Source: WCPO, Pat LaFleur

It has been a big year for bike trails in Greater Cincinnati, with several major updates to big projects in Hamilton County and Northern Kentucky.

Wade Johnston, of Mount Washington, heads up Tri-State Trails, a nonprofit that works to boost community efforts toward building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. He sees trails as a way to empower those who can't afford to own a car.

"Trails provide an equitable transportation option for those who might not have access to a vehicle," he told WCPO. "They also provide a really unique opportunity to connect our communities, connect our business districts, connect our residential areas to our employment centers, and it's really an economic development tool."

READ MORE: Could proposed trail network 'CROWN' Queen City among the best? 

Johnston sees trails as a tool for connecting a region -- neighborhood by neighborhood.

"A lot of the work we're doing is elevating the work of communities to think beyond their jurisdictional footprint and plan to connect with their neighboring communities," he told WCPO.

Wade Johnston, Tri-State Trails (Paola Suro/WCPO)

Johnston is a dedicated bike commuter, and he can be seen often on the city's East Side bike trails, including the Little Miami Scenic Trail. This is where he sees the Tri-State's biggest foot forward over the past year. Funding came in last year for a bridge that would connect the trail to Downtown.

That money and that bridge are both expected to arrive in 2021, Johnston said.

And there's more. Here's a rundown of some of the last year's biggest bike trail updates:

Wasson Way

Construction began last fall on the much-anticipated Wasson Way Trail project -- a four-mile mixed-use trail that will connect 10 neighborhoods once completed. The first phase is about a mile, and crews are currently working through Hyde Park.

"That will be an important connection to link some of the East Side neighborhoods to Uptown," Johnston said. "We're really looking forward to pushing the connection to Avondale and Uptown. We think that will provide tremendous utility to connect neighborhoods to the second-largest employment hub."

The Wasson Way project has seen huge support from the surrounding communities, Johnston said.

"Overall, I've heard overwhelming support for the Wasson Way trail," he said. "Having a safe bike and pedestrian corridor traversing through densely populated residential areas with a lot of commercial nodes, I think, is really going to transform the way that people think about biking in Cincinnati because they'll see how accessible it can be."

Ohio River Trail

The Ohio River Trail winds along the riverfront from Downtown to East End -- for now.

It eventually will connect to Clermont County and beyond, thanks to a cooperation between the city of Cincinnati and Anderson Township, approved late last year.

The Ohio River Trail dead-ends at Salem Road in Cincinnati, and doesn't pick up again until Sutton Avenue in Anderson Township. (Pat LaFleur/WCPO)

The two-mile connection initially hit a snag last fall when funding was diverted from the project, prompting Anderson Township, Hamilton County and Interact for Health to kick in additional funds to get the connector built.

Little Miami Scenic Trail bridge

It's a small bridge but a big step, Johnston said.

The Little Miami Scenic Trail is the Tri-State's primary connection to the Ohio-to-Erie Trail, a more-than-300-mile trail wrapping around the entire Buckeye State.

A 3-mile extension of the Little Miami Scenic Trail goes from Newtown, Ohio to where Beechmont Avenue and State Route 32 meet, across the Little Miami River from Lunken Airport. (Provided by Great Parks of Hamilton County)

Once built, the bridge will cross the Little Miami River near Lunken Airport, giving bicyclists a dedicated path from downtown Cincinnati to the 80-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail.

Mill Creek Greenway

The latest phase of the Mill Creek Greenway trail wrapped up last year, with the West Fork stretch extending down to Oak Park in the suburb of Wyoming, Ohio.

The West Fork stretch of the Mill Creek Greenway trail extended down to Oak Park in Wyoming last year. (Pat LaFleur/WCPO)

The Mill Creek Greenway also runs through Cincinnati's West Side, extending from South Cumminsville to Spring Grove Village, with plans to expand the trail down to the riverfront and up through Winton Hills and Carthage.

