As we lurch haltingly through this first decade of the new millennium, "going green" and "sustainable" have become the preferred bon mots and reflexive rallying cries du jour amongst the earnest intelligentsia and concerned masses looking to latch onto a cause worth serving. Articles on new construction tend to lead with LEED (i.e. "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design") ratings, which, in turn, are broken down into four additional certification levels ("there's four levels, so we mean business!"). Specializing in LEED-worthy construction and design adds au courant cachet to the curriculum vitae. As the worthy cause of "going green" leeches further into our lexicon, the creeping shadow of commercialism tends to follow closely behind. As with any such cause that can be readily co-opted and transmogrified into a savvy marketing jingle with attractive packaging, the green machine has proven to be a generally desirable marketing boon. Green businesses and products seem to be cropping up with more frequency than dual-Prius families.
As with any socio-political phenomenon, there are positives and negatives to having such worthy causes co-opted by mainstream society and pop culture. While it's great to have the world take notice, things tend to get watered down a bit, and opportunistic hucksters seeking a profit look to wrap themselves up in the grass shirt of the "next big thing." Randy Simes, owner and editor of the popular local website UrbanCincy, commented upon this recently in a piece entitled "Greenwashing in Cincinnati." The term "greenwashing" is generally attributed to New York environmentalist Jay Westerveld, originally appearing in an essay regarding the hotel industry's practice of placing green placards in each room promoting the reuse of guest-towels, ostensibly to "save the environment." In his essay, Westerveld noted that, in most cases, little or no effort toward waste recycling was being implemented by these institutions, due in part to the lack of cost-cutting affected by such practice. In short, "greenwash" describes the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly, such as by presenting cost cuts as reductions in the use of resources, and thereby donning the coveted green PR halo in the process (see also, "green sheen").
All heady stuff indeed, dear Soapdish readers, and I'm not looking to add any toxic rain to the green parade, but rather to shine a chartreuse klieg light on some of the less likely of green zones. Take for example, Over-the-Rhine. No, no…not
Park + Vine and fearless leader Dan Korman, who have commendably taken the lead in the green general store concept (no greenwashing there, at least in the pejorative sense, although there are plenty of excellent green cleaning supplies). And no, not the wondrous
Findlay Market, with its emphasis on local products and 114 solar panels on the historic market shed.
No, I'm talking about a northwest corner of the neighborhood, on Stark Street, where, since May of 2007, a tireless 4th generation Cincinista and OTR booster by the name of Bryan Vielhauer has been valiantly promoting the nascent
OTR Electric Motor Car Company. Vielhauer, age 33 and an OSU grad, first got involved in OTR when he and his father took over a stumbling sign business, "
Decal Impressions," which was on the verge of collapse. They stepped in and bought the business in 2001, six months after the much maligned "civil disturbance" had many people and businesses fleeing the neighborhood in droves. Over time, they restructured the business into a successful model, acquiring the actual building as well as the adjoining property. Just last week, Decal Impressions was named "Business of the Year" for 2008 by the OTR Chamber of Commerce.
I met with Vielhauer on a recent Friday happy hour at Grammer's in (where else?) OTR. A Deer Park resident and admitted auto enthusiast, he comes by his green credentials not in the cultish and somewhat scary
Ed Begley Jr. type of way, but rather from the simple perspective of someone who is fed up with the price at the pump and looking for a sensible solution to our ever dwindling world supply of oil. Looking around his shop one day, Vielhauer spied a plethora of powerful electric motors ("ah hah!"), thereby leading to his signature (fluorescent) light bulb moment. Vielhauer did some research, looked at the technology, and, along with ("genius") partner Tim Pennington, set about to build an electric car. The end result is Vielhauer's unmistakable blue prototype 1994 Toyota pickup, which you may have seen tooling about in the Opening Day Parade this year, and which he has been driving for the past 15 months or so. The prototype gets between 50 and 70 miles on a charge, can travel at highway speeds and is perfect for commuting to and from his business as well as daily work errands around town. Use of the truck has reduced gas consumption at Decal Impressions by 90 to 95%.
OTR Electric Motor Car is in talks with both the city and the county on a variety of proposals, and is also looking to develop greater range/rapid charge batteries, as well as a hybrid-diesel engine (which would require additional financing). Ultimately, Vielhauer envisions a regional enterprise along the lines of India's Tata model, selling the components and system to dealers, who then assemble the products. He would also like to establish an electric rental car for downtown visitors, perhaps partnering with businesses to offer charging stations at various designated spaces. At this point, after a few rounds of Moerlein's OTR Ale, the electric wheels begin to spin more rapidly… free parking for electric cars… electric shuttles between UC and downtown… OTR eco trips… and much more.
For now, however, OTR Electric Motor Car is content to work with the individual customer to customize the car according to the customer's specific needs. The cost is estimated to range from $15,000 to $25,000, depending on the options. The base vehicle will be a three to four year old car, which they will then strip, recycling all of the parts that are unnecessary. The cost will ultimately depend on what the customer is looking for, but in any case, Vielhauer notes, the company will "take care of people like they have bought the highest of high end vehicles," with exceptional and comprehensive assistance as well as 24/7 on-call roadside assistance.
Vielhauer is quick to note that they're not re-inventing the electric wheel here, pointing out that Dwight D. Eisenhower's mother-in-law drove a 1914 era electric car. Rather, OTR Electric Motor Car is simply employing the latest and greatest version of available technology that has been around for decades, and adapting it to the needs of the modern day driver. This is the type of grass roots, non-greenwashing type of entrepreneurial spirit which fits well in the neighborhood, and in the process, will continue to promote Cincinnati's own unique version of a "green zone" right here in Over-the-Rhine.
(This "green" feature previously appeared in Soapbox, April 2009).Photography by Scott Beseler
"Decal Impressions"
Solar Panels, UC campus
Park + Vine
Truck rear
Bryan Vielhauer and his daily ride
Plugged in