Project Green A to Z

GRID Alternatives: A Green Building Super Hero

November 1, 2010October 5, 2021Leave a comment

On Friday night I was lucky to be able to attend the Green Building Super Heroes Awards Gala, sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council. You can read more details about it on my EcoTuesday post. For me, the highlight of the evening was when GRID Alternatives won the award for Outstanding Community Organization. A little over half a year ago, I hadn’t heard of GRID. Their co-founder, Erica Mackie, spoke at an EcoTuesday evening I attended last spring, and it was her description of what they do that led me to participate in their annual Solarthon in July.

Continue reading “GRID Alternatives: A Green Building Super Hero” →

Electric cars going mainstream

October 25, 2010October 5, 2021Leave a comment

This post was originally published on The Energy Collective.

Although electric cars aren’t exactly new, the first ones having been built in the late 1800s, they’ve taken a while to catch on. In recent times, consumers were limited to odd-looking vehicles that couldn’t go far or fast—except for those few individuals with enough money to buy the luxury Tesla sports car. That’s changing with the upcoming introduction of mainstream electric cars like the Nissan Leaf, and mostly electric ones like the Chevy Volt. On a recent weekend, the San Francisco Bay Area Green Drive Expo offered a chance to see some of the latest in this technology and to learn more about what’s coming. Continue reading “Electric cars going mainstream” →

The public square

October 20, 2010October 5, 20214 Comments

What is the focal point of community in many countries other than ours? The public square, of course. And what is lacking in most of our cities and towns? Naturally, the public square. Continue reading “The public square” →

Does California need AB32?

October 18, 2010October 5, 2021Leave a comment

This post was originally published on The Energy Collective.

Among the usual slew of propositions California voters face this fall is the much-disputed Prop 23, which would put AB32 on hold indefinitely. AB32 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2006, and if left standing it will reach its full effect in a year or two. Continue reading “Does California need AB32?” →

West Coast Green 2010

October 7, 2010October 5, 2021Leave a comment

The San Francisco Bay Area seems to produce an endless stream of diverse green events. Last weekend was no exception—I spent an engaging and inspiring Saturday attending West Coast Green, “the world’s leading interactive conference on green innovation.” Continue reading “West Coast Green 2010” →

White House going solar

October 5, 2010October 5, 20211 Comment

The White House is finally installing solar panels! President Carter put panels on the White House in 1979—but like many of the positive changes Carter made, this one was reversed by Ronald Reagan, who had the panels removed. The Obama administration may prefer to avoid comparisons with Carter, but let’s hope any negative connotations are overridden by the positive aspects of this symbolic gesture. By promoting solar power and other types of renewable energy, Obama can help create jobs, protect the environment, and decrease our dependence on foreign oil—all in one blow! A true strategic initiative. Continue reading “White House going solar” →

Greening the Internet

August 30, 2010October 5, 20216 Comments

I have to admit that when I first looked for a new Internet company, I wasn’t thinking green—my main motivation was to escape Comcast’s high costs and poor service. But I should have been considering the carbon footprint of my daily online activities. We think we’re being green when we use the computer instead of paper, but are we? Continue reading “Greening the Internet” →

GRID Alternatives Solarthon: a mega-strategic initiative

August 1, 2010October 5, 20219 Comments

You may know from my post on hiking that I value the idea of a strategic initiative, taking one action that affects many areas at once. George Lakoff, in Don’t Think of an Elephant, notes that focusing on alternative energy is a powerful strategic initiative, because it affects not just energy and sustainability but a host of other areas, such as jobs, health, the environment, foreign policy, developing countries, and more. This is a major reason I’m drawn to alternative energy; it gives a lot of bang for the buck, and it deals with the most urgent issues facing humanity today. Continue reading “GRID Alternatives Solarthon: a mega-strategic initiative” →

Of change and cheese

July 13, 2010October 5, 20211 Comment

“The only constant is change.” — Heraclitus, c. 535 – 475 BC

“Everything changes, nothing remains without change.” — Siddhartha Gautama, The Buddha, c. 560 – 480 BC Continue reading “Of change and cheese” →

Hope and the city: the fine art of community-building

July 12, 2010October 5, 20213 Comments

What is community, and how do we encourage it? However we answer those questions, I think most people would agree that it’s lacking in our culture, with its emphasis on the individual. Whether we live in cities, small towns, or suburbs, it’s increasingly rare for Americans to feel a real sense of community. It stands out to me out when I hear someone describe their neighborhood as a nurturing, close community; while such pockets exist, they are not the norm. Continue reading “Hope and the city: the fine art of community-building” →