Climate Solutions
Climate Solutions
What Does Sustainability Look Like? Photos From Around the World
TREEHUGGER.COM. MARCH 11, 2010. By Jennifer Hattam
What does "sustainability" mean to you? That's the question that JPG Magazine, a publication of reader-submitted photography, posed to members of its online community, who posted hundreds of images of peaceful landscapes, freshly grown vegetables, bicycles, wind farms, and more.
Vote for Global green in the Members Project
Everyone can help change the world for the better, one step at a time. American Express has joined with TakePart to bring you opportunities to make a difference. Global green has been chosen as one of the participating charities of this year's Members Project and needs your vote to help us try to win $200,000!
6th Annual Top Achievements of the Environmental Community in Southern California
Environment Now, a non-profit based in Southern California whose mission is to be an active leader in creating measurably effective environmental programs to protect and restore California's environment, just released their report entitled "6th Annual Top Achievements of the Environmental Community in Southern California."
A Green Pre-Oscar Party
THE HUFFINGTON POST. MARCH 5, 2010. By Tara Settembre
While the spotlight is focused on Hollywood this week for the Academy Awards, Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA, wanted to "raise awareness, help support the work of Global Green and have fun" at the 7th Annual Global Green USA Pre-Oscar Party held at Avalon Hollywood on Wednesday night.
HOT GALLERY: Global Green USA’s Pre-Oscar Party Gets the Stars Pumped Up
OK MAGAZINE. MARCH 4, 2010. By Nicole Eggenberger
Jessica Alba and her hubby Cash Warren made friends with Benji Madden and Joel Madden at Global Green USA’s 7th Annual Pre-Oscar Party last night. The young stars got close together to pose for a photo — perhaps Jessica and Cash just wanted to capture a shot with two of the big performers of the night!
Leo DiCaprio, Jessica Alba, James Cameron party pre-Oscars with Global Green
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES. MARCH 4, 2010. By Matt Donnelly
The annual Global Green pre-Oscar party got a streak of "Avatar" blue on Wednesday, as best director nominee James Cameron and a host of other environmentally conscious celebs turned out to celebrate at the Avalon Hollywood.
Hummer vs. Hybrid at the Oscars
THE HUFFINGTON POST. MARCH 4, 2010. By Matt Petersen
The Prius -- and of course Toyota -- is coming under increasing scrutiny due to the massive recalls for accelerators on Toyota's other models, and the braking recall for the leading hybrid vehicle in the world. Global Green has been getting frequent calls of late to comment on the fate of the Prius as the favored 'green' car of Hollywood, all thanks to the 'take a hybrid to the Oscars' initiative we started and spearheaded for many years.
Global Green's Pre-Oscar Party Guest Hosted by James Cameron
TREEHUGGER. MARCH 4, 2010. By Roberta Cruger
Across the street from Capitol Records' tower, outside the Avalon Hollywood club, a line of green autos included the Tesla, Prius and luxury Audi A3 TDI from LA Car Guy, the biggest green car dealer in the US. GM also displayed its Chevy Volt as celebrity guests arrived in a variety of hybrids for Global Green's 7th annual Pre-Oscar bash last night, raising awareness for climate change solutions. Strolling down the lead-free green carpet, eco-minded stars shared stories, such as the set of Valentine's Day had solar powered trailers and no bottled water. Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of Avatar's director, unveiled her "green" Oscar gown, Leonardo DiCaprio snuck in and surprise guests took the stage for a jam session.
Check out the Pre-Oscar Party Widget
Check out the PopRule Pre-Oscar Party Widget. To share it on your blog or site, click the Grab tab and copy and paste the code.
James Cameron's Wife Goes Green for Oscars
TONIC. FEBRUARY 15, 2010. By Lauren Le Vine
Suzy Amis Cameron holds the first annual Red Carpet Green Dress Challenge to choose an eco-friendly Oscar dress — and an unknown designer.
There's one strong fashion trend developing at award shows this season, and no, I'm not talking about the large number of celebrities wearing purple (Sandra Bullock at the Golden Globes, Tina Fey at the SAGs) or white (Kate Hudson at, well, everything and Rihanna at the Grammys). This trend is one we can wholeheartedly get behind: the spouses of award nominees wearing eco-friendly fashion on the red carpet.
Lean Year for Hollywood's Favorite Green Machine
NBCLA. FEBRUARY 10, 2010. By Yvonne Beltzer and Ted Chen
Prius troubles not prompting a vehicle change
It's been the vehicle of choice for Hollywood's environmentally minded stars. But now, Toyota is adding a recall of its best-selling Prius Hybrids to its troubles.
So will the greenest stars still climb into these hybrids for all important red carpet arrivals like the Academy Awards?
A New Set of Wheels for the Big Show?
THE NEW YORK TIMES. FEBRUARY 3, 2010. By Melena Ryzik
With the news that thousands of Toyotas are being recalled because of acceleration and brake problems, and the federal transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, Wednesday morning asking people not to drive the cars at all, the Bagger has a pressing question: What will celebrities drive to the Oscars if not their precious Priuses?
Starbucks Takes Recycling to a Whole New Local Level
EARTH911.COM. JANUARY 25, 2010. By Trey Granger
When you oversee more than 11,000 stores across the U.S., it’s easy to think of recycling on a national level. But for coffee retailer Starbucks the key lies in the availability of local recycling options.
Starbucks is currently working with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to determine what recycling barriers exist in each U.S. city and how to overcome them. Starbucks Director of Environmental Impact Jim Hanna evenspoke at the annual U.S. Mayors Conference last week.
Green fashion has new cachet
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. JANUARY 24, 2010. By Carolyne Zinko
Wherever style-setters train their sights, green is the new black, it seems.
Apparel made using organic materials and fair trade practices has increasing cachet, in large part because the designs are finally catching up with other luxury products on the market.
Starbucks Seeks Support of U.S. Mayors to Overcome Recycling Barriers
BUSINESS WIRE. JANUARY 21, 2010.
Public-Private Collaboration Could Improve Recycling Infrastructures and Help Keep Cups out of the Landfill
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) is asking mayors and other municipal leaders across the United States to evaluate and improve local commercial and residential recycling systems. Currently, recycling capabilities vary considerably from city to city and county to county. This presents a significant barrier for a business with more than 11,000 retail locations in the U.S. alone.
Haiti Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help
THE HUFFINGTON POST. JANUARY 13, 2010. By Victoria Fine
An earthquake centered near the impoverished Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince caused the collapse of several buildings and an unknown number of fatalities Tuesday. The quake measured 7.0 on the Richter scale and at least 1.8 million people live within the area where the earthquake had its highest intensity.
President Obama said on Tuesday that his "thoughts and prayers" were with the people of Haiti. "We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti," Obama said in a statement. The Obama administration said that the State Department, USAID and the U.S. military were working to coordinate an assessment of the situation and any possible assistance.
Huffington Post Impact is working to collect a comprehensive list of links and ways to get involved in relief efforts, detailed below.
Pope Denouces Failure of Copenhagen Climate Change Negotiations
VOICE OF AMERICA. JANUARY 12, 2010. By Sabina Castelfranco
Pope Benedict XVI focused his annual address to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican on the environment and the protection of creation. He denounced the failure of world leaders to agree to a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen last month.
Germany receives A-grade for solar power policies
RENEWABLE ENERGY FOCUS. DECEMBER 29, 2009.
Germany has received the top grade for solar power policies in the Global Solar Report Card released by Global Green USA on behalf of President Gorbachev’s Green Cross International (GCI).
Although Germany was the only country among the 16 evaluated to receive an A, Italy, Japan, Greece and China received higher grades than last year for the solar energy policies.
Beanstockd Does Global Green's Gorgeous & Green Event
BEANSTOCKD. DECEMBER 22, 2009.
While the world crossed its fingers for positive progress at the Copenhagen Climate Summit, San Francisco celebrated the green spirit of our city at Global Green's 5th Annual Gorgeous and Green Benefit. Held at the recently LEED certified W Hotel in San Francisco, Gorgeous and Green benefits Global Green’s nationwide and local efforts building green housing, communities and schools, such as, the Edes Avenue development project in Oakland. In a partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Pacific Gas & Electric, Global Green helped to achieve affordable, sustainable single-family housing for a neighborhood in East Oakland.
Germany Still Making the Most of Available Solar, Says Global Solar Report Card
TREEHUGGER. DECEMBER 15, 2009. By Kristin Underwood
The Global Solar Report Card, published by Mikhail Gorbachev's Green Cross International and Global Green USA, once again gives top honors to Germany for its continued abundance of installed systems and the country's pro-solar policies that facilitate ease of installations. Think your country should have made the list? Keep reading to find out if they made the grade.
Which countries make the grade in solar power?
REUTERS. DECEMBER 14, 2009
Germany is still at the top of the class when it comes to solar power, according to a new report by nonprofit Global Green USA.
Fifth Annual Gorgeous & Green Eco-Fashion Show
INHABITAT. DECEMBER 13, 2009. By Piper Kujac
This year marked Global Green’s 5th annual Gorgeous and Green fundraiser and celebration in beautiful San Francisco. This star packed event promoted the organization’s numerous charitable green initiatives, and left the Bay area buzzing with an incredible eco-fashion show, a showcase of Sage Vaughn’s artwork, and a living wall exhibit by Design Ecology.
We Have a Real Emergency
THE NEW YORK TIMES. DECEMBER 9, 2009. By Mikhail Gorbachev
As the climate change summit meeting moves forward in Copenhagen, it is increasingly clear that more than just the environment is at stake. The global environmental crisis is at the heart of practically all the problems now confronting us, including the need to create a global economic model grounded in the public good.
True Angels in the City of Angels: The Top 5 Social Enterprises in LA
THE HUFFINGTON POST. DECEMBER 2, 2009. By Jonathan Greenblatt
It may be the image capital of the planet, but Los Angeles itself suffers from a huge image problem. If you watch cable news, LA is little more than the location for a never-ending disaster movie: fires, gridlock, droughts, earthquakes, riots. While New York cultivates writers and Chicago molds future presidents, Los Angeles offers Octomom and Khloe Kardashian. In LA, Mario Lopez actually passes for a journalist.
Yet, the City of Angels seems a well-deserved name because it's a city that frequently prompts our better angels. Despite the negative press, LA is a vibrant hub of ethnicities and ideas, a thriving metropolis that spurs continuous innovation for the common good. Among its 20 million residents, LA has nurtured a number of remarkable hands-on social entrepreneurs. Indeed, the city hosts some of the pioneering, pro-social organizations in the world.
Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand
AFP. NOVEMBER 23, 2009.
SYDNEY — More than 100, and possibly hundreds, of Antarctic icebergs are floating towards New Zealand in a rare event which has prompted a shipping warning, officials said on Monday.
Climate Change: The Threat of Sea Level Rise
Scientists warn that the biggest danger from global warming is raising sea level through a combination of increased water from glacier melting and warmer water temperatures causing expansion. Sea level has risen 4 to 10 inches this past century and is projected to rise up to 3 feet by 2100. For every foot of sea level rise we can expect about 100 feet of coastal flooding.
Obama Hobbled in Fight Against Global Warming
THE NEW YORK TIMES. NOVEMBER 15, 2009. By John M. Broder
WASHINGTON — President Obama came into office pledging to end eight years of American inaction on climate change under President George W. Bush, and all year he has promised that the United States would lead the way toward a global agreement in Copenhagen next month to address the warming planet.
Global Green USA Presents 10th Annual Sustainable Design Awards
ECORAZZI. NOVEMBER 11, 2009. By Michael Parrish DuDell
I’ll just say it: here at the Razz, we’re pretty massive fans of Global Green USA! A mighty force in the field, Global Green works hard to create a more sustainable planet and to honor Mother Earth each day. On Monday, I had the chance to spend some time with the GG crew at their 10th Annual Sustainable Design Awards in New York City. The annual ceremony honors green businesses, schools, governments, and utilities for excellence in environmentally-friendly projects.
Global Green Design Awards, Celebrities, Toast Cooper Union, PG&E, Sebastian Copeland and Others
TREEHUGGER. NOVEMBER 10, 2009. By Alex Pasernack
"Mr. Obama -- Tear down this carbon!" news presenter Miles O'Brien demanded in his speech at the Global Green Sustainable Design Awards last night in New York City, before an audience of benefactors and green luminaries. His reference to Reagan's famous call to Gorbachev, a few years before the latter would help usher the collapse of the Berlin Wall wasn't just timely, but poignant too. Gorbachev would go on to found Green Cross and Global Green USA, a celebrity-heavy organization that has most recently led green reconstruction efforts in New Orleans.
Tear down this wall! And save the planet
TIMES ONLINE. NOVEMBER 9, 2009. By Mikhail Gorbachev
There are urgent parallels between the fall of Communism and the fight to stop climate change
The German people, and the whole world alongside them, are today celebrating a landmark date in history: the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Not many events can claim their place in the collective memory as a watershed that divides two distinct periods. The dismantling of the Berlin Wall — that stark, concrete symbol of a world divided into hostile camps — is such an event. It brought incredible hope and opportunity to people everywhere, and provided the 1980s with a truly jubilant finale. That is something to think about as this decade draws to a close, and the chance for humanity to take another momentous leap forward appears to be slipping away.
eBay & GGUSA Board Member Team Up with Re+Purpose Campaign
This fall, eBay’s Green Team champions this growing consumer mindset with their six-week “re+purpose” campaign. Re+purpose is designed to inspire people to make more sustainable shopping choices and increase awareness that the greenest products are often ones that already exist, whether vintage, used, or repurposed.
How Starbucks is Changing Packaging
QSR MAGAZINE. NOVEMBER 2009.
Starbucks wants its cups to be 100 percent recyclable by 2012 and is recruiting the packaging and recycling industries to help it get there.
