Green Day Planner: September 2010

Burbank Library Green Events: September 2010

Calendar of Green Events in Burbank and Greater LA. Check out State and National events on the Green Day Planner.

Sep 1-2: Pasadena: Women in Green

Sep 7-10: SF: CA & World Ocean Conference

Sep 14-17: Irvine: Pacific Water Quality Conference

Sep 14-15: NC: Summit New Green Economy

Sep 15-17: DC: ARE Green 2010
Alternative Renewable Energy & Green Industries

Sep 16: LA: SET 2010

Sep 17-19: AZ: GreenStock Expo & Concert
share green products, green inventions, green ideas, and new green ways of green living.

Sep 18: World Water Monitoring Day
international education & outreach program to build awareness about protecting water resources

Sep 20 BUR: Sustainable Task Force

Sep 22-24: LA: Opportunity Green Business Conference

Sep 25: Annual Coastal Cleanup Day

Sep 28-29: Chicago: Carbon TradeEX

Sep 29-30: NY: Urban Green Expo

Sep 29-30: SF: Renewable Energy Finance Forum

Sep 29: BUR: Compost Workshop

Sep 30-Oct 2: SF: West Coast Green

The Majestic Plastic Bag

Video from the EcoBurbank blog

The Majestic Plastic Bag - A Mockumentary
Heal The Bay

Help stop our 19 billion bag-a--year habit in California and put an end to plastic pollution.

Filmed in the style of a nature documentary and narrated by Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons, this "mockumentary", though lighthearted in tone, hammers home the stark reality of California’s plastic bag pollution situation.

Blue World Map By: OCAL

Green - Back To School

Gold Star For A Green Back To School
Your Daily Thread: August 10, 2010 by Danielle Davis

Reuse is always in style and the same goes this fall. First, dig out any BYO-equipment you may already have hiding in cupboards. For the rest, may we suggest:

*Food-grade stainless steel snack containers at Kids Konserve are non-toxic, free of baddies like lead and BPA and perfect for stashing in a backpack or even a purse. Hummus? Yogurt? Trail mix? Carrots? Yup, they’ll all fit snuggly inside.

*Reusable cloth snack and sandwich bags are all the rage. You can score a handmade number on etsy from crafters. Or you can create a version with your own sewing chops.

*Transform to go with our favorite stainless steel carriers from To-Go Ware. When you’re picking up food on the run, better not to carry out any waste with your warm lunch.

*When brown-bagging, earn an A with a Rebel Green organic cotton, made in the USA sack—it may not be brown, but it can be used over and over and over again.

*PeopleTowels are small organic cotton towels you carry with you. When you wash your hands, whip yours out instead of snagging the disposable paper ones to dry with. You’ll save about ¼ of a tree a year in addition to waste and water.

When choosing to buy a supply, go for used, recycled, upcycled, something from an independent retailer, something with a smaller footprint and longer life. Also, one ingredient to avoid when possible is PVC (aka vinyl), a kind of plastic ubiquitous in school supplies (think shiny binders and backpacks) that has toxic chemicals in its entire lifecycle, harming workers, air, water and wearers. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice has a fantastic (no-cost) guide to going PVC-free this year with recommendations on everything from lunch bags to laptops to umbrellas.

Then there’s:
*Alchemy Goods turns worn out inner tubes into sleek but strong accessories perfect for hauling your school or office accoutrements.

*For art supplies that do right by the inspiring natural world, look no further than Stubby Pencil Studio. It carries tools for a budding artist from safe, soy-based Crayon Rocks that encourage fine motor skills to eco-colored pencils crafted from FSC-certified wood.

*Need a new binder? Rebinder’s super plain offerings will do for any age, especially since they are a blank slate to add your own adornment. Even better, they are free of vinyl and constructed of recycled cardboard for a closed loop in more ways than one.

*If you’re attached to your sticky notes, Post-it will plant one tree for every recycled paper Post-it pack you buy—if you register it on its site here. Or, Russell and Hazel has some pretty ones that are also 100% recycled.

There are many more ways to green your back to school routine like carpooling, walking, biking, or taking public transportation. You can start a recycling program or advocate for healthy lunches. Whatever you do, know that we’re behind you! That’s right, you get a gold star from us.

