Results: Calendar of Events
March 8, 2010
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
**March 8
WASILLA – FRESH, THE MOVIE will be shown will be shown at The Alaska Club from 7 to 9pm.. FRESH will challenge your thinking about what you are eating and empower you to take back the your well-being that is being stolen from you and your family through industrialized agriculture. Fresh celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. The movie runs 72 minutes with Q & A time following the movie. For more information call 907-745-5725. A suggested donation of $2.00 per person or $5.00 per family is encouraged to help pay the viewing license fee.
March 11, 2010
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
*March 11
RECYCLING INDUSTRY MEETING, formerly known as the “Quarterly Recycling Meeting” will be held from Noon to 1:30pm in the MOA, Training Room, 4700 Elmore Road. The Municipality of Anchorage Solid Waste Services is pleased to host its regular recycling industry meeting. This meeting is open to the public. There should be time for discussion, additional topics and questions at the end of the meeting. Please RSVP if possible so we can be sure to have enough space. Feel free to bring a lunch. TENTATIVE AGENDA: Recycling updates (Please RSVP if you have an update), Statewide program opportunities (SBAC, Buy Alaska), Media coverage, Options for Industry collaboration (advocacy, promotion and marketing), Measurement & Metrics, Volunteer opportunities and action items, Other topics, and Q&A. For more information contact the Municipality of Anchorage Recycling Coordinators, Donna Mears at mearsdc@muni.org or 343-6275 or Jeanne Carlson at carlsonj@muni.org or go to www.muni.org/sws.
March 10, 2010
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
*March 10
CELTIC ANCESTRAL WISDOM FOR MODERN SUSTAINABLE LIVING will be presented by NANCY LEE-EVANS from 6:30 to 8:30 at UAA University Center Room 143 (3801 Old Seward Hwy, next to Natural Pantry, free parking). Drawing on extensive research on indigenous traditions, Nancy will share the sustainable lifeways and spiritual traditions of our European ancestors. Recognizing that all life is sacred, and that good relationship is fundamental to harmony and balance, our ancestors crafted a way of life that enables them to live sustainably on their tribal lands for thousands of years. Learn about the justice of Brehon Law, the cooperative use of tribal lands and resources, subsistence farming and more in a lively evening of lecture and discussion. $5 Fee For more information contact Terri Brown 344-0935.
February 25, 2010
Could we reduce our energy use by 50 percent over 2000 levels and, at the same time, generate jobs and boost economic output? This Alaska Conservation Alliance report details how Alaskans can do it by 2025. It’s an ambitious plan, but as many have noted the cheapest energy to buy is the energy not purchased at all, or as some call it, “the negawatt”. The report, entittled “Railbelt Electricity Efficiency Landscape” (REEL) was unveiled in Juneau Tuesday and attracted quite a bit of media coverage, which I’ve linked to below.
Read the full REEL report here
Read a summary of the REEL report here
Media Coverage:
Railbelt communities need to become more energy efficient(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Report shows energy efficiency in Railbelt could boost economy(KTUU-TV)
Anchorage Bicycle Plan Public Hearing
• 6 pm, Tuesday, March 2 •
Anchorage Assembly Chambers, Z.J. Loussac Public Library
For more information call: 891-1971 or visit: www.bicycleanchorage.org
February 24, 2010
By Jill Burke at AK Dispatch: On Tuesday, the village of Unalakleet, seated on Alaska’s northwest coast, celebrated the town’s newest energy force — turbine number six. The awakening of the high-tech wind catcher completes the installation of the town’s new wind farm, which has already saved the village tens of thousands of dollars since the first turbines powered up a few months ago. Since November, Unalakleet has cut utility costs by nearly $55,000 and generated enough electricity to power 86 homes for an entire year, according the wind farm’s new Web site. The site also claims the wind energy has significantly reduced carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise have been pumped into the atmosphere through more traditional, diesel-only power generation — the equivalent of more than 580,000 miles of driving in the family car. According to our calculations, that’s about 111 one-way trips between Anchorage and Key West, Florida. Read more
February 22, 2010
By Eric Lidji, Petroleum News: The profile of Chakachamna Lake hydropower, a project proposed for the west side of Cook Inlet, has risen a lot in the last two months. In early December, a study of Railbelt energy needs placed Chakachamna ahead of a much larger and more widely discussed hydropower project on the Susitna River. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is deciding whether to extend the permit that lets TDX Power, the sponsor of the Chakachamna project, study the project.Now, TDX hopes those developments will bolster its case before the state Legislature. The company wants $5 million in state funds to help pay for fieldwork this summer. Read more
February 22, 2010
By Rena Delbridge at Alaska Dispatch: In terms of punctuation marks, Railbelt natural gas supplies are a bit of question mark, and fuel prices in the Bush are a big exclamation point. So, it’s safe to assume Alaska’s electricity producers and consumers would appreciate a little stability. At least one company wants to transform Alaska’s geothermal resource into a reliable source of electricity, and is hoping for a way around an oddball state law that taxes hot water pulled from state land.
