Earth Share Partner Lord, Aeck & Sargent to Design Southface Eco Office
Award winning architectural firm Lord, Aeck & Sargent soon will begin plans for a "green" commercial building adjacent to Southface Energy Institute's existing facility in Midtown, Atlanta. The new space will be a showcase for green building techniques including efficient water and energy usage (and reusage), sustainable materials selection, and environmentally friendly construction practices, and in doing so will be aiming for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, given by the U.S. Green Buliding Council. This 10,000 square foot, "one-of-a-kind demonstration building," as LEED-accredited professional and head project architect Jim Nicolow describes it, is being built with the goal of transforming the market for commercial green building. Says Jules Paulk, director of Southface Green Building Services, "A green building demonstr ation of this size is particularly relevant to the marketplace, as 70 percent of U.S. commercial buildings are less than 20,000 square-feet."

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Swan's Song
More than seventy Atlanta executives, including Mayor Shirley Franklin and Jeff Dunn, COO of Coca-Cola North America, met for breakfast on Earth Day, April 22nd to hear the inspirational messages of Robert Swan. Swan is legendary for being the first individual to walk to both the north and south poles. His trek by foot to the South Pole was the longest unassisted polar march in history and provided a revealing first-hand lesson on climate change. "We walked for 70 days underneath the hole in the ozone and when we got back our skin was badly peeling and damaged and we thought 'What is this?' We were the first to walk to the Pole since Scott - three quarters of a century ago - and when it was announced that there was a hole in the ozone and our faces were still peeling off for three-and-a-half months, you didn't have to be Albert Einstein to work out what had happened to us,' he says. Swan also spoke about his eight-year envi ronmental commitment to remove 1,000 tons of industrial waste from a Russian research station on Antarctica. For more info on Robert Swan visit www.inspia.org. The event was sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company and Earth Share of Georgia and hosted by McKenna Long & Aldridge.

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Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable
June 6 from 7:30 to 9:00 at Sci-Trek. Join Southface, Senate Majority Leader Tom Price and Senator Sam Zamarripa for an environmental update from the landmark 2003 legislative session. Jason Rooks, Executive Director of Georgia Conservation Voters, will act as moderator. Nominal fee includes continental breakfast. Discounts for Southface members.RSVP: 404/872-3549 or visit www.southface.org.

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Sunflower Concert Series at the State Botanical Garden in Athens
A perfect summer evening-- good friends, good music, and cold beer in the most beautiful setting in Athens, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. The Sunflower Music Series gives you the chance to escape those smoky clubs and watch some of Athens' finest performers while picnicking amongst the flowers and trees. It may be the most fun you'll ever have while helping out a good cause! The first concert this summer will be June 10 and will feature Grogus and Llajtasuyo. All concerts take place 7 to 9 pm Tickets are $5 for members; $15 for non-members. Tickets sell out quickly and MUST be purchased in advance. Call (706) 542-6130.

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UPS to Use Fuel Cell Technology in Delivery Trucks
Atlanta based UPS announced it will include hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles, the first ever in its commercial delivery fleet. The fuel cells will convert chemical energy into electricity without combustion and will be on the roads in Ann Arbor, Michigan this fall where their performance will be studied in collaboration with Daimler Chrysler and the Environmental Protection Agency. "The really intriguing part of this partnership is that these vehicles are going to be in day-to-day use," said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. "They can be monitored through temperature variances ... the stops and starts of city driving and long distances where the speed gets up for a sustained time." To read the full story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, click here.

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MEMBER GROUP PROFILE: African Wildlife Foundation
Planning an African safari? The African Wildlife Foundation promotes 'travel with an ethic.' For over 40 years AWF has been working with communities in Africa to establish programs and educational facilities that assis rural communities in creating conservation enterprises. "Ecotourism" has been one of the most notable products of AWFs Conservation Enterprises Program. It promotes an ethic of conservation by creating tourist revenue for local economies. Led by scientists and conservationists, eco-tours provide an educational experience to travelers while safeguarding fragile habitats and promoting a sense of respect for host countries and cultures. It is because of ecotourism that the endangered Mountain Gorilla could claim a comeback in the 1980s. You can plan an upcoming ecosafari with AWF at www.awf.org.

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CHASTAIN PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS: Park Pride, with the support of dedicated volunteers, coordinates monthly projects at Chastain Park on the first Saturday of each month. For more information about these projects or about the improvements being made to Chastain Park, contact Ray Mock. RayMock@mindspring.com or (404) 723-3116

VOLUNTEER NATURALIST AT ELACHEE NATURE SCIENCE CENTER: Volunteer naturalists are needed to assist Elachee in teaching visiting school children about nature. Most walk on the trails with a small group of 10-15, pointing out natural features, identifying plant and animal life, and reinforcing concepts learned during classroom sessions. The low-key and informative training teaches you the basics of field interpretation, identification of wildflowers, shrubs and trees, and how to sample aquatic life. See the Calendar of Events for training opportunities.

TREE MAINTENANCE: Trees Atlanta is responsible for watering, pruning, and mulching over 1700 trees in the summer months. Contact Andy, andy@treesatlanta.org, to see where you can pitch in.

ADOPT-A-STREAM: On June 28, the Atlanta Group at Sierra Club will be monitoring Peavine Creek, where it crosses Old Briarcliff Road near Emory University. They will monitor for both chemical and biological changes using field test kits, nets and buckets. No experience necessary. For more information contact Janet Westervelt at 770-965-2147 or jwestervelt@mindspring.com.

GEORGIA HANDICAPPED SPORTSMEN'S FAMILY DAY: Georgia Wildlife Federation needs volunteers to staff this event on June 22. The day is filled with wildlife demonstrations, stories, and a great catfish dinner. Contact Mitch Russell , mrussell@gwf.org or 770-787-7887 ext. 15.

CONSERVATION ISSUES: Georgia Wildlife Federation is looking for year-round volunteers to contact decision-makers on a variety of conservation issues supported by GWF. Contact Mitch Russell 770-787-7887 ext. 15 for more information.

PERFECT FOR A LOCAL STUDENT: Volunteers are needed at Outdoor Activity Center/Surviving Urban Villages in Southwest Atlanta. This breathtaking, 26 acre educational facility is one of Atlanta's last remaining urban forests and operates solely on volunteer staff. Please consider giving your time to help maintain its trails and facility. Contact Brendon Barclay, 404-752-5385 or suvoac@yahoo.com.

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"If you are thinking one year ahead, sow a seed. If you are thinking 10 years ahead, plant a tree. If you are thinking 100 years ahead, educate the people." --Chinese proverb

What's Your Carbon Footprint?

If you're interested in knowing how your transportation choices and energy consumption are impacting global warming, check out this website to calculate your carbon footprint. (Hint: you'll need to register with the site before the calculator will work.) Once you know how much carbon you're creating (did we mention carbon emissions are the number one contributor to global warming?) you can take action, and pledge to reduce your footprint.
Businesses can also take part by going to www.safeclimate.net. Safe Climate for Businesses gives all the necessary details for calculating emissions and undertaking solutions to reduce your organization's climate impact.

Green Fund Network

Earth Share is working with GreenFund Network to offer workplaces a real alternative to tossