US Postal Service Planting Green Roofs

Posted on July 2, 2012 by QuestPoint

The U.S. Postal Service recently celebrated another example of environmental leadership as local officials announced a green roof atop the Colvin-Elmwood Post Office. The 11,300 square foot green roof will be built at no cost to the Postal Service through an innovative sustainability partnership with Onondaga County, NY. “The Postal Service continues to lead the way when it comes to making a positive impact on the environment,” said Chief Sustainability Officer, Thomas G. Day. “We’re pleased to be collaborating with the good people of Onondaga County on our second green roof, which will help the Postal Service conserve water and energy in the Syracuse metropolitan area.”

Working cooperatively with Onondaga County’s Save the Rain initiative, the Colvin-Elmwood Post Office’s roof was deemed structurally sound to support the additional weight of the soil, vegetation and other requirements of a green roof. The green roof will consist of a new membrane, layers of drainage sheet, mat, separation fabric, indigenous vegetation and a wind blanket. The green roof plan fits perfectly into the Postal Service’s commitment to create sustainable spaces and facilities wherever possible. The green roof also addresses practical concerns. The roof’s expected lifespan is up to 50 years, twice as long as the roof it will replace. It also will reduce the amount of contaminants in storm water runoff flowing into Syracuse’s municipal water system.

“At more than 11,000 square feet, the Colvin-Elmwood green roof will be one of the largest in New York,” said Day. “The Colvin-Elmwood green roof will help us meet our goals to reduce energy usage 30 percent by 2015 and greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020.”The Colvin-Elmwood green roof is part of the Postal Service’s greener facilities strategy, which includes the use of environmentally friendly building components, renewable materials, energy-efficient lighting and HVAC, low volatile organic compound parts, low-water use fixtures and solar photovoltaic systems. In the last 12 months, the Postal Service also has expanded its recycling program in Central New York to include mixed paper and cardboard, resulting in nearly 1,055 tons of materials recycled in the past year. With more than 700 postal locations, including Post Office locations in Syracuse and Central New York, and with a recycling rate of 95 percent, District Manager, Edward F. Phelan, Jr., noted the Albany district is one of the Postal Service’s first Zero Waste districts.

Nissan LEAF Backs Into The Future

Cali And Panama Conference Targets Renewable Energy

Posted on June 12, 2012 by QuestPoint

The 9th annual Global California Conference will be held at the San Jose City Hall this year on June 22nd. The topic is Panama and the Canal Expansion and its impact on California job creation. One of the presentations is about great renewable energy projects and investment opportunities in the West Coast of the U.S., Panama, Latin America, the Caribbean and the World: Massive Opportunity: Impact Capital for Renewable Energy Projects.

“Panama is poised is poised to become a key player in trade between Latin America and North America as well as Asia. Its geographic location favors a number of possibilities for players and surrounding countries” says panel guest, Rodney Alves of Alves & Associates.
“Panama’s strategic location is a major global shipping and logistics hub. The massive infrastructure improvements underway, including additional Ports and the Panama Canal Expansion, enhance the importance of the U.S.‐Panama Free Trade Agreement”, states Alvaro Cabal Lachman, President of USPAW.

Notable dignitaries from Panama as well as California will be participating in the conference, such as, former Ambassador to Panama in Washington D.C, Juan Sosa, who is now the President of USPA, U.S., will be giving the ‘keynote’ speech. The conference is produced by TradePort, the Monterey Bay International Trade Association in partnership with the United States ‐ Panama Business Council West.

Nutiva Moving To San Francisco Bay Area

Sexy Celebrity Environmentalists Making A Difference

Posted on May 12, 2012 by quest

Sure, celebrities are known for making a lot of green, but few have gained recognition for going green. In celebration of Earth Day 2012, Recently Rodale a source for news and ideas for healthy living on a healthy planet assembled an inaugural list of the “Top 50 Sexiest Environmentalists.” A definitive ranking of actors, adventurers, athletes and influencers, the list rounds up those that are using their star power to make meaningful contributions to environmental causes or dedicate significant time to supporting related nonprofits or organizations.

Of course there are list and then there are list Leo Dicaprio, Natalie Portman and Woody Harrelson have been on a green journey for some time now. And given the reality of what’s gong on with solar energy and the environment the list of celebrities more people greening up is likely to grow. On the list is heart throb Lenny Kravitz and Alexandra Cousteau: The granddaughter of the famous explorer Jacques Cousteau who founded Blue Legacy, a nonprofit that inspires people to take action on critical water problems.

From careers that depend on the conservation of the environment, like those of Olympic snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler and pro-surfer Rob Machado, to lifestyle changes inspired by having a family, like Jessica Alba and Alicia Silverstone’s adoption of healthier consumer practices. Today New York City born actress Rosario Dawson launched National Train day on behalf of Amtrak.

Lenny Kravitz & Ellen DeGeneres

Electric Vehicle World Visionary Award Goes To LA

Show Solar Some Love

Posted on May 2, 2012 by quest

Vote Solar the San Francisco based solar advocate is on a mission to bring Solar energy into the mainstream. They were looking to send 20,000 emails asking for a YES vote on fair solar credit at the California Public Utilities Commission. “More than 34,000 Californians have replied to have urged the CPUC to support the pro-solar plan! Now they would like to build on the momentum and send 40,000 emails to the CPUC by May 15? The utilities are now fighting tooth and nail against your outpouring of pro-solar messages. They are walking the halls of the CPUC every day – even spreading false and misleading information in their attempts to restrict California customer access to fair solar net metering,” says Annie Carmichael of the Vote Solar Initiative.

Net metering gives solar customers fair credit on their utility bills for valuable clean power they put back on the grid. It’s like rollover minutes for solar. There is a cap on the amount of net metering that utilities must make available to customers – beyond that cap, there’s no guarantee that utilities will continue to allow new solar customers to net meter. California’s law sets the cap at “5 percent of aggregate customer peak demand,” but does not specify how utilities should calculate that number. And guess what . . . some utilities are using a more restrictive methodology that results in almost half the amount of net metering than the original law intended.
The state regulators at the CPUC have proposed closing that loophole and requiring utilities to calculate net metering participation in a way that results in more Californians having access to the program’s bill saving credits. Vote Solar wants you to Show Solar Some Love.

Solar And Clean Energy Political Myths Revealed

Jamba’s Got Juice With Youth

Posted on April 27, 2012 by quest

Jamba Juice Company a leading healthy, active lifestyle company, together with the National Gardening Association (NGA), announced the 2012 recipients of the Jamba “It’s All About the Fruit and Veggies” Grant Award Program. The announcement was made at a press conference and tour today at the Girard Children’s Community Garden in Washington DC.

“We’re proud to once again join the NGA to recognize educators, volunteers and local government leaders dedicated to teaching America’s youth about gardening and caring for the environment,” said James D. White, Chairman, President, and CEO, Jamba Juice Company. “Educating children early in their lives about the origins of fruits and vegetables and the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is a good first step in the fight against childhood obesity.” “There is a growing disconnect among our youth between health, nutrition, and the food they eat,” added Mike Metallo, President and CEO, National Gardening Association. “Youth gardening programs, like Jamba’s “It’s All About The Fruits and Veggies” school garden grants, help to bridge that gap by turning book knowledge into hands-on experiential learning. We are delighted to be partnering with Jamba Juice in this important program and appreciate their commitment to encouraging everyone to form a healthy relationship with the foods they eat.”

Administered by the National Gardening Association (NGA), the grant program is designed to provide funding to local school and youth-focused community garden programs as a fun, innovative way to promote nutrition education, sustainability, and healthy lifestyle choices through garden experiences. The program also offers youth valuable, first-hand knowledge of how to seed, maintain and harvest fruit and vegetables. Out of 800 applicants, twenty grants were awarded by Jamba Juice and the NGA this year including three Washington DC youth gardening programs. The winning gardening programs demonstrated excellence in the areas of planning, community engagement, sustainability, and a strong dedication to promoting health and nutrition among youth. Winning applicants will receive packages valued at over $500 which includes gardening tools, a composter, raised bed, seeds, a curriculum and funds to purchase plants and soil amendments.

Water Farms Help Consumers Find Fresh Local Food

AAA Recycling Batteries Planting Trees For Earthday

Posted on April 19, 2012 by quest

Electric and hybrid vehicles are coming on strong as recent surveys show – and electric charging stations and new ion battery technology are an important component to their success. As this field evolves drivers want to know more. And who knows more about driving then AAA. In Honor of Earth Day, AAA Mid-Atlantic Plants a Tree for Every Auto Battery Replaced and Recycled from April 22nd – April 28th. In honor of Earth Day, April 22, AAA Mid-Atlantic will be planting trees in America’s National Forests, literally, on behalf of their members who take advantage of AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Battery Service. For every AAA member who uses AAA’s Battery Program to have a new car battery installed and the old battery recycled by the auto club, a tree will be planted in the national forest.

AAA has recycled more than four million automotive batteries and continues to promote the environmental importance of recycling this essential automotive part. Improperly stored or disposed car batteries create health, fire and safety hazards for humans, animals and the environment. To provide a simple solution, AAA encourages motorists to recycle their used batteries during its Great Battery Roundup from April 22-28 at their local AAA Car Care Insurance & Travel Center, and in recognition of their effort a tree will be planted in a national forest.

AAA has recycled millions of pounds of lead and plastic through the automotive battery recycling efforts of the AAA Mobile Battery Service and the AAA Approved Auto Repair network and AAA owned repair facilities. The auto club first began its mobile battery recycling efforts in 1997, and this year, AAA anticipates it will replace and recycle an additional two million batteries via its roadside battery replacement service. Regionally, AAA Mid-Atlantic recycles over 100,000 batteries a year on average throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. AAA has also started a mobile electric vehicle charging service in California, Oregon, Washington, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia.