GoingGreen in Las Vegas

RAGNAR RELAY RUNNERS RECYCLE

2010-10-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Runners participating in the 24-hour Ragnar Relay Las Vegas event on October 22-23, 2010 will recycle along the 195-mile adventure beginning at the Valley of Fire State Park and winding up at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa. GoingGreen girl, sponsored by eco-friendly fitness training facility Studio 222, will be at the starting line at 5 a.m. on October 22, 2010 with recycling bags for the 400 teams of twelve so they can recycle during the relay. Nevada Construction Clean Up, Inc. (NVCCU) will be at the finish line on October 23, beginning at 9 a.m. with a buy-back truck to collect the recyclables. Green Scene Productions is managing the recycling component and all proceeds from the recyclables will go to Opportunity Village. Ragnar, named after a Norse King, embraces the beauty of the outdoors. Ragnar runners will contribute to the beauty by cleaning it up as they run.

Visit www.ragnarrelay.com for race dates and exact locations.

About Ragnar Events, LLC

Ragnar Events, LLC was co-founded in 2004 by Dan Hill and Tanner Bell. The idea to run an overnight 24+-hour relay across the mountains of Utah was a lifelong dream of Dan Hill’s father. The dream became reality when Dan Hill and his childhood friend Tanner Bell organized the first Wasatch Back Relay, spanning 188 miles from Logan to Park City, UT in 2004. Since 2004 the Ragnar Relay Series has grown from a single relay in Utah to the largest overnight relay series in the nation. The Ragnar Relay Series now has 11 races scheduled for 2010 and is growing every year. Ragnar Events, LLC is based in Salt Lake City, UT and managed by co-founders Dan Hill and Tanner Bell.

About Studio 222

Studio 222 is a personal training center based in Summerlin. Armed with the philosophy that strong partnerships are the cornerstone of a healthier life, Studio 222 vows to be a partner in health while helping clients strengthen partnerships with their own bodies, lives, minds, spirits and ultimately, their worlds.

About Opportunity Village

Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves Southern Nevada people with intellectual disabilites through vocational training, employment and social recreation services designed to make their lives more productive and interesting.

The Dirt on Composting

2010-09-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Composting!

Talk about composting and the natural response is ‘EW – Gross!’ but composting is recycling! Composting is the natural process of organic matter breaking down. This organic material can be plant material or animal matter (dinner scraps, yard waste even paper towels). If you’ve ever walked in the woods, you’ve experienced compost in its most natural setting.

Why compost?

Keeping organic waste out of our landfills by composting conserves precious landfill space, reduces production of methane from anaerobic waste decomposition in the landfill and reduces the amount of energy used by garbage trucks carting off our waste.

Up to twenty percent of a communities waste can be food waste. Anaerobic decomposition of organic waste such as food waste and yard waste in landfills is the #1 producer of methane gas in the United States. When not controlled (methane can be harnessed and used as a renewable energy source) and simply vented to the atmosphere, methane gas is the most potent of all the greenhouse gases contributing twenty-five times as much to climate change as carbon dioxide.

Using compost in your home lawn and garden will also reduce your dependency on chemical fertilizers, saving you money and reducing – if not eliminating - the potential of chemical pollution to your little piece of the environment.

How to compost?

There are as many different ways to compost as there are people who compost!

You need four basic ingredients: oxygen, water, carbon ("Brown material such as wood chips, brown leaves, or shredded newspaper), and nitrogen ("Green" wet waste such as grass clippings, or fruit and vegetable scraps). If you have these ingredients, you can compost at your home, office, or school.

Many people prefer a tidy structure for their organic waste, whether it be a commercially available composting bin or a home-made one – if you have organic matter you can’t avoid decomposition! Each method has its pros and cons, depending on where you live and your composting goals.

For more information on commercially available composting units visit:

http://www.mastercomposter.com
http://www.composters.com

Compost is good; sloppy garbage heaps and rotting food are bad.

For more information on composting methods or services in Clark County visit:

http://www.springspreserve.org/apps/video/index.cfml?cid=77&vid=420

http://www.a1organics-nevada.com/

http://projectangelfaces.org/

Not ready to collect your food scraps? A good start in your composting journey is to start collecting and separating your yard waste. Green waste is often collected in municipal curbside collection or can be dropped off with private waste management contractor businesses and processed into mulch.

For more information on yard waste collection in Clark County visit or call:

http://www.cityofhenderson.com/parks/special_events/christmas_tree_recycling.php

Liberty Salvage Material (702) 880-1299

Composting will take you one step closer to living more sustainablely!

The Truth Will Set You Free.....

2010-07-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about residential recycling in Clark County!

Recycling is the process of taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part of it to make another product.

The recycling process consists of three phases:

1. Collection

2. Re-manufacture

3. Resale

You and I are the fist phase of the collection process. We actively gather our recyclables, sort them and put them on the curb for pick up every two weeks. Republic Services (currently) comes by every two weeks and collects our recyclables and transports them to a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF).

Things you should know:

1. Republic Services currently holds the exclusive Franchise Agreement in Clark County and will hold that agreement until 2035!

Yes, I know, you don't like anything about Republic Services! I've heard it all...'the worst customer service', 'I never got my recycle bins', 'they don't really recycle'...

Say what you will but this company is the ONLY option we have right now.

2. The MRF is a sorting system only. There are currently no RE-MANUFACTURING facilities in Clark County.

Here's what that means, all of those plastic bottles that you put out for recycling are being collected, sorted and bailed by Republic Services not re-manufactured. Those big bails are then shipped off to China (or the highest bidder).

It costs R.S. almost 60% more to collect and process recyclables then it does to just throw it all in the landfill.

3. Republic Services currently accepts: aluminum cans, tin cans, plastic bottles (1 & 2 ONLY), newspapers, telephone books, magazines, glass bottles (all colors) and corrugated cardboard.

Not all systems are created equal. What was accepted back home isn't necessarily what is collected here.

Plastic bags should NEVER go into your curb side bins - take those back to the store.

Caps on or off the plastic bottles is irrelevant at this point - just get the PET into the system and out of the landfill.

4. 30,000 homes in Clark County participated in a three year pilot program and the results are being presented to the Commissioners Recycle Committee on July 14.

Earth Day in Las Vegas!

2010-04-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for Earth Day events, here are some of my favorites:

April 22 - Vegas PBS will be the first Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce member to receive the Level 4 designation of the Chamber's green building program Green Roots.

April 22 - 10am - 2pm. Join St. Rose Dominican Hospitals and the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Green Initiative to find out how you can help our community "go green"! This celebration will feature informational booths and lectures.

April 22 - 9am - 3pm. Earth Day Festival at UNLV - Pida Plaza. Exhibitors include green companies, outdoor volunteering and protection groups, special interest groups in the green sector, new technologies, and anything related to ways that people can reduce their impact on the planet. We will also have competitions, trivia, and other interactive games and giveaways.

April 24 - 10am - 5pm. The District at Green Valley. Recycling, shredding, plastic bag recycling and an eco-fashion show at 10:30 and 3:30. Live music.

April 24-25 - 10am - 6pm. Living Green Expo at the South Point. Recycling, renewable resources, energy saving tips, eco friendly vehicles.

G-FORCE - a community of heroes...

2010-02-21T07:40:00.000-08:00

G-Force: What is it?

An organized group of volunteer heroes taking green to the streets. Events include neighborhood clean ups, concerts, tri-athalons, fundraisers, marathons and community events.

Benefits of being a G-Force Hero:

- Sustainable Education: up to date information on local green initiatives, options and opportunities. You will learn something new and relevant at every event in addition to receiving a monthly newsletter and a calendar of green events in the valley.
- G-Force custom t-shirts, swag bags and other sponsor goodies. Each event is sponsored by a local business or organization with a commitment to GREEN.
- Doing the right thing – it isn’t always easy to do the right thing, but together we can help pave the way for a greener future, one event at a time.

Does your work place have a green team?

2010-02-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

Green teams offer a personally meaningful way for employees to contribute to both their companies and to their broader communities. At their core, they are empowerment mechanisms. They provide a new level of ownership—an understanding that a corporation and its employees can work together to create positive change.

All together now.....

2010-01-30T07:42:00.001-08:00

http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_49b3d804-0d65-11df-a475-001cc4c03286.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=green&utm_term=green+friendly&utm_content=green+friendly

What a great concept - green businesses coming together for a common cause - Green! I'm finding that a lot of organizations, businesses and individuals are setting sail on the "green" agenda but seem to be passing each other likes ships in the night.

This Valley has long had a reputation of being a community of self serving individuals but look closely and you will find pockets of change. We seem to be in survivor mode and learning quickly that together we can better manifest change.

Stay tuned for the GoingGreen events calendar - a calendar of ALL the green events throughout the Vegas Valley. You will be able to find like minded individuals and businesses to share your passions and ideas for a better tomorrow.

Healthy You - Healthy Earth

2010-01-15T14:50:00.000-08:00

Starting a new fitness routine can be an overwhelming task, it is important to find and make the changes that are right for you and your lifestyle. By being realistic in designing your new routine and setting achievable goals you are more likely to stick with it and feel successful.

Finding your personal sustainability program (what I like to call your Green Scene) is a lot like your personal fitness program, it needs to make sense to you.

A healthier you can lead to a healthier world. Take a look at your workout routine and your diet for opportunities to make simple changes that can improve not only your health but our environment.

