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.

Usually, summer is the season for road trips. The kids are out of school and the days are long, so many families load up the car for a vacation or trip to grandma’s. This summer, why not stay home, save the gas, and let the entertainment come to you?

For example, Sustainable Table kicks off their Eat Well Guided Tour of America today in Hollywood. The organization celebrates the sustainable food movement and works to educate people about food-related issues, while building community around food.

In addition to this organizational mission, the tour has a special undertaking all its own: the search for the best pie in the country. The reason behind this specific goal seems obvious to me – pie is GOOD. But apparently, pie is also a metaphor for wholesome, local food. The pies share something about the area where they are made, and the people who make them. Plus, pie is GOOD.

Beginning with a kick-off celebration at Kings Road Park, the tour is headed across the country to the Farm Aid concert at Randall’s Island in New York on September 9th. The group, traveling via bio-fueled bus, will stop at locations in 25 cities along the way – including Pie Ranch in Madera, CA (where, surely, only good things can happen), Berkeley, Chicago, and Iowa City. At each stop, local organizations will help to host events open to the public.

Another road trip, sponsored by the Clean Fuel Caravan Coalition, celebrates a broad array of sustainable issues. The Sustainable Living Roadshow was created to educate, entertain, and inspire individuals and communities to help us live in direct sustainable harmony with the earth. Making its way from San Francisco to Miami, the Roadshow stops at college campuses and local festivals, working to empower and encourage local efforts.

Focused on practical solutions to everyday problems, the off-the-grid, zero-waste “experiential learning villages” introduces people to topics like renewable energy and sustainable food. To do this, the Roadshow uses just about every method available, from speakers and workshops to a clean energy/vehicle showcase and an eco-fashion show. Entertainment includes The Big Tadoo Puppet Crew, which kids will surely love. Check out the Roadshow’s video to get a taste of the eclectic, carnival-like atmosphere.

With events like these making their way around the country, who needs grandma? (Just kidding, Grandma.)

Schwarzenegger addresses US Conference of MayorsOver the weekend, the mayors of approximately 1,000 cities converged on Los Angeles for the annual meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors. Designed to promote effective national urban policy and the strengthening of relationships between federal and local governments, the organization provides a forum for mayors to share ideas and information.

One idea already appears to be on the minds of all mayors: climate change. By listing climate change as their top priority for strengthening the nation, the mayors continue to lead the way for other levels of government. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke to the group and encouraged them to continue their progress, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.

The mayors’ commitment to the environment showed in the results of a survey conducted by the Conference, which was completed by 134 cities. There were many encouraging points (from their recent press release):

• More than 80% of the responding cities now use renewable energy, or are considering beginning to do so by next year.
• 97% of the cities (all but four respondents) are using more energy-efficient lighting technologies in public buildings, streetlights, parks, traffic signals, and other applications, or expect to by next year.
• 72% of the responding mayors stated that their city fleets now run on alternative fuels and/or use hybrid-electric technology.
• Nearly 90% of the cities require, or anticipate requiring in the next year, that new city government buildings be more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable.
• More than 75% of the cities are undertaking efforts to encourage the private sector to construct buildings that are energy efficient and use sustainable building techniques.

In addition, 540 mayors have signed The U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement as of last week, committing to reduce carbon emissions in their cities to below 1990 levels, in line with the Kyoto protocol. The agreement was enacted “due to an absence of federal leadership.”

However, some movement has been seen lately at the federal level. New legislation based on the mayors' recommendations, the Energy and Environment Block Grant program, would provide grants at the city, county and state levels to promote energy efficiency and reduce energy dependence. The Senate is currently working on the legislation, with the House scheduled to consider it next week. In the meantime, it doesn’t matter where the leadership and change come from, as long as it comes.

Photo credit: The U.S. Conference of Mayors

Usually, when I think of Beverly Hills, I don’t think “green”. Rodeo Drive? Yes. Mansions with manicured lawns? Yes. Brenda, Brandon, and the rest of the 90210 gang? Unfortunately, yes. But none of the usual Beverly Hills connotations point me towards sustainability or a concern for the environment.

So perhaps it’s a sign of the times that a city so strongly associated with money and consumerism should be the site for a two-day event focused on practical solutions for everyone to decrease their impact on the planet.

Green Days in Beverly Hills, an International Environmental Expo and Sustainability Conference, will be held Saturday, June 23rd and Sunday, June 24th at Beverly Hills High School. Sponsored by the European Business Council and the City of Beverly Hills, it features both a product Expo, as well as speakers in a Conference format.

The Expo, which runs both days, will showcase green products and systems that address the building and energy challenges experienced by Southern California residents. Panels, workshops and presentations will focus on three categories: Home, Work, and Transportation.

