Christine Sculati's blog » sustainability

For next generation of Californians, parks legacy is at stake

christine — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:55:19 +0000

Today, the San Rafael Patch reported on a recent townhall meeting in Marin County, north of San Francisco, to discuss imminent closures at two state parks: China Camp State Park and Olompali State Historic Park. China Camp’s campgrounds and restrooms are now closed Sunday through Thursday. Bank Ranch Meadows Campground at China Camp is open Friday and Saturday.

According to the Patch article, Danita Rodriguez, the Marin District Superintendent for the California State Parks said to keep Olompali open two days a week would cost $55,000 per year and to keep it open full-time would be $265,000. China Camp, because it’s more complex and has more visitors, would cost $595,000 per year to keep open full-time.

Should these costs be an issue in Marin County, one of the wealthiest counties in the United States?

A quick back-of-the-envelope calculation tells me that the costs to run the Marin County parks are insignificant compared to the benefits these parks bring – from preserving our natural heritage to offering places for children to spend time outdoors.

In this article, “Four state parks in Monterey County slated to close unless sponsors step up”, Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks Foundation said:

If parks close and stay closed, it would mark the first time the state park system would be left smaller for the next generation of Californians.”

Blog series
This is the 12th article in a series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding.

Rethinking and reinventing state park financing

christine — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:09:32 +0000

In “We’re Rich! (In Nature.)” New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote, “Our national lands are a rare space of utter democracy: the poorest citizen gets resplendent views that even a billionaire is not allowed to buy.”

Yet, here in California, caretakers for 70 of these valuable public assets are withdrawing services as we move toward a $22 million funding cut for the state park system by July 2012.

The California State Parks Foundation is leading the “Save Our State Parks Campaign” to urge the public to speak out, visit state parks, volunteer and spread the word. This past weekend, I found one of the campaign’s flyers (right) at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, a 4,020-acre park in the Mayacamas Mountains east of Santa Rosa. Here, I discovered the lush source of Sonoma Creek (still springing water in October) as I hiked through madrone, fir and oak forests to a sweeping 360-degree view on top of Bald Mountain. This park is one of the 70 on the closure list.

Origins of the state park system

Preserving endangered redwoods was one of the first motives for establishing the first few state parks in California. In 1927 a coalition of citizens, led by the nonprofit Save-the-Redwoods League, campaigned for a state park bill. With unanimous approval by the legislature, Governor C.C. Young signed the bill into law in the same year. Then in 1928, while working for the newly established California State Park Commission, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., surveyed lands across the state, ultimately recommending a list 79 parcels that the state should acquire for state parks. Many of those “iconic signature landscapes” identified by Olmsted were spared from the budget axe, said Ruth Coleman, Director of the California State Parks in an interview with Capitol Public Radio last week.

The new park system first raised $6 million with a successful park bond act in 1928. Later in the 1964, the public again approved a $150 million bond act to allow the state to acquire new state park lands threatened with development. Then, in 1974 the people of California approved a $250 million state park bond. By 1980, the wealth of the California state park system included 200 miles of coastline, 14,000 campsites and 1,500 miles of riding and hiking trails and historical sites including Jack London’s home in Sonoma County.

In a departure from the park systems earlier support, voters turned down a statewide ballot initiative in November 2010 that would have provided ongoing dedicated funding for state parks through a vehicle license surcharge. Now with budget cuts to the state parks department, “The system of parks is bigger now than the Department of Parks and Recreation,” said Coleman on the Capitol Public radio while adding:

It is a sad statement that we can no longer afford to run these parks.”

How will the parks close?

On the Capitol Public Radio show, “The Future of California’s Parks,” Coleman told listeners that since this is the first time in the history of the state park system that they are being forced to cut off funds and close parks, this is a “really grand experiment.” She was advised by parks directors in other states to not send a message to the public that the parks would be fenced and padlocked. This approach would only attract “illicit activities.” Rather, using an approach called “adaptive management” the gates would stay open and the public would keep an eye on park activities to make sure that the parks are not overrun by illegal activities. “We hope the public will be willing to respect public safety, the environment of parks and clean up after themselves,” said Coleman.

You will be welcome to hike but you will find no rangers, locked bathrooms and no trash services.

