As we enjoy these hot August days, we are busy behind the scenes at Bay Area Green Tours. Here’s a taste of our recent projects: we have a brand new logo and have recently made greater use of our social media with the help of Silke, our wonderful German intern. This fun and challenging effort allows us to be more responsive to our partners’ and supporters’ campaigns, more proactive in searching out environmental innovations to share with our network, and better able to comment on local news developments such as this week’s very disturbing fire at the Chevron refinery in Richmond.
We have been forging new connections in the last few months with farms, ranches and wineries in the surrounding counties of Sonoma, Napa, Marin and the San Mateo Coast. This is part of our necessary evolution away from open-to-the-public tours and toward producing private charters and events -- so... if you are part of a social club, organizing a private party, or interested in corporate team building excursions, please get in touch with us! (We REALLY appreciate people who make referrals to us!) We are currently planning our educational tours for the upcoming school year, including two with funding secured from The Altamant Education Advisory Board -- for students of Holy Names University and Ashoka Youth Ventures. We are also looking forward to producing a fourth year of exciting tours for Berkeley High's Green Academy.
There are so many wonderful happenings and causes clamoring for our attention here in the Bay Area and we'd love to hear about the ones on your radar! Please drop us a line if you know of schools that want to explore the idea of adding green tours to their curriculum, corporations which might be interested in sponsoring a public service & educational non-profit like BAGT, or fascinating green innovators we should consider spotlighting on our tours.
Fondest Regards,
Marissa & the BAGT team
BAGT NEWS
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Our Last Moveable Feast
Our final open-to-the-public feast was held Wednesday, July 25th. We would be pleased to arrange a private Moveable Feast for your next special occasion... birthday, anniversary, reunion, etc.
Accompanied by the pleasantly lively world music of the Sarava Zamba, our lively group assembled on Gather Restaurant's patio on a cool July evening - for warm introductions, artisan pizza, and of course excellent wine and beer. At Revival Bar & Kitchen we savored a sumptious meal in their exquisitely intimate private back room, beginning with our entrée course (choice of salmon or duck, both with amazing side dishes). We were also treated to an item not on our standard menu: an appetizer made from rabbits raised by our featured guest speaker, Mark Pasternak. During our final course of the night, guests were so taken with Five Restaurant’s beautiful dessert spread, striking décor, and the unusual camaraderie of the group, that many stayed to socialize for an hour past the scheduled event end time. Judging by their excellent questions, our guests truly appreciated the chance to hear directly from the chefs and owners at each of the three featured restaurants, as well as from Mark, who spoke about his educational projects and experience running Devil’s Gulch Ranch in Nicasio. Throughout the Feast, participants enjoyed sharing a unique experience - not only with their own party (we had many couples attending together that night), but also with previous acquaintances and new kindred spirits they were able to meet along the way. A good time was most definitely had by all!
More photos are viewable on our flickr page. We are available to arrange a version of this event for a private party, please contact us for details.
BAGT STAFF SPOTLIGHT
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Welome Nori Tong
Business Development and Sales Director
Nori joined our team after interning with BAGT for several months. She graduated from Presidio Graduate School's sustainable business management MBA program in 2011, where her focus was on food and energy, economics of organic/biodynamic farming, and local food systems, including projects with Joint BioEnergy Institute, People's Grocery, Organic Vintners and The Food Commons. Prior to falling in love with and moving to the Bay Area, she worked in sales and business development in the IT industry for a Fortune Global 500 company. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, growing up as a city girl, Nori's dream has always been to become a farmer one day, and she can be found working at Alemany Farm or in her back yard with her son on a beautiful day. Nori can be reached at nori (@) bayareagreentours.org
BAGT RECOMMENDATIONS
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The Good Company by Robert Girling
Professor Girling serves on BAGT's board and is one of our greatest supporters. His book is a great read for anyone looking to learn more about social entreprenership. I enjoyed a chapter every morning and was inspired to get to work! Marissa LaMagna
Cost: about $11.00
Click here to order this inspiring book!
Book Description:
In THE GOOD COMPANY, Business Professor Robert Girling shares 18 inspiring case studies of new as well as established companies and social enterprises from around the world that are making our planet better by meeting the human needs of their employees, suppliers and customers. The companies in the book meet the environmental challenge by developing sustainable technologies and production systems. Professor Girling states why we need companies to restore our communities, repair our ecosystems, and provide meaningful work. In plain language, the author explores the nature of companies in today's economy, why we need a new type of corporation, and the organizations leading the movement toward change. THE GOOD COMPANY has good news: there are a growing number of companies, good companies that are healing the world by giving back to the community and introducing planet-saving innovations. And here's the bottom line: Good Companies are profitable. Reading this book will enable you to learn about how companies like Clif Bar, Triodos Bank, Natura Cosmeticos, Google, Give Something Back and many more do what is right. The author helps you ponder and begin to answer the question: "What can I do to join the march to address the world's social and environmental challenges?" In the concluding chapter, the author points to the proven keys you need to start a good company. By keeping chapters short, the author allows the reader to browse and select the topics and stories of greatest interest. Each chapter is self-contained, providing a range of insights as well as inspiration and a certainty that there is hope for the future.
About the Author:
Robert Girling is a Professor in the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and has taught and consulted in 20 different countries. He has also taught at the Federal University of Bahia, the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, the University of the West Indies and American University in Washington D.C. He has consulted with the World Bank, USAID, the United Nations, and the International Center for Research on Women.
Dr. Girling is a social entrepreneur who co-founded LIDERE, a school improvement program in Brazil which worked with 80 schools in Northeastern Brazil. He is a co-founder of the Sustainable Enterprise Conference series, and serves on the Board of Directors of Bay Area Green Tours. Professor Girling is the author of over 50 articles and books.
