Organic Foods and a New Local Restaurant

I had the good fortune of trying a new restaurant featured in the July 28th to August 3rd issue of the Metro Silicon Valley called 'Bayonne': Casual Southern Dining, "a healthy approach to the South" ( a lighter New Orleans and Southern-style food)

The chef, Glen Thompson, came to chat with us, mentioning that he loves using organic ingredients and has been known to change the menu day to day based on the availability of organic ingredients.

He pointed to our strawberry mint lemonade and said, "There's no sugar added. We'll only have this drink available while the strawberries are sweet enough."

The restaurant looks like it makes mostly everything 'homemade' on-site at the restaurant from the organic brioche bread for the 'rich' boy sandwiches, to their ketchup using molasses, to the chocolate ice cream sandwich with date/coconut/granola/chocolate chip cookies, drizzled with caramel sauce.

He's been talking to the Nutrition Department at SJSU and hopes to be able to grow organic produce in the sustainable garden on campus. He'd love to host an "Earth to Plate" event on campus near the garden, with proceeds going to a local children's charity.


Why eat organic? Organic foods are grown without chemicals, hormones, genetic modification, herbicides, or pesticides, which are healthier for the local soil, water resources, air quality, and system biodiversity. It also is safer and healthier for the people working in the farms, as well as the people eating the organic food.

Why eat locally grown food? Locally grown food requires less transportation/fuel to get the food to you faster, fresh from the farm....when the nutrients are at their peak.


Green Tip of the Week: Consider visiting the farmers market for some locally grown and/or organic foods. If you're not into cooking, try a restaurant that uses locally grown and/or organic food.


Here's the link to the downtown San Jose Farmers Market on Fridays in San Pedro Square:
http://www.pcfma.com/market_home.php?market_id=14

Here's a link to the Metro article:
http://www.sanjose.com/bayonne-a31651

Here's a link to the Bayonne Restaurant.
Click on the menu button to see lunch and dinner menus. Keep in mind that the menu could change day to day depending on ingredient availability:
http://www.bayonnesouthern.com/

'Bayonne' is on the first floor of the 'Agenda Lounge' building on 1st Street and East San Salvador Street.

The 'Agenda' has moved upstairs and 'Bayonne' is on the ground floor. There's no 'Bayonne' sign outside the building near the large 'Agenda' sign....just the 'Bayonne' name of the restaurant on the front glass doors. 399 S.First Street

The restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Curious about Plug-In Hybrid or Electric Vehicles?

A four day electric vehicle conference called "Plug-In 2010" is being held at the San Jose Convention Center this week.

Part of the conference is open to the public on Tuesday night for a $10.00 entrance fee.

The exhibit hall with various electric and hybrid vehicles on display will be open to the public from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

There is also a panel discussion featuring Bill Nye, 'the Science Guy' and Martin Eberhard, Co-Founder of Tesla Motors from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

Toyota and Tesla plan on building a new electric RAV4, which will be ready for sale in 2012 and built at the Fremont NUMMI plant.


Green Tip of the Week: Consider checking out the electric and hybrid vehicles on exhibition, if you're interested.


Here's an article about the conference:
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_15587612?source=rss&nclick_check=1/

Here's an article about the electric RAV4:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/business&id=7559231&rss=rss-kgo-article-7559231

Here's the flyer about the exhibition and panel discussion for the general public:
http://www.plugin2010.com/images/stories/home/publicnightflyer.pdf

Innovation Credit - King Library LEED Certification part 5

This week's segment highlights the last section on the Facilities website for the King Library LEED certification process for 'innovation credit'.

These include credits that are "bonus points" that are earned for exceptional features.

Here are some of the King Library’s innovation credits:

*An educational outreach program covering the sustainability features of the library through tours, informational talks, class projects, and websites.

*The resource sharing of electronic library materials (ebooks, ejournals, and digital collections) saves paper and can viewed by many people at the same time, often from their home without traveling to the library at all.

*The compact shelving stacks in the lower level saves space, heating/cooling energy, cleaning, and construction materials.

*Our recycling rate is extremely high due to sending waste and unwanted materials to Greenwaste's Material Recovery Facility (MRF) for sorting, recycling, and reuse.

*The original project architect, Carrier Johnson, supports this certification project with a member of their LEED accredited staff on our King Library LEED Accreditation Team. LEED gives one innovation credit for the participation of a LEED accredited professional on a certification team.

Green tip of the week: Take a peek at one of the library's ebooks, electronic journals, or digital collections just for fun.

http://library.sjsu.edu/research/index.htm


My hope is that this series of green tips featuring some of the LEED certification process of the King Library has been interesting and informative.

http://www.sjsu.edu/fdo/energy/sustainability/king_lib_leed/kingleed6innovation/

Indoor Environmental Quality - King Library LEED Certification part 4

This week's segment highlights the 'indoor environmental quality' section on the Facilities website for the King Library LEED certification process.

This section focuses on how the King Library's construction and operation affects the health, safety, and well-being of the people inside the building.

The Library was built to take advantage of natural daylight, but also to be able to limit the sunlight in certain areas.

*Most of the library materials are housed in the interior of the building, so that many of the study areas could be placed near the windows and natural light.

*The electric lights near the windows are controlled by timers, so they will only turn on during evening hours.

*The glass public elevators and the atrium also bring natural light into the building.

