green jobs – Page 2 – Creative Greenius

GREENIUS ON PATCH.COM: Top 10 Green Champions in Hermosa I’m Most Thankful For

November 23, 2010November 28, 2010citizen volunteer, climate change, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green jobs, plug-in cars, politics, recycling, renewable energy, Saving Energy, sea-level rise, solar power, SustainabilityLeave a Comment

When it comes to the holiday season I’m a Thanksgiving kind of guy.

I love everything about T-Day: the focus on gratitude and appreciation, the gathering of family and friends, the sharing of a feast we’ve all contributed to, and best of all, its non-denominational inclusiveness.

In a year when there was hardly anything on the national environmental scene to be thankful for (and frankly plenty to flat out freak out over) it’s been the right time to think globally and act locally, especially if that locality happens to be Hermosa Beach where you have green champions such as:

READ THE REST OF THE STORY ON HERMOSA BEACH PATCH.COM

Mayor DiVirgilio: “Why Hermosa Beach is Going Carbon Neutral”

March 17, 2010March 17, 2010carbon producers, citizen volunteer, climate change, electric cars, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green education, green jobs, plug-in cars, politics, recycling, renewable energy, Saving Energy, sea-level rise, solar power, SustainabilityLeave a Comment

Hermosa Beach Mayor, Michael DiVirgilio, has on Op Ed piece in today’s Daily Breeze on why he is leading his city to a carbon neutral future.

In an era when most elected officials offer no substance and no positive vision for our future, DiVirgilio is downright JFK-like in his view of what must be done:

“But now is not the time to narrow the vision for our own future, to diminish our expectations for the better days ahead or to downsize the ambitions for our children’s quality of life.

Now is the time to step up and seize the opportunities available to those who act on new realities before they become mainstream trends. Now is the time to use the stimulus, grant and foundation money available to those who lead before the map is even drawn.

Now is also the time to act because we are standing at another threshold, the threshold of climate-change tipping points that may diminish the future prospects and possibilities for young and old alike.”

So we choose to go carbon neutral, not because it is easy, but because it is our best possible future, and the best path to preserving the small-town beach community and culture we all cherish and want to pass on to the generations who follow.

Getting To Work In Hermosa Beach – The Carbon Neutral ClueTrain Leaves the Station

March 12, 2010March 13, 2010campaign, citizen volunteer, climate change, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green education, green jobs, News Media, plug-in cars, politics, recycling, renewable energy, Saving Energy, sea-level rise, solar power, Sustainability, Yes We Can!1 Comment

Courtesy of YouTube and the Hermosa Beach City website, and converted and enlarged through the magic of Greenius, we bring you this exclusive look at the Carbon Neutral ClueTrain leaving the Hermosa Beach station this week. Local mainstream media missed this story completely but fortunately for them this on-line record will exist for them to use as research. So will the reporting that the new Patch.com news group will be providing.

The story actually began last week during Hermosa Beach Mayor’s State of the City address where Mayor Michael DiVirgilio spoke about the Carbon Neutral City concept:

Mayor DiVirgilio was right back at it Monday night at the Hermosa Beach Green Task Force meeting, speaking enthusiastically on behalf of the idea:

Join us after the jump to see your friendly neighborhood Greenius and my Fratelli Verde, Robert Fortunato, following the Mayor with our own remarks.

Continue reading ➞ Getting To Work In Hermosa Beach – The Carbon Neutral ClueTrain Leaves the Station

Greenius Presents: My Pal Governor Schwarzenegger on What’s Coming Next & Why AB 32 Needs Your Love

February 21, 2010February 21, 2010carbon producers, climate change, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green jobs, Ocean, renewable energy, Saving Energy, sea-level rise, solar power, SustainabilityLeave a Comment

As your friendly neighborhood Greenius continues with his efforts to help Hermosa Beach become the first carbon neutral city in the South Bay, it might help some of you to get up to speed on what we already know is coming our way here in California from climate change and global weirding.

