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Wednesday
July 2nd |
1:00pm - 4:00pm, San Jose Green Building Materials in San Jose Lynn N. Simon, AIA, will discuss selection of building products that conserve resources, reduce pollution and waste, are low-toxic, and have low embodied energy. The information presented in this class is relevant to the "Materials and Resources" section of the USGBC LEED(tm) building certification. Please register for the free PEC classes by calling 415-973-7268 or signing up online at www.pge.com/pec/classes |
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Friday July 4th |
$300 (residential course); $50 late registration fee, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, 15290 Coleman Valley Rd., Occidental, CA Introduction to Natural Plasters, Paints and Pigments Learn to transform the walls of your home using nature as your palette. In this weekend hands-on intensive, you will learn to make and apply a variety of interior wall finishes from fine clay plasters to milk paints. The techniques and recipes we will experiment with are suitable for earthen and conventional (sheetrock) wall systems, and can be applied to new or existing interiors. With clay, sand, straw, and your imagination, you can create gorgeous wall finishes that are virtually nontoxic and fun to apply. This is a great course for homeowners, natural building enthusiasts, and anyone interested in exploring alternatives to traditional drywall, wallpaper, paneling and painting. For more info: 707/874-1557 x201, inquiry@oaec.org. |
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Saturday - Sunday July 5th - 6th |
$250, Real Goods Solar Living Center, 13771 S. Highway 101, Hopland, CA Introduction to Photovoltaics This 2-day workshop covers the basics of electricity, load analysis, system sizing, and the components of various systems. Hands-on session includes wiring of a photovoltaic system and an extensive tour of the solar and wind energy systems at the Real Goods Solar Living Center. Day two provides a detailed look at component options and system design, including the integration of wind and hydroelectric sources, generators, and utility intertie systems. Students will have the opportunity to design their own site-specific system. For more info: 707/744-2017, sli@solarliving.org, http://www.solarliving.org/description.cfm. |
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Sunday July 6th |
4:00pm - 6:00pm, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St., @ Bonita, Berkeley, CA War Tax Resistance Information & Support Gathering More than half of our federal income taxes are being used for war. Find out about a variety of ways to respond. Topics will include: Creative legal protests; Refusing to pay all or part of federal taxes and the possible consequences of this form of civil disobedience. Redirecting resisted taxes to local alternative funds and/or community organizations; Local support networks for war tax resisters. For more information: Northern California War Tax Resistance, 510/843-9877, nowartax@yahoo.com. |
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Monday July 7th |
7:30pm, Call for location Berkeley Biodiesel Cooperative Orientation Those interested in making biodiesel welcome for new member orientation. Some technical questions can be answered. For more info: 510/594-4000 x777, biobauerx@hotmail.com. |
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Monday - Friday July 7th - 18th |
Paonia, Colorado Women's Photovoltaic Design and Installation This two week course will teach participants how to use PV (photovoltaics) technology to produce their own electricity from the sun. This class has a strong hands-on component during the second week of instruction. Troubleshoot existing systems, program inverters and controllers, examine code violations, learn about water pumping, and install a full PV system. Classroom curriculum includes system sizing, site analysis, hardware specification and component selection. Textbooks are included. For more information visit: http://www.solarenergy.org/womens.html |
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Tuesday July 8th |
7pm - 10pm, $35, Building Education Center, 812 Page St., Berkeley, CA Bamboo Building Strong as steel in tension, timber bamboo can grow three feet in a day, be sustainably harvested every year and uses a small fraction of the land required by trees. Turning greywater into a construction material is possible if you know how to work with it. Architect Darrel DeBoer will cover proper tool usage and joinery as well as design ideas that avoid the more difficult, time-consuming joints. For more info: 510/525-7610. |
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Wednesday 7/9/2003 
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6:00 pm reception, 6:30 pm lecture, Donation $3 - $7, PG&E's Pacific Energy Center, 851 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Two blocks south of the Powell Street BART ADPSR's Building Ecology Forum: co-sponsored by Pacific Energy Center, East Bay AIA COTE and the Ecological Design Institute Market Transformation through Green Building Programs: Nationally and Locally Marc Richmond is a Project Manager for Austin Energy's Green Building Program. He has been with the program for five years; two as manager of the program. His work includes researching resource-efficient building designs and materials, as well as marketing to and educating building professionals and the public on healthy and environmentally-sound building practices. Marc is also past chairman of the US Green Building Council's LEED-Residential Steering Committee, which is developing a national residential green building rating system. Presently, he is fulfilling a contract with the California Public Utilities Commission and Pacific Gas and Electric to conduct a Bay Area green building market transformation by helping to start local green building programs. Call ADPSR 510-273-2428 or adpsrmail@aol.com |
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Wednesday - Sunday July 9th - 20th |
$400 before July 1st, $500 after July 1st, Pragiri Farm, near Arlington, Washington Ecovillage Design: A 10-Day Immersion Course This particular course will be the final Graduate Design Project for an M.A. in Whole Systems Design at Antioch University Seattle. It is intended to serve as the prototype for more VDI presentations in the future. The course will be modeled upon comparable, international-standard, Permaculture and Village Design courses offered around the globe, but adapted to the unique perspectives and purposes of the Village Design Institute. In comparison to other courses, ours will have much more of a focus on the Design Studio phase. We're not merely presenting information or showing examples of work that's already been done - we want to guide course participants through the very organic process by which they can prepare themselves for doing their own, comprehensive, multi-dimensional site design work. In this regard, we will be working extensively with maps, on-site evaluation, and the community-centered Group Design Process. We want to balance theory with practical hands-on application; we want the course to have a real community feel; and we want to introduce body and sensory awareness as essential aspects of good ecological design. For a complete explanation and interpretation of the philosophy and intentions underlying this type of course, see Context Paper. For an abbreviated version, see course Design Criteria. It is important to emphasize that the faculty presenting this Ecovillage Design course have actively gone out and experienced the best that the world has to offer in this emerging new field. We're taking all we have learned - through intensive college course work, through leading-edge international design presentations, through residencies and extended practicums at premier ecovillage models, and most importantly, through our own daily, practical, hands-on efforts - and applying this collective body of knowledge to the creation of a dynamic, timely, useful, regionally-based, holistic - mind, body, spirit - learning experience. For further qualifications, see Faculty and Staff. Site course info page lists links for registration, food menu, directions, and other pertinent information. Contact info is on the website: http://villagedesign.org Course information available at: http://villagedesign.org/vdi_courses.htm |
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Thursday July 10th |
7:00pm, Donation requested, no one turned away for lack of funds. Environmental Technology Center, Sonoma State U., 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA Films on Green Design
For more info: Armando Navarro, 707/664-2577. |
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Friday July 11th  |
First 60 Electricians, Contractors, Affordable Housing Specialists $50, Next 270 registrants $100, All others $150 Real Goods Solar Living Center Hopland, CA Solar Electric (PV) Systems Installer Training If you are a contractor, an electrician, or affiliated in any way with affordable housing, this class is for you. These day-long classes are geared to those with previous electrical experience who need the code and installation information specifically related to photovoltaic installations. The goal of the program is to increase the pool of qualified installers available to serve the public throughout the state. The recommended prerequisite for attending this class is apprentice or journeyman level electrician status or equivalent experience. The course covers basic PV concepts, site analysis, performance calculations, pv array and balance of system installation issues, special wiring considerations, wiring methods, and issues relating to the NEC code and utility interconnection. Photovoltaic system equipment will be available to demonstrate the principles shared in class. Classes are taught by a pool of experienced instructors who have years of hands-on solar electric experience, including Bill Brooks of Endecon Engineering, Douglas Livingston, veteran PV instructor, Jeff Oldham, Project Manager of the Real Goods Solar Living Center and 20 year PV veteran Douglas Bath. Students are provided with a thorough 200-page course manual, a 600-page Solar Living Sourcebook, the definitive work on renewable energy, and other resource materials. To register for classes, contact the Solar Living Institute by calling 707-744-2017 or by emailing: sli@solarliving.org. Cancellations made prior to 2 weeks from workshop date will be charged a $25 cancellation fee. Cancellations made within 2 weeks of workshop date are non-refundable. Schedule of Solar Installer Training Classes:
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Saturday July 12th |
$75, includes vegetarian lunch Northern California Cohousing Tour The tour, led by David Ergo of Cotati Cohousing, will visit Two Acre Wood and Cotati Cohousing in Sonoma County as well as four communities in San Francisco's East Bay. For more info: joani@swansway.com, https://secure2.anu.net/cohousing/tour/tour.html. |
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Saturday July 12th |
$65, Real Goods Solar Living Center, 13771 S. Highway 101, Hopland, CA Grid-Tied Solar Electric Systems and Rebates This workshop is designed to give you the knowledge needed to evaluate energy use patterns and to plan for energy alternatives. Find out how you can generate clean, renewable electricity to your home and provide excess power back to the utility company. In this half day class, you will learn the basics of utility intertie systems, net-metering laws, costs and paybacks, as well as up-to-date information on the CA Energy Commission (CEC) state rebate programs now available. Info: 707/744-2017, sli@solarliving.org, http://www.solarliving.org/description.cfm. |
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Saturday - Sunday July 12th - 13th |
Free, Space is limited — please pre-register, Canyon, CA Strawbale/Earthen Cottage Building Workshop By getting your hands dirty, you will get an introduction to the 10,000 year old art of natural building. Including: cob (earthen) & strawbale techniques, siting, foundations, passive solar, local materials, and more. Formore info: 510/557-7017, dangballs@hotmail.com. |
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Sundays July 13th & 20th |
$550, Willits, CA Introduction to Cob and Natural Building This course covers the basics of building with cob along with other natural building materials such as strawbale and slipstraw. Students will learn how to select and test materials for cob and to formulate the ideal cob mix. Various cob wall building techniques will be taught, such as attaching wood to cob, placing windows and doors, and sculpting architectural details with cob. We will work on hybrid buildings that smoothly integrate cob with other natural materials for exterior and interior walls. This course includes philosophical and theoretical discussions on building design and siting, including passive solar design, foundation and roof work, and natural finishes. For more info: Seven Generations Natural Builders, 415/868-0930, sasha@sgnb.com, www.sgnb.com. |
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Sunday - Wednesday July 13th - 23rd 
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Kansas to California The 6th Bi-annual American Solar Car Race Challenge! From July 13th to 23th, 2003, 2300 miles of solar raycing will challenge teams from around the world. High tech and high efficiency solar cars will cross the Great Plains, climb the Rocky Mountains, and dash over the Great American Desert to the finish line in Southern California. to learn more and for volunteer opportunities visit the website. Cars from Stanford, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Berkeley are entered in the race. For more info please visit http://www.formulasun.org/asc/index.html |
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Monday
- Tuesday
June 14th - 15th |
Alexis Park Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, NV Electric Power in the Southwest Conference This conference will help provide energy professionals from all sectors a better understanding of current market and regulatory conditions in the Southwest, and the faculty of expert speakers will offer insight as to how evolving policies are shaping the markets of the future. Program Co-chairs: Arthur O'Donnell of The Energy Overseer and Fred Schmidt Esq. of Hale Lane Peek Dennison and Howard. Information or registration: call us at (800) 854-8009; or visit this web site http://www.clenews.com/LSI/03/03resnv.htm. |
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Monday - Thursday July 14th - 17th |
$950 registration fee includes most meals, lodging (double occupancy), classroom and conference materials. Single room surcharge is $130. $750 registration fee if no lodging is required., Santa Barbara, CA The Solar Schoolhouse Summer Institute for Educators Educators attending this summer seminar will learn about the science and history of heating, cooling and powering our homes with the Sun. Participants will build solar cookers, model passive solar homes, solar electric cars/fountains, and conduct energy audits. We will visit several local low-energy, solar buildings to see these designs in practice. In addition to learning the science of proper building design (e.g. thermodynamics, electricity, seasonal changes) and how to fit these exercises into your curriculum, participants will walk away with practical knowledge that they can apply in their own lives. Integrating solar energy education into your curriculum can provide an element of excitement and hope for the future. Solar Schoolhouse - Education Energized by the Sun http://www.solarschoolhouse.org/ssh/ssh_si2003.html For more information contact Tor Allen The Rahus Institute/ Martinez, California ph: 925-370-7262/ fax: 815-461-1465 tor@rahus.org http://www.rahus.org Free subscription to Solar e-Clips available at... http://www.californiasolarcenter.org http://www.solarschoolhouse.org |
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Tuesday - Wednesday July 15th - 23rd 
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Rock-Round, TX to Cocoa, FL Dell-Winston Solar Challenge The Winston Solar Challenge was established ten years ago to help motivate students in science and engineering. The Challenge, a part of the Winston School in Dallas, teaches high school students around the world how to build roadworthy solar cars. We then provide a safe environment for them to display their solar cars. On even-numbered years, we share the fun of the world famous Texas Motor Speedway; on odd-numbered years, the teams drive cross-country to share their projects with millions of people. The 2003 Dell-Winston Solar Challenge is a 1500-mile nine day race from the Dell World Headquarters in Round Rock, Texas on July 15 to the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa, Florida (Central Florida State University) on July 23. Come share the fun... meet the kids and see their solar cars. For more information, see the Calendar/Race Route. http://www.winstonsolar.org/race/ |
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Friday July 18th |
11:30am -1:00pm, West Valley Branch Library (our first "green" library), San Jose, CA Seating is limited to 100 please RSVP by July 16th to Mary Tucker at mary.tucker@ci.sj.ca.us The City of San Jose-Green Building Program and Interface, Inc. are pleased to sponsor A luncheon with Ray Anderson, founder of Interface, Inc. Since the days after his graduation from Georgia Institute of Technology as an industrial engineer, Ray Anderson has applied his entrepreneurial spirit to building one of the world's largest interior furnishings companies. After founding Interface in 1973, Ray and his company revolutionized the commercial floorcovering industry by producing America's first free-lay carpet tiles. Now, Ray has embarked on a mission to make Interface a sustainable corporation by leading a worldwide effort to pioneer the processes of sustainable development. While Interface is noted in its industry for its commitment to high quality design and innovation, the company is fast gaining a reputation as a corporation carrying the banner for the environment.Admittedly, Interface is not there yet; however, the company is investing in developing processes and technologies to get it there. What this means, primarily, is learning to harness renewable energy and provide raw material needs by harvesting and recycling carpet and other petrochemical products, while eliminating waste and harmful emissions from its operations. Ray believes that if Interface, a petro-intensive company, can get it right, it will never have to take another drop of oil from the earth. The philosophy guiding Ray's passion for this cause is simply that it is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing, too. Because the commitment Interface has made is so unique, both in terms of the industry and business in general, the environmental community has embraced the company and lauded its efforts. Ray received the inaugural Millennium Award from Global Green, presented by Mikhail Gorbachev in September 1996, and was named co-chairman of the President's Council on Sustainable Development in 1997. The US Green Building Council honored Ray with their inaugural green business Leadership Award for the private sector in November, 2002. His book, Mid-Course Correction (Chelsea Green, 1998) describes his and Interface's transformation to environmental responsibility. Directions to West Valley Library: http://www.sjpl.lib.ca.us/Branches/wv/dir.htm For more information contact Marceena Short at 408-277-4347. |
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Friday - Thursday July 18th - 31st |
$750, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Cruz, CA Permaculture Design Course 20 acre ocean view site Permaculture tour Natural buildings tour (Some work trade available) Instructors: Bruce Beernink & Weston Miller Permaculture Santa Cruz 400 Vaca Del Sol rd. Watsonville, CA 95076 permasc@sasquatch.com 831-763-3848 |
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Saturday - Sunday July 19th - 20th |
Individuals: $100/day or $175 for both days, Couples: $175/day or $300 for both days Price does not include meals or lodging. Please bring your own lunch.)Angles Camp, CA California Straw Building Association (CASBA) presents: CASBA Introductory Straw Bale Workshop
Lodging, including
camping, is available in the town of Angels Camp. A list of motels and
campgrounds will be sent with registration acknowledgment. |
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Monday - Friday July 21st - 25th |
Paonia, Colorado Women's Carpentry: Empowerment with Power Tools The carpentry class for women is an introduction to the uses and techniques of power tools and the fundamentals of carpentry. The five-day class will cover basic power tools used for the construction of a shed with the aim of giving participants the confidence and abilities to use these skills towards their own projects. Women instructors with a wide range of experience in the carpentry trade will facilitate this class. For more information visit: http://www.solarenergy.org/womens.html |
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Friday - Sunday July 25th - 27th |
$5 per adult per day, with weekend, youth, and senior discounts, volunteers and children under 12 free. Camping is available (free for volunteers). Grant County Fairgrounds in John Day, OR The Fifth Annual SolWest Renewable Energy Fair Admission includes over 40 free workshops on both off-grid and grid-intertied renewable energy (RE) and sustainable living topics. Fifty exhibitors show tools for energy and lifestyle self-reliance. Keynote speakers emphasize the limitless possibilities for renewable energy. An Electrathon race highlights efficient, lightweight vehicle technology. For more information contact: Jennifer Barker SolWest/EORenew PO Box 485 Canyon City, OR 97820 phone 541-575-3633 info@solwest.org or visit www.solwest.org |
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Sunday
July 27th |
12:00 Noon, Free, KQED Channel 9 Berkeley neighbors find they have A Lot in Common KQED Channel 9 has slated the independent documentary feature A Lot in Common for air on Sunday, July 27 at noon. An intimate glimpse into the lives of a handful of extraordinary neighbors, the film follows the construction of a community garden built on a previously vacant lot above the BART tunnel entrance in North Berkeley. But it's not all flowers and sunshine at the Peralta Community Peace Garden. Even before groundbreaking, controversy swirls around the project when neighbors disagree as to the best use for the space, rented to the HopPer Commons Association for $1 per year by BART after a long negotiation with the City of Berkeley. BART Public Relations Director Mike Healy and Berkeley City Council member Linda Maio set the stage for what becomes a lively one-hour recounting of the five-year story. Landscape architect and psychologist Karl Linn-the mover and shaker behind the building of the garden-provides commentary throughout the program. Having escaped the Holocaust as a child, Linn has devoted his life to creating remarkable, disarming places where people can meet and get to know one another in peace and safety. He calls this kind of communal space the "neighborhood commons" and explains how the ancient "Commons" can be reclaimed even by people living in congested urban environments. Lending credence and context as the garden story unfolds are PBS NewsHour's senior correspondent Ray Suarez (The Old Neighborhood ), reknown urban planning expert Jane Jacobs (The Death and Life of Great American Cities ), environmentalist Paul Hawken (Natural Capitalism ), Director of the Ford Foundation's Sustainable Metropolitan Communities Initiative Carl Anthony, and British scholar David Crouch. But the true stars of A Lot in Common are the neighbors themselves. There's Joan the single mom and her toddler Amy, Grandpa Roosevelt and his grandson Josh, Phil the disabled-rights advocate, and Ruthe the psychic, to name a few. We see artists Amy Blackstone, Dmitry Grudsky, and Fran Segal create stunning works of public art for placement in the garden. Architect Darryl DeBoer builds a bamboo arbor to demonstrate environmentally sustainable construction techniques. Gradually, the once trash-strewn vacant lot transforms into the jewel of the neighborhood, through the elbow grease and determination of the group. Things get tense when one gardener accepts a donation of grass sod from a local nursery, throwing the gardeners into a tumult: water-guzzling sod is politically incorrect in the all-organic, all-ecofriendly plots. Another confrontation ensues when Ruthe lets her pet rabbit roam unleashed through Joan's tomato patch. But when Joan is diagnosed with cancer, the stunned gardeners rally to her side. More than just a space to grow vegetables, Peralta has become home to a tight-knit community of neighbors who respect and care for one another. Karl commissions Alameda artist Kitti Shahoian to create a sculpture of Joan and Amy to be placed in the garden, which years earlier Joan had worked so hard to help build. "A Lot in Common is a well-crafted, humanistic documentary that kept me thoroughly engaged," says Danny McGuire, a KQED Executive Producer. The film is Emmy Award-winning producer/editor/camera Rick Bacigalupi's first feature length documentary, and has been picked up for educational distribution by Pennsylvania-based Bullfrog Films (www.bullfrogfilms.com). The video project has been endorsed by the American Community Gardening Association, whose Web site (www.communitygarden.org) is a great place to find out more about this burgeoning national interest. A community gardening curriculum is also available from ACGA. KQED programs more independent films than any other public television station in the country. On average 25 indie films of every genre are programmed per month by Program Manager Scott Dwyer, in keeping with the station's ongoing Independent Initiative, founded to support and promote local independent filmmakers. For more on the documentary, including updates on theatrical screenings of the 77-minute Director's Cut and national broadcast through American Public Television, visit www.ALotinCommon.com, where downloadable clips are available for viewing. Contact: Rick Bacigalupi (415) 282-0340 ALotinCommon@aol.com |
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Sunday July 27th 
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1:30pm - 3:30pm, free, Hopkins and Peralta streets in Berkeley Help Repair the Cob Building at the Northside Gardens There will be cobbing at the Northside Garden supervised by John Fordice to repair the bench on the Troth building. Get a bit of free cob instruction. We sure could use some help. Please email me otherfish@comcast.net or call 549 1033 if you are interested. |
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Tuesday
July 29th |
12:30pm -1:30pm, free for members and $3 for non-members, SPUR, 312 Sutter, Fifth Floor, The Longest Plan SPUR Brown Bag Forums are open to the public. In the October 1921 edition of the Journal of the American Institute of Architects, government planner Benton MacKaye proposed an ambitious plan to build a walking trail along the ridgeline of the Appalachian mountain range from Georgia to New England. This “Project in Regional Planning” would become, after its completion 15 years later, the first national scenic trail, and the longest (at 2,170 miles) unbroken footpath in the world. Jeff Swenerton, SPUR communications manager, will give a history of the trail’s early planning efforts, as well as slides from his five-month “thru hike” last year. For more information contact: The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) www.spur.org |
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Wednesday
July 30th |
12:30pm -1:30pm, free for members and $3 for non-members, SPUR, 312 Sutter, Fifth Floor, The Future for the Marine Transportation System SPUR Brown Bag Forums are open to the public. Ellen Johnck, executive director and founder of the Bay Planning Coalition, will describe plans for enhancing the efficiency of cargo movement within the Bay-Delta region. She will discuss the intermodal approach covering waterways, surfaceways, railways and airways and the opportunities to carry out much needed infrastructure improvements in balance with environmental protection. For more information contact: The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) www.spur.org |
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Thursday July 31st |
5:30 - 6:15 Optional Networking 6:15 - 7:30 Program, Berkeley $7 members, $10 non members Gaia Building, Downtown Berkeley The Sustainable Business Alliance presents: The Natural Step Sustainability Forum: Presenting the Natural Step The Natural Step provides a visionary blueprint for a sustainable world, helping individuals and organizations integrate sustainability into their decision making. Join us as we explore the principles of this movement, which have been adopted by hundreds of organizations and communities in 10 different countries. Our presenter is Gil Friend, CEO of Natural Logic, Inc., and a founding board member of SBA. For more details and to reserve your place: http://www.sustainablebiz.org/NatStep.html |
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Thursday July 31st |
12:30pm -1:30pm, free for members and $3 for non-members, SPUR, 312 Sutter, Fifth Floor Inventing a New Stage of Life America is in the midst of a demographic revolution—the number of individuals over the age of 65 will double over the next 30 years, putting nearly a quarter of our population in this category. Marc Freedman, the president of Civic Ventures, will discuss the costs associated with having a much older society, and the challenge of making the most of the resources these seniors offer. We will look at how we can transform the aging of America into a new source of individual and social renewal—in our own lives, through our organizations, and as a society. For more information contact: The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) www.spur.org |
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