Here's How The Mesa Independent Does The News

Yesterday The Mesa Independent published its staff report for
Top Mesa trending stories for 2015
The top 10 stories were highlighted, according to page-view statistics from Google Analytics - if that's that publication's standard for reporting the news.
The highest-interest stories included Skyline High School, breakfast joints, aquatics, military veterans, HOAs, the City of Mesa's purchasing department, AZ Department of Public Safety, emergency calls, and synchronized swimming.

Don't know if that reaches the publication's goal of connecting and celebrating our community, but readers of this blog are encouraged to check out what that news source had to say yesterday 01 January 2016
Here's a link >>
http://mesaindependent.com/news/top-mesa-trending-stories-for-2015/

#2 Sun-Rich Arizona > On The Roof, In Arrays >> Re/New Able Energy

There will be solar cities if the supply side [and utilities regulation], and technology meet the demand. Costs have gone down more then 70%. Now there's a marketplace for innovation and development. This post is just to keep attention on the potential of solar power - however it happens.
Some cases to get started, beginning with Google's Project Sunroof computes how much sunlight hits a roof . . . read on for some suggestions to make it better.
This story first appeared on TheCityFix.

Google recently released Project Sunroof — an interactive online tool that allows building owners to estimate how much money they can save by installing solar panels on their roofs.
In short, the tool is a valuable resource for anyone considering solar power as a way to cut utility bills and reduce carbon emissions. However, Project Sunroof is only one piece of the picture.

Maoqi Sun

While it’s great that more buildings are powered by renewable energy, and have the tools to make the switch more easily, it’s just as important to reduce the amount of energy that buildings need to consume at all.

What should Google’s 'Project Sunroof' do next?

Help cut energy demand

Eric Mackres and Maoqi Sun

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 - 12:45 a.m.
Net Zero Energy buildings: from theory …
Most buildings meet their energy needs by consuming electricity that is generated in centralized power plants and travels for miles across inefficient power lines.

Eric Mackres

One alternative is to use electricity generated from clean, on-site resources such as solar panels to improve air quality and reduce emissions. But the cleanest, most efficient energy is that which is never produced at all, making building efficiency a top priority that should be tackled before installing renewable energy solutions.Net zero energy buildings (NZEB) are buildings that capture this idea that buildings can improve efficiency and meet their energy needs with on-site energy resources, such as solar panels. Importantly, minimizing energy consumption through energy efficiency is the first step — and most cost-effective element — of net zero energy buildings.

Here in Mesa, just to cite one example, at an early stage when developers Charles Huellmantel and Todd Marshall were planning Encore On First, a photovoltaic renewable energy system sufficient to offset 50% of the common area energy load was on the drawing for the rooftop. That's not net-zero but it's a forward-step in the right direction for a clean on-site renewable resource.
After the greatest possible cost-effective level of efficiency is achieved, then renewable private utilities or municipally-owned energy systems are used to meet the remaining energy needs.
Increasing clean energy but ignoring efficiency results in significant unnecessary costs for energy systems and the citizens and businesses they serve. Instead of concentrating primarily on renewable energy alone, city leaders, in both the public and private sectors, should prioritize an "efficiency first" approach to achieve net zero buildings goals

… to practice
Net zero strategies can be applied to both commercial and residential buildings through new construction and retrofits of existing buildings....
Beyond individual buildings, decision makers can also apply NZEB principles on a citywide scale. For instance, Cambridge, Massachusetts, has adopted a Net Zero Action Plan to improve the efficiency in local buildings because they generate over 80 percent of the city’s total GHG emissions.
To achieve this, the plan aims to retrofit existing buildings, promote new construction oriented around net zero and shift the energy supply toward renewable sources by evaluating solar options and developing a low carbon energy supply.