Riverfront Commons

An 11-mile trail connecting six Northern Kentucky cities is well underway and got two new stretches last year, one along Covington's flood wall and another stretching through Ludlow.

Once completed, the Riverfront Commons trail will connect Ludlow in Kenton County to Fort Thomas in Campbell County.

The West Walk portion of Riverfront Commons in Covington is one of two phases planned for the city. The second phase will include fountains, sculptures and waterfalls.

But because the trail runs along the riverfront, erosion might cause a problem. That's why the Army Corps of Engineers will need to step in to ensure the integrity of the structure.

Licking River Greenway

A bit farther south in Northern Kentucky, the Licking River Greenway and Trails hit a major milestone earlier this month, when a pedestrian and bicycle bridge came in over the 16th Street floodwall in Covington.

Crews installed a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the 16th Street flood wall in Covington in May. (Pat LaFleur/WCPO)

Phase one of the Licking River Greenway and Trail was completed in 2014 and saw construction of a paved portion starting just north of Wallace Woods at 21st Street and stretching a half-mile north to Thomas Street. 

Phases two and three have begun to extend the paved trail north to Randolph Park at Eighth Street. A fourth phase will tie in with Riverfront Commons.

Pat LaFleur reports on transportation and mobility for WCPO. Connect with him on Twitter (@pat_laFleur) and on Facebook.

Source: Cincinnati Business Courier, Bill Cieslewicz

A Cincinnati nonprofit focused on sustainability has a new top leader.

Green Umbrella on Monday named Ryan Mooney-Bullock as its next executive director effective June 25. She succeeds Kristin Weiss, who resigned in March after three years to spend more time with her family.

Mooney-Bullock, who was the group’s Communications and Program Manager, joined Green Umbrella in 2011. She previously did research at the Center for Neighborhood Technology, an urban sustainability think tank in Chicago; taught science at Princeton High School, and developed and managed the Civic Garden Center's Green Learning Station. 

She earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies at the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in environmental science from Antioch University New England in Keene, N.H. 

“Ryan's support of Green Umbrella’s Action Teams over the last seven months has helped them strategically advance their progress on our 2020 sustainability goals. I am looking forward to working with her as we take Green Umbrella to its next level," Bill Scheyer, Green Umbrella board president, said in a statement.

Green Umbrella, founded in 1998, is a regional sustainability alliance working to ensure that Cincinnati remains one of the 10 most sustainable metro areas in the country. In October, Cincinnati was named the No. 1 metro area in sustainability by Site Selection Magazine.

“I look forward to making sure sustainability resonates with everyone – whether it is through employment opportunities, access to greenspace to get outside, viable transportation options, clean water, affordable energy, healthy food that supports our local economy, or creative solutions to waste,” Mooney-Bullock said in a statement.

For information about Green Umbrella, click here.

Source: WVXU Cincinnati, Dan Hurley

With more dedicated on-street bike lanes, an expanding system of riding trails, a bike-share system and several active cycling clubs, Greater Cincinnati is a far more bike-friendly city than it was just a decade ago.

Still, many believe Cincinnati is not doing nearly enough to promote biking and making cyclists safe on city streets.

May is National Bike Month, and joining "Cincinnati Edition" to discuss biking in our region are Social Organizer Jasmine Humphries, who started the Red Bike & Green cycling club in Cincinnati; Ohio’s Bike Lawyer Steve Magas; Red Bike Executive Director Jason Barron; and Wade Johnston, director of Tri-State Trails, a Green Umbrella initiative to expand access to walkable and bikeable communities.

Tune in to "Cincinnati Edition" May 8 starting at 1 p.m. to hear this segment. 

Source: Clermont Sun, Staff Writer

Spring has finally arrived in the tri-state, just in time for Bike Month! Join the bicycling community in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky to celebrate throughout the month of May.

