SLCgreen, Dr. Mann & HEAL Utah Host Climate Event

On Wednesday, Dr. Michael Mann – one of the world’s most highly respected climate change scientists – gathered with SLCgreen program director Debbie Lyons, Salt Lake City water resources manager Laura Briefer, BYU geologist Barry Brickmore, University of Utah atmospheric scientist Court Strong and HEAL Utah policy director Matt Pacenza to call for immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Mann is the scholar behind the striking “hockey stick” graph demonstrating a sharp post-industrial increase in temperature.

The leaders highlighted a trio of definitive recent reports – from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Climate Assessment – demonstrating that climate change is already happening, and that in coming decades its effects will intensify.

The National Climate Assessment – released just last week – warns that Utah will face heightened drought, forest fires, protracted high temperatures, decreased stream flows and earlier snowmelt.

FruitShare Volunteers Needed this Saturday!

SLC FruitShare helps to minimize food waste, promote local food production, and enhance the community’s knowledge of fruit trees by engaging local fruit tree owners.

Throughout the year, fruit trees are pruned, thinned and the fruit is then picked and donated to non-profits working on sustainable food and hunger issues (Utahns Against Hunger and Green Urban Lunchbox).

We are in great need for volunteers this Saturday! SLCgreen will hold a FruitShare Event on May 17^th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Volunteer teams will help thin fruit on apricot trees in the Sugar House and East Bench neighborhoods. Thinning fruit will help the trees grow strong, healthy fruit throughout the rest of the season and allow us to come back later this year and pick a greater yield.

No experience is necessary – training will be done with volunteers on site.

To sign up, please contact Lauren Aguilar.

Spring Cleaning: Our Guide to Clearing Out Your Clutter!

Donate old toys to a local charity. Photo credit: David Zellaby via Flickr.

[We stopped by KUTV 2News to share these tips. Watch the segment!]

Spring is in full swing in Salt Lake City. If you’ve caught the spring cleaning bug, we’ve got some tips on how to clean out your clutter without sending items to the landfill.

Books

Before tossing them, check to see if they are in relatively good condition. If so, donate them to a local charity for resale. If your books are beyond repair, put them in your curbside recycling bin.

Toys

If you have toys that are in good condition, considering posting them on KSL.com or Craigslist for some extra cash.

Or give them away to a family with young children — you might even be able to arrange a swap! And you can always donate them to a local charity so they can find new life.

Toys that have seen their last playtime can often be recycled. A great example — any toys made entirely of plastic.

Electronics

If your old TV, computer, mobile phone, etc. is still in working order, donate it!

If these items are no longer functional, recycle them responsibly at one of SLCgreen’s e-waste recycling events this summer. All events run from 8 a.m. to noon at the following Smith’s Food & Drug locations:

May 17: 455 S 500 East
June 21: 876 E 800 South
July 19: 1174 W 600 North
August 16: 455 S 500 East

More information, including a list of acceptable items.

Furniture

Furniture in good condition can be sold on KSL.com or Craiglist. Donation is another excellent option.

If your furniture is broken, it is an acceptable item to place on the curb during your Salt Lake City Neighborhood Cleanup Day.

Cleaning Supplies

After you clear out your clutter, it’s time to clean things up! We recommend using green cleaning alternatives. Check out this blog for more details, including recipes to make your own green cleaner.

Utah Breaks Into Top Ten of Bicycle Friendly States

Credit: Bike Utah

The League of American Bicyclists‘ 2014 ranking of Bicycle Friendly States, released today, names Utah the eighth most friendly state for biking. This is Utah’s highest ranking to date. In last year’s assessment, Utah was No. 14, and in 2011, it was number 31.

“We’ve made tremendous gains, and our No. 8 ranking validates everyone’s hard work,” said Phil Sarnoff, executive director of Bike Utah, the advocacy group working to improve bicycling conditions in the state. “There’s no way to credit one organization or entity with our improvement in the rankings. It’s truly a collaborative effort.”

Evelyn Tuddenham, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for Utah’s Department of Transportation, echoes Sarnoff. “There are two reasons Utah moved forward so dramatically in the rankings. First, many groups and individuals have worked together in a cooperative manner, much in line with Utah’s culture of collaboration. Second, there’s been a positive change in attitude within UDOT towards active transportation solutions.”

“The population in Utah, especially along the Wasatch Front, is expected to double within the next few decades,” explained Sarnoff. “Fortunately, state planners recognize that we can’t build our way out of this challenge by only considering cars. We need an integrated plan including both cars and active transportation like biking and walking.”

In 2013, Sarnoff and Bike Utah partnered with the Utah Department of Transportation to create the Statewide Active Transportation Coordinating Committee, which brings together all groups that have a vested interest in improving transportation alternatives, from state and local governments to advocacy groups, health organizations, businesses, colleges and universities, and more.

“The Committee is still growing and includes five unique subcommittees,” said Sarnoff. “We formed it to advance our active transportation efforts inclusively and to give all key players a voice. If we collaborate with each other, we can magnify our impact, learn from each other, and use resources in a thoughtful manner.”

The Bicycle Friendly States assessment, now in its seventh year, is a League of American Bicyclists program that comprehensively evaluates each of the 50 states in five categories: legislation and enforcement, policies and programs, infrastructure and funding, education and encouragement, and evaluation and planning.

Utah’s most significant improvements between 2013 and 2014 were in policies and programs, and education and encouragement. Click here to see Utah’s 2014 Bicycle Friendly State Report Card.

“We are excited and encouraged to see real progress in states like California, Minnesota and Utah,” summarized Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “Overall, we still see a lot of opportunity to realize the huge potential of bicycling to promote health, economic development, and quality of life.”

