Greeneroo

    San Francisco does it up in style. Slow Food has surrounded the city – there is something for everyone. Lectures, food vendors from all over the bay area and CA, restaurants, recipes…. and the smell of delicious food of all varieties. All your favorites are here.  For a great step by step and slide show try this blog… I loved the backyard apples that all taste so different, everywhere I looked there was something marvelous to eat, learn about, enjoy.  If you miss this be sad and make plans for next year. We are lucky to have growers that have provided us with the BEST for many decades, I’d like to honor Far West Fungi for being a great group, and yes they are fun guys! John is pictured with his many mushrooms.  Not to worry, Far West Fungi is available to bring you your favorite mushrooms 7 days a week, find them at the Ferry Building.

Organic Foods Yield Hearty Profits at 56% and projected higher even though as we have economy cut backs at the corporate level and individual pocket books, adoption is increasing. They even deliver & cater- in a fleet of PRIUS cars- what else? Jason Brown, CEO of Organic to Go, says business is booming despite high grain and oil prices and layoffs.

This last weekend, Palo Alto had its University Ave Art Festival. A great event with so many talented artists. One really stood out, Rod Surber, from Vallejo makes finely turned bowls, goblets and containers from reclaimed woods. His work is beautiful, earth friendly and manages to incorporate the spirit of the wood used. Check out his site, and enjoy his beautiful designs.

These classes are available all over, check the schedule. You can also register to be a GREEN BUSINESS. For Palo Alto and most other communities, you’ll have to register. In PA, call for location and registration (650) 496-5910 or email recycling@city.palo-alto.ca.us In addition to classes, some areas offer low cost composting bins. All this effort reduces solid waste in the landfill and lowers your garbage bill.

Vetrazzo,used for surfaces, counter tops, was invented in Berkeley, made in the bay area. It is beautiful and made of 85% recycled glass. The variable, luminous colors that are acheived make a counter top like no other. It is sustainable and spectacular.

Another great product, TREX, is decking and fencing. Perfect for those areas that have to survive wind, rain, ocean “breezes”. It has no splinters – my toes will testify! And it doesn’t need painting, so for those exposed areas, I think this product really is the best.  Trex is made from ~ half recycled and reclaimed plastic, and half reclaimed wood. This saves our landfills, uses sustainable materials and it is produced with green manufacturing processes. Great stuff, I’d select it again. Tough and many colors.

Bamboo flooring is another favorite. Make sure to pick one with safe green ingredients!  It has reduced the allergies and made clean up a thing to look forward to…. our old high quality carpet wasn’t getting clean, even with professional care. I was so glad to get rid of it, and especially after it was carted away, I realized how filthy it was. ugh! For carpet recycling there are many options, a great green solution.

As you come across great green materials for remodeling or construction, will you let me know? I’d love to hear about the best.

IBM unveils a new green consultancy .With conservation as the main focus Green Sigma performs an accounting of a company’s water and energy usage, both at its own facilities and also those of its supply-chain partners.  High water, electricity and cooling costs can be reduced substantially. The group will survey the company usages and make suggestions that will achieve the best improvement.

As reported by San Jose Merc, Pacific Gas & Electric announced two deals Thursday August 14,  that will result in 800 megawatts of power from massive facilities using PV panels — enough to power nearly a quarter-million homes, according to the utility.

SunPower, best known for making solar panels used on homes and businesses, will now build a utility-scale-size plant. The 250 megawatt facility, to be constructed in San Luis Obispo County, will start generating power in 2010 and reach full capacity in 2012. It will require approval from local and state regulators, EIR is in progress. THINK about how long this takes, conservation is the answer, to our energy needs, we can do that now.

The second deal, announced at a press conference at PG&E’s San Francisco headquarters, is even larger. The utility said it will buy 550 megawatts of power from a plant built by OptiSolar, a Hayward company. The plant, to be called the Topaz Solar Farms, uses thin-film solar panels that use sunlight to create electricity. Its technology allows it to deposit a thin layer, or film, of amorphous silicon on solar panels.  Environgmental Impact has been filed. The Mercury has a special online green section, great news for those of us trying to find great GREEN news!

Creativity Magazine has some interesting green info, the online mag is no exception – this earth view from discovery link is very informative, showing things you can comprehend better with graphics rather than words.  On this app you can spin the world and view weather patterns in 3D.

  Due to debut this summer, compressed air cars have no “emmissions” but the  compressed air tanks must be recharged. These wiki articles provide good overviews. Tata Motors , located in India understands the need for a car just like this, prototypes are in production.  The cost is $2500 new. There are many advantages  – cost, size, weight and clean driving in already congested cities. The inventor is French engineer Guy Negre.

Go to the SF Botanical Garden – Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park – it is open daily, 365 days a year and is free to the public. There is so much to do in this beautiful place, you can enjoy the area, plants, smells, guided tours, bookstores. You may become so inspired that you’ll want to be member. This is a great place to teach children to love plants and enjoy the  diversity of nature.

Something is always blooming, it is a wondeful peaceful place to relax.