Go Green January 2014

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE BERMUDA SUN • JANUARY 29, 2014

Peaceful parks provide respite in the City Parks bring a sense of calm to the hustle and bustle of daily life. The parks in the City of Hamilton are a place where people can take a break to enjoy some green space.

This year, the Bermuda Sun’s Go Green is partnering with the Corporation of Hamilton –– who pride themselves on providing some of the best green spaces in Bermuda –– to highlight each month what the parks in the City of Hamilton have to offer.

Robyn Bardgett speaks to Steven DeSilva, superintendent of parks.

O

ur parks are priceless,” says the Corporation of Hamilton’s superintendent of parks, Steven DeSilva. “They are a place to escape –– a refuge for people. All walks of life use our parks and our parks are for every one.”

With seven parks and parkettes spread across the City of Hamilton, there is a place for everyone to enjoy a bit of green space even in our fast paced and busy lives.

The solid surface parkettes, such as Waterfront Square, is a space that by the nature of its design would allow people to hang

out and just take five.

“What always amazes me is when I see people looking stressed, maybe on their Blackberry, entering the park and then when they walk back out of the park it’s like all of that stress is just lifted. Being able to commune with nature is very important and you cannot put a price on that,” says Mr DeSilva.

And the city parks are not just intended for stressed-out city workers.

“We want people to feel like they can let their children roll around on the grass and enjoy their time spent in the park with little restriction,” says

n PHOTO BY ROBYN BARDGETT

GREEN SPACE: A flower covered walkway is the highlight at Queen Elizabeth Park, formerlly Par-la-Ville Park.

Mr DeSilva. “As a father I keep in mind what we use on our lawns and we keep chemicals off the lawns

–– no insecticides or herbicides. We use a fertilizer that is 100 per cent nitrogen based that is not harmful to

humans or animals.”

As life in the City of Hamilton evolves and more people are encouraged to

City rental venues at a glance: Car Parks Cedars Gardens City hall foyer and grounds Earl Cameron Theatre

Fort Hamilton Harbor View Pier 6 Lower Terminal Point Pleasant Rooftop Park

Queen Elizabeth Park Streets Victoria Park

For More Information: Events@cityhall.bm or 292-1234

build and live in the City, Mr DeSilva is hoping to see See PARKS, page 2

The hopes for our environmental future

BY ROBYN BARDGETT rbardgett@bermudasun.bm

Once Judith Landsberg has settled her family into life in Australia, she’ll get to work on focusing her attention on environmental issues down under.

But the former Greenrock president, who moved to Oz earlier this month with her family, will still have her sights set on Bermuda’s environmental future.

Dr Landsberg, who is currently involved in a distance learning Master’s in environmental leadership from Duke University, spent two and a half years as Greenrock president and a total of four years volunteering for the charity.

She was the central figure in developing programmes such as the Green Buildings forum and campaigns such as the No Thanks project to encourage islanders to say no to single-use

paper and plastic bags.

But as she makes way for the charity’s first-ever executive director, Gordon Johnson, what does she hope to see happen over the years to the island where her family will still call home?

She says one of her main hopes is to see Bermuda move away from an archaic method of producing energy.

“We need to be seriously looking at wind power and

EVERY SATURDAY

other methods of energy production. We can be a real model for other countries.

“But we are very dismissive of conservation and it really does start with changing the way we consume energy.

“In 10 years time I expect to see general use of electricity to be completely different.”

She also hopes to see locals embrace electric vehicle technology.

“It would be great to encourage the use of electric vehicles. An idea would be to have an entire lot just to charge them up and have battery storage that would then be used for

alternative power.

“It sounds a bit out there but it is totally feasible and what other option do we have? Spend more money on fossil fuels?”

She adds that in order for us to see our electricity bills decrease we need to first make changes ourselves.

She hopes to see people utilizing more energy efficient technology as the standard such as including solar hot water collectors in new builds.

She adds that the way we design our houses need to be like in the past when homes were built to use the sun as an advantage.

“There are high tech

solutions to energy efficiency but most of the time we don’t need a high tech solution.”

One of the highlights of her time with Greenrock was seeing people embrace “green” bags.

“Greenrock’s message has always been ‘Change the Mindset’ and I’m proud of the work we’ve done but there’s still a lot to be done.

“The great thing about Bermuda is that you can make a big impact in a small place,” Dr Landsberg says.

“I learned a tremendous amount here and value the partnerships that I was able to create while working with Greenrock.” n

PIER SIX LOWER LEVEL, FRONT ST., HAMILTON

8AM - 1PM

MID NOVEMBER TO JUNE

n PHOTO SUPPLIED

DEDICATION: Judith Landsberg, right, spends time on the marine research vessel Sea Dragon in 2013.