Toward a more comprehensive tool
That brings us back to Project Sunroof and how to make it better.
Project Sunroof draws on a user’s average electric bill to customize the recommended size of the solar installation, the cost and what percentage of the building’s electricity would be provided by solar energy. However, the tool implies that the monthly bill is constant.
It does not include recommendations for improving energy efficiency and reducing their bill. An important future step for the development of Project Sunroof is to allow users to explore building efficiency options and then connect users with service providers in their area who can help them to reduce energy use before or at the same time as a solar installation.
A tool that advises users to first improve energy efficiency, then implement renewable energy solutions would be very helpful in demonstrating to building owners and city leaders that prioritizing efficiency improvements before solar installations drastically would reduce the size and cost of solar systems.
Furthermore, this also would enable many more buildings to meet their complete energy needs with on-site technology, something that would be impossible for most buildings without higher efficiency.
Project Sunroof offers buildings a great starting point — but the next step is pushing it to become even better. Maximizing efficiency minimizes the cost and size of needed renewable energy systems, making the journey to low-carbon buildings more affordable, helping achieve the vision of "net zero" energy and providing a host of other benefits.

GreenBiz 2016
The 8th Annual GreenBiz defines the trends, challenges and opportunities in sustainable business now.
Go here to see program and
To register
>> GreenBizPhx 2016

Success is all about the power of partnerships — internal, external, supply chain, NGO, public-private, and more.
The tasks are simply too big to go it alone.
GreenBiz 2016 brings together GreenBiz Group, The Sustainability Consortium, and ASU's Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives. We leverage our vast networks, insights and domain expertise to bring you the brightest thinkers and most influential leaders. You'll get an unparalleled in-depth look at the key challenges and opportunities facing sustainable business today.
This annual forum is framed by the annual State of Green Business report, the ninth annual edition of GreenBiz’s acclaimed accounting of key sustainability metrics and trends. The report, combined with the high-wattage stage presentations, workshops and networking opportunities that have become hallmarks of GreenBiz events, makes GreenBiz 2016 an unforgettable event.

Happy New Year : PM-2.25 HPA > Did U Get The Message?

 
Sorry, dear readers, for this morning rant, but we all need to WAKE UP to dangerous-to-health consequences of the air we breathe - THE AIR WE BREATHE IS CONTANIMATED
It's a local and credible threat to the well-being and wellness of all of us.
HPA = HIGH POLLUTION ADVISORY
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has issued a High Pollution Advisory for PM-2.5 (smoke/fine particulate matter pollution) effective January 1, 2016.
http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/
How bad is it? Readers can check on air quality in their neighborhoods by going to this link for alerts >> http://alert.fcd.maricopa.gov/alert/Google/v3/air.html

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change.

IS THIS THE KIND OF CHANGE WE WANT???  

Instead of dealing with the source of the problem and reducing toxic emissions from automobile internal-combustion fumes and burning fossil-fuels to produce electricity, we're told that Maricopa County has issued No Burn Day restrictions effective December 31, 2015.  [WTF? In home fireplaces?]
WHAT ABOUT THE REAL PROBLEM? [Burning fossil fuels]
Answer: Develop Renewable Energy Sources

Everyone
especially those with respiratory illness should restrict their outdoor activities.
This is the way we are told in an imperative statement to do?
OR THIS:     ** EMPLOYERS--ACTIVATE YOUR HPA PLAN**
And we're told > Here's what you can do:
• Eliminate wood burning in fireplaces, stoves, chimineas and outdoor fire pits.
• Avoid activities that produce smoke or exhaust.
• Limit strenuous outdoor activities.
• Reduce driving or combine trips. Ride the bus, light rail, carpool or telework if possible.

 Report serious offenders to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department at 602.506.6010.

What kind of world do we want to live, folks?

 

 

What A Way To End 2015 + Start A New Year! UNhealthy Air > Code Yellow AQI

What a way to wake up today, the last day of 2015, with a "moderate" air-quality warning and be faced again tomorrow the first day of the New Year 2016 with a "severe" air-quality warning . . .

To get down to the local level here in Maricopa County, when are people going to wake up and demand/take action  to the fact that the State of Arizona is failing to clean up the air - just the usual rhetoric and no action for clean healthy air.
It's outrageous that the fossil fuel industries are permitted to contaminate the air we breathe.
The 15% Arizona goal for renewable energy sourcing isn't high enough and won't come fast enough. It's gonna take more than screaming to fix the problem.

