A New Park for the City of Greenville

Written by Wes Floyd

image from http://theinterrobang.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Greenville-SC-Falls-Park.jpg

If you are ever enticed to step outside of the “Furman bubble,” I would encourage you to take interest in the City of Greenville. Besides offering a wonderful downtown full of shops and restaurants, Greenville operates numerous parks and greenspaces for your enjoyment. These parks are free and open to the public, with the exception of the Greenville Zoo. Falls Park and Cleveland Park are the city’s largest and most popular; located within close proximity to downtown. However, downtown may soon have another city park at its fingertips.

Recently, the City has announced plans for a new West Side park along the Reedy River and straddling the Swamp Rabbit Trail. The Hudson Street site is located adjacent to the newly constructed Kroc Center and AJ Wittenberg Elementary. Currently, it is home to the Department of Public Works facility. However, the site lies within the Reedy River floodplain, making the site vulnerable to flooding. Cognizant of the risk posed by future floods and of the increasing value of property along the river, the City pledged to relocate Public Works. In May of 2012, Greenville City Council approved $3.1 million to acquire land to build a new facility along Fairforest Way. City officials expect the new park to serve as an anchor for businesses and restaurants wishing to cater to park visitors. The park may also create more housing opportunities in the West End. In addition to economic development, the park is expected to have an enormous impact of the health and wellness of the community by providing access to outdoor recreation.

Although the park is still in initial planning stages, three designs for the park have been completed. A week-long design workshop for the park concluded on February 28 at a public meeting where consultants presented the three design concepts for public input. Possible amenities include a lake, dog park, community garden, and a climbing wall. Going forward, a project steering committee will work with the planning team to help integrate all the ideas and concepts developed through the design process and help the consultants incorporate costs, engineering, and environmental concerns into a final draft scheme for the park. This process will take approximately three months, after which the consultants will return and more public meetings will be scheduled. Furman students and Greenville residents, keep your eyes open for future developments. You may soon have a new park to enjoy!

See updates on the project here:

http://www.greenvillesc.gov/ParksRec/default.aspx

 

 

Bubbles

Written by Serena Doose

“It’s about paying attention to relationships, to causes and effects, and it is about being responsible for what one knows.” –Wendell Berry

Conventional sayings tell us that it was curiosity that killed the cat and that blissful ignorance is the key to staying afloat in an increasingly complex and messy society. Socrates once said that the unexamined life was not worth living. Who are we to believe? If we choose to follow Socrates’ advice, we must deeply examine every facet of our lives, our relationships with others, and even our very existence. On the other hand, if we are to wholeheartedly subscribe to the idea that ignorance is truly bliss, we should question nothing and thus save ourselves much heartache and grief. How do we choose to live our lives?

We spend much of our time in a constant flurry of activity, climbing ever higher on the corporate ladder, reaching ever farther into the quicksand of ambition and ego. However, do we ever stop to think about the causes and effects of our actions? Rushing to class, to work, to an appointment –what are we really doing and what are the impacts of our activities on our health, the environment, and on other people? If we take a moment to question, to examine, how we live our lives, we will quickly see that each individual now lives within a closed system composed of one factor: ourselves. Although there are billions of people on the planet, each of us live in an increasingly shrinking sphere which effectively isolates us from the source of whatever enters that sphere and the destination of what goes outside of that sphere. If it’s not currently within someone’s individual space, it neither matters where it comes from nor where it goes.

Waste not, want not. 7:00 AM: We pull the ubiquitous coffee cup into our personal bubble. Where does it come from? Starbucks, Einstein Bros Bagels, Dunkin’ Donuts –that’s as far as our perception goes. But really. Where does it come from? Coffee bean growers in eastern Africa, paid low wages just so that they can grow a product mindlessly and wildly consumed by those half a world away with white collar jobs and little time to think about the farmer at the beginning of the chain. The cup was manufactured, the plastic lid molded to fit just right, and the cardboard sleeve glued together in order to protect the consumer’s delicate, litigious hands. Into the bubble it goes, coffee is consumed, out of the bubble it goes, right into the trash can.

So then, what happens? The recyclable lid, the compostable cardboard sleeve, and the disposable cup are thrown, as a unit, into the trash can, to join the company of other items not deemed worthy enough to remain within the bubble. Together, these waste items will take a journey that inevitably ends at the landfill, where they will be buried in an enormous grave whose only headstone is a warning to others to not dig too deeply, for fear that what they find might hurt them.

