During the warmest summer months, Salt Lake City experiences poor air quality due to ozone pollution.
This helpful graphic from the Utah Clean Air Partnership – UCAIR outlines how ozone is formed, and what we can do to reduce our impact.
(Don’t forget to drive less this July with the Clear the Air Challenge. Track your impact and win prizes – it’s fun!)
Trees across Salt Lake City are heavy with ripe, delicious apricots and we need your help to harvest them!
We are in great need for volunteers for harvesting events on the following days:
Volunteer teams will help harvest local apricot trees in the Salt Lake City. Volunteers will be able to bring a portion of the harvest home with them to enjoy.
No experience is necessary – training will be done with volunteers on site.
To sign up please email SLCgreen@slcgov.com.
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).
Have you spotted the new truck wraps on Salt Lake City’s Sanitation vehicles?
Yes, your trash is beautiful!
We’re asking Salt Lake City residents to take a second look at the things they are throwing in the trash. Did you know that 60% of your household garbage… isn’t?
Curbside Recycling
Let’s get real, we all know that cardboard and plastic bottles should be recycled. But what about that Styrofoam, plastic bag, plastic utensils and juice carton? Well, they ALL can go in your curbside recycling bin in Salt Lake City!
Once you explore all the items that should be recycled, you’ll realize just how little should be going into your curbside garbage bin.
Here’s a fun little rhyme about the big plastic question…
Plastic number make you wonder? Throw it in the big blue bin!
Seriously, if it is made out of plastic — recycle it.
Explore all the items that can be recycled in your blue bin.
Curbside Compost
Otherwise known as the yard waste bin, or the tan can, the brown bin accepts grass clippings, twigs, branches, raw fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, eggshells and tea bags.
Think of it as your friendly backyard compost bin, but picked up weekly!
Explore the items that can be composted in your brown bin.
The City is currently exploring our options to expand the materials excepted in the curbside compost bin, so stay tuned…
Bin Guides — Learn What Goes into Each Bin (w/pictures!)
Here are some handy flyers that outline what should go in each curbside bin. Any questions? Just ask us!
Be a part of the pilot! Purchase your HIVE Pass today at one of three locations in Salt Lake City. Ride transit with the convenience of a pass in your pocket – at a great value.
The HIVE Pass is an annual UTA pass available to Salt Lake City residents for $360 a year, which can be paid as $30 a month. The pilot program is the result of a partnership between Salt Lake City and the Utah Transit Authority to encourage Salt Lake City residents to take more trips using transit.
Purchase your HIVE Pass at the following locations Monday – Friday:
Salt Lake City & County Building
451 South State Street
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Salt Lake Public Utilities Office
1530 S. West Temple Street
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sorenson Unity Center
1383 S. 900 West
9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Feeling generous? We are excited to introduce the HIVE Voucher Program. Individuals, organizations and businesses can give the gift of transit to a Salt Lake City resident in need.
For further questions and information about the HIVE Pass, and the HIVE Voucher Program, please email us at ridewithhive@slcgov.com or visit www.ridewithhive.com.
Mayor Ralph Becker, Sustainability Director Vicki Bennett, Rocky Mountain Power’s Alene Bentley and Salt Lake City Police Officer Bill Silvers gathered today to mark the completion of three landmark solar projects at the City’s solar farm.
“Salt Lake City made a commitment to reduce our impact on air quality by embracing sustainable energy and transportation initiatives,” said Mayor Ralph Becker. “Today we celebrate three projects that represent a huge leap forward for the City and our community. Not only are we flipping the switch on our new solar farm – which will generate over 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of sustainable energy per year – we are marking two new rooftop installations on Plaza 349 and the Public Safety Building.”
Over 4,000 solar panels were installed on the three project sites, which will generate 1.7 million kilowatt-hours annually. Generating an equivalent amount of electricity would require over 1.8 million pounds of coal each year. All solar panels installed have a 25-year power output warranty and expected life of up to 40 years, protecting the City’s investment for many years to come.
