A Quick Guide to Sustainability Resources for Local Government

If your organization is like mine, each spring the focus shifts toward some green initiatives and various local methods to help promote the environment.  Over the years, I have put together some reference materials for my use, but I thought I'd share them with my readers as well.  Keep in mind that some of these may be region specific and you may need to tailor for your needs:

1. Conservation:
1. Electricity.  Electricity conservation has made great strides in recent years, but nevertheless, it's not uncommon for there to still be a ton of waste.  Some ideas for your residents and your organization:
•  A great primer on household electricity saving tips for residents from WE Energies (Wisconsin).  I like this one in particular because it focuses on a variety of different appliances around the house.
• For local government use, I think the City of Berkeley, CA does a great job discussing your options and applicable methodologies for implementation.  This isn't practical for all of us, but I think its an excellent starting point. 
• As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, there were a few grants handed out to help retrofit American homes to be more energy efficient (including some instant rebates).  Here's an example program from Chicagoland. I believe most major metropolitan areas have something similar.  I advertise them as much as possible to residents since it's a win-win.  Hurry though - I understand these are drying up quickly.
• Many states (including Ohio, Illinois and Michigan) have deregulated the electricity market and allow for electricity aggregation.  This would let your government bid the cost of electricity on behalf of your residents.  As part of the deal (depending on the state), you could also purchase "green" power.  Depending on your community, this could be win-win.
2. Water. My guess is that your organization uses either the even/odd or red/yellow/green system to restrict water usage during the summer, but I try to promote water conservation year-round where possible.  Here are some great resources for discussing it with residents:
• Some interesting facts and ideas from National Geographic.  Part of the reason I like this list is the source - National Geographic is a well-respected and recognized name.
• Water efficiency grants run the gambit.  Each state normally has something to help out.  Check with your Department of Natural Resources or State Environmental Protection Agency.
3. Natural Gas. According to the Department of Energy, natural gas is the most common home heating fuel source in America - and with good reason.  Natural gas is wonderfully cheap (and somewhat more eco-friendly than other options).  Yet, conservation should still be encouraged where possible.
• Some good tips from Virginia Natural Gas aimed specifically at natural gas.
2. Recycling and Refuse Management.
1. Goal Setting and Measurement: One of the initial problems I had when looking at recycling and refuse management was how to measure how much people were actually throwing out versus recycling.  There's a few different methodologies out there, but for a short-hand reference, I like to use the ratio of recycled materials and refuse as compared to the total waste stream.  Higher recycling is preferable (and a good way to compare apples to apples).  This data should be relatively easy to get a hold of from your hauler.
2. Promoting Recycling Programs: Recycling programs are probably one of the easiest programs to find resources to promote on.  Some general tips to make sure you have a good reference:
• Make sure you have resources that accurately reflect what you can recycle in any given area.  It does vary considerably depending on the region.
• Normally, your hauler will have some good resources, but I typically borrow the information from it instead of using it directly.
• Make use of your print media.  I put a chart in our recent newsletter that can be put directly on someone's refrigerator.
3. Stormwater.
1. If you're in the Mississippi River basin (which I believe you have 40% chance of being in if you're in the continental US), stormwater is probably one of your many preoccupations, though I imagine it's a big deal just about anywhere there's a flood plain. Here are some excellent items I refer to from time to time for public education:
1. The definitive source is the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) Stormwater Manager's Resource Center.  There's links to variety of resources from across the nation, and it's fairly comprehensive.
2. One of my favorite resources is Oregon State University's Rain Garden Guide.  It's a comprehensive, step-by-step guide and gives illustrated instructions that are simple to follow.  In northern Illinois, rain gardens continue to grow in popularity, and I expect that trend to continue.

If you have any favorite other resources, please sure to share them.