Green Options » miami

Toxic Dolphins Found in Miami

Jake Richardson — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:51:10 +0000

Scientists found unusually high levels of flame retardant in dolphin blubber.

The closer the dolphins lived to downtown Miami, the more of the chemical was concentrated in them. The flame retardant can cause sterility in dolphins. Brominated flame retardants are applied to furniture, clothes and electronics to prevent them from burning. They also help slow the ignition of items that are in a burning room.

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Off the Beaten Mat: An interview with Chantal Tacoronte-Perez in Paris

Courtney Maum — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:12:07 +0000

Traveler, painter, and a mean hand with a sewing machine, Chantal began practicing Yoga in Miami and went on to study Iyengar yoga with Vladimir Ferrerio Gonzalez while she lived in Havana as the Hampshire College Cuba Program Coordinator. She is currently teaching yoga at the Centre de Yoga du Marais in Paris, while continuing her studies under Rod Stryker in the Tantric Hatha lineage to complete her Para Yoga certification.

Here, Chantal talks with us about the difference between Miami and Parisian mindsets, the eternal debate over audible sighs, and how to get your hubby to come to a yoga class.

How did you come to teach yoga? What else might you be doing if you weren’t a yoga teacher?

I worked at the front desk of Prana Yoga in Miami off and on between college and traveling/working in Cuba. I had just come back from Cuba and my cousin was leading the teacher training at Prana Yoga. I had always wanted to do it, and it just seemed like the next step.

If I weren’t teaching yoga, I would be teaching something else. Probably painting or working with disabled children and teens. I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but “yoga teacher” was not always the image I conjured up as I played “teacher” with my imaginary students. My make-believe took place in the form of detention with forms and grades, not straps, blankets or blocks.

Did you always follow a vegetarian diet, or did you go veggie when you discovered yoga?

When I was younger, my mom didn’t eat any red meat or anything with bones in it except for fish, which I never liked. I learned first about veganism, then vegetarianism while I was in college learning about the planet and how much waste goes into the whole “raising of animals for human consumption” thing. It just seemed that it was more logical to eat closer to the earth.

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Florida: We’ll Take Your Pythons, Cougars, No Questions Asked

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:53:25 +0000

You know those “safe-haven” laws that let parents drop off their unwanted kids in a safe place without fear of consequences? (In Nebraska, it’s even legal to give up an unruly 18-year-old!) Well, Florida’s doing the same thing for unwanted pythons, cougars and other non-permitted exotic pets.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) this week adopted a new rule that lets state and county animal control agencies take in non-native animals whose owners can’t — or don’t want to — take care of them anymore. No questions asked. No penalties.

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Back to School Week: Miami, Bowdoin Ban Student Cars

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:55:38 +0000

We’re seeing a lot more sustainability-minded colleges, universities and even high schools encouraging their students to walk or bike, rather than drive, to classes. But two institutions of higher learning, one in the north, one in the south, are taking things even further by banning on-campus cars for all incoming freshmen.

For the first time ever, the University of Miami is prohibiting cars for freshmen starting this fall. Instead, new students, returning students and faculty alike will be able to travel around campus and the city using fuel-efficient cars available through a university partnership with Zipcar. The car-sharing program offers users hourly, daily or annual access to cars when needed, gas and insurance costs included.

The Zipcar option will also be offered at Maine’s Bowdoin College, where first-year students will be barred from having on-campus cars starting next fall (2009).

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Miami’s Bus Shelters Go Solar

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:50:47 +0000

Outdoor advertising might not sound very green — after all, who wouldn’t rather see a row of flowers along the sidewalk than a row of billboards? — but most realists have to accept that ad-driven media aren’t going away anytime soon. So if you have to stare at an electronic fashion ad or fragrance promo while waiting for the bus, wouldn’t you at least like to know the hype doesn’t come with carbon emissions?

That’s the plus that Fuel Outdoor Holdings LLC is bringing to Miami. Through its subsidiary, Fuel Miami LLC, the New York-based OOH media (that’s “out-of-home” advertising) company is installing 600 solar-powered bus shelters throughout the city. Under the 20-year arrangement, Miami gets the shelters for free and Fuel gets a place to display its customers’ ads, no electrical outlets required.

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Florida Gets Serious About Solar, Aims for No. 2 Spot in U.S.

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:46:37 +0000

The Sunshine State is finally beginning to try and live up to its reputation, as it starts moving rapidly toward increased use of solar energy.

The latest advance came with this week’s announcement by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) that the utility plans to add 110 megawatts of new solar energy capacity in the state.

“Pending regulatory approval, FPL will build 110 megawatts of solar power right here in the Sunshine State, making Florida No. 2 in the nation for solar energy,” said Lewis Hay III, chairman and CEO of FPL Group. Hay made the announcement during the state’s second Serve to Preserve summit on climate change.

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Florida Hails Good News for Environment, Climate

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:00:22 +0000

Florida’s got its share of environmental challenges — overdevelopment, water shortages, threatened coral reefs — and it’s definitely one of the top states likely to be hurt by climate change. On the other hand, those very challenges have spurred some good news recently on several fronts.

First, if you missed it, comes the news that the state and U.S. Sugar Corporation have struck a deal to eventually cease sugar-cane production on 187,000 acres of land (nearly 300 square miles) in south Florida. Under the plan, expected to be finalized by September, the state will pay the sugar company $1.75 billion for the land, which lies in the heart of Everglades territory. The transfer would take place in six years, during which U.S. Sugar will continue to grow on the land.

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Earth Day 2008, Florida-Style

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:21:40 +0000

Looking for Earth Day activities in Florida? Following are some of the events scheduled in communities across the state:

In Pensacola, the University of West Florida (UWF) will host a day of environmental symposia at the University Commons Auditorium. Among the topics speakers will tackle: “The Gulf Coast Main Ecosystem Partnership: A Story in Large Landscape Management,” “Small-Scale Wind Turbines: A Joint UWF/University of Florida Study” and “Climate Change: Facts, Fantasies and Solutions.” Following Mike Papantonio’s keynote address on “The New Art of Fighting Back,” attendees will be able to view a screening of the film, “Sacred Planet.” All the programs are free and open to the public.

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Tip o’ the Day: Celebrate Earth Day!

Rebecca Carter — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:05:44 +0000

It's Earth Day weekend, so get on out there and celebrate this greenest of holidays!

Atlanta: Arms Around Atlanta sounds like a blast. It's all going down at Grant Park on Saturday & Sunday.

Boston: Clean Up the Charles on Saturday, April 21!

Chicago: Check out Green Festival happening all weekend long! Green vendors & organizations galore!

Dallas: Run, don't walk to downtown today for EarthFest from 10am - 2pm.

Denver: Visit the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and enjoy yourself at their Earth Day Renewable Energy Expo April 21-22.

Houston: The Houston Zoo is celebrating Earth Day all weekend - family fun.

Los Angeles: Lots to choose from. Clean Rivers, go to a Conscious Living Fair, or Let Worms Eat Your Garbage!

Miami: Check out EarthFest:WaterFest Gone Green a full day of music, eco-village, food, and fun. (Organized by yours truly.)

New York: Choose from a variety of events, and don't forget the slideshow in Grand Central!

San Francisco: Get on over to East Bay on Saturday and have fun at the Berkeley Earth Day Festival.

Seattle: Do a little Earth Day tour and check out several events this weekend in Seattle.

Washington, D.C.: Go to GreenDC Week Earth Day Celebration or check out some other events.

I didn't mention your city? Search for local events at Earth Day Network or EnviroLink.

Rather not party it up? Do something green like a beach clean-up or planting a tree.