Sierra Club Green Home

LAS VEGAS– In a usually unused and forgotten Las Vegas neighborhood, hundreds of people gathered and made it a vibrant green community, if only for one weekend. The Build A Greener Block project took a small portion of Main Street and, instead of shutting the entire street down, narrowed the street to showcase how everything can work together. Pedestrians can walk, bicyclists can use their lane, and drivers can still parallel park their cars. (Photo by Erika F. Washington)

I finished the 100 mile drive through Big Sur feeling relaxed, but in serious need of coffee. Monterey, California brought a wash of caffeine into my consciousness, along with a surprise. Next to the coffee shop was a large health and fitness expo at the Monterey Conference Center. As an avid runner, I could not resist heading inside to mingle. I was pleasantly surprised to find I had planned my road trip on the same weekend as the Big Sur International Marathon. (Photo by Courtney Hayden)

Within 90 minutes of searching I’d unearthed three plastic candy wrappers, six broken plastic bottle caps, eleven newspaper ties, one straw wrapper, five pieces of fishing line, ten pieces of unidentifiable broken plastic, one fast food container, ten Styrofoam pieces, one Styrofoam cup, one large woven plastic bag, nine cigarette butts, and one cigar tip! (Photo by Courtney Hayden)

LOS ANGELES– The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles hosts events and exhibits that fascinate and educate children and adults alike. Since 1910, the museum has made ancient history, modern biology, visual art, and the performing arts interesting and accessible to the public. Now the museum is putting its amazing resources toward Sierra Club Green Home’s favorite cause: sustainability. (Photo by LAGreenGrounds, Flickr)

SAN DIEGO — GE is on the road selling cities on the benefits of high efficiency lighting. Their goal: upgrade offices, homes, street lights, parking lots, retail stores, and other buildings with lights that last longer, save energy, and cut power bills. (Photo by Max Havins)

Whether you’re lacing up running sneakers, loading up mountain bikes, or gearing up for a cross country ski, the National Parks App from National Geographic will take the stress out of your adventure! With the freedom of maps on demand; you’ll be able to identify your position, calculate distance to destinations, search nearby amenities by name and category, and venture off the beaten path without fear of getting lost! The app will even allow you to mark your car and campground, so you can enjoy nature without limitations. (Photo by Karynsig, Flickr)

Since 1900, Louisiana has lost more than 1 million acres of wetlands and barrier shoreline. In just the past 50 years, more than 1,500 square miles of coastal Louisiana disappeared. The state could lose an additional 1,000 square miles of land by 2050– an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. What is more, since the oil spill of 2010, there has been some marshland die-off in critical marine life habitat areas like Barataria Basin. (Photo courtesy of Scott Madere)

Two years have passed since Deepwater Horizon, the environmental disaster that coated the Gulf of Mexico in oil. The huge oil slicks are gone, as are the heart-wrenching pictures of dying seabirds and littered wetlands. Commercial and recreational fishing has resumed and beaches look pristine once more. Yet much is unresolved in this large, ecologically diverse area that was the site of environmental mayhem two years ago. And while some beaches do not show it, many ecosystems and animals are still suffering. (Photo by Lauren Lockame)

Join Heal the Bay in cleaning up Santa Monica Pier today, and receive a free pass to the Santa Monica Aquarium. Meet at 11:30 am in front of the aquarium. Sierra Club Green Home will be in attendance for this great Earth Day event! (Photo by ThreeDOMASAN, Flickr)

SAN DIEGO — This week the Dalai Lama joined two distinguished scientists in highlighting how global warming threatens the one planet we all call home. His message: climate change offers an opportunity for every person to have a positive influence on the rest of the world. (Photo by Max Havins)