At Olive Branch, we are lucky to have a skewed view of the green world. In the world of our store, people are committed, caring, concerned and enthused about recycling, sustainability, the environment and humanity. We ourselves feel quite good about doing our part, giving back to our local community and promoting products we can feel good about. We do our best to be green in our own lives but we do fall short . . . and this is no more obvious than when we compare ourselves to our best customers. Our very best customers (well, we have many but), Kim & Dean, set the bar so high that we there's just no way we can reach it! Let me count the (green) ways: Kim takes the bus to work and Dean rides his bike several times per week (from Clairmont to La Mesa). When they do take a car, it's a hybrid. They have photovoltaic, dual-flush toilets and on their well-thought-out (as opposed to impulsive or frequent) renovation, they're installing flooring from sustainably sourced forests and putting American Clay on the walls. They buy local and do research prior to even small investments. Did I mention they're vegan? For fun, Kim and Dean like to go to the shore and protect our most precious resource from contamination by picking up trash. Other fun activities for them include supporting green events or taking the bus to an community festival or activity. And the best part for us is that they are our biggest supporters! They volunteer at our Earth Day booth, help organize at our Speaker's Series and cheer lead in ways that I can't even articulate. All in the name of the planet. They're greener than us and we're so happy they are!!!
lynn wilson
co-owner
Olive Branch
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Product testing
A cool thing for both us at Olive Branch as well as our customers, is that we get to use (hence "test") the products we carry. I am a lover of paint, and I love it that I can run down to the store and mix up a color to put in my house even if it's 10:00 on Saturday night (I know, not everyone's idea of a fun Saturday night). The cool thing for customers is that we have tested Yolo paint extensively. And I love this paint. It goes on smoothly, dries quickly despite the lack of toxic-chemical-drying-agents, looks beautiful, and an especially nice feature is that is cleans easily. I take very good care of my paint brushes, and before Yolo I hated how the chemical-laden paint hardened near the base of the brush before I even finished painting sometimes.
We also had a left-over piece of IceStone, which we installed as a hearth for our wood-burning stove. I can't believe how beautiful it is and it must wear terrifically as a countertop because ours is on the floor and gets ashes and wood and dirt on it and it is still shiny and gorgeous.
Here at the store, we have Marmoleum Click flooring, and even though it's not rated as a commercial floor, it's held up great and is an absolute dream to clean. Dirt truly does not stick to it. We also have a Caroma dual-flush toilet in the store and can attest to it's effectiveness and cleanliness using an amazing .8 or 1.6 gpf of water.
Most exciting, we just were trained and installed American Clay wall surface on one side of our store. The look and feeling is awesome and each addition like this makes the store more of a pleasure to be in. It's so remarkable when I walk into a non-green store, the sharp scent of chemicals is amazing. It feels good here in the store and I am so pleased that we are selling these feel-good products to others!
We also had a left-over piece of IceStone, which we installed as a hearth for our wood-burning stove. I can't believe how beautiful it is and it must wear terrifically as a countertop because ours is on the floor and gets ashes and wood and dirt on it and it is still shiny and gorgeous.
Here at the store, we have Marmoleum Click flooring, and even though it's not rated as a commercial floor, it's held up great and is an absolute dream to clean. Dirt truly does not stick to it. We also have a Caroma dual-flush toilet in the store and can attest to it's effectiveness and cleanliness using an amazing .8 or 1.6 gpf of water.
Most exciting, we just were trained and installed American Clay wall surface on one side of our store. The look and feeling is awesome and each addition like this makes the store more of a pleasure to be in. It's so remarkable when I walk into a non-green store, the sharp scent of chemicals is amazing. It feels good here in the store and I am so pleased that we are selling these feel-good products to others!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Success at Olive Branch
I am happy to report that Olive Branch Green Building Supply is successful. We incorporated on Earth Day (April) 2008. Here we are February 2011 feeling really good about being in business. We acknowledge San Diego for going green and choosing healthy, non-toxic, recycled material. Our customers have come from Vista, Chula Vista, Alpine, Rancho Bernardo, Clairemont, Del Mar, Solano Beach, Carlsbad, Bankers Hill, Mid City, North Park, really from all over the county, its just great. We thank you for your business and we appreciate your referrals and we would like to invite you to "click" on our "speaker series" and come talk to the professional about your project.
www.olivebranchgbs.com
Friday, February 4, 2011
OLIVE BRANCH THROUGH AN EMPLOYEE’S EYES
Hi, my name is Brett Huelsman and I am a member of the Olive Branch team. I haven’t been here long, only about three months, but it’s been an amazing experience so far. I have met a lot of great people who are committed to keeping our Earth healthy and clean, which is exactly what Olive Branch is all about.
Throughout my life I have always been interested in our eco-system and how to keep it running smoothly now, and well into the future. I still remember one of my favorite days as a kid in elementary school was Earth Day. I went to a small rural school that gave each student a small tree to plant on this special day. I can still remember my devastation when I found out the person that my Dad had hired to mow our lawn while we were on vacation had accidentally mowed over my most recently planted Earth Day tree!
In addition to my interest in the green movement, I also have a passion for policy and government. In December of 2008 I completed my Juris Doctorate at the University of North Dakota School of Law. Two years into a three-year program I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I actually finished law school. This all changed when I took an elective called Environmental Law. Finally, an aspect of law that doesn’t involve dissolving marriages or chasing ambulances! Green policy was much more my style.
After I graduated law school I accepted a position as a Legislative Analyst for the Hawaii House of Representatives. What a cool experience this was! It even became more awesome when I was told that I would be following the committee that handled all of the environmental policy making. Hawaii is an especially green state, so it was such a treat to be able to see their lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, brainstorming on how to create green energy and jobs. One of their initiatives that intrigued me most was the use of ocean waves to create clean energy.
Being a part of Olive Branch and their vision is truly something that makes me happy. I come to work everyday knowing that I am doing something positive and that I’m helping people achieve their green aspirations. As of now, “going green” is more of a personal choice for most people. However, it is my belief that Olive Branch is a pioneer in the green movement. Soon, there will be more policies at both the State and Federal levels that will incentivize and in some cases even mandate the use of green building supplies.
Many of the great leaders we read about in history books were pioneers. They had a passion for an idea that was not yet the status quo, but they believed in themselves and their ideals. If you’re passionate about ensuring that our planet is clean and healthy for years to come, stop by and see us at Olive Branch. Please don’t feel obligated to make a purchase, we just want to meet you and include you in our green family. We look forward to seeing you!
Hi, my name is Brett Huelsman and I am a member of the Olive Branch team. I haven’t been here long, only about three months, but it’s been an amazing experience so far. I have met a lot of great people who are committed to keeping our Earth healthy and clean, which is exactly what Olive Branch is all about.
Throughout my life I have always been interested in our eco-system and how to keep it running smoothly now, and well into the future. I still remember one of my favorite days as a kid in elementary school was Earth Day. I went to a small rural school that gave each student a small tree to plant on this special day. I can still remember my devastation when I found out the person that my Dad had hired to mow our lawn while we were on vacation had accidentally mowed over my most recently planted Earth Day tree!
In addition to my interest in the green movement, I also have a passion for policy and government. In December of 2008 I completed my Juris Doctorate at the University of North Dakota School of Law. Two years into a three-year program I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I actually finished law school. This all changed when I took an elective called Environmental Law. Finally, an aspect of law that doesn’t involve dissolving marriages or chasing ambulances! Green policy was much more my style.
After I graduated law school I accepted a position as a Legislative Analyst for the Hawaii House of Representatives. What a cool experience this was! It even became more awesome when I was told that I would be following the committee that handled all of the environmental policy making. Hawaii is an especially green state, so it was such a treat to be able to see their lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, brainstorming on how to create green energy and jobs. One of their initiatives that intrigued me most was the use of ocean waves to create clean energy.
