Blogging For Sustainability
Help clean up litter, remove invasive plants and more on the paths and if weather allows, in the river channel north and south of Congress St. – arrive bright and early, Saturday, November 13th, 7-9 a.m. Meet at Garden of Gethsemane/Felix Lucero Park – one block west of I-10, on Bonita Ave. just north of Congress St. For more information and to sign up please contact Gene Einfrank at gene.einfrank@gmail.com or 971-2348.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, in partnership with the Pima County Public Library, will present a Solar Power 101 education meeting on Monday, November 15, 2010, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Himmel Park Branch Library, 1035 N. Treat Avenue, south of Speedway between Tucson and Country Club. Each session of the community solar education series features different topics and guest speakers, followed by a presentation entitled, “Getting Started: Solar Power for the Home.” Space is limited for these presentations. Please RSVP by phone to: (520) 881-3588 or by email to: RSVPsolar@mail.house.gov. More information can be found at http://giffords.house.gov/legis/solar-events.shtml.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, in partnership with the Pima County Public Library, will present a Solar Power 101 education meeting on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Woods Memorial Branch Library, 3455 N. 1st Ave., north of Fort Lowell Rd. Each session of the community solar education series features different topics and guest speakers, followed by a presentation entitled, “Getting Started: Solar Power for the Home.” Space is limited for these presentations. Please RSVP by phone to: (520) 881-3588 or by email to: RSVPsolar@mail.house.gov. More information can be found at http://giffords.house.gov/legis/solar-events.shtml.
Learn all about the recycling process, and how to share this information with your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers! Date: November 17, 2010 - Wednesday Time: 6:00-8:00p.m. Place: Sahuaro Girl Scout Council - Community Room 4300 E. Broadway Blvd., just east of Columbus
Please RSVP in advance, as seating is limited and to receive a certificate of completion of class.
Call Beki at (520) 791-5000 or email: rebecca.quintero@tucsonaz.gov
Bring your used cooking oil to this year’s Day-After-Thanksgiving Grease Collection & Recycling Event: Friday, November 26, 2010 - 9 am to 1 pm
Locations:
East – O’Reilly Chevrolet, 6160 E. Broadway Blvd. - one block west of Wilmot Road
Midtown – Sam Hughes Championship Dining, 446 North Campbell Avenue #150 - Northeast corner of Campbell and Sixth Street
Northwest – Pima County Industrial Wastewater Control, 5025 W. Ina Road - 1/4 mile west of I-10
South – City of Tucson, Water Plant #2, 1102 W. Irvington Road – north side of the street west of I-19, across from McDonald’s.
The grease collected from this event will be recycled into biodiesel, a cleaner burning fuel.
The Tucson Audubon announces its next TogetherGreen Volunteer Day: Robb Wash Cleanup with the Friends of Robb Wash newly-formed group along with Tucson Clean & Beautiful, Tucson Parks & Recreation and Transportation Departments. Help us clean up around Robb Wash (a tributary of Tanque Verde Creek on Tucson's east side) on Saturday, December 4th, 8:00 a.m. - noon. These groups are working together here to increase awareness of the importance of this wash to wildlife and the to the neighborhood.
Please wear work clothes, sturdy shoes (no sandals), and a hat, and bring water. We will have tools, gloves, snacks and extra water to refill your canteen. To sign up and get directions to the work site, contact Kendall Kroesen at 971-2385 or kkroesen@tucsonaudubon.org. TogetherGreen is a program of National Audubon Society funded by Toyota.
Working with local and various colored clays, prickly pear pad mucilage and other vegetal binders, sand and fiber; we'll explore, hands-on (and view examples of), properties of interior and exterior plasters, durability and water resistance. Our primary plastering site will be a "cobination" horno (wood-fired oven), banco and outdoor seating area at Bean Tree Lodge. During the native foods feasting, we will focus us on additional edible offerings of soils, cactus, rainwater, and how delicious watershed stewardship and community food security can be! Jill Lorenzini and Barbara Rose will be your guides.A resource list and feast menu will be emailed after the workshop.
November 20, 2010 9:30am-12:30pm, Bean Tree Farm, 15 Miles Northwest of Tucson, Az www.beantreefarm.com
Workshop Sign-up Form – please copy and paste this into an email and reply to Barbara Rosa brosearth@gmail.com
Name: ____________________________________
Address: __________________________________
Contact Info (phone and email): _________________
~ Tell us a little about your experience and interest in local and native foods, permaculture, etc: ~ Any food preferences/allergies we should know about? And whether or not you're signing up for this workshop: ~ Add you to BTF mailing list for future workshops? ~ Other workshop suggestions you'd like to see offered in 2011?
Payment: Please send $35.00, cash or check to: Barbara Rose, 8965 North Scenic Drive, Tucson, AZ 85743.
Please make payment at least one week in advance. Class is limited to 15 and may fill quickly. Email or call to check on availability.
Directions and what-to-bring will be emailed on receipt of registration/payment.
What influences our notion of practice and our work at this critical time in this critical place?
A conversion amongst local environmental and environmental design professions, UA faculty, and students which seeks to identify a durable model based on relevant criteria specific to our place.
Three Speakers will Address: Components of Eco literacy and Environmental Design: Resource and Land Use Regulations, Sustainable Water and Energy Strategies
1. David Eisenberg, Development Center for Appropriate Technology
REGULATIONS: The Emerging Realities of Resource and Land Use Regulations
2. Brad Lancaster, Rainwater Harvesting Advocate
WATER: Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond
3. Kevin Koch, Technicians for Sustainability
ENERGY: Our Energy Crisis / Local Solar Power Applications
This is a free community education event
Friday November 5th 4:30 PM
Speakers Forum: 4:30 - 6:00pm: The University of Arizona -- Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME 202) 1130 N. Mountain Ave.
October’s Lecture and follow-up discussion were extremely well attended. If you want a seat come early! We will begin promptly at 4:30.
A presidential proclamation, in 1991, made October Energy Awareness Month. For 19 years, non-profit organizations, large and small businesses, government organizations, and concerned citizens have celebrated this month with activities and actions to promote public understanding of our energy needs and simple ways to reduce the amount of energy we consume in our everyday lives. According to a nationwide poll conducted by RESNET, only 33% of Americans believe their own home is energy efficient, although 90% are concerned with energy efficiency. What this tells us is that most Americans care about energy efficiency and know their home is wasting energy, but don’t know what to do about it.
Since October is Energy Awareness Month, this is a great time to get started on the path toward energy savings. The average home spends about $1,900 a year on energy costs. Supporting renewable energy goes hand in hand with energy awareness, conservation, and efficiency. That’s why we’ve compiled 10 easy ways you can save energy to help you celebrate your energy awareness this October.
Turn Off Lights:
We all remember our parents fussing at us for leaving the light on after leaving a room, when we were kids. What we didn’t think about as kids is that household lighting is responsible for about 11 percent of a home’s energy bill. By turning off the lights you don’t need, you start to save right away and you will extend the lifetime of the bulbs.
Switch Out Your Lighting:
CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) are well known for substantial energy savings. Not only do these bulbs last much longer than standard incandescent bulbs, they use about 75% less energy. CFLs work with all lamp shades and come in many different colors. CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury, so please remember to dispose of them properly.
Get a Clothesline
Clothes dryers are among the biggest energy hogs in a typical home. By line drying your clothes instead of using your dryer, you can save 5% off your energy bill. Dryer energy use is typically 900 to 1000 kWh per year for an electric dryer. Not only do you get the fresh laundry smell that many chemical laden dryer sheets try to emulate, but line drying is gentler on clothes.
For more about the advantages of line drying, check out Project Laundry List , a non-profit dedicated to promoting simple ways of saving energy--such as line drying.
