August 2009

August 2009

Topics in this months newsletter

GLEE moves to expand education, create local chapters

As GLEE supports the development of EcoWeek 2010 and contributes to the success of this progressive event, we are also making changes to our outreach and education programs. In response to feedback from many of our sponsors, exhibitors and organizers along with dialog in our communities, GLEE is adapting to the needs and requests of our many partners and the challenges of the current economy. Here are a few developments you should know about.

Green Living Expo Takes Hiatus - This year GLEE has chosen to forgo Expo 2010 to focus on other education projects, including EcoWeek 2010, GLEE's Green Business Partnership program (to be launched this summer), grants for green job training, recycling education and much more. Expo, GLEE's signature event that's been held in Marathon for four years, happens through the hard work of many volunteers throughout the Keys - many of whom have asked when Expo will take place in their town. In November 2010, GLEE will expand its regional R4 Fairs to offer expanded education and exhibitor opportunities as well as an opportunity for community volunteers and supporters to get involved. These mini-Expo events will coincide with EcoWeek 2010, reaching an expanded audience in multiple locations. Volunteers are needed to help plan and implement R4 Fairs in Key Largo, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West. You asked for it, and GLEE listened!

GLEE Develops Chapters - GLEE wants to make it easier for you to become involved. That's why we're forming local chapters. Now you can go to Green Drinks, host community meetings and plan local projects with like-minded residents in your GLEE chapter. To get involved, go to the monthly Green Drinks in your area and meet other like-minded individuals. Join the movement to green the Keys one island at a time. GLEE Steering Committee meetings, open to everyone, take place on the fourth Thursday of each month. These meetings usually take place in centrally-located Marathon, but are often call-in only meetings, which help us all minimize our carbon footprint. If you want to be included in the meeting notification list, or become a chapter leader, email info@keysglee.com.


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EcoWeek 2010 Seeks Community Support at TDC Meetings

EcoWeek 2010, a keys-wide event to create international awareness of the Keys unique environment, will take place Nov. 1-14, 2010. Events in the Upper Keys are scheduled for Nov. 1-7 (with a kickoff HallowGreen party on the 31st). The Middle Keys events will take place Nov. 4-10, while Key West and the Lower Keys will celebrate EcoWeek Nov. 8-14. Many events are being planned, including catamaran races, sailing regattas, an Eco-Music Fest, a green film festival, fashion show, kayaking poker runs, organic food and wine tastings and contests, diving and snorkeling events, kiteboarding events, speakers and workshops, youth programs, garbage race coastal clean-up and much more! GLEE will also be organizing the 4th Annual R4 Fairs during EcoWeek with expanded education and exhibitor opportunities to be offered in each region.

EcoWeek organizers have applied for TDC funding and are encouraging residents to show support for EcoWeek 2010 at each of the TDC district meetings. Wear GREEN to show your support and mark your calendar for the following dates. On Tuesday, Aug. 11 the DAC will meet at 10 a.m. at the Marriott in Key Largo; 2 p.m. in Islamorada at Holiday Isle, and 6 p.m. at the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce. The DAC will meet at 9 a.m. Aug. 12 at the Marathon Government Center and at 3 p.m. in Key West at the Double Tree Grand Resort.

"We are holding our first gathering for some of the committees in Marathon at the Marathon Chamber of Commerce office at 12222 Overseas Hwy on Saturday, Aug. 15th," said Christi Allen, co-chair of EcoWeek 2010 with Michele Beach, both of Key Largo. The Sponsorship Committee meets at 9 a.m.; Advertising and PR Committee at 11 a.m.; Carbon Offset Committee at 1 p.m. and the Environmental Project Committee at 3 p.m..

Please go to EcoWeekFloridaKeys.com to find more information about the committees and to check the calendar for meeting times and locations. Please contact us if you are interested in organizing, hosting or want to participate in an event at ecoweek2010@comcast.net.


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Green Business Partners meet MARC in all day training program

Green Business Partners

Attending GLEE's first Green Business Partnership training at the MARC facility last month were, from left: JoEll Bradbury, MARC Green Team Captain; Ed Giesler of KEYS Energy Services; Tom Franklin, Sarasota Green Business Partnership; Jeff Ruberg with SALT; Christi Allen, EcoWeek 2010 co-chair; GLEE Pres. Alison Higgins; Sara Hamilton, Florida Keys Electric Cooperative; GLEE V. P. Jody Smith Williams; Michele Beach, EcoWeek 2010 co-chair; and GLEE Program Coordinator Bridget McDonald.

Also attending the training, but not pictured here were Erika Biddle; Lynn Wintermeyer; Chantez Neymoss; Nancy Bender; Janine Gedmin, Monroe County Sheriffs Office; and MARC Green Team members Megan McDonald and Mark Lindas. The class was taught by Franklin, who designed and implemented the Sarasota program. Franklin taught an all-day, free workshop for GLEE volunteers where he shared his year's of experience and expertise.


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Green Business Program removes mystique, makes greening easy

The buzz you're hearing about GLEE's Green Business Partnership (GBP) program is growing as the non-profit prepares to launch a program that is sure to stimulate Keys businesses in more ways than one. The GBP program is GLEE's latest effort to help businesses reduce waste and lessen impact on the local environment, while tightening belts and saving resources that equal dollars.

"This partnership program will remove the mystique from the process of greening any business - from restaurants and bars to small offices -- it's a simple process taken one step at a time," said GLEE's program coordinator Bridget McDonald.

The first to volunteer for the pilot program was the Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens (MARC) staff at the May Sands School. "My sister Megan works in the horticulture program and had asked me to help MARC set up recycling at the facility. At the same time, GLEE was designing the GBP program. So I jumped at the opportunity to pilot the project with them."

MARC proved to be the perfect pilot business having classrooms, offices, a plant nursery and retail operation as well as the Rainbow Café, where clients train in culinary arts. "They were already on the road to green, doing things like reusing plastic plant pots and capturing AC condensation. They just needed help moving forward," said McDonald, who is now working with pilot businesses throughout the Keys including: The UPS Store/Tropical Arts and Crafts Supplies in Key Largo, Leigh Ann's Coffee House in Marathon; and the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce in Big Pine Key.

By forming a green team and addressing items on a checklist, the MARC team has moved toward a deeper greening of their operations while improving energy conservation practices, reducing water usage and improving other basic environmental practices, like recycling. “The program allows you to choose your own measures in most cases,” said McDonald. “But some things, like recycling, are mandatory. It gets the imagination going and challenges people to find hidden ‘treasures’ waiting to be discovered. It’s creative problem solving that pays off. ”

The GBP checklist and waste assessment form will become available on the KeysGLEE.com website Fall 2009. Any business can then download, print and follow the detailed instructions. Businesses who want to become officially designated through the GBP program must become a business member ($100) and pay a $50 on-site assessment fee to help cover the cost of the program. GLEE has also created a formula for in-kind volunteer hours in exchange for the program fee.

The MARC team is in the final phases of implementing the GBP checklist and completing a waste assessment, which helped them determine that they will actually save a small amount by recycling and having fewer solid waste pickups. Once finished with the installation of new faucet aerators (compliments of FKAA) , and a few details with a new composting program, an onsite assessment will be made by McDonald and volunteers who are training in the program.

Last month, more than 15 volunteers gathered at MARC to attend a Green Business training offered by Sarasota County Recycling Coordinator Tom Franklin, who developed and implemented that county’s Green Business Partnership program. GLEE’s program mirrors Sarasota’s in most cases, with minor changes specific to the Keys and a focus on collecting “before and after” data to measure success. Among those attending the June training session were a sheriff’s department employee, several business owners, and representatives from both Florida Keys Electric Cooperative and KEYS Energy.

The pilot program has benefited from the experience of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Green Lodging Program, learning from FDEP assessors how to conduct on-site assessments while providing the latest tips on energy savings, water conservation and sustainability.

