After looking forward to it for several months, the Opportunity Green Conference is now just around the corner. To be held November 17 at UCLA, the conference’s organizers are asking a question that seems to be on everyone’s lips: “Is green the new gold?”

The conference will bring together those involved in all aspects of green business, from visionaries and entrepreneurs to executives and investors, all of whom are dedicated to building socially conscious, sustainable, and profitable enterprises.

Organizers have put together an impressive list of speakers, all well-known in the socially-conscious world of business, including

• Kevin Wall, Founder of Live Earth
• Jonathan Greenblatt, Co-founder of Ethos Water
• Josh Dorfman, Author/Producer of “The Lazy Environmentalist”
• Max Schorr, Publisher and Founding Editor of GOOD Magazine
• Graham Hill, Founder of TreeHugger.com
• Gunther Lie, Director of Interactive Media for Method Products
• Ellen Strickland, Founder/Owner of Livingreen

The agenda features a panel discussion entitled, “Real World Green Business: Challenges, Mistakes and Opportunities” moderated by sustainability consultant and visionary John Picard. In addition, the schedule provides many options for break-out sessions, including Green 2.0: Connecting to Our Community, The End of Cars: The Future of Mobility as We Know It, and Venture Capital in the Green Marketplace.

There are also significant opportunities for networking, most notably before the event even starts. Through EventVue, registrants receive a login that allows you to upload a short bio, picture, etc. Once in, you can see who else will be at the event, including their areas of expertise and what they are “seeking”. A bit like a personal ad, but perfect for networking – you can even contact other registrants through the system before the event.

With more than 500 expected to attend, this conference is certain to help business people learn how to make gold from their green.

So many events, so little time. Let’s dive right in…

This first event, the American Democracy Institute’s Empower Change Summit, is a biggie. To be held this Saturday, November 3rd at UCLA’s Royce Hall, the event features Bill Clinton and centers on empowering yourself, your friends and your community to affect change in your everyday lives and thus, the world.

Sponsored by the American Youth Summit, the focus of the discussions has a decidedly environmental tilt. Additional panelists and speakers include Jonathan Greenblatt, Founder of Ethos Water, and Blake Mykoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes.

Entrance is free, but you must register in advance. I’d do it quickly…with this lineup, tickets are sure to go fast.

Next up, an event that is of particular interest here in LA. The Santa Monica College Environmental Issues Lecture Series continues with, "Can Technology Solve our Transportation Problems?" on Wednesday, November 7th at 6:30pm. The event is free, and features Intelligent Transportations Systems (ITS) Engineer Jesse Glazer from the US Department of Transportation, who will discuss the latest in ITS.

Lastly, the 2007 AFI Festival begins today, and runs through November 11th. As part of the International Shorts Competition (Program 2) the documentary film South Central Farm: Oasis in a Concrete Desert World will premiere. This film spotlights the controversy around the largest urban farm in the US, which pitted poor farmers and their supporters (including a few celebrity tree sitters) against developers and the city. Producer/Director Sheila Laffey will be at the viewings.

The film runs twice, on November 6th and 8th, but if you miss it now, you can catch it this fall as part of PBS’ Natural Heroes Series.

Sometimes, it’s hard living in Los Angeles. But when (free!) events like these come to town, it’s easy to say, "I love LA!"

Where is that universe "far, far away?" And how do they like all of our garbage?

When we throw something away, it doesn’t actually go "away." It doesn’t leave the planet or magically disappear into thin air, but instead ends up in a landfill. In California, we produce garbage to the tune of 46 million tons of trash each year.

According to Sustainable Works here in Santa Monica, landfills are filling at an alarming rate. Even more alarming is leachate – the liquid created by decomposing materials that can seep into our groundwater. Leachate is toxic, and though many newer landfills have systems to keep it out of the water supply, some do not. Plus, decomposing garbage produces both carbon dioxide and methane, neither of which is a friend to the environment.

Of course, I’m all about solutions, so here are the top three ways to reduce your waste:

1. Reduce your consumption and reuse whatever you can. This concept may sound foreign to many people, especially since we’re often urged to buy, buy, buy to keep our economy growing. But considering that Californians dump 5 million tons of food each year, just food, it should be easy to cut back a little. Eliminate "disposable" items, like paper plates, cups and plastic utensils. And really, how many one-use cleaning products do we need? I’m going retro with an old-fashioned rag bag. Besides, don’t you already have enough "stuff?"

2. Recycle. Everything. In the US, 40% of the solid waste generated is paper! If you’re not sure what can go in your curbside recycling, check with your city. If you have unwanted clothes, donate them to charity. Have a garage sale. Heck, organize a block-wide sale, put your unwanted junk on the lawn, and rake in the cash.

3. Close the loop. By buying things made out of recycled materials, like plastic, you keep the cycle of useful materials and resources going, instead of ending it in a landfill. I have a really cool doormat made out of old flip-flops, but there are plenty of more mundane examples, like paper with recycled content.

Since it takes Styrofoam 500 years to break down, and a cigarette butt 10 years to biodegrade, making better choices now will have long-lasting impacts. After all, when this planet is used up, we don’t have another one to move to.

Having implemented several water-saving ideas from the first Living Green Workshop I attended (no beef for two weeks!) I was excited to go back to learn about the next topic: Energy. Developed and taught by Santa Monica-based non-profit Sustainable Works, the class did not let me down.

I would think that by now most of us know that the ways that we currently produce most of our energy cannot continue into the long term. Supplies of fossil fuels like oil and coal are finite…and polluting. Of course, a lot of that pollution comes from the burning of those fossil fuels, which effects our air quality – electricity production is the leading cause of industrial air pollution in the US. But did you know that it can also affect the quality of our water? Pollution resulting from driving eventually settles to the ground and is washed into our rivers and oceans as urban runoff. Due to this, reducing energy use is essential for both improved air and water quality.

Another concept that was relatively new to me was that of “vampire power”. If it sounds insidious, that’s because it is. I’d heard that you should unplug your charging devices (for your cell phone, for example) as they draw energy whether anything is charging or not. But what I didn’t know is that some electronic devices actually use MOST of their power while inactive. VCRs and DVD player draw 93% of their power while inactive! A simple cure: power strips (You thought I was going to say to unplug it, didn’t you?) By plugging all non-essential items into one strip, you can disable the power at the source without having to unplug each one individually. Much easier!

Power strips will certainly help, but there are three key ways to really reduce your energy usage:

1. Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Yes, you’ve heard this one before and you’re going to keep hearing it because lighting accounts for about 12 percent of home electricity use. Using CFLs will cut that by 75%, and save you money. Plus, once you’ve made the switch, you’re done! You can even determine your payback period at the Johnny Greenseed calculator.

2. Purchase green power or green power credits. Though you’ll likely pay a small premium for green power, these fees often go towards the development of additional renewable energy sources. Some energy providers, like Los Angeles’ LADWP, also give users free energy efficient products and services that help to offset additional costs. Purchasing credits, on the other hand, will help to “green up” the entire energy supply by adding renewable energy to the grid.

3. Pay attention to the heating and cooling of your home. This seems like a no-brainer, but incremental improvements can have a big effect. In the winter, each degree that the furnace is set above 68 degrees uses 3-5% more energy. Putting on a sweater is much cheaper.

So take a look at your home – where can you have the biggest impact on your energy usage? Simple changes can add up to big results.

When the US Green Building Council’s LEED® rating system became the standard for green building in the US a few years ago, it provided a way for builders and homeowners alike to have an immediate and measurable impact on the environment. Though certified buildings are increasingly common in commercial design, few platinum-certified homes exist in the US. Now, one of the most environmentally-friendly homes in California will be open to the public.

The brainchild of builder/developer Tom Schey, the Venice home at 710 Milwood Avenue – dubbed project7ten – was built to educate and raise awareness of better, healthier choices that we can all make, every single day. It has been certified Platinum by LEED®, the highest level that can be achieved.

