Getting Greener in Orange
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2024 is off to a busy start in Orange County as we begin implementing the new Climate Action Plan. We are working hard to promote a “Greener Orange” through community outreach, programs, and partnerships. Read on to learn about the County’s sustainability and resiliency work in our community and to find tips on how to be green this season!
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Meet Our Newest Climate Intern!
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This spring, Orange County Sustainability is hosting Emma Hedinger as a sustainability and climate intern. Emma is a sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill, studying Public Policy and Environmental Studies, on the program’s Sustainability track. Outside of class, Emma is a member of Epsilon Eta, the university’s environmental honors fraternity. She is also a student leader for both the UNC LGBTQ+ Center and the New Student and Family Programs Office.
Emma is passionate about policymaking for more resilient, sustainable communities. Last summer, she spent time on a regenerative agriculture farm in her hometown of Charlotte, where she learned about environmentally-friendly agricultural practices. She is looking forward to working with ecological farming in the policy realm this semester!
Emma is excited about the opportunity to work with Orange County Sustainability, and looks forward to a semester of hard work, mentorship, and education, as well as the opportunity to assist in the implementation of the Climate Action Plan’s policies and goals.
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We invite you to check out Orange County’s new Climate Action Plan and the related interactive dashboard where you can learn more about the following:
- Climate Action Plan’s focus areas
- Greenhouse gas emissions forecast
- Climate action plan progress
- Solar and electric vehicle (EV) charger installations
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Resources
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Agrivoltaics: Harvesting the Sun Twice
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Agrivoltaics is the process of putting solar panels up above crops growing underneath in order to harvest the sun twice - once for solar energy generation and once to grow crops! As we look to expand renewable energy generation to lower our greenhouse gas emissions and find more resilient ways to grow food in the face of extreme heat and storms, agrivoltaics can help offer a solution. By planting crops, building pollinator habitats, or grazing livestock under and around raised solar panels, farmers can maintain agricultural production while also helping generate clean energy.
Orange County is in the process of looking to secure grant funding for an agrivoltaic pilot project at Breeze Farm where we can research and test out which crops grow best underneath solar panels and to provide information, resources and demonstrations to our farm community on how we can incorporate solar technology on farms while also growing crops. We are excited about the possibilities and potential of this project and look forward to seeing what the future holds for energy and agriculture in Orange County!
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On Monday, February 19th, Orange County hosted its 26th annual Agricultural Summit, an annual opportunity for farmers, businesses and County staff to come together around agriculture. This year’s theme was Cultivating Innovations: Empowering the Future of Local Ag. Attendees got to learn about topics such as regenerative agriculture, farmland protection, and conservation programs. There was also time to hear about the current land use plan that the County is developing.
Our office shared information about the new Climate Action Plan at our vendor table, and Amy Eckberg, Sustainability Program Manager, spoke about the importance of agriculture in the fight against climate change. Emma, our climate intern, was especially excited to attend the summit for the chance to learn more about regenerative agriculture’s impacts in Orange County.
We are already counting down the days until next year’s Agricultural Summit! Until then, we will continue to promote sustainable agriculture in Orange County through our Climate Action Plan.
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County Employees Begin Driving Electric Vehicles
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Stephen Johnston does not miss gas stations at all. Johnston is an Environmental Health Specialist for the County who criss-crosses Orange County every day driving his County-issued 2023 fully electric Chevy Bolt. We spoke with him about his experience driving an electric vehicle.
Johnston is a firm believer in the benefits of electric vehicles. He says that he can “for the most part, go the entire week without charging [his] Bolt,” and can only see the technology improving, especially as EVs become more popular. In addition, he appreciates the fact that he can avoid the gas station and charge at night at his office’s parking lot in Hillsborough.
Most important to him, however, are the environmental impacts of electric vehicles. When asked what he would say to someone considering making the switch, Johnston said to “think about your individual impact on the environment…if we can convince enough people to switch, think about the benefits that would happen because of that.”
Electric vehicles are quiet, easy to charge, and do not pollute the air when driving on electricity. And, now that prices are decreasing and tax rebates are available, more drivers are making the switch. Even more encouraging is the number of electric vehicle charging stations available in the area, 23 of which are owned and operated by Orange County.
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To learn more about electric vehicles, check out Plug-In NC, a North Carolina statewide program that promotes electric vehicle driving and provides a great map of EV chargers in our state.
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Community Climate Action Grants Support Innovation
and Highlight Climate Leadership
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In December 2023, Orange County awarded over $564,000 in grant funding for eight community organizations. The County’s annual Community Climate Action Grant program is helping to fund sustainable projects that will help lower our greenhouse gas emissions and provide a positive impact in our community.
Urban Sustainability Solutions, a project that began in Durham almost fifteen years ago, received a grant award for their stormwater infrastructure program in Orange County schools. As founder and chair Michael Dupree explained, Urban Sustainability Solutions’ Bionomic Educational Training Center (BETC) provides “real work training for high school students” as they learn to build and monitor stormwater cisterns in underserved communities. Dupree – a former Durham Public Schools science teacher – says the goal of his program is to help students who are “not performing at grade level.” The program’s curriculum is centered in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
BETC is a sustainability education program that protects water, organisms, soil, and food production. The County encourages Orange County Schools’ teachers of Science, Agriculture, Occupational Course of Study (OCS) and Exceptional Children (EC) to apply! Urban Sustainability Solutions plans to begin work this month by training teachers and other educational staff to help their students. You can read more about Urban Sustainability Solutions’ project here.
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The next round of Climate Action Grant funding is expected to open in June 2024. All public and nonprofit entities, including small businesses, are eligible to apply. We are looking for great project ideas that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a positive impact in our community.
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E-cycling in Orange County
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The County wrapped up the year by donating 572 computers to Triangle Ecycling, a local nonprofit. Prior to donation, the hard drives were wiped to remove any private information and then loaded onto a truck by Triangle Ecycling staff.
Triangle Ecycling accepts computers and either refurbishes them or sorts their parts for reuse or recycling. For example, the RAM, hard drives, and processors are reused in computers or in other electronic devices while the plastic and metals are sent on to be recycled. These computers also serve as educational tools for local high school students that learn from Triangle Ecycling about the environmental impact of e-waste, how to refurbish computers, how to destroy data, and customer service.
Electronic waste, its toxic chemicals and associated pollution, is a growing problem across the world with a large portion that ends up in landfills and burn pits. In the state of North Carolina, however, computers and TV screens may not go into landfills.
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2023 Clean Tech Innovation Award Goes to Solarize the Triangle!
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The Solarize the Triangle campaign completed its second year! This program, implemented in partnership with 12 local governments, made solar energy systems more accessible and affordable to residents, businesses, and nonprofits in our area with volume discounts. Over the past two years, the program added 2,755 kW (or 2.75 MW) of solar energy to the region!
Increasing solar energy is a key target of the County's Climate Action Plan. In the graphic below, you can see the program’s impact on solar energy in Orange County.
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Solarize the Triangle won the 2023 Cleantech Innovation Award for Cleantech Impact: Local Government. This award “Recognizes a local government that has effectively leveraged resources and partnerships to complete an innovative project or initiative deploying cleantech solutions to create positive impacts for the environment, economy, and residents.”
These awards, created by the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, recognize individuals, small teams and organizations that are helping with the progress of clean technologies in North Carolina.
You can see how many local governments worked together to make this program a success in the video below.
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A Few Tips to Recycle the Right Way |
Recycling is one of the many ways that we can be more sustainable. It is always best to reuse (or keep items just a little bit longer before replacing them) but if the item cannot be reused, then recycling it correctly is the next best thing you can do.
Here are 3 recyclable items that are often thrown out:
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Food Waste: food waste can be taken to one of Orange County’s Food Waste Drop-Off sites, where it will be turned into high-quality compost. Composting is nature’s recycling!
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Electronics: old and unusable electronics that cannot be repaired or donated can be recycled at the Electronics Drop-Off bins at all 5 staffed Waste & Recycling Centers.
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Batteries: batteries are a fire hazard and should be disposed of safely by recycling them at the Batteries Drop-Off sites at all 5 staffed Waste & Recycling Centers. Lithium batteries must be separated and the ends/terminals taped (tape the entire battery if it is a button cell) before bringing them to Waste and Recycling Centers.
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Please only place lithium batteries in receptacles labeled for lithium batteries. All other household (dry-cell) batteries go in a separate container. Lithium batteries must be separated from other batteries to reduce fire risks.
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And, here are 3 items that do NOT belong in Orange County blue bins:
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Plastic Bags: please recycle these by dropping them off at the Eubanks Rd. or Walnut Grove Church Rd. Waste & Recycling Centers or local grocery stores that collect them.
- Single Use Cups: please place plastic and paper cups in the trash.
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Napkins, Paper Towels, and Tissue: please throw these in the trash or take them to an Orange County Food Waste Drop-Off site.
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If you are unsure about whether or not to recycle something, you can search for it in the A-Z Waste and Recycling Guide on the Solid Waste website or in the free Orange County NC Recycles App. And, remember the slogan, “When in doubt, throw it out.” Despite our best intentions, we don’t want to contaminate recycling by including items that cannot be recycled in Orange County.
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| April 5: 1.5°C Art Exhibition
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Join us on Friday, April 5th from 6-8 pm for the opening reception of 1.5°C at Eno Arts Mill in Hillsborough. Orange County Sustainability has teamed up with our Arts Commission to provide this exciting exhibit just in time for Earth Day and to promote the County’s new Climate Action Plan!
The exhibit focuses on climate change, responding to questions like how are we impacting the earth and what does a healthy earth look like through a variety of thought provoking artwork. The opening night reception will have something for everyone, including information and giveaways that promote climate friendly habits in our community. The exhibition will be open through the end of April.
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The Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) is hosting another Earth Evening! The first Earth Evening was held in 2013. Look forward to a lovely Earth Day celebration with demonstrations for both children and adults. The event is from 6-8 pm at the David E. Price Farmer's Market Pavilion in Hillsborough.
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| Late April: Piedmont Farm Tour
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The Piedmont Farm tour is a fun-filled opportunity to visit local farms! Over twenty farms across the Piedmont of North Carolina are open for a weekend in April. It is a terrific opportunity to see where local food comes from, get close to some farm animals, get a locally grown snack, or just enjoy the country fresh air. Details about the 2024 farm tour will be up soon. Check back here later this spring for up-to-date information and which farms to visit.
Interested in agritourism and supporting our local farms? Check out the mobile app available for North Carolina called VISITNCFarms. The app helps you find farms that are close to you with information about their products, services, and events. You can also discover farmers markets and restaurants that serve locally-sourced food in the area. It even has some fun itineraries.
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