Thursday, December 10, 2009

Killing the H1N1 Virus with PURE Bioscience’s ‘Green’ Antimicrobial

Confused about all the conflicting reports about whether or not to use hand sanitizer this flu season? Wondering how effective non-toxic, “green” cleaners are against the H1N1 virus? Worried about the kinds of cleansers your family and pets are exposed to? Me, too!!! As a mother of three kids in public schools, I am very concerned about making sure my children remain healthy, despite the fact that we haven’t had access to H1N1 vaccines yet. Fortunately, Mike Krall, CEO of PURE Bioscience, has the information we’re all looking for.

Tune in to Go Green Radio this week, when I will ask Mike how his patented product, SDC, may very well be the most significant and environmentally safe answer to many of the public health threats of the 21st century…and most importantly…where we, the consumers, can get it! You can listen to the show live from 9-10 a.m. Pacific time on www.VoiceAmerica.com, or listen to the podcast later at http://tinyurl.com/kwnr9j.

Here's a handy widget to help you keep track of products the FDA says are making fraudulent claims to fight the H1N1 virus. Be a smart shopper!




Helpful links:
FDA information on fraudulent H1N1 Product Claims (includes a widget for your blog): http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm150305.htm#protection
CDC information on Swine Flu: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
PURE Bioscience: http://www.purebio.com/

Thursday, December 3, 2009

My speech at TEDx Honolulu










Photo taken by Ed Morita
Grilled Cornbread, LLP
grilledcornbread.com

You can see the video of my speech here: http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/index.php?go=Blog.View&BlogID=73

When the Ambassador of Aloha (Neenz Faleafine) and a former Miss Hawaii (Traci Toguchi )invite you to speak in Honolulu…you say ‘YES!’, regardless of the topic. That’s exactly what I did, though I’ll admit, the theme I was asked to address at TEDx Honolulu made me somewhat uncomfortable. Neenz and Traci asked me to talk about the concept of “Shift – to change position or attitude.” That is a tough subject to tackle even with people you know well, but a nearly impossible topic to speak about with complete strangers who live in paradise. What could I possibly offer my new friends that would be helpful or relevant?
I started with something I think we all have in common…hope for a bright future, not just for ourselves, but also for the next generation. Our children are counting on us to make decisions today that will have a positive impact on their future.
As the global economic downturn continues to burden communities everywhere, I strongly believe that there are opportunities for Hawaii to make a pivot – or shift – toward a state economy over which there is more local control. Hawaii’s current economy is anchored in tourism, which relies on outside forces to drive revenue. However, if tourism were complimented by attracting new, clean tech companies, this would allow the state to realize a more stable tax inflow and employment scenario for its residents. The same attributes that have made Hawaii a wonderful place for tourists – sunshine, waves and the beautiful breeze – could also make Hawaii the vortex of clean energy technology research in the form of solar, wave and wind energy. Creating an enticing business climate that will attract clean tech companies to Hawaii could provide high paying jobs, a clean environment, and economic stability that will allow the state to offer first-rate services and infrastructure to its residents. Clean energy and clean tech companies are expected to fuel the 21st century global economy, and Hawaii is perfectly poised to be at the epicenter of that movement.
The Keiki (children) of Hawaii are precious, and deserve a healthy, exciting and prosperous future. Hawaii’s natural resources already provide many of the key ingredients of the high standard of living that Hawaiian parents want to pass on to the next generation. If the parents, educators, and elected officials of the state Hawaii work together to develop a stable, growing economy that is less dependent on the tourism budgets of non-residents, then their Keiki can look forward to careers that will allow them to live well and fully enjoy living in their island paradise.
I am so grateful for the generous Aloha Spirit that I received at TEDx Honolulu. It was life changing for me, and I hope that somehow, someday I am able to return that same spirit to my new friends. Aloha and Mahalo!

You can see the video of my speech here: http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/index.php?go=Blog.View&BlogID=73

Thursday, October 15, 2009

As Unemployment Rises, How Do Companies Recruit the Best AND ‘Go Green?’



There is no doubt that small and medium sized businesses have borne the brunt of the global economic downturn. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 70-80% of all jobs come from small/medium companies. In order to lower the current unemployment rate, small businesses need to be able to put as much of their money into salaries as possible, and put Americans back to work.