Minds in the Water
Directed by Justin Krumb
USA, 2011
Runtime: 90 min.
Minds in the Water is an award winning documentary following the quest of professional surfer Dave Rastovich and his friends to protect dolphins, whales, and the oceans they all share. Through Dave's journey - a five-year adventure spanning the globe from Australia to the Galapagos, Tonga, California, Alaska and Japan - we witness one surfer's quest to activate his community to help protect the ocean and its inhabitants from the real and dangerous threats of commercial slaughter and pollution.
1. Iceland 2. Switzerland 3. Costa Rica 4. Sweden 5. Norway 6. Mauritius 7. France 8. Austria 9. Cuba 10. Columbia
Now the question is, what makes them green?
Here are some examples from the top 3 countries:
Iceland is considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful countries because of the breathtaking landscape, but they can further enjoy that due to their high achievement of environmental policy goals. People in Iceland use geothermal energy very well, while the most used electricity and heat source is hydrogen. Believe it or not, an astounding 82% of the electricity and heat in Icelandic comes from hydrogen and geothermal sources, while only 18% comes from coal. The first place for the greenest country is well deserved.
Switzerland was leading the EPI list years ago, but now has fallen to second place due to Iceland's incredible performance. However, the Swiss are still working hard creating a greener society. The government has imposed a fee for disposing trash in the country, but the people are pretty interested in ecology as well. For example, there are locales - smaller towns mostly - in which using a car is prohibited. That’s how Switzerland remains near the top of this list for years.
Costa Rica, where the government is strongly committed to following the Icelandic example in the use of renewable energy sources, has set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2021! The land suffered deforestation for years as it was clear cut for agriculture, but now one of the main goals is reforestation of the country, planting over five million trees over the last five years.
ECO FUN
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Host a Green Barbecue
Host a Green Barbecue - Enjoy this Quiz!
Perfect for August as this the official National Picnic Month! (Who knew?)
The joy of an open grill is a favorite part of summer for many, but all that smoke drifting into the air and trash headed for landfills can harm the planet. How big an impact does your party make?
1. You mow your lawn to make it more presentable to guests.
What do you do with the grass clippings?
a. Compost them at home.
b. Leave them on the lawn.
c. Throw them in the green waste bin.
.......................................................................... 2. Food is the star at any barbecue! What’s on your grill?
a. Red meat, like beef or lamb.
b. Fruits and vegetables.
c. White meat, like chicken or turkey.
........................................................................... 3. Now that you have the food, what do you use to cook it?
a. Charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid.
b. Lump charcoal.
c. A propane gas grill.
.......................................................................... 4. What type of dishes do you use to serve the meal?
a. Reusable.
b. Disposable.
c. Compostable.
Results:
1. a=1, b=2, c=0
It takes a lot of energy to truck clippings to a compost facility, process them, and transport them to farmers in the central valley. Sometimes they even end up in landfills, where they don’t compost properly or provide nourishment for plants. A home compost system is more reliable and energy efficient, but it’s easiest to leave clippings on the lawn. They provide up to 25% of the lawn’s fertilizer needs, as well as free mulch and water. All you need to do is remove the bag that collects the clippings. Better yet, switch to a push lawnmower, which doesn’t use fossil fuels.
2. a=0, b=2, c=1
Veggies are the best choice here—nutritionally, it’s best to eat red meat only once a week, and white meat one to two times a week. During the summer, lots of produce is in season, both at farmer’s markets and in your own garden. Entice people into eating fruits and vegetables by finding creative recipes online. Of course, your guests may be disappointed if traditional hot dogs and hamburgers aren’t on the menu, in which case you should try to buy grass-fed lean beef from a local butcher. It tastes better, it’s healthier, and if you limit how much you eat, it’s just as affordable as the grocery store’s bargain brand. Be sure not to overcook it—it needs about 30% less cooking time than conventional meat.
3. a=0, b=1, c=2
Charcoal briquettes are hazardous to your health. They contain additives that release one hundred times more carbon monoxide than gas grills, as well as VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which contribute to liver, kidney, and nervous system damage and smog. Lump charcoal is a better choice, because it doesn’t contain the additives, but gas or electric grills release half the amount of CO2. Chimney starters are a favorable alternative to lighter fluids, which contain VOCs.
4. a=2, b=0, c=1
Compostable dishes are a good option, but they take longer to degrade in home composts than in commercial facilities, and they don’t biodegrade easily in landfills—so don’t throw them away! Instead, reusable dishes are best, as long as you plan on reusing them many times. For example, due to the energy required during the firing process of ceramic, a ceramic plate must be used 50 times in order to be as green as a compostable plate. Be sure to wash full loads with a high efficiency washer, or hand wash without running water, using eco-friendly soap. It is also a good idea to buy beverages in bulk and serve them in reusable cups, rather than individual cans or bottles.
If you scored:
0-2 points: Although you may enjoy barbecuing, the earth isn’t enjoying some of your habits. We hope that this quiz gave you a few pointers about what to work on, and there are plenty of other resources out there. Educate yourself about how to lighten your environmental impact.
3-5 points: You aren’t following the worst practices for the planet, but you aren’t following the best ones either. Try to integrate eco-friendly habits into your daily routine, and soon it will become second nature when you’re entertaining too.
6-8 points: Congratulations, you already know the secret to a sustainable barbecue! Keep enjoying your summer gatherings with a clear conscience.
HAPPY SUMMER, EVERYONE!!!
PLEASE GIVE US YOUR INPUT ON THE BAGT NEWSLETTER!
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