As you may remember from my previous post, Grid Alternatives is a Bay Area non-profit that teaches volunteers how to install solar panels while helping low income residents cut costs on installing a new solar system for their home.This weekend I took the plunge and found myself standing on top of a roof, where I discovered there are many steps involved in a solar installation, only the last of which involves [...]
This weekend at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in Washington, you can hear the likes of Bjork, The Arcade Fire, Manu Chao and the Beastie Boys. And if you listen closely, you might also hear the sigh of atmospheric relief as Carbon Harmony neutralizes the effects of all carbon dioxide emmissions resulting from this year’s Sasquatch!You may remember from my previous post that the United States produced at least [...]
If not us, WHO? If not here, WHERE? If not now, WHEN?These are the questions that gave birth to the Bay Area Urban Alliance of Sustainability three years ago. With a mission to "Inspire and integrate the sustainability movement,” and a vision to "Support the transformation of the world into a harmonious social, economic and natural environment for the benefit of all," UAS is working to connect local green organizations and individuals [...]
Photo Credit: Ecocity BuildersWhat if your commute to work included an experience in the following:Plant and pedestrian-friendly plazasPedestrian streetsA bike rideRooftop gardensBridges between buildings Car-free streetsAnd neighborhood waterwaysHow different would we feel if our cities were designed “for the long term health of human and natural systems?”At Ecocity Builders, this question is asked every day with an urban re-design approach that treats each city as a giant living organism, with [...]
Photo Credit: I Heart OrganicThink about the last time you ate a piece of organic fruit. Do you know where it came from?Born from the desire to support and connect with local organic farmers, Bay Area start-up I Heart Organic is currently distributing sweatshop-free, and 100% organic American Apparel t-shirts at green festivals around the Bay Area. With 10% of all net profits to education and local organic farms, [...]
Bioreactor Photo Credit: Chlorophyll CollectiveHow do you take a damaging substance and evolve it into something beneficial?In 2005, the United States produced 6,008.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.So, how do you turn 6,008.6 million metric tons of CO2 into something essential for human existence?From the experts at the Chlorophyll Collective, the answer is simple: Take a bunch of algae, submerge it in water, blast it with [...]
From 11:11am to 5:55pm on May 6th, San Francisco’s 8th Annual How Weird Street Faire will shut down 5 city blocks in a celebration of all things community, music, art, and GREEN.Featuring 7 biodiesel-powered dance stages and a sound system run entirely by people on bikes, the theme of this year’s How Weird turns green as it aims to incorporate sustainable technology and solutions into all aspects of the Faire. Along [...]
“Turn on, Tune-in, drop out.” The words that defined a generation were uttered by Timothy Leary at the first Human Be-in 40 years ago in Golden Gate Park.Initially planned to address the eminent issues of the decade, the original Be-In has evolved into an art/music/digital cyberculture exploration that now focuses on the latest in the GREEN movement. The 2007 theme of Biomimicry is designed to be “a launching pad for [...]
Calling all green NPR listeners: Have you ever wondered what it would take to green-up your local public broadcasting station (or any media organization for that matter)?Well wonder no more! This past month, our country witnessed another first in the world of green when Northern California’s KQED became the first ever carbon neutral public broadcasting station. For those of you new to the world of carbon offsets, this simply means that KQED [...]
Photo Credit: Ecology CenterLooking for your local Environmental Resource Center, EcoLibrary or environmental education programs? How about an epicenter for your local recycling programs, farmers markets, and a store that features the full spectrum of green books and household products?Berkeley’s Ecology Center encompasses all of this and more by implementing programs that educate, demonstrate and engage with the public in the latest green community services. Started as a volunteer-run meeting [...]
