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                                        Vol. 12, No. 11   November 1, 2011
GREEN STAR E-News

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In This Issue
Shining Stars
Events & Reminders
Do Something for America Recycles Day
Enjoy A New Green Star Member Benefit
Green Star Goes to Juneau
New Air Quality Report Confirms Benefits of Plugging In
Visit Us On Facebook
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Green Star AK 

 

 

Keep up with Green Star's busy schedule; come join us, friend us, like us!

 

 

 

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 Anchorage Recycles

  

Stay current on what's happening in recycling around Anchorage. Several recycling organizations post regularly.

 

 

 

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Bike to Work Anchorage 

 

The bicycling community just keeps pedaling into fall with events and trainings.  

Thank You to our Sponsors
Thank you to our recent sponsors and donors.

Princess Community Foundation

Wal-Mart

 

Visit Our Sponsor List  

 

This Month's Hot Link



Green Star Staff

Kim Kovol 

Executive Director

 

Josh Sherwood  

Technical Assistance

Coordinator

 

Christina Grande 

Community Outreach & Communications

Coordinator

 

Jeanne Carlson 

Web Master

 


What's New

Green Star's new address, as of May 1st, is:  

 

333 W. 4th Avenue,  

Suite 310,  

Anchorage, AK 99501.  

 

 


Member Benefits

Green Star offers benefits to its members beyond just energy savings and waste reduction.  Many local businesses offer product and service discounts to Green Star members. 

 

Visit our Member Benefits page to learn more.

 

Join Our Mailing List

SHINING STARS  

Green Star logo  

 

Welcome to Green Star's latest business member.  We look forward to helping them earn Green Star Award certification. 

 

Thank you to the Green Star Board of Directors who reached 100% participation in giving, with a $3,000 match from Eric McCallum.  

Eric McCallum is a former Green Star board member and respected community leader who has tirelessly touted the benefits of energy efficiency in the workplace.  His support of Green Star has been invaluable over the years.  We appreciate all that he has done for Green Star and for local businesses. 

EVENTS & REMINDERS
 

Find events on Green Star's web calendar  

 

  Crowne PlazaAutomated Laundry logo
Automated Laundry Presents New Green Cleaning System-- November 3

Crowne Plaza Anchorage-Midtown, 109 W. International Airport Road.   

11:30am - 12:30pm 

Automated Laundry Systems & Supply will showcase a new microfiber cleaning product that could save your business hundreds of dollars.  Microfiber cleans surfaces much better than anything else on the market, offering the following benefits:    

  • Reduces water consumption by 185,000 gallons annually.*
  • Reduces chemical usage by 1,500 gallons annually.*
  • Increases productivity by more than 65%.*
  *based on 400-room facility 

Lunch will be provided at this free event.  If you own a business, have a floor to clean, and you own a mop - then you MUST come to this event. Green Star will GIVE AWAY one cleaning system to ONE lucky business in attendance.  Please RSVP to 278-7827 or [email protected] for lunch planning purposes.

Tap RootCarrotmob! -- November 3
Tap Root, 3300 Spenard Road. Get ready for some fun, energy efficiency enthusiasts! Thursday, November 3, Alaska Center for the Environment, Green Star and Tap Root are teaming up to bring the first Carrotmob to Anchorage. Wait, a what?  A Carrotmob is a "buycott" where patrons turn out en masse to use their buying power to encourage a business to implement energy efficiency measures. Tap Root has agreed to use 100% of the night's profits to upgrade its facility so we need to turn out as many people as possible! The Carrotmob begins at 5pm with a Shannyn Moore show taped at Tap Root focusing on energy efficiency, and will continue until closing with music from the John Cook Trio. Tap Root will have food and drink specials throughout the night. Visit http://taproot.com for more details.

Revamp Recycle Restore
Anchorage Recycles Day  reVamp~Recycle~resTore
Art Exhibition -- November 4   
In recognition of America Recycles Day, join the First Friday event to kick off a month-long juried art exhibit featuring repurposed items as art.  The First Friday open house will be at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art (427 D Street, Anchorage) from 5:50 - 7:30pm.  The exhibit, featuring more than 30 pieces of functional and decorative art made from recovered objects, runs from November 4 through November 26.  The IGCA is open Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 4pm.  

LED bulb in handLED Tranformations: Making The Right Choices for the Future on the Path to Net Zero Energy Workshops -- November 4 & 5 

Two workshops  -- November 4, in Anchorage from 1 to 5pm at the BP Energy Center, 900 E. Benson Blvd.; and November 5, in Wasilla from 1 to 5pm at the Agate Inn, 4725 Begich Circle.  New LED products are appearing in the market rapidly -- some very good, some not so good -- and buyers must quickly learn how to determine which products will best suit their lighting needs. Besides the opportunity for significant energy savings, LED technology also opens exciting design opportunities for architects, lighting designers, builders and consumers.  Attendees will come away with an understanding of: LED lighting basics, strengths and weaknesses of LED technology, separating fact from fiction, how and where LED lighting is appropriate, and resources available. $20 General Admission, ACAT members free, $75 CE Certificate. Register online at http://www.acat.org . Limited seating available.

    

Green Star logoGreen Star's "Estrella Verde" Celebration for America Recycles Day -- November 15
Go green -- Spanish style!  Green Star staff will be on hand at a table in the lobby of the 4th Avenue Market Place building (333 W. 4th Ave.) from noon to 1pm, distributing Green Star tip sheets in English and Spanish.  Beverages, chips, and salsa will be available, all offered in corn- and soy-based bowls and cups.  Come out and learn more about what Green Star has to offer.  Merchants and customers are all welcome.

Energy Today in AK -- November 15
A forum on commercial energy efficiency will be held from 5:30 to 6:30pm at ACHP (Alaska Craftsman Home Program), 3400 Spenard Road.  Join us for an exciting discussion on how to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings in Alaska. Presenting on the topic will be Sean Skaling, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program Manager with Alaska Energy Authority, and Mark Masteller, Alaska Director of Cascadia Green Building Council. Complimentary refreshments will be available.  Call 258-2247 or email [email protected] for more information.

Green Star Board and Annual Meeting -- November 16
Join Green Star for our annual meeting at the Denali Commission, 510 L Street, from noon to 1:30pm.  The annual meeting is open to all Green Star members. Please contact Kim Kovol at kim@greenstarinc.org or 947-9903 for more information or if you wish to attend. 

Application Deadline for Bicycle Friendly Businesses -- January 13, 2012

This should give you plenty of time to apply!  The League of American Bicyclists promotes bike friendly businesses, communities, states, and businesses. Look for local examples in the BFQ Yearbook 2011.  The next application deadline for Bicycle Friendly Businesses is January 13, 2012 - we know many of you fit that description

 

Alaska Materials Exchange.  Don't forget to list your used items on the exchange or look there for items before going shopping.  At any given time, you can find office furniture and supplies, chemicals, pallets, constructions materials and more.  Visit AME for more information. 

 


DO SOMETHING FOR
AMERICA RECYCLES DAY

 

ARD 2011 long logo

America Recycles Day is fast approaching on November 15 and ALPAR (Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling) is asking everyone celebrate.  Find an event or post your event at http://www.americarecyclesday.org/    
  
Here are a few events happening in the Anchorage area: 

 

  • Green Star's "Estrella Verde" event.  See Events & Reminders section above.  
  • Can Do Kids Challenge at the Anchorage Recycling Center. Can Do Kids will receive an extra 10 cents/pound for aluminum cans on America Recycles Day (November 15) between 9am and 4pm. Any Can Do Kids who turn in cans on November 15 will be entered in a drawing to win a new bike. To be a Can Do Kid, register at the Anchorage Recycling Center's office at 6161 Rosewood Street (must be 18 years or younger). Same-day registration is allowed.  
  • Help promote Anchorage's revAmp - Recycle - ResTore (ART) juried art exhibit beginning November 4 throughout Anchorage.   
  • Nationally, WalMart is hosting America Recycles Day education events on Saturday, November 12.  If you would want to do a tabling event at your local store, you should contact the store's community outreach person to arrange. ALPAR will be hosting an event at the mid-town Anchorage Walmart.    

  

Thanks everyone for helping us put Alaska on the recycling map!
     

ENJOY A NEW GREEN STAR MEMBER BENEFIT 

 

The Alaska SeaLife Center would like to invite all Green Star business members, employees, and their immediate families to visit for FREE every Wednesday -- November 2011 through February 2012.  The SeaLife Center, located in historic downtown Seward, is Alaska's only permanent marine mammal rehabilitation facility and is the destination to experience Alaska's marine wildlife! View sea lions, seals, puffins, octopus and more in this state-of-the-art research and education facility.

 

 

In addition to FREE admission, the Center is offering a 10% discount for Green Star members on all behind-the-scenes tours and animal encounters on Wednesdays.  


Please call 888-378-2525 to reserve your opportunity to discover how the Center's avian, aquarium and mammal staff interact with resident animals. Help feed the puffins, participate in a seal training session or shake hands with a Giant Pacific octopus! On a behind-the-scenes tour, learn how daily meals are prepared for all our animals, how the rescue and rehabilitation department works, and how and why the SeaLife Center was created.

