Victory gardens continue to spring up in and around the City as food prices continue to rise and food sustainability becomes more of an issue. This Civic Center venture found its funding through various organizations including Slow Food Nation, CMG Landscape Architecture, City Slicker Farms, The Presidio Native Plant Nursery, Alemany Farms, Friends of the Urban Forest, Ploughshares Nursery, Urban Permaculture Guild, Coevolution Institute and many others.

Our salad bowl spins with the thought of the many crops being grown Amaranth, Snap Bean, Pole Bean, Dry Bean, Broccoli Raab, Ground Cherry, Chicory, Chinese Cabbage, Collards, Cowpea, Cress, Leeks, Okra, Bunching Onion, as well as Calendula, May Flowers, Sunflowers and many others. Being realists, we thought that in this City that how will these crops survive with all the pesky homeless and veggie thieves but the city provides on-site security to guard against theft.

Best of all, we applaud that instead of having a “veggie sale” or the like, the food grown in the garden will be donated to those with limited access to healthy, organic produce through the local food bank’s meal program.

Photo credit: Naomi Starkman

Being in the major appliance state of mind, we strolled over to Liebherr, makers of refrigerators and the first appliance company to remove CFC’s completely from the production process back in 1993. It’s no surprise to us that ALL of their models meet the Energy Star qualification, and their BioFresh compartments certainly add green value by preserving fruits and veggies (and the nutritional value) longer than normal fridges. The company also marked the first refrigeration company to comply with RoHS and also recovers and utilizes the energy released during production to heat the manufacturing environments. Yes, the company is based in Germany so hopefully US manufactures will chill with this philosophy.

Also on the old school route, Maze Nails only recently started promoting their “greeness” but they have been making nails with 96 percent recycled content (62% post consumer, 34% pre) for 160 years. Nails aren’t the most glamorous aspect of green building but we know that these guys hit the nail on the head.

We saved the best (or most outrageous) for last. Tucked away in the corner of PCBC we strolled past Green Mountain Soapstone and we probably would have kept right on strolling if not for placard sitting on their soapstone counter which proclaimed “Voted #1 Green Product 2008 New England Home Show”. We didn’t attend that show but if this product claimed the #1 prize then we would hate to see the #5 prize. First of all, this soapstone comes from the ground and last time we checked, the earth wasn’t producing more
soapstone. Second, they mine it in Brazil (claiming they use fair labor practices) which isn’t exactly light on the carbon footprint scale. Need we continue? They claim it’s chemical free to manufacture and items such as Icestone aren’t (they should check that IceStone has Cradle to Cradle certification) but don’t insult us but claiming this soapstone to be a green product.

Excuse us while we polish our green granite counter tops.

We totally got buzzed about something so innocuous that we almost walked passed it because it didn’t have a bunch of Green banners proclaiming its greenness. This Verve living system offers what they called a living control system which in simple terms operates like a whole house lighting system. We’ve seen these before but this one operates on battery free, self sustaining technology or what they call energy harvesting radio frequency technology. Pretty scientific for us but the little gizmo works in a panel that reduces the power so that certain switches can come on at certain levels and times. The systems extends bulb life and new homes don’t need copper wiring installed if they use this system. We even like the parent control which operates like the driver’s control when it comes to locking and unlocking car doors. We’re locked for this system.

Falling into our questionably green sector we wanderer around the heating area where Greenwood Wood-fired Hydronic Furnaces displayed a giant green (as in the color) furnace. This highly efficient furnace efficiently creates heat for a nice hydronic system that we had to take notice. It operates at a high 85% efficiency level so not much heat escapes like with old furnaces or even hot water heaters. Even better, the system burns wood completely so the smoke, creosote and ash remain minimal. Here’s our problem - you still have to burn wood. That’s like driving a Prius or the like. Good as it is - you’re still using petroleum.

In the same toasty section the Radiant Gas Fireplaces by Valor showed some green heat. The system uses an electronic ignition system instead of a typical pilot light which saves on fuel and CO2 emissions. These fireplaces heat a single room instead of the whole house and do so with minimal BTU use. As much as they want to convince us that there use of natural gas presents one of the cleanest of the fossil fuels - we still have to look ourselves in the fireplace glass door and say that’s still a fossil fuel.

Next week we look at the old school green products and some crazy ridiculous greenwashing at PCBC.

In this case the grease skirmish remains between the City of San Francisco and the private sector. Both Got Grease and Blue Sky pick up grease (usually for free) from small restaurants, but now the City jumped into the fryer and collects it as well. The fact that the City collects the oil isn’t a problem but the fact that the City has been using health inspectors to secure oil from the restaurants smells like burnt oil to us. Apparently a letter from the City exists that says something to the effect of “The City has been so busy collecting restaurant oil that we haven’t had time to write up violations.” Should we call this mess “Greasefellas”?

We’re all about promoting recycling of oil and grease but this slippery slope of “socialist” thinking doesn’t exactly scream fair competition. Apparently the City uses taxpayer dollars to pick up grease from Google and Stanford University which aren’t exactly in San Francisco. Also, the City ships the grease to Nevada. That’s not what we hoped the City would do to lower its carbon footprint. Aren’t there enough biodiesal plants in the Bay Area?

Hopefully free market conditions will prevail because we don’t want this controversy to impact our thinking when we head out for fish ‘n’ chips.

The situation involves not just the local governments but the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) that claim that the LBAM will cause major destruction of crops in California. The feds think that we must take swift action or suffer the economic impact of quarantines, which they estimate will cost CA millions of dollars.

Something curious happened on the way to this economic thinking. To date, the LBAM has caused ZERO crop damage. The economic damage has been due only to quarantines imposed on the Golden State by Canada and Mexico. When the Feds sprayed Santa Cruz and Monterey counties last fall the counties recorded over 640 health problems. This number represented only the reported cases, and conservative estimates of actual health impacts by local agencies put the number of cases at ten times the number of reports claimed.

It gets better. But of course numerous unbiased, third party agencies have tested the safety of this spray, right? In a word, NO. The Feds have waived all safety tests and environmental impact reviews due to the “emergency status.” The “inert” ingredients (which in pesticide speak means that the pesticides, though chemically active, are not targeting the moth in this particular cocktail of chemicals) of the spray that was used last year in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties contain known carcinogens, mutagens and endocrine disrupters.

It’s not like this moth has been part of a recent invasion but most entomologists including Dr. James Carey, a professor of entomology and invasion pest biology from University of California - Davis, contend that the little critter has been in Cali for at least 30 years.

This moth resides in New Zealand and as of 2003, they manage to control it by natural predators. We don’t have the space to cover this whole story but we have to think why do they want to spray this “agent orange for moths” over urban areas like San Francisco and Oakland. We’re sure that the babies and pets will react well to the days and weeks of poison sprayed over our fair metropolises.

Maybe the best thing that will happen (aside from the the governemnet coming to its senses) is for Mothra to eat everyone in Washinston who greenlighted this order. Maybe then they would be right to spray.

Photo credit - veganreader.com

The discussion, which focused around good, sustainable, fair food brought about several issues and illustrated that people and companies continue to “Greenwash” especially where food is concerned. It’s not just saying that your company or business is green or sustainable but rather as Waters said, “ I look for people who really share the same values.” Are you listening Wal-Mart? Newsom seemed kind of cynical at first then they delved in the more meatier topics such as the philosophy behind the book Fast Food Nation where Waters disgustedly mentioned that in the fast food world you’re sort of eating the advertising and that food should be the same wherever you go. The fast food giants portray that Coke and fries as something good for you. And fast food should be fast and cheap and be eaten 24/7. Isn’t that the right of every given American? What Waters mentioned and we have lost sight of is that food is precious and it’s important to respect the land where it comes from as well as the farmers who grow it.

Here in Berkeley, she brought about her Edible Schoolyard program to MLK Middle School, a curriculum that connects students directly in planting, harvesting and cooking their own food. Waters believes that with kids (and adults) if they grow it, and cook it then they will eat it. Try that with your chicken nuggets. The forum also raised awareness of the trend of victory gardens, where people grow their own food. We can’t think of any food source more organic and sustainable. It’s just a case of coming full circle back the way it used to be when people learned how to grow and farm and cook. If food prices continue to rise, then we must be able to depend on ourselves. We don’t think that relaying on a heavily subsidized 99 cent hamburgers would be the best way to move forward.

Onward victory garden, onward.

It’s not often that we venture into Colma but when we do we thought that it would serve as the base for this post. For those not familiar with the city, Colma contains the highest per capita cemeteries in the USA and its said that Colma has “1,500 above ground residents and 1.5 million underground”. Besides dead bodies, Colma also contains a slew of auto dealerships. We passed the slew of auto retailers and noticed the the Serramonte Chrysler Jeep Dodge and their Let’s Refuel America program.

Let’s get this straight. Chrysler announces this “good” news about gas prices. The Chrysler web site states, “As fuel prices continue to rise, the Let’s Refuel America Program helps providing stability to the cost of fuel with a simple solution - locking in the price of unleaded or diesel fuel at $2.99/gallon for three years.” So we just have to buy a new car and off we save at the pump.

That’s just great. There’s just a few things (see car list) that really ticks us off. The Serramonte Chrysler Jeep Dodge the features vehicles including:

Chrysler 300 C Executive Series LWB
MPG: 15 / 23

Chrysler Aspen Limited 4×2
MPG: 13 / 19

Chrysler Crossfire Limited - coupe
MPG: 15 / 23

Chrysler PT Cruiser Base
MPG: 21 / 26

Notice anything? None of these vehicles even come close to 30 mpg. Instead of Chrysler spending their coin on this petroleum subsidy why don’t they create some hybrids, electric vehicles, or even some autos that get 40 + mpg?

Maybe Hummer will sponsor a $1.99 a gallon program soon. That will get America rolling. Meanwhile, in Colma, the dead will be rolling in their graves if this continues to be the way America and the rest of the world deals with the continuing oil shortage.

The women owned (like Biofuel Oasis in Berkeley and Autopia in San Mateo) station recently received approval by the Planning Department. They plan on creating something more than just a “gas station”. Firstly, they will offer B100 which contains 0% petroleum. Yes, we’ve heard (and posted) some bad things regarding biodiesel and the food for fuel crises but as these owners mention that all biodiesel is not created equal. Ethanol, corn based or imported palm oil biodiesel have significantly different impacts than biodiesel made from waste vegetable oil or other sustainable local sources. The owners realize and everyone else should too that biodiesel does not represent a cure-all solution but it beats the heck out of using straight petroleum. Those truly concerned might want to ride a bike or drive an electric car.

The owners also stress that they fully maintain a commitment to sustainability and the local community. They plan to offer educational classes, as well as serve sustainable or organic products. Try finding that at your local Exxon station.

Bay Area based and first time director Giovanni Vaz Del Bello neatly divides the film down into four areas of innovation: Transportation, Recycling, Affordable Housing and Urban Parks. Convenient Truth shows how convenient the transportation remains in this million plus city. Their progressive mayors like Jamie Lerner, city planners and designers determined that the city should revolve around people, not cars. From the cost-effective yet expansive bus system (with the notable bus station tubes) to the pedestrian-only walkways, then documentary highlights how effective, people friendly and sustainable changes can be made with minimal or no cost.

Cinematographer Maria Terezinha (who also produced) captures energizing city images that encompass the film’s other topics. When cities like New York City often can’t afford to keep their recycling program going, A Convenient Truth shows how Curitiba offers programs that not only clean most of the cityscape but have created a subset of employment based around recycling all while keeping within the city budget. The film addresses social justice with a section about low-cost urban housing and finally how city parks have not only beatified the city but have increased property values (and thus property taxes) as well as prevented floods that used to ravage the city.

The film makes interesting parallels toward New Orleans (and hurricane Katrina) as well as some Bay Area eyesores that could get a clue from the solutions found in Curitiba. Although the film suffers slightly from low production value and the sound quality wavers the docu-feature offers an interesting topic of a city that most people know little if anything about.

This landmark youth education facility and environmental center sits smack in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood right next to the former PG & E power plant. Of all the areas in SF this area truly needs the Green building support. We’re psyched to report that the EcoCenter marks the first 100% off-grid green building in San Francisco, and boasts features that set the bar high for green building.

Some of the condo and office developers should take a look at this baby with its solar panels and a wind tribune that will meet all electricity demands of the building, not to mention the wastewater treatment system that utilizes a series of wetland cells and ultraviolet sterilization lamps to treat wastewater and recycle treated water for landscape irrigation, as well as the Green living roof that will reduce building needs for heating and cooling, provide retention of storm water on site for reuse, and encourage wildlife habitat.

Those of you more into the engineering will appreciate the Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) that will provide high-energy efficiency and strength in the walls and roof as well as seismic support and fire resistance. We couldn’t be happier to see how they used native landscaping (what no lawn?) to conserve water, eliminate synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and encourage education around native plant propagation. Really, is that so hard?

The EcoCenter, designed by Toby Long Design and Clever Homes, and built by the LORAX Development team, came to fruition with funding by various grants from SF Environment, the Coastal Conservancy, and numerous foundations, including the Stewardship Council, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the Live Oak Fund of Horizons Foundation, Mitchell Kapor Foundation, Walter & Elise Haas Fund and Flora Family Foundation.

Even more impressive than the grant list or the green building attributes remains the fact that it will bring Green awareness to an area sorely lacking in education about the environment. Visitors and local youth can learn about clean air and water, safe energy, healthy food, non-toxic homes and schools, open space restoration, and equitable education and employment.

Now that’s something to publicize.