standforless: Via Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter: http://fb.me/IW2X1TAR Thu, Sep 9th @ 8:30am

  • Drive down pollution! You can also eliminate one pound of greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating just one mile of driving.

  • Californians bought 21.9 billion drinks in aluminum, glass, plastic and bi-metal containers last year. More than 16.2 billion of those were recycled, saving natural resources and extending the life of our landfills.

  • The U.S. transportation sector as a whole is responsible for almost 9% of the world's total CO2 emissions. That stinks.
  • Cut your monthly energy bills by as much as 30% by replacing the old equipment in your home with state-of-the-art Energy Star appliances.
  • CRV stands for California Refund Value. It equals 5¢ for each beverage container less than 24 ounces and 10¢ for each container 24 ounces or greater.
  • Report "smoking" vehicles. Call 1-800-28-SMOKE to report vehicles with excessive tailpipe emissions.
  • Shade provided by trees can reduce your air conditioning bill at home by 10-15%. Cool.
  • Save paper...save resources. Change your printer settings to 2-sided printing to reduce the amount of paper you consume at the office.
  • Close the loop! Visit greengiftguide.com and discover a wide range of household, recreational and beauty products made from recycled materials.
  • Unplug your cell phone charger and other household electronics from the wall when you're not using them. Even when they are turned off, they use phantom power.
  • Use cold water when you can. Water heating accounts for about 13% of home energy costs.
  • Carpools and vanpools can use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and HOV by-pass on ramp meters, which allows you to get to work faster.
  • Help eliminate the use of disposable plates, cups and utensils. Bring re-usable dishware to work.
Dec
8

STAND FOR LESS this holiday season

Here are a few ideas for enjoying the holiday season while you take a STAND FOR LESS:

  1. The Treehugger Holiday Gift Guide – It’s that time of year when many of us buy gifts for those we love. Treehugger does a great job of compiling a list of gifts that allows you to partake in the holiday tradition and STAND FOR LESS.
  2. Support Sacramento-based non-profit Solar Cookers International and offset C02 emissions. This innovative non-profit is working to supply solar cookers to people in third world countries.
  3. Keep learning. Educate yourself by following journalists like San Diego-based Mike Lee. We post many of Mike’s stories on the STAND FOR LESS Facebook page (Facebook users click here to become a fan). The San Diego Union Tribune also maintains this page with Mike’s most recent stories on top.
  4. Encourage your friends to join the STAND FOR LESS movement.

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Posted in Air quality, Climate change, STAND FOR LESS | No Comments »

Oct
27

Governor Schwarzenegger’s Global Climate Summit

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Governor Schwarzenegger hosted an extraordinary gathering in Los Angeles a few weeks ago.

From September 30 to October 2 an extraordinary gathering took place in Los Angeles: The Governors’ Global Climate Summit. STAND FOR LESS “attended” this event as virtual guests. Our team crowded around our computers as leaders spoke. Because of the webcast we were able to participate in the event at no cost.

What good are gatherings of this type where national and international leaders come together, give speeches and share ideas? We assert that such meetings can be very good and in fact are vital to our future. When people discuss climate change they tap into issues that directly affect all species on this planet—from the continued ability of our ecosystems to survive to daily issues that affect our economy.

STAND FOR LESS reported live on the event through our Facebook and twitter accounts. Here is a small sampling of some of the words that were spoken in Los Angeles:

“America has lost our groove as a country . . . I am focused on how we get our groove back. We need to take on the world’s biggest problems, the problems of the world becoming Hot, Flat, and Crowded.” –Author and reporter Thomas Friedman

“While people around the world may have different governments we all share one ecosystem.” –Actor Rob Lowe

“What sort of economy do we want in the future? A sustainable one and a low-carbon one.” Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair

“California has shown that the fastest growing job sector is in the green economy, growing ten times faster than any other sector.” –Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

“Green is the new red, white and blue.” –Thomas Friedman

At STAND FOR LESS we believe that words matter. Actions follow words.

What does Friedman mean when he says that green is the new red, white and blue? Why is it important that in the toughest economy since the Depression, California’s governor recognizes green jobs are one of the few bright spots? What do you think of Prime Minister Blair’s point that our economy must become sustainable? What are the consequences of it not becoming sustainable? Have we lost our groove as a country?

