Archive for November, 2010
Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation (Author Event 12/2/10)
Join us on Thursday, December 2 as author Sharon Danks presents a vibrant slideshow that will explore the growing movement toward “green” school grounds. We’ll observe various green schoolyard features, including edible gardens, wildlife habitats, schoolyard watershed models, rainwater catchment systems, and wastewater treatment wetlands. Asphalt to Ecosystems is a compelling color guidebook for designing [...]
Join us for the Ecology Center’s Regenerating Solutions Salon 11/30/10
The Bay Area environmental scene is rich with opportunities to volunteer, take action, and get politically engaged. What’s missing? A time and space for talking with others in the community about questions, issues, and challenges that come up when engaging in environmental advocacy and personal action. The Ecology Center’s Regenerating Solutions Salon addresses these questions [...]
Plastic Bag Mockumentary + LA Passes Plastic Bag Ban
Los Angeles County has successfully adopted a plastic bag ban with a 10-cent paper bag fee, an ordinance that will apply to all unincorporated sections in the county. There is still a possibility that LA County may be challenged or sued by the American Chemistry Council, one of the main opponents of the plastic bag [...]
Story of Electronics
This November, Americans are expected to spend over $8.5 billion on consumer electronics, motivated by enticements to buy gizmos we don’t really need, or to replace gadgets that are still working with slightly newer versions. Earlier this month, Story of Stuff released their newest video – The Story of Electronics – in an effort to [...]
The Ecology Center Store Shines a Light on Candles
Candles can be a great way to help you relax or bring warmth to a room. However, candles are also one of the overlooked causes of poor indoor air quality and can especially affect your children’s health. Most candles on the market today are made from paraffin wax or a blend of paraffin and other [...]
Come see why people shop at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market!
First-time visitors and regular customers alike find shopping at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market a rewarding experience. In this video by In the Mo, vendors explain what makes the Berkeley Farmers’ Markets unique, from fresh organic foods to special events at Civic Center Park, to products that benefit a donation-based botanical medicine clinic in San Francisco. [...]
A Matter of Trust and Vigilance: Re-Selling at Farmers’ Markets
This past fall, an NBC affiliate in Los Angeles conducted an undercover investigation of several farmers’ markets in Southern California, and found multiple instances of vendors lying about what they were selling and what they were growing. They were simply reselling produce that they were obtaining elsewhere. Many of the residents who shop at farmers’ [...]
The Natural Kitchen: Your Guide to the Sustainable Food Revolution (Author Event 11/14/10)
Come hear author Deborah Eden Tull discuss her new, simple, revolutionary guide to mindful, sustainable food shopping, planning, preparation, cooking, and eating in the city. The Natural Kitchen picks up where The Urban Homestead books leave off and brings the lessons of sustainable living into the kitchen, where the daily choices we make involving food have [...]
Sign up for our EcoHouse tour 11/14
On Sunday November 14, come learn about rainwater catchment, greywater, and Earthworks at the EcoHouse! EcoHouse features the first permitted residential constructed wetland/greywater system in the State of California, and the first permitted greywater system in Berkeley. Come learn about the principles and process of safely irrigating with shower, bathroom sink, and laundry waste water. The [...]
Householder’s Guide to the Universe: Author Event 11/11/10
Come hear author Harriet Fasenfest talk about her new book at the Ecology Center on Thursday, November 11, from 7-9. Here’s a short blurb introducing her book: “In an era when go local, organic food, and sustainability are on the tip of everyone’s tongues, Harriet Fasenfest’s A Householder’s Guide to the Universe takes up the [...]
Farm Visit: Pomo Tierra Ranch
Katie H. Michel, BFM Operations Manager, recently traveled to Pomo Tierra Ranch in the Anderson Valley. Here’s what she learned about this Berkeley Farmers’ Market vendor. I drove through the gate at Pomo Tierra in the late afternoon. The property is located near Yorkville on Highway 128, which winds through the Anderson Valley in southern [...]
Meet the Speakers at the Berkeley Green Gathering
The Berkeley Green Gathering is fast approaching. Buy your tickets today! We have a great lineup of speakers this year, including the warm, inspiring Bill McKibben. Even if you are a veteran of the local environmental movement, we guarantee you’ll learn of exciting new efforts taking place right here in Berkeley. Check out our list of topics [...]
