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Welcome to San Diego Loves Green, your leading source of local GREEN businesses, news, information and network of citizens committed to living a more eco-conscious way of life! One person CAN make a difference and a whole community aware of the impact of their choices can make a profound difference on the health of the environment, ocean and our families.

Dear Santa,

This year I’ve been a very good girl. Really, I have. I donated to charity. I volunteered my time. I even started this blog to heighten my eco-awareness and, in turn, help the planet. Problem is – this green thing is harder to maintain than I thought it’d be!

You know that GreenOne (www.greenoneventures.com) canvas tote I was so excited about previously? I still think it’s totally adorable, but unfortunately it’s more a permanent fixture in my car’s backseat than highly-used shopping bag. On the rare occasion I do remember to bring it into the store, it ends up stuck in the house for a week after unloading. And I’ll bet you’re wondering about my recycling efforts. If I had to come up with a percentage, I’d say I’m recycling 70 percent of the time. But, hey, I can recall when I wasn’t recycling at all! That’s gotta count for something, right?

The Department of Commerce delivered a sweet gift by upholding the California Coastal Commission’s earlier decision to spare San Onofre State Beach from the proposed toll road project through North County. It is official, both the state and federal governments have legally protected Trestles from this project.

The Surfrider Foundation has been a strong advocate in saving Trestles from destruction over the last several years and deserves a big “Thank You!” for playing such a leadership role in organizing and providing legal opposition in this fight to protect one of Southern California’s most beloved beaches. On behalf of the citizens of San Diego, a deep bow for all of your efforts!

After a dramatic three year battle, the California Public Utilities Commission has voted 4 to 1 to approve SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink proposal. While many opponents fought successfully to keep the project from being built through the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the latest push to mandate the power line to only be used for renewable energy was believed by the commission to be too “heavy-handed” and was not a requirement in the final approval.

The mandate promoted by Commissioner Dian Grueneich and four state senators including Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego would have put conditions to require SDG&E to get a third of its power from renewable sources like solar, wind and hot water, ban it from using Sunrise for coal power, require it to replace any contracts that fall through with new renewable power from the same region and establish performance milestones.

Our First Treasure Hunt was such a success we have MORE prizes and MORE ways to win this time!!

Restaurant gift certificates, spa services, whale watching tickets, gas cards, clothing, gift baskets and MORE!!

The rules are simple – SEEK and you shall FIND and WIN! See full details below! Good luck!

Congratulations to our winners from last week: Katie Bauer, Jenny Dempsey, Crystal De Soto, Cullen Bemis, Bailey Mann, Caitlin Denham, Adam Matar, William Gagan, Mia Litman, Haley Forrest, Megan Hanson, Arthur Johnson, Jade Simpson, Jamie Gannon, Michael Stoll, Yevez Perez and Matt Weaver!

Hunt through SanDiegoLovesGreen.com for the treasure chest icons. When you find a chest, just email us at treasurehunt@sandiegolovesgreen.com, tell us where you found the buried treasure, the number associated with the treasure icon and if you are the first person to find it, YOU WIN!

And because that’s just not enough, we’re also offering some GRAND PRIZES! If you forward this article to your friends, and CC us at treasurehunt@sandiegolovesgreen.com, you will be entered as many times as the people you forward it to– forward it to 1 person and you have 1 chance to win, forward it to 10 people and you have 10 chances to win! Grand Prize is an overnight stay at the downtown Hotel Solamar, and a Green Spa Package for two!

Click on "MORE" for information on Prizes, hints and more details... Happy Hunting!

If history is any guide, recessions tend to last on average between 8 and 16 months. At least that has been the case since 1937. The last quarter our GDP shrunk, though many believe we entered a recession much earlier in the year. If for the sake of argument we were to assume that the U.S. economy entered recession at the end of June, that would make a recession based on historic precedent end somewhere between February and December of 2009. Historically, markets have recovered halfway through a recession; that would translate to a bottom somewhere between now and February. I have no knowledge as to when stocks will no longer be on sale, but this is the time to be bargain hunting, especially in the green space. These prices won’t last forever.

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, President (elect) Obama, and many politicians, thought leaders, and business people all seem to agree that the green economy will be the road to renewed prosperity. If that is the case, it certainly is not reflected in the stock prices. Solar stocks are off somewhere in the 60-90% range year-to-date, The WilderShares Clean Energy Index is down over 70%, and such is the picture for virtually the entire clean tech and alternative energy space. If ever the future was not priced into the current stock prices…

One for one. For every pair of purchased shoes, TOMS Shoes has vowed to donate a pair to a child in need. This is the eco-conscious company’s motto, and it’s run like an amazing race! Like the Amazing Race, CBS TV’s popular show that has contestants rushing across the globe finding clues to each destination until one team of two reaches the finish line and collects a hefty reward. It was 2002, in Season 2 of “Amazing Race,” that brother-sister team Blake and Paige Mycoskie placed third among eleven, but for Blake the race didn’t stop there. The following year, Mycoskie returned to impoverished Argentina and was inspired by an Alpargata canvas sandal to create an eco-friendly espadrille that would make a difference for the many barefooted children he encountered after “Amazing Race.”