*There are rolling window shades, outdoor overhangs, and window screening dots that help to shield unwanted daylight in conference rooms, offices, and other western and southern areas of the library that would receive the most intense sunlight.

The Library was constructed with materials that are not harmful to the builders or the people inside the building.

*NO building materials containing asbestos, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), or CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) were installed in the King Library. Asbestos, PCBs, and CFCs have been determined to be harmful to human health.

*All paints and adhesives were specified to be low in VOCs, volatile organic compounds that slowly release chemicals into the air over time.

*Smoking was not allowed during construction of the building.

Current library operations work to keep air quality desirable.

*The HVAC system (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) uses highly efficient MERV 14 air filters (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value filter rating system) to remove particulates from the air like dust, spores, pollen, and toner particles.

*If the outside air is determined to be the appropriate temperature and humidity, the economizer cycle can pull in outdoor air for cooling rather than using the air conditioning system. Outside air can also be brought in if the carbon dioxide levels in the building are too high.

*Green cleaning products and methods are used. Vinegar is used as the primary cleaner and the custodial staff washes/reuses mopheads and rags rather than discarding them after every use.

Integrated Pest Management uses a variety of ways to deter and manage pests like insects or rodents.

*Non-chemical means are attempted first... like removing attractants (food), physically blocking pests from entering the building, or trapping/removing the pests (like hanging sticky traps for flies).

*If chemical means need to be used, the least toxic chemical specific to the pest will be used and the people in the area will be notified so they can take appropriate precautions.

Green tip of the week: Consider trying out green cleaning products at home....like vinegar, baking soda, and warm water.

Here's a USA Today article that discusses using vinegar and baking soda as alternatives to traditional cleansers, especially in homes with children.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-04-21-green-cleaning_N.htm

Here's the link for the indoor environmental quality webpage for the King Library LEED certification:
http://www.sjsu.edu/fdo/energy/sustainability/king_lib_leed/kingleed5ieq/

Here's some other webpages that discuss indoor environmental quality:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia-intro.html
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/

Materials and Resources - King Library LEED Certification part 3

This week's segment highlights the 'Materials and Resources' section on the Facilities website for the King Library LEED certification process.

The King Library can earn credit points towards LEED certification if it was built with sustainable materials and in an environmentally-friendly manner.

Here are some examples:
*Recycled wood, concrete and steel were used in construction for the King Library.

*The original brass doors from the SJSU Wahlquist Library were reused for the 4th floor boardroom.

*An existing bamboo grove near the Wahlquist Library site was relocated during the construction of the King Library and later transplanted near the old science building after construction was completed.

*A redwood tree that was cut down during construction for the King Library was converted to veneer and featured as an art piece building column from the lower level up through the 8th floor.


LEED credit points can also be earned based on the manner in which materials are used in the King Library.

*Paper recycling bins are located at public printing/copier areas and recycling collection containers for glass/aluminum cans are located throughout the building.

*Recycling collection stations were established for cell phones at the 5th floor Beethoven Center, batteries in 4th floor staff lounge, and printer cartridges in the 4th floor administrative copier area.

*Furniture is reupholstered, rather than disposed of in favor of new pieces.

*Construction projects in the library are required to recycle 75% of all waste materials produced, either by traditional recycling or by sending refuse to Greenwaste's Material Recovery Facility, MRF.

*More than 90% of the library's 'trash' is sent to the MRF, including wood, plastics, metals, food waste, glass, and paper where it is sorted for recycling, composting, or integration in postconsumer products.

*The library's purchasing policy is to buy supplies made of recycled materials or postconsumer products whenever possible....such as office copier/printer paper or paper towels partially made from recycled paper fibers.


Green tip of the week: Look for products with the postconsumer labeling when shopping and consider purchasing postconsumer items made from recycled materials.

Postconsumer labeling is typically found on these items:
*cereal/cookie/cracker packages
*detergent/cleaning supply containers
*glass containers
*paper towels
*writing paper, greeting cards, stationery supplies
*carpeting
*plastic flower pots, trash cans, recycling bins
*fencing
*packing boxes
*re-refined motor oil
*insulation in ski jackets/gloves/sleeping bags made from recycled PET (#1) plastic bottles

Here are some links to photos of postconsumer labels:
http://pebblecreekpartners.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/postconsumer.gif

http://www.casualcomfortinsulation.com/RecycledSymbol.gif

http://nnrg.org/images/FSC%20Mixed.jpg/image_preview

Here's the link for the materials and resources webpage for the King Library LEED certification:
http://www.sjsu.edu/fdo/energy/sustainability/king_lib_leed/kingleed4mr/

Here's a link about the campus recycling program:
http://www.sjsu.edu/fdo/operations/recycling/info/

Energy and Atmosphere - King Library LEED Certification part 2

The next segment on the Facilities website for the King Library's LEED Certification process discusses water resource savings.

Since there was already a green tip written about water in the King Library a few weeks ago, this week's green tip is highlighting the Energy segment.

Did you know we have a power plant on campus?

2/3's of the campus electricity is produced by a natural gas-fired turbine at SJSU's Central Plant on 10th Street.

A by-product of running the turbine is heat, which is captured and distributed as steam to heat campus buildings, including the King Library.

SJSU's Central Plant also produces chilled water using 20,000 gallons of recycled water per year to run the air conditioning system on campus.

(SJSU does purchase some electricity from PG&E.)

In 1999/2000, the King Library building was designed to use 32% less energy than the minimum energy standard listed under the California Building Standards Code (CA Title 24). The building earned a "Savings By Design" award of $250,000.00 from PG&E in 2004.

However, the building design is not enough. Ongoing testing (via a Monitoring Based Commissioning Project, or MBCx) must be conducted to make sure the energy savings remain within the desired ranges.

Here are some of the adjustments that came out of the MBCx testing:

*The lighting near the windows of the King Library were designed to be off during daylight hours. During testing, these lights were found to be on during the day. The time clocks were adjusted so that the lights would remain off during daylight hours.

*The three most common light fixtures in King Library were examined during testing. These fixtures were retrofitted and lower wattage/brighter light bulbs were installed.

*Occupancy sensors were installed in the stacks so that the center stack lights will turn off during times of non-activity. The lights on the ends of the stacks remain on for safety.

Are we using any renewable energy?

Right now, if we added solar panels to the King Library roof, they would produce less than 3% of the energy we're using.

In time, the photovoltaic technology for solar panels will improve to become more efficient and might be an option later.

The King Library received an award for the 'Best Practices in Energy Efficiency Award in Lighting Retrofit category among 23 California State University campuses' last month.

Here are some statistics from the library's facilities specialist that highlight the retrofit project:

* Lighting Retrofit itself reduced energy consumption by 22%

* Additional repair of some mechanical issues during the course of the Lighting Retrofit project further reduced our energy consumption by 6.7%

* Total consumption reduction = 1,937,174 kWh/year

* Incentive received from PG&E for the Lighting project = $378,195

* Annual energy savings as the result of the Lighting project = $309,948

* Annual savings on repair & maintenance = $120,000

* Total cost of our Lighting project = $1,480,000

* Project payback period (including annual repair/maintenance savings) = 2.24 years


Green tip of the week: Consider changing out your incandescent light bulbs for the energy efficient fluorescent bulbs.

Remember old incandescent bulbs can be disposed of in the trash, but any fluorescent bulbs need to be taken to a participating partner for recycling. Fluorescent bulbs contain mercury and are considered hazardous waste, so they cannot be disposed of in the trash.

Here is a link of participating partners and hardware stores that accept fluorescent bulbs for recycling:
http://www.sccgov.org/SCC/docs/SCC%20Public%20Portal/attachments/Retailers.pdf


Here are the links about energy savings in the King Library for LEED certification:
http://www.sjsu.edu/fdo/energy/sustainability/king_lib_leed/kingleed3ea/
http://www.sjsu.edu/fdo/energy/sustainability/lighting/KingLightMBCx/


Here are the links about water savings for LEED certification, if you're interested:
http://www.sjsu.edu/fdo/energy/sustainability/king_lib_leed/kingleed2wr/
http://greentipsandstories.blogspot.com/2010/05/way-forward-for-water.html


Some current news about previous green tips:

The CA State Assembly approved a measure to ban single use plastic bags in grocery, convenience, and other stores. The bill is now headed to be considered in the CA State Senate.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10811198
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/03/BAOE1DOUFF.DTL

Coulomb Technologies, a maker of charging stations for electric cars, received national grant money and plans to install 4600 charging stations nationwide by October 2011, including some in the bay area.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_15205561?source=rss
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/06/02/cnet.electric.vehicle.charging/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Sustainable Site - King Library LEED Certification part 1

I realize the green tips of the week are meant to be helping us to think of ways we can be more green...but I've found all the work that's been going into making the King Library itself more green to be rather fascinating.

I thought I would share some of the different segments of the King Library LEED certification process as a series over a the next couple of weeks.

What is LEED certification?

LEED stands for 'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design' and is an internationally recognized green building certification ratings program.

Using a system of points, the program evaluates the design, construction, and operation of a building with regards to environmentally responsible resource efficiency like water/energy savings, as well as human and environmental health, such as reduced pollution/chemicals/land degradation.

Since environmental standards are constantly changing, LEED certification awards are only valid for 5 years. Buildings and facilities can then apply for recertification, but will need to adhere to any new or upgraded environmental standards.

There are four levels of certification based on the point accrual system: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.

The King Library was built according to silver certification standards for a new building.

We are currently pursuing the certification process under the standards for an existing building, based upon the King Library's operation in an environmentally friendly manner.

There is a LEED certification team working on a checklist for the King Library that is tracking areas in which we may earn points in various categories.


One of these categories is a Sustainable Site.

What is a 'Sustainable Site'?

A 'Sustainable Site' refers to the management of the land, location and building in a manner that will not deplete natural resources, degrade the surrounding environment, or be toxic to workers and the surrounding areas.

Here are some ways in which the King Library is working to earn points for LEED certification in this category:

*Planting less thirsty plants near the building will use less water and prevent soil erosion by rain and wind.

*Selecting a building exterior that does not require paint or cleaning

*Choosing a location in an already developed area (reusing an existing library site)

*Combining the City and University Library into a single building freed up the former buildings for other departments to use (reusing buildings)

*Easy walking access to local essential services such as banks, grocery stores, parks, post office, museums, gyms, senior and child care centers.

*Easy access to alternative transportation such as bus, light rail, carpools, vanpools, electric car charging stations, and public/employee bicycle racks.

