Results tagged “green”

After we ran the story this morning about the cyclist who was shot with a pellet gun by people in a light blue Prius, one of our readers recognized a hauntingly familiar connection to a similar incident that had happened to his friend around the same time. His friend, Austinite Jason Goodrich, wrote to us directly.

Wildflower displays this year expected to be only moderate since there wasn't much rain this fall. Hard hit by drought, Bastrop County asks Gov. Perry for state of emergency status. San Antonio and Austin city leaders working together to lure solar companies to Central Texas. Capital Metro rail test today showed that cars at 53rd Street are not stopping far enough away from the tracks. Three-alarm fire sparked at a Northeast Austin business at about midnight this morning. Is the honeymoon over? Speaker Straus refuses to hear a motion to allow Reps to voluntarily switch committee assignments. Whole Foods profits down 17.4%.

Three local environmental groups are running assorted outreach efforts tomorrow, and still looking for volunteers to participate:

• Auto bailout fails in the Senate.
• Cheney says it will be "Herbert Hoover time" if there is no aid for automakers.
• Mexico deports Americans.

The AltCar Expo and Conference, taking place at Palmer Events Center today and tomorrow, is being touted as the region's "largest collection of alternative fuel vehicles and technologies," with over one hundred autos to be showcased. Alternative fuel vehicles are everything from electric cars and trucks (considered "zero emission," electricity generation notwithstanding) to those powered by natural gas, propane, biodiesel and ethanol.

This year's Maker Faire will feature many exhibits that focus on sustainability and green technology. Do-it-yourselfers of all backgrounds will be at the event to show off their eco-friendly creations. Intrigued tree huggers should start at The Green, Cost-Effective, DIY Extravaganza where attendees can learn how to make a solar oven, build a low-cost graywater system, make a pedicab, or set up an indoor garden. Visitors can also explore and talk to the makers of a hand built earthen oven and a solar powered water distilling device.

Photos by Ann Harkness from Friday night's Recycled Fashion Show at Treasure City Thrift Store.

Austin Green Art, our local purveyors of public art with an environmental edge, recently moved into their brand spanking new studios near 35th Street and Mopac. They're looking for volunteers to help 'em out with various and sundry moving-in activities around the mammoth 4,000-square-foot space—things like painting, pushing boxes, setting up the office, gardening, etc&mdash. They're hosting a workday this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. "Drop in anytime" to help out.

International bicycling phenomenon Lance Armstrong was named the top water user in Austin, according to a list published by the Statesman. He paid $1,630 for 222,900 gallons of water. Astounding ingenuity and persistence enabled local attorney Carolyn Beckett to take the number two spot by using 174,400 gallons of water, even though her 1/3 acre lot doesn't have a swimming pool or a sprinkler system. Austinites overall use about 180 million gallons of water a day during the summer.

Austin overall is ambivalent about lawns. Lawns are particularly ill-suited for the Texas climate - keeping all that grass green requires a lot of water and chemicals. Nonetheless, most single family homes in Austin are surrounded by green lawns, even after weeks of hot weather and little rain. The city imposes watering restrictions and recommends minimizing total lawn area, but many homeowner's associations have strict rules requiring well maintained lawns. However, with water conservation becoming an ever larger issue and the increasing attraction of xeriscaping for ecological, economic and aesthetic reasons, the Austin lawn may soon become a historical relic.

Planet Make-Over, an interactive, entertainment driven, musician/celebrity-led, movement to reverse the effects of global warming, will kick off their new initiative with a fundraiser event at the Four Seasons. Celebrity endorsers of PMO include Willie Nelson, Alejandro Escovedo and Kris Kristofferson.

What is the greenest way to celebrate the 4th of July? Well, the 2nd Annual Green 4th of July Celebration at the Austin Farmers Market, of course! Technically on Saturday, July 5th, this year's event features green gurus, interactive discussions, local food, live music, sustainable kid's activities and entertainment.

According to the Statesman, the City of Austin is generally failing to enforce the Water Use Management Ordinance, despite having received over a thousand complaints about violations. Only three citations have been issued so far, all to commercial users. Under the ordinance, commercial and multifamily users can only water on Tuesday and/or Friday year round, residential users with odd-numbered addresses can only water on Wednesday and/or Saturday from May 1 - September 30 and residential users with even-numbered addresses can only water on Thursday and/or Sunday from May 1 - September 30. No one can water between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., except with hand-held hose.

A message from our beloved mayor: Over the last several months, you may have heard talk about a proposed City plan for achieving improved energy efficiency in existing homes. Some have called it the "point of sale" ordinance, or even the "green home tax." There's been a lot of confusion and misunderstanding on this issue, so I want to try to set the record straight. I hope that you will take a moment to read this.

Austin's continued involvement in the Central Texas Clean Cities Program, has earned the city a $12,500 in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Austin eco-friendly designerRené Geneva will show her hemp and organic wool designs at Fashion Week in Los Angeles with support from Austin's own EcoClean and Kendra Scott jewelery.

BarCamp Austin is an "unconference" -- an event that flips the traditional meeting setup on its head. Everything in an unconference is planned, set up, and executed by the participants. If it sounds like a model for chaos, it turns out it's just the opposite.

