Greeneroo

Sally Jewell, President and CEO of REI will be speaking at the International House on the UC Berkeley Campus on Thursday October 1 at 6pm …. FREE!

“The US population is increasingly urban and isolated from nature. Public lands are under unprecendented financial pressures while environmental challenges loom. How would it change “business as usual” if a company treated problems like these as issues to adress in order to be successful? REI as a leading outdoor retailer with $1.4 billion in sales. Sally Jewell shares her views on how business can and must be part of the solution.”

REI is an amazing resource in the bay area, they have gear, instructions, classes, clean up days, a knowledgeable staff and many events + adventures. The are located throughout the Bay Area in several stores and have an awesome web site as well. Check it out, being a member is only $20 and entitles you to notices and special sales.

http://http://www.calacademy.org/webcams/farallones/
Go out to Sea to see what you can see. Farallones Islands Cam!

This amazing group, has been providing a top-notch outdoor experience for decades. They make the difference for so many urban kids, and now they are having a fund-raiser, come join us!
We had a great time last year – great food, music, and auction items! And the same will happen at the upcoming event! Please go to www.caritascreek.org for details.

• Our 3rd annual pasta dinner celebration
• SF Italian American Club
• 25 Russia Avenue, San Francisco, CA
• $60 donation at the door
• Sunday September 27 at 3:00 -8 p.m.

If you’re unable to attend, please consider making a donation. Your assistance will help us keep this impactful program affordable. With today’s economic stress – and the strains that schools and families are feeling – your support is needed more than ever. Caritas Creek brings a meaningful, joyful learning experience to school children , a respite for teachers and a fresh outlook for many children that never have the chance to leave the urban environment.

UPDATE: What a great event and this benefit had a huge show of support with former campers, moms and dads that “remembered when”, board members and friends and family. It was a heart-warming event and full of laughter, tasty food, some “camp-ground style” silliness , and wonderful stories. This group has it JUST RIGHT their focus is clearly on making the best possible outdoor experience for the kids. Bravo Caritas Creek!!

Human powered fun! What could be greener? The Second Annual  Salsa festival in Redwood City at City Hall Plaza. Come DANCE!! The fun starts tonight, Friday September 25 with Music on the Square – Mazacote performs from 6-8pm and carries on until Saturday. This event is right on the train line, the Redwood City stop and 1/2 block from El Camino Real with dozens of buses. Here are more details, see you there! http://www.redwoodcity.org/events/

CLASSES in MENLO PARK:

Mondays and Fridays at Onetta Harris Community Center
Beginner Salsa Lessons TAUGHT BY DONNA
Starts September 14th, 2009 (you can still register)     >No Class on Monday October 12 it is a holiday.
Ends December 18th, 2009
5:30PM – 6:30PM
100 Terminal Avenue, in Menlo Park on the east side of 101

To register or for more information
Call 650-330-2250 or you can come to class and register
www.menlopark.org/registration

Update: In addition to the great music at the SALSA FESTIVAL, an art car exhibit was at the Salsa Festival, a first for Redwood City. There were cars, trailers,  the largest red wagon I’ve ever seen, motorcycles, cars with sculptures and viewing platforms, unusual surfaces, embellishments, even a Mercedes-Penz (an MB covered in pens)!  Special Thanks to Emily Duffy who has been a long time bay area art-world hero and advocate of speaking up and being a community artist.

