citizen volunteer – Page 12 – Creative Greenius

The Greenius Goes Into Overdrive

April 12, 2009April 12, 2009carbon producers, citizen volunteer, climate change, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green education, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power5 Comments

img_5854-copy1 — The Greenius in Yosemite

As the climate change crisis goes from bad to worse (while the deniers get nuttier and more cult-like with each passing day) and Australia gives Californians an advanced sneak preview at what is without a doubt headed our way sooner than you expect, your Creative Greenius has only gotten more Fired Up, Ready to Go!

That’s right my friends, while others are cutting back, downsizing, slowing down and pulling back, your Creative Greenius is not only Ready to Go, I’m already going, baby, and I’m moving at Obama speed.

So buckle up and hang on while I take you for a little trip with the Greenius to the places I’ve been and the places I’m going…

Continue reading ➞ The Greenius Goes Into Overdrive

The Solangelist Learns To Install Solar & Loves It

March 31, 2009September 15, 2012citizen volunteer, climate change, environment, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability, Yes We Can!6 Comments

I have to admit that for the first few hours of day one in PV101: Introduction to Photovoltaics I was dazed and confused by all the foreign concepts I was trying to grasp at once. I wasn’t feeling very Creative or very Greenius. I was feeling mostly dumb ass.

Understanding Ohm’s Law of resistance, the basics of current, amps and volts, not to mention the concepts of alternating current, Kirchhoff’s Circuit laws and the many fun equations that spell it all out – if you happen to read and understand those hieroglyphics – had me feeling pretty damn ignorant and out of my element.

The extent of my electrical background heretofore consisted of installing lighting fixtures and new wall switches – so long as they were replacements for existing items that got wired the same way.

Now my head was swimming with concepts of Joules, Coulombs and electrons all dancing about in the mysterious ways they create electricity.

And I was quite certain that of the 25 or so other guys in the room, every single one of them knew a hell of a lot more about the electrical basics than I did.

Continue reading ➞ The Solangelist Learns To Install Solar & Loves It

Torrance Enviro Commish – From Curious to CringeWorthy

March 6, 2009October 10, 2009citizen volunteer, climate change, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, green building, green buildings, politics, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability6 Comments

The most recognizeable symbol of Torrance Environmental Quality — The most recognizable symbol of Torrance Environmental Quality

I spent another two and a half hours last night (time, like my 401k I’ll never get back) in the always delightful West Wing Commission Room attending the monthly Torrance Environmental Quality and Energy Saving Commission meeting.

My friends, let me tell you right now that we’ve got trouble.

Oh we got trouble,
Right here in Torrance!
With a capital “T”
That rhymes with “C”
And that stands for Clueless…

Come on, sing along with me after the jump –

Continue reading ➞ Torrance Enviro Commish – From Curious to CringeWorthy

Lillian Light Is No Lightweight – The Environmental Lioness of the South Bay is Fired Up, Ready To Go!

March 5, 2009March 6, 2009citizen volunteer, climate change, election, environment, environmental legislation, fossil fuels, green education, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability, Voters, water conservation, Yes We Can!2 Comments

hummin-v27_3-lillian-light The more time I spend with Lillian Light the more I admire, respect and flat out like her.

Our relationship started about a month ago when we spent an evening together carpooling to a UCLA workshop on communication climate change that we both participated in.

I wrote about our experience at the time in Greenius On The Green Scene The South Bay Report.

I dug Lillian right away. She speaks her mind, she knows what she’s talking about and she does more than just talk, she walks the environmental walk. Lillian is the real deal and a rare commodity in this world – authentic and genuine without the slightest hint of pretense or self-importance.

Lillian is also the President of the Environmental Priorities Network (EPN) and I wanted to learn more about them and more about Lillian herself. When I asked her if she’d agree to be interviewed for Creative Greenius she graciously agreed.

Continue reading ➞ Lillian Light Is No Lightweight – The Environmental Lioness of the South Bay is Fired Up, Ready To Go!

Dr. James Hansen Has Something To Tell You

February 26, 2009February 27, 2009carbon producers, citizen volunteer, climate change, election, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, Killer Coal, politics1 Comment

This just in from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, via her blog (thanks to Joe Romm of Climate Progress)

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Today, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent the following letter to the Acting Architect of the Capitol, Stephen T. Ayers, asking that the Capitol Power Plant (CPP) use 100 percent natural gas for its operations. They write, “the switch to natural gas will allow the CPP to dramatically reduce carbon and criteria pollutant emissions, eliminating more than 95 percent of sulfur oxides and at least 50 percent of carbon monoxide…We strongly encourage you to move forward aggressively with us on a comprehensive set of policies for the entire Capitol complex and the entire Legislative Branch to quickly reduce emissions and petroleum consumption through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean alternative fuels.”

