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Chris Paine, writer and director of the acclaimed fi lm, “Who Killed the Electric Car,” will be a keynote speaker at Pima Association of Governments’ Sustainability and Energy Expo on March 6-7, 2009 at the Tucson Convention Center.
Paine’s fi lm on the demise of General Motors’ EV-1, all-electric vehicle was released in 2006 and featured at the Sundance, Tribeca and San Francisco film festivals and has become a must-see fi lm for anyone interested in future trends in transportation.
Paine currently is working on a movie sequel to be called “Revenge of the ElectricCar.” He is a supporter of the not-for-profi t organization, Plug-In America.
The two-day Expo, which in 2007 attracted more than 4,000 people, will be held in Exhibit Hall A at the TCC and will feature a fi lm festival, several panel discussions with national and regional experts, and a display of alternative vehicles, including the University of Arizona solar car.
Paine’s presentation will be held at 12:30 p.m. on March 7 in the Mojave room at the TCC.
Several major sponsors have signed up for the event, including Tucson Electric Power as a Platinum sponsor and Union Pacifi c and Tucson Newspapers Inc. as Gold sponsors .
“We are happy to announce these initial sponsors,” said Dennis Dickerson, event coordinator. “These and other sponsorships will allow us to host a bigger and better event for southern Arizona. Based on last year’s attendance and attendance at recent events nationally we are conservatively estimating attendance levels of 5,000 to 7,000 people.”
For event details and exhibitor/sponsor information, please visit www.TucsonAltEnergyExpo.com.
Rapid population growth, representing increased energy consumption in the Tucson metropolitan area from 1990 to 2006, accounts for growth in the region’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Pima Association of Governments recently developed a regional greenhouse gas inventory for eastern Pima County and the City of Tucson in response to increasing concerns of greenhouse gas-induced global warming. County GHG emissions have increased by 46 percent and City emissions have increased by 34 percent. The report compares data generated in 1990 to more recent data (2006) to identify trends in emissions and sources.
The report shows that Pima County and the City of Tucson have similar trends in GHG emissions, energy use, transportation and waste disposal from 1990 to 2006. Not surprisingly, the use of coal, natural gas and petroleum fuels are the major sources of regional GHG emissions. Regional electricity consumption accounts for over 50 percent of total emissions from 1990 to 2006. Residential and commercial energy consumption and emissions have shown the greatest increase over this time period.
From 1990 to 2006, on-road vehicle travel increased by over 70 percent at both the County and City levels. As a consequence, GHG emissions from regional transportation represents approximately one-third of total emissions.
The data collected provide a baseline from which to determine strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The inventory clearly shows that making progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet GHG reduction goals set by the Western Climate Initiative, the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement or Arizona Executive Order 2006-13 will not be easy.
Targets for emission reductions will not readily be achieved as long as people remain reliant on fuels that generate carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gas emissions are not likely to be signifi cantly reduced until renewable energy becomes far more commonplace.
This report and associated appendices are posted on PAG’s Web at: http://www.pagnet.org/documents/Air/GreenHouseGas-2008-11-Inventory.pdf
The Tucson Regional Clean Cities Coalition celebrated the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities’  15th anniversary of its public/private partnership program on Oct. 3 by participating in the National Alternative Fueled Vehicle Day Odyssey. Odyssey is the largest national one-day event promoting the use of alternative fuels and energy-efficient vehicles.
The Tucson Coalition showcased a range of alternative fuels and vehicles available on the market today through four diff erent events held throughout the day.
The Coalition hosted a booth at 92.9. The Mountain’s Green October event at La Encantada in the early morning. This was followed by a presentation and celebration at PAG’s Environmental Planning Advisory Council meeting. To aid in educating youth, the Coalition led a classroom discussion for Tina Hansleben’s 6th grade class at Amphitheater Middle School on the different types and sources of fuels. The day concluded with a 15-vehicle display at Foothills Mall to educate the public on alternative fuels. Many of the Clean Cities Coalition members participated including Arizona Biodie sel Board, Clean Energy, CNG Services of Arizona, Coyote Golf Cars, Grecycle, Mrs. Green Goes Mainstream, Sun Tran, Tucson Electric Bikes and the Tucson Electric Vehicle Association.
“The Clean Cities partnership and the National AFV Day Odyssey are an ideal match, since both promote sustainable transportation that supports our national economy, security and environment,” said Tucson Regional Clean Cities Manager Colleen Crowninshield.
Since its inception in 1993, the Clean Cities partnership has supported local decisions to reduce petroleum consumption in transportation. Although the original coalitions initially focused on alternative fuels and alternatively fueled vehicles, Clean Cities has since expanded to support a variety of technologies, including hybrid vehicles, idle reduction, fuel economy and fuel blends s uch as B20-biodiesel. In 2007 alone, the partnership’s 86 coalitions helped put half a million alternatively fueled
vehicles on the road and contributed to the consumption of over one quarter of a billion gallons of alternative fuel. The Tucson Regional Clean Cities Coalition was established in 1999. Since then, coalition members have displaced over 12.1 million gallons of petroleum.
Although the public recently has decreased its petroleum consumption, Americans still consume 56,000 gallons of motor-vehicle gasoline per month. By the end of 2008, the nation’s oil dependence will cost the country $560 billion.
 Buffelgrass is an invasive plant that is threatening the very existence of the Sonoran desert. You may have seen it along roadsides or on vacant lots as a scraggly-bushy plant that this time of year is a dried-out, dead-looking plant that is a golden color. Unfortunately, this plant grows prolifically and, when dry, is highly flammable, burning at over 1,000 degrees F. It tends to crowd out native plants and will slowly dominate the desert if not kept in check.
On March 1, more than 200 volunteers gathered at a variety of locations across the region to remove buffelgrass. On a single day, over 4,000 buffelgrass plants were pulled out of the ground and destroyed. The next regional buffelgrass volunteer removal event is set for Feb. 7. That Saturday, we hope to attract even more volunteers to reach a target of over 10,000 plants removed. The event is called “Beat Back Buffelgrass Day.”
Since the first event last year, which helped to highlight the threat posed by buffelgrass, several volunteer groups have been working to remove buffelgrass. Their work is far from done and a concerted effort over a number of years will be required to control the spread of buffelgrass. Already, buffelgrass has spread to Saguaro National Park and the Catalina Foothills. Beat Back Buffelgrass Day represents an important opportunity to make a difference and help to protect the desert by joining with hundreds of others to change the future of the Sonoran desert. Watch for details at www.buffelgrass.org.
Pima Association of Governments is recognizing employers in its Travel Reduction Program (TRP) that have documented outstanding employee usage of alternate modes or special programs to reduce drive-alone trips to the worksite.
Employers in the TRP are required by local ordinances to reduce traffic to the worksite by educating and encouraging employees with incentives to leave their car at home – at least one day a week. The TRP is managed by Pima Association of Governments and assists employers in developing a Travel Reduction Plan and surveying their employees to measure their accomplishments.
The TRP survey conducted in 2007 involved 285 worksites with over 121,000 employees and documented that 29 percent of the employees used an alternate mode (carpool, vanpool, bus, bicycle, walk) or special programs (compressed work weeks, telework, field work or clean fuel vehicle) to improve traffi c congestion and maintain air quality.
In one year, employees saved 98.7 million driving miles, 8.89 million gallons of gasoline, $31.4 million and prevented over 10.26 million pounds of pollution for the community.
The employers, by size of employment and their categories of achievements, are listed on the attached page. If you would like information on how to join the Travel Reduction Program, please contact Rita Hildebrand, TRP Lead, at 792-1093.
| Highest Alternate Mode Usage |
Highest Alternate Mode Use Increase
|
(5000+)
Raytheon Missile Systems
The University of Arizona
Pima County |
(5000+)
Raytheon Missile Systems
The University of Arizona
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base |
(1000 – 4999)
City of Tucson
University Medical Center
IBM |
(1000 – 4999)
IBM
City of Tucson
Southern AZ VA Health Care
System
|
(600 – 999)
Freeport McMoRanCopper & Gold, Sierrita Operations
Cross County Automotive Services
Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf
& Tennis Resort
|
(600 – 999)
University Physicians Healthcare - River Road
Honeywell Aerospace Tucson – Oracle Road
Cross Country Automotive Services |
(300 – 599)
Afni
Northwest-University Physicians
Healthcare- Kino
Northwest Medical Center – Oro
Valley
|
(300 – 599)
Afni Northwest
Wal-Mart – Sahuarita #1311
Sam Levitz Furniture Co. Inc. |
(100 – 299)
Beacon Group SW Inc.
Silverbell Mining L.L.C.
Indian Health Service, Sells
Service Unit |
(100 – 299)
Fry’s Food Store #21 (Grant & 1st Avenue)
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
The Forum at Tucson by Five Star
Quality Care Inc.
|
(<100)
Bass & Associates
Computer Sciences Corp
Pima Association of Governments |
(<100)
Computer Sciences Corp
Safeway Food & Drug #267 (Valencia & Cardinal)
Safeway Food & Drug #234 (Broadway & Camino Seco) |
| |
|
Lowest Vehicle Miles Traveled
|
Highest Vehicle Miles Traveled Decrease
|
(5000+)
The University of Arizona
Davis Monthan Air Force Base
Pima County
|
(5000+)
Raytheon Missile Systems
The University of Arizona
Pima County
|
(1000 – 4999)
University Medical Center
Northwest Medical Center
Carondelet Health Network – St.
Joseph’s Hospital
|
(1000 – 4999)
IBM
Citi Cards
Arizona State Prison – Tucson
Complex
|
(600 – 999)
Cross Country Automotive Services
Canyon Ranch Health Resort
Geico Direct
|
(600 – 999)
Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort
Cross County Automotive Services
Geico Direct
|
(300 – 599)
Wal-Mart-Kolb #1291
Wal-Mart-Valencia #1612
APAC Customer Services Inc.
|
(300 – 599)
LaPosada at Park Centre Inc.
Wal-Mart – Foothills Mall #2922
Northwest Medical Center – Oro Valley
|
(100 – 299)
Beacon Group SW Inc.
Target – Broadway
Fry’s Food Store #137 (22nd & Kolb)
|
(100 – 299)
TUSD – Booth-Fickett
J.C. Penney Co. Inc. – Tucson Mall
Fry’s Food Store #42 (22nd & Harrison)
|
(<100)
Safeway Food & Drug #1874 (Golf Links)
Albertsons/Osco #964 (Broadway & Harrison)
Safeway Food & Drug #234 (Broadway & Camino Seco) |
(<100)
Safeway Food & Drug #1874 (Golf Links)
Computer Sciences
Fry’s Food Store #119 (I-19 & Irvington) |
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Regional Outlook December 2008
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