(photo courtesy of AWEA)

Part III of a three-part series:   HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF WIND FARMS 

February 22, 2009 (Boulevard) — Our country has jumped on a high-speed wind-energy bandwagon, as if the costs of developing and producing wind energy are as invisible as the wind itself. Are benefits commensurate with the costs? Can developers mitigate any risks and impacts? Our panoramic look at wind-farm issues continues, rendering potential fire risks, alleged health hazards, and environmental impacts of wind-development more visible, alongside wind energy’s better-known projected benefits.

PART II in a three-part series:  WHY BOULEVARD?

By Gayle Early

Pristine vale in McCain Valley slated for transmission lines, including Sunrise PowerLink. (photo by Gayle Early)

February 16, 2009 (Boulevard) — Iberdrola Renewables and other parties have had their fingers in the wind, testing for the past three years and more.

“If you link the windy areas in San Diego County to the transmission, it restricts you to very few areas. McCain Valley—and a small area around Julian—is one of the few areas in San Diego County that has wind anywhere near transmission,” said Andy Linehan, Permitting/Environmental Director of Iberdrola.

The quality of wind here might be questionable. Alan Ridley, Professor at Cuyamaca College and enthusiastic expert on renewable wind energy said, “I remember 10, 15 years ago a former Sempra employee told me they just can’t do wind energy in East County, because it’s the wrong kind of wind. I had a lawyer tell me that ‘Kumeyaay Wind project is good, but it’s not great.’

by Gayle Early

(photo by Miriam Raftery)

February 10, 2009 (Campo)--Editor’s Note: Should wind turbines hundreds of feet tall –higher than the existing Kumeyaay wind farm turbines—be allowed in the rural McCain Valley/Boulevard region in East County? Does the nation’s critical need for “green” energy outweigh the concerns of residents seeking to preserve the rural character of their backcountry communities? With new industrial-scale wind farms proposed across America, East County Magazine’s Gayle Early set out on a quest to explore these issues in depth for our three-part series on wind energy.

PART I: BACKCOUNTRY RESIDENTS BATTLE SPANISH WIND GIANT

As they were talking, they saw thirty or forty of the windmills found in that countryside, and as soon as Don Quixote caught sight of them, he said to his squire:

“Good fortune is guiding our affairs better than we could have desired, for there you see, friend Sancho Panza, thirty or more enormous giants with whom I intend to do battle and whose lives I intend to take, and with the spoils we shall begin to grow rich, for this is righteous warfare, and it is a great service to God to remove so evil a breed from the face of the earth.”

By Miriam Raftery January 24, 2009 (San Diego's East County)--In the last days of the Bush administration, two federal agencies gave a parting gift to Sempra Energy. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission designated a vast swath of San Diego's East County as a federal energy corridor, paving the way for the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to approve Sempra's controversial Sunrise Powerlink project one day before George W. Bush left office. For construction to commence, however, the U.S. Forest Service (a division of the U.S.

February 1, 2009 (El Cajon) -- Savor a flavorful tour of the Water Conservation Garden on Saturday, February 15th at 11:30 a.m. Tour includes samples of sweet and savory flavors from the botanical world including fruits, vegetables, and herbs--and then there is chocolate!

December
18, 2008 — Are you an Energy All-Star? Take credit for your green efforts
and submit a nomination for the 5th Annual San Diego Excellence in Energy (SANDEE)
Awards.

The SANDEE Awards recognize outstanding projects and activities that have
achieved significant energy efficiency or energy conservation savings, implemented
renewable energy and reduced CO2 emissions in San Diego County.

