Building Blocks
We were lucky to get the opportunity to sit down with Marina Badoian Kriticos, the Senior City Adviser to Mayor Sylvester Turner on Sustainability. Marina Badoian Kriticos is focused on achieving sustainability from the ground up, setting standards for building efficiency using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs (LEED) standards and rating system. For several years these standards, as well as other city ordinances, have provided for more efficient and more sustainable homes and businesses [1]. Similar to the Energy Star program, the LEED rating system sets efficiency and sustainability standards on buildings, with the goal of achieving a higher demand for efficiency and more environmentally conscious customer when choosing a residence or workplace. The standards that this initiative, and similar projects, has established facilitates the installation of rooftop PV solar systems. Badoian Kriticos informed us that the city building codes now require all new construction projects be solar ready, so remodeling is no longer an issue for residential and commercial PV arrays. Adequate roof-space, slope, and roof face direction for an at home solar system has been regulated for several years now, so installation projects are becoming a less challenging process.
Paging Dr. Earth !![]() The American College of Physicians (ACP) has recently called for action in the medical industry to become more involved in the fight against climate change [3]. Their position paper, published April 19, 2016, can be found here http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2513976#Methods
Climate change could pose a severe risk to human health, and the AMC believes that preemptive physician involvement is essential in mitigating the potential risks. The Texas Medical Center is the world’s largest medical complex and is located in the heart of our city. About one out of nine Houstonians works in the medical field [4]. With this industry now taking action to initiate change, a sustainability outreach program should be developed. |
“Perhaps the major necessary ingredient that has been missing from a solution to the problems of both the United States and the rest of the world is a goal, a vision of the kind of Spaceship Earth that ought to be and the kind of crew that should man her. Society has always had its visionaries who talked of love, beauty, peace, and plenty. But somehow the “practical” men have always been there to praise smog as a sign of progress... The question now is: can the self-proclaimed “realists” be persuaded to face reality in time?”
-Dr. John Holdren, United States Office of Science and Technology Policy |
Competitive Communities
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources created a competition between four different community based programs within a relatively small geographical area. The local citizens could see changes within their community and other local communities. The communities compared themselves to each other which created a sense of competition, and success was found in different ways in different programs. This campaign was widely successful with the town of Harvard having the greatest results with 4% of total residents installing solar systems [5].
Green friendly areas were given toolkits containing information and marketing utensils like yard signs and bumper stickers. This type of initiative could breed success in some of the master planned communities and suburbs of our area. Areas like The Woodlands, Sugar Land, and Katy are constantly competing for growth. Citizens already feel pride in the developments that have been achieved here and a competitive structure fits well with these demographics.
Green friendly areas were given toolkits containing information and marketing utensils like yard signs and bumper stickers. This type of initiative could breed success in some of the master planned communities and suburbs of our area. Areas like The Woodlands, Sugar Land, and Katy are constantly competing for growth. Citizens already feel pride in the developments that have been achieved here and a competitive structure fits well with these demographics.
Professionals
Houston, The Energy Capital of the World, is a fantastic place for a renewable energy project. There are local professionals at all levels who know and understand the energy markets. Our populous is waiting to create the competition necessary to grow a new industry in the free market, but breaking into this market is a challenge. High overhead costs, logistical challenges, and the complexity of the systems have held consumers and small businesses alike to avoid the industry. Our policy creates a more open path to remain the energy juggernauts we have been.
EducationOur public education initiative is to concentrate on the impact that the individual can make in a world much larger than themselves with supporting economic and environmental benefits of using alternative energy.
Our policies enable the individual to make a difference in a growing world, while promoting higher education and community involvement. The University of Houston, Rice University, and The University of St. Thomas all have growing multi-departmental energy and sustainability programs [6][7]. These colleges offer the further education that the work study portion of our policy describes. A case study on the University of Houston System found that a massive 80% of University of Houston degree holders remain in the Greater Houston Area five years after achieving their degree [8]. Being students at the University of Houston, we understand and appreciate the importance of higher education within our city. |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Johnson Space Center HoustonJohnson Space Center has been the hub of space travel for more than 50 years. Their research has enhanced science and technology that has benefited all of humankind. NASA's experimental solar powered aircraft aided in reducing the cost of solar cells and increased efficiency by around 50% [9].
Solar power is the primary source of power for NASA's current missions. They continue to push material and efficiency limits to the edge in order to power their missions [9]. NASA's space driven technology continues to further Earth based applications, and having a team dedicated to the research and development within our local area provides for easy access to their new technology for business owners and consumers alike. |
Common Goal
Dr. John Holdren, the Director of the United States Office of Science and Technology Policy said,
“Perhaps the major necessary ingredient that has been missing from a solution to the problems of both the United States and the rest of the world is a goal, a vision of the kind of Spaceship Earth that ought to be and the kind of crew that should man her. Society has always had its visionaries who talked of love, beauty, peace, and plenty. But somehow the “practical” men have always been there to praise smog as a sign of progress... The question now is: can the self-proclaimed “realists” be persuaded to face reality in time?" [2].
This idea has been achieved in several different communities across the U.S. through localized campaigns. Community involvement is essential to formulating this type of goal or vision. Conversations occur between friends, neighbors, and peers where citizens of the community create their vision together in small localized campaigns. By creating these smaller campaigns, citizens in the community feel proud to be a part of a greater goal, and as progress is made, greater participation occurs.
“Perhaps the major necessary ingredient that has been missing from a solution to the problems of both the United States and the rest of the world is a goal, a vision of the kind of Spaceship Earth that ought to be and the kind of crew that should man her. Society has always had its visionaries who talked of love, beauty, peace, and plenty. But somehow the “practical” men have always been there to praise smog as a sign of progress... The question now is: can the self-proclaimed “realists” be persuaded to face reality in time?" [2].
This idea has been achieved in several different communities across the U.S. through localized campaigns. Community involvement is essential to formulating this type of goal or vision. Conversations occur between friends, neighbors, and peers where citizens of the community create their vision together in small localized campaigns. By creating these smaller campaigns, citizens in the community feel proud to be a part of a greater goal, and as progress is made, greater participation occurs.