On April 19th, Fort Lauderdale’s 93 Rock caught up with Richard Evans, CEO of the Community Greenhouse Foundation, for an Earth Week interview. Richard spoke to South Florida, highlighting Ways people can be more water, waste and energy efficient in their homes and businesses. Input included how Communities can start to move to be more sustainable and how the “Green America Business Challenge” was developed. They concluded with turning the foreclosure crisis into opportunity to address our country’s need for energy independence and a plug for the Green Expo 2009 in Fort Lauderdale. Click here to hear

Join in the fun activities as you learn the easy way about Going Green at the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Utility Advisory Committee‘s Green Expo 2009, an amazing celebration combining education, green gardening, cutting edge products, giveaways, and family fun on Saturday, April 25th from 9am -3pm in Stranahan Park, Broward Blvd. & Andrews Avenue in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

How does a municipality help its community Go Green? With an outdoor get together featuring environmental booths and displays, plus various foods, educational materials and interactive activities for the whole family. This year’s Green Expo will highlight “energy efficient” and “water reduction” products and practices to help homeowners reduce their electric and water use at home, and introduce businesses to innovative and new products.

I take no offense (for who am I to be offended) with politicians, critics and laymen alike expressing their concerns over the national debt we will be leaving for future generations. That idea makes me uneasy to say the least, and while this unprecedented economic situation certainly begs the question over what the right solution is, I certainly cannot claim to know.

I do know there is a level of suffering for everyone in this mess: My dad, edging closer to retirement, now sees a sorry excuse for a 401k; Myself, a recent college graduate, struggling to gain footing in an ever-deteriorating job market; The children, who may be oblivious to the widespread hardship many are now facing, but will one day come to realize the full extent of their inheritance.

One-third of businesses nationwide use re-manufactured printer cartridges. Recycling your laser and ink jet printer cartridges will reduce the amount of plastic put into landfills. Most cartridges can be recycled up to six times and are guaranteed by most manufacturers to work as well as brand-new ones.

Look at the instructions in the box of your new laser or ink jet cartridge to find out how to recycle your old one. Many companies will provide instructions, packaging materials and free postage if you wish to recycle your old cartridge, which is then refilled and used again.

On Saturday, March 28 you can VOTE EARTH by switching off your lights for one hour. Or you can vote global warming by leaving your lights on. Save a little energy and be part of real democracy, speak up, and help us make a point.

The results of the election are being presented at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. We want one billion votes for Earth, to tell world leaders that we have to take action against global warming.

The Foundation receives inquires almost daily from governmental organizations, private sector companies and the general public related to funding, programs, resources and general guidance. The approval of the Recovery Act/Stimulus package is loaded with incentives which should move sustainable development and “green building” more into the mainstream.

Unfortunately, a majority of governmental agencies and private sector companies who can tap into resources from the Recovery Act/Stimulus package don’t understand that one of the key methods that projects should be utilizing is an “integrated design” process.

An interview with Will Paul, creater of PlanetShifter.com, a green focused, “innovation network”.

I started PlanetShifter.com with developer Cheth Rowe and graphic artist Andrea Fuenzalida over six months ago because we need everybody’s ideas and vision to re-build a healthier, sustainable and just world. We need to take risks. I want us to reach past our self-interest and fears to risk and share in new sustainable solutions.

Somebody just asked me if I would have started this project if I had known where the world economy would be on 03/03/09. I told her,” Yes!” We need to come together now!

Last May, I found a new American flag, still folded in its box, in a pile of trash on the curb. The instructions for flag etiquette in the box say, “The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, or water.” Does that include trash?

I rescued it, of course. We’ve debated for years whether desecrating the flag should be a crime or is protected speech. But I doubt many would argue that it wasn’t disrespectful and wrong to put the flag on the trash pile.