If you’re a regular reader you can guess how we would answer these questions, but what do you think? We encourage you to watch video from the event which is available online.

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Aug
19

San Diego’s renewable energy pioneer—New Leaf Biofuel

New Leaf Biofuel Executive Director Jennifer Case

New Leaf Biofuel Director Portia Smith

San Diego startup New Leaf Biofuel is leading the way to a future based on renewable energy. New Leaf is an operation that collects used cooking oil from San Diego County restaurants and produces biodiesel. Their operation is in an unassuming old industrial section of downtown, but the work they do is on the cutting edge of our energy future.

New Leaf provides restaurants with large containers to store their used cooking oil. New Leaf trucks collect the oil and bring it back to their facility where the oil goes through a process that begins by straining out particles of food and ends with biodiesel, in their case: B99.9.

Biodiesel is well regulated and must comply with exacting standards so that the finished product will burn cleanly and safely in any diesel engine. It is common to blend biodiesel with petro-diesel. B5 contains 5% biodiesel and 95% petro-diesel. B20 contains 20% biodiesel. New Leaf basically produces B100—100% biodiesel, however, in order to take advantage of an important incentive program their finished product must contain at least .1% of regular diesel.

Fuel trucks come to the New Leaf facility to pick up the fuel. Some of these trucks arrive 80% full of petro-diesel and they top off with New Leaf’s biodiesel creating B20. One end user is the San Diego division of Allied Waste. Allied Waste uses the fuel for their fleet of trucks collecting our trash and recyclable materials.

Today more than one thousand local restaurants are giving New Leaf their used cooking oil. This is allowing New Leaf Biofuel to operate at 25% of capacity. While it’s possible (and not recommended) for someone to create their own biodiesel from vegetable oil, to do it properly and on an industrial scale requires a process that relies on a deep understanding of chemistry and engineering.

New Leaf’s fleet of pumper trucks collects used cooking oil from over 1,000 restaurants in San Diego County.

New Leaf’s fleet of pumper trucks collect used cooking oil from over 1,000 restaurants in San Diego County.

New Leaf began its adventure in renewable fuels in March of 2006. It took the company until May of 2009 to become fully licensed through all of the appropriate agencies. Production is taking off and San Diego’s only biodiesel manufacturer is ramping up. This June New Leaf produced 40,000 gallons of biodiesel, by July production was up to 60,000 gallons, and the firm anticipates continued growth in production this month and beyond. All of this fuel is from what was previously a waste product from our community’s restaurants.

Biodiesel is an important part our nation’s energy future. Biodiesel (B100) emits 80% less carbon dioxide than petro-diesel. Biodiesel keeps our fuel dollars at home and out of the hands of what writer Thomas Friedman calls petro-dictators. Biodiesel returns 3 to 4.5 units of energy for every one unit of energy required to produce it (this would include, as an example with New Leaf, the energy needed to drive around town and collect used cooking oil). Finally, and most important, biodiesel fits within our existing infrastructure of fuel delivery and consumption.

STAND FOR LESS applauds San Diego’s pioneer in biodiesel production—New Leaf Biofuel. Visit the company Web site for more information.

The raw cooking oil is unloaded and begins the process of becoming biodiesel—which can be used in any diesel powered engine.

The raw cooking oil is unloaded and begins the process of becoming biodiesel—which can be used in any diesel powered engine.

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Posted in Air quality, Alternative vehicles, fuels and transportation options | No Comments »

Jul
16

What about that stimulus package from Washington?

school-bus-r

The San Diego Union-Tribune has an update from Washington. We are getting $1.56 million in federal stimulus funds to clean up 125 polluting school buses in San Diego County. Many of our buses are old and are spewing high quantities of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into our air.

Taking a stand for clean air is clearly an important move in the right direction. In addition to contributing to green house gases, too much pollution is a direct contributor to illnesses that are killing far too many humans every day. A stand for clean air is a stand for the health of humans and all species.

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Posted in Air quality | 1 Comment »

Jul
8

Google encourages you to consider public transit when planning your trips

google-maps

Many of us are dependent on our cars to take us where we need to go. All too often we don’t even consider public transit options. There are many advantages to public transit—first and foremost are saving money and using fewer resources.