What else can you do? Here is some encouragement…

• Try a carpet sweeper… uses “human power” and it is quiet, quick and economical. Check www.realgoods.com
• Calculate your carbon footprint!
• Too hot?Rather than crank up the air conditioning, make the most of what you’ve got – add a ceiling fan. It will make you feel cooler and stir up the air. Of course look at the energy star models, and while you are at it replace those “HOT” bulbs with Compact Fluorescents. It is cooler and saves money.
• Use what you have!! Re-purpose old dish clothes a socks without mates  into rags, old bottles can be used again, and dig out Granny’s cast iron skillet. You’d be surprised at the food you can cook up and without worrying about toxins / non stick coatings. Check out http://www.lodgemfg.com for hints about care of your cast iron cookery.
• Have a Veggie dinner night ( or several) raising animals for food requires more food, land, water, transport, grain, energy than vegetarian meals. And reducing cow farts is a very eco friendly thing as well! Reduce your “energy” footprint, and try a raw meal while you are discovering this big diverse Veggie World!
• Mow the lawn with a regular mower and/or remove some of the lawn and try your hand at growing a few favorite fruits and vegeta bles. For newbies, try tomatoes in pots, swiss chard, herbs, or a lemon tree. Look at what your neighbors grow to get an idea of what works.
• My favorite so far…. go shopping in your sister’s closet! lol Seriouly, trade clothes with friends. Have everyone bring a bag of stuff they don’t use/ doesn’t fit and a food item to share. Have a pot luck, then go shopping! Donate all the unclamined items to a charity, church, or Goodwill – it will have a second life!

Maybe you don’t eat bananas. But you’ll love this!  The fiber from the banana tree trunks can be made into a silky cloth. The eco-friendly material is worth a second look. Chris Baisa is the creator, Delinear is the producer.

Some people communicate through fiber and color, check out Denyse Schmidt Quilts, she creates mosaics of unlikely combinations that are attractive and quirky. Her studio is located in Bridgeport, CT.  Gee’s Bend Quilts also use color and fabric to  create quilts that almost jump off the wall. If you can see this moving exhibit make time for it, or look for the book on the traveling quilt show.

Your Own….! To start this off, say “I love my Kidneys!”

These organs filter 200 liters of blood a day in your body. They balance the electrolytes like sodium and phosphorus in your blood. And they clean out waste.

Since Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is on the rise and can claim spot #9 in the Leading Causes of Death in the U.S. … we are devoting this toxic waste cleanup post to YOUR KIDNEYS.

Your “I love my Kidneys” To Do List:

1. Stop Smoking, nicotine is a factor in kidney disease
2. Learn your counts for cholestrol, blood pressure and blood sugar and get them under control
3. Diet – are your eating habits out of whack? Stay away from HFCS- high fructose corn syrup, processed / salty foods, load up on veggies / fruit, limit meats to lean chicken fish a few times a week.
4. Add Pre-biotics and Pro-biotics to your daily intake
5. Avoid pain medicine, OTC meds put a strain on the kidneys
6. Exercise, get your blood and body moving 5 to 6 times a day.
7. Drink lots of water every day
8. Limit Alcohol
9. Relax, destress, decompress, take a walk, unwind everyday
10. These herbs can help: Dendelion (try dandelion salad, it is bitter and yummy!), stinging nettle in tea, milk thistle.

Information on Bike Sharing programs and tax incentives for riding to work are changing often. Several groups are getting the word out for our California based information, there is alot more information available, this is a start…

• California Bicycle Colation
• Bike to Work Week in California MAY 11-15 2009 Lets look forward to 2010!
• Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

TRAVELING?  You could benefit from bike sharing. The best kind of Tour de France! The Dutch had long been sharing pedals, and the French company JCDecaux is providing a way to pick up pedal power in France. The kiosks are located all around town (Lyon was the test city, also in Paris).

Some communities are combing Bike Sharingwith their RideShare programs, these programs are expanding all over the United States.

Canada has Vancity Bike Share among others.

These astonishing modular dinky buildings grabbed my attention right away. They are elegant and instant and their tiny footprint makes them a possibility for many areas. They have a solar option and designs have wood accents and moldings. This company is located in California  415.676.6648.

TreePeople has worked for 3 decades to bring green to LA in the form of planted trees. They have planted hundreds of thousands of trees around Los Angeles, encouraging conservation and putting green in people’s minds.
They make it easy to participate in the “greening of LA” with acknowledgments to loved ones when you buy a tree or a grove. This is a great way to say Happy Birthday or to commemorate a notable anniversary. I first learned of Tree People years ago when my cousins sent a memorial for my Mother, she has a grove of trees planted in her honor. What a fitting tribute and a wonderful gift to her and all of us in California!

Andy Lipkis is the president of this earth friendly non-profit. He has been planting trees since he was 15 and continues to dream green! TreePeople has workshops, Park Planing days and elegant soirees to attend in support of their efforts. They are eco-heroes!