Find more events on Green Star's web calendar.

Bike to Work Festival -- May 6, 5-8pm

This year's Bike to Work Festival is Saturday,May 6th, from 5 to 8pm, at the University Center Mall's main entrance.  Features include:

• presentation of prizes for the Freeze My Keys contest
• valet bike parking by Off the Chain (now an official 501(c)(3) organization!!)
• bike helmet fittings by Alaska Injury Prevention
• free ABC Quick Check for cyclists 
• live music
• vendors and displays
• and a fantastic opportunity for all bicyclists -- a bike-washing station!  Bring your bike and we'll supply the tent and all the supplies you'll need to get your bike squeaky clean (and then lube up that chain so it's not squeaky!!), thanks to Off the Chain and REI.   

Confirmed participating vendors to date include Alaska Injury Prevention, American Lung Association in Alaska, Anchorage Police Department, Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage, Boys and Girls Club, Solstice Midnight Sun Ride, Alaska Bike Jewelry, Gina Edwards Artwork, Green Star, MOA Department of Health and Human Services, MOA Department of Transportation, Off the Chain, REI, Southcentral Foundation, Sunshine Fitness and Sports, and Trail Watch. 

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Community Workshop -- May 11, 9-11am 

The Alaska Energy Authority has contracted with Information Insights to perform a needs assessment to identify the barriers to energy efficiency and conservation behaviors in Alaska.  Join AEA on May 11 from 9 to 11am, at RurAL CAP, 731 East 8th Avenue, to participate in a fun and engaging community workshop to help figure out what stands in the way of using less energy by changing our behavior. For more information about the project, contact Cady Lister at 907-272-5074.

Alaska Waste and Central Recycling Services Tour -- May 13, 8:30 - 10am 

The U-Med Green District's 3Rs workgroup has organized a tour of Alaska Waste's in-vessel composting and biodiesel facilities and Central Recycling Services' construction material recycling processes.  The general public and especially Green Star members are welcome and encouraged to attend.  Please RSVP to 947-5580 or mjking@mjkingandassociates.com if you plan to attend.  Meet at Alaska Waste, 6301 Rosewood Street (off of Dowling between Old and New Seward). 

Creek Cleanup -- May 14

This year's event will be a little greener than in the past.  Total Reclaim has agreed to accept any electronics or fluorescent lamps found during cleanup efforts.  Central Recycling Services will accept inert materials, such as concrete and cinder blocks, for recycling.  And Off the Chain will take any bicycles found for refurbishing.  Green Star's Green Events program is providing recycling bins for the volunteer recognition party after the cleanup in Valley of the Moon park.  Visit www.anchoragecreeks.org for more details.  

Clean Air Challenge -- May 14 & 15  

KTVA and Green Star have joined forces to create TEAM KTVA CBS 11 / GREEN STAR for the American Lung Association's Clean Air Challenge.  The Clean Air Challenge is still looking for volunteers for May14h and 15th.  The event needs safety and gear drivers to assist along the route. Volunteers must have a vehicle that can hold a few bikes and people and have insurance.  The event also needs help with luggage and bike transfer.  Clean Air Challenge still welcomes continued donations to American Lung Association, individuals or to teams.  Green Star's Green Events program will provide recycling bins at the rest stations along the route to collect plastic bottles and mixed paper.  

Learn more about the Clean Air Challenge   

Sign up to sponsor a team or rider 

Bike to Work Day -- May 20

Click here for information about registering as an individual or as part of a team for Bike to Work Day.  You'll be entered into a drawing for this year's Bike to Work Day t-shirt, as well as a Trek 7.1 FX bike, donated by Chain Reaction Cycles.

Ride on Bike to Work Day and you'll enjoy comfort stations along the way, the opportunity to ride with others, and feeling good for the rest of the day.  You can even bike one way and take the bus the other way, using People Mover's bike racks.   

Energy-efficient Buildings -- May 24, noon-1pm 

Join Kate McKeown, Alaska Conservation Alliance's clean energy coordinator, and Michelle Wilber, Renewable Energy Alaska Project's energy efficiency coordinator, on Tuesday, May 24, noon - 1pm, at the Alaska State Troopers Museum, 320 W. 5th Avenue, for a brown bag presentation on energy-efficient buildings.  Construction and financing costs represent less than half of the lifecycle costs of a building; a bigger portion is maintenance and operations costs, much of which is energy costs.  Based on this statistic, building an energy-efficient building is less expensive in the long run due to decreased energy use over the life of the building.  Michelle's presentation explores ways that energy-efficient buildings save money and improve the bottom line.  It covers state programs, such as the Alaska Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund for public facilities, that can help you retrofit your public building to be more energy efficient.  And private commercial buildings also have a lot to gain from energy efficiency retrofits. Thus, Kate's presentation offers the business case for energy efficiency with stories of four local business owners who have seen the benefits of energy efficiency retrofits.

Lighting Technologies: Now and in the Future - June 28 (rescheduled from April date) 8:30am - 4:00pm, REI Education Room, 1200 W. Northern Lights Blvd.  Chugach Electric Smart Power and Green Star presents a daylong seminar featuring Jeff Robbins, a commercial lighting specialist with Seattle's Lighting Design Lab.  The workshop begins with a review of lighting basics and finishes with in-class lighting application exercises.  Robbins will cover all the recent updates to the newest and hottest technologies, followed by a thorough study of current retrofit practices. Continental breakfast, catered lunch, and light snacks provided. Call 278-7827 or email info@greenstarinc.org to register.  Registration is $45 and space limited to 50 people so register early.  Registration opens June 14. These lighting workshops always fill up!  Visit www.greenstarinc.org for more details about the workshop. 

Recycled Paper Shipment.  Get your 100% recycled-content paper. The price is $55.00/box or $5.50/ream. Checks should be made out to "Coal Point Trading Company."  Pick-up is at National Wildlife Federation or Alaska Center for the Environment.  This pilot project is available due to the generosity of Coal Point Trading Company in Homer.  Contact Valerie Connor at the Alaska Center for the Environment, (907)274-3632 or valerie@akcenter.org, to order paper.

Visit the new ANCHORAGE RECYCLES Facebook page!  Several Anchorage recycling organizations will be posting regularly so come join us, friend us, like us!

Recycling & Renewables Rap BLOG.  Don't forget that you have a daily online recycling resource at the Anchorage Daily News. Visit the Recycling Blog to see what's happening in the recycling world or to ask questions.