< Previousand care. This story, and a number of others, were recently shared in a documentary film called The Year Earth Changed. Narrated by acclaimed biologist David Attenborough, the film shows the surprising and unexpected ways that the natural world reclaimed human populated areas. Footage depicting hippos lazing about in gas stations and a puma wandering the streets of a Chilean city are prime examples of how close nature is to us and the benefits that can be found by soften- ing the boundaries. So, how can urban jungles be encouraged in a way that is harmonious with both the human and animal kingdoms? While rewilding tends to be a concept that is linked to rural areas, city rewilding is now a developing strategy since the pandemic. According to Mossy Earth, an NGO that is trying to restore nature across a variety of ecosystems, cities can offer a positive platform to encourage and restore plant and animal habitats. “Although rewilding is generally associated with rural projects, rewilding in cities is just as dynamic and exciting and aims to achieve many of the same goals. Urban rewilding looks to restore natural processes and reintroduce nature on a city scale and has a wide range of benefits, from improving health to helping to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises.” According to the organization, benefits can be categorized into three main areas. Environmental benefits exist, such as pollu- tion reduction, restoration of natural processes such as rain- water capture and boosting biodiversity. The knock-on effects of this, they claim, result in societal benefits such as popu- lations experiencing better moods, a reduction in loneliness, stress and anger, lower blood pressure and healthier immune systems. “At its core, urban rewilding is about bringing back elements of wilderness, embracing natural processes and restoring ecosystems with less human interference. Rewilding within this city context can be done through small and big actions at an individual and city-wide scale.” Statistics show that the adoption of city rewilding is needed now, more than ever. Between 2001 and 2017, 24 million acres of natural space were lost in the United States alone. These losses came from human involvement such as hous- ing sprawl and agriculture. Furthermore, in 2019, Reuters reported that every day, 6,000 acres of open space are con- verted for other uses. The concept of rewilding is not neces- sarily a new one, however. In 1995, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in an effort to rebalance biodi- versity in the area. While this strategy may not be appropriate for cities, we are seeing examples of rewilding taking place “Urban rewilding looks to restore natural processes and reintroduce nature on a city scale.” | 50 APRIL 2024in other ways. Between 2015 and 2020, for example, Ireland developed the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. It’s capital city Dub- lin also created a 2015-2020 Biodiversity Action Plan which was aimed at reducing mowing and herbicide use in parks, roadsides, and other green spaces. By letting native plants grow instead of maintaining monocropped, chemical-laden lawns, native insect, bird, and bee populations thrived. Thanks to this initiative that was driven and implemented by the Dublin City Council, 80% of the city’s green spaces are now “pollinator-friendly.” Meanwhile, in Haerbin, China, designers and architects came up with a novel solution to managing its increasing rainfall. In 2009, landscape architects made plans to protect an existing 34-hectare wetland in the center of the city. The area, which was at risk of decimation due to its water sources being cut off by development, was transformed into an urban storm- water park: the Qunli National Urban Wetland. The park now provides invaluable ecosystem services: collecting and filter- ing stormwater into the aquifer, recovering a native habitat vital to the surrounding ecosystem, and supplying a place for recreation in the city with a network of raised paths and viewing towers for visitors. While many of these initiatives are a reaction to the dam- aging effects that industrialization has had on the natural environment, it is unlikely that cities are going to shrink. That ship has sailed, and the plan now needs to be designing ways for humans and nature to co-exist. Rewilding, as seen during the pandemic, offers benefits to every stakeholder. It is only a matter of time before it becomes the norm in cities around the world. | 51 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY RAQUEL FARRINGTON T he team at Refractory Service Inc., or RSI, as it is often called, know materials in a way many of its competitors don’t. Headquartered in the heart of the Midwest, RSI provides refractory castable, brick, mortar, ceramic fiber, and installation services to meet industry needs across the United States. What sets this company apart is its goal to prioritize quality at all costs. With a wealth of knowledge and a breadth of expertise across a variety of industries including aluminum and steel foundries to die-casting, manufacturing, steel, ethanol and Petro-chem, Refractory Service Inc. is the go-to for those looking to get their job done right, first time. RSI’s beginnings can be traced back to the visionary minds of Jon Webbers and Milton Stall. Webbers and Stall were the company’s forward-thinking founders who, after noticing a gap in the market, decided to do something about it. Webbers and Stall, armed with valuable experience working at another prominent refractory company, launched the company in 1957. It was the perfect time: Milwaukee was the epicenter of heavy industry and small engine production. | 52 APRIL 2024They identified a real opportunity to become the go-to refractory for large-scale companies headquartered in the area, including Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Tecumseh, Harley Davidson. Alongside this, the location was hugely busy with many foundries producing iron, grey iron, steel, and aluminum. The largest hurdle in those early days was getting a foot in the door in an extremely competitive refractory industry. Thankfully, the two had significant sales experience and leveraged their backgrounds to establish a robust client base quickly. Over time, their work spoke for themselves, and they gained well-deserved credibility. This led to the company building on a foundation of trust and quality. Those same values