Global Green USA, a national environmental organization with headquarters in Santa Monica has championed the idea of “bike sharing” in the City for close to year as a way to address key environmental priorities including climate change and local air quality by encouraging less polluting transportation alternatives.

Global Green Policy Associate Gina Goodhill who represented the organization at the Council meeting last night argued that bike sharing warrants a high priority in order to get the City’s Bike Master Plan and a comprehensive network of bicycle lanes in place.

The Council approved the acceleration and also voted to allocate funds to create a Bike Share Task Force that will spearhead development of a bike sharing plan. The plan will need to identify locations for bike share stations as well as explore options for raising the upfront capital needed to launch the program.

Matt Peterson, President and CEO of Global Green and also a Member of the City’s Environmental Task Force commented,

We applaud the Council for their support on this issue and will work hand in hand with them to ensure that a viable altnerative to driving a car is an option for all residents, workers, and visitors in Santa Monica.

Green Jar will keep you posted on this exciting to development!

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Writes Gillis:

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Her organization, The Green Belt Movement, said this on their website, “It is with great sadness that the family of Professor Wangari Maathai announces her passing away on 25th September, 2011, at the Nairobi Hospital, after a prolonged and bravely borne struggle with cancer. Her loved ones were with her at the time.”

Maathai spent the early 1970′s working with environmental and humanitarian causes and speaking with women about the issues they faced. Two of the largest on the day-to-day level were a lack of water and a lack of firewood. Maathai believed that planting trees could help solve those issues and more. The wood from trees could be used as firewood, and the roots would stabilize the top soil, protecting watersheds and improving agriculture.

In 1977 Maathai started The Green Belt Movement, an organization that plants trees for the good of people and the environment. Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of women have planted over 47 million trees. Her work inspired the U.N. to follow her vision. Their worldwide campaign resulted in the planting of over 11 billion trees.

After decades of activism, Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work.

She then became an increasingly strong voice in the fight against climate change. She advocated for the protection of indigenous forests and served as the goodwill ambassador for the Congo Basin Rainforest.

With all of those accomplishments, we’ve only just grazed the service of her decades of activism. For her full biography, visit The Green Belt Movement’s website.

She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and the millions she inspired.

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According to ABC News, as of Friday, O’Hare is home to the world’s first airport aeroponic garden, meaning that a solution of water and minerals is used instead of soil. The seeds start in small containers made out of “a natural volcanic ash material” and are moved into tall towers once they have grown. There are 44 types of organic vegetables and herbs growing in the garden, located in the rotunda building nestled between terminals, including swiss chard, chives and habanero peppers.

“It uses and recycles water. The water has nutrients in it that feeds the vegetables, so it’s using less land growing vertically instead of horizontally,” said Rosemarie Andolino, Aviation Commissioner. Andolino also hopes that it will improve the airport experience for travelers. ”It’s a constant opportunity to cultivate, educate and bring kind of a tranquil area to the airport.” With the produce already being served in some of the in-airport restaurants, she says hungry flyers will not be disappointed. “So you’re not eating airport food. You’re eating real good food that you would get at any restaurant in the city or elsewhere.”

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The story adds a sad new twist to the ongoing controversy over whether planting trees is an appropriate and effective way to offset carbon emissions. According to Oxfam, NFC — which has had two of its Ugandan plantations certified by the Forest Stewardship Council — claims to be planting and harvesting timber on “underutilized and/or degraded” land in Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Rwanda. Onecommenter on The Guardian‘s website took that statement to task:

So Ugandan land occupied by a Ugandan farmer is “degraded,” according to NFC. In fact his small-scale mixed agriculture is the most sustainable form of land use there is. Over time his trees will probably absorb more CO₂ than NFC’s trees, because unlike NFC he doesn’t kill them for commercial timber when they are grown. For what it’s worth, unlike NFC’s managers, shareholders, and log transporters, his carbon footprint is negligible.