My name is Lorraine and I am contacting you today on behalf of the National Audubon Society and a remarkable project called TogetherGreen. You are probably wondering what exactly TogetherGreen is. It’s all about helping people get involved in creating a brighter, healthier future. This Audubon program funded by Toyota aims to provide inspiration, leadership and opportunities that inspire people everywhere to take action at home, in their communities and beyond to improve the health of our environment.

We often talk about air quality, but not so often is it focused on your living and work space. Green building, with an eye on energy conservation also, when done right, improves the interior space of your home, office or retail business. From natural light to better air handling, the ergonomics of a building impact every person who walks in. And on the of the simplest things you can do to clean up your inner spaces, involves a new coat of paint. But not just any paint.

It turn out, most indoor paint gives off toxins. Mythic Paint, offering newer cleaner paint, has just landed in Fort Lauderdale.

Every day we take for granted the gas we put in our cars to get us where we’re going. For over 30 years, we’ve ignored crisis. And yet, pretending it’s not a problem hasn’t made it go away. Current financial times are gloomy. And the rapid rise of the cost of oil, and the scarcity of it, have driven us to the brink.

And as we prepare to elect a new President, neither of the candidates are offering anything new. Empty campaign promises won’t carry us into a brave new world. Dealing with America’s energy deficiencies require a plan. And I think the Pickens Plan is a giant step in the right direction.

Florida’s DEP, Department of Environmental Protection, announces some amazing grants. The Executive Office of the Governor is accepting proposals for grant funding under the 2008 Florida Renewable Energy and Energy-Efficient Technologies Grants Program. This program provides renewable energy matching grants for demonstration, commercialization, research, and development projects relating to renewable energy technologies and innovative technologies that significantly increase energy efficiency for vehicles and commercial buildings.

Florida imports almost all of our energy, despite being bathed in sunshine, and even being called the “Sunshine State”.

Many small businesses contact us, and ask what they can do to ‘green up’ their business. Community Greenhouse Foundation has developed a program to help you reduce electric and water usage, to encourage recycling and use of recycled materials, and to reduce the amount of solid waste your organization produces. And to launch their efforts, they announce the Greening America Business Challenge.

More than just green-washing, they’ve partnered with Energy Star (the US Department of Energy) and WasteWise (US Environmental Protection Agency) programs. Using nationally recognized third party tools and criteria, CGF helps you understand what your organization is doing, individually, and then prescribes a variety of efforts you can undertake to reduce your impact.

How do you change the world? One light bulb at a time. Lighting plays a huge part of our energy use. All of us at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR program would like to wish you, our partners and friends, a happy Change a Light Day today!

October 1 marks the 4th annual ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day, and we just wanted to congratulate you for either being one of the 1.9 million Americans who have taken the pledge or for participating as one of the nearly 2,000 organizations that have driven pledges since 2006. Together we have collectively saved more than $220 million and prevented the release of more than 3 billion pounds of greenhouse gases with lighting alone.

Program takes undersold homes, renovates them to be energy efficient, and works with municipalities for workforce housing.

The Community Greenhouse Foundation has been working for months on a program which is targeted to assist in the rehabilitation and sale of the “glut” of houses being dumped into the market resulting from foreclosures. The “Greening of America’s House Stock” program is a pro-active economic stimulus program that has been developed due to the current economic position of America. Never in our countries history has energy, housing and the environment been seen as critical issues at the same time.

The Community Greenhouse Foundation is proud to announce a new Strategic Partner serving the South Florida communities to delivery it’s “Greening Residential America” program. The program helps to provides communities with the resources to bring “green attainable housing” to their communities. New and renovated energy efficient green homes can be offered to City, County, governmental employees and the public through the program along with the opportunity for local “community” builders to tap into products and training to build greener and more energy efficient.

The Sea Turtle Preservation Society has developed a new volunteer program that will be administered through the Marine Turtle Permit for Sea Turtle Strandings. This program, the Sea Turtle Emergency Response Program, has been developed to provide better beach coverage to search for and rescue post-hatchling sea turtles that have washed back ashore after a large storm event. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of post hatchling sea turtles that are rescued, rehabilitated and eventually released back into the ocean.

