NY Times
March 4, 2008
By WILLIAM YARDLEY
MALTBY, Wash. — Five luxury homes in a subdivision marketed as “built green” near here were destroyed or severely damaged by fire early Monday, and evidence at the scene suggested the fires might have been started by radical environmentalists who viewed the homes as violating rather than complementing the wooded wetlands in which they were built.
“Built green?” read letters spray-painted onto a bedsheet found hanging on a fence at the site, about 25 miles northeast of Seattle. “Nope Black!
“McMansions + R.C.D.’s r not green,” said the sign, apparently referring to “rural cluster developments,” which advocates say help prevent sprawl by limiting development density in rural areas. The section of the development, called Quinn’s Crossing, has fewer than a dozen lots on a cul-de-sac just off Echo Lake Road, an area where modest older houses and mobile homes are more common.
The message on the sheet was signed with the letters “E.L.F.,” the infamous initials of the Earth Liberation Front, a loosely organized group that has been linked to multiple bold acts of ecoterrorism across the Northwest and elsewhere for two decades. Banners have claimed E.L.F. responsibility for arsons at other housing developments in the region in recent years, and the fires on Monday came as jurors deliberated in a case involving an arson in 2001 at the University of Washington that was linked to E.L.F.
Fred Gutt, a special agent with the F.B.I.’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Seattle, said of Monday’s fires, “There’s a claim of E.L.F. responsibility and, given that, it’s being investigated as a domestic-terrorism act.”
“But the authenticity of the claims still needs to be borne out,” Mr. Gutt added, noting the elusiveness of the Earth Liberation Front. “There’s no membership rolls. There’s no clubhouse. It’s more of an ideology. They’re organized only to the extent of maybe cells that get together and decide to act on their belief.”
None of the houses were occupied at the time of the fires, and no one was injured.
Neighbors first reported hearing what sounded like gunfire or explosions early Monday, and firefighting authorities on the scene told reporters that the houses appeared to have had multiple fires set.
The fires stunned the builders and real estate agents promoting the development, who had cast it as reflecting the “best practices” of environmentally friendly high-end home construction. They emphasized features like landscaping that requires little water, sidewalks designed to minimize runoff and reused lumber for construction.
The five houses were models built specifically for the 2007 Seattle Street of Dreams tour, their size and price deliberately scaled back, to about 4,500 square feet and around $2 million, to respond to what one builder, Grey Lundberg, said was an increased interest in more subdued and “green” luxury homes.
“This is releasing more carbon into the air than they ever would have by building the houses,” Patti Smith, the listing agent for one house that burned to the ground, said of the fires. “That’s the tragic irony.”
From the start, Quinn’s Crossing met opposition from residents and groups who felt it threatened local water sources and woodlands. That tension remained after construction began. Mr. Lundberg said that late last fall two pieces of heavy construction equipment were ruined by vandalism, including having their engines destroyed. He said no message was left but he presumed it was related to opposition to the project.
On Monday, Eric Olsen, 21, who grew up in the area and still lives a few streets north, said many neighbors were still angry that the development had ruined beaver dams and backwoods trails. He said some people believed the increased paving in the area had already pushed polluted runoff into streams where salmon spawn.
“Stick it to the man!” Mr. Olsen said when told who claimed responsibility for the fires. “I’m not supportive of those tactics but there’s been far too much development.” He added, speaking of the development, “Nobody wanted it.”
Mr. Gutt, of the F.B.I., said no suspects had been named in many recent arsons claimed by E.L.F. at housing developments, but there have been prosecutions in other cases. Last year in Oregon, at least 10 people linked to E.L.F. and the Animal Liberation Front were sentenced for a number of crimes, including arson, committed from 1996 to 2001.
In Tacoma on Friday, a jury began deliberations in the case of Briana Waters, who is accused of serving as a lookout when activists set a fire at the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington in May 2001 because they mistakenly thought the center was using genetics to grow poplar trees.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
Bye-Bye, BPA
BPA/ Phthalate-Free Shopping List
Part One: Drinking Bottles
It’s hot! Time to hydrate. And while you’re at it, every time you refill a reusable water bottle, rather than buy disposables, you’re helping the Earth’s health, too. If all Americans did so, we’d save the estimated 16 million barrels of oil used to make the bottled-water containers we bought last year. This from the August Harper’s Index, (http://www.harpers.org/), which also notes that twice as much water was used to make the containers as was drunk from them.
Choose the right reusable bottle, and you won’t get bit by the chemicals that can leach from some plastics in these sizzling dog days.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been found to cause developmental harm in animals, and there’s preliminary evidence of reproductive harm in women. And, while a family of plasticizers known as phthalates has long been linked to cancer and hormone disruption in lab animals, studies in 2005 and 2006 show some connection to genital abnormalities and lower testosterone in infant boys. This inspired a worried phone call from my brother Ethan Won, father of three young boys, ages 5 months, 4 and 6 years. “I’ve been hearing about all these chemicals coming out of plastics. Some plastics smell really bad, especially in the heat,” says Ethan, who lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. “And what about when we warm the baby’s bottle?”
A good question, as many clear plastic baby bottles, along with some of those pretty Nalgene Lexan bottles in transparent jellybean colors, are made of polycarbonate (recycling code #7) plastic, which has been found to leach BPA when heated, worn or scratched. “We always want kids’ products to be safe in any way they’re used,” says Sonya Lunder, M.D., a scientist with the Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/), which encourages consumers to seek alternatives to polycarbonate bottles, especially for babies and children.As Greenerpenny reader Bridget Collins writes,“I am very interested in shopping for products that do not contain BPAs. My kids are active and use water bottles several times a day!”
While it doesn’t accumulate in our bodies,“with BPA detected in about 95% of people in a recent CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control] test, we can assume that most of the American population has daily exposure,” Lunder says. These chemicals may also play a role in the development of obesity and diabetes, according to a 2006 Spanish study of BPA and a March, 2007 article on phthalates in Environmental Health Perspectives. Even if fat is “contagious,” as raised by a study in the New England Journal of Medicine last week, it’s far less extreme to drop risky plastics than an overweight friend.
Below are the safest, greenest and most affordable reusable bottles we could find. Pennypinchers, rejoice: In addition to keeping disposables out of landfills, and conserving the tons of carbon dioxide otherwise released in shipping, bypassing bottled water can save each of us about $1,400 a year, by the estimate of New York City officials.
Top Pick: Stainless Steel
Go plastic- and petrochemical- free with 100% stainless steel, the most recycled metal.
Perfect for kids or those of us who feel oppressed by heavy totes, Klean Kanteen’s lightweight, 12 oz volume stainless bottles are the same size as soda cans; caps have a stainless interior and non-leaching polypropylene (#5) top. From $13.95 to $22.95 for a 40-ouncer. For better totability, order a loop cap with a hole in it, or neoprene insulating sling or sleeve that snaps around pack straps, bike or stroller bars. At http://www.kleankanteen.com/
Slightly cheaper stainless bottles are $11.95 for 27 oz or $19.95 for 40 oz from http://www.greenfeet.com,/ which also sells Klean Kanteens.
Thermos 18 oz. stainless steel Hydration Bottle with stainless interior and exterior vacuum insulation walls; $17 at http://www.thermos.com/; insulated sleeves also sold.
Preferable Plastics
You can identify better plastics by the recycling code numbers stamped in them. Look for reusable bottles made of:
#2 (HDPE, high-density polyethylene, the most widely recyclable)
#4 (LDPE, low-density polyethylene) or
#5 (PP, polypropylene).
These plastics have not been found to release BPA or phthalates.
On the other hand, most single-use water bottles are made of #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE). These bottles, if old, reused or heated, may release two phthalates: Di(2-ethylhexyl adipate), or DEHA, and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), which are possible human carcinogens, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And, although this plastic is easily recyclable, about 90% of the PET water bottles sold each year wind up in landfills. After all, they’re made to be tossed!
Top Plastic Picks:
Nalgene HDPE #2 Loop-Top Bottle, 16 oz, $4.99, http://nalgene-outdoor.com/store/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=6
Tupperware for Keeps:
For Kids: Tupperware’s polypropylene #5 bottles include colorful Thirstbreak Tumblers with straps, 14 oz, $13.50, or 32 oz On-the-Go version for $13, featuring Tinkerbell; an On-the-Go featuring Shrek, for $13.50.
Ideal for picnics or back-to-school: #5 lunch sets of sealed tumbler and sandwich box feature the Little Mermaid, Dora the Explorer and Diego, $16.
For Babies: Pooh meal set with sealable sippy cup, bowl and snack cup, $17.
For Commuters: 24-oz insulated (double-wall) Tumbler with Drip-less Straw Seal, $19.95, or Commuter Mug with swivel-open sipper cap, 16 oz., $18.50.
All at http://www.tupperware.com/
Easiest to Grab and Go: Rubbermaid’s Polypropylene #5 Chug Sports Bottle, about $3.99 for 20 oz size, widely sold at supermarkets, drugs and home improvement stores or http://brands.hardwarestore.com/196-1453-rubbermaid.aspx or http://www.amazon.com/.
Sigg Aluminum Bottles
No doubt about it, these lined aluminum bottles are light, beautiful and strong. And doubts about possible BPA leaching from Sigg’s patented epoxy linings have been laid to rest by tests commissioned by the company in May, 2007. After water was heated in the bottles for 3 days, no detectable residues of BPA were found, and EWG, as of this writing, has agreed to remove from its website its warnings about Sigg.
Available in 4 colors, the .6 liter Traveler Classic is $18, and .3 liter Travelers or children’s bottles picturing friendly mammals, dinosaurs, vehicles and the sun, are $15.95, with some NOW ON SALE for $10.95; patterned .4 liter kids’ versions cost $17.95, all at http://www.reusablebags.com/
Given the environmental ravages caused by the mining of bauxite for aluminum, however, and the 75% more energy consumed in the production of aluminum, according to the Worldwatch Institute, from raw materials as opposed to recycled metal, reusable bottles could be a lot greener if they were made from post-consumer-recycled stock.
BPA-free Baby Bottles
Glass
Evenflo Glass Baby Bottles, 4 or 8 oz., three for $8 at http://www.ingeling.com/
made of opaque colored #4 LDPE
Bornfree Glass Baby Bottles, 9 oz, two for $19.99 or four for $37.99 at http://www.newbornfree.com/
Non-Polycarbonate Plastic
Medela breastmilk storage and feeding set, white #5 PP, four bottles, $18.99 at http://www.target.com/
Gerber Fashion Tints, #5 PP in opaque colors, 9 oz, three-pack for $4.99 at http://www.thebabyoutlet.com/
Bornfree Polyamide (PA) plastic baby bottles, 9 oz, six for $57.99, eight for $77.99, both sets include nipples and a free trainer cup, http://www.newbornfree.com/
Bottle Brushes
Tip: In a pinch, you can always use a chopstick, tip of a long-handled spoon or a twig to work in a sponge, dish cloth–or the hem of your t-shirt.
Twister baby bottle brush with soft, non-scratching sponge, $10 at http://www.newbornfree.com/
Natural coir (coconut fiber) brush on a long wooden handle, best for glass or unlined stainless (might scratch plastic or epoxy linings); $2.95 at
http://store.greenfeet.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=6005-01073-0000
Classic Baby Bottle & Nipple Brush Set from Evenflo, $1.98 at http://www.netkidswear.com/nipbotbrus.html
Please share this info with interested friends, and send them to http://www.greenerpenny.com/
Thanks,
Mindy
Posted by GreenFemme at 8:08 PM
Part One: Drinking Bottles
It’s hot! Time to hydrate. And while you’re at it, every time you refill a reusable water bottle, rather than buy disposables, you’re helping the Earth’s health, too. If all Americans did so, we’d save the estimated 16 million barrels of oil used to make the bottled-water containers we bought last year. This from the August Harper’s Index, (http://www.harpers.org/), which also notes that twice as much water was used to make the containers as was drunk from them.
Choose the right reusable bottle, and you won’t get bit by the chemicals that can leach from some plastics in these sizzling dog days.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been found to cause developmental harm in animals, and there’s preliminary evidence of reproductive harm in women. And, while a family of plasticizers known as phthalates has long been linked to cancer and hormone disruption in lab animals, studies in 2005 and 2006 show some connection to genital abnormalities and lower testosterone in infant boys. This inspired a worried phone call from my brother Ethan Won, father of three young boys, ages 5 months, 4 and 6 years. “I’ve been hearing about all these chemicals coming out of plastics. Some plastics smell really bad, especially in the heat,” says Ethan, who lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. “And what about when we warm the baby’s bottle?”
A good question, as many clear plastic baby bottles, along with some of those pretty Nalgene Lexan bottles in transparent jellybean colors, are made of polycarbonate (recycling code #7) plastic, which has been found to leach BPA when heated, worn or scratched. “We always want kids’ products to be safe in any way they’re used,” says Sonya Lunder, M.D., a scientist with the Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/), which encourages consumers to seek alternatives to polycarbonate bottles, especially for babies and children.As Greenerpenny reader Bridget Collins writes,“I am very interested in shopping for products that do not contain BPAs. My kids are active and use water bottles several times a day!”
While it doesn’t accumulate in our bodies,“with BPA detected in about 95% of people in a recent CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control] test, we can assume that most of the American population has daily exposure,” Lunder says. These chemicals may also play a role in the development of obesity and diabetes, according to a 2006 Spanish study of BPA and a March, 2007 article on phthalates in Environmental Health Perspectives. Even if fat is “contagious,” as raised by a study in the New England Journal of Medicine last week, it’s far less extreme to drop risky plastics than an overweight friend.
Below are the safest, greenest and most affordable reusable bottles we could find. Pennypinchers, rejoice: In addition to keeping disposables out of landfills, and conserving the tons of carbon dioxide otherwise released in shipping, bypassing bottled water can save each of us about $1,400 a year, by the estimate of New York City officials.
Top Pick: Stainless Steel
Go plastic- and petrochemical- free with 100% stainless steel, the most recycled metal.
Perfect for kids or those of us who feel oppressed by heavy totes, Klean Kanteen’s lightweight, 12 oz volume stainless bottles are the same size as soda cans; caps have a stainless interior and non-leaching polypropylene (#5) top. From $13.95 to $22.95 for a 40-ouncer. For better totability, order a loop cap with a hole in it, or neoprene insulating sling or sleeve that snaps around pack straps, bike or stroller bars. At http://www.kleankanteen.com/
Slightly cheaper stainless bottles are $11.95 for 27 oz or $19.95 for 40 oz from http://www.greenfeet.com,/ which also sells Klean Kanteens.