Americans use about 58 billion paper cups each year. But landfills are quickly running out of space for the 645,000 tons of waste they result in. At the same time, consumers are taking notice of the foodservice industry’s growing inconvenient truth, pushing for more green alternatives to traditional packaging. The solution seems easy: Prevent the cups from going into landfills and cut back green house emissions equivalent to removing about half a million cars from the road.
At Solar Conference, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Sees Tide Turning For Clean Energy
THE NEW YORK TIMES. October 29, 2009. By Todd Woody
In a barn-burning speech Wednesday at the Solar Power International conference in Anaheim, Calif., Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., sounded a bit like green Gordon Gecko.
“We are in process of overthrowing the incumbents in a $1.3 trillion industry,” said Mr. Kennedy, a veteran environmental activist, in a full-throated attack on one of his long-time foes, the coal industry. “We are going to democratize the energy industry and take it away from the incumbents.”
Recycling Goes From Less Waste to Zero Waste
THE NEW YORK TIMES. OCTOBER 19, 2009. By Leslie Kaufman
At Yellowstone National Park, the clear soda cups and white utensils are not your typical cafe-counter garbage. Made of plant-based plastics, they dissolve magically when heated for more than a few minutes.
Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Protect Environment, Create Jobs
Governor's Office of External Affairs. October 12, 2009.
Furthering his commitment to protecting the environment and the economy, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he has signed legislation that will reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of new jobs in the state.
Green Car of the Year finalists announced for L.A. Auto Show
LA TIMES. October 7, 2009. By Martin Zimmerman
Diesels and hybrids dominate the roster of finalists for the 2010 Green Car of the Year award, which will be presented at the L.A. Auto Show in December.The Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf TDI will be vying for the annual Green Car award, which is sponsored by Green Car Journal magazine. The winner will be announced Dec. 3.
It’s Easy Being Green
THE NEW YORK TIMES. SEPT 24, 2009. By Paul Krugman
So, have you enjoyed the debate over health care reform? Have you been impressed by the civility of the discussion and the intellectual honesty of reform opponents?
If so, you’ll love the next big debate: the fight over climate change.
Energy legislation would give the economy a boost
DAILY NEWS LOS ANGELES. SEPT 17, 2009. By Matt Petersen
REPORTS last month that California's jobless rate had reached its post-World War II zenith provide us with both a stark reality and a paramount question: What can we do immediately to put people back to work, in stable, good-paying jobs?
Although there is no panacea, there is a lost opportunity sitting idle that will help remedy this problem while simultaneously putting money back in the pockets of consumers and mitigating the effects of global warming. The answer lies within our existing buildings.
NY Starbucks stores launch cup-recycling program
GREENER PACKAGE. SEPTEMBER 10, 2009. By Anne Marie Mohan
Seven Starbucks stores in Manhattan have launched a cup-recycling program in cooperation with Global Green USA’s Coalition for Resource Recovery (CORR). The pilot will test the collection and recycling of coffee cups when combined with old corrugated cardboard (OCC), which CORR says is the most extensively recycled material in the U.S. The objective of the program is to develop a cost-effective mechanism to close the loop on paper packaging, reducing greenhouse gases and assisting municipalities in reaching their solid waste diversion goals.
Arctic Shortcut Beckons Shippers as Ice Thaws
THE NEW YORK TIMES. SEPTEMBER 10, 2009. By Andrew E. Kramer and Andrew C. Revkin
MOSCOW — For hundreds of years, mariners have dreamed of an Arctic shortcut that would allow them to speed trade between Asia and the West. Two German ships are poised to complete that transit for the first time, aided by the retreat of Arctic ice that scientists have linked to global warming.
Hollywood’s next green generation
GRIST. AUGUST 26, 2009. By Claire Thompson
We know. There’s nothing green about owning a 20,000-square foot house, or flying in a private jet, or stocking a wardrobe the size of a studio apartment. Famous actors indisputably leave a much larger carbon footprint than the average citizen. But their celebrity gives them a far greater ability to influence others, so their efforts toward eco-consciousness can make a difference. Two years ago Grist published a list of green actors. Now we give you an updated version: some younger, fresher faces whose greenness may not be as dark or deep as that of Robert Redford and Ed Begley Jr., but who could be on their way to becoming Hollywood’s next green dream team.
The Climate and National Security
THE NEW YORK TIMES. AUGUST 17, 2009. EDITORIAL
One would think that by now most people would have figured out that climate change represents a grave threat to the planet. One would also have expected from Congress a plausible strategy for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that lie at the root of the problem.
That has not happened. The House has passed a climate bill that is not as strong as needed, but is a start. There are doubts about whether the Senate will pass any bill, given the reflexive opposition of most Republicans and unfounded fears among many Democrats that rising energy costs will cripple local industries.
The problem, when it comes to motivating politicians, is that the dangers from global warming — drought, famine, rising seas — appear to be decades off. But the only way to prevent them is with sacrifices in the here and now: with smaller cars, bigger investments in new energy sources, higher electricity bills that will inevitably result once we put a price on carbon.
Clinton: Efficiency efforts would bring jobs boost
LAS VEGAS SUN. AUGUST 10, 2009. By Alexandra Berzon, J. Patrick Coolican, Stephanie Tavares
Former President Bill Clinton today urged America to take control of its energy future.
In a nearly hour-long speech at the National Clean Energy Summit at UNLV, Clinton urged Americans to support energy efficiency measures, including green building practices and weatherization retrofits on all buildings. He called efficiency measures low-hanging fruit as the country battles global warming, recession and rising energy costs. Clinton noted that millions of Americans are unemployed or underemployed but that their plight could be eased by aggressive retrofit campaigns that would save energy and money while putting Americans back to work.
Climate change could put the heat on California crops
LOS ANGELES TIMES. JULY 22, 2009. By Margo Roosevelt
Fruit and nut orchards in the Central Valley rely on winter chilling hours, but those are in decline, according to a UC Davis study.
The Lockes have tilled the rich soil along the Mokelumne River since 1850. Now Chris Locke, 57, looks forward to passing down his orchards of 40,000 walnut trees to his four sons.
But the threat of global warming has him worried. "I talk to my boys about climate change," he said. When he was young, frigid fogs rolled off the delta into Lockeford, the town named for his forebears. "We would go a week without seeing the sun. But we don't seem to get that weather anymore."
WMU takes leading role in recycling fast food containers
WMU NEWS. JULY 17, 2009.
KALAMAZOO--Imagine going to a fast food restaurant and not seeing a trashcan.
A recycle bin is the only thing you'll need.
That's the idea behind an effort to eventually allow all fast food containers, from cups to food boxes, to be readily recyclable after customers finish their meals. And Western Michigan University's Paper, Recycling and Coating Pilot Plants are playing a leading role. The plants have teamed up with Global Green and it's Coalition for Resource Recovery (CoRR) to bring the recycling effort to the fast food and packaging industries.
