Guided Tour/Lunch – McCommas Bluff Landfill – Dallas (12/5/09)

Hey Young Sierrans! Another behind-the-scenes, environmental educational opportunity awaits your participation!

Just in time for the holiday season, the City of Dallas has gratefully arranged a guided tour for our group of the McCommas Bluff Landfill (MBL).  You may have read all about it in last month’s Advocate magazine cover story, Trash to Treasure. Here’s our opportunity to tour the facility and learn about this big business, waste management facility from the facility manager.

As one of the largest municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in the country, the MBL typically receives 7,000 tons of MSW per day and supports a 5-million cubic feet per day high-BTU landfill gas (LFG) processing facility. The enhanced leachate recirculation (ELR) project has been coined Texas’ largest “recycling” project since it could result in the destruction of up to 40% of the in-situ waste volume.

Optional lunch follows.  More details to come.  Save the date and please RSVP (limited participation).

Date: December 5th, 2009

Tour Time: 10am

Carpool Meetup: Old Monk restaurant (time – TBD)

More Info: Landfill Bio-Technology for McCommas Bluff Landfill (PDF) from the Sustainable Communities Conference (Feb-09). MBL – The Pursuit of Renewable Natural Gas (PDF) from the National Biomethane Summitt (Jun-09).

Guided Tour – TimberCreek Net-Zero Energy House – Lewisville (11/7/09)

It’s been a while since we’ve toured a “green” home.  And since over the last couple years we’ve seen increases in consumer/producer awareness for more energy efficient construction, increases in demand for EE housing and economies of scale in EE construction materials cost and availability, maybe we’re due for another.  Let’s tour the TimberCreek Zero Energy House project up in Lewisville which was recently completed and see if the large-scale housing construction market has made any EE progress and learn where the industry is going.

From their site: The house is a 2500 sq. ft. demonstration project for the Department of Energy’s “Building America” program to encourage homeowners and builders to take the next step in living and building in a more fiscally and environmentally sensible manner. This home will incorporate renewable energy resources as well as eco-friendly materials and building practices to achieve a high-performance “net zero” home with minimal impact on the environment.  They mention that one of their typical homes this size can be cooled and heated for $38/month and the home costs roughly 10 percent more upfront than a similar standard home, excluding the solar electric.

Date: November 7th, 2009

Carpool Meet Up Time: REI Dallas parking lot at 10:15a (map – 4515 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy, Dallas 75244) – departing at 10:30a

Tour Time: Approx. 11:00a (depending on shuttle timing, etc.)

Optional lunch: Following guided tour at Manny’s Tex-Mex or The Londoner (both on Midway Rd., near REI) – your vote counts!

No Parking at the TimberCreek House: No parking at actual house.  Park in Westside Baptist Church parking lot nearby (map – 900 Bellaire Blvd, Lewisville, 75067) and take complimentary shuttle to house.

Details: Please RSVP by 11/6 to the Pingg invitation or to the Young Sierrans email address so we have a rough estimate for attendance.  You can meet us at the house or carpool from REI Dallas.  Peter will send his phone number and additional meet up info to participants the day before the tour through Pingg.  You don’t have to be a Young Sierran or Sierra Club mbr to join us!

For more on the house’s features, or any other information, see the house website.  If you can’t join us on the 7th, the builders are offering other tour dates throughout November.

Roll Beyond Coal for Clean Air/Energy in Texas (2009)

Did you know that Texas is still building and planning more dirty, coal-fired power plants, and that it is the only state in the nation with such a deadly, costly “coal rush” advancing (more info)?  Scary isn’t it?

Join us for an important and fun-filled Halloween event supporting renewable energy, green jobs, clean air and clean energy which moves us beyond coal and puts Texas on a path to brighter and cleaner energy future.