How can parks be saved?

The budget mandates that the state parks department save $22 million. It is a done deal. Unless we rethink and reinvent park financing, the parks will close. The only way around this is if philanthropic groups, nonprofits, concessionaires and other entities come in and run the parks at least at a partial level. For example, Ruth Coleman is “cautiously optimistic” that they will be able to keep Henry Coe State Park open with backing from local philanthropists. With this approach, the concern here is that parks in poor and remote areas may not get such a lifeline. Coleman agreed:

It is a real struggle, not having entities to infuse energy and money into those parks.”

The search for creative ways to finance parks

The state park operations and funding model of yesteryear clearly is not working today. Around the state, park advocates are looking for creative solutions to keep the beloved parks in their communities open. On the state level, Ruth Coleman’s department is analyzing visitor services that will create and generate revenue, knowing that some might call this commercialization of the parks. “We are going to need a different mindset … a new paradigm.”

We are going to have to figure out other ways to fund these parks and some of them will be unconventional.”

Blog series
This is the sixth article in a series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding as park systems are forced to reinvent.

Reality check: Public parks need philanthropy

christine — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:26:08 +0000

Henry W. Coe State Park, photo by Laure Latham

State Parks in Crisis
At 87,000 acres, Henry W. Coe State Park’s wild open spaces span an area close to three times the size of the city of San Francisco. It is unfathomable to imagine this Santa Clara County park closing its gates permanently. Yet the state parks department named Coe State Park as one of 70 California state parks scheduled for closure between now and July 2012.

Across the state, on the east side of Yosemite National Park, the internationally visited Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve also sits on the closure list. When the closure list first came out, Geoff McQuilkin’s first question was “Why are we on this list?” McQuiklin, who is the executive director of the Mono Lake Committee, has never gotten a good answer from the state.

The Need for Philanthropy
The race to save state parks now relies on local park advocates. In the case of Coe State Park, a longtime group of park volunteers formed the Coe Park Preservation Fund in February to stop the closure. On September 9, 2011, the group announced that they had pulled together funds and an agreement with the state to keep the park open. A Los Angeles Times reporter who was set to go to press with a story about the state park closures in northern California, where most closures are concentrated, caught wind of the group’s good news just before press time.

To save the park, members of the Coe Park Preservation Fund worked to secure sponsorships from corporations, conservation-minded foundations and concerned individuals to cover park staff salaries and basic maintenance for a minimum of three years. Under the agreement with the state, funds raised will go directly to Coe and not a general parks fund, and the Coe Park Preservation Fund, a subordinate group of the a 501(c)(3) tax exempt charitable organization Pine Ridge Association, will have no administrative responsibility for park operations.

Once the agreement is finalized between the Coe group and the state, park administrators hope that this type of deal could be a model for saving other parks.

Beyond this unique situation at Coe, all over California park advocates and lawmakers are looking for solutions – from signing contracts with up to 20 nonprofits to raise funds and directly run state parks (Assembly Bill 42) to letting local governments take over (Senate Bill 356). The California State Parks Foundation co-sponsored AB 42 but has no position on SB 356.

Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve at sundown

Can nonprofits save our parks?
In the case of Mono Lake, they have not had the good fortune of Coe State Park, where a generous donor came forward with a $1 million commitment for the next three years. If Governor Jerry Brown signs AB 42 by October 6 and it becomes law, they are looking at this tool as one possibility for protecting Mono Lake, but they need to take a serious look at how they could handle the challenges to taking over state park operations including major insurance and liability concerns. While, the Mono Lake Committee’s executive director feels encouraged by the way the Coe group is hammering out an agreement that will keep the same park staff in place and leave administration to the state, his group would need major donor commitments to make this happen as well. They have had an outpouring of support in the form of letters and petition signatures.

Ann Briggs, president and board chair of the Coe Park Preservation Fund was disheartened to hear about the predicament at Mono Lake. She finds it especially surprising given its popularity: “While we have a following, we don’t have anywhere near the exposure of Mono Lake,” said Briggs. As members of her group wait to hear final word on their agreement, they are now moving forward with creating an endowment fund as a buffer to ensure that Henry W. Coe State Park can be kept open in perpetuity.

