by Emely Rodriguez * The Lehigh Valley has already made changes to create a cleaner, more sustainable future for our community. For example, Allentown installed solar panels on their courthouses in 2010, public transportation buses became hybrid electric buses in 2014, yet there is so much more our community can do. Becoming a more sustainable community starts with … [Read more...] about Let’s Talk Solar
renewable energy
Clean energy, batteries, & mining
Clean, renewable energy is essential for sustainability. The main problems with getting to 100% renewable energy are that solar and wind energy spend on weather and time of day, and this makes some sort of storage important. Improved and less expensive batteries are often touted as the solution to the intermittency of truly renewable energy. Unfortunately, the demand for … [Read more...] about Clean energy, batteries, & mining
community solar
Sustainable Food for Thought
by Eirlys Chui As times are changing, so are the trends we see in today’s food system. People are growing interested in natural, organic, locally sourced, and sustainable food. They are exploring dietary selections such as vegetarian and vegan options that benefit personal health and that of the environment. Yet there are also arising obstacles—environmental degradation, … [Read more...] about Sustainable Food for Thought
Energy Efficiency: Solution to Climate Change
by Bruce Wilson Climate Change can lead to a feeling of helplessness, but we have all the tools we need to make a difference; we just need to use them! Last year four environmental leaders, Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Bill Mckibben of 350.org, Steve Nadal of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and Paul Hawken, editor of … [Read more...] about Energy Efficiency: Solution to Climate Change
Climate Action Planning for the Lehigh Valley 2.0
→ Executive Summary Introduction Across the nation, cities are responding to climate change by developing and implementing local policies and initiatives. In particular, municipalities have created climate action plans to demonstrate their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and protect their communities from the results of climate change. These plans … [Read more...] about Climate Action Planning for the Lehigh Valley 2.0
Wildlife & Wind Energy
On Dec. 2, 2006, the Geography department at Kutztown University hosted a conference on the risks and trade-offs of Utility Scale Wind Energy Development of the Central Appalachians, organized by ornithologist Donald S. Heintzelman. Presenters included experts from American Bird Conservancy, Audubon Society, Boston University, Hawk Mountain, Penn State University, PA Game … [Read more...] about Wildlife & Wind Energy
Ways to Produce Energy for our Varied Uses
We need to examine the pros and cons, from a sustainability perspective of the various ways we have to generate energy. This section is a start on the effort. Some links: Wind ..... Wildlife & Wind: Wind turbines, especially those mounted on Appalachian ridges, kill high numbers of eagles and other raptors as well as bats, including some on the endangered species list. The … [Read more...] about Ways to Produce Energy for our Varied Uses
Green Buildings are Sustainable, High Performance Buildings
by Bruce N. Wilson An ideal Green Building disturbs its environment as little as possible during construction and operation. Green Buildings use less energy and significantly less water resources to operate. Their roof and pavement runoff water is man-aged to reduce the impact on the environment. The challenge is to convey the absolute certainty that to not build green … [Read more...] about Green Buildings are Sustainable, High Performance Buildings