The New Forests Company, which is partially owned by HSBC Bank, denies the allegations of violence and says it played no role in the evictions. Following criticism by Oxfam, which is conducting an international campaign against “land grabs” in poor countries, the company has said it is conducting an investigation.

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Read more: High Levels of BPA Were Found in Campbell’s and Other Canned Kids Foods | Inhabitat – Green Design Will Save the World

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The 9/11 Memorial designed by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker, their proposal was selected from 5,200 submissions from 63 countries in a global competition. Bronze panels are inscribed with the names of those who died on September 11th and the 1993 bombing at the World Trade Center, surrounding the two 60-foot deep pools — described as “large voids, open and visible reminders of the absence.”

A grove of more than 400 swamp white oak trees on the Plaza creates a peaceful green space that serves as a green roof for the 9/11 Memorial museum, the train station and other facilities 70-feet below street level. The selection of these durable deciduous trees are meant to represent the renewal of life in their natural cycles, from full foliage to turning various colors in autumn to leafless in winter.

The water-conserving irrigation system includes stormwater capture in underground storage tanks to saves energy and resources. A suspended paving system supports the trees with soil-filled troughs and pavement for walking. The space is seeking LEED Gold certification. The plaza also meets the environment-conscious practices required by New York State Executive Order 11 and the WTC Sustainable Design Guidelines.

In addition, one new structure at the World Trade Center site that has replaced a fallen building, features a sophisticated system that generates off-peak electricity and composts paper waste.

The trees were harvested from within a 500-mile radius of the World Trade Center site, with some from locations in Pennsylvania and near Washington, D.C.– areas also impacted on September 11th. Growing to different heights and up to 60-feet, the trees are reminders that they are living individuals. The Plaza’s urban woods accompanies nearby green spaces from Battery Park to City Hall Park, churchyards as well as the upcoming Liberty Park south of the Memorial, a respite in the city, albeit a solemn one that seeks to be uplifting.

An impressive slide show of the museum and plaza is available on the September 11 Memorial & Museum website as well as visitor’s passes to this free public place.

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The average U.S. temperature in August was 75.7 degrees F, which is 3.0 degrees above the long-term (1901-2000) average, while the summertime temperature was 74.5 degrees F, which is 2.4 degrees above average. The warmest August on record for the contiguous United States was 75.8 degrees F in 1983, while its warmest summer on record at 74.6 degrees F occurred in 1936. Precipitation across the nation during August averaged 2.31 inches, 0.29 inches below the long-term average. The nationwide summer precipitation was 1.0 inch below average.

This monthly analysis, based on records dating back to 1895, is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides.

CLICK HERE for some detailed highlights of this summer’s too hot for words weather.

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A pipeline at a BP oil field in Alaska burst over the weekend, spilling between 2,100 and 4,200 gallons of an oily water and methanol mixture in Alaska’s North Slope, reports Reuters and the Anchorage Daily News.

John Ebel, State of Alaska Environmental Program Specialist Emergency Responder, told The Huffington Post that the rupture occurred at an underground portion of the 8-inch pipe while workers were conducting a valve test.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that people who were in buildings near where incident occurred could feel the ground shake from the force of the rupture.

Ebel said that the spill consisted of 60% methanol and 40% “produced fluids,” which include crude oil, water, brine and other substances associated with oil production.

The spill affected about 2,000 square feet of aquatic tundra and nearly 5,000 square feet of a gravel pad, according to a report by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

The spill occurred at a drill site in the Lisburne Production Facility, only 800 feet from Prudhoe Bay. The report says, however, that “there is no evidence that the released product has migrated away from the area adjacent to the pad.”

From Reuters:

A BP spokesman said the cleanup was under way and the company would determine the cause “in due course.”

Story continues below

Lisburne, which is managed as part of the Greater Prudhoe Bay Unit, has produced no oil since June 18, according to Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission records, suggesting maintenance work requiring a prolonged shutdown.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that 630 gallons of the spill had been collected as of Sunday afternoon. According to CNBC, no people or wildlife were hurt in the explosion.

In May, BP said it would pay $25 million as a penalty in a settlement over a 2006 spill in the North Slope.

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Mark Smith, the creative director of Nike’s Jordan Brand, spent about an hour discussing the evolution of ecological awareness in the apparel business, citing his company’s recent efforts to be an example in industrial undertakings.

Smith helped cement Michael Jordan’s status as the most influential athlete in modern American history. But it wasn’t until recently that he helped launch an effort to change the way consumers view manufactured products.

Smith spearheaded a reboot at the world’s best-known athletic outfitter. As a lead member of a research team, he looked outside the box to bring Jordan Brand an eco-friendly shoe (no adhesive glue and substantially less dye) that could have ripple effects in the industry. 

“You can’t sell a basketball shoe that looks like a Birkenstock,” said Smith, speaking from beneath a thriving lemon tree on the Ecology Center’s rapidly developing estate. “The aesthetic is based on performance. We decided to see if we could do it without glue, which is like playing rock ‘n’ roll with no guitar.”

Nonetheless, the Jordan Brand pulled it off after a development process that lasted nearly seven months. The 23rd version of No. 23’s sneaker hit the shelves devoid of glue, a series of extensive stitching fastening the finished product.

The iconic sneaker retained its fashionable traits, with machine stitching rendering M’s and J’s all over the shoe.

“The initial model was extremely raw and put together with just the basics,” Smith said. “Then we found a way to refine the product.”

To understand the global impact of Michael Jordan’s personal faction of Nike, you need to rewind back to the 1990s. M.J. spent the decade securing six NBA championships and saved the world alongside Bugs Bunny and Bill Murray in Space Jam, a movie that still resonates with those who spent their childhood watching Jordan dominate SportsCenter highlights.

“The sneaker is based on a guy who could do anything on the court,” Smith said. “When No. 23 is on there, the world is going to be watching.”

Smith, who spends much of his time at Nike headquarters in Oregon, couldn’t be prouder of the product he helped innovate. This year, Jordan Brand unveiled its 27th installment of the shoe, once again equipped with stitching that reduces industrial waste.

Nike also shared with the public its insights into product sustainability. That distribution of research could produce worldwide changes in manufacturing policies, Smith said.

“I think this has galvanized a lot of people,” Smith said. “If you can do this with a shoe, what else can accomplish by doing the right thing?”

Smith, who calls Southern California his “adopted home,” says it’s imperative that future generations continue to contribute to the rising number of  “conscientious consumers” who take the planet’s well-being into account when purchasing goods.

“Our educational system should be teaching kids how to live on this planet, just as it teaches math,” Smith said. “If we don’t do that, then I think we’re missing a great opportunity.”

Audience member Rose Brantley, who has served as chair of the fashion department at Los Angeles’ Otis College of Art and Design for more than 30 years, said she’s heard similar sentiments from her students. The Hollywood resident stole the show for a moment when she joined Smith and spoke in front of the crowd.

“We must rethink the way we create everything,” Brantley said. “I believe that Nike is more committed to this movement than any other industrial clothing company. Right now, they’re the pinnacle.”

The face of Nike never had a doubt in the vision of Smith and his development team, Smith said. Jordan jumped on board from the get-go.

“Michael takes chances on people and encourages risk-taking,” Smith said. “He has a keen eye for detail and style, more than any other athlete I’ve come across. He’s extremely invested in the process, and we decided to communicate at a deeper level than ‘Hey, let’s just sell shoes.’ ”

Evan Marks, executive director of the Ecology Center, was impressed by Smith.

“He inspired me,” Marks said. “I’ve always been fascinated by design, so I find all of this so interesting. When one of the world’s biggest apparel manufactures takes this kind of stance and displays incredible vision, it makes you optimistic about the future.”

Nike has been a trendsetter in the athletic industry for over two decades and is currently valued at well over $30 billion. Time will tell if the company’s recent endeavors will resonate as strongly as the recognizable swoosh on its sneakers.

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