Thermos 18 oz. stainless steel Hydration Bottle with stainless interior and exterior vacuum insulation walls; $17 at http://www.thermos.com/; insulated sleeves also sold.
Preferable Plastics
You can identify better plastics by the recycling code numbers stamped in them. Look for reusable bottles made of:
#2 (HDPE, high-density polyethylene, the most widely recyclable)
#4 (LDPE, low-density polyethylene) or
#5 (PP, polypropylene).
These plastics have not been found to release BPA or phthalates.
On the other hand, most single-use water bottles are made of #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE). These bottles, if old, reused or heated, may release two phthalates: Di(2-ethylhexyl adipate), or DEHA, and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), which are possible human carcinogens, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And, although this plastic is easily recyclable, about 90% of the PET water bottles sold each year wind up in landfills. After all, they’re made to be tossed!
Top Plastic Picks:
Nalgene HDPE #2 Loop-Top Bottle, 16 oz, $4.99, http://nalgene-outdoor.com/store/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=6
Tupperware for Keeps:
For Kids: Tupperware’s polypropylene #5 bottles include colorful Thirstbreak Tumblers with straps, 14 oz, $13.50, or 32 oz On-the-Go version for $13, featuring Tinkerbell; an On-the-Go featuring Shrek, for $13.50.
Ideal for picnics or back-to-school: #5 lunch sets of sealed tumbler and sandwich box feature the Little Mermaid, Dora the Explorer and Diego, $16.
For Babies: Pooh meal set with sealable sippy cup, bowl and snack cup, $17.
For Commuters: 24-oz insulated (double-wall) Tumbler with Drip-less Straw Seal, $19.95, or Commuter Mug with swivel-open sipper cap, 16 oz., $18.50.
All at http://www.tupperware.com/
Easiest to Grab and Go: Rubbermaid’s Polypropylene #5 Chug Sports Bottle, about $3.99 for 20 oz size, widely sold at supermarkets, drugs and home improvement stores or http://brands.hardwarestore.com/196-1453-rubbermaid.aspx or http://www.amazon.com/.
Sigg Aluminum Bottles
No doubt about it, these lined aluminum bottles are light, beautiful and strong. And doubts about possible BPA leaching from Sigg’s patented epoxy linings have been laid to rest by tests commissioned by the company in May, 2007. After water was heated in the bottles for 3 days, no detectable residues of BPA were found, and EWG, as of this writing, has agreed to remove from its website its warnings about Sigg.
Available in 4 colors, the .6 liter Traveler Classic is $18, and .3 liter Travelers or children’s bottles picturing friendly mammals, dinosaurs, vehicles and the sun, are $15.95, with some NOW ON SALE for $10.95; patterned .4 liter kids’ versions cost $17.95, all at http://www.reusablebags.com/
Given the environmental ravages caused by the mining of bauxite for aluminum, however, and the 75% more energy consumed in the production of aluminum, according to the Worldwatch Institute, from raw materials as opposed to recycled metal, reusable bottles could be a lot greener if they were made from post-consumer-recycled stock.
BPA-free Baby Bottles
Glass
Evenflo Glass Baby Bottles, 4 or 8 oz., three for $8 at http://www.ingeling.com/
made of opaque colored #4 LDPE
Bornfree Glass Baby Bottles, 9 oz, two for $19.99 or four for $37.99 at http://www.newbornfree.com/
Non-Polycarbonate Plastic
Medela breastmilk storage and feeding set, white #5 PP, four bottles, $18.99 at http://www.target.com/
Gerber Fashion Tints, #5 PP in opaque colors, 9 oz, three-pack for $4.99 at http://www.thebabyoutlet.com/
Bornfree Polyamide (PA) plastic baby bottles, 9 oz, six for $57.99, eight for $77.99, both sets include nipples and a free trainer cup, http://www.newbornfree.com/
Bottle Brushes
Tip: In a pinch, you can always use a chopstick, tip of a long-handled spoon or a twig to work in a sponge, dish cloth–or the hem of your t-shirt.
Twister baby bottle brush with soft, non-scratching sponge, $10 at http://www.newbornfree.com/
Natural coir (coconut fiber) brush on a long wooden handle, best for glass or unlined stainless (might scratch plastic or epoxy linings); $2.95 at
http://store.greenfeet.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=6005-01073-0000
Classic Baby Bottle & Nipple Brush Set from Evenflo, $1.98 at http://www.netkidswear.com/nipbotbrus.html
Please share this info with interested friends, and send them to http://www.greenerpenny.com/
Thanks,
Mindy
Posted by GreenFemme at 8:08 PM
Energy codes hotly debated
Kennebec Journal
March 2, 2008
BY SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer
AUGUSTA -- Homebuilders in Maine may face new regulations as a result of bills pending before the Legislature, with one measure focusing on making new homes more energy efficient.