For those of us who drive everywhere there are new tools available that help us find directions. One of these is Google maps. Google has a wonderful feature that gives you information on public transit options. When you type in the addresses to get directions there is a little drop down menu where you can choose how you want to get there. Your choices are: by car, public transit, or walking. Below that, Google simply reminds you that “Public Transit” is also an option. You can simply click on the words “Public Transit.”

We all have many considerations when planning our trips. Depending on traffic conditions public transit might be a faster choice. Sometimes public transit takes longer than simply driving, however, you can take advantage of your time riding buses and light rail to work, read, or relax. You won’t have to deal with parking when you arrive and you will likely be doing more walking—which is good for your health.

This is an effective tool that gives you more choices and makes it simple for you to consider using public transit instead of driving your own vehicle.

Please note that not all public transit authorities in the country are currently integrated in to Google maps. Lucky for us, San Diego is included.

Keep in mind public transit when you travel, and don’t forget Google makes it easy for you to consider this option.

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Posted in Air quality, Alternative vehicles, fuels and transportation options | 1 Comment »

Jun
25

Why take a STAND FOR LESS?

4c_stand_for_less_burst_logoWe introduce you to people and ideas to encourage you to take a STAND FOR LESS. But why? Why does it matter?

Every day each of us performs actions that have an impact on our community and our planet. When you buy fuel for your car you fund oil producing nations around the world. Some of these nations are not our friends. When you burn that fuel you emit carbon dioxide. When you use a plastic bag for your trash, or a thousand other things, you are using a product that will take centuries to decompose. The foods you eat, the way you shop, the home you live in, the way you travel, the amount you travel, the waste you generate, all of these things have an impact.

Does this mean you shouldn’t live your life? Absolutely not. But educating yourself on the types of resources you use is an important step in the process of choosing which resources you need and how many of them.

Recently on this web site you’ve met a small business owner who is building a new space for his business. He is considering every possible alternative to make choices that will use fewer resources, as well as using resources that are renewable. You met an author and filmmaker whose passion is to educate people both on the problems with our current fuel sources as well as alternative fuel sources that are renewable and available today. You met a woman who leads an organization whose mission is to encourage Californians to make choices for sustainable energy use and gives them the tools to do just that.

Our community is filled with people who are making inspiring choices about the resources they use and the causes they are fighting for.

What are you doing?

You’re reading this and that’s a powerful action by itself.

We live in (or near) one of the greatest cities on the planet. Take a STAND FOR LESS today so that we have a cleaner and more sustainable community tomorrow. Email three friends and tell them about the STAND FOR LESS campaign. Use this link for yourself and your friends and take a stand for San Diego:

http://standforless.com/take-a-stand.html

Why is this important to you? Add your comment below.

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Posted in Air quality, Energy, STAND FOR LESS | 1 Comment »

Jun
8

Thank You Irene for helping to make us smarter

irene

Irene Stillings, taking a STAND FOR LESS

Thank you Irene Stillings and the entire staff of the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) for all of the work that you do, and for the Street Smart San Diego event this past weekend. Stillings is the Executive Director at CCSE.

Everyone needs to become familiar with this amazing San Diego-based organization and take advantage of their resources. You can visit the San Diego Energy Resource Center displays in their lobby to see technologies that are available now that allow you to conserve energy and use alternative energy sources.

Do you want to go solar? Do you need to learn more about how to conserve water at your home or business? CCSE has a free workshop for you and they also have other resources available—including a number of incentive programs that allow alternative energy solutions to make economic sense for you today.

STAND FOR LESS attended Street Smart San Diego and walked away inspired by the incredible display of American ingenuity. From electric bikes to electric cars, there is a lot happening in this field. CCSE did an outstanding job of showcasing alternative fuel vehicles. The event also featured leading thinkers in the field of sustainable energy.

So many tools are available to us to begin using less energy and less water—all critical steps in creating a sustainable community. In the months ahead, this space will give you more of what we learned from CCSE at Street Smart San Diego.

Visit the California Center for Sustainable Energy web site to learn more about the resources available for you right now. The days of our petroleum fueled existence are numbered. Irene Stillings and CCSE are leading the way to a strong future based on sustainability.