But as the unemployment lines grow longer, the chore of finding the best talent becomes increasingly difficult for employers that have job openings. Taking resumes via mail, email, job boards and every conceivable social media platform can be a costly and aggravating process, involving man-hours that could be better spent. My guest on Go Green Radio this week is Pratik Roychoudhury, and his company www.MyLatch.com has created an innovative hiring solution for small businesses that is both cost-effective AND “green!” While the concept of “green jobs” remains ethereal to most of us, Pratik has made the hiring process for any job more economical and eco-conscious.

This week’s Go Green Radio show is aimed at any employer who wants to plug into a 21st century hiring process, and get the most qualified Americans back to work. This is also a great preview of some tools of the future that will help companies quantify and reduce their carbon footprint.

Tune in to Go Green Radio live from 9-10 a.m. PST on http://www.voiceamerica.com/, or check out the podcast any time you like at http://tinyurl.com/kwnr9j

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The Go Green Initiative and Maggwire.com Partner to Modernize Magazine Consumption

The Go Green Initiative and Maggwire.com announced their partnership to modernize magazine consumption for over 2 million students worldwide who are registered with the Go Green Initiative. Maggwire.com provides paperless access to the world’s most credible magazine articles, saving trees, time and money.

“I am excited to share Maggwire with our worldwide network of schools, and I believe this one website may have a tremendous impact on both learning and the environment,” says Jill Buck, founder and executive director of the Go Green Initiative. “Maggwire provides an eco-friendly, 21st century research tool for students, teachers and parents at a time when access to the highest quality magazine journalism via traditional subscriptions may be out of reach for school libraries and families affected by the economic downturn. Educators who are looking for cost-effective and environmentally responsible resources for their students will be thrilled with Maggwire.com.”

Ryan Klenovich, founder of Maggwire, says, “Younger generations are reading professional journalism less and less as they spend increasing amounts of time on social networks, playing video games and watching television. Jian Chai and I started Maggwire because we love magazines, and wanted to help the magazine industry reach the next generation of readers with a fresh, digital experience. Teachers, parents and librarians can offer Maggwire as a tool for students to research numerous topics and even comment on articles to create educational discussion forums.”

Magazine industry expert, Samir Husni, a.k.a. Mr. Magazine, welcomes Maggwire as an example of the much needed innovation in the magazine industry. He says Maggwire is, “an ambitious plan that aims to be the target destination for anyone interested in magazines and magazine articles.”

About Maggwire:

Maggwire's goal is to lead the magazine industry toward a successful digital transformation, and will become the online destination for all your magazine related needs. With over 10,000 magazine titles attracting 200 million American readers, Maggwire makes discovering magazine content a personalized experience. Utilizing social intelligence, our system recommends magazine articles you will enjoy reading from over 650 magazine titles. We are performing the most comprehensive analysis of magazine articles and readership patterns ever attempted. Our purpose is to distinguish high quality journalistic content backed by reputable publishers and eventually provide readers with the ability to purchase premium magazine content online with a single click.

More information is available online at www.maggwire.com.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Who Will Resurrect the Electric Car?...Go Green Radio knows the answer…

When Sony Pictures released the movie, “Who Killed the Electric Car,” (http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/electric.html) the U.S. political landscape was much different, and Detroit had a lot more clout than it does today. The movie honed in on a very specific moment in time when the California Air Resources Board (CARB) eliminated the production of electric vehicles in the zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) initiative, and pinned the blame on D.C.-based lawsuits and lobbying in Sacramento as the reasons electric cars failed to achieve economically-feasible market share. I’d be the last person to underestimate the effects of Sacramento lobbying, but in truth, there have been two primary consumer concerns that have inhibited the success of the electric car:
· the cost of the vehicles is higher than comparably-sized gasoline cars; and
· the mileage range of a typical car battery is much shorter than the range of a gasoline tank. For lengthy trips, that would mean having to stop every 150 miles or so, finding a place to plug the car in, and waiting several hours for it to power up.


A new company called Better Place (www.betterplace.com) has the solution to both of these problems, and may be the “enabler” that finally brings electric vehicles into the mainstream. Better Place CEO, Shai Agassi, has led successful beta operations in Israel, Denmark and Australia, but as of November 2008, he started making waves in the Golden State, as he eyes California as the U.S. toehold for his company.

At a press conference in the San Francisco City Hall on November 20, 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger and Mayors of San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco gathered with numerous Bay Area groups and Better Place to announce plans to engage in public-private investments in electric vehicles and ‘green’ infrastructure. Better Place is not an electric car manufacturer, but could provide the necessary infrastructure with their battery “filling stations.”

