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Anchorage Recycles
Stay current on what's happening in recycling around Anchorage. Several recycling organizations post regularly.
Plug at 20 Anchorage
Keep up with local events and cold-weather driving tips.
Bike to Work Anchorage
The bicycling community just keeps pedaling into winter with events and trainings.
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| Thank You to our Sponsors | Thank you to all of our sponsors and donors throughout the past year.
Visit Our Sponsor List
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| Green Star Staff |
Kim Kovol Executive Director Josh Sherwood |
What's New
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Green Star's address,
as of May 1, 2011, is: 333 W. 4th Avenue, Suite 310, Anchorage, AK 99501. PLEASE MAKE A NOTE! Several web listings that are beyond our control list out-of-date contact information for Green Star in Anchorage. |
Member Benefits
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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. |
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SHINING STARS
Congratulations to our newest Green Star Award certified organization!
Bear Creek Winery & Lodging received its Green Star Award certificate at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce on January 30. Another presentation will be held in Homer on February 21. This event will be Green Star's first award presentation at the Homer Chamber of Commerce. We hope to see many more in the future!
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EVENTS & REMINDERS
Find events on Green Star's web calendar.  Free Entry to Alaska SeaLife Center -- through February 28
The Alaska SeaLife Center invites all Green Star members, employees, and their immediate families to visit for FREE every Wednesday through February 2012. 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. Call 888-378-2525 to reserve. Mention your Green Star-affiliated organization to the ticketing staff and your admission will be waived!
 Alaska Forum on the Environment -- February 6-10
The forum is taking place this week at the Dena'ina Convention Center. Visit www.akforum.org for details regarding registration, continuing education credits, poster sessions, this year's break-out sessions, keynote speakers, and exhibitors. Contact Lindsey Jolly at ljolly@akforum.org or 888-301-0185 for registration information and be sure to visit the vendor area while you're there. Green Star is hosting a booth all week! AWEN Frost Fest - February 9 Join the Alaska Women's Environmental Network (AWEN) for Frost Fest at Middle Way Cafe (1300 West Northern Lights, Suite G, Anchorage). Enjoy live music from Back Acres, delicious appetizers, beer from Midnight Sun Brewing, and many door prizes from awesome local restaurants like Bear Tooth and Spenard Roadhouse. One lucky person will win a tour package from Major Marine Tours. Bring friends and family to this fun evening and support AWEN's mission to cultivate women leaders dedicated to conserving Alaska's natural heritage. Suggested $10 donation will go to developing the AWEN Mentorship Program. Bring your old paint and art supplies for focus:art and keep them out of our streams and rivers. During Frost Fest, AWEN will collect unused house paint and old art supplies as a benefit for focus:art, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing art classes and studio time for adults who experience disabilities. Please RSVP for Frost Fest. 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. |
RECYCLED PAPER AVAILABLE AGAIN Alaska Center for the Environment (ACE) received another shipment
of 100% post-consumer content, chlorine- and acid-free paper in January. The paper works very well in copiers, printers, and fax machines.
The paper is available for sale for $55 per case.
Using this paper saves trees, reduces energy use, prevents toxic contamination, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Contact Valerie at ACE to reserve your case(s), as there is a limited amount of paper.
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TIMER GIVEAWAYS A SUCCESS
 | Anne Schlapia (left) with DHHS shares the benefits of using
timers with a group of volunteers during a timer giveaway
at the University Center last month.
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Green Star partnered with the Municipality of Anchorage Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) to host a free timer giveaway on January 7, 2012, at the University Center. Community partners represented at the event included Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling (ALPAR), Alaska Lung Association, Alaska Railroad Corporation, Anchorage Waterways Council, REI, Total Reclaim, University of Alaska Anchorage, and the Municipality of Anchorage Departments of Solid Waste Services and Transportation (People Mover).
