Heart of Green

The 11th Hour

The hour is fast approaching when celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio’s long-anticipated new film The 11th Hour will open in theaters. The planet is Leonardo’s passion, and The 11th Hour is his ultimate passion project.

Leila Conners Petersen & Nadia Conners from Tree Media directed this stunning film, which showcases an impressive lineup of environmental gurus and stars. The film debuted at Cannes to much paparazzi and fanfare.

The 11th Hour opens in Los Angeles and New York on August 17, and then in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Boston and many other cities on August 24.  Bring your friends and go see the film in the 1st hour on opening weekend. Check out the engaging movie web site and social action campaign at www.11thhouraction.com.

We are experiencing a Green Renaissance like never before, and it is an exciting time to be alive. In The 11th Hour, Leonardo DiCaprio takes on not just the climate, but also the forests, the oceans, the soil, the species, the planetary works. He leaves no stone unturned and takes us on an unforgettable journey that culminates with modern-day solutions. History will show that the 11th Hour will be our finest hour to rally for the planet.

As DiCaprio says, "The hope is us. Let's begin." www.11thhouraction.com

VIP Movie Premiere of The 11th Hour - San Francisco

FEATURING:

• Directors Leila Conners Petersen & Nadia Conners from Tree Media
• The producers and many of the film’s stars
• Matt Petersen, CEO of Global Green
• Specialty cocktails by Square One Organic Vodka
• Organic wine from Organic Vintners
• Guayaki Organic Yerba Mate energy drinks
• Organic hors d'oeuvres
• 11th Hour eco action and solutions
• Climate neutral by Climate Clean (offsetting all six greenhouse gases)

WHO’S THERE:

The coveted Square One Organic Vodka will be serving their famous Goodnight Ginger organic specialty cocktails.

Organic Vintners will be serving an incredible array of all-organic wines from around the world including:
Fleury Fleur de l'Europe Brut Champagne (also biodynamic), Can Vendrell Brut Cava, Pircas Negras Torrontes, and Can Vendrell Barrica Tinto.

Guayaki will be serving their famous Organic Yerba Mate energy drinks which are sustainable, fairly traded, rainforest-grown, and delicious.

The luxurious hip Le Meridien Hotel will be hosting the glamorous by-invitation-only green guests in their Park Grill restaurant and serving a delicious assortment of organic hors d'oeuvres.

Climate Clean is making the movie premiere and after party Climate Neutral and will be offsetting not just the CO2 emissions but all six greenhouse gases.

   

Calling All Landlords

Just when you think the whole world is going green, you have an experience like I did this past week. Meeting with 15 landlords, inhaling strong fumes in my potential new places to live and inquiring, “Is this low or zero VOC paint?” And encountering a blank stare 15 out of 15 times: “What is VOC paint?”

[In case you don't know, VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds which can be toxic and irritating to breathe and cause that new paint and new car smell.]

These real estate agents weren't being an evil shade of brown; they had no idea. They seemed caught off guard. It was a first. This was surprising for me.

It seems that my apartment hunting in San Francisco has uncovered an untapped market for greening: the rental renovation market. A tenant moves out, and the fixer-upper crews move right in. Paint, new carpets, tile that kitchen and make it granite, paint some more, sand and varnish those hardwood floors, and how about a new dishwasher? Done in record time. Ready for showing. Oh, and open those windows please because it really stinks in here. 

From what I could see, almost none of this flurry of activity was being done in a green way. Everyone was focused on the superficials. “Look at this new tile!” No one mentioned a single thing about the underlying health of the apartment for its tenants and the planet. And not a single apartment had a green composting bin system yet. The off-gassing was incredible in these 15 apartments from the new paint and either the new carpets or the "fresh" hardwood floors.

Peruse the number of apartments for rent right now on Craigslist. Imagine the work crews for each one, and you get a Manhattan-sized amount of un-green renovation occurring at lightening speed.

This seems outdated in one of the greenest cities in the nation, San Francisco, at one of the greenest times in history, now. Clearly the green renaissance has left the apartment building property owners and managers behind for now. And the rental agents judging by their inquisitive responses. Some of them dismissed my questions; others seemed genuinely interested and got back to me with answers.

This is a huge opportunity. So if you are looking for a new apartment, ask the tough green questions. Apparently, the first thing most landlords do is paint, so try to head any high-VOC painting off at the pass. Ask if appliances are Energy Star rated. Ask for non-toxic hardwood floor lacquers. Ask where the recycling and composting facilities are. Verbalize your preference for green design to increase awareness.

