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Articles by James Workman
How one policy turned landlocked WI into industry big fish | Opinion
Forget the cheese or beer cliches. Wisconsin’s real export is environmental imagination. John Muir spread preservation ideas worldwide, Aldo Leopold’s thinking shaped global conservation science and 190 countries observe Gaylord Nelson’s unprecedented Earth Day. Yet the landlocked state’s least known yet arguably most impactful ecological thinking unfolded offshore, underwater, quietly reshaping our relationship with ocean life.
How one policy turned landlocked WI into industry big fish | Opinion
Next time you order whitefish (or Alaska halibut, Gulf snapper, New England fluke, New Zealand hoki, etc.) at a Friday fish fry, don’t overlook Wisconsin’s legacy. James Workman Special to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Forget the cheese or beer cliches. Wisconsin’s real export is environmental imagination. John Muir spread preservation ideas worldwide, Aldo Leopold’s thinking shaped global conservation science and 190 countries observe Gaylord Nelson’s unprecedented Earth Day.
Marin Voice: Before pipeline, MMWD should do more to control water loss
To ease risks from crippling drought, the Marin Municipal Water District has set out to secure more water. For years it has considered new supply-side options, from desalination plants, to an emergency East Bay pipeline, to expanding Marin’s seven local reservoirs. Last month, in a unanimous vote, the district decided to import Sonoma County water. That solid plan arose through a thoughtful and democratic process. And the decision, made during a wet season with full reservoirs, showed foresight.
A Cap-and-Trade System for Dam Repair?
More than 2,200 dams in the United States are in poor condition, up from just a few years ago, according to an Associated Press analysis. In Issues, James G. Workman proposes using a system of cap and trade to fix troubled dams. Rather than having government impose rigid regulations to make dams more efficient and remove obsolete ones, public and private stakeholders should be allowed to innovate their own ways to make dams safer and perform better, then sell those “credits” for economic gain.
Daily Legal News
Bankruptcy 2020-32672 Case Number 2020-32672 Date Filed Thursday, November 12, 2020 Chapter & Region 7 & 473 Debtor James Fransisco Workman 820 Colonial Court Vermilion, OH 44089 Joint Debtor Jessica Colette Workman About your information and the public record.
Your Odds of Dying From COVID-19 Depend on How Polluted Your Air Is
Over time, scientists have established the link between particulate matter and “increased pathogen virulence” for pneumonia and influenza. Many also now see air pollution as a COVID-19 “threat multiplier.” Aaron Bernstein, director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, also at the Harvard T. H.
De-Fueling the Apocalypse
Fire requires three elements: oxygen, heat, and fuel. Our discussions about forests and wildfire tend to focus only on the first two. Students early on learn the magic of photosynthesis, how forests inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. Such a miraculous transformation – the opposite of human lungs – excites the imagination.
The customer is always right
A new IWA book shows utilities how marketing can win visibility and value By James Workman When La Trobe University professor Rhett Walker asked students why they want to study marketing, Peter Prevos replied that he didn’t. Walker’s course was compulsory but Prevos felt it had no relevance to his work as a water utility engineer.
Bursting at the seams: new study highlights the realities of water loss
New research shows that levels of water loss could be far worse than previously thought. By James Workman For decades, untold volumes of fresh water quietly bled from our pipes and paperwork. This unaccounted for nonrevenue water (NRW) was by definition ‘out of sight,’ and therefore ‘out of mind.’ Yet it could not be ignored or erased from accounting sheets forever.
Smartphones Are Unleashing the Promise of World Water Day
“I would spend up to three hours per day just collecting water. Now I can walk a minute and get clean water,” says Roda Hagali, who lives in a small Tanzanian village. In Tanzania and across the developing world, access to clean water is a serious problem, costing hours of human effort every day and keeping prosperity out of reach for many people. March 22 is World Water Day, and this year there is real hope that we can increase access to clean water and reduce waste.
Private Conservation in the Public Interest
Aldo Leopold, one of the founding fathers of the modern environmental movement, advocated the importance of a “land ethic.” In his well-known book A Sand County Almanac, Leopold writes that a land ethic “reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of land.” Since the publication of his book in 1949, the notion of an “ecological conscience” has become ingrained in the minds of all of us who call...
What leaks reveal
If only such zeal were applied to global water systems that annually leak 32 billion cubic metres of water. Totally different assets, you say? Actually, when you compare real water losses with unwanted data disclosures, the parallels are illuminating and instructive. Whether intentional or otherwise, both kinds of leaks risk lives. Both embarrass authorities. Both share a history of misguided attempts to measure the extent of the problem.
