Contributed by: Nathan Schock, via Sustainable Industries.

Energy and water. Water and energy. Both are critical to human development, and both are strongly interrelated.

With few exceptions, water is necessary to generate and distribute energy. In turn, water can’t be collected, purified and transported without energy. A term has even been coined to describe the relationship: the Energy-Water Nexus.

For a company like ours, operating a network of 27 biorefineries with the capacity to annually produce 1.6 billion gallons of ethanol, strategic thinking about water is a necessity. We spend a lot of time thinking about how we use water and where it comes from. More specifically, we focus on conserving water by using less and drawing it from alternative sources.

An ethanol biorefinery needs water primarily for three things: to create the aqueous environment necessary for fermentation, to generate steam in the boilers and to subsequently cool the process systems by removing heat. The perception exists that it takes a lot of water to make ethanol, and at one time that was true. In 1988, our first year of operation, our biorefinery required 18 gallons of water for every gallon of ethanol produced.

But at that time, the industry was in its infancy, technology was unreliable and virtually no ethanol plants were operating profitably. Significant gains had been made by 2009; so that same gallon of ethanol produced in one of our facilities required just over three gallons of water.

How did we do it? How were we able to decrease our water use by more than 80 percent? It was through a sustained focus on both the efficiency of the entire ethanol production process and the specific issues related to water use.

Efficiency improvements in the overall process have contributed significantly to the decrease in water use. In many cases, sustainability can involve trade-offs. But in the case of the Energy-Water Nexus, a decrease in energy use often leads to a corresponding decrease in water use and vice versa.

In our case, the development of a “no-cook” fermentation process decreased our energy use by 10-15 percent and meant that less water was needed to cool the biorefinery. But that’s just one of many examples. When you add them all up, we’ve cut the energy it takes to produce a gallon of ethanol approximately in half since 1988, which has led to cuts in the amount of water needed for cooling by a roughly equivalent percentage.

Gains have also come from focusing specifically on water. Water use is benchmarked across our biorefineries and receives as much attention as production rates. All of the water used in the fermentation process is recycled and we have been able to significantly reduce water use through process optimizations and technology improvements.

In addition to decreasing the volume of water used, our biorefineries also seek out alternative sources of water. For example, nearly all of the water to operate one biorefinery comes from the retention ponds of a nearby power plant. Another draws all of its water from an adjacent quarry that discharges it as part of its normal dewatering process. Yet another gets a third of its water from a local wastewater treatment facility. Last year, one of our biorefineries was able to save almost 16 million gallons when it started using water collected onsite in stormwater retention ponds.

Our belief in the importance of water conservation led us to make further reductions in water use through the first goal of our sustainability initiative, Ingreenuity, which we launched in 2009. That goal is to decrease overall water use by a further 23 percent from 2009 levels by 2014 so that our facilities would average less than 2.5 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol produced.

The goal was ambitious, but our engineers have us on the right track. They came up with a patent-pending process called “Total Water Recovery” that recycles water streams that were previously discharged. That process has now been installed in 18 of our biorefineries and plans are in place to deploy it in all but two of the remaining nine.

Thanks to Total Water Recovery, we used approximately 2.76 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol produced last year and in 2012 we project that it will decrease to 2.61. That would represent a water savings of 805 million gallons from where we were in 2009. If we achieve our full goal, that would save about one billion gallons of water each and every year.

The Energy-Water Nexus is a real phenomenon and being aware of it can help make sure that, as we transition to renewable sources of energy, we’re not solving one problem while creating another.

Contributed by: Tim Olsen

The 3rd annual Harvest Festival will take place on Saturday September 24, 2011 from 11am-3pm at the Lowell Elementary MST playground in downtown Sioux Falls.    Urban Agriculture Initiatives Inc. will host the event with inflatable toys and free food and beverages donated by Cross Pointe Baptist Church in Sioux Falls with music entertainment provided by Dakota Productions from Lennox, SD.  Local organizations including the Boy Scouts, SDSU Extension, Sanford Health, Sioux Falls Fire and Rescue, Sioux Falls police department, Health Connect, and Augustana College will also be present.  Student –led tours of A Growing Place teaching garden will be featured with children from Lowell Elementary on hand to answer questions about what they are learning and how the garden affects their life.  If there are additional non-profit groups or service organizations that would like to be involved please call Cindy A Heidelberger Larson at 201-5549 or email cindyalarson@gmail.com for more information.