A Solar Land Rush
THE NEW YORK TIMES. JULY 13, 2009. By Todd Woody
The Department of the Interior’s move last month to accelerate development of large-scale solar power plants on federal land in six Western states could give an edge to companies that have already staked lease claims in 24 new “solar energy study areas.”
Poorer Nations Reject a Target on Emission Cut
THE NEW YORK TIMES. JULY 8, 2009. By Peter Baker
L’AQUILA, Italy — The world’s biggest developing nations, led by China and India, refused Wednesday to commit to specific goals for slashing heat-trapping gases by 2050, undercutting the drive to build a global consensus by the end of this year to reverse the threat of climate change.
Prince fears Earth 'catastrophe'
THE BBC NEWS. JULY 8, 2009
The Prince of Wales has issued a fresh warning of environmental catastrophe, telling an audience in London "if we fail the Earth, we fail humanity".
Prince Charles said we must "urgently confront" the risks to avoid "destroying our children's future".
He was delivering the 33rd Richard Dimbleby lecture at St James's Palace, in honour of the late broadcaster. The prince's audience included former US President Bill Clinton and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
New solar panel law draws concerns
SANTA MONICA DAILY PRESS. JULY 2, 2009. By Melody Hanatani
CITY HALL — A proposal by city officials to streamline the permit application process to install photovoltaic panels has drawn concerns from solar advocates who believe that a new provision could deter interested property owners in the future.
New Measures to Aid Solar on Public Lands
THE NEW YORK TIMES. JUNE 29, 2009. By Kate Galbraith
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced measures on Monday to hasten the development of solar energy on Western public lands.
Mr. Salazar, appearing in Las Vegas with Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, said that 670,000 acres of lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (an agency within the Department of the Interior) would be studied to determine whether they could support large solar power arrays.
Santa Monica's Solar Ordinance
Permanent June Gloom for Santa Monica? Proposed Solar Ordinance could discourage installations
The City of Santa Monica has traditionally been at the forefront of sustainable energy initiatives, as the first city in the country to purchase green power. The City's current goal is to have 25% of its electric power come from renewable energy sources by 2010.
Unfortunately, a proposed ordinance amending Santa Monica Municipal Code 9.04.10.02.220--Solar Energy Design Standards--would blemish that record.
Solar Showdown Looms in California
THE NEW YORK TIMES. JUNE 9, 2009. By Jennifer Kho
Solar installations could grind to a halt in California, industry advocates say, unless a legislative proposal, which the state Senate is considering this month, passes.
Some opponents, including electrical and utility workers, disagree.
We Had Our Perestroika. It's High Time for Yours.
THE WASHINGTON POST. JUNE 7, 2009. By Mikhail Gorbachev
Years ago, as the Cold War was coming to an end, I said to my fellow leaders around the globe: The world is on the cusp of great events, and in the face of new challenges all of us will have to change, you as well as we. For the most part, the reaction was polite but skeptical silence.
In recent years, however, during speaking tours in the United States before university audiences and business groups, I have often told listeners that I feel Americans need their own change -- a perestroika, not like the one in my country, but an American perestroika -- and the reaction has been markedly different. Halls filled with thousands of people have responded with applause.
Stars Go Green With A Hollywood Affair
HOLLYSCOOP.COM. JUNE 4, 2009. BY DIANA MAGPAPIAN
The world may be carried away with our poor economy, but let’s not forget about our mother Earth. Thank goodness to some of our favorite Hollywood stars who went green this past weekend, all for a good cause.
Actress Rosario Dawson (at left), David Duchovny, Adrian Grenier among others came out to celebrate the 2009 Millennium Awards Honorees at a star-studded fundraiser gala at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, California.
Greening Hollywood: Westside Story And Eastside Luv
HUFFINGTON POST. JUNE 1, 2009. BY PAIGE DONNER
From the West Side to the East Side this past week was one gala dinner after another. Every single night, from the West Side to the East Side of L.A., and everywhere in between, there were people recognizing one another for their accomplishments. Or, as Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries and recipient of the Friends of Boyle Heights Genesis Award put it, people were "recognizing each other as accomplices in their accomplishments."
It was sort of a citywide festival of "You're great." "No, YOU'RE great."
On Thursday evening Heal The Bay hosted their "Bring Back The Beach" annual benefit dinner for 1,000 guests - and raised over half a million dollars to support ongoing education, advocacy and community outreach. It was held at the Santa Monica Airport Barker Hangar and featured a mid-dinner performance by Cirque du Soleil. Watching the steel-cut muscle bound men perform their superhuman feats of balance and strength lent me, and the other women sitting at my table, an appetite for dessert. Cirque announced their partnership with Heal The Bay that evening.
The Boyle Heights Technology Youth Center honored Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas and Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress. She shared that she is, "Very very excited about [Sotomayor's] appointment. We're all working very hard to make sure she gets the support that she needs. Never before have we had anyone more qualified to sit on the Supreme Court."
When I caught up with Arianna Huffington at the Global Green Millennium Awards Gala on Saturday night, she echoed this enthusiasm for Sotomayor's nomination. You can read her fired up "Rock on Love" blog about it here at HuffPo.
When I mentioned to her my recent lunch with U.S. Rep. David Obey, and several others, even she was impressed. You know the lady knows her politics when the name "Obey" draws immediate recognition.
Austin Nichols of One Tree Hill commented at the Global Green USA Annual Millennium Awards how he would like to make videos and put them on YouTube and fire up the youth to make them "environmental revolutionaries." He's all about greening the schools and getting kids into environments more conducive to learning - such as natural daylight, fresh air, and school yard gardens.
Global Green Honors Green Innovators
TREEHUGGER.COM. May 28, 2009. By Roberta Cruger.
For the 13th year, Global Green USA is celebrating its 2009 Millennium Awards to pay tribute to environmental leaders. This Saturday night, May 30, the fundraising gala honors those who “demonstrate successful strategies for tackling current economic and environmental crises as part of the same problem.” Eco-celebrities will present the kudos, including Rosario Dawson, Adrian Grenier, Arianna Huffington, and LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, among others, plus a special presentation by playwright Eve Ensler.
This year’s Millennium Honorees are:
California Environmental Leadership Award: Wallis Annenberg/Annenberg Foundation for her serious support of environmental organizations and transformative green projects including the Universally Accessible Treehouse Project in Torrance, CA
Green Building Environmental Leadership Award: Marc Nathanson, head of Mapleton Investments and founder of Falcon Waterfree Technologies which reduces water use and greenhouse gas emissions
Founder’s Award: Zem Joaquin, founder of ecofabulous and Global Green's Gorgeous Green event in San Francisco, who also appears on Planet Green’s “Alter Eco” with Adrien Grenier
Entertainment Industry Environmental Leadership Award: Jeff Skoll, founder of Participant Media creating films that compel social change such as An Inconvenient Truth, Darfur Now, and Syrianna, and also head of the Skoll Foundation and Skoll Urgent Threats Fund to battle climate change
“Their transformation and commitment each tell a story of how we can address the environmental and economic crises together head on,” said Matt Petersen, President and CEO, “and create a truly sustainable future.”
