Saturday, February 20, 2010

Event: 2/21 Sustainable Sundays at LA Nat. History Museum "Waste Not, Want Not"

Sustainable Sundays return to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum for a second season to help Southern Californians learn about the latest conservation research and explore specific, scientifically-sound ways they can become better stewards of the planet. This week's topic is particularly near and dear to us. Here are the details:

Sunday, February 21, 2010; 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Today’s themes are reducing, reusing, and recycling. Meet the organizations that are making Los Angeles a cleaner, greener city and find out how you can get involved and make a difference. Events at the Museum include hands-on activities with Breathe LA that teach how the air we consume is linked to the trash we throw out. But that’s not all: Sustainable Sunday guests can also take in a composting demonstration, make art out of recycled materials with artist Bette Simons, and watch an innovative performance with HumAnimals.

Click here for more info


Read more posts below:
A Museum with Imagination in the OC

City Museum Re-Did it Right!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Preserving Cleveland’s History through Deconstruction

Posted by Lyndsy Czapla

Deconstruction is the name of the game for us here at DRN. One thing that is really neat about the deconstruction process is seeing what may result from deconstruction efforts. I came across this really cool company, APOC, in Cleveland, OH that uses deconstructed materials and turns them into furniture.

APOC (A Piece of Cleveland) is not only trying to create a better environment, they are also looking to preserve history while telling a story. The company creates everything from tables and chairs to picture frames and candlesticks out of reclaimed materials from the Cleveland area. Each product they create is accompanied by a “Re-Birth Certificate” that describes the piece and credits its creators while relating the history of the materials that went into the piece. What’s really cool is the fact that not only is APOC making an impact on our landfills, they are also making reuse a top priority and showing that reclaimed materials have the possibility to be turned into something wonderful! For more info on APOC, click here.

Check out some more posts below:
Reclaimed Mahogany Bench- Great ReUse!

Manhattan Beach Home 80% Recycled

Please Support the Full Life-Cycle of Materials

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Deconstruction on Extreme Home Makeover!

Deconstruction has gone mainstream! Extreme Home Makeover's Episode on the Powell Family in Buffalo, NY incorporated deconstruction in their inspirational project. Congratulations Buffalo Reuse for a job well done! Check out the episode at:

http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition/episode-guide/powell-family/370469

Plus, check out some other related posts:
Why Wouldn't You Choose Deconstruction?

Finding Cleaner Energy via Trash

New Ballot Initiative Threatens California’s Pioneering Environmental Policy

A proposed 2010 ballot measure, the “California Jobs Initiative” would dismantle the environmental progress California has made over the last decade in one fell swoop.

The initiative proposes to suspend the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) until the state’s unemployment level falls below 5.5%. Since the unemployment rate for the entire nation now surpasses 9% and California’s remains above 12%, this provision would effectively kill AB 32. Assemblyman Dan Logue, the author of the initiative, claims that AB 32 is stymieing employment in California, and that its removal would reinstate jobs. The logic behind this assumption is deeply flawed, as none of the factors that lead to the national recession were caused by environmental policies.

Logue and his supporters, namely the California Business Properties Association and a small Libertarian-leaning organization called the People’s Advocate, introduced an identical bill to the State Assembly, AB 118, which was rejected by the Assembly’s Natural Resources Committee on January 11th.

The suspension of AB 32 would amount to a great loss for California and the nation, since the bill is one of the first state-level policies aimed at curbing climate change, and provides the basis and rationale for many pioneering local government policies. AB 32 has been laying the groundwork for many programs and innovations in energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean tech in California: industries that not only create more jobs but help reduce harmful greenhouse gasses, recently recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as a threat to public health.

In fact, climate change-fighting industries have been applauded at the national level as a solution to economic downturn. President Obama recently identified “Jobs Through Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Investments”as a key strategy to accelerate job growth and jumpstart the economy. Sonoma County recently tested this theory with their new Energy Independence Program, a finance program that allows business owners to pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs through property taxes. As the construction industry continues to struggle nationwide, Sonoma County saw an 8.4% increase in construction-related jobs, with a booming $14 million in new contracts as a result of the finance district. In short, investing in energy conservation creates jobs.

We urge you to follow the lead of the State’s environmental experts by opposing the 2010 “California Jobs Initiative” and giving your support to policies that will truly spur job growth while protecting public health and the environment. Logue plans to release the California Jobs Initiative signature campaign on January 26th; please help get the word out about the damaging potential of this measure and prevent its appearance on the November 2010 ballot.

Some Related Posts:

Jobs Created by Recycling

 

One Giant Step for California's Environment!

 

Thirsty, Anyone? A guide to getting through the drought

Deconstruction And Buildingmaterials Reuse Network Inc