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Environment 🍃 Post-carbon cities

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Here's a great website with resources on how cities are starting to plan for "an uncertain energy future"......

postcarboncities.net

Lately I've been thinking that mobilizing society towards acting on Peak Oil could be a way out of the Global Warming political foodfight we've been stuck in--where conservatives sneer at the hippy green builders and liberals condescend to the redneck SUV drivers. Wash, rinse, and repeat: and meanwhile we just spin our wheels and do nothing about alternative energy, energy conservation, and planning for a future where driving to Walmart for plastic swimming pools made in China may not be an option anymore.

The thing about Peak Oil is that believing in it is pretty much value-neutral. You don't have to love the environment, and you don't have to want to save polar bears in the Arctic. All you have to do is look at the facts, and realize that mankind could really be screwed in the near future unless we do something drastic to get ourselves off of oil.

The website mentions that Bloomington, Indiana has even created a Peak Oil Task Force. That's gotta be close enough to Michigan for some Cyburbian to have heard about it, right?:) Has anyone else been hearing grumblings in their communities about Peak Oil? As you can all probably tell, I'm doing my best to preach it myself.
 
missing rumblings and machinations

Wow, no one's responded to this, eh?

Well, since you've looked at the Post Carbon Cities website, you've seen the list of local government responses to peak oil. I wonder if you also checked out our sister project, the Relocalization Network. If you're looking for local grassroots rumblings, they'd show up on their radar before ours, since we specifically look out for local government action.

I agree with your assessment that energy uncertainty has a lot of potential as a politically neutral motivator. Daniel (Lerch, the author of Post Carbon Cities) sometimes points out that preparation could even be construed as a conservative path of action; prudence and preventing expenses (while at the same time making choices that would improve things like quality of life and GG emissions).

Unfortunately, i can't share any surprising news about my community; i'm in Portland, which is well-publicized to be a little ahead of the curve in these respects.
 
Relocalization

I'd be curious to know if there were:

1. Any specific planning discussion forums of relocalization

2. Any sprouting efforts that are part of APA or other planning org.

I agree that this is potentially quite value neutral if the right approach is taken to each audience. My next door neighbor, who is a planner at Sasaki, told me his firm is picking up on the concept. I don't know if that's another example of co-optation, but nonetheless...
 
Yep, there's a group near me in Carbondale CO. I think the question is how to connect these groups with the policy-making in local government........and that's a tough nut to crack. But a general kudos to the Portlanders and those who are doing it. You will have a leg up on the rest of us if and when the energy crisis hits.
 
Model Sustainable/Hydrogen City

A few months ago, I wrote a letter to the editors of my local Macomb, Illinois newspapers describing my initial thoughts on why I believe Macomb would be a great place to develop a model sustainable and/or hydrogen city. The text of this letter is below. I would appreciate hearing peoples' thoughts.

This letter can also be found at my "Model Sustainable Cities" website at www.modelsustainablecities.weebly.com For some local discussion of this letter, see the "Model Sustainable/Hydrogen City" thread at the Macomb Journal's message board at http://macombjournal.proboards59.com/index.cgi?board=general

Macomb's economic potential

To the Editor:

A few months ago, William Bailey, chairman of the department of agriculture at Western, wrote in a local column about Beardstown’s economic potential. I believe that a similar line of reasoning could display more of Macomb’s economic potential. The following quote can be found online at the Illinois Farm Bureau’s FarmWeek archive of “Perspective” columns. See July 25, 2007 “Perspective -- Ports of Beardstown, Los Angeles, Singapore share traits” http://farmweek.ilfb.org/viewdocument.asp?did=10558&drvid=108&r=0.161297

"It is a bit more of a stretch to think of Beardstown as an international port through which containers of agricultural products could move to anyplace in the world. But that is certainly possible and is well within the grasp of a number of businesses who are attempting to make Beardstown into an international port."

Now, I propose that Macomb would be an ideal location to develop a model sustainable city. Perhaps this is also a stretch. But let me build the beginnings of my case.