This week on Go Green Radio, my guest is Jason Wolf, head of North American business development for Better Place. I’ll be asking him… if Warren Buffet’s new investment in electric cars depends on Better Places’ success; …whether or not we’ll need more nuclear plants to facilitate clean electricity for our cars; …how the geopolitical landscape will change if Better Place makes it possible for us to ‘just say no’ to Middle Eastern and Venezuelan oil; and much, much more.

The episode airs live on www.VoiceAmerica.com fro 9-10 a.m. on Friday, July 24. But if you miss the live broadcast, you can listen to the podcast later at http://tinyurl.com/kwnr9j.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

My interns ended up in jail!!!

When they signed up to be interns for the world’s largest environmental education program, they probably didn’t think it would land them in jail, but that is exactly what happened…and ironically, it all started with a chance encounter at Disneyland…
Over Memorial Day weekend this year, my family went to Anaheim, CA for an ice hockey tournament for my son. After a particularly grueling 7 a.m. game, we all went to Disneyland, and ended up seeing some good family friends outside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride – it’s a small world after all! (: The mom of the family told me her daughter was coming home from Princeton, and that she studies architecture. I asked her if she would like to explore “green” architecture as my intern. Thanks to the kindness of my good friend with the Alameda County’s Sheriff’s Office, we were able to schedule a tour of a very ‘green’ county jail in our area on Monday. We saw recycling in numerous locations, solar panels on the roof, a hydrogen fuel cell that was installed in 2006, and a brand new recycled water system in the jail’s laundry facility.

Here is what Lauren wrote about the visit:

Why Prisons?

This summer, I am interning under Jill Buck for the Go Green Initiative as an undergraduate student interested in Architecture and Urban Studies. Despite being relatively new to the field of architecture, I have recently decided that studying the design of prisons would be a fascinating area of study. By shaping the layout and the internal space of a prison you help to manage the environment and atmosphere of the facility, which can in turn influence how inmates behave. Simply adding more windows and increasing ceiling height creates a calmer environment. Prisons are necessary, federally funded facilities that can serve as opportunities for behavior-shaping architectural experimentation. On top of the creative opportunity that prisons might be able to provide, they also serve as exciting spaces for green architectural innovation! Prisons are high energy facilities that require 24-hours of operation, 7 days a week. With regulations that demand high lighting and large amounts of water consumption they serve as black holes for energy resources; sucking up thousands of dollars in energy. By combining intelligent design with green techniques we can create facilities that are energy efficient and relatively calm. Simple things, such as increasing the number of windows in a facility, help to lower energy consumption by increasing the use of natural light. We recently saw such innovation at the Alameda County Jail, where administration is learning to save money by retrofitting their facility with solar panels and clean energy sources such as the Hydrogen Fuel Cell system. I do not think that the prison system is going anywhere in the near future, so why not make them energy efficient, socially controlled, and green now?


My daughter, Katie, is also interning for me this summer. She has literally grown up with the Go Green Initiative, and is now taking a leadership role in the organization. This was her reflection:

My First Trip to Jail

We are always hearing, “Give 110%!” Well that’s exactly what Santa Rita County Jail is doing. Between their hydrogen fuel cell and solar panels they are completely self sufficient…and then some! They sometimes create more energy than they can even use in a 4,000 person jail!(Out of those 4,000 inmates are people in there for a year or less, people on trial, or people waiting to be transported to prison.) The hydrogen fuel cell is essentially carbon free, and produces 60-80% of the jails electricity. The solar panels produce the other 30% of the energy. There are other ways that the jail is going green too. Not only recycling the laundry water to use it again, they also recycle water bottles just like I do at school. (I knew there were similarities between jail and school) One of my favorite parts of the tour was the Automated Guided Vehicle System. Basically these little robot carts moved around on their own to pre-destined places to deliver food, sheets etc. They relied on little maintenance and operator involvement. Very efficient! It improves security because instead of transporting hundreds of inmates around the campus you bring everything to the inmates.

To hear more about their impressions of the trip to the Alameda County Jail, tune into Go Green Radio this week when we’ll talk to Lauren and Katie about their field trip behind bars! Go Green Radio airs live on http://www.voiceamerica.com/ from 9-10 a.m. Pacific time, and if you miss the live broadcast, you can download the podcast later at http://tinyurl.com/kwnr9j.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Are pizza boxes and microwave popcorn poisoning my kids???


Sometimes it's tough to know where to go for the best information on how to keep our kids safe and healthy, but this week on Go Green Radio, we've found an expert with the answers. Jennifer Taggart’s new book, “Smart Mama’s Green Guide”, is a candid and credible resource for child advocates who want to reduce children’s exposure to toxic chemicals. You may be surprised to learn that products you use everyday in your home contain chemicals capable of causing health problems for your kids. Jennifer’s background as an environmental engineer and lawyer, coupled with her passionate devotion to her own – and all – kids, provide the perfect background for her expert advice. Tune into Go Green Radio this Friday, June 26, from 9-10 a.m. Pacific on http://www.voiceamerica.com/. If you miss the live show, you can listne to the podcast anytime by visiting: www.tinyurl.com/kwnr9j. You can learn more about the Smart Mama at www.thesmartmama.com!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Go Green Radio This Week!

Re:Vision Dallas: Urban Sustainability… One city block at a time.

Everything is BIG in Texas, including big ideas for 21st Century Urban Planning and Green job creation! Dallas,TX recently offered up one city block, inviting architects and urban planners from around the world to compete to re-design the space into the United State’s first fully sustainable, “off the grid” inner-city block. This week on Go Green Radio, we have John Greenan of the Central Dallas Community Development Corporation, and representatives from two of the winning architectural firms: Little Architects, and David Banker and Partners with their respective entries, Entangled Bank and XERO Project.
We’ll be talking to them about this exciting and innovative green project involving the transformation of urban landscape into an energy efficient, sustainable community. The show airs live at 9 am Pacific on http://www.voiceamerica.com/, or you can listen to the podcast later at http://tinyurl.com/kwnr9j.

For more information on Re:Vision Dallas and Urban Re:Vision, visit http://www.urbanrevision.com/.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Green Teens Who Inspire Me


A few months ago, I received an email from Henry Han, a teenager in Houston, TX. He created the original artwork you see with this blog, and I think it is amazing! Through his own creative lens, he depicts both the peril of environmentally irresponsible behavior and the bright future we can look forward to if we treat the planet with care. If you like Henry's artwork as much as I do, you can view his gallery at http://hequalstohenry.deviantart.com/gallery/. Henry, you are a green teen who inspires me!

Ahsan Khan is another green teen making the world a better place. He wrote to me on the Go Green Face Space on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=6566461086


Hi! I am currently a High School Senior at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Kennesaw, GA... I am planning a "Green Week" for the week of April 20th and helped get my school registered for the Go Green Initiative. I think this program is great and I am happy that my school is a part of it!For my Green Week event, I and the rest of our National Honor Society will be encouraging our new recycling program as well as passing out reusable water bottles and shopping bags to the students. I will be speaking to the faculty at my school soon to help them get involved. I am glad that I stumbled upon the GGI and I have gathered a number of ideas for my event through it! Thanks for everything that you do!

Henry and Ahsan, thank you so much for writing to me, and for using your talents to make your world a greener, cleaner place!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Treating "Earth Day" like a "Birthday"

I hope you are having a great Earth Day!

Here's what I'm doing to celebrate...I'm treating Earth Day like a Birthday!

You know how you feel on your birthday, how you hope your friends and family will do something nice for you, take it easy on you? Well, that's how I'm treating the Earth today...like it's the Earth's birthday. I'm using less water, less energy, and doing my best not to throw anything in the garbage that will end up in a landfill. I'm doing little things to give the Earth a little break today.

I'd love to hear how you celebrated Earth Day! Tell me all about it!

Greenly yours,
Jill Buck

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Day Before Earth Day in Beijing - One World, One Dream

It’s so easy to fall in love with the Chinese people. This is my third trip to China, and my experiences have always been wonderful – I’ve always been warmly welcomed and treated with extreme kindness. But today, I put China to the test…would I be as warmly welcomed if I were not accompanied by a Chinese guide, and if my arrival went unannounced? The answer is absolutely yes!

Tomorrow I will speak on Earth Day at the 2nd Annual Summit of Green China Businesses, but today, I was a tourist. I set out in a cab by myself to tour the venues of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was a bright and breezy day, and though I could only use hand gestures and a friendly smile to communicate with the Chinese people I met, I didn’t have a problem finding anything or getting where I wanted to be. Everything was labeled in both Mandarin and English…even the uniforms of the security officers. I found that very interesting, and I have to say, it made me feel welcome.