Google Rolls Out Home Energy Software
THE NEW YORK TIMES. MAY 20, 2009. By Kate Galbraith
Google’s initiative to allow people to monitor their energy use on their computers took a step forward on Wednesday, as the company announced partnerships with eight electric utilities that will be the first to use its “Power Meter.”
Essentially, the secure software gadget will interact with the intelligent metering devices currently being installed by utilities for their customers. The software will “show consumers their home energy information almost in real time, right on their computer,” the company says.
Googlers testing the device, which includes a graphic-rich, Web-based interface, have reported learning which appliances cause the largest spike in home energy use — causing them to make changes like ensuring that an energy-intensive dishwasher or washing machine is fully loaded.
“One of my colleagues learned that her pool pump had been operating for years,” said Dan Reicher, the head of climate change programs at Google.org, with whom I spoke last month.
Another time, he said, while monitoring his own home’s energy usage from afar: “I called up my daughter and said, ‘I think you may have left the lights on in your room.’”
Google cites studies that suggest consumers could cut their electricity bills by 5 percent to 15 percent if they had access to information about how much electricity they are consuming.
The eight electric utilities include one in India and one in Canada, as well as six in the United States.
(These are: Glasgow EPB in Kentucky; TXU Energy in Texas; San Diego Gas & Electric in California; White River Valley Electric Cooperative in Missouri; JEA in Florida; and Wisconsin Public Service in Wisconsin.)
Bill Clinton to cities: Act on climate
CNN.com. May 20, 2009. By Dean Irvine
SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Tuesday urged urban leaders and policymakers they need to take the lead now in fighting climate change.
"What are you going to do and how much are you going to spend?" Clinton asked leaders from the world's biggest cities at a climate summit being held in South Korea's capital, Seoul.
Officials from the world's 40 biggest cities plus 17 affiliate municipalities are attending the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit, which ends on Thursday.
Waiting for nations to take the lead with a new climate protocol in Copenhagen in December is not an option, said David Miller, mayor of Toronto and chairman of the C40 Cities Leadership Group.
"If governments talk about reducing CO2 (carbon dioxide), cities are the ones that show how it's done," Miller said. "The point is that cities act, and working together we have a scale and a size that we dramatically increase people's ability to fight climate change.
"The challenge for national governments is that while they can sometimes reach agreement they don't know how to act collectively," Miller continued. "For cities, that's easier. We all have climate strategies, but can make our actions work better and make the partnerships to do that."
The Seoul summit is the third conference by cities held to discuss responses to climate change. The C40 group was established in London in 2005. A second summit was held in New York in 2007.
Much of the talk at this week's conference was how major urban centers could work toward adhering to the Kyoto Protocol, the existing environmental treaty that sets targets for nations to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations. Adopted in December 1997, the Kyoto Protocol entered into force in February 2005.
In countries that did not sign up to the Kyoto agreement, cities took it upon themselves to reduce their carbon footprint. While the United States did not sign Kyoto, 825 U.S. cities and towns signed up to a climate protection agreement that embraced that protocol's goals.
Starbucks' Cup Summit: Does the Cost of Recycling Runneth Over?
GREENBIZ.COM. MAY 15, 2009. By Scott Seydel
Starbucks' Ben Packard, the vice president of Global Responsibility, and his running mate, Jim Hanna, the director of Environmental Impact, think so -- and they invited 30 cup, cupstock and coating manufacturers, recyclers, waste managers and university researchers to Seattle this week to have a chat about it.
The experts were matched up with an equal number of Starbucks professionals in sessions that included a talk led by CEO Howard Schultz. From Monday's opening reception and dinner through the next full day at SBUX headquarters, every aspect of the iconic coffee cup was discussed as if the subject was "the beans."
Three billion of the world's 200 billion-plus paper cups that start as trees and end up at the dump each year bear the Starbucks logo, and Packard and Hanna are taking on the responsibility to fulfill the promise Schultz made to 10,000 baristas who met in New Orleans last October: All the company's iconic coffee cups will be recyclable by 2012.
Joel Kendrick, Western Michigan University's director of Paper & Coating facilities, reported that his laboratory has conducted preliminary trials indicating that many paper coffee cups in today's market are readily repulpable and recyclable.
Annie White, who directs Global Green's Coalition for Resource Recovery (CoRR), co-authored a white paper with Kendrick detailing how spent cups and food packaging certified as OCC (old corrugated cardboard) grade could hitch a free ride to recycling mills if source separated. Dick Lilly, business area manager for waste prevention at Seattle's Public Utilities, reported that Starbucks' hot beverage cups (among others) are already considered recyclable and are recycled as paper in Seattle. Thus recyclers may be receptive to CoRR's cup and cartonstock certification program, if it serves to upgrade that recyclability from "mixed paper" to "OCC equivalent."
CoRR's current program will facilitate collection of spent cups from a representative number of Starbucks shops in Manhattan and utilize the city's efficient OCC collection/distribution systems to deliver them to Pratt Industries' recycling plant on Staten Island.
"Receptacles that are fitted with special paper liners will be provided for consumer use to collect spent cups, and those paper sacks will be bound in the OCC bundles that are daily shipped to the Pratt plant," said White. "Within 72 hours after being discarded, the cups collected in this demonstration program will be component in linerboard used to form New York's take-out pizza boxes."
EPA chief calls for environmental justice
NJ.COM. MAY 9, 2009. By Spencer Gaffney
PRINCETON BOROUGH -- The federal Environmental Protection Agency needs to address the systemic environmental issues facing America's poor, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a speech yesterday at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School.
"I see it as part of my essential mission to show all Americans that the Environmental Protection Agency works for them," said Jackson, the first African-American head of the EPA.
Jackson said that long-term environmental issues can devastate a community if left unchecked, leading to a cycle of pollution and poverty in the country's poorest neighborhoods.
"If there is unchecked pollution, if there is littering, then that will lead to additional pollution, additional littering," said Jackson. "Businesses won't invest in that community, not even if you pay them to do so."
Jackson also said that President Obama would reject the "false choice" between the economy and the environment, and said that the president would see the environmental sector as an economic opportunity.
"The opportunities are there to create green jobs," said Jackson, "in places in our county where both the green and the job are absolutely vital."
Jackson cited an initiative in the president's Recovery Act to weatherize low-income housing as an example of the compound benefits of the green sector.
"The idea was more than just to make that housing green, which is very important, but to put 80,000 Americans to work at the same time that it saves their families hundreds of dollars a year in energy bills," Jackson said.
Improving environmental conditions in underprivileged areas can have widespread positive effects on areas beyond the immediate community, said Jackson. As an example she described the affects of polluted air in urban settings on health-care costs.
We Need a Green New Deal
TRUTHOUT.COM. MAY 6, 2009. By Norman Solomon
In the Arctic, sea ice is melting. In the United States, houses are foreclosing.
And in Washington, the Senate is becoming a real-life Bermuda Triangle for progressive agendas.
