Burbank Green Spotlight Award: November

Burbank Sustainable Commission
Green Spotlight Award
Each month the Commission will present the award to a resident or business for sustainable efforts. The Award was established at the December meeting.

SUSTAINABLE BURBANK COMMISSION
November 19, 2012 MINUTES

III. BURBANK GREEN SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTATION:

Ms. James announced that the November 2012 recipient of the Burbank Green Spotlight Award is the Vander Borght Group and introduced Jef and Kyle Vander Borght. The Vander Borghts provided a PowerPoint presentation outlining the architecture and construction of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees’ (IATSE) office building located on Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank. The structure showcases the Vander Borght Group’s sustainability efforts to design and build achievable "green projects” in a cost effective and practical manner. The masonry building is constructed from recycled aggregates and regional materials and ensures longevity through design quality. The structure provides a variety of “green” features including double walls for maximum insulation, a white “cool” roof, skylights, polished concrete flooring, solar panels, natural interior lighting, subterranean irrigation, and drought tolerant plant landscaping. The Commissioners congratulated Jef and Kyle Vander Borght, and Mr. Lewis presented them with the Burbank Green Spotlight Award.

Burbank: Christmas Tree Recycling

Christmas Tree Recycling
Burbank Recycle Center

Remove all tinsel, ornaments, metal stands, and plastic buckets
Flocked Trees are NOT RECYCLED

Recycle Trees 3 Ways !

1: Dec 26, 2012 – Jan 22, 2013

Drop off @ 3 parks:
• George Izay Park (Olive Park) in the parking lot on Clark Ave.
• Ralph Foy Park in the parking lot on Victory Blvd.
• McCambridge Park in the parking lot on Andover Dr.

Please note: Verdugo Park will NOT accept Christmas trees.

2: Jan 2 – Jan 22, 2013

At the curb or alley
~ place with waste containers on scheduled waste collection day
~ Burbank Sanitation Dept will collect trees placed in the alley and at curb

3: Cut up your tree

~ place it in the green waste containers with other yard trimmings

For more information: 818 . 238 . 3800

Clean Air Act

Clean Air Act - December 17, 1963

The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 was the first federal legislation involving air pollution. This Act provided funds for federal research in air pollution. The Clean Air Act of 1963 was the first federal legislation regarding air pollution control. It established a federal program within the U.S. Public Health Service and authorized research into techniques for monitoring and controlling air pollution. In 1967, the Air Quality Act was enacted in order to expand federal government activities.

The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act provides a brief introduction to the 1990 Clean Air Act. The 1990 Clean Air Act is the most recent version of a law first passed in 1970 to clean up air pollution. This summary covers some of the important provisions of the 1990 Clean Air Act and may help you understand what is in the law and how it may affect you.


New air pollution standards restrict soot particles
The Environmental Protection Agency, announcing the limits, predicts that they could save on healthcare costs from respiratory ailments.
LA Times: 12.14.2012 by Neela Banerjee

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced a new air pollution standard Friday that would bring about a 20% reduction in microscopic particles of soot emitted by coal-fired power plants and diesel vehicles that contribute to haze and respiratory ailments.

The new limit, fought by industry and welcomed by environmentalists, marks the first time the Environmental Protection Agency tightened the soot standard since it was established 15 years ago.

"These standards are fulfilling the promise of the Clean Air Act," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "We will save lives and reduce the burden of illness in our communities, and families across the country will benefit from the simple fact of being able to breathe cleaner air."

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

The new standard will have a particular impact on California, due to problems from the burning of diesel fuel. According to the EPA's regional office of the Pacific Southwest, seven California counties may not meet the new standard by 2020: Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, Kern, Merced and Tulare. Still, over the last decade, soot levels have been cut by almost 50% in the Los Angeles area and almost 30% in the San Joaquin Valley, the office said.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

States have until 2018 to submit their plans to meet the new standards and then until 2020 to comply. Moreover, they could ask for an extension until 2025 "depending on the severity of an area's fine particle pollution problems and the availability of pollution controls," the EPA said. READ MORE !

Smogtown: the lung-burning history of pollution in Los Angeles
Chip Jacobs
Overlook Press, 2008
363.7392 JACOB

Hope Airport Noise-Impact Zone to Shrink

Hope Airport noise-impact zone to shrink
LA Times: 11.25.2012 by Mark Kellam

The clock is ticking for residents living around Bob Hope Airport to tap a federally funded program to soundproof their houses before a shrinking noise-impact zone renders them ineligible, officials warned last week.