Some builders and environmental groups agree that an energy code is needed to help Mainers save money on oil bills and reduce global warming. Exactly how -- or if -- that will be accomplished will be decided in the coming weeks.
There are two major proposals facing lawmakers regarding building codes, with the State Planning Office scheduled to propose a statewide building code sometime in March. The other is a bill sponsored by Sen. Phil Bartlett, D-Gorham, that focuses on energy efficiency.
Described by supporters as the "bare minimum," the code would require proper insulation of cellar walls and attics. A recent survey completed by the Maine Public Utilities Commission found 84 percent of new homes built in the state did not meet minimum energy standards.
"That means a lot of new homeowners are paying a lot more for energy than they need to be," said Dylan Voorhees of the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
The bill also provides a tax credit for homes that qualify for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star rating.
The natural resources council has identified the bill as one of the most important environmental measures before legislators this year. But it may be folded into a larger bill that seeks to put in place a statewide building code, an effort that has failed several times in recent years.
As it is now, the state has in place a model building code that cities and towns may adopt, but they are not required to do so.
Sue Inches, deputy director of the State Planning Office, said 70-80 towns have adopted a building code and fewer than 10 have an energy code.
"The result is what people call a 'patchwork quilt' of codes across the state, with some towns working from older or locally amended versions of the codes, and other towns having no codes at all," she said last week in testimony before the Legislature's Business, Research and Economic Development Committee.
When it comes to energy codes, Maine is one of 10 states in the country, and the only one in the Northeast, that does not have a statewide residential energy code, according to NRCM.
"Buildings are an enormous source of CO2 emissions in Maine and the region," Voorhees said.
CO2, or carbon dioxide, has been identified as one of the leading causes of global warming. And while environmental groups like it, the bill also has the support of the Homebuilders and Remodelers Association of Maine.
Ashley Richards, vice president of the group, said as a builder and insulator, he knows firsthand that people can save money if they have their insulation properly installed.
Richards said that could save the owner of a 2,000-square-foot home $1,200 a year in oil costs.
"It's not because builders are sloppy," he said. "It's just because they don't know."
Yet at least two groups -- the Maine Association of Realtors and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine -- said they cannot support the bill because they prefer to wait to see what comes from the State Planning Office in the coming weeks.
The Realtors support energy standards, said lobbyist Linda Gifford, but the bill goes too far in other areas.
She said it's not a good time for state government to be creating another layer of bureaucracy, especially a new group of "energy code inspectors" who would review plans, issue certificates and inspect properties.
She said proposed new disclosure requirements would be complicated for home buyers and sellers. Existing documents show buyers how much oil is used per year, and the type and age of heating system in use, she said.
Also, she said the market is driving builders to use better standards.
"Any builder worth anything is building to energy efficient standards now," she said.
Kathleen Newman, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine, said they too want to see what the State Planning Office proposes in the coming weeks.
The energy code bill, while a good idea, "is so top down," she said.
Bartlett, the bill sponsor, said at a time when Maine homeowners are paying $500 to $600 a month in oil bills, making sure builders insulate right the first time is an easy way to help save money.
Not to mention reduce the state's dependence on foreign oil.
"This is not the first time this bill has come forward, but because prices are soaring out of control, we're seeing a renewed interest," he said.
Susan Cover -- 623-1056
scover@centralmaine.com
March 2, 2008
BY SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer
AUGUSTA -- Homebuilders in Maine may face new regulations as a result of bills pending before the Legislature, with one measure focusing on making new homes more energy efficient.
Some builders and environmental groups agree that an energy code is needed to help Mainers save money on oil bills and reduce global warming. Exactly how -- or if -- that will be accomplished will be decided in the coming weeks.
There are two major proposals facing lawmakers regarding building codes, with the State Planning Office scheduled to propose a statewide building code sometime in March. The other is a bill sponsored by Sen. Phil Bartlett, D-Gorham, that focuses on energy efficiency.
Described by supporters as the "bare minimum," the code would require proper insulation of cellar walls and attics. A recent survey completed by the Maine Public Utilities Commission found 84 percent of new homes built in the state did not meet minimum energy standards.
"That means a lot of new homeowners are paying a lot more for energy than they need to be," said Dylan Voorhees of the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
The bill also provides a tax credit for homes that qualify for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star rating.
The natural resources council has identified the bill as one of the most important environmental measures before legislators this year. But it may be folded into a larger bill that seeks to put in place a statewide building code, an effort that has failed several times in recent years.
As it is now, the state has in place a model building code that cities and towns may adopt, but they are not required to do so.
Sue Inches, deputy director of the State Planning Office, said 70-80 towns have adopted a building code and fewer than 10 have an energy code.
"The result is what people call a 'patchwork quilt' of codes across the state, with some towns working from older or locally amended versions of the codes, and other towns having no codes at all," she said last week in testimony before the Legislature's Business, Research and Economic Development Committee.
