Surfing from Green printing ... to Green Business Programs

It's enlightening to follow the links you find on the Web. for instance, when I ran across this company:

GreenerPrinter
I was inspired to follow some of the little icons on their site.

Green Business Progam is from The Bay Area Green Business Program, tat is a partnership of environmental agencies and utilities that assists, recognizes and promotes businesses and government agencies that volunteer to operate in a more environmentally responsible way. The Program was developed by Bay Area local governments in collaboration with US EPA, Cal EPA Department of Toxic Substances Control and the business community. The Association of Bay Area Governments coordinates the Program, which is implemented by Green Business Coordinators in 7 participating counties. The regional and local programs are funded by their partners, including local and regional government agencies, utilities, special districts and nonprofit organizations that promote environmental compliance, pollution prevention and resource conservation. Some funding also comes from government and non-profit foundation grants.

That led me to Ecology Action which talked about the Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program. Which led to the website for The Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program.

Which leaves me wondering...where are the Green Business programs in Southern California? Hmmm.

Thatleads to About GBCP that explains what a Green Business Certification Progarm is.

And the envelope, please:


"The US EPA, with Cal EPA/DTSC approval, has named EFC the Region 9 Green Business Program Coordinator. In this capacity, EFC9 will assist US EPA, Cal EPA/DTSC and the BAGBP in their GBP expansion efforts."

This web site is a resource for champions of environmental compliance, resource conservation and pollution prevention by businesses and other entities. It will be most useful for employees of public agencies who are:

considering developing a GBCP in their community,

ready to set up a GBCP,

currently participating in a GBCP

interested in becoming a Region IX Green Business Program

This site provides:

information useful for deciding if your community is ready to develop a GBCP,

the key steps to setting up a GBCP,

suggestions on how to maintain and grow your GBCP, and

specifics about the Region IX Green Business Program.

I'll have to track down who's at the heart of this website. Maybe SoCal Nature Network can develop a Green Business Cetification program for Southern California...or a portion thereof.

Contact:
County Coordinators

Regional Program
Ceil Scandone
510-464-7961
ceils@abag.ca.gov

California is green power innovator

Sept. 1, 2006 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has closed a deal making it the first federal agency to purchase renewable energy equivalent to 100 percent of its annual electricity needs.

The green power purchasing program began in 1999, when EPA's Region 9 laboratory, in Richmond, Calif., became the first federal facility to purchase green power equal to its total annual electricity consumption. Since then, the program has steadily expanded to offset demand for conventional electricity sources by supporting such renewable energy sources as wind power, geothermal sources, and biomass -- primarily through the purchase of renewable energy certificates, or RECs.

EPA worked closely with the Defense Energy Support Center on this latest green power procurement. The contract, which continues through Sept. 30, 2007, supports the development of wind farms in California, South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.

As the first federal agency to purchase 100 percent renewable energy, EPA continues to be an active partner in the agency's own Green Power Partnership, a voluntary public-private program that promotes renewable energy.

The Consumer Energy Center provides a list of power players

The Consumer Energy Center provides a variety of resourcs for you.

California's Major Utility Companies

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

San Diego Gas & Electric

Southern California Edison Company

Southern California Gas Company

...and other links:

Energy Assistance Programs in California
LIHEAP Clearinghouse

TURN The utilitye Reform Network provides a list of California Low-income energy assistance programs that are utility company supported.

Making a Complaint About Your Bill or Utility Company
California Public Utilities Commission

Energy Calendar for Southern California - September

It's helpful to know what kinds of conferences and meetings are going on about our power system. If you need to know who the players are, what's happening, and how you can participate as a business or citizen, check out these upcoming meetings:

Renewable Power Project Finance: The Tutorial

September 18-20, 2006
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina - San Diego, CA

Renewables are hot, and getting hotter by the day. But renewable projects have a variety of constraints and intrinsic economics very different from conventional thermal-energy projects. To gain maximum benefit from the boom in renewables, you need to get the best and the latest insight into the peculiarities of the financing market for renewables from the most experienced players in the field.

Renewable Power Project Finance: The Tutorial will follow the format of our well-regarded and long-running Project Finance: The Tutorial, with a day of in-depth coverage on how to structure a renewable deal to best gain access to financing, followed by case studies to explore how to surmount the hurdles that arise in real world projects. The Spring session in New York drew a large crowd of developers, sponsors, lenders and equity capitalists eager to learn and share their experiences.

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Clean Fuels for California and the West
September 18, 19

This workshop is for end-users and decision-makers in California, Nevada, Hawaii, and Arizona. It is designed to bring you "up to speed" on new opportunities for combined heat and power – or re-cycling energy on-site, at your facility. It will showcase twelve case studies in three separate tracks – providing real examples of cost-effective technology applications in businesses just like yours! In addition, it will overview the current situation in these states relative to combined heat and power equipment. Learn about incentives, financing strategies, and general "rules of thumb" you’ll need to get your project off the ground and make it pay back as soon as possible.