have contributed to RSI’s continued success. However, this growth and success also stems from a workforce comprised of expert craftspeople and highly trained engineers with decades-long experience in the refractory industry. Thanks to this deep industry knowledge and understanding, the com- pany’s design and construction departments can provide custom and turnkey solutions for all unique refrac- tory needs —no matter the complexity. That, coupled with facilities centrally located in Jackson, Wisconsin, and St Paul, Minnesota, means RSI can quickly dispatch and serve clients anywhere across the country. | 53 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWhether you need new custom equipment design and fabri- cation, or your existing equipment requires service, materials, or support, RSI is a one-stop solution to ensure you get the materials and expertise you need. From lining a kiln, to creat- ing a simple patch, to a complete tear-out and rebuild, RSI is ready to ensure that its clients have the refractory bricks, lin- ings, ceramic fiber, and media materials required to produce a successful construction project. Beyond materials, RSI offers unparalleled support and exper- tise to its clients. Communication is always clear and concise while budgets and timelines are established and adhered to. RSI’s trained support team uses the latest technology, includ- ing thermal imaging, to ensure equipment is working as effi- ciently, safely, and reliably as possible. It even specializes in preventative maintenance, planning, and assessment to help its client’s equipment perform long after its installation date. With technical expertise and engineering capabilities, along with an integrated manufacturing facility, RSI is proud to design and build for customers' specific and custom refrac- tory-related needs. RSI offers technical solutions for top load melters, aluminum holding furnaces (electric or gas), zinc diecast furnaces, rotating specialized furnaces, ladles, heat treat furnaces, launder systems, filter furnaces, forging fur- naces, and many others. “RSI is a one-stop solution to ensure you get the materials and expertise you need.”In addition to manufacturing and supplying a wide range of refractory products, RSI provides a value-add by offering complete installation services for furnaces, boilers, and other industrial projects. Experienced and trained installa- tion professionals marry technical know-how with profes- sionalism to support all stages of the project’s lifecycle, from design to delivery. Counter to the tenets of client-service, RSI’s ‘ideal customer’ is an unhappy one. In fact, the company is accustomed to swooping in and saving the day, often being called on to take over an ongoing project or fix past work of competitors, provid- ing installations and services that enable better performance. “It's not unusual for us to have a client approach us who may have spent $100,000 on refractory work and it's failed because it was put in wrong and they need us to go in and repair the job for another $100,000,” says Mark, adding, “We are not the cheapest provider you can find…but we always deliver a quality service.” For Refractory Service Inc., a union contractor, the average employee has 20 or more years of tenure. The team sticks around, motivated by excellence and innovation —the thread that runs through the organization. “We have made it a point to hire management that come from a refractory manufactur- ing background so that the wealth of experience runs deep,” says Refractory Service’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Mark Sullivan. Sullivan himself has been associated with the company dating back to 1997 and underwent intense train- ing, shadowing his predecessor over a year before taking the job on solo, where he has been for the past 5 years. One way the company is living its corporate culture is by championing innovation through its work to solve issues relating to expected refractory service timelines for ethanol. In fact, RSI and its expert teams even developed a novel material solution, that simply did not exist a mere five years ago. The solution involves modifying ceramic fiber-based refractory products to create a proprietary, highly energy-ef- ficient system that effective eliminates catastrophic lining failure in high-vibration environments. Coupled with a propri- etary coating, which eliminates alkali-induced shrinkage, the system has been 100% foolproof since its inception nearly 3 years ago. The solution is working well, Sullivan says. In fact, RSI recently installed a new lining for an ethanol client that had a long history of vibrational related failures and lining shrinkage, but has now been enjoying 29 months and count- ing of maintenance free performance. “This absolutely changed the game with regards to perfor- mance of pollution control equipment in the ethanol industry. It’s one of our crowning achievements,” says Sullivan. In addition to its pioneering work in the ethanol industry, RSI is committed to doing its part to help the planet. The question RSI continues to ask itself is simple: what can we do to put less carbon in the atmosphere and remain on the forefront of leveraging renewable power sources, like wind and solar energy, in future projects? For now, the company is focusing on providing a level of efficiency to reduce power and natural gas usage by 15 – 20% and Sullivan says sustainability will remain a key focus moving forward, guided by the innovation and commitment to quality that has forged RSI’s path over the last 60 years. Looking for top-notch refractory services? Submit a project request via the company’s contact form. 55 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION |WRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL I n order to transition to clean energy, a number of things need to happen. Legislation and gover- nance can only go so far. People need to make difficult choices. Alternative energy providers need to grow in popularity. One of the deep-rooted challenges when it comes to the North American energy sector, is the close relationships that traditional energy sources still have with both local and federal governments. Coal, oil, and gas sectors have strong lobbying power. Unfortunately, the reality is that wholesale change will not come unless the powers that be allow it. It is within this context that rural energy co-ops sit. In an effort to wrestle back control in rela- tion