Published on July 24th, 2008
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Following the lead of our progressive neighbors to the north, San Francisco, the City of Los Angeles has decided to ban plastic bags by 2010. A bit of a disclaimer, though - the ban will be implemented only if the State does not impose a 25 cent fee for each bag requested by a customer. This bill (AB 2058) is coming up for a vote in August. Still, it’s a step in the right direction, putting pressure on lawmakers to reduce the 2.3 billion bags used by consumers in Los Angeles.
The announcement comes after Los Angeles County supervisors caused disappointment in January when they abandoned a threat to ban the bags, choosing instead a voluntary program where stores were to “encourage” customers to bring reusable bags. In other words, the status quo.
The City Council also voted to ban Styrofoam at all city-owned facilities, including LAX, by 2009. Though Los Angeles collects Styrofoam for recycling, there isn’t really a market for it - by the time it is melted down, very little material is left. Last I heard, Styrofoam was being stored until another solution could be found…like a ban! Ta da!
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Published on July 24th, 2008
Scientists in California are setting out to create a new kind of agriculture: farming for carbon capture on degraded land in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
The concept works like this: researchers will plant things like cattails and tules (a type of rush that grows in freshwater marshes) in parts of the delta that have been subsiding and giving off greenhouse gases thanks to unsustainable agricultural practices in the area. Over time, the marsh plants will reproduce, die, decompose and rebuild the region’s peat soils … all while also soaking up carbon dioxide and creating new, sustainable wetlands.
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Published on July 23rd, 2008
Building sustainable enterprise. Protecting the environment. Investing in social equity.
Doesn’t sound like your bank? That’s because it probably isn’t. The soon-to-be-new e3bank in Philadelphia is positioned to be the first green triple bottom line bank in New England.
From infrastructure to product and service offerings, everything the organization is involved with will be built upon the triple bottom line values of people, planet and prosperity. The bank is mobilized around a green economy and a sustainable environment, as well as supporting growing consumer and business demands around these issues.
“A commitment to the future is embedded in the DNA of e3bank,” chairman Sandy Wiggins said. “The financial industry has a large role to play in the societal shift to a sustainable world. The emerging green economy needs to be fueled by financial products and services specifically designed to accelerate its growth, and serviced by financial experts who ‘get it’ and who understand the urgency of this shift.”
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Published on July 22nd, 2008
Calling all sustainability hounds: EcoTuesday, the sustainable business leaders networking forum, is launching its highly anticipated Ambassador Program. Through the program, people can produce EcoTuesday events in their city and generate income from event sponsorships. Ambassadors are responsible for organizing events, securing venues and speakers each month, and developing relationships with companies that want to sponsor EcoTuesday events.
EcoTuesday is currently held on the 4th Tuesday of every month in San Francisco, Marin/North Bay, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis. The event features opportunities for sustainable business leaders to network and learn about green issues from visiting speakers. Don’t be shy about attending; participants come from areas as varied as real estate, organic food, and climate change policy, just to name a few.
For more information on getting started with EcoTuesday, check out their website.
Photo Credit: EcoTuesday
Published on July 18th, 2008
The University of Michigan team taking part in this summer’s North American Solar Challenge is hoping to maximize its car’s performance with the help of solar radiation data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Team Continuum is one of 24 teams taking part in the 2,400-mile race, which started July 13 in Dallas, Texas, and ends July 22 in Calgary, Alberta. As the Michigan team approached Sioux Falls, South Dakota, this week, it planned to optimize its race strategy with information from NOAA’s Surface Radiation Network (SURFRAD).
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Published on July 17th, 2008
Now here’s a neat concept that should take root, literally, along roadways across the U.S.: a “linear garden” that provides natural beauty for travelers, educational opportunities for students and, of course, oxygen for all.
It’s more than a concept in Fort Pierce, Florida, where researchers and students have transformed a three-foot-wide, 2,426-foot-long stretch of road into a skinny but beautiful garden featuring nearly 250 different types of trees, palms, shrubs, vines and groundcover plants. Established in September 2005, the linear garden creates year-round color for faculty and students across the street at the University of Florida’s Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC).
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Published on July 17th, 2008
A church more often than not needs to draw its inspiration from the heavens, but San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral has taken that stereotype to the next level, as they announced Thursday that they would be partnering with Pacific Gas and Electric to install a new photovoltaic power system.
The project will see PG&E commit $65,000 for the installation, and designed and implemented by SolarCity of Foster City; it is expected to be completed later this year. And it is all thanks to the hard work of Reverend Canon Sally Bingham, the president of California Interfaith Power and Light, an organization founded upon the idea that the religious aspects of the community must respond to global warming as a moral issue.
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Published on July 17th, 2008
For those of us in California who follow governmental action on climate change, the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) was a watershed moment. Signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2006 (see photo at left), the bill established a comprehensive program of both regulatory and market-based mechanisms to achieve reductions in greenhouse gases of 30% by 2020. So we celebrated!
And then, we waited. The next step depended on the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which was tasked with developing those regulations and mechanisms needed to actually achieve the reductions, called a Scoping Plan.
Now, the wait is over (at least, THAT wait is over): CARB recently released its draft Scoping Plan, which is now open for public comment. The Plan includes a variety of measures that will touch every area of our economy. A few key points include:
- Carbon: A cap and trade system will cover about 85% of the state’s emissions, and will eventually become part of the regional carbon market, the Western Climate Initiative
- Energy: A requirement that a full third of the electricity produced in California come from renewable sources, partnered with additional support for energy efficiency programs, as well as building and appliance standards. The Million Solar Roofs Initiative must also be fully deployed
- Transportation: Plans include high-speed rail, more fuel efficient cars under the California Clean Car law, and more walkable communities
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Published on July 16th, 2008
Rather, IzzitGreen.com, the new Boston-based web site is asking that question all over the city. Regular columns, reviews and business spotlights give information about how green the places Bostonians frequent really are.
Users can search for businesses by name, or they can search neighborhoods for businesses that are on IzzitGreen’s green list. One of the web site’s most helpful aspects is its “Guides” page. From pizza places to used bookstores, IzzitGreen posts information about the percentage of green businesses there are in each category, where you can find the ones that are green, and they go for the dirty details…or clean in this case.
For example, if you own a business in Boston, chances are that IzzitGreen has found out what kind of lightbulbs you use, whether or not you recycle any of the materials your business or your employers use and will have a comment on what working conditions are like. And that’s just the beginning of the list.
A lively discussion forum will soon be debuting on the site. For now, all registered users are listed under the People section with varying levels of contact information.
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Published on July 15th, 2008
Move over Pink’s. There is a new fast food joint in town that wants to serve up the next cult hot dog and must have ground patty, but O!burger’s offerings come with a twist. O! goody.
Serving up grass fed beef and free range turkey, all of the new burger joint’s menu items are organic and tasty. Grass fed beef makes the meat richer with omega 3, beta carotene, vitamins A & E and CLA, a newly discovered “good” fat, and even the delicious shakes are made with healthy ingredients, such as Aseel dates, bananas, chocolate and live culture yogurt.
“From Ray Kroc to Alice Waters, California has a long, rich history of launching exciting and groundbreaking restaurants,” said co-owner Martha Chang, a former film producer. “With O!burger we hope to combine the best practices of these visionaries and offer diners the greatest possible eating experience.”
O!burger is also implementing eco-friendly pracitices by using packaging that’s recyclable, compostable or biodegradable and cleaning products that are green and non-toxic.