In less than two hours, more than 200 timers were handed out to Anchorage residents. Two weeks later, Boys & Girls Clubs at the Mountain View Community Center hosted Green Star for a second timer giveaway where more than 60 residents took advantage of the free timers. Another 60 residents came to Green Star's downtown office for a free timer. All of this year's inventory of free timers has been distributed to the public. This year, with record low temperatures in January, the practicality of using engine-block heater timers has been especially clear. A timer helps vehicle owners to reduce electricity use while taking advantage of the benefits of warming up their car or truck before their commute. By heating up a vehicle's engine before driving on a cold day, emissions are reduced by at least 20%, and the car experiences less wear and tear. A timer allows residents to accomplish this without needing to go out in the cold several hours before their commute.
Simply plug in when you get home at night, set your timer to start two to three hours before your morning commute, and you and your car will be ready to go in the morning.
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BEAR CREEK WINERY REUSES WINE BOTTLES  Bear Creek Winery & Lodging, in Homer, AK, just received its Green Star Award certification this month. One of the unique initiatives the winery is undertaking that earned them the certification is a program to collect and reuse its own wine bottles. Several restaurants in Homer are already returning Bear Creek's wine bottles for reuse.
There's also a drop-off location for the winery's wine bottles at the Homer Recycling Facility. The winery is only taking its own bottles back because it uses a specific glue for its labels that make them easily removable. The bottles also must not be broken or damaged. Winery owner Dorothy Fry says they've even had a few loyal customers from as far away as Fairbanks bring back empty cases of bottles when they are in the area. The winery is not reducing its costs just yet by reusing its bottles but the environmental benefits are the inspiration for the program. Bear Creek is considering expanding its collection program throughout the State to potentially eliminate the need to buy any new bottles at all. Customers also can bring back Bear Creek wine corks and the winery will turn them into keychains. And if customers bring any type of reusable wine bag to the winery when purchasing wine, they will receive $1 off each bottle purchased. Go green and go local with Bear Creek Winery! |
ALASKA FORUM ON THE ENVIRONMENT KEYNOTE SPEAKER BRINGS INSPIRATION TO ALASKA
AFE is known for bringing world-renowned keynote speakers to Anchorage each February. This year is no exception. During the first day of the conference, being held this week at the Dena'ina Convention Center, Jason F. McLennan shared his forward-thinking message with an audience from all over Alaska.
 Considered one of the most influential individuals in the green building movement today, Jason F. McLennan's work has made a strong impact on the shape and direction of green building in the United States and Canada. He is a much sought-after presenter and consultant on a wide variety of green building and sustainability topics around the world.
McLennan serves as the CEO of the International Living Future Institute -- a leading NGO that focuses on the transformation to a world that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Under the Living Future Umbrella, Jason operates the Cascadia Green Building Council, the Pacific Northwest's leading organization in the field of green building and sustainable development. Alaska is part of the Cascadia Green Building Council.
McLennan also is the founder and creator of the Living Building Challenge, widely considered the world's most progressive and stringent green building program.
 He is one of the people behind the Living Aleutian Home Design Competition. The Aleutian Housing Authority and the Cascadia Green Building Council have organized a global contest to develop a "living building" in Atka.
The contest is certainly a challenge due to the high price of heating fuel and construction materials in the Aleutians. As a "living building," the single-family home designed must go beyond most green building standards. The building's environmental footprint must be minimal and the space should be practically self-sustaining. It should be a model for the type of house that can work well in such a remote area, factoring in wind, cloud cover, and fluctuations in sunlight over the year when designing ways to heat and power the house. The building also should match the lifestyles of the community's residents.
The best design will be announced this May. The winners of the competition will be awarded $35,000 and given the chance to see their design completed.
Read more about Jason McLennan and his works at www.jasonmclennan.com.
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Access past issues of E-News, sorted by topic or date. Please send comments, questions, or suggestions for future E-News topics to us at jeanne@greenstarinc.org. Forward this newsletter freely. Send us any email addresses you wish us to add to our mailing list. Thank you!
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