For more information about the BFS program, visit www.bikeleague.org/content/states. To learn more about Bike Utah, visit www.bikeutah.org.

Rx Safe Disposal Event Tomorrow!

Do you have old, unwanted or expired medications cluttering up your cupboards?

Stop by the City & County Building (450 South 200 East) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 26th. Drop offs will be accepted on the east side of the building.

This is part of the National Take Back Initiative. All Salt Lake County collection sites are below:

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH POLICE DEPARTMENT	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH POLICE DEPARTMENT	1735 E. SOUTH CAMPUS DRIVE	SALT LAKE CITY	UT, 84112	6 mi.	Map
SALT LAKE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT	CITY AND COUNTY BUILDING EAST SIDE OF BUILDING	452 SOUTH STATE	SALT LAKE CITY	UT, 84114	9 mi.	Map
BOUNTIFUL POLICE DEPARTMENT	SMITH’S FOOD AND DRUG	555 SOUTH 200 WEST	BOUNTIFUL	UT, 84010	8 mi.	Map
SOUTH SALT LAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT	RITE AID	3300 SOUTH 700 EAST	SOUTH SALT LAKE	UT, 84115	11 mi.	Map
SUMMIT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE	SMITHS FOOD AND DRUG	1725 WEST UINTA WAY	PARK CITY	UT, 84098	11 mi.	Map
MURRAY CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT	MURRAY CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT BACK PARKING LOT	5025 SOUTH STATE STREET

Salt Lake City pledges intent to compete in $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize

Across the country, the demand for energy is rising rapidly. Yet, despite known implications on our environment, we still allow more than half of the total energy produced in the U.S. to go wasted due to inefficiencies. [1]

Salt Lake City wants to help change this, and as part of our commitment to enhancing the sustainability of our community we have pledged our intent to compete in the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize.

The Prize kicked off at a two-day conference in Washington, D.C. on April 23, 2014. At the event—which officially opened the competition’s Application Phase—Salt Lake City was announced as one of more than 50 communities who have signed letters of intent to compete for the Prize.

As a competing community, we join other small- to medium-size towns, cities, and counties that will develop and implement creative, sustainable, and replicable strategies to save energy. During the current Application Phase, we will work together with [utility name], local government officials, residents, energy efficiency experts, and others to develop an energy-saving plan that will not only deliver financial benefits to residents, but will also help ensure the long-term sustainability of our community. Most importantly, we will need to design a plan that other communities can replicate—so that we can all do our part to increase our nation’s energy independence.

The Application Phase—which ends on June 30, 2014—will be followed by Quarterfinals, and Semifinals, and will conclude in 2017 when one winning community is awarded a $5 million prize purse for use on energy efficiency programs. More information about each of the competition’s four stages.

Stay tuned for more details on the Prize, Salt Lake City’s energy-saving plan, and to learn how you can support our efforts. In the meantime, please stay connected with us through our website SLCgreen.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We are excited to get underway in the competition and we look forward to elevating Salt Lake City as a national leader of energy efficiency efforts in America.

For questions about the Prize or if you would like to get involved in the effort, please contact Kate Lilja Lohnes at kate.lohnes@slcgov.com.

[1] According to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, using Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration data from August 2010, out of all energy produced, the U.S. has an energy efficiency rate of 42 percent, which means 58 percent of all the energy we produce is wasted.

Community Solar Comes to U of U

The latest installment of Utah Clean Energy’s Community Solar Program — University of Utah style!

Earth Day Impact: Reduce & Reuse

Junk mail. Photo Credit: Charles Williams

Are you wondering what you can do to reduce your impact this Earth Day — and every day?

More than 1,300 tons of garbage is buried in the Salt Lake Valley Landfill every day. Here are a few simple things you can do to limit your impact.

Reusable Products

Ditch the disposables! Embrace reusable bags when you go to the grocery store.

Say goodbye to expensive and wasteful plastic water bottles. Instead, swap in a reusable glass or stainless steel bottle. You can even purchase an insulated version to keep your drinks cool on hot summer days. Salt Lake City’s TapIt program boasts a network of businesses that will refill your bottle with fresh water, too!

And speaking of drinks, bring a reusable coffee mug to your local coffee shop. You’ll even get a discount on your next latte!

Avoid Overpackaging

Sure, those individually packaged mini carrots may save you a few seconds when you are packing lunches in the morning, but is that worth the extra money and wasted material?

Save some green and reduce your weekly waste by buying a large package instead, and placing them in reusable containers each day. More tips to green your lunch.

Reduce Junk Mail

We all get it, and we all hate it.

GlobalStewards.org has some tips to reduce the amount of unwanted mail you receive. In a few simple steps, you can cut out mass marketing mailers, catalogs and credit card offers!

You can also reduce your impact by going “paperless” for your monthly credit card, bank and utility statements.

Just getting started? Get more tips at SLCgreen.com.

We stopped by KUTV2 News on Earth Day to share these tips. Watch the video of the segment!

[VIDEO] Years of Living Dangerously

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brvhCnYvxQQ?feature=player_embedded]

James Cameron’s new documentary series, YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY, explores the human impact of climate change.

From the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy to the upheaval caused by drought in the Middle East, the series combines the blockbuster storytelling styles of top Hollywood movie makers with the reporting expertise of Hollywood’s brightest stars and today’s most respected journalists.

The first episode features Harrison Ford investigating deforestation in Indonesia, Don Cheadle learning about the drought in Texas, and Thomas Friedman examining how climate change can be a stress point in a volatile political situation.

You can watch the entire series premiere (roughly 1 hour in length) for free on YouTube.