Ultra-sustainable zHome becomes the first community of WaterSense labeled new homes in the Nation

(Seattle – Jan. 25, 2012) zHome – the ultra-sustainable, 10-unit townhome development in Issaquah, WA that is redefining the future of housing – is also the first community in the Nation in which every home has earned the WaterSense label for new homes.

EPA’s WaterSense program is modeled after its highly successful Energy Star program. The goal of WaterSense is to significantly reduce water use nationwide to save water resources for future generations.

A home that is certified to earn the WaterSense label will use at least 20 percent less water than a standard, newly-constructed home and the high-efficiency WaterSense labeled fixtures perform as well or better than their traditional counterparts.

The benefits of the certification include:

Lower utility bills for future residents

Reduced strain on water and wastewater systems

More water left in streams and aquifers for salmon, recreation and other uses

Fewer greenhouse gas emissions due to reduced energy demands from water treatment and delivery

zHome was designed to push the limits of sustainable, production housing. It is the first townhome, zero-energy, carbon-neutral community in the United States, and also received the Forest Stewardship Council’s 2011 award for the best residential project in North America.

In addition, zHome strove to demonstrate a multitude of water-efficient technologies, with a net reduction of 70 percent in potable water use compared to a typical King County home. Cascade Water Alliance provided WaterSense labeled toilets, showerheads, and bathroom faucets, as well as innovative, real-time use monitors for every unit to ensure maximum efficiency. Each zHome unit also includes a rainwater harvesting tank (ranging in size from 1,000- to 1,800-gallons) that is used for clothes washing and toilet flushing.

“EPA is proud to recognize the zHome project, built and developed by Ichijo USA and Seattle builder Matt Howland, as one of the leaders in the Pacific Northwest in helping to advance water efficiency,” said Paula vanHaagen, EPA’s Manager, Grants and Planning Unit in Seattle.

zHome was brought to life through a highly collaborative public/private partnership spearheaded by the City of Issaquah, in conjunction with Built Green, King County, Port Blakely Communities, Puget Sound Energy and the Washington State University Energy Program.

“We are extremely excited that the zHome units received the new WaterSense New Homes certification,” said Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger. “We hope zHome inspires homebuilders and homeowners to take advantage of the same water-saving benefits with their projects.”

Cascade Water Alliance, a long-time WaterSense promotional partner, is a non-profit corporation with the goal of providing safe, clean, and reliable water to its 400,000 residents and 22,000 businesses. Cascade is made up of the cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Tukwila, the Covington Water District, and the Sammamish Plateau and Skyway Water and Sewer Districts.

To find out more about Cascade Water Alliance, visit: www.cascadewater.org
To find out more about WaterSense, visit: www.epa.gov/watersense
To find out more about zHome, visit: www.z-home.org

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

[calcars-news] Volt Safety Confirmed; New PHEVs Announced; Countering Media Misinformation

By: Felix Kramer, Calcars.org

January brings good news about the resolution of issues about Volt safety, announcements of many new PHEVs to come, many new sources of anti-plug-in criticism and misinformation -- and finally, a response mechanism -- and lots of other resources for CalCars-News readers who haven't had a chance to keep up with the latest developments.

(Shortly after it goes out on email, this posting will also be viewable at http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html -- there you can add CalCars-News to your RSS feed.)

* NEW PLUG-IN HYBRIDS COMING INTO VIEW: the wave of announcements
continues, with production PHEVs now expected including the Opel Ampera, Ford Fusion Energi, Honda Accord, Mercedes B-Class E-Cell, Volvo XC60, Audi A1 e-tron, Mitsubishi PX-iMIEV, possibly a Lincoln version of the Fusion and a Cadillac version of the Volt, and others at the concept stage, plus, of course, many pure EVs.

* NHTSA CLOSES BOOKS ON VOLT FIRES: The National Highway Transportation Administration's review of fire-related issues on the Chevy Volt has been closed. The NHTSA's official statement:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2012/NHTSA+Statement+on+Conclusion+of+Chevy+Volt+Investigation
. GM's precautionary measures announced Jan 5 for same-day February installations, have been approved. GM's statement welcoming the end of the investigation at:
http://www.chevroletvoltage.com/index.php/volt-blog/18-volt/2583-nhtsa-closure-of-volt-investigation-.html
.
ONCE MORE ABOUT FIRES: We're glad to see more and more people compare the significance of a handful of fires weeks after crash tests with hundreds of thousands of conventional vehicle fires a year:
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/01/08/398210/iran-electric-cars-and-our-stuck-narrative-gas-powered-vehicles-catch-fire-180000-times-a-year/
. Oh, and did you or anyone notice when Ford just recalled 286,000
SUVs over a potential fire hazard?
http://news.yahoo.com/ford-recalls-450-000-minivans-suvs-defects-183215451.html

NEXT: CONGRESSIONAL QUIZ: Meanwhile, the head of NHTSA and GM's CEO
Dan Akerson will testify Wednesday at a Congressional subcommittee hearing that Volt critics hope could extend their "fear, doubt and uncertainty" strategy. (On a parallel track to another House hearing Wednesday for cleantech critics reviewing the State Department's decision on Keystone.)

