Our Green Streets Blog

We received this missive from the people at SustainLane:

“…because your blog is related to our mission of living healthy lives on a green planet. This is just a quick note introducing the Local Action Challenge, a local contest that encourages people in Denver, CO to think global, act local… and win prizes doing it!

“SustainLane is heading up the Local Action Challenge in partnership with Hopenhagen, an international movement to drive action on climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen this December.

“Cities across the country – like Denver, CO – have sent in their top-ten lists of actions they’d like residents to take in order to combat climate change and otherwise care for the planet right in their own communities.”

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It is nearing time to be excited about the human spirit of innovation and invention.

I recommend visiting the Buckminster Fuller Challenge 2010, and looking at some of the entries from previous challenges, particularly the winners from last year (2009). Read more of this >>

ICAGO, October 14, 2009 – The Trade Commission of Spain in collaboration with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Houston Partnership will host two Spain – U.S. Business Sustainability Conferences on Oct. 26 in Los Angeles at the Omni Hotel and Oct. 30 in Houston at the Houstonian Hotel.

Business and government leaders from Spain and the U.S. will explore how public and private partnerships are critical to creating growth in the renewable energy, transportation infrastructure and water treatment industries.

Both conferences will feature Spain’s Minister of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, Miguel Sebastián, as a keynote speaker. The Los Angeles conference will also include the California Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing, Dale E. Bonner, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary, Mike Chrisman, Qualitative Economist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dr. Woodrow W. Clark II and Spain’s Secretary of State for Energy, Pedro Luis Marín Uribe.

Speakers at the Houston conference include Texas Secretary of State, Hope Andrade, Texas High-Speed Rail & Transportation Corporation Chairman, Judge Robert Eckels, Texas Water Development Board Executive Administrator, Kevin Ward, and Gestamp Wind North America CEO, Javier Mateache Sacristan.

Register to attend this event.Spain – US

source: gibbs-soell.com

California LNG Plant at Altamont Source: Len Butler, Waste Management

According to joint venture partners, Linde North America and Waste Management, construction on the world’s largest plant to convert landfill gas into clean vehicle fuel is nearing completion.  Project details were shared today during a presentation at the National Biomethane Summit in Sacramento, Calif. The joint venture partners are installing systems to purify and liquefy landfill methane gas.
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Try these names or starters: greensulate and acorn.

Ecovative Design co-founders, Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre. Source: ED website

These are two products released from a company worth watching, ECOVATIVE DESIGN. One is an insulation material, called greensulate. the other is an alternative packaging material, named acorn.

From Ecovative Design’s website:

Acorn™ packaging takes a radically different approach to packaging. Acorn™ is made of agricultural waste materials that come from renewable sources. This environmentally-friendly innovation is just as reliable, easy to use, and affordable as competitive packaging products, like expanded polystyrene. Acorn™ is 100% compostable after use, and can be embedded with grass, flower and plant seeds, which draw upon the material as it breaks down to fuel organic growth. Read more of this >>

For us sneering at the notion of plastics and biodegradability, it is time to stand back and jump up!

Biodegradable plastic bottles will soon be on grocery shelves. Source: Enso Bottles, LLC

What’ll it be: 10,000 years, or two years? That is the question when it comes to the life expectancy of the plastic bottle you drink from.

For those of us looking for the next level of plastic – something that’s not going to be around for eternity – even compostable – we may need to look no further than Arizona.
That’s where ENSO Bottles, LLC is making plastic drinking bottles that are – yes – biodegradable. Not only biodegradable, but when they go to the landfill, digestible to microbes making methane, which can be captured and converted to energy.

This is exactly the kind of cycle in waste-to-energy that ENSO Bottle co-founder and president, Danny Clark, wants. “When our bottles go into the landfill, the idea is that the bottled will break down and create methane.”

Thus Clark can proudly list one of his company’s operating mantras that it develops products that can create value when they are discarded. Clark says there is no exact time for how long it takes his bottles to break down, but estimated the time to be about two years.

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Read on from the monthly newsletter of Denver Recycles:

For many of us, spring is a time when we clean out our basements and garages. The act of spring cleaning is a great way to start anew; however it can also leave us perplexed as to what to do with the leftover fertilizers, pesticides, stains, varnishes and CFLs that we no longer need but know are not safe to throw in the trash.  Through its Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program, the City & County of Denver can help you safely dispose of chemicals and other household hazardous waste that you come across during your spring cleaning.

Residents of the City and County of Denver are eligible once per year for a free collection of household hazardous waste.  Residents may schedule a door-to-door collection at their home or in some unique cases, an appointment to drop off materials at the facility. Materials accepted through the program are: aerosols, automotive fluids (degreasers, oils, etc.), batteries, caulk, grout, cleaners and polishes (drain, oven, carpet, etc.), CFLs and fluorescent tubes, expired medications, fertilizer, garden chemicals, gasoline, fuel, kerosene, glue, hobby supplies, insecticides and poisons (bug spray, weed killers, etc.), lubricants, metal polishes, moth balls, paint, photography chemicals, sealants, stains and varnishes, solvents and thinners (turpentine, etc.), pool chemicals and thermometers. Read more of this >>

Joe Lederman, from the Mesothelioma Cancer Center, has requested we post this information about asbestos.

Places to look for sbestos in older homes

Sustainability and energy guide many aspects of life in the United States. There are many green, eco-friendly materials that replace the need for asbestos and can reduce energy costs annually. The implementation of eco-construction and green energy home solutions will play an important role in the transformation to a healthier and sustainable world.

Recently, congress passed an economic stimulus package that promotes energy efficiency for home and business owners. The American Recover and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 include incentives for upgrading to more eco-friendly/sustainable methods of energy and insulation. The move to a greener lifestyle will build on the change to healthier methods of building products, home remodeling and renovation. Read more of this >>

Here are a few more photos from Doug Eichelberger’s Lucky Ranch.  These were all shot inside his barn.  The barn features a foundation of bailed recycled plastic bottles, and the walls are baled glossy magazines covered in stucco.

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Good News from Denver Recycles:

Live Green Electronics Recycling Event
March 7, 2009
7:00 a.m. to noon

“Do your part to help the environment by recycling your old television, computer monitor and other used electronic equipment at the “Live Green Electronics Recycling Event” on Saturday, March 7th. This event provides a rare opportunity for residents to responsibly recycle old electronic equipment for FREE, thanks to generous sponsorships from LG Electronics, 9News, Comcast, Waste Management of Colorado, and the City and County of Denver. Electronics recycling is expensive and normal recycling costs average about $25 for a TV and $12 for a computer monitor.

“Responsible recycling of electronics helps to prevent lead and other chemicals from leaching into the groundwater and into our atmosphere. Televisions and computers monitors contain 4 to 8 pounds of lead each, as well as many other metals and toxic materials. Recycling old electronics also saves energy and valuable resources.

“Please note that you do not need to replace your television as a result of the February 17, 2009 switch to digital broadcasting. Only residents using an antenna with their television (either rooftop or “rabbit ears”) will be affected by this change and purchasing a converter box will prevent the need to replace a television. Televisions connected to Comcast cable, satellite or other pay TV services will not be affected. If you choose to replace your TV, take advantage of this one time opportunity to responsibly recycle for free.”

For more information and to find specific drop off locations visit www.9News.com and click on the Live Green section. For more information about recycling, visit www.DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.