We started with a morning walk . . .

We started Saturday morning with a walk through the Connemara Meadow Preserve supported by the Connemara Conservancy.             http://www.connemaraconservancy.org/  The conservancy was founded in 1981 by Frances Williams with a donation of 72 acres which is now the meadow preserve.  Frances was quite a head of her time - she felt her land was going to become part of urban sprawl and she didn't want that to happen.  The preserve is located in Allen, Texas.  The conservancy is currently the only land trust focusing on North Texas.  It contains four different eco-regions in 33 counties. 

The preserve is a picture of sustainability at its best.  The grove is untouched.  The bottom land is hardwood forest.  40 of the 72 acres are in the flood plain.  Johnson grass grows freely as do the Hackberry trees.  Incidentally, birds love the berries. 
 

Off for our hike - nearly a 100 degrees and it's 8 AM!

 

A red tail hawk (we think) keeps watch over the meadow


Onward to Erecycler.  This company recycles computers and electronics with a zero land fill policy.  They establish collection points around town.  This one is located at Christ United Methodist Church in Plano.  Erecycler sets up shop here one Saturday a month. There is $5.00 charge for monitors and a $10.00 charge for televisions.  Almost anything with wires and small batteries are accepted.  On any given Saturday, they will fill an 18-wheeler with electronics.  If they are in good condition, they will be given away.  Nothing from these collection sites leaves Texas.  Many electronics recyclers ship the waste overseas.  The electronics and their components are disassembled and distributed to places where they can be re-used. By providing neighborhood collection spots, the community can properly dispose of electronics instead of tossing them to the curb.  http://www.erecycler.net/




One of my cohorts seems to love this stance.  You'll see it in some other pictures!  He's standing on top of the rain water collection feature at the City of Plano Environmental Education Center.  This is the city's first green building and is designed to include as many sustainable features as possible.  After examining the property, we came up with about 30.  Some of them include recyclable materials (carpet, tiles, fly ash in the concrete, and glass), solar panels, photovoltaics, gray water recycling, low flow commodes, bike racks, a bus stop nearby, native plants, and insulated concrete forms. The building has yet to open because of city funding cuts.  Even so, it's a great place to learn and observe sustainable features.  http://www.plano.gov/

This amazing building is the Student Services Building at the University of Dallas. The LEED Platinum building is the first academic platinum building in the UT system.  LEED structures are typically built in the government and non-profit sectors.  The floating panels seen in the picture help with shade and natural light.  Electric savings are projected to be substantial.

Our last stop of the day was a tour of Texas Instruments in Richardson. Paul Westbrook, Director of Sustainability was our guide - amazing afternoon!  He is very passionate and knowledgeable about sustainability.  And to think, his position evolved from sharing lifestyle changes he and his family were making.  If substantial savings were being made with regards to energy and water at home, what would that mean for a large, corporate facility?  His mantra is "balance of people, profit and the planet".  Energy efficiency is the biggest budget concern at TI.  Paul is known as the "green guy"  and looks for opportunities to "influence"  employees. 

This is a very large, clean facility.  It could easily have a 15-20 million dollar energy bill.  If 10% of that bill can be saved through sustainable measures, that is huge!  Water is a concern as well.  Hay is grown on the grounds which only requires mowing and harvesting two times a year.  The ponds provide irrigation. 

Paul shared some of the difficulties in making the business case for sustainability.  First of all, it is hard to measure and a business case is looking for metrics.  How do you measure energy, CO2, emmissions, H20, materials, and waste?  He has been inventive and forward thinking in determining ways to do this. Even so, he is always looking for a better way.  Paul is also willing to share what they are doing because it makes all industry better.  He is convinced that sustainable features don't need to cost more, they just need to be innovative. In a recent facility project, less than 1% of the projected cost was spent on LEED items.   www.ti.com