EVENTS & REMINDERS
Find events on Green Star's web calendar. Treat Stations for Bicycle Commuters  | |
Bike Commuter Treat Station -- staffed by Christina Grande and Josh Sherwood of Green Star, Anne Schlapia with MOA DHHS, and Green Star Interns Sheng Vang and Michelle Craig.
Photo by Clean Air Challenge volunteer Eileen Thompson
|
Green Star, the Municipality, and American Lung Association in Alaska are teaming up to host a treat station for morning bicycle commuters at C St. and Tudor on the following Fridays: April 13, April 27, May 4, and May 11. Join us for Kaladi Bros. coffee, juice, and treats between 6:30am and 9am. We'll be promoting proper visibility with lights and reflective gear to be sure everyone is riding safely during the dark morning hours. We'll also be promoting the Clean Air Challenge with the American Lung Association in Alaska. Green Star staff Christina Grande and Josh Sherwood will be riding and they need your support! And if you visit the treat station, we'll give you a $10 off coupon for registration for the Clean Air Challenge. You'll have a chance to register for Bike to Work Day and can sign your workplace or club up for a "smart cycling" class, hosted by local instructors trained using League of American Bicyclist curriculum. Free Energy Efficiency Workshops -- Ongoing Offered by the Alaska Craftsman Home Program (ACHP Alaska) and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), these free hands-on workshops are available to homeowners, contractors, and other professionals who want to make energy efficiency improvements. Most workshops are held Mondays through Thursdays from 7 to 9pm at 3400 Spenard Rd., Ste 9. Topics include: Building Science Basics, Finding & Fixing Air Leaks, Energy Savings with Lighting & Appliances, Healthy Indoor Air through Ventilation, Heating & Hot Water Choices, Insulating for Savings & Comfort, How to Choose a Contractor, Evaluating Doors & Windows, and Ice Dams. A few workshops are half-day or all day and include topics like Advanced Cold Climate and Best Practices for Ventilated Crawlspaces. Registration is required and class size is limited. For more information, visit www.achpalaska.com or call 907-258-2247 Can Challenge -- April 1 through April 28  Save your aluminum cans and recycle them during the month of April to be included in the count for the annual Can Challenge.
Individuals, businesses, and schools can all participate. Just recycle in your curbside cart, through your workplace recycling program, at the Anchorage Recycling Center, at the Anchorage Regional Landfill's recycling area, or any of the dozen or more aluminum can collection bins located at Carrs stores and elementary schools. Visit Solid Waste Services' recycling page for all aluminum can recycling locations. The Cans for Cash™ City Recycling Challenge is a national contest that rewards U.S. cities for recycling aluminum beverage cans. It is sponsored by The United States Conference of Mayors and Novelis, a leader in aluminum can recycling. Nearly $100,000 will be awarded to municipalities competing in two categories. Lean Product Development Training by Ron Mascitelli -- April 9 Join the Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership (AMEP) at the BP Energy Center, 1014 Energy Ct , Anchorage, on Monday, April 9, from 8:30am to 1:15pm, for an all-new "Mastering Lean Product Development" workshop. The workshop provides a step-by-step methodology for integrating the powerful waste-eliminating tools of Lean Product Development into any product development process. In the current economic climate, doing more with less is a mandate for virtually any firm, particularly with respect to new product introductions. Firms that have embraced the practical, waste-eliminating methods of Lean Product Development have reported up to 50 percent reduction in launch schedules, dramatic improvements in gross margin, and enhanced customer satisfaction. Participants will take away a practical plan for executing a real-world development project in less time, with higher margins, and with enhanced quality and customer value.
Specific topics include:
- Identifying and mitigating risks to cost, schedule, and quality
- Managing resource capacity in a multi-projective environment
- Lean Scheduling and Constraint (bottleneck) management
- The LPD Visual Workflow Management System
- Cost reduction through Quick-Look Value Engineering and Lean P3 methods
- Enhancing productivity through Time-Slicing and Visual Communication
Register for this FREE workshop.
Earth Day -- April 22 Visit www.earthday.org to learn more about what you can do to make a difference. Alaska Pacific University's Earth Day Celebration -- April 23 Stop by Alaska Pacific University's Atwood Center between 1 and 5pm on Monday, April 23rd to celebrate Earth Day. Participants will include the Alaska Center for the Environment, Campbell Creek Science Center, BirdTLC, and the Alaska Botanical Gardens. Also APU's outdoor programs, outdoor studies, residence hall council, and basketball club. There will be tie-dying, freecycling, a recycled art contest, food, music, giveaways, games, competitions, and more. GOT HVAC? -- April 23 Join Green Star and Chugach Electric for an informational FREE workshop on Monday, April 23, 11am - 2pm, at the Crowne Plaza (Borealis Room), 109 W. International Airport Road. Complimentary coffee, beverages, and lunch included. RSVP to info@greenstarinc.org or 278-7827. SPACE IS LIMITED.
Print and post an HVAC workshop flyer in your workplace
* Learn fundamentals of your HVAC system
* Gain ideas to improve your existing systems
* Monitor your energy-savings strategies and upgrades
* Hear about Alaska SeaLife Center's seawater heat pump
Speakers:
- Hank Kiefert, General Manager of CCI Automated Technologies, will discuss the fundamentals of Heating, Cooling and Air Conditioning.
- Brian Miller, Chief Technology Office at CCI Automated Technologies, will share information about creating efficiencies using controls and new technologies.
- Tara Riemer Jones, PhD., Chief Operating Officer at Alaska SeaLife Center, and Darryl Schaefermeyer, Operations Manager, will describe the Center's experiences with its new seawater heat pump system
2nd Annual Spenard Beer & Mead Social -- April 28 
Come on out for Tap Root's 2nd Annual Spenard Beer & Mead Social, highlighting the amazing breweries, meaderies, distilleries, and distributors in Alaska. The event is Saturday, April 28, with two sessions: 12-3pm or 4-7pm. Tickets are $30 per session and include: - Entrance to the event.
- A souvenir glass with the Tap Root logo.
- Fifteen tickets per person to be exchanged for 3 oz. pours at any of the participating vendor booths.
- Awesome edibles catered by Tap Root.
In the spirit of philanthropy and supporting local charities, Tap Root is working with Green Star again for this event, and a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to them. Participants in the festival that also are Green Star members include Midnight Sun Brewing Co., Odom Corporation/ Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Alaska, K & L Distributors, and Tap Root! Learn more and get your tickets now! Green Star Recertification. One of Green Star's guiding principles is that award certified organizations must maintain their award status and continue to make improvements. To that end, Green Star requires all certified organizations to participate in a biennial recertification process. The process is an abbreviated form of the achievement report, asking awardees to document activities and successes since the previous request. If your organization is award certified, look for a request for your recertification information coming soon. 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. |
Green Star staff will be traveling to Old Harbor in mid-April to conduct a site assessment of the village, host a community event, and provide educational and technical assistance materials. The purpose of the trip is to develop a partnership between the village of Old Harbor and Green Star to move the community toward earning a Community Green Star Award. Green Star has been developing this new Award for the past year and hopes to have three to five business/building site assessments completed in Old Harbor as part of this inaugural village certification process by the end of the summer. 
Pollution prevention as a term has become less used recently, supplanted by sustainability, but the fundamental idea of preventing pollution rather than fixing problems is essential for efficient, economically viable manufacturing, providing services, and addressing many environmental problems.