In addition to the workshop on September 19th, you are welcome to join us at a networking reception on September 18th from 6:00 to 7:30. Take this time to get settled, meet colleagues, and set the groundwork for workshop while enjoying the tropical setting, a range of appetizers, and the sunset.

For more information please contact Vince McDonell , phone: 949-824-5950 x121, email: mcdonell@apep.uci.edu

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Green power markets available for retail offset purchase

Renewable energy certificates (RECs), also known as green certificates, green tags, or tradable renewable certificates, represent the environmental attributes of the power produced from renewable energy projects and are sold separate from commodity electricity. Customers can buy green certificates whether or not they have access to green power through their local utility or a competitive electricity marketer. And they can purchase green certificates without having to switch electricity suppliers.

Retail Products by State summarizes green power products available to retail customers in states with competitive electricity markets.

Certificate Marketers

Here at US Dept of Energy you will find information and news about wholesale and retail renewable energy certificate marketers and brokers.
Company and product listings do not represent endorsement by either the National Renewable Energy Laboratory or the U.S. Department of Energy.

Why is California missing?

The Energy Center went on line to offer the public a one-stop site on the Internet for the latest information about energy resources and how to use them wisely at home, work and in vehicles.

California
By law (Senate Bill 1305), all competitive energy service providers (ESPs) must provide information on their power supply mix to customers on a quarterly basis along with any offers or written promotional materials.

According to the Califronia Energy Commission:
California with its abundant natural resources has had a long history of support for renewable energy. In 2004, 10.2 percent of all electicity came from renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and small hydroelectric facilities. Large hydro plants generated another 14.9 percent of our electricity.


California has aggressively established its Renewable Portfolio Standard Program, with the goal of increasing the percentage of renewable energy in the state's electricity mix to 33 percent by 2020.

In January 2006, the California Public Utilities Commission created the California Solar Initiative (CPUC ruling - R.04-03-017) which moves the consumer renewable energy rebate program for existing homes from the Energy Commission to the utility companies under the direction of the CPUC. This new incentive program, for renewable systems of less than one megawatt, begins in January 2007 and provides a total of $2.9 billion over ten years.


The California Energy Commission is offering cash rebates on eligible grid-connected renewable energy electric-generating systems through its Emerging Renewables Program. For energy systems larger than 30 kilowatts, please contact your local electric utility company for the state's "Self Generation Program."

CONSUMER ACTiON

Are you confused yet? California has a patchwork quilt of programs. I'm hot on the trail to sort it out...in the meantime, here is a list of a few Southern California resources and patches in the quilt.


Utility Consumers' Action Network is a non=for-profit agency whose mission is to educate and protect San Diego county consumers in the areas of essential energy, utility and telecom services.


A table of Financial Incentives for Solar Energy with company, technology, eligibility district and contact information.

For Example:
Green LA Solar Program
PV technology
Los Angeles Dept. Water & Power customers
Green LA Solar
800- 473-3652
solar@greenla.com

The link is broken...but when you search the LADWP site, you find a variety of articles. One states that in 2006 the Solar Photovoltaic Rebate Program was approved as a new performance based program provides financial rebates to LADWP customers who install solar systems on their homes or businesses. LADWP's 10-year, $150 million solar photovoltaic buy-down rebate program, which began in 2000 and runs through June 2011, encourages residents and businesses to use clean, renewable energy by providing rebates that reduce the cost of installing solar electric systems.

And The Green Power for a Green LA Program gives all residents the opportunity to support cleaner energy resources for Los Angeles. By signing up, you can actually help bring more renewable power to LA - electricity that is cleaner than fossil fuels and nuclear energy. The price for new green power is slightly higher than power generated from conventional sources such as coal and oil. LADWP's residential Green Power Program enables you to support renewable energy by paying a small premium on your bill. The extra cost for this package is 6% or approximately $3 a month for the average customer with a monthly electricity cost of $50. Customers who sign up for Green Power receive two complimentary compact fluorescent bulbs.

Learning around the world - England

Full employment is often seen as a positive. And unemployment for whatever reason as a negative. That might be true if you're measuring tax revenues -- but not if you are measuring the sustainable functioning of a neighborhood.

I remember living in a suburban neighborhood where I was the only at home adult during the daytime in a three block radius. The children came home after school to empty houses and yet, everyone was proud that they were employed ... and they looked down on me for being "just a housewife". Are those days still here, just different?

England's policy of Full-Employment is taken to task as destructive to sustainable community.

This is work that keeps local neighbourhoods safe, clean and inviting, keeps people healthy and happy and enhances people's abilities as parents, friends, neighbours, and potential employees - but never appears in government employment statistics.

The report's authors conclude that when public services or charities regard their clients as assets - and engage them to work alongside them in the community - it can have a dramatic effect on their health, self-esteem and social networks. They warn that policy-makers discount the vital work that many people are doing in their own neighbourhoods, binding communities together, helping local young people, caring or preventing crime and social breakdown.