Public feedback sought

BY ROBYN BARDGETT rbardgett@bermudasun.bm

Belco and the Ministry of Public Works are looking for your input on the recent joint LED street lights pilot project on Trimingham Road.

The public is asked to give their thoughts on the new lighting system project, which went into effect in December 2013.

According to a press release from the announcement in December, the LED luminaries were produced by LED Roadway Lighting (LRL) of Canada.

The 14 150-watt HPS (high-pressure sodium) street lights on Trimingham Hill were replaced with 82-watt LED luminaries.

Busy

The press release said that this area was chosen because it is one of the busiest roadways on the island – from vehicle use.

But the area is also frequented by pedestrians – mostly those out for exercise.

The project follows a trend of LED lights being installed on public roads around the world in the interest of energy efficiency.

Recently, New York City began replacing 250,000 standard street light fixtures

with LEDs in the hopes of having them all replaced by 2017.

Belco, who is partnering with the Ministry of Public Works to roll out the programme, tested the lights at their Serpentine Road facility and discovered a savings of 60 percent in energy costs.

Other benefits of using LED street lights include improved roadway lighting as well as reduced maintenance costs as LED luminaries have an average 20-year lifespan as opposed to the average six-year life span of HPS lights.

Of course the energy efficiency and cost savings of the product means nothing if the public aren’t happy and the public’s thoughts are welcome on the project.

If the pilot project is successful the Government and Belco are hoping to roll out the LED luminaries on all 4,000 street lights Island-wide over a two-year period. n

GIVE YOUR feedback about this important project by logging on to Belco’s website at www.belco.bm or by emailing streetlights@ belco.bm. A paper version of the survey is available at the Department of Works & Engineering located at 56 Church St or the main lobby at Belco on 27 Serpentine Road.

PARKS: A place of peace and calm Continued from page 1 more changes to the amenities in the parks.

“There is a real interest to see a playground in our parks as well as a space to walk dogs,” he says.

“It’s something we will have to address in the foreseeable future.”

And the parks, as well as being a place for respite, also provide visual interest

for the park users.

The flower beds are always well tended and Mr DeSilva says the Corporation of Hamilton parks staff takes great pride in care for the parks.

“A smashed bottle will not remain on a pathway for long after it’s discovered,” he says.

“All of our staff are

in uniform and easily approachable –– they are ambassadors of our parks.”

The parks are opened daily, 365 days of the year and each park has it’s own unique feature – from Barr’s Bay Park and it’s proximity to the waterfront to Victoria Park and its iconic bandstand. n

BELCO 2013 Energy Efficiency Final Go Green Ad fp.:BELCO Energy Efficiency Guide

7/8/13

3:56 PM

Page 1

Find the right setting

Pull the plug to save

Don’t make your fridge too cold and always

Even when electronics are turned off,

use the energy-saver setting. Maintain

they still use energy in standby mode, drawing “phantom

according to manufacturer’s instructions. If you have a fridge

load”. Put electronics on power strips and turn off the strips.

or freezer that is not fully used, unplug it or dispose of it.

Turn off lights and TVs when you leave rooms. When you travel, unplug everything possible at home.

Control your water heaters carefully

Switch to CFLs and LEDs A big energy saver is the small bulb. Switch to light-emitting

Water heaters use a lot of

diode (LED) or compact fluorescent

electricity. Setting them no higher

lightbulbs (CFLs). They last a long

than 120° F, or according to

time and suit most applications.

manufacturer’s instructions, will

Put the pieces

save money and be ample for your dishwasher, washing machine and shower. When travelling, unplug your home water heater.

Put timers everywhere

together to save energy, money and

Look for the smallest appliance Microwave ovens cook food quickly

the environment.

and with relatively little energy. Toaster

Timers on water heaters can save hundreds of dollars a year. Timers also save energy when used with other appliances, lighting and electronic items.

Get the AC to fit your bill Air conditioning can make energy bills soar.

ovens use less energy than full-size ovens and produce less heat. Use lids with pots and pans to keep heat in and use the smallest pot and burner.

Use appliances efficiently Use dishwashers, washing machines and dryers only when they are full, and use the shortest, coolest or most energy-efficient settings.

Turning the AC on when you come home and off when you leave costs less than leaving the AC running continually. You don’t use energy when the air conditioner is off. Choose fans and open windows when you can.

Watch the size of your TV

Choose “Energy Star” Appliances with the Energy Star label use less energy, save money and help protect the environment.

When buying home appliances or electronics, choose highly rated Energy Star models.

The bigger the TV screen, the more energy is used. Some TVs consume more energy than others. LEDs are the most energy efficient, while plasma TVs are energy hogs.

For further information visit

www.belco.bm