Environmental voting records for east San Diego County state legislators and Governor Schwarzenegger

By Sylvia Hampton

December 9, 2008 San Diego) — Environmental protection is very important to San Diego County voters. Every year the League of Conservation Voters publishes a "scorecard" on the voting records of all state level representatives: www.ecovote.org/scorecard_2008.pdf. Among Assembly members representing East County and San Diego's eastern region,  environmental protection scores ranged from a low score of 5% (Anderson, Gerrick and Walters) to a high of 95% (Salas).  Among our state Senators, scores ranged from a low of 6% (Hollingsworth) to a high of 100% (Kehoe), while Governor Schwarzenegger received a 60% rating.

November
17, 2008 (El Cajon) — This holiday season, Sophie's Art Gallery is going green
with a collection of art made form recycled materials.  Green angels are
made from recycled wood, blue jean jackets saved from the landfill, and ornaments
made from found objects. 

The
Coalition of Environmentally Conscious Growers™ is asking consumers to
purchase a real “certified green” Christmas tree this holiday season
for the following reasons:

By Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR

November 1, 2008 - A roof may seem like just a roof to you. But to Jim Mumford of Good Earth Plant Company, a roof is one big pot for plants. His imagination and vision have made him San Diego’s “green roof guru.” Mumford will share his expertise on green roofs in an upcoming seminar, "Introduction to Green Roof Design and Construction" at Cuyamaca College on November 8, 2008.

The half day workshop is presented in partnership with Cuyamaca College as part of its Greener Future and Renewable Energy Seminars. Mumford will be joined by architect Robert Thiele, AIA, LEED AP and roofer Ulf Waldmann of Mission Valley Roofing. Thiele has worked with both James Hubbell and artist Cristo. Waldmann is an experienced green roofer dating back to working with his father’s roofing firm in Germany 20 years ago. “I feel very fortunate to have Robert and Ulf as part of our green roof team,” said Mumford. “They have been invaluable to our ongoing success.”

  Video documentary distributed to CPUC is now online

October 23, 2008 (San Diego, CA) - Stubborn Mule Productions and Backcountry Against the Dump, Inc. announce that “A Question of Power” is now available online.

This one-hour locally produced grassroots documentary about the ongoing battle over the 150-mile “Sunrise Powerlink” transmission line proposed by San Diego Gas & Electric was premiered recently in Escondido.  

ASID Kitchen and Bath Tour Oct. 25 Features “Green” Kitchen on Mt. Helix

By Miriam Raftery

Recycled glass adds sparkle to natural slate backsplash

October 11, 2008 (Mt. Helix) - A Mount Helix kitchen/great room featuring natural materials, solar screens and and energy-efficient features is among 11 kitchens featured on the 2008 Fall Kitchen Tour on October 25th.  Sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) San Diego chapter, this year’s tour features remodeled kitchens ranging from modest tract homes to lavish estates—including several homes in eastern areas of San Diego County. 

Oct. 18 event at UCSD to feature Lt. Governor John Garamendi, green
jobs fair and more

By Miriam Raftery

Event organizers Chuck Brands (left) of El Cajon and Mark Hanson of Lakeside (right) with keynote speaker, Lt. Governor John Garamendi (center)

October
1, 2008 (San Diego) - Looking for a “green” job?  Own
a business seeking to save energy and money with eco-friendly technologies?

You’ll find a wealth of information on these topics and more at Future
San Diego: Green Economy, an all-day program on October 18th dedicated to educating
the public on ways to transition our region to a more secure and environmentally
sound economy. 

By E.A. Barrera

Photos by Daisy Sharrock

October
1, 2008 (SAN DIEGO) - Water is the single biggest issue facing the
future of San Diego County. Even the process for updating San Diego County’s
land use general plan - the so-called General Plan 2020 process - depends on
the availability and amount of water the area will sustain.

By Chuck Brands

OK, I’m ticked off.  This is going to be a bit of a rant that will
touch on hot-button issues facing all of us.   Just in case that
prospect deters you from reading the rest, I’ll share this month’s
green treat with you up front.  Wanna be a “green” know-it-all?  Visit www.green.alltop.com daily
for the single best source of links to all the best articles and commentary
relating to green and sustainability on the web.  Period.