Volunteers cannot do it alone
Although both groups have longtime dedicated volunteers, 40 at Mono Lake and 30 at Coe, the bottom line is that philanthropy will be critical for keeping parks open, safe and clean and protecting the ecological integrity of these public lands.

Who is mobilizing in your community?
Do you know of people or nonprofits in your community mobilizing to save a state park? If so leave your comments here or go to the California State Parks Foundation blog, where they would like to hear your voice.

This is the third article in a series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding as park systems are forced to reinvent.

California State Park Crisis featured on KQED Forum

christine — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:14:50 +0000

With the California State Park system in crisis, lawmakers and advocates are focused on passing legislation that could help keep as many as 20 parks stay open. A total of 70 of California’s 278 state parks (25%) face permanent closure. On September 6, a bill to allow the California state parks system to enter into operating agreements with nonprofits completed its journey through the legislature and now awaits Governor Jerry Brown’s signature.

This morning on KQED’s Forum, Michael Krasny spoke to Jared Huffman, the California assemblyman (D-San Rafael) who authored Assembly Bill 42 to help save state parks from closure, and Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks Foundation. Her foundation is one sponsor of AB 42. (KQED Audio archive: Non-Profits: State Parks’ Savior?).

With closures imminent, growing awareness has led to many philosophical and political questions by the public. Some can’t believe that the parks will close, and others fear privatization. At the same time, the situation has reached a level of “triage” said Assemblyman Huffman. Huffman said that he would also like to use the public funding model of the last 100 years, but under the circumstances:

“Would I prefer a nonprofit operated park as a opposed to a closed park? Absolutely.”

After the public voted down Proposition 21 to support the park system in last November’s elections, what are the alternatives to keep this public asset truly public? Elizabeth Goldstein is optimistic that “we will find a long term tool to sustain the park system.” She said it will be critical for us to “keep our voices high.” Her organization, the California State Parks Foundation, accepts donations to help keep parks open.

One caller to the show said that his corporation was wondering if the state park system has an “adopt a ranger” or “adopt a park” program and if it was possible to see park budgets. Elizabeth Goldstein enthusiastically jumped on the opportunity, offering her email address on the air. In response, Krasny said, “does this mean that we are moving toward privatization?” Goldstein pointed out that the park system has relied on private donations for decades (if not for its entire lifetime) with the big change now applying to how donations will be spent in the park system. In the past her foundation raised money to support education programs and capital projects, now dollars will fund operations and maintenance.

Governor Brown has until October 6 to sign Assembly Bill 42 into law. You can send a message to the governor to let him know your position on this bill.

70 California State Parks on the Closure List

San Francisco Bay Area Parks are in bold

Anderson Marsh SHP
Annadel SP
Antelope Valley Indian Museum SHP
Austin Creek SRA
Bale Grist Mill SHP
Benbow Lake SRA
Benicia Capitol SHP
Benicia SRA
Bidwell Mansion SHP
Bothe-Napa Valley SP
Brannan Island SRA
California State Mining and Mineral Museum Park Property
Candlestick Point SRA
Castle Crags SP
Castle Rock SP
China Camp SP
Colusa-Sacramento River SRA
Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP
Fort Humboldt SHP
Fort Tejon SHP
Garrapata SP
George J. Hatfield SRA
Governor’s Mansion SHP
Gray Whale Cove SB
Greenwood SB
Grizzly Creek Redwoods SP
Hendy Woods SP
Henry W. Coe SP
Jack London SHP
Jug Handle SNR
Leland Stanford Mansion SHP
Limekiln SP
Manchester SP
Picacho SRA
Portola Redwoods SP
Russian Gulch SP
Salton Sea SRA
Twin Lakes SB
Los Encinos SHP
Malakoff Diggins SHP
McConnell SRA
McGrath SB
Mono Lake Tufa SR
Morro Strand SB
Moss Landing SB
Olompali SHP
Palomar Mountain SP
Petaluma Adobe SHP
Pio Pico SHP
Plumas-Eureka SP
Point Cabrillo Light Station Property SHP
Providence Mountains SRA
Railtown 1897 SHP
Saddleback Butte SP
Samuel P. Taylor SP
San Pasqual Battlefield SHP
Santa Cruz Mission SHP
Santa Susana Pass SHP
Shasta SHP
South Yuba River SP
Standish-Hickey SRA
Sugarloaf Ridge SP
Tomales Bay SP
Tule Elk SNR
Turlock Lake SRA
Weaverville Joss House SHP
Westport-Union Landing SB
William B. Ide Adobe SHP
Woodson Bridge SRA
Zmudowski SB

This is the second article in a series on threats to California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding as the park system is forced to reinvent itself.

