Green Guide to the Utah Arts Festival

It’s that time of year again! The 2013 Utah Arts Festival kicks off today, Thursday, June 20th and runs through Sunday, June 24th.

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We love this annual gathering in the heart of Salt Lake City that celebrates art in its many forms – from paintings to pottery, music to performance art, delicious food and drink and much much more!

The Utah Arts Festival places a priority on reducing its impact on the environment, with their eARTh Team spearheading this effort.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Last year the Festival recycled more than 18 tons of plastic and cardboard and 2 tons of glass! When you visit the Festival this weekend, be sure to look for the Waste Wise Stations located throughout the venue and dispose of your waste accordingly.

Getting There

We recommend leaving your car at home, or at the very least carpooling, to this wonderful event. Skip the traffic altogether with our favorite air-friendly options:

Public Transit: Use the Library Station on the TRAX Red Line or the Courthouse Station on the Blue and Green TRAX lines. The 2, 205 and 228 also access Library Square.

Bike: Ride your bike to the Festival and enjoy free bike valet parking and $2 off admission! The bike valet is located on 400 South next to the City-County Building, mid-block between State Street and 200 East. During the 2012 Festival, over 1,566 bikes were parked at the valet lot. That’s a lot of cars that stayed home!

Powering the Festival

This year Rocky Mountain Power and its Blue Sky customers will help “green” the Utah Arts Festival even more by supporting renewable energy equal to the energy used to power the event. Support from Blue Sky customers is making it possible for the Festival to avoid 87,398 pounds of CO2 emissions. That’s like planting 1,027 trees or taking seven cars off the road for a whole year.

Other Green Tidbits

  • The Festival sends vegetable oil used at their food booths to a local business that converts it into bio-diesel.
  • Compostable food waste is also captured from food booths, diverting 700 pounds from the landfill last year alone.
  • Electric plug ins on Washington Square make gas generators a thing of the past.

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Stop by to say “hello!”

SLCgreen will be at the Arts Festival, so keep an eye out for our booth and be sure to stop by. We will have a wide variety of helpful information about all things green in SLC!

Travel Green This Summer

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School is out and the weather is heating up — it’s summertime in Salt Lake City!

Summer heralds a season travel, whether it is a day trip up into the mountains, a family road trip, a flight across the country or even an international adventure. Whatever your plans, we’ve put together some tips to help you green your travels.

  • Just say “no” to bottled water. Bring a reusable bottle, we recommend stainless steel. If you are traveling by plane, leave it empty through airport security and fill up once you are through. Lots of airports, including Salt Lake International, now have easy-to-use water filling stations.
  • Leave no trace. When visiting natural areas, including state and national parks, leave nothing but your footprints. Pack out your trash and resist the urge to take any natural “souvenirs” — accept from the gift shop of course!

Hotels

  • Stay at a green hotel, if there is one available. Or choose to support a locally-owned business, which generally keeps more money in the community. A simple Google search is a great place to start.
  • Reuse your towels and linens when staying at a hotel. Just like you would at home – hang up wet towels to air dry and then use them again! Your small action will help add up to some big water and energy savings.
  • Know your hotel’s recycling policy and be sure to sort your trash accordingly.
  • When you leave your room for a day full of adventure, turn off the air conditioning, lights and any electronic devices.

Eat Green

  • Eat at a local restaurant when traveling. The same theory applies here as to staying at a local hotel. Many local restaurants also source local, and more sustainable, ingredients for their meals.

Alternative Transit

  • Choose a nonstop flight if you can. More airtime equals more fuel consumed and a larger carbon footprint.
  • Skip the rental car and rent bikes. Check out America’s top 50 most bike-friendly cities.
  • If you are headed to a larger city, explore available public transportation. You’ll be traveling like a local!
  • If you do need to rent a car, consider carsharing options (available in most large cities) or rent the smallest, most fuel efficient vehicle possible.

Save Big, Stay Put!

  • Embrace the simplicity of the staycation. There are some great ideas on Pinterest and family blogs, including spending the day at a city pool or creating a picnic adventure at a favorite park.

Do you have any tips of your own? Share them here!

Mayor Becker, SLC Sign on to Resilient Communities

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Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker has joined 45 other mayors and county officials from around the country who have committed to creating more resilient cities, towns and counties in response to our nation’s growing extreme weather and energy challenges.

As an Inaugural Signatory of the Resilient Communities for America campaign, Mayor Becker is among the first local elected officials in the nation to showcase his leadership on these key issues testing America’s communities.

resilientcommlogoThe national campaign, which launched today, recognizes that local governments like Salt Lake City are on the front lines of responding to increasing disasters and disruptions fueled by a changing climate. An unprecedented increase in heat waves, droughts, floods, severe storms and wildfires have devastated communities nationwide over the past two years and cost America $188 billion in damages.