*Reducing solar heat in the local area by using light-colored materials for the library roof, more planted areas, and multi-leveled parking areas (as opposed to a single parking lot made of blacktop asphalt that would hold, instead of reflect, heat.)


Green Tip of the Week: Consider if any of these ideas can be applied to a sustainable site near you.

Are you planning a construction project at home? Maybe think about having it built out of light-colored materials?

Have you thought about getting more plants in your living space? Maybe consider ones that don't need as much water?


Here's the campus webpage that discusses the Sustainable Site category for the King Library:
http://www.sjsu.edu/fdo/energy/sustainability/king_lib_leed/kingleed1ss/

Here's a webpage that describes Sustainable Site in more detail:
http://www.nps.gov/dsc/d_publications/d_1_gpsd_5_ch5.htm

A Way Forward For Water

The King Library hosted a panel discussion a few months ago called "A Way Forward for Water: Understanding Water Supply, Use, and Reuse" that was part of the SJSU Sustainability Matters Lecture Series.

There was some interesting local water information that I wanted to share with all of you.

Santa Clara County receives 30% of its water from local natural groundwater from reservoirs, 55% of its water is imported from outside areas, 5% of its water is from recycled water, and 10% is saved from conservation.

90% of King Library's water usage goes to flushing toilets.

At the time the King Library was built, it was dual-plumbed for both regular water pipes and recycled water pipes...but there was no pipeline in existence yet to actually bring recycled water to the library site.

When City Hall was built a few years later, the pipeline for recycled water was built along with it.

Construction to connect the King Library to the City Hall's recycled water pipeline is targeted to be completed by mid-summer.

Once connected, the King Library would save about 5 million gallons of potable water per year by using recycled water to flush toilets.


Regarding drinking water on campus, the SJSU Sustainability team has conducted several blind water taste-tests at different campus events throughout this academic year.

After sampling water from all three identical numbered dispensers, testers would vote for the dispenser containing the water they thought tasted best.

The water types tested included campus tap water, bottled water (Crystal Geyser), and reverse osmosis filtered tap water.

Katherine Cushing, the SJSU Director of Sustainability, shared with me some preliminary data from the water taste test events.

The preliminary data show that 55% of taste testers prefer the reverse osmosis filtered tap water, 38% prefer the bottled water (Crystal Geyser), and 7% prefer campus tap water.

In order to reduce plastic bottled water sold at campus events and dining services, the Sustainability team are collecting signatures on a "SJSU Take Back the Tap Pledge" petition.

The pledge asks the campus community to support policies that promote/protect local access to clean water, limit/eliminate use of botttled water on campus, assess retrofitting reverse osmosis filters on existing campus water fountains, and provide all new incoming freshman with reusable water bottles. If you're interested in signing the pledge, Katherine sent me a form and I can provide it to you.


Green Tip of the Week: Consider how you can use water wisely and conserve our water resources.

Do you use a reusable/refillable water container at the library?

Did you know if you shorten your shower by 5 minutes you can save 15 gallons of water?

Have you considered planting drought-resistant plants in your yard?


Here are some water savings tips from the Santa Clara Valley Water District:
http://www.save20gallons.org/tips.html

Here are some helpful water conservation tips from the City of San Jose's Environmental Services website:
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/esd/water-conservation/residents/resident-actions.asp

Here is information on recycled water:
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/sbwr/

(Thank you to Tung, Katherine, and Jennifer for helping me with the water information and statistics.)

Downtown San Jose Events Promoting Bicycling and Green Living

Today was "Bike to Work Day". I'm sorry that I didn't get the word out earlier.

There are two events that are coming up that I will tell you about....the first one you will need to register today if you're interested.


Get Back on Your Bike!
A free lunchtime presentation on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 in the King Library providing practical tips to get re-started in bicycling.

Topics covered will include: what to look for when buying a bike, how to ride in traffic, taking a bike on public transit, and more.

Free helmets will be provided and fitted for the first 25 registrants.

When: Noon-1:00pm, Tuesday, May 18.
Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library, Room 255/257,
150 E. San Fernando Street in downtown San Jose.
Advanced registration required. To register, email john.brazil@sanjoseca.gov no later than today, Thursday, May 13, 2010.


San Jose Via Velo Downtown Event
From 10:00am to 3:00pm this Saturday, May 15th on San Fernando Street between Highway 87 and Third Street.

This event is part of a global movement to open up city streets for the community to use for walking, cycling, and other human-powered fun presented by the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and the City of San Jose.

All ages are welcome to enjoy the celebration, which will feature casual bike rides, live bands on two stages, bicycle tune-ups, green living demonstrations on recycling and composting, organic food cooking demonstrations, high tech scavenger hunts on bikes, yoga, and other fun activities.

For kids there will be children's cycling activities (kids bring their own bikes), Kaiser Permanente Kids Course (indoor/outdoor obstacle course), button making, carbon footprint games, nutrition games, native plant and tree games, and yoga classes for children.

Here' the link to the flyer:
http://sanjoseclassic.com/images/Viavelo-poster-final.pdf

Here's a link about the activities and vendors that will be at Via Velo:
http://bikesiliconvalley.org/content/1241


Some good news!

Last October, the San Jose State University issued the SJSU Ecological Footprint Challenge to students, faculty, and staff.

750 participants took a short quiz that asked questions about their energy use, food habits, transportation, and recycling habits for baseline data.