“The success of the GBP strongly depends upon the belief that most people want to do the right thing,” said McDonald. “Most of us are realizing what a wasteful society we have created and are willing to do our part to turn things around.” But the program also appeals to the prudent businessperson who watches the bottom line carefully, said McDonald, who wants the program to provide financial incentives through partnerships with other businesses and utilities.

Once designated, the business receives a seal in the form of a window decal (retail operations) or certificate (office business), as well as an electronic seal that can be used on the businesses stationary, advertising or other publications. “We want these businesses to blow their own horns and help create the image as well as the reality of the Keys as a place with good environmental stewardship.” This program is perfectly timed for implementing the goals of the EcoWeek event that is now being planned for Nov. 2010. The countywide, two-week event is an effort to showcase, internationally, the Keys ecology and our respect for it.

Partners who become designated in the GBP program will also be listed in GLEE’s Online Green Guide to the Keys, which will serve as a “green bible” of resources for visitors, residents and businesses. “This guide is our response to the many emails and calls we receive from people looking for green businesses and products,” she said. “If we make the guide available on the website, anyone can use it and it’s easy for GLEE to continuously update without reprinting. People can print out pages as they need them.” GB Partners would also have first option for ad placement on the new GBP web pages, another development phase to follow the launch of the program. “The program will host an online forum and could even develop a niche for businesses who want to collaborate on group purchasing,” said McDonald. “It will definitely create a new extension in the green network that’s growing in the Keys.”

The Green Business Partnership program will open to all businesses this fall. Following the launch of GLEE’s new website, all information about the program and the GBP designation process will be available on the KeysGLEE.com website.. For more information, write to info@keysglee.com.


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Thanks to GLEE Members Who Show They Care with Donations

Special thanks to GLEE Business Member Doug Mayberry for his donation of $100. Mayberry has just recently obtained the official GREEN designation from the National Association of Realtors.

Michael Zarnowski donated $25 to show his support of GLEE and appreciation for the July 11 e-waste drop-off in Marathon.

Shirley Freeman donated $200 to pay videographer Mary Sporacio to film the Key West Recycles training on July 11. Thanks Shirley for a valuable gift toward the education effort and an entertaining performance by Key West elected officials for our GLEE archives!

Justin and Meghan Donnelly made a thoughtful donation of $40 in memory of Alison Higgins' father, Louis Higgins, who recently passed away at his home in Hemet, CA.

Vicki Acton, also made a $100 gift to GLEE in honor of Alison Higgins and her family.


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City Officials Help Spread the Word: Key West Recycles!

By Chris Belland

Maybe ... just maybe ... there is some real hope and light at the end of the recycling tunnel for Key West.

On Saturday, July 11, GLEE, the Green Living & Energy Education group that is thoroughly dedicated to the prospect of environmental stewardship, held an orientation meeting for volunteers to spread the educational word on recycling.

By any description it was a resounding success. The location at the Nancy Foster Eco-Discovery Center was standing-room only for a GLEE presentation by the vice president, Jody Smith Williams, and the program director, Bridget McDonald. The main part was the involvement of our mayor and city commissioners in skits showing the proper approach, the way to tell residents about the current mandatory recycling ordinance and the ways and means to recycle. But more on that later.

Single stream system

Jody Smith Williams described to the volunteers how we have a single-stream system, which means that all recyclables are put in one container, a far cry from some communities that require pre-sorting. One of the attendees from another community stated that they have had a $250 fine in place for the past 20 years for not sorting properly. The rejoinder from Williams was that Key West is taking a softer approach with a one-year voluntary effort but after the education program, the city is leaning towards a similar enforcement policy. It comes as no surprise to readers of this columnist that I am highly in favor of such "teeth" to the ordinance.

Buying Decisions

Bridget McDonald described to the audience why recycling education is going to be residential-only for the time being but that very soon businesses will be brought into the recycling effort as well, particularly because they create such a volume of recyclables, including aluminum cans, glass and paper. Again, residential-only recycling is an effort to "pick the low hanging fruit" to achieve the 4 Rs of Reducing, Re-using, Recycling and Rotting. McDonald's presentation emphasized the buying decisions each one of us can make to reduce waste in the first place.