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Posted in Air quality, Energy, Events, Partners | No Comments »

May
21

The rest of the nation gets on board with California

Keep fuel efficiency and low emissions at the top of your list of priorities when you buy your next car.

Keep fuel efficiency and low emissions at the top of your list of priorities when you buy your next car.

President Obama Has set new national standards for automobile emissions that embrace standards California has fought to enact since 2002.

Don’t wait for the new standards to take effect in 2012.

What else can you do now?

  • Plan your trips to save gasoline and reduce air pollution by trip-linking
  • Avoid long lines at fast-food restaurant or bank drive-thrus, park your car and go inside
  • When possible, walk, ride a bike, carpool, van pool or use public transportation
  • Get regular vehicle tune-ups and maintenance checks, especially for spark plugs, oil changes and air filters
  • Keep tires properly inflated and aligned
  • Use energy-conserving (EC) grade motor oils
  • Ask your employer about flexible work schedules or telecommuting

Take a stand for clean air so that we can all breathe a little easier.

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Posted in Air quality, Alternative vehicles, fuels and transportation options, Energy | 2 Comments »

May
6

Take care of the air while you’re taking care of the yard

They may not be manly and big but electric mowers work just as well as the gas mower.

They may not be manly and big but electric mowers work just as well as the gas mower.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 54 million Americans crank up their lawnmowers each weekend (or pay to have someone crank one up). This burns over 800 million gallons of fossil fuel each year and accounts for up to 5% of our nation’s air pollution. In fact, it has often been cited that a single gas mower operated for an hour emits the same amount of pollutants as eight new cars driving 55 mph for the same amount of time.

The EPA also tells us that American homeowners spill 17 million gallons of gasoline annually refueling their lawn and garden equipment. That’s 17 million gallons of gasoline onto our lawns, down our driveways and into our water systems. Compare that to the Exxon Valdez, which spilled 10.8 million gallons.
Yikes!

This is by no means an argument for letting our lawns go to you-know-where. But it should make us stop and think about all the others ways we can have beautiful lawns here in San Diego.

The self-propelled mower. You’re thinking “no way,” right? Well, for a lot of folks, it my feel like more trouble than it’s worth. But if you have a smaller yard without hills, it just might be the perfect solution. And just consider this: an hour of pushing a self-propelled mower burns, on average, 333 calories. So you’re trimming a lot more than grass.

Electric mowers and trimmers. You’re right, they’re not as manly as their big, loud gasoline-burning cousins, but they work just as well. All you have to do is plug them in and keep yourself from running over the chord. You’re yard will look great and your ears won’t be ringing when you’re done.

Gas powered blower or electric blower? The answer is neither. While the gas powered version of this loud, annoying menace spews noxious emissions as it blows clipping into your neighbor’s yard, the electric version does its own damage by forcing harmful ground-level substances into the air. This fine list includes pollen and feces. Yum. So use a broom and rake. You’ll burn more of those calories. And you’ll avoid the aftertaste.

Do you really need all that grass? Switch to native plants and groundcovers and you’ll STAND FOR LESS in more ways than one. You’ll use considerably less water, as these plants are drought tolerant and do not require the daily drenching that grass and other plants do. You also won’t be mowing it every weekend, so you can rid yourself of that guilt, too. For a list of beautiful, non-invasive species, visit the San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society at www.cnpssd.org.

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Posted in Air quality, Energy | 1 Comment »

Apr
24

Visiting that local fruit and vegetable stand is standing for less

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Did you know eating local fresh food helps fight global warming?

Johnny Cash sang “I’ve been everywhere, man. I’ve been everywhere, man. Crossed the desert’s bare, man. I’ve breathed the mountain air, man. Of travel, I’ve had my share, man. I’ve been everywhere.”

For sure, he wasn’t singing about the food we eat each and every day. But he could’ve been. The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture tells us that the average fresh food item on our dinner table travels 1,500 miles to get there.

That certainly exceeds the daily allowance of carbon dioxide.

Hence the argument that eating locally helps fight global warming. And here in San Diego, the options to do so are bountiful. Do a Google search of San Diego Farmers Markets and you’ll discover there may not be a day of the week that you cannot find real, live farmers selling fresh, locally grown food somewhere in San Diego County. This tasty sampling was found on sandiego.about.com.