Nonprofits may soon run California State Parks to prevent closures

christine — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:15:56 +0000

Yesterday the California Senate passed a bill to allow nonprofits to run state parks as 70 parks face closure between September 2011 and July 2012 due to a $22 million budget shortfall.

Parks threatened with closure include China Camp State Park in the Bay Area (pictured above) and Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve (pictured below).

California’s state park system is the largest in the nation and includes 278 state parks covering over 1.5 million acres of land managed for its natural, cultural and historical values. California State Parks have suffered from neglect for many years due to funding shortfalls. This has already led to partial park closures, reduced public access and a deferred maintenance backlog of over $1 billion. Last November, voters turned down Proposition 21, a statewide ballot initiative that would have provided ongoing dedicated funding for state parks through a vehicle license surcharge.

Assemblymember Jared Huffman introduced AB42 in December 2010 to allow the Department of Parks & Recreation to enter into operating agreements with nonprofit organizations. The bill passed the State Assembly unanimously in May of this year and passed in the Senate 32-2 on August 31, 2011. According to an Associated Press article, one of the two votes against the bill came from Senator Leland Yee of San Francisco, whose spokesperson said the bill gives control of a valuable state asset to nonprofits, potentially for decades.

If the bill becomes law, qualified organizations must have 501c3 tax exemption status and exist to provide visitor services in state parks, facilitate public access, improve park facilities or provide interpretive and educational services. The nonprofit would be required to provide an annual report with an accounting of all revenues and expenditures to the Legislature, which would be made publicly available. The nonprofit organization could also contribute additional in-kind services and funding from outside entities for support of the park.

Many people who treasure our state park system have been shocked by the threat of a shutdown of our public lands. Yet, this time around, the threat is “real and imminent,” says Jerry Emory, Director of Communications for the California State Parks Foundation. “AB42 wants to dip into those associations with capacity,” says Emory, referring to 85 cooperating associations around the state that are a part of the California League of Park Associations.

The California State Parks Foundation is also looking at longer term solutions and ways they can help build capacity of other nonprofit organizations. The Foundation exists to raise support for our state parks through memberships and donations. They also raise funds through “cause marketing” campaigns, which have been criticized. Emory said that the parks do not give away naming rights or allow advertisements for contributions, but they will recognize corporate sponsors with “appropriate signage” that complies with state park branding guidelines.

Businesses in the Bay Area have also made proposals to save nearby parks, but the public is uneasy with some of their demands for the exchange of support.

This is the first in a series of articles I will post on threats to our California State Parks and the search for sustainable funding as the park system is forced to reinvent itself. In my recent interview with Jerry Emory of the California State Parks Foundation, we talked about examples of nonprofits that might make good candidates to run the parks. I hope to reach the leaders of those agencies and share their responses to the idea. Feel free to comment with your suggestions.

Finding the silver lining in 2010: 10 social innovations shaping our communities

christine — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:27:53 +0000

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.” ~ Louisa May Alcott

People like to be optimistic, even in times of crisis. We need to see opportunity and set goals – from end-of-the-year stories to New Year’s resolutions and to predictions for the year and decade to come. Many of us are ready for a decade that builds on the most promising movements, ideas and innovations of recent years. In celebration of progress, I predict the following ten social innovations will continue to positively shape our communities.

SUSTAINABILITY

Green business. Over the last few years of the decade, going “green” became very popular for U.S. consumers and for the business sector, where the concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) took off.
Graduate business programs focused on sustainability and the “Green MBA”emerged.
Climate change activism. More people and businesses recognized that anthropogenic climate change is real and will have environmental and economic consequences – and set out to do something about it. Was the tipping point Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth of 2006?