Inputs and outputs, causes and effects. Responsibility for our actions is a burden that we all must bear, though we should take caution, for the weight of this accountability might cause our carefully constructed bubbles to shatter into hundreds of tiny, translucent shards.

Agua Del Pueblo – Sustainable Water Project

Written by Kris Hajny

Although this semester has involved my most difficult course at Furman, techniques, it has also involved a lot of great experiences. Right now, I suppose the biggest experience I am looking forward to is coming at this semester’s end.  The reason I look forward to the end, besides the beginning of summer, is because I will be going abroad for a May experience.  I will be going to Guatemala with a course called Global Sustainability in Guatemala led by Dr. Clemens and Dr. Ranson.  Not only will I be able to broaden my horizons and enjoy my first trip out of the country, but I will also get to learn a lot about sustainability and a group that has been working to help people in a sustainable manner.

Image from http://www.xanxone.com/xanxone/outerxone/images/FCC%20Guatemala%20trip%20August%202004/towns/SLT/San_Lucas11.jpg

Agua Del Pueblo (the people’s water) is a group that was started by a handful of people with differing backgrounds, but has since been turned over to the Guatemalans.  The project attempts to help improve the people’s living conditions in an area where there is limited access to clean drinking water.   Many of the students on Furman’s campus may be familiar with the project; last year’s group hosted the Water Walk on campus to raise money for a specific water project through Agua Del Pueblo.  This May we will actually be going to the town which will be receiving a water facility in order to collect information about the economic state and health of the area. Then, we can return after the facility has been installed and report on the impact of the project so future sustainability projects can be better understood.  Over the summer, I will be doing research with Dr. Clemens regarding the information collected on Agua Del Pueblo…so I have quite a lot to look forward to.

Image from esphoto

This trip is going to be showing its students a new country and culture with sustainability in mind; one of the biggest draws of the trip for me. San Lucas missions is sponsoring and supporting our trip.  We have received handouts explaining the unique aspects of this trip–a different approach for access to clean water.  Our goal during our time in Guatemala will not be to help the people directly, but instead to broaden our scope to better understand the problems that exist and what specifically can be done to help the general public to develop a lasting and sustainable awareness.  We do not want to go abroad and simply help with 1 project that could have been implemented by locals. Instead, we plan to help produce more sustainable change; the Water Walk funding of the Agua Del Pueblo project is a perfect example.  For this reason, our primary goal will be to collect information that will allow us to develop lasting change.  It will encourage us to more precisely show how providing access to clean water nearby will benefit future cities or towns and give donors more reason to fund similar projects.  Agua Del Pueblo’s project model emphasizes a sustainable improvement approach by working with the people instead of doing for them and waiting to see the benefits.  What I mean by this is that Agua Del Pueblo has multiple aspects that keep it focused on long term change and benefits for the community it seeks to impact.  For example, Agua Del Pueblo only commits to projects after being asked by a town committed to the work needed. The organization also surveys the area to understand how to best help the specific location.  Even this is not enough. Agua Del Pueblo brings the community leaders together to understand the water system and why use of the system and good sanitation practices are essential for the project to make a lasting impact.  By informing the locals about the equipment, suiting it to the specific community, and ensuring that the locals are aware of how this equipment can be optimized, Agua Del Pueblo has made long lasting impacts that are sustainable because of the transfer of knowledge to the locals that will be dealing with future problems…long after we return home.

Speaking for the Trees

Written by Kylie Stackis

 

Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax  “speaks for the trees.” I speak for the trees too, although I’m not quite as fluent. In my fellowship at the Shi Center, I’ve investigated Furman’s unique and sustainable landscapes. Furman is trying to achieve official status as an arboretum, which means value on trees in these landscapes is especially important. As a Southeastern university, Furman has a lot of trees, and my goal is to transform those trees into an educational tool besides the traditional paper and pencil.

