Take for example Kris Willis. Since 2009, she has brought together a group of over 800 women for Women of The Green Generation. Women of the Green Generation is a networking group composed of female business owners, eco-innovators, writers, organic farmers, yogis, health practitioners, and others involved in sustainable businesses. Willis hosts monthly meetings in addition to the annual conference. I saw her circulating unobtrusively among the attendees and sponsors on May 19, when it all came together. (Photo by Susanne Green)
SB 843, a bill currently moving through California State Legislature, would allow utility customers to receive their energy from a community solar facility. Rather than installing panels on individual homes, a solar company would install concentrated amounts of solar panels in public area. Residents would then be able to buy into the energy generated by the solar array. Suddenly, living in an apartment building or having a shadowed roof would no longer limit solar participation! (Photo by CERTs, Flickr)
Against the backdrop of 2008’s the plummeting economy, a small group of environmentally-conscious Southern Californians were moved to create an event that would build community and support sustainability. Within two months, they etched out a plan. At the time, a single organic farmers market existed in Long Beach. The farmers market was combined with the city’s Art Walk to create the Green Long Beach Festival. (Photo by Msun532, Flickr)
TOKYO — Tokyo may seem like a city running as efficiently as a clock with its gleaming skyscrapers, punctual subway, and well-dressed people constantly in a hurry. Go just outside the city however, and you will see people going back to the agrarian way. There are many lovingly-tended community vegetable gardens and allotment gardens in the Tokyo suburbs. (Photo by Roland Oehme)
Susan Gottlieb, co-owner of the G2 Gallery and an avid environmentalist, experienced the emotional push behind Laurel Serieys’ work when, in December of 2011, she found a deceased bobcat in her garden. The unfortunate death of this creature brought Serieys’ commitment to science into union with the resources of the G2 Gallery. A partnership formed to educate the public on about something previously unknown outside of academia: across the Santa Monica Mountains large cats were and are dying. (Photo by Simone Paz Photography)
NEW YORK — In a far corner of Brooklyn, people come to see the “eggs” but learn so much more, such as where certain scenes of the Angelina Jolie movie Salt were shot. On Saturday, May 19, the Visitor Center at Newtown Creek will premiere an interactive art installation, “Down in the Ground” (D.I.G.) at 7 p.m. The dance performance and opening reception is free and open to the public, and the new installation runs through May 31. (Photo by E.Q. Lam)
Hilton Oyamaguchi has tracked crocodiles, snakes, and birds through the rainforest. Oyamaguchi’s fight to preserve biodiversity in his home country of Brazil brought him to America before he could even speak English. He dove into the intensive culture shock of a full-time PhD program, in a language he could not speak, in order to protect the habitat he had grew up with. (Photo by Courtney Hayden)
INDIANA — Electric car owners (or future owners), Sierra Club Green Home has great news for you! You can get a credit of over $1,000 for installing an electric car charger in your home, among other incentives now offered in Northern Indiana. If you live in the northern part of Indiana, you may be a customer of NIPSCO, an energy distribution company that supplies both gas and electricity. The company has taken a number of measures to work towards a cleaner environment, including a new electric car charger incentive. (Photo by OregonDOT, Flickr)
Mothers in the United States and around the world face many challenges, many of which are connected to the environment around them. This Mother’s Day, take a moment to recognize important environmental factors here at home as well as the challenges faced by mothers around the world. (Photo by Marc Van Der Chijs, Flickr)
LOS ANGELES — The G2 Gallery launched a new annual event, The Young Environmentalists Symposium, on Thursday. The symposium featured panelists in their twenties and thirties who have stellar sustainability and advocacy accomplishments. From conservation biology to promotion of urban open spaces, panelists at the Young Environmentalist Symposium are sure to impress with their dedication and expertise. Check back for Sierra Club Green Home’s series profiling these inspiring activists! (Photo by YoVenice, Flickr)
Most conventional pet foods contain animal byproducts that are unfit for consumption. It is important to read the label so you know what your furry friend is eating, with the first ingredient on the list being the most important. (Photo by Kara A. DiCamillo)
Some of the most studied and well-known effects of global warming are the changes that are already occurring at the Earth’s poles. While the loss of ice caps is a tragedy, the country of Greenland has taken it as an opportunity to generate improve tourism. (Photo by Christine Zenino, Flickr)
How many of you have bras in your drawer that you are ready to toss out? Unfortunately, all of the pieces that make up a bra, such as hooks, underwire, and elastic, will never biodegrade. Wouldn’t it make you feel better to know that your almost-new bra is getting a second life? Believe it or not, bras are sought-after items! Here is how to recycle them. (Photo courtesy of Free the Girls)
The documentary Children of the Amazon shows how everyone is connected to the Amazonian rainforest, to the indigenous tribes who live there, as well as to the rubber tappers who make their living there—and in particular, Chico Mendes, an international hero for saving parts of the rainforest. (Photo courtesy of Denise Zmekhol)
LOS ANGELES — Over six days, Mimi Ro wove together a pile of reused materials: duct tape, plastic bags, wire framing, bottle caps, sea shells, Styrofoam, cardboard, a used girdle, and a VHS tape were all integrated into the dress. Mimi Ro wowed the crowds at the LAVC Recycled art contest. (Photo by Courtney Hayden)
LOS ANGELES — The celebration was a combination of efforts from the LAVC Art Club and the LAVC Eco-Advocates. It was the final step towards earning a “Tree Campus” certification through the Arbor Day Foundation. Several students proudly informed me that Los Angeles Valley College is the first community college in California to earn this prestigious distinction. (Photo by Courtney Hayden)
Michelle Bagnato’s informative workshop showed attendees how to maintain trees on their property or in their neighborhoods. She taught her audience about appropriate soil heights, placement of trees, and how to choose tree species based on climate. Throughout her speech, she encouraged those attending the event to plant native species. (Photo by Courtney Hayden)
LOS ANGELES — The Green City Fair brought sustainable festivities to Beverly Hills last Saturday. This family-friendly event hosted by Tree People featured a variety of vendors, workshops, and activities. From native plant hikes to yoga, the whole day was an inspirational example of Los Angeles’ commitment to sustainability. (Photo by Courtney Hayden)
LOS ANGELES— Homeowners ready to invest in solar energy have an array of rebates and incentives they can take advantage of, and these could not have come at a better time! With a nuclear power plant offline, homeowners in Los Angeles and San Diego counties have reason to worry about rolling blackouts during the summer. Investing in solar can ease some of the strain on the grid. (Photo by Susanne Green)
LOS ANGELES— Homeowners in Los Angeles County have the exciting opportunity to cash in on a $2,000 rebate for environmentally friendly upgrades that also improve their homes’ property values! GreenPoint Rated offers an upgrade system that not only helps Los Angeles residents make their homes more environmentally friendly and energy efficient but, as a third-party sustainability certification, increases the market value of homes. (Photo courtesy of Build It Green)
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