From October 2009 until March 2010, participants tried to reduce their energy use and have more sustainable eating, transportation, and recycling habits.

In March 2010, participants were asked to re-take the quiz challenge to see if their ecological footprint was reduced.

In a campus presentation this afternoon, it was announced that the winner of the lowest ecological footprint from the challenge is Sstoz Tes from the King Library's Center for Steinbeck Studies.

Sstoz has an ecological footprint that is 43% less than the average of the 750 people that took the challenge.

Congratulations, Sstoz!!

Banning Paper and Plastic Bags in San Jose

Earlier this week, there was a public meeting in the library for information and public comments about the City of San Jose's proposed ban on free disposable plastic and paper bags for retailers.

It's one of the strictest bans proposed, banning not only plastic, but free disposable paper bags, too.

Pending an environmental impact review, the ban is scheduled to take effect in 2011.

San Jose retailers would be able to sell paper bags made out of 40% recycled paper for between 10 and 25 cents each.

The City of San Jose plans to implement a public educational outreach program to encourage people to bring reusable bags for use at retailers.


Most of us have heard that San Francisco banned plastic bags in 2007.

I was amazed to find out that many other cities, counties, and countries have also reduced their plastic bag usage through extra taxes on plastic bags, purchase fees on plastic bags, or outright bans on plastic bags.

Some of these cities and countries are Los Angeles, Mexico City, Washington DC, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, China, England, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, India, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Kenya, Norway, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Taiwan, and Uganda.

Maui County, Hawaii is also banning plastic bags starting in 2011.



Why ban plastic and paper bags?

* Plastic bags end up jamming and clogging machinery at recycling facilities and the workers have to pull them out of the recycling stream to send them to a landfill. Since the plastic bags not biodegradable, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces and end up polluting our soil and water.

* Plastic bags are so light, they're easily carried by the wind and end up in our communities or waterways as litter.

* Animals, both aquatic and terrestrial, get tangled in or eat plastic bags with deadly results.

* Plastic bags are made from petroleum....a non-renewable resource that has high risks, such as the recent oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico that is affecting ocean/terrestrial wildlife, beaches, and people/businesses along the Gulf Coast.

* Paper bags are made from tree pulp and their production impacts our forests. 14 million trees were used to produce 10 million grocery bags by the U.S. in 1999. Our forests reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that lead to global warming, so using trees for disposable paper bags is not desirable. Most paper bags are made with virgin tree pulp (not recycled wood) for bag strength and elasticity.

* The production of both paper and plastic bags uses many chemicals that end up polluting our air, soil, and waterways.



Green tip of the week: Consider putting some reusable cloth or tote bags you already have at home in your vehicle to use at the market or store, instead of disposable plastic or paper bags.

Some retailers are already offering incentives to customers for bringing their own bags....Target, CVS, and Whole Foods.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/33430303

Do you know of any other businesses offering incentives or money back for bringing your own bag?

Here's a link about San Jose's ban on paper and plastic bags:
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/09/21/daily106.html

Here are some links that discuss in more detail about the different regions banning or taxing plastic bags:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKPEK17044520080527
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7178287.stm
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080404-plastic-bags.html

Here's a link about the paper bag information:
http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=7

Governor Schwarzenegger has dropped plans for the offshore oil drilling project near Santa Barbara, CA after seeing the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/03/BA1Q1D8SRP.DTL

(Thank you, Theresa, for sending the notes on Monday's public meeting in the library.)

Electric Cars and Podcars in San Jose

I attended the keynote session at SJSU's Earth Day last week that featured San Jose Mayor, Chuck Reed.

During the question and answer session, an audience member asked, 'What green technology could be deployable in San Jose today and what are the obstacles holding them back?'

One of the examples the mayor mentioned he'd like to see is charging stations for electric and hybrid cars at every streetlight. There are 62,000 streetlights in San Jose.

Currently, power cannot be drawn from the streetlight poles in California for the charging stations due to existing power company rules.

PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) are working on making changes, but it could take some time before the electric car charging stations would be deployed at every streetlight in San Jose.

Here is a July 2009 web article about the electric vehicle charging stations already in San Jose:
http://gas2.org/2009/07/29/san-jose-leading-ev-charge/

Here is a webpage listing available electric car/hybrid charging stations in the bay area...beyond the ones at San Jose City Hall, San Jose International Airport, and Costco:
http://www.evchargernews.com/regions/ch-bay-spi.htm

(Here is a March 2010 article about San Jose converting of some of the streetlights from the amber lights to energy efficient LED bulbs (light emitting diode) with some federal stimulus funds. The new bulbs are zero-emission and will be powered by solar panels. They can be monitored remotely and dimmed at night to allow Lick Observatory view of the night sky.)
http://www.mercurynews.com/traffic/ci_14521828?source=rss

While I was looking for information on the streetlight charging stations, I found a website stating that the San Jose City Hall will be hosting an international conference called "Podcar City: Innovating Sustainable Communities" from October 27th to 29th, 2010, sponsored in part by the City of San Jose and the Mineta Transportation Institute, which is affiliated with San Jose State University's College of Business.

What is a podcar?



Podcars are small, lightweight, driverless, computer–controlled vehicles operated on an elevated track powered entirely, or partly, by renewable energy.

The photographs remind me of the Monorail and the extinct Peoplemover at Disneyland.

Podcar systems are already under construction in England, Abu Dhabi, Korea, and Sweden.

The City of San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority are hoping to build a podcar system at the San Jose Airport that would connect to Caltrain, future BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), and Light Rail stations. If successful, San Jose would expand the system to other areas of the city.

Here is the website about podcars and the conference:
http://www.podcarcity.org/sanjose/

Here is the website for the podcar system at the Heathrow Airport in London:
http://www.ultraprt.com/applications/existing-systems/heathrow/

Sometime last week , I heard some radio disc jockeys discussing the film "Back To the Future", where Michael J. Fox's character traveled through time from 1985 to 1955 and back to 1985. In just 5 years, 2015 will be 30 years forward from 1985. How far have we come since "Back to the Future"?

Green Thoughts of the Week: Would you consider purchasing an electric or hybrid car as your next car, if it was easy for you to recharge it? Would you consider using a podcar to get to the airport?

Earth Day Faire at SJSU for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day

I attended the 'Sustainability on Campus' panel presentation, part of the campus week-long events for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.

I learned that 88.6% of SJSU's waste stream is currently being recycled or diverted from landfills (by being reused).

A few examples are:
Unwanted furniture is reused, sold on a public service website, or recycled as mixed debris.

Tree and yard waste is composted at a plant in Gilroy.

Food waste is screened for contaminants and composted in Gilroy.

San Jose Conservation Corps handles recycling for glass and bottles on campus.

Demolition and concrete waste is sent to Zanker Road Landfill and Greenwaste Recovery in San Jose, where huge machines crush the material that can be sold for road base and other uses.

Old tires are converted into asphalt and playground rubber.

'Universal waste' is not included in SJSU's 88.6% figure, because it is already banned from entering landfills....eWaste (computers), batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, automobile oil, oil filters, used antifreeze, and old unusable paint.

Some future projects for SJSU include starting construction on LEED certified buildings for the Student Union and Student Health Center, as well as adding rooftop solar photovoltaic panels on 5 campus buildings to generate 1 million kilawatts per year. The rooftops up for consideration for solar panels are: Sweeney Hall, Business Classrooms, Art Building, Clark Hall, and the Industrial Studies Building.

(LEED stands for 'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design', an internationally recognized green building certification ratings program.)

The panel presentation was extremely informative and a great kick-off to this week's events.

There is a composting event today (Wednesday) called 'Turn Over an Old Leaf - Compost!' in the Costonoan Room on the 2nd floor of the Student Union featuring Michele Young, the Environmental Services Director from the City of San Jose from 2:30pm-5:00pm.


Green tip of the week: Consider visiting tomorrow's Earth Day Faire in the 7th Street plaza on campus and learn more about the various green services that are available in our community.


Do you have an unwanted heating pad, birdseed, or laundry detergent that you might want to donate to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley?

Are you interested in taking a class from the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara?

Do you want to ask the California Native Plant Society about the different kinds of drought-resistant native plants to plant in your garden?

What kind of rare fruit does the California Rare Fruit Grower's Association grow?

10:00am - 2:00pm
40th Annual Earth Day Faire
Featuring 40 exhibitors of sustainable businesses, organizations, non-profits, and government agencies who all want to show off their amazing achievements.
7th Street Plaza, near Clark Hall (formerly known as Clark Library) and the Central Classrooms Building
Brought to you by the E.R.C. (Environmental Resource Center)

Here are some other Earth Day events for Thursday:

11:45am - 1:00pm
King Library: Sustainable Building, Sustainable Operations: On the way to LEED certification
King Library, MLK Room 213
Brought to you by the staff at FD&O
Our Library Staff have been assisting and contributing a significant amount of information and statistics that help us gain points for the LEED Certification ratings process.

3:15pm - 4:00pm
Getting to Work--How San Jose's Green Vision is Transforming the City: Keynote Speaker featuring City of San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed
(Engineering Building) ENG Room 189
Brought to you by the Office of the President: Sustainability Initiative, & E.R.C. (Environmental Resource Center)

Here's the link to the week's campus events for Earth Day:
http://sites.google.com/a/sjsusustainabilityweek.org/www/program

Here's the link to the website that shows some of the exhibitors participating in the Earth Day Faire.
http://sites.google.com/a/sjsusustainabilityweek.org/www/home

This is a Huffington Post Earth Day article that talks about some of the legislation that was passed in the 1970's: Clean Air Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100421/cm_huffpost/536130

Have a great Earth Day!

40th Anniversary of Earth Day

Earth Day is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year.

I became curious as to how Earth Day began.

After touring an oil spill that occurred off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA in 1969, a Wisconsin Senator named Gaylord Nelson was reading an article about "teach-ins" that were being organized by college students and faculty from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor to raise awareness about the Vietnam War.

He thought about colleges possibly hosting a "teach-in" for the environment.

On November 11, 1969, Gaylord Nelson and his staff announced that April 22, 1970 would be the day of the "National Teach-In on the Crisis of the Environment." They chose that date because it fit college schedules between spring break and final exams.

Surpassing their wildest expectations, Nelson and his staff estimated 20 million Americans from 10,000 elementary and high schools, 2,000 colleges, and over 1,000 communities took action on April 22, 1970.

When Senator Nelson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995, President Clinton noted, "as the founder of Earth Day, he is the grandfather of all that grew out of that event — the Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act. He also set a standard for people in public service to care about the environment and try to do something about it."


