We received an e-mail telling us to get off the dime and “Tell it like it is,” a challenge suggesting that we’re hiding something from our readers. I only wish it were so, since I could take this hidden knowledge to the bank, or at least Las Vegas, and turn it into cash. But, sadly, I’m along for the same ride he and the bulk of the world’s populace have been taking for more than half a decade.
I am the recipient of a dozen or so newsletters and “confidential” briefings each week, each purporting to be based on the best tea leafs on the planet. But I’m convinced if you ground the entire bunch into powder, immersed it in hot water, and seasoned it to taste with eye-of-newt, you’d come up with a vetch so bitter that that no self-respecting witch between my home in the Ojai Valley and Dracula’s laboratory would lay claim to it.
One week, job starts are up; the next, construction employment has gone into the tank in 35 states. The previous quarter’s rentals showed improvement over those from the same period during the previous year, but down from two years ago. One manufacturer enjoyed three positive quarters last year, but its gains were all but offset by a weak fourth quarter. Today, things are booming in North Dakota and flat as a pancake in California, and lord knows where things will be by the time July rolls around.
Despite her newly overhauled three-fingered crystal ball that receives news flashes from Uranus and Neptune, even Natasha, my favorite gopher psychic, flat refuses to speculate on planet Earth’s economic quandary. “It is what it is,” she opines, and that’s as far as she is willing to go.
So when it comes to “telling it how it is,” the best I can do is take the council of Natasha’s wisdom and suggest that when it comes to the deep, dark, and mysterious secrets of the continuing depression, it truly “is what it is,” though I doubt that it’s far enough off the dime to satisfy our critic’s concerns, nor something the rest of us can take to the bank.
FREE WEBINAR! Wednesday, April 3 @ 2pm EST/11am PST
Get Schooled in Gravelology
Presenters:
Steve Jenkins, P.E., M.E., Local Transportation Assistance Program [LATP] – Montana
Ken Skorseth, Local Transportation Assistance Program [LATP] – South Dakota
0.1 CEU / 1 PDH Credits
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that the better a gravel road is made, the less it costs to maintain. Get your degree in Gravelology with the Gravel Roads Academy™ Gurus! Join Steve Jenkins, P.E., M.E., and Ken Skorseth for a FREE webinar exploring how to help your budget go the extra mile by using the latest techniques in unpaved road construction and maintenance.
Enroll in the Gravel Roads Academy and benefit from information and training on how to better maintain your gravel roads for superior stabilization, greater cost savings and better air quality. The esteemed Gravel Gurus will increase your Gravel IQ in the classroom and out in the field with real world tips and techniques on all things gravel.
This webinar will discuss the following:
Road Design—From construction to reshaping including shape and drainage, aggregate considerations and alternatives
Road Maintenance—From grading to material replacement
Road Stabilization—The process involved, the products required and the benefits you can expect
Program Efficiency—Understand more about cost vs. savings, air quality and safety, and potential sources of funding
Gravel Roads Academy Info
Gravel Roads Academy, sponsored by the North American Salt Co., offers information and training on how to better maintain your gravel roads for superior stabilization, greater cost savings, and better air quality. The course curriculum includes: Road Design, Road Maintenance, Road Stabilization, Program Efficiency, and Field Training.
OTHER UPCOMING FORESTER UNIVERSITY CLASSES
Anaerobic Digestion:
System Selection for Organics Management
Presenter: Prentiss A. Shaw, P.E.
Cornerstone Environmental Group, LLC
Thurs., March 7th @ 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST, 1-1.5hrs*
Join Prentiss Shaw, P.E. for the first session in our 5-Session Organics Management Master Class Series exploring the anaerobic digestion basics, technology, and opportunities. This presentation examines anaerobic digestion technology, use, and tools, imparting attendees with the knowledge of the systems available (e.g., batch, continuous, wet, dry, etc.), the key differences, and what system offers the best opportunity for your organization.
