GREEN NOT VERBOTEN AT BENZ PLANT:
“Mercedes-Benz Alabama Plant Goes Green” reads the headline of a recent article by Patrick Rupinski of the Associated Press. Mercedes recently installed solar panels on the roof of its visitor center and the adjoining Bill Taylor Institute that will be used to heat the building’s water, according to Rupinski. The plant is located in Vance near Tuscaloosa. The heater will use solar power to heat water but also have the ability to switch to natural gas when needed. Mercedes hopes to save money on its water heating. The solarnatural gas water heating will be monitored closely, and “if it works out, we could put more in the plant,” facilities engineer Phil Onstott tells Rupinski. The project started when Alagasco approached Mercedes to see if it would be interested in trying the new technology. According to Onstott, the company is striving to reduce its carbon footprint. For example, early in 2011, the company will install solar- and wind-powered collectors on top of two light poles at its Plant 1 entrance. Mercedes plans to replace high-intensity discharge lighting in its plant with high-efficiency flow lighting next year, allowing them to save about 12,000 megawatts of electricity yearly. This past spring, the company reached a milestone when its recycling efforts resulted in zero waste going to landfills, he said. “Everything from the plant either gets reused or recycled now,” according to Onstott. JC
MORE DEAD BIRDS:
We have all heard the many disturbing press reports regarding the birds and fish that have died mysteriously around the world in the last couple of weeks. And now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are investigating the suspicious deaths of three whooping cranes in South Georgia. The cranes were found and reported by hunters in Calhoun County, just west of Albany, on Dec 30, according to an FWS release. The cranes are part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership effort to reintroduce whooping cranes into the eastern United States, something we told you about recently in Green Briefs. These three cranes were released in October 2010 with seven other first-year birds in Wisconsin as part of the Direct Autumn Release program. They generally follow other older whooping cranes or sandhill cranes during the fall migration to find winter habitat. They were banded and equipped with transmitters and were part of an ultralightaircraft-led migration effort. For more information about the reintroduction effort, visit www.bringbackthecranes.org. JC
YOU GOTTA EAT:
One of the oldest eco-oriented institutions in this burg is the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. And the folks at the BBG are getting ready for one of their biggest hoe-downs, the 46th annual Member Dinner. Sponsored by Friends of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the dinner is scheduled for Thursday, January 20, at 7 p.m., in the BBG’s Strange Auditorium. Leaf & Petal at The Gardens gift shop will host a reception from 6-7 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a special presentation, “A Garden of Change,” from Mary Carolyn Boothby. Tickets are $25. This event is open to all members of the Friends. If you’re not a member, there’s still time to join and attend the dinner. Contact Shelly McCarty to RSVP at (205) 414-3965 or smccarty@ bbgardens.org. If a fancy dinner is not your style but you want to help out at the Gardens, join John Manion, curator of the Kaul Wildflower Garden, for volunteer workdays in the Kaul Garden, Bog Garden and Barber Alabama Woodlands. The dates upcoming are January 13, 20 and 27. Work sessions begin at 9 a.m. Dress appropriately. Contact Manion at (205) 414-3985 or jmanion@bbgardens.org for more information. JC
LUCA BRASI SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES:
Forgive the reference to The Godfather. But the McWane Science Center and Black Warrior Riverkeeper opened the door wide open when they named their upcoming Riverkeeper fundraiser. This Tuesday, January 18, from 6-8:30 p.m., Riverkeeper will host “Sippin’ with the Fishes” at McWane. Guests are invited to come to the center and enjoy an open bar and hors d’oeuvres in the aquarium. Following this meet-and-greet, guests will head over to the IMAX Dome Theater to watch the documentary Wild Ocean. According to Riverkeeper executive director Charles Scribner in a news release, Riverkeeper’s Nelson Brooke will speak before the film and update guests about such pollution issues as the Shepherd Bend coal strip-mine proposal, a major threat to Birmingham’s drinking water. Tickets are only $20 and include Wild Ocean, the Riverkeeper presentation, open bar, hors d’oeuvres and parking. Purchase tickets by calling (205) 714- 8300 or visiting www.mcwane.org/events. By the way, you must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Black Warrior Riverkeeper is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization whose mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. Learn more at www.blackwarriorriver. org. AM & JC
SAVING THE RIVER OF GRASS:
At their 26th annual conference, “Renewal of Life for the Everglades: Moving Forward Together,” the Everglades Coalition announced their goals for continued conservation efforts in 2011. The coalition will continue to focus on receiving adequate state and federal funding to maintain the Everglades restoration project, acquire new land to connect wildlife habitats and ensure that water standards are implemented in a timely and correct manner, a Coalition news release states. According to Julie Hill-Gabriel of the Coalition, “Over the past year, we saw unprecedented progress on Everglades restoration and the creation of hundreds of construction jobs in Florida.” Unfortunately, the continued threat of global climate change makes conservation efforts increasingly urgent. According to Malia Hale of the National Wildlife Federation, “Increased stress from climate change adds urgency to Everglades restoration. To sustain the impacts of climate change—rising sea levels, increased storm intensity, saltwater inundation, to name just a few—we must restore the ecosystem’s natural resiliency.” Fortunately, real progress has been made in the Everglades, now more protected and appreciated for the efforts of people like those in the Everglades coalition. According to Manley Fuller of the Florida Wildlife Federation, “Everglades restoration benefits people through enhancing Florida’s resource-based economy and providing places to enjoy nature.” The Everglades Coalition Conference is the largest annual forum for Everglades conservation and restoration, bringing together the Coalition’s 53 allied organizations with local, state and federal agencies. For information, visit www.evergladescoalition.org/ conference.htm. AM
GREEN SEX IN 2011:
Long-time readers of this section will remember a piece I did in 2009 called “The sexy side of the green movement,” a shameless piece of exploitation that I’m still quite proud of. I could not resist going to that well one more time this week. I noticed a piece put up on the Huffington Post January 10 by Stefanie Iris Weiss called “The Nine Commandments of Eco-Sex: Getting it on the Green Way in 2011.” Weiss is the author of the book Eco-Sex: Go Green Between the Sheets and Make Your Love Life Sustainable. According to Weiss, “Eco-Sex starts with your relationship to your own body. In order to seduce (and allow yourself to be seduced) it always helps to begin with feeling beautiful. The fastest way to get there? Embrace healthy self-care habits, instead of slathering a poisonous brew of conventional, chemical-laden products on your skin, your biggest organ.” She then proceeds to reel off her series of tips, several of them wrapped around recommendations for such products as RMS Beauty’s organic makeup. For more, go to www.huffingtonpost.com. JC
Jesse Chambers is a Birmingham Weekly contributing editor. Andy McWhorter is a Birmingham Weekly intern who also writes the Hot Seat & Limelight feature. Send your comments to jesse@bhamweekly.com or editor@bhamweekly.com.
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