Green tip of the week: Consider attending an Earth Day activity/event to help or learn something new.


Here's the link to SJSU campus events starting on Monday:
http://sites.google.com/a/sjsusustainabilityweek.org/www/program

Next Week: I'll highlight some of the events from SJSU's Sustainability Week, including keynote speaker Mayor Chuck Reed.

I have been told that Gaylord Nelson graduated from SJSU, San Jose State College at that time, from the College of Social Science in 1939.

http://www.nelsonearthday.net

A colleague mentioned that the 1970 Earth Day at SJSU was a big deal on campus and mentioned a car being buried.

Here is a Spartan Daily article from April 2008 that discusses the burial of the 1970 yellow Ford Maverick.

http://media.www.thespartandaily.com/media/storage/paper852/news/2008/04/24/News/A.Witness.To.A.Car.Funeral-3346453.shtml

Kill-A-Watt Power Meters Available from King Library!

The Kill-A-Watt Power Meters are here!

As of this morning, there were 10 meters available for check-out behind the King Library Circulation Desk.

What would you do with a Kill-A-Watt Meter?

You could figure out what are the energy vampires in your home...the energy electronics and appliances that use electricity even when they're turned off.

Green tip of the week: Consider unplugging some of the electronic energy vampires in your home to save yourself some money. Televisions, cell phone chargers, lamps?

Here are some other questions from SmartHomeUSA.com highlighting the Kill-A-Watt Power Meter:

* Should I bother to turn that computer off at night?

* Will it pay me to trade in that old refrigerator (dish washer, clothes dryer, etc.) that is working fine for a new high efficiency refrigerator?

* When I turn down the thermostat on the Air Conditioner how much more money is it costing me?

* How much does it matter what speed I set on the plug-in ceiling fan?

* Experts say that a full refrigerator costs less to run than an empty refrigerator. Can I save money by putting jugs of water in my half-full refrigerator? If so - how much per month?

* What does it cost me to leave my electronic entertainment devices in stand-by mode?

* How much is the Smart Strip Power Strip really saving me?

* I keep the battery charger for my phone, electric drill, PDA, etc. plugged in continuously for convenience. How much is this costing me per month?

http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManufacturer/P3-International/Item/P4460

Here's the blog entry of the Gadgeteer, that shows some of the tests she did with the Kill-A-Watt Meter with photos...which is helpful with figuring out some of the math calculations.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2007/07/20/kill_a_watt_ez_electricity_usage_monitor/

Here's the link to the Kill-A-Watt Meter webpage along with buttons to access the manual and informational brochure.
http://www.p3international.com/products/p4460.html

Here's the City of San Jose webpages dedicated to San Jose's Green Vision Goals about energy efficiency and renewable energy:
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/greenvision/EnergyEfficiency.asp
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/greenvision/RenewableEnergy.asp

Since San Jose receives the bulk of its energy from PG&E, here is PG&E's webpage listing some good energy saving tips:
http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/savingstips

Here's the press release that the San Jose Public Library sent out:
http://library.sjsu.edu/about/news/story_10-04-07.pdf

Check-out your meter today! Have fun!!

From Trash to Treasures

I came across this article from the New York Times that highlights Bead for Life, a non-profit and fair trade organization based in Colorado, that is helping women in Uganda and other parts of the world out of poverty by teaching them to make beads and jewelry out of rolled recycled colored magazine paper. The money that is raised helps the families with food, housing, school, and medical expenses. Bead For Life is also helping with vocational and entrepreneurial training for the families.

The paper bead jewelry is sold in the United States through bead parties, similar to Tupperware parties.

Here is the New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/opinion/14kristof.html?hp

Here is the Bead For Life Website, where the beads and jewelry can also be purchased online:
http://beadforlife.org/indexA.html

As I was reading the article, I remembered that the King Library is hosting an event this Saturday, March 20th called From Trash to Treasures: Garden Art in Room 257, 2nd floor, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm presented by the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County.
http://www.sjlibrary.org/popup.htm?id=20079&/about/events/eventPopup

Green Tip of the Week: Consider what you can create out of materials headed for the recycling bin or trash.

How about gift bags made from book jackets?
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/paraprof_08/upload/SM_GLUING_Gift_Bags.pdf

Google Maps has added bicycling directions

I've just heard that Google Maps has added bicycling directions.


You can now select "Bicycling", as well as the previous options of "By car", "By public transit", or "Walking".

Google Maps is selecting bicycling routes that take advantage of bike lanes, bike trails, and recommended roads...while trying to avoid large hills.


As the weather's getting warmer and the daylight's getting longer, consider taking a bicycle out for a ride and don't forget your helmet. Enjoy!!

Here's the link to Google's Blog:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/biking-directions-added-to-google-maps.html

Here's the link to Google Maps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Winter Olympic medals made from recycled e-waste

A library colleague sent me this article that I'd like to share about the Winter Olympic medals made from recycled e-waste.

The article is more of a green story, but I did want to send out a reminder that electronic equipment is recyclable....televisions, computers, monitors, fax machines, printers, DVD and CD players, etc.

Here are some bay area recyclers that accept e-waste.

http://www.greenmouse.com/testimonials.html
http://elmars.org/default.aspx
http://www.recycle1234.com

Here's the link to the Winter Olympic medals made from recycled ewaste:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=winter-olympic-medals-made-from-rec-2010-02-12

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Someone let me know a few weeks ago about the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch".