Being a part of Olive Branch and their vision is truly something that makes me happy. I come to work everyday knowing that I am doing something positive and that I’m helping people achieve their green aspirations. As of now, “going green” is more of a personal choice for most people. However, it is my belief that Olive Branch is a pioneer in the green movement. Soon, there will be more policies at both the State and Federal levels that will incentivize and in some cases even mandate the use of green building supplies.
Many of the great leaders we read about in history books were pioneers. They had a passion for an idea that was not yet the status quo, but they believed in themselves and their ideals. If you’re passionate about ensuring that our planet is clean and healthy for years to come, stop by and see us at Olive Branch. Please don’t feel obligated to make a purchase, we just want to meet you and include you in our green family. We look forward to seeing you!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
American Clay Product Introduction
Coming soon to Olive Branch! Would love to see all you creative types play in the mud!!!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tank vs. Tankless Water Heaters
I get asked my opinion on what I would suggest for a water heater, Tank or Tankless.
In this blog entry I will evaluate this often asked question.
A 40 gallon water heater typically has a 40,000 btu output. A tankless water heater to replace a 30 or 40 gallon water heater has 199,000 btu output. This means you need to upsize your gas line to 1" or 1 1/4" for an inside install or install an exterior tankless right next to your gas meter and run a very short 3/4" gas line. I'll just say right now that I would only recommend a tankless if it is installed outside next to the gas meter. This method of installation results in zero venting costs and more space for the inside.
My #1 recommendation is to go with a 40 gallon tank water heater. 40 gallon is a more popular size, so the cost difference is not that much more than the 30 gallon. We import 90% or more of our water in San Diego, and the conveyance system crosses over 2 fault lines. If we had a serious earthquake and our water lines broke, you would then also have 40 gallons of stored drinking water instead of just 30 gallons.
Water is the deal here in San Diego. My customers often tell me they will put buckets under their faucets to catch the cold water coming out of the hot water line until hot water finally comes. (I don't like this because slip, trip and falls are a serious risk in a bathroom and water is 8 lbs a gallon)
Contrary to popular belief, a tankless water heater saves gas, not water. Tankless water heaters are noisy, so if outside next to the bedroom or kitchen window, you will likely be annoyed or distracted. Tankless water heaters do not produce instant hot water. You will have an average of 45 seconds of cold water coming out of your hot line, which is the same for a tank water heater. However, a recirculation pump will improve your hot water time with a tank water heater.
I hope this blog helps anyone who is looking for information on which type of water heater is best for their particular needs!
Lisa
Olive Branch G
In this blog entry I will evaluate this often asked question.
A 40 gallon water heater typically has a 40,000 btu output. A tankless water heater to replace a 30 or 40 gallon water heater has 199,000 btu output. This means you need to upsize your gas line to 1" or 1 1/4" for an inside install or install an exterior tankless right next to your gas meter and run a very short 3/4" gas line. I'll just say right now that I would only recommend a tankless if it is installed outside next to the gas meter. This method of installation results in zero venting costs and more space for the inside.
My #1 recommendation is to go with a 40 gallon tank water heater. 40 gallon is a more popular size, so the cost difference is not that much more than the 30 gallon. We import 90% or more of our water in San Diego, and the conveyance system crosses over 2 fault lines. If we had a serious earthquake and our water lines broke, you would then also have 40 gallons of stored drinking water instead of just 30 gallons.
Water is the deal here in San Diego. My customers often tell me they will put buckets under their faucets to catch the cold water coming out of the hot water line until hot water finally comes. (I don't like this because slip, trip and falls are a serious risk in a bathroom and water is 8 lbs a gallon)
Contrary to popular belief, a tankless water heater saves gas, not water. Tankless water heaters are noisy, so if outside next to the bedroom or kitchen window, you will likely be annoyed or distracted. Tankless water heaters do not produce instant hot water. You will have an average of 45 seconds of cold water coming out of your hot line, which is the same for a tank water heater. However, a recirculation pump will improve your hot water time with a tank water heater.
I hope this blog helps anyone who is looking for information on which type of water heater is best for their particular needs!
Lisa
Olive Branch G
Saturday, August 21, 2010
thank goodness for family!
