A reproduction of the house from the Pixar movie Up in Herriman, Utah...
Showing posts with label Utah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Utah. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Kool Real Estate of the Week
A reproduction of the house from the Pixar movie Up in Herriman, Utah...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Four-Day Workweek Is Winning Fans
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1919162,00.html
Going Green
The Four-Day Workweek Is Winning Fans
By Bryan Walsh
Monday, Sep. 07, 2009
In an era when most of us seem to be working more hours than ever (provided we're still lucky enough to have jobs), 17,000 people in Utah have embarked on an unusual experiment. A year ago, the Beehive State became the first in the U.S. to mandate a four-day workweek for most state employees, closing offices on Fridays in an effort to reduce energy costs. The move is different from a furlough in that salaries were not cut; nor was the total amount of time employees work. They pack in 40 hours by starting earlier and staying later four days a week. But on that fifth (glorious) day, they don't have to commute, and their offices don't need to be heated, cooled or lit.
After 12 months, Utah's experiment has been deemed so successful that a new acronym could catch on: TGIT (thank God it's Thursday). The state found that its compressed workweek resulted in a 13% reduction in energy use and estimated that employees saved as much as $6 million in gasoline costs. Altogether, the initiative will cut the state's greenhouse-gas emissions by more than 12,000 metric tons a year. And perhaps not surprisingly, 82% of state workers say they want to keep the new schedule. "It's beneficial for the environment and beneficial for workers," says Lori Wadsworth, a professor at Brigham Young University who helped survey state employees. "People loved it." Those who didn't tended to have young children and difficulty finding extended day care.
Managers from around the world have gotten in touch with Utah officials, and cities and towns including El Paso, Texas, and Melbourne Beach, Fla., are following the state's lead. Private industry is interested as well — General Motors has just instituted a workweek of four 10-hour days at several of its plants. "There is a sense that this is ready to take off," says R. Michael Fischl, an associate dean at the University of Connecticut's law school, which is organizing a symposium on four-day weeks.
The advantages of a so-called 4-10 schedule are clear: less commuting, lower utility bills. But there have been unexpected benefits as well, even for people who aren't state employees. By staying open for more hours most days of the week, Utah's government offices have become accessible to people who in the past had to miss work to get there in time. With the new 4-10 policy, lines at the department of motor vehicles actually got shorter. Plus, fears that working 10-hour days would lead to burnout turned out to be unfounded — Wadsworth says workers took fewer sick days and reported exercising more on Fridays. "This can really make a difference for work-life balance," says Jeff Herring, Utah's executive director for human resources.
Of course, in the age of the BlackBerry, fewer days in the office may not make much of a difference in terms of workload. But as energy prices start rising again, it makes sense to be flexible and find savings where we can. 10-4, 4-10.
Going Green
The Four-Day Workweek Is Winning Fans
By Bryan Walsh
Monday, Sep. 07, 2009
In an era when most of us seem to be working more hours than ever (provided we're still lucky enough to have jobs), 17,000 people in Utah have embarked on an unusual experiment. A year ago, the Beehive State became the first in the U.S. to mandate a four-day workweek for most state employees, closing offices on Fridays in an effort to reduce energy costs. The move is different from a furlough in that salaries were not cut; nor was the total amount of time employees work. They pack in 40 hours by starting earlier and staying later four days a week. But on that fifth (glorious) day, they don't have to commute, and their offices don't need to be heated, cooled or lit.
After 12 months, Utah's experiment has been deemed so successful that a new acronym could catch on: TGIT (thank God it's Thursday). The state found that its compressed workweek resulted in a 13% reduction in energy use and estimated that employees saved as much as $6 million in gasoline costs. Altogether, the initiative will cut the state's greenhouse-gas emissions by more than 12,000 metric tons a year. And perhaps not surprisingly, 82% of state workers say they want to keep the new schedule. "It's beneficial for the environment and beneficial for workers," says Lori Wadsworth, a professor at Brigham Young University who helped survey state employees. "People loved it." Those who didn't tended to have young children and difficulty finding extended day care.
Managers from around the world have gotten in touch with Utah officials, and cities and towns including El Paso, Texas, and Melbourne Beach, Fla., are following the state's lead. Private industry is interested as well — General Motors has just instituted a workweek of four 10-hour days at several of its plants. "There is a sense that this is ready to take off," says R. Michael Fischl, an associate dean at the University of Connecticut's law school, which is organizing a symposium on four-day weeks.