Bike Month is a collection of nearly fifty events to celebrate all things bicycling in Greater Cincinnati. There are all kinds of themed group rides to participate in—for beginners and avid riders alike—whether you’re an enthusiast for donuts or beer or historic preservation. There are numerous events to do off your bike too, like a bicycle-themed board game night, a live recording of The Gravel Lot podcast, and a special screening of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. Check out the event calendar at CincyBikeMonth.com to view a full listing of events.

“The purpose of Bike Month is to celebrate Greater Cincinnati as a bicycle friendly region and demonstrate how accessible bicycling is here,” said Wade Johnston, Director of Tri-State Trails at Green Umbrella. “Biking is a fun way to experience life from a different perspective, both for recreation and transportation.”

A newly featured ride this year is “100 Blacks on Bikes,” hosted by the Cincinnati chapter of Red, Bike, & Green. This event is part of their monthly community ride series and is intended specifically for people who identify as Black. “I’m proud to cultivate a space where Black people can be healthy, care-free, and experience their culture together at the same time,” said local organizer, Jasmine C. Humphries. “Our hope for Red, Bike, & Green is to be an entry point to increase the number of bike riders and advocates connected to the Cincinnati bike community. We want to amplify the voices of marginalized bike riders and broaden the image of who is a cyclist.”

Red Bike, the local bike share system, is partnering on several group rides to make bikes available to individuals who may not have access to one. “All months are great for biking, but there is one month we celebrate the most fun way to get around,” said Jason Barron, Executive Director of Red Bike. “Every Tuesday in May we invite you to put a smile on your face by taking a ride on a Red Bike for only $2, with Two Dollar Tuesday.”

Bike Month is a national event organized by the League of American Bicyclists. Tri-State Trails and Queen City Bike are partnering to celebrate locally in Greater Cincinnati. Bike Month is made possible with support from Great Parks of Hamilton County, Ohio‘s Bike Lawyer Steve Magas, AAA, and Reser Bicycle Outfitters. Additional sponsors include Red Bike, Cincinnati Cycle Club, Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance, Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Family Magazine, Metro, TANK, and Spun Bicycles.

Photo: 2017 Meet the Candidates Ride

About Tri-State Trails

An initiative of Green Umbrella with funding from Interact for Health, Tri-State Trails is an alliance of trail advocates advancing a vision to connect and expand our region’s trail network.

Our mission is to connect people and places with a regional trails network that enhances vibrancy and equity in our community. For more information, visit www.tristatetrails.org.

Source: Movers & Makers Magazine, Stephanie Fan

Source: Modern Restaurant Management, Barbara Castiglia

This edition of MRM's Daily Bite features First Table, Cintas, Cooper's Meat Market, The P.J.W. Restaurant Group, Whitsons Culinary Group, Don Lee Farms, 110 Grill Restaurant Group, Sodexo, Elavon Becks Prime and Wolverine Packing.

Send news items to Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com.

Stop Food Waste Day

Approximately 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S. annually is wasted and ends up in landfills. With Stop Food Waste Day on April 27, Cintas Corporation announced its support for Green Umbrella’s food waste reduction campaign. Green Umbrella, an alliance of for profit, non-profit and government organizations across 10 counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, is aiming to cut landfill waste 33 percent by 2020 through awareness building and engaging corporations and households on key sustainability issues.

“Many organizations and households don’t truly understand the amount of food that they waste,” said Krista Jaeger, Manager of Sustainability, Cintas. “By educating businesses and their employees about the reality of this issue, we can minimize its occurrence in work and home environments. Cintas is excited to tackle food waste, not just in Cincinnati, but in the many communities we serve across the country.”

At Cintas, the food waste campaign is one part of a larger zero-waste-to-landfill certification process. Numerous Cintas distribution centers have been certified for waste reduction under the TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) system. By sharing sustainability strategies with its locations nationwide, Cintas aims to improve how waste streams are managed in the workplace and help its employee partners rethink waste generation at home.