In addition, the Conference portion features several speakers and a panel of experts discussing green building, renewable energy, transportation, and water conservation.

Conference keynote speakers include:

• Stanford Ovshinsky, Inventor: Founder, Chief Scientist and Technologist of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD Ovonics) and Inventor of Ovonic solar cells. Named "Hero for the Planet" by Time Magazine 1999.
• Edward Mazria, internationally recognized Architect and Educator: Author of The Passive Solar Energy Book, and Founder and Policy Director of Architecture 2030
• L. Hunter Lovins, Economic Consultant, Educator, Author: President and Founder, Natural Capitalism Solutions and co-author of Natural Capitalism. Founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Named "Hero for the Planet" by Time magazine, 2000.
• D. Neel Bradham: As Vice President of Business Development for Interface, Inc., provices management and oversight of Interface's global sustainable strategy group and new venture, InterfaceRAISE

Organizers scheduled the event to occur concurrently with the US Conference of Mayors, also held in Los Angeles this weekend. With much attention focused on the Mayors’ Conference, it’s the perfect time for cities to spotlight environmental issues. Perhaps Green Days might even help to change everyone’s perception of Beverly Hills, and show that the city is about more than just the Benjamins.

If green office buildings provide important benefits, like decreased absenteeism and improved productivity of the workers inside, it only makes sense that schools and students reap these same rewards. Surely every parent would love for their kids to have fewer sick days.

To further this concept, Global Green, USA is hosting the 2007 Green Schools Symposium on Thursday, June 14th. You might remember Global Green from it’s pre-Oscar bash in February, which featured the likes of Orlando Bloom and Leonardo DiCaprio. This event, however, has a slightly different (and less famous) audience.

The Symposium will provide a forum for discussing case studies, new research on the benefits of green schools, and new design tools to help create resource-efficient, healthy, and productive schools. This year, the conference features a special focus on charter schools. The one-day event will be held at the California Science Center.

Global Green, USA, an affiliate of Green Cross (founded by former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbechev), works to address three of the greatest challenges facing humanity:

• Stemming global climate change by creating green buildings and cities,
• Eliminating weapons of mass destruction that threaten lives and the environment, and
• Providing clean, safe drinking water for the 2.4 billion people who lack such access

Another event with an educational focus is planned slightly further afield later this month. The University of California, Santa Barbara’s 6th Annual Sustainability Conference is coming up June 24 – 27. With a spotlight on the best practices in sustainability at California campuses, the event brings together representatives of the UC campuses and other colleges, along with government, business, and non-profit entities. Schools and college campuses use a lot of resources, so efforts to make them more efficient are certain to have a big impact.

As the home of the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and a winner of a 2006 “Flex Your Power” award for Energy Efficiency, UCSB appears to be a leader in sustainable campuses. It even has a student-initiated foundation, The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF), which funds solar energy, water conservation, waste reduction, and other projects that reduce the universities' impact on the environment. Way to go, UCSB!

Lately, I’ve been hearing about a lot of investment going into green companies and technology, which has me wondering: Is “green” the new tech boom? GE is “doubling down” on clean tech investments. According to Cleantech Network, last year’s 4th quarter saw $600 million in venture capital investments. So, if the opportunities are ripe for budding entrepreneurs and you have a great idea, how do you get started? The 2nd annual California Clean Tech Open might just be your ticket to success.

Sponsored by Acterra: Action for a Sustainable Earth, a non-profit based in Palo Alto, the competition seeks to solicit business plans from new clean tech companies. According to Acterra, the competition serves to, “…create economic growth and environmental sustainability by sparking a clean technology cluster in California. By giving winners early-stage capital and expertise, the competition speeds clean technologies from lab to market. The goal is to foster innovative new businesses.”

The best of these new businesses will each win prize packages valued at $100,000. These “startup in a box” packages include business essentials, designed to help the winners take their ideas from the planning phase into operation. For starters, winners in each of the competition’s six categories will receive $50,000 in cash from their category’s sponsor:

• Transportation, sponsored by Lexus
• Smart Power, sponsored by AMD
• Green Building, sponsored by Google
• Air, Water and Waste, sponsored by ENVIRON Foundation
• Renewables, sponsored by PG&E, SCE and SDG&E
• Energy Efficiency, sponsored by PG&E, SCE and SDG&E

Winners will also receive one year of free office space, as well as a range of free services, including legal, accounting, and public relations. Additional prizes will also be awarded to all finalists.

Last year’s Open garnered 156 entries, but this year the competition is expected to be tougher, with double the number of entries received by the June 30th deadline. Winners will be announced in October.