This week we were so happy to have our nephew Kevin visit to see Olive Branch. Besides enjoying the company of family, we got to show Kevin the store he invested in back when we were scraping together dollars to start up. He scraped his own dollars up and felt that green building was a great way to invest. Although the money was something we desperately needed, the faith that we were doing something he believed in was even more important to us. Having someone that believed in us propelled us and still does. Every customer and friend that is behind us keeps us going. Moreover, using our own savings and retirement was a risk but we felt a huge responsibility to the dollars given to us by someone we love. We still do. ( We're waiting for Kevin's sister Tammi to come out and see her part of the store too.) Kevin lives in hard-hit Detroit and can see that things need to be done differently. We were so proud to show him what we're doing and what's going on here at the store. And someday we hope those investment dollars translate into a payoff!
lynn, co-owner Olive Branch
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Andrew Laskey
Today Andrew Laskey is going to work his last day with Olive Branch. He has another job that he worked 30 hours a week for
and they have now hired him full time. I am happy for Andrew because he will have greater challenges and the opportunity to
show off more of his skills. I can't say enough about Andrew. He helped launch Olive Branch Green Building Supply to another level. I am so appreciative for all your hard work Andrew. One day when Olive Branch needs a full time web designer and graphic designer I hope you will be available to negotiate with.
Andrew rides his bike to work everyday. He leaves North Park and rides up that darn hill behind the Padre stadium and out to the Kearney Mesa area. He is the shining example of taking action to do things differently. Thanks Andrew and Best wishes to you always. Lisa
Friday, April 23, 2010
Cost of Water
The cost of water is due some respect.
I have given a few talks on The California/San Diego water system. Where it comes from, where it is stored, how its supplied, what it affects, and the importance of the Delta Smelt, the fish that tell us how healthy are water system is. I have always loved water. To swim, bathe, play in, and pipe to.
I love the rain, waterfalls, and bird baths. I became a Journey Level Plumber in 2000.
I really have 1 sentence I wanted to say in my blog. I'm just using filler info right now and I will write that sentence
in a few.
In 1980 I was really interested in "Disaster Preparedness" I wanted to help people be able to sustain
themselves in the event of a crises or natural disaster. I went to a few shows with the local fire departments that
gave lectures on safety. And I sold goods at those shows like a wrench you would tie to the gas and water shut off valves so it would be right where you needed it. I learned back then that 90% of our water is imported and the piping system that brings it to us passes over "Fault Lines". So if we had a large enough Earth Quake are supply can be cut off.
So we all know the importance of water. But do we really know the price???
Well I don't really want to pay more but I was shocked when I learned how cheap our water is. No wonder it is wasted so
carelessly by some.
1 gallon of San Diego Water costs 1/3rd of a penny. The price increase will bring it to 2/3 rds of a penny.
This life saving, life giving product needs some some respect. What if we were charged what bottled water costs.
$1.20 per gallon??? Do you think water might earn its respect then!
I have given a few talks on The California/San Diego water system. Where it comes from, where it is stored, how its supplied, what it affects, and the importance of the Delta Smelt, the fish that tell us how healthy are water system is. I have always loved water. To swim, bathe, play in, and pipe to.
I love the rain, waterfalls, and bird baths. I became a Journey Level Plumber in 2000.
I really have 1 sentence I wanted to say in my blog. I'm just using filler info right now and I will write that sentence
in a few.
In 1980 I was really interested in "Disaster Preparedness" I wanted to help people be able to sustain
themselves in the event of a crises or natural disaster. I went to a few shows with the local fire departments that
gave lectures on safety. And I sold goods at those shows like a wrench you would tie to the gas and water shut off valves so it would be right where you needed it. I learned back then that 90% of our water is imported and the piping system that brings it to us passes over "Fault Lines". So if we had a large enough Earth Quake are supply can be cut off.
So we all know the importance of water. But do we really know the price???
Well I don't really want to pay more but I was shocked when I learned how cheap our water is. No wonder it is wasted so
carelessly by some.
1 gallon of San Diego Water costs 1/3rd of a penny. The price increase will bring it to 2/3 rds of a penny.