Green Umbrella’s Waste Reduction Action Team (WRAT) is focusing on strategies for food waste prevention, like meal planning to purchase only necessary ingredients; recovery, such as donations of excess food to pantries and soup kitchens; and recycling, like composting or anaerobic digestion. For example, the WRAT is hosting lunch and learns, developing a food waste challenge for households and promoting share tables at schools and donations of leftover pre-packaged food at the end of lunch periods to support food insecure. Additionally, Green Umbrella is partnering with the Save the Food campaign, which provides resources for reducing food waste.

“In our region, about one in six households is food insecure while the average household of four throws away $1,500 of food annually,” said Lauren Campbell-Kong, Green Umbrella Waste Reduction Action Team Co-Chair. “By leveraging corporate partnerships and educating our region’s households, we have the capability to feed the hungry with the wholesome food that we are currently wasting, and to also greatly reduce costs and strain on our nation’s landfills.”

Whitson's Launches Meatless Monday in Schools

Whitsons Culinary Group®, a provider of nutrition services for public schools throughout the Northeast, has announced the launch of the Meatless Monday health initiative in all school districts Whitsons services. Meatless Monday is a global campaign that encourages students to enjoy meat-free meals on Mondays. Studies have shown that increasing plant-based proteins in your diet may reduce the risk of chronic preventable conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Choosing to go plant-based, even one day a week, can also help reduce our carbon footprint and save precious resources like fossil fuels and fresh water.

“Whitsons is proud to be a part of the Meatless Monday campaign. It perfectly complements our Simply Rooted™ philosophy of promoting healthy foods, a healthy environment, and balanced diets,” said Kelly Friend, Chief Operating Officer of Whitsons. “We are not taking away the option of meat on Mondays, we are simply making sure we are featuring and promoting a student-friendly vegetarian option. When students are looking for something hearty like a burger, we encourage them to try vegetarian burger options such as our classic garden or black bean burger. We prepare them just like we would a traditional burger and offer a variety of healthy toppings to keep it interesting,” said Friend. 

In recent customer surveys conducted by Whitsons, students expressed an interest in having more meatless, plant-based menu options such as vegetarian and vegan which has been a growing trend with Generation Z. More students prefer replacing animal products with plant-based alternatives. "Our collaboration with Whitsons School Nutrition will provide students and staff in over 95 school districts in the Northeast with delicious meatless options every Monday throughout the school year. We hope the implementation of Meatless Monday in schools with Whitsons dining services will inspire students to start each week taking small steps that can instill healthy habits for life," said Cherry Dumaual, Partnerships Director at The Monday Campaigns.  

Popular Plant-Based Product

Don Lee Farms has sold more than a million Organic Plant-Based Burgers in less than sixty days, becoming the fastest growing product in its category.

“Interest in our Organic Plant-Based Burger has just exploded,” said Donald Goodman, President, Don Lee Farms. “We are just keeping up with demand and are implementing plans to expand distribution every week.”

“The fact that our Organic Plant-Based Burger is made with plants and not with science has resonated with people. No one wants to eat a burger hidden with artificial or modified ingredients if they have the choice,” said Danny Goodman, Don Lee Farms. “They want natural. They want organic. They want real.”

The Don Lee Farms’ burger “bleeds” organic beet juice and sizzles on the grill from organic vegetable-based fats just like raw beef. It is the only burger in its category to qualify for the Organic Seal certified by USDA. The new burger launched to rave reviews. CookingLight Magazine proclaimed, “This burger was really delicious. I’d buy these again,” after tasting the top three leading brands.

“Having sold a million burgers this quickly has exceeded everyone’s expectations,” continued Donald. “The excitement around this burger has been overwhelming. We are now expanding availability in club stores and will be introducing the burger in restaurants and other retail markets in the upcoming months.”

Read more of the Daily Bite at ModernRestaurantManagement.com.

Source: NYTimes Markets, Jess Messenger

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE) --Approximately 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S. annually is wasted and ends up in landfills. With Stop Food Waste Day approaching on April 27, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) has announced its support for Green Umbrella’s food waste reduction campaign. Green Umbrella, an alliance of for profit, non-profit and government organizations across 10 counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, is aiming to cut landfill waste 33 percent by 2020 through awareness building and engaging corporations and households on key sustainability issues.