What does such a city look like? Let me briefly describe a few techniques that could be integrated into a sustainable city. Buildings could be built or retrofitted to become hyper-efficient, using energy from their surroundings for heating and cooling and sometimes even lighting and electricity. Buildings so designed often return energy to the electrical grid. Hydrogen could serve as the premier energy carrier. It could be used as a fuel for transportation in fuel cells or hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2ICE’s). Hydrogen might also heat homes by combustion or by fuel cells producing electricity for heating and other household applications. The hydrogen will be produced from renewable resources such as biomass conversion or from the electrolysis of water using wind or solar energy. Before all our fossil fuels are consumed, they can be reformed to produce hydrogen as a steppingstone toward fully renewable sources of hydrogen.

Why would Macomb be a good place to accelerate our transition? First, other cities are already pursuing the goal of becoming sustainable. For instance, Columbia, SC is seeking to become “Hydrogen City.” A smaller city of 14,000 in Lolland, Denmark is also hoping to become the world’s first hydrogen city, H2PIA. So, there is precedent for bodies politic on the municipal level to spearhead this kind of economic development.

Second, leaders in the state of Illinois are already pursuing other projects in sustainability. Most of us are keenly aware of the importance of Illinois ethanol as a step toward sustainability. Similarly as in other states, northern Illinois is developing a hydrogen highway. This is in accord with the vision for the eventual national transition to a hydrogen-based economy.

Third, any time one wants to build a large, complex machine, one starts by building a smaller model, a prototype. If cities are large, complex machines, smaller cities could be developed that model the vision for the future development of the larger cities.

Are there any cities in Illinois aiming to become fully sustainable? Are there any locations in Illinois where there could be built a locally functioning, model hydrogen economy?

Let me be specific about Macomb’s characteristics that I believe make it an ideal place to build one such model economy. Macomb is both large enough and small enough to qualify as a model city. Macomb can be described as “micropolitan.” It has mechanics, movement patterns, and other qualities similar to a metropolitan area, except on a smaller scale. For instance, the satellite towns in McDonough County are to Macomb as Chicago’s suburbs are to the larger Chicago.

Next, Macomb is a city of learning. WIU is a primary economic engine. Much of Macomb’s core population is in the education industry. An excellent teaching opportunity exists for a community to develop itself as a model for sustainability. It would be like a giant field exercise or scientific experiment in research and development.

Third, Macomb’s rural setting with low population density is an advantage. Our agribusiness people understand the cyclic nature of agricultural production patterns. These patterns are very similar to sustainable energy production and consumption patterns. Also, our low population density will make it easier for the older technologies to be upgraded or replaced by the newer technologies. Think of it like the difference between the traffic jams around construction in metropolitan areas versus the only slightly more congested traffic around construction in smaller cities and towns.

Fourth, the use of economic cooperatives such as the electric and telephone cooperatives show that our people have a history of working together to bring to us goods and services difficult to procure by other methods. This is a kind of cooperation similar to the lifestyles that will eventually be necessary for life among the future’s sustainable energy infrastructure.

Finally, we are already connected to or near enough to companies who would likely be interested in cooperating in this project. For instance, large equipment manufacturers John Deere and Caterpillar are each only two hours away. These are only a couple possibilities of which I have personal knowledge.

How do we get started? I would suggest an expanded feasibility study. I have tried to show above some of the factors that make the project feasible. But there are professionals, such as Teska Associates, who could work together to develop a more comprehensive plan. Consider Macomb’s Comprehensive Plan, p. 65, Figure D – Action Plan Table, Line Four: “Action Step: Promote the use of green technology and clean energy. Purpose: To become a sustainable City and to reduce green-house gas emissions.”

With a little vision, we could tell a grand story, invite the investment of cutting edge technology, and develop an already great city into a model city. People will flock to Macomb to see how we did it. Students will live the future at WIU. And people will learn from our model in order to improve their own cities.
 
Model Sustainable/Hydrogen City

I submitted a post under a new thread called "Model Sustainable/Hydrogen City" that is awaiting moderator approval, as I'm a new member here. Anyway, the post could have fit well under this thread, too. So, I wanted to note the similarity in topic.

Moderator note:

Threads merged.
 
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A Challenge

Ok, so it's been 2 weeks since I added my first post here in the forums, and it seems like I can't get any replies. Maybe it's because it's a long post... maybe it's because it's in a thread that doesn't get much traffic... So, here's the challenge in the forum that seems to be most active... a challenge to dream with me. It may be a challenge to the cynicism that has understandable crept into the profession to envision a bit of the future with me.

Or maybe it's not so much a challenge as just a request for comments on my "Model Sustainable/Hydrogen City" post under the "Post carbon cities" thread in the "Environmental Planning" forum. (See this link http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/showthread.php?t=32512)

Here's to shameless thread promotionalism! |-)
 
MachWing said:
Ok, so it's been 2 weeks since I added my first post here in the forums, and it seems like I can't get any replies. Maybe it's because it's a long post... maybe it's because it's in a thread that doesn't get much traffic... So, here's the challenge in the forum that seems to be most active... a challenge to dream with me. It may be a challenge to the cynicism that has understandable crept into the profession to envision a bit of the future with me.

Or maybe it's not so much a challenge as just a request for comments on my "Model Sustainable/Hydrogen City" post under the "Post carbon cities" thread in the "Environmental Planning" forum. (See this link http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/showthread.php?t=32512)

Here's to shameless thread promotionalism! |-)
Click to expand...

Moderator note:

And here's to merging the thread back to the original. Sorry, but posting in the FAC just to drum up activity for a thread is frowned upon....in fact:

Forum Rules said:
2.5 Multiposting / crossposting
A new message or thread may be posted only once, in one subforum. Crossposting in multiple threads or subforums is not permitted.
Click to expand...
 
Ok, thanks.

Thanks for the reminder on the regulations. Sorry if I stepped out of line. I guess I'm just a bit too enthusiastic? I just hope it's understandable how I've been trying to note similarities among the urban elements displaying emergent properties on the level of a micropolitan city and how these elements could be researched and developed in an integrative approach to city planning. I just thought there would have been more ideas on this here than I've seen so far in the past 2 weeks. After all, a number of folks have been discussing this at a local message board with some 50 posts and more than 1700 views.
 
Hydrogen Experience

Best of luck on moving your Model City Plan forward. It is the right thing to do, although it may be the wrong way to do it. The rethinking process may be the most valuable step in your proposal. It should help you unearth an approach that is more efficient in achieving the methods and goals in the existing Plan that you quoted.

Hydrogen sounds great, but it is a tough way to go right now. I am personally familiar with the first Hydrogen powered home in New Jersey. The power was derived from solar energy, splitting water to produce hydrogen, then using the stored hydrogen (converted sunshine) to fuel a fuel cell to produce electricity to power to run a conventional two story colonial home and a hydrogen powered car. This project was a success in that it actually worked in the real world using currently available technology.

It was also a successful proof of concept that sunshine could essentially be stored from season to season using hydrogen as a carrier. Unfortunately, the fuel cell was very expensive and had a relatively short lifespan (less than 5 years). The device used to convert the water to hydrogen and oxygen using solar electricity was essentially a reversed fuel cell, which was also very expensive and had a relatively short life span (less than 5 years). This solar and hydrogen system worked but cost as much as the entire home including conventional energy system. (Let's chalk that up to the price of being first.)

By storing the hydrogen on site the usual efficiency concerns about compressing and transporting hydrogen were averted.

With improvements in fuel cell, and electrolysis, pricing and durability the hydrogen economy should then be compared fairly to other available technologies.

Using hydrogen directly as a fuel for heating, cooling, and even driving an electric turbine, might be more efficient, durable and less costly than the approach used in the New Jersey home project. Unfortunately, the current industry-wide love affair with the fuel cell is drawing research money away from more practical and perhaps near-term hydrogen-based solutions.

100% passive solar homes have been built and successfully operated in New Jersey using off the shelf equipment and design methods at only a 10% premium above market rates. These homes had reasonably efficient appliances, solar photovoltaic panels, solar hot water panels, and small wind turbines. Modular home manufacturer Avis Homes adopted the design as one of its alternate standard models. (Meaning, it was believed it would have broad appeal, but was not as low cost as some of its main selections).

These 100% passive solar homes did not put into use the fully resolved and fairly simply approach of having two geothermal well fields to shift thermal energy from one season to another. A local University has these types of wells and geothermal systems arranged vertically in a parking lot near some of their academic buildings.) By pre-heating or pre-cooling the house, refrigeration, cooking, the largest energy demands could be made substantially more efficient than the original 100% passive home design.

By using super-efficient lighting options such as white LEDs and fiber optic pipes (similar to those used in newer automobiles, the White House, and telephone service) the lighting load could be reduced very far below those of CFCs. The structure could easily become a net energy producer with existing hardware and planning. By using the most efficient appliances energy use could be cut even further. Another project, the solar decathlon (http://www.solardecathlon.org/) is showing the way with even more interesting designs in even more demanding situations. In addition, community infrastructure should be re-examined. By utilizing constructed wetlands and on site primary treatment chambers for waste water treatment (http://www.natsys-inc.com/) it is estimated that 6% of total Statewide electricity use could be eliminated. (Prevailing waste water processing requires lots of electricity to run pumps and equipment.)

The fine scale solutions are readily available. What's missing is some Professional Planning and local will power to implement.

Considering PostCarbon Model Cities WILL pose the vital questions that shape our new age. Keep at it!

:)
 
Thanks for the Encouraging Reply

Hey Hadrasaurus,

Thank you for your informative and encouraging reply. It's great that you have personal experience with the first hydrogen house in New Jersey. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I agree that Postcarbon Model Cities will ask the vital questions that will shape the coming age. I'll do my best to keep it up. I'm trying to do a small, but hopefully strategic part in identifying one community where a model sustainable and/or hydrogen city could be successful. Thanks again.
 
Hadrasaurus said:
The fine scale solutions are readily available. What's missing is some Professional Planning and local will power to implement.
Click to expand...

I know you're all talking High Tech but have a look at Transition Towns in wikipedia. There are a growing number of smallish towns looking to a post-carbon future in grass-roots, ground-up ways. OK - it's small potatoes but as changing attitudes is as fundamental as changing technology (and urban design) I think it's something interesting to consider.

Even with new regulation and guideance on 'zero carbon' homes etc one must remember that most homes (I mean almost all) will continue to be old stock.

(I see on the transition town wiki that Boulder Colorado is the first US city to go for it).
 
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Hydrogen Model City needs Model Regulations

We found that local planning and building code regulations were a significant barrier to our hydrogen home project.

In typical "which came first, chicken or egg?" there is VERY little experience with hydrogen. Even though the hydrogen was to be stored in low pressure (150 psi) in fully certified tanks with the best available safety measures (for location, piping, safety valves, etc.) the local code specifically had a "catch-all" provision that nothing that was not already in the zone would be approved. The energy content of Hydrogen is so low that a typical domestic propane tank outside the kitchen window of an average rural home poses far more of a safety, fire, or explosive hazard, as compared with Hydrogen in the same size tank using the same pressure levels (150 psi). Because the Hydrogen gas powered home was the first in the State local officials delayed the project for over a year based on the "anti-new things" catch-all provision. It took considerable engineering and other input to get them to adjust forward to the new less dangerous fuel.

Since this was a State funded project and the home was in a rural area, and it had a tenacious team relentlessly advocating for it, the project wasn't stopped altogether. The whole affair reminds me of the process that every innovation in the building field has had to tackle. (Remember straw bale construction?)

Takeaway message: Plan to work closely on local regulations and fear of local officials, media, and key community influencers as a major, costly, part of any model hydrogen city project. The damage the Hindenburg zepelin disaster did to the entire field of hydrogen can NOT be overestimated.
:)
 
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maryindevon and Hadrasaurus - Thank you both for your helpful replies. I'll likely add more, later, but I'll be without internet access for about a week.
 
Well, I could use some advice/opinions on DOE grants for technology transfer. I've talked some with folks at Argonne National Lab, and they can see some potential in this idea I've shared here about Macomb, IL as a model hydrogen city. Does anyone have some experience with the DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy "Clean Cities" program? They have some grants available to small businesses who aim to transfer technology into commercialization. Any thoughts?
 
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