Inspired by An Inconvenient Truth and the installation of solar panels on the roof of actor Ian McKellen’s home (in notoriously grey-skied London, no less), Schey realized that he had to do something to help educate people. As Schey was active in the real estate business, that seemed like a logical place to start. By partnering with environmentalist and philanthropist Kelly Meyer, and architect Melinda Gray of GrayMatter Architecture, project7ten was born.

The new project7ten home was designed to emphasize the symbiotic relationship between a home, its inhabitants, and the land. It incorporates many elements of green building. For example, the house will not emit harmful gases either inside or out. With rooftop solar panels that double as shade-producing overhangs (a very cool idea), the house will create its own energy. Of course, Forest Stewardship Council-certified lumber was used throughout. It sports systems for irrigation through captured rainwater and recycled greywater. The home’s slab was made from 30% recycled fly ash, the floors from fast-growing bamboo, and the insulation from post-industrial denim waste (that’s blue jeans to you and me). The list goes on and on…

But green building doesn’t always begin with the first nail – it often starts with demolition of an existing structure. In this case, the old home’s concrete slab was recycled, and all useable wood from the existing building was sent to Guadalajara to be used in building homes for low-income families.

The house will be open Thursdays through Sundays from October 11th through October 28th. There is a $20 fee for touring the house, but all proceeds will be donated to Healthy Child Healthy World, a non-profit dedicated to protecting children from harmful environmental exposures. There will also be drawings each weekend for eco-friendly prizes such as Shaklee Get Clean Starter Kits, a Naturpedic organic baby mattress, and Going Green Consultations.

This week, I began the Living Green Workshop, a six-week class developed and taught by a non-profit based in Santa Monica, CA called Sustainable Works. Though I write for Green Options and am active in the green community here, I figured I would still learn something. Boy howdy, did I!

The first class: water. An astounding 70% of Southern California’s water is transported in from other areas, mostly Northern California. Even more mind-blowing is that according to the Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division, one-third of the total energy consumed in California is used to move water around the state. So saving water also saves energy…I love the compounding effect of conservation!

The class also answered a question that had been floating around in my mind for years: if we use water, which is then treated and released back into the ecosystem, how can we not have enough? Doesn’t water evaporate from the ocean, then fall again as rain and snow? The answer makes perfect sense: yes, but with global warming (or "global weirding" as Paul Hawken calls it) water no longer falls when and where we need it. Instead of snowing in the mountains during the winter, it might rain in areas that used to be more arid. Case in point: Texas had record rainfall this summer. We are used to water "on demand," assuming that it will be where we need it, when we need it. That’s no longer an assumption that we can make.

So, most importantly, what should we do to save water? The top three tips:

1. Find and fix leaks: If knowing that a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day doesn’t move you to fix that "running" toilet, think of the savings on your water bill.
2. Install low flow devices: The new generation of low flow shower heads won’t leave you with flat hair, a la Jerry Seinfeld. From aerators to low flow toilets, the improved versions are so good that you won’t notice a difference.
3. Eat less beef and other water-consuming foods: The facts here were a surprise to me. Here’s how much water it takes to produce a pound of different foods:

• Potatoes: 24 gallons
• Apples: 49 gallons
• Chicken: 815 gallons
• Pork: 1,630 gallons
• Beef: 5,214 gallons

Yes, you read that right: it takes 5,214 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef. That’s the same amount of water used in six months’ worth of showers! Of course, cows don’t drink an inordinate amount of water; it just takes a lot of water to grow the corn that they eat.

In learning this, if you jump to the conclusion that we all need to become vegans to conserve water, first, take a breath. You don’t have to go all or nothing – consider going meatless for one day a week. Heck, even one meal can make a difference.

And that’s the overriding message from Sustainable Works: consider making small changes, and see what works for you and your family. Now that’s something that we can all do.

