Monsignor Edward Pace High Becomes the First School to be Certified Green Partners in the State of Florida

Miami, FL– August 22nd, at 9:00 AM

Pace has become the first Certified Green Partner School by switching to certified paper that comes from sustainable and well-managed forests. The paper, 100% green, costs less than recycled paper and runs better in their office printers. Also, Pace will recycle all their paper waste and do the printing with chain of custody certified printers that use vegetable-based inks instead of petroleum-based ones.

Casamayor presented a video seminar prepared by Certified Green Partners in front of over 1,300 students, faculty members, government officials, city representatives and news casters. All the students were not only totally in tune with what was being said but also in awe of how our environment is being affected, it was obvious that they want to make a difference. “Preserving our forests, using petroleum-free inks, reducing our trash while saving money, $20,000 a year… How can we go wrong?” said Ana Garcia, Principal of Monsignor Edward Pace High School. To turn every school “Green” while saving money is Gus Casamayor’s new mission.

City of Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina awarded a certificate through Hialeah official Carlos Hechavarria of appreciation to Mrs. Ana Garcia, Principle of Pace High School and Gus Casamayor, CEO of AC Graphics and Founder of Certified Green Partners. The certificates were received for their leadership in embracing environmentally safe practices.

Certified Green Partners is a non-profit international organization that certifies and helps schools, businesses and other entities become “Green”. For more information visit: www.certifiedgreenpartners.org 

“The Art of Influence” And “The Influence of Art”

Two Unique Projects - One Unique Art Exhibition

At Miami Beach Botanical Garden  

On July 21^st, artists Stewart Stewart and Dena Stewart hosted a reception/exhibition at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. Twenty-five running feet of tapestry panels containing the artwork and narratives created for both “the art of influence” and “the influence of Art” projects they produced for Center for Folk and Community Art was on display for the greater community to enjoy and learn from. Center for Folk and Community Art is the non-profit art-outreach organization they founded in 1998.

For “The ART of INFLUENCE” under the guidance of Dena and Stewart, South Pointe Elementary school youngsters, Nautilus Middle school youth, and Miami Beach Senior High school teenagers learned how ART INFLUENCES the way we live our lives and spend our money by deconstructing ads and analyzing pictures and paintings. They also learned how to use ART to INFLUENCE by writing their own advertising copy that included both positive and negative aspects for a real or made up product, as well as creating their own ART to entice the public to want their product.  What made this project interesting was the number of students who included environmental considerations in their fictitious ads.

Although rife with sarcasm, sixteen year old Alejandro Rabelo’s ad featured Eco-friendly cigarettes: “These new cigarettes are good for the environment, taste great, and give a cooling sensation in your mouth to help you ease your mind. Warning: Smoking excessively may cause loss of brain cells.”

Hanna Deleon, age 17, was more direct in her warning about an anti-frizz hair product stating “Negatives: Bad for the environment; Might cause breakage of thin hair; Dangerous if inhaled.”

For “THE INFLUENCE OF ART - We Are Artists, Too!”, developmentally disabled adults (ages 18 to 68 years) who attend the Sunrise Log Cabin Plant Nursery and Life-Skills Training Center and several Log Cabin staff members discovered the artist within by creating artwork about their environmentally-safe “green” activities at the Log Cabin and what they would like the public to know about them and the meaningful things in their lives.

The exhibit of the “ART of Influence” and the “Influence of Art” tapestry panels is open and free to the public. These panels will be part of a larger exhibit in the lobby of Miami-Dade County Hall in September 2009.

CFCA projects are made possible through the generous support of: The City of Miami Beach Department of Tourism and Cultural Development, Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Miami Beach Mayor and City Commissioners. The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.  Miami Dade County Commissioners Sally A. Heyman and Bruno A. Barreiro.

