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Mill Creek getting back to work

By Matt Cunningham | Friday, August 29, 2008, 12:36 PM

If you live in West Chester Twp., stop by the township’s city services building on West Chester Road, and take a look at what’s going on in the low area across the parking lot. Workers are restoring the flood plain around the Mill Creek, which runs through the area. This is part of work funded in part by grants from the Clean Ohio fund.

When the work is complete, it will mean more for the area than just a pretty green space within sight of the courthouse. The space will play a role in cleaning the creek, and in turn, making water quality between here and Cincinnati a little bit better.

To learn more about the role the creek (and creeks in general) play in regional water systems, take a look at this page produced by the USDA.

And if you’re outside this weekend, make sure to take some time to enjoy a local park, forest, lake or stream.

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VOA Museum considering renewable energy plans

By Matt Cunningham | Thursday, August 28, 2008, 10:59 AM

One of the more visible community projects in West Chester Township is the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting. If you’re not from the area, you may not know that VOA’s Bethany Station on Tylersville Road was once one of the most powerful transmitters on the planet, broadcasting Voice of America programming across the globe during WWII and the years that followed.

The township is working on restoration of the building with the eventual plan of creating a museum of broadcasting. An interesting aspect of the initial plans is that they include a heavy dose of renewable energy to provide power while keeping costs reasonable.

Continue reading "VOA Museum considering renewable energy plans"...

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More on domestic energy

By Matt Cunningham | Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 09:04 AM

After writing yesterday’s post, I did some online research and found the text of the Republican-sponsored House Resolution 6566, the domestic energy plan at the center of this debate.

You can read the full text here (grab a cup of coffee - it’s lengthy and in depth).

Once you’ve read the resolution, share your thoughts about it here. Do you think it’s a good plan? Anything you’d change?

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The domestic energy debate gets local

By Matt Cunningham | Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 09:36 AM

This blog has included a handful of posts about the domestic energy debate going on in Washington right now. Do we open more domestic land for oil drilling? What about offshore? Would more refineries help? And would additional oil come online fast enough to do something about rising energy costs? Is more oil a solution to domestic energy concerns?

All of these topics have vocal proponents and opponents, and the debate has taken on a more local aspect for those of us in the Cincinnati-Dayton corridor.

A group of West Chester Twp. residents have launched a push called Energy Rally for America. I’m researching it, and will have a story about it later this week. In the meantime, go to their website and read about them here, then come back and share your thoughts. For those of you in the local area, does their plan reflect your opinions? Do you think their plan is a step in the right direction? Do you think there’s a better way to address energy independence?

Share your thoughts.

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A local twist on wind power

By Matt Cunningham | Sunday, August 24, 2008, 08:30 AM

After yesterday’s post about the proposal to tap wind power in New York City, I thought it would be appropriate to find further reading about wind power projects in Ohio.

While not every region of the state has high enough average wind speeds to justify industrial scale wind farming, there are many parties working to find ways to integrate wind into the state’s energy generation plans.

The Ohio Department of Development has a web page that outlines some projects, as does non-profit group Green Energy Ohio. The Ohio Wind Working Group also has an informative web site.

Take a look at these sites, and share your thoughts about wind power in Ohio. How could it be applied here? Do you see wind as a feasible way to clean up our energy generation?

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Urban area wind farming?

By Matt Cunningham | Saturday, August 23, 2008, 08:30 AM

If you were watching the cable news channels this week, you may have heard about New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to tap wind in the coastal city to help cover its energy needs.

This CNET article mentions one of the criticisms that the proposal generated - the aesthetics of wind turbines. But it also mentions a solution to that problem I hadn’t seen before: small-scale or vertical-axis turbines integrated into buildings’ rooflines.

The smaller generators got me thinking; between Cincinnati and Dayton, we have a lot of tall buildings, and a lot of not-so-tall buildings surrounded by open space. Could small scale turbines be viable in this area? Do we get enough wind? You you see a line of turbines on a roof as an eyesore or a step toward a cleaner future?

Share your thoughts.

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Amped up over the AMP

By Matt Cunningham | Friday, August 22, 2008, 08:30 AM

Earlier this summer I wrote a post about the AMP electric vehicle, a limited-production electric version of the Saturn Sky roadster that’s under development in Blue Ash. Since then, the prototype has taken to the road, and is drawing attention.

Congressman Steve Chabot took a ride in the prototype earlier this week. You can read about his reaction here.

Also, AMP posted a video of the prototype on YouTube. Take a look, and post your comments: what do you think of the car?

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