“Many organizations and households don’t truly understand the amount of food that they waste,” said Krista Jaeger, Manager of Sustainability, Cintas. “By educating businesses and their employees about the reality of this issue, we can minimize its occurrence in work and home environments. Cintas is excited to tackle food waste, not just in Cincinnati, but in the many communities we serve across the country.”

At Cintas, the food waste campaign is one part of a larger zero-waste-to-landfill certification process. Numerous Cintas distribution centers have been certified for waste reduction under the TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) system. By sharing sustainability strategies with its locations nationwide, Cintas aims to improve how waste streams are managed in the workplace and help its employee partners rethink waste generation at home.

Green Umbrella’s Waste Reduction Action Team (WRAT) is focusing on strategies for food waste prevention, like meal planning to purchase only necessary ingredients; recovery, such as donations of excess food to pantries and soup kitchens; and recycling, like composting or anaerobic digestion. For example, the WRAT is hosting lunch and learns, developing a food waste challenge for households and promoting share tables at schools and donations of leftover pre-packaged food at the end of lunch periods to support food insecure. Additionally, Green Umbrella is partnering with the Save the Food campaign, which provides resources for reducing food waste.

“In our region, about one in six households is food insecure while the average household of four throws away $1,500 of food annually,” said Lauren Campbell-Kong, Green Umbrella Waste Reduction Action Team Co-Chair. “By leveraging corporate partnerships and educating our region’s households, we have the capability to feed the hungry with the wholesome food that we are currently wasting, and to also greatly reduce costs and strain on our nation’s landfills.”

For more information, visit https://greenumbrella.org/Waste-Reduction-Action-Team and www.savethefood.com.

.@CintasCorp joins @GreenUmbrella's fight against #foodwaste. #sustainability #SavetheFoodCincy

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About Cintas Corporation:

Cintas Corporation helps over one million businesses of all types and sizes get READY™ to open their doors with confidence every day by providing a wide range of products and services that enhance our customers’ image and help keep their facilities and employees clean, safe and looking their best. With products and services including uniforms, mats, mops, restroom supplies, first aid and safety products, fire extinguishers and testing, and safety and compliance training, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday®. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of both the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Nasdaq-100 Index.

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer, Community Press guest columnist Kristin Gangwer

This year, as Green Umbrella celebrates 20 years as Greater Cincinnati’s hub for environmental sustainability, we are excited to reflect on the sustainability successes our region has achieved.

Notably, in 2017, Greater Cincinnati was named the nation’s No. 1 metro area for sustainability by Site Selection Magazine. Additionally, we now have 116,000 acres of protected green space in the region, points of purchase for local fruits and vegetables have quadrupled since 2010, and we saw over 2 million visits to outdoor venues in 2017 alone.

Even with all of our success, as we move towards 2020 and the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, this is not a time to rest. Through Green Umbrella’s seven Action Teams, individuals, organizations, corporations, and government agencies throughout the region continue to make progress on a range of sustainability priorities.

For example, the Greenspace Action Team’s Greenspace Gems campaign recognizes and celebrates natural areas with outstanding scenic value, biological diversity, scientific importance or historic interest. Likewise, the Waste Reduction Action Team’s Save the Food Cincy campaign strives to reduce wasted food in schools, businesses and households.

This Earth Day, we hope you will act locally with Green Umbrella and make a difference in the places where you live, work, and play.

At home

• Support local farmers, your health, and the local economy by shifting 10 percent of your food budget to local food. Find a farmers’ market or sign up for a CSA.

• 40 percent of food (about $1,500 per household) is wasted each year. Shop with a plan, and store your food well so it doesn’t go to waste. Compost plant-based food scraps. Find great tips on how to reduce food waste and save on grocery bills.

• Green your home! Switch to LED lightbulbs, explore solar energy, replace aging appliances with energy-efficient ones, and prevent air leaks around doors and windows. Looking to purchase or sell a home? Search for, or list, a home’s green features using the new Green MLS tool.

