Tuesday, May 31, 2011

In the Company of Men


Image: D.A. DeMers
To be honest, I was hesitant about writing this story. The thought of interviewing a person from a big energy company seemed odd, considering my scribbling is usually about ways to limit energy use. As a clean energy advocate, my rebel impulse has often been to fight the Power, and from all my preconceptions, a city's gas company seemed like the consummate example of, well, The Man.

Or perhaps The Woman.

Stop there, because when I met Marlynn Jannett, a pipe mapping designer I interviewed from Philadelphia Gas Works, my concerns were essentially set to rest.

Her story is one of guts and determination - the American dream exemplified, and a friendly face for the gas company. She's also my neighbor.

Ms. Janett began her career with Philadelphia Gas Works a couple decades ago. She was the first woman hired to work in field services for the company. Her current position involves creating CAD designs of gas pipes for "prudent mains" where the risk of breakage is possible, or in the worst case, has already occurred.

british gas pipe unbodgedImage by osde8info via FlickrThe gas company is on a constant schedule to replace antiquated pipes, such as those made of cast iron, with newer materials like PVC that are less corrosive and more ductile. In a city as old as Philadelphia, upgrading such infrastructure can be extremely challenging, considering the maps provided are often outdated or nonexistent. Their efforts often include exploratory excavation measures such as drilling through cement foundations.

But the biggest initial challenge for Ms Janett's career was to break through the so called glass ceiling.

Her training came by way of a unique outreach program from the Private Industry Council developed to provide women with engineering skills needed to facilitate their advance into the industrial workforce - a workforce completely dominated by men.

"This all came to me a bit by accident," she said. "I was working in the billing department of a legal firm when I got laid off. Then I heard about the PIC program and thought 'why not?'"

Marlynn Janett
After showing an exceptional ability to master a variety of CAD software programs, she was visited by two engineers from PGW. A lengthy recruitment process ensued, until the company determined she possessed the necessary aptitude for the job. She out-competed several male candidates with her sharp skills and astute interviews, and planted herself firmly in a solid career.

"Some guys weren't too happy at the time, but they got used it," she acknowledged, when asked if she sensed resentment by her male counterparts.

Now, a master of her trade, she's moved well beyond the issues of those days. They were simply milestones of an evolving culture. The only concern she has presently at her job is "working in the middle of Frankford Ave, lifting a manhole cover, and trying not to get run over by a car."--D.A. DeMers.


A Clean Energy Plan with the Community.

PGW recently introduced a number of green energy programs that intersect with various sectors of Philadelphia's business and residential communities. Their EnergySense program is made up of several initiatives that strive to help the company’s residential, commercial and industrial customers conserve energy and save money. It's also expected to create as many as 1,000 new local jobs, reduce the region’s carbon dioxide emissions by 1.24 million tons - the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off Philadelphia’s streets - and support the Mayor's Office of Sustainability's Greenworks plan to make Philadelphia the greenest city in America.

Energy outreach at the NKCDC. Image: D.A DeMers


The plan involves connecting with a consortium of non-profit energy groups, neighborhood organizations, and city departments to provide initiatives such as the The Enhanced Low Income Retrofit Program, Residential Heating Equipment Rebates, Commercial and Industrial Retrofit Incentives, Commercial and Industrial Equipment Rebates, High Efficiency Construction Incentives, and Comprehensive Residential Incentives.

Over the next five years, the company plans to invest $60 million to generate over $110 million in net savings for all of PGW’s customers. Saving money while saving the planet? Sounds like a win-win solution for everybody.--D.A. DeMers.

More info regarding PGW's programs can be found at www.pgworks.com. Plans administered by the Mayor's Office of Sustainability can be found at www.phila.gov/green.

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Monday, May 2, 2011

Greening our Infrastructure

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter recently spoke of the economic and environmental value of green infrastructure in American communities. Their efforts are commendable - sewers and such aren't topics of everyday conversations, despite being essential to metropolitan living. Water is a sacred resource, and the innovative new methods being used to preserve it are truly fascinating and worth learning about - they are passages to a more resourceful future.--D.A. DeMers.
  

The Big Green Block

LEED certified Kensington High School.
PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz highlighted the Philadelphia Water Department’s Big Green Block initiative at Shissler Recreation Center and the Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. The Big Green Block initiative, part of the Administration’s Green City, Clean Waters plan, promotes greening and stormwater management of the city blocks within the community surrounding the Shissler Recreation Center through implementing several green stormwater infrastructure systems on the property. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Philadelphia Water Department, The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the New Kensington Community Development Corporation, Sustainable 19125, the Mural Arts Program and the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.

“When we talk about sustainability and about green cities in the future, water must be among the first issues addressed. We can’t be green without water. The Big Green Block initiative is an exciting example of how we can work together toward a common vision of William Penn’s green country town,” said Mayor Nutter. “I would like to thank EPA Administrator Jackson for recognizing the importance of stormwater management in America’s cities, and especially Howard Neukrug and the Water Department for their forward thinking.”



Philly artist at work on an environmental mural.

“Instead of investing in one project that treats one concern, green infrastructure allows us to protect the health of our waters, save money and make our communities more attractive places to buy homes and build businesses,” EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said. “We want to use the win-win strategies we see here with the Big Green Block Initiative and other projects throughout the city to make every community healthier, more prosperous and more sustainable.” Read More...

Source: The City of Philadelphia website. Photos by D.A DeMers. For further reading on this and similar projects visit www.phillywatersheds.org.

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A Nationwide Strategy

Lisa P. Jackson in Philadelphia.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a new strategy to promote the use of green infrastructure by cities and towns to reduce stormwater runoff that pollutes our nation’s streams, creeks, rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Green infrastructure decreases pollution to local waterways by treating rain where it falls and keeping polluted stormwater from entering sewer systems. In addition to protecting Americans’ health by decreasing water pollution, green infrastructure provides many community benefits including increased economic activity and neighborhood revitalization, job creation, energy savings and increased recreational and green space.
 

“Through this agenda, we’ll help cities and towns across the nation clean up their waters and strengthen their communities by supporting and expanding green infrastructure,” said Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe, who announced the agenda at a Green Street, Green Jobs conference focused on fostering green infrastructure in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. “Green infrastructure changes improve the health of our waters while creating local jobs, saving communities money and making them healthier and more prosperous places to raise a family and start a business.”

Stormwater is one of the most widespread challenges to water quality in the nation. Large volumes of polluted stormwater degrade our nation’s rivers, lakes and aquatic habitats and contribute to downstream flooding. Green infrastructure captures and filters pollutants by passing stormwater through soils and retaining it on site.  Effective green infrastructure tools and techniques include green roofs, permeable materials, alternative designs for streets and buildings, trees, rain gardens and rain harvesting systems.

As part of the strategy, EPA will work with partners including local governments, watershed groups, tribes and others in 10 cities that have utilized green infrastructure and have plans for additional projects. EPA will encourage and support expanded use of green infrastructure in these cities and highlight them as models for other municipalities around the country. The 10 cities are: Austin, Texas; Boston, Mass.; Cleveland, Ohio; Denver, Colo.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Puyallup, Wash.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Washington, DC and neighboring Anacostia Watershed communities.

Natural and impervious cover diagrams from the EPA. Via Wikipedia.

Energy savings is one of the greatest benefits of green infrastructure. On and around buildings, green infrastructure can reduce heating and cooling costs. For example, green roofs reduce a building’s energy costs by 10 to 15 percent, and an additional 10 percent of urban tree canopy can provide 5 to 10 percent energy savings from shading and windblocking. Green infrastructure also conserves energy by reducing the amount of stormwater entering combined collection and treatment systems, which reduces the amount of wastewater processed at treatment plants.

EPA will continue to work with other federal agencies, state and local governments, tribes, municipalities, and the private sector to identify opportunities for using green infrastructure and provide assistance to communities implementing green approaches to control stormwater.  EPA will also provide additional tools to help states and communities leverage green infrastructure opportunities within other innovative environmental projects.


Sourced from an EPA press release. Photos by D.A. DeMers.


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