Sustainability

Another Exclusive Greenius Video: 350.org’s Bill McKibben on Biking and the SBBC

Categories Bicycles, citizen volunteer, climate change, environment, green education, SustainabilityLeave a Comment on Another Exclusive Greenius Video: 350.org’s Bill McKibben on Biking and the SBBC
Bill McKibben signs his new book "Eaarth" at the L.A. Times Book Festival (photo by Debra Bushweit Galliani)

I really enjoyed getting to table for 350.org at the same table author, Bill McKibben, was signing copies of his new book “Eaarth.”  What I dug most was the way Bill personally connected with each person who had a book for him to sign.  He took his time and had a brief but unrushed conversation with each person who came by.

Bill was just as unrushed and kind in his time with me in answering some questions for my video interview.

In this second of three video segments, I asked Bill about the work the South Bay Bicycle Coalition is doing in bringing a Master Bike Plan to the area that links the cities of the South Bay:

Exclusive Greenius Video: Bill McKibben on Hermosa Beach as a Carbon Neutral City

Categories carbon producers, citizen volunteer, climate change, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, renewable energy, solar power, Sustainability, Yes We Can!Leave a Comment on Exclusive Greenius Video: Bill McKibben on Hermosa Beach as a Carbon Neutral City

Renown environmental author and activist, Bill McKibben, is in Los Angeles today where we met him at the L.A. Times Festival of Books.

Bill is the founder of 350.org and we’ve only previously talked together on the radio, so it was a great joy for me to meet Bill in person and exchange hugs and fist bumps.

Bill’s newest book, Eaarth was the topic of of his wide ranging discussion with L.A. Times staff writer, Susan Salter Reynolds, well known for her book reviews and “Discoveries” column.

I got a chance to talk to Bill about a few of the things we’re working on here in the Los Angeles area and the first subject was our Carbon Neutral City efforts in Hermosa Beach.


Greenius Celebrates Earth Week with South Bay Environmental Services Center

Categories citizen volunteer, climate change, environment, plug-in cars, recycling, renewable energy, Saving Energy, Sustainability, Yes We Can!Leave a Comment on Greenius Celebrates Earth Week with South Bay Environmental Services Center

The Greenius at Sea Lab Earth Day in Redondo Beach

What an Earth Week!

The Greenius helped bring the South Bay Environmental Services Center message of saving energy, saving water, and saving the environment to Earth Day events at the South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes,

to the 18th annual VOICE Earth Day Celebration at Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach,

to Northrup Grumman’s Earth Day Celebration at their Manhattan Beach facility on the actual Earth Day on Thursday April 22…

to today’s Earth Day event at Sea Lab

I was also happy to help the South Bay Bicycle Coalition launch our first Earth Day outreach efforts too –  including the first ever bicycle parade at Polliwog Park.

Tomorrow I’ll be at UCLA with Bill McKibben of 350.org…

Continue reading ➞ Greenius Celebrates Earth Week with South Bay Environmental Services Center

Meet the Greenius @ the Torrance Environmental Fair this Saturday

Categories campaign, citizen volunteer, climate change, energy efficiency, environment, fossil fuels, green education, recycling, renewable energy, Saving Energy, sea-level rise, solar power, Sustainability, water conservationLeave a Comment on Meet the Greenius @ the Torrance Environmental Fair this Saturday
Joe Galliani, the Creative Greenius at the 2009 Torrance Environmental Fair

That’s your friendly, neighborhood Creative Greenius volunteering his time for the South Bay Environmental Services Center at the 2009 Torrance Environmental Fair.  I’ll be back again this year, at Madrona Marsh on Saturday, March 27 from 10am t0 3pm talking about ways to save energy, save water, save money and cut your greenhouse gas emissions.

Check out the roster of speakers and presentations after the jump.

Continue reading ➞ Meet the Greenius @ the Torrance Environmental Fair this Saturday

Bottled Water in Hermosa Beach: A Waste of Money, Resources and Perfectly Good Tap Water

Categories carbon producers, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, Sustainability1 Comment on Bottled Water in Hermosa Beach: A Waste of Money, Resources and Perfectly Good Tap Water

Some of my friends on the Hermosa Beach City Council don’t believe that drinking water out of a new, disposable plastic water bottle at every Council meeting does any harm – so they crack open a new bottle of water at every meeting to quench their thirst.  Despite being asked for months now to bring their own reuseable water bottles and to filter their drinking water from the tap, the Hermosa Beach City Council doesn’t believe the example they set every two weeks at their televised meetings matters very much… And they don’t see what this has to do with sustainability.

Here’s a little video that will enlighten them to the facts:

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

Categories carbon 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 on Mayor DiVirgilio: “Why Hermosa Beach is Going Carbon Neutral”
Hermosa Beach Mayor, Michael DiVirgilio, speaking on behalf of 350 at the International Day of Climate Action last October.

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.

ToxicTown Torrance to Hold Public Forum on Chemical Threat

Categories citizen volunteer, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, Sustainability1 Comment on ToxicTown Torrance to Hold Public Forum on Chemical Threat

Your friendly neighborhood Greenius wrote seven months ago about the chemical problems in the City of Torrance, known throughout the South Bay as ToxicTown (when it isn’t going under its new official designation as a Blighted Community), but not a single person on the City Council, in City Government or connected with the city in any way cares enough about this issue to address it.  They have been silent and impotent regarding the over 157 schools and hospitals located within a five mile radius of the JCI Jones “high risk” chemical plant here in Torrance.

That’s why my friends at Greenpeace are doing the civic work for them and offering this terrific Public Forum next Sunday, March 21, at the George Nakano Theatre right across the parking lot from City Hall.  Maybe Mayor TowTruck will amble on over and learn something.  After all,  Frank Scotto is running unopposed in the next election so it’s not as if he’s busy campaigning and doesn’t have the free time.

Fortunately, my pal, Jenny Binstock, from Greenpeace has put together a terrific program including Diane Moss from Congresswoman Harman’s office, who will be there to introduce the subject and some great panelists.  I’ll be in the audience and I hope you’ll join me to learn what no one connected to the City of ToxicTown has the guts to tell its citizens – including self-appointed “Environmental Champion” Councilman, Cliff Numark.

Check out the flier with all the details after the jump

Continue reading ➞ ToxicTown Torrance to Hold Public Forum on Chemical Threat

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

Categories campaign, 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 on Getting To Work In Hermosa Beach – The Carbon Neutral ClueTrain Leaves the Station

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