Green Options » sf

See a Battery, Pick It Up

Rhonda Winter — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:08:07 +0000

See a battery, pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good luck. Especially if you take the battery that you found and safely recycle it, keeping dangerous toxic poisons out of our seas and drinking water.

I found this used battery near the ocean in Pacifica, right across from our friend Rick’s Salada Beach Cafe. It has since been safely recycled, and kept from polluting our waterways.

Our oceans are already turning into acid. We have to start today to try to make things better. Keeping one more toxic battery or piece of plastic out of our oceans, collectively, will make a difference. Once you start looking, you may be really surprised just how many “disposable” batteries litter our streets and sewers. Next time you see one, pick it up; what you do matters.

EV Corridor Links LA and San Fran, “Fast” Charging Still Relative

Christopher DeMorro — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:30:33 +0000

The biggest limitation on electric cars, as we know, are the batteries. They take hours to charge, and cannot travel nearly as far as gas-powered engines. So while California may be the center of the “green movement,” traveling the almost 400 miles between Los Angeles and San Francisco is impossible on electric power. Until now.

SolarCity has announced an EV charging corridor spanning the 382 miles between LA and San Fran featuring four stations, with a fifth station opening in October.

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The Race to an EV Future: Being First to an Electric Vehicle Grid

Gavin Newsom — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:19:23 +0000

Editor’s Note: This is San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s second post on electric vehicles for Gas 2.0. It’s a direct response to Portland Mayor Sam Adams, who announced that his city would be the first to develop the charging infrastructure to support full-scale electric vehicle deployment. We expect to hear back from Mayor Adam’s later today - don’t miss it). UPDATE: Mayor Adam’s has posted his response. See video of his declaration to make Portland EV capitol of the US.

As car companies lined up in Washington, DC last November for the first round of federal bailout money – in San Francisco we announced another way – our comprehensive plan to make the San Francisco Bay Area the “Electric Vehicle (EV) Capital of the US.”

Our efforts to advance electric vehicles are not limited to San Francisco. We’ve engaged the entire Bay Area – a region of 7.3 million people – to make our region the cornerstone of the coming market for EVs. Not just governments, but key companies, business associations, policy advocates, and international car and EV infrastructure companies are all working together to make the San Francisco Bay Area the EV Capital of the U.S.

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A Solar-Powered Pissing Contest - Who Wins?

Jerry James Stone — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:55:09 +0000

Maybe it’s just me. But it seems like you can’t crack open a clean tech blog these days without uncovering a post on The World’s Most Super Duperest Solar Project Ever. In the last month alone we’ve seen everyone from China to Los Angeles rolling out big budget solar plans.

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San Francisco Solar Power Versus $5.4 Mil From PG&E

Jerry James Stone — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:15:23 +0000

San Francisco’s Prop H is the answer to Al Gores energy challenge! It makes San Francisco the first major city in the world with 100% clean and renewable sources of energy.

Get more on San Francisco’s Proposition H here.

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Visit the SF Clean Energy Act site. Video source: sfvotier on YouTube

Bill McKibben Steps It Up In Support of San Francisco’s Prop H

Jerry James Stone — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:39:10 +0000

Bill McKibben has announced his support for San Francisco’s Clean Energy Act (Propistion H). Prop H promises to move San Francisco towards 100% renewable energy in just three decades.

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Bill McKibben is the founder of Step It Up, what some have noted as the largest American demonstration about climate change to date. He is also an author and frequently writes about global warming, alternative energy, and the risks associated with human genetic engineering.

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Lights out SF! - 10/20

Joy — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:34:17 +0000

Living in San Francisco most of my life, I feel very spoiled by the amount of attention and high level of interest and support we have for the green movement.

Most recently, the City of San Francisco and partnership with non profit LightsOutSF.org has issued a "Lights Out" ordinance from 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. The city’s landmarks like Alcatraz, TransAmerica building, and parts of our lovely bridges will shut off their lights to announce the importance of energy conservation.

My friends at SF CityDish tell me that there are numerous trendy restaurants in town that are hosting "romantic candlelight dinners" in support of the Lights Out event on October 20th proving once again that activism is sexy.

Green Style Spotlight: Little Green Star

Victoria Everman — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:18:24 +0000

Image courtesy of Little Green StarTeaching our kids the beauty of the natural world starts from day one, and we often use positive reinforcement and encouragement to help instill important values: "When you do well in school, you get a gold star. When you do well for the environment, you get a green one!" That's the founding principle behind San Francisco's Little Green Star line of t-shirts for babies and toddlers. Founded just last year by two women who worked together at a local eco-consulting company, LGS features catchy yet educational images printed with non-toxic, water-based inks on sweatshop-free, 100% organic cotton t-shirts and onesies. "We choose to use organic cotton and water-based ink because the have less impact on the environment than conventional products. By making this choice we are protecting our natural resources and supporting sustainability."

"Whether you buy organic fruits and veggies, drive a hybrid car, or teach kids to recycle, our products are another way to celebrate your way of living. Little Green Star is about inspiring kids to learn about the world around us and to develop their own ideas on ways to care for the earth," says the company's website, where you can peruse and purchase items from their entire collection. Though the graphics are simple, they are also adorable, featuring statements like "My dad recycles more than your dad," "Water pollution makes me crabby," "Future geologist," "Growing up green," and a number of others.

On top of their swank designs, LGS' website also features a collection of links to green activities. "[We are] on a mission to provide families with unique educational resources that promote the exploration of nature and the interest in science. We have gathered some information for you, so have fun!" Special links are devoted to major metro areas, specifically San Francisco, LA, New York, Honolulu, Chicago, Atlanta, and Portland. Spending "quality time" with your kids doing sustainable and educational activities will empower them more than any eco-documentary could ever hope to, and these resources do a great job of getting the ideas flowing.

With affordability a consistent factor when clothing your kids, I'm happy to say that Little Green Star's line is quite accessible. Priced at $24 for any item, free shipping is provided on all orders shipped within the United States (extra bonus). Still unsure about ordering? Check out the many positive reviews for LGS on OrganicPicks.com.