Ormat Technologies, a Nevada-based geothermal company that develops projects and runs power plants, is interested in water kept hot by volcanic activity at Mount Spurr in Southcentral, and at Mount Makushin near Dutch Harbor. Public Policy Manager Paul Thomsen told a legislative committee on Wednesday that his company strongly supports two bills offered by Sen. Lesil McGuire — one that would scrap the state’s substantial royalty tax on hot water, and one that would offer tax credits for exploration and production. Read more
March 4, 2010
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
*March 4
Cascadia Region Green Building Council presents ENVIRONMENTAL and CULTURAL SURVIVAL in ARCTIC COMMUNITIES – THE SUSTAINABLE NORTHERN SHELTER PROJECT with JACK HEBERT, President/CEO, Cold Climate Housing Research Center, from 7 to 9pm in Room 101, UAA, Rasmuson Hall. Northern communities face serious challenges, including climate change, accelerated resource development, and a dramatic increase in energy prices. The Sustainable Northern Shelter project links environmental and cultural sustainability as an essential aspect of the green building movement. In addition to highlighting the important cultural aspects of the design, through the use of community design charrettes, the presentation also explores technical considerations including materials and transportation, building envelope design, heating and ventilation, energy modeling and monitoring, and community workforce training. By fostering a sense of inclusiveness in the design process these projects are resulting in solutions that are healthy, affordable, sustainable, and a natural fit for the people who call them home. Cost: free for Cascadia members, University faculty/staff/students; Other $5 (advance sale online), $10 (at the door). To RSVP and get a ticket, go to http://heberttlsanchorage.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Mark Masteller at mark@cascadiagbc.org.
February 23, 2010
10:00 am to 11:00 am
February 23 (WEBINAR)
HYDROPOWER PLANNING IN ALASKA: DOES CLIMATE CHANGE MATTER? will be held from 10 to 11am Alaska Time. JESSIE ELLEN CHERRY, International Arctic Research Center & Institute of Northern Engineering, UAF, will lead the webinar. The supply, demand, and price for hydroelectric power can be strongly influenced by climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and water storage by the environment. The climate, in turn, is driven by both natural variability (on a variety of timescales) and anthropogenic forcing. For planning water resource management here in Alaska, particularly for long-lived, large infrastructure projects, it is useful to understand the sources of uncertainty in climate projections and how they influence long-term and short-term decision-making. A case study in Southeast Alaska is described, where most of Alaska’s hydropower facilities are concentrated. Challenges to assessing the regional impacts of climate change here are discussed, as well as our interpretation of the historical record of climate variability. Our analysis concludes that understanding and accounting for natural modes of variability may be as important as planning for long-term climate change when it comes to managing existing hydropower facilities and planning new infrastructure. To participate, Log-In to the Alaska Climate Teleconference: 1) With a regular telephone dial: 1-800-893-8850. 2) When prompted, enter the PIN code: 7531823 PLEASE MUTE YOUR PHONE DURING THE PRESENTATION. To view the presentation during a teleconference: 1) Point your web browser to: http://www.shareitnow.com 2) Click on the blue Join a Meeting button on the left side bar.3) For Presenter ID enter: accap@uaf.edu. If you do not see anything on your screen, click on the refresh button on the top bar.
