The Northeast Region has initiated a Climate Change Steering Committee that is promoting a sustainable building initiative along with energy audits, for all covered facilities. Also, parks in the Northeast Region are being directed to enter the Climate Friendly Parks Program and to establish regional Green Teams.

Both the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service have mandated youth programs as a high priority, calling for an increase in employment opportunities for youth in the Bureau by 60% this fiscal year. They have also directed the NPS to engage youth in resource and energy conservation efforts.

Thursday, August 26, 2010


Fort McHenry National Monument

As part of our two-day visit to Baltimore, one of the most impressive sites we visited was Fort McHenry National Monument - the turning point in the War of 1812 (or so our History books say). We were able to learn about the fort's history as well as get a tour of the fort. The park ranger was rather humorous during the tour and repeatedly told one person in the group that "you're standing where a bomb went off." After the tour we were shown the construction site of the new LEED certified Visitor's Center. The park employee spoke about the many ways that they are using green technology. He informed us of how much the solar cells saved them each month. It heartens me to see alternative energy in action.


Presentation Preparation

Monday and Tuesday were spent preparing for our presentation of everything we've done to present to the Regional Office staff. Our presentation will include a general overview of our time, the public outreach days, and information on alternative energy methods.
I will have the the pleasure of presenting our experiences at Valley Forge NHP where we worked on the Thomas House and the Ranger Station. Each building presented a challenge in itself, but a definite way to save money and energy in each would be to replace all the incandescent lights with Compact Fluorescent.

Also, I I will present information on Wind Energy and included facts like: Denmark generates roughly 19% of its power from wind energy, new inventions that have reduced noise and improved efficiency, and that 70% of people either like or don't mind the sight of the wind turbines. It really makes me wonder why we haven't invested more in this form of energy instead of pouring more money into non-renewable energy.

1 comment:

  1. The human population has historically overtaxed its natural resources and today we are seeing. Using solar technology is one of the most important practices we should all begin is improving our energy efficiency.
    Renewable energy Kent

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