Green Notes

First Annual Green Building Bash!

Miami's Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council is hosting its first annual Celebration Saturday, Sept. 6 at UM's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, which is next to the Seaquarium on the Rickenbacker Causeway. It's a family affair, but with an edge: the group is seeking nominations for officers and will hold elections.

The group is looking for sponsors. Anyone interested can email the Branch Chairman, Nick Gunia, at ngunia@alternacorp.com

Sounds like the dawning of a new era for the building industry down here.

Green cleaning

A while back, I tried Seventh Generation's dishwasher detergent and, I have to say, was not overly impressed. While the dishes were clean, the coffee stains remained in the mugs and needed scrubbing to remove them. Perhaps dishwasher detergents need bleach to kill the stains.

I'm trying Method's dish detergent and Green Works all purpose cleaner, both seem to work very well - except for Method's irritatingly difficult cap, but I'm leery of trying another dishwasher detergent.

Grist is now testing household products, in an admittedly unscientific way, but it's a good place to start if you want to try some yourself. Please let me know if you've found any good, green cleaning products out there.

Whatever happened to FPL's green electricity program?

Action Line answers.

Cars vs. bicycles - again

I'm shocked by the vitriolic comments posted by Herald readers about cyclists. The horrible accident this morning on the MacArthur Causeway was caused by a cab driver who, for whatever reason, plowed in a group of cyclists, critically injuring one of them.

It seems that Miami motorists think the road only belongs to them and that if cyclists can't be banned, they should at least stay on the sidewalk.

However, the law is on the side of the cyclist, as Action Line wrote in a Q&A on Tuesday:

Q. If there's a sidewalk, does a cyclist have to use it? Recently, an angry driver told me to get off the road and on to the sidewalk. Was he wrong?

-- Gus Pereira, Miami

A. He was. ''Florida law gives bicyclists the right to use any public road (except the expressways) regardless of whether or not there is a sidewalk,'' said David Henderson, Miami-Dade County bike and pedestrian coordinator in an e-mail. ``In fact, it is almost always safer to ride on the road than on a sidewalk.''

That's because drivers turning a corner aren't looking for cyclists. ''Sidewalks expose you to traffic at the most hazardous time, when drivers are making difficult turning maneuvers,'' he said.

The Florida Bicycle Association publishes a booklet of Florida bicycle and pedestrian traffic laws and lots of other safety information at floridabicycle.org.

Public housing to go green?

HUD is urging public housing agencies to incorporate green construction practices in future projects. It defines them as "a systems-based approach to achieving sustainable buildings that incorporates environmental considerations into every phase of the building process – design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction/demolition."

It notes that green building:

· Lowers utility bills resulting in more affordable homes;
· Provides better indoor environmental quality;
· Yields higher resale prices;
· Preserves natural resources;
· Offers less national reliance on fossil fuels and reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and
· Improves the durability of building materials and structures.

It seems like a very positive move, but, alas, this is government so it's likely to be many, many years before anyone in South Florida benefits from this.

I'd love to be told otherwise.

Irradiated produce heading our way

The FDA has approved the use of irradiation for iceberg lettuce and spinach. It says it will kill off harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and E-coli. It also says that while the irradiation is not mandatory, producers who choose to irradiate must label their produce clearly.

The FDA's website explains.

Choosing a green college

High school environmentalists might consider applying to one of the Sierra Club's top ten green schools:

1. Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vermont, 2,350 students)
2. University of Colorado at Boulder (Boulder, Colorado, 29,000 students)
3. University of Vermont at Burlington (Burlington, Vermont, 10,750 students)
4. Warren Wilson College (Swannanoa, North Carolina, 850 students)
5. Evergreen State College (Olympia, Washington, 4,400 students)
6. Arizona State University at Tempe (Tempe, Arizona, 51,500 students)
7. University of Florida at Gainesville (Gainesville, Florida, 50,000 students)
8. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH, 2,200 students)
9. University of Washington at Seattle (Seattle, Washington, 39,250 students)
10. Tufts University (Medford, Massachussets, 8,500 students)

It's nice to see that UF makes the list.

Learn more ...

Miami's green bus shelters

I have no problem with anyone making money (responsibly) out of being green.

I'm not a great fan of advertising, but given our society, there's no getting away from it. When the two are combined, I'm not sure what to make of it.

I got an email from a New York PR firm about its client, Fuel Outdoor Holdings and its subsidiary, Fuel Miami, which is donating 600 bus shelters, with solar powered lighting for the advertising display, to the City of Miami.

On the whole, I think I like the whole idea, especially since no taxpayer money is involved. And I think the designs are pleasing.

Thoughts?

Green Builders Meeting in Style

The Miami Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council picked the Brickell hot spot Novecento for its August monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 20). The group will meet in the Argentinean-themed restaurant's Malbec Room.

Devesh Nirmul, director of Miami-Dade County's office of sustainability, will speak at the meeting, talking about the goals and purpose of his office, and its implementation strategies.

