Earth Day Events

Tomorrow is Earth Day! It was started in 1970 to stop environmental abuse. Today, we recognize these same struggles. So I've put together a list of Earth Day happenings in Austin. I encourage everyone to do a little something to say "Thanks" to mother nature. If you don't have much time do something small -- spread some wildflowers, wash your bird bath or simply sit in the middle of your lawn. Just enjoy the Earth :]

Documentary screening of an Inconvenient Truth
Where: Howson Branch Library 2500 Exposition
When: Tomorrow, 6:30 p.m.

University of Texas Earth Day
Where: all locations on UT campus
When: Tomorrow 10 am-3pm

Library Arts & Crafts
Make a craft out of recycled paper and check out a book to further your environmental knowledge
Where: Carver, Faulk Central, Milwood, St. John, Spicewood Springs, University Branch Libraries
When: 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

9th Annual Spring Nature Quest
The best birding and all-round nature festival in Central Texas
Click here for more information
When: Tuesday, April 22nd through Sunday, April 27

Jack Hanna Presentation
Naturalist, adventurer and director of the Columbus Zoo speaks
Where: Texas Union Ballroom
When: Tomorrow at 7 pm

Cap Metro Green Day
They willl be promoting the environmental benefits of riding the bus and using reusable bags. Bus riders that bring 5 plastic bags for recycling will receive a cool reusable bag. Volunteers are needed to accept plastic bags for recycling and hand out free reusable bags.
Or if you want to participate go to:
Where: Tech Ridge Park & Ride; North Lamar Transit Center; Oak Hill Park & Ride; Northwest Park & Ride; Pavilion Park & Ride; Leander Park & Ride; 7th at Pleasant Valley Bus Stop
When: Tomorrow 5 am- 8 am

Faith Based Lecture from Mayor Wynn
Mayor Will Wynn speaks about the Austin Climate Protection Plan followed by a conversation on faith-based responses to environmental issues.
Where: Central Christian Church 1110 Guadalupe
When: Tomorrow at 7 pm

Texas Outdoors Woman Network Meeting
meet other women who enjoy the outdoors
Where: Terrazas Library 1105 E. Cesar Chavez
When: Tomorrow 6-8 pm and every fourth tuesday after that

Adopt a Capital Metro Bus Stop
Cap Metro will let you landscape the bus stop yourself to reflect your neighborhood. They can even provide with gardening tools!
Call 512-369-7759 for more information

Coats For Cubs
donate real fur to be used as bedding for orphaned or injured wildlife
Where: Buffalo Exchange 2904 Guadalupe
When: Ends tomorrow

Outdoor Hatha Yoga
Where: on the docks overlooking the pond behind the Dougherty Arts Center
When: Mon-Fri 6-7 pm; Sat-Sun 11am-noon.

Have fun out there! Get green!

Environmental Poem

In my creative writing class, I read fellow peer Steven Montanez's poem and knew right away I had to share it with the viewers of my blog. It's an environmental poem that focuses more on the terror and repercussions of global warming, urbanization and destruction of natural resources. It is full of frightening imagery that might just scare you into recycling. Take a look.

The End Before the End by Steven Montanez

Sip Sip Sip
Straw draws empty juice box slurps.
Pump Pump Pump
Wells drain dry and fish flop to a suffocating death of fresh air.
Bleed Bleed Bleed
Bullet wounds from rounds of mortar and shrapnel carve carcasses into desert sands.
Burn, Burn, Burn
Forests bare as an ocean is of trees.
Blink, Blink, Blink
Open your eyes to a forest washed up on shore, cemented over by a sky-scraping citadel urban continent super machine.
Grind Grind Grind
Gears of repentance, sorrow in greasy lubricated greed churning turbines.
Run Run Run
Monsters are coming. Out of the woods? No, woods are no longer scary.
SShh
Silence lurks, uneasy, queasy creeping up on you like a slow moving car following you down a street of tucked in houses sleeping under the faint glow of the moon through the ominous overcast thick as smoke stacks from coal scorching industrial cast-iron.
Help Help Help
Babies’ cries sets off fire alarms and wake death.
Please Please Please
Come home, the phone rings relentless,
Fires blaze fierce outside, faucets turn, there is no water.
Carry the world’s babies to the front door, a tree limbs split,
Gash open roofs like the crash of God’s ax.
Steam rises off the floor, sizzles, carbon dioxide sneaks in through holes in the house.
Cold Cold Cold
Temperature plummets like a skydiver with a grand piano on his back.
Shiver, quiver in the corner, curl the blanket unfurl, unravel
Acidic gravel pushes up through square black and white kitchen floor tiles,
Skin like frost bite ran under scolding water.
Quick Quick Quick
Think fast as clouds collapse heavy with nuclear man-made elements,
Inflamed chunks of sun soar through the opaque atmosphere,
Ice caps crumble like stale bread,
Gigantic gaseous Saturn sits upon the heart of the Atlantic afraid to drown.
Whales flung from the furious sea atop of suburban backyard tear drop pools,
Radiation eats the red sky as it digests into blustery force-pull twisting tornados,
Sweep up debris left along edges of earthquake faults filled in with molten lava.
The part of a movie where the action slows to a freeze and melancholy music is played,
The credits roll…

Copyrights to Steven Montanez. Please do not use without permission.

