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The Garden Mural at the Life Learning
Academy on Treasure Island, Mural
by Charmela & Raquel

Samantha Page has graduated, from San Mateo HS and on to NYU.   She’ll be in touch with The Green regularly.

Today we introduce the New Dr. Green for 2007 – 2008,  Justin Sedor.  In Justin’s own words:

Justin Sedor is a senior at Piedmont High School, and while many of his friends cruise around in Hummers and Jeeps, he is proud to tell people that his ride is a blue Toyota Prius. In addition to writing and photography, he enjoys music--he’s been playing piano for 10 years and cello for 4, and is active in youth orchestras and music festivals around the Bay. He is surgically attached to his iPod and cell phone, and is heavily addicted to both caffeine and chocolate.
            Although he might seem like quite the activist now, Justin wasn’t always so keen to do his part for the environment. While an avid recycler and hybrid car fanatic, he just wasn’t actively interested in helping his planet. Despite the fact that his scientist mother had lectured him about global warming for years, and although he had been mildly disturbed by the figures presented by various environmental organizations, he wasn’t ready to really step up until he saw an advance screening of “An Inconvenient Truth.” This rather late start shouldn’t be interpreted as a lack of enthusiasm, however; Justin is committed to informing people about the glaring problems that face their planet, and welcomes the challenge of helping people to see their world a little differently.

Dr Green will see you here soon– with stories of summer travels as they relate to important environmental issues.

Editor’s note:  City of Richmond Mayor, Gayle McLaughlin,  is a member of the Green Party and a lifelong social and environmental activist.  She takes on local issues with a focus on how the environment is affected

The Green Screen students wanted to interview the new Mayor of Richmond, to find out how she thinks can be done to change the city and what it means for her to be an environmental activist.  We emailed her some questions that she answered, below.  We also put her interview onto The Green Screen TV show that is airing this summer on local public access stations. Click here  to get to our Green Screen web page to watch the interview.

Our question to Mayor Gayle McLaughlin:
What do you think can be accomplished in the city of Richmond (and other local cities) to effect the global warming crises that faces the world? and What steps can local youth take to help the city get this work done?   

Dear EarthTeam: 

So very much can be accomplished in Richmond and other cities to effect
global warming and begin to turn the tide toward sustainable cities and a
sustainable world.  It is essential we end our dependence on fossil fuels
and move toward renewable energy.  Solar Richmond is a wonderful grassroots
initiative that is promoting solar power on rooftops throughout our City.
Grassroots efforts like this show that our City, our businesses and our
residents can become a part of the solution.  In addition to bringing about
environmental preservation, solar brings energy cost savings and solar jobs
and training for Richmond youth. 

Another way to reduce global warming is to switch to using biodiesel fuel,
instead of petro-diesel.  Richmond is currently studying the potential for
using biodiesel and biodiesel blends in the City’s diesel vehicles and at
the Port of Richmond.   Biodiesel is a renewable, sustainable, and non-toxic
alternative fuel.  It is made from vegetable oil, virgin or recycled.   It
has much cleaner emissions than petro-diesel and greatly reduces greenhouse
gases, particulate matter, and carcinogens. 

It is in the interest of the City and people of Richmond that we begin to
seriously study and examine a shift to biodiesel in order to reduce the
associated health and environmental problems that we currently suffer.

Local youth can be a great help in promoting both solar energy and biodiesel
fuel.

I would suggest that young people talk to everyone they know encouraging
them to start thinking about installing solar power systems on their roofs
as soon as they are able.   Perhaps an idea would be for young people to
create cards to distribute to neighbors and local business owners that
outline the benefits of solar power in moving us toward a cleaner and
healthier environment, bringing about energy cost savings, and ultimately
creating a more sustainable world.   They can refer people to the Solar
Richmond website for more information.  www.SolarRichmond.org . 

Perhaps an encouragement can also be included on the card asking people to
use biodiesel and to purchase from local biodiesel companies if they own
diesel vehicles.

Untitled   By- Danny Sonnenmark, Grunt School, Florida Keys