GREEN LIVING

Plastic bag bans. Plastic bags are a significant cause of pollution in the San Francisco Bay. The cities of Fairfax, Palo Alto and San Francisco, have banned plastic bags at larger retailers, as have Berkeley’s Farmers Markets run by the Ecology Center. In Washington D.C. stores selling food or alcohol now charge 5 cents for bags with revenue going to a river protection fund.
Bay-friendly landscaping has become a popular way of reducing water use and planting for the benefit of local wildlife.
Daylighting urban creeks and rain gardens. In the East Bay, creek advocates continue to revitalize creek habitat as opportunities arise. This interesting story also describes innovative ways one city is capturing rain water and reducing pollution of waterways.
Living Roofs. Also called green roofs, this innovation in building construction known to help absorb rainfall, insulate, create wildlife habitat and lower urban air temperatures became a popular attraction at the California Academy of Sciences this past year. Literacy for Environmental Justice is constructing one on top of an EcoCenter in southeast San Francisco.

FOOD

Food systems and economies. Yes! Magazine features an enlightening series on topics from urban farming to protecting local farms.
Take it slow. The Slow Money Alliance is an emerging network of investors, donors, farmers, and activists committed to building local food economies. The Slow Food movement also continues to grow.
Food justice. Some underserved communities now have grocery stores selling healthy foods for the first time such as this one in West Oakland.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

Microenterprise. The development of microenterprise and microfinancing is not new, but with the popularity of nonprofit social enterprise organizations like the Acumen Fund and Kiva, this movement is growing stronger, internationally and locally. In March 2009, Acumen Fund founder Jacqueline Novogratz published the inspirational book, The Blue Sweater. Locally, several Bay Area foundations have prioritized microenterprise development in their giving portfolios with an emphasis on empowering low income women of color and immigrants.
Social entrepreneurism. This past year, The HUB, a global network of co-working centers for social innovators, came to the Bay Area thanks to support from Good Capital, Social Capital Markets Media and a small circle of angel investors. The first location is in Berkeley’s David Brower Center, and a second one is on the horizon for downtown San Francisco.
Green jobs movement. For a good part of the last decade Van Jones successfully made the case for simultaneously solving socioeconomic inequality and environmental problems. In January 2009, The New Yorker published a feature about Jones. The successes of the Green for All campaign demonstrate how nonprofits can influence public policy. Another project, the Women’s Economic Security Campaign, published a report specific to creating opportunities for low income women in the green economy.

21ST CENTURY REINVENTIONS

Reinventing regional journalism. At a time when newspapers nationwide and locally are facing a crippling economic crisis and the traditional business models for journalism no longer work, foundations and donors are funding new nonprofit journalism ventures. In 2010, a new journalism organization focused on engaging communities in civic and community news will launch in the Bay Area.
Museums are creating more interactive and visitor-centered exhibits using new media tools and more input from the public. Allowing visitors to experience a sense of place and community will also be important. While some visitors might complain that museum admission has become too expensive in the Bay Area, most museums offer a monthly free day, and memberships are a bargain if you visit regularly.
Libraries in the digital age. In the economic downturn, libraries have seen a rise in patrons. In this San Francisco Chronicle article writer Tim Holt describes libraries as community gathering places “where anyone can read the newspaper, check e-mails, do homework or just sit and enjoy a safe and quiet space.” Like other traditional institutions, the role of libraries is changing in the digital age. The librarian has a new role in teaching lessons about “the reliability — or lack thereof — of information on the Internet.”

GETTING OUTDOORS

Health benefits.The Washington Post reported that doctors are sending patients outdoors for physical and mental benefits.
Parks and community health. The Trust for Public Land President Will Rogers published an article on the Huffington Post, linking urban parks to community health.
Nature deficit disorder. A new report aims to reverse an alarming trend: 30% of teens do not participate in outdoor nature activities.
The importance of play. This past year the Oakland-based Playworks (formerly Sports4kids) launched its first conference, PlayOn dedicated to the importance of play.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Environmental stewardship. Removing invasive plants from Spartina to French broom, restoring habitats, and Saving the San Francisco Bay have inspired community service and garnered resources. This year the first environmental education center in southeast San Francisco and the city’s first 100 percent off-grid building will launch.
Open space boom. Advocates for open space, including land trusts and conservation groups are seeing a silver lining in the housing market bust in the Bay Area, in the Sierra foothills and across the country.

LIVABLE COMMUNITIES

More choose bikes for transportation. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition announced on their Web site that “2009 was a year of unprecedented success with a whopping 53% increase in bicycle ridership.”
Pavement to parks and livable streets: San Francisco is leading initiatives to make paved areas into parks and periodically close streets to traffic to encourage recreation.

DIVERSITY

Parks and diversity. From the release of Ken Burns widely viewed documentary series “America’s Best Idea” to new initiatives in the national park system, promoting diversity and connecting diverse youth (future stewards) to outdoor experiences have become priorities.
Immigrant integration. New Routes to Community Health publishes illuminating multimedia stories and resources about the lives of immigrants in the United States. Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees provides resources for funders and others working to address the challenges facing newcomers and local communities, as well as resources for Census 2010.

SOCIAL CHANGE

Education reform. Schools and nonprofit educational programs are calling for closing the achievement gap. Federal “Race to the Top” grant applications are due January 19 and awards will go to States that are “leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform.” What is California doing?
Healthcare reform. In late December when the Senate passed its version of health care reform, social media devoted more attention to the subject than it had at any time this year according to the Pew Research Center.
Advancing equal rights. When San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered City Hall to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples soon after taking office in 2004, gay marriage and rights received national attention. While there have been many setbacks along the way, considerable progress has been made. 2010 will also mark the first time the U.S. Census will count same-sex couples.

Of course, the list goes on. Feel free to send in additional innovation highlights via comments.

My next blog post will be about Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson, author of the best selling Three Cups of Tea.

New green programming on the Sundance Channel

christine — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:09:10 +0000

The Sundance Channel, founded by Robert Redford, recently launched the first prime time programming block dedicated to social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Hosted by Simran Sethi, an environmental journalist and writer and host of Ethical Markets, and MacArthur fellow Majora Carter, founder and executive director of Sustainable South Bronx, “The Green” airs Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. West Coast time. The channel also features a discussion board and video segments online.

Green roofs on the rise

christine — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 23:57:01 +0000

Last week, California Academy of Sciences contractors began planting native California plants and wildflowers on a 2.5-acre undulating rooftop in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The living roof will adorn the newly renovated museum, which is also seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification. Designed by Renzo Piano, construction of the new facility began in September of 2005, and the museum expects to move exhibits and animals back to Golden Gate Park from its temporary location to reopen in October of 2008. According to the Academy, the new living roof will reduce storm water runoff by up to 2 million gallons of water per year and produce over 5 percent of the museum’s annual energy needs using rooftop solar cells.

While garden-covered rooftops possibly date back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, maximizing a rooftop’s potential for capturing solar energy and rainwater and cooling buildings is gaining popularity as a high-potential solution for addressing global warming and preventing runoff pollution. It has been widely demonstrated that green roofs, also called living roofs, improve air quality, conserve energy, reduce stormwater runoff, cool buildings, and lessen the urban heat island effect. For over a hundred years, sod and plant covered roofs have been popular in Europe, especially in Scandinavian countries. The city of Chicago is one of the country’s leaders in green roof projects.

For the San Francisco Bay Area, the Bay Localize web site is a good hub for information on green roof resources. The Oakland-based nonprofit is studying ways to create living roofs on a variety of building types by assessing the feasibility, including load-bearing capacity, and benefits of rooftops replete with food gardens, solar panels, and rainwater catchment systems.

And on Saturday, June 23 from 10:00am to 1:00pm, the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society is hosting a “Living Roof Demonstration and Workshop” taught by Brent Bucknam of Rana Creek, a living roof ecological design firm for the California Academy of Sciences.

Van Jones testifies in Congress for ‘green collar’ jobs

christine — Thu, 24 May 2007 18:45:25 +0000

On May 22, 2007 Van Jones, President and Founder of the Oakland-based Ella Baker Center, testified in Washington D.C. at a special hearing called, “Economic Impacts of Global Warming: Green Collar Jobs.” He was there to push Congress to make “clean energy jobs” and “green-collar job training” for urban youth and low income communities a top priority.

