eNews Update | May 29, 2012 | www.ca-greenbusinessalliance.com

Greetings! 
 

The California Business Alliance for a Green Economy is a growing coalition of more than 1,200 mostly small and mainstream businesses, associations and organizations from around the state who support the creation of a clean, green and efficient economy. To fulfill that mission, our priority is supporting the implementation of California's clean energy policies.


Below are recent news stories, editorials and letters, including contributions from Alliance members. In addition, we have included profiles of Alliance members and a list of upcoming events that may interest you. Thank you for your continued support.

In The News
Newspaper

 

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS AT A GLANCE

*AB 32 Under Attack; Small Business Community Responds.

*New Studies on Cap and Trade Benefits from Next 10.
*California Agriculture Experts Weigh into Climate Debate.

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*CMTA Continues to Cry Wolf. Alliance Director Susan Frank forcefully responds to false assertions by the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) and sets the record straight on the benefits of cap and trade.

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Fighting Greenhouse Gases: California's Clean Energy Standards Really Are Pro-Business. Bruce Klafter, Applied Materials, says in the Mercury News that "blocking progress is easier than creating it. Yet in trying to stop California's pioneering clean energy standards, opponents are fighting a battle they cannot win."

*Real Small Businesses Support Clean Energy, Curbing Greenhouse Gases. According to Alliance member Tom Bowman, Bowman Design Group, small businesses "strongly support AB32 and a host of other measures that are reducing pollution, making us the nation's most energy-efficient economy..."

*Supporting Clean Energy Policies. Alliance member Warren Smith with Clean World Partners argues in Capitol Weekly: "The demise of small businesses due to AB 32 has been greatly exaggerated. I should know - I founded a small business and clean energy laws like AB 32 are a big part of the reason we are still here."

*Lessons for California on Cap and Trade from the Northeast. Paul Hibbard of The Analysis Group says California can learn from the country's first carbon trading market, which is working in the Northeast.


*Californians Keep Showing That They Get It. Alliance Director Susan Frank says that "California's clean energy policies have saved billions of dollars over the last three decades, and there's more where that came from" in an op-ed in Point Carbon.


*Cap and Trade to Generate Billions, Tough Choices. The San Francisco Chronicle highlights findings of a series of studies released on May 17 by Next 10, which delve into the legal and economic implications of cap and trade and show significant benefits.


*Work with State Farmers, Not Against Them. Alliance member Renata Brillinger of the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN) co-authored an op-ed in the Fresno Bee detailing the threats climate change poses to agriculture and calling for reducing agriculture-related carbon emissions.

*Reader Rebuttal: Alternative-Fuel Cars. Marine Corps Veteran Rick Reyes disputes Assemblyman Jose Solorio's criticism of California's Clean Fuels Outlet program. He says, "
This policy is giving Californians - and today's fuel providers - the opportunity to be part of the solution to our oil dependence. America's over-reliance on oil hobbles our foreign policy... As a veteran, I take this personally."

 

*Cap and Trade Will Encourage Move to Clean Energy. Mike Mielke with Alliance member Silicon Valley Leadership Group published an op-ed in The San Francisco Chronicle saying that "it is discouraging to see our state's landmark law on climate and clean energy... under attack again. The investment and innovation unleashed by AB 32 is creating jobs and is spurring transformation of our buildings, vehicles, lighting and energy generation systems..."

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Announcements from Alliance Members 

 

 

 

The Alliance is a proud member of the American Sustainable Business Council, which works to advance public policies that ensure a vibrant, just, and sustainable economy. ASBC is also a brand new member of the Alliance - welcome aboard.

 

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Dot Green Logo 

www.dotgreen.org (a project of Earthsite) is excited to announce a major event for the Internet, and for the green movement online! The governing body of the Internet will soon delegate new Top-Level Domains to take root in the Internet namespace, and we're looking forward to launching .green as a new domain name extension to support social and environmental awareness online. The DotGreen Community, Inc. just relaunched www.dotgreen.orgwhere you can find out more about .green domains coming in 2013 and early partnerships. You are invited to visit the website where you can learn more about the .green web extension, join the growing community, and download an electronic press kit to tell your community about this exciting opportunity. 

 

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 Building Doctors Logo

Building Doctors, based in Los Angeles, has reached a new threshold of "zero" duct leakage in its heating, ventilation and air conditioning installation quality. The "unmeasurable" or zero duct leakage rate was recorded for their last three installations, allowing the firm to become the first Southern California members in the "Ring4Club.com," an exclusive group of advanced HVAC installers that go above and beyond code requirements. Learn more here.

 

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small business majority logoSmall Business Majority polled small businesses owners in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, Nevada and Colorado who say they believe federal clean energy investment helps drive job creation and economic growth. Results indicate 71 percent of small business owners think government has a role in driving toward a cleaner, more competitive economy. The poll also found strong support for current and new federal Environmental Protection Agency air quality standards even if enforcement meant a possible increase in utility prices.