In total, the three projects will reduce CO2 emissions from City operations by three million pounds per year, while also creating a positive air quality impact.
Public Safety Building: Rooftop
The roof of the Public Safety Building is covered by over 1,000 solar panels with a total capacity of 350 kilowatts. These panels complement the 30 kilowatt solar canopy that shades visitors entering the building and help the project achieve a net zero energy status. In addition to providing power for daily operations, 30 percent of the rooftop solar panels have been wired to provide emergency electricity directly to the building in the event of a power blackout.
Public Safety Building: Solar Farm
This 3,000 panel ground-mounted solar array was developed to help offset the energy and carbon emissions associated with the new Public Safety Building. Located west of downtown Salt Lake City, this solar installation is the largest ever completed by Salt Lake City Corporation. The 1.2 million kilowatt-hours generated annually is enough to power 130 average Utah homes from now through at least 2040.
Plaza 349: Rooftop
Plaza 349 in downtown Salt Lake City is home to a variety of City operations, including Engineering, Transportation and Technology. The work of these employees will now be powered in part by clean, renewable energy thanks to a funding award from the Rocky Mountain Power Blue Sky program, made possible by more than 38,000 Blue Sky customers in Utah. The City used Blue Sky Community Project Funds to place 136 solar panels atop the roof of this recently renovated building. The public is invited to track production of this solar array in real-time online.
And the City isn’t stopping here! We’re exploring a wide range of sustainable energy sources, from solar to small-scale hydroelectric and everything in between. Stay tuned…
Wasatch Community Gardens is excited to host the 2014 Urban Garden and Farm Week — taking place all this week!
Urban Chicken Keeping Workshop. Join the fun on Wednesday, June 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the Grateful Tomato Garden for a workshop that will help you understand how to be a successful chicken keeper in the city.
Don’t miss out on the famous Urban Garden and Farm Tour. This self-guided tour takes place on Saturday, June 28 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and features chickens, sustainable lifestyles, small space gardening, rainwater catchment, and more.
Wasatch Community Gardens hosts the Urban Garden and Farm Tour in order to gather energy, raise awareness, and share ideas about urban gardening in the Salt Lake Valley.
The tour will inspire you to create a growing space of your own in order to provide healthy, real food and an educational experience for the entire family.
So whether you are a budding gardener, a seasoned grower, a backyard poultry keeper, or an urban dweller with herbs in a window, Urban Garden and Farm Week will have an event for you.
Learn what is happening in Salt Lake and with our local food movement, and how you can become a part of it!
The 2014 Challenge kicked off at the Downtown Farmers Market on Saturday, June 14.
Are you ready to help clear the air? The 2014 Clear the Air Challenge starts next week on Tuesday, July 1!
The month long Challenge is just that — an excellent way to challenge yourself to “drive down your miles” and reduce your emissions. Choose alternatives to driving alone and track your impact on air quality.
(And keep an eye on the leader board for the Salt Lake City Corporation network, which is SLCgreen’s home team!)
This year there is a new and greatly improved tracking tool for the Clear the Air Challenge. The new tool will require all users to re-register, but the registration process will only take about 30 seconds and users now have the ability to sign up using their Facebook profile.
During the registration process you will be asked to join a team/network, although it’s not required. If you do not see your team/network listed, please email tracker@ppbh.com with the following information:
The Challenge has approximately $10,000 in prizes to give out this year to participants. A number of weekly prizes will be randomly given to people who have earned badges. Grand prizes will be given to the winners in various categories, including: most trips saved, most miles saved and overall champion. The Grand Prize for the overall individual champion will be a $1,300 pair of powder skis provided by Ramp Sports.
Here are some of the features of the new technology implemented this year:
It’s time for the annual Utah Art’s Festival!
Spanning four days from June 26-29, this momentous event attracts the entire city to enjoy live music, unique film performances, endless art displays, and of course, incredible food. The Arts Festival is an opportunity for everyone to explore, engage, and appreciate the vibrant city culture within Salt Lake.