Check out last year’s back to school guide for more! READ MORE !

California Watch: Climate and Water

California 2025
Planning for a Better Future: June 2010

California’s current economic and fiscal realities make nonpartisan, objective information on the state’s future challenges all the more critical. Understandably, the search is on for immediate solutions to the unprecedented crises we face today. But if the present crises make policymakers shelve long-term planning, the result may be an even more uncertain future for our state.

It highlights the state’s most pressing long-term policy challenges in 8 key areas -budget, economy, education, population, transportation, workforce; and

• Climate Change: California is charting new territory with its plans to reduce emissions. But the state also needs to prepare for the effects of climate change that are already coming. Watch a “Briefing” Slide Show.

• Water: California faces growing water management challenges—including growth in demand, climate change, and instability in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Potential solutions will involve difficult and sometimes costly tradeoffs. The comprehensive package of water legislation enacted in late 2009 is a good beginning in policy reform but increased momentum—coupled with new investments—is essential to the state’s future.

2 other publications on water from the Public Policy Institute of California:

California Water Myths, December 2009

California faces enormous challenges in establishing a sustainable path for water resource management. This study highlights eight common water myths, focusing on water supply, ecosystems, and legal and governance issues. In combating these myths, the report sets the stage for a more informed approach to water policy and management.

Interactive Map: Per Capita Urban Water Use: 1960-2005
Interactive Feature: Virtual Tour (Center For Watershed Sciences, UC Davis)

Lawns and Water Demand in California, July 2006

Over the next 25 years, outdoor water use will be a major factor in escalating water demand in California. The demand will be aggravated by the dominant land-use pattern in inland areas: single-family homes with lush lawns. Without efforts aimed specifically at reducing outdoor urban water use, the demand will pose significant financial and environmental challenges for California. Also analyzes population growth and housing trends in the state’s major climactic regions, estimates residential lot and yard sizes, and examines the water needs of cool-season turf grass lawns. It also evaluates several outdoor water conservation programs.

Water Efficiency Measures

Business not going with the flow, yet
Burbank Leader: July 31, 2010 by Gretchen Meier

Less than half of all business owners in Burbank have installed water-saving fixtures in advance of the Nov. 1 deadline that will mark the beginning of a 25% surcharge on water bills for delinquent customers, officials said.

Enacted as part of the new rate plan established last year, the deadline has already been extended beyond June 30 until the end of October, yet only 45% of businesses have returned certificates of compliance, officials said.

Burbank Water and Power has been pushing those under deadline at least twice since the beginning of the calendar year, but only half of the remaining 55% have confirmed they are "working on it," customer programs assistant Karen Wilcox said.

Utility customers are being asked to replace older toilets with those that use 1.6 gallons per flush and replace aerators in kitchen and bathroom faucets with a lower flow rate.

Burbank Water and Power offers a rebate of $100 to replace older toilets for high-efficiency models that use 1.28 gallons per flush.

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In an ordinance passed by the Burbank City Council last week, all properties must now retrofit faucets and toilets upon resale as a condition of escrow. READ MORE !

* Important Notice Regarding Your Water Service *

The City of Burbank now requires that all multi-family residential, commercial and industrial water service customers certify that certain water efficiency measures have been installed on their property.

Compliance must be achieved by October 31, 2010. Failure to certify compliance will result in a surcharge of 25% on the customer’s water bill for 12 months commencing on November 1, 2010. If non-compliance continues beyond the 12 month period, the surcharge will increase to 50% per month, until compliance occurs. To view more information on the Required Water Efficiency Measures, CLICK HERE

National Water Quality Month

National Water Quality Month: August

Basic Information about Drinking Water Contaminants
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. EPA sets standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking water.

Also an alphabetic list of contaminants

List of Contaminants & their MCLs
Microorganisms
Disinfectants
Disinfection Byproducts
Inorganic Chemicals
Organic Chemicals
Radionuclides

Quality of Water in Burbank and California

Burbank Water Quality Report 2009

California
EPA: Consumer Confidence Reports
Local Drinking Water Information by state.

Aquafornia
California Water News Blog by the Water Education Foundation