Garden Work Day

If you are interested in developing a school garden at the South Campus, we will be having a work day on Wednesday, September 16th from Noon till 4:00 p.m. The school garden is located on the back side of the gym, cut through the new tennis courts and then look for the 2 older courts.

Please bring seeds you want to plant, empty 2 liter bottles, a bag of top soil, and garden tools.

Sustainable FSCJ- Green Club Announcement

Florida State College at Jacksonville is starting a Sustainable Green Club. Our first meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 4th, 2009 at noon in room T-221.

The agenda includes:
incorporating as a club
discussing the school garden
other community projects we want to participate in such as Kayak Quest, St. John's Riverkeeper and others.

For more information, please email tgilmore@fscj.edu

The World's 10 Largest Renewable Energy Projects

http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow.cfm?id=10-largest-renewable-energy-projects & SID=mail & sc=emailfriend

Environmental Comics

The Amazing Indian Air Car: Coming to America

Perhaps you have heard that India's largest automaker, Tata Motors, has created the world's first commerical car that runs on air. The good news is that they're bringing it here.
A few fun facts:

It is powered by compressed air- Zero Pollution Motors will produce the American Version.

It is price at $17,800- Reservations in the United States will be taken midyear- delivery expected in early 2010.

Zero Pollution Motors estimates that the Air Car will run up to 1,000 miles per fill up at speeds up to 96 mph.

Made out of fiberglass instead of sheet metal, it's expected to be safer and easier to repair than a traditional car. It is also rust-proof.

It seats six

For more information: http://www.mdi.lu/english/oneflowair.php

Infra What??

A brief look at where that $100 billion worth of infrastructure money is going. For more information go to www.good.is


Roads
It's unclear where the $27.5 billion set aside for highways, roads and collapsing bridges will go. Will it be used to fund more lanes and new construction. Or will it be used to repair and redesign existing highways to reduce traffic. Time will tell.

Rail
$8 billion dollars have been set aside for high-speed passenger rail. This will be a boon to commuters who travel long distances to work. Intercity rail will get the priority. Amtrak gets $1.3 billion with repairs and upgrades the priority.

Public transportation
About $8.4 billion has been set aside for public-transit associations for new equipment. $100 million dollars will help local transportation agencies many of those plagued by rising costs and lowered operational budgets.

Rural broadband
The $7.2 billion dollars committed to extending broadband wireless internet to rural areas has been a hot button issue. Only 41% of rural Americans have reliable high-speed access to the web.

Weatherizing
The $6.2 billion dollars in the bill for home-weatherization could make a significant impact on homeowners. It will extend the life of the buildings as well as reduce the carbon-dioxide emissions by at least 8 million metric tons annually according to a recent report. In addition to helping the planet, it's big savings in your pocket.

Comic from the Daily Green

Cool comic strip called The Artic Circle

Transparency

Transparency is a short video about global access to clean water. Video courtesy of the magazine GOOD.

GOOD is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward.
Since 2006 we've been making a magazine, videos, and events for people who give a damn.
This website is an ongoing exploration of what GOOD is and what it can be.

http://www.good.is/post/transparency-drinking-water/

Fridays on the Farm

Take a look at this short video about a filmmaker and his family and their connection to food.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6oUl9YuCCI

Want to join The Green Team at FCCJ???

Want to help form a Campus Green Club?

Do something good for your community, your campus, yourself, and your mother [earth]! http://www.sustainablefscj.blogspot.com/

If you think you might be interested in…

a) helping recycling efforts,
b) cleaning up the St. Johns River,
c) environmental consciousness-raising,
d) learning to tend an organic garden for yourself

then contact Dr. Tim Gilmore [tgilmore@fccj.edu / 646-2334] or Candace Tschirki [tschcc@students.fccj.edu / 646-2011, 407-2011]

GreenPeace Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgvnqv1-_D

Earth Boxes

Looking for ways to grow vegetables and herbs in a small space? Consider the Earth Box... You can buy an Earth Box directly from the manufacturer or you can find instructions on the web on how to build your own.

An EarthBox is a closed system growing container. Its advantages are little evaporation of the water, an even flow of moisture to the plants in the box. Other advantages are that you can grown many more plants in a smaller space. If you're an apartment dweller, you can have 4 tomato plants growing on your deck in the space of a 3 ft. area , for instance.

How the EarthBox^® works...better

Why it is much more than just a container garden

• Fertilizer Band
• Potting Mix
• Aeration Screen
• Water Reservoir

• Optional Staking System
• Mulch Cover
• Portable, Reusable,
  UV Protected
• Overflow Hole

Click on the features for more information.

Gradient System

Acting on the laws of nature, the EarthBox facilitates the movement of nutrients from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration. When the EarthBox is set up, the fertilizer stripe is placed on top of the potting mix-creating an area of high nutrient concentration. At this time, the potting mix around the roots of the growing plant has no fertilizer. When water is added, the moist potting mix slowly conducts the diluted nutrients down the concentration gradient to the plant roots,which absorb optimal amounts of nutrients at any given time.

Water and Fertilizer Conservation

The EarthBox's plastic cover drastically reduces the water evaporation rate and returns condensed water vapor to the potting mix. As the plants draw water from the reservoir, they consume only what they need to stay healthy. Plants cannot be over-watered or under-watered if the reservoir is kept full. The plastic cover also prevents fertilizer from being diluted or washed away by rain.

In addition...

• Years of research have yielded the optimal number and arrangement of each type of vegetable, fruit, herb or flower for healthy growing.
• Casters enable home gardeners to (1) move the EarthBox outside during the day and inside at night - extending the growing season by planting earlier and harvesting later and (2) move the EarthBox® around the patio or deck to increase or decrease the amount of time spent in the sun.
• Plastic inhibits the growth of disease-causing mold, as well as the invasion of plant-eating pests.

Repurposing your yoga mat

10 Ways to Recycle Your Yoga Mat

You hate to throw stuff out. You prefer to recycle it, give it away, or find another use for it. And then you had to replace your yoga mat. What is an eco-lover to do?

Gaiam, one of the leading distributors of yoga mats and related products, lists fifty ideas for what to do with your yoga mat when it's time to replace it. Ten ways to recycle your mat later, you'll be healthier, less stressed and breathe easier. Plus, by replacing your mat regularly, you won't injure yourself using a worn mat. Some of the clever reuses include:

1. Use cookie cutters to cut the mat into holiday ornaments
2. Cut down for placemats for pet dishes. Keeps the area neat while also prevents the dishes from sliding around
3. Clean the mat well and use it to line kitchen shelves
4. Use the mat to smother weeds in your garden.
5. Instead of buying a rug pad, use an old yoga mat (or two) to keep your rug in place. Rug pads also make vacuuming your rug easier.
6. Instead of packing peanuts, wrap pieces of a yoga mat around your valuables.
7. Strips of old yoga mat make colourful stair treads.
8. Use a piece as a welcome mat outside a kitty litter box. The mat's stickiness grabs the litter off paws preventing it from spreading throughout the rest of the house and protects kitty's paws as well
9. Cut into rounds and use as coasters
10. Cut a piece to use as a sunshade in your parked car when it gets really hot

Facts from the Pew Charitable Trust

I found this interesting chart on clean energy economies as a share of the state's overall economies.
The information is part of a larger study from the Pew Charitable Trust.

WASHINGTON, DC, June 12, 2009 (ENS) - The number of jobs in America’s emerging clean energy economy grew about 2.5 times faster than overall jobs between 1998 and 2007, finds a report released Wednesday by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Included in Pew’s definition of the clean energy economy are jobs as diverse as engineers, plumbers, administrative assistants, construction workers, machine setters, marketing consultants, teachers and many others, with annual incomes ranging from $21,000 to $111,000.

Pew developed a clear definition of the clean energy economy and conducted the first-ever hard count across all 50 states of the actual jobs, companies and venture capital investments that supply the growing market demand for environmentally friendly products and services.

The survey found that jobs in the clean energy economy grew at a national rate of 9.1 percent, while traditional jobs grew by only 3.7 percent between 1998 and 2007.

By 2007, more than 68,200 businesses across all 50 states and the District of Columbia accounted for about 770,000 jobs that achieve the double bottom line of economic growth and environmental sustainability, the report finds.