Install Motion Sensors:
Installing motion sensors on lights allows lights to turn on only when movement is detected and then turn off automatically when not needed. These work particularly well for outdoor lamps, which can also boost security. Leaving lighting on all night can be disruptive to wildlife, and sucks up unnecessary amount of energy, especially when it comes to flood lights.
Turn Off Your Computer at Night:
Many of us spend so much time on our computers checking e-mail, spending countless hours on Facebook, and searching on Google that we never turn the thing off. Although it may occasionally take you a few more seconds to get to work, you'll save energy and money if you turn your computer off at the end of each day. It will also reduce wear and tear on your hardware extending its life. According to the Department of Energy you can save an average of $90 of electricity a year, which is a nice incentive to push that power button.
Get Rid of Vampires:
Vampire energy is one of the biggest culprits in energy waste. Your electrical appliances and devices use vampire energy when they are turned off but still plugged in (e.g. computers, televisions, cell phone chargers). Some sources say vampires are responsible for 20% of our household energy use. Unplug electronics and chargers when you are not using them and plug larger devices into power strips so you can easily switch them on or off as needed.
Use a Laptop Instead of a Desktop:
If you have the choice between powering up your desktop or a laptop, choose the latter. Also, when it's time to upgrade to a new computer, think about a laptop. Laptop computers draw only 15 to 25 watts during regular use, as compared to the 150 watts used by a conventional desktop computer and monitor. Plus, laptops also draw just a fraction of a watt when in sleep mode.
Get an Energy Monitor:
It's really quite simple: If you can measure it, you can manage it. Get a solid idea of your home energy use with an energy monitoring device. You can make small adjustments through the day and see how the savings add up.
One good example is The Energy Detective (TED), which starts at $139. TED is a small display that indicates household electrical usage in real time and projects your monthly bill -- all without using batteries. Research has found that real-time energy feedback leads consumers to reduce their electricity consumption. According to the company you'll save 15 - 20% on each bill, which would amount to hundreds of dollars a year.
Get an Energy Audit:
Now that you've been making some small changes around the house to save energy, you may want to consider a home energy audit. Many people think of them only when it starts getting cold, and heating season begins. But as Arizonans we understand that summer cooling is also one of our largest energy users.
If you would like to conduct a DIY energy audit, click here for a check list . An energy audit will help you determine exactly how much energy you are using, and will identify ways you can reduce energy use through better insulation and other simple techniques.
Turn Up Your Thermostat When cooling a house, set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home and 85 degrees or off when you are away. Using ceiling or room fans allows you to set the thermostat higher because the air movement will cool your skin, making the air feel cooler. By taking this simple action, you’ll reduce your energy bill 1-3% per degree, for each degree the thermostat is set above 72 degrees.
An interesting paper has recently been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences entitled “Public perceptions of energy consumption and savings”, which suggests that when it comes to conserving energy, many people seem to be missing the mark. In a national online survey, 505 participants reported their perceptions of energy consumption and savings for a variety of household, transportation and recycling activities.
When asked for the most effective strategy they could implement to conserve energy, most participants (19.6%) mentioned curtailment (e.g., turning off lights, driving less) while only 3.2% of those surveyed suggested efficiency improvements (e.g., replacing old appliances and light bulbs with more efficient models).
Most people think of conserving energy as they would conserve money: use less, spend less. But the reality is that turning off lights, though a noble habit, is not going to save much energy or money. More noteworthy savings can be obtained from replacing bulbs with more efficient CFLs or by purchasing a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
According to the authors of the study, a reason people are overly focused on curtailment rather than efficiency, may be due to the fact that efficiency improvements almost always involved research, effort and out-of-pocket costs (e.g. buying a new energy-efficient appliance), whereas curtailment may be easier to imagine and incorporate into one's daily behaviors without any upfront costs.
Installing a solar energy system is one effective change you can make that will go a long way in saving energy while reducing costs, especially when used in conjunction with your own energy conservation habits.
