by Gene Marrano
The Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition, which promotes alternative energy technologies and greener ways that can reduce carbon footprints – thus keeping the valley cooler – handed out its annual Cool Citizen Awards at the 2012 Affiliates Conference last week. More than 250 local businesses, individuals and non-profit groups are affiliated with Roanoke Valley Cool Cities, which was founded by Dr. Diana Christopulos and Mark McClain.
Roanoke Mayor David Bowers and City Council members Court Rosen and Bill Bestpitch were on hand at the Claude Moore Education Complex – a building renovated to LEED energy-saving standards – for the breakfast meeting last week. Also attending was Roanoke County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard Flora, who recently cast the deciding vote when the county decided to keep paying its $1,200 ICLEI dues for the coming year. The citizens-led RC Clear group in the county is an affiliate of ICLEI; an international organization that promotes greener energy. Flora handed out the final special achievement award.
McClain, the Cool Cities Coalition director, said Bowers had “helped us tremendously,” in getting the organization off the ground. The mayor praised Cool Cities for a program that gives low-energy CFL (compact fluorescent) light bulbs to low income families. Bowers also made it clear where he stands on green issues: “there is such a thing as global warming,” said the mayor, who urged those in attendance to “think globally [but] act locally. That’s what you folks are doing here today.”
For Christopulos the mission is simple: “we want to reduce greenhouse gases [that warm the earth]. I like sustainability. I think that’s a good word. Let’s be courageous about it [and] keep a constructive attitude.” Christopulos mentioned RC Clear’s Save-A-Ton education program, which has just been rolled out to show residents how they can reduce their household carbon footprint by a cubic ton per year.
“This is smart work to do. It’s not that hard and it’s good for the valley,” she noted. The Save-A-Ton campaign, which includes a website and advertising, recently netted several ADDY awards for the Thomas Becher Agency (tba) that designed it.
Keynote speaker Dr. Melissa Booth, who has studied life forms in the oceans from Antarctica to the North Pole, said global warming is melting the ice caps, which affects the salinity and the temperature of water. “This is a fact, this is happening,” said Booth, offering evidence as to how that affects everything from the health of coral reefs to the size of fish. “We’re playing a game by entering all of this CO2 into the atmosphere,” warned Booth, who lives on an island off the coast of Georgia.
There are already “dead zones” in the Chesapeake Bay, oxygen-deprived patches where fish no longer thrive, according to Booth. Rising sea levels, earlier spring seasons and ocean acidification are other harmful side effects of global warming. She urged politicians to stop delaying decisions on climate change and also had a related wish: “get corporate money out of politics [on environmental issues].”
Booth urged localities to encourage buildup within cities when it comes to development – not build out – in order to reduce urban sprawl and longer commute times that also mean more carbon emissions from motorists. “We have to make [these changes] now and work together by all means,” said Booth, alluding to the politically charged atmosphere when it comes to topics like global warming and green energy.
Cool Citizen Award winners included Brandon Oaks, the retirement community that was designated a “Cool Green Biz” by the Cool Cities Coalition, for an addition that was built to higher energy saving standards. Other honorees included Suzi Fortenberry of Benchmark Builders, which is constructing energy efficient houses in Roanoke County; Mark Jackson of the New River Center for Energy Research and Training; Roger Holnback, recently retired as executive director of the Western Virginia Land Trust, which works to preserve open space from development – and Gene Marrano, cited for balanced environmental reporting in a variety of venues, including the Roanoke Star-Sentinel.
Janet Scheid, a member of the RC Clear committee, was honored for “showing courage by speaking out publicly in support of the county’s ICLEI membership, in the face of hostile opposition,” according to the written introduction for her in the awards program.
Doug and Mary McCallum were also recognized as individual Cool Citizens for erecting a small energy-producing wind turbine on their property after overcoming opposition “from radical non-environmentalists,” according to presenter Rupert Cutler, a former Roanoke City Council member and a past Cool Citizen winner himself.
Mary McCallum cited Roanoke County supervisor Charlotte Moore for helping them obtain the permits needed. “Keep spreading the word,” said McCallum. Moore has also voiced support for the proposed wind turbine farm on Poor Mountain.
The final Special Achievement award went to the Roanoke Valley-Allegheny Regional Commission, which has spearheaded efforts like RIDE Solutions, to encourage alternative means of transportation. The Regional Commission, a quasi-governmental agency that encompasses eleven local jurisdictions, has also offered free energy audits and the Partnership for a Livable Roanoke Valley – which promotes environmental quality. Executive Director Wayne Strickland said that focus is nothing new: “we’ve been working on environmental projects [since that 1970’s] … we have a lot of projects going on.”
#Simon SImple question Simon, which one of the dozens of peer reviewed scientifc studies I provided you with do you consider not valid? It’s a simple question. Just point out one and let me know what issues you have with it. Or maybe you could stop cutting and pasting the same tired answer and do a little research yourself.
THE ROANOKE T PARTY HASNOT PROVIDED ANY DOCUMENT FROM A VALID SCIENTIFIC GROUP TO SUPPORT THE T BAGS DENIAL OF SCIENTIFIC FACT.
THERE IS NO LARGE GROUP OF CREDENTIALED SCIENTISTS THAT WILL SUPPORT THE T BAGS CONTRARIAN HOG WASH!
IF YOU CANNOT BACK-UP YOUR CLAIMS: YOU GOT NUTHIN’.
#SImon…the only person on this blog that hasn’t actually answered a question posed is you. You really do look ridiculous…too bad only like 13 people see this….
Hundreds of peer reviewed documents on my last post Which ones are invalid. And WHY?
And no one has ever answered the original question about Gene’s journalistic integrity. Or lack there of…
Nice try. You can cut and paste you silly answer again…no one is buying that crap.
#Simon. FOr the umpteenth time…which PEER REVIEWED DOCUMENTS REFERENCED HERE DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC ISSUES WITH?
http://www.roanoketeaparty.com/2012/04/global-warming-peer-reviewed-documents-a-sample-platter/
Please let us know what they are, instead of repeating the same dull littany of insults and stupid rationalizations.
THE ROANOKE TEA PARTY CANNOT, WILLNOT, AND HAVENOT PROVIDED ANY VALID REFERENCE FROM A SCIENTIFIC GROUP THAT SUPPORTS THE T’ BAGS DENIAL OF SCIENTIFIC FACT.
NO LARGE GROUP OF SCIENTIST’S WILL VALIDATE THE WILD CONSPIRACY THEOREM OF A MISLED HANDFUL OF DENIERS.
STILL WAITING AND TRUELY NOT ENJOYING THE SQUIRMS AND SIDE STEPS TAKEN TO AVOID THESE FACTS.
#Simon Yawn. Sigh. You have never answered the question about the hundreds of peer reviewed scientific studies that undermine the premise of global warming these groups refuse to acknowledge. I suppose you’ll keep asking the same misleading and ridiculous question. I’ll keep asking you the correct question as a response….
I’ve already told you why they won’t respond. Why won’t they acknowldege these studies? The studies I showed you weren’t from political folks….they are PEER REVIEWED scientific studies.
I’m still praying for you Simon….maybe one of these days you’ll see how misled you are.
Still got nuthin’ T baggers? The Roanoke Tea Party’s consistent reference to Nazi figure-heads confirms what many believe.
You cannot produce documentation from any SCIENTIFIC GROUP that supports your denial of SCIENCE………………………………………………….
And your precious organizations keep ignoring hundreds of peer reviewed legitimate scientifc studies that invalidate their postions because they have a vested interest in the lie of global warming. We can go back and forth like this all day Simon. Not sure what this exchange is doing for you but it seems senseless to argue anymore about this since we neither one of us is goign to budge.
Not sure what Roanoke Times report you refer too. Roanoke T bags cannot back-up what they say with any validation from a SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATION………
Since no SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATION supports the T party claims: Logic tells me you are being obtuse inorder to gain attention for your little group.
#Simon…Wow If the Roanoke Times says so…. 🙂
You are a trusting soul Simon. That kind of blind trust in people with alterior motives isn’t a healthy attitude these days.
The Roanoke T partiers admission of failure in providing support from any SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATION for their denial of scientific fact speaks for itself.
Claiming to have knowledge beyond the worlds leading SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS leads one to question the T bags VALIDITY.
#SImon. What is really odd is that there hundreds of peer reviewed documents that contradict the theory and these orrganizations keep ignoring these valid PEER REVIEWED documents that contradict their theory.
You can’t even accept the possibility of the premise that organizations that have (for the sake of billions of dollars of funding) have gone all in to state that global warming is a man made phenomenon, could have an incentive to mask evidence that it ISN’T supportive of their claims?
Not to mention the embarrasment of having organizations that you blindly follow having to admit they were wrong. That isn’t easy to do is it?
Galileo had the same problem hundreds of years ago. Same thing, different scientific cover up. Think about it….
Science doesn’t ignore evidence like this. They then work it in and see i the theory still holds up. Scientists with an agenda just cast it aside because the evidence isn’t convenient.
Motive, opportunity and evidence. Sounds like I have a pretty solid case. ALl you have is blind faith in organizations with an agenda.
Sad. But I’m still praying for you Simon.