And if you own condos or an apartment building and are renting out units, consider renovating with a green thumb and advertising the eco features. In hyper-aware places like San Francisco, LA and NYC, I suspect you will be pleased with the tenant glee that ensues, and you might even be able to charge a premium.

I did find one ray of green light in this apartment-hunting jungle: a building with solar panels on the roof for water heating, a low-flow toilet, CFLs in the garage, and an emphasis on ventilation. It's a promising start and might become my new home, the perfect canvas for creating a humble abode showcase of sustainable green design.

Crying Over Plastic Milk

They say that you can judge a book by its cover, so can you judge a milk company by its carton?

“Green caps for green energy. A plus for the planet. Organic. Did you know that every drop of Silk is powered by clean, renewable wind energy.” The Silk web site is awash in green tips: a carbon calculator, virtual green house, little thing you can do to make a difference. Judging by their words, it seems as if Silk soymilk is the greenest milk around.

But wait. What is that? Oh no, it’s a plastic spout on a paper milk carton. What could have been composted easily is now a dreaded hybrid. A fused mess of plastic plus paper.

It is a Tetra Pak. You can’t compost it without taking off the plastic top. And how many people are going to do that? I’ve tried it and it is not exactly the easiest thing to do – to cut out that plastic spout. And this is the greenest milk in America?

I’ve wanted to write this post for a while but resisted. I sent Silk a few emails asking for an explanation and encouraging them to switch to an easily-recyclable milk carton without a plastic spout. No answer the first time. No answer the second time. This all culminated today when I visited my apartment building’s recycling and composting area. I opened up the blue bin and came face to face with an empty red Silk milk carton with a plastic spout. Here I am, in all my plastic-paper hybrid monster glory! Hence this post.

On the Silk web site, it specifically says “Silk Soymilk cartons can be recycled after removing the plastic screw cap.”

On the Tetra Pak web site, it has the audacity to call its products “environmentally-sound” and to say that “Tetra Pak’s cartons are among the most sustainable liquid food packages on the market today.”

Hmmm, what happened to the old-fashioned milk carton made from recycled paper. What if we capitalized it as in the Old-Fashioned Milk Carton. Let’s go retro and green. Let’s bring it back.

So, organic milk companies, please stop the hypocrisy and get your packaging in line with your liquids. If Clover Farms (Happy Cows) can do it, so can you!  Milk does a body good, but plastic milk does an Earth bad.

How To Remove the Plastic Spout.  Many of you have sent me recommendations on how to remove the plastic spout before composting, very helpful, thank you!  Currently I am unfolding the entire top of the carton, rinsing it out, and then cutting out the plastic spout. I may be stuck in a rut, as some of you have suggested that one can simply pop the spout out.

Beep Beep Beep

On this one week anniversary of Live Earth, let's get nostalgic and review some of the best moments:

My favorite Live Earth performance had to be Melissa Etheridge's rendition of I Need To Wake Up. Note that NBC cut out her performance from its prime time show. Was it too political?  It was one of the most powerful moments of the show. Melissa improvised a spoken word section: "Are you awake? The whole world is awake. One man had a dream..." That man being the most awake man of course, Mr. Al Gore.

Here is Melissa Etheridge's solo on YouTube. Try to ignore those Russian subtitles. For me, her solo connected last summer's An Inconvenient Truth premiere with this summer's Live Earth. Think about how much has happened in just one year!

Kanye West rocked "Golddigger". Alicia Keys sang a jamming "Gimme Shelter" duet with Keith Urban. Fall Out Boy, John Mayer, Black Eyed Peas, the Police, and Lenny Kravitz (in balmy Rio) all entertained the eco-curious crowds. 

Madonna's new song "Hey You" was a little bit "Bor Ing" but got better as it went along. Why was Madonna wearing such a somber black dress btw?  This isn't a funeral for the Earth; it is a renaissance. What happened to wearing green people?

Many celebrities gave glamorous interviews during the 24 hours like Rosario Dawson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cameron Diaz. Al Gore getting irritated at being asked for the thousandth time if he were running for President was a classic. I would have liked to hear more diverse advice than "change a light bulb" but this is a good place to start. Cameron Diaz's suggestion to "shower with other people" wasn’t bad either.

Many of the eco Short Films rocked, like the Dfuse film on deforestation. The black-and-white celebrity PSAs were pointed and hilarious.

Live Earth was officially the largest global entertainment event in history. A record 30 million Live Earth videos streamed on MSN, the largest audience ever for an online concert. You can make video stream number 30,000,001 happen right here on liveearth.msn.com.

The stars' biodiesel tour buses may have moved on, but the message is still ringing true. The global movement to save the Earth is in full swing. If you haven't yet, respond to the beep, beep, beep. Sign the 7-point pledge. Answer The Call. Make the planet's day!  ...---...

Live Earth is Today

The luckiest day ever for the planet has arrived 7.7.07. And what a day it has been so far, and it is only 7:00 am. The Live Earth concerts are in full swing, starting in Sydney and now beaming live from Tokyo, Antarctica, Hamburg, and London. New York is coming soon.

Rocking In The Key of Green

Live Earth is the 24-hour, 7-continent concert series taking place today that is bringing together more than 100 pop stars and over 2 billion sold-out crowds to raise awareness about climate change.  

7 continents, one message, one global moment to fight global warming.

You can tune in right now to Robert Redford’s Sundance Channel Live Earth marathon and start watching. The Black Eyes Peas just blew the lid off the stadium in London, and Snoop Dogg is rapping in Hamburg.  The short films are super cool too. Tonight NBC and CNBC will be airing prime time shows of all the green star-studded action.

If you're in San Francisco, here are two fun options to join the Party for the Planet:

Live Earth Viewing Party at Jillian's at the Metreon 

Friends of Live Earth Party at Shine from the Do More Than Vote crew

Don't want to emit nearly any CO2?  Watch the Live Earth Concerts streaming live at MSN at www.liveearth.msn.com but beware, traffic is high and the airways are periodically jammed with aspiring global eco-hipsters. Crash!

Join millions in taking the pledge to help solve the climate crisis. Answer The Call - sign the pledge, and watch your name pop up on the screen. Or send the text message "SOS" to 82004. Make your voice heard.

A special shout out to the extraordinary man Al Gore who started it all. Live Earth marks the start of a multi-year campaign by the Alliance for Climate Protection.

We have a moment to change the future and begin to heal the planet. This is our moment. It begins today 7.7.07. It's time to celebrate the green movement reaching the global stage!  www.liveearth.org

Voting Party in Spanish Suite

On the heels of the Fourth of July holiday, join us at this patriotically glamorous party for Voto Latino at the Clift Hotel’s Spanish Suite with actress Rosario Dawson, Mayor Gavin Newsom, and more.

Headed up by Maria Teresa Petersen, Voto Latino is the incredible organization that inspires young people to get involved in democracy through media and mobile technology - and to vote, vote, vote!

Voto Latino Party

WHEN:
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
6–7pm: VIP Reception
7-9pm: General Reception & Party

WHERE:
Clift Hotel, Spanish Suite
495 Geary Street, San Francisco

FEATURING:

• Actress Rosario Dawson & Mayor Gavin Newsom
• Delicious Wines
• Sneak Preview of new VL Voices
• Cocktail Party in the Spanish Suite
• DJ Anthony Mansfield

HONORARY HOSTS:
The Honorable Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Mayor Gavin Newsom
Actress & Co-Founder Rosario Dawson

HOST COMMITTEE:
Councilwoman Nora Campos, Josh Becker, Elmy Bermejo, Gwyneth Borden, Sandy Close, Brandon Hernandez, Hala Hijazi, Doug Mandell, Clarissa Nicosia, Christine Pelosi, Maria Teresa Petersen, Claudia Ross, Nicole Rivera, Nadine Weil

TICKETS:
General $150
VIP $1,000
All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Voto Latino and go towards inspiring young people to vote.

