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SiGBA Elections & Speaker Meeting November 12 at Cedar House in Truckee
The Sierra Green Building Association elections will take place just after a talk given by J.D. HOSS as part of SiGBA's live-green build-green speaker series. Interested persons should arrive at 5:30 p.m. and congregate in the Cedar House lounge at 10918 Brockway Road in Truckee, CA. We expect the entire event to complete by 8:30 p.m. Attend and receive a free beer donated by 50/50 Brewing Company in a SiGBA pint as a thank you. Snacks also provided. Support the SiGBA Board candidates lised below by attending the election and meeting. |
President Candidate - Ian Waight
This is an exciting time for SiGBA. This past year has been incredibly dynamic as we expand our strategic partnerships into Reno, The Eastern Sierra and The Bay Area by creating and fostering relationships with vibrant and important people. Within our own communities, we have successfully provided the educational forums that SiGBA was built on, and expand our range and scope of outreach to the public with new media and new events. It is this inspiration that is motivating me to shift my focus to SiGBA more fully and to dedicate myself to the role of President and the organization.
Ian Waight is a general contractor and owner of Palisade Construction based in the Truckee - Tahoe area. He has been involved with SIGBA for over 5 years, and has served on the Board as treasurer for the past 4 years. Ian is a California native who entered the construction industry in 1994. He is a graduate of the University of California at San Diego where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Ecology in 1997. He received his general contracting license in 2001.
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Vice President Candidate - David Gemme
Thank you for the SiGBA Vice President Nomination. As VP in 2009, I organized several new projects that have changed the presence of SiGBA. A few examples are: overseeing hiring of our ED, SiGBA TV, building Strategic Partnerships, New Chapters, Tahoe Green Fest and more. It has been a challenging year; however, I see these challenges as a gateway to new opportunities. If elected, I plan on building on the success of 2009, creating more revenue and members. I will position the SiGBA community with new and creative opportunities though educating and promoting the industries we support and believe in.
David immersed in green/sustainable technologies since the early 1990 s. Graduating Humboldt State University in 1997 with a Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies; he created an Environmental Sustainability degree in the self-directed study program. David has dealt with every sector of the construction industry from landscaping, pool construction, cement, framing, finish, tile, electrical, roofing and plumbing. He moved to Tahoe in 1997, receiving a job as a lead carpenter building lake front homes with Galletto construction for over 5 years. In 2003, he obtained a real estate license and began selling homes in the Truckee Tahoe community, receiving Eco-broker designation in 2006.
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Treasurer Candidate - Eli Meyer
It is my honor to accept the nomination as SiGBA Treasurer. As treasurer I will uphold the mission of the organization and fulfill the responsibilities of treasurer as defined by SiGBA's bylaws. I believe that my 3-years experience as president combined with my experience serving the organization as a contracted professional provide me the experience and skills necessary to serve the role as a leader of the organization. To address my two active contracts with the organization, I will delegate the financial oversight of those contracts to SiGBA's president in compliance with state and federal laws.
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Secretary Candidate - Elizabeth Dunn
Thank you for the nomination to be secretary for another year for this growing organization. While preparing agendas and recording minutes are not glamours, I believe it is an essential task. The agendas lay the groundwork for a productive meeting. The minutes communicate the thoughts, discussions and decisions of the board to the members who cannot attend the meetings. These tools help chart the progress of the organization and keep it moving forward. I would be honored to serve as Secretary for SiGBA.
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Events Chair Candidate - Leanna Duncan
I accept the nomination for Events Chairperson on behalf of SiGBA. I have enjoyed working with our members and the community this year in creating both fun and educational events and hope to build on them in 2010. |
Foothills Chapter Chairman Candidate - Jim Crowley
Jim Crowley has accepted the nomination for 2010 Foothills Chapter Chairman |
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| November is election month for SiGBA. SiGBA asks the green community to support its leaders. SiGBA Board of Director candidates are profiled in this newsletter. We are proud to put forward a dedicated and competent group to serve you. Please support us by attending the election meeting taking place right after our speaker JD HOSS at the Cedar House on Thursday night, November 12. Attendees will receive a free beer by sponsor 50/50 Brewing Company as a SiGBA thank you.
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| FEATURE ARTICLE: It's About Survival - By Carlo Luri, Bently Biofuels Company |
|  | | | Carlo Luri, GM, Bently Biofuels |
If you are reading this and are already convinced that we must act now to stop putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to prevent a global catastrophe there is no need to read any further. For the readers who are still not sure, the following is for you.
Hundreds of millions of years ago, before the evolution of the human race, the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere were much higher than they are today. Because carbon dioxide absorbs energy from sunlight much more effectively than air, the earth was a much warmer place. Under these conditions, aquatic plants such as algae flourished and grew abundantly in the shallow oceans. When these plants died they sank to the bottom of the oceans and were covered by sediments. Over eons of time, the heat and pressure of geologic forces transformed this buried biomass into coal, oil, and natural gas; the fossil fuels that we depend upon today.
In essence, the most primitive single cell plants transformed the ecosystem of the planet by taking carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere and oceans and burying it under the earth. Over millions of years the carbon dioxide concentrations in our atmosphere declined allowing the earth's atmosphere to cool. The temperate conditions created an environment where larger mammals and humans were able to evolve.
There is no doubt that the human race has had a significant impact on the planet. In the short (by geologic time) period that man has inhabited the earth we have been able to adapt to living in extreme climates from the hottest deserts to the coldest regions of Antarctica. One of the things that have made this adaptation possible is our use of fossil fuels. Coal, oil, natural gas, and their derivatives have been a critical factor in the development of modern society. Fossil fuels are used in everything from fuel for cars, heating oil, electrical generation, plastics, textiles, fertilizers, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. Just like algae transformed their ecosystem by sequestering carbon dioxide, man has done the opposite by extracting carbon from underground and releasing it back into the atmosphere through the process of burning fossil fuels.
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| SiGBA Weatherization Workshop |
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Winterize Your Home!
SiGBA is introducing a new workshop this fall for homeowners and renters alike. With winter approaching, temperatures will be going down and heating bills will be going up. Heating and cooling account for about 56% of energy use in a typical American home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes. Many heat-saving tricks can also save cooling costs in the summer. And they help the environment in addition to helping your wallet! Most energy-saving tricks that will be presented are things you can do yourself and for less than $100. To stop money from flowing out your windows, under your door, and through your electrical outlets, come to this workshop and learn how to winterize your home at minimal cost while getting maximum energy savings! All workshop attendees will receive an energy savings gift bag to take home and start saving money and resources with right away! Mark you calendars and plan to attend!
Sunday, December 6th
9:30am - 4:30pm
McGeehee Residence in Olympic Heights, Truckee
Space is limited, so please sign up online and receive a $5 discount!
Members - $50
Non-Members - $35
Refer a friend to this workshop and receive $5 SiGBA Bucks to use at the next event you attend! Note: They must put you as a referral when they sign up. |
| SiGBA South Lake Chapter Hosts 2010 Forecast Panel |
On Wednesday, December 9, 2009 from 5:00 p.m until 8:00 p.m., SiGBA is hosting a South Lake Chapter mixer/launch and 2010 industry forecast panel at Lake Tahoe Community College.
Topic: Is South Lake Green? (opportunities and obstacles)
A panel of industry experts will debate trends in renewable energy and sustainability and give a forecast for 2010 and beyond. Also discussed: What have local businesses and agencies achieved and where does the community fall short in terms of greening the region?
An educational and fun evening that you won't want to miss:
5:00 - 5:30 p.m. networking
5:30 - 6:45 p.m. expert's panel
6:45 - 8:00 p.m. mixer
Confirmed Panelists are Scott Terrell - TDPUD; Carlo Luri - Bently Biofuels; Raejean Fellows - Kirkwood Meadows; Nicoletta Florio - Big George Green Consulting; Leslie Ames - Tahoe Solar Designs; and other industry leaders to be announced.
Panel will be moderated by members of the SiGBA steering committee for the South Lake Tahoe Chapter: Wesley King (Green Endeavors), Gantt Miller (Build Tahoe Green) and John Cook (Clear Blue Construction). |
| COMPANY PROFILE - GreenSmart - By Lynne Cody-Lacroix |
The Keep the Sierra Green Business Recognition Program has been up and running since April 2009. Keep the Sierra Green was highlighted in the media and Sigba hosted a workshop in August to give the program a boost and to increase its profile. Since the workshop, a few applications have been trickling into Nevada County Recycles for review. The first regional business in Western Nevada County to receive recognition for their sustainable practices is GreenSmart. In this newsletter, we want to profile this local business that is contributing to the health and well being of our community.
GreenSmart is 100% dedicated to making the world greener and smarter every day. Their mission is accomplished through the eco-friendly materials in their bags, eco- and people-friendly manufacturing processes, and through ongoing efforts to educate people on how they can make green smart choices to help the planet.
The two main product lines are the Bottles2Bags collection that are made entirely of fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles; and the Neogreene collection that uses a proprietary eco-friendly, 100% water-based reinvention of the popular wetsuit material.
They embrace supply-chain-wide social responsibility and eco-conscious concepts in everything they do, which they call the "GreenSmart filter." They believe their continued pursuit of small positive actions every day, in design, manufacturing or distribution, result in big long-term changes toward better products and a better environment. Tom Larsen, President states. "It's this continuous pursuit of excellence in product design and in eco-consciousness that has set us apart as a company since we started back in 1995."
If you are not familiar with Keep the Sierra Green, log onto www.KeeptheSierraGreen.org. Applications are accepted all year around. Questions? Contact Lynne Cody Lacroix at Nevada County Recycles at 265-7119.
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| SPEAKER SERIES - greenUP! - Walkability & Bicycles |
Erin Dixon, Washoe County Chronic Disease Prevention Coordinator, Amy Finch, UNR faculty member and Executive Director of the Widespread Wellness Project and, Carol Perry, RTC Trip Reduction Specialist will give presentations on how everyone benefits when more trips are made by bicycle and on foot. Learn how businesses can promote healthy lifestyles, save money, and increase morale and productivity among employees.
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