They ignore it because it is done by public service or welfare clients, and because the work isn't paid. As a result, government emphasis on 'full employment' means that they will often be prevented from carrying on this vital work because they are forced instead into inflexible, low paid work.

"The government urgently needs to recognise that not all vital work is paid, and that they threaten to strip-mine neighbourhoods - leading to worse health, higher crime and higher public spending - unless they recognise the value of this hidden work, and the potential value of the people doing it," says report's lead author and nef associate, David Boyle.

When these human assets are valued they can be empowered in creative ways such as:

- Time banks (cooperatives, bartering clubs, etc)
- Nonprofits and government programs can focus not on "helping" but on "enabling resident abiities"
- Recognition of informal community leaders and contributios with resources, training and access to decisionmaking

Learning around the world - Key Issues for Insurance

Lloyd's of London is taking note of the "volatility of the climate."

Lloyd's has identified key issus for the insurance industry -- and of course, the remainder of business...and individuals.

• Too little but not yet too late. The insurance industry must do more now to understand and actively manage climate change risk.
  Outreach opportunities...
  
  
• Recent events have shown capital and pricing models to be wanting. We must regularly update and recalibrate our models to keep pace with reality.
  Natural capitalism concepts come to mind here...
  
  
• Windstorm trends will put particular pressures on businesses and their insurers.
  Maybe we need to live and work away from critical environmental locations...and live more lightly on the land...
  
  
• Climate change means exposures are changing and new ones emerging. Insurers must regularly review and communicate conditions of coverage.
  Watch for rising rates...
  
• Insurers must prepare for the impact of climate change on asset values. Underwriting for profit will be key.
  Again watch for rising rates...and hopefully some controls on high risk business practices.
  
• Effective partnership with business and government will be key to managing risk. The insurance industry must engage now.
  Hmmm, an organic system...one in which profit isn't the primary motivator?
  
  

Insurance has become the most convenient excuse for misbehavior. The old saying "If you can pay the fine, commit the crime"...or some such, seems to apply. The question is, will we remove insurance as a primary contributor to environmentally damaging behaviors?

It makes sense that to remove the bad behavior, we need to remove the excuses....and the enabling tools such as liberal insurance policies.

California wildlife areas to explore

The California Department of Fish and Game owns and maintains habitat for more than 1,275 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

The Department of Fish and Game manages 108 state wildlife areas composed of more than 648,954 acres. These areas are scattered throughout the state, most located in central and northern California. The state owns about two-thirds of this acreage while the remainder is managed under agreements with other public agencies.

On the South Coast you'll find reserves at San Felipe Valley and Hollenbeck Canyon, both in San Diego County.

Inland you'll find a number of wildlife areas including: Kelso Peak and Dad Mountains; Camp Cady, Marble Mountains in San Bernardino County. In Riverside County are San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Wildlife Areas. And in Imperial County is Imperial Wildlife area.

These wildlife areas create critical links in the network of open space and wildlife habitat that includes inland forests, coastal plains, and open desert. The land provides important foraging and nursery space for wildlife of all sizes, and preserves a wide variety of habitats such as riparian, oak woodland, and coastal sage scrub, chaparral and feshwater marshes.

It helps to study the Fish and Game website before going to these areas to view the wildlife. You'll learn a lot about each species of wildlife and plants that will enrich your visit and help you understand behaviors and migration cycles, as well as communities of interrelated species.

Senior Volunteer Program for Dept. of Fish and Game

The California Department of Fish and Game offers education and outreach in the South Coast through
The Senior Volunteer Program, which assists the Department by providing enhanced public service to the community while offering opportunities for senior citizens to help protect California's wildlife resources.

Trained to observe and report, Senior Volunteers increase field time for warden patrols and investigations. They additionally free up more time for biologists to do scientific management and research.

The mission of the Senior Volunteer Program is to provide conservation and enforcement education in public service, through community outreach, State lands monitoring, habitat and pollution awareness, animal welfare and Department of Fish and Game (DFG) administrative assistance.

For additional information, email the SVP coordinator at jtoffroad@cox.net. Or read more at their the Senior Volunteer Program webpage.

Conservation and Mitigation Banking for Southern California

Follow the money.

California Conservation and Mitigation Banking is a way for companies and entities to develop land that displaces natural resources by paying for conservation services and protection for a different piece of land.

Conservation Banking

A conservation bank generally protects threatened and endangered species habitat. Credits are established for the specific sensitive species that occur on the site. Conservation banks must be approved by the wildlife agencies, such as the Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Mitigation Banking

Mitigation banking is the same concept as conservation banking, but is specifically for wetland restoration, creation, and enhancement undertaken to compensate for unavoidable wetland losses. Mitigation banking helps to consolidate small, fragmented wetland mitigation projects into large contiguous sites which will have much higher wildlife habitat values. Mitigation banks are generally approved by the wildlife agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

A list of South Coast Conservation and Mitigation banks approved by the Department of Fish and Game in California are listed on their website. Only one location is listed for Orange County, and none for Los Angeles County. San Diego has the lions share of the banks with 10 locations listed. A note mentions that additional banks that have been independently approved are not included in the list.

South Coast Region 5
CONTACT FOR CONSERVATION AND MITIGATION BANKING

The DFG staff identified below can provide information and guidance on conservation banks for the following counties:
Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura

Mike Mulligan
4949 Viewridge Ave.
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 467-4212

And
California Department of Fish and Game
Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
1416 Ninth St., Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: (916) 653-4875

Tourism is the world's largest industry...wow!

Green Money Journal reports gives business the green business. By following the money, we see where power lies...and where sustainable (or green) changes can be made.


Tourism is the world's largest industry, and thus it has worldwide power and impact. So of course, GreenMoney Journal asks how, as travelers, do we make that impact more ecologically and socially responsible? As is the case with all of our spending, we realizing that our travel dollars hold far-reaching market power.

The past few decades have seen the rising popularity of adventure travel, ecotravel, archaeological travel, nature travel, spiritual tours, etc. People are backpacking, biking and using local transport to reach distant corners of the world. Such travel is very participatory and personally nourishing.


Travel can provide personal diplomacy -- breaking down barriers of ignorance, misunderstandings, and distribution of resources. Knowledge can be shared -- knowledge about the value of endangered species and life sustaining technologies and methods of living a simpler, cleaner, greener life.

But air travel, and even ship travel can take a tole on our environment. One way to offset your carbon footstep ;-) is to travel as sustainably as possible.

The Green Hotel Initiative helps you find "green hotels" in which to stay. They practice low-water impact, less laundry, local, organic foods, local hiring, and being good local citizens.

Reality Tours can broaden your knowledge beyond typical R&R of tourism.

Building real person-to-person ties to the people you meet can truly bridge cultural divides and provide you with a way to learn and share information and resources over the years.

LA Sludge at Green Acres Farm in Kern County

Waste is big industry in Los Angeles. 10 million people dump a lot of stuff in their sewer system. And both incoming water and outflowing sewage are affecting the larger region's sustainability. Several questions come to mind. Can we reduce it? Can we separate junk out of the sewer to make it "cleaner"? It is important to ask these questions in order to balance the system in intake and outflow that is part of maintainaing a sustainable community.

The City of Los Angeles recovers residues, known as biosolids, from its wastewater treatment plants. The Hyperion Treatment Plant (HTP) and the Terminal Island Treatment Plant (TITP) are responsible for managing the biosolids that are produced from the wastewater processing.

LOS ANGELES - Green Acres is a farm where corn stalks grow twice as tall as men and wheat sprouts lush and green. Green Acres is also Los Angeles' outhouse.

Every year, this city trucks ton after ton of sludgy human waste to be spread as "commercial grade fertilizer" on several thousand Central Valley acres it owns.

Residents in agricultural Kern County voted this summer to stop accepting these exports from the sprawling metropolis to their south. Now, if Los Angeles has its way, a federal judge will order that Green Acres continue to receive 65 million gallons of treated waste each year.

In 2000, Los Angeles leaders thought they had found an elegant solution -- spread the treated waste over a 4,700-acre farm the city bought for nearly $10 million about 15 miles south of Bakersfield.

The biosolids, which are strictly regulated, help grow corn, wheat and alfalfa. Those crops are packaged as cattle feed. Cows produce milk that can be sold in stores.

And so Green Acres was hailed a success story, winning awards from the Environmental Protection Agency and others -- including one for a public information video called "Where Does it Go?"

Residents of Kern County, one of the nation's most productive farming regions, think the solution stinks. Some worried the sludge would pollute groundwater. Others were convinced it would hurt Kern's economy.

Still, city officials and others involved in the lawsuit are scrambling for alternatives.

The most promising option, announced in an awkwardly worded press release, is to inject "exceptional quality biosolids" under Terminal Island, a man-made land mass at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Asked why the city couldn't use more of its superior product on its own lawns and golf courses, as suggested by some Kern residents, Public Works President Ruiz said that was attempted once. "We tried to sell compost from some of our green waste, and couldn't find a market for it," she said.

Learning around the world...China

Water conservation is the alternative when drought looms

Everyone has heard about China's tremendous industrial expansion in the last decade or two. What you might not have heard is that China is now experiencing its worst drought in half a century.

Its water is running out.

The 1.3 billion people have at their disposal only a quarter of the water per person that is available on average around the world. Because of the surging economic growith, industrial pollution and widespread waste, China is facing a systemic water problem.

400 of China's 600 cities are short on water. The water shortage could threaten the very economic development that has moved China into an industrialized powerhouse.

The new complexes built in Beijing are using water for irrigation of lawns and flowers in spite of the water problems.

Statistics indicate that China requires 10 times more water than Japan to produce one unit of gross domestic product.

China's food security is also being threatened, by leaving crops withering in the fields. The fall harvest is expected to lead to food shortages in some areas.

Uneven distribution of water is also affecting agricultural productivity...the most agricultural sections of the country have access to a smaller percentage of water reserves.

300 million Chinese in rural areas lack clean drinking water. The water resources ministry estimated that pollution has left 40 percent of the water in the nations' 1300 rivers fit only for agriculture or industrial production.

"Water is the lifeline of a country's economy and a regional economy," Ma Jun, author of a book on China's water crisis says, "Economic growth cannot be allowed to come at a steep environmental cost. It is time for the government to cope with the realities of declining water stocks and their implications for the whole society." He adds that priority needs to be given to conservation and more efficient use of water.

Finding green home and restaurant options

I ran smack dab into a treasure trove of green and sustainable products and services today ... and want you to know about them as well.

Lawrence Comras says in his team bio, "Consumerism is one of the primary forces harming the world but it's also a force that can help save it. When we recognize this enigma and respond by buying well-designed, environmentally superior products, we can all make a difference in our own lives and beyond."

And that's what he and his team are doing with the GreenHome.com online store that ships green products nationwide.

Green Home has also recently teamed up with the Green Restaurants Association to establish the Dine Green Store, the Web's first one-stop-eco-shop for small restaurants and households. This association has put together a comprehensive database of envrionmentally responsible products and services for the restaurant industry.

How green can restaurants become? How's this for a list of options:

1. Bathroom Tissue
2. Bowls
3. Cleaners
4. Cup Carriers
5. Facial Tissue
6. Hand Dryers
7. Napkins
8. Plates
9. Sinks
10. Spray Valve
11. Toilets
12. Towels
13. Trays

Small businesses are the hardest segment of our population to convert to green operations for several reasons -- overworked and underfunded, such a huge number of small locations, and the difficulty in bringing customized solutions to their attention. But when groups like Green Home and the Green Restaurant Association team up, progress can be made.

What's next? How can we move the flow of green living throughout our communities? Your innovative ideas are worth their weight in cool, clean water! :-)

Eco-stores -- Look for one coming to your community

Wal-Mart Store No. 5334, which opened last winter outside Denver, CO is one of two experimental stores the company built to test ways to cut energy and reduce waste.

You'll find wind turbines, solar cells, and recycled oil at the deli and motor oil from the lube department.

And in the food section you'll see tuna certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, and coffee endorsed by the Rainforest Alliance.

Wal-Mart?

Lee Scott explains how the company's legacy also points to change for the future, "Sam loved the outdoors. And he loved the idea of building a company that would endure. I think Sam Walton would, in fact, embrace Wal-Mart's efforts to improve the quality of life for our customers and our associates by doing what we need to do in sustainability."

In McKinney, Texas, and Aurora, Colorado, Wal-Mart has created two examples of the way building owners, scientists, engineers, architects, contractors, and landscape designers can work together to create stores that save energy, conserve natural resources, and reduce pollution. These stores are living laboratories, testing experimental technologies and products. Tour the stores virtually at this link.

"Certified Sustainable" Systems are cousins of "organic" labeling

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an independent non-profit organization that promotes responsible fishing practices.

Wild fish can now be certified as "sustainable" by this independent nonprofit organization and it is working on a certification system for farmed fish.

It's up to consumers to recognize, request, and value "brands" like MSC-certified as they do the organic label. Supply-chain pressure from consumers asking for sustainable business practices is the best kind.

Some of the retail stores in which you can buy Certified Sustainable fish include:

Whole Foods Market
Wal-Mart
Wildcatch
Safeway

If you don't shop at these stores, ask for "certified sustainable" fish and other products at your own grocery store. By ASKING FOR IT, we create demand, and business people listen to consumer demand!


The three Principles of the MSC Standard are:

Principle 1 The condition of the fish stocks

This examines if there are enough fish to ensure that the fishery is sustainable.

Principle 2 The impact of the fishery on the marine environment

This examines the effect that fishing has on the immediate marine envirionment including other non-target fish species, marine mammals and seabirds.

Principle 3 The fishery management systems

This principle evaluates the rules and procedures that are in place, as well as how they are implemented, to maintain a sustainable fishery and to ensure that the impact on the marine environment is minimised.

Recycle your cell phones and save our water!

Why recycle cell phones?

Over 200 million Americans have a cell phone. It is estimated that every year, 150 million cell phones go into closets, desk drawers and worse, in the trash.

Recycling the phones ensures that the toxic materials in the phones don't end up in our landfills and groundwater.

According to Keep California Beautiful, one cell phone, tossed into a landfill, can pollute up to 40,000 gallons of groundwater!

New Strategies Create an Environmental Marketplace for Conservation

Environmental Markets Trends Report published by Business for Social Responsibility is a downloadable PDF that provides compelling reasons for sustainable business practices.

Companies rely on environmental services for the most fundamental aspects of their operations, including raw materials, predictable flows of clean water and carbon sequestration. The environment also provides other less noted, free services such as pest control and protection from severe storms and disease....We expect that there will be sufficient clean water for operations, that raw materials will continue to flow in predictable patterns, that transport will not be unduly interrupted by increases extreme weather and that our workers will have healthy air to breathe.

Market mechanisms programs to protect environmental services promises new business approaches to these issues. Efforts already underway are pricing environmental services, based upon the value they represent to corporations, communities and individuals.

The Carbon market is projected to be the largest commodity market in the world. There is a growing theory in scientific and environmental communities that these market mechanisms are here to stay, and a new way of doing business.

The idea of applying market mechanisms to environmental problems began in the U.S. in the early 1990s. A cap-and-trade system was set up under the U.S. Clean Air Act that allowed for trading in pollutant allowances of sulfur dioxide, one of the gases responsible for acid rain. Today, a wide variety of policy tools have been developed for help markets and the global economy move toward the conservation of environmental services. "Payments for environmental services" (PES) is an umbrella term for the entire range of economic incentive schemes. Some examples include:

Sources to learn more about mitigation markets are:

Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) is a greenhouse gas emission reduction and trading pilot program for emission sources and offset projects in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Compliance markets for environmental services are driven by regulatory requirements that often take the form of a cap on environmental degradation. The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme and the Kyoto Protocol both started in 2005 as global compliance carbon markets. In the U.S., wetlands mitigation banking is estimated to be worth $1 billion per year—with more than 400 established banks in 40 states.


CALIFORNIA RESOURCES:
California Department of Fish and Game
Habitat Conservation Planning Branch


The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Fish and Game evaluates the habitats and assigns a certain number of "credits" to them. The developer sells these credits to builders or government agencies like the Corps to offset the effects of construction projects.

Wildlands, Inc., is one of the first wetland mitigation banks and conservation banks that protect wildlife habitat in perpetuity.

Ecosystem Marketplace
Look up "California" for a wide variety of program and organization resources available for mitigation investments.

Millenium Ecosystem Assessment

Green Facts

Creating a Green Nursery for Infant Health

Tips for Creating a Green Nursery offers several ways to reduce pollutants and sensitivities in the home nursery.

PAINT is the basic. Many paints emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can be dangerous for pregnant womena and babies. Low-VOC paints or natural paints made with a milk-base are a better choice.

MATTRESS. Synthetic materials containing polyurethane foam and potentially toxic chemicals can have an affect on babies who sleep on them as much as 10 to 14 hours a day. Organic mattresses are now available.

BEDDING. Crib sheets and blankets are now available in organic cotton.

FURNITURE. Avoid laminated wood, pressed wood, chipboard and particle board which are made with formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Choose furniture made from solid hard wood painted with eco-friendly paint or finishes. Or buy used furniture and coat it with a water-based polyurethane sealer.

FLOORS. The backing on new wall-to-wall carpeting may also emit formaldehyde and many carpets are treated with stain-proofing chemicals, etc. They can be neurotoxins. The alternative is finishing wood floors with products low in VOCs. True linoleum is made of natural materials. Cork is another eco-friendly choice.


ECOFRIENDLY PRODUCTS are available at local shops and online. You can find sources at directories such as National Green Pages and GreenBiz.

In Southern California you will find quality information and green nursery products at:

Green For Baby at 2989 E. Thousand Oaks Bl., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Phone: 805-230-2201

The Living Green Stores in Culver City and Santa Barbara also carry quality and sustainable home products:

Living Green, Santa Barbara: 218 Helena Avenue, Phone 866-966-1319

Los Angeles / Culver City: 10000 Culver Boulevard, Phone: 310-838-8442

Fishing in the City

The Urban Fishing Program was started in 1993, and serves Californians living in the Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. The program's Fishing in the City Clinics gives city dwellers an opportunity to learn how to fish, and to fish close to home.

Ponds are stocked with trout in winter and catfish the rest of the year. Anglers 16 years of age and older need to have a fishing license except on Free Fishing Day.

Southern California contact:

Brian Young
(562) 342-7148
4665 Lampson Ave. Suite C
Los Alamitos, CA 90720

Zero Energy and Energy Efficiency resources

Publications from US Department of Energy include magazines, fact sheets and technical reports.

Find information for a wide variety of topics from "Causes of Indoor Air Quality Problems" to "Compact Fluorescent Lighting in America: Lessons Learned on the Way to Market". Articles and PDF files include building topics for both residential and commercial buildings and energy-efficient choices.

Want Basement insulation...passive solar design...water heating... or a Whole-House Energy Checklist. It's here.

Speak up - share your stories

EcoSpeakers.com is the Speakers Bureau of EcoIQ -- a Cupertino company that offers a wide variety of resources for environmental speakers, writers, photographers and activists.

