Friday, December 31, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" Green Blog - January 1, 2011

As the cliché goes “All that glitters is not gold”, so too goes the “green” industry.

According to an article written by Jack Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council that appeared in a recent publication of Ecowatch Journal, Akron’s First Energy Corporation proposed to clean up one of its dirtiest generating plants, the R.E. Burger plant by burning biomass that would also enable the company to meet its requirement under Ohio law to produce at least 12.5% of its energy with clean renewables which does include a sustainably sourced biomass in addition to solar and wind energy.

On the surface, the proposal is quite laudable until the details are revealed.

Mr. Shaner reports that in June 2009, the Ohio legislature gave First Energy a sweetheart deal that not only approved the plan but allowed First Energy to count its Renewable Energy Credits (REC’s) at up to four and a half times that of solar or wind power projects.

The “extra” credits would enable First Energy to meet its mandate under Ohio law for renewable energy and possibly sell some credits to other investor-owned utilities.

Objections raised by the Ohio Environmental Council, Sierra Club and the Buckeye Forest Council at the hearings at the Ohio Public Utilities Commission (PUCO) included that the biomass source for the Burger plant proposal was not sustainable because it would require 3 million tons of wood annually or the equivalent of 66,000 acres of trees.

Another objection was with the Burger amendment as passed by the legislature would squash development of solar and wind energy projects because of the extra credit provision for REC’s having to do with the Burger plant.

The PUCO approved the plan even though it was obligated under Ohio law to certify that energy sources must be reusable and sustainable.

On November 15th, the OEC appealed the Ohio Supreme Court on the grounds that the PUCO decision to approve First Energy’s Burger plant was flawed as the commission did not consider the sustainability issue of the biomass source and the fact that the exaggerated REC’s would disrupt the market for REC’s and thus interfere with interstate commerce.

Two days after the appeal, First Energy dropped the Burger proposal citing it was not economically feasible with falling energy prices.

Mr. Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council will go ahead with its appeal in order to force the PUCO to explain why it did not consider the sustainability issue of the Burger proposal.

Another concern is if there is enough “public” in the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio or is the agency merely a rubber stamp for investor owned utilities.

Dayton "Dirt" - December 31, 2010

With the end of 2010 upon us, my hope for you in the new year is that we will not have a repeat of last summer’s heat and drought.

Many plant problems I noticed started appearing in late August and September because of the lack of water.

In my opinion, the drought in the Akron area did not end until Thanksgiving Day with a nice slow rain of up to 2 inches that was followed several days later with a similar rain.

The recent snows this past month have helped to restore the water table and soil moisture.

On a more positive note, the holidays are over and you’ll have time to plan your garden for next year and assess your failures and successes of the previous season in order to move forward to a more productive garden.

Some of your gardening resolutions might be:

1. I will pull more weeds in the vegetable and flower garden this coming year before they get out of control.
2. I will grow more food for my family’s consumption and search out locally grown foods
3. I will involve and teach my children more about gardening and the natural world
4. I will review food labels on the products I purchase in the grocery store to understand the nutritional value and sugar content and the possible effects of my food purchase on my health.
5. I will learn how to freeze, dry and can more of the produce I grow at home.
6. I will beautify my property with trees, shrubs and flowers to improve my own yard and my community.
7. I will use less harmful pesticides and fertilizers loaded with phosphorus on my lawn and garden.

I could go on and on but I ‘m sure you get the idea.

By giving just a little more thought and planning the yard and garden, you and your family will be better off health wise and while enhancing your property. You may just spread the contagion beyond your own property line to your entire neighborhood!

Tom

Monday, December 27, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" Green Blog - January 1, 2011

As the cliché goes “All that glitters is not gold”, so too goes the “green” industry.
According to an article written by Jack Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council that appeared in a recent publication of Ecowatch Journal, Akron’s First Energy Corporation proposed to clean up one of its dirtiest generating plants, the R.E. Burger plant by burning biomass that would also enable the company to meet its requirement under Ohio law to produce at least 12.5% of its energy with clean renewables which does include a sustainably sourced biomass in addition to solar and wind energy.

On the surface, the proposal is quite laudable until the details are revealed.
Mr. Shaner reports that in June 2009, the Ohio legislature gave First Energy a sweetheart deal that not only approved the plan but allowed First Energy to count its Renewable Energy Credits (REC’s) at up to four and a half times that of solar or wind power projects.

The “extra” credits would enable First Energy to meet its mandate under Ohio law for renewable energy and possibly sell some credits to other investor-owned utilities.
Objections raised by the Ohio Environmental Council, Sierra Club and the Buckeye Forest Council at the hearings at the Ohio Public Utilities Commission (PUCO) included that the biomass source for the Burger plant proposal was not sustainable because it would require 3 million tons of wood annually or the equivalent of 66,000 acres of trees.

Another objection was with the Burger amendment as passed by the legislature would squash development of solar and wind energy projects because of the extra credit provision for REC’s having to do with the Burger plant.

The PUCO approved the plan even though it was obligated under Ohio law to certify that energy sources must be reusable and sustainable.

On November 15th, the OEC appealed the Ohio Supreme Court on the grounds that the PUCO decision to approve First Energy’s Burger plant was flawed as the commission did not consider the sustainability issue of the biomass source and the fact that the exaggerated REC’s would disrupt the market for REC’s and thus interfere with interstate commerce.

Two days after the appeal, First Energy dropped the Burger proposal citing it was not economically feasible with falling energy prices.

Mr. Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council will go ahead with its appeal in order to force the PUCO to explain why it did not consider the sustainability issue of the Burger proposal.

Another concern is if there is enough “public” in the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio or is the agency merely a rubber stamp for investor owned utilities.

Dayton "Dirt" - December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve is a welcome slow down from the Christmas rush and coming just after the winter solstice on December 21st. It reminds us that we’re entering the depths of the long, dark winter.

There is plenty to do in winter as it relates to gardening. Winter is the time to catch up on all your garden reading reviewing the new mail order catalogs and plan new projects in your garden.

At the nursery, we’re putting the final touches on our plans for spring which includes what we will grow in our new greenhouse facilities, what new plants we will stock and promote and the continuation of our winter seminar series in order to educate our gardening customers.

What better time to learn about the garden than winter when the garden itself is asleep!

In spring, there will be some new surprises for anyone coming into the garden center but will wait to give you a hint of what is to come late this winter.

Keep an eye out on our website for updates about the seminars and other items of interest.

Remember that we will be open next Monday-Thursday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and will close Friday, New Year’s Eve at 3:00 pm and will remain closed (except for seminars) until March 1st.

We will still be here working and ready to answer your phone questions and e-mails.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Tom

Friday, December 17, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" - December 17, 2010

Last week, Santa’s visit was a big hit with the children and parents alike.
The specifically built bench for Santa was big enough to hold Santa with a parent on each side and a child on Santa’s lap.

We’re low on cut trees now but still have a few beautiful 8-10 foot Fraser Fir and
several 6-7 foot Scotch Pine.

As I wrote formerly, we’ll have grave blankets and wreaths ready for pick up or delivery right up until Christmas Eve.

The remodeling of the original store is almost done as well as our new production greenhouse that will be used for a whole host of annual flowers for May sales.

Keep an eye out for my later blogs as I’ll give you hints on some of the new items that will be here next spring in perennials, annual flowers, roses, trees and shrubs.

Another way to find out about all the new stuff is to visit our seminars that begin late January and finish up in late March.

See you at the seminars!

Tom

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" - December 10, 2010

We’re already winding down on our fresh cut trees! Scotch pine (6-7 feet) and Fraser Fir (8-9 feet) are the only trees left of any number.

The 8-9 foot Fraser Fir are exceptionally nice since the grower just delivered more fresh cut ones last week.

