Saturday, June 22, 2013

Green Events - Los Angeles: June 23

Los Angeles Green Events: June 23

Sustainable Sundays: Natural History Museum
9:30 am - 5 pm

The Southern California region is one of only 34 biodiversity hotspots worldwide! Explore some of our wildlife in NHM's newest garden spaces and talk with organizations that help support a habitat-friendly L.A.

Workshop: Re-envisioning L.A. Gardens, with Carol Bornstein and Richard Hayden. 10 am-12 pm.

Join the Museum's horticultural experts for a look at landscaping with California native plants. They will share design ideas for incorporating natives into your garden no matter what style, plus tips for keeping the composition beautiful, and vibrant year-round.

Cost: Members $10, Nonmembers $15
You can register online or contact via educate@nhm.org.

Partnering organizations: Theodore Payne Foundation, Tree People, Children's Nature Institute, Honey Love, NHM Polychaetes Department with Leslie Harris, NHM Entomology Department with Anna Holden, and NHM's citizen science programs.

CicLAvia – Iconic Wilshire Boulevard
9am – 4pm
The most walkable CicLAvia route ever!


Wilshire Boulevard was first carved out as a long path through a barley field in 1895. While its beginnings were humble, this path has transformed into one of the most notable boulevards in all of the United States. Stroll through a snapshot of the city’s architectural evolution from Victorian vision to modernist experimentation; massive towers of business to intimate houses of worship; world class museums to working class mercados.

The route will connect One Wilshire in Downtown Los Angeles to Fairfax Avenue along Miracle Mile. These two anchor hubs will feature pedestrian zones with performers, activities sponsored by several fantastic museums, programming by some of our community partners, food trucks and more. Additional hubs along the route include MacArthur Park, Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire.

The day will also include a series of free, downloadable stories about Wilshire Boulevard by noted architecture and culture writer and critic Edward Lifson, "The Modernist's Guide to Wilshire Boulevard" by Catherine Gudis and designed by Colleen Corcoran, a family friendly workshop inspired by the Googie-centric geometry of the 1950s with artist Marni Gittleman, and more.

Burbank Library Green Blog

Friday, June 21, 2013

Sustainable Burbank Commission: Vacancy

Burbank Announces Vacancies on Boards and Commissions

Sustainable Burbank Commission Vacancy
1 Unexpired term ending May 31, 2015
*Form 700: No

BURBANK, Calif. (June 5, 2013) – Applications are being accepted through Friday, June 28, 2013, by the City Clerk’s Office for vacancies on the following Boards, Commissions and Committees. Anyone interested in applying for a vacancy can obtain an application form on the City's Web Site or pick up an application in the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 275 East Olive Avenue. Some Boards, Commissions, and Committees have certain restrictions on composition of the group.

The deadline for submitting an application to the City Clerk’s Office is Friday, June 28, 2013, at 5:00 p.m. The appointments by City Council are scheduled to be made at the July 16, 2013, City Council Meeting. All City Board, Commission, and Committee members serve without compensation from the City (BMC Section 2-1-405). Of the current vacancies (with the exception of the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission), all applicants must be electors of and actually reside in the City of Burbank. No person shall serve on more than one Board, Commission or Committee at the same time.

*Per the Burbank Municipal Code, these Boards are required to file annual Statements of Economic Interests (Fair Political Practices Commission Form 700) disclosure forms. All new members will be required to file their Form 700 within 30 days of assuming office.
 
Burbank Library Green Blog

Burbank Green Spotlight Award: May 2013

Burbank Green Spotlight Award: May/April 2013
Erick & Jeena Schoenke

SUSTAINABLE BURBANK COMMISSION
May 20, 2013 MINUTES

III. BURBANK GREEN SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTATION:
Mr. Smith introduced the recipients of the Burbank Green Spotlight Award, Erick and Jeena Schoenke, and gave a brief PowerPoint presentation of their sustainable garden located on North Sparks Street. The unique and contemporary landscape consists of drought tolerant native plants and a drip irrigation system. The garden requires minimal maintenance and has reduced the Schoenke’s water bill by 20-25%. The Commission congratulated Erick and Jeena Schoenke, and Mr. de Wolff presented them with the Green Spotlight Award.

Burbank Library Green Blog

Friday, June 7, 2013

Food Watch: Waste


363.728 2011 GARBA
Kroger Unveils A Clean Energy Production System Powered By Food Waste
PRNewswire: 5.15.2013

The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today unveiled a clean energy production system that will convert food that can't be sold or donated into clean energy to help power its Ralphs/Food 4 Less Compton distribution center.