So why not let my old pal, Governor Schwarzenegger tell it to you straight about what we’re doing here in California to prepare for what we already see coming our way:

Unlike the astoundingly large group of dumbed-down states in the USA who happily have their heads up their own asses when it comes to sharing the climate change facts with their citizens and actually taking the bold actions necessary, California isn’t lying and isn’t delaying. If we have any chance at all of stopping catastrophic climate change from making the future a moot point for your kids, the rest of the country is going to have to follow our lead with emissions cuts, energy efficiency and renewable energy use.

Many of them will have to be dragged kicking and screaming – as usual – but if we have to go caveman on them to help save ourselves, then so be it.

Continue reading ➞ Greenius Presents: My Pal Governor Schwarzenegger on What’s Coming Next & Why AB 32 Needs Your Love

BREAKING NEWS: Hermosa Beach To Become Carbon Neutral City! Acting Locally, Thinking Globally

February 10, 2010February 12, 2010carbon producers, citizen volunteer, climate change, electric cars, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green education, green jobs, plug-in cars3 Comments

Ever since the Copenhagen climate treaty talks ended in impotence two months ago there hasn’t been a single ounce of positive news on the international scene about our chances of cutting the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and getting CO2 levels back down to the safe 350 ppm zone. Here in the United States our President and Congress haven’t shown the leadership or sense of urgency necessary to prevent a climate catastrophe and they’ve given the people no hope for their children’s future at the national level. Many in Congress have acted unethically and immorally with the responsibility they have been trusted with.

As the Creative Greenius and organizer of the South Bay Los Angeles 350 Climate Action Group that’s just unacceptable to me. If they can’t get the job done in Washington, DC or at the UN – and it’s obvious to me that they cannot – then we will take the reins of responsibility from them right now and we will get the job done here locally.

That’s exactly what is happening now.

Last night at the Hermosa Beach, California City Council meeting, Mayor Michael DiVirgilo, confirmed that he and the City Council are committed to making their iconic beach town a Carbon Neutral City at the earliest possible date. Hermosa Beach’s Green Task Force was directed to come up with the plan and a special joint session of the Council and the Task Force was scheduled for March 30 to get the carbon neutral ball rolling. This makes Hermosa Beach the first city in the South Bay of Los Angeles County, and the first city in all of Los Angeles County to declare their intent to become carbon neutral and sustainable. And that makes them the leadership model we will replicate in all of the other 87 cities that make up this County of 10 million people.

None of this is happening by accident.

Your Creative Greenius was there on the scene to witness the historic action and to add my remarks to note the occasion. Check out the video excerpt courtesy of Hermosa Beach’s website after the jump, and discover, in classic Paul Harvey tradition, the rest of the story…

Continue reading ➞ BREAKING NEWS: Hermosa Beach To Become Carbon Neutral City! Acting Locally, Thinking Globally

Thomas Friedman Explains Climate Change Action For You

December 9, 2009December 10, 2009climate change, electric cars, environment, green jobs, plug-in cars, renewable energy, solar powerLeave a Comment

From Today’s, December 9, New York Times: Thomas Friedman,

“If we prepare for climate change by building a clean-power economy, but climate change turns out to be a hoax, what would be the result? Well, during a transition period, we would have higher energy prices. But gradually we would be driving battery-powered electric cars and powering more and more of our homes and factories with wind, solar, nuclear and second-generation biofuels. We would be much less dependent on oil dictators who have drawn a bull’s-eye on our backs; our trade deficit would improve; the dollar would strengthen; and the air we breathe would be cleaner. In short, as a country, we would be stronger, more innovative and more energy independent.

But if we don’t prepare, and climate change turns out to be real, life on this planet could become a living hell.”

Hey Exxon! Hey Chevron! My Friends At the EPA Are Declaring What You Do Dangerous & You Will Pay. Pack Up Losers, It’s Time For You to Go!

December 7, 2009December 7, 2009carbon producers, citizen volunteer, climate change, electric cars, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green buildings, green jobs, greenwashing, Killer Coal, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power1 Comment

How do you like me now South Bay spewers of greenhouse gases? Yeah, I’m talking to you Exxon/Mobil mercenaries who work at the Torrance refinery and you amoral assassins who get your blood money from the Chevron refinery in El Segundo.

I told you there was a new sheriff in town and that your days in my community were numbered. Did you think I was kidding?

Now the EPA is about to smack both of you upside the head – and these are only the opening smacks you both have coming. Good thing you wear those hardhats. Maybe you should have spread some of your slush fund bribe money around to the schools and libraries in Washington DC where the EPA holds it meetings instead of trying to buy your love here from desperate parents and city councils in the South Bay.

Continue reading ➞ Hey Exxon! Hey Chevron! My Friends At the EPA Are Declaring What You Do Dangerous & You Will Pay. Pack Up Losers, It’s Time For You to Go!

350 Climate Action – South Bay Style! The Whole World is Watching…

September 30, 2009October 1, 2009citizen volunteer, climate change, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green jobs, Ocean, renewable energy, Saving Energy, sea-level rise, solar power, Sustainability1 Comment

That’s the banner that will be strung across Manhattan Ave in downtown Manhattan Beach next week to herald our South Bay 350 Climate Action Group event on the beach as our part of the International Day of Climate Action. It’s thanks to our host city of Manhattan Beach and our wonderful partners at the South Bay Environmental Services Center.

And here’s the banner that will be stretching across Highway 1 at Marine Avenue courtesy of our great allies at Surfrider Foundation

We’ve got the entire South Bay fired up, ready to go! And we’re reaching out to all 10 million citizens of the County of Los Angeles. These are YOUR beaches, this is YOUR time, this is the issue of YOUR generation. Join us and lets stand shoulder to shoulder to take action for our children and their children!

That’s why the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted yesterday to pass a resolution declaring October 24, 2009 “International Day of Climate Action” for L.A. County. Check it out after the jump.

Continue reading ➞ 350 Climate Action – South Bay Style! The Whole World is Watching…

Your AB 920 Greenius Update & A Call For Three Times The Sun!

August 14, 2009carbon producers, climate change, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green jobs3 Comments

One of the groups I support and learn from is Environment California who have been great advocates of AB 811 and AB 920, the one-two punch for solar we absolutely need to drive solar sales at the rate demanded by today’s CO2 levels. Dan Jacobson is the Legislative Director of Environment California and he’s both progressive and effective – and someone I admire a great deal.

Dan’s been a big help to California Assemblyman Jared Huffman’s efforts to get AB 920 turned into the feed-in tariff law that will drive sales of solar literally through and onto every available rooftop in the Golden State. And if you talked with Lawrence Cooper he’d probably tell you it would be a big help in getting to 33% renewable energy in California. Lawrence Cooper works with Assemblyman Huffman, and AB 920 is one of his big responsibilities.

I heard from Cooper a couple of times this week with updates on the progress of AB 920 which is expected to be heard on Monday in Senate Appropriations, where it will be referred to the suspense file due to the cost. Cooper and his team will then start to work to get the bill out of suspense.

Cooper has already worked long and hard, including setting me straight about SCE’s support for the bill. I had gotten that wrong in my piece on Monday and Cooper was kind enough to correct me without beating me up.

Continue reading ➞ Your AB 920 Greenius Update & A Call For Three Times The Sun!

The Greenius Solution To All California’s Problems: AB 920 + AB 811 UPDATED

August 10, 2009August 13, 2009citizen volunteer, climate change, electric cars, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green jobs, Killer Coal, plug-in cars, politics, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Yes We Can!6 Comments

AB 920 + AB 811 = Solar Powered Electric Cars & PV Powered Charging Stations

I used to get frustrated with people when they couldn’t grok what was so blatantly obvious to me. The dots that other folks were failing to even see, already looked pre-connected to me – like those incredibly real artificial Christmas trees with the lights already set in place and ready to plug-in.

It took me about five decades to realize that I was just wired to see things a certain way and that most other people come at the same things from a very different angle.

What I’m seeing plain-as-day right now is the simple and obvious solar solution to all of California’s budget and growth problems.

But I’m also seeing something even bigger and better than that. And you’ll be seeing it too, right after the jump…

Continue reading ➞ The Greenius Solution To All California’s Problems: AB 920 + AB 811 *UPDATED*