The festival schedule this year offers everything from beginner’s drawing workshops and comic book creations to epic concert performances and the “Fear No Film” series of unique and impactful independent films. And of course, how could you forget the food? Between Thursday’s Chef Competition, the Leo Libations Wine Pairing workshop, and the numerous booths providing delicious eats, this annual celebration will undoubtedly be a memorable crowd-pleaser.
If you’re still in need of reasons to attend, more good news awaits: this year, the festival is going above and beyond to “green” up the four day celebration.
As in past years, the Festival is offering FREE bike valet services along 400 South in the sponsored Blue Sky Bike Lot. As we all know, downtown parking can be nothing short of a crowded nightmare; do yourself AND the environment a favor and bike down for free! Worried about the trek back? The Library TRAX station is located just outside the festival and can take you safely where you need to go. Additionally, the 228 and 205 buses run directly by the heart of the festival; you, your friends, and your bike can catch a hands-free ride home after a day of artistic enjoyment.
The Arts Festival is also proud to announce this year’s recycling opportunities for plastic bottles, cups, aluminum cans, cardboard, glass, food scraps, and even vegetable oil. Be sure to keep an eye out around the tents for designated garbage, recycle, and compost bins throughout the plaza. Our beautiful city will thank you!
Even more exciting news: Rocky Mountain Power, in partnership with Blue Sky, will be transforming the festival into an entirely “green” event by supporting renewable energy equivalent to the amount required to fuel the four-day celebration. To put this in numbers, the Festival will be preventing the potential emission of 87,398 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. With the additional help of all the attendees who will spend the days enjoying the outdoors rather than driving around, it’s safe to say that the Utah Arts Festival is officially a notable step towards a greener Salt Lake!
If you’ve ever doubted joining in on this annual event, 2014 is certainly the year to hop on board and let loose for a weekend of great food, incredible art, lively performances, and now more than ever, the chance to help keep our beautiful environment clean. See you all there!
This post was written by SLCgreen intern Lauren Mills.
Last week, SLCgreen attended the grand opening of The Draw, a tunnel constructed under 1300 East connecting Sugar House Park to Hidden Hollow. An extension of the Parley’s Trail, The Draw allows pedestrians and bikers to bypass busy 1300 East and easily access all Sugar House has to offer.
Bottom line: The Draw is awesome. Check it out this weekend!
For nearly two months, Salt Lake City Council members have been battling each other for bragging rights and district pride in a challenge posed by Mayor Ralph Becker in April to see who could put the most new Hive transit passes in the pockets of residents.
Well, the results are in and Councilman Luke Garrott’s Fightin’ Dist. 4 has emerged the victor. As promised, all Dist. 4 residents who purchased Hive Passes will be treated to a Salt Lake Bees game on June 18 (vs. the Memphis Redbirds) at 7:05 p.m. at Smith’s Ballpark.
“While our Dist. 4 residents get the prize, it’s truly the case that anyone who has already purchased a Hive Pass is a winner,” said Mayor Becker. “Not only does the discounted pass get you were you need to go, but using it is one of the best ways anyone can help make a positive impact on our air quality challenges.”
“I’m proud of the Dist. 4 folks who work at both reducing air emissions and recognizing a great transportation deal when they see one,” said Councilman Garrott. “It’s a win for everybody in the Valley as the City supports a pass aimed at enhancing mass transit.”
The new Hive Pass is a pilot program created through a partnership between Salt Lake City and the Utah Transit Authority that is initially only available to Salt Lake City residents. The annual pass is good on all UTA TRAX, Frontrunner, bus and S-line Streetcar services and available for an up-front payment of $350 or for $360 in twelve monthly installments. The pass is good for one-year after its first use.
Dist. 4 Hive Pass purchasers can pick up their tickets (one per pass purchased) at the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office, Salt Lake City & County Building, 451 S. State Street, outside of Room 306. Tickets will be available weekdays beginning Thursday, June 12 through Tuesday, June 17 from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. On game day, Wednesday, June 18, tickets can be picked up from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For questions, call 801-535-7704.
For more information on the Hive Pass visit: http://www.ridewithhive.com/.