Baking In Season

Cooking in Season
Acorn Squash
Serves 4

Cut two firm acorn squash in half
Discard seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Place one garlic clove
One to two strands fresh thyme
Olive oil into
Quickly flip the squash over onto clean baking sheet.

Bake for one hour , serve with heavy cream, or sour cream.

Green Chamber of Commerce Gets a New Logo!

Olivia Teter, Owner and Chief Creative Officer, Vetrazzo


Olivia Teter, a Green Chamber of Commerce board member is a designer and created the logo which depicts the green and white swirl.

James Carter, Founder of Green Chamber pictured with Olivia Teter.

Oakland Founding Conference, Green Chamber of Commerce

Keith Carson, Board of Supervisors, Alameda County

Supervisor Carson kicked off the founding conference with a discussion about the historical roots of Northern California as an environmental leader, first with the Sierra Club, whose famous founding members included John Muir.


The Mission of the Sierra Club, founded May 28, 1892 sound as fresh and modern today as when they were first written.

1.	Explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth.
2.	Practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources.
3.	Educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.
4.	Use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.

Build it Green Workshop

I am full to brimming with my weekend training. I was trying to explain it to a colleague and thought, "Wow! I have just enough information to make me dangerous.

On Friday morning at 8:30 am, me and about 100 builders checking into our two-day seminar to become Green Certified with Build it Green.

I was reminded of a peculiar designation that I was given as an 8 year-old at swimming lessons. First you went to “Beginner,” then “Intermediate,” then you graduated to “Advanced Beginner.”

After finishing the Build it Green program, I feel like an Advanced Beginner. Not being a contractor, it was definitely just skimming to introduce me to “Advanced Framing” techniques. I learned about how to pipe “Grey Water” from kitchen and bath sinks to run back into a holding tank to be later used to flush the toilet.

The biggest concept that I really got, though, is that Green Building is not a trend. It is a quality way of doing things, requiring thought, expertise, high quality materials, and excellent workmanship.

Green buildings are safe and healthy, less likely to have mold or cause allergies and are generally softer on your personal finances over time, and the planet.

Check out www.builditgreen.org, for their excellent resources in the many facets of healthy living!

Energy Loss Evaluations for Berkeley Oakland Homeowners

Rising Sun Energy Center
www.RisingSunEnergy.org

California Youth Energy Services Evaluation

Have your home professionally evaluated for energy loss and waste by California Youth Energy Services. Student evaluators are trained to do an in home walk-through with the homeowner and replace energy wasting bulbs on the spot, pointing out potential leaks to sav you money! California Youth Energy Services (CYES) is not for profit program promoting energy awareness and resource conservation in the Bay Area since 2000. They provide FREE services and products for both renters and owners. 510.665.1501

Green Real Estate--Green Chamber of Commerce

Green Chamber of Commerce

In June I participated in an event called the “Greening of Albany,” at the Albany Middle School. I got involved by accident. A friend from the Berkeley Daily Planet knew I had an interest in green building and heard that the event planners were looking for booth sponsors.

I represented Prudential as a REALTOR. People have asked me, “How can a real estate agent be green?” It turns out to be easy. As agents we influence buying decisions of our clients and can turn remodels toward “greener” solutions. As we expose people to cost savings through energy efficiency they become sold.

There is a false perception that making something environmentally friendly always has to be expensive. In some cases it is, or there are larger up front costs, but in many cases, there is just a lack of information that separates people from making better choices.

James Carter from the green Chamber of Commerce is looking for like-minded people to join him in affiliating businesses toward green solutions.

His website, www.greenchamberodcommerce.net tells you how to get involved. He is currently opening membership to Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond and is looking for board members for the opening round. There are mixers planned for July and August for you to drop by and find out how your business can participate.

And if you wonder why an organization like this is needed, just go to the litigation section of the National Chamber of Commerce website and see what they are against. Your choices really do make a difference! Call me if you’d like more information. www.greenchamberofcommerce.org