Proposals for major limits on carbon emissions aren't getting far in the Senate, where the corporate war on the environment has an abundance of powerful allies.
As for class war, it continues to rage from the top down. Last week, a dozen Democratic senators teamed up with Republicans to defeat a bill that would have allowed judges to reduce mortgages in bankruptcy courts.
President Obama supported that bill. But as The Associated Press reported, he was "facing stiff opposition from banks" and "did little to pressure lawmakers" on behalf of the measure. The Senate "defeated a plan to spare hundreds of thousands of homeowners from foreclosure through bankruptcy."
Big-money vultures are circling the Capitol dome to feast on the latest multibillion-dollar carrion, whether under the heading of "cap and trade" or "health care reform." And many billions in profits can be found inside yet another supplemental bill to fund war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, a familiar pattern is unfolding for the most important piece of labor legislation in decades - the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) - which would go a long way toward protecting the rights of workers to form unions. Obama says he supports EFCA. But there are no signs that he'll go all-out for its passage.
There are pluses and minuses on Capitol Hill these days. But on big-picture items, it's clear that environmentalists and labor rights activists are mostly up against the corporate wall - and the wall is not yielding.
We need a Green New Deal.
Going Green moves into mainstream
PODER360.COM. MAY 2009. By Elsie Morales
In the wake of a failing economy, the U.S. looks to new green initiatives to spur societal change.
The past 10 years have seen an upsurge of interest in environmental issues as well as a dramatic shift in economic systems. With new government spending, regulation, and policies supporting investments in energy technologies, environmentalism is no longer just a moral issue or an ethical obligation, but an opportunity to bolster the U.S. economy and increase our collective intelligence. New cutting-edge green initiatives throughout the nation encompass a wide range of efforts, with alternative energy production taking center stage. Rather than rely on oil and gas for energy production, these initiatives represent the latest projects using reliable, efficient methods to create energy from solar rays, wind, water, and steam.
Zero Net Energy Buildings
WHAT IS A ZERO NET ENERGY BUILDING?
A zero net energy home is one that produces as much energy on site as it uses, as measured on an annual basis. These homes utilize the most energy efficient building methods coupled with clean, renewable technologies to produce energy. In spite of producing their own energy, net zero homes are not detached from the grid. At times when the building is generating excess power it is fed back to the utility and when its not yielding enough energy the home will take from the grid what is needed, averaging out to zero usage.
POSITION PAPER ON THE LOS ANGELES SOLAR ENERGY PLAN
The undersigned people/organizations represent an affiliation of leading environmental, social justice and health organizations who, collectively over the last 10 years, have successfully advocated for policies that have led to cleaner air, more renewable energy and measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change in Los Angeles and beyond. As a group we represent numerous and diverse stakeholders, whose common goal is to promote clean energy in Los Angeles, with the larger goal of working to stem climate change.
Commentary: Green way to create jobs, save cities
CNN. APRIL 22, 2009. By Majora Carter
NEW YORK (CNN) -- In the midst of our economic and environmental crisis, I am grateful our new president embraces the potential of green ideas.
He faces challenges from two directions. Often, advocates forget to manage expectations about how the green economy will grow. In addition, those vested in the pollution-based economy desperately want "green" to fail. Both sides of the debate require equal attention.
Support Non-Profits on Earth Day
THE HUFFINGTON POST. APRIL 21, 2009. By Matt Petersen
In this weekend's New York Times Magazine Jon Gertner ("Why Isn't the Brain Green?") evokes the Pew Research Center poll taken in late January that ranked concern about climate change in last place of the top 20 concerns Americans have.
This is alarming, since scientists are repeatedly discovering that global warming impacts are accelerating at a pace more quickly than initially expected. Hence our need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever.
Celebrate Earth Day with Leonardo DiCaprio via eBay
TREEHUGGER. APRIL 15, 2009. By Neil Chambers
If you’ve ever tried to figure out how to support important projects like green schools while combating climate change AND meet a movie star all while shopping online, wonder no more. eBay and Global Green USA is holding an auction for a lucky somebody to meet Leonardo DiCaprio.
Media and Environmental Activism
In this rich "Perspective on Media" feature for the Paley Center for Media from Annie White, the director of the New York office of Global Green USA, she writes about the media's role in environmental activism, lessons learned during the filming of Away We Go, and the first steps of the Paley Center's own green initiatives in the construction of The Kissinger Global Conference Room.
From Rachel Carson’s seminal work, Silent Spring, to Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, media has played an important role in teaching, raising awareness, and organizing the public to action on environmental issues.
Save the Earth, Go to a Premiere with Leonardo DiCaprio!
PEOPLE.COM. APRIL 14, 2009. By Michelle Tauber
Want to hit the red carpet with Leonardo DiCaprio at the premiere of his next film? Here's your chance.
The actor and environmental activist, 34, is auctioning off the opportunity to attend the premiere of his upcoming drama Shutter Island complete with eco-car service to and from the event and a stay at a green hotel.
PLANT A VIRTUAL FLOWER & SUPPORT GLOBAL GREEN
April 13, 2009. Today in New York City, Kelly Ripa helped launch a virtual flower campaign where Electrolux Appliances will donate $1 for every flower planted to support Global Green's National Green Schools Initiative.
"Planting a virtual flower helps Global Green raise funds to create healthier, more energy-efficient schools for kids, our most precious natural resource," said Global Green President & CEO Matt Petersen. "We are so pleased be the beneficiary of this initiative and to join with a company long dedicated to creating energy-efficient appliances." Plant your virtual flower here.
Earth Promise Interview with Matt Petersen
April 8, 2009. This month, the Earth Promise website is publishing a "21 in 21" Interview Series in honor of Earth Day. The series includes an interview with Global Green President & CEO Matt Petersen.
Earth Promise: Were you “green” as a child?
Matt Petersen: As a child, I was struck by the imbalance between man and nature. My father shares a story of us sitting the park together when I was five years old and looking around at the trash and cans littering the area after a busy Sunday of picnics and parties. I said to my Dad “ we have to do something to take care of our planet, Dad.”
Gorbachev Joins the Call for Green Stimulus
Huffington Post. April 5, 2009. By Matt Petersen
On March 30, I joined President Gorbachev in San Antonio, Texas to call upon the leaders of the G20 nations and the leaders of the global energy sector to help make significant investment in solar energy immediately as one critical way to solving our current economic and environmental crises. We also unveiled Global Green's new Solar Report Card -- the first of its kind--which analyzes 16 countries' (and the state of California's) investments in solar energy.
From perestroika to an appeal on petroleum
San Antonio Express-News. March 31, 2009. By Anton Caputo.
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev is in San Antonio pushing solar and renewable energy as building blocks for the economy of the future.
Gorbachev, who is in town to speak to the International Petrochemical Conference, said he hopes his remarks will help prod leaders at the Group of 20 summit in London this week, when world leaders convene to discuss the global economic crisis.