Mention your Green Star-affiliated business to the ticketing staff and your admission will be waived! Welcome to the Alaska SeaLife Center, your windows to the sea! 

 


GREEN STAR GOES TO JUNEAU

 

Juneau Chamber 10_2011
Alaska Marine Trucking receives its Green Star Award certificate at the Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon on October 20. Left to right: Josh Sherwood (Green Star), Bill Merk (Human Resources Coordinator, Alaska Marine Trucking), Christina Grande (Green Star), and Tim McLeod (President, AEL&P)  

 

Green Star staff recently traveled to Juneau to familiarize this southeast community with Green Star's services and benefits.  Staff spoke at a Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon and presented a Green Star Award certificate to Alaska Marine Trucking.    

 

While Green Star staff were in Juneau, they also performed facility site assessments at two recent members, Pearson's Pond, a B&B; and BEP Company, a toner cartridge remanufacturing company.

    

During the site assessment at BEP, Shelly Smith, president of BEP, said that the Alaska State Legislature began recycling a few toner cartridges with them last year, but the legislature has now committed to recycle most of its toner cartridges through BEP during the next legislative session.  

Smith says this is a large quantity compared to last year.     


NEW AIR QUALITY REPORT CONFIRMS BENEFITS OF PLUGGING IN

  

MOA logoThe Municipality of Anchorage Department of Health & Human Services' Air Quality Program released a new study in October that looks at the air quality trends in Anchorage over the past thirty years.  This study updates and expands upon the original study, published in 1994.

  

Air Quality in Anchorage: A Summary of Air Monitoring Data and Trends 1980-2010 focuses on the six pollutants for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has established a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). They are carbon monoxide, airborne particulate, airborne lead, sulfur dioxide, ozone and nitrogen dioxide. These pollutants are known as criteria pollutants because a health-based air quality standard has been established for
them.  

  

Of concern in Anchorage are carbon monoxide (CO) levels, which are highest in mid-winter. In 1983, CO levels in Anchorage exceeded the NAAQS at one or more monitoring stations on 53 days. CO concentrations have fallen dramatically over the past twenty years, however. No violations have been measured since 1996 and CO concentrations have dropped by approximately 60% from peak levels experienced in the early and mid-1980s.  

 

Still, according to the latest inventory compiled for the Anchorage bowl area for the year 2007, an estimated 79% of winter-season CO emissions in Anchorage were from motor vehicles. Two-thirds of these emissions occur shortly after start-up, especially if the vehicle is cold. Cold winter temperatures significantly increase CO emissions during the first few minutes of vehicle operation. 

  

In the winter, many Anchorage drivers engage in extended warm-ups, particularly prior to a morning commute. A 1998-99 Anchorage study indicated that the average warm-up period for morning commuters was 12 minutes. As a consequence, some of the highest CO concentrations in Anchorage occur in neighborhood residential areas where cold starts and long warm-ups are prevalent. 

  

During the winters of 1998-99 and 2000-2001, several Alaska cold start and idle emissions studies were conducted.  The key findings are listed below:

 

  • Most CO emissions occur during cold start and warm-up idle. The CO emitted during cold start and warm-up idle made up 68% of the total CO emitted. More than two-thirds of the CO emissions generated by Anchorage's morning commuters may occur before their vehicles even leave home.  
  • To minimize emissions after a cold start, the optimum warm-up idle time is about 10 minutes. On an overall trip basis (10-minute warm-up followed by a 7.3-mile drive), CO emissions actually increase when idle times are cut shorter than 10 minutes. When the idle time is cut to five minutes, overall trip emissions increased by an average of 8%, and by about 20% when the warm-up time was cut to two minutes. Warm-ups longer than 10 minutes increase emissions. A 15-minute idle increased emissions by about 10% when compared to a 10-minute idle.     
  • Using an engine heater prior to a cold start cuts CO emissions dramatically. Plugging in for two hours before a cold start cut emissions during a 10-minute warm-up idle period by an average of 59%. Overall trip emissions were cut by an average of 42%.  
  • Turning a warmed up car off when doing short errands provides little or no air quality benefit. Once a vehicle is warmed up, there is no air quality benefit from turning it off during a typical 20, 40 or 60-minute errand. In other words, total CO emissions were about the same whether the vehicle was left running or turned off and then restarted.    
  • Tailpipe emissions of benzene and other air toxics appear to be closely correlated with CO emissions. Data demonstrated that when CO emissions are high so are emissions of benzene and other air toxics. This suggests that strategies aimed at reducing CO emissions (i.e., plugging in and the vehicle I/M program) also reduce air toxic emissions.  

Read more about CO emissions and other air pollutants in the 2011 Air Trends Report at http://www.muni.org/departments/health/environment/airq (link on right-hand side of page).   

 

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