 

Most of the trees at Furman are native to the Southeast United States. In fact, near the Townes Science Building, Dr. Ranson (EES) and Dr. Pollard (BIO) have worked to create a special landscape that showcases South Carolinian geology and botany. The Rock and Botanical Garden demonstrates the progression of rocks and flora from the mountains to the coast of South Carolina. The project is ongoing, and Dr. Ranson (the creator) plans to acquire several more rock types to complete the example of distinct geologic areas. The garden serves as an educational tool especially for Earth and Environmental Science Majors, but also, as Dr. Ranson has noticed, for SCOPES camps that come to Furman in the summer. Using our landscapes as educational tools is what sustainability is all about. What better way to “get back to nature,” as Aldo Leopold once fought for? You can visit this link for more information on the Rock and Botanical Garden:  http://rocks.furman.edu/rockgarden/

 

Dr. Pollard has also been involved with Bunched Arrowhead conservation in the area. Bunched Arrowhead is a plant species distinct to this particular region of South Carolina. It is not found anywhere else in the world. Furman’s campus hosts a substantial number of these plants, most noticeably in the woods past the Furman Lake Trail. Raising awareness about such a unique species at Furman encourages education, conservation, and stewardship.

 

Much like these projects, the arboretum will serve as an educational tool for students, faculty, and staff at Furman, and hopefully also for the Greenville and Travelers Rest communities. Trees are often undervalued. Increasingly, however, trees are retaining more value through conservation. For example, studies have found that trees factor into admission rates for colleges (in fact, that was one of the main reasons I decided to come to Furman!). By learning the benefits trees can offer our college community and working to promote trees on our campus, Furman affiliates find pride and value in campus landscapes.

 

We have prime educational landscapes at our disposal, both current landscapes that continue to develop and future landscapes that will emerge in near years. With arboretum resources and development, I plan to link them all together. People need to know what’s out there. As the Lorax says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

“Consume Less; Share Better.” –Hervé Kempf

Written by Michael Robinson

Bicycle rack

Hi. I’m Michael Robinson, a freshman Sustainability Science and Spanish major, avid knitter, and cycling enthusiast. I love extra crunchy peanut butter, morning tea, and my favorite wintertime fruit is the clementine. By Furman standards I could be considered an eccentrist with these interests; yet, I fit right in at the Shi Center. I started working a little over a month ago and already the unbridled drive of my student coworkers continues to impress me.

First, a little background. I came to the Shi Center in November with the makings of an idea, heaps of naivete, and plenty of enthusiasm. I wanted to run a bike shop on campus at Furman. At other schools these ideas are shot down immediately as unfeasible, expensive, or not within the school’s ‘master plan.’ At Furman, however, my idea was met with equal enthusiasm from the Shi Center staff and I was offered a position for 2013 to research the feasibility of my idea. And so, with five weeks of work under my belt, I give an update on my progress.

 

My idea is this: operate a student-run bike shop through the Shi Center. The shop will employ students via a work-study program, recycle bikes and sell them at a discounted rate to the Furman and Greenville communities, and offer reduced-rate repairs to Furman students, faculty and staff. The shop will be a cathartic environment for everyone; wrenches will crank to keep pedals moving around campus. Stay tuned for more details!

A Culture of Enough

Written by John Michael Worsham

Last semester I spent three months in Madrid, Spain on the Furman Spanish Department’s Madrid study away program. Upon my arrival – despite a lack of sleep, jet lag, and my host mother Teresa’s rapid Spanish – one of the first things I noticed was a drive to conserve resources. During the quick tour of my new apartment, Teresa was sure to point out some of the most important rules: turn off the lights when you leave a room; turn off the tv when you aren’t watching it; if you get hot, open the balcony door; if you get cold, we have more blankets; when you’re taking a shower, wet yourself down, turn off the water while you soap up, and rinse off – do not take more than 10 minutes; turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Almost everything centered on saving water and energy. At first, I was surprised and impressed by Teresa’s eagerness for wisely managing her resources, but as time progressed, I realized it was simply a Spanish thing.