Remember that Santa is here this Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 3:00 each day so that you’ll want to bring your children or grandchildren for a photo op as it’s completely free. Be sure to bring your digital camera!

Santa will be sitting on a very sturdy garden bench that Brad (AKA Mr. Fix It) just made that we’re sure will hold Santa and a child on his lap.

We’re still making and delivering grave blankets until Christmas Eve.

I almost forgot… we have tree delivery and set up available of a real cut tree that will relieve you of the hassel of mounting the tree in the stand straight.

A seven foot tree delivered and set up is only $20 with trees greater than 7 foot at a $35 charge.

Hope to see you in the Owl Barn this weekend!

Tom

Friday, December 3, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" - December 3, 2010

Even though the shortest day of the year is the winter solstice , December 21 or 22, it surely seems that the shortest days are now and that’s because the sun sets earlier in early December then it does on the solstice.

No wonder that Christmas is filled with lights from the lights on the tree, to the star of the wondrous Star of the East.

This year is the 500th anniversary of the first Christmas tree that was cut and erected in Riga, Latvia in the year 1510.

Thankfully for us, the Hessian soldiers defending Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey were busy celebrating Christmas and not expecting the sly fox George Washington to attack them and take these two towns!

Don’t forget that if you’ve been thinking about a real Christmas tree, that we can deliver and even set it up in your stand for a very reasonable fee. All you need to do is decorate the tree to your liking!

Please purchase a stand such as Cinco brand that is the right size for the tree as it’s not a good idea to shove the tree trunk down the middle of a small stand as the tree will no longer take up water to remain fresh.

Remember, Santa is coming next weekend between 12:00 and 3:00 Saturday and Sunday (December 11th & 12th) and will be available for photographs.

Be sure to bring your children, grand children and even great grand children as Santa is very convincing even though he is actually a Nortonite named Tim Crawford who is well known in Norton and throughout Summit County.

Remember too that all the excitement with Santa is free!

Hope for snow,
Tom

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Dayton "Dirt" Green Blog - December 1, 2010

In a recent Akron Beacon Journal article, Bob Downing reported of a proliferation of toxic algae blooms on Lake Erie and in various Ohio inland lakes and ponds.
In Ohio are seven native species of algae that produce toxins.

One such toxin is called microcystin which is a known nerve toxin. At high enough levels the toxin can sicken or even kill humans and animals as such was the case this year in Ohio with 29 people sickened and three dogs killed.

There is a moderate risk to those who use waterways for recreational purposes when levels of microcystin are at levels of between 10 and 20 parts per billon.

The biggest problem is with bodies of water used for swimming and those used for municipal water supplies.

Only once, very low levels of the toxin were found in Akron’s city water supply as the water department’s carbon filters remove any of the algae toxins.

The algae problem could not exist without phosphorus from animal manures, farm runoff and lawn fertilizers according to Dr. David Boher of Heidelberg University’s National Center for Water Quality Research.

Recently, many lawn fertilizer manufacturers have greatly reduced or totally removed phosphorus from their new product formulation.

I suspect that as more and more problems become associated with water runoff loaded with fertilizer that the industry believes that EPA regulation is very near.

Another possible scenario too is the escalating cost of phosphorus that has seen prices triple or more since last spring!

At least from lawn fertilizers, the resultant phosphorus runoff problems will largely be cleaned up from a much more limited use of the element just as when phosphates were removed from detergents years ago.

Riparian buffers along creeks and streams will help to reduce polluted runoff from lawns and farms as these buffers act like a filtration system.

As of now, I know of no EPA regulation (state or federal) that limits phosphorus use; however, the lawn fertilizer industry appears to be regulating itself very rapidly.

Water polluted with toxic algae caused by phosphorus runoff is a problem we cannot afford and one which can and will be corrected either from market forces due to the now high cost of phosphorus or government mandates to reduce phosphorus runoff.