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E2 LogoEnvironmental Entrepreneurs' new report "What Clean Jobs? These Clean Energy Jobs!" shows clean energy employers announced plans involving at least 137 projects in 42 states during the first quarter of this year creating as many as 46,000 new American jobs - reinforcing numerous other studies that show the clean energy industry is alive, well and poised for continued growth. 

Additional Announcements

 

Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards 

Geela Awards  

June 22 Deadline

The Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award Program is California's highest environmental honor. The program recognizes individuals, organizations, and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable, voluntary contributions in conserving California's precious resources, protecting and enhancing our environment, building public-private partnerships and strengthening the state's economy.

 

Anyone wishing to apply for, or nominate an individual, organization, or business, for a 2012 Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award should submit an application by June 22, 2012.
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The American Lung Association of California recently released its 2012 State of the Air Report (SOTA 2012). California cities continue to dominate the lists of the 10 most polluted cities in America (9 of the 10 most polluted cities in the nation) for ozone (smog) and short and long-term particulate pollution. Despite these challenges, SOTA 2012 demonstrates many areas of improvements, as compared to previous reports. Of the 50 California counties assessed in SOTA 2012, 37 counties (74 percent) received at least one failing grade for unhealthy air. Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties earned a passing grade for annual particulate pollution for the first time.

Member Profile:
Run On Sun Powers 100-Year-Old Pasadena School for Girls

  

Run on Sun, a Pasadena-based solar installation and consulting company serving the greater Los Angeles area, was recently featured on the cover of Pasadena Weekly in its annual "Green Issue." Read the full story - Solar Flair: New Solar Installation at Westridge School Brings Environmental Issues to Life, to learn all about the 52.25kW installation at Pasadena's Westridge School for Girls. You can also check out a great video on the project.runonsun pasadena cover
 
Jim Jenal is the Founder & CEO of Run on Sun, one of Southern California's premier installers and integrators of top-of-the-line solar power installations.
 

Jenal was particularly pleased to not only help the school save on utility bills, but also to help incorporate solar into the curriculum by including an online system that shows the real time efficiency of each panel. The Green Guerrillas, a school club, quickly endorsed the solar initiative and has been inspired to further green their school.

 

Run on Sun offers solar consulting services, working with consumers, utilities and municipalities to help them make solar power affordable and reliable. You can learn more about the school project and all their initiatives at www.runonsun.com

Member Profile:clean world partners
Clean World Partners is Diverting Food Waste to Create Greener Power

 

Diverting all of the food waste from landfills to anaerobic digesters would power 600,000 homes and have the same environmental benefits as removing 8 million cars from the road or planting 9 million acres of pine forest. 

 

Clean World Partners (CWP), a three year old Sacramento startup company, partners with businesses and communities to convert organic waste to renewable energy, soil enhancement products, and other valuable byproducts using proprietary technologies that are scalable, cost-efficient, and effective.

 

CWP is about to debut what it's calling the nation's most efficient commercial system in the country for converting food waste into energy. Learn more in a recent Sacramento Bee feature.

 

Last month, CWP began operating its first system at the North Natomas plant of American River Packaging. Another CWP system is starting up in June at Sacramento County's south area transfer station and two more are set to open in the region by the end of the year, according Michele Wong, the company's CEO. "That's just a start," says Wong, who reports international interest in a system that's based on "anaerobic digestion" technology developed at UC Davis.

 

"Everybody wants to see these things up and running," she says of the three-tank systems. "I can't tell you how many tours we've done" at the Natomas site. The key attraction: client companies can avoid the costs of storing and transporting their food waste to landfills - and generate power at the same time. Learn more at www.cleanworldpartners.com.
Best,
SF signature
Susan Frank
Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy
Upcoming Events 

- June 4-7: Sustainable Brands '12 Innovation Open 

(San Diego) - entries needed

 

- June 8: 12th Annual Energy Summit

(Mountain View)

hosted by Silicon Valley Leadership Group

 

- June 13: CoolCalifornia Awards 
(Sacramento) hosted by Calif. Air Resources Board and sponsored by the Business Alliance

 

- June 21: Clean Tech Open National Conference 
(San Jose)
 

- June 22-24: Green Life EcoFest
(Grass Valley)

 

- June 25-27: The Mediterranean City: A Conference on Climate Change Adaptation

(Los Angeles), hosted by Three Squares, Inc.

 

- June 27-29: XII International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology, Energy and Global Sustainable

Development 
(Los Angeles)

 

- July 9-12: Inter Solar North America Conference 
(San Francisco)

 

- Aug. 28-29 Women in Green Forum 
(Santa Monica)

 

- Oct. 16-18: Eighth Annual California Clean Energy Roundtable 

(Laguna Beach)

By Invitation Only

  

- Nov. 10-11: Green Festival 

(San Francisco)

 

- Nov. 12-14: Behavior, Energy & Climate Conference

(Sacramento)

 

- Nov. 14: Green Festival
(Los Angeles) 

  

Send Us Your Event Notices
 

If you have events you would like to submit for a calendar listing, please email the name of the event, date, location and a brief description to: greenbizalliance@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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