One of the first things you may notice, especially if you live in an apartment complex, is that you can’t get out of the gated complex! Have you experienced this yet? You pull up to the gate, just like you would with your car and the gate does not open. Why is this? Your gate is very likely triggered by metal in a car, not pressure or a laser beam. If you don’t have your “clicker” look for a rectangular marking in the road and put your bicycle on it. If your bike is aluminum or carbon fiber, you’re going to be there for a while! Try laying the bicycle down on the ground. Really, this has worked for me. If that doesn’t work, you have to come up with a “B” plan. It’s a great reason to try this on a day you don’t have to work.

Another obstacle you may notice and it’s my biggest peeve is how un-friendly traffic lights are in this town when it comes to bicycles. Traffic light “coordination” works a few different ways in Las Vegas: timed, camera controlled, ground sensors. It is very possible to sit at an intersection in this town and the light will never, ever change for you; oh, Wigwam and Pecos comes to mind. Short of running the light, which I never recommend, don’t drive yourself crazy. Roll over and hit the pedestrian button. In some cases it will trigger the light immediately, or at the very least it will give you extra time to roll through the intersection. Do you ever notice that left hand turn signals sometimes only last six or seven seconds? They’re programmed that way. You see, each intersection only is allotted a max number of seconds. To improve flow in any one direction, less “green” time is given to lower priority traffic flow. So, if you’re heading south on Spencer, crossing St. Rose Parkway and there are no cars behind you to trigger the camera or the ground sensor, where do you think the priority is going to be given to? Yep, the major road: St. Rose. If you press the pedestrian cross button when you get to your green light, you’ll get more green light. If not, sorry bicycles, hope you brought enough water.

One of the main reasons I do my test ride is to figure out terrain, specifically: hills and road widths. Las Vegas is a peculiar town when it comes to roads. Take a ride south on Eastern on a bicycle and then do the same ride on Pecos. Pecos has wild, rolling hills, Eastern appears to be flat. A lot of the town is like that and it’s great if you can find a nice downhill as part of your route or something as flat as possible. Using those two roads again as an example, ride either with traffic. Pecos has bicycle lanes and wide shoulders. Eastern, well, Eastern reminds me of riding a bicycle on 7th Avenue in New York City. It would be to your benefit to ride Pecos, even if it means taking a little extra time to get to it. Again, you might not notice this driving in your car, but when you’re on your bicycle nuances like these become obvious.

It pays to ride-your-ride. You’ll save so much energy, time and you’ll be safer. In future posts I’ll provide more tips and tricks to help you get around on your bicycle, but until then, ride safely and always wear a helmet.

Collected by ACT (Advertising Community Together) the ACT Responsible-Advertising Sustainability exhibit showcases ads from around the world that market sustainability. From companies working toward more environmentally friendly operations and “green” products to values that organizations want you to support, this interactive exhibit examines the effectiveness of sustainability-themed advertising, poses questions, and provides opportunities to share your views on advertising and the issues highlighted.

“Advertising surrounds each of us and has an impact in our daily lives on both a conscious and subconscious level,” said Managing Director of the Springs Preserve, Elizabeth Herridge. “These exhibits will give you reason to pause and examine the role ads play in the sustainable choices you make.”

Artist Sandhi Schimmel Gold takes this one step further, using advertising of many forms to create colorful mosaic portraits. Sandhi Schimmel Gold: Junk Mail Art features these portraits, which are assembled from “tiles” made from junk mail, old greeting cards, calendars, photographs, and other paper ephemera—materials that would otherwise go to waste. A self-described “rabid recycler,” Schimmel Gold shows us new visions of beauty created from the advertising industry’s images of beauty.