The advantages of a so-called 4-10 schedule are clear: less commuting, lower utility bills. But there have been unexpected benefits as well, even for people who aren't state employees. By staying open for more hours most days of the week, Utah's government offices have become accessible to people who in the past had to miss work to get there in time. With the new 4-10 policy, lines at the department of motor vehicles actually got shorter. Plus, fears that working 10-hour days would lead to burnout turned out to be unfounded — Wadsworth says workers took fewer sick days and reported exercising more on Fridays. "This can really make a difference for work-life balance," says Jeff Herring, Utah's executive director for human resources.
Of course, in the age of the BlackBerry, fewer days in the office may not make much of a difference in terms of workload. But as energy prices start rising again, it makes sense to be flexible and find savings where we can. 10-4, 4-10.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
What's your favorite place to go hiking?
What's your favorite place to go hiking? Mine is Arches in Southern Utah. I went there with some friends about a month ago. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Delicate Arch had been blown up by a mining company, it's remains dumped into the Colorado River along with tons of chemicals and pollutants, choking off the mighty river.
Obviously, that didn't happen - because our predecessors, in their wisdom, protected Arches as a national park. Sadly, most of the mountains of Appalachia don't have that protection - and the scene I described happens there every day.
It's mountaintop removal mining. And it has to be stopped. Click the link below, or paste it into your browser, and tell EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson we need to ban this horrific practice:
http://www.environmental-action.org/epa-should-ban-mtr?id4=ES
To date, mountaintop removal mining has destroyed 800 miles of Appalachian mountains, and poisoned or choked 1200 miles of rivers and waterways.
It's a national disgrace to treat our wild treasures this way - and it needs to be stopped. The Obama Administration's EPA is undertaking a review of hundreds of mountaintop removal mining permits - a good first step.
Make your voice heard - tell the EPA we need a permanent ban on mountaintop removal mining.
http://www.environmental-action.org/epa-should-ban-mtr?id4=ES
Sincerely,
Dan Stafford
Environmental Action Organizer
DanS@environmental-action.org
http://www.environmental-action.org
Obviously, that didn't happen - because our predecessors, in their wisdom, protected Arches as a national park. Sadly, most of the mountains of Appalachia don't have that protection - and the scene I described happens there every day.
It's mountaintop removal mining. And it has to be stopped. Click the link below, or paste it into your browser, and tell EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson we need to ban this horrific practice:
http://www.environmental-action.org/epa-should-ban-mtr?id4=ES
To date, mountaintop removal mining has destroyed 800 miles of Appalachian mountains, and poisoned or choked 1200 miles of rivers and waterways.
It's a national disgrace to treat our wild treasures this way - and it needs to be stopped. The Obama Administration's EPA is undertaking a review of hundreds of mountaintop removal mining permits - a good first step.
Make your voice heard - tell the EPA we need a permanent ban on mountaintop removal mining.
http://www.environmental-action.org/epa-should-ban-mtr?id4=ES
Sincerely,
Dan Stafford
Environmental Action Organizer
DanS@environmental-action.org
http://www.environmental-action.org
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Utah shows it belongs among the nation's elite
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=502927
Utah shows it belongs among the nation's elite
January 2, 2009
No matter what you call it or how you see it, there are a whole lot of folks in Salt Lake City begging for a little deductive reasoning.
If A beats B and C beats B worse than A, why isn't C playing for it all?
Or something like that.
"I know where I'm voting us," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Friday night to a nationally televised audience after the Utes' 31-17 victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. "I'm voting us No. 1."
Amen, brother.
We've seen three of five BCS games, and it's beginning to look a whole lot like the BCS points series not only whiffed once by not spitting out Rose Bowl champion USC, but may have blown it twice by ignoring unbeaten Utah.
That Florida-Oklahoma national title game is getting more minimized by the moment.
Utah's convincing victory over Alabama -- the same Tide team that spent five weeks at No. 1 in the BCS standings before losing in the final week of the season to Florida -- will have playoff proponents in full force. Let me explain more steps of deductive reasoning:
• Utah beat Oregon State, which beat USC. Deductive reasoning: Utah would beat USC.
• Ole Miss embarrassed Texas Tech -- the same Texas Tech team that Oklahoma uses as its go-to game in its BCS argument. Alabama beat Ole Miss, and we all know Utah dismantled the Tide from the first snap of the Sugar Bowl. Deductive reasoning: Utah would beat Oklahoma.
• And, of course, Utah beat Alabama worse than Florida. Deductive reasoning: Utah would beat Florida.
Before you playoff nuts get all sideways, consider this: The one model that could eventually be agreed upon by the BCS presidents -- a plus-one game after the bowls -- wouldn't settle this debate. The winner of the Florida-Oklahoma game plays who?
USC, Utah, Texas?
Anyone who says Utah doesn't belong in that argument didn't watch the Sugar Bowl. Exactly which team looked like the SEC team -- the team with superior speed and athleticism and desire?
I'm not exactly sure how many third-and-longs Utah made, but it had to be 800. I'm not sure how many times the Utes' quick defensive line beat Alabama's senior-laden tough guys for sacks, but it had to be another 800.
Utah had the two best players on the field (defensive end Paul Kruger and wideout Freddie Brown) and the fire and passion of a championship team. Florida and LSU beat Ohio State in the last two national championship games because the Buckeyes couldn't handle the SEC's speed on the defensive line.
Utah gave the snobby league a taste of the humiliation it has handed out for years -- and hopefully forced pollsters to take a second look at non-BCS teams.
That, or use a little deductive reasoning.
Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News and is an analyst on NFL Network's College Football Now. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.
Utah shows it belongs among the nation's elite
January 2, 2009
No matter what you call it or how you see it, there are a whole lot of folks in Salt Lake City begging for a little deductive reasoning.
If A beats B and C beats B worse than A, why isn't C playing for it all?
Or something like that.
"I know where I'm voting us," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Friday night to a nationally televised audience after the Utes' 31-17 victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. "I'm voting us No. 1."
Amen, brother.
We've seen three of five BCS games, and it's beginning to look a whole lot like the BCS points series not only whiffed once by not spitting out Rose Bowl champion USC, but may have blown it twice by ignoring unbeaten Utah.
That Florida-Oklahoma national title game is getting more minimized by the moment.
Utah's convincing victory over Alabama -- the same Tide team that spent five weeks at No. 1 in the BCS standings before losing in the final week of the season to Florida -- will have playoff proponents in full force. Let me explain more steps of deductive reasoning:
• Utah beat Oregon State, which beat USC. Deductive reasoning: Utah would beat USC.
• Ole Miss embarrassed Texas Tech -- the same Texas Tech team that Oklahoma uses as its go-to game in its BCS argument. Alabama beat Ole Miss, and we all know Utah dismantled the Tide from the first snap of the Sugar Bowl. Deductive reasoning: Utah would beat Oklahoma.
• And, of course, Utah beat Alabama worse than Florida. Deductive reasoning: Utah would beat Florida.
Before you playoff nuts get all sideways, consider this: The one model that could eventually be agreed upon by the BCS presidents -- a plus-one game after the bowls -- wouldn't settle this debate. The winner of the Florida-Oklahoma game plays who?
USC, Utah, Texas?
Anyone who says Utah doesn't belong in that argument didn't watch the Sugar Bowl. Exactly which team looked like the SEC team -- the team with superior speed and athleticism and desire?
I'm not exactly sure how many third-and-longs Utah made, but it had to be 800. I'm not sure how many times the Utes' quick defensive line beat Alabama's senior-laden tough guys for sacks, but it had to be another 800.
Utah had the two best players on the field (defensive end Paul Kruger and wideout Freddie Brown) and the fire and passion of a championship team. Florida and LSU beat Ohio State in the last two national championship games because the Buckeyes couldn't handle the SEC's speed on the defensive line.
Utah gave the snobby league a taste of the humiliation it has handed out for years -- and hopefully forced pollsters to take a second look at non-BCS teams.
That, or use a little deductive reasoning.
Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News and is an analyst on NFL Network's College Football Now. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Manmade Flood Coming to Grand Canyon
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030501219.html
Manmade Flood Coming to Grand Canyon
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
PAGE, Ariz. -- Federal agencies are gearing up to release a manmade flood aimed at refreshing the ecosystem of the Grand Canyon.
A three-day torrent of water will be released from Glen Canyon Dam on the Arizona-Utah state line beginning Wednesday morning.
The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon downstream from the dam used to be warm and muddy. But the dam now traps silt and the river runs cold and clear through the canyon. The shift has helped speed the extinction of four fish species.
The agencies including the Interior Department and Park Service hope the flooding will redistribute sediment in the canyon.
Manmade Flood Coming to Grand Canyon
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
PAGE, Ariz. -- Federal agencies are gearing up to release a manmade flood aimed at refreshing the ecosystem of the Grand Canyon.
A three-day torrent of water will be released from Glen Canyon Dam on the Arizona-Utah state line beginning Wednesday morning.
The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon downstream from the dam used to be warm and muddy. But the dam now traps silt and the river runs cold and clear through the canyon. The shift has helped speed the extinction of four fish species.
The agencies including the Interior Department and Park Service hope the flooding will redistribute sediment in the canyon.
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