Which is why you should get out to Alameda’s Earth Day Festival and Sustainable Living Symposium. It’s what Marvin Gaye would have wanted you to do. The festivities are this Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Washington Park. The Sustainable Living Symposium is all a part of the City’s efforts to cut our greehouse gas emmissions collectively. What is great about a lot of the programmed activities is that it shows you, regular old citizen you, a few ways to make positive change even if you can’t make the big committments like going all vegetarian or giving up your car. When Michael Ruhlman waxes poetic about the wonders of duck confit, vegtarianism is not an option, but I digress.
So here is a listing of the events with brief descriptions of what’s going on:
9:00 a.m. Zero waste film festival (Plastic Debris–Rivers to Sea, Synthetic Sea, and The Story of Stuff)
10:00 a.m. Zero Waste around the World
Highlighting the work of zero waste communities in the United Kingdom, Italy, Maryland, Los Angeles, and Hawaii among others.
Presenter: Rick Anthony, Richard Anthony Associates
10:30 a.m. Zero Waste in Alameda
Proposals for new policies and programs for Alameda residents and businesses to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Provide your input to the zero waste implementation plan!
Presenter: Ruth Abbe, HDR Engineering, Inc.
11:00 a.m. Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA)
CASA was formed in the fall of 2008 to raise awareness, mobilize community action, and facilitate
implementation of programs to achieve the goal of Alameda’s Local Action Plan for Climate Protection (to reduce Alameda’s carbon emissions to 25% below 2005 levels by the year 2020) and to increase community sustainability and well-being. Come hear about CASA activities and how to get involved locally.
Presenter: David Burton, CASA Steering Committee
11:15 a.m. The “Green Sheet” and Zero Waste Challenge
Learn what YOU can do to reduce YOUR greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda. From putting food
scraps in your green cart to biking around the City, Joyce Mercado has compiled a comprehensive list of strategies and resources specific to Alameda. Joyce will review how you can reduce your global footprint and give you a copy of the Green Sheet to post on your refrigerator. Joyce’s daughter, Lauren recently completed a zero waste challenge for her advanced placement Environmental Science class at Alameda High School. She will present her findings and observations.
Presenters: Joyce Mercado, CASA Steering Committee and Bike Alameda and Lauren Mercado, Alameda High School Environmental Science
11:30 a.m. Growing Food Locally
Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda wants to help you grow food for yourself and your fellow Alamedans. We all have something that we can share to make our City more self-sufficient. Learn
about harvesting local fruit trees, victory gardens, gardening in small places and more.
Presenters: Susan Welch/Stefani Leto, CASA Food and Water Group
11:45 a.m. How to Pack a Zero Waste Lunch
Demonstration for school children (and their parents) on how to pack a zero waste lunch!
Presenter: Sharol Nelsen-Embry, Supervising Naturalist
BREAK
1:00 p.m. Town Planning and Climate Change
Walkable cities, town centers, and transit-oriented development all contribute to reducing our carbon footprint. Come hear about how Alameda fits the “green urbanist” model.
Presenter: Steve Coyle, Town-Green and Co-Founder, National Charrette Institute
1:30 p.m. Energy Efficiency in Alameda
Discover all of the things that Alameda residents and businesses can do to “flex your power”. Learn how to conduct an energy audit and save energy and money.
Presenter: Meredith Owens, Alameda Municipal Power
2:00 p.m. Solar Rebates in Alameda
Learn about how you can power your home or business by generating energy from the sun and earn rebates from Alameda Municipal Power and the Federal Government.
Presenters: Devi Prasad/Bill Garvine, Alameda Municipal Power
2:30 p.m. COOL 2012 (Compostable Organics Out of Landfills by 2012)
The GrassRoots Recycling Network is spearheading the campaign to keep “Compostable Organics Out of Landfills by 2012”. Learn how “COOL” our community is.
Presenter: Linda Christopher, GrassRoots Recycling Network
3:00 p.m. Zero waste film festival (Point of Return, The Cost of Cool, Trashed—The Movie)
The 1:00 p.m. panel sounds really interesting, I’m glad to see that land use is being introduced as one of the ways to facilitate sustainable living. Plus the panels from morning hands-on panels sound really useful as well.
Happy Earth Day and you’ve got to give it up for the folks organizing these events! (Yeah, that last one was a stretch.)
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