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A Cost-Efficient Asset Management Approach
Presenter: Bryan A. Chappell
Water Quality Supervisor,
Pierce County Public Works and Utilities
Thurs., March 14th @ 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST, 1-1.5hrs*
Develop your asset management in-house and save! Join Bryan Chappell to explore how to develop a cost-efficient, in-house stormwater and roadway asset management program focused on resource optimization, prioritized workloads, and increased productivity. In this webinar we’ll discuss Pierce County’s Stormwater and Asset Management Programs, including their inspection, prioritization, and maintenance of assets while meeting NPDES requirements for a MS4. Additionally, Chappell will discuss implementation costs, and how they can become cost-neutral and cost-saving over time.
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Stormwater Treatment Train
Presenter: Steven I. Apfelbaum, MS
Principal Ecologist, Chairman
Applied Ecological Services
Wed., March 27th @ 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST,
1-1.5hrs*
Improve your stormwater management and water quality, and reduce your short and long-term costs…without grey infrastructure. Join Steven Apfelbaum to explore how to utilize ecological design principles and Stormwater Treatment Train (STT) concepts to effectively manage your stormwater and improve your water quality through development of ecologically and quality-of-life environments while also offering substantial short and long-term economic benefits.
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FREE!
Take Control of Your Landfill
Gas Wellfield
Presenter: David Kaminski
Senior Vice President
QED Environmental Systems Inc.
Thurs., March 28th @ 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST,
1-1.5hrs*
Take control of your landfill gas wellfield! Join David Kaminski from QED Environmental Systems Inc. for a webinar that explores engineered solutions for both leachate control in gas wells and innovative approaches to LFG flow control and measurement. In this webinar, David will discuss how gas well dewatering can increase gas flow from your wells from 15% to 200% while also extending the life of the well. Additionally, we’ll explore the limitations of common gate valves for LFG flow control and how to maximize your landfill gas flow, minimize technicians' time onsite, and maintain regulatory compliance, all with a rapid return on investment.
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Organics to BioCNG –Making Organics Diversion Work through BioCNG
Presenter: Chris Voell
BioCNG / Cornerstone Environmental Group, LLC
Thurs., April 11th @ 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST, 1-1.5hrs*
Join Chris Voell for the second session in our 5-Session Organics Management Master Class Series exploring the opportunity to convert digester biogas into compressed natural gas (CNG) for use as vehicle fuel. This presentation examines biogas to CNG technology, the financial gain associated with this system, the cost of vehicle conversion, financial incentives available, and the environmental and community benefits associated with decreasing gasoline and diesel use.
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So You Want to Set Up a Stormwater Utility?
The Top Ten Stormwater Utility Launch Failures & How to Avoid Them
Presenter: Andy Reese, P.E., LEED AP
Vice President,
AMEC Environment & Infrastructure
Thurs., April 18th @ 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST,
1-1.5hr*
Set your stormwater utility for success...not failure! Join Andy Reese, PE, LEED AP, as he explores the top ten ways that stormwater utilities fail to get off the ground successfully, and more importantly...how to avoid these. In this webinar we’ll discuss the process of establishing stormwater utilities, the top ten ways stormwater utilities are often setup for failure from the beginning, and how to design a comprehensive launch plan that successfully avoids these issues to ultimately provide your community with dedicated revenue, safe and attractive neighborhoods, ecological balance, and clean water for years to come.
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FREE!
GPS North America Introduces:
Paperless Forms for Mobile Data Collection
Presenter: Todd Lewis
President, GPS North America
Thurs., May 2nd @ 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST,
1-1.5hrs*
Go beyond the limitations of paper! Join Todd Lewis, President of GPS North America —producers of the award-winning vehicle tracking system—as he shows you how to say goodbye to inefficient paper forms. In this webinar, we’ll explore how Smart Forms not only eliminates the paper, but takes your documentation to the next level including embedded pictures, sketching on pictures, GPS time and date stamp, calculations, and bar code scans, as well as integrating with accounting and business software, and delivering itself to the intended recipients.
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