Green Drinks gets computer savvy this month with a focus on greening computer usage and IT. Rebecca Thorburn, a member of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, will be on hand to discuss the non-profit organization's dedication to promoting climate conservation through the widespread deployment of energy efficient hardware and power management software.

The Mohawk presents a solid double bill of local pop this evening. The Lemurs have been writing new material over the last few months and a handful of those songs will be included in their set tonight. The band enjoyed a stellar 2007 -- highlights included licensing their music to NBC show Las Vegas (as well as an Australian indie flick called Newcastle) and touring with Canadian act Stars. This past Sunday, ME Television telecast a 2nd ME Live! featuring The Lemurs' shimmering melodies in concert at a recent La Zona Rosa gig.

The iconic Grant Hart, of well-earned Hüsker Dü fame, headlines for Grand Champeen and The Service Industry tonight inside the Mohawk. Hüsker Dü, for those of you who don't remember, or are merely too young to have been a part of their revolution, were one of the most influential hardcore punk bands in history. Not only were they one of the first underground successes to sign to a major label, but they were the first group to truly weave melody into the greater punkrock mentality. Basically, without their influence, we wouldn't have had bands like the Pixies, Green Day, and some little garage outfit called Nirvana. And Grant Hart, my friends, was Hüsker Dü's drummer and part-time songwriter.

As the trendiness of "going green" evolves more into an issue of long term sustainability, Austin continues to thrive when it comes to merging civic leadership, local business, and tactical implementation for more sustainable living. Popular Science recently released a list of the top 50 greenest cities and Austin rounded out the top 10. Other Texas cities making the top 50 include Fort Worth, Amarillo, and Laredo.

Spiral follows a lonely, nerdy telemarketer who sketches portraits as a hobby. But when he begins sketching a hot new ladyfriend (Amber Tamblyn), shocking secrets from his past begin to emerge. If the reviews on the Fantastic Fest B-Side site are any indication, it's quite good.

Sharon Jones is a 51-year-old overnight sensation to some, but it's unlikely she'd see it that way. An active vocalist since the 1970's, Jones played music for years as a side gig while working day jobs at Riker's Island and as a Wells Fargo armored car guard. During a background vocal session in 1996, she met musician/engineer Bosco Mann, who became her primary collaborator. Jones spent the late 90's performing with the Desco Super Soul Revue, forming the Dap-Kings in 2000 after the Revue's demise. The band have released three albums on their own label since their inception, and have toured incessantly to build a large and fervent fanbase. They specialize in old-school soul music that doesn't sound out of place next to Aretha, Otis, Al Green, or Motown. This sound was so compelling that in 2006, producer Mark Ronson hired the Dap-Kings to perform on Amy Winehouse's Back To Black as well as his hit European solo album Version. Their latest release 100 Days, 100 Nights has received a warm critical reception, and Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings will arrive in Austin Saturday for a show to promote the disc at Antone's.

This month's Green Drinks is kicking the New Year off with some eat-right type resolutions. Salila Travers, organizer of the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market and owner of Aztec Organic Pest Service for over 25 years, will be on tap to share her passion for organic foods and nutritional expertise with the environmentally aware and sustainability professionals that make up Austin Green Drinks.

There is absolutely no reason to stay in on Friday evening. Whether it's DJ Shadow at La Zona Rosa or Future Clouds and Radar at The Parish, downtown offers you a wide variety of music to kick off your weekend.

After being closed to new subscribers for a period of time, Austin Energy's GreenChoice program is extending its green arms for Austinites far and wide. Claiming to be the nation's most successful utility-sponsored green power program, GreenChoice is an opportunity to walk the sustainability talk.

We mentioned the plan a while ago, but it appears to have legs, so here we go again. Brewster is proposing creation of what he calls the "Austin Parking Enterprise." The city would partner with developers to own parking garages in buildings being developed. Initially, it would operate the Seaholm garage and any in the Green Water Treatment Plant redevelopment. We're scared that this proposal will mean more parking gets built, making downtown more car-centric and pedestrian-unfriendly than it already is. According to the proposed policies, the Parking Enterprise "should seek to maximize the availability of public parking" and "may finance more parking spaces than are required for an associated private development."

Austin City Council proposed a resolution to reduce the use of plastic bags back in May, but Whole Foods is taking matters into their own hands and no longer offering plastic bags at check out. They are upping the ante from 5 cents to 10 cents for those who bring reusable bags, or customers can conveniently purchase the new 99 cent "better bag" made of 80% post-consumer waste.

Yesterday the EarthLab Foundation announced its annual list of the top 10 greenest cities in America. Austin ranked 9th in this year's list. The list is compiled by sampling the one million plus users of the website's carbon and lifestyle calculator that has been featured in Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary The Eleventh Hour, at the 2007 Emmy Awards, and by Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection.

Son of Rambow - Free Screening!Monday, December 10thAlamo Drafthouse South Lamar (1120 S. Lamar)Free, 7pm[info]Amidst the blood, guts and graphic violence of Fantastic Fest 2007, which we lovingly embraced in all its gory glory, was nestled a small, quiet film about the wonders and struggles of growing up and growing out. Son of Rambow was like a tall glass of Iced Tea on a 110 degree day: refreshing, calming and cool. We went into...