Green Cross Founder Mikhail Gorbachev Tells Oilmen Solar Power Investment Means Economic Recovery
TREEHUGGER. March 31, 2009. By Matthew McDermott
In a move which seems a bit like talking to cattle ranchers about the need to cut down on beef consumption, Mikhail Gorbachev, founder of Green Cross International (among other things...), addressed the 33rd NRPA International Petrochemical Conference by urging world leaders and the private sector that the way out of the current economic morass and the way to combat climate change was to make big investments in solar power, and make them quickly:
Trekking with Tech to the Top of the World
KTLA. March 30, 2009. Kurt the Cyberguy
Arctic adventurer, photographer and environmental activist Sebastian Copeland is headed to the North Pole to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first trek to the North Pole and raise awareness of melting polar ice caps. Kurt shares the advanced technology that will be helping him along the way, and how you can follow his treacherous 40-day trek online.
Mikhail Gorbachev sings in the solar choir
San Antonio Current. March 30, 2009. By Greg Harman
Gorby has an idea about the sun. And a pretty good one, too.
As he is settles into a chair beneath an American flag and stark Green Cross/Global Green banner and slowly takes control of the podium, I realize he’ll do just fine to reinforce the article’s conclusion that the world must jump now to avoid possible worst-case runaway global warming. Maybe.
In a somewhat dragging baritone, the 78-year-old insists, much as President Barack Obama has been want to do, that the economy can be revived by deep and rapid deployment of green technology, something that will also uplift the less prosperous nations of the world. That solar, in fact, can save the world.
At this momentous crossroads, hoping to lure some of Big Oil’s investment dollars and draw some media attention, Gorbachev is taking this possibly heretical message not only to Texas but straight to the beast itself, addressing the 33rd annual meeting of the International Petrochemical Conference wrapping up in San Antonio tomorrow.
“Moving toward a low-carbon economy is an urgent task, both political and economic,” Gorby tells us through his translator. “The leaders of a number of countries have already taken steps to make the economy less carbon dependent.” You see it in Obama’s plans for green jobs, he says, and in the European Union, and, more recently, from Russia and China.
Gorbachev pushes for solar energy in San Antonio
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS. March 30, 2009. Associate Press.
Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev is in Texas pushing solar power as the "best hope" of delivering electricity to the poor and helping the environment. Gorbachev is founder of Green Cross International, an environmental organization that also released a global report card Monday on solar energy and development. Germany led all countries with an A-minus, while the U.S. was given a C-plus.
Nickelodeon Honors DiCaprio for Inspiring Young Activists
THE HUFFINGTON POST. March 26, 2009. By Frances Beinecke
Nickelodeon just announced that Leonardo DiCaprio will receive the first-ever Big Green Help Award during Saturday's broadcast of the Kids Choice Awards. I have known Leo for almost 10 years, and I am delighted that his environmental advocacy will be recognized this way.
PEARY-HENSON CENTENNIAL EXPEDITION UPDATES
MYSPACE.COM. By Sebastian Copeland
One hundred years ago, Admiral Peary led the first successful expedition to the North Pole, reaching it on April 6th 1909 with Mathew A. Henson and four Inuit. In Peary’s day, the ice at Pole was twelve feet deep on average. Today, the ice is around five and half feet deep. The changing icy environment spells an ominous future for the Arctic region which, unlike Antarctica, does not benefit from an international treaty of protection. This needs to change.
Reporter's Notebook with Sebastian Copeland
KCRW. March 17, 2009.
Sebastian Copeland appeared On Which Way, LA?, hosted by Warren Olney, to talk about his trek to the North Pole.
Sebastian Copeland Treks to North Pole ( 7:45P)
Admiral Robert Peary made the first recorded walk to the North Pole just 100 years ago. In a week, photographer and environmental activist Sebastian Copeland sets off on a two-man trek that he hopes won’t be the last such expedition.
The Inflection Is Near?
The New York Times. March 7, 2009. By Thomas L. Friedman.
Let’s today step out of the normal boundaries of analysis of our economic crisis and ask a radical question: What if the crisis of 2008 represents something much more fundamental than a deep recession? What if it’s telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall — when Mother Nature and the market both said: “No more.”
Recyclable shipping-case initiative launched in NYC
Greener Package. March 2, 2009. By Anne Marie Mohan
Global Green USA has announced the launch of an initiative with the Hunts Point Distribution Center in New York City, the world’s largest food DC, to substitute all of its nonrecyclable transfer packaging with recyclable packaging. If successful, the program is expected to divert 30,000 tons per year of corrugated from landfills, reduce greenhouse gases by 103,000mtCO2e (metric ton carbon dioxide equivalent) per year—which is equal to taking 19,000 cars off the road—and save businesses $3 million-plus per year. Global Green also hopes the initiative will set the standard for “greening” transfer packaging throughout the world.
$60 Billion for Green in the Stimulus Bill: Where the Money Will Go
TREEHUGGER. February 16, 2009. By Brian Merchant
After weeks of intense negotiations, spirited debate, and some name calling, President Obama will sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 tomorrow. The much publicized, lengthily titled stimulus bill has been on center stage seemingly since the day after Inauguration. And even though it's proved extremely divisive—it's been called "generational theft," an insult to taxpayers, and useless pork by its detractors—one group in particular seems to sing its unanimous praise: environmentalists.
Everyone from the Sierra Club to the National Resource Defense Council to environmental bloggers and journalists have been downright jubilant about all the green initiatives included in the bill. But just how green will the bill actually be?
Global Green’s Pre-Oscar Party 2009 draws on star power
Green Right Now. Feb 12, 2009. By Shermakaye Bass
Over the past few years, the Academy Awards have become a fuel-efficient vehicle for Hollywood’s green movement. And perhaps no environmental nonprofit has gleaned more momentum from star power than Global Green USA, which helped put the celebrity machine into first gear in 2003, when it shuttled A-list’ers to the Oscars in alternative-fuel cars.
The Eighth Annual Cinema For Peace Gala
PRNEWSWIRE. FEB 4, 2008.
Oscar Winning Actor Leonardo DiCaprio to be Honoured; Event to be Sponsored by BMW
BERLIN, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The international film industry will gather to honour the most significant films of the year at the Eighth Annual Cinema For Peace Awards and Charity Gala on Monday, February 9, 2009, at the Konzerthaus Berlin. Twenty years after the Peaceful Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall, this year's Cinema For Peace Gala will focus on ecological awareness and the preservation of our environment; tolerance and peace in the time of war and natural disasters; and social commitment.
Assembly Member Lori Saldana introduces AB 212
Feb 2, 2009. Today, Assembly Member Lori Saldana introduced AB 212, which will require that new residences built in California after 2020 be Zero-Net energy buildings. It is a re-introduction of AB 2112 from last year. Assembly Member Ted Lieu is a Joint-Author (last year Asm. Lieu introduced a companion bill requiring zero-net energy commercial buildings by 2020). This bill codifies recommendations made by the California Energy Commission in their 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report.
To learn more about last year's version of the bill, click here.
Huffington Post Inaugural Ball Packs In Celebs From Pete Wentz To Don King
MTV.COM. JAN 20, 2009. By Sarah Maslin Nir
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It was billed as D.C.'s "most exclusive party," but the Huffington Post Pre-Inaugural Ball certainly was crowded. Make that can't-move-without-spilling-your-drink, can't-talk-without-shouting, sardines-in-a-tin-can packed. Held at the ultramodern Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue, the party took place amid giant models of laptop computers and interactive journalism terminals that partygoers played with at random.
Emmy Rossum takes orders for Global Green
LA TIMES. Jan 19, 2008. By Richard Rushfield
Sundance 2009 -- Live from MySpace: Emmy Rossum takes some orders
One of the many spectacles unfolding across the MySpace cafe has been that of actors regressing back to their native talents -- waiting tables once again for the patrons. No, it's not that they are trying to keep their skills fresh as a fallback; it's all for charity. Guest celebrity wait staffers are donating all their tips to the environmental charity Global Green as part of MySpace's attempts to get the world in tune with the coming era of hope.
Charities for a Green Cause
KTLA.com. January 15, 2009.
If you vowed to be more eco-friendly in the new year, Asha tells us how you can go green by giving some green. She shows us some charities that all benefit a green cause.
David Hyde Pierce Talks Global Green And Planet-Saving
ECORAZZI.COM January 8, 2009.
“This is an organization that I’m quite new to. A friend of mine was putting this event together and brought my attention to it. And I’m excited to be here because, although they’ve been doing this for 9 years, this is an idea that finally the rest of the world has caught up with: the idea of being greener and being responsible and possibly even leaving a planet for our children and our children’s children. It’s a nifty idea. So I’m glad to support them. ”
- David Hyde Pierce speaking to Ecorazzi at Global Green’s Sustainable Design Awards.
Beanstockd Does Global Green’s Sustainable Design Awards
Beanstockd. December 22nd 2008
On Wednesday December 10th, A-list celebrities, high-powered environmentalists, NYC charity gala regulars, and the Beanstockd team, all descended upon Pier Sixty for the 9th annual Sustainable Design Awards hosted by Global Green USA.
Antarctica: A Call to Action
Few people have actually witnessed, first-hand, the effects of climate change on Antarctica. But Sebastian Copeland, an award-winning photographer, environmental activist and Global Green board member, has made it a personal mission to document this fragile and quickly changing part of the world.
Greening Hollywood: EcoTainment, Creating Good Content About Doing Good
The Huffington Post. December 16, 2008. By Paige Donner
Hewlett-Packard and GM were the title sponsors, again, this year, for the two-day conference held at Universal City put on by Zahava and Michael Stroud. "HGG was truly a top tier 'Green' event! The moment I arrived I was greeted with enthusiasm. The venue was lovely," said Cynthia Kiktavi of Kiktavi Design. "Topics were interesting as well as thought provoking and vendors were knowledgeable about their products. Zahava did a great job!"
Environmentally-Aware Stars Get Green At Sustainable Design Awards
ECORAZZI.COM DEC 12, 2008
On Wednesday night Ecorazzi had the honor of attending Global Green’s Sustainable Design Awards here in lusty, dusty NYC! Established in 1999, the Sustainable Design Awards recognizes specific advancements in industry, building, media, organizations, and public policy.
Al Gore Receives Honorary Doctorate from Poznan University
Al Gore called for more concerted action to save the planet yesterday as he addressed the audience at the University of Poznan, after receiving an honorary doctorate from the University during a side event to the 14th climate change conference taking place in the Polish city.
Tis the season: The stars shine at green benefits
PLENTY Magazine. Dec 9, 2008. By Roberta Cruger
Mel Gibson, Ed Norton, Katie Couric, David Hyde Pierce, and Deadwood’s Brian Cox are presenters at Global Green’s 9th Annual Sustainable Design Awards this week. Honors for Policy Design go to Bill Richardson, New Mexico’s Governor and newly appointed Commerce Secretary. Other kudos include Rabobank, which snagged The Founders Award for its corporate social responsibility and sustainability oriented banking, particularly exemplary in these financial times.
Sebastian Copeland on This Is America
On the Air America show "This Is America," host Jon Elliott is joined by Global Green Board member Sebastian Copeland who discusses his new book, Antartica: A Call To Action.
L.A. council orders solar rooftop measure drafted
L.A. TIMES. OCT 28, 2008. By David Zahniser.
If the council OKs it by Nov. 7, the initiative to add solar panels would be on the March ballot. The panels would provide 400 megawatts to commercial and other buildings by 2013.
The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to draft a solar rooftop measure for the March 3 ballot, even though officials with the Department of Water and Power still don't know what the initiative would do to electrical rates.
Villaraigosa, 3 council members back solar power initiative
LOS ANGELES TIMES. OCT 15, 2008. By David Zahniser.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and three City Council members have thrown their support behind a proposal to install enough rooftop solar panels on buildings across the city to power 100,000 residential customers of the Department of Water and Power by 2013.
Global Green Works on National Energy Efficiency Campaign
Global Green Policy and Legislative Associate David Fink will be in Minneapolis from Sept. 17th through Sept. 23rd for the culmination of a nine month campaign aimed at updating the most utilized residential building code in the country to make it 30% more energy efficient.
ARCTIC SEA ICE MELTING FASTER THAN EXPECTED
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR. JUNE 12, 2008. By Peter N. Spotts
Arctic Ocean sea ice – one of the most visible indicators for global warming – may be headed for another record-breaking summer decline.
If the pattern continues, new research suggests, its warming effect could reach up to 900 miles inland, melting permafrost and potentially altering weather patterns at lower latitudes. As of June 7, preliminary data show that the vast expanse of ice at the top of the world is some 55,800 square miles smaller than it was on the same date last year, according to University of Colorado researcher Sheldon Drobot. In May, sea-ice extent was slightly large than in May 2007. But the melt rate during the month – some 3,000 square miles a day – was faster, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo.
California Building Standards Commission votes to adopt the nation's first statewide green building code
"California continues to be a national leader in addressing climate change. With the adoption of the new standards, builders and local governments have a sound foundation to create greener communities in the state." said Global Green staffer Walker Wells, an appointed member of the Green Building Technical Advisory Committee that helped develop California’s green building code.
ON EARTH DAY, L.A. PASSES A 'GREEN' BUILDING LAW TO CLEAN THE AIR
LOS ANGELES TIMES. APRIL 23, 2008. By Margot Roosevelt
Los Angeles embarked on one of its most ambitious projects to combat global warming on Monday, becoming the biggest city in the nation to impose "green" building rules that would potentially cut millions of tons of pollution over the next decade.
S.F. MAYOR TOUTS 'GREEN' GOAL IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. AUG 3, 2005. By Ilene Lelchuk
Standing next to some solar panels on the roof of the unfinished Plaza Apartments, where 106 new studios for poor individuals are under construction, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the city was the first in the nation applying high environmental standards to all its new affordable housing developments.
