Category Archives: VSU

The power of going solar —John S. Quarterman

Solar panels on farm workshop --John S. Quarterman My op-ed in the VDT today. Remember to vote today or Tuesday. -jsq

This spring, the University at Buffalo turned on 750 kilowatts of solar electricity. Rutgers U., in New Jersey, installed 1.4 megawatts in 2009 and started on 8 MW this summer. Down here with a lot more sun, how about solar panels on VSU parking lots?

There’s plenty of private solar financing available. Also in New Jersey, a company installed 6 MW of solar on high school land and leased the power to the school supplying most of its needs win-win. You can go see a solar farm already working fine here, 200 kilowatts at Mud Creek Wastewater Plant. Why not do the same


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at Lowndes High School, where all the world on I-75 could see, attracting business to our community?

Why not?

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Softbank’s Son to install solar in Japan: watch out, Georgia Power!

The same Masayoshi Son who shook up Japan’s Internet market and is about to do the same in the U.S. is moving to modify Japan’s power market from nuclear to solar. Watch out, Georgia Power and Southern Company! If you don’t get a move on, Son-san will eat your lunch, too.

Mariko Yasu wrote for Bloomberg Businessweek 23 June 2011, Softbank’s CEO Wants a Solar-Powered Japan,

Masayoshi Son Billionaire Masayoshi Son made a fortune taking on Japan’s phone monopoly. Now he aims to shake up its power utilities after the worst nuclear crisis in 25 years. The 53-year-old chief executive officer of Softbank says he will build solar farms to generate electricity, with support from at least 33 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. He’s asking for access to transmission networks owned by the 10 regional utilities and an agreement that they buy his electricity. No other company has secured unlimited access to the those transmission networks. The utilities would not comment. Japan’s main business organization, the Keidanren, called for “careful analysis” before any drastic change in the power system took place.

If Japan ever felt ready to back Son’s ambitious plan, this is the moment. Radiation has spread across at least 600 square kilometers (230 square miles) in the northeast since the Mar. 11 earthquake and tsunami led to meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant. Outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan said in May he will rethink a plan to increase atomic power to 50 percent of the nation’s energy output from 30 percent. Renewable energy already accounts for 10 percent, according to Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. Son wants to see that tripled by 2020. “The question is how this nation is going to survive after cutting nuclear power,” he said at a government panel meeting on June 12.

Complacent Georgia Power and SO, you maybe don’t think he can do it? NTT probably thought that, too:

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Solar college campuses far to the north: why not at VSU?

This spring, the University at Buffalo did it, and now Rutgers is doing it: installing solar arrays for power and profit. Rutgers is in New Jersey, the #2 state in solar power. We have a lot more sun down here. How about we catch up and get ahead in solar power, starting with VSU?

Brita Belli wrote for ecoemagination 25 September 2012, Renewable U: College Campuses Invest in Renewable Energy

Over the summer, crews at Rutgers University's Livingston Campus began transforming a 32-acre, 3,500-spot parking lot into one of the largest solar canopy arrays in the nation. The array will have a capacity of 8 megawatts, enough to power 1,000 homes.

The canopy is more than just eco window dressing — Antonio Calcado, Rutgers vice president for facilities and capital planning, expects that with the financing structure, grants and energy credits, the investment will return about $28 million to the university over the next 20 years. A previous solar project had a similarly rapid payback.

“Combined with the electricity we produce, it's a winner all around,” says Calcado. “We're an institution of higher learning—we teach this stuff—so we should also lead by example. It's a living laboratory in many respects.”

Lead by example: now there's an idea! An idea that might even attract businesses.

-jsq

4 rezonings (one big), 3 water items, and more @ VCC 2012-10-11

200 West Jane Street The item with 9 conditions, VA-2012-14, is at a rather vague location, “the southeast corner of West Brookwood Drive, North Oak Street, North Toombs Street, and West Jane Street” which presumably means 200 W Jane St, as shown in the map here. That’s directly across W. Toombs Street from 1302 N Patterson Street, which is part of VSU.

Here’s the agenda.

-jsq

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, October 11, 2012
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
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Videos Meet the Candidates (Part 2 of 2) @ VLCoC 2012-10-02

Here are videos of all the presentations from the Meet the Candidates event at VSU Monday. This adds to the previous LAKE videos, and also includes a different perspective from George Boston Rhynes.

Update 4:40 PM 5 October 2012: Toma Hawk has supplied a third viewpoint.

Introduction

Ron Borders, Introduction

Solicitor General:

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Videos Meet the Candidates (Part 1 of 2) @ VLCoC 2012-10-02

Update 10:15 AM 5 October 2012: Ignore this version and go directly to the complete version.

Here is the first set of LAKE videos from the Meet the Candidates event at VSU Monday.

Introduction

Ron Borders, Introduction

Solicitor General:

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Meet the candidates tonight at VSU

Who’s running? What are they for? Come see tonight!

According to the Chamber’s facebook event:

The Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber will host a Meet the Candidates event on Tues. Oct. 2 from 5-7 p.m. at the VSU Continuing Education Building located on 903 N. Patterson Street.

The event is an opportunity for the public to meet and hear from contested candidates running in the Nov. 6 general election. Attendees can speak one-on-one with candidates and candidates will be given three minutes to discuss his or her main initiatives.

“The election is quickly approaching and it is important to know who i s on the ballot and their stance on key issues. This event provides a way for the public to have personal interaction with the future decision-makers of our community,” said Chair of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Council, Ron Borders (Real Living Realty Advisors).

Attendees should look forward to meeting the following candidates:

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Valdosta Street Railway 1899-1924

 

What’s that little shelter by the front gate of VSU? It’s the last physical remnant of the Valdosta Street Railway, an early 20th century streetcar system, when Valdosta was the smallest city in the country to have one. Valdosta had 5,613 people in 1900, about twice as many as present-day Hahira.

Dean Poling described the origins of Valdosta’s streetcars in Valdosta Scene 26 February 2010:

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Streetcars and bicycles: upcoming movies at VSU

You do know that Valdosta was the smallest city in the U.S. that had a streetcar system, right? Here’s a movie about what probably happened to it, like all the others, followed by a movie about another mode of transportation: bicycles.

“Taken for a Ride” and “Pedal Power!” screening

Public Event · By Valdosta State University Social Issues in Film Series
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
7:00pm
VSU University Center room 1171
DOUBLE-HEADER!

“Taken for a Ride” focuses on the Great American Streetcar Scandal (or Conspiracy), in which major US companies deliberately bought-up and dismantled the public light-rail streetcar lines in dozens of American cities. The guilty companies? General Motors, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil, Phillips Petroleum, and Mack Trucks—all companies that wanted to replace the public streetcars with buses and then private cars.

“Pedal Power!” is an inside look at the world’s growing cycling movement and how bikes are pushing-up against a dominant car culture in North America. From Critical Mass bike rides and “bike-to-work” programs, to increasingly popular “public bike” programs, bicycles are becoming an ever-important component of cities.

Co-sponsored with the Valdosta Community Cycling Center.

-jsq

 

Big Little Water, a talk by Tom Baird, 11 Sep 2012

Tuesday, a talk by a fan from Florida of our own Withlacoochee River, at the VSU Student Center, 7:30 9PM 11 September 2012, free admission. -jsq

Big Little Water by Tom Baird, hosted by Blazer Gardens in conjunction with WWALS

Big Little Water—a survey of the history, geology and archaeology of the Withlacoochee River, with replica artifacts people can handle, and slides.

“I’ll also get into some of the current threats to the river and maybe we can get into a good discussion and Q&A.”

Withlacoochee River Tom Baird is an education consultant who has previously worked as a high school teacher, community college instructor (oceanography and microbiology), director of a science and environmental center, supervisor of science (K-12) in Pasco Co., FL, Director of Science (PreK-12) in Pinellas Co., FL, Principal of a math/science/technology magnet high school in Pinellas Co., FL. and director of a National Science Foundation program. He is on the boards of the Panhandle Archaeological Society at Tallahassee and the St. Marks Refuge Association. He most enjoys exploring Florida and Georgia rivers by kayak and canoe. He is currently working on a book about the Withlacoochee River of South Georgia and northern Florida.

Blazer Gardens Address:
VSU Student Union
Oak Street @ Baytree Road
Valdosta GA 31698
Map and Directions

WWALS There’s also a facebook invitation.

-jsq