Good-bye Car. Hello Feet.

Today I bought a new bicycle helmet. My 1995 Ford Explorer needs a new fuel pump and the $720 is probably more than half the value of the car its self. I’m not in the position to fork out that kind of money and find myself excited about going car-less for the first time since I got my driver’s license. I’ve been using my bike as a main means of transport lately, so taking the leap to not having a car isn’t so huge.

Top Five Reason’s I’m excited about Not having a car:

1. My carbon footprint has shrunk big time. Gas mileage/gallon of my old car: 16 miles/streets and 21 miles/hwy. (Compare your car at the US Dept of Energy Site.)
2. Saving money. No gas, insurance, maintenance, parking, etc.
3. Staying healthy. More biking, walking, and vitamin D.
4. More time with friends and family. Receiving rides is fun!
5. The challenge. Living the positive change that is necessary for the health of our planet.

West Coast Green 2009 Favorites

This year the West Coast Green Conference was held at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center. This alone created a very different feel. Sitting on a bench overlooking the Bay as I took my lunch break from volunteering, I basked in the bright sun, fresh breeze, frolicking sea lions, and chatting seagulls. I felt so fortunate to live this amazingly beautiful Bay Area.

West Coast Green took advantage of this coastal site and created a campus-like feel. By staging two large trade floors in sister pavilions,    presentations and talks spread throughout the center, and creating a water front garden visitors enjoyed walking in the fresh air. What a nice contrast to the typical mammoth indoor conference center.

This year’s conference theme was “You Are Brilliant.” Perhaps it is a reminder to us all that we as individuals hold the answers to the pressing environmental challenges we face today. Our own strengths and innovations have the ability to shine at any time and with gatherings like West Coast Green they have the chance to be seen, grow and take flight.

Here are my top experiences, companies, and products from West Coast Green 2009- (Note my list is shorter this year as my volunteering and schedule didn’t allow viewing both of the trade floors.):

1. Next Agenda:   “A new media Business solving problems.” I was fortunate to listen to Peter Leyden, founder of Next Agenda speak about the time we are in as a historical time of extreme transformation and his passion to provide a new vehicle to create solutions outside of Washington’s politics.

2. PlanetUp:  This is a website that allows users to reduce their carbon footprint for free.

3. the Natural Builders: . Collaboration of artists, green builders, landscape architects creating natural/green installations and buildings. They designed the amazing water front garden at the conference.

4. Design Ecology:   Living Roofs, Living Walls, Rainwater Harvesting…

5. VOX :  Sustainable residential design and build.

6. Green Careers, Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future by Jim Cassio & Alice Rush.

7. The HYBRID Hornblower yacht.  Tour the Bay with style and a conscience.

8. Carrot Mob:  Organizes competition between business rewarding them for making socially responsible choices.

Top ten companies at West Coast Green Conference 2008

Some of my favorite products and companies I visited at the West Coast Green Conference 2008 in San Jose were:

1.Sungevity, one stop solar power for your home. Provides quotes using satelite information.
2.element four, the watermill: creating water from air.
3.Ecosmart, An ingenious alternative to the standard fireplace, no chimney or wood required. Locally distributed by Marin Outdoor Living in Greenbrae, California.
4. Bay Friendly Lanscaping and Gardening Coalition ,Support to create healthy environments in your backyard and beyond.
5.Cool Roof Rating Council, cool roof= a lighter colored roof will reflect more light thus keeping homes cooler and use less energy.
6. Storm Sustainability , rain water harvesting.
7. Green Design Systems, “Straw Wall”, a prefab version of straw bale construction.
8. Symbios Holistic Development : Beautiful Green Roofs! Keeping your home cool with an amazing roof garden…
9. homeZ , Home diagnotic services; see how your home is performing, get an action plan for saving opportunities, and a get a menu of cost-effective suggestions for your house.
10. Dunn Edwards Paint, I’ve always loved their paint pallet and great prices for professionals, but now it’s clear they are great green resource as well.

The Challenge

“Dare Greatly.”  The theme from this years West Cost Green Conference in San Jose from September 25-27, 2008. I am touched, moved, inspired, in awe, enlightened from being part of this experience. My personal dare is to take this energy of opportunity and keep it alive with in me and by passing it on to others. To go to this conference and learn, share, and energize is one thing….to continue the learning, sharing and energy everyday is truely what will make a difference in my world and hopefuly in yours.

At West Coast, I saw amazing innovations like the watermill which is a devise that makes water from air. I listened to Al Gore and Jerry Brown energize the conference with hope and courage for the future. I exchanged ideas and made connections for continuing our conversations for change in our lives, our businesses, the environment, and the economy.

There were two ironic moments while at West Coast Green. First, as I sat there in the auditorium surrounded by thousands of people full of love, courage and optimism for the future of our environment, Al Gore reminded us that in that very moment in Washington DC, the politicians were meeting to discuss the 700 billion dollar Bail Out for the US economic crisis. Al Gore said that it is in fact a “green revolution that is the answer to the US economic crisis”. 

And just for a tease, here is the introduction from Al Gore.(I’m hoping that someone will post more video from his speech.)

The second ironic moment came as I returned to the main trade-floor after Al Gore’s speech. As I passed another section of the hall I heard the rambling rhythm of a foreclosure auction. The contrast of the meaning of each event was vivid. One so sterile, rushed, full of chaos, lost hopes, and bargain hunters; the other hall full of a buzz of greatness, purpose, abundance, generosity, innovation, and harmony…

For a taste of what happend this weekend in the San Jose Convention Center:

Here are some of the products exhibited: