Air North Texas and the NCTCOG
Two representatives, Mindy Mize, the Program Manager and Wendy Vandiver, Communications Specialist, from the North Central Texas Council of Government, the NCTCOG, specifically from the Air North Texas division came to speak about all wonderful government funded programs that are available to the general public. The NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments that was established in 1966 and now covers a 16 county region with over 240 members. The goals of the NCTCOG are to plan for common needs, cooperate for Mutual Benefit, and coordinating for Sound Regional Development. The Air North Texas division’s primary focus is improving air quality in North Texas, and other focuses include reducing congestion and enhancing mobility. As they discussed their analysis process, they discussed the varying air quality ratings and how they use that data to know what areas of North Texas to focus on.
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Their primary emphasis on this program is to find ways to lower the CO2 admissions and other toxins such as Carbon Monoxide, Lead, Nitrogen Oxides, Ozone, Particulate Matter, and Sulfur Dioxide in the air, thus improving our region’s air quality. Most people don’t understand the details of the rating system, nor the consequences that could possibly ensue from continuous high readings on the air pollution monitors. The Metroplex has air pollution monitors stationed throughout the area, calculating the CO2 and other toxins in the air, monitoring levels of each in the air. They take that data and apply it to what we know as the air quality guide, which designates the air quality into a color guide, allowing us to know how severe the toxin levels are in the air. If the nonattainment area requirements are not met, then the government will pull funding for things such as highways and roads. Therefore it’s drastically important to make every effort possible to reduce those CO2 admissions as much as possible. That is where the various programs offered by the Air North Texas come into play. Below are just some of the programs offered by Air North Texas:
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Other things that we can all do to help improve the local air quality include:
1. Observe the Speed Limit
2. Use Mass Transit
3. Walk/Bike to Work or Errands
4. Bring Your Lunch to Work/School
5. Avoid Idling
6. Combine Trips or Drive Less
7. Confirm You Are Up-to-Date on Regular Vehicle Maintenance
and State Emissions and Safety Inspection
8. Use Energy Star Appliances and Switch to Compact
9. Fluorescent Light Bulbs
10. Tell Others about Air Quality Programs in North Texas
For further information about programs that are offered here in North Texas and things you can do to help improve the local air quality, please take a look at the Air North Texas website:
One final note about Air North Texas, is their Save the Date Campaign that is on July 7th, from 7am to 7pm. For more information on this fabulous campaign, please follow the link below:
This past spring, I spent some time educating my coworkers on sustainability and what they could do on a daily basis to conserve energy. In July, I began asking them to participate in the Air North Texas's campaign "Save the Date". As I sent out reminder emails, it was exciting to receive feedback from each of my coworkers and friends to see what efforts they were making to become more sustainable. As July 7th arrived, we each logged our commitments onto the website and shared what we were doing to be green. I highly encourage each of you to take a look at this awareness program and get involved! You just might end up changing a daily habit or two and making a big impact in the long run. :)
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Steve Chaney, Horticulturist, Agrilife Extension
The second guest speaker of the evening was Steve Chaney who is a Horticulturist with the Texas Agrilife Extension Service, which is an agricultural service with the Texas A&M system. They deal with anything agricultural related, plants, animals, and even water usage and conservation.
Mr. Chaney was a wealth of knowledge when it comes to landscape design, irrigation, water conservation and quality, horticulture and more. One of the programs he discussed is the Texas A&M’s Earth Kind Landscaping which “uses research-proven techniques to provide maximum garden and landscape enjoyment while preserving and protecting the environment. The objective of Earth-Kind Landscaping is to combine the best of organic and traditional gardening and landscaping principals to create a horticultural system based on real world effectiveness and environmental responsibility.”
The Earth-Kind Landscaping Encourages:
- Landscape Water Conservation
- Reduction of fertilizer and pesticide use
- Landscaping for energy conservation
- Reduction of Landscape waste entering landfills
Mr. Chaney discussed the importance of educating the public on water usage and conservation. It’s amazing to see how much water our community actually uses, and sadly wastes on a daily basis. With the high temperatures affecting the area, we have concerns such as over watering, inefficient use of irrigation, and the danger of area lakes evaporating and sediment settling along the lake beds. As we continue to battle record temperatures, it’s important to keep in mind a few key points that we can do to prepare for the extreme summers to not only conserve water but ensure a higher survival and success rate of individual’s lawns and property vegetation. Preparing for extreme temperatures for summer includes soil preparation, irrigation planning, and mulch usage, plant Selection to ensure survival and require less irrigation, containers to house vegetation and collect water runoff, and harvesting rain water for landscaping irrigation. Several basic principles of proper landscaping include:
• Planning and Design
• Soil Analysis and Preparation
• Plant Selection
• Practical Turf Areas
• Efficient Irrigation
• Mulch
• Landscape Best Management Practices
For further information on improved landscaping ideas and efficient water usage, check out a few of the sponsored programs below.
• Texas SmartScape - http://www.txsmartscape.com/
• Earth Kind - http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/
• Waterwise - http://www.landscapetexas.org/irrigation.html
Lastly, he discussed the importance of rainwater collection. However, many don’t understand how to go about creating their own rainwater harvesting system.
Making a Rain Barrel
Materials needed:
• Barrel
• Hose Bib
• Adapter
• Caulk
• Insect Netting
• Drills
– Spade Bit
– Hole Saw
• Transportation
Making the Rain Barrel:
1. Get a large container such as a recycled food grade container or a 55 gallon drum
2. Drill a small hole along the side of the barrel, towards the bottom.
3. Drill a larger hole along the top surface of the barrel to allow for water collection.
4. Attach an adapter to the bottom drilled hole to allow for the hose to be attached.
5. Seal the adapter along the edges of the barrel to ensure a water tight fit.
6. Attach the hose to the mounted adapter to allow for water retrieval from the barrel.
7. Optional additions can be made such as a closed collection system along the top of the barrel which can be connected to a gutter system on a building.
8. Decorate the barrel to evenly blend with the surroundings and become part of the landscape design.
I truly enjoyed getting the chance to hear the expertise of Mr. Chaney. After my studies in the sustainability program, I have learned a great deal about water conservation and efficiency. However, after speaking with Mr. Chaney, I realized there was much more to learn. Moreover, I learned that there is much to do as far as educating the public about water conservation and the potential dangers of not taking on this very important cause. I would like to thank all of our speakers for sharing their knowledge and educating us on all of the wonderful resources available in educating others in the community.
Resources
Air North Texas - http://www.airnorthtexas.org/
IJAMS Nature Center - http://www.ijams.org/go-green/air-quality-and-clean-energy.html
Texas Agrilife Extension - http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/
Air North Texas – 7/7/7/7 Campaign - http://www.airnorthtexas.org/7777.asp
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