In 2007, I was invited to serve on the International Appraisal Committee for the Daonong Center for Enterprise, a think tank formed by the China Entrepreneur Club (CEC). It has been my honor to work with the business leaders of China to develop standards for green business, and to watch their rapid progress toward those standards in such a short time. At last year’s Summit, the Chairman of the CEC put forth an audacious and exciting goal: to make China’s economy carbon-free. I’m thrilled to be part of that vision!

Now, you might wonder why this California mom of three is spending Earth Day in China, but the fact is there is something in it for my kids. My youngest child has asthma, and 30% of the air pollution in California can be traced to China . As the Chinese move aggressively forward in reducing their carbon emissions and air pollution, the air in my hometown will be cleaner. We’re all interconnected, and by helping one another, we all win.

As I always say…the wind blows, and the water flows.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Here I Am @ Beijing's Olympic Stadium-the Bird's Nest

I was in Beijing for the first time in Nov. 2007, about 6 months after I started working with the China Entrepreneur Club to help develop green business standards for Chinese companies and multinational companies operating in China. At that time, I only got to see the Bird's Nest under construction from a tour bus window. But now, I'm going inside!!! I'm so excited!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Go Green Initiative Schools Save Natural Resources

In this photo (courtesy of Alan Greth Photography) you see a student at the very first Go Green Initiative school, Walnut Grove Elementary, bringing recyclables from home to school. The local waste hauler, Pleasanton Garbage Service, pays the school a significant portion of the market value of the recyclables the school collects. To learn how to negotiate a similar arrangement with your local waste hauler, download the Planning Guide from the homepage of our website, and see the Appendix entitled, "Negotiating with Your Waste Hauler."

Each quarter, our top-notch schools turn in QPR's (quarterly progress reports), so that the Go Green Initiative family of schools can keep track of just how much great work they are accomplishing. Our latest recycling numbers are incredible!


Here's what our schools have kept out of their local landfills:



  • 7,454,879 lbs. of paper

  • 873,756 lbs. of cardboard

  • 95,831 lbs. of aluminum

  • 160,954 lbs. of plastic

  • 589,842 lbs. of mixed recyclables

  • 242,406 lbs. of food waste

The environmental benefit to all that recycling is:


  • conservation of 1.4 million gallons, or 33,720 barrels, of oil

  • conservation of 26 million gallons of water

  • conservation of over 63 billion BTU's of electricity

  • conservation of 3,721 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions

  • conservation of 13,738 cubic yds. of landfill space

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Should Environmentalists Embrace Nuclear Energy?

Normally, I’m a real stickler for hosting Go Green Radio live on Fridays from 9-10 am PST, but this week, I’ll be celebrating Good Friday with my family at that time, so we pre-recorded the show this morning.

My guest, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore from Irvine, California has become one of the nation’s leading advocates for lifting the moratorium on building new nuclear power plants. He’s been featured on numerous TV and radio shows, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the San Francisco Chronicle and many more publications. As America moves to limit our carbon emissions to the greatest extent possible, can we do so without nuclear energy? Or is nuclear our only viable, domestic energy option for a clean, green future?

Assemblyman DeVore did a FANTASTIC, and thoroughly educational, interview with me on this topic. Be sure to tune in on http://www.voiceamerica.com/ this Friday at 9 am to hear what he has to say. If you can’t listen to the show Friday morning, don’t worry! You can catch the podcast at the following link: http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1303

Monday, April 6, 2009

Showbiz Icon on Go Green Radio

Think about your favorite ABC Afterschool special, and chances are, my guest on Go Green Radio either wrote it or produced it. Virginia Carter began her career as a physicist in the aerospace industry and in the Air Force. But thanks to a serendipitous friendship with the wife of Norman Lear, Virginia has become an incredible force for good and social change through media. She was awarded an Emmy and two Peabody Awards for her work on the immensely popular American situation comedies All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, The Facts of Life, and Diff’rent Strokes. She assisted in the production of the top five most highly rated television shows in the United States during the 1980s. Virginia now does pro bono work for Population Media Center, which aims to improve the health and well-being of people around the world. http://www.populationmedia.org/