TOMS, or shoes for tomorrow, headquartered in Santa Monica, designed to “make life more comfortable” debuted in 2006, and is known for its generous shoe drops. The company’s motto is simple: For every pair of TOMS sold, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need on your behalf. According to “Mahalo Daily,” TOMS has delivered and hand placed thousands of pairs of the eco-friendly shoes to the delight of Argentinean and South African children in need, garnering worldwide attention.

Time to head for powder packed slopes! Whether you're a skier or snowboarder, you'll be happy to hear that the ski industry is going green. They're doing their part to help offset the pollution that contributes to global warming, which also jeopardizes most ski resorts with later snowfalls and earlier snow melts.

Mammoth Mountain is asking visitors to park their cars and take advantage of an extensive bus network. The Vail resorts, including nearby Heavenly at Lake Tahoe, use wind power to run their lifts. And Colorado's Sunshine Express high-speed quad at Steamboat runs on sunlight. In fact, 55 resorts in 14 states are buying renewable energy to offset part or all of their power needs. An impressive 26 resorts run on 100% green energy.

Whether your fancy yourself an art critic or simply appreciate beautiful things, it’s time you step out of San Diego’s typical galleries and into an art encounter like no other. Lux Art Institute, a one-of-a-kind facility that combines an artist’s residence, studio and exhibition space, is redefining the modern museum experience. By putting artists on display, Lux invites visitors to observe art and interact with the artists. “Lux lets visitors ‘see art happen’ as they experience a unique private studio experience by watching our national and international artists complete a commissioned work,” explains founding director Reesey Shaw. “While surrounded by a retrospective of the artists' work, visitors get to see the creative process as it unfolds, for a truly transformative experience.”

Picture a San Diego in the near future with a clean, less expensive, more reliable and eco-friendly method of delivering electricity to its communities. That’s what the author of “San Diego Smart Energy 2020: The 21st Century Alternative,” a groundbreaking report that explores a range of options to pursue a clean, sustainable energy future for the San Diego region, has in mind with a counter proposal to SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink. Backed by the Sierra Club and other environmentally conscious organizations, the alternative proposal was created by professional engineer Bill Powers, Regional Power Provision Expert, as the local solution for clean energy over SDG&E’s proposed Sunrise Powerlink designed to import fossil fuels from Mexico to generate energy.

Blue Ocean Institute, Environmental Defense Fund and Monterey Bay Aquarium recently released public color-coded consumer guides that allow environmentally conscious sushi-lovers to order sushi based on how the fish were caught. Popular fish that were prepared using farmed-in ways will be ranked lower than others. The color-coded guide will make it easier for sushi eaters to evaluate their sushi orders and how their purchases will impact ocean wildlife.

The highest-ranking selections in the new color-coded guides will be those that fall into the category of most sustainable and fished from abundant sources. Very low ranking choices would typically include bluefin tuna and freshwater eel. Alaska salmon, on the other hand, would fall into the high-ranked category of fish. These guides will be available online, in print and accessible via mobile devices.

Unlike many businesses out there that are taking steps to go green, they’re like baby steps when compared to the changes the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club has made. And this is no easy feat when you consider that this 14-acre beachside resort includes the exclusive 98-room La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, the 128-room oceanfront La Jolla Shores Hotel & Restaurant and the award-winning Marine Room restaurant. Resort amenities include 14 championship tennis courts, a nine-hole par-3 golf course, two swimming pools, two additional oceanfront restaurants and cocktail lounges and one of Southern California’s only private beaches.

I am incredibly proud of our country today. Remarkable things happen when the people understand the power contained within their right to vote and exercise it. This is a monumental day in history, where the same country that elected George W. Bush for eight years can evolve to the degree that they then elect the first black President of the United States! It is a profound testament to the spirit and growing consciousness of the people in America. My spirit is soaring with hope and the possibility of great change ahead for all us.

In his acceptance speech last night, it was evident that President Obama understands clearly that the road before us will be a challenge. He demonstrated insight and realistic expectations of what it is going to take to transform our country and get it back on the right path and that is all of us working together!

What would YOU like to see happen? Worldchanging.com recently asked this of the smartest, most interesting people they know and now we’re asking YOU (the smartest and most interesting people we know).

Please email your 100 words or less to Tawnia@SanDiegoLovesGreen.com. We look forward to hearing your words of wisdom for our next president and will be posting them soon.

The question: In 100 words or less, what should the next president do in his first 100 days to address the planet's most pressing problems?

If you're a chocolate lover, you should be aware that not all chocolates are alike. And we're not talking about cocoa content. Some chocolates are "greener" than others. Greener because more chocolate manufacturers are finally facing a number of critical social and environmental issues that have long stigmatized the cocoa industry. Which means you can now choose from a growing variety of new, "sustainable chocolate" products.

But first, a little background into the cocoa industry's darker side. Since most cocoa is grown by small family farmers in remote tropical regions, they're often forced to sell their harvest to middlemen for a fraction of its value.