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

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

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.