Date: Saturday – October 31st, 2009
Time: 8:30am – noon (Young Sierrans meet @ 9:30 at the registration table)
Cost: FREE to participate!!
T-shirts: Adults: $10, Students: $5 – Must be ordered by 10/23 to guarantee! * All donations benefit the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club to help fight against new coal plants in TX.
Location: Bath House Cultural Center, White Rock Lake, 521 E. Lawther Drive, Dallas, 75218 (map and directions)
Advanced Registration: Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club

Included Activities:

• Halloween costume contest (prizes awarded!)
• Basic bike check ups
• Facepainting
• Exhibitors on green living & transportation and sustainability
• Postcard signings to the EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act (more info OR speak out online)

Schedule:

• 8:30a – Event Begins – Includes Bike/Walk/Run Registration
• 9:30-10:30a – Speakers & Rally
• 10:30a – Bike/Walk/Run around the lake in support of Clean Air/Energy in TX.

To volunteer or for more event information, please contact organizer Lori Peniche (972-980-7176).  Follow these links if you can’t attend, but still want to support clean air/energy in TX, learn more about Sierra Club Beyond Coal initiatives or sign-up for TX Sierra Club Action Alerts.

Cyclesomatic – Bike Friendly Oak Cliff Event (2009)

Bike Friendly Oak Cliff is proud to announce Cyclesomatic, a week long bicycle festival in North Oak Cliff from October 2nd to the 11th. Events will include a history-themed group ride, bicycle competitions, Bike to City Hall, Biketoberfest! in Bishop, an Urban Bazaar, a “Kiddical Mass” Ride, Bike to School Day, BBQ, Bands, Bicycle Films at the Texas Theatre, Art Bike Shows, and guest speaker councilwoman Angela Hunt.

New Belgium brewery is sponsoring part of the week, and BFOC is coordinating efforts with DART, BikeDenton, the Oak Cliff Bicycle Company, and more.

Please see the Cyclesomatic calendar of events (20 or so are currently planned) and join in the fun!  Also, check out the local merchant discounts for bicyclists in the Oak Cliff / Bishop Arts area.

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea

This Sunday, September 27th, KERA will begin broadcasting Ken Burns’ anticipated documentary series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.  This ten-year project “is a visual feast, featuring some of the most extensive, breathtaking images of the national parks system ever captured on film.”  It’s a six-part, 12-hour series and is scheduled to air through Friday, Oct 1.  Be sure to set your DVR!!

* 9/24 – Ken Burns Interview on Colbert Report

If you’re interested in watching the first part with a group of like-minded individuals, the Dallas Sierra Club is offering a FREE screening at the Studio Movie Grill (private theater) in Dallas (Royal Ln./75).  Showtime begins at 5pm/doors open at 4pm.

** As of 9/25 ** Due to demand, the club was provided a larger theater.  To attend this showing, please register to the wait list or call 214-369-5543 with your name, number of reservations wanted/canceled and a return phone number to reserve your seat.

10th Annual Renewable Energy Roundup / Green Living Fair – Fredericksburg, TX (9/2009)

Do these subjects interest you?  Solar – Wind – Geothermal – Water Use & Reuse – Energy Conservation – Rainwater Harvesting – Green & Sustainable Building – Organic Growing – Alternative Transportation – Exhibits – Free Guest Speakers – Natural Food – Family Activities.  If so, you’ll have plenty of like-minded company at the 10th Annual Renewable Energy Roundup/Green Living Fair.

When: September 25 – 27, 2009
Where: Fredericksburg, TX
Tickets/Gate Fee: $10 for Friday or Sunday, $12 for Saturday or $20 for a 3-day pass (children under 12 free).  No pets please.  General admission tickets are sold at the gate only.

Advance ticket packages are available – If you are interested in purchasing a special package call 877-3ROUNDUP for details.

Admission includes:

• Exhibits and on-going demonstrations
• Over 50 speakers (keynote listed below) and workshops
  • Toby Hemenway – author of Gaia’s Garden: A guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
  • Karl Rabago – Vice President, Distributed Energy Services Austin Energy
  • Bob Dixson – Mayor of Greensburg, Kansas
• Green job training (ImagineSolar – PV System Design & Installation)
• Fun learning activities for kids
• Musical performances

Website: See their site for more event details (schedule of events, speakers, exhibitors) or for electronic copies of previous year speaker presentations: http://theroundup.org/