CitiesGoGreen - February 2009 - (Page 8) Rendering courtesy NC3D Renaissance for Rail In November, California voters approved a $10 billion start on an 800-mile highspeed rail system. Linking all major cities with trains traveling more than 220 miles an hour, it will reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution, cut travel times dramatically and generate $1 billion a year in surplus revenue. John W. Frece, in a Baltimore Sun op-ed column, points out that nationwide at least 22 other rail initiatives were approved at the same time, authorizing $75 billion in funds. He highlights a plan to build high speed rail links among the 10 largest regions of the US by 2030 as indicative of the direction we’re headed. Frece says, “What supporters of these projects have in common is the belief that an expanded rail system serves multiple purposes at a time when we can no longer afford the luxury of single-purpose investments. They see rail as a way to reduce greenhouse gases, to offset high gas prices, to mitigate or at least avoid highway congestion, and to save rural resources by fostering more compact, transit-oriented city living.” Billions in Savings: Award Winners Flex Their Power Everybody likes awards. The 6th Annual ‘Flex Your Power’ Awards (given by the California newsletter of the same name) recognize a range of companies, organizations and local governments in that state. The dozens of winners this year saved state residents $227 million through energy efficiency upgrades and strategies, reduced energy consumption by 1.5 billion kWh, reduced water use by 122 billion gallons and greenhouse gas emissions by 1.3 billion pounds. Santa Clara Valley Water District won for its use of rebates, incentives and education to save over 19.5 billion gallons of water, and Sustainable Spaces won for saving homeowners an average of 40% of their energy bills by retrofitting their homes. Winners, their descriptions and useful tools, are at www.fypower.org. Kern County, California, earned an honorable mention in energy efficiency. Add your comments and ideas at CitiesGoGreen.com First North American Borehole District Heating System The Drake Landing Solar Community of 52 homes in Okotoks, Alberta relies on a district heating system new to North America. Heat is collected from 800 solar panels on the interconnected garages and stored in the earth, in a borehole field of 144 wells, 35 meters deep and covering an area 35 meters in diameter, under a community park. In cold weather, water circulated by the pump system picks up heat from the borehole field and flows to the houses, where heat exchangers, controlled by normal thermostats, blow warm air on demand. Ground storage is expected to supply 90% of the heating need, and a natural gas boiler in the Energy Centre makes up the difference. Live data will be displayed online for all to see. The houses, which have no individual heat sources, are built to high energy efficiency standards, and while the average Canadian home produces 6-7 tons of CO2 a year, these will come in about five tons lower than that. 8 February/March 2009 http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/february-2009/in-motion/renaissance-for-rail http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/ http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/ http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.trains29dec29,0,985599.story http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/february-2009/in-motion/billions-in-savings-award-winners-flex-their-power http://www.fypower.org/news/index.php?page_id=448&edition=635#post-5134 http://www.fypower.org/feature/awards/6th/takeaction.html http://www.fypower.org http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/february-2009/in-motion http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/february-2009/in-motion/first-north-american-borehole-district-heating-system http://builtgreenbysterling.com/ http://www.okotoks.ca/home.aspx http://www.dlsc.ca/index.htm http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com
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