BART Blue Sky Festival...San Francisco celebrates smog-free skies! Vendors push environment! Free BART tix!

The promotional publicity still for Bart's "Blue Sky Festival" which kicked-off today in downtown San Francisco  on the waterfront  was straightforward and to the point.

The shot featured a relatively smog-free pristine blue sky with a few lazy fluffy clouds gently billowing here and there on the horizon.

The message was crystal clear!

Thanks to BART'S visionary efforts to enlighten motorists about alternatives to fossil fuels - the picturesque city by the bay is boasting that ridership is up on environmentally-safe public transport - and that fumes that once plagued the skyline are dissipating somewhat.

To celebrate, BART tossed an upbeat soiree that environmentally-conscious folks - and businesses - responded to in droves!

In essence, the "Blue Sky Festival" is centerpiece for the exchange of great environmental info, that runs in tandem with Earth Day which rolls around every spring.

Tourists, residents out giving their dogs a stretch, and city workers on lunch break, strolled through the plaza and munched on organically-grown strawberries, nutritious health drinks, and tasty energy-raising snacks as they mulled over environmentally safe products, and energy sources.

And, thanks to a popular local band - the Venusians - did so with a bounce in their step.

Their sound - consisting mainly of percussion, synthesizers, and strings - was somewhat reminiscent of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra (featured on YouTube) according to one observer with a keen ear.

Two Polar Bears danced around the stage to joyously celebrate a turn-around in their community.

Uh-huh!

Thanks to a new wave of environmental consciousness family members are being saved from extinction!

BART also offered up a nifty reward to curiosity-seekers who made a concerted effort to pop by and check out the booths.

Every attendee who presented a "passport" with six stamps on it (provided by the vendors present) was gifted with a free $6.00 BART pass!

But, a big buzz broke out in the crowd, when the opportunity to win a snazzy "fold up" bike presented itself.

Handy, when 'ya consider, that is the only two-wheeler that Officials on the Public Transportation system allow.

Other "green" friendly businesses participating included Bike Link / eLock, Breathe California & Greenbelt Alliance, City Car Share & ZipCar, Rock ' n Socks & Rickshaw Bagworks, Jamba Juice and Premier Organics.

If 'ya missed it, catch the Blue Sky Festival next year!

Or, at least, check out EarthShareCA.org for more details.

 http://www.thetattler.biz



Rooftop Gardens... the greening of America!

Sky high garden trends!

Rooftops are turning green sky high!

And, for good reason.

In addition to adding a touch of Mother Nature here and there to tenliven the concrete city scape,City dwellers are also installing a full-fledged garden on  top of city buildings for a number of practical purposes, too.

Green Roofs serve as sponges, to absorb run-off water, and lessen the impact of severe storms that otherwise may cause damage to the local environs, hasten sewers to overflow - and hence - pollute the environment.

When properly designed, green additions are capable of cooling structures and the surrounding neighborhoods, by the process of evapotranspiration; the key way plants absorb water through their root system and evaporate it through their leaves.

Not only do green roofs lower temperatures in the summer, but they also insulate in the winter.

On average, extensive green roofs provide twenty-five percent more insulation than a regular roof, while heat loss due to wind can be reduced by fifty percent.

In addition, the gardens filter pollutants from the air, and offer up opportunities for food production, as well.

Credit is given to the Germans who began the "roof greening movement" in the late 70's and 80's, according to an organization - "Green Roofs for Healthy Cities" - which is headed up by Steven Peck (President of the Toronto-based nonprofit trade organization).

The innovative idea soon spread throughout Europe, and naturally, on to the United States.

On these shores, Leslie Hoffman, President of New York based environment group - "Earth Pledge" - made it her mission to spread the green news after she planted one garden in Manhattan and saw the benefits of the exciting futuristic concept.

"There's alot of  wasted space on city rooftops that could be transformed into a small garden oasis with storm water management and ubrban heat in mind," she gushes enthusistically

By the way, bio-diversity in living roof designs is all the rage, today.

In fact, allegedly, Switzerland has just passed a bylaw which states that new buildings must green twenty percent of their rooftops and be designed utmost and foremost to relocate the green space covered by the building's footprint (including existing buildings and those historical in nature).

On the heels of the research, there has been an increased demand for material/product design, which will soon be available to North American markets.

As green roofs spread, the overall effect may help mitigate global warming. By reducing the urban heat island effect, the carbon footprint of energy used for air conditioning, for instance, will be lessened.

Architectural specialist, Jane Jacobs, put it all into perspective in a recent interview on the subject,

"In its need for variety and acceptance of randomness, a flourishing natural ecosystem is more like a city than a plantation. Perhaps it will be the city that reawakens our understanding and appreciation of nature, in all its teeming, unpredictable complexity."

Aldo Leopold once quipped:

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

www.julian.blogspot.com

Brad Pitt...gives back, gets down 'n dirty!

Well, there may be a WGA strike underway in the industry, but actor Brad Pitt's hands won't be idle.

Pitt expects foundations to be dug out for at least 150 eco-friendly homes in New Orleans' lower Ninth Ward by the end of next summer.

"Make it Right" - an initiative he started up to make the dream a reality - represents seed money from his own pocket, too; a whopping $5 million was donated by the fan of architectural aesthetics to aid in the bold-faced effort to restore neighborhoods devastated by the Hurricane Katrina.

Last year the activist (who also donates time, energy and $$$ to Global Green USA) and his sensuous wife - Angelina Jolie - purchased an elegant home in the city's French Quarter...so he'll be nearby to watch over the construction.

In spite of his own major contribution to kick-start the program, he's approaching foundations, big bucks individuals with a heart, church outreach groups, and corporate sponsors to ante up $150,000.00 to basically "adopt-a-home"...the cost of situating a struggling family into new digs.

About thirteen architects have been hired to create innovative housing; in this instance, structures that will be smartly constructed on stilts as a precaution against future flooding in the area.

Undoubtedly, his past involvement with environmental groups, has stressed the need to be forward-thinking in the approach now.

For this reason, the homes will be affordable, sustainable, safe from the elements...with all the creature comforts, too.

In recent months, Brad was somewhat preoccupied - it seems - with fashion shoots and other superficial pursuits. In a feature in the LA TIMES recently, he waxed philosophically about this 'n that - giving the impression of being a bit of a phony.

Today, it appears he is on track, getting down 'n dirty, and lending a much-needed hand where it is needed most.

Construction hats off to Pitt for not only making it right, but making a difference.

Those interested in checking out the progress of the project, or making a donation, should check out the web site: www.makeitrightnola.org

Peyton Conway March once said,

There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life - happiness, freedom, and peace of mind - are always attained by giving them to someone else.