Sure we can "monitor" the problem, like the resource image shown in yellow to the right [it's called a yellow alert] . . . it gets worse tomorrow with a severe danger in the air we breathe!There's is more detailed information and infographics on U.S. Air Quality The Smog Blog that had this to report from two days ago:The Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain states experienced Moderate, code yellow, PM AQI (AirNow, top left). No smoke has been reported (HMS, top right). The NWS surface analysis shows a high pressure system in the Pacific Northwest that could be trapping in pollutants (bottom left). Cloud coverage limits the GASP AOD image (bottom right).  See this link with images below >> http://alg.umbc.edu/usaq/

Set aside, if you can for just a while, so-called terrorist threats, threats to national security, the stalled condition of the local and global economies, and climate change. Unhealthy and dangerous air-quality - not just for "sensitive groups" - is a real existential threat here and now in the air all around us that we breathe.Demand and take action to get the problem fixed. It is an immediate and credible threat here and now [you can believe it's real by all these 'alerts'] to our well-being and health.

No matter how it's called. Let's get real - take action

Comments on this post are invited.

 

 

Media Contacts

Bob Huhn Public Information Officer
Maricopa County Air Quality Department 
(602) 506-6713 desk (602) 526-7307 cell
1001 N. Central Ave, suite 500 Phoenix, AZ 85004

Lucette Gonzalez
Media Specialist Maricopa County Air Quality Department
(602) 506-7396 desk (602) 376-9390 cell
Same address as above
 - See more at: http://cleanairmakemore.com/news-events/press-and-media/#sthash.yZYCzcV4.dpuf

$PORT$ In Arizona = BIG BU$INE$$

Hate to date myself, but nearly-everyday watching "Uncle Walter", extraordinary on-the-airwaves reporter  [way back before streaming or screaming news], really did inspire my latter-day entry into online reporting.
He might be throwing his hands up about how news gets done today . . .
Walter Cronkite now has a "school of journalism" named after him + a Cronkite News program on AZ PBS - not exactly doing the news like he did, but that's the way it goes.
A recent report ties in with a post here yesterday about the sports industry's economic impact
Arizona looks for economic boost from football playoff, other events

By Bill Slane | Cronkite News | POSTED: Dec 29, 2015

The article starts off with what's next on the calendar for sports events - The College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 11  that has the potential to have both short- and long-term effects for the state financially.
According to the results of a study, Super Bowl XLIX brought in over $700 million for the local economy, Combined revenues from College Football Playoff events - one sport for about four days alone - generated by hosting those games reached $646.2 million combined in economic impact, according to studies by W.P. Carey. Those games also reportedly created over 1,400 jobs, according to the same studies.
Then there's Super Bowl in February and Phoenix has been selected as the site of the 2017 NCAA basketball Final Four.

Behind all the industry and public relations hoopla, credit goes to reporter Bill Slane for even bringing up a big bone of contention for taxpayers who are asked to foot the bill for financing big sports complexes when major corporations, developers,  and major sports franchisees reap the benefits when promises and projections of local economic development fall far short of goals. Then there's the issue of "operational expenses" . . . organizing committees for each of these events is responsible for all the fundraising to support some of the operational expenses,. . . That would be the only area that would be a potential issue for our state because it is a significant fundraising endeavor for those host committees on the corporate level.”
Pardon me for saying it, but it's not just a potential issue "on the corporate level" . . . quite cleverly the reporter uses conditional future subjunctive words to describe what might not happen [words in bold type for emphasis]

Long term, hosting these large sporting events has the potential for major economic impact on the cities hosting the events, and ancillary events. During the College Football Playoff National Championship for example, the organizing committee will be hosting 25 to 50 CEOs from companies across the country in an attempt to draw their business to Arizona. The Super Bowl Host Committee used the same tactic during this year’s Super Bowl.
“We do that because of the long-term economic development that will generate,” Wright said.
The hope, as with the previous college football title games Arizona has hosted, is to not only give a quick boost to the economy but also create jobs that can have a more lasting effect.
“If we can use this three-year spotlight, with these three, huge mega-events, to convince a couple of companies that Arizona is a great place to invest, to employ people, to bring jobs, that’s a win-win for all of us,” Wright said.
The committee hopes to draw in that business from outside the state by showing off the best of Arizona, with the help of partners like the Arizona Office of Tourism and its director, Debbie Johnson.
The long-term impact that could come from attracting these businesses to the Valley could outweigh the immediate economic benefit, or cost