• Plant native trees and plants, which require less water and maintenance to grow and help absorb excess rainfall. Join our region’s effort to plant 2 million trees by 2020.

At work

• Bike, walk, or ride the bus to work – even if it’s just one day a week. Download a free transit app (CincyEZRide, Bus Detective, Transit) to purchase fares and plan your route. Ask your employer to become a Transit-Friendly Destination.

• Advocate for healthy, local food options in your cafeteria, and for practices that minimize wasted food. See if you can start on-site composting at work.

• Advocate for low-mow landscaping at your work site, which helps reduce stormwater runoff.

At play

• Get outside! Visit one of the region’s Greenspace Gems to see the best of what our region has to offer.

• Take part in May Bike Month. Attend movie screenings and join in on rides to get the whole family excited about cycling.

• Get involved in your community and learn something new at the same time. Check out the hundreds of events hosted by our members on our Events Calendar.

Together we can improve the quality of life and the environment in Greater Cincinnati. To learn more and become a member of Green Umbrella, visit greenumbrella.org.

Kristin Gangwer is Green Umbrella interim executive director.

Source: Soapbox Media, Jerry Jackson

Earth Day is a celebration of the natural community we share and one regional group is leading the efforts to educate the families of Greater Cincinnati on Earth Day.

The Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition is a community of not-for-profit organizations, businesses, government agencies, and individuals from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana tri-state region who work cooperatively and actively to promote the beauty and environmental quality of the tri-state area.

Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition’s sole activity is to produce the Cincinnati Earth Day event at Summit Park in Blue Ash on Saturday, April 21 from 12-5pm. That includes helping more than 125 exhibitors with hands-on displays representing environmental groups, government agencies and businesses. You'll also find local music, local foods, and regional craft beer on display.

The theme for 2018 will be “Food Waste” and promote activities with Green Umbrella’s Waste Action Team and its plan to reduce food waste, which makes up more than a fifth of our landfill volume.

This year, the Earth Day event will kick off with a Scavenger Hunt at noon along with a Kids Zone including inflatables, games, face painting and animals. Families can learn tips and tricks to reduce grocery bills, learn more about recycling, and find out how to setup your own composting at home thanks to lessons from Gorman Heritage Farm.

Live music starts at 2pm and includes performances by Room For Zero, the Brandon Coleman Quartet, and Hickory Robot.

Although there will be plenty to see, hear and do at the event, the Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition is still in need of individuals to help with the Greater Cincinnati Earth Day celebration.

"We need individuals to help set up vendor booths before the event starts, individuals to help run specific booths during the event, and to help tear down the event after 5pm," says Lauren Campbell, the volunteer coordinator. 

The Coalition will provide water bottle filling stations during the event so volunteers and attendees can bring refillable water bottles instead of the disposable variety. The event runs from 12-5 pm this year and the Coalition needs volunteers from 8 am-7 pm.

"There are a myriad of tasks that we need volunteers for, from crafts and face painting, to heavy lifting and logistics," says Campbell. "It is my goal to leverage individuals’ strengths and passions for this day, please let me know if you consider yourself crafty or enjoy painting or if you can lift heavy objects (up to 75 lbs) as I need those specific, hard-to-fill tasks, filled." 

The Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition will provide volunteers with free t-shirts and free food as a thank you for their hard work. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Earth Day celebration should contact Lauren Campbell at volunteer@cincinnatiearthday.org now.

Source: Green Cincinnati News, Chuck Lohre

Sustainability in Cincinnati has come a long way since 2002 when they received the results of an urban renewal report: 1. Establish a bridge fund to renovate OTR buildings for families, 2. Renovate Washington Park, and 3. Build a streetcar. 

16 years later we are reaping the benefits of the implementation of those suggestions.

Thanks to the Fortune 500 companies in downtown Cincinnati for contributing to the "Bank" that would lend money to those that wanted to rebuild in OTR but couldn't get a loan. Traditional banks could find no comparables so no loan. Even in 2014 one homeowner at the corner of 14th and Elm Streets went to 46 banks seeking a loan to renovate a 1800s building into three units. It got LEED Platinum in 2017.

Sadly in 2011, I witnessed a police car run over and kill a homeless person that lived in Washington Park. I saw it from my second floor window looking south over the park from 14th Street. The park was a wonderful place for the homeless although it also it had the highest crime rate in the city. Since the homeless shelter moved to Central Parkway and all the other improvements, the park really has become a center piece for the neighborhood and a magnet for dogs, kids and moms. 

You would think that they paved the streetcar route with gold based on all the development at every building. I have never seen such growth. Others might poo, poo the cost but the streetcar saved one of the most incredible architectural treasures in the world. The city of Cincinnati was built in 1850s as a walkable neighborhood with cisterns under the sidewalks and ideal three brick thick thermal masses.

The start of the sustainable growth in Cincinnati really took off with the administrations of Roxanne Qualls and Mark Mallory. They re-established the office of Environmental Quality and the tax abatement for building LEED in the city. 

At the same time the new USGBC Chapter joined with Ginny Fraizer to make the new Cincinnati Schools LEED. Ginny has a severe allergy to chemicals and could;t work in the first new schools. Contrary to popular belief "New Car Smell" is carsenigenic as well as stinky carpet. All the school building taught the local architects and contractors how to build LEED. But besides the new "Net Zero" Police Station on the west side, designed by Emersion Design, there are few other advancements in commercial sustainable construction. One big exception is the Cincinnati Zoo's Living Building Challenge African painted Dog House. We are very fortunate to have such an example of the future right here in the mid-west. You would have to go to Seattle, Pittsburg or Napa Valley to see another. Living Building Challenge buildings don't have a foot print. It's like they are a spaceship that landed on another planet, improving the environment. No combustion, no waste, no water use, no nothing. 

My 800 square foot LEED Platinum office on 14th St. is an example of doing sustainability on a shoe string. Total cost was $9500: $3000 for USGBC fees, $3000 for materials and $3500 for a fun but unnecessary settle stove to demonstrate a renewable energy source. In contract to the Living Building Challenge, the USGBC considers pellets made from sawdust or agricultural waste renewable.

And that brings me to what I want to have you take away from this presenation. It's not expensive to be sustainable. In fact, it always saves money and is more healthy. The city's leading clearing house for sustainability is the Green Umbrella. Started in 2004 by Brewster Rhoades, it now has over 200 member organizations and hundreds of individuals that get together every first Thursday at a local watering hole. I encourage you to join one of their Action Teams: Energy, Water, Waste, Outdoor Spaces, Food, Transportation and the Built Environment. Their success is based on "Measurable Environmental Improvement" just like LEED. It a language that just about everyone can agree on and foundations can contribute to.

And sustainability can pay you in the city of Cincinnati. For a $500,000 home the tax abatement offered will garner you about $40,000. That's more than enough to cover the LEED fees and minor upgrades required. Plus you'll get a third party inspected home that proves it's built to premium standards. The local chapter o the USGBC has a very successful series of Green Home tours every year since 2014. There you will learn from the homeowners how they did it and how they love it all the way to the bank.

One of the largest Action Teams of the Green Umbrella is the Food Team. Partnering with the Civic Garden Center which has over 50 neighborhood gardens, and local farmer markets; there are hundreds of volunteers and grass root organizations working to eliminate "Food Deserts;' and "Food Waste." The theme of the Greater Cincinnati Earth Day April 21, 2018, at Summit Park in Blue Ash will have four presentations on Food Waste, what it means and what you can do about it. The next day in Washington Park, another Earth Day event will allow you to recycle many hard-to-recycle items like electronic waste, fluorescent light bulbs, cell phones, and batteries.

So get involved, share your accomplishments and ideas at the next Green Drinks.

Read more in Green Cincinnati News.