With fewer flights coming in and out of the airfield, and quieter aircraft taking to the skies, the noise-impact zone is expected to shrink significantly at the north and south ends of the runway, meaning homeowners who currently qualify for grant-funded soundproofing may soon find themselves outside the boundaries for the program.

Dan Feger, the airport's executive director, said homeowners who qualify should act quickly.

“It absolutely screams that the people who have the opportunity right now should take advantage of it because in all likelihood funding for that will go away,” Feger said at a meeting of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority last week.

A draft of the so-called noise-impact forecast now goes to the Federal Aviation Administration, which has six months to review it.

Since the launch of the soundproofing program, 2,356 single- and multi-family dwellings have undergone improvements, and the owners of 357 residential units have expressed interest, airport officials said last month.

Those homes have gotten soundproofing improvements, such as double-paned windows, new doors and insulation.

But the owners of 1,926 eligible dwellings have either not participated or expressed interest, despite mailings and personal visits, officials said.  READ MORE !

Sound Insulation Program

Bob Hope Airport, in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration, has implemented a Residential Acoustical Treatment Program (RATP) that will insulate qualfied residential units in Burbank and Los Angeles.

The Residential Acoustical Treatment Program is the result of the Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 150 Study, originally completed in 1989 and subsequently updated in 2000, that determined which neighborhoods, noise-sensitive public buildings, and local jurisdictional boundaries lie within the noise-impacted area surrounding the Airport. Facilities identified by the study are eligible to receive noise mitigation treatments funded by federal grants and local matching funds supplied by the Airport Authority.

The Authority has implemented two primary mitigation measures approved by the Part 150 Study: insulation of homes within the 65 CNEL impact area (the area where aircraft noise exceeds an average of 65 decibels over a 24 hour period); acquiring avigation easements for homes in the 65 CNEL impact area (easements allowing aircraft to fly over the home without the threat of a future lawsuit by the property owner against the Airport Authority).

Under the insulation program, consultants for the Authority design a specific treatment for each home to ensure that interior noise levels will always remain quiet enough to enjoy normal use of the home, no matter how much aircraft activity there might be. The acoustical treatment may include door and window replacement, attic insulation, weather stripping, ventilation and air conditioning. Once designed, the treatment is installed by licensed, bonded contractors selected by the Authority.

This program is free of cost to the property owner, provided he or she grants the authority an aviation easement.

Program Guidance Letter (PGL) 12-09—Summary

To find out more about this program, contact Hilda Landaverde at (818) 842-1732, or Maggie Martinez at (818) 840-8840 ext. 2226.

Burbank Green Spotlight Award: October

Burbank Sustainable Commission
Green Spotlight Award
Each month the Commission will present the award to a resident or business for sustainable efforts. The Award was established at the December meeting.

SUSTAINABLE BURBANK COMMISSION
October 15, 2012 MINUTES

III. BURBANK GREEN SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTATION:
Mr. Jaffe announced that the October 2012 recipient of the Burbank Green Spotlight Award is Yoga Blend. Mr. Jaffe introduced Jason Marsden, co-owner of the Burbank yoga studio, and gave a brief PowerPoint presentation outlining Yoga Blend’s sustainability efforts which include use of biodegradable materials, use of reclaimed wood baseboards and bamboo materials for flooring, use of filtered water, and use of supplies made from recycled materials. Yoga Blend encourages taking care of the planet that sustains us by helping sustain the planet. The Commissioners congratulated Mr. Marsden, and Ms. Springer presented him with the Burbank Green Spotlight Award.

Burbank’s Recycling Buy-Back Program Resumes

Burbank’s Recycling Buy-Back Program Resumes
Eligible beverage containers may be redeemed at City Recycling Center
COB: 11.09.2012

The Burbank Recycling Center has announced that it will resume its beverage container buy-back operations at the 500 Flower Street facility beginning Monday, November 12, 2012.

Burrtec Waste Industries Inc., the City of Burbank’s contract operator of the Recycle Center, received its recycle center and processor certifications from CalRecycle (Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery) on November 1, 2012.

The certifications will allow Burrtec to redeem California Refund Value (CRV) for beverage containers brought to the center. CRV is $.05 for each eligible beverage container less than 24 ounces, and $.10 for each container 24 ounces or greater.

Reopening the buy-back operations at the Recycle Center will relieve some of the pressure on the only other buy-back facility in Burbank, which is located in the Ralph’s parking lot at 1100 North San Fernando Boulevard.

For further information: 818-238-3900

America Recycles Day: November 15

America Recycles Day: November 15
a program of Keep America Beautiful, is a nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States.

Burbank Recycle Center

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
Where to Recycle, Schools & State Agencies, Resources

Federal Agencies: U.S. EPA
iWARM – Online tool calculates energy saved by recycling small quantities of household products
Resources for Teachers
Climate Change & Waste
Office of Solid Waste – What You Can Do In Your Community
Recycling Publications

Industry
The Aluminum Association
Recycling Facts for Kids, Curbside Recycling, Teacher Resources, Statistics
Batteries: Call2Recycle
Recycling at Home, Recycling at Work
Glass Packaging Institute
Recycling & the Environment, Community Recycling, Bar & Restaurant Recycling, Best Practices
Consumer Electronics Association’s Greener Gadgets
Responsible Electronics Recycling, Where to Recycle Electronics, Emerging Trends
American Forest & Paper Association
Workplace Recycling, School Recycling, Community Recycling, Paper and the Environment
Plastic
American Chemistry Council: Plastics Division
Plastics Recycling Rates, Plastic Bag Recycling
National Association for PET Container Resources
PET Recycling, FAQs, Fun Facts, Kids Corner
Steel Recycling Institute
Steel Recycling Rates, Buy Recycled, Steel Recycling Locator, Resources for Kids
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
Facts and Economic Data, Scrap Recycling Specifications, Policy Information

Garbage and Recycling
-Global Viewpoints Series
Garbage issues throughout the world.
Greenhaven Press, 2011

COB: Big Bill - Renewable Energy

Big bill for green power
Burbank will pay $17.8M next year for renewable energy it doesn't need.
Burbank Leader: 11.02.2012 by Alene Tchekmedyian

A state law that requires 20% of the city's average energy sales to come from renewable energy is projected to cost the city $17.8 million this fiscal year, officials reported on Tuesday.

The financial burden of complying with the state mandate — which ups the ante every few years — outraged Councilman David Gordon, particularly because Burbank was generating enough energy before the state bill was passed to meet its power needs. “Any renewables we bring in basically results in a situation where we back off our own generation in order to bring renewables in,” said Power Resources Manager Bruno Jeider.

The 20% average must be met for power output between 2011 and 2013.

This fiscal year, the city will pay $85 a megawatt for 303,579 megawatts of renewable energy, nearly three times as much as the $30 a megawatt it pays for its other energy resources, officials said.  READ MORE !

California Renewable Energy Overview and Programs
California Energy Commission

Energy Awareness Month

Top 5 Home Winterization Tips For Energy Awareness Month
Earthtechling.com: 10.20.2012 by Beth Buczynski

Don’t be fooled by the bright sun and lingering warm breezes, winter is most definitely on its way toward North America. Even though it seems like just yesterday we were talking about how to stay cool without cranking the air conditioning, it’s already time to start keeping your home warm without creating a painful heating bill.

In honor of October being National Energy Awareness Month, we decided to round up five of the best home winterization tips we could find. Home energy upgrades can be costly, but we tried to narrow it down to actions that were easy, relatively cheap, and sensible for both homeowners and renters. Meet you after the jump!

1. Replace your HVAC filters once a month to maintain an adequate and clean air flow which can help reduce energy costs.

2. Use energy efficient light bulbs like CFLs or LEDs. Light bulbs meeting new standards can result in significant energy conservation of 25%-80%. Light your home with the same amount of light for less money. Upgrading 15 of the traditional, less energy efficient incandescent light bulbs in your home could save you about $50 per year. Can’t decide between CFLs and LEDs? This post can help.

3. Add caulking or weather stripping around windows and doors. Your home may have small openings around doors and windows that cause heat loss. Caulking and weather stripping can reduce energy waste and protect your home from moisture damage. Covering large windows with affordable insulating plastic can also be a way to trap the sunlight’s heat inside your home during the day, and prevent drafts at night.

4. Close doors and central air vents in rooms that don’t see a lot of use. This prevents you from paying to heat empty rooms, and redirects the air to the parts of your house that need to be the warmest.

5. Reverse the direction on your ceiling fans. During winter, the warm air generated by your heating system naturally rises to the ceiling while cooler air sinks. By switching the direction that your fan blades turn, that cooler air is drawn upwards, which forces the warmer air near the ceiling back down into the space. How does this save energy? According to the folks at Apartment Therapy, since thermostats are typically located at human level, keeping the warm air low where it’s needed means you can turn the temperature down a few notches and still stay warm.

BWP
Green Home House Call
A complimentary service for Burbank residents provides weatherization, energy, and water efficiency products and services for your home. A trained energy and water expert will install the products plus provide expert advice on how to make your home more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Eco Solutions: Entertainment Industry Workshop

Eco Solutions & The Entertainment Industry
October 27, 2012
1:30 - 4:30pm
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center
Hope Conference Center
501 S. Buena Vista Street

Join Leaders greening the entertainment industry in a valuable discussion on Implementing Initiatives, Redefining Trash, and Influencing Change.

This one day workshop is a FREE opportunity to learn eco-solutions for various trades, management settings, and all stages of production. This event is ideal for anyone in the industry or looking for sustainable solutions.

TOPICS
• Implementing Initiatives: Rachael Joy, Co-Chair, PGA Green West
• Redefining Trash - From Disposability to Responsibility: Kris Barberg, Executive Director, EcoSet
• Sustainability at All Stages of Production: Diana Pokorny, Executive Producer
• The Role We Play in Social and Environmental Accountability: Mike Slavich, Director of Sustainability, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

Brought to you by the Burbank Green Alliance and City of Burbank Community Development/Team Business

RSVP @ or call Susie at 818.238.5198.
Tickets are FREE and open to professionals across Los Angeles. Space is very
limited, so reservations are highly suggested.

Burbank Green Spotlight Award: September 2012

Burbank Sustainable Commission Green Spotlight Award
Each month the Commission will present the award to a resident or business for sustainable efforts. The Award was established at the December meeting.

SUSTAINABLE BURBANK COMMISSION

September 17, 2012 MINUTES

 

VI. BURBANK GREEN SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTATION:

Mr. Aboulsaad announced that the September 2012 recipient of the Burbank Green Spotlight Award is Entertainment Partners. Mr. Aboulsaad introduced representatives from the employee-owned Burbank business and gave a brief PowerPoint presentation outlining the company’s sustainability efforts which include a paperless workflow, use of biodegradable materials, server consolidation, recycling, and use of office supplies made from recycled materials. Entertainment Partners established a Sustainability Council in 2007 and provides its employees with monthly sustainable to-do ideas through their intranet, employee newsletters, and emails. The Council also encourages employees to compete for the “green” employee of the year award. The Commissioners congratulated the representatives from Entertainment

Partners, and Mr. Lewis presented them with the Burbank Green Spotlight Award.

Made In The Shade
BWP

Shade your home or business with FREE trees to keep air conditioning costs lower! Trees are nature’s air conditioners with the ability to reduce air conditioning use from 10% to 50%.

Residents can select up to 3 shade trees for free. Businesses up to 20 shade trees all for free.

A certified arborist will help you select the best planting sites and the best trees for those sites. BWP will also provide stakes, ties and arbor guards, also for free!

Burbank renters can also participate if they receive written authorization from the owner. Call the BWP at 818-957-8196 to schedule a consultation at your property.

Losing our cool: uncomfortable truths about our air-conditioned world (and finding new ways to get through the summer)
Stan Cox
New Press, 2010
306.46 COX
Losing our Cool shows how indoor climate control is colliding with an out-of-control outdoor climate. In America, energy consumed by home air-conditioning, and the resulting greenhouse emissions, have doubled in just over a decade, and energy to cool retail stores has risen by two-thirds.

Barry Commoner: Pioneer of the Environmental Movement

Barry Commoner Dead: Pioneering Environmental Scientist and Activist Dies at 95
Huffington Post: 10.01.2012 by Peter Dreier

Described in 1970 by Time magazine as the "Paul Revere of ecology," Commoner followed Rachel Carson as America's most prominent modern environmentalist. He viewed the environmental crisis as a symptom of a fundamentally flawed economic and social system. A biologist and research scientist, he argued that corporate greed, misguided government priorities, and the misuse of technology undermined "the finely sculptured fit between life and its surroundings."

Commoner insisted that scientists had an obligation to make scientific information accessible to the general public, so that citizens could participate in public debates that involved scientific questions. Citizens, he said, have a right to know the health hazards of the consumer products and technologies used in everyday life. Those were radical ideas in the 1950s and 1960s, when most Americans were still mesmerized by the cult of scientific expertise and such new technologies as cars, plastics, chemical sprays, and atomic energy.

Commoner linked environmental issues to a broader vision of social and economic justice. He called attention to the parallels among the environmental, civil rights, labor, and peace movements. He connected the environmental crisis to the problems of poverty, injustice, racism, public health, national security, and war. READ MORE !

Making Peace with the Planet
Barry Commoner @ CalCat
New Press, 1992
ISBN-13: 9781565840126
Reviews the vast efforts made in the public and private spheres to address and control the damage done and shows us why, despite billions of dollars spent to save the environment, we now find ourselves in an even deeper crisis. It is a book of hard facts and figures whose conclusion--that environmental pollution can be prevented only through fundamental redesign of the way we produce goods.

Composting Workshop
October 3 - 6:30 PM
Burbank Recycle Center
500 S. Flower Street

Burbank'sComposting Program
Since December 1989, the City of Burbank has provided residents with free composting instruction and top-quality composters. Over the years, composting has played an essential part in the City’s ability to divert 50% of its waste from the landfill as required by State law. The City collects over 1,000 tons of green waste per month at the curb and takes it to a composting facility outside of Burbank. Backyard composting helps to reduce this amount.

Getting started
If you are interested in backyard composting, please call the Burbank Recycle Center at (818) 238-3900 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and ask about upcoming workshops.

Residents receive free composters at the workshops. The compost bins available through the City are selected based on a variety of attributes including bin capacity, quality, ease of assembly and handling, cost, attractiveness, and durability. Brand names vary, depending on the best available product on the market at the time. If you move within Burbank, please take your composter with you, and call the Recycle Center with an address change. If you move out of Burbank, please call the Recycle Center so that your composter can be returned and reused in Burbank.

The compost specialist: the essential guide to creating and using garden compost, and using potting and seed composts
David Squire
New Holland, 2009
631.875 SQUIR

In our ecologically aware times, composting is one smart way to minimize our carbon footprint and help the earth. This new entry in the highly successful Specialist series gives gardeners all the guidance they need to start making, storing, and using their own compost.

Drug Take Back Day: Sep 29

Drug Take Back Day
September 29: 10am – 2pm
200 N Third Burbank

The Burbank Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration are providing the public with an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous prescription drugs. The public will be able to drop off their expired, unused, and unwanted pills at the Burbank Police station, in the rear parking lot, free of charge, and no questions asked. By doing so, they will be helping prevent drug abuse and theft.

Prescription Medication
Our water has a drug problem, and as a result, we’re all taking in way more medication than we bargained for. Drinking water in many major metropolitan areas is contaminated with all kinds of pharmaceuticals—from antibiotics to antidepressants—and it’s not just the result of them passing through our bodies. Instead of flushing your prescription meds down the toilet, donate drugs that are still usable. Not every state has a recycling/redistribution program or allows patients to donate directly.

Are your prescriptions killing you?: how to prevent dangerous interactions, avoid deadly side effects, and be healthier with fewer drugs
Armon B Neel
New York : Atria Books, 2012
615.7042 2012 NEEL

Los Angeles River Presentation: Sep 27

Los Angeles River: Past, Present & Future
Sep 27, 2012
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Buena Vista Branch Library
300 N. Buena Vista St.

A multi-media presentation with Kari Rasmussen, Education Coordinator at Friends of the Los Angeles River.
For further information, call 818-238-5620.

The Los Angeles River: its life, death, and possible rebirth
Blake Gumprecht
Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999
979.493 GUMPR
Three centuries ago, the Los Angeles River meandered through marshes and forests of willow and sycamore. Trout spawned in its waters and grizzly bears roamed its shores. The bountiful environment the river helped create supported one of the largest concentrations of Indians in North America.

World Rivers Day - September 30

October 4 PremierRock the Boat
Downtown Independent Theater

A thoroughly awesome doc about the 3-day kayaking expedition, and a smart, funny, wise film about the LA River.

Burbank Green Spotlight Award: August

Burbank Sustainable Commission
Green Spotlight Award
Each month the Commission will present the award to a resident or business for sustainable efforts. The Award was established at the December meeting.

SUSTAINABLE BURBANK COMMISSION

August 20, 2012 MINUTES

 

III. BURBANK GREEN SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTATION:

Mr. Carlson announced that the August 2012 recipients of the Burbank Green Spotlight Award are Burbank residents Kurt Ballash and Ingrid Rushing. Mr. Carlson introduced Mr. Ballash and Ms. Rushing and provided a brief PowerPoint presentation. Mr. Ballash and Ms. Rushing planted California native and drought tolerant plants in their yard, and by using bubblers, significantly reduced their monthly water usage. The Commissioners congratulated Mr. Ballash and Ms. Rushing, and Mr. Lewis presented them with the Burbank Green Spotlight Award.

World Carfree Day: Sep 22

World Carfree Day: Sep 22

A “celebration of cities and public life, free from the noise, stress and pollution of cars.”

As the climate heats up, World Carfree Day is the perfect time to take the heat off the planet, and put it on city planners and politicians to give priority to cycling, walking and public transport, instead of to the automobile.

Burbank Bicycle Riders !    September 22

Bike - In - Movie

Megamind

Bike Safety Workshop 2pm
Learn basic traffic safety skills, lane positioning, door-zone, proper etiquette, doorzone, and avoiding hazards on the road.
Flat-Fix How-To Session 4pm
Community Bike Ride to the Bike-In-Movie 5pm
Bike-In-Movie / Picnic 7pm
After our ride, we will be settling in at McCambridge Park where FREE food and refreshments will be awaiting: sandwiches with vegetarian options available, a snack and water. MEGAMIND! Kid friendly and fun for adults too.

The Burbank BikeStop is a high-capacity indoor bicycle parking facility located at the Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station. The facility is designed to meet the growing demand of commuters that bike to/from transit. The Burbank BikeStop helps us promote a healthier, more sustainable Burbank!

COB: Starlight Bowl

Recycling Efforts at the Starlight Bowl
WHAT’S IN THE WORKS
Public Works Newsletter: August 2012

Since 2005 the Starlight Bowl has been collecting bottles, cans and cardboard. Beginning with the 2011 season, Recycle Center staff took waste reduction to a new level by adding the option for guests to compost food scraps and paper products at three Zero Waste stations around the venue.

Staff attends all events, which attract between 1,500 and 4,200 guests, and greet visitors to inform them about how to separate their trash to easily recycle bottles and cans as well as compost any organic material. In addition, guest are encouraged to bring reusable utensils, plates and containers to the next event to reduce the waste generated in the first place. Stage announcements reinforce the message and advertisements were placed in the local newspaper and event brochure. The Starlight Bowl website offers information about how to pack a zero waste picnic and stresses that ―a zero waste picnic is simply more elegant.

At the end of each concert waste audits are performed to see how successful the evenings efforts had been. In 2011 the results were promising with over 40% of the waste either recycled or composted. This was up from only 20% in previous years when only recycling existed. This year, the rate has jumped to 60% thanks, in part, to an increased number of zero waste stations, the familiarity of the program by return patrons, and by the efforts of the Starlight Bowl staff and vendors.

Burbank Green Spotlight Award: June

Burbank Sustainable Commission Green Spotlight Award
Each month the Commission will present the award to a resident or business for sustainable efforts. The Award was established at the December meeting.

SUSTAINABLE BURBANK COMMISSION
June 18, 2012 MINUTES

III. BURBANK GREEN SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTATION:

Mr. Lewis announced that the June 2012 recipient of the Burbank Green Spotlight Award is Burbank resident Blaine McLaughlin. Mr. Lewis introduced Ms. McLaughlin and provided a brief PowerPoint presentation. Ms. McLaughlin planted California native plants and fruit trees in her front yard, and by using bubblers and drip systems, significantly reduced her water usage. The Commissioners congratulated Ms. McLaughlin, and Mr. Lewis presented her with the Burbank Green Spotlight Award.

Smart frames to track utility costs for Burbank residents
The devices display water and power usage for Burbank Water &; Power customers.
Burbank Leader: 7.08.2012 by Kelly Corrigan

A small group of Burbank residents soon will be equipped with digital picture frames that display not just family snapshots, but also how much energy and water they are using — and how much money it's costing them.

The year-long project piloted by Burbank Water and Power follows the lead of the utility's counterpart in Glendale, which launched a similar project earlier this year

Officials hope awareness among customers of their personal energy and water consumption could spur more people to conserve, helping utilities meet statewide energy goals.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Made by Burbank-based Ceiva Logic, the frames communicate with smart meters to display graphs showing how many gallons of water are used each day of the week. Energy can be tabulated on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. READ MORE !

Burbank Green Spotlight Award: May 2012

Burbank Sustainable Commission Green Spotlight Award
Each month the Commission will present the award to a resident or business for sustainable efforts. The Award was established at the December meeting.

SUSTAINABLE BURBANK COMMISSION

May 21, 2012 MINUTES

III. BURBANK GREEN SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTATION:
Mr. Aboulsaad announced that the May 2012 recipient of the Burbank Green Spotlight Award is Burbank resident Suzette Alcantar George. Mr. Aboulsaad introduced Ms. George and provided a brief PowerPoint presentation. Ms. George is an avid recycler and operates a vanpool from the Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station to the UCLA MedicalCenter. The Commissioners congratulated Ms. George, and Mr. Lewis presented her with the Burbank Green Spotlight Award.

Electric Cars Are The Buzz

Electric cars are the buzz
Institutional customers are pitched the alternative technology at an event at Burbank's airport.
Burbank Leader: 6.08.2012 by Maria Hsin

Movie studios, car rental companies, government agencies — all were wooed by proponents of electric cars, test drives and all, at Bob Hope Airport this week in an effort to increase the use of the zero- and low-emissions vehicles.

“An airport and a studio can serve as living laboratories of these technologies,” California Energy Commissioner Carla Peterman said after addressing the audience at a hangar at the airport, where several models were on display Thursday. “I would encourage airports and studios to not only adopt electric cars [and] alternative vehicles, but also alternative energy: solar panels, fuel cells.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Michael Walbrecht, vice president of public affairs for Warner Bros., said the studio has installed five electric charging stations in two parking structures that are available to employees and visitors.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

The California Energy Commission manages a fund of $100 million annually for investments in alternative fuels, vehicles and infrastructure, and electric vehicles are a part of that, she said.

So far, the commission has invested $65.6 million in electric-vehicle-related projects, and of that, $21 million has been in the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena area, Peterman added. READ MORE !

Burbank Green Spotlight Award: April 2012

Burbank Sustainable Commission Green Spotlight Award
Each month the Commission will present the award to a resident or business for sustainable efforts. The Award was established at the December meeting.

SUSTAINABLE BURBANK COMMISSION

April 16, 2012 MINUTES

III. BURBANK GREEN SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTATION: Mr. Smith announced that the April 2012 recipients of the Burbank Green Spotlight Award are Robyn and David Kreisberg. Mr. Smith introduced David Kreisberg and provided a brief PowerPoint presentation with photos of their sustainable Beachwood Drive garden and landscaping that is divided into quadrants. The Commissioners congratulated Mr. Kreisberg, and Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlson presented him with the Burbank Green Spotlight Award.

Burbank Green Spotlight Award: March 2012

Burbank Sustainable Commission Green Spotlight Award
Each month the Commission will present the award to a resident or business for sustainable efforts. The Award was established at the December meeting.
 

SUSTAINABLE BURBANK COMMISSION

March 19, 2012 MINUTES

III. BURBANK GREEN SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTATION:
Mr. Smith announced that the March 2012 recipients of the Burbank Green Spotlight Award are Juan and Anglica Jimenez. Mr. Jimenez crafted their Burbank garden’s landscaping from reused materials and planted California native flora that significantly reduce water usage. Mr. Smith introduced Angelica Jimenez and provided a brief PowerPoint presentation with photos of the garden and landscaping. The Commissioners congratulated Ms. Jimenez, and Mr. Lewis presented her with the Burbank Green Spotlight Award.

Earth Day: April 22

Burbank Recycle Center celebrates Earth Day
Burbank Leader: 4.21.2012 by Megan O'Neil

The nuances of waste took center stage at an Earth Day celebration Saturday at the Burbank Recycle Center, where attendees were schooled in the differences between trash and recyclable goods and encouraged to start compost piles.

“I would love to see more food recycling,” Ferris Kawar, recycling specialist with the city of Burbank, said of his goals for the community. “I think we do very well on recycling bottles and cans and glass. We are way above average in terms of the state and certainly the country. But food recycling, which is composting, is where we do OK.”

The Family Fair marked the first time the city has hosted its own such Earth Day celebration, Kawar said. Volunteers distributed reusable bags, while others demonstrated what sorts of items should be placed in recycling bins and what items need to go in the trash. READ MORE !