INVITATION:
View Party Invitation

CO-SPONSORS:
Voto Latino thanks their generous sponsors including:
PG&E, Alta Vista Financial, HP, Clift Hotel, and Cross Marketing

ABOUT VOTO LATINO:
Winner of the Gold Promax award & nominated for the Imagen Award, Voto Latino enfranchises the next generation of Americans by leveraging media, celebrity voices, and the latest technologies to encourage civic participation.  www.votolatino.org

Save The Dates

Get those calendars and iPhones out, here is Heart of Green’s list of Save The Dates for must-attend fabulous green events in San Francisco this Fall:

   

Under The Canopy
ForestEthics Wine Tasting, Auction & Party
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Supperclub
San Francisco
www.forestethics.org

 

West Coast Green Conference
September 20 - 22, 2007
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
San Francisco
www.westcoastgreen.com

 

The Farallon Islands Blue Ball
An Evening Party & Benefit for PRBO
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Bently Reserve
San Francisco
www.prbo.org

 

Revel
Rainforest Action Network Party
Thursday, October 18, 2007
San Francisco
www.ran.org

 

Brower Youth Awards
The Premier Awards Show honoring Young Green Leaders
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Herbst Theatre & Green Room
War Memorial Veterans Building
San Francisco
www.broweryouthawards.org

 
Get your blue and green party outfits ready and prepare to have fun celebrating the planet in style. More details coming to a web page near you.

Rockin' Cradle To Cradle

Many people ask me about Cradle To Cradle and inquire, "is that a baby store?" That is a good guess based on the name. There are Cradle To Cradle-certified diapers, but here is the 1 minute scoop:

Cradle To Cradle is the green design framework and philosophy co-created by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. In our world today, we have a cradle to grave system where we make things, buy things, and then throw them "away". Look at your trash and you will see a mashup of bio and techno pieces glued and fused together. It's kind of crazy really. Look at all of those valuable raw materials heading for the crusher. Some items like plastic bags and packaging are tragically designed to last virtually forever but are thrown away in an instant. Bill asks, "Where is this away?  It has gone away."

Per Bill, design is the signal of human intention. What is the intention of a cradle to grave system?  It squanders scarce resources and leaves a trash heap for the next generation. What if we wanted to leave behind a positive legacy, and design in a way that is regenerative and self-sustaining for the planet?

In nature, there is no waste. It is pretty brilliant. Cradle To Cradle is new modern way of designing that minimizes waste. It says that everything can be divided up into two categories: biological nutrients and technical nutrients. And these nutrients all have value that can be captured and reused. Biological nutrients are biodegradable and can be returned to soil, such as a banana peel or a cup made out of corn. Technical nutrients can be reused over and over in closed cycles, such as metals and plastics.

In Cradle To Cradle, things are designed with their next life in mind. They can be disassembled easily into bio and techno components. "Materials have passports to the future." Solar power and renewable energy are used significantly. "We have the greatest source of nuclear power shining down on us every day, the sun."  And all materials are healthy and safe. No toxins allowed.

Products can now be certified as officially Cradle To Cradle. See their new exciting Cradle To Cradle certification here. Some of the initial product stars include gDiapers, Steelcase, MechoShades, and if you can believe it, the United States Post Office envelopes. Look out for the Cradle To Cradle infinity stamp on extra eco products.

Bill is brilliant but don't try to turn him into a celebrity per se. He is a designer first and foremost, and he designs "stuff". And pretty darn fabulous green stuff at that.

The Cradle to Cradle book is one of my favorites of all time. And you can read it while sitting in a swimming pool because it is not printed on paper. Splash.

Pacific, Green & Electric

Tried everything to get those pesky CO2 emissions down and still carbon positive? 

Fear not, the new PG&E ClimateSmart program is here to help you get down to the magical number of zero. It is both green and genius. For just a few dollars a month on your existing utility bill, you can become carbon neutral at home, after installing all of those cool compact fluorescent light bulbs and Energy Star appliances of course.

PG&E will then invest the funds in local greenhouse gas reduction projects in California. Underscore local. Examples are sustainable mature forests and livestock methane capture (read: cows). All projects are certified by the California Climate Action Registry.

I applaud PG&E for highlighting forest sequestration projects. On their web site, they say, "Trees naturally remove CO2 from the atmosphere and can help fight climate change by storing carbon in their trunks, roots, and branches. These projects will also benefit wildlife and water quality by permanently protecting and restoring California's native forests." Bravo!

So let's all get climate smart and climate neutral - and get down to the business of fighting global warming one kWh at a time. Every customer and every cow counts. See the full scoop at PG&E ClimateSmart

Green Giant(s)

Kudos also to PG&E and the San Francisco Giants for launching their new solar panels at AT&T Park just in time for the All-Star Game. 590 panels in all generating up to 122 kilowatts of clean solar energy. This makes AT&T the first ballpark in Major League Baseball with a solar system. A proverbial homerun for green sports fans and the planet. www.letsgreenthiscity.com