* OTHER MOSTLY GOOD NEWS FROM GM: Volts produced for sale in California after Feb 6 will have Low Emissions Packages making them eligible for the 40,000 stickers allowing HOV (car-pool) lane access, and for a $1,500 state tax credit on top of the federal credit. We
continue to hear that every car produced sells quickly. But GM has said it might scale down production plans from its goal of 45,000 US and 15,000 international Volt sales in 2012:
http://gm-volt.com/2012/01/10/gm-says-it-if-necessary-it-will-cut-volt-production/
and http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120112/OEM05/120119914

ROUGH TIMES AHEAD FOR PLUG-INS? The path forward may not be smooth.
By 2006 we had a broad and popular non-partisan coalition, endorsed by the Bush Administration to incentivize US production of cars and batteries, and provide credits to hundreds of thousands of early buyers. By 2011, when the cars arrived, we found EVs condemned by many as " Obama's pet project," earmarked for failure as part of political campaigns. Add to that a media onslaught that promotes the idea that cars arriving in the market at a rate twice that of hybrids a decade ago are in fact failing. Taken together, plug-ins now have an uncertain position. Advocate Chelsea Sexton in Jim Motavalli's book, High lVoltage: The Fast Track to Plug In the Auto Industry," in February 2011 predicted "a couple of rough years" with "deployment
missteps, changes in policy and negative media stories, whether earned or not." She suggested we scale back our expectations -- and avoid complacency.

* END OF THREE EV CREDITS: At the end of 2011, along with corn
ethanol credits and a cleantech loan program, credits for two- and
three-wheeled vehicles, charging systems, and EV conversions were not
extended. They lapsed because companies building businesses in this
area didn't give it their attention -- or didn't have the resources
to devote to the issue. We mourn especially the last one, a
placeholder for a much larger credit we'd like to see for converting
gas-guzzlers to plug in. At a time when there was significant
interest in converting Prius hybrids to plug in, A123 Systems and its
affiliate Hymotion, worked to build support for the credit. We hope
that as gas-guzzler conversion companies emerge, they will be able to
make the case for reinstating at higher levels.

IMPLICATIONS FOR FEDERAL $7,500 CREDIT. This current all-important
program is the subject of increasing attacks. Uninformed criticisms
have come after the introduction of a House bill to repeal the
credits -- including ones from the Washington Post. See rebuttals and
links to the editorial at PIC and Climate Progress.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/are-electric-cars-really-a-disappointment/2012/01/09/gIQArQVWlP_blog.html
. The greatest threat may come not from a direct attack but from an
attempt to end the credit as part of a larger package of fiscal changes.

* WE NEED MORE EFFORTS TO COUNTER MISINFORMATION. Great resources are
out there. Pass the word about the Department of Energy three-minute
video, Electric Vehicles 101, introducing and explaining EVs and
PHEVs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M69GBL0IDzI . Don't miss a
posting by Rocky Mountain Institute/Project Get Ready's Ben Holland
and Randy Essex, countering the idea that 2010 sales were a
disappointment.
http://blog.rmi.org/why_so_many_critics_after_17000_ev_sales_in_first_yearn
. Still, we need something more -- mechanisms equivalent to those
that climate change deniers and others have perfected to jump on news
stories as they appear.

* SIERRA CLUB STEPS UP WITH EV MEDIA RAPID RESPONSE NETWORK: The
Network aims to notify advocates of breaking stories and equip them
with arguments for letters to the editor, online postings, articles,
etc. It will focus on policies, including the new fuel efficiency
standards, and on issues directly involving plug-in cars. To join and
get more info, contact Sierra's Senior Campaign Representative for
EVs, Gina Copland gina.coplon-newfield@sierraclub.org

* FISKER SHIPS, WINS AWARDS: The Karma, which recently began shipping
and had its own two episodes of precautionary modifications for a
small number of cars delivered to customers, has won the Top Gear
Luxury Car of the Year and Overall Car of the Year awards in addition
to its previous Design of the Year award from Automobile Magazine.
http://www.plugincars.com/top-gear-crowns-2012-fisker-karma-luxury-car-year-110655.html
A test drive report by John Voelcker:
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1071965_2012-fisker-karma-brief-drive-report