Your Greenius says, the threat of Monday’s civil disobedience got this letter written and I hope the action itself moves us from letters to legislation. I strongly encourage Speaker Pelosi to join the Capitol Climate Action civil disobedience protest and get arrested on March the 2nd to show where she stands. She’s already in DC, it’s only a few blocks away, Speaker. Go ahead and march on over, even if it’s cold.

Greenius On The South Bay Scene – The Green Report

February 18, 2009June 4, 2014citizen volunteer, environment, Environmental Politics, green education, renewable energy, solar power, SustainabilityLeave a Comment

If you want to have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening on the South Bay green scene being on Dency Nelson’s Friends for A Green Hermosa Beach e-mail list is a pretty damn good place to start.

The green story of Dency Nelson is worth an entire blog onto itself, but he’s far too busy and actively involved to ever have time for that. His green roots go back to the 1970s along with those of his friend, Ed Begley Jr.

Ed became a star in front of the camera, Dency became a superstar on the other side of the camera. Today they both drive electric cars powered from the charge generated via their rooftop solar panels.

Today, I think a new TV series called “Living With Dency” has the potential to be an even bigger hit than “Living With Ed” has been. After all, Dency lives in the far more telegenic South Bay and his solar panels have an ocean view…

Continue reading ➞ Greenius On The South Bay Scene – The Green Report

Greenius Is Fired Up Over Obama’s Green Economic Recovery Bill!

February 17, 2009February 17, 2009campaign, carbon producers, citizen volunteer, climate change, election, electric cars, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, Killer Coal, News Media, plug-in cars, politics, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability, Voters, Yes We Can!1 Comment

President Obama Steps Up To Save The Economy & The Climate While Republicans No Longer Relevant

I wholeheartedly applaud, support and endorse President Barack Obama’s signing of the $787 billion economic recovery bill just moments ago. I cheer his rapid action less than a month after taking office to start getting us out of the Bush Depression – both literally and figuratively.

This bill is not only the most sweeping economic recovery package in our nation’s history, it’s also the greenest.

Fortunately for all of us, climate change guru, Joe Romm of Climate Progress, has already done the heavy lifting and outlined just how green and positive this new bill is. Read:

Here’s What’s Green In It

Continue reading ➞ Greenius Is Fired Up Over Obama’s Green Economic Recovery Bill!

Shouldn’t We ALL Be Going to PowerShift 2009?

February 12, 2009February 12, 2009carbon producers, citizen volunteer, climate change, election, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, Killer Coal, politics, renewable energy, Sustainability, Yes We Can!Leave a Comment

I know I should be in Washington DC in two weeks to help take over the capitol on behalf of green jobs, clean energy and ending our carbon-based economy.

I know I should be there contributing, blogging and shooting pictures, marching and lobbying and networking with my green brothers and sisters in arms.

I know I should be there with the 10,000 young people who are gathering in Washington to hold our elected officials’ feet to the accountability fire.

“I can’t understand why there aren’t rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power plants.” – Al Gore

Continue reading ➞ Shouldn’t We ALL Be Going to PowerShift 2009?

The Curious Case of the Torrance Enivornmental Commission

February 9, 2009November 2, 2009citizen volunteer, climate change, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green buildings, politics, recycling, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Voters, water conservation, wildlife9 Comments

scoop1 I attended the first 2009 meeting of the Torrance Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commission last Thursday night and it was curiously different from anything I expected.

First of all, I was the only member of the public who attended the meeting. Secondly, the energy level, enthusiasm and sense of urgency I’ve experienced at other environmental meetings was nowhere to be found among the Commissioners. Maybe they all wished they were watching the Lakers-Celtics game that night instead…

Your Greenius already knew the Lakers would beat down Boston, so my focus was fixed on what was going down in the room.

Continue reading ➞ The Curious Case of the Torrance Enivornmental Commission

The Greenius Gets His Hands Dirty

January 24, 2009January 25, 2009citizen volunteer, environment1 Comment

2095324375_a67c2787c0 — The historic and still delicous Fosters Freeze of Old Town Torrance

Lest you think your Creative Greenius spends all his time at the keyboard ruminating about issues national and global, this morning I got up early so I would be awake enough to drive across town to Charles Payne’s house on the other side of Torrance, in Old Town. Charles heads up the Old Torrance Neighborhood Association and yesterday I read in my local paper, an item headlined, “Volunteers needed for clean up day.” otnalogo_vsnocap