About the Springs Preserve
The Springs Preserve is a 180-acre national historic site that is the original oasis of Las Vegas and a beacon for a sustainable future. Located three miles from the Strip, the Preserve provides indoor and outdoor experiences that enrich, educate, and entertain visitors of all ages. Indoor experiences include two exhibition galleries dedicated to showcasing art of local and national significance in 8–10 exhibits annually; on-site technologically advanced learning centers; over 300 state-of-the art interactive museum exhibits; and an immersive theater experience. Outdoor experiences at the Preserve include 8 acres of botanical gardens, a series of walking trails leading to historical structures and restored wetlands, live desert wildlife exhibits, a child’s play area, and a 1,800-seat amphitheater. Celebrating the diversity of Las Vegas culture, the Preserve offers events and educational programming that enhance every season of life in the Mojave. Award-winning LEED Platinum architecture and water-smart desert landscaping highlight the Preserve’s dedication to sustainability. The Preserve is located at 333 S. Valley View Blvd. For more information, please visit http://www.facebook.com/l/9f277;www.springspreserve.org.

Program promotes recycling and gives value to the customer

LAS VEGAS – October 23, 2009 – The Cupcakery, Las Vegas’ premier cupcake bakery, has just launched a new green incentive program that promotes recycling and gives customers a sweet discount. In an effort to reduce
waste and encourage customers to return reusable material, The Cupcakery is offering a discount on the purchase of a dozen cupcakes in exchange for Cupcakery packaging materials.

Customers have the opportunity to receive a $2 discount for reusing or returning a dozen cupcake box, a $1 discount for a Cupcakery shopping bag and 50 cents for any small plastic container or the half-dozen box. The offers can also be combined for an even greater discount. Regular prices are $3 per cupcake and $32 per dozen.

“The Cupcakery is excited be able to help Mother Earth by recycling our products and giving customers a great discount at the same time,” said Owner Pamela Jenkins. “The discount offer is also a great way to encourage people to make the effort to recycle.”

About the Cupcakery

Baked fresh daily, The Cupcakery uses only the finest ingredients for quality you can taste. With a signature line-up of more than 16 distinctive flavors, The Cupcakery also features seasonal and monthly cupcakes. Local delivery service is available. Specialty orders, including themed and corporate logos, can be ordered with advance notice. Customers can also visit the website www.thecupcakery.com for easy online ordering, upcoming specials, contests and breaking cupcake news! Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10
a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Cupcakery…the best little cupcakes in Vegas!

• First energy-generation on The Strip through its 8.5 megawatt natural-gas co-generation plant, providing efficient electricity on site, reducing emissions and using “waste heat” to provide domestic hot water

• World’s first fleet of stretch limos powered by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG)
• Nation’s most technologically advanced hotel rooms with exclusive features allowing guests to “green their stay”
• Development of slot machine bases that serve as floor air-conditioning distribution units, efficiently cooling public spaces from the ground up in the occupied zones, rather than wasting energy cooling the empty space below the ceiling
• Energy-efficiency initiatives providing a savings equivalent to powering 8,800 households annually
• Creation of a large-scale recycling operation that enabled the recycling or reuse of more than 260,000 tons of construction waste, including 97% of the imploded Boardwalk Hotel
• More information on CityCenter’s Green initiatives can be found at: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/mgm/39529/

LAS VEGAS – August 6, 2009 – The green job market in Nevada is growing at a rapid pace, and UNLV students will soon gain a competitive edge in this emerging market with the creation of a new degree program in solar and renewable energy.

The Solar and Renewable Energy Minor, made possible by a $500,000 gift from NV Energy, will be available to all UNLV students beginning this fall as a complement to students’ existing degree programs. The minor is designed to boost student knowledge in the areas of solar and renewable energy utilization, sustainable building design and global environmental challenges. The gift also includes funding for scholarships, undergraduate research opportunities, demonstration equipment and internships with either NV Energy or local agencies with a strong focus in renewable and solar energy.

“The Solar and Renewable Energy Minor is an ideal industry-education partnership that will provide our students with career opportunities in the booming green job market and supply the workforce needed to support the alternative energy industry in our state and community,” said Tom Piechota, UNLV director of sustainability and multidisciplinary research.

The degree program is housed in the UNLV department of environmental studies and consists of both policy and science and engineering tracks. The policy track is open to all majors and includes additional coursework in environmental history, economics and policy. The science and engineering track, which is open to those who have fulfilled the science and engineering prerequisites, includes additional training in solar thermal and photovoltaic systems and design principles of renewable energy.