Unlike Americans, the Spanish have thousands of years of self-sufficient practices built up from ancient times. The Pre-Romanic celtiberos (and the later Catholic kingdoms) established an early culture of self-sufficient villages. The Romans developed the peninsula as an agricultural hub for the all-important triada of wheat, wine, and olives. The Arab conquest brought ingenious, efficient architecture and the practice of the open-air market for everyday needs. Furthermore, Spain’s history as a confessional state under the Catholic Church (really until the late 1970s) instilled a sense of frugality and modesty, especially in older generations. All of these influences – Spain’s agricultural, daily market, self-sufficient, and Catholic roots – have led to the development of a take-what-you need culture. As opposed to the American tendency to buy and consume much more than possibly needed – and getting it from whatever sources possible – the Spanish seem to always use just enough at just the right time. At meals, we almost always finished everything that was cooked – nothing went to the refrigerator to sit for weeks until it spoiled. Fruit was bought fresh from local sources only during its natural growing season; if an apple or banana had spots or bruises, it was still considered perfectly edible. Grocery shopping was done every few days (if not daily) to avoid buying more than was needed. Local markets like the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid make this not only possible, but also extremely easy. Cooking oil was saved after each meal and stored away for future use. Bread was fresh baked from the panadería down the street, and almost nothing was processed or packaged. Laundry was done in compact, efficient washers, and always hung on a clothesline to dry (or set out on the radiator on especially wet days).

But it didn’t stop at home life. There seemed to be a push toward conservation and smart use of natural resources on the national level as well. In the face of a severe national shortage of water, local governments have levied high taxes on water and electricity use to discourage waste. Vast quantities of state money have gone toward improving the efficiency of irrigation in the dry, but for some reason agriculture-dependent south, and water transfers from water-rich states to dry states have been put on hold until the dry states can demonstrate responsible management of their own resources. In terms of renewable energy, proponents of green energy have taken advantage of Spain’s expansive, sparsely populated countryside, constructing wind and solar farms at every turn.

For one reason or another, the American ethos of over consumption barely has a foothold in Spain. Despite the recent appearance of shopping malls (that still pale in comparison to American malls) and fast food restaurants (even KFC), the Spanish people still prefer to only consume what they need. A home cooked meal with fresh, local ingredients, a brisk walk to work in the morning, and a quick shower every few days is more than enough for a comfortable life on the Peninsula.

Sustainability Down Under

Written by Will McCabe

G’day mates!

Last fall I took my studies to Australia where I attended James Cook University in the beautiful city of Cairns. My coursework at JCU, travels around the country, and friendships created with people from all over the world made for an unforgettable and extremely beneficial experience. I chose JCU because it is very well known for its Sustainability Science program, and it offers a wide variety of unique classes. Through my studies I learned about the environmental issues facing Australia and New Zealand, the history of the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, and I even took a field trip to the Great Barrier Reef to conduct coral research.

During my five month stay, I paid close attention to certain aspects of the Australian lifestyle. Here are some of the things that I noticed (keep in mind that my observations are based solely off the areas in which I travelled in Queensland and the city of Sydney. Just like the US, people and their actions differ regionally).

The first thing I noticed among my Australian friends was their eating habits–which were so different than those of the typical American. Their food portions were small, and they ate little red meat. A vegetable sandwich for lunch was not uncommon. Cooking a healthy meal was more frequent than the typical Cookout runs that I’m used to here at Furman. Snacking didn’t occur often and when it did, it usually consisted of fruit such as fresh mangos or papayas. Large markets also sell local produce and seafood every week, which helps drive each community’s healthy and local eating. I saw these markets in cities all over Queensland and even in Sydney.

Next, I became aware very quickly of how active they were. When classes were over and assignments were completed, we were not watching TV, playing video games, or sitting around. We were always waking up early (sometimes even 6:00am on weekends) to hike, swim, play volleyball, or go to the beach. Their constant high level of activity along with their eating habits showed me that they lived a very healthy lifestyle.

Transportation in Australia was also something I found very interesting. Driving was not common at all. In Cairns the only time we drove was if we wanted to go to a creek up in the mountains or the beaches up north. Other than that there was no need because of the efficient public transportation system. The buses could take us almost anywhere for a fair price. The bus schedule wasn’t always convenient, but riding the bus was the social norm–we adjusted to it easily. Biking and walking was also common in cities across Queensland and in Sydney. I saw bike sharing stations in several cities that seemed to be very effective… not as recreation, but rather as an alternative to driving.