to energy suppliers and materials, incremental changes are in fact taking place. But first, an explanation. The term ‘Rural energy co-op’ refers to the concept of local communities that either harvest or generate its own energy supply. These local groups can also iden- tify providers and work on a collective bargaining basis to ensure the best deal for its owners —local residents. Historically however, these co-ops have been slow to move away from fossil fuels. Due to the costs involved in pivoting to renewable power, these cooperatives are largely tied into historical contracts meaning that they are reliant on coal to supply power and heat. While the idea goes that these co-ops are small operations, the facts tell a different story. Rural co-ops are providing electricity to an incredible 56% of the United States. This equates to around 43 million people and includes 92% of persistent poverty counties. | 56 APRIL 2024| 57 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONAccording to a recent report by The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), these co-ops also pro- vide power to 21.5 million businesses, schools, and farms across 48 states. Clearly, the pull of rural co-ops could be a sea change if enabled to switch to sustainable sources. Surprisingly, these switches are already beginning to happen, albeit on smaller numbers that environmentalists would like. In 2016, only 17% of co-ops energy needs was being met by sustainable materials. In 2021, this figure had jumped to 22%. While this is not a monumental leap, it is encouraging, nonetheless. If we also consider that over the same period, the use of coal dropped by almost a tenth to 32%, we see a pattern emerging. Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, a rural co-op in New Mexico, is revolutionizing the field by turning away from fossil fuels entirely. In 2010, KCEC members voted overwhelmingly to move the co-op over to 100% renewable energy. Driven by the persistence of its members, i.e., households and businesses of the local community, Renewable Taos was set up as a provider of 100% sustainable power to the New Mexico coop- erative. Battling historical views and traditional mindsets, the process was aided by the falling cost of solar energy. Incredibly, the Kit Carson cooperative hit an important goal in 2022. Renewable energy now provides 100 percent of the year-round daytime electrical needs of its more than 30,000 members. This shift towards renewable energy sources is not merely an environmental one. While the benefits of renewable energy were certainly front and center for those at Kit Carson, there is also the small matter of cost. As environmentally sound as any project may be, people tend to vote with their pocket. After six years, the members of KCEC are reaping financial rewards also. Rates have dropped by an astonishing 33% since moving to renewables which equates to a drop of around $15 per month for users. In 2022, a landmark law was passed which may hold the key to rural co-ops accessing renewable energy. The Inflation Reduction Act has set aside $10.7 billion for rural co-ops and other electrical service providers to access through grants and loans. These grants come with the stipulation that the providers are affordable and clean energy focused. | 58 APRIL 2024According to Bryce Yonker, Executive Director and CEO of Grid Forward, a nonprofit industry trade organization work- ing to advance energy modernization and innovation in the western United States, the amount of funding available is staggering. “It’s a huge amount of money,” he said. “It’s a transformational amount of investment incentives for smaller grid operators.” For Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, this funding —and the use of cleaner energy, by extension— will provide rural communities with both an affordable and reliable power grid. It will also support new jobs and help lower energy costs in the future. This is evidenced, he says, by statistics that point to over 170,000 jobs created through investments in clean energy and climate. A projected 1.5 million additional jobs are expected to be added over the next decade. “These invest- ments will also combat climate change and significantly reduce air and water pollution that put children’s health at risk,” Vilsack said. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture stands ready to partner with municipalities, tribal entities, entrepre- neurs, rural electric cooperatives and other utilities to see this transformative investment come to life and create new economic growth and healthier communities.” However, the transition to sustainable energy sources is not likely to be a smooth one. Fossil fuel energy providers will be reluctant to release their grip on the sector. In fact, one of the most significant barriers to transitioning is the financial implications for co-ops when attempting to break long-term historical contracts. In some instances, cooperatives are tied into contracts as long as 75 years. For Kit Carson, the prospect of a high financial penalty for breaking its contract was not enough of a deterrent. According to Maria McCoy, researcher at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the com- munity is now reaping the benefits. “Kit Carson negotiated its release from Tri-state generation and transmission back in 2016 and was kind of the first to do this successfully. And so, Kit Carson immediately got a 15% savings from its new sup- plier, and even though it had to pay this $37 million exit fee to Tri-State, the co-op has projected that it’ll save anywhere from 50 to $70 million over the 10-year length of its new con- tract with this new supplier. And so, all that money can stay in the community and build the local economy. Additionally, with the new contract Kit Carson members can generate as much energy locally as they want. And so, the co-op has set and now reached its goal to generate a hundred percent of its daytime energy with solar.” With federal funding assisting rural co-ops in financially breaking free of contracts, the stage might be set for these energy providers to pivot to renewables in the very near future. At 56% of U.S. electrical consumption, it would prove to be an enormous statement in the goal towards achieving Net Zero. kitcarson.com “A projected 1.5 million additional jobs are expected to be added over the next decade.” | 59 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >