Sierra Club Green Home

FRESH is a documentary by Ana Sofia Joanes which focuses on local farmers and food suppliers and their positive relationship to the food that we eat. Watch FRESH The Movie online for free today, or sign up to host a screening anytime. (Photo courtesy of Growing Power)

As the economy shows signs of moving in the right direction, so does our personal and national energy consumption. A growing number of energy efficiency programs are noticeably increasing our energy savings and our usage efficiency. According to a new report from the Institute for Electricity Efficiency (IEE), in 2010, our overall national energy efficiency programs saved enough electricity to power almost 10 million homes. That almost 112 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity was a 21 percent increase over 2009 levels. (Image courtesy of The Edison Foundation)

Florida-based SAF-GLAS, which creates disaster-resistant and security-related glass products, recently introduced EnergyGlass at a solar seminar at GlassBuild America. This transparent glass incorporates inorganic nanoparticles into clear laminated glass. With its use of a proprietary polycarbonate interlayer and patented film, this turns a window into a 24-hour a day solar “farm.” (Photo by Ecstaticist, Flickr)

OAKLAND, CA — Six hospital systems in the San Francisco Bay Area are joining with local food distributors to make healthy, sustainable food an integral part of the hospital network. The Regional Produce Sourcing Project aims to make sustainable food more available to hospital systems, and to create more demand for it. (Photo courtesy of Kaiser Permanente)

LOS ANGELES — The California coast offers its visitors fishing, boating, public beaches, and other fun activities.

Today, throughout the southern California coastal area there will be a grand opening of a new series of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). A science-based network, the new MPAs were designed by local fishermen, conservationists, and business leaders to help protect California’s most productive ocean areas while still leaving nearly 90 percent of the coast open for fishing endeavors. (Photo by Dana Roeber Murray, flickr)

As we count our blessings this holiday season, Sierra Club Green Home is rejoicing in the Mercury and Air Toxic National Standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this year. This is one of the most important updates in the Clean Air Act’s 40-year history, as it addresses gaps in previous legislation. (Photo by Rennett Stowe, Flickr)

One culprit is causing nearly a third of the waste in our national parks. It’s something you might grab for a long hike, or camping, or washing down a meal cooked over the campfire. It comes in a convenient yet remarkably wasteful package, and it’s become an unlikely source of controversy. (Photo by Zanus Tungare, Flickr)

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — It may feel small, but I learned from reading the Laguna Beach Independent newspaper that “all of Laguna Beach’s hotel and lodging properties have agreed to recycle hygiene products to benefit children and families in need through the nonprofit Clean the World Global. When one looks at what the numbers could add up to and the impact, this recycling effort is not insignificant in the least, even for a little seaside town. (Photo by Casa Laguna Inn, courtesy of Laguna Beach Visitors Bureau)

With expectations of one million electric vehicles (EVs) entering America’s roadways by 2016, the need to establish a sustainable EV infrastructure is immediate. General Electric and REC Solar partner up to boost the placement of more solar-powered EV charging stations across the country. (Photo courtesy of GE.com)

For more than a year, filmmakers have been laying the groundwork for Racing to Zero, a documentary on how Americans can reduce their waste to almost nothing. With initial fund-raising going well, production is set to start in January. The film will focus on solutions and involve supporters of the film throughout production. (Photo courtesy of Diana Fuller)