This was one of my favorite interviews in the past year of Go Green Radio. It was truly an honor to talk to Virginia, and we’ll have her on again soon. In the meantime, check out the podcast of our conversation at: http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=37510

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Twitter + Spunky Intern = Interview on Urban Re:Vision

This week’s episode of Go Green Radio is another Twitter success story. Derek Gordon is an intern for a super cool project called Urban Re:Vision. Derek found me on Twitter, and yada, yada, yada…I’m interviewing one of the premiere green architects in the biz, Eric Corey Freed. Eric is based in San Francisco, and has founded more entities than I’ve got fingers to count them. His company, organicARCHITECT, creates sustainable structures, from large developments to single family dwellings. With more than 15 years in green design, Eric can tell us what it was like to be green even before there was a Nobel Peace Prize in the mix! Don’t miss this interview with award-winning architect, Eric Corey Freed!

Go Green Radio airs live on Fridays 9-10 am PST/noon-1pm EST on http://www.voiceamerica.com/. If you miss it live, you can catch the podcast here.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Baseball is "Going Green"!!!

Coastal Plain League Goes Green, Announces Go Green Week

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Coastal Plain League announced today that it is “Going Green” in 2009. The CPL has partnered with the Go Green Initiative, and its teams will be holding a Go Green Week from July 5 through July 12.

“I’m so proud to support the Coastal Plain League’s ‘Green Week’,” said Jill Buck, Founder and Executive Director of the Go Green Initiative. “Baseball was a huge part of my childhood, and I know that millions of American kids are shaped by their experiences at the ballpark. It’s truly inspiring to see an entire baseball league making their stadiums a place where kids can see environmental stewardship in action, and have a great time with their family!”

While the CPL is still in the planning stages of its Go Green Week, member clubs will be taking part in several different ways to “Go Green”. The CPL has already partnered with Zephyr hats to do a green hat for the players and coaches to wear during the games; and other things teams will be doing include recycling programs for plastic bottles and aluminum cans, some teams will be playing day games to help conserve electricity and participating in community clean-ups and beach sweeps. The CPL and its clubs will also be helping raise awareness through announcements and reading off important facts of the benefits of “Going Green” throughout the week.

“We are very excited to announce that our league and member clubs are going green,” said Assistant Commissioner Justin Sellers. “We feel this is a very important cause and hope that our Go Green Week will be a successful one in helping do things that will better the environment and create a “go green” consciousness in everyone’s mind.”

Go Green Radio will feature a segment on the CPL’s Go Green Week Friday, March 6, 2009 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. EST. Fans are encouraged to listen in and can do so by logging onto www.VoiceAmerica.com. Once there, navigate to the Voice America section under the Networks tab to open up the live broadcast. Go Green Radio is heard by five million listeners worldwide.

More information on the Coastal Plain League Go Green Week will be coming soon. Please visit www.coastalplain.com for all updates.
About the Go Green Initiative: The Go Green Initiative is the world’s fastest growing fully comprehensive environmental action plan for schools. By promoting environmental stewardship on campuses from preschools through universities, the GGI works to involve families, businesses and local governments in the common goal of protecting human health through environmental stewardship. Since its inception in July 2002, the Go Green Initiative has been endorsed by the National School Boards Association, National Recycling Coalition, adopted by eight State PTA Boards, implemented in all 50 U.S. states, 13 countries and on 4 continents. The Go Green Initiative has kept more than nine million pounds of recyclables out of the world’s landfills, conserved 25.7 million gallons of water, and saved over 55 billion BTUs of energy. These accomplishments were achieved voluntarily, with no mandates or legislation, showing that “going green” is practical and simply makes sense. There are currently over 2.2 million students and teachers in registered Go Green schools.

About the Coastal Plain League: The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league, heading into its 13th season. Featuring 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, the CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with wooden bats during the summer months. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

"Green" Home Expert on Go Green Radio


What does it mean to have a "green" home, and who is qualified to answer that question?
Answer: Peter Yost
The U.S. Green Building Council has recently launched a new program that sets standards for certifying a residential unit as “green,” and on Go Green Radio, we’ll be talking with one of the industry leaders who developed those standards: Peter Yost. Peter serves as an instructor for the Boston Architectural College's Sustainable Design Certificate program and an adjunct faculty member of the University of Massachusetts Department of Building Materials and Wood Technology program in Amherst. He has been building, researching, teaching, writing, and consulting on high performance homes for more than twenty years, and will share his insight with Go Green Radio listeners!
Tune in on Friday, February 20, from 9-10 am PST/noon-1pm EST to www.VoiceAmerica.com.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Recession-Proof Environmental Education Program Now Reaches 2 Million Students Per Day

I'm pretty excited about what's happening with my non-profit organization, the Go Green Initiative (GGI)! In 2008, the GGI grew by 70%, and now reaches 2,001,419 students, and 237,591 teachers in 1811 schools around the globe. Since the GGI’s inception in 2002, schools in all 50 U.S. states, 13 countries and on 4 continents have self-registered on the program’s website, www.gogreeninitiative.org.

Even in the midst of a global economic downturn, the Go Green Initiative continues to grow exponentially. In the last quarter alone we have added 211 new schools in 35 different states, and we did that with an operating budget of less than 2 cents per student. We’re free to schools, we’re effective, and we are helping communities maintain their commitment to conservation, even during tough economic times.

GGI schools can voluntarily track their waste diversion and recycling rates, utilizing the free resources and tools available to all registered GGI schools. We began tracking waste diversion data points in 2005. Since then, participating schools have kept the following materials out of their local landfills: 7.3 million lbs. of paper; 806, 941 lbs. of cardboard; 94,314 lbs. of aluminum; 157, 026 lbs. of plastic; 17,389 printer cartridges; 15, 337 cell phones; 547,568 lbs. of mixed recyclables; and 193,643 lbs. of food waste.

As a result of that waste diversion, the following environmental impact has been achieved: over 55 billion BTU’s of energy has been saved; 3,628 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions have been prevented; 25.7 million gallons of water and 1.4 million gallons of oil were saved due to paper recycling alone; and 13,457 cubic yards of landfill space was conserved.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. In the coming weeks, we're going to allow businesses, communities, families, organizations, and individuals to register with the Go Green Initiative at no cost, and join our schools in creating positive environmental changes that can be measured.

Fast facts about the Go Green Initiative (GGI):
The Go Green Initiative is the world’s fastest growing fully comprehensive environmental action plan for schools. By promoting environmental stewardship on campuses from preschools through universities, the GGI works to involve families, businesses and local governments in the common goal of protecting human health through environmental stewardship. Since its inception in July 2002, the Go Green Initiative has been endorsed by the National School Boards Association, National Recycling Coalition, adopted by eight State PTA Boards, implemented in all 50 U.S. states, 13 countries and on 4 continents. The Go Green Initiative has kept more than nine million pounds of recyclables out of the world’s landfills, conserved 25.7 million gallons of water, and saved over 55 billion BTUs of energy. These accomplishments were achieved voluntarily, with no mandates or legislation, showing that “going green” is practical and simply makes sense. There are currently over 2.2 million students and teachers in registered Go Green schools.

More information is available online at www.GoGreenInitiative.org.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Is There Enough Energy in the World for Everyone to Live Like Americans?

Many in the U.S. are trying very hard to ‘go green’, and they are using less gasoline, changing their light bulbs to CFL’s, and recycling. Even with all of these efforts, if we multiply the amount of energy used per person in the U.S. by the world’s total population…we’d have a problem…not enough energy to go around. We live well in the U.S., so it’s understandable that people in other countries would want to live as well, but is there enough energy in the world for everyone to live like Americans? Do we have a shortage of energy, or an energy management problem? My guest on Go Green Radio this week, Susan Meredith, author of “Beyond Light Bulbs: Lighting the Way to Smarter Energy Management” will help us uncover the truth.

I’ll be asking her if we have to build nuclear plants in 3rd world countries in order to get them clean water without polluting their air. I’ll ask her if carbon offset programs are real, or just one more way to “green wash” our conscience when we pollute. Ms. Meredith opens one of the chapters in her book by asking, “Who cares” if humans are causing global warming, and we’ll definitely talk about that approach. We’ll also talk about the concept of peak oil, and how the U.S. can remain strong with China and India’s increased insurgence on the global oil supply chain. And finally, I’ll ask Ms. Meredith to give President Elect Obama advice on what caveats, if any, he should place on the auto industry’s fuel standards in order to receive bailout funding.

This is an episode of Go Green Radio you don’t want to miss! Tune into www.VoiceAmerica.com at 9 am Pacific, noon Eastern on Friday, Jan. 16. If you miss the live show, you can catch the podcast later by checking out the archive on http://tinyurl.com/4onz7d.