Another thing I noted was how seriously Australians took water and energy conservation. The duel flush toilet, which saves up to 67% of water usage, was invented by an Australian. Every toilet I saw was duel flush as they are highly promoted by the Australian government. Another initiative I noticed was water tanks, which collect rainwater for future use. These were not as common in Sydney but were extremely common in households I saw around Queensland. These water tanks not only conserve water but energy as well since they oppose main water systems that use electricity to draw and distribute water supplies. Also, power outlets in Australia have built-in on/off switches. If someone is finished watching TV, for example, he or she can turn off the outlet and conserve energy. Although I only saw the interior of five Australian homes, I thought it was interesting how none of them had a dishwasher. My close friend told me that they were not a common appliance. People may say they are most efficient in terms of saving water, however that is assuming the faucet is constantly running when washing dishes by hand. I quickly realized that this was not the case as I was lectured at a friend’s house when helping with the dishes to fill the sink with soap and water and only run the faucet when rinsing.

My last observation that I will end on was the relationship the Australians have with nature. They are constantly interacting with nature rather than separating themselves from it, which I feel many Americans do. My reflections that I described above show the true respect everyone in Australia has for the environment. This is not to say that Americans do not respect the environment, but rather our social norms are less geared towards environmentally friendly actions. I adapted to these social norms of the Australian lifestyle, and I hope to bring many of them back to America from Down Under…specifically the shift from driving to biking, walking, or public transportation.

Three Years…

Written by Anne-Marie Melief

It’s hard for me to comprehend that I have been working at the Shi Center for Sustainability for three years now. When I began my career as a sustainability student, it was with a somewhat vague idea of sustainability. I, of course, knew that I was interested in living more harmoniously with the environment and making choices that would help everyone live a better life, but I did not then recognize this as the basis for sustainability. Each year here has taught me a new lesson in sustainability, which together created a learning experience I will never forget.

As a sophomore, I began working at the Shi Center as an assistant and citation checker for Dr. Angela Halfacre. She was finishing her now published and ground breaking book, “A Delicate Balance: Constructing a Conservation Culture in the South Carolina Lowcountry”. This was my first true office job. I remember being incredibly nervous and unsure as one of the youngest students there. After a few days, though, I settled in and learned valuable lessons: how to focus for long periods of time, manage my time, and be detailed in everything. In addition to this, I learned the true definition of conservation and how it pertains to more than just the environment.

The summer between my sophomore and junior year (summer of 2011) I was lucky enough to get a position as a Mellon Fellow at Shi Center. As the Sustainability Assessment Fellow, I worked on the Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the University. I was somewhat unaware of what this project exactly entailed. Over the course of the summer, I learned the full extent of the project–not only in how much needed to be done, but also in the effect it would have for the University. I was able to see a side of the University that not many students see or understand. I gained an insight into how decisions that lead to action and change are made and implemented. I ultimately learned how policies can truly make a difference in the environment and society. Policies laid out in Sustainable Furman were proven to be effective when the completed inventory showed a decrease in the University’s overall emissions for the first time since the inventory had been conducted.

This past year, I took over Rebecca McDaniel’s summer position as a Mellon Fellow and completed STARS. Having already written a blog post about STARS, I won’t go into too much detail except to say that STARS only reinforced my belief in sustainable policy making and how it can help the environment and society while also giving financial benefits.

Just as the Shi Center grew in three years, so did I. When I arrived there were maybe four students working here, and now there are over a dozen working on the Farm and at the Center. Through my work at the Shi Center for Sustainability and in my academic classes, I have learned a true definition for sustainability and believe it is the greatest lesson I have learned in my time at Furman.

The Costs of Convenience

Written by Serena Doose

“You know that’s just going to make it harder for you, right?” Jane responds after John encourages her to add her fruit scraps to his already overflowing, apartment compost bucket. When John replies that it doesn’t matter, she gives him a skeptical look, but obligingly tosses in her cooking byproducts. At this point, the matter is out of Jane’s hands and is now John’s responsibility, officially pushing the issue from her mind. If she doesn’t have to deal with it, what does it matter how inconvenient it might be for John to compost her peels and shavings? The next time she cooks, this time in her kitchen, she ponders creating a compost bucket of her own, but quickly decides against it, determining the she lacks the time to deal with the maintenance.

“Oh, they forgot to put the recycling bin back… I guess I’ll just have to throw it away this time,” John says. As he throws in his plastic container which once held a sumptuous salad, the matter completely leaves his mind, though he remembers to make a special trip upstairs to grab a free donut on his way out. Interestingly, he could have altered his course in order to pass by the vaguely desired recycling bin but instead chose the faster, more convenient route. The issue now lies at the bottom of a trashcan, later taken out, bursting with recyclables, to the dumpster.

“I’ve worked hard. I deserve a shopping spree,” exclaims Jane. While roaming around the mall, she spies a sale for sweaters: buy one get one half off. What does it matter that she already has enough sweaters to last for weeks, even in the humid climes of Florida. Shopping feels good. Jane buys the two sweaters and is immediately in a better mood; the buyer’s guilt will come later, when she opens her closet and is confronted with her multicolored sweater mound, which today grew by two. At least she can finally throw away the blue sweater with the hole in the arm that’s been in her closet for years. She doesn’t have time to mend it, and the two new sweaters are certainly better options.

Convenience: the greatest driver for our everyday decisions. Our choices are dictated by the ease of performing an action, and perhaps rightly so, as the benefits should theoretically outweigh the costs of what we do, otherwise why would we do them? However, for what benefits and at what costs? At what cost are we adding greater and greater levels of convenience to our lives, to the point at which we don’t even know the consequences of our actions? We can all relate to the above stories, where in certain situations, convenience and temporary satisfaction far outweigh any thoughts of the broader impacts of our decisions. During certain days, it’s difficult to find time to even sit down, let alone analyze every action performed in one day.

How can sustainability take a deeper, more lasting hold on our lives and truly impact our decisions? It takes incredibly strong commitment to overcome the allure of the “quick fix” or “easy button” that we all desire in our lives. American society has made it that much easier to dispose of everything, to drive everywhere, to use incredible amounts of energy, and to buy what we don’t really need just because it’s convenient. This is a matter that I’ve been thinking about recently and have attempted to incorporate into my new year’s resolutions: to be more mindful in everything that I do in order to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle.

I’m much better than I was, but there’s a long way to go, in areas of my life of which I’m probably not even aware yet. It’s not an easy commitment to make, but that’s the crux of the matter entirely: I’m not looking for easy and I’m no longer looking for convenient. In the extra time that it takes to grab my reusable bag, in the extra effort that it takes to bring my own container to the Pden, and in the extra energy expended to bike somewhere instead of driving, I’ve found a way to combat the plague that is convenience in America. It’s a work in progress, but as long as it’s not easy, I know that I’m heading in the right direction.

Keeping the Green in Greenville

Written by Rob George

I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you about the work I have been doing at the Shi Center for Sustainability. For the past 6 months I have been working for the Community Conservation Corp (CCC) which is housed in Furman University’s Shi Center. The CCC provides free home weatherization to low income homeowners in the greater Greenville community. It is a grant-funded program through the United Way of Greenville County’s Corps United Program, staffed by AmeriCorps members throughout the community with the mission of improving the financial stability throughout Greenville. The mission of the Community Conservation Corps is to reduce energy consumption and promote the financial stability of homeowners through weatherization, energy conservation, and education. I am the data analyst for the CCC, and my job is to compare utility bills of our clients before and after weatherization. By comparing utility bills we are able to compute how much money and energy each house is saving after weatherization. For example, looking at one year’s worth of data, we can see that our clients use on average 931 kWh of electricity per month as opposed to 1,324 kWh per month before weatherization. Our clients also saved on average around $25 a month on electricity bills after weatherization.

However, plugging numbers all day and playing with spreadsheets is not all that I do for the CCC. I also try to make it out to as many audits and weatherizations as possible. The most rewarding part about this job is building relationships with the clients and watching improvements of their home take place. The clients are always so grateful of this service. At first, most people think the CCC is a hoax since it is free of charge!

As for weatherizations, most of the houses follow a similar routine. We swap out old incandescent light bulbs with new fluorescent ones, and there is always plenty of caulking to be done which fills small cracks all around the house. Most of the inefficiency of these homes comes from these small cracks that air can escape through. Some of these cracks can add up to a space that’s as big as a door. Adding low flow faucet heads and shower heads, replacing or adding insolation in the attic and floor, duct work, making sure there is proper ventilation for gas appliances, adding smoke detectors and CO2 monitors are all a number of other services we provide during our weatherizations. So far 2013 has been a great year for the CCC, and I can’t wait to see what we will be doing In the spring!