder collaboration and citizen participation.
g.. Promotes resource conservation and pollution prevention.
h.. Focuses on improving community health and quality of life.
i.. Acts to create value-added products and services in the local economy.
Sustainable development is an ambitious process in which a community develops attitudes and ongoing actions that strengthen its natural environment, economy and social well-being. Benefits include more livable communities, lower costs and an environment safe for future generations.
A growing number of communities across America have begun this process, gathering a number of local initiatives under the umbrella of sustainability. They are bringing preventive, integrative strategies to bear on crime, health, jobs, land use and community values.
Sustainable development means development that maintains or enhances economic opportunity and community well-being while protecting and restoring the natural environment upon which people and economies depend. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
~ End ~
Thank you to all the folks reading this blog daily. There’s plenty of interest, lets hear your ideas!
If you’re interested in a summer project, here’s an idea for you to consider. (warning, if successful, this project will never truly end as it continues to improve, grow, evolve, long past summer, and you’ll want it to go on and on. It’s sustainable remember?)
If you have some examples of some real world successes in other areas (think global) you would like to share, and/or ideas and suggestions and would like to help develop a community dialogue to help make Fargo and our area a more sustainable community, please contact me at mjwilliams@cityoffargo.com
Thanks, it’s great to hear from you.
Following is a real story of sustainability and eco-friendliness, not the usual political backslapping with endless meetings getting absolutely nothing done.
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/full_photo.cfm?id=191867
http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:dLZya80hagoJ:www.minotdailynews.com/News/articles.asp%3FarticleID%3D11269
Thanks for the link PI.
We heard some of that same sentiment while we were rounding up support for the Clean Renewable Energy Bond projects. Some said, “what’s the sense of going through all this discussion and effort for something we’re never going to do?”
Well, one year later the methane, solar, and wind generators are all on site at the landfill. The methane generator alone will be producing over $390,000 annually in avoided heating costs and electrical sales. Not bad for a $1 million dollar investment.
Thanks again for your interest.
PI,
That is a great story on the Geo Metro conversion to an all electric car. I’ll post it on the site. Thanks again for the link! Mike
It seems to me that the City of Fargo had a methane electric generator sitting unused at the Wastewater Treatment Plant during the early 1990′s. The reason given for it not operating was due to high maintenance costs. I remember in the early 2000′s when a constant flame burning above the Wastewater Treatment Plant burned the waste methane. So apparently, not much changed from the early 1990′s as far as methane power generation at that facility due to economics. What is different at the Solid Waste Facility that makes a methane electric generator viable when the track record for those previously used in town is not supportive of their sustainability? Has the technology improved?
PI,
Some of the methane at the waste water treatment plant is still being burned off. That is another opportunity, to capture and use that gas to possibly power a microturbine generator that could supply passive amounts of electricity to reduce the cost of purchased power. We’re actually in the process of looking at some of those samll generator sets to see what’s available with a good cost/benefit ratio. The projected ROI on the 925kw methane generator at the landfill is less than 3 years.
A new parAdigm indeed. Adding methane gas from the waste water treatment plant to the natural gas grid has been proven viable in other countries. Why not here? I often envision the financially challenged occupants of the adjacent trailer park watching that flame burn at the plant, and contemplating paying their winter’s fuel bill. Perhaps more efficient methane production could be done there if that was the express purpose.