He reported back on his trip to Washington in the Ella Baker Center blog, Grist Magazine, and the Huffington Post.

Jones defines a “green collar” job as a “vocational job in an ecologically responsible trade.” With the increasing demand for alternative energy sources such as solar panels, waste reduction, materials re-use and recycling, and sustainable agriculture, skills in these trades will give unprecedented opportunities to low income communities – if training programs are designed and delivered effectively.

At the hearing, Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (CA-32), a Member of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, delivered a statement called, “Green Jobs Will Create Pathways Out of Poverty.” Congresswoman Solis is currently building support for federal funding of “green collar job training” programs, which would help give low income communities access to the skills they will need to compete in the new green economy.

According to Jones, The Ella Baker Center initially introduced the concept of green collar job training as a pathway out of poverty to Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this year, which led to the beginnings of legislative language by Congresswoman Solis. The Center is expecting the proposal to be a part of the historic U.S. energy package, to be introduced on July Fourth (“Energy Independence Day“).

Organic and locally-grown peppers, watermelon and okra for West Oakland

christine — Wed, 16 May 2007 19:10:00 +0000

People’s Grocery is having a second workday of the 2007 year at the Sunol Agriculture Park and Farm. On Sunday May 22nd, staff, interns and volunteers will be heading down to Sunol, near the city of Pleasanton in eastern Alameda County, to plant peppers, watermelon and okra. They are looking for more hands to help out with springtime seed planting and working the land. The garden supplies fresh and organic food for the West Oakland community and is transforming the local food system.

To join the group, RSVP Jason Uribe, Farm Manager for People’s Grocery at (510) 504-3664 or email at Jason@peoplesgrocery.org, by Friday 5/20/07.

Green Beyond Grants just published

christine — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 01:29:37 +0000

The Environmental Grantmakers Association just published a free online toolkit for greening foundation operations called “Green Beyond Grants.” It contains tips, specific steps, resources, and checklists for going green and practicing environmental sustainability. Topics in the guide include conserving energy, purchasing green materials and supplies, serving sustainable food and beverages, reducing waste, and conscious traveling.

Any organization that travels, runs an office, or hosts an event will find this guide useful. Events are a particularly good place to reduce waste and teach sustainability practices to others. Just last night the Women’s Environmental Network hosted a “zero waste” event in San Francisco. All plant-based utensils, cups, and plates were collected for composting, including the vegetarian tamale husks.

Six grassroots environmental leaders win worldwide visibility with Goldman prize

christine — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 22:16:03 +0000

Top row (left to right): Hammerskjoeld Simwinga of Zambia, Willie Corduff of Ireland, Orri Vigfússon of Iceland. Bottom row (left to right): Julio Cusurichi Palacios of Peru, Sophia Rabliauskas of Canada, Tsetsegee Munkhbayar of Mongolia

Yesterday evening in the San Francisco Opera House, the 2007 Goldman Environmental Prize ceremony celebrated the achievements of six grassroots environmental leaders from around the world. Richard N. Goldman and his late wife, Rhoda H. Goldman, founded the annual award in 1990 to recognize environmental heroes from each of the world’s six inhabited continental regions and to amplify the voices of these grassroots leaders. The award winners receive worldwide visibility for the issues they champion and financial support of $125,000 to pursue their vision.

The six prize winners will also be honored at a smaller ceremony tomorrow, Wednesday, April 25 at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, DC.

This year’s winners are:

North America: Sophia Rabliauskas, 47, Canada: Working on behalf of the Poplar River First Nation, Rabliauskas succeeded in securing interim protection for a portion of the boreal forest of Manitoba, effectively preventing destructive logging and hydro-power development while calling on government and international agencies to permanently protect the region.

Africa: Hammerskjoeld Simwinga, 45, Zambia: In Zambia’s North Luangwa Valley, where rampant illegal wildlife poaching decimated the wild elephant population and left villagers living in extreme poverty, Simwinga created an innovative sustainable community development program that successfully restored wildlife and transformed this poverty-stricken area.