* VIA PROGRESSES WITH LARGE VEHICLE PHEVS: Via Motors has gained
credibility by enlisting GM veterans including Bob Lutz
http://www.plugincars.com/motors-bob-lutz%E2%80%99s-help-aims-sell-2000-electric-trucks-year-111497.html
. Via announced plans to sell several thousand "VTrux" -- extended
range pickups, cargo vans and SUVs based on conversions of GM
Silverado, Tahoe and Express vehicles.
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/01/13/via-motors-introduces-plug-in-work-vehicles/
It's significant that GM will provide "gliders" (vehicles without
drivetrains), which can reduce the final cost. Roush Engineering is a
partner
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/via-motors-rolls-out-converted-hybrid-electric-trucks/
and PG&E is a first customer
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/10/BUTI1MNFD7.DTL
and
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/01/13/via-motors-introduces-plug-in-work-vehicles/
An evaluation of its potential:
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1071881_what-would-you-pay-for-a-100-mpg-via-full-size-pickup-truck

* VOLT TEAR-DOWN CalCars has been hoping someone would "open up" the
Volt, as engineers did years ago with the Prius,and as the people at
http://www.ifixit.com and http://www.ifixit.org do with appliances
and high-tech gear. Finally one is in view. See 10 short videos at
http://www.youtube.com/driveforinnovation. Corporate sponsors Munro &
Associates and TechInsights appear to be saving their findings for a
conference in March in San Jose http://www.ubmdesign.com/ , but some
of the videos (including one called "Under the Hood" show the careful
redundant safety engineering features in the car.

* RECENT SIGHTINGS OF RON GREMBAN AND FELIX KRAMER: See Ron on
battery cooling issues at
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/gm-volt-battery-fix-part-of-an-industry-evolution/
and Felix critiquing a popular new book on global violence for
overlooking climate change
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/01/14/401194/ny-times-dialogue-on-human-violence-omits-climate-change/

* REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR OUT ON DVID: Startng this week, you can
buy the movie; this will be followed by availability at Netflix and Hulu.

A FEW ARTICLES WE LIKED:
* Factions Square Off in Battle for Electric Car Future: Brad Berman
analyzes the four major contenders: Anti-EV Republicans and Media,
Obama Administration, Auto Industry, and EV Drivers and Advocates:
http://www.plugincars.com/factions-square-battle-electric-car-future-111588.html

* Wards: Volt is a symbol of headwinds against U.S. innovation:
http://www.green.autoblog.com/2012/01/09/wards-volt-is-a-symbol-of-headwinds-against-us-innovation/
summarizes the more fully developed arguments at
http://wardsauto.com/commentary/why-innovation-dying-america
* Consumer Reports: 2012 Detroit auto show: The rise of the
mainstream plug-in hybrid: A "look how far we've come" and "no other
technology can have the same impact" thought-piece on PHEVs, which
credits Andy Frank for his early work.
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/01/2012-detroit-auto-show-the-rise-of-the-mainstream-plug-in-hybrid.html
* Wired Pulls a Charlie Sheen on Clean Energy: Experts Easily Debunk
Absurd Hit-Job on Solar and Wind Power: rebuts the idea that Solyndra
means Cleantech has failed at
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/01/22/408784/wired-clean-energy-experts-debunk-solar-wind/
. The referenced article is at
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/01/ff_solyndra/all/1)

SUPPORT CALCARS: If you intended to donate at the end of 2011 but
didn't , we have switched our 501(c)3 sponsorship to the Electric
Auto Association, of which we are a chapter. Go to
http://www.calcars.org/sponsor.html for tax-deductible contributions
online by credit card or by mailing a check. Thanks as always for
your help in keeping CalCars and our website running!

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Felix Kramer fkramer@calcars.org
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.org
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

__._,_.___
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EPA Environmental Justice Grant to Help Farm Workers Reduce Pesticide Risks

(New York, N.Y. - Jan. 23, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing a $25,000 grant to the Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas (CATA) to reduce exposure to pesticides for farm workers in southern New Jersey. CATA, a Latino-led nonprofit organization, will educate migrant farm workers throughout the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem, New Jersey about the risks of pesticide exposure and how to protect their health during field work.

““EPA environmental justice grants provide much needed funds to tackle local pollution problems in low income communities," said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. "Exposure to pesticides can have serious effects on people’s health. The grant to Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas will train migrant farm workers in southern New Jersey about steps they can take to better protect their health on the job.”

Pesticides are intended to harm or kill pests and are toxic by design. They can be very harmful to people’s health depending on the toxicity of the pesticide and the level of exposure. According to the Centers for Disease Control, doctors diagnose between 10,000 and 20,000 farm workers with pesticide poisonings each year. Workers can become exposed to toxic levels of pesticides during spills, direct spraying or pesticide drift. In addition, migrant farm workers may not be supplied protective gear needed to protect their health or the equipment they do receive is defective.

