Free online conference for green building and renewable energy

www.VirtualEnergyForum.com is offering a FREE online conference and trade show for green building and renewable energy professionals. At this event you will be able to view live presentations; network and share contact information with other attendees, and browse virtual booths of energy innovators. Present will be Fortune 500 energy executives, public policy leaders, & innovators of energy products & services.

Topics: Sustainability, alternative energy, clean technologies, green buildings & manufacturing & more.

Questions answered via live video by 40+ energy leaders, such as:· Joseph T. Kelliher, Chairman, US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission · James E. Rogers, CEO, Duke Energy · David J. Manning, Chief Environmental Officer, National Grid · Senior executives from Delta Controls, Hess, Johnson Controls, Pacific Gas and Electric, Siemens, Staples, Steelcase, Yale University, and more.

The date is Wednesday December 10th and Thursday December 11th, 9 am to 7 pm EST. It all happens online at www.VirtualEnergyForum.com . Register now , then return & Login December 10 & 11, 2008 to experience this live, interactive event, all from the ease of your PC!

Going Green Electronically in Huntington Beach

Pay your utilities on line and help to be green. Electronic payments from utility customers exceeded 20,000-representing over 40% of the utility customers’ total payments for that month. This saved customers the expense of checks and postage and saved the city staff from individually processing these 20,000 payments. In addition, AutoPay applications continue to increase, and total payments received in July equaled almost $670,000-which is a new monthly high. The City Treasurer’s Department has been implementing electronic options over the last several years. Go to the website at www.surfcity-hb.org/payments to see all of the customer payment options.

Staples Launches Online Catalog of Eco-friendly Products for Contract Customers

Office products giant extends sustainable supply management offerings with "Green Guide"; aims to help customers further reduce environmental impact of purchases - From Supply & Demand Chain.

Office products company Staples is continuing its "green supply management" efforts with the launch of its "Staples Green Guide" online catalog, which stakes a claim as the office product industry's first online catalog of "eco-friendly" products for contract customers.Building upon the company's launch of its 2008 Contract online catalog, the online Green Guide is intended to support environmentally sound procurement practices while driving greater convenience and efficiency, Staples said. The Green Guide "combines the ease and familiarity of a traditional paper catalog, while enabling customers to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the use and disposal of paper catalogs," according to the office products company.Available to all Staples Contract customers, the Staples Green Guide features products ranging from paper and toner to unexpected categories like desk accessories, furniture and cleaning products. The catalog offers the look of the printed catalog, but it features keyword and item number search functionality and the ability to bookmark pages and create, print and e-mail office supply "wish lists" to the person responsible for ordering office products through StaplesLink.com.As Staples sees it, with organizations continuing to focus on corporate social responsibility, an increasing number are using the power of purchasing to advance their sustainability efforts. Staples Contract customers can now access their own Green Guide and allow their employees to submit their order requests for "green" products to approved purchasers."Building sustainable business processes is important to our customers and they are increasingly looking for us to provide more environmentally friendly solutions," said Marci Grebstein, vice president of marketing for Staples Contract. "The Staples Green Guide makes it easy for procurement managers to reach their green procurement goals and gain cost efficiencies with program compliance."The Green Guide is available through www.staplesadvantagecatalogs.com.

Tight budget? Your can still switch to green in your home

(from the telegraph.co.uk)
For consumers who want cost-effective ways to eco-friendly energy, there are many options, writes Harriet MeyerHomeowners battling rising utility bills and concerned about their carbon footprint can go green and cut energy costs. Half of all carbon emissions come from buildings rather than cars and other sources, according to the UK Green Buildings Council – yet there are various eco-friendly methods available to adopt a greener attitude to energy needs.

These vary from simply fitting low-energy lightbulbs, which burn for four times as long as standard bulbs, to installing sophisticated "microgeneration'' equipment such as solar panels and thermal heating systems.

For the full story, read it at the Huntington Beach Green Guide at this LINK.

Shipley Nature Center to be highlighted on KCET

On April 29, 2008, Huell Howser visited Huntington Central Park and stopped at Shipley Nature Center to say hello and to find out why all the folks in the know are coming to Shipley. Huell toured the Redwoods and watched as the children were learning about how the Native Americans hunted. Then, on to the Sycamore/Alder Grove to find the hidden gathering circle and see the Ki. He spent time with Nancy Harris learning about the California Native Plants exhibited in the Demonstration Garden and why they are so important to our environment. Along the route, he chatted with some of our visitors and volunteers to the delight of everyone. The episode will be aired on Thursday, May 22nd on KCET at 7:30 pm with a repeat following at 12:30 am.

The Seven "Rs" of Sustainable Packaging

From California Green Solutions

As the country's largest retailer, Wal-Mart sets the standard for acceptable product packaging. They realize that product placement within Wal-Mart is essential to your business. Shorewood Packaging created greenchoice™ with two goals in mind:
-To supply customers with eco-friendly packaging options that are in compliance with Wal-Mart's new initiative so manufacturers can continue to sell products in its stores.
-To make a positive contribution to the environment in the long term as part of a network of suppliers striving to create sustainable products, utilize renewable energy and generate zero waste.

Wal-Mart will phase out products and materials that are shown to have significant human health and environmental impacts. Wal-Mart launched its Sustainable Packaging Initiative with the goal of reducing overall packaging in its stores by five percent by 2008. Wal-Mart will only carry products that are packaged with materials safe for human and ecological health.
This means that, to retain your market share with Wal-Mart, your products and packaging must meet "The Seven R's" of Sustainable Packaging.
1. Eliminate unnecessary packaging, extra boxes or layers
2. Reduce. "Right size" packaging, use fewer or lighter components
3. Reuse. Use post-consumer recycled material (PCR), reusable plastics
4. Renew. Use materials made from renewable resources
5. Recycle. Recycled, recyclable, compostable materials
6. Revenue. Achieve the above for the same or lower cost
7. Read. Print recycled / recyclable message on packaging