blustocking (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blustocking) wrote2001-11-15 03:30 am
blustocking) wrote2001-11-15 03:30 am
Good day, sunshine.
I got home from work at 8:30am Wednesday morning and slept until 1pm. I had to be on campus at 2pm for the big Greenpeace/Clean Energy Now rally/press conference/board meeting. Today was our big day. Staci actually came with me and wore one of our bright orange shirts.
The rally/press conference went well. We had "Rolling Sunlight" the solar truck out there and played music, made popcorn and pizza with it. Then we powered the microphones and speakers for the press conference. Apparently the truck actually runs on bio-diesel fuel which is made from re-used cooking grease. How cool is that? They drove it down from San Fran where they actually have a program set up for bio-fuel. They go up to a pump just like a gas station and get, basically, re-used corn/vegtable oil to fill up the tank. Das spiffy. I made stickers (like the ones on cleanenergynow.org) and we handed those out as well as information and solicited signatures and more people to wear the orange shirts during the meeting. It was off to a good start.
So we end the rally, have the press conference, Staci and I get our picture taken for the Pierce College paper, and we listen to speakers from the Sierra Club, the City of Santa Monica (which already has green building standards in place), and a few others. (UPN Channel 13 news was there. heheh, crap station, but still, it's coverage.) By now I'm a little nervous because I'm on the agenda to speak for the board meeting. I tried not to think about it too much, just enough to know what I'm saying.
We herded into the board meeting at 3:55 with all our bright orange glory, posters, and banners. Many minutes later, I spoke and even made people chuckle because I added a personal note to my speech about how I moved out here 4 years ago and still can't get used to the fact that there are "air quality" reports in the daily weather. The rest of my speech consisted of talking about how Los Angeles has the worst air quality in the country for the 2nd year in a row and asthma rates have gone up 70% in the past 2 decades. I also spoke of how San Francisco and Santa Monica have adopted green standards, it's time for Los Angeles to take that step as well. With that, California can possibly lead the rest of the country to a more environmentally sound, sustainable future. Apparently I did well because a lot of people complimented me and my Geography teacher came up and told me I just got 30 points extra credit and he's sure I'm getting an A. Right on. :)
So many people spoke in favor of this. We have the money now, we have the resources, we have the support, how can you NOT go ahead with this plan? We even got the Mayor of Los Angeles to support it and hand in a letter saying so. How cool is that? Yeah, take that LACCD board, are you gonna say no to the Mayor...beeches. ;) Our only naysayer was one board member (a self-proclaimed "old jock" because all the others said they're "old hippies" or "old bohemians"...he just had to add that in) He said it was his duty as a public servant to make sure the taxpayers money wasn't wasted. What he doesn't realize, and which one of the other board members, Mona, pointed out, is that by voting for these standards, we would be saving the taxpayers money. Everyone always looks at the initial cost, the short term, but not the long-term benfits. Santa Monica has adopted these standards and they re-couped their losses in 0-5 years! Now they are just flat out saving money because green power is more economical. It's just common sense. California power companies like DWP and other LA City institutions are actually willing to help with the initial cost, so there is NO REASON to not be in favor of green buildings for the 9 campuses. Man, it went so well. The board was so impressed, not only with us, but with all of the professionals and community members who stood up and supported this. I don't think there has ever been another topic that all of the community of Los Angeles, nay the world, could agree on more. It's a win-win situation. I was very happy and I'm proud to be a part of this.
Afterwards, we all went to Casa Vega (my suggestion ;) and had excellent Mexican food and margaritas. Heheh, they had to park the solar truck on the street which was kind of funny.
It's not over yet, but we're getting oh-so-close...and it's looking good.
So afterwards, I came home and accidentally fell asleep until about an hour ago. I still have French homework to do, but man...I really don't want to do it. I would really like some milk right now too, but I ran out awhile ago. Foo.
I apologize for the boring entry. :}
Happy belated Birthday to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cinzazul
Happy Birthday toericjevitts
The rally/press conference went well. We had "Rolling Sunlight" the solar truck out there and played music, made popcorn and pizza with it. Then we powered the microphones and speakers for the press conference. Apparently the truck actually runs on bio-diesel fuel which is made from re-used cooking grease. How cool is that? They drove it down from San Fran where they actually have a program set up for bio-fuel. They go up to a pump just like a gas station and get, basically, re-used corn/vegtable oil to fill up the tank. Das spiffy. I made stickers (like the ones on cleanenergynow.org) and we handed those out as well as information and solicited signatures and more people to wear the orange shirts during the meeting. It was off to a good start.
So we end the rally, have the press conference, Staci and I get our picture taken for the Pierce College paper, and we listen to speakers from the Sierra Club, the City of Santa Monica (which already has green building standards in place), and a few others. (UPN Channel 13 news was there. heheh, crap station, but still, it's coverage.) By now I'm a little nervous because I'm on the agenda to speak for the board meeting. I tried not to think about it too much, just enough to know what I'm saying.
We herded into the board meeting at 3:55 with all our bright orange glory, posters, and banners. Many minutes later, I spoke and even made people chuckle because I added a personal note to my speech about how I moved out here 4 years ago and still can't get used to the fact that there are "air quality" reports in the daily weather. The rest of my speech consisted of talking about how Los Angeles has the worst air quality in the country for the 2nd year in a row and asthma rates have gone up 70% in the past 2 decades. I also spoke of how San Francisco and Santa Monica have adopted green standards, it's time for Los Angeles to take that step as well. With that, California can possibly lead the rest of the country to a more environmentally sound, sustainable future. Apparently I did well because a lot of people complimented me and my Geography teacher came up and told me I just got 30 points extra credit and he's sure I'm getting an A. Right on. :)
So many people spoke in favor of this. We have the money now, we have the resources, we have the support, how can you NOT go ahead with this plan? We even got the Mayor of Los Angeles to support it and hand in a letter saying so. How cool is that? Yeah, take that LACCD board, are you gonna say no to the Mayor...beeches. ;) Our only naysayer was one board member (a self-proclaimed "old jock" because all the others said they're "old hippies" or "old bohemians"...he just had to add that in) He said it was his duty as a public servant to make sure the taxpayers money wasn't wasted. What he doesn't realize, and which one of the other board members, Mona, pointed out, is that by voting for these standards, we would be saving the taxpayers money. Everyone always looks at the initial cost, the short term, but not the long-term benfits. Santa Monica has adopted these standards and they re-couped their losses in 0-5 years! Now they are just flat out saving money because green power is more economical. It's just common sense. California power companies like DWP and other LA City institutions are actually willing to help with the initial cost, so there is NO REASON to not be in favor of green buildings for the 9 campuses. Man, it went so well. The board was so impressed, not only with us, but with all of the professionals and community members who stood up and supported this. I don't think there has ever been another topic that all of the community of Los Angeles, nay the world, could agree on more. It's a win-win situation. I was very happy and I'm proud to be a part of this.
Afterwards, we all went to Casa Vega (my suggestion ;) and had excellent Mexican food and margaritas. Heheh, they had to park the solar truck on the street which was kind of funny.
It's not over yet, but we're getting oh-so-close...and it's looking good.
So afterwards, I came home and accidentally fell asleep until about an hour ago. I still have French homework to do, but man...I really don't want to do it. I would really like some milk right now too, but I ran out awhile ago. Foo.
I apologize for the boring entry. :}
Happy belated Birthday to
cinzazulHappy Birthday to
ericjevitts
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