When it comes to energy codes, Maine is one of 10 states in the country, and the only one in the Northeast, that does not have a statewide residential energy code, according to NRCM.
"Buildings are an enormous source of CO2 emissions in Maine and the region," Voorhees said.
CO2, or carbon dioxide, has been identified as one of the leading causes of global warming. And while environmental groups like it, the bill also has the support of the Homebuilders and Remodelers Association of Maine.
Ashley Richards, vice president of the group, said as a builder and insulator, he knows firsthand that people can save money if they have their insulation properly installed.
Richards said that could save the owner of a 2,000-square-foot home $1,200 a year in oil costs.
"It's not because builders are sloppy," he said. "It's just because they don't know."
Yet at least two groups -- the Maine Association of Realtors and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine -- said they cannot support the bill because they prefer to wait to see what comes from the State Planning Office in the coming weeks.
The Realtors support energy standards, said lobbyist Linda Gifford, but the bill goes too far in other areas.
She said it's not a good time for state government to be creating another layer of bureaucracy, especially a new group of "energy code inspectors" who would review plans, issue certificates and inspect properties.
She said proposed new disclosure requirements would be complicated for home buyers and sellers. Existing documents show buyers how much oil is used per year, and the type and age of heating system in use, she said.
Also, she said the market is driving builders to use better standards.
"Any builder worth anything is building to energy efficient standards now," she said.
Kathleen Newman, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine, said they too want to see what the State Planning Office proposes in the coming weeks.
The energy code bill, while a good idea, "is so top down," she said.
Bartlett, the bill sponsor, said at a time when Maine homeowners are paying $500 to $600 a month in oil bills, making sure builders insulate right the first time is an easy way to help save money.
Not to mention reduce the state's dependence on foreign oil.
"This is not the first time this bill has come forward, but because prices are soaring out of control, we're seeing a renewed interest," he said.
Susan Cover -- 623-1056
scover@centralmaine.com
SIZING UP PELLETS' PROMISE
Portland Press Herald
Heating with wood pellets has its advantages -- low cost and high efficiency -- but can those benefits be exploited on a far larger scale? A state task force aims to find out.
By TUX TURKEL Staff Writer March 2, 2008
OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Seen through a small viewing window, the tiny pile of burning wood pellets didn't seem to be putting out much heat. But the afternoon was mild, and the burner inside the boiler was cycling on just enough to keep water around 170 degrees, sufficiently hot to warm a house, apartment and shop at Evergreen Heat Inc.
The workings of the boiler interested Dale McCormick, director of the Maine State Housing Authority. She and three colleagues had come from Augusta last week to see products sold by Evergreen Heat, one of the few Maine companies selling high-efficiency boilers and furnaces fueled by wood pellets. They wanted to know whether a pellet-fired central heating system might supplement oil boilers in the agency's apartment projects.
"We want to educate ourselves," she said. "It looks like a lower-cost fuel. But we need to make sure it will work. We're doing our due diligence."
McCormick is a member of a new wood-to-energy task force set up in January by Gov. John Baldacci. The group is looking at ways to reduce Maine's dependence on imported oil and cut heating costs, particularly in public buildings. It also wants to enhance markets for local wood products and encourage investment in biofuels.
That doesn't sound too difficult in a state largely covered by trees, where people are struggling with record heating oil prices and have a history of burning wood. But feeding logs into a living room wood stove, and warming a school or a state office with wood-fired central heat, are two different things.
As McCormick observed, modern wood boilers still aren't as convenient and maintenance-free as oil or gas units.
Beyond that, Maine is still developing the bulk storage and delivery systems to make large-scale pellet heat practical here, as it is in Europe. For now, pellets are most-widely available in 40-pound bags and used by homeowners who burn them in specially designed stoves.
During her visit, McCormick got a primer on the equipment needed to store and automatically feed pellets into boilers, and what it takes to maintain the units.
Other task force members are analyzing how a big new push to wood heat will affect forest ecology. Some are examining the impact on the price and supply of wood used by paper mills and other forest products industries.
The task force is expected to make its recommendations to the governor by June. Early calculations suggest, for example, that producing and burning an additional 300,000 tons a year of wood pellets could generate $150 million in benefits for Maine linked to harvesting revenue, lower heating costs and local spending, according to Les Otten, the task force chair. Otten, former owner of the Sunday River and Sugarloaf ski areas, recently formed a business looking at alternative energy investment opportunities.
The task force has just begun collecting information, Otten said, and many questions remain unanswered. Among them is how much a cash-strapped state government can or should do to promote a major conversion from oil to wood, and what should be left to the private market.
There is wide agreement on one point: Wood heat is much cheaper today than oil. To get the heat output of 1 million BTUs, figuring the same efficiencies and current prices, it costs $19.05 with wood pellets, compared to $29.53 with oil.
A GLOBAL MARKET
The task force appears to be focusing on pellets because they burn cleanly, produce little ash, are made from low-grade wood and can be metered easily into heating equipment. Maine has two pellet-producing mills -- in Ashland and Corinth -- that can produce 115,000 tons a year, according to the task force. More may be built soon.
But wood pellets have become a global commodity. Plants along the East Coast and in Canada also ship pellets to Europe. That makes it hard to predict future pellet supply and prices in Maine.
Task force members also want to know how ramping up pellet production in the region will influence existing wood markets.
Pulp and paper mills and biomass power plants use the same low-grade wood that pellet producers need, according to Patrick McGowan, Maine's conservation commissioner. Supply and demand equation keeps shifting, however. Most recently, McGowan noted, a couple of sawmills closed in Aroostook County. That cut off a major supply of sawdust waste used to make pellets.
"The things we do know are all good and positive," McGowan said. "But the things we don't know are very real."
A growing pellet industry can create jobs in harvesting, manufacturing, delivery and equipment maintenance. But a pellet plant requires far fewer workers than a pulp and paper mill, so the task force is unlikely to recommend policies that could put the paper industry at a disadvantage.
One thing the state could do, according to McGowan, is give priority funding to new public buildings that heat with wood. Schools are an obvious choice, but of 21 new schools on the drawing board, only two are considering wood. A few existing schools, including Leavitt High School in Turner, burn wood chips.
The state also may have a role in promoting demonstration projects, which is what McCormick is considering at the housing authority.
The agency has hundreds of multifamily projects financed over the years. Energy costs are a drain on owners who must pay back the loans. McCormick wondered if pellet-fired boilers could lower operating costs, and whether they would be practical to run and maintain.
THE MAINTENANCE FACTOR
These are frequent questions for Mark Norwood, who owns Evergreen Heat.
Evergreen is among only a handful of Maine businesses selling pellet-fired boilers and furnances. One reason, Norwood said, is because there are only three major manufacturers in North America. Another factor is that most people aren't aware pellets can warm large homes and small commercial buildings.
The Canadian-made boiler that interested McCormick sells for $6,950. With installation, the price rises to roughly $10,000. It can warm up to 4,000 square feet and has a coil for domestic hot water.
The boiler has a hopper that can hold 160 pounds of pellets. That's enough to last a day in cold weather. To automate operation, Norwood built an 800-pound storage bin that feeds the hopper via a pipe and grain auger.
But Norwood told McCormick that an apartment building would need a big bin or a grain silo, like on a farm, for some serious storage capacity. To heat an apartment complex, delivery would need to be made by the truckload, not 40-pound bags.
The state's apartment projects typically have multiple heating units. Norwood suggested keeping an oil boiler in the system, to provide supplemental heat in the coldest weather and for back-up purposes. Think of the pellet boiler as a way to provide 75 percent of the building's heat load, he advised.
Wood boilers also have ash pans that need to be emptied, and internal parts that must be regularly cleaned. Unlike oil and gas, pellet fuels have yet to develop a network of certified installers and maintenance technicians to handle boilers and furnaces.
It will take time for these services to evolve, no matter what the task force finds. These and other barriers suggest that if Maine embraces wood-fired central heat in a big way, business owners and maintenance staff will be taking a more hands-on approach than just reaching for the thermostat.
"The operative word is, you have to participate," Norwood said.
Staff writer Tux Turkel can be contacted at 791-6462 or at:
tturkel@pressherald.com
Copyright © 2008 Blethen Maine Newspapers
Heating with wood pellets has its advantages -- low cost and high efficiency -- but can those benefits be exploited on a far larger scale? A state task force aims to find out.
By TUX TURKEL Staff Writer March 2, 2008
OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Seen through a small viewing window, the tiny pile of burning wood pellets didn't seem to be putting out much heat. But the afternoon was mild, and the burner inside the boiler was cycling on just enough to keep water around 170 degrees, sufficiently hot to warm a house, apartment and shop at Evergreen Heat Inc.
The workings of the boiler interested Dale McCormick, director of the Maine State Housing Authority. She and three colleagues had come from Augusta last week to see products sold by Evergreen Heat, one of the few Maine companies selling high-efficiency boilers and furnaces fueled by wood pellets. They wanted to know whether a pellet-fired central heating system might supplement oil boilers in the agency's apartment projects.
"We want to educate ourselves," she said. "It looks like a lower-cost fuel. But we need to make sure it will work. We're doing our due diligence."
McCormick is a member of a new wood-to-energy task force set up in January by Gov. John Baldacci. The group is looking at ways to reduce Maine's dependence on imported oil and cut heating costs, particularly in public buildings. It also wants to enhance markets for local wood products and encourage investment in biofuels.
That doesn't sound too difficult in a state largely covered by trees, where people are struggling with record heating oil prices and have a history of burning wood. But feeding logs into a living room wood stove, and warming a school or a state office with wood-fired central heat, are two different things.
As McCormick observed, modern wood boilers still aren't as convenient and maintenance-free as oil or gas units.
Beyond that, Maine is still developing the bulk storage and delivery systems to make large-scale pellet heat practical here, as it is in Europe. For now, pellets are most-widely available in 40-pound bags and used by homeowners who burn them in specially designed stoves.
During her visit, McCormick got a primer on the equipment needed to store and automatically feed pellets into boilers, and what it takes to maintain the units.
Other task force members are analyzing how a big new push to wood heat will affect forest ecology. Some are examining the impact on the price and supply of wood used by paper mills and other forest products industries.
The task force is expected to make its recommendations to the governor by June. Early calculations suggest, for example, that producing and burning an additional 300,000 tons a year of wood pellets could generate $150 million in benefits for Maine linked to harvesting revenue, lower heating costs and local spending, according to Les Otten, the task force chair. Otten, former owner of the Sunday River and Sugarloaf ski areas, recently formed a business looking at alternative energy investment opportunities.
The task force has just begun collecting information, Otten said, and many questions remain unanswered. Among them is how much a cash-strapped state government can or should do to promote a major conversion from oil to wood, and what should be left to the private market.
There is wide agreement on one point: Wood heat is much cheaper today than oil. To get the heat output of 1 million BTUs, figuring the same efficiencies and current prices, it costs $19.05 with wood pellets, compared to $29.53 with oil.
A GLOBAL MARKET
The task force appears to be focusing on pellets because they burn cleanly, produce little ash, are made from low-grade wood and can be metered easily into heating equipment. Maine has two pellet-producing mills -- in Ashland and Corinth -- that can produce 115,000 tons a year, according to the task force. More may be built soon.
But wood pellets have become a global commodity. Plants along the East Coast and in Canada also ship pellets to Europe. That makes it hard to predict future pellet supply and prices in Maine.
Task force members also want to know how ramping up pellet production in the region will influence existing wood markets.
Pulp and paper mills and biomass power plants use the same low-grade wood that pellet producers need, according to Patrick McGowan, Maine's conservation commissioner. Supply and demand equation keeps shifting, however. Most recently, McGowan noted, a couple of sawmills closed in Aroostook County. That cut off a major supply of sawdust waste used to make pellets.
"The things we do know are all good and positive," McGowan said. "But the things we don't know are very real."
A growing pellet industry can create jobs in harvesting, manufacturing, delivery and equipment maintenance. But a pellet plant requires far fewer workers than a pulp and paper mill, so the task force is unlikely to recommend policies that could put the paper industry at a disadvantage.
One thing the state could do, according to McGowan, is give priority funding to new public buildings that heat with wood. Schools are an obvious choice, but of 21 new schools on the drawing board, only two are considering wood. A few existing schools, including Leavitt High School in Turner, burn wood chips.
The state also may have a role in promoting demonstration projects, which is what McCormick is considering at the housing authority.
The agency has hundreds of multifamily projects financed over the years. Energy costs are a drain on owners who must pay back the loans. McCormick wondered if pellet-fired boilers could lower operating costs, and whether they would be practical to run and maintain.
THE MAINTENANCE FACTOR
These are frequent questions for Mark Norwood, who owns Evergreen Heat.
Evergreen is among only a handful of Maine businesses selling pellet-fired boilers and furnances. One reason, Norwood said, is because there are only three major manufacturers in North America. Another factor is that most people aren't aware pellets can warm large homes and small commercial buildings.
The Canadian-made boiler that interested McCormick sells for $6,950. With installation, the price rises to roughly $10,000. It can warm up to 4,000 square feet and has a coil for domestic hot water.
The boiler has a hopper that can hold 160 pounds of pellets. That's enough to last a day in cold weather. To automate operation, Norwood built an 800-pound storage bin that feeds the hopper via a pipe and grain auger.
But Norwood told McCormick that an apartment building would need a big bin or a grain silo, like on a farm, for some serious storage capacity. To heat an apartment complex, delivery would need to be made by the truckload, not 40-pound bags.
The state's apartment projects typically have multiple heating units. Norwood suggested keeping an oil boiler in the system, to provide supplemental heat in the coldest weather and for back-up purposes. Think of the pellet boiler as a way to provide 75 percent of the building's heat load, he advised.
Wood boilers also have ash pans that need to be emptied, and internal parts that must be regularly cleaned. Unlike oil and gas, pellet fuels have yet to develop a network of certified installers and maintenance technicians to handle boilers and furnaces.
It will take time for these services to evolve, no matter what the task force finds. These and other barriers suggest that if Maine embraces wood-fired central heat in a big way, business owners and maintenance staff will be taking a more hands-on approach than just reaching for the thermostat.
"The operative word is, you have to participate," Norwood said.
Staff writer Tux Turkel can be contacted at 791-6462 or at:
tturkel@pressherald.com
Copyright © 2008 Blethen Maine Newspapers
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