Green Thumbprint

SPECIAL GUEST Dana Frasz of Food Shift delves with Keith into the shared frustration surrounding wasted food. In addition to the social, economic, and environmental implications, throwing out 40% of our nation's food is downright shameful in the face of 50 million food insecure Americans. Dana explains the unique approach of Food Shift to tackling this complex issue, and describes a potential win-win solution in the works.

SPECIAL GUEST Phil Pierce and Keith chat about a shared enthusiasm--urban forestry. They explore the social, economic, and myriad environmental benefits of trees. In addition to talking about trees in cities, they delve into the forest's "undergrowth" and the challenge of growing trees in the midst of a drought. Learn more about San Francisco's Friends of the Urban Forest online or find a local tree organization through the Alliance for Community Trees.

SPECIAL GUEST Chris Rhie joins Keith to discuss the overlap between urban planning and public health. They dig into the evolution of green building standards, then smoothly change lanes to a shared passion: bicycling.

SPECIAL GUEST Zach Youngerman and Keith dive in to a shared enthusiasm, Low Impact Development (LID) or green stormwater infrastructure. They discuss the features of one of Zach's favorite Best Management Practices--rain gardens--and provide some take away tips on managing stormwater at home.

Elise is back to chat with Keith about one of their favorite subjects: FOOD! More specifically, they discuss all the ways that foodstuffs can be preserved, from pickling to drying to everything in between. Hear success stories, horror stories, and a how-to for a first-time preserver!

SPECIAL GUEST Stephanie Stern joins Keith to talk about energy efficiency. They discuss tips for home owners and renters alike, and fun facts abound. (Do you know what consumes half your home's energy?)

Keith and Elise are back to discuss a leading cause of bird deaths worldwide, and what is being done to address it. You can help!

Keith and Elise kick off the Green Thumbprint podcast with an episode on their enthusiasm for plastic bags! Or rather, their enthusiasm for reducing the use of plastic, tips on how to do so, and some startling facts.

Keith and Elise introduce their blog -- Green Thumbprint [ http://ourgreenthumbprint.blogspot.com ], their podcast of the same name, and themselves!

The other day I was visiting the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Both Elise and I are big fans of the museum, and one big reason is because environmental stewardship is a key element of the Academy, featured prominently throughout.Especially on the roof, which may in fact be the most famous aspect of this extraordinary museum.This is because the Academy has installed a very prominent, very elaborate, and very wonderful green roof.Now please excuse me while I rave for the next few minutes about green roofs.In case you are unfamiliar with green roofs, please do yourself a favor and try to find one nearby to go visit (San Francisco provides an interactive map). We encourage you to dig deeper on the web to learn more about them. They are awesome. And they are essentially just what they sound like.Green roofs are building tops featuring vegetation that is typically integrated into the physical infrastructure of the roofing. Several American cities have gained prominence for their leadership in promoting green roofs; Chicago was long considered a leader, installing a green roof on its city hall. However, Washington DC has now claimed the top spot, in total roof square footage, through a recent green roof building boom.Allow me to enumerate some of their benefits:- They can provide much needed habitat, especially in dense cities, for a variety of species, particularly migratory birds and native flora and fauna- They act as green stormwater infrastructure, helping slow (and filter) rain runoff and reducing the strain on sewers by capturing a portion of rain that falls on them- They help save building owners and occupants money in a number of ways, by lengthening the life of the roof, providing insulation from extreme heat or cold (and reducing cooling and heating costs), increasing the marketability of the building and the real estate surrounding it, and potentially reducing fees or building review time according to local regulations- They reduce the Urban Heat Island effect, a city phenomenon which causes temperatures in cities to be hotter than average, by replacing the dark and heat-absorbant surface typical of most roofs with vegetation and through the effects of evaporation and dew collection- They can serve as much-needed space to garden and grow food, becoming components of urban agriculture (don't even get me started on this--another topic for another day!)- They help clean the air, by absorbing carbon dioxide and noxious gases as well as filtering smaller dust particles and airborne pollutants- They provide additional amenity space, can serve as educational forums, help suppress fire, and even reduce electromagnetic radiation!- And they are gorgeous! (Don't underestimate biophilia!)Green roofs always send a shiver of inspiration through me. And as you can tell, they tie into a number of other ecological topics. Providing an excellent segue into our next (several) blog posts...

Hi everyone, and thanks for visiting our blog!I want to discuss a subject that is very near and dear to me, especially as I write this in the middle of 2014 in California. Yes, I'm talking about water, or as we are currently experiencing, the apparent lack thereof.President Obama speaking in the parched Central Valley of CaliforniaThere are so many things I want to say about water in California, and so many angles to this subject, that it is hard to know where to begin. Suffice to say, this will be one of many posts I compose on water.One important consideration is the fact that much ink has been spilled and many tongues have wagged dry discussing the state of water in the Golden State. And for good reason. California is the most populous state in the U.S. with an economy that would be in the top ten of the world if counted independently, and much of this economy depends on water. Not only the billions of dollars generated by our agriculture industry, but other key sectors like the tech of Silicon Valley.Thus, I won't profess to be an expert on water or the first to provide insight on the subject. Perhaps one of the greatest benefits I can provide is to point readers in the direction of smarter minds as I attempt to stand on the shoulders of giants and holler loud about the current crisis we face. Read brilliant books like Cadillac Dessert by Marc Reisner, or if you're feeling a little less ambitious watch the cinematic version; heck, re-watch the Jack Nicholson classic Chinatown with a close eye on the politics of water that course throughout the plot.Jack Nicholson in ChinatownThere are plenty of great websites and resources to learn about the current state of water affairs, from essential information provided by the state's Department of Water Resources to the think tank The Pacific Institute to Wholly H2O.Water is a topic that can lead to some very heated debates, particularly in California. I don't mind wading into that fray and tackling some contentious issues, but before I do, I think I'll close this initial discourse on H2O with a fairly non-controversial idea: water conservation. Particularly in the midst of a drought, one of the most effective tactics is to reduce water consumption. This approach, known also as demand reduction, can be applied to other sectors, such as energy, and is both extremely cost-effective and ecological.Earlier this year I had the opportunity to write an article for SPUR on leading water conservation strategies being employed in the Bay Area by water agencies and public utilities, which I wanted to share. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!-------------------------------------------------------------Last but not least, a water tip: related to the aforementioned SPUR article, I'd like to offer a suggestion for folks to reduce their water consumption. Many cities and water districts offer water audits or surveys, in which a specially trained agent comes to a person's house or apartment and comprehensively inspects the home. They look at all water-using appliances, check for leaks, make sure everything is running optimally, and then make suggestions based on their findings, provide tips, and sometimes even hand out free devices or rebates. So if you pay a water bill, call your water provider and ask if they provide this service, which is usually free of charge!