Meet Your 70 Female Eco Heroes
March 31, 2009
Recently GLAMOUR Magazine profiled 70 green minded women in the piece “Meet Your 70 Eco Heroes”.
Who are they? What do they do?
The list includes:
- Alicia Silverstone – actress, activist and author of The Kind Diet
- Kathy Loftus – global energy manager of Whole Foods Market
- Irmelin DiCaprio – CEO of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
- Sara Snow – green living expert for CNN.com
- Diane MacEachern – CEO of Big Green Purse
Click here for the full list of Eco Heroes: http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2009/03/meet-your-70-eco-heroes.
Eco Friendly Building Podcast by Dr. Jennifer Languell
March 30, 2009
Check out Jennifer Languell’s podcast where she discusses being ahead of the Green curve, incentives for building eco friendly, the human element of global climate change, and her part in the Discovery Channel’s environmental series Discovery Project Earth.
Visit http://greencitiesmedia.com/2009/02/podcast-jennifer-languell-interview/ to listen to this green podcast!
Dr. Jennifer Languell is the Founder and President of Trifecta Construction Solutions and is a nationally recognized leader in green building education.
She will be a speaker at Green Cities Florida! http://greencities.com/usa/florida/orlando/2009
“My interest is in really looking at the cities and helping the officials look at what they do… and help them learn how to create incentives for people, builders, developers to really start considering the environment more in their future growth.” – Jennifer Languell
Vote EARTH March 28, 2009 during Earth Hour!
March 27, 2009
VOTE EARTH!
This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s largest global election, between Earth and global warming.
For the first time in history, people of all ages, races and nationalities all over the world have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, and leaving them on is a vote for global warming.
WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to the world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.
This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming. Earth Hour is YOUR chance to make your voice heard!
We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, and for future generations.
VOTE EARTH tomorrow, March 28, 2009 from 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. by simply switching your lights off!
To view the full article, visit http://www.earthhour.org/about.
Source: WWF
Leonardo DiCaprio To Be Honored For ‘Big Green’ Efforts
March 26, 2009
Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards is honoring actor and philanthropist Leonardo DiCaprio with a new environmentally friendly award this year.
On Saturday, March 28, DiCaprio will be issued the Big Green Help Award by Cameron Diaz for his contributions to help the environment. This is the first time the award has been issued, kicking off Nickelodeon’s year of environmental consciousness for kids.
To view the original story, go to http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72159/index.html.
Source: ET Online, March 25, 2009
Green Gameplan for Hollywood
March 26, 2009
Hollywood aims to lower its carbon footprint
Hollywood is striving to lower its carbon footprint, which was the theme for Greening Hollywood Set by Set, a symposium hosted by the Location Managers Guild of America.
The event, which was held Sunday, March 22 at the London Hotel, was moderated by California Film Commission director Amy Lemisch and included guest speakers Gretchen Lewotsky, VP of state and local government affairs and environmental operations, Fox Entertainment Group, along with Steven John, director of the EPA Southern California office.
Lewotsky, chosen by the Climate Project as one of 1,000 people worldwide to be trained by Al Gore to give his “An Inconvenient Truth” slide show, described a depressing reality for the planet’s future if civilization continues on its present course.
John noted that Southern California has the worst air quality in the nation, and that California has an exceptionally high concentration of contaminated sites.
Both stressed the importance of “green” education.
The film industry contributes to air pollution and energy consumption; and there’s the physical impact of trucks and equipment on a variety of locations.
Suggestions for practical strategies and “green” education were made by panelists.
To see their suggestions and to view the entire story, visit http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001676.html?categoryid=8&cs=1.
Source: Variety Magazine, March 25, 2009
Orange County Convention Center Launches Solar Project
March 25, 2009
Convention Center Strengthens Commitment to Environmental Change
The Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, in partnership with OUC- The Reliable One, was awarded a $2.5 million grant from the state of Florida to be used, along with other funding sources, to install a one-megawatt rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system.
The largest PV system of its kind in the southeastern United States, the solar project will be complete and celebrated on May 20, 2009, during Green Cities Florida at the Center (www.GreenCitiesFlorida.com).
The solar PV system will generate 1,300 to 1,500 megawatt hours of electricity per year, which is the equivalent to the power used by 80 to 100 typical homes, and will do so without producing any greenhouse gas emissions. The benefits of generating electricity with solar energy include energy costs, while helping to reduce global warming and dependence of foreign fuels.