1. Cut back on meat (http://www.ajcn.org/) consumption and eat more veggies! (http://www.mypyramid.gov/)

2. Use reusable bottles (http://mysigg.com/) for water.

3. Choose Eco Friendly workout facilities. (Studio222 Personal Training centers http://www.studio222lasvegas.com and Molasky – Active 24Hour Fitness http://www.24hourfitness.com/FindClubDetailGeneric.do?clubid=00914)

4. Take your workout outside, go for a hike, bike ride or walk through your neighborhood.

5. Be mindful of purchasing environmental workout clothing (http://www.greenyour.com/body/fitness-health/exercise/tips/buy-eco-friendly-workout-clothes), shoes and equipment (www.REI.com).

And most importantly:

6. Reduce – Reuse – Recycle http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/rrr/index.htm at any stage of your workout routine.

By reusing or recycling the items you do have and no longer want you are dramatically reducing the amount of waste going into our local landfills.

John Grant Discusses Green Marketing

2010-01-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

John Grant Discusses Green Marketing

Refreshing to lead with innovation and not with a green stick! I'm really on the fence about WalMart and their green plan - seems to me they are missing a big opportunity to educate their customers. I'm going over to WalMart this afternoon to ask random employees what they know about the "Green Transparency"...stay tuned!

Admittedly I have a green crush on John Grant.

To plastic bag it is human - to not plastic bag it is divine!

2010-01-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I've been collecting new year's resolutions from friends and co-workers...a lot of changes coming in 2010:

"No more cheese." "Drink more water." "Only drinking on the weekends." "Call my friends and family more often."

But I haven't heard many "environmental" resolutions.

My boyfriend was trying to cut back on his plastic bottle consumption back in 2009 and bought a water filter but when I tried to talk to him about cutting back on plastic bag consumption in 2010 I got quite an argument in response.

Plastic bag use is a very personal matter and for some, a touchy subject. It's like talking to someone about their smoking habit or level of alcohol consumption. Yes, they are aware of the damage plastic bags are causing to the environment but... Yes, they know that they should bring a reusable bag but...

Clearly, using a plastic bag when shopping is a habitual convenience and just like all other habits it will take a 30 day commitment to change.

It has been on the forefront of the green movement for years and yet, surprisingly it is still there. Each year, Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags. (Only 0.6 percent of plastic bags are recycled.) www.worldwatch.org

You have to start somewhere - and don't be so hard on yourself and give up when you forget and have to use a plastic bag. Just be sure to recycle it.

I wad up old plastic bags (yes, I've used a plastic bag or two in my past) and stick them in my purse.
My dad gives me 10-20 convention tote bags and I keep them in the trunk of my car.
If I find myself in a store without a bag I try to hand carry out what I can. (I get a lot of strange looks from folks but it is worth it.)
If I have to buy yet another $.50 reusable bag from Trader Joe's because I've forgotten mine than I use the bag as a "gift bag" for the next birthday or special event. Passing it forward so to speak.
I've gotten my son involved too - we play a game to see who will remember the bag. He gets $1.00 every time I forget and he has to remind me.

Raising awareness doesn't hurt either, many cashiers have commented on my "no bag please" request with a puzzled look on their face only to say "I should try that too".

I've noticed a lot of stores have reusable bags available for purchase (never more than $.50) but aren't promoting them. Next time you are at TARGET ask them for one of their bags and they will take $.05 off of your bill. Even Food4Less has bags available but for some reason they are over in the toiletries isle and not by the cash register - you just have to ask.

Habits can be formed or broken in 30 days so will you take on the January 2010 challenge to stop using plastic bags?!

What is your environmental resolution for 2010?

Green Scene

2009-12-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

I am the green queen!

Vegas' Green CityCenter Opens Soon!

2009-11-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

We are very excited to see the grand opening of the world's largest sustainable development - Las Vegas' CityCenter - early December 2009! The USGBC has already awarded Aria Hotel, Vdara Hotel & Spa, Crystals shopping center and three other buildings the highest certification of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold for innovative and sustainable elements throughout the design and building of the fantastically beautiful structures.

“From its inception to design, development and construction, we had one single goal in mind for CityCenter: create a destination that is not only built in an environmentally sustainable manner, but also operates every day with an equal commitment to conserving natural resources,” said Bobby Baldwin, president and CEO, CityCenter. “As we approach CityCenter’s opening next month, now with six LEED Gold recognitions, we’re very close to sharing with the world a remarkable demonstration that a community can be both beautiful and sustainable.”

New employee training includes LEED training and CityCenter's green initiatives and how to perform their jobs keeping in the green focus.

We hope to feature a GoingGreenTV episode their soon! Stay tuned!