Scholarships of up to $3,000 will be awarded to 10 students each semester to offset costs associated with the minor. More than $80,000 will also be available each year to support graduate assistantships and undergraduate research opportunities for students to work with UNLV faculty on solar and renewable energy on research projects.

Each semester, four students enrolled in the minor will also have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in emerging green technology fields through internships with agencies such as NV Energy or other public and private sector organizations with a similar energy mission. In addition, local industry leaders from both the public and private sector will be brought in each semester to teach courses or make presentations in their areas of expertise.

For more information on the Solar and Renewable Energy Minor, please visit: environment.unlv.edu/solar

I have to start this article by giving a good friend a shout-out…I think it’s great that he pulled so many great minds together to get this online/ recycled magazine going! Go Cubs!

Now…back to the Green Virgin and “The Garden.” That term scares me to no end! A new garden is like owning a new puppy—constant watching over, training, and care. I have, however, had success with my compost and “The Garden.” If my husband ever lets me get another dog, I promise I am going to name him/her, Garden. But please, indulge me down memory lane, again!

My in-laws gave me wooden crates. Formerly, the wooden crates had been used in their backyard as a makeshift tree house for my son. And now, the “skeletons” have become a raised garden bed for me. (Please note the “repurposing” of the crates. Who said the Green Virgin couldn’t multi-task?) So, thanks to the in-laws! And thanks to my loving and very handy husband for fixing and adding to them.

With crates in place, I began to fill them with some compost I already had (I shared my compost-creating adventures in my first article which you hopefully read!). A little short on the compost, I supplemented the rest with purchased potting soil for vegetables and herbs. My plan? Start out simple with vegetables and herbs that we use regularly: sweet basil, lemon basil, early girl tomatoes, parsley, green onions, a Spanish onion, and garlic cloves from my fridge. Oh, and I actually ventured out with carrots, too.

Here’s a tip I learned: start smaller herbs out in smaller containers—leftover potting cups work perfectly. The parsley I started in a recycled and bio-degradable mini 10 pot carton. When using one of these smaller cartons, and you start to see sprouts, just transfer and plant the whole thing in the big garden—it’s as simple as that!

Now, the carrots…that was a different story. First, the pot that I originally potted them in was blown over by the wind. I tried to recover the roots that started growing, but I am not a doctor, I am the Green Virgin! I planted them anyway, so we will see if I was able to resuscitate them. Stay tuned…

-Green Virgin

Clark County woman has the answer for energy efficiency

By Becky Bosshart

The soft whirling sound coming from Nancy Tabor’s backyard resembles the hum of an air conditioner – one that had grown wings and taken to flight.

That is the sound of a 42-foot wind turbine with three 6-foot long blades spinning in the afternoon breeze. That’s also the sound of environmental progress. Tabor, 42, and her partner Allen McLane, owners of McLane Electric in Las Vegas, are producing their own power from a residential wind generator. And, according to Tabor, you can too.

Tabor and McLane are the local dealers for Skystream wind turbines. Since home wind generators are new in Southern Nevada, the couple decided to demonstrate it to potential clients by going through the process first. With an up-front investment of about $20,000, the turbine they installed in early May provides power to their four-bedroom ranch house on one acre near Lone Mountain. The gleaming steel turbine, which looks like it should be on a hillside in Germany or Denmark, often creates traffic congestion around their Clark County home.

“People sit outside and roll down windows and see if they can hear it,” says Tabor, who joined McLane in his electric business in 2002. “People ring our bell and ask to come in and check it out. Everybody is going to want one. It’s going to be like a washer. It just makes sense using our natural resources.”

A wind turbine uses the energy of the wind to generate electricity. Tabor and McLane’s house uses about 5,000 kilowatt hours a month. Depending on wind conditions, their Skystream turbine is expected to produce on average 400 to 1,000 kilowatt hours a month, she says.

When Tabor feels the wind, she gets excited. She can pull up a program on her computer showing how much energy they are producing, and how much carbon the Skystream has prevented from being released. Watching those graphs and counters can get addicting, Tabor says.

The couple is committed to sustainable living at home and work, but Tabor admits that the cost is high. At first. But NV Energy and federal rebates on wind energy will cover about 60 percent of the cost of their turbine. After rebates, the wind turbine will cost $7,500. Tabor says the permit process isn’t too difficult in the county.

Clark County residents living on a half-acre or more must apply for a variance, since the county doesn’t have a specific wind turbine code. Tabor handles all the permitting and rebate applications for customers. She’s quickly become an expert on local ordinances. She’s learned that it’s different for those in the city.

“The city knew this was going to be big,” Tabor says.

So, the city is in the process of developing a code specific to wind turbines. The couple hopes to see it adopted soon so they can install five turbines that have been pre-sold to city residents and businesses.

In addition to all this, Tabor’s job is to answer questions. Is there a chance a blade could fly off? No way, Tabor says. Not after Skystream spent $50 million in research and development. Could anything take it down? A car accident? A hurricane? Some B-movie monster? The turbine is bolted to a 6-foot-by-6-foot concrete base with a rebar cage. She can’t think of anything that would.

What the turbine will do – bring down your power bill.

Are you tired of overfilling your recycling bins? Sick of separating out the cans, bottles and newspapers when you know everything will be dumped into the same truck? Little do most people know, back in 2008, Republic Services started a recycling pilot program that got rid of the bins and replaced them with just one large recycling container. The program has grown but is not offered everywhere.

Here’s the idea: Republic Services will provide every residence with one 96-gallon trash cart and one 96-gallon recycling cart. Republic Services will then provide ‘once per week’ collection for both trash and recycling on the same day. Bulky item collection will be provided every other week on the regular collection day. This seemingly simple program sounds like a great plan to keep our streets clean and encourage more residents to recycle.

So why isn’t everyone doing it? In order to get signed up for the program all residents in your neighborhood must participate. So, send this to your friends, neighbors and co-workers and ask them to sign up for this service.  Sign up here: http://www.republicservicesvegas.com/Pages/RecyclingPilotPrograms.aspx to request this service in your neighborhood.

As I enter Starbucks on a particularly hot May afternoon in Las Vegas, I’m greeted with two weary but smiling faces, all but too happy to jump up and order me a cool and frothy whipped wonder. These faces are those of Greener Vegas founder and owner, Zach Delbex-Smith and chief information officer, Tim Stimple.

The understandably exhausted duo, along with their chief operating officer Cynthia Stimple and a small army of volunteers, have been on a relentless mission to demonstrate the importance of not only recycling, but repurposing, both of which they have shown can have a massive impact on the local community.

“In 2008, we saved and donated nearly 800,000 pounds of paper from the aftermath of both conventions and trade shows,” shares Tim Stimple. “And this year’s repurposing program has seen well over 10,000 square feet of fiberboard and more than 15,000 square feet of foam core board donated to 40 schools and other organizations in Clark County.”

The list of beneficiaries from the efforts of Greener Vegas is a long one—too long, in fact, which has created a complicated crossroads for the fledgling local charity.

“In one week, we had 15 teachers ask for donations—we were only able to service two of them,” said a visibly saddened Delbex-Smith.

In just under two years, the organization has grown from a good deed and a 20-foot flatbed truck, purchased with Delbex-Smith’s personal money, into a full-blown non-profit 501(c)3 organization operating out of a warehouse in North Las Vegas. However, it is not enough.

“We have more projects than people, and we have more material than we can possibly store,” said Delbex-Smith.

A good problem, with a currently unclear solution. But one thing is for sure: the idea is catching on. Greener Vegas’ ever-growing presence within the Las Vegas convention scene is creating a demand for its services that the group could never have imagined.

“With the rotation of conventions, we have seen the same companies multiple times. On their second and third times through town, they start to seek out our services, instead of us having to ask if we can recycle their leftovers,” said Delbex-Smith.

Being a non-profit 501(c)3 organization allows Greener Vegas to offer tax deductions on each donation. So, for companies who would otherwise throw away unused convention brochures and booth materials or have to bother with packing and shipping items back home, they would just as soon donate to a charity for a tax write-off.