Then, if we can, to reuse things like plastic containers and, finally, try to recycle what we can, which is easily the more complicated matter in the process. There was some discussion about a community composting facility because 30 percent of what we haul out of Key West is yard and food waste. Readers of this column will know it is an idea I have endorsed many times, not only because of the cost of hauling the waste out but also for the fact that we have such poor soil in the Keys.

The educational effort will include delivered collateral material with the items that can be recycled as well as an information sheet. These brochures will tell people how plastics with the recycling symbol and either a 1, 2 or 3 on them can be recycled. All bottle glass except for blue glass (which contains cobalt) can be recycled. Always take the lids off containers, even if they are metal. Separating the metal from the glass makes it easier on the recycling center. All plastic lids should be discarded in the garbage can. Do not recycle plastic that has been used for non-organic oils such as motor oil as residues will remain in the containers. One of the biggies was not to use plastic bags to put your recycling in. Most plastic bags are not recyclable in the first place; however, most stores that use them will take them back, including Publix, Winn Dixie and Albertson's.

Greg Sullivan of Waste Management was at the Eco-Discovery Center and explained how and why it is necessary to be careful about recycling plastics. First, it is graded into different types of plastic and then chipped into small pieces. The plastic is then melted and put through extruders and, if this is not properly done, it won't work because the different plastics melt at different temperatures. Makes sense to me. Other things that can be put in the recycling bin are, of course, aluminum, glass jars with the lids removed and cardboard boxes flattened out. Things that cannot go in the recycling bin are waxy liquid cartons such as milk cartons, beer bottles with the lime in them (for all you Corona drinkers), blue glass and mirrors. Household batteries can be put in the recycling if contained in a clear plastic bag. I would suggest using your newspaper plastic bag instead of having to buy new ones.

Many questions were asked, such as, "What happens if the paper gets wet?" and "Why can't we recycle more things?" According to Sullivan, a lot of it has to do with the paper being purchased by re-users on the basis of weight. They obviously don't want to buy paper that is wet and pay for the water. Other economic factors that determine recycling have to do with the price of commodities. For example, right now glass is really not very desirable and is, in fact, crushed up and used as road fill. Even the price of aluminum, the most desirable of recyclables, is down -- but things will change.

As far as receptacles go, you can use the approved Waste Management bins when they are available. If you can't get one or don't want to buy one, any receptacle will do as long as it is labeled. Even a laundry basket will do just fine. The people going around the community with the educational materials will be providing bumper-sticker type labels to put on various containers.

Then came the fun part. City Manager Scholl was the moderator for the group of thespians who included Clayton Lopez as a typical resident who was, in fact, interested in recycling. Teri Johnston was a just-roused-out-of-bed snowbird who did a funny job of not knowing "nuthin" about recycling but was interested in trying. Mayor Morgan McPherson and Bill Verge stole the show. McPherson came out in drag and said he didn't know anything about recycling and didn't want to know anything about it because it was dirty. As he flipped his feather boa over his shoulder and around his blond wig, several in the audience were curiously aroused. He was finally convinced that recycling would be good and he agreed to do it. Verge came out as a militant former Vietnam vet who didn't appreciate the fact that he was being told it was going to be mandatory so he told the volunteers they were trespassing on his property and he'd be glad to invite them inside to see his collection of medals. They politely declined. Done in good fun, it was a visceral demonstration of how the volunteers should approach people.

Volunteers will soon be coming around your neighborhood to deliver the educational material. Remember, folks, these are volunteers, not Waste Management experts. They are taking their time and effort on behalf of this entire community to tell you how to appropriately recycle. If you believe we should recycle, as so many of you say you do, then please accept the information, ask the questions you have and then simply ... start.

Left: Using skits to train volunteers on canvassing techniques, volunteers Christine Russell (far left), and Shirley Freeman (center) talk with a resident who just moved to Key West from Oklahoma (Commissioner Teri Johnston) about mandatory recycling.