EcoIQ works to expand the audience for the valuable ideas and good work of speakers, authors, journalists, researchers, photographers, videographers, documentary producers, publishers, web site sponsors, and event planners who focus on the transition to a more sustainable future. EcoIQ operates EcoSpeakers.com to promote speakers for conferences, meetings, training programs, and community, business, and university speaker series.

As you consider which speaker or speakers may best meet your needs, you may want to keep topics clearly focused on your mission and theme.

While large events and policy meetings might call for highly visible speakers, don't forget the speakers closest to you. Sometimes local field workers and advocates have a better handle on your theme than a highly visible or nationally known speaker.

One sustainable concept to keep in mind is "think global, act local." By encouraging the development of speaking skills among your own community, you empower yourselves. There is nothing like being engaged to speak to make a person sharpen their facts, their ideas, and engage their network.

Less Packaging saves costs and the environment

Another link to the story about Wal-Mart that I just couldn't pass up.

As a graphic designer, I've designed product packaging. I know the marketing stresses of size, advertising space, fancy coatings and full color. I cringe everytime I see 3 layers of packaging on a product, and I often refuse to buy that product.

It's good to see that companies are recognizing innovative ways to cut packaging down to size. One product category is "cleansers". With all the fluff being added into cleaning products, its good to recognize those companies that are decreasing their product's impact on the environment.


Packaging is another thorny issue. On my grocer's shelf are a bulky, 100-fluid-ounce, orange plastic jug of Procter & Gamble's bestselling Tide and a slim 32-ounce aqua plastic bottle of Unilever's "small and mighty" All.

Both contain enough detergent for 32 loads of wash, but the smaller package, made possible by condensing All, saves energy, shipping costs, and shelf space - a big win all around, right?

Not quite. Bigger packages command more shelf space, provide more surface area for advertising, and suggest to consumers that they're getting more for their money. Unilever executives voiced all those worries when they went to see Scott. He agreed to make "small and mighty" All a VPI (that's Wal-Mart code for "volume-producing item," and it means that Wal-Mart will promote it heavily). "That helps to increase their confidence," he says. You can now find "small and mighty" All in supermarkets everywhere.

And guess what? This fall Procter & Gamble will replace the bulky plastic jugs with condensed, slimmed-down versions of all its liquid laundry detergents - Tide, Cheer, Gain, Era, and Dreft - in a test in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to prepare for a likely national rollout.

We wondered if Wal-Mart had anything to do with that. "We've been doing sustainability for quite some time," replied a P&G spokeswoman. "And we're pleased to work with all our distributors, including Wal-Mart." You figure it out.

Pearl Jam Offsets their Climate Footprint

"We selected Conservation International for our Portfolio with an eye towards supporting local, regional, national and international strategies that positively affect climate, environment and local communities,” said Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard.

“We believe in businesses that proactively take the lead on the issues of environment and clean energy, rather than waiting for our government to identify solutions for us. By identifying and supporting a diverse group of organizations and strategies, we hope to create new models for businesses like ours who are looking to invest in the future health of our planet and its delicate ecosphere."

To offset emissions associated with the band's tour, Conservation International, in collaboration with two Ecuadorian organizations, is working to restore up to 30 hectares of degraded tropical forests in northwestern Ecuador. As this regenerated forest grows, it will absorb more than 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the next 30 years, provide habitat protection for endangered plant and animal species and direct support for local communities.

It is a known fact that the burning and clearing of forests and other ecosystems account for more than 20 percent of humanity's annual CO2 emissions. Preventing forest loss and restoring native forests is an effective way to help stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases.

Pearl Jam also is asking fans to get involved by helping to reduce their own carbon footprint. Fans can calculate how much carbon their daily activities generate using a carbon calculator found on CI's Web site (www.conservation.org). Once fans have calculated their carbon footprint they will be presented with options to offset that impact.

Conservation International (CI) applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth's richest regions of plant and animal diversity and demonstrate that human societies can live harmoniously with nature.

Come on, rockers like Super Nova, who else believes in rebelling against the status quo of environmental damage...and will step up and make a statement with actions...and songs?

Organize a Community Cleanup Day

Keep California Beautiful suppots hundreds of cleanup, recycling and beautification events throughout California annually. You can get something started in your local neighborhood!

Keep California Beautiful provides volunteers with trash bags, gloves, flower seeds, participation badges and other volunteer incentives and thank-you's. KCB encourages individuals, civic groups, and community organizations to come together to make a difference in California's environment by organizing events within their community.

Participation can include one or more of the following activities.
- Removing litter (work frequency varies with location).
- Planting and establishing trees, or wildflowers.
- Removing graffiti.
- Controlling vegetation.

Several variations on the theme of "cleanup" include:
- Adopt-a-Highway
- Coastal Cleanup Day
- California State Parks Trails Day

California zero energy house is the greenest green

Zero Energy House concept is implemented with the following features:

Photovoltaic panels perchen on the roof
Special insulation poured into the foundation
Recycled wood products in framing
Windows, appliances and water heater are all energy efficient
Roof has been coated with material to reflect sun's rays
Fluorescent lights and fans
Cellulose insulation blown into the walls

Pleasanton, Dublin and Hayward CA are forerunners in formalizing green guidelines in their building codes. Other examples of this community support of energy codes include Boulder, CO and Austin, TX.

