Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : The Environmentalist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: longnshort who wrote (12044)	4/29/2007 2:52:35 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 36917

Aw, that ain't working, That's the way you do it. Money for nothing And your chicks for free. My county is gonna lead California. Will your county lead China, or will you give up Mendonesian wine? Parducci the first carbon neutral winery By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal Article Last Updated: 04/27/2007 08:29:02 AM PDT After only three short years of mitigation work at their north Ukiah operation, Parducci Family Farmed has become the nation's first carbon neutral winery. "We're actually carbon negative," said Parducci co-owner Tom Thornhill. Carbon neutral companies are those that reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they put into the environment. Often these companies will purchase "carbon credits" from other companies that invest in environmentally friendly technology to compensate for what cannot be reduced. Tom Thornhill said Parducci's carbon neutrality grew out of existing plans for "long term sustainability." Parducci first partnered with the California Climate Action Registry (climateregistry.org) to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions, and then formed a plan to offset them. The company had already installed a solar panel array and was using biodiesel-powered farm equipment as well as working on a system to recycle wastewater for irrigation. "We figured we were pretty close already," Tom Thornhill said. The 9,400-square-foot solar panel array that covers the top of a storage building in the valley provides roughly 25 percent of the winery's total energy needs. Work in the fields is done by four biodiesel powered tractors but the most impressive mitigation is the winery's water reclamation system. Two giant water tanks hold wastewater used in the winery. A single small windmill runs a pump that aerates the water starting the growth of organisms and plants that eat the waste and contaminants in the water. The water flows out of one tank and into the back of a trailer which has been converted into a small marsh. The plants there further clean the water before passing it on down the line where it eventually ends up in a storage pond to be used for irrigation. "This saves us a significant amount of water that was getting used for irrigation," Tom Thornhill said. Tim Thornhill, another Parducci co-owner said he hopes to create a larger wetland near the irrigation pond to further clean the water. Alongside the storage tanks are tubs filled with ceramic roofing-tiles, old wooden slats and other leftovers from winemaking. Tim is testing to see which grows plants the most effectively. "Our goal is to get this water to the point where we could return it to the Russian River," Tim Thornhill said. Tim Thornhill also hopes to replace the windmill, which only functions when the wind is blowing, with a waterwheel that will run full time with the water pouring out of the holding tank. "It's an ongoing process," Tom Thornhill said. In addition to their mitigation efforts, Parducci also buys offsets from Three Phases Energy Services which manages methane capture and works on renewable energy and sustainable forestry products, Bonneville Environmental Foundation which manages wind, solar and power generation for small communities, and Native Energy which manages wind, solar, biogas and methane capture projects. Tom Thornhill said the bid to become carbon neutral was an outgrowth of the vineyards' sustainable practices including biodynamic, organic and fish friendly farming and the use of tree-free packaging and labels printed with soy based ink. The move towards more environmentally friendly way of doing business has not been motivated by money, Tim Thornhill said, although sometimes it turns out that way. "Once you embrace this philosophy you really find ways to use it," Tom Thornhill said. The Thornhill family and long time Fetzer winemaker and former president Paul Dolan, operating as the Mendocino Wine Company, bought Parducci Wine Cellars in 2004. Parducci was established in 1932 by the Parducci family and is the oldest winery in Mendocino County. The portfolio of wine brands includes Parducci Family Farmed, Zig Zag Zin, Big Yellow Cab and Paul Dolan Organic wines. Ben Brown can be reached at udjbb@pacific.net ukiahdailyjournal.com