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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.

The following I received from Executive Director of Move San Diego, Elyse Lowe. Your support is needed by MONDAY June 27:

In an audacious move widely supported by advocates for transportation options, the San Diego Land Use and Housing Committee, with Councilmember Kevin Faulconer absent, unanimously voted to forward a proposed ‘Pro-Transit’ letter from the Council to SANDAG as part of the public comment period for the draft 2050 Regional Transportation Plan Update.

The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) will lead a joint research study of how the useful lifespan of electric vehicle batteries could be extended by repurposing them as household electric storage devices with a $992,000 grant from the University of California.

The grant was awarded by the Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Research Center, a division of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis. Partnering with CCSE in the one-year study are San Diego Gas and Electric, AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) of Monrovia, Calif., Flux Power of Vista, Calif., and the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at UC Berkeley.

Earth Day is extra special this year because it marks the 40th year anniversary of the global event that was launched to bring increased awareness about our planet Earth and our impact on it. I wanted to sit down with my good friend Dan Noble, who I refer to as the “Father of Green in San Diego” and ask him a few questions. He was here in 1970 and organized the first local celebration at Grossmont College. He has continued on in the movement and is a well respected leader in sustainability here in San Diego. He is a real local treasure. To begin with I wanted to find out from Dan what that first Earth Day in San Diego was like...

During the winter months, we tend to drive our cars with the windows rolled up, and the heater turned on... that is unless you are a member of the Polar Bear Club, and you enjoy freezing. (I'm not here to judge; it's just an observation.)

Because we nearly hermetically seal our vehicles from the cold weather, the air inside our vehicles can become a little stagnant. This results in a stale smell in the car. What to do?

Nuclear Power was a mistake and remains a mistake. If the human family survives it, our descendants will wonder what we were thinking to justify leaving them nuclear power’s toxic legacy -- a legacy they will be dealing with for hundreds if not thousands of generations.

And why did we do it? To power our lights, TVs, radios, stereos, air conditioners, etc. and the tools we used to make them.

Our creation of nuclear power will be especially difficult for our descendants to understand because they will know that in the nuclear era, we already had all the technologies and know-how needed to power everything in ways that are perpetually recyclable, powered by free solar energy and which leave zero harmful residues in their wake.

Over the last semester I taught a course called “Introduction to Renewable Energy” at San Diego State University in their Green Energy Management certificate program. I realized while interacting with the professionals from all over the world (this was an online course) that there was basic environmental scientific knowledge that was not really understood by the students and these were all people already interested in a sustainability career! Sometimes when a person is so involved within an industry and they are so accustomed to everyone around them having a broad set of common vocabulary and knowledge that they forget that those outside of this industry often do not understand at all what they are trying to communicate to them. It was one of those “aha” moments for me.

Once in awhile there comes a film that is so profound, inspiring and tugs at your heart strings that you just have to stand, applause wildly and say "YES!! FINALLY!" That is how I felt after watching the Sundance Film Festival award winning movie "Fuel" last night. And I wasn't the only one...every person in the theater was on their feet by the time the credits were rolling! Filmmaker Josh Tickell has spent over ten years putting together what I have to say is by far the BEST environmental film ever and I have seen most of them. Audience members were energized after the screening and were still outside the theater an hour after the film discussing the issues and networking with each other. It was just that kind of movie!

Taking on just one task to try to help heal the ever-impending global green crisis is daunting enough, but when one young man attempts to take on a combination of projects to raise awareness for a cause, well, we can just hope that his dedication, commitment and tenacity rubs off on the youth of today.

The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) will be joining San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders from 11:00 a.m. until noon on Thursday, July 16, at the city’s Environmental Services Division (9601 Ridgehaven Court) in Kearny Mesa to announce the launch of an interactive solar mapping website for San Diego County. The website enables users to view the locations of thousands of solar power and solar water heating systems installed in San Diego and will ultimately allow users to estimate the potential size and cost of solar equipment on their home.

At a time when businesses are strictly focusing on cutting costs with their eyes fixed squarely on the bottom line, it is so inspiring to see a company dedicated to doing not only what makes financial sense but what is right and good for humanity and our planet’s long term sustainability. Hotel Indigo San Diego, an IHG boutique hotel and the first LEED (Leadership in Environment and Energy Design) certified hotel in San Diego makes its green debut July 13th. This is a company that has taken the guidelines of the US Green Building Council’s LEED rating system and made it an art form.

Inspired, creative, and intelligent design are all words that come close to describing Hotel Indigo but they fall short to the experience of witnessing the details first hand. When I was asked to take a tour of the hotel earlier this month, I was interested to see what a LEED hotel might look like. I imagined hearing about paint and glue that was used without toxic chemicals, sustainable building materials, and energy efficient heating and cooling systems. But I could never have imagined how much more Hotel Indigo had in store for me!

In case you missed our Earth Week event "Green Jobs and Career Workshop" that we produced with the Connell Whittaker Group, we have the powerpoint presentations for you to look at! It is an exciting time in the Green, Sustainability and Renewable Energy sectors and we want you to stay informed! We have also created a San Diego Green Jobs email listserv if you would like to join and get in on the discussion you can send an email and be added. For all of the presentations click on the "More" button to view. Enjoy!

As spring is upon us and the San Diego Padres are starting to take the field, here’s a possible preview at your venture into solar energy for your home or business:

You, you’re the Batter. You want to get on base so you can get the project started. You’re being “pitched” many balls and strikes by the various installers (AKA integrators), who will contract the project for you. Some pitches are better than others. Some balls are pitched high, some low, and you hope to get one in the “sweet spot” and get on base. You may hit a few foul balls before you get anywhere. This could be for swinging early, (i.e., you installed before the 30% federal tax credit was issued) or late (you missed the best stepped down rebates).

When it comes to going green, Cricket Communications has found its calling. For starters, the wireless carrier recently signed an 11-year lease for the entire 205,506-square-foot office building at 5893 Copley Drive in San Diego. The six-story building is registered for LEED certification with a Platinum rating. They also have a similar sized field office in Denver that’s Gold-level LEED certified.

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Cricket Communications provides wireless services to about 3.84 million customers in 60 markets across 25 U.S. states. A subsidiary of Leap Wireless International, the company offers a wide array of services from voice and data to mobile broadband.

Last July, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and the City Council declared San Diego to be in a Stage 1 Water Emergency. Since then, San Diegans have been asked to voluntarily save water. By this spring, Sanders indicated that San Diego would most likely need to move to a Stage 2 Water Emergency, which calls for mandatory conservation measures.

At a recent news conference, Sanders noted that if lifestyle and voluntary changes fail, a water allocation plan could be enacted, which would call for water restrictors to be installed on businesses and homes. Water users who exceed their allotted amount could be charged a hefty premium. Sanders justified the plan by saying that it would be unfair for users to have all the water they want at the expense of those who are taking steps to conserve.

We have been through this before. As if given a noble destiny, California once again is at the center of a corporate-influenced effort to overturn one of our state’s historic bills.

Signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2006, AB 32 California Global Warming Solutions Act requires industries to cut emissions or buy allowances to bring California's carbon footprint down about 25 percent to 1990 levels by 2020. This has had bi-partisan support and is the right thing to do for our state, country and the rest of the world. Just like we experienced when California led legislation in the 1970s to require that toxic lead be removed from gasoline and catalytic converters be installed in cars to eliminate the smog in our cities, we are once again witnessing the oil industry spending millions of dollars in an effort to frighten us with gloom and doom of economic hardship and job loss if we comply with this mandate.

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.

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.

Save the dates for Sustainable Energy Week, Sept. 12-18, during which CCSE will spotlight the many benefits homeowners and businesses enjoy when they take a holistic approach to their energy use – energy reduction, cost savings and a cleaner environment. Presentations, displays and demonstrations will highlight energy efficiency, solar power, electric cars, home energy retrofitting and a host of other green and sustainable lifestyle choices. It’s a week full of events, tours, a family fun day and a day-long conference.

The California Center for Sustainable Energy is proud to present Sustainable Energy Week with the support of our sponsors: San Diego Gas & Electric, Qualcomm, Sullivan Solar Power, Cox Conserves, Pure Water Technology, GroSolar, ATP, Innergy Power, Kyocera, REC Solar, Aerotek, Sharp Healthcare and Go Solar, California!