TUESDAY

Chula Vista - Otay Ranch Town Center: 4 to 8 p.m. 619-656-9100
Coronado: 2:30 to 6 p.m., corner of First and B Streets (Old Ferry Landing). 760-741-3763.
Escondido: 2:30 to 6 p.m.(Summer: 4 to 7 p.m.), Grand Avenue between Broadway and Kalmia Street. 760-745-8877.
UCSD/La Jolla: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (September thru June), UCSD Certified Farmers Market at the Price Center near the bookstore near Lyman Lane and Library Walk. 858-534-4248.

WEDNESDAY

Carlsbad: 2 to 5 p.m., Roosevelt Street between Grand Avenue and Carlsbad Village Drive. 760-434-2553
Ocean Beach: 4 to 7 p.m. (Summer: 4 to 8 p.m.) 4900 block of Newport Avenue. 619-279-0032.
Temecula: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Promenade Mall across from Edwards Temecula Stadium 15 Theatres. 760-728-7343.

THURSDAY

Oceanside: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pier View Way at Coast Highway. 619-440-5027.
Oceanside:4 to 8 p.m.Tremont and Pier View Way. 760-754-4512
Chula Vista: 3 to 7 p.m. Third Avenue at Center Street. 619-422-1982.
North Park: 3 p.m. to Sunset, CVS Pharmacy parking lot at University and 32nd Street. 619-237-1632.
Horton Square/Downtown: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., March to mid-October, 225 Broadway. 760-741-3763.
Tierrasanta: 3 to 7 p.m. De Portola Middle School at 11010 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Santo Road. 858-272-7054

FRIDAY
La Mesa Village: 3 to 6 p.m., Allison Street, east of Spring Street (at La Mesa Village). 619-440-5027.
Rancho Bernardo: 9 a.m. to Noon, Bernardo Winery parking lot at 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte. 760-723-2469.
Borrego Springs: 7 a.m. to noon (Nov thru May) Christmas Circle Community Park at Christmas Circle and Palm Canyon Dr. 760-767-5555.

SATURDAY

Pacific Beach: 8 a.m. to Noon, Mission Boulevard between Reed Avenue and Pacific Beach Boulevard (at Promenade Mall). 760-741-3763.
Vista: 7:45 to 11 a.m., corner of Eucalyptus and Escondido Avenues (City Hall parking lot). 760-945-7425 .
Poway: 8 to 11:30 a.m., corner of Midland Road and Temple Street (in Old Poway Park). 619-440-5027.
Del Mar: 1 to 4 p.m., corner of El Camino Del Mar and 10th Street (City Hall parking lot). 760-727-1471.
Scripps Ranch: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ellen Browning Elementary School at 10380 Spring Canyon Rd. 858-586-7933.
Temecula: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Old Town Temecula at 6th and Front Street. 760-728-7343.
Carlsbad: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Roosevelt Sreet between Grand Avenue and Carlsbad Village Dr. 760-434-2553 .

SUNDAY

Hillcrest: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., corner of Normal and Cleveland Streets (DMV parking lot). 619-237-1632.
Solana Beach: 2 to 5 p.m., 410 to 444 South Cedros Ave at Rosa Street.
La Jolla: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Girard Avenue at Genter Street (La Jolla Elementary School). 858-405-6086.
Downtown Third Avenue Market and Asian Bazaar: 9 to 1 400 block of Third Avenue between Island Ave and J Street. 619-279-0032.
Leucadia/Encinitas: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Paul Ecke Elementary at Union Street and Vulcan Street. 858-272-7054.

After you visit these wonderful markets, you’ll no doubt go home with plenty of good, healthy food to eat. Do so knowing that you not only helped the environment, but you also helped keep the local economy healthy. Yes, eating locally also has a financial impact. That’s because when you account for transportation, processing, packaging, refrigeration and marketing, it’s estimated that farmers receive only 20 cents of each food dollar spent. But when local farmers sell to local customers, they get a buck for every food buck spent. That’s certainly something to chew on.

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Posted in Air quality, Energy, Food | 1 Comment »

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