Photo credit: Texas Tech University, CASNR Water Center

I must admit, I’ve never been much of a fashionista. In fact, if Garanimals came in adult sizes, I’d probably check them out. OK, that’s an exaggeration, but you get my point.

However, I do find the innovations in green clothing fascinating, and for that reason I plan on attending EcoNouveau this Saturday. Billed as LA’s definitive EcoLifestyle experience, the event is a precursor to LA Fashion Week, which begins October 14th.

The event will feature the Spring/Summer ’08 collection of eco-fashion designers in a non-traditional runway show (I’m really curious to find out what that means!) The show will spotlight innovative uses of organic materials and processes.

EcoNouveau will take place on September 29th at 8pm at the Architecture and Design Museum. The A+D, as it is commonly known, is an all-inclusive information and education center for design including architecture, interior design, landscape design, fashion design and product design. It is the only museum in Los Angeles where continuous exhibits of architecture and design are on view.

At the event, organic hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served, accompanied by music by Dublab and drinks provided compliments of VeeV. The suggested donation for entry is $20.

EcoNouveau is the brainchild of Rob Ganger, of Pollinator Media Group, and co-founder of The Evolver Project, an incubator that launched a print magazine (Evolver) and an online directory and media portal (evo.com). The event has two additional sponsors: Sarah Shewey, owner of Pink Cloud Events, a full-service event production and design company that specializes in eco-friendly resources, and Peter Gurnz of BOXeight, an art/media/production company.

I’ve heard of many things being "the new black" but now the question seems to be, "Is green the new gold?"

At least that’’ the question posed by the organizers of the upcoming Opportunity Green Conference. Developed through a partnership with UCLA’s Sustainable Resource Center, the conference is also sponsored by many well-known names, including Clif Bar and Treehugger.

The conference will bring together those involved in all aspects of green business, from visionaries and entrepreneurs to executives and investors, all of whom are dedicated to building socially conscious, sustainable, and profitable enterprises.

To be held on Saturday, November 17 at UCLA, the conference features several speakers well-known in the socially-conscious world of business, including:

• Jonathan Greenblatt, Co-founder of Ethos Water
• Josh Dorfman, Author/Producer of The Lazy Environmentalist
• Max Schorr, Publisher and Founding Editor of GOOD Magazine
• Graham Hill, Founder of TreeHugger.com
• Gunther Lie, Director of Interactive Media for Method products
• Ellen Strickland, Founder/Owner of Livingreen

The "emerging agenda" (I love it!) features a plenary session on Marketing and Trends plus many options for break-out sessions, including Green 2.0: Connecting to Our Community, The Clean Tech Revolution, Opportunities for Green Investment Capital, and Business Blogging 101 (you can bet I’ll be at that last one). There are also significant opportunities for networking, including the Wrap-up Party, billed as a "spectacularly green event."

Organizers have developed an aggressive list of objectives and learning points for the conference. Of course, connecting those working within the sustainable community is key — there is much to learn from each other. Thus, the conference will provide a forum for collaboration on how to grow a profitable company that is focused on the Triple Bottom Line.

This is of particular interest to me. The profitability piece of the Triple Bottom Line is easily measured, having always been a staple of business metrics. And as the saying goes, "What gets measured gets done," but the measurement of the people and planet aspects tends to be more difficult. I’m curious to see how others approach this challenge.

Also, participants will discuss what has and hasn’t worked in growing socially conscious businesses, including viral marketing and growth tactics, plus tools you can use to build and scale your business, like online networks.

With more than 500 expected to attend, this conference is certain to help business people learn how to make gold from their green.

A few months ago, in an effort to green up my health and beauty products, I ran across National Geographic’s The Green Guide. The site included a handy wallet-sized guide called The Dirty Dozen in Personal Care Products, which allows me to pick products that don’t contain harmful chemicals.

Then last week, my issue of Whole Life Times included a tear-out seafood guide. It lets me know what to avoid eating, due to contamination or unsustainable fishing practices.

This got me thinking…what other guides are out there, which would help me make decisions on the spot, in the store, when I don’t have fast access to online information?

Since The Green Guide’s personal care wallet guide was so good, it seemed like a logical place to start. Little did I know that I was about to hit the mother lode. With guides on everything from home renovations to eggs (yes, eggs), you might need a bigger wallet to contain all of the information. But a few guides in particular caught my eye:

Plastics: As it turns out, not all plastics are created equal. So though it’s better not to use plastic at all, some are worse choices than others. For example, if you see #3 PVC on the bottom of a container, avoid it. Not only is PVC not recyclable, but it releases carcinogens and hormone disrupters when it’s made or incinerated. PVC can also leach chemicals into food – especially hot, fatty foods – so don’t reheat left-overs in it. Instead, look for the recycling codes #1 PETE, #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP on the bottom of containers. Even better? Glass, metal, paper, or ceramic.

Household Cleaners: This one will be obvious to anyone who’s ever gotten a snoot full of Tilex. Conventional cleaning products contain lots of fragrances and petroleum-distilled chemicals that vaporize into the air, known as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These can cause breathing problems and asthma, and contribute to higher levels of toxicity inside homes. The wallet guide lists specific products in many categories that are better choices.

Toys: With all of the news about lead paint in children’s toys made in China, this should be at the forefront of parents’ minds. Again, PVC makes the list of things to avoid – instead look for natural elements, like organic cotton and unfinished sustainable wood. My favorite surprise in this category? LEGO. They are PVC and phthalate-free, and you can still get a bucket of them for ten bucks. Who says going green has to cost an arm and a leg?

Like many people I know, I constantly struggle with the feeling that I’m not doing "enough." Not that I know how much "enough" is, or whether I could actually achieve it, but still. So, to try to simplify things for myself, I’ve decided to use some very crude true cost guess-timating, along with Reduce-Reuse-Recycle as my guide.

What is true cost? It’s most commonly defined as an economic model that involves including externalities into the pricing of goods and services. These externalities are most apparent in harm caused to living beings, including the environment as a whole. True cost includes everything from the depletion of non-renewable resources to pollution from shipping the product to you. Toothpaste from China may be cheap in price, but if it has anti-freeze in it, your true cost just went way up.

I love the concept - it applies the old adage of "you get what you pay for" in a new way. More importantly, it also allows us to calculate the real impact of our choices. For an everyday, real-world example, if I need to run an errand and decide to drive, at a minimum it will cost money for gas, add mileage to the car, and emit CO2. Even though I can’t really put a specific dollar cost on the CO2, at least I can recognize that there is a clear cost to the environment. If I walk, it only costs a little extra time, which I usually have. The better choice becomes clear.

The Reduce-Reuse-Recycle hierarchy comes in to play most often when considering purchases. I say "hierarchy," because this really is how it should be used: the best choice is reducing consumption. So, although I’ve been feeling pressure to have the coolest green products, it’s actually better not to buy anything new. At all.

To see how this felt, a week ago I decided not to buy anything new products (not including food, of course). This eliminates the use of resources in every stage of a product’s life cycle, from raw materials to disposal. It actually wasn’t too hard where I was concerned, but a baby shower broke my resolve – surely, it’s tacky to take used merchandise to a baby shower!?! I suppose I could have made something, but Martha Stewart I ain’t!

Gifts aside, this experiment felt really good, and not just for the sense of reducing consumption and saving money. More than that, it has taken the pressure off - I don’t have to have a new organic cotton shirt, because I don’t need another shirt, much less a new one. Whew! And I’m actually greener for it!

Of course, a complete ban on stuff can’t go on forever. But there are plenty of great options for reusing merchandise – the second level of the hierarchy – including thrift stores and garage sales. Check out Google’s new maps tool, which allows you to find all garage sales listed on craigslist near you. Cool events like swap-o-ramas are also popping up all over. Who needs bamboo underwear? OK, bad example.

Image credit: www.swaporamarama.org