Produced by award-winning filmmakers Josh Tickell and Rebecca Tickell, “FREEDOM” started out as a documentary about the recent Gulf Coast oil spill disaster.

It became something very different.

“[The film] ‘FREEDOM’ makes a completely compelling case that by converting our dependence on oil to a literally homegrown source of energy, we achieve several goals. First, we improve our economy by spending energy dollars here; second, we create more jobs; third, we base our energy needs on a renewable resource (corn and biomass); and fourth,
we reduce our impact on the environment,” says reviewer
Patrick Robinson of the West Seattle Herald.

To promote the film, the husband-and-wife team, who also produced the Sundance Film Festival’s Award-winning documentary, “Fuel,” are now on a three-month, 30-city “North American Clean Energy Tour” in their fully customized Freedom Bus, a “green” constructed, highly energy efficient vehicle that showcases the latest biofuel-efficient advanced fuels along with wind, solar and water technology.

Contributed by: Whitney Parks, Koch Hazard Architects and Steven Matzner

Augie Green, Augustana’s student-led environmental club, and POET, the world’s largest ethanol producer, present the FREEDOM Film Tour, featuring an investigative documentary on alternative fuels and a full size, ethanol-burning bus covered in solar panels and wired with high-tech learning tools, which will roll through campus on Monday, Sept. 19.

The FREEDOM Bus will be located outside the Morrison Commons from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The film, “FREEDOM,” will be shown at 7 p.m. in Kresge Recital Hall.

The bus and the film are free and open to the public.

Contributed by: Natalie Eisenberg

Plain Green 2011 Speaker line-up and schedule have been released for this year’s conference on October 14!  Check out details at http://plaingreen.org/

Contributed by: Steve Schwartz and Lenae Liddiard

Have you ever renovated or built a new space only to complete the project and ask yourself, “why did I put the wall there?” or “what would it take to move that wall?” The interiors industry has made products available that allow you to create “high performance interiors” through the use of moveable wall products. Once upon a time, these products were downright ugly. A long time ago, they did not provide the acoustical performance of conventional built walls. The conventional wisdom was that you had to move them numerous times in order for them to be cost-effective.

Locally, business owners are already embracing the modular wall concept.

Cherapa Place, a signature building built on the banks of the Sioux River in Sioux Falls, is a great example of utilizing modular walls in a corporate office setting.  70-80% of all walls in the six story building are modular walls. Another recent project includes a remodel for Lawrence & Schiller in Sioux Falls, who wanted an option to keep their space flexible for future expansion, but still wanted an aesthetic to fit their creative image. See the attached photos of these two installations to see just how beautiful the walls can be!

In today’s offerings, you can reduce drywall waste and landfill involvement, provide superior aesthetics, enable quick and easy change, all for costs close to what you would expect to build using conventional construction methods.

YES, I can move that wall…….

Contributed by: Kim Smith

The Millennium Recycling Ecomaniacs is a green community service-based fundraising opportunity for local not for profit groups.  We provide a free recycling and clean up service to events such as Rib Fest, Automania, Hot Summer Nights, Hot Harley Nights, JazzFest, and the Sioux Empire Fair.  Our average recycling rate for this summer is just under 60%! We do request a small donation from the event organizer, but most of the funding comes from generous local sponsors, and Millennium Recycling.

Contributed by Nathan Schock from http://blog.projectliberty.com/ on July 19, 2011

Last week, I attended a public tour of the EcoSun Prairie Farm near Colman, S.D. The farm was established in 2008 to demonstrate the potential economic and ecological benefits of establishing grass-based farms in the former tall grass prairie region of central North America.

During the public tour, which was shortened by rain earlier in the day and the heat that followed, we heard from several members of the EcoSun Board who talked about the revenue streams they’ve established from grass-finished beef and prairie grass seed. They also talked about potential future revenue sources for the working grass farm, like carbon credits and selling biomass for cellulosic ethanol.

It’s this potential to use native prairie grasses for biofuels production that has drawn POET’s interest. As was mentioned in today’s front page story in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, we’ve talked to EcoSun about the potential for a partnership.

For the most part, our research lab is through the early phase of research and developing corn crop residues for cellulosic ethanol (although the research will never really end) and is now beginning to look at what the next sources of biomass will be for cellulosic ethanol. We see a lot of promise and potential in the native prairie grasses like they grow at the EcoSun Farm. Pictured here is a stand of Sunburst Switchgrass. To see more photos, visit our Flickr page.

We’ll have more to say about this at the upcoming America’s Grasslands Conference that is being held in Sioux Falls, S.D. in August. You can learn more about the EcoSun Prairie Farm (and support their work) by watching Grass Roots: The Prairie Farm Story.

Contributed by Steve Schwartz

For years, a buzz in the commercial building arena has been centered around buildings providing air conditioning from beneath the floor rather than from overhead ducts. Throughout the region, it has been proven that constructing a new space with underfloor techniques can be no more costly than overhead. Long term, the benefits are impressive. Reduced energy cost for running fans, improved indoor air quality, individual user control, and the ability to install power and data beneath the floor vs. embedded into walls. Cool (and cost effective) way to provide COOLING.

Contributed By Natalie Eisenberg

I recently moved and had a good amount of old paint and electronics to get rid of.  I looked up Household Hazardous Waste Facility hours through Sioux Falls’ Leading Green website and headed up there on a Saturday morning.

I was surprised and pleased to find out that I didn’t even have to get out of my vehicle.  I was met by a friendly staffer who took my name and unloaded the waste from the back of my SUV, and I was out of there in minutes after a quick chat with a friend of the SF Green Project.  What a convenient and helpful service to the people of our community.

Sioux Falls Household Hazardous Waste Facility

1015 E. Chambers St.

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Click Here for Map http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1015+E.+Chambers+St.+Sioux+Falls+SD+57104

Hours:

Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, 8 a.m. to 12 noon

Phone:  (605) 367-8695

Fax:  (605) 367-4993

Contributed By Tim Olsen

•  ECO Camp: July 18-22, 8:30-11:30 a.m., Lowell MST Elementary School, 710 W. 18th St., Sioux Falls. Grades K-5th grade. Garden science lessons, tasting fresh vegetables, and exploring the environment. Trained staff. $ 5/child. Contact: christina.zdorotsov@sdstate.edu.
• Growing Connections Garden Party: August 4,6:30-8:00 p.m. Lowell MST Elementary School, 710 W. 18th St., Sioux Falls. Six course meal prepared by Chef Don Smith using locally grown meats and vegetables. $50/plate. Contact: cindyalarson@gmail.com.
• Harvest Festival: September 24, 11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., Lowell MST Elementary School, 710 W. 18th St., Sioux Falls. Food, music, games and the Big Top for nonprofit and social service exhibits. Contact: pchanavan@augie.edu.

Contributed By Natalie Eisenberg

In Downtown Sioux Falls, we love our summertime, as it brings with it an urban vibe, dining alfresco, special events, music and shopping. You can also now enjoy some big-city transportation while downtown every Friday night June 3-September 2 from 5pm-8:30pm.

Enjoy a bicycle-pulled “cab ride” to your favorite downtown destinations! Every Friday night, weather permitting (except July 10th), you can catch a ride from Harold Christensen of Sioux Falls Pedicab.

The pedicab will be making a continuous loop through downtown between 5-8:30pm, or can be summoned as needed to transport you to your location. Harold’s pedicab can carry two to three passengers at a time. The rate is $8.50 per person per mile ($0.75 per block) and includes 6.00% sales tax.

Call 605-610-9887 for service.

