Shades of Green

Click here to listen to the Pod Cast The Texas Green Network (TGN) of Austin, Texas celebrates its 50th networking event. The TGN is one of the first of two green chamber of commerces in the United States. The City of San Francisco also has a green chamber like TGN. We discussed the Texas Green Network with Reed Sternberg and Paul Severin live in the studio. We also had Alexia Marcous, the co-founder of the San Francisco Green Chamber of conference live on the phone with us. Both organizations offer networking and outreach opportunities for businesses specializing in green products and services.

Click here to listen to the Pod Cast. The American YouthWorks of Austin is an educational program for high school students at risk. As part of a commitment to conservation, community revitalization and education, American YouthWorks operates three Green Jobs Programs including Environmental Corps, Casa Verde Builders, and Computer Corps. We spoke with the School Principal Terence Gahan, the Field Coordinator for the Environmental Corps Paul Stuffel, and a student Anthony Staten – a leader in the Casa Verde Builders program.  Their award winning environmental training programs provide students with real-world, hands on community experience.

Click here to listen to and download the Pod Cast Zoe Cardon works at the Ecosystems Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, she is also a member of Ecological Society of America, ESA an international organization of professional ecologists.  Cardon joined us on Shades of Green Energy to talk with us about ESA and the work they do to promote Earth Stewardship. The Ecological Society of America was established in 1915 and they are coming to Austin for their 96th Annual Conference – these folks have been around for a long time! So there are 2 things you may want to know about: The ESA Earth Stewardship: Opening Plenary is open to the public … Austin is invited!  The panel will discuss the growing need for food, freshwater, energy and many other resources drawn from Earth’s life support systems … essentially Stewardship of this Earth.  The event is Sunday, August 7th at the Austin Convention Center from 5 – 6:30 p.m. and it’s first come first serve … so get there early if you delight in nationally informative insight on ecology, Earth stewardship and environmental activism. ESA 96th Annual Meeting: Earth Stewardship Then next Thursday, August 11 ESA is hosting “Austin Night for Nature,” a live concert to benefit 20 environmental groups in Austin!  And just look at the line up here!  Music will be performed by local musicians Terri Hendrix, Carolyn Wonderland and Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys – that’s Thursday, August 11, 2011 at the Moody Theater on West Willie Nelson Blvd. The concert starts at 8:00 p.m., doors open at 7:00 p.m. Tickets available at Waterloo Records or online at  www.acl-live.com.  The show benefit such local groups as the American Youthworks Environmental Corps, Austin Parks Foundation, Bat Conservation International and the City of Austin, many of your friends and more! Austin Night for Nature: ACL-live at Moody Theater, Hosted by ESA This will be a busy week for ecologists, environmentalists and Austin activists … Hot weather but cool opportunities to get involved!   Here’s a link to the Content Review topic, Blue Ocean Institute > http://www.blueocean.org/home

Click here to listen to the Pod Cast More and more we hear about water concerns in Texas so Shades of Green Energy organized a show around the ways we catch, manage and use water.  The Colorado River catches water, Lake Travis catches water and the Edward’s Aquifer catches water and all have been providing Central Texans with water they need.  Another source of water can be our own backyard by having a water catchment system. Roland Ruiz, Assistant General Manager at the Edwards Aquifer Authority joined us to talk about the mission of the Edwards Aquifer and how they are effectively managing its use to help preserve this important Texas water resource. Edwards Aquifer Authority Chris Maxwell-Gaines, founder of Innovative Water Solutions talked with us about how people can set up water catchment systems for outdoor water usage and other home use including regulation regarding home use. Innovative Water Solutions designs and installs sustainable water conservation systems, rainwater collection and rainwater harvesting systems, sprinkler and irrigation systems and more. Chris Maxwell-Gaines, Founder of Innovative Water Solutions  Innovative Water Solutions With community involvement, good stewardship and properly managed water systems we hope and expect to have water in Texas to meet our needs.

Trees, lawns and farms are struggling to survive under the Texas draught conditions. Leah Haynie and Zachary Baumer from the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability were our guests on Shades of Green Energy Radio show. Leah Haynie and Zachary Baumer from the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability They introduced us to the programs that have been created to help Austin residents and businesses reduce our carbon impact and keep Austin a green, comfortable and beautiful place to live.   There is wide range of great initiatives available to us in Austin through the Office of Sustainability.  I’ve listed a few that you can click on to visit … but once you’re there you may just let your fingers do the walking and find out about the wide range of ways you can help Austin be sustainable through some of these programs! Carbon Footprint Calculator The Climate Protection Program You can sign up to get information on programs, updates and the newsletters. Austin’s Urban Heat Island Initiative The Tree of the Year On this page you can see the 2010 Community Tree of the Year.  The Office of Sustainability has received numerous recommendations for the 2011 Community Tree of the Year and is in the process of reviewing them all to choose the 2011 Community Tree of the Year … so check their website for updates to see this year’s winning Tree of the Year in Austin. 2010 Community Tree of the Year Click below to listen to the Pod Cast 

Kate Galbraith, reporter for the Texas Tribune and Colin Meehan, Clean Energy Analyst for the Environmental Defense Fund Austin office joined us on Shades of Green Energy to discuss  green energy and environmental issues from the 82nd Texas Legislature of 2011.  Kate Galbraith also discussed her recent 5-part series in the Texas Tribune on water supplies in Central Texas. Click below to listen to or download the Podcast

Michele Hallahan, Austin’s environmental consultant and engineer at Eco-Logic Sustainable Solutions talked with us about “Green Washing.”  We discussed companies who are green washing and companies that are great examples of environmental stewardship and the triple bottom line. Click below to listen to or download the Podcast

Guests Lou Snead of Faith Presbyterian Church in Austin and Colin Rowan of 1st Presbyterian discussed several initiatives they are undertaking. Colin organized a showing of the movie “A Carbon Nation” at his church and Lou Snead is part of the Interfaith Environmental Network in Austin. Click below to listen to or download the pod cast

We decided to kick off the summer by celebrating World Ocean’s Day with interviews on sustainable seafood with Kerry Coughlin, Regional Director of the Marine Stewardship Council a worldwide organization based in Seattle, Washington and Carrie Brownstein, national seafood quality standards coordinator at Whole Foods Market, a national organic grocery store.  Both women joined us to talk about sustainable seafood and how shoppers can know the quality of the seafood they purchase through programs supported by these organizations. We chose these interviews to highlight the importance of valuing the body of water that unites us all worldwide … the world’s oceans on World Ocean’s Day,Wednesday, June 8th.  Lets keep them safe, clean, beautiful and full of healthy fish for all the summer vacations and years to come. Carrie Brownstein, Whole Foods Market Click below to listen to or download the pod cast