Thursday, Oct. 21 @ 6:30-8:30pmArmory Park Community Center 220 S. 5th Ave. Tucson AZ
In preparation for TAB's booth at US Green Build of Southern AZ's Sonoran Green Expo 2010, we will be collecting plastic bottles and making reusable products and decorative items to sell to raise funds for Tucson Arts Brigade and The Water Project: Tucson's Synergistic Water Festival!!! Got ideas? Bird feeders, fish puppets, dog house, plastic bottle robot? Bring your plastic bottles, tools, and materials (string, fabric, glue gun, scissors, sewing supplies, etc) and let's make fun plastic bottle creations!
Monday, September 20 @ 6-7:30pmArmory Park Community Center 220 S. 5th Avenue, Tucson (Doors on 5th Ave, btw. 12th + 13th St.)
Light snacks will be provided.
At the meeting, we will give updates on Tucson Arts Brigade (TAB) projects and sign people up to participate in interactive art tables at 5 upcoming fun festivals where TAB will have a booth:
1) HOCO Family Arts Festival: Sun, Sept. 26 2) Barrio Centro Neighborhood Fiesta: Sat, Oct. 2 3) Tucson Meet Yourself: Fri-Sun, Oct. 8-10 4) 29th St. CAN Festival: Thurs, Oct 14 5) US Green Build of Southern AZ's Sonoran Green Expo 2010: Sat, Oct. 23
This is an announcement for the public symposium "How might climate change affect Saguaro National Park?", which will be held on Saturday, October 2, from 9-4:30 at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The symposium will feature more than a dozen speakers, including long-time saguaro researchers such as Ray Turner and Tom Orum, as well as presentations on birds, buffelgrass, reptiles, plants, archeology, and other topics. Two keynote speakers, Jonathan Overpeck, Co-Director of the Institute of the Environment at UA and Travis Huxman, Director of Biosphere 2, will speak about global and regional climate change.
The event is sponsored by the park, the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, University of Arizona, Friends of Saguaro, and the Desert Museum.
The Symposium is free of charge, but The Desert Museum is requesting that all attendees register in advance by calling the RMD Visitor Center at 733-5153. Space is limited.
For more information, please email Cori Dolan at cdolan@ag.arizona.edu.
Time: Saturday, October 23, 2010, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: M3, 2051 W Sunset Rd., Tucson, AZ 85704
Is your sustainable business, non-profit organization, or governmental entity interested in exhibiting at the Expo? Exhibitor Information Packets and Applications are available now.
The U.S. Green Building Council Southern Arizona Branch's third annual vendor fair is growing up, with a new name, new location, weekend date, nearly 60 exhibitors, and longer hours! Tucsonan Jerry Yudelson, internationally-acclaimed engineer, author, and sustainability consultant, will be the keynote speaker.
Expo Admission: Free and open to the public; Keynote Presentation: Free and open to the public, audience limited to 100 persons; Public Sustainability Workshops: Free, with limited seating;
Professional Sustainability Workshops: Additional information available soon; Green Home Tour: Pricing to be determined, reservations required. Additional information available soon.
For more information contact: Tina Moreno, (520) 235-7888 or SonoranGreenExpo2010@usgbcaz.org
Tucson Clean & Beautiful, in partnership with American Retroworks, Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse, Cartridge World Tucson, Bookmans, and Foothills Mall - will host an electronics recycling event. Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010, 8am-1pm
Location: Foothills Mall west parking lot, 7475 N. La Cholla Blvd. (directly west of AMC Loews Foothills 15 Theatres, and south of Wal-Mart)
There is a $10 disposal fee per TV (working, or non-working), and $5 per computer monitor unless accompanied by a computer tower. Recycling fee waivers are available for Sony televisions. No recycling fee for other small electronic items. This event will also accept any outdated or nonworking photovoltaic items (solar electrical cells).
Recycle your old computers, monitors, electronics, microwaves, cell phones, printer cartridges, small appliances and TVs! Large household appliances are not accepted for recycling through this program. Keep electronic waste out of the landfill! For more information on this event and ongoing options for electronics recycling, call (520) 791-5000 or email tcb@tucsonaz.gov
Location: Z Mansion, 288 N. Church Ave. When: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Catered buffet dinner from Rincon Market, and featuring the sensational music of the Redhouse Family Jazz Band! Cost: $45 per person
Please RSVP with payment to Tucson Clean & Beautiful, P.O. Box 27210, Tucson, AZ 85726. For questions, please call (520) 791-3109.
Location: Habitat for Humanity HabiStore, 3840 S. Palo Verde at Ajo (SW corner of Ajo and Palo Verde) Time: Saturday, October 16, 2010, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Learn from the gurus of green, as local experts share tips, info, and ways to go green and save greenbacks at the Green Living Fair in Partnership with AFV Day Odyssey. Discover steps for energy savings, resource conservation, organic gardening, composting, green building/remodeling, weatherization, home water management, food choices, transportation options, zero waste, rain water harvesting, solar, and more. And, thanks to the partnership with AFV Day Odyssey, there will be several alternative fuel vehicles on-site to check out.
Curious about the HabiStore? The Green Living Fair in Partnership with AFV Day Odyssey gives you an opportunity to donate, shop for great deals, and explore ways to add more green to your life. The event is FREE and FREE green prizes will be given away during the Fair! For more information - call the HabiStore at (520) 889-7200.
SAEMS volunteers will be holding another wildcat dump cleanup project on Saturday October 16, 2010 from 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. Help clean up loose litter and larger dumped items littering our beautiful desert. Meet on Old Vail Connection Rd. just west of Swan Rd. Please RSVP by Thursday, October 14, 2010. A map and directions to the exact meeting site will be provided to those that RSVP. Must be at least 12 years of age to volunteer. For more information and to sign up, contact B.J. Cordova, (520) 791-3109 or bj.cordova@tucsonaz.gov
Saturday, October 168am-12:30pm
Tucson is emerging as a regional and national leader in the implementation of green infrastructure strategies. Green infrastructure uses natural processes to provide environmental services. Many local examples use small basins to capture, clean, and infiltrate stormwater from streets and parking lots, while providing passive irrigation to gardens of native plants.
Join Watershed Management Group's Green Streets-Green Neighborhoods Program Manager James MacAdam on a tour of some of Tucson's finest applications of green infrastructure, including business parking lots that demonstrate Tucson's new Commercial Water Harvesting Ordinance; residential neighborhoods that have been extensively retrofitted with street-side rain gardens; University sites that capture and utilize rainfall from rooftops and parking lots as well as waste water from AC units and water fountains; and green infrastructure in Tucson's downtown redevelopment projects.
The cost of the tour is $20 per person, and includes van transportation as well as light breakfast and snack foods. The tour is limited to 14 participants, and registration is required. To register, contact James MacAdam at 520-396-3266, james@watershedmg.org. For more information, visit watershedmg.org.
On Saturday December 4, 2010 and the first Saturday of each month thereafter, 8am-12noon, the Household Hazardous Waste outreach sites (Oro Valley at 440 W. Calle Concordia; southwest Tucson, at 1102 W. Irvington Rd.; and east Tucson at 7575 E. Speedway Blvd.) are open to collect household hazardous waste items from residents. The main Household Hazardous Waste collection site at 2440 W. Sweetwater Dr., northwest of Prince Rd. and I-10, is also open to the public on every Friday and Saturday, excluding major holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
* Note: Household Hazardous Waste monthly outreach days will also begin to accept medications in October 2010 as part of the Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative.
Volunteers are also being sought for the outreach monthly sites. Free training is provided in advance. For more information on volunteering as well as items accepted and locations, visit www.tucsonaz.gov/hhw or call (520) 690-5749.