The anaerobic conversion system will process more than 55,000 tons of organic food waste into renewable energy annually and provide power for the over 650,000 square foot distribution center. By diverting that food waste – the equivalent of 150 tons per day – the system will also reduce area truck trips by more than 500,000 miles each year. The Kroger Recovery System uses a sophisticated process to convert the carbon in organic material into a renewable source of methane.
.       .       .       .       .
The Kroger Recovery System utilizes anaerobic digestion, a naturally occurring process, to transform unsold organics and onsite food-processing effluent into renewable biogas. This biogas is then turned into power for onsite operations. The process is carried out in an enclosed, oxygen-free environment, which means the process takes up less space and generates no odors. The system will provide enough renewable biogas to offset more than 20% of the energy demand of the Ralphs/Food 4 Less distribution center. Combining the use of renewable energy power with more than 150 zero emission fuel cell fork lifts, the Ralphs/Food4Less distribution center is now one of the greenest and most efficient, advancing the City of Compton as a leading sustainable community.

About FEED Resource Recovery Inc.

The Kroger Recovery System is designed and operated by FEED Resource Recovery Inc., a clean technology company founded in Boston, Mass in 2007. FEED Resource Recovery (FEED) has designed and implemented a groundbreaking Zero Waste solution (called R2S) for the food industry. FEED's innovative and proprietary approach leverages customers' existing transportation and distribution systems to generate clean, sustainable power for onsite operations, reduce emissions and save millions of dollars on waste removal costs.  READ MORE !
 
Library Burbank Green Blog

Monday, June 3, 2013

Clothesline Week: June 1 - 8

Sarah Weeks
JP WEEKS
June 1 – 8: International Clothesline Week

To encourage people to hang their clothes to dry instead of using electricity or gas.  FYI: Hanging clothes outside May Not be allowed in your city.

Things to consider when hanging clothes to dry:
1. saves up to 10% of residential energy; Running a dryer 20 hours a month will cost you on average 100 kilowatt hours. A clothesline's operating costs are zero!!
2. less need for nuclear energy or coal energy
3. less emissions which saves our health, literally less deaths and saves the earth
4. using solar and wind power - free
5. clothes smell better (like sun and air)
6. clothes feel better
7. clothes will last much longer (less wear and tear from the heat of the dryer)
8. clothes don't wrinkle – no need to use electric iron, another savings
9. no need to wait for the dryer to finish
10. don't have to empty the lint tray
11. improve relationships; working together for the greater good builds friendships and love…
12. can be therapeutic – the time it takes to hang the clothes can be time of reflection of you, family, earth, etc.
13. burn calories - because you're exercising many muscles you burn about 45 calories every 15 minutes.
14. Go a step further and use cold water for your wash to save additional energy. Hot water does NOT clean clothes any better than cold. Hot water DOES deterioate clothes faster and fades colours quicker. If cold doesn't work for you, use warm instead of hot. This step alone will reduce massive amounts of pollution!

Project Laundry List
National Hanging Out Day: April 19
-has a “line-drying” Cost Calculator.

Burbank Library Green Blog

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Butterfly Awarness Day: June 1


Incredible Journey
of the Butterflies

DVD INCRE
Butterfly Awareness Day: June 1

The Association For Butterflies is a non-profit organization dedicated to the welfare of butterflies through conservation, research, and promotion of butterfly gardening and butterfly farmers.

Los Angeles Butterfly Survey
The Natural History Museum is partnering with Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA) to share data and learn more about L.A. butterflies and moths. Help us find and photograph them in Los Angeles.

Why Butterflies?
Unlike some of the other Citizen Science projects here at the Museum, the L.A. Butterfly Survey (LABS) isn't looking for lost butterflies. We already know the species we are likely to find in L.A., all 236 of them. What we need to find out is which butterflies and moths we're likely to find when we plant the new Pollinator Garden in the Museum's upcoming outdoor exhibit, the Nature Gardens. When you submit images of L.A. butterflies and moths, we'll map the species closest to the Museum and determine which one's might show up when we start planting butterfly attracting plants.

Burbank Library Green Blog

Thursday, May 30, 2013

National Trails Day: June 1


Day Hikes Santa Monica
Mountains: Robert Stone
917.9493 2012 STONE
National Trails Day: June 1
 
Beginning at the top of Walnut Avenue, near the Nature Center, the fire road leads to the Verdugo Mountainway Trail. The Verdugo Mountainway is an extensive trail system which extends from the Sun Valley area, south to Brand Park in Glendale, and northeast to Tujunga and La Crescenta. Hiking and mountain biking are permitted on the fire roads. The smaller trails are for hiking only, and along with the fire roads, lead to spectacular views of the San Fernando Valley.

Hollywood Sign – National Trails Day Hike
Griffith Park
June 1 - 8:00 am - 11:30 am
LA Trail Hikers
RSVP Required
Phone: 562.857.6300

Griffith Park-Merry Go Round Parking Lot
June 1 - 8:00 am - 10:30 am
RSVP Required
Phone: 818.331.1121

Burbank Library Green Blog