The builder, Centex, partnered with the Alameda County Solid Waste Management Authority to develop green building guidelines for use in all new home construction. And an energy consulting and engineering company provided federal and state grants as well as expertise to help direct construction to meet zero-net energy building processes.

Installing solar panels is a chicken and egg proposition -- if builders don't offer the service, consumers aren't going to buy it. And if consumers are willing to pay upfront for the solar installation and recoup their savings on the backend, builders aren't going to offer the service.

This gap of early innovation adoption is faced by all industries and governments and nonprofit groups can help step into this gap to make the expertise available through conferences and guidelines -- and make grants available to help with early adoption projects and help lower costs.

Other builders involved in developing the guidelines were Pulte Homes,
Silverwood Homes, Greenbriar Homes, Toll Brothers, Signature Properties
and Ponderosa Homes.

Southern California chapters of the US Green Building Council

The US Green Building Council sponsors local chapters across the nation. In Southern California, we have local chapters in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County.

Los Angeles

The US Green Building Council Los Angeles Chapter first met in the spring of 2000 and now represents over 400 individuals from over 100 organizations in the greater Los Angeles area who are committed to making their communities better places to live through smarter planning, better public policy, and greener development.

Orange County

The U.S. Green Building Council's Orange County Chapter is a non-profit organization made up of Building Industry Professionals, Facility Managers, and Property Owners in Orange County and surrounding communities, whose mission is to be advocates for a sustainable Orange County. Members of the organizing group work together to provide education and networking opportunities for individuals whom are passionate about sustainable building.

San Diego

The US Green Building Council San Diego Chapter is
dedicated to promoting sustainable design in the San Diego
region. The USGBC San Diego Chapter represents over 100
organizations active in green building design in the region,
and there are more than 60 LEED Accredited Professionals in
San Diego.

Walmart's ecological footprint is changing

Individually, we can conserve and make better choices. But when our efforts are stacked up against big company processes, they can seem fruitless. One person can make a big difference not only at home...but at their employer. In fact, EVERY difference made at a company is started by one person.

I read recently how one Southern California woman got Walmart interested in organic cotton clothing -- and made an impact. Today I read that another individual has further impacted Walmart. This is inspiring. There is hope ... there are ways to make differences bigger than our own little household.

Big companies have a huge impact on our environmental sustainability. It's encouraging to see them change their way of doing business because it makes more sense. Walmart is one company that is seeing the benefits of working smarter.

Walmart is the biggest private user of electricity in the U.S.; each of its 2,074 supercenters uses an average of 1.5 million kilowatts annually, enough as a group to power all of Namibia.

Wal-Mart has the nation's second-largest fleet of trucks, and its vehicles travel a billion miles a year. If each customer who visited Wal-Mart in a week bought one long-lasting compact fluorescent (CF) light bulb, the company estimates, that would reduce electric bills by $3 billion, conserve 50 billion tons of coal, and keep one billion incandescent light bulbs out of landfills over the life of the bulb.

If Wal-Mart influenced the behavior of a fraction of its 1.8 million employees or the 176 million customers that shop there every week, the impact would be huge. And because of the extraordinary clout Wal-Mart wields with its 60,000 suppliers, it could make even more of a difference by influencing their practices.

To read an indepth article about how Walmart is changing, visit money.cnn.com

Bolsa Chica regains its ocean inflow

95 percent of California's saltwater marshes have succumbed to development. So it is good news that at least one wetland has been restored.

The Los Angeles Daily News reports the details of this historic day: $100 million plan is fulfilled

The 387-acre Bolsa Chica basin near Huntington Beach was filled by the incoming tide after bulldozers knocked down the last of the 400-foot-long sand barrier. The area had been separated from the ocean for 107 years.

Eight state and federal agencies are involved in the project that has become the largest and most ambitious restoration of coastal wetlands in the history of California.

"Not many wetlands have been restored in the world, especially in an oil field," said Shirley Dettloff, who's been fighting for the wetlands for since the 1970s. "Even we locals sometimes forget that this was the second-largest functioning oil field in the state of California."

The degraded wetlands are currently home to 200 species of birds, including six endangered or threatened species. Biologists will introduce two types of plants to the wetlands - eel grass and cord grass - to provide nesting habitat for some of the endangered birds.

At one time, as many as 4,884 homes were proposed on 1,100 acres of the wetlands. The plan was scaled back several times and the state paid $25 million for 880 acres to add to the land available for wetlands preservation. Now, homebuilding is confined to an upper mesa area of Bolsa Chica, with a 356-home development under way.

The restoration was funded in part by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to make up for marine habitat destroyed during expansion.