To help you fine tune your entries, an Executive Summary Workshop will be held on June 14th at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). This event will provide information about the application requirements and judging criteria for the required three-page executive summary. It will also include an overview of the sustainability judging criteria, and some sustainability best practices.

With all of this support and incentive, what are you waiting for?

Last week, on the second anniversary of the launch of GE’s ecomagination initiative, the company held a massive press conference in Los Angeles to announce its many new partnerships. Since this was a press conference, I was skeptical of the information to be provided…was this just going to be one big GE commercial love fest? And perhaps more importantly, would I drink the Kool-Aid?

The answer on both questions? Yes and no. My skepticism of the motives of corporations aside, I must admit a bias in favor of the impact that businesses (especially businesses the size of GE) can have on the climate crisis we currently face. However, companies must be able to make a “business case” for green initiatives. In other words, going green has to be profitable for the company. Remember, the three elements of the triple bottom line include profit. Yes, it would be nice if companies made changes to improve their footprint out of a concern for people and the environment, and a few companies do just that, but the business world is not designed to reward such behavior. To get a critical mass of companies on board, profit must be achievable.

Apparently, GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt feels the same way. His new mantra is “green is green,” meaning that green business equals green money. This could not be more true for GE. According to their May 24th press release, “Revenues from its (ecomagination) portfolio of energy efficient and environmentally advantageous products and services surged past $12 billion in 2006, up 20% from 2005, while the order backlog rose to $50 billion.”

Wow.

Immelt goes on to say, “These extraordinary revenues and orders are the initial payoff from directly aligning our product portfolio with our customers’ needs and evolving trends, while ‘doubling-down’ on investments in leading edge technology and innovation. Ecomagination is growing beyond our expectations, evolving into a sales initiative unlike any other I’ve seen in 25 years at GE.”

Though skeptics will point to the fact that ecomagination represents a small piece of GE’s business, this growth can only be good news. A company the size of GE can have a huge impact with their investment in new technologies, as well as in spreading the word through their visibility.

Immelt announced at the press conference a series of new partnerships and investment in many divergent industries, including:

• Water desalination: slated to open in 2010, the Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Plant will draw water from the Pacific Ocean for use in San Diego County. The facility will use GE’s ZeeWeed® ultra filtration technology.
• Hydrogen energy: GE, along with BP, is forming a global alliance to develop and deploy 10 to 15 hydrogen power projects.
• Wind energy: GE Energy Financial Services will invest in its biggest wind farm to date, the 241-megawatt Sweetwater 4 facility and a sister project, both in Texas.
• Transportation: efforts here include the first hybrid locomotive with Union Pacific, and investment in A123’s work toward the next-generation battery technology for hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
• Lighting: Wal-Mart, the largest individual electricity user in the country, will be installing motion-activated LED lighting in its refrigerated cases. In addition to using less energy for lighting, less heat will be generated reducing the amount of energy used for refrigeration.
• Housing: RWO Acquisitions is retrofitting an old Air Force base in coastal South Carolina into a green community, featuring energy efficient homes and GE’s first energy-efficient mortgage. Homes will offer the GE SmartCommand™ Dashboard, which provides current and historical data on water and electricity usage.
• Carbon emissions offsetting: with AES Corp., GE will invest in projects to capture and destroy GHG emissions from agricultural waste, landfills, coalmines and the like. The partnership will then sell the resulting offsets.
• Entertainment: NBC Universal has launched “Get On Board,” a program to improve the environmental impact of its operations by reducing greenhouse gases, raising awareness about green issues, and stimulating change in the media and entertainment industry.

After the press conference, we had time to view examples of some of the new technologies in the exhibit hall, before returning for a discussion on sustainability with Immelt and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Though the questions posed by NBC’s Lester Holt were pretty much softballs, it was an interesting discussion. The gist? From the Governor’s point of view, in finding ways to balance environmental initiatives with economic concerns California can lead the way for the rest of the nation, including the federal government. Keys to success include giving industry enough time to meet new standards, and the realization that new technology brings new jobs.

Immelt’s answers did not waiver from his earlier message: GE is into green as a business initiative. When asked about GE’s biggest areas for growth, Immelt responded that taking these new technologies to India and China, where they are needed most, would be a coup for whoever delivers them affordably.

Both agreed that the US must provide leadership for the rest of the world by first cleaning up its own act. The US remains the world’s biggest polluter, representing just 5% of the population while being responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. The US must remedy this situation to have credibility when offering help to developing nations.

After a long day, I left the event with the sense that we’ve turned a corner. If companies like GE and Wal-Mart can make tons of money with green initiatives, while communicating the message that greening doesn’t cost money but makes money, other companies will follow their lead. This offers real hope, without the Kool-Aid.

Paul HawkenIf you haven’t heard of Paul Hawken’s work, it’s not because he hasn’t tried. In fact, his bio reads like that of someone on a mission, which of course he is. One of this country’s strongest voices on the relationship between business and the environment, Hawken is known as a tireless environmentalist, author, and entrepreneur. The shear scope and volume of his work are remarkable.

His newest book, Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming is Hawken’s first title in eight years. Billed as an “…examination of the worldwide movement for social and environmental change” the author explores the movement based on a decade’s worth of research into those involved. Personally, as if Hawken’s reputation isn’t enough, the book’s promise to “inspire and delight” those who despair the fate of the world makes me want to read it. After all, who among us has not felt this despair on occasion?

In support of his new work, Hawken has integrated a cross-country book tour into his already crowded speaking schedule. Fortunately for those in the So Cal region, there are three opportunities to hear him speak from May 13th – 15th in the Pacific Palisades, Santa Barbara, and Pasadena. The events also feature a book signing.

Though perhaps most easily recognized as the founder of Smith & Hawken, the catalog and retail company that specializes in gardening products, Hawken’s involvement in social activism is long and varied. He worked as a Press Coordinator for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s staff before establishing the country’s first natural foods company in 1966.

Hawken went on to author books and articles numbering in the dozens, and lead several companies. Since 2003, he has served as the CEO of The Pax Group, sister companies that, among other things, provide quieter cooling systems for PCs, while using less energy. Hawken also heads the Natural Capital Institute, based in Sausalito, California, and has served on many boards, including that of The Natural Step.

Details on speaking dates can be found at: www.paulhawken.com

Photo credit: www.paulhawken.com

Have you been curious about the impact that your home has on the environment? Maybe you’ve tried carbon calculators, but weren’t sure what to do with the results? If this sounds like you, check out Los Angeles-based LowImpactLiving.com.

The easy to use site provides a breakdown of the resources a typical home in your area uses, as well as waste produced. Though the company is working on a personalized tool to calculate an individual home’s impacts, I found this generic version useful because the results are taken to the next level: how to reduce resource usage and waste production. Specific projects are recommended, including links to applicable products that you can buy directly through the site. Perhaps most useful though, are the resulting costs, impacts, and returns on your investment for each project.

The list of projects recommended can be overwhelming, so the site provides a filter to allow you to select the categories you’re most interested in improving: energy, water/water pollution, global warming, or waste/trash. You can also indicate how much you’re willing to spend to make improvements, how long you’re willing to wait to recoup your investment, and whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or would prefer to hire a contractor. Once you select from the resulting list, a link provides specific product information for that project.

According to the company, products are screened before their inclusion on the site: “We look for manufacturers and products that use natural and/or organic inputs; do not emit toxins or other unhealthy byproducts; practice sustainability in the sourcing of their inputs (e.g., use Forest Stewardship Council guidelines for procuring wood); are conscious about the environmental impacts of their packaging and distribution; and help you reduce your overall environmental impacts.” This information is reassuring, as the company surely draws revenue for the listing or sale of these products. A directory of contractors and service providers is also available.

For those who might like a little more hand-holding, LowImpactLiving also offers on-site environmental impact assessments within California. The company will send an environmental technician to your home to evaluate your impact and make specific recommendations for improvement.

Whichever method you choose, LowImpactLiving provides the information you need. The rest is up to you!

With the eyes of much of the world focused on China these days, even a cursory review of the news reveals two themes. First, the country is experiencing enormous economic growth accompanied by a massive urban migration. Second, China has a long way to go towards protecting the environment and the health of its people, and will encounter many roadblocks along the way.

To address these two conflicting issues, UCLA’s Sustainable Resource Center is hosting a panel discussion, “China’s Urban Sustainability Challenges”, on Wednesday, May 2nd. The event features four speakers who will discuss the difficulties of reconciling China’s tremendous growth with the protection of health, environment, and quality of life. They will also focus on the role of the U.S. and the rest of the world in this crisis. The speakers include:

• Woodrow Clark, Senior Foreign Energy Advisor from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, PRC
• Todd Maurer, Managing Director, Sinica Advisors, LLC
• Perry Wong, Senior Economist, Milken Institute, and
• Michael Woo, LA City Planning Commissioner and Professor of Urban Planning

The Sustainable Resource Center, housed on the UCLA campus, was established “to promote sustainability through facilitating the provision of resources, information, and education to the graduate student body, campus and community.” The Center focuses on building connections and collaboration between business, government, and nonprofit sectors. Services include a library, online resource site, educational events, and career services.

The panel discussion will be held at the UCLA Anderson School of Management in Korn Hall at 7:30pm. The session is free and open to the public, though an RSVP is required. Coffee and desserts from Organic to Go will be provided after the panel.