Contributed By Tim Olsen

“I love this place. I feel safe here. Can I come back next summer to be a helper?” These sweet words shared by 12-year old Carolinda summarize the impact of A Growing Place teaching garden on the lives of students attending Lowell MST Elementary School. This school serves the families living in the under-resourced neighborhood of Pettigrew Heights in Sioux Falls. SD. Pettigrew Heights is a neighborhood of about 4,000 residents representing a rich diversity of cultures and ethnic groups.  It is also a neighborhood where 70% of the residents are tenants and more than 80% of the elementary school students receive reduced or free lunches.

During the spring of 2009, ten educational, nonprofit, local government, and faith-based agencies gathered to explore how a garden could be the catalyst to grow hope in a neighborhood where hope seems fleeting. Named by the students of Lowell MST Elementary School, A Growing Place teaching garden was established as an experiment to discover if a garden could become an outdoor classroom that provides a hope-filled opportunity to enhance math, science, language, creative arts and health skills.

Carolinda’s words give testimony that the experiment is working. Her soft voice was nearly overcome by the cacophony of voices of the 600 Pettigrew Heights residents attending the second annual Harvest Festival at the garden. The September event provided food, music, games, and glimpse of hope to neighborhood families.  The teaching garden experiment is achieving its mission.  Funding for the garden has been provided by the gifts of several community organizations such as: Kiwanis Club, United Way, and Master Gardeners.

In response to other schools asking for assistance in the form of teaching gardens, the collaboration known as the Urban Agriculture Task Force determined it was time to become a nonprofit.  The nonprofit currently named Urban Agriculture Initiatives, Inc. has recently received Articles of Incorporation from the State of South Dakota.  The new nonprofit will provide organizational, curriculum, and teaching assistance to schools in Sioux Falls, and area communities, to launch teaching gardens.  In addition, the nonprofit will conduct research to determine if agriculture can create jobs within under-resourced neighborhoods.

Architecture for Humanity’s Sioux Falls chapter just released an affordable housing design competition. The competition is open to anyone in the Sioux Falls region, and comes with some serious sustainability standards.

The single-family home must be designed to meet LEED for Homes Platinum standards, as well as be a maximum or 940 square feet and cost just $100,000 or less to build. The winning designer will work with the City of Sioux Falls to create construction documents, with construction set to begin in Summer 2011. This should be fun to watch!

Learn more about the design competition and Architecture for Humanity by downloading this Affordable Housing Competition PDF or visiting their website.

Slides from a Joe Bartmann talk at the “Go Green, Get Green” grant writing conference in Sioux Falls today.

Sioux Falls Green Drinks will host a special edition on October 5 at Minvera’s.

Meet Downtown for a few belts and discuss why sustainable cities depend on a strong urban core. Inspired by the recent movement to build the next Sioux Falls event center downtown.

More details coming soon on the Facebook Page and at siouxfallsgreendrinks.com.

Here’s a nifty special edition announcement to send to your pals: the Green Drinks email.

This weekend is chock full of green goodness. While the Greenival is going on at Sertoma Park, a celebration for a great harvest in “A Growing Place” teaching garden at Lowell Elementary School will kick off at 11am. The Second Annual Harvest Festival is on Saturday, September 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lowell playground. Free hot dogs, popcorn, snow cones, games, and more will be provided to Pettigrew Heights residents and volunteers.

Guests will have the opportunity to connect with local nonprofits, receive free blood pressure checks, celebrate the second growing season of “A Growing Place” teaching garden, and meet neighbors. At 12:15 p.m. Lowell Elementary students will cut the ribbon at a dedication ceremony for the new A Growing Place garden greenhouse and the Sioux Falls chapter of Architects for Humanity will announce an affordable housing design competition for Pettigrew Heights.

The Green Project is one of many partners in the local urban agriculture project started at Lowell. Others include City of Sioux Falls, Summit House at Sioux Falls Seminary, Volunteers of America Dakotas, Lowell MST Elementary School, Minnehaha Country Extension Office, Augustana College/Augie Green, Cross Pointe Baptist Church. The Harvest Festival is also sponsored by Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, Sanford Health, 211 Help!Line Center, Housing Resource Center, South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service and 4-H, Architecture for Humanity, Koch Hazard Architects, Tuluu Dimmitu Foundation, Co-Op Natural Foods, and more.

To learn more about the Harvest Festival, contact Tim Olsen, Director of Operations for Summit House at Sioux Falls Seminary by calling 605.336.6588.

Volunteers will also be working to clean up the Pettigrew Heights neighborhood on Saturday. Learn more about lending a hand here.

Our community’s green movement is on display this weekend at Sertoma Park. Stop by the Green Project’s booth at Greenival and Bio-Blitz, a free family event from 10a to 2p on Saturday 9/25.

Ride your bike or the bus to Greenival and get a reward from the City of Sioux Falls Sustainability Office.

__

The City of Sioux Falls will host its second annual Green-ival and Bio-Blitz on September 25, 2010, at Sertoma Park and the Outdoor Campus.

The event will bring together green-minded businesses, organizations, scientists, and citizens to celebrate and explore the ecology of our area, as well as sustainable products and services in and around Sioux Falls. The event will take place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., and is free to the public.

The Green-ival & Bio-Blitz is a family-friendly event, complete with children’s activities, live music, food, crafts and items for sale, and plenty more. Last year’s Green-ival was a big success, with over 400 people in attendance and over 60 businesses and organizations present. The team of scientists from our 2009 Bio-Blitz & Ecology Day at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum accounted for over 275 species at the four hour event. This year, come see what critters are roaming the Outdoor Campus, and get up-close and personal with a few of them as well! Check out some of the pictures below from last year’s events. Scroll down for more information on getting involved this year!

Stop by Sioux Falls’ newest parks next Friday–they’ll only be around for one day. Two local groups will be creating temporary green spaces on Phillips Avenue on September 17 to celebrate Park(ing) Day.

PARK(ing) Day is an annual, worldwide event that inspires city dwellers everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good. The local chapter of Architecture for Humanity and the folks driving Sioux Falls Pedicab will both host Park(ing) Day sites downtown from 10am to 4:30pm. “Because when we list our favorite places a parking lot is not on the list,” says pedicab driver Harold Christensen, “Sioux Falls Pedicab will participate in PARK(ing) Day and transform a metered parking spot into a temporary park.” His “Rediscover Your Bicycle Park” is co-sponsored by Landscape Garden Center. If you promise to rediscover your old bicycle stored in your garage, dust it off, and ride it in the next week, you’ll get a free pedicab ride today!

If you want to help build a Park(ing) Day, contact:

Harold Christensen (SF Pedicab): Ride@SiouxFallsPedicab.com.

Whitney Parks (AFH-Sioux Falls): info@afh-sfsd.org.

More details are coming…

Downtown LIVE is a concert at Falls Park on August 21 featuring 90′s rockers Janitor Bob and Big Head Todd & the Monsters, plus ShowBaby and The Nick Rallis Band. Join the Trash Talkers team today and get a free ticket to the whole show!

We’re looking for more volunteers for two shifts at Downtown LIVE: 8p-10:30p and 10:30p-midnight. Talk a little trash, volunteer to help Sioux Falls recycle, and enjoy a rockin concert at Falls Park. All volunteers also get the only official Trash Talker tshirt.

What are the Trash Talkers? Find out here.

Click Here to sign up. Thanks for your help!

From August 10 through August 13, 2010, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members and the City of Sioux Falls Sustainability Program are hosting an Eco Camp for Kids between the ages of 6 to 12.

Download Eco Camp the Flyer

A four day fun-filled and educational adventure session teeming with environmental activities.

Kids will learn about:

• Recycling
• Ecosystems & Nature
• Green spaces & Conservation
• Health & Exercise
• And Much More!

The camp will be held at Sertoma Park, located at Sertoma Avenue and Oxbow Avenue, rain or shine. Two sessions are being offered; there is a morning session for ages 6 to 9 from 8 to 11 a.m., and an afternoon session for ages 10 to 12 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Registration is free based on a first-come, first served basis; however, space is limited.

To register, please contact Aimee Ladonski or Drew Price at the City of Sioux Falls Sustainability Program, at 605-367-8695.

The Eco Camp will focus on how the environment impacts you and how you impact the environment. Each camp day has a different theme with activities to further educate the youth about our environment. Topics covered will include recycling, nature, green spaces, conservation, nutrition, and exercise.

Trash Talkers Re-unite!

We’re now recruiting Trash Talker volunteers for Downtown LIVE! This event is set to take place in Falls Park West on Saturday, August 21st from 4-11pm, and we need individuals and groups to help spread the word about recycling.  Shifts will last 2.5 hours and each volunteer receives free entry to the event.  Volunteers must also be over 15 years old and able to lift 15lbs.   Click here to see photos, video and to sign up!

photo by Heartland Consumers Power DIstrict on http://hcpd.com

Sioux Falls Green Project’s newest supporting partner is celebrating their new green headquarters with an open house today in Madison, SD.  Heartland Consumers Power District is a non-profit wholesale energy provider serving communities in three states, including the City of Sioux Falls.

The new HCPD headquarters were designed by Green Project co-founder Koch Hazard Architects to become our state’s first new LEED Platinum designated building. An open house is taking place from 10a to 2pm today, with a program beginning at 12:15pm featuring South Dakota State University President David Chicoine as keynote. Heartland provides renewable wind energy to power the SDSU campus in Brookings.

Click here to learn more about the process and features of the new green facility Heartland calls home.

Click here to find your way to the new HCPD headquarters on Google Maps.

Your mother was right. Although you might never admit it, in this case it’s true. Remember all those sheets of aluminum foil she saved and reused when you were little? Turns out she was part of the green movement before it was cool to be green. Take some advice from your mother with these clever ideas for recycling aluminum foil:

• Sharpen dull scissors by cutting through folded up foil that is six to eight layers thick. Cut through the stack a few times to achieve maximum sharpness.
• Crumple it up and throw it into the dryer with your clothes to reduce static electricity.
• Hang strips of foil on strings around your garden to keep away deer, rabbits, birds and other unwanted wildlife. Also, wrap it loosely around the base of new plants to keep bugs and insects from eating the stems.
• Roll up your sleeves and use a little elbow grease (and foil) to remove rust from steel and chrome pieces, including your grill, the oven or pots and pans.
• Save it for your 10th wedding anniversary! Believe it or not, aluminum gifts are traditionally exchanged on this landmark. Better start practicing your creativity now!

Welcome to the new Trash talkers season! We’ll kick things off at Automania on Friday night Downtown. If you haven’t signed up for a Trash Talker shift yet, don’t worry–we still have room for you Friday night or at any of the other events in our summer lineup. Just click here to see the details and get signed up.

Thanks a ton if you’ve signed up to work at Automania this Friday, June 11th. The Sioux Falls Green Project is very excited to have you on board for this event. Automania this year is a three day event. The Trash Talkers are participating in the Friday evening preview party Downtown, not the portion of the event that is at the Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday.

In order to prepare for the 2010 debut of the Trash Talkers team, we ask that you take a few minutes to watch our new orientation video. It’s a brief video (4 minutes) that will give you all the details that you need to be a trash talkin’ volunteer. Please watch this before you attend the event on Friday.

Trash Talkers Orientation 2010 from Sioux Falls Green Project on Vimeo.

How to be a Trash Talker 2010 training video for Sioux Falls Green Project’s Trash Talkers, sponsored by Millennium Recycling, Inc.

If you can’t see the video above, just Click Here to watch it on YouTube.

The Sioux Falls Green Project’s Trash Talkers are back for a second season of recycling and education at Sioux Falls’ favorite festivals. The volunteer team will be showing off a new look and a new primary sponsor, Green Project founding partner Millennium Recycling Inc.

“As we continue to promote and encourage more recycling in the area this partnership makes sense in terms of having a direct conversation with residents about the benefits of recycling and diverting material away from the landfill” said Jake Anderson, owner of Millennium Recycling.

Local advertising agency Fresh Produce designed this new look for the Trash Talkers volunteers this year.

Looking For Volunteers

Learn the Trash Talking lingo with other community members by volunteering to join the Trash Talkers, an earth-friendly opportunity to motivate festival-goers to keep it green by cleaning up trash and inspiring others to recycle. Trash Talker volunteers answer questions and share information about garbage and recycling at major events this summer like Automania and Jazzfest.

The first Trash Talkers event will be Friday, June 11th, when Automania hits the streets of Downtown Sioux Falls. Volunteers are still needed from 8:00pm to 10:30pm. Trash Talkers help our community, our environment and get cool stuff. Interested volunteers can sign up for a shift at trashtalkers.org. Volunteers should be over 15 years old and be able to lift 30 lbs.

Here’s the hot new Trash Talkers tshirt. And the only way to get one is to volunteer for the Trash Talkers team this summer.

Sioux Falls Green Project’s Trash Talkers, sponsored by Millennium Recycling, are a team of volunteers who teach festival goers around the city about recycling and reducing waste. We’re looking for help now at Automania, Hot Summer Nites and JazzFest. To learn more or sign up, visit trashtalkers.org.

The Sioux Falls Green project is currently recruiting volunteers for the summer 2010 Trash Talkers season. We’re so excited to announce Millennium Recycling is the new sponsor of the Trash Talkers team!

Last summer over 40 volunteers helped divert more than four tons of materials from the landfill. The team helps spread the word about how to recycle better and helps clean up our community. The goal is to cut down on overall waste that will end up in the landfill, improve on the amount recycled from the previous year at each event, as well as answer questions about recycling at home or work.

So, take action with your fellow community members and sign up for the Trash Talking crew today!

Volunteer shifts for several events are still available. Shifts last 2.5 hours, and we provide all the gear you’ll need to keep clean and look hip.

Join the team at the following events:

• Automania – Friday, June 11th
• Hot Summer Nights – Wednesday, July 14th
• JazzFest – July 15th-17th

Click here to join the Trash Talkers team today!

Questions? Email Karin or call 605.610.4240

Today Sioux Falls celebrates cycling at the ninth annual Sioux Falls Bike to Work Day at the Museum of Visual Materials (free pancakes from 6-9am!). Even the our new mayor will be pedaling for some pancakes.

It’s also the kick-off for the Second Annual Bike to Work Challenge. The BTW Challenge  asks you to “Be Alternative Energy” by riding your bike to work as often as possible from May 21st (today) through October 15th. It’s free to participate, and there are cash prizes for the top three challengers. For more info or to register, get to the Museum of Visual Materials by 9am today, or email fearlessdiamond69@gmail.com.

But the really happy news? Check out this chart from the City of Sioux Falls’ Long Range Transportation Plan survey. Our friend Mike at The MinusCar Project broke the story on Wednesday.

The process to write the next 25-year LRT Plan began with a survey to learn how people are currently using the transportation system. The trends in transportation use make our happy story. The number of people who’s normal mode of transportation is a single-occupant automobile dropped by 4 percent, and the number of people walking, biking or carpooling rose steadily!

The City will soon be scheduling an open house for citizens to see the full report and share their feedback and ideas. We hope you’ll attend, because transportation is a huge opportunity in building a greener future for our community.

And hurry downtown for some pancakes.

With temperatures rising and flip flops starting to parade the ground, the coming summertime is certainly in the air. Now we just have to focus on keeping that air clean.

Here are a few tips to start making this season a greener one.

• Hang your laundry out to dry. Now that it’s warm enough, this is a perfect alternative to an electric dryer.
• Eat outdoors whenever possible. It’ll save on electricity and give you some dinner scenery.
• Use fans and open windows. Fans use less energy than air conditioners and circulate air instead of keeping it trapped in a single room.
• Close shades and blinds. Keeping them closed during the daytime will minimize solar heat gain and will keep your house cooler.
• If you’re planning on barbequing, try a gas or electric grill. Charcoal is harder on the environment. Or, try a solar oven that avoids emissions altogether.

For more local green tips sent to your inbox each week, sign up for ONE TIP TO KNOW.

This week’s tips made possible by Howalt+McDowell Insurance.