Stimple refers to the “win-win-win” situation encompassing the companies who are able to donate; Greener Vegas who gains the material; and the end-users (other non-profits, schools and teachers) around Las Vegas.

“We have been asked if our services are available in Florida and other large convention markets,” said Delbex-Smith. “We know the need is there.”

But back to that pesky space and resources issue. With such a seemingly simple business model and highly beneficial end result, one would think the sky is the limit. What’s more, Greener Vegas’ services go much further than the convention industry.

In visiting the organization’s website, www.greenervegas.org one will find a host of intriguing green initiatives and ways to measure those efforts. For example, they offer “green consulting” for businesses looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Also, they utilize an “environmental impact calculator” which measures how many trees, how much water, etc. is saved as a result of green efforts.

The relentless ambition of this small but effective group is undeniable. It takes just one conversation to see and hear the passion they have for their organization and its mission. And hey, if they can make the desert green, who knows what’s next?

According to Delbex-Smith, “All we need is the ability to unleash our potential. We’re too big to fail.”

–

Greener Vegas is actively seeking business partners and storage space donations from the community in an effort to sustain and expand their services. Please visit www.greenervegas.org for more information.

Here it is…my first column about being green. I am, suffice to say, at much of a loss on this topic. As a married, stay-at-home mom of two boys, I am not exactly a “virgin”…so-to-speak, but, when it comes to being “green,” I am as innocent as they come! I want to share with you my first-time experiences and hopefully you will learn a thing or two and can join me in taking small steps to make Nevada a greener state, one “green virgin” at a time!

So, where do we start? I feel there are so many things that can be done, and small changes that can be made. One thing I have always wondered about—and been both intrigued and confused by at the same time—is composting. I’ll tell you why.

When I was little and visited my grandparents I remembered her compost pile. She put EVERYTHING in there. She was smart. She had many fruit trees, grape vines and vegetables. So, she would use this compost to grow these products and recycle scraps. Basically, before “green” became big or trendy, my Nana was recycling scraps that would otherwise go to the dump.

Fast forward to present time: my husband and I bought a home last September and I wanted grass, a garden, and all that a wonderful “white picket fence home” would have. But, I am in Vegas. The dirt is dry, dead and disgusting. We rented a tiller to break up the soil but it wound up running my husband and did very little. We had also spent a lot of money on buying soil, going back to Star Nursery a dozen times.

I, being a Green Virgin, with no idea how to take on this project, am now in a fussy. I think to myself, “Where do I start?” “What do I compost?” The answer is EVERYTHING!

I looked at how much food my family was wasting, by throwing it in the trash. Fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, etc.

I went crazy on how much we were wasting and not recycling! I would tell my boys that there are starving children in other countries and they need to finish their apples. But, to no avail, I would throw that apple away or give it to the dog. Now I throw it in the compost pile. I am recycling and reducing, and eventually reusing. It is simple. Big yard, small yard, no yard, you can recycle food and make compost. And start reusing the compost to plant your own veggies, fruits, plants, etc. I started my venture in a 5 gallon bucket.

It is very simple if you follow a few guidelines:

First, soil; you have to have a base product. So, go to Star Nursery or even Target for that matter and buy a bag of organic soil. I also used the torn-up grass soil from our yard. It is all about layers. Soil/dirt then scraps, then dirt, then scraps… Think brown then green, brown then green.

Keep it moist by watering it and turning it with a garden shovel. It also helps if you have worms. They break down the matter. I didn’t want to go buy worms so I watered a piece of dirt on the side of my house and dug up worms. Well, my two boys did.

Put soil down on the bottom and add your scraps of food. Water it. Then the next day mix it all together and add more soil and scraps. Keep doing this step.
Make sure it is in the sun. It has to have sunlight. If it stinks, it is either not getting enough sun or water or mixing.

After a while you will have compost. Plant everything you can, whether in containers, the yard, or a raised garden bed. It is free, recycled and reused.

Until next time, when we continue to turn our green dreams into reality…

- Green Virgin