Change Your Stripes
GZ Tip #6: Greening Your Barbecue 

This Fourth of July an estimated 60 million barbecues lit up across the U.S., consuming enough energy in charcoal, lighter fluid, gas and electricity to power 20,000 households for a year.  These barbecues will likely continue throughout the rest of the warm summer weather, generating carbon dioxide emissions, as well as other pollutants. Barbecues, however, provide an excellent opportunity to bring together family, friends, and community. Luckily, there are numerous things we can do to make our barbecues greener.

The big question is charcoal or gas?  Gas definitely has a smaller carbon footprint, emitting one-third the carbon dioxide of charcoal. If you decide to go with charcoal, make sure to get lump charcoal rather than briquettes, as it releases fewer VOCs (volatile organic compounds).   Also, if your home is powered by renewable energy, consider investing in an electric grill. 

When planning for your barbecue, always use re-usable cups, plates, and cutlery.  If you must use disposables, look for products made from plant materials, bamboo, or unbleached recycled papers.  Consider serving less meat at your barbecues, and buy meat from a local sustainable source.  Try grilling fresh seasonal vegetables, which are readily available in the summertime at the farmers’ market, and serve drinks in bulk rather than individual bottles. Your guests will surely enjoy a pony keg from a local microbrewery, or fresh juice served out of a pitcher. In addition, help your guests place waste in the right containers, by clearly marking recycling, compost, and trash receptacles.  Last, enjoy the opportunity to spend time leisurely with family and friends in the warm summer weather.

Get your party goods at 15% off at GreenParty Goods when you use your Green Zebra 

7/7 - Celebrate SF's Great Streets Project, San Francisco
7/7 - SF Green Drinks, San Francisco
7/7 - Bicycle Commuting, San Francisco
7/8 - Building a Whole Earth Economy, San Francisco
7/9 - Ecovillages, San Francisco
7/9 - Sustainable Business Happy Hour, San Francisco
7/10 - Gas-Free Fridays, San Francisco
7/10 - McEvoy Olive Ranch Tour, Petaluma
7/11 - Electric Vehicle Basics, South San Francisco 

For more green events in the Bay Area check out the Green Zebra Calendar

Pick up a Green Zebra for fun summer activities!

• SF Zoo: Purchase 1 adult or senior admission, receive 1 child
  admission on us! 
• Save the Bay: Buy 1 Discover The Bay canoe trip and a friend can
  join you on us!
  
• Sea Horse Ranch & Friendly Acres: 50% off a 2 hour Trail and
  Beach Ride (for up to 4 people). (Peninsula Edition)
  
• Coyote Point: Buy 1 adult admission, receive another of equal or lesser
  value on us.  (Peninsula Edition)

 Greetings

Anza Parking's Eco-Friendly Shuttle service to SFO
Anza Airport Parking was thinking green before  hybrid cars and when compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle conversions were only dreamt about.  Over the years, Anza’s management team has attended PG&E alternative fuel classes, green vehicle expos, EPA vehicle conferences, and installed their own bio-fuel tank.   

Today, Anza shuttles customers from their off-site parking lot in Burlingame to SFO using biodiesel or CNG vehicles. In 2009, Anza added to their fleet of 12 CNG shuttles the first super-clean hythane blend CNG buses ever manufactured.  The company minimizes its footprint while maximizing your convenience.

For further information about alternative fuel resources visit the Consumer Energy Center or the National Biodiesel Board. 

3 Great Reasons to try Anza Parking:

• All CNG fleet
• Reservations can be made online or by phone
• The BEST eco-friendly way to get to the airport (if you have to drive)

Remember, Green Zebra users park for only $9.00 a day. Buy a Green Zebra for $15 by clicking the link below.  What are you waiting for?! 

 

The Embarcadero's Pier 3 just got a whole lot greener with the opening of The PLANT: cafe organic.  The new restaurant, from the owners of the establishment of the same name (formerly known as Lettus café organic) in the Marina district, stays true to its mission to provide contemporary California cuisine made from only the freshest organic ingredients. 

The menu has something for everyone, including delicious vegetarian entrees, free range organic chicken and duck, sustainable seafood, oven-fired pizza, a variety of salads, fresh juices, smoothies, beer, wine and specialty cocktails.  Dishes are made from the freshest produce available, most of which was harvested only a day or two before it’s served to customers. Highlights include their great assortment of salads, as well as appetizers like the seasonal bruschetta selection.  Creative vegetarian dishes with a global fusion touch dominate the entree selections, but they also offer a number of delicious poultry and seafood choices.   

In addition to the vibrant and appealing menu, the restaurant offers patrons breathtaking views from its waterfront setting.  It is a great place to sit outside, eat and soak in a nature's beautiful bounty.  Not only is the food sustainable, but the cafe itself is also a LEED certified building, powered by solar panels.  In addition they will be offering bicycle-powered delivery along the Embarcadero, and sterilizing their glass bottles for re-use in an effort to reduce glass and plastic in landfills.  It is hard to find a cafe in San Francisco more green than that! 

Try it out. Receive 2 for 1 entrees, paninis, sandwiches, or burgers with your Green Zebra coupon!

Interview with Matthew Guelke of The PLANT:cafe organic

What do people love most about THE PLANT:cafe organic?
Access to good locally sourced fresh 100% organic food in a casual/affordable manner.

What makes The PLANT green?
The PLANT's Steiner location won the Metropolis Magazine Smart Environment award in 2007 for its green design and practices. In short, we reused the existing kitchen (reusing being the greenest option in design), used reclaimed barn hickory for almost all the wood, our floors are made from recycled materials, our lighting is low energy, our toilet low water consumption, the bathroom was painted with natural soy paint, we offer a hand dryer for drying hands, and much of our kitchen equipment is leased rather than purchased new.  Our grab & go packaging/utensils are biodegradable, we compost, produce very little waste in comparison to other restaurants, and offer filtered water...

All our food/ingredients come from local farms when possible, we only use 100% organic ingredients which is green in terms of production and transportation (except for about 6 items which are noted on the menu), our chicken is both 100% organic and free range, and our seafood sustainable and wild.

What was your inspiration for being green?
We wanted to bring clean, healthy, organic food to people in a sustainable farmed/responsible manner. By making every aspect of the food sustainable, from production to consumption, we hope to creat a positive ripple effect on the commonly available alternatives, that will help make the world a healthier place.   

What is your guilty non-green pleasure?
Plane travel to distant locations. 

What would you like to see accomplished in '09?
Further affordable/easy access to green practices and less taxes! And for more people to open businesses that make it easier for the consumer to choose healthy/green alternatives.