A-B Tech to Join Million Monitor Drive
A-B Tech has applied for recognition in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Million Monitor Drive, according to Scott Jackson, biology instructor.
The EPA is sponsoring this effort to place software on one million computers that will allow them to shut off their monitors automatically after a period of inactivity. Where appropriate, the software will also shut off the computer itself. Shutting down the computer and monitor can save up to $100 per year in electricity, and shutting down the monitor only will save $55 per year. In addition to saving A-B Tech money, this will also reduce electricity use and thus air pollution coming from Asheville's coal-fired electricity generating plant.
"The college has between 1,200 and 1,500 computers, and these computers use a lot of electricity. Computers that are sitting idle are using some of that electricity. We are working to reduce that inefficient energy waste, by shutting down monitors and computers automatically," Jackson said.
Eugene Pressley, A-B Tech's network administrator, will install new software on most of the computers on the three campuses. Energy Star, the same program that puts energy ratings on appliances, will provide this software. The software will either turn off the monitor or the monitor plus the computer, either after a period of inactivity or at a set time during the night.
The college could save to $10,000 annually in electricity costs, according to Jackson.
"By reducing our electricity usage, we will reduce environmental impact, including air pollution," he said.
Pressley anticipates completing installation of the software by June, at which time the EPA will include A-B Tech in its count toward one million monitors. A-B Tech will then join a list of organizations that includes Anheuser Busch, Dow Chemical, the U.S. Department of Defense, Target, Harvard University, Disney, and the City of Philadelphia, among many others.
Experimental Rain Garden to be Created
The site for the rain garden has been surveyed, re-contoured, and a geotextile cloth has been placed on the ground. Soon, gravel and a special soil will be added before the Environmental Biology class plants native foliage.
Storm water is the water that drains from roads and parking lots. This water carries pollution from automotive fluids and pesticides and fertilizers applied to adjacent lands. Storm water often enters storm sewers. Unlike sanitary sewers, storm sewers do not deliver their wastewater to a treatment plant. Instead, they discharge directly into streams and rivers. In addition to the pollution delivered to local waterways, storm sewers often change the timing of floodwaters. After a rain event, water moves into streams and rivers, and their water levels rise. If this occurs in a natural area, water percolates slowly through vegetation and soil on its way to the stream. In an urban area, however, storm sewers move the water more quickly. This means that water reaches the streams and more quickly. For this reason, flooding is exacerbated downstream of urban areas.
Rain Gardens, or storm water wetlands, are an innovative approach to reducing the impact of storm water. The idea is to slow the movement of storm water into the storm sewer system. Some of this water is then absorbed by plants. This reduces contribution to downstream flooding, and vegetation in the rain garden can break down many pollutants before they reach the stream. Other pollutants are delayed, so that their introduction to the stream is more gradual and less intense. Rain gardens resemble other landscaped areas, and are generally quite attractive. Maintenance required is comparable to that of a grassy lawn, and biodiversity and habitat options for songbirds are increased.
Information about Storm Water and Rain Gardens provided by Scott Jackson, biology instructor
A rain garden is being constructed by biology, masonry and surveying students around an existing storm sewer between the Sycamore and Elm buildings in honor of Earth Day.
The wetland, a recommendation of A-B Tech's Environmental Advisement Committee, will be a landscaped area of about 750 square feet, according to Biology Instructor Scott Jackson.
A rain garden is a landscaped area designed to filter pollutants that rain washes from parking lots. "The rainwater that goes into storm sewers flows directly to streams and rivers, the French Broad in our case, without treatment of any kind, so that pollutants can impair aquatic life," Jackson said.
Parking lots, roofs and streets also move rainwater to the river quicker, so that flooding is more intense. In addition to filtering pollutants, rain gardens can slow the water down a bit, thus decreasing downstream flooding.
"The rain garden to be installed at the basketball court is a small one, but will serve as a demonstration project. We anticipate installing more and larger rain gardens in the future," he said.
Steps to create this rain garden involve adding brickwork to the existing storm sewer, a project completed by the Continuing Education Masonry class; re-contouring the area; placing a geotextile cloth on the ground to prevent the existing soil from mixing with the soil to be installed. Next, gravel and a special soil called a bioretention mix are added above the cloth to maximize the rain garden's ability to break down pollutants. Finally, the Environmental Biology class will plant native plants capable of tolerating both wet and dry conditions.
This first rain garden will include service-learning projects from Brian O'Connor's Surveying class, Mark Bloomfield's Masonry class, and Jackson's Environmental Biology class. "The rain garden will be a landscaped area with native shrubs and flowers, and will offer lab activities for future classes. It will provide continued educational opportunities for Biology classes, and increase biodiversity at the site with plants providing homes for songbirds," Jackson said.
Other benefits to the college could include an educational opportunity for all who pass by and a demonstration of the college's commitment to the environment and the community.
Jon Calabria of N.C. State University's Soil and Water Environmental Technology Center, an expert on rain gardens, provided advice and assistance on this project. The Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District gave a $2,500 grant to create the rain garden.
Moped Theft Thwarted
Student Chris Rudder and Security Officer Carlton Holcombe with Rudder's recovered moped. Officer Holcombe helped stop the theft of the moped.
A-B Tech Security Officer Carlton Holcombe knew something wasn't right when he noticed part of a moped sticking from behind a van at noon on April 15. A few minutes later when he saw the moped being pushed down toward the picnic shed, he knew it was stolen.
Holcombe first noticed the suspects about 10 a.m. entering the Coman Center. They stopped him and asked where they could register for classes. About two hours later, he encountered them again at the Coman Center when a student's car alarm had gone off.
"(One suspect) stopped me to talk by himself, and I talked to him about the car alarm going off since he was there and offered information first. I noticed him raise his arm up like he was waving, when I turned he was acting like he was scratching his head," Holcombe wrote in his report. That's when he noticed the moped.
Holcombe then asked the suspect if he was going to be around for a while, and to let the owner of the car know Holcombe was looking for him. When Holcombe walked up the steps to the Elm Building, he saw the suspect running through the parking lot toward a moped that was being pushed toward the woods.
Holcombe gave chase and alerted the other officers for help. "I went to the shed and found a single track going down through the grass and weeds to our shop and office," Holcombe wrote.
Two suspects were apprehended on Oakland Street a few minutes later. "Officer Holcombe, Lt. Keller and myself nabbed the first suspect," said Security Director Hoot Gibson. "Then three or four minutes later a neighbor came out with the other one and asked us if we wanted him. (The suspect) was going through this man's backyard and he wasn't supposed to be there." The Asheville Police Department arrived after the A-B Tech Security Department had both suspects in custody.
The moped was then recovered from the woods, but then another snag was hit. Mopeds aren't registered vehicles, and it didn't have an A-B Tech parking decal on it. "The police thought they were going to have to let the suspects go because the moped did not have a parking decal and we could not identify it."
Finally, an A-B Tech officer was able to find Chris Rudder, the owner of the moped, who had just filed a complaint about the missing vehicle. "You need those parking decals. They are not just for parking," Gibson said.
"It was a team effort. Everyone jumped in. They are doing a heck of a good job," he said.
Earth Day Activities
A-B Tech students get some stress relief with chair massages at the Earth Day celebration. A-B Tech also marked Earth Day with a campus-wide litter cleanup, opportunities for students to have their photos made holding up the earth, airbrush tattoos, sports challenges, and informational booths. Ballet Warraba, an international dance company that performs traditional African "ballet," provided entertainment at the celebration.