Right: Commissioner Bill Verge plays a grumpy veteran who doesn't like the government "telling me what to do." Freeman and Russell politely refuse an invite to come inside and see his war medals.


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It's All About Climate Change

Climate change findings to be discussed at community meetings

A two-year study of climate change and its possible impacts on the Keys is nearing completion and the public is invited to participate in informational workshops to share and discuss the findings. The community meetings are to be presented by Australian researcher Hans Hoegh-Guldberg of Economic Strategies Pty Ltd., who conducted the study funded by NOAA.

Workshops held last year to establish what opinion leaders see as long-term issues facing the Keys were valuable in focusing the study, he said. "I have distilled eight such issues from the verbatim reports," said Hoegh-Guldberg. He said climate change was listed consistently as the number one issue.

The meetings will include a PowerPoint presentation of the possible future -- from global to local. "I personally think that the coming few months, culminating at the climate change meeting in Copenhagen in December, could be crucial for the way the world prepares itself in the coming decade," said Hoegh-Guldberg.

Four meetings are planned to obtain final feedback and information. Everyone is welcome. The locations are as follows:

  • Marathon Tuesday, August 11, 6-8 pm, Key Colony Beach City Hall
  • Key West -- Wednesday, August 12, 6-8 pm, Eco-Discovery Center
  • Key Largo -- Friday, August 14, 6-8 pm, Key Largo Library
  • Islamorada -- Monday, August 17, 6-8 pm, Florida Keys History of Diving Museum
  • Lower Keys -- Thursday, August 20, 6-8 pm, Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, Big Pine Key

Climate Protection organizer Weeks returns to Key West

Repower America, a branch of The Alliance for Climate Protection (ACP), will hold an organizational meeting on August 19 from 6-7:30 PM in Key West. Look for more information and the meeting location, at KeysGLEE.com or contact the ACP regional field organizer, Vicki Weeks, at Vicki.Weeks@climateprotect.org or call 305-731-6336.


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New Members Keep GLEE Growing

BUSINESS MEMBERSHIPS
  • Beach, Michele - The UPS Store/Tropical Arts and Crafts Supplies
  • Guiler, Tina - Wow Green Int'l
  • Hughes, Ginette - Marine Resources Development Foundation
  • Johnson, Ray - Florida Solar One, Inc.
  • Landau, Jon - Hydro Alternative Energy
  • Sahagian, John - FUNYET Charters
  • Vastardis, George - Sun Biodiesel
FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS
  • Kenna, Jasmine
  • Kocol, John
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIPS
  • Backlund , Carrie
  • Benvenuti, Larry
  • Casper, Evelyn
  • Goodrum, Gregg
  • Greenburg, Bonnie
  • McFadgen, Jill

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Upper Keys Garden Club hosts Organic Gardening Class

Organic Gardening Class

Every Sunday since mid July, organic farmer Andres Mejides has been enlightening and entertaining 13 green-thumbed women about all things organic at the Upper Keys Garden Club in Tavernier. Mejides, who was the featured speaker at the GLEE annual meeting in February, drew such enthusiasm that we cajoled him into making the trek down from his Homestead farm to share the knowledge and expertise he's been teaching at Miami-Dade College for over 20 years.

The group of both experienced and novice gardeners includes members of the GLEE community garden in Key West, Monroe County Extension Service horticultural agent Kim Gabel, and others who are interested in home gardening or forming another community garden in the upper Keys. What they have in common is their enthusiasm and thirst for information about how best to turn the challenges of our unique ecosystem into a thriving and productive garden. "I felt a kindred spirit with Andres the first time I met him and I knew there would be many others in the Keys who would love to learn from him" said GLEE vice president Jody Smith Williams.

Aside from the expert advice and humorous anecdotes from Mejides, the camraderie of sharing tips and frustrations among the group has also been beneficial. GLEE secretary Karen Beal said, "I'm encouraged to learn that we can close the loop on what we grow, eat, compost and grow again. It is sustainability in its truest form, going back to old practices that still work. I can't wait to try some of the heirloom seeds this fall. I bet we have a class reunion and share the fruits of our labor."

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