Earth Day cleanup opportunity

From The Herald of Monterey County:

The Monterey County Illegal Dumping and Litter Abatement Task Force will celebrate Earth Day on April 17 with a countywide cleanup of public lands, parks and property.  Information on cleanup locations and times is available by calling the Monterey County Environmental Health Division, 755-4579. In addition, supplies, brochures, maps of the cleanup events and other items will be available on cleanup day at Whole Foods Market in Monterey, Safeway in Prunedale, Safeway in King City, Mi Pueblo Marketplace in Salinas, and Save Mart Supermarket in Marina, where booths will be located and open from 8 a.m. to noon.

Earth Day is next Thursday, April 22nd. At work, we are hosting a Green Fair this thursday 4/15 that I've been helping out with. Please help do your part! Saturday (the 17th) is when Monterey County's Illegal Dumping and Litter Abatement Task Force is doing cleanups. I need to go up to San Jose later that day, but if anyone wants to join me Saturday morning for cleaning, I'd love to get a group together!

CSUMB also has a few events to celebrate Earth Day. I'll definitely be joining the Bike-to-Breakfast event! From Salinas' The Californian:

CSUMB has a variety of activities planned for the week. Most are geared for students, but the public is invited to attend these events:

- Sixth annual Bike-to-Breakfast, 7 to 10 a.m. April 20. Everyone who bikes to CSUMB's University Center on Sixth Avenue from 7 to 10 a.m. will get a free breakfast at the Otter Bay Restaurant.
- 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Celebrate 40th anniversary of Earth Day at CSUMB's first Farmers Market, in the Main Quad from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 22.

- Films will be shown at 7 p.m., April 23, in the Student Center as part of the Reel Work Labor Film Festival. Time to Tackle Climate Change, showing how workers can play a fundamental role in the route to a sustainable world, and Coal Country, the story of the dramatic struggle around the use of coal, providing more than half the electricity in the U.S., will be shown.

Earth Hour 2010

Learn more about Earth Hour 2010 by following the link.

This Saturday 3/27, at 8:30 pm local time, is Earth Hour. I will be in downtown Fullerton (or getting ready to go out!) Where will you be when the lights go out? Even if I'm in the middle of curling my hair or applying makeup, I'll whip out my flashlight and turn off the electricity in Kerry's house. It's only an hour, let's all help do our part!

In 2009 hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support for Earth Hour and this year let's answer this global call to action (ring a ling ling)! Program a reminder into your cell phone (DO IT! Right NOW!!) and set a reminder for 10 minutes before 8:30. Take a nap, light a candle, make some romance, or... you know, whatever you want.

Now really, put a reminder in your phone! I know you didn't do it when I suggested it one sentence ago...

Sustainable Seaside gains ground

Article - Sustainable Seaside gains ground | Seaside News

Sustainable Seaside is a community action group that meets the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm at the Peace Resource Center (1364 Fremont St, Seaside). The article discusses how Sustainable Seaside promotes the adoption of green building codes. If the local government can embrace these codes, it will help reduce waste, conserve water, and counteract carbon emissions.

Two members of Sustainable Seaside have eagerly incorporated the group's principles. The husband/wife combo keep drought-resistant plants in their yard, use a water-saving drip-irrigation system, and have huge barrels that collect rain water, for use later. Where did they get the 55 gallon barrels? At a food manufacturer in Sand City! (33 barrels = 1815 gallons of water storage) Holy Smokes! Due to the recent downpour, they've got enough water to last through most of the summer.

Sustainable Seaside also focuses on:

• home & community gardens
• water access & efficiency (think barrels)
• safe bike routes through seaside (YESSSSSSS!!!!!)
• making Fort Ord a recreational area
• renewable energy efficiency
• polystyrene food container packaging ban (the stuff does not decompose and negatively effects the environment)

For more information call: (831) 899-7934

Green Valentine's Day

A Green Valentine's Day? Yes, please! Here are two great earth friendly Valentine's Day plans to keep in mind, courtesy of Earth911.com.

- Go with your honey to a local farmers' market and treat him/her to a sunflower or dahlia (absolutely gorgeous) or whatever else is in season. If your lover has a favorite veggie or fruit, purchase a few, go back home, and create a yummy lunch/dinner that highlights that food. You will be helping out local growers, and let's be honest, there are TONS of local farmers in Monterey County! You'll also be eating organic foods, and that's a plus!

- Throwing a Valentine's Day dinner party? Don't just focus on the food! Think about location, decoration, leftovers, cleanup. The U.S. Census Bureau says that 180 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged every year. Of course, if you get more than one valentine, keep the paper and reuse it! Also, use an evite!

Carmel Beach

"White sand, beautiful sunsets, native cypress trees, walks, surfing, kites, sunbathing and picnics. Open 6 am to 10 pm. There is no leash law for dogs and fires are permitted on the beach south of 10th Avenue... Join Carmel's residents on the fourth Saturday of each month to help cleanup the beach. Wear a colorful safety vest and enjoy coffee and pastries afterwards." - Carmel.com website

I just might join in the cleanup the next time I am in town (and it's the last weekend of the month, of course). Sounds like a good [green] time!

Meet My Bicycle

A few months ago I decided that I wanted to get a road bike. When passing by a bicyclist, my heart skips a beat and I tear up. Okay - so maybe I'm exaggerating a liiiiittle bit. I want a bike that I can take everywhere. I want to join a bicycling club down in Monterey and ride Saturday and Sunday mornings with people who know what they are doing! I also want to give Beatrice (my car) a break, and ride a bike to work. I have heard of some people who make New Year's Resolutions to ride EVERYWHERE. I don't know if I am that ambitious. Maybe I could pull off biking 4 of 5 days a week? Or maybe have five freebies a month to drive?

Monterey, PG, & Seaside (8.4, 2.9, 8.8 square miles, respectively) are my new backyard, and there is no better way to check it all out than on bicycle. I am currently reading David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries and he points out the fact that when you limit yourself to a car, you are at the mercy of urban planners. They build major roads and highways on the edge of town, forcing drivers to stay on the fringe. With my bike I want to discover cute new places to eat (and drink)... So Green!