HERE'S THE KICKER-PAY ATTENTION: A reality-check by reporter Bill Shane:
A recent report from the city of Glendale said the Super Bowl at best created a financial gain of $13,000, and at worst it caused a loss of $1.2 million. The greater benefit for the city will come from the potential growth in jobs from hosting businesses during the game, . .
Nonetheless, the reporter finishes up like so - with some excellent industry comments about how cities score points in the bidding process [with incentives and give-away in contracts that taxpayers might not know about] 

If it was not clear that Arizona wants to host these events after attracting the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff and Final Four in consecutive years, it was solidified last month when it was announced University of Phoenix Stadium would host games next summer for the 2016 Centennial Copa America, featuring national soccer teams from North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean.
Valley leaders have not yet grown tired of hosting these events, and in fact seem to be trying harder to get more of them each year.
Mike Nealy, executive director of the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl, doesn’t think Arizona has done anything differently in bidding for these events compared to past failed bids. Instead it has just been a perfect storm that has set up these major games coming to Arizona one after the other.
“Many of these events are a bid process and so you take them when you can get them,” he said. “There’s not too many cities that are as fortunate as we are to have hosted so many of these events. And if they keep coming, we are going to keep supporting them, so let them come.”

City of Mesa Diversity and Neighborhood Outreach Office Sends

$PORT$ = Big Biz > Play Ball! The Game Is On, but ...



Marc Garcia/VisitMesa

Amateur sports? Wanna play? Who's gonna pay?
How can The City of Mesa - in a league of its own in many respects - even think about pitching a foul ball to taxpayers to fund the estimated [??] $54-57 Million Dollar cost  for a year-round "youth and amateur sports complex" to be located on part of 1,146.3 acres formerly called Spook Hill Park [anybody else gettin' spooked already] for the larger indoor basketball tournaments and volleyball and cheer and gymnastics and wrestling and  weight-lifting and Taekwondo proposed to a study session of the Mesa City Council recently by Marc Garcia, head honcho for Visit Mesa, a DMO for the City of Mesa?
The operating budget for VisitMesa largely comes from bed-tax revenues [about $1Million] levied on Mesa hotels, motels and short-term lodging for overnight visitors to the area.
It was reported on October 7, 2015 that Grand Canyon University had dropped its plans for expansion in the same area.

Chris Brady, City Manager

Will taxpayers get asked to foot the bill again for floating another municipal bond bill by more increases in sales taxes and increased utility charges?? Probably unlikely since $5.7 Million was pulled designated for parks and recreation and kicked into funding for the Mesa Historical Museum
Short on cash, Mesa stalls parks projects [video and transcript with reporting by Maria Polenta on Oct 20,2015]

The new proposal for youth-and-amateur sports complex got the full press-play last week:

East Valley Tribune
Massive sports complex planned in Mesa by Shelley Ridenour updated on Dec 22
Mesa Independent
Soccer complex proposed by Richard Dyer H. Dyer on Dec 21
KTAR.com
Phoenix suburb getting serious about plans for large sports complex on Dec 28
Arizona Republic
Will Mesa Pay To Play?  by Maria Polletta on Dec 15

The Nations Group whose project groups include charter and private schools, commercial, higher education, and sports-and-entertainment, were hired by VisitMesa to do a
*NEW* City of Mesa Sports Complex Market Feasibility & Economic Impact Study for VisitMesa to promote the DMO's proposal.
Not a surprise - the paid-for study revealed that this project could have significant positive economic impact on the City of Mesa, in part by attracting more visitors and tourism revenues through additional sporting events.
Through multiple interviews and market data discovery, the study recommended:

• 24 soccer fields
• A duel-stadium concept (natural grass and synthetic turf)
• Indoor fieldhouse
• Operations center
• Restrooms
• Parking
• Concessions
• Additional amenities

Probably better to stay on game with professional sports - in just one sport baseball - and in one season - Spring - Last year for MLB Spring Training in Arizona the stats were in and they were good . . .
According to a pair of studies released by Governor Doug Dicey and members of the non-profit Cactus League Baseball Association, spring training baseball has become a driving force in Arizona's economy.
The studies estimate spring training teams and the ballparks they play in now annually generate more than $809 million in economic impact for the state.