Local residents and businesses are increasingly willing to take part in measures and campaigns that save energy, reduce waste and sustain the health of the world around them.
During a single week in November, for example, Howard County Libraries reported more than 106 requests for portable energy monitoring meters now available to library cardholders who want to measure their energy use in their home or office.
The campaign began with a cooperative agreement between the public and private sectors, said library spokesperson Christie Lassen, director of public relations for Howard County Libraries.
“We were approached by the Office on Environmental Sustainability, and the meters were donated by the Sierra Club,” she explained.
The meter plugs into a power outlet, then users plug an electrical device — such as a television or lamp — into the meter. The meter reads the electrical device’s energy usage in watts, kilowatt-hours and costs. Residents have found that some appliances — namely video game consoles and remote-controlled devices — suck energy from a home or office even when they’re not in use. Other residents have reported they saved energy by simply turning down their television’s brightness setting.
Spotlight on Solar Lights
People pulling into the parking lot of the George Howard Building in Ellicott City now can look up and see recently installed evidence of one county-led green initiative: solar power trackers atop existing light poles. Developed and donated to the county by Columbia-based Advanced Technology & Research Corporation (ATR), the solar power pole incorporates a GPS-based controller that follows the movement of the sun throughout the day and produces up to 30% more power than fixed panels.
“I think we will be installing these in even more locations in the future,” said Joshua Feldmark, director of the Howard County Office of Environmental Sustainability. “To me, it’s a no-brainer. It’s not taking up space, and you generate a little bit of power.”
Feldmark said he thinks solar power poles also would be a good idea for local businesses, or “any building owner with their own parking lots.”
Feldmark also mentioned the popularity of the county’s home energy audit program. “Through energy efficiency block grants, we have been giving away 1,600 home energy audits to residents,” he said. “We’ve already done just under 1,000.”
The energy audit includes such measures as a “door blower test,” in which auditors close the front door of a home, then blow air against it while measuring with infrared photography how much air leakage exists.
Food (Scraps) for Thought …
For 1,000 volunteer households in Ellicott City, environmental consciousness means composting. A Howard County-operated pilot project features a curbside food scrap pickup program in which residents place fruit and vegetable scraps, stale bread, eggshells and coffee grounds in a designated cart for collection.
Evelyn Tomlin, chief of the county’s Bureau of Environmental Services, said that a previous, smaller pilot program showed the residents who participated reduced their waste by 23%.
“The scraps are being broken down into compost, which helps plants grow and is good for lawns,” said Tomlin, who added that, currently, the scraps are being hauled to a facility in Carroll County. “It’s environmentally sound and environmentally friendly.”
On a statewide level, environmental advocates are not only looking at uses for food waste, but also animal waste. Gov. Martin O’Malley announced that the state is seeking proposals for the purchase of electricity generated from animal waste as part of a Clean Bay Power project to promote the use of renewable energy, reduce Maryland’s contribution to agricultural runoff in the Chesapeake Bay and encourage job creation.
Businesses Can Compost, Too
There are at least a few contractors in the local area that will help businesses set up a food scrap collection program that mirrors the county’s efforts, said Gemma Evans, a recycling coordinator for Howard County. “Different companies of this type offer different levels of services,” she explained. “Some will set up indoor collection points and see the program through from beginning to end. Others will just provide an outside collection container and pick it up every week.”
In the future, Evans hopes there will be more options for businesses that want to start collecting food scraps. “I think it’s an effort that’s growing,” she said. “I’m optimistic. I believe it’s the next big thing in terms of people dealing with trash and recycling. We’ve really been trying to push everybody to do it at home, and businesses are now definitely becoming more aware as well.”
Previously, Howard County provided recycling collection for businesses before ending the program several years ago. Evans hopes that, someday, the county or the state has the resources to offer food scrap collection for all residents and all businesses. “Some states, cities and regions — particularly on the west coast, in Ohio and across New England — are really promoting food waste collection to the commercial sector,” she said. “We’ll get there, too.”