Asia: Tsetsegee Munkhbayar, 40, Mongolia: Munkhbayar successfully worked with government and grassroots organizations to shut down destructive mining operations along Mongoliaâ€™s scarce waterways. Through public education and political lobbying, Munkhbayar has effectively protected Mongolia’s precious water resources from additional unregulated mining.

South & Central America: Julio Cusurichi Palacios, 36, Peru: In the remote Peruvian Amazon, Cusurichi secured a national reserve to protect both sensitive rain forest ecosystems and the rights of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation from the devastating effects of logging and mining.

Europe: Willie Corduff, 53, Ireland: In the small farming community of Rossport, Corduff and a group of fellow local residents and landowners successfully forced Shell Oil to halt construction on an illegally-approved pipeline through their land.

Islands & Island Nations: Orri Vigfússon, 64, Iceland: With business savvy and an unwavering commitment to reverse the near-extinction of wild North Atlantic salmon, Vigfússon brokered huge international fishing rights buyouts with governments and commercial interests, helping bring to an end destructive commercial salmon fishing in the region.

People, planet, and profit takes perseverance

christine — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 04:38:53 +0000

Yesterday evening the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco presented a panel called: “Green Capital: Profit and The Planet?” Panelists included Peter Liu, Founder of the New Resource Bank; Hunter Lovins, faculty member of the San Francisco-based Presidio School of Management and co-author of Natural Capitalism; Steve Pinetti, Senior Vice President of Kimpton Hotels; and Will Rogers, President of The Trust for Public Land.

My guess is that the question mark in the program title asks: Can businesses implement green and socially progressive best practices without cutting into profits? The answer was a resounding yes. And in many cases, businesses should save money or make more.

Almost any discussion about values-driven business and sustainability will refer to the “triple bottom line,” also known as “People, Planet, Profit.” In the case of Kimpton Hotels, Steve Pinetti described why his company is committed to this approach to business and lessons learned along the way. From his illustrations of Kimpton’s experiences integrating environmental and socially-responsible principles into the business model must lead to a solid and strategic implementation that reaches everyone from the employees to guests. For the program to succeed, the third P – profit, relies on the most effective investment in the first two Ps – “ People and Planet.

It took six months to identify the program and one year to incorporate it into the business plan. It also took one year to find adequate cleaning supplies for the rooms. For example, they knew that if the cleaning agent did not foam, then the cleaning staff would think it was not working and likely use an excessive amount. Now after 3 years, they have identified 44 viable alternatives for their supplies. And according to a guest survey, 16% said that they were there because of the company’s environmental commitment. Based on the responses to their program, Pinetti firmly believes that “people want to do business with folks who share the same values.”

Community-based green building in Heron’s Head Park

christine — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:55:15 +0000

After five years, Literacy for Environmental Justice is getting close to breaking ground on a one-of-a-kind community-based green building project in San Francisco’s Hunters Point neighborhood. The “Living Classroom,” will be built in Heron’s Head Park, a 24-acre restored wetland built on a former landfill and cared for by hundreds of community volunteers. Read more about this innovative project that combines environmental justice with the latest in sustainability principles here in an interview with LEJ’s architect Toby Long.

Urban farming – vacant lots transformed

christine — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 05:56:26 +0000

In Lester R. Brown’s recent book “Plan B 2.0:” Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, one chapter is devoted to designing sustainable cities. The book highlights the huge unrealized potential for urban gardening in the United States including the hundreds of thousands of urban vacant lots. While we hear more and more that producing and buying food locally has numerous benefits for local economies and the environment, the book also cites “a regenerative effect” when vacant lots are transformed from eyesores–weedy, trash-ridden dangerous gathering places–into bountiful, beautiful, and safe gardens that feed people’s bodies and souls.

In Oakland, California, People’s Grocery has mobilized communities to transform blighted lots into sustainable gardens full of fruit trees, herbs, vegetables and compost piles. Check out their programs and blog here.

In 2006, two University of California at Berkeley researchers completed a food systems assessment for Oakland, California with the goal of assessing the city’s capability of producing at least 30 percent of its food needs within the immediate region. They found that with 35 community-based gardens and over 20 million acres in agricultural production surrounding Oakland within a 300-mile radius, there is significant potential for boosting a sustainable food-based economy.