Historic Virginia Key Beach Park Trust Hosts Successful Youth “Green” Festival

By Nancy Powell Radlauer (powellreviews@aol.com)

The Green Grapevine: It was an afternoon for young and old to celebrate the ultimate in Green Living at the Fun in the Sun Youth Festival (a.k.a. “FISY”). The lush environment of the City of Miami’s foremost recreational facility, Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, provided the perfect backdrop. Booths focused on healthy living and eco-friendly initiatives for thousands of teens and their families who converged on the Park’s 82.5 acres for a day packed with good times, food, arts & crafts, lively entertainment, and free give-a-ways. Celebrity guests and featured personalities who thrilled the crowds were Danni Washington, Ketchi Okpala, Otter John, Earth Man, and Pretty Ricky. Participants enjoyed Karaoke and Dance Revolution contests, Wii sports video game contests,  scavenger hunts, a Fresh Farmer’s Market, Sea grass adventures, demonstrations in cooking, planting, recycling crafts, rock wall climbing, giant water slides, yoga on the great lawn, and special lounges furnished with massage/natural spa-like amenities. Maps, printed on recyclable paper, provided detailed sites of each participating booth. Sponsors included The Children’s Trust, City of Miami Sustainable Initiatives, Green Art USA, 101.5 Lite FM, The Big Blue & You Foundation, SeePr, Biscayne Nature Center, Thinking Media, Green Monkey, B Side Entertainment, National Beverage Corp., and Miami Dade County.

The “Game Plan for Green Living” is to recycle, reuse, renew, replant, regenerate, and refresh. Everything requires some form of energy, from mining raw materials to its transportation and production into usable goods. Improperly disposing products create waste, increase pollution, and decrease our resources. Thus, it’s all about conserving our precious resources and sustaining for future generations and Fishy Fest successfully focused on education and advocacy through family fun.

Set your calendar reminder for April 2010’s “FISY Fest” at Historic Virginia Key Beach. Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, once called ‘Bears Cut’, is a treasured landmark of the National Register of Historic Places. The Park is available for special events such as corporate functions, weddings, fundraisers, parties, and field trips. 4020 Virginia Key Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33149   305.960.4600, www.VirginiaKeyBeachPark.net

“Easy Going Green” Flash Cards Teach Children Eco-Friendliness

By Nancy Powell Radlauer

Two entrepreneurial Moms, Galia Clemens and Julie Doerfler, believed that they could make a difference on this earth by educating their children about what they could do to save the environment. They soon discovered that there were few educational, kid-friendly resources, to enlighten the next generation. Together they created the adorable Easy Going Green deck of cards.

Julie and Galia acknowledge that when it comes to the fundamentals of greening there is a learning curve. “I am not green yet” states Julie. “I would say right now I am between yellow and green. Going green is not a statement; it is an evolution, and as our cultures and our needs change, so too will our actions.”  Galia concurs; “Some days I am green and some days I am purple. I can only hope to grow towards incorporating green into my life and those around me more every day.”  Both are seasoned professionals; Julie worked in the children’s non-profit field for ten years before opening a training and technical assistance consulting company in Florida, and Gaia spent over fourteen years in the financial services industry before starting her own personal finance firm in New York City. After having children, both became passionate about environmental awareness and the need to conserve for future generations.

The Easy Going Green interactive deck of fifty-two flash cards contains eye-catching environmental illustrations, featuring age-appropriate poems on a variety of environmentally-friendly activities, and informative tips on making green changes at home. With fifty-two cards, everyone can simply focus on one learning module per week.  In the true spirit of making a difference, the trees used to make the paper for the cards come from sustainable forests and the cards are printed in the USA using vegetable-based ink.  Additionally, the deck of cards comes in a reusable muslin bag. Some topics include Turn off the water when brushing; Recycle plastic; Holiday wrapping and birthday cards, Share toys and books, Don’t waste food; and Wear clothes all day.