The young branch, less than a year old, is looking for potential leaders to volunteer in officer positions. They are also looking for volunteers to help out with the group's first annual membership celebration in September. Send nominations to Carolyn Mitchell cmitchell@zyscovich.com. You don't need to be a group member to attend.

"Existing committee chairs are always looking for volunteers to assist with programs, education and communications," the group said in a written statement.

The current officers are:

Chair: Nick Gunia; Vic Chair: vacant; treasurer: Robin Arrington; Secretary: Sylvia Vargas.

Woodrat Jill

Nicky Laak, who volunteers in the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, has a new book about life in the North Key Largo wilderness. It's called "Woodrat Jill," and it follows a Key Largo woodrat (which really looks like a woodhamster) as she learns to be wild after being bred in captivity. Laak's book benefits the Key Large woodrat recovery program.

Are pesticides killing honey bees?

Here's another reason to garden organically: The Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit today to uncover critical information that the United States government is withholding about the risks posed by pesticides to honey bees. NRDC legal experts and a leading bee researcher are convinced that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evidence of connections between pesticides and the mysterious honey bee die-offs reported across the country. The phenomenon has come to be called “colony collapse disorder,” or CCD, and it is already proving to have disastrous consequences for American agriculture and the $15 billion worth of crops pollinated by bees every year. 

How 'hypermilers' save gas

The Sierra Club's Green Life blog offers these "hypermiler" tips to save on gas:

Travel light. An extra 100 pounds of cargo can reduce your mpg by up to 2 percent. Remove that surf rack when the waves are flat, and take the rock collection out of your trunk.

Face out. Back into parking spaces. Cold engines use more fuel, so three-point maneuvering is more efficient at the end of a trip.

Use cruise control. Pressing the accel button lets you speed up in smaller increments (and burn less gas) than even a feather-weight foot on the pedal.

Brake (very) gently. Skilled hypermilers coast to a crawl with hardly a touch on the brakes to avoid wasting an ounce of fuel at traffic lights.

Here's my own tip: If you've parked your car in the sunshine, before getting in open all the doors to let out the heat. (Particularly effective if you have a hatchback; you can feel a blast of hot air come out.) It means less work for the a/c, reduces wear and tear, and of course uses less energy.

Plastic bags, again

Before moving to the U.S. in '86, I shopped at Sainsbury's, one of the U.K.'s leading supermarket chains. When it introduced plastic bags, it charged for them. It seemed outrageous at the time, but not so now. If banning doesn't work, how about making us pay for them?

See why plastic bags are so dangerous to the environment here.

Living Green Tour and Exhibit comes to Miami

WHAT: Better Homes and Gardens magazine and Green Works' Living Green Tour and Exhibit comes to Miami! Better Homes and Gardens Living Green Tour is on the road for a 15-city, seven-month, US tour to spread the green living message. Using bio-diesel to get moving, the Tour features a 2,500 square foot Better Homes and Gardens "Living Green Home" highlighting eco-friendly rooms, integrated throughout with green products, materials and appliances to promote resourcefulness, energy efficiency and everyday environmental practices to help consumers save money, live healthier and conserve natural resources. Environmental experts will be on hand to share how small changes can make a big "green" impact.

The Living Green Tour is about people experiencing everyday changes they can make in their lives and design inspiration, products and materials to consider in their next home project or renovation. The home's kitchen countertops are made from recycled glass and bottles, the surfaces in the resource room are made from recycled toilets; and the tiles throughout the house are made old car windshields. Standing on cork and bamboo floors or sitting on soy-based couches, visitors to the "Living Green Home" will be surrounded by green living ideas and inspiration that will help consumers understand some of the changes they can make in their homes and lives.

WHY: Better Homes and Gardens developed the Living Green Tour to give Americans the opportunity to fully experience how accessible and gorgeous being green can be. By exploring the home, touching the materials, playing with appliances, trying out green cleaners and more, Americans can learn about green options and take action.

WHO: The Living Green Tour is presented by Better Homes and Gardens magazine and Green Works, a new line of natural cleaners that are made with plant-based ingredients and work as well as conventional cleaners. The Living Green Tour will also feature green products from presenting sponsor, Pella Windows and Doors and contributing sponsors Bosch, Kohler and LEE furniture.

Steven J. Whittle, one of the nation's most renowned renovation specialists, is the host of the Living Green Tour and will be at every stop sharing his expertise through green living demos and tours. Interior designer and lifestyle enthusiast Libby Langdon is responsible for the "Living Green Home" exhibit design.

WHERE: Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr.

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 29: 6 - 10:30 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 30: noon - 10:30 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 31: noon - 10:30 p.m.; Mon., Sept. 1: noon - 7:30 p.m.; Tues., Sept. 2: 6 - 10:30 p.m.

ADMISSION: Adult: $10; Kids Under 11: $1

Sun-Mart?

Wal-Mart, which is exploring the possibility of opening up a new big box store in Downtown Miami, has launched a program to cover the roofs of some of their stores with solar panels to help offset electricity costs, reports a story in the New York Times.

Other stores that are doing this: Kohl's, Safeway, and Whole Foods Market. The companies are racing to beat a Dec. 31 deadline for government subsidies. Will a green Wal Mart win over critics who would rather die than encounter discount shoppers as they walk out of a performance of The Magic Flute at the Arsht Center?

CocoWalk doesn't want cyclists

It seems that the management of CocoWalk doesn't want those pesky cyclists cluttering up its space.

Avoid CocoWalk if you are riding your bike there or it may not be there when you return. It seems that you can't "go green" when going to CocoWalk. They do not encourage bike riders and apparently do not want them as shoppers.

Here is a letter to CocoWalk sent from an irate mother, and below is the response from CocoWalk manager Rick Torres.

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Central Fla. figures out what to do with waste water

Central Florida has found a better way to deal with treated waste water: Irrigate citrus. A report released in April indicates that it's a sensible solution to the problem:

"Appearance of trees irrigated with reclaimed water was usually better, with higher canopy, leaf color, and fruit crop ratings than orchards irrigated with groundwater. Although there was higher weed growth in reclaimed water-irrigated orchards due to higher soil water content, growers apparently have made adequate adjustments to their herbicide practices."

Terra Daily explains ...

McCain and off-shore drilling

The Sierra Club reported with much glee that the real reason Sen. McCain postponed Thursday's visit to an oil rig off the Louisiana coast was not the weather (Hurricane Dolly) but an unfortunate oil spill that caused 29 miles of the Mississippi to be closed.

The Trail, one of The Washington Post's blogs, examines his position -- with its rather obvious contradictions. The photo says it all.

Paper vs. plastic bags

Los Angeles banned plastic bags and the industry fights back, with some surprisingly good points.

It seems to me that much of the problem - paper or plastic - would be reduced if we simply reused the bags.

Green rural jobs

Here's an encouraging story from the Worldwatch Institute on the growth of jobs from the green economy in rural parts of the U.S.:

As wind energy continues to expand across the U.S. heartland, rural America is likely to experience a revitalization not experienced since the homestead land grabs of the 19th century. Green jobs - high-quality employment for environmentally sustainable industries - and related spin-off opportunities are proliferating across West Texas. Local leaders predict that the economic growth has only just begun.

Read the entire story...

Green hotels in Florida

I didn't know that Florida's Department of Environmental Protection listed green-friendly hotels around the state, but you can find a list of places to stay here.

Beware the greenwash!

This post by Joel Makower, editor of GreenBiz.com, examines the green frenzy in public relations:

You wouldn’t think that the world of green business would need much more publicity, given the steady drumbeat of media stories, blogs, websites, TV shows, billboards, events, and other shout-outs plugging green companies, products, and services.

But get ready for more. The world of public relations has discovered green with a vengeance, and the big global firms seem locked, loaded, and ready to ratchet up their drum beating. Nearly all the major PR firms have set up practices focusing on sustainability and corporate responsibility ....

... The greening of P.R. reflects a newfound reality: It’s now safe, or at least safer, for companies to tell their green stories.

More ...

You've only got to see Exxon Mobil's new campaign aimed at convincing the world that it's taken the well-being of the environment to heart (belied by the board's defeat of the pro-environment Rockefellers at the annual shareholder meeting in May) to get the idea.

Still, the post cites a 2007 Ipsos study that suggests most consumers are well aware that greenwash is a marketing tactic. We must stay tuned to learn how marketers intend to counter that.

Teamsters turn against ANWR drilling

The Teamsters have backed out of the coalition pushing to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Teamsters president Jim Hoffa said, "We are not going to drill our way out of the energy problems we are facing—not here and not in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge."

We could use Hoffa's muscle to prevent drilling off Florida's coast, too.

Carver girls' green dream comes true

Kudos to Perihan Elbadrawi, Madeline Cowen and the Carver Middle School Dream in Green Team, under the leadership of biology teacher Bertha Vazquez and debate teacher Maggie Izquierdo. Their winning PowerPoint debate presentation to the Miami-Dade School Board last month so impressed the board members that Perry and Maddi's dream of getting a green roof for their school came true. Weiss & Woolrich installed elastometric coating on the roof last month, donating $20,000 in time and labor to the school.

What on earth are we feeding our children?

From the Cornucopia Institute:

Nine out of ten regular food items aimed specifically at children have a poor nutritional content - because of high levels of sugar, fat or sodium - according to a detailed study of 367 products published in the July issue of the UK-based journal Obesity Reviews.

Just under 70 per cent of the products studied - which specifically excluded confectionery, soft drinks and bakery items - derived a high proportion of calories from sugar. Approximately one in five (23 per cent) had high fat levels and 17 per cent had high sodium levels. Despite this, 62 per cent of the foods with poor nutritional quality (PNQ) made positive claims about their nutritional value on the front of the packet.

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