The Resilient Communities for America campaign seeks to champion the work of Mayor Becker, Salt Lake City and other local governments at the forefront of the emerging national movement to build resilience – and to inspire hundreds more to follow their lead. Every $1 spend on disaster risk reduction can save $4 in recovery and emergency response costs – make resilience efforts a sound investment for our community.

Local Impacts for Salt Lake City

  • Long-term trends show that as warming occurs, less precipitation is falling as snow in surrounding watersheds, which means diminished snowpack water storage for Salt Lake City. In addition, recent climate studies show that the timing of water runoff will shift to earlier in the season, creating challenges during peak summer water demand.
  • Increases in temperature and changes in precipitation will impact water supply and water demand. One recent study indicates that Salt Lake City’s watersheds in the Wasatch Mountain range could see an overall average of 3.8% reduction in stream flow per one degree Fahrenheit. Almost all of Salt Lake City’s water supply emanates from these local Wasatch Mountain watersheds.
  • In recent years, trees in the urban forest are becoming more susceptible to disease due to warming.
  • Lower precipitation and warmer temperatures are causing changes to forests and vegetation, increasing the danger of area wildfires, and increasing the threat of water quality degradation.

Local Actions Being Taken by Salt Lake City

  • LeoSolar600pxLong-term master plans for the city will incorporate likely future climate scenarios, including the City’s Water Resource Planning efforts.
  • Infrastructure Planning: Roads, storm drains and other critical infrastructure will need to handle extreme weather events such as heat waves and greater storm intensity.
  • Energy Security: To minimize energy demand, especially during heat waves, the City is focusing on energy efficiency upgrades, develop net zero buildings and expanding local renewable energy sources, such as solar PV and solar hot water systems.
  • Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions include energy efficiency projects and transit-oriented development projects to minimize vehicle trips.

Learn More

Find Resilient Communities for America on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Urban Garden & Farm Week

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After seven successful years of chicken empowerment, Wasatch Community Gardens’ annual Chicken Week is growing up!

Say hello to the very first Urban Garden and Farm Week, which runs June 16th through June 22nd.

Whether you are a budding gardener, a seasoned grower, a backyard poultry keeper, or an urban dweller with herbs in a window, the Urban Garden and Farm Week has an event for you.

Urban Garden and Farm Week, which uses the motto “make, raise, grow,” will highlight unique, innovative and traditional growing techniques and lifestyles. You will have the opportunity to see and discuss urban homesteads, rainwater catchment, intensive gardening techniques, backyard livestock, bee keeping, season extending, unique garden spaces, permaculture and more.

A few of the events you can look forward to (we certainly are!)

Stop by the Wasatch Community Gardens website and Facebook page to learn more. And check out this recent story from Salt Lake Tribune.

Stop your engines, it’s time to Clear the Air!

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Rally your team and get ready to leave your car at home — it’s almost time for the 2013 Clear the Air Challenge! The fifth annual Challenge kicks off on July 1st and runs through July 31st. Teams and companies will compete for bragging rights and great prizes, but with clearer air we all win.

During the month of July, thousands of Utahns will track the trips and miles they save by choosing alternative forms of transportation. From walking, biking and taking public transit, to teleworking, carpooling and trip chaining, our collective impact will be tracked in real-time.

Community benefits include a strengthened local economy, improved air quality, enhanced health, reduced energy consumption and improved mobility. Since the Challenge began in 2009, over 11,000 Utahns have saved over 5.2 million miles!

Why should you participate?

We’ll let some past Challenge winners make the case:

“During the 2010 Clear the Air Challenge I made some important life changes that translated into winning this year. I have been riding my bike year-round for a physical life change, as well as a personal commitment to help alleviate some of the pollution which contributes to my son’s asthma problems. Thank you for this life-changing Challenge!”

–        Chad Turner, 2011 Grand Prize Winner for Most Trips Saved

“The Clear the Air Challenge makes you a lot more aware of how often you go places, and makes you even more aware of how often you are in a vehicle. During the Challenge I tried to increase the amounts of walking that I did in even more of an effort to reduce emissions. It’s amazing how much a person can miss by just driving to a place rather than walking.”

–        Danielle Frohn, 2011 Grand Prize Winner for Most Consistent Gold

“The Clear the Air Challenge is a yearly reminder that my actions do count, and that I can make a difference. It reminds me that even the simplest decisions can have a lasting impact.”

–        Ashley Giessing, 2011 Grand Prize Winner for Most Consistent Bronze

Seize the Moment

3485 CTAC-blog site bug opt-250x250What are you waiting for? Head over to ClearTheAirChallenge.org to register!

Now is the perfect time to act on those good intentions and see the impact you can have on improved air quality.

And be sure to recruit your coworkers, friends and family because we need everyone to get excited to “Drive Less, Drive Smarter” and do their part! Stop by the Team Start-Up Kit for tools to help you rally.

Sugarmont Plaza Grand Opening

A new community gathering space is coming to the heart of Sugar House!

The Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City (RDA) invites the public to attend the grand opening celebration of Sugarmont Plaza this Friday, June 14 from 6-9 p.m. at the former Deseret Industries Sugar House location, 2227 S. Highland Drive. The family-friendly event will feature music and food, as well as tours of the project.

Sugarmont Plaza is a new urban gathering spot that features a colorful plaza surface, murals, tables, chairs and umbrellas available to the public.

What’s in store for the space? Food truck rallies, music events, free movie screenings and casual gatherings are all planned in the coming months.

“Sugarmont Plaza activates a part of Sugar House currently undergoing significant change,” said Mark Morris of the nonprofit Friends of the South Salt Lake and Sugar House Streetcar. “We hope many events will be held here this summer, encouraging community members to consider how valuable public space is to them.”

Check out the Salt Lake Tribune story on the project. 

Consider taking public transit to the plaza opening (RideUTA Blog)

Do you live within walking distance? Take a look at this awesome map and consider leaving your car at home!

UCAIR Tackles Clean Air in Utah

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Today Salt Lake City Green joined with many of its community partners to attend the 2013 kick-off event for the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR). The UCAIR initiative was first launched by Governor Herbert during the winter of 2012 in an effort to tackle Utah’s poor air quality days.

UCAIR is a statewide clean air partnership created to make it easier for individuals, businesses and communities to make small changes to improve Utah’s air. One of the program’s main messages is that every small change adds to a collective bigger step toward better health, a better economy and better overall quality of life for all of us.

Today a refreshed and revised UCAIR was unveiled, including:

Learn more about what UCAIR does, and why they do it. 

SmartTrips Rolls into SLC’s Fairpark Neighborhood

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A new program has rolled into the Fairpark neighborhood, offering free transit passes, pedometers, bike lights and more in an effort to convince residents to leave their cars at home in favor of walking, biking or taking public transit.

“One of the biggest barriers to adopting alternative transportation is feeling confident and comfortable enough to navigate the change in lifestyle, and that’s where SmartTrips comes in,” says Sara Rose Tannenbaum, SmartTrips program manager.

The aim of SmartTrips, a free Salt Lake City Green Program, is to provide educational materials and incentives to residents so that they explore ways to commute, run errands or get exercise in Salt Lake City without a car.

All Fairpark residents are eligible to sign up for SmartTrips kits. The idea behind these kits is to empower residents with the knowledge they need to embrace existing biking, walking and public transportation options.

SmartTrips_IconBesides offering helpful Fairpark-specific maps, schedules and tips, kits include a free bike light, pedometer, and 7-day unlimited UTA Tap-on-Tap-off pass, and coupon book to local businesses. Residents may also request custom bike and transit commute routes, or step-by-step guides including details such as transfer points, bus frequency and desirable bike lanes.

The Smart Trips program was launched last year in the East Liberty Park neighborhood and showed a 26% decrease in miles and trips driven by car with an 18% increase in environmentally preferable trips. Success has been similarly achieved in neighborhoods in Oregon, and Tennessee, Washington, as well as in Australia.

“With over 40% of trips in the US less than 2 miles, and 68% of these trips are driven in cars, there is a lot of potential to make changes close to home,” says Tannenbaum. “Any reduction in the amount of drive-alone car trips, especially in the Salt Lake Valley, helps to alleviate our impact on air quality and protect the health of our community.”

SmartTrips collaborates with local organizations to coordinate events that celebrate community and public/active transportation. On May 12th SmartTrips hosted a group bike ride to the opening day of the People’s Market at the International Peace Gardens. Neighbors joined Councilmember Kyle LaMalfa, and representatives from the Day-Riverside Library, SmartTrips and local bike shop Saturday Cycles. Of the fifteen participants, 10 visited the People’s Market for the first time, and 8 traveled on stretches of the Jordan River Trail that were new to them.

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Next month, SmartTrips will join the Jordan River Commission when they host a weed pull to remove the infamous bike tire-popping goatheads on Saturday July 13th from 9-11 a.m. Though only Fairpark residents can sign up for SmartTrips kits, all are invited to attend the community events.