Southern New Jersey has a large population of migrant farm workers. For the past twenty years, CATA has managed an environmental program that provides information on pesticide protection, the reduction of harmful chemicals in the workplace and general health and safety training. The EPA funding to CATA will help farm workers implement worker protection standards and identify training needs. Under the project funded by the grant, the group will survey workers and train them using the We Work with Pesticides curriculum developed by the Farm Worker Health and Safety Institute and approved by the EPA.

Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. Since 1994, the environmental justice small grants program has provided more than $23 million in funding to community-based nonprofit organizations and local governments working to address environmental justice issues in more than 1,200 communities. The grants further EPA’s commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

More information on the Environmental Justice Small Grants program and a list of grantees:

http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

Alliance for New York State Parks: Cuomo Budget Will Reverse Decades of Decline at State Parks and Historic Sites

Spending plan provides $33 million toward repairs, upgrades and restorations to Hudson Valley’s aging and deteriorating state park system.

State funds will boost Alliance’s public-private fundraising campaigns for
Minnewaska and Fahnestock State Parks.

Decades of underinvestment and physical decline at New York’s 213 state parks and historic sites will be reversed and local private fundraising efforts will be boosted under a spending plan presented today by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The Alliance for New York State Parks praised the governor and welcomed news that his proposed budget calls for an $89 million increase for repairs, upgrades and restorations at 48 state parks and historic sites, including 12 in the lower and middle Hudson Valley. The amount, including $33 million for state parks in the Taconic and Palisades regions, will be funded through the New York Works Infrastructure Fund.

“We applaud Governor Cuomo for recognizing that New Yorkers deserve parks they can be proud of, rather than a system defined by failing bathrooms and bridges, crumbling trails and stonework and outdated water and electrical systems,” said Erik Kulleseid, executive director of the Alliance for New York State Parks.

“Parks and historic sites are critically important to protecting New York’s natural resources and providing recreational and cultural experiences to the public. Often overlooked, however, is the important role they play in attracting regional tourism dollars,” noted Kulleseid. “This investment will provide long overdue repairs and upgrades to these destinations and in doing so provide a boost to local construction and engineering businesses.”

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) has identified a backlog of capital rehabilitation needs across the 213 state parks and historic sites. The list totals $1.1 billion, of which $461 million is associated with basic health and safety projects and $595 million with deteriorated and worn-out facilities in need of rehabilitation.

“The Alliance looks forward to working with the administration and OPRHP Commissioner Rose Harvey to find ways to augment public funding and leverage the state’s commitment though additional private fundraising in order to recover from decades of underinvestment in our state parks and historic sites,” added Kulleseid.

The Alliance for New York State Parks, a program of the Open Space Institute, is committed to the restoration, maintenance and support of New York’s state parks and historic sites. A primary goal of the Alliance is building stronger public-private partnerships. As such, the Alliance is supporting a number of capital campaigns at parks and sites throughout the state, including Minnewaska State Park Preserve and Fahnestock State Park.

The complete list of state park projects to be funded through the New York Works Infrastructure Fund is below:

Bear Mountain State Park $5,000,000
Rehabilitate and upgrade water and sewer systems that service Bear Mountain and
Harriman State Parks.

Rockland Lake State Park-Pool $5,000,000
Renovate leaks to avoid closure of pool that is frequently used by underserved
communities.

Mills-Norrie State park – Staatsburgh State Historic Site
$4,200,000
Restore the East Portico of Mills Mansion and repair the mansion’s leaking roof;
Also complete restoration of the historic Mills stone wall.

Bear Mountain State Park – Seven Lakes Drive $4,000,000
Repair and resurface the Seven Lakes Drive Road

Old Croton Aqueduct Trail Improvements $2,600,000
Rehabilitate failing bridges along the Old Croton Aqueduct .

Taconic State Park – Comfort Station $2,400,000
Reconstruct the park’s four deteriorating public restrooms.

FDR State Park $1,150,000
Rehabilitate deteriorated bathhouse facilities and repair the swimming pool, one of the
largest pools in the country.

Olana State Historic Site $1,500,000
Olana is among the most important historic sites in the state park system. Repairs to
Olana’s roof to eliminate leaks is critical to maintaining this unique structure.

Minnewaska State Park – Carriage Trails $1,000,000
Begin the next phase of rebuilding the park’s popular trails used for hiking, bicycling,
and cross country skiing.

Mills-Norrie State Park Marina $2,000,000
Some slips at the marina are currently unusable due to sediment build-up. Dredging to remove the accumulation will allow for full use of the marina.

Fahnestock State Park – Taconic Outdoor Education Center $1,000,000
The Taconic Outdoor Education Center has an outdated drinking water supply system,
and must be replaced in order to meet health code.

Harriman State Park $3,355,000
Infrastructure rehabilitation to renovate deteriorating camps used by underserved
children.