A conference for ingenuity
IWA’s Leading Edge Technologies conference helps water innovators leapfrog the status quo. By James Workman Florianópolis, on Santa Catarina Island just off Brazil, is a magnet for curious minds. They come to discover pristine beaches, beautiful lagoons, breathtaking waterfalls–and ways to manipulate microbial communities, recover resources from effluent, and eradicate antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
How cities translate water’s language
Sharing is always fastest and fairest when water is freely translated. IWA has been accelerating the transfer of technologies and ideas by advancing more of our knowledge, now in Spanish. Start with magazines. The pioneering journal Water Engineering, aka Ingenieria del Agua shows how to measure soil moisture or reduce water’s energy footprint. Moreover it does so in Spanish, as IWA Publishing’s launches more multi-lingual and non-English publications. There’s also books.
The vital role of wastewater managers in climate action - The Source
When we talk of “emissions” we tend to think of carbon dioxide, factory smokestacks and vehicle exhaust pipes but rarely do we think of water. But with the clock ticking and temperatures rising, wastewater utilities from Jordan and Mexico to Peru and Thailand are now increasingly motivated to go after their own emissions given that methane is a staggeringly potent greenhouse gas. You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it and it doesn’t last long in the atmosphere.
U.S. Energy-Storage Market Experiences Largest Quarter Ever
The United States deployed 234 MWh of energy storage in the first quarter of 2017, the most in any quarter in the history of the U.S. energy-storage market and a more than fiftyfold increase year-over-year, the Q2 2017 release of GTM Research and the Energy Storage Association's U.S. Energy Storage Monitor reveals. The U.S. Energy Storage Monitor provides a comprehensive account of energy-storage deployments by segment, quarter, and state in the United States.
NFPA Presents Awards for Contributions to Fire and Life Safety
Variable frequency drives (VFDs) save energy, increase the life of mechanical systems, and offer valuable control features in a wide range of building management applications. A new VFD design includes all the advantages of conventional VFDs with the added benefit of low-to-no harmonics in a simple-to-install, cost-effective package. This white paper describes how the Matrix design achieves its added advantages, including helping to achieve IEEE 519-2014 compliance in the overall system design....
AHRI Releases Report on Low-GWP Alternative Refrigerants
The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology Institute (AHRTI), the research arm of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), recently released the first research report as part of its ongoing testing of flammable refrigerants, many of which were identified as possible replacements for high-global-warming-potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbons that will be phased down under the Montreal Protocol.
Energy, Ag Departments Announce Up to $9 Million in Biomass Funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), recently announced that up to $9 million in funding will be made available through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) to increase the nation’s energy independence by supporting the development of bioenergy feedstocks, biofuels, and biobased products.
Goodway Issues HVAC Coil-Cleaning Checklist
As facility-maintenance professionals prepare for summer, it is important they make sure evaporator-coil cleaning and maintenance is on their to-do list, maintenance-solutions provider Goodway Technologies says. “Not only do you want to make sure your HVAC system is running properly, but uncleaned coils can shorten the life of your equipment and force your system to work harder than it should,” Tim Kane, president and chief executive officer of Goodway, said.
Nationwide Boiler Recognized for 50 Years in Business
Nationwide Boiler Inc., provider of industrial boilers and boiler-related equipment for rental and for sale, recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary with an open house at its facility in Fremont, Calif., that attracted nearly 250 guests from across the country. Fremont Mayor Lily Mei presented an award congratulating the company on its accomplishment and wishing it continued growth and success.
ASHRAE Issues Statement on U.S. Withdrawal From Paris Agreement
After President Donald Trump announced June 1 he would pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, ASHRAE issued the following statement: “The recent decision to withdrawal the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord does not change or alter ASHRAE's commitment to accelerate the transformation to a more sustainable global built environment.
AHRI Issues Statement on U.S. Withdrawal From Paris Agreement
After President Donald Trump announced yesterday he would pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) issued the following statement: “The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) today stressed that the President's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord will not change the commitment of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and...
USGBC Issues Statement on U.S. Withdrawal From Paris Agreement
After President Donald Trump announced yesterday he would pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, Mahesh Ramanujam, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), issued the following statement: “At USGBC, we implore you to stay strong and focused and to keep building. And remember: we stand with you, and we are all in. Let’s continue to LEED on.
Inside Matrix VFD Technology
Variable frequency drives (VFDs) save energy, increase the life of mechanical systems, and offer valuable control features in a wide range of building management applications. A new VFD design includes all the advantages of conventional VFDs with the added benefit of low-to-no harmonics in a simple-to-install, cost-effective package. This white paper describes how the Matrix design achieves its added advantages, including helping to achieve IEEE 519-2014 compliance in the overall system design....
Condensing Gas Boilers at Home at Massachusetts Apartment Complex
At the Riverview Meadows apartment complex in Raynham, Mass., each of 10 20-plus-year-old buildings—each containing eight apartment homes—was heated with a 400,000-Btu cast-iron, floor-standing boiler. “The old unit was non-condensing and non-modulating, which meant it was on or off—it was full speed ahead, or it was idle,” Tim O’Brien of David Gooding Inc., Brockton, Mass.-based manufacturers’ representative of plumbing, heating, and waterworks products, said.
2017 East Pacific Hurricane Forecast: Above-Normal Number of Storms
Following a very active 2016 hurricane season, an above-normal number of tropical storms and hurricanes are forecast in the East Pacific in 2017, AccuWeather reports. Warm ocean waters are expected to foster the development of 19 tropical storms, 10 hurricanes, and seven major hurricanes. These numbers do not reflect any storms that develop in the central Pacific Ocean, including in the Hawaii area.
In Land of Blue Agave, Green Tequila Production Takes Root With Biomass Boiler
In the central western Mexican state of Jalisco, the process of distilling tequila is a long-honored tradition, so much so the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization named a 34,658-hectare site between the foothills of the Tequila Volcano and the valley of the Rio Grande River where blue agave, the base ingredient of tequila, grows a World Heritage Site.
University Chooses Natural-Gas Boilers to Meet Varying Load Demands
On the campus of a major university, heat and hot-water steam-load demands can vary greatly in a short span of time. That certainly is the case on the 350-acre campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. “Being in Northwest Arkansas, we have weather and temperatures that can vary widely,” Scott Turley, the university’s director of utility operations and maintenance, explained.
Condensing Boilers Improve Efficiency, Lower Maintenance for School
As might be expected of a school in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, a reliable and efficient heating system is almost as important as desks and books. At École Henry Kelsey, a public school offering French-immersion education to 250 students in kindergarten through the eighth grade, the system that provided heat to entrance ways, classrooms, and the perimeter was far from reliable and nowhere near efficient.
Webinar on Data-Center Cooling Available for Viewing on Demand
“Three Must-Know Transformations in Data Center Cooling for 2017,” a webinar recently presented by HPAC Engineering and sponsored by Vertiv, is available for viewing on demand for free.
Farm Family Cultivating New Aquaponics Venture With Help of Boilers
The Goodenoughs—Tim, wife Bonny, and their four children—are a fourth- and fifth-generation farm family from Mindoro, Wis. They had been growing soybeans and corn for some time when, several years ago, they concluded a change was in order. “Input prices were high, grain prices were fluctuating constantly, and Mother Nature was throwing us curveballs,” Tim recalled.
A. O. Smith Names Kevin Wheeler President, COO
A. O. Smith Corp. named Kevin J. Wheeler as its new president and chief operating officer. In his new role, Wheeler will be responsible for A. O. Smith’s global water heater and boiler operations as well as its global water treatment business. He also will oversee the company’s research function, including its Corporate Technology Center in Milwaukee as well as the information technology function. Wheeler will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ajita G. Rajendra.
New Association to Focus on Built Environment Technology
A new international organization, the Built Environment Technology Association, [www.smartbeta.tech ]has been established to equip the real estate, construction, design, urban planning and facility management industries to better understand and utilize contemporary and developing technologies for the built environment.
DOE Presents Trane Facility with Award for Energy Productivity
Ingersoll Rand earned a Better Project award from the U.S. Department of Energy for its work implementing energy productivity at its Trane manufacturing, engineering and assembly facility in St. Paul, Minn. Presented to recipients on May 15 at the 2017 Better Buildings Summit in Washington, the award recognizes the leadership that Trane and Ingersoll Rand show in the DOE’s Better Plants Program, a partnership consisting of nearly 180 industrial companies committed to improving energy performance.
Knoedler Named President of Energy Management Association’s Board
Robert Knoedler, P.E., EMP, CxA, a vice president and principal of commissioning and energy-related services at Hanson Professional Services, was elected president of the Energy Management Association’s board of directors. Knoedler, who works at Hanson’s office in Raleigh, N.C., and other board members were selected April 27 during CxEnergy, an annual conference sponsored by the AABC Commissioning Group and EMA.
Lee Departs Samsung HVAC, Tavolacci Named SVP, COO
Samsung’s Sang W. Lee, former president and chief executive officer of Samsung HVAC, left the company and Russell Tavolacci was promoted to senior vice president and chief operating officer. Lee’s dedication over the years has ensured a smooth transition for all parties involved in Samsung’s acquisition of Quietside. Bringing more than 30 years of leadership experience in HVAC to his new role, Tavolacci began his journey at Samsung HVAC as senior vice president in October 2015.
MrPEX Names Andersson President, ‘Mr. PEX’ Lenman Retires
Plastic pipe industry pioneer Tomas Lenman, founder of MrPEX, is retiring after having been intimately involved and instrumental in the PEX industry since 1971. Long-time friend and business associate Jan Andersson has taken over the roll as president and will maintain control of MrPEX Systems as it experiences continued growth. Lenman started at Wirsbo Bruks AB in Sweden in 1971, where he developed the production process for the first PEX process invented.
Better Buildings Challenge Partners Save $1.9 Billion
The 345 public- and private-sector organizations participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Better Buildings Challenge have realized cumulative energy and cost savings of 240 trillion Btu and an estimated $1.9 billion, a new report reveals.
CxEnergy 2017 Enjoys Record Turnout
CxEnergy 2017, held April 24-27 in Orlando, Fla., saw record attendance of nearly 550 building-commissioning, energy-management, and test-and-balance professionals and the most sponsors and exhibitors in CxEnergy history. Participants viewed the latest technologies, attended a wide array of educational sessions and workshops, and enjoyed numerous networking opportunities.
2017 U.S. Summer Forecast: Heat Held Back in NE, South to Swelter
Wet weather and severe storms will keep extreme temperatures at bay in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic while heat and humidity plague the South this summer, AccuWeather reports. Meanwhile, California will be at risk from wildfires because of abundant vegetation as the Northwest grapples with outbreaks of severe weather. Unlike the summer of 2016, when drought conditions gripped the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, this summer will bring on-and-off wet weather to both regions.
ASHRAE Learning Institute Offers HVAC Courses at 2017 Conference
The ASHRAE Learning Institute announced it will offer 10 courses during ASHRAE’s 2017 Annual Conference in Long Beach, Calif. The headlining topic is “Complying with Standard 90.1-2016: HVAC/Mechanical,” which will be held on June 27. This is the first time this specific course has been made available at an ASHRAE conference.
AMCA Revises Louver Application Manual, Design Guide
The Air Movement and Control Association International Inc. revised its AMCA Publication 501, Louver Application Manual and Design Guide. The new designation for this document is AMCA Publication 501-17. It was adopted by AMCA membership on May 1, 2017. AMCA Publication 501 provides information and important points to be considered when designing or specifying installations requiring louvers.
IFMA credential training available online
The International Facility Management Association, in collaboration with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, announced that IFMA’s credential training is now available through the online academy platform at www.fm.training, which was launched in December 2016. This new platform for IFMA’s credential training is designed to serve as a one-stop-shop for professional development needs throughout facility managers’ careers.
Ingersoll Rand on CR Magazine’s Best Corporate Citizens List for 4th Year
HVAC manufacturer Ingersoll Rand is named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List for the fourth consecutive year. The 100 Best Corporate Citizens List documents 260 data points of disclosure and performance measures gathered from publicly available information in seven categories: environment, climate change, employee relations, human rights, governance, finance, and philanthropy and community support.
Ruskin EME720 7-Inch Horizontal Louver
A top priority for higher education institutions is to provide a competitive learning environment for their students. In order to succeed, they must address outdated, aging campus facilities. In these older buildings maintenance and operations costs are high, space utilization is inefficient and poorly managed, and current technology is lacking.
Belimo | Energy Valve
A top priority for higher education institutions is to provide a competitive learning environment for their students. In order to succeed, they must address outdated, aging campus facilities. In these older buildings maintenance and operations costs are high, space utilization is inefficient and poorly managed, and current technology is lacking.
Sierra Monitor BACnet Explorer NG Network Discovery and Management
A top priority for higher education institutions is to provide a competitive learning environment for their students. In order to succeed, they must address outdated, aging campus facilities. In these older buildings maintenance and operations costs are high, space utilization is inefficient and poorly managed, and current technology is lacking.
Greenheck Vektor Laboratory Exhaust Fans
The Vektor line of laboratory exhaust systems now includes a direct-drive Arrangement 4 option, which is available on Vektor-MH (high plume), Vektor-MD (high plume with dilution), and Vektor-MS (variable-geometry nozzle) models. The design combines a lightweight aluminum mixed-flow impeller with an industrial-duty motor to provide ultra-smooth and efficient operation. Maintenance is reduced, as the motor does not require lubrication for up to one year.
Enthalpic Core the New (HVAC) Standard for Pa. Elementary School
Built in 1965 to serve 500 K-6 students, Hatfield Elementary in Hatfield, Pa., part of the North Penn School District, was, by 2014, facing challenges familiar to many schools: Spaces were ill-suited for modern teaching strategies, and the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were becoming obsolete. In the HVAC system, radiant ceiling panels were leaking and dripping water because of condensation.
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