Green-LA.com News Stories

UNEP - GRID-Arendal - Environmental Knowledge for Change

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:25:56 -0800

GRID-Arendal is a collaborating centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Established in 1989 by the Government of Norway as a Norwegian Foundation, our mission is to communicate environmental information to policy-makers and facilitate environmental decision-making for change. We are located in Arendal, Southern Norway, with outposted offices in Ottawa and Stockholm. GRID-Arendal is an official United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) collaborating centre, supporting informed decision making and awareness-raising through: * Environmental information management and assessment * Capacity building services * Outreach and communication tools, methodologies and products As UNEP's Key Polar Centre, we are involved with initiatives in the Polar Regions, and increasingly, we are broadening our focus on sustainable development of the oceans and coasts elsewhere in the world. Our staff consists of a diverse team of international professionals. Through a dynamic portfolio of projects, we partner with various organizations to facilitate free access to and exchange of information in support of decision making and to promote a sustainable future. Our Mission Our mission is to provide environmental information, communications and capacity building services for information management and assessment. Our Vision We aspire to be a polar centre of excellence for the United Nations and a leading centre for marine environment issues and global environmental information. Our Values As a UNEP affiliate and partner, we espouse core values that resonate with UNEP's mission. Our core values are: * Integrity * Professionalism * Respect for diversity * Environmental commitment. As a non-profit foundation with a public mission, we uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. We believe that a commitment to our environment and best practices defines the nature of our work and activities. At the workplace, we respect diversity and gender equality, and our policies reflect this engagement. http://www.grida.no/

Edgar Wayburn dies at 103; longtime Sierra Club president helped double U.S. parkland

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:07:18 -0800

The physician turned conservationist was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts in preserving open spaces in California, Alaska and elsewhere. Edgar Wayburn, a San Francisco physician and longtime president of the Sierra Club who was credited with protecting more parks and wilderness areas than any other American, has died. He was 103. Wayburn died Friday at his home in San Francisco of natural causes, said his daughter, Cynthia. He was the impetus for the establishment of Redwood National Park and pushed to create the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, among others. "Edgar Wayburn has helped to preserve the most breathtaking examples of the American landscape. He has saved more of our wilderness than any other person alive," President Clinton said in 1999 when he presented Wayburn with the country's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "He wasn't a paid professional conservationist," Bruce Hamilton, deputy executive director of the Sierra Club, told The Times on Sunday. He called Wayburn a "citizen conservationist" who used a combination of passion, perseverance and moral persuasion to preserve lands for future generations. In 2006, as Wayburn prepared to celebrate his 100th birthday, he tried to put his environmental career in perspective. "At that time we didn't have much dedication of land compared to what we have today. There was a great deal that hadn't been done. So the opportunities were there for doing more," he told The Times. But "people are having a much harder time today to accomplish similar things." Wayburn was born Sept. 17, 1906, in Macon, Ga. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1926 and from Harvard Medical School in 1930. He moved to California to start his medical career and returned after four years in the Army Air Forces during World War II. "San Francisco, I thought, was the place to be," he told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2006. "It was California." Cynthia Wayburn said her father started traveling to California "when he was a very little boy" with his mother, who was from California. He joined the Sierra Club in 1939 so he could go on the group's burro trips into the Sierra. In 1946, he met Peggy Elliott. They went hiking on Mt. Tamalpais, just north of San Francisco, for their first date and married in 1947. She too became an environmentalist. "On all my adventures, Peggy was with me," Wayburn told the Chronicle in 2006. They first visited Alaska in 1967, scouting locations for new national parks. In 1980, President Carter signed the National Interest Lands Conservation Act, creating 10 national parks. Wayburn "was there at every meeting. He was there when the decisions were made. He was there when the president signed the law. Look, the guy doubled the size of the park system, he doubled the size of the wild and scenic rivers system, he doubled the size of the wilderness system," Hamilton told The Times in 2006. "It's mind-boggling." Wayburn was awarded the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1995. "Without Dr. Wayburn's leadership and his imagination, the Bay Area would be quite a different place," Rep. Nancy Pelosi told Sierra magazine in 1999. "Visually, recreationally, culturally -- in every way -- Dr. Wayburn made a tremendous difference." Wayburn, who also taught at Stanford and UC San Francisco, retired from his medical practice in 1983, his daughter said. He was named honorary Sierra Club president in 1993. "Whenever we encroach on the natural world, we crop the boundaries of our own existence as humans," he wrote in his 2004 book "Your Land and Mine: Evolution of a Conservationist." In addition to his daughter Cynthia, he is survived by daughters Diana and Laurie, son William and three grandchildren. Peggy Wayburn died in 2002. By Keith Thursby

"Cash for Caulkers" HOMESTAR Program to Help U.S. Businesses and Homeowners

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:07:56 -0800

U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday laid out the details of his new HOMESTAR program, nicknamed "Cash for Caulkers," which would provide on-the-spot government rebates to homeowners who make their homes more energy-efficient by installing new windows, doors, insulation and other materials from an approved list. Obama, who previewed the program during his first State of the Union address in January, urged Congress to adopt the program, saying it would revitalize the U.S. construction industry, help small businesses, and support U.S. manufacturing as well as reducing energy consumption, lessening our dependence on fossil fuels and lowering utility bills for many Americans. "So these are companies ready to take on new customers . . . workers eager to do new installations and renovations; factories ready to produce new building supplies. All we've got to do is create the incentives to make it happen," Obama said during his remarks at Savannah Technical College in Georgia, where he also noted that the construction industry is currently struggling with unemployment of nearly 25 percent. "Here's how it would work," Obama said. "We'd identify the kinds of building supplies and systems that would save folks energy over time. And here's one of the best things about energy efficiency . . . a lot of these materials are made right here in America. "If a homeowner decides to do work on his or her house -- to put in new windows, to replace a heating unit, to insulate an attic, to redo a roof -- the homeowner would be eligible for a rebate from the store or the contractor for 50 percent of the cost of each upgrade up to $1,500," he said. "Now, if you decided to retrofit your whole house to greatly reduce your energy use, you'd be eligible for a rebate of up to $3,000. "Now, these are big incentives," Obama continued. "And you'd get these rebates instantly from the hardware store or the contractor. So if you went to Lowe's or Home Depot or wherever you went, right there when you paid at the cash register you'd get that money. You wouldn't have to mail in a long form, wait for a check to arrive months later." The new program would resemble both the "Energy Star" program that promotes the purchase of energy-efficient appliances and last year's "Cash for Clunkers" program, which was designed to boost auto sales and increase fuel efficiency on U.S. roads by providing an economic incentive for consumers to replace old, low-mileage vehicles with new, fuel-efficient models. The program is expected to cost about $6 billion, which would provide economic incentives, in the form of instant cash rebates, for as many as 3 million homeowners to do energy-saving renovations. But don't rush down to Home Depot just yet. The proposal is still working its way through Congress, which must authorize funding before the program can be set up and any money can change hands. By Larry West Links: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-homestar-energy-efficiency-retrofit-program

Rooftop gardens

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:59:06 -0800

Urban restaurants are raising the roof (literally) to put garden-fresh eats on your plate. Folks used to say that all you need to grow a garden is a little patch of dirt to call your own. Turns out it�s even simpler: In the city, all you need is a rooftop. Taking advantage of unused space and maximum sunlight, Chicago restaurants are moving their mini-farming operations a story or two above ground. Here�s what�s sprouting up on four local rooftops, plus a look at what else each restaurant does to complement green growing practices. Browntrout Chef Sean Sanders opened Browntrout, his 2-week-old North Center restaurant, with lofty ambitions. �I have a goal, five years from now, of being the greenest restaurant in Chicago,� he says. And he�s not just talking the talk. Sanders, who studied botany at the College of DuPage before becoming a chef, opened the restaurant with a rooftop garden already underway. Come winter, he has designs on hydroponic growing in the basement. In the ground: Lots of herbs, arugula, early girl and heirloom tomatoes (growing now); grapes, gooseberries, raspberries, blueberries, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers and a fig tree (coming soon). On your plate: Parsley, thyme and chervil from the garden get tossed with morels, ramps and a mix of crimini and oyster mushrooms and Le Petit Dejeuner cheese in a napoleon ($10) layered with potato gaufrettes. More green practices: During construction, the restaurant relied on existing elements whenever possible instead of gutting the place. Sanders also used low-VOC paint and installed energy efficient dryers in the bathrooms. He�s phasing in green cleaning products too. Tallulah Raised in Iowa with sweet corn swaying in the backyard breeze, Tallulah chef Troy Graves has vegetable gardening in his blood. Since last spring, he�s been continuing the family tradition (albeit on a much smaller scale) on this Lincoln Square eatery�s sunny rooftop. �Bringing in tomatoes when they�re still warm from the sun, there�s something really beautiful about that,� he says. In the ground: Heirloom tomatoes such as green zebras and Cherokee purples (growing now); yellow squash and baby root vegetables such as carrots, beets and turnips (to be harvested and replanted throughout the summer). On your plate: Baby beets ($8), served with the greens intact and sauteed with shallots, garlic, bacon and blue cheese, will hit tables in mid-July. When it�s heirloom time in July and August, look for a simple tomato salad with balsamic glaze ($10). More green practices: Graves and his staff tend a plot in the Chicago Avenue Community Garden and donate veggies grown there to the surrounding community. Tallulah�s sister restaurant, Eve, also has signed up to work with Growing Power, a Milwaukee-based company that picks up organic food scraps for composting. Uncommon Ground on Devon The 640 square feet of soil atop Uncommon Ground�s roof are more than a garden. According to the Midwest Organic Services Association, Inc., it�s a certified organic rooftop farm�the first in the city. �Farm� in this case simply means food-growing, and UG farm director Natalie Pfister has been growing veggies there since the garden opened in July. In the ground: Tomatoes, arugula, radishes, carrots, onions and lots and lots of peas. Looking ahead, expect cucumbers and beans (mid-summer), melons and eggplant (late August) and squash and pumpkins (October). On your plate: Look for garden-grown sprouts and arugula in the restaurant�s sunshine salad ($7) and spring salad ($8) and fresh radishes in a grilled asparagus appetizer ($9). Later this summer, preparations of trout and pork loin will incorporate cucumbers and green beans. More green practices: Five solar panels heat 75 percent of the restaurant�s hot water, and the winged residents of four rooftop beehives supply the restaurant with honey (and pollinate the garden). Many of the restaurant�s paper goods, including toilet paper, paper towels and to-go containers, are recyclable. Carnivale Chef Mark Mendez estimates the kitchen at this 35,000-square-foot Warehouse District Nuevo Latino spot uses 500 pounds of heirloom tomatoes a week, so it's unlikely Carnivale's garden, which takes up about a quarter of the building's roof, will ever contribute a significant amount of tomatoes to the kitchen. That hasn't stopped him and sous chef David Dworshak (the green thumb behind the operation, Mendez says) from planting a garden for the second year in a row. In the ground: Pineapple sage, oregano, basil, mint, arugula, red romaine lettuce, Peruvian chili peppers and heirloom tomatoes. On your plate: Last weekend, Mendez featured a salad of arugula from the rooftop garden with strawberries from Michigan�s Mick Klug Farms, radishes from Indian�s Green Acres Farm and goat cheese from Capriole, also in Indiana. More green practices: The restaurant has stopped serving bottled water, recycles a fair amount of paper and plastic, and is looking into starting a compost heap. Lisa Arnett, Lisa Balde, Matt McGuire and M. Kathleen Pratt, Metromix producers.

California Approves New Environmental Curriculum for K-12 Students

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:52:21 -0800

Beginning this spring, schoolchildren in California will be learning more about the environment than ever before, thanks to a new state-approved environmental curriculum for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The state Board of Education signed off on 76 sections of a proposed 85-part curriculum that integrates environmental education into science, history and social science classes and is designed to meet and fulfill state academic standards, according to a report on Mercury News.com. The board is expected to review the other nine sections later this year. Teachers should be able to access the curriculum online this spring at no charge. Meanwhile, state officials are trying to find money for printing costs and teacher training. The new K-12 environmental curriculum includes lessons on food chains and ecosystems for younger students to the relationship between government, economics and the environment for high school seniors. Other lessons focus on a wide range of environmental issues such as food production, watersheds and how water gets to farms, storm drains and water treatment, and the role of California ports in food distribution. The K-12 environmental curriculum for public schools was authorized by legislation that was signed into law in 2003, but developing the curriculum took several years and the work of multiple state agencies. While many schools already have some form of environmental education, it is usually considered supplemental because the lessons are not aligned with state academic standards. During the past two years, the environmental curriculum was tested in 19 school districts throughout California. Teachers who have used the curriculum are impressed. Vince Rosato, a fourth-grade teacher who piloted the curriculum in his class two years ago and helped edit some of the lessons, said his students have continued to be more environmentally conscious and feel more connected to the natural world. His students plant gardens, recycle, manage compost piles and worm bins, and recently worked together to raise money for Haiti earthquake victims. "It helped them understand that what they put in their mouth or what they throw on the ground has an impact on other people," Rosato told a reporter for the Ventura County Star. "They learned that by ourselves, we can do a little. But, as a group, in small ways, they can help the world." Surveys that measure "environmental literacy" among K-12 students often reveal a lack of basic knowledge about the natural environment. Despite the National Environmental Education Act passed by Congress in 1990, which required the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen and expand environmental education nationwide, there has rarely been sufficient funding for more than a patchwork effort, so the states have started developing their own solutions. The new California curriculum is one that is attracting a lot of attention from other states. California has earned a reputation for leadership on critical environmental issues. By making the environment a key part of public school education, the state is helping to ensure that the next generation will be even better equipped to carry on that tradition. By Larry West, About.com Guide to Environmental Issues

Fruit Tree Tour is on The Road!

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:40:48 -0800

In the last 6 years, the Common Vision Fruit Tree Tour Program has directly impacted 45,000 students, transformed over 120 low income schools and community centers into abundant orchards, and planted over 3,500 fruit trees. In the Spring of 2010, 27 eco-educators and performing artists will once again travel in the world's largest veggie- oil-powered caravan to plant trees, play drums, dance, perform, and write eco-rhymes with youth and adults from San Diego to Sacramento. "For the past 4 days, our new crew of 18 educators has been hard at work training for our busy weeks ahead of planting and inspiring." This year's crew is once again a powerful, creative team of eco-super heroes. Check out Common's Vision Tour Schedule http://commonvision.org/programs/fruittreetour/schedule/schedule.php Calendar http://commonvision.org/calendar/calendar.html Meet the 2010 Crew http://commonvision.org/programs/fruittreetour/crew/crew.php Website http://www.CommonVision.org Please contact info@commonvision.org if you are interested in supporting.

The First Web-Based Do-It-Yourself Energy Audit Tool

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:06:10 -0800

BERKELEY, CA -- Homeowners can save hundreds of dollars per year on their energy bills. How? By using the Home Energy Saver website at http://HomeEnergySaver.lbl.gov. Developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), the Home Energy Saver (HES) website brings advanced building simulation software to interactive World Wide Web pages to help consumers identify the technologies that will save them the most energy and money. By logging onto this site, you can, for example, quickly determine how much money you would save by installing insulation in your attic, and where you would find the best products and a good contractor to do the job. The HES site is divided into two main sections, "Energy Adviser" and "Making it Happen." Energy Advisor computes a home's total energy use based on information that you enter. Once you supply your zip code, Energy Advisor will show you the energy use, bills, or energy-related carbon dioxide emissions for your area's typical house, and a comparable energy-efficient house. You can then answer a set of basic questions about your own house, including its floor area, the number of occupants, type of heating and air conditioning equipment, and fuel prices, to get a custom-tailored energy bill breakdown. The more information entered, the more these recommendations become tailored to the house. Energy Adviser also provides a customized set of energy-saving improvements for your house. These improvements cover all of your home's major energy-using systems: space heating and cooling, water heating, lighting, major appliances, and a host of 'miscellaneous' appliances that are an increasingly important factor in residential energy bills. Making It Happen provides time-saving links to hundreds of Internet sites with practical, detailed information about energy-efficient homes, products, service providers, utility programs, and on-line reading materials. An Answer Desk feature provides answers to frequently asked questions about home energy use in terms that the average homeowner can understand. This module also provides context-sensitive help and email access to energy experts who answer questions from users. "The Home Energy Saver represents a fundamental departure from previous energy calculators because it is Web-based. The site brings together in one user-friendly package the analytical capabilities of many sophisticated calculation methods," says Evan Mills, Home Energy Saver project leader and a researcher in Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD). "It would take a user months to learn how to use each program separately. The site overcomes the limitations of traditional disk-based software tools, since the power of the Web allows us to implement frequent software and interface upgrades, provide a hospitable environment for both PC and Mac users, and offer a rich array of consumer decision-support information through links to useful related web sites. And since it is Web-based, there is no software to install. Until now, tools like this have been beyond the reach of ordinary consumers. This is a big step forward from the static, generic information normally provided to consumers," Mills explains. Adds Rich Brown, EETD researcher and Home Energy Saver's production manager, "HES performs heating and cooling calculations using DOE-2, a building energy simulation program developed at Berkeley Lab. Although it's considered the most accurate and powerful program among professional engineers and architects for building energy simulation, until now DOE-2 required extensive training and fast computers. The other energy calculations in HES are also based on models and data from years of research at Berkeley Lab on how people use energy in their homes, for example, the types of appliances and equipment in homes, as well as use patterns. Because HES tailors its results to each house, it helps consumers understand how energy is used in his or her own home compared to local averages and the best ways to reduce that usage." Consumers are advised that high traffic volume on the HES site occasionally may cause delays or temporary site unavailability. In this event, they should wait a few minutes before trying again. The Berkeley Lab development team is improving the site and adding computing power to handle the growing load of HES users. Berkeley Lab researchers developed the HES Internet site for the ENERGY STAR Program, an initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DOE. Berkeley Lab is a DOE national laboratory located in Berkeley, California. It conducts unclassified research and is managed by the University of California. http://hes.lbl.gov/

CAR-FREE FRIDAYS

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:59:35 -0800

Council member Rosendahl is the second prominent L.A. City Council official to promote the benefits of bicycle commuting so far this year. L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti kicked off the campaign with an inaugural ride through Hollywood in January. "Cycling can play an important role in helping us find solutions to traffic congestion," said Council member Bill Rosendahl. "Rides like this can help people get more comfortable using their bikes for commuting and short trips. Every trip we make by bicycle keeps a car off the road and even reduces parking demand. Plus, it helps us introduce a healthful activity into our daily lives. Riders will meet at 8 a.m. at the West LA City Center on Santa Monica and Corinth, where Council member Rosendahl will join riders before commuters ride to Westwood End in Century City / Ave. of the Stars area. Choosing to commute by bicycle, even on occasion, can have immediate positive results on health, pocketbooks and the environment. "Car-Free Fridays is a great way to get to know your bicycle," said Alex Kenefick, LACBC board president. "Four years later, you may look back fondly remembering the exhilaration you felt that day riding to work for the first time with friends and co-workers." New bicycle commuters find the experience rewarding in many ways. "Since I started riding to work, I have lost weight and I feel great," said Samantha Cooke, a new rider who recently began commuting at least three times per week on her bicycle. "Car-Free Fridays is great idea that will encourage folks to start and continue bicycling", comments Ron Milam, of BikeSage. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle has become a priority for many Angelinos, but it is not always easy to dedicate extra time and money to get to the gym every week. According to the British Heart Association, cycling at least three hours a week cuts your risk of heart disease in half compared to those who do not cycle or perform other exercise. "Studies have shown that exercise such as cycling can reduce levels of depression and stress and improve mood and self-esteem," said Marisa K. Bell, MD Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The average American spends $8400 a year to own a vehicle, whereas it only costs about $300 a year to own a bike. For that five- mile commute to work you can burn 360 calories and work to reduce traffic congestion, which costs the regional economy $9.3 billion annually. The U.S. could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year just by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips. Founded in 1998, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) works to build a better, more bike-able Los Angeles County. LACBC is the only nonprofit, membership-supported organization working exclusively for the millions of bicyclists in Los Angeles County. Through advocacy, education and outreach, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition brings together the diverse bicycling community in a united mission to make the entire L.A. region a safe and enjoyable place to ride. For more information please go to www.la-bike.org Los Angeles Bike Trails http://www.labikepaths.com/

Department of Energy

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:03:20 -0800

Energy Efficiency The Department of Energy is committed to reducing America�s dependence on foreign oil and developing energy efficient technologies for buildings, homes, transportation, power systems and industry. The mission of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is to strengthen America's energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality in public-private partnerships that: enhance energy efficiency and productivity; bring clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace; and make a difference in the everyday lives of Americans by enhancing their energy choices and their quality of life. EERE leads the Federal government�s research, development, and deployment efforts in energy efficiency. EERE's role is to invest in high-risk, high-value research and development that is critical to the Nation's energy future and would not be sufficiently conducted by the private sector acting on its own. Program activities are conducted in partnership with the private sector, state and local government, DOE national laboratories, and universities. EERE also works with stakeholders to develop programs and policies to facilitate the deployment of advanced clean energy technologies and practices. Energy for America's future The National Energy Policypromotes the development and deployment of energy systems and practices that will provide current and future generations with clean, efficient, affordable, and reliable energy. Energy Star text logo Protecting the environment throughenergy efficiency By working closely with private industry, governments and consumers the ENERGY STAR� program was established in 1992 to identify energy efficient products and reduce carbon emissions. illustration of the sun and a solar panel Making homes more energy efficient The Weatherization Assistance Programworks to reduce the burden of energy prices on the disadvantaged by making low income homes more energy efficient. white circle with electricity emanating from it Maintaining energy for the future Department initiativeshelp industry maintain the infrastructure to deliver energy to the consumer now, and for the future. White Leaf on Green Background Learn How You Can Make Every Day Earth Day Explore ways to save energy and improve the environment by taking simple steps around your home. http://www.energy.gov/energyefficiency/index.htm

Positive Affirmation

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:41:14 -0800

Everyone loves a happy positive person. We wanted to send out positive vibrations when we can. A daily reminder to love, care and share. As we bring that love and compassion in our hearts and we share that joy with everything and everyone around us. It helps create that true loving state. That state of mind that we want to bring and carry to everyone. Be grateful for you who are, be grateful for the opportunities life gives you. Always put full thought and feelings into the positive life you want to manifest. Remember you are the creator of your own destiny. See it, believe it and achieve it. Life loves you. Together we can create a new heaven on earth. ~green-la