This multi-purpose project also features a Climate-Change Education Center (CCEC) inside the Convention Center to promote the many environmental and economic benefits of solar and other renewable-energy technologies.
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the CCEC will be held during an evening reception on the first day of Green Cities Florida, May 19, 2009.
For more enlightening details, read the full article at http://greencitiesmedia.com/2009/03/orange-county-convention-center-launches-solar-project/.
Learn why Florida is becoming a Sustainability Leader
March 24, 2009
Check out Lori Cunniff’s sustainability podcast!
Lori Cunniff, manager of the Orange County Environmental Protection Division in Orlando, Florida, discusses Florida’s new Climate Change Center, why Florida is becoming a leader in sustainability, and Orlando as a Florida Green local government.
To listen to the podcast, visit http://greencitiesmedia.com/2009/03/podcast-lori-cunniff-interview/.
“Just by planting the educational seed, [sustainable practices] are already growing in our area.” – Lori Cunniff
Also, Lori will be a speaker at Green Cities Florida! To learn more, visit http://greencities.com/usa/florida/orlando/2009.
Florida Atlantic University will receive nearly $1.2 million from the federal government to continue research into harnessing energy from the powerful Gulf Stream off Florida’s coast.
Democratic Congressman Ron Klein joined scientists on March 13 at the school’s Center for Ocean Energy Technology in Dania Beach to announce the funding. Klein says the money will help researchers in their quest to harness the powerful Gulf Stream as a new potential commercial energy source.
Researchers at the school are studying the possibility of using the current to drive thousands of underwater turbines. They say the project could one day produce as much energy as perhaps 10 nuclear power plants, and supply one-third of Florida’s electricity.
Want to see more?
Check out the demonstrative video at http://greencitiesmedia.com/2009/03/florida-atlantic-univ-gets-money-for-energy-project/.
Top One Thing to Green Your Home or Office
March 20, 2009
By Mary Anne Bowie, FAICP Sustainability Director
and President of Sarasota Marketplace
Change a light bulb, recycle, build green, save the polar bears! Wow, what’s a person to do? What is the top one thing we need to do to promote the sustainable agenda?
Perhaps the most powerful way we can create a future that works for all is by supporting a green economy for our community.
When you want to focus on what you can do to green your home or office, the answer is to create a conscious choice whenever an option arises to purchase anything.
Support the green economy. What does that look like? It looks like buying green and buying local. Green cleaning, green investing, 100% recycled paper, green building, solar water heating, alternative health care, organic food, eco-tourism – all are examples of buying green.
Question is, when do we start the process? The answer is, of course, now. As a conscious consumer, question what you buy. Always look for the very best alternative. Spending your money in alignment with your values is sustainable and in these times of tight pocketbooks, spending wisely is even more important.
To read the full article, visit:
http://www.sarasotagreenconnection.com/article/top_one_thing_to_green_your_home_or_office.html
Mary Anne Bowie will be a speaker at Green Cities Florida. For more information, visit http://greencities.com/usa/florida/orlando/2009.
Kick off for USDA Community Food Planning Grant
March 19, 2009
Kick off for USDA Community Food Planning Grant
that Florida Organic Growers will receive in Spring 2009
Innovative community food systems being used in cities across the country will be the focus during a presentation by Tom Stearns, owner of High Mowing Organic Seeds and president of The Center for an Agricultural Economy (Vt.), at the Thomas Center in Gainesville, Florida on March 23, 2009 from 7 to 9 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
Sponsored by Florida Organic Growers, a Gainesville-based nonprofit founded in 1989 to promote organic and sustainable agriculture and healthy and just food systems, the presentation will kick off a USDA Community Food Planning Grant that Florida Organic Growers will begin work on in spring 2009.
This grant features an inclusive and collaborative planning process designed to identify the most vital components of Gainesville’s local food system, and will be the building blocks used to develop a vibrant local food-based economic infrastructure that serves the entire community.
To read the full story, visit http://www.foginfo.org/new.php.
Marty Mesh, Executive Director of Florida Organic Growers, will be presenting at Green Cities Florida. To learn more visit http://greencities.com/usa/florida/orlando/2009.
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