This life saving, life giving product needs some some respect. What if we were charged what bottled water costs.
$1.20 per gallon??? Do you think water might earn its respect then!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
What an Earth Day Week!!
Last week, Lisa was out visiting her mom in the hospital (who is going home today or tomorrow; thanks for all the well-wishes) while the rest of us did our best to hold down the fort here at Olive Branch. I could not have done it without the help of our dear employee Andrew (who will be leaving Olive Branch to accept a full-time web design position with a raise and benefits - a loss for us but we are so happy for him) and our customers-of-the-decade Kim and Dean.
Kim & Dean worked the Earth Day Festival booth at Balboa Park along with Ramon from our partner Living Green Design Solutions and, no kidding, they all did a better job promoting Olive Branch than I did. They were out there for 10 hours (!) raising awareness about sustainable materials, telling people how to get to our store, and most of all laughing and having a good time (for example, let's talk pros and cons of using UltraTouch recycled denim insulation for bedding). It was a great positive and supportive event and I'm pretty sure the projected 60,000 to 70,000 people all showed up!
Earlier in the week, I filled in for Lisa at the Jack-in-the-Box corporate office Earth Day event (and got free fries and a Jack pen) and had a great time talking with many people who told me that they had no idea how many sustainable products are actually readily available right here in San Diego. And as I speak, Lisa is doing another in-house corporate event at San Diego Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities in Kearny Mesa.
The word is getting out and you all are spreading it. More and more people are hearing about Olive Branch and we have only been open a little over a year with absolutely no advertising. We would not be surviving if people didn't want to buy eco-friendly materials and products. And guess what; they do!
Lynn
co-owner Olive Branch Green Building Supply
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
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Thursday, February 18, 2010
Olive Branch has a monthly speaker series. I want to invite anyone to suggest a topic that they would like to hear about. We have wonderful resources available to us. I know so many people invested in their field and have a passion to share their information with others.We will also do workshops. I am looking forward to Jen Guerin
of JG colorstudios showing us how to apply American Clay.
www.jgcolor.com www.americanclay.com/
Monday, February 15, 2010
No snow here!
Meet Claudia Conners, Gloria Christman, and Joan Warder. These three friends along with other friends walk 3 miles every Friday at the San Diego Bay. I took their photograph near the San Diego Visitor Center off Mission Bay Dr. exit.
Claudia has lived in San Diego for 75 years and when I asked her what is her favorite thing about San Diego she said the weather. It was 9:15 AM at 61 degrees and Claudia was reading the newspaper on the hood of her car while waiting for her friends to arrive. Olive Branch had just made an insulation delivery and I couldn't resist swinging by the bay. I had just heard on KPBS that throughout the nation there were over 4,000 flights cancelled. Hearing that made me just grateful to be a San Diegan.
These native San Diegans were a joy to meet: strong, healthy, beautiful women and when they smiled it made my heart smile. I told them that I hope I am surrounded by friends like them when I am their age. Thank you ladies.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Local business helping a local business.
The Animal Healing Center at 1228 Vega St off W. Morena Ph#619-276-5900 purchased some Ultra Touch Cotton Blue Jean Insulation from Olive Branch.
Beth, Keith, Rex and Rex’s mom are shown here outside the center. The feeling was quiet, peaceful, clean, and loving. Thank you Beth Weingardt and the Animal Healing Center we appreciate your business.
Lisa, co-owner Olive Branch
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Look for this symbol on the left side of the above website. This represents how much rebate money for high-efficiency toilets is left. We at Olive Branch want our customers to take full advantage of the benefits offered when making a purchase. We appreciate your business and we work hard so you can rest assured your best interest is in mind.
Olive Branch wants to be around for a long time. We see our business as an investment of passion to identify safe, healthy, and beautiful materials to remodel and build with.
Lisa, co-owner Olive Branch
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
green behavior
What makes us go green? As a behavioral scientist, I am excited to see research that begins to answer this questions. As with most research questions, however, research studies typically provoke more questions than they answer. We don't exactly know why we engage in green behavior, but we are getting an idea of what things might make us behave "more green."