“By choosing alternative transportation we become closer to our community, our city, and the people, businesses and resources that are a part of it,” says Tannenbaum. “We don’t get to know our neighbors behind a steering wheel. We meet them in our community gardens, at a local business, a local park, or even in passing on the sidewalk. When we get out of our cars, and start walking or biking, we begin to discover our surroundings and neighborhood in a whole new way.”

Do you live in Fairpark? Sign up for SmartTrips when you receive a SmartTrips postcard in the mail or register online.

Green Your Clean!

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In Utah, we hear a lot about outdoor air quality. But indoor air quality is just as important, perhaps more so as we spend more time indoors.

One of the lesser known contributors to indoor air pollution are household cleaners and air fresheners. Chemicals and artificial fragrances contain VOCs which, among other things, can aggravate asthma and other respiratory problems.

Luckily, there are some excellent alternatives that are safe, cost less and clean just as effectively.

Use Alternative Cleaning Supplies

Most cleaning chores can be accomplished with non-toxic alternative cleaners and a little elbow grease. Here are a few natural cleaning alternatives:

Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) – Cleans and deodorizes. Softens water to increase sudsing and cleaning power of soap. Good scouring powder. Can be used with white vinegar or lemon juice to clean even more effectively.

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Borax (Sodium Borate) – Cleans and deodorizes. Excellent disinfectant. Softens water. Available in the laundry section of the grocery store.

Castile Soap (Vegetable oil-based soap) – Biodegrades safely and is completely non-toxic. Bars can be grated to dissolve more easily in hot water. Choose soap without synthetic additives.

Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate) – Cuts grease and removes stains. Disinfects. Softens water. Available in the laundry section of the grocery store.

White Vinegar or Lemon Juice – Cuts grease and freshens. Can be used in combination with baking soda to clean even more effectively.

Use Alternative Cleaning Methods

The Salt Lake County Health Department recommends these alternatives to common cleaning methods:

Air Freshener – Find the source of the odor and eliminate it. Open windows to ventilate. To scent air, use herbal bouquets, pour vanilla on a cotton ball, or simmer cinnamon and cloves.

Brass Polish – Make a paste of equal parts vinegar, salt and flour. Rub well. Rinse completely to prevent corrosion.

Drain Cleaner – Try a plunger first. Pour ½ cup baking soda down the drain, then ½ cup vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then follow with two quarts boiling water. Repeat if needed. If this fails, rent or buy a drain snake.

Furniture Polish – Use olive or almond oil.

Garbage Disposal Deodorizer – Use lemon or baking soda.

Mothballs for Clothes – Thoroughly clean any used clothing or furniture before introducing it into your home. Wash woolens before storing and store in tight containers. Thoroughly vacuum rugs and under furniture. Shake out woolens periodically and use cedar chips and lavender flowers instead of mothballs.

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Oven Cleaner – As a preventative measure, cover the oven bottom with a sheet of aluminum foil. Clean up spills promptly. To clean, use baking soda, soap, and water with a copper scrubber and elbow grease. Scouring Powder – Try baking soda.

Silver Cleaner – For large objects, rub gently with baking soda and a damp sponge. Toothpaste also works well. Place smaller objects in a pot of boiling water with a loose, small piece of aluminum foil; add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Boil 2-3 minutes then cool and dry.

Window Cleaner – Use ½ cup vinegar and 1 quart warm water. Polish with newspaper.

Do you have your own green cleaning favorite? Share it here!

Did you know that leafy greens can help purify your indoor air quality? 

Leafy Greens That Clean the Air

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In Utah, we hear a lot about outdoor air quality. But indoor air quality is just as important, perhaps more so as we spend more time indoors.

Chemicals like formaldehyde, benzene and other solvents can be found in most homes today. Products like household cleaners, paints and new furniture can “off gas” these compounds into your air. Tips to clean your house without chemicals.

Aloe – Clears formaldehyde and benzene found in cleaners, paints, and new furniture.

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Spider plant – Clears up formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide and solvents.

Gerber daisy – Pretty and powerful at removing a common dry cleaning chemical.

Snake plant – Packs a punch for formaldehyde, a chemical commonly found in homes today.

Golden pothos – Another formaldehyde cleaner, this plant doesn’t require a lot of light to thrive.

Azalea – A bright pop of color, this shrub cleans up formaldehyde.

Bamboo palm – Love the shade and combats benzene and formaldehyde.

Heart leaf philodendron – Excellent for removing a variety of VOCs. Be careful with this one, it is poisonous if ingested.

Peace lily – Removes all three of the most common household VOCs – formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene.