Posts Tagged ‘California’
February 2nd, 2010 by chelsea
California is powering up its sustainability movement with a $350 million consumer rebate that will place nearly 200,000 solar water heaters in single-family homes.
The state’s approved lump sum of consumer rebates means California could reduce the cost of a solar-powered system by 35 to 45 percent from state and federal credits, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times. The solar water heater initiative headed by the San Francisco-based Public Utilities Commission marks an aggressive effort to limit dependence on gas-powered water heaters by harnessing the sun’s energy, dubbed the California Solar Initiative Thermal Program.
“Families and businesses up and down the state are saving money and cleaning our air using solar,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in the article.
California’s future looks even brighter.
Photo via latimes.com
Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, California Solar Initiative Thermal Program, solar water heaters, water heater initiative, water heater rebate
Posted in L.A., Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco | No Comments »
January 12th, 2010 by chelsea
UC Berkeley’s graduate students don’t just want to fix the Bay Bridge – they want to reinvent it.
The iconic structure’s dated appearance has the potential for an architectural face lift with students’ futuristic designs. One class at UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design wants to work with the historical bridge rather than simply scrapping its remains, according to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle. These inventors see a second life for the bridge as a farm, a hotel or a grand park jutting over the water.
“There’s no reason it can’t be transformed into something wondrous, a fusion of nature and the machine,” said a New York architect in the article.
Way to bridge the gap between history and modernity.
Tags: Bay Bridge, California, environmental design, San Francisco, UC Berkeley
Posted in San Francisco | No Comments »
August 11th, 2009 by chelsea
In San Francisco, they’re harnessing the sun’s energy with elegance, creating Mission-style clay roof tiles that convert sunlight into electricity.
Solé is the lightweight, recyclable tile developed by SRS energy that is revolutionizing the style of the green movement, according to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle. The tiles can last up to 20 years and are much more durable than similar tiles, withstanding high pressure and intense sunlight.
Michael McCaffrey, the company’s chief financial officer, said the tiles aren’t fragile like clay – people can walk all over them. Even more impressive is only 700 square-foot squares of tiles can provide up to 75 percent of a home’s energy needs, capturing solar power even on cloudy days.
Ready to ditch your energy bill in favor of a brighter lifestyle? Check out Solé’s stylish efficiency at: http://www.srsenergy.com/Home.aspx
Tags: California, mission-style roof, San Francisco, solar power, solar roof, Solé, SRS energy
Posted in San Francisco | 1 Comment »
August 4th, 2009 by cameron
In a few days, vending machines will offer much more than chips and soft drinks. Huntington Beach-based Quicksilver will sell boardshorts and bikinis for $75 each.
The first vending machine to dispense “a limited collection of original boardshorts from the ’70s and ’80s and women’s bikinis,” will be at the top of The Standard hotel in Los Angeles, according to Orange County Register’s Hang Nguyen. The Standard and Quicksilver have partnered to offer four designs inspired by each Standard hotel.
“Each boardshort features no rash, perfect stretch, ultra lightweight and Quik dry. All the boardshorts come packaged in an odor resistant waterproof travel bag making it easy to go from the pool party to the suitcase,” Nguyen said. A celebration of the launch will include an art show and live music at the downtown LA hotel on August 13.
Save those wrinkly dollar bills for ordinary vending machines.
Tags: bikini, boardshort, California, dollar, huntington beach, Orange County, Quicksilver, The Standard
Posted in Orange County | No Comments »
July 22nd, 2009 by cameron
Aside from golden tans and red carpets, L.A. is also known as a great sandwich spot, where classics such as BLT’s are hard to come by.
The L.A. Times dished on local restaurants that use flavors from around the world to create tasty sandwiches. “It’s not only about trying something new. Sandwiches from the hands of dedicated purveyors are treated like revered works of art,” the article said.
Take Café du Liban – a Ventura restaurant featuring Lebanese, Armenian and Greek foods that swaps Franz white bread for a Lebanese flatbread. Or the Japanese style Royal/T Café that combines sushi and sourdough with “spicy tuna tartare, rimmed with avocado and wasabi on a raft of sourdough,” the article said.
Let sandwiches be the new canvas.
Tags: bread, Cafe du Liban, California, L.A., LA Times, Los Angeles, PB & J, Royal/T Cafe, sandwich
Posted in L.A. | No Comments »
June 10th, 2009 by cameron
Among Orange County swing sets and plastic slides sparkled an unlikely treasure; an 8.5-carat diamond ring valued at $30,000.
The buried treasure was discovered on a school playground in April. If the owner hasn’t claimed his or her lost bling by August, the gem will belong to the finder, according to an article in the O.C. Register.
If you are considering claiming it, your chances are slim. The gem bears one distinct mark that only the owner can identify, the article said.
Although a childhood saying, “finders keepers losers weepers” seems fitting to this story.
Tags: 8.5-carat, bling, California, diamond ring, O.C. News Register, Orange County
Posted in Orange County | No Comments »
June 5th, 2009 by cameron
Santa Cruz crushed competitors such as Hawaii and Malibu when it took the #1 spot in Surfer Magazine’s “Top 10 Surf Spots in the U.S.” this week.
Within the Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a prime location for swells at every angle. The consistent waves, wine country and close proximity to mountains are a few of the variables Surfer Magazine considered with Santa Cruz, according to an article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
The chemistry of the region with its beach breaks and rocky reefs offer “ridable waves almost every day of the year,” the article said. Some surfing destinations in Hawaii can be dead flat during summer, according to the San Jose Surfing Examiner. California dominated the rankings by taking four of the ten surf spots listed.
If you’re intimidated by larger waves, you can embrace the surfing spirit and attend the free Santa Cruz Wharf event where more than 200 pre-1950s “woodies” will be showcased on June 27.
Tags: California, San Jose Surfing Examiner, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Surfer Magazine, Surfing, Woodies
Posted in San Francisco | No Comments »
April 9th, 2009 by cameron
Employees of the Health Care Agency in Orange County are stepping-up for health.
The HCA headquarters in Santa Ana spent $30,000 of the California Endowment they received to paint and hang inspiring quotes in various stairwells “to promote healthy eating and physical activity,” HCA’s spokesperson, Deanne Thompson said.
Climbing one flight of stairs burns 10 calories, Thompson said. The project’s intentions are to make the stairs more inviting and model healthy behaviors at work, Thompson said.
The “stairWELL” project was revealed to the public on April 9th during National Public Health Week.
A poll by the O.C. Register reveals that 26% of the voters said the project will help remind them to ditch the elevator and take the stairs.
For those bearing the climb without motivational quotes, we commend your courage.
Tags: California, California Endowment, calories, Health Care Agency, National Public Health Week, OC Register, Orange County, Santa Ana
Posted in Orange County | No Comments »
March 20th, 2009 by admin
All you need to give DNA 11 is a wee bit of saliva and four weeks later they’ll give you a portrait of your genetic coding.
The one-of-a-kind pieces by DNA 11 get up close and personal with your genes and are created from a palette of 25 colors. The company also creates thumb and kiss prints, using more than a million color options, according to Fox’s Style File.
The company’s co-founder Adrian Salamunovic got the idea when he saw a brochure for DNA imaging software that fellow co-founder Nazim Ahmed was selling. “When I saw the DNA, I saw art,” Adrian said on CNBC’s The Big Idea.
To get started on your own DNA portrait, go to www.dna11.com. Prices range from $169 to $1,000.
If you’re shopping for someone who has everything, DNA 11 is always an option.
Tags: art, California, DNA 11, DNA art, L.A., Los Angeles
Posted in L.A., Los Angeles | No Comments »
February 20th, 2009 by admin
Sea-faring creatures are the stars of the annual San Francisco Ocean Film Festival.
In its sixth year, more than 35 films from around the world will play through Sunday in an effort to entertain, but also educate and encourage active participation in ocean conservation, according to the festival’s Web site.
If you’re not a lover of sharks, there are enough films to appeal to anyone. “Voyage of the Plastiki” features a British environmentalist who plans to sail to Australia in his boat built mostly from recycled plastic water bottles.
Many of the films this weekend are 5-10 minutes long, so you can easily fit in the adventures of squat lobsters, see Roz Savage prepare to become the first woman to row across the Pacific and discover the secret weapon of the sedentary starfish.
Get there early: The festival expects more than 4,500 people to attend this year.
Tags: California, ocean conservation, Roz Savage, San Francisco, San Francisco Ocean Film Festival, sharks
Posted in San Francisco | No Comments »
