Environment
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Group Notices
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Over the next month, check out our http://svanetwork.org/election2010 page on the web for ways to get involved. A great way to stay informed on environmental advocacay is to join Sierra Club's Climate Leaders network: http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=adv_climateleaders The next "Films of Vision and Hope" film series is starting September 17 with a focus on energy and transporation (see the notice below). We hope you'll attend - and bring your friends! |
New Film Series - Energy and Transporation
Films of Vision and Hope
Free Film Series - Energy and Transportation
Starts Friday 9/17,
World Centric 2121 Staunton Ct., Palo Alto
(behind JJ&F Market)
September 17 - Energy Crossroads: This award winning film exposes the problems associated with our energy consumption and offers concrete solutions. The film features passionate individuals, entrepreneurs, experts and scientists at the forefront of a new energy future.
September 24 - Kilowatt Ours: Another award winner that explores energy sources and problems, then highlights people making a difference in energy conservation, efficiency and renewable, green power, all while saving money and the environment. This often amusing and always inspir- ing story shows, "You can easily make a difference and here's how!"
October 1 - Fossil Fuel Free Film, and More: Meet filmmaker Matt Harnack, and follow his adventures as he tries to live life without fossil fuels. "I was determined to break my addiction to oil. I did the only thing I knew how to do. I made a movie."
October 8 - Bicycle Night: Enjoy some great short films about how cit- ies from Bogota to Havana to Copenhagen are working to make their com- munities bike friendly. Residents are lowering carbon footprints, getting healthier, and enjoying life much more.
October 15 - In Transition: An inspirational film about how local com- munities, like ours, can respond to peak oil and global warming while build- ing community and enjoying life. Do come again, even if you saw the film last time - we'll have more great discussion.
October 22: Join us for our third 100 mile potluck. Connect with others and learn about opportunities to get involved.
Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act Introduced in the Senate
The Senate finally has a climate bill to consider! The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.
Click here for an overview of the act and here for the full text.
If you want to get involved with ongoing actions to influence this legislation, you can join the Sierra Club Climate Leaders network:
http:/sierraclub.org/climateleaders
For additional information and materials, go to : http://action.sierraclub.org/kl (links to fact sheets are at the bottom)
Drive Less Challenge - 2010
Take the Drive Less Challenge to reduce solo car trips to work, school, shopping or other local destinations. It starts Earth Day, April 22, and lasts two weeks. Click here to learn more.
http://drivelesschallenge.com/
Take an Earth Day pledge, Go Green and Win a Trip to Hawaii
Earth Day is just around the corner! This year, we want to celebrate by doing something good for the planet AND by giving away a free trip to one of our favorite places on the planet: Hawaii.
First, we're going to turn the U.S. green together by joining with our friends and neighbors to take an Earth Day pledge to do something simple that helps the planet. You can choose from a number of green actions to take -- whether it's reusing shopping bags, planting a tree, or contacting a politician about a green issue. And as more people add their pledges, you'll see America get greener, state by state, on our special map.
Which state's the greenest so far? Check the map!
As a thanks for making your pledge, we'll enter you in a drawing to win a trip for two to one of the greenest places we know: the Big Island of Hawaii.
That means two round-trip tickets to Hawaii and a five-night stay in the green and glamorousMauna Lani hotel on the north coast of Hawaii's Big Island. But you won't have to spend all your time relaxing on the beach, because we'll also send you on a guided day trip to Volcanoes National Park
Sound good? Then add your Earth Day pledge to our interactive map right now and be entered to win -- while helping make America more green!
Have a great Earth Day 2010,
Sarah Hodgdon
Sierra Club Conservation Director
Support Advanced Organic Waste Transformation in Palo Alto!
Support Advanced Organic Waste Transformation in Palo Alto!
Palo Alto has an incredible opportunity to convert its 60,000+ tons per year of organic waste (yard trimmings, food scraps and sewage sludge) into renewable energy and high quality compost. Doing so would save the City more than $1,000,000 per year while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 20,000 tons per year. This unique opportunity would help protect the environment while generating badly needed funds for the City.
We invite you to help us in this campaign!
- Sign In to Tell City Council by April 5th!
- Take More Steps!
In 2009 Palo Alto’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Composting concluded that anaerobic digestion was the best way to handle the City’s organic waste. This technology uses enclosed vessels to break down waste into natural gas and compost. It would enable the City to retire its sewage sludge incinerator, one of only two remaining in the state.
The Location. The only feasible location for an anaerobic digestion facility is at the entrance to the City landfill next to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, not far from where we currently compost. The challenge is that the landfill is scheduled to become part of the 126-acre Byxbee Park, and rezoning it for composting would require a vote of the people.
Profitable, Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure. A wise economic investment for Palo Alto.
- $1,400,000 – Value of green energy generated by the facility each year.
- $800,000 – Annual savings from not having to incinerate sewage sludge.
- $200,000 – Annual savings from not having to dispose of waste ash.
- $500,000 – Value of compost each year.
- $1 million – Annual tipping fees for receiving Palo Alto’s organic waste.
- Carbon credits generated by the project would likely have value in the future.
Energy Production and Greenhouse Gas Reductions. The project converts a waste problem into renewable energy and greenhouse gas offsets.
- Green power to 1,400 homes – Converting Palo Alto’s organic waste to energy would generate approximately 10 million kW/hrs of renewable electricity.
- 20,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year could be kept out of the atmosphere through anaerobic digestion.
- Priceless – Locally-generated energy from waste conversion would continue Palo Alto’s long tradition of self-reliant infrastructure.
Maintaining Local Service. The project would maintain the current convenience of local yard trimming drop-off and compost pick-up. Without this project, Palo Altans would have to travel to Sunnyvale. Eighty percent of more than 1,000 people who responded to a survey by Palo Alto Online favored maintaining a composting facility in Palo Alto.
Group Discussions
Group Wiki Pages
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Last comment time |
Title | Last comment author |
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| 06/07/2010 - 9:40am | Tweets did it's job | Watergroove |
| 05/05/2010 - 2:26pm | Climate & energy basics for everyone | AlexC |
| 04/12/2010 - 8:50am | How to affect change in government | Watergroove |
| 12/31/2009 - 9:38am | WHITE HOUSE streaming Video | Chevyfhuis |
| 10/23/2009 - 1:39am | Energy/Environment Group Activities | cynthiatham |