Be one with nature. Watch "Into the Wild."

Into the Wild is based on a true story of a high school grad who gives up all his possessions, empties out his bank account to feed the hungry and moves to the Alaskan wild to feel the true essence of nature. I would recommend this film to anyone who has a love for outdoor adventures, gorgeous scenery and the beauty & danger of nature. It's Rated R for language and some nudity. But darn it is it good. It's officially part of the Green Scene because the young man is brave enough to leave a life of luxury to become one with nature. We should all learn a little something from him.

Fiji releases carbon footprint

We all know how bad bottled water is toward the environment. It takes nearly seven times as much water to construct the water bottle than it does to fill it. We are told in green articles to get rid of the bottled water, invest in a water purifier and refill a water jug to keep you hydrated.

Now, Fiji is reacting to the water bottle scare and is the first water bottle company to release its carbon footprint.

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact your activites have on the environment and amount of greenhouse emissions produced, measured in carbon dioxide.

Whether or not it's a marketing ploy, Fiji has received Green awards from Elle because they have reduced carbon emissions in the bottling and shipping process.


FijiGreen.com's blog reads:

"Last November, FIJI Water promised to reduce its carbon footprint by 25% by 2010. In the past few months, we’ve taken a number of steps toward that goal:
We’ve started producing the 1.5 L product with an initial 7% reduction in packaging.
We’ve reduced by 70% the amount of manufacturing waste materials taken to landfills.
We’re using more fuel-efficient trucks in Fiji to transport the product from plant to port, resulting in a 50% reduction in fuel usage.
By optimizing our logistics, we’ve reduced trucking miles from warehouses to distributors by 26% on average."

Their carbon footprint can be viewed HERE.

What do you think? I know this is, in retrospect, is just good PR. But should we applaud them? Or rally together to discard the construction of bottled water altogether? I don't mind refilling my pink container over and over. Do you? Or are you just trying to feel better about the products you buy?
Where does the line get drawn?? You decide.

MMM Beer...

Can beer be Green? No - I'm not talking about the packaging of Heineken or Dos XX.

I'm talking about organic beer. Yes, it exists due to organic farming. When you buy organic beer you are supporting a farming system that uses fewer pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, which in hand is good for the environment.
Organic farming produces fewer greenhouse gases (like CO2), increases species diversity and conserves water (to name a few things).

But be aware that just because a beer is organic does not necessarily mean it is brewed with organic hops. Hops create the aroma, flavor and bitterness of beer. And according to the USDA, non-organic hops can be included in organic beer. If you want a 100% organic beer buy from local breweries that use true organic hops. Buying locally will also help the environment because it will reduce shipping and greenhouse gas emissions. So grab an organic beer and feel especially good for drinking it. Then, don't forget to recycle the glass when your done. Cheers!

In case you live under a rock

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. Why watch a horror film when you can watch what the horror of climate change unfolding before your very eyes? This film will leave you lost confused and hopefully motivated to change what policy makers should have done years ago.
Do your part. You don't have to change your entire life just adjust to it a little.

The film is mostly made of interviews and strikingly powerful images (as you saw with the trailer above). If you are skeptical that the world's climate is changing this fast - think again. It is.

Pass it on. The film is PG and your never too young to join in the efforts.

This is real. I don't know what else to say...

Dell's in the Green Scene

Dell headquarters located in Austin is now powering all of their 2.1 million square feet with green power. Austin's waste management landfill that turns gas-to-energy and wind farms fuel the headquarters with green energy.
As of today, Dell is the leading green energy user in the city of Austin's GreenChoice power program.

So far Dell has done a lot of good for the city of Austin. They've provided a lot of jobs and are meeting the city's GreenChoice requirements.

To see the press release go here.

Austin Monthly - The Green Issue

Austin Monthly's Second Annual Green Issue is out on stands!
With cover stories like "50 Ways to Reduce your Eco-Footprint," "Mad Green Scientists" and "Enviro-Art" it definitely wins best issue on my list.

I started getting Austin Monthly this past year and it quickly turned into one of my favorite magazines. It has great design, GREAT photography (you need to check out last month's issue) and great topic stories. In this issue you will find one of the most important stories you will ever read (How to reduce your Eco-Footprint) and lots of other fun things like reusing vintage threads or finding the best vegan eateries via bike.
The issue graciously recognizes Austin for being one of the greenest cities in the nation. It also mentions a lot of things I've talked about on this blog such as: Austin energy programs, recycling awards and city vehicles turning Hybrid.

Definitely buy a copy or browse through one at a bookstore.
You will find handy tips like this:

#16 on the list: Stop your Junk Mail
Save trees. Go to dmachoice.org, click on DMA Choice, then "Remove my name from those lists."

Enjoy :]

Free Ink Refills on Earth Day

I just found out that The University Coop is refilling ink cartridges for free on Earth Day, April 22nd.

I will definitely be in line to get my free ink. It's ridiculous how much of that stuff I go through -- thanks to all those 10 page research papers I've had this semester. errrr.

The Ink Cartridge Refilling Station is located in the Electronics Department of the Co-op. I'm not too sure where that is but I'm sure if you ask someone they will gladly help you.

Refilling your ink cartridge makes a step closer to being part of the Green Scene. It's a waste that more than 1.3 billion ink cartridges are sold world-wide when they can just be refilled! You will be helping save the world and save your wallet. Usually, refilling black ink at the coop is about $10 and refilling color ink is about $15. That's a whole lot cheaper than buying new ones.

Besides refilling your ink, the new refilling station at the Coop will:
- electronically test your cartridge
- completely evacuate old ink
- thoroughly clean the print head
- replenish the ink supply
- and perform a print test

Next blog I will talk about Austin's Monthly new Green Issue. I LOVE IT! Go pick up a mag before they are all gone!

Green Bank coming in June

Wouldn't it be nice if your bank had the same green goal as you did? I know I am tired of my bank wasting papers through mail when I have told them specifically to e-mail me instead.

One Earth Bank, coming to Austin in June, shares some common goals with you. Don't get me wrong, it is still a profit driven financial institution but the green bank will offer paperless banking solutions and green products like an energy efficient mortgage. It will work with developers to explore ways to profit green projects, encourage online transactions to minimize car trips and more. The new bank will offer full financial services to both individuals and business, integrating social and environmental sensibilities. Their unique approach will lend depositor's funds to increase individual, social and environmental health and wellness. Their goal is to create beneficial banking for both people and the planet.

Whether this is just a marketing angle or not, it's a new business model way to improve the environment.

The new site of One Earth Bank will be
611 S. Congress Avenue, Suite 340
Austin, TX 78704
(512)707-0886

Zilker Garden Festival

It is less than two weeks until the Botanical Garden's 51st Annual Festival!
If you haven't been the the garden grounds you really need to visit. There are beautiful native plants that thrive off of Austin's natural climate, a dinosaur section where actual dinosaur bones were discovered and a Japanese Garden complete with coy fish. It is a simply gorgeous and green. So don't forget to stop by!
There will be speakers, educational exhibits and lots of demonstrations (like how to harvest rain water). Come Early, Stay Late & Be Green!

Zilker Garden Festival
March 29-30th
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
2220 Barton Springs Rd
Austin, TX 78746

Waller Creek Oil Spill Update

In case you weren't aware, in January 2008 approximately 10,000 gallons of oil leaked into Waller Creek. The City of Austin reports long-term effects that will damage the ecosystem of Waller Creek but will have no affect on Lady Bird Lake ( I don't buy that. As we learned in the last blog, Waller Creek pours into Lady Bird Lake.)
Until now, the question concerning the spill was: who would be held responsible?
According to the Daily Texan story the Littlefield Building on Sixth Street is the proprietor of the storage tank. Although the sole owner cannot be pinned down, the property owner where the tank is located is responsible, even though the installation of the tank dates back to December of 1910.
The tanks were used for heating and lighting in downtown Austin more than 100 years ago. Until recently, the tanks were unused and ignored. The City of Austin has not yet determined if there are any other combustible tanks.
Unfortunately, there are no requirements for identifying these hazardous tanks that are potentially contaminant.
It's a sticky situation and yet another reason to do the Waller Creek Cleanup. Don't forget to register!

Waller Creek Cleanup

Hey Austinites!

The annual Waller Creek Cleanup is happening April 5th from 9-11 a.m. Join in for a morning event of removing trash from Waller creek and restoring its beautiful natural flowing water and habitat. Free breakfast will be provided for all your hard work!

Waller Creek runs through UT Campus and is significant for many reasons.
Waller creek runs from North Austin through campus and into Lady Bird Lake downtown. That means, uh yeah, all the trash, cigarette butts and soda cans really screw up our natural water oasis.
Many types of animals rely on the habitat Waller Creek provides as well. The urban watershed known as Waller Creek is home to the Great Blue Heron and the Roseate Skimmer Dragonfly. If your home was a dump you'd probably give it a good cleaning. Let's help all those little creatures and critters that can't help themselves...like the beautiful butterfly above!

Pre-registration is mandatory and you must be 18 or older to register.
Click here to register.

Quick tips

Quick tips on how to stay in the green scene:
- In the winter, keep heater at no higher than 68 degrees, in the summer no lower than 78. Each degree cooler or lower will increase your energy by 3 or 4 percent.
- Don't place chemicals, paints or oils in storm drains.
- Don't fertilize before a rain.
- Choose native plants that don't require much fertilization or chemicals.
- Fix car leaks.
- Soak up any oil spills with kitty litter.
- Take the bus or carpool.
- Scoop the poop to avoid bacteria in creeks.
- Water grass no more than twice a week on your scheduled days.
- Collect rainwater for use on your landscape.
- Take shorter showers.
- Take your household chemicals to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 2514 Business Center Drive in South Austin.
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

-- info taken from City of Austin website

My reason for being Green

Let me tell you a bit about myself, my blog and why I chose to write about the environment.
It started when I took "Living with the Planet" a GEO course at the University of Texas at Austin. It changed my life. I started learning about global warming then and realized how quickly and vastly our environment is changing (due to US).
In class we learned about the water systems of texas, natural resources disappearing (like petroleum) and yes, how to live with the planet. The reality of it hit me hard. Professor Banner performed several experiments with the entire class, which proved that the only way we can preserve the environment is together. It's important that people stop thinking about their self interest. For example, my neighbor next door has a HUGE truck, which he says needs to be filled up every week. I asked him why he hadn't traded it in for a more economical car. His reply was "I can afford it. So why not? I'll worry about it when I have to." When I realized the global warming crisis we were in I quickly traded my jeep for a small saturn car that got better mileage. But not all people react the same way. So here is my blog, which will hopefully help me vent some of my frustration and help YOU learn how important it is for communities, cities, states and countries to work together to help the environment. I applaud Austin and Mayor Wynn for it's smart green scenes. I'm here to spread the word and all I ask is of you is to pass it on.

HONK if you're green

So how about that Cadillac Escalade hybrid Eli Manning chose for his MVP award? hmmm...it's a step in the right direction I guess.

Anyhow...
Austin city vehicles will shortly be running on alternative fuel. Don't expect any Cadillac hybrids, but city council just approved a multi-year contract that includes buying new vehicles that are compatible with alternative fuels to further implement Austin's Climate Protection Plan.

The plan, introduced by Mayor Wynn, aims toward fighting global warming by reducing greenhouse emissions. Surely, new city vehicles running on alternative fuels will help this fight. The city of Austin's goal by 2020 is to have all city facilities, fleets and operations completely carbon-neutral.

SHOW US YOUR CANS!

I hope fraternitys are contributing to this one. Yes, hopefully they recycled all the leftover Keystone cans from last weeks "jungle party." But for now, we will give credit to the entire city of Austin as a whole because Cash for Cans, a city recycling challenge, just awarded Austin five thousand dollars for recycling 80,000 pounds (approximately 2.7 million cans) of aluminum during the 2007 October contest period.

Ohhh yes.

Makes you proud to be an Austinite doesn't it? Well it should! Even more so if you donated to this effort.

Mayor Will Wynn accepted the "Cans for Cash" prize on the behalf of Austin at last week's U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting. They recognized Austin for having the most innovative recycling campaign to promote recycling aluminum cans. The campaign was called "Show us your cans" and was promoted via broadcast, radio, print and an online contest. Fortunately, the campaign targeted more than 475,000 people ranging from college students to business workers. And it shows. After all, we did win.

Though this doesn't mean we are in the clear. As a country, recycling efforts need a boost.

The aluminum can is the country's most recycled beverage container with more than 100 billion aluminum beverage cans produced in the U.S. last year. Only half of those cans are getting recycled, leaving more than a billion dollars worth of aluminum cans unrecovered.

But it's not just about the money. More importantly, it's about the aluminum resources that go to waste.

In the city of Austin press release, Kevin Greenawait, President of Novelis North America says this:
"Through the City Recycling Challenge, we actively promote and encourage growth in aluminum can recycling programs in communities. In addition to its economic benefits, recycling reduces carbon emissions which help combat climate change; so it is more important than ever to energize community recycling and build a sustainable environment."

For more information on Austin's Solid Waste Services and Recycling visit the City of Austin's website.