With Memorial Day and the summer travel season approaching, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) encourages Florida residents and guests to travel close, clean and green with the launch of a new green travel Web site and Florida Green Lodging Program locator map. The newly launched green travel Web site offers resources for families and travelers looking to get away without depleting their wallets, gas tanks or the environment.

Are you ready for the 2008 Hurricane Season? Learn what it takes to be Ready. Set. Safe.

Join us for the 3rd Annual Broward County Hurricane Preparedness Expo on Saturday, May 31, 2008, from 10am to 2pm. The event is held at the Broward County Emergency Operations Center, in Plantation, on 201 N.W. 84th Avenue.

A free, fun and informative event for the entire family featuring more than 40 hurricane preparedness exhibits. Take a tour of the Emergency Operations Center and see displays of emergency response vehicles. We’ll also have giveaways and prizes and parking is free.

DEP’s Coral Reef Conservation Program helps educate and raise awareness of Southeast Florida’s coral reefs. Leading up to the International Coral Reef Symposium this summer, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Coral Reef Conservation Program is encouraging public awareness of coral reefs and their impact on Florida’s marine environment, the commercial and recreational fishing industry and the economy. Recognizing the importance of the state’s reef ecosystem, Florida is the site of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, July 7-11, 2008, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced the 2008 Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change. The conference will be held June 25-26, 2008, at the Intercontinental Miami. Building on the foundation for Florida’s energy future began at last year’s summit, the 2008 summit will focus on stimulating economic development in clean technologies as well as “greening” Florida’s business community.

“Florida’s businesses continue to demonstrate that there is gold in green, and climate-friendly energy sources – like ethanol and solar energy – are bringing new prospects for our state,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “Encouraging companies to do business the green way as well as building a strong market in renewable energy technologies in the Sunshine State will strengthen our energy and economic future and protect our natural environment for generations to come.”

City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor, Jim Naugle, pushed “it” by displaying his wife’s neighborhood electric vehicle. City Departments showed that they know about “it” and how they are doing “it” daily. A majority of the people who attended knew that “it” was more than just recycling your cans and bottles. “It”, of course, is living, conserving, and putting into daily practice Going Green.

When Bunney Brenneman, Chair of the Utility Advisory Committee, contacted the Community Greenhouse Foundation some four weeks ago, asking if we would like to help to put together the first “GREEN Living Expo” in Fort Lauderdale, our answer was a resounding: “Yes.”

The Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department will recognize several local businesses for their outstanding environmentally-responsible business practices. Each business will receive an Emerald Award for their exceptional efforts in protecting the environment. The program recognizes businesses for their voluntary efforts in four areas: waste reduction, recycling, improved operating practices, and other “green” strategies that reduce pollution and waste. Both large and small businesses are eligible. One business is also honored with the title “Environmental Business of the Year,” which will be announced at the ceremony.

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners will present trophies to the winners at a special ceremony; followed by a brief reception:

Hurricane Season is almost upon us. It begins June 1st and lasts until November 30th. To give us all the information we need, Broward County provides us their Hurricane Preparedness Guide.

The Official Broward County Hurricane Preparedness Guide is filled with useful information, maps, telephone numbers and web site addresses that helps you be ready - set - safe for hurricane season.

“Every family in Broward County should be prepared to get by on their own for 3 to 5 days in the aftermath of a major storm.” Lori Vun Kannon, Director, Broward County Emergency Management

One of the main reasons the Community Greenhouse Foundation sponsored the Green Communities program was the idea of communities sharing good news and stories about the way people and organizations are doing positive things as they related to green sustainable living in their communities. The web sites are geared to act as a conduit to all sectors of the community and other communities around the state. This is a PERFECT example of what this program is supposed to promote and share.