Get Green Music

This article appears in the Folio Weekly dated June 16, 2009

Shawn Welk, an Atlantic Beach entrepreneur and veteran music-industry marketer recently launched Get Green Music, a music download site that bundles passion for music with environmental activism and social networking. Users buy songs not just from conglomerates like Universal, Sony and Warner, but also Blue Note, Sub Pop, MCA Nashville, and Island Def Jam.

Get Green Music charges 99 cents a song and, in turn, the company pledges to donates 10 percent of revenues to green initiatives picked by the user. Groups under consideration include Environmental Media Association, Action Sports Environmental Coalition and Friends of the Earth.

Users of Get Green Music create profiles similar to FaceBook or MySpace where they are encouraged to share eco-friendly tips and offer links to encourage eco-conscious living in a variety of way, not focusing solely on big, potentially expensive changes.



www.getgreenmusic.org

Be Part of the Solution

100 % organic, USDA Certified Organic, All Natural... What do they all mean?

The larger issue: If you do not understand the definitions of each term, you may not end up buying what you are looking for.

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION- The USDA enforces proper organic production and categorizes the terms in the following manner:

• Products with "100 % Organic" seals includes products with 100% organically produced (raw and processed) ingredients.
• Products with "USDA Certified Organic" seals are made with 95% or more organic ingredients
• Products with "Made with Organic Ingredients" means the product may include as little as 70% organic ingredients
• "Earth Friendly" products minimize any negative impact on the environment. Examples include products that are biodegradable, chemical-free or made of post-consumer recycled waste.
• "All Natural" products are minimally processed and contain no artifical colors, flavorings, preservatives or sweetners.
• "Vegan" products are made solely from plants
• "Vegetarian" products are derived from plants. Examples include vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes and nuts. Vegetarian food may contain egg, honey, or dairy products.

Visit http://www.foodnews.org/

Want to become involved with FSCJ's exciting sustainability initiatives? To participate in the sustainable/FSCJ initiative, email Professor Tim Gilmore at tgilmore @fccj.edu

The Green Club

In 1968, something happened that caused people to start thinking differently about their planet. The astronauts on board Apollo 8 sent back pictures of the earth from space, and the images made the front pages of newspapers and magazines around the world. Not long before this happened, scientists had actually argued about what colors would be visible on the earth from space, some thinking the planet would appear predominantly green. We take this image of our blue planet for granted now. Sometimes in history, icons- think of the cross of Christianity-come along and change how we think about everything. The image of the earth from space is one of those images, inhabiting the imaginations of all of us now, and changing our understanding of what it means to be alive on this planet. (You can see some of the images here: http://www.earthrise.org/uk.

If you have an understanding of the unique beauty of our planet, if you love it, if you care about how we affect it and what we do to it, and if you have a desire to be lovingly responsible to it, then don't hesitate to get involved.

Help found The Green Club at Florida State College at Jacksonville
Meet likeminded people and make friends
Gain important leadership experience
Help the college establish and maintain a campus recycling program
Help plant, tend and harvest a campus organic garden
Harvest the garden to give to the hungry in our community and to feed yourself
Help conduct a student Garbology project
Clean up the St. Johns River
Organize a campus environmental film festival
Make trash art

Founding The Green Club will give you a sense of purpose, create a network of friends who care about environmental issues and empower you in ways currently unforeseeable.

If you would like to get involved, please contact Dr. Tim Gilmore tgilmore @fccj.edu, or Candace Tschirki at tschcc@students.fccj.edu

What is sustainability

You might have heard the terms sustainable development, sustainable agriculture, sustainable industries- but what does "sustainability" really mean? Sustainability is related to the quality of life in a community whether the economic, social and environmental systems that make up the community are providing a healthy, productive, meaningful life for all community residents , present and future.

Sustainability means using methods, systems and materials that won't deplete resources or harm natural cycles. Sustainability identifies a concept and attitude in development that looks at a site's natural land, water, and energy resources as integral aspects of development. Sustainability integrates natural systems with human patterns and celebrates continuity, uniqueness, and place. Sustainability looks at meeting the present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Simply stated, sustainability refers to a very old and simple concept (The Golden Rule) "do onto future generations as you would have them do unto you."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsZ891hbIwE