TURN OFF THE LIGHTS

When it is dark we turn on the light, It helps us find the way

When we are done turn it off, Save energy for another day

One of the fundamental values of going green is giving back. In an effort to support this value, Easy Going Green created a grant-making process to assist others in making a difference in their community by giving back. Easy Going Green proposes to donate a portion of all proceeds to this endeavor. As a special bonus for ENV Magazine readers, enter coupon code EGGFF when you purchase the cards for a discounted rate of $15.00 (regular price is $19.95) and enter ENV Magazine in the reference box when prompted. East Going Green is a great gift for the holidays, birthdays or teacher appreciation. If you want to go green, start shuffling and deal the Easy Going green cards. You will see just how easy it is to “Go Green”. For more information call 954.649.1902; www.easygoinggreenkids.com

EXHIBITION CELEBRATES EARTH DAY WITH STUDENT ART FROM RECYCLED OBJECTS

Miami, FL (April 6, 2009) - The Education Fund will commemorate Earth Day by hosting the 16th Annual Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials private "Art of Found Objects" Art Exhibition & Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 23, at Ocean Bank.  The annual art exhibition combines the power of a child’s imagination with the ultimate recycling program, as each original work on display was crafted from materials ”found” at The Education Fund's Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials, a warehouse stocked with donated supplies, where more than 14,500 teachers have shopped for free since 1993.

 Many of the 174 unique works created by students and art teachers from Miami-Dade County K-12 public schools address environmental themes such as "Water & Sewer," "Solid Waste" and the "South Florida Eco-System." As the special guest of honor, internationally recognized artist Xavier Cortada will discuss art with the children in attendance. The event is by invitation only and is closed to the public but media is welcome to attend.

The art from the annual Art of Found Objects Exhibition will be on sale at The Education Funds Charity Art Auction on May 29, 2009 at The Doral Golf Resort and Spa. By providing much-needed resources and community-wide recognition for children in the visual arts in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), these highly successful events showcase the essential role of the visual arts in stimulating creativity and academic success for children in our community, particularly those attending low-income schools that often lack basic classroom supplies. For tickets to the auction or more information, please contact 305-892-5099 ext 23, or visit www.educationfund.org.

ABOUT THE EDUCATION FUND:

Since 1985, The Education Fund has worked side-by-side with the private sector to direct resources where they are needed most in Miami-Dade schools. Their mission is to design and implement initiatives to improve our schools and bring excellence to public education in Miami-Dade. The Education Fund engages the entire community in making educational excellence a top priority and ensuring that every child learns and succeeds in the Miami-Dade County public schools. The Education Funds programs benefit all of the 390+ schools, 22,000+ teachers and 340,000+ students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

ABOUT OCEAN BANK

Ocean Bank is the largest independent state chartered commercial bank headquartered in Florida, with $4.8 billion in assets. Chartered in 1982, Ocean Bank operates a network of 21 branches throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The community bank has received numerous awards and accolades from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, The Beacon Council and the Florida Department of Education, among others, for its support of our South Florida communities. For more information, log on to www.oceanbank.com.

MIAMI DADE CHILDREN ECO-ART EXHIBITION

Hosted by Famous Miami Eco-Artist Xavier Cortada

Miami, FL (April 13, 2009) -  In honor of Earth Day, The Education Fund and will host the 16th Annual Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials private "Art of Found Objects" Art Exhibition & Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 23, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Ocean Bank, 780 NW 42nd Avenue, Miami FL in the lobby.

The annual art exhibition combines the power of a child’s imagination with the ultimate recycling program, as each original work on display was crafted from materials ”found” at The Education Fund's Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials, a warehouse stocked with donated supplies, where more than 14,500 teachers have shopped for free since 1993. Many of the 174 unique works created by students and art teachers from Miami-Dade County K-12 public schools address environmental themes such as "Water & Sewer," "Solid Waste" and the "South Florida Eco-System." As the guest of honor, internationally recognized artist Xavier Cortada will discuss art with the children in attendance.

Cortada, a renowned Miami artist, has been commissioned to create art for the White House, the World Bank, the Florida Supreme Court, the Florida Governor's Mansion, Miami City Hall, Miami-Dade County Hall, the Miami Art Museum, the Museum of Florida History and the South Pole Station. He has worked with groups across the world to produce numerous large-scale collaborative art projects-- including peace murals in Cyprus and Northern Ireland, child welfare murals in Bolivia and Panama, AIDS murals in Geneva and South Africa. Cortada is also recognized for his environmental art, which includes eco-art installations on Miami Beach and Antarctica. In 2008, as a New York Foundation for the Arts sponsored artist, he brought his art installations to the North Pole.

The art from the annual Art of Found Objects Exhibition will be on sale at The Education Funds Charity Art Auction on May 29, 2009 at The Doral Golf Resort and Spa. By providing much-needed resources and community-wide recognition for children in the visual arts in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), these highly successful events showcase the essential role of the visual arts in stimulating creativity and academic success for children in our community, particularly those attending low-income schools that often lack basic classroom supplies.

 The "Art of Found Objects" Art Exhibition & Awards Ceremony is by invitation only and is closed to the public but media is welcome to attend. For additional information or tickets to the auction, please contact 305-892-5099 ext 23, or visit www.educationfund.org.

ABOUT THE EDUCATION FUND:

Since 1985, The Education Fund has worked side-by-side with the private sector to direct resources where they are needed most in Miami-Dade schools. Their mission is to design and implement initiatives to improve our schools and bring excellence to public education in Miami-Dade. The Education Fund engages the entire community in making educational excellence a top priority and ensuring that every child learns and succeeds in the Miami-Dade County public schools. The Education Funds programs benefit all of the 390+ schools, 22,000+ teachers and 340,000+ students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

ABOUT OCEAN BANK

Ocean Bank is the largest independent state chartered commercial bank headquartered in Florida, with $4.8 billion in assets. Chartered in 1982, Ocean Bank operates a network of 21 branches throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The community bank has received numerous awards and accolades from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, The Beacon Council and the Florida Department of Education, among others, for its support of our South Florida communities. For more information, log on to www.oceanbank.com.

Students for Environmental Action

WHO ARE WE?

Students for Environmental Action, SEA, is the most active student managed environmental group at University Park Campus at Florida International University. Our mission is to work towards the improvement of a sustainable, healthy environment at FIU and to continuously enhance a greater appreciation for the environment through active involvement, learning and education. SEA has worked diligently in spreading awareness among the FIU community about local and global environmental issues.  We do this by finding and providing resources and events which encourage service and appreciation for the environment.

Many of the activities we coordinate and are involved with include: Earth Week, Focus the Nation, Recyclemania, Dumpster Diving, Composting, and many events that promote environmental action, while creating awareness to our fellow students. During Earth Week, daily events are held at FIU where students can learn and participate in activities such as cleaning a lake, discussions on climate change issues, artistic competitions, and attending to crazy fun green greenhouse parties!  

Once a week, we invite students to help us fight against the evil forces of wastes in landfills!  Courageous students (because many times it DOES take courage to search in those trashcans) dive into the dumpsters of FIU, looking for the many treasures hidden in them: plastic bottles, cans and other recyclables.  Another success story in which SEA took proudly part of, finally concluded in Fall 2008 after many complications, was when the University obtained a permanent recycling vendor, World Waste. Thanks to this recycling contract initiative, which is currently in the process to be implemented, single stream recycling will be possible, which eventually makes the process of disposing of your recyclables even easier.

SEA is also very proud to be a part of the new Farmer’s Market held every Wednesday at University Park. While organic produce is sold, we provide students with information on environmental issues that affect food quantity and quality, including recycling, climate change, and efforts they can do! We maintain our mission and support for environmental integrity in all of actions.

Last semester, for the sake of environmentally informed voters, SEA conducted a debate before the presidential elections, where faculty members, along with students, debated on each of the candidates’ environmental and energy agendas.   Later that semester we also organized the “State of the University”, a forum for discussion among different FIU’s departments.   The outcome of such event was very positive.  Lots of “ohhhhh”s, “really?”s, and “I didn’t know”s were heard across the room, while people surprisingly discovered, speaker after speaker, how serious the greening of FIU is.  After that event it was clear that although there are areas of improvements in communication, future collaboration efforts are certainly to come.  We make a difference! 

Thank you and please join our efforts,

Stephany Alvarez                                                                                                                                      President of SEA

The Big Picture of Going Green
by: Bonnie Nicholls

Going “Green” is a popular term today. Many people have begun to take some steps to recycle and use vehicles that are more fuel efficient to try to be more environmentally responsible. However, some of you may be still wondering, what is this really all about? Is it a fad? Can we really change what is going on with doing these things?
While we may not still have all the answers, it is important to take a look at the big picture of what climate change is all about and why many people feel it is important that we do the things that are suggested to become more “green” and environmentally responsible.

What in the World is Going On?

The world has gone through several ages and eras, both physically and socially. It has only been recently that we have been able to accumulate so much data, process it, and store it due to the computer and modern day technology. It was actually only a little over 50 years ago that specific data began to be analyzed concerning the carbon in our atmosphere.
Roger Revelle is the scientist that first started making continuous measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide in 1950. Other scientists have also analyzed tree rings and other geological indicators frozen in the ice of past levels of carbon dioxide and changes in our climate. The results they have discovered is that our atmosphere has increased in temperature by 1.4 degrees in the last 50 years (most of which is in the last 30 years), which is at a faster rate than any other time era that has been researched. It is thought too that it is not coincidental that the 30 years coincides with the use of fossil fuel for electric in our homes and fuel for our cars. The projections are that if things keep going the way they are, we could increase by 2 to 11 degrees in the next 100 years.

What does that mean to us? Our world is becoming a very different place. As the world turns warmer, our ice melts. With more water on the planet, much of our livable land and fresh drinking water will disappear. South Florida is predicted to be under water. Climates in other parts of the world will change because the different mix of fresh water and salt water. Plants and animals will die because they will no longer have their natural habitats. An increase in certain illnesses have already occurred, such as asthma and cancer, and there are possible other worldwide epidemics that are predicted.

What Are We Doing?

Why is what we are doing affecting this change in temperature? Scientists have identified what is called the “Greenhouse Effect.” Many of the gases that we produce create that effect, that is, they trap the heat around the world so it does not go off in space. It acts much like a big blanket.

There are 3 specific things we are doing to create a problem for our atmosphere and to contribute to this greenhouse effect. First is burning fossil fuels. Second is destroying our tree canopy. Third is polluting the water that kills the plankton.

Usually carbon dioxide emitted into the air can be absorbed by the trees, plants, and the plankton in the ocean, but we cut down of our tree canopy and an excess of carbon dioxide in the waters have killed much of the plankton. Again, this affects our wildlife and our food chain. And with the tremendous growth of population, there is an increase in the need for energy, housing, and clean water. It becomes a vicious cycle.

There are two goals to focus on and which needs the contribution of everyone.
1. Take steps to slow the climate change
2. Prepare for a “new” way of living

Why set these goals and make the changes?
We need to take a fresh approach to create a healthier life and planet for the Present and as a Heritage to our Children:

#1 Preserve our environment.
We need to have healthy natural resources – our air, water, and land.
#2 Personal - Health and Community Benefits
We need to protect our health and to develop healthier relationships with others.
#3 Economic – There is the “Green Advantage.” The state of the economy is another serious issue today. This is also the negative result of our current methods of consumption and not being environmentally responsible. The Green Advantage means that it is financially better for each individual. There are many ways that going green is cost effective. We can also create new “green” jobs and rebuild our economy to be more sustainable.

To make changes, we need to evaluate our current habits and then to learn about different things we can do to. ENV Magazine is dedicated to helping to pass on information about some practical, simple, cost effective things we all need to do.

Here are some topics that will be covered in upcoming issues of ENV Magazine:
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint to “350”
Reducing Direct and Indirect Energy Consumption
Tips to Reduce Consumption of Goods
Recycling Tips
Water Conservation
Reducing Toxins in our Water, Air, and Homes
Greenwashing

Check out this animation from 350.org
http://www.350.org.nz/animation.html