A few things we've learned about what might promote people to recycle:
(1) Being reminded helps a lot.
A study in a university setting showed that just by posting signs to remind individuals to recycle (in proximity to a convenient way to do it), recycling increased by 29%.
(2) If we get feedback on how we're doing, it helps a lot.
In another university setting, as a result of just posting the number of aluminum cans recycled the previous week, recycling increased by 65%.
(3) Making recycling fun can help a LOT.
This is not a published study, but it is definitely my favorite. Just by making bottle and can recycling a game, this recycling unit was used 100 times in one night compared to a neighboring unit being used 2 times. http://bit.ly/5kcgKx
A few things we've learned about what might promote people to recycle:
(1) Being reminded helps a lot.
A study in a university setting showed that just by posting signs to remind individuals to recycle (in proximity to a convenient way to do it), recycling increased by 29%.
(2) If we get feedback on how we're doing, it helps a lot.
In another university setting, as a result of just posting the number of aluminum cans recycled the previous week, recycling increased by 65%.
(3) Making recycling fun can help a LOT.
This is not a published study, but it is definitely my favorite. Just by making bottle and can recycling a game, this recycling unit was used 100 times in one night compared to a neighboring unit being used 2 times. http://bit.ly/5kcgKx
(4) If we think others are doing it, we'll do it too!
A really interesting study conducted in a hotel showed that the little signs asking guests to save water definitely make a difference in promoting towel re-use. Moreover, a sign telling guests that 75% of the other guests are reusing towels helped even more. And even more interesting? A sign telling guests that other guests that stayed in the specific room they were staying in was even more influential. That's right, for some reason, when the guests knew that other guests that had stayed in their same room were towel re-users, they were more likely to reuse themselves.
As a follow-up, there is a study in progress to evaluate whether individuals will be more inclined to save water and energy if their residential use bills give them the numbers about how much their neighbors are saving.
Humans are interesting animals, aren't we?
Monday, November 2, 2009
Bright Green Future and MoveSD
Last weekend I made it up to the UCSD campus in La Jolla for the afternoon session on the second day of the Bright Green Future Conference. All afternoon speakers from a wide variety of fields gave short, presentations, providing a lot of information and insight in to the current state of the green development in San Diego. For example there was Bill Powers from the Sierra Club's Smart Energy Solutions Campaign who wants to put solar panels on every building for distributed energy production, rather than investing in more costly transmission lines from centralized sources outside the county. Joel Pointon from SDGE discussed how fortunate San Diego is to be the first city in the country to receive Nissan's plug-in electric car, the Leaf, as well as an infrastructure of charging stations to support it. We should also thank Richard V. Anthony for helping to bring us recycling with Zero Waste San Diego, and we should all support him with his next goal of a city wide composting service, COOL2012.
All of the speakers were engaging and together showed the breadth of sustainable initiatives in San Diego, but one in particular that captured my attention was the presentation from Alan Hoffman from Move SD. For the past five years this non-profit has been working to bring quick, effective, and affordable mass transit to San Diego that is collectively referred to as their FAST plan. This is especially appealing to me since I don't own a car. Because it is cheaper, the weather is always perfect, I live in the city, and I'd rather not contribute to a costly and harmful addiction to oil, I either walk, bike, or take the bus to get where I'm going.
So far not owning or driving a car hasn't had much of an impact on my life. Most everything I need is within a couple miles, but there are the occasional trips that remind me why not having a car in San Diego can be such a hassle. Taking the bus from North Park to La Jolla was one of these trips. Two buses and one transfer is not that hard to manage, but the hour and a half spent on those buses compared to what would have been a 20 minute car ride demonstrates the inefficiency of San Diego mass transit. Research from Move SD shows how although currently the trolley lines look great, they do a remarkably poor job of connecting areas of dense residential and commercial.
Their vision for San Diego is modeled after Brisbane, Australia which uses dedicated bus roads called quickways to keep the buses out of regular traffic and always moving. Under this model there are fewer transfers, fewer stops (more express routes), and shorter wait times due to high frequency of buses. This network besides being faster than the current bus or trolley system would also be based upon researched commuting patterns, so it would be more accessible , direct, and get people closer to their destinations. Increased public transit efficiency also gets more cars off the road, improving traffic for those still driving. Even more remarkable is that the FAST plan would cost less than what SANDAG's Regional Transportation Plan has already budgeted.
The detail of research and planning Move SD has done on this project may be the most impressive thing about it. They give the impression of almost being ready to simply hand over the blueprints to the city. I hope the city is listening, and that sooner rather than later we can see some implementation of FAST. How long will it take me then to get to UCSD for the next Bright Green Future Conference? I can't say for sure, but I hope it will be enough to convince at least a few more people to leave the car in the driveway.
-Andrew
andrew@olivebranchgbs.com
All of the speakers were engaging and together showed the breadth of sustainable initiatives in San Diego, but one in particular that captured my attention was the presentation from Alan Hoffman from Move SD. For the past five years this non-profit has been working to bring quick, effective, and affordable mass transit to San Diego that is collectively referred to as their FAST plan. This is especially appealing to me since I don't own a car. Because it is cheaper, the weather is always perfect, I live in the city, and I'd rather not contribute to a costly and harmful addiction to oil, I either walk, bike, or take the bus to get where I'm going.
So far not owning or driving a car hasn't had much of an impact on my life. Most everything I need is within a couple miles, but there are the occasional trips that remind me why not having a car in San Diego can be such a hassle. Taking the bus from North Park to La Jolla was one of these trips. Two buses and one transfer is not that hard to manage, but the hour and a half spent on those buses compared to what would have been a 20 minute car ride demonstrates the inefficiency of San Diego mass transit. Research from Move SD shows how although currently the trolley lines look great, they do a remarkably poor job of connecting areas of dense residential and commercial.
Their vision for San Diego is modeled after Brisbane, Australia which uses dedicated bus roads called quickways to keep the buses out of regular traffic and always moving. Under this model there are fewer transfers, fewer stops (more express routes), and shorter wait times due to high frequency of buses. This network besides being faster than the current bus or trolley system would also be based upon researched commuting patterns, so it would be more accessible , direct, and get people closer to their destinations. Increased public transit efficiency also gets more cars off the road, improving traffic for those still driving. Even more remarkable is that the FAST plan would cost less than what SANDAG's Regional Transportation Plan has already budgeted.
The detail of research and planning Move SD has done on this project may be the most impressive thing about it. They give the impression of almost being ready to simply hand over the blueprints to the city. I hope the city is listening, and that sooner rather than later we can see some implementation of FAST. How long will it take me then to get to UCSD for the next Bright Green Future Conference? I can't say for sure, but I hope it will be enough to convince at least a few more people to leave the car in the driveway.
-Andrew
andrew@olivebranchgbs.com
Friday, October 16, 2009
Natural Step
Recently I read Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns can Change to Sustainable Practices, and I was very impressed. In the book they provide a framework for what a sustainable society or community should be and the methods needed to achieve that goal. Developed by scientists in Sweden, the Natural Step is essentially four simple rules that become guidelines for developing sustainable solutions. Already many municipalities throughout Sweden and several major corporations have successfully adopted these strategies with universally positive results.
The four rules are simply this:
To become a sustainable society we must...
1. eliminate our contribution to the progressive buildup of substances extracted from the Earth's crust (for example, heavy metals and fossil fuels)
2. eliminate our contribution to the progressive buildup of chemicals and compounds produced by society (for example, dioxins, PCBs, and DDT )
3. eliminate our contribution to the progressive physical degradation and destruction of nature and natural processes (for example, over-harvesting forests and paving over critical wildlife habitat); and
4. eliminate our contribution to conditions that undermine people’s capacity to meet their basic human needs (for example, unsafe working conditions and not enough pay to live on).
(taken from: http://www.naturalstep.org/en/faq)
I think there is so much to like about this. First, it's simple and to the point. It removes all the details that can stir people away, thinking it is too large of an issue to tackle, and gets to what is absolutely essential to sustainable living. Secondly, there is no real political or ideological spin that can drive people apart, since these four principals are derived from facts everyone can agree on. Finally, due to its simplicity it is highly scalable, from the choices an individual makes in his or her home to the actions of communities, businesses, states, or even nations.
The book has some great examples of how the Natural Step has been applied and what other communities can learn from these cases, or you can learn more about them on their website www.naturalstep.org. Maybe the most important lesson to take from this organization is not their specific framework, but that change is possible. For many of us it may seem that becoming a sustainable society is an impossibility and that in order for us to live and grow we must always take at the expense of the Earth. The communities who have followed the Natural Step or other examples like it around the world have proven this notion false and have shown that living in concert with the environment is a goal all of us can achieve.
-Andrew
The four rules are simply this:
To become a sustainable society we must...
1. eliminate our contribution to the progressive buildup of substances extracted from the Earth's crust (for example, heavy metals and fossil fuels)
2. eliminate our contribution to the progressive buildup of chemicals and compounds produced by society (for example, dioxins, PCBs, and DDT )
3. eliminate our contribution to the progressive physical degradation and destruction of nature and natural processes (for example, over-harvesting forests and paving over critical wildlife habitat); and
4. eliminate our contribution to conditions that undermine people’s capacity to meet their basic human needs (for example, unsafe working conditions and not enough pay to live on).
(taken from: http://www.naturalstep.org/en/faq)
I think there is so much to like about this. First, it's simple and to the point. It removes all the details that can stir people away, thinking it is too large of an issue to tackle, and gets to what is absolutely essential to sustainable living. Secondly, there is no real political or ideological spin that can drive people apart, since these four principals are derived from facts everyone can agree on. Finally, due to its simplicity it is highly scalable, from the choices an individual makes in his or her home to the actions of communities, businesses, states, or even nations.
The book has some great examples of how the Natural Step has been applied and what other communities can learn from these cases, or you can learn more about them on their website www.naturalstep.org. Maybe the most important lesson to take from this organization is not their specific framework, but that change is possible. For many of us it may seem that becoming a sustainable society is an impossibility and that in order for us to live and grow we must always take at the expense of the Earth. The communities who have followed the Natural Step or other examples like it around the world have proven this notion false and have shown that living in concert with the environment is a goal all of us can achieve.
-Andrew
Monday, October 12, 2009
compost passion
As I posted in an earlier blog, we started composting as a result of not using plastic liners in our trash. I am in love with the compost. I haven't even used it for anything yet, but the rich, dark, heavily scented and alive mulch just brings me a tiny bit of joy! As with others who are starting to compost, it's been a process as I learned how to adjust the recipe to discourage flies, reduce unpleasant odors and encourage decomposition at a reasonable rate.
What I'm noticing now, is that I'm not alone in my passion for the compost. Anyone I've met that has a compost talks about it with a serious emotional attachment. For example, a good friend of mine in northern Cal wrote a few months ago complaining about her frustration with not being able to find a compost bin. She then wrote recently with the following note: "I found a bin about a week after my rant to you about not being able to find a bin locally. You can bet I've let the city (and anyone else who would listen) know about that. After trial and error, last month I turned out a beautiful batch of rich crumbly compost and put it in the garden. This morning as I drank my cup of tea in the backyard - while admiring my plants and enjoying the activity of birds, squirrels and a lizard - I thought of you and Lisa. I had to write and say hi. I hope you are doing well!" Can't you just feel the magic of the compost? And the websites, blogs, and compost classes are further testament to the attraction of composting. I speculate it's the connection with nature, like gardening, only much easier. The transformation of our personal garbage to nutrient-rich and life-giving planting material is really amazing if not downright miraculous.
Try this experiment: ask others about their compost. I guarantee they will talk as long as you like and give you all the details of their tiniest contributions to their bins along with blow-by-blow histories of how they arrived at their current compost recipe with an energy and excitement of sports fans whose team won the national championship. And truthfully, I'm about a 1000 times more interested in the compost!
lynn, co-owner Olive Branch
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