Because of circular ocean currents, there is a large collection of trash that appears to be mostly plastics accumulating in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii.

The patch is about the size of Texas and is not a solid mass, but more like plastic soup that is floating but also occurring at various depths. It also moves seasonally with the ocean currents, sometimes thousands of miles. Some of the plastic is breaking into smaller bits and is being eaten by ocean animals...and there's concern that plastics will end up in our food chain, too.

Scientists are studying it, but are pretty much in agreement that preventing more plastics from entering the ocean is a key strategy.

">http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/08/04/pacific.garbage.patch/

http://www.greatgarbagepatch.org/

Green tip of the week: Consider how you might use less plastics in your daily life.

We're extremely fortunate that most of us are already using refillable water containers here in the library and that San Jose has recycling facilities available for plastics labeled 1 to 7.

Here's a news story that the University of Portland will stop selling plastic water bottles and is encouraging their campus to use reusable containers.

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Disposable-plastic-water-bottles-no-longer-available-at-UP-82710507.html/

Antibiotic Soaps Leading to Resistant Strains of Bacteria

Another library colleague sent me this information about antibacterial soaps leading to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. The chemical in many antibacterials soaps called "triclosan", also known as "Microban", has not shown any more effectiveness than plain soap and water...but we're seeing more harmful effects.

Some of these include increased allergies in children and hormone disruption/cancer in laboratory animals. As we wash antibacterial soap down our drains, it's becoming a common contaminant of streams and rivers killing algae, phytoplankton and other aquatic life. It's also now being found in the blood, urine, and breast milk of people across the globe.

Here's the link:
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/chemical-contaminants/what-is-lurking-in-your-soap/

Superfood Slideshow

The Monterey Bay Aquarium sent a link out through Facebook today highlighting a photo/informational slideshow of superfoods put together by O, the Oprah Magazine.

The slideshow includes environmentally sustainable fish, as well as many fruits, vegetables, grains, and seeds that require less energy units to produce than some other meats.

Here's some examples:

Blueberries: Fresh or frozen, blueberries have sky-high levels of antioxidants, which combat the damage done by inflammation. Anthocyanins, the natural plant compounds that give blueberries their deep color, may have antidiabetic effects as well. And new research suggests blueberries might protect the heart muscle from damage.

Dark Leafy Greens: Dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and swiss chard are an excellent source of iron (especially important for women), vitamin A, and lutein for eye health. Best of all, you know those omega-3s everyone's talking about? They reside in dark greens (including seaweed, which is why they're concentrated in fish).

Here's the link:

http://www.oprah.com/food/25-Superfoods-to-Incorporate-Into-Your-Diet-Now#slide

In Defense of Food

The Silicon Valley Reads Programs sponsored by the Santa Clara County Library, Santa Clara County Office of Education, and the San Jose Public Library Foundation have chosen Michael Pollan's book "In Defense of Food" as their highlighted book for 2010.

His motto, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

His book is mostly educating people about eating whole instead of processed food, but his motto does fall into the green category. It always takes more energy, land, and water units to raise meat than it does to raise plants.

http://www.siliconvalleyreads.org/2010-11/InDefenseOfFood.asp

Nike Recycles Tennis Shoes

A library colleague found an article in 'Better Homes and Gardens' that discussed how Nike is recycling old tennis shoes.

You can take your old tennis shoes to these local Nike stores and they will be recycled into various playground materials or other shoes.

Nike Grind Rubber, made from the shoe's outsole, is used in track surfaces, interlocking gym flooring tiles, playground surfacing and even new Nike products, such as the outsoles of the Nike Pegasus or the Jordan XX3. It’s also used in trim items like buttons and zipper pulls.

Nike Grind Foam, made from the shoe's midsole, is used as a cushion for outdoor basketball and tennis courts, as well as futsal fields.

Nike Grind Fiber, made from the shoe's fabric upper, is used in the creation of cushioning pads for facilities like indoor synthetic courts and wood courts.

Nike Factory Store
447 GREAT MALL DRIVE, SUITE 484
MILPITAS, CA 95035
408.942.6457

Nike Store
6 STANFORD SHOPPING CENTER, SUITE 6-A
PALO ALTO, CA 94304
650.326.6957

Nike Factory Store
8225 ARROYO CIRCLE.STE 21
GILROY, CA 95020
408.847.4300

Nike
5614 BAY ST. SP#5664
EMERYVILLE, CA 94608
510-595-6912

NIKETOWN
278 POST ST
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108
415.392.6453

Here's the link:
http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/

Recycling CDs and DVDs

Did you know that CDs and DVDs are recyclable?

GreenCitizen has offices in San Francisco, Burlingame, and Palo Alto. You can drop off or ship your unwanted CDs and DVDs to them for recycling.

http://www.greencitizen.com/recycling/DVD_recycling_center_CD_recycling_center.php

5 Green Gadgets Unveiled at Consumer Electronics Show

Some of the cool items that were unveiled were a solar bluetooth device, LCD HDTVs (Liquid Crystal Display High Definition Television)using LED (Light Emitting Diodes), laptops made with corn-based cases, intelligent chargers, and silver zinc rechargeable batteries that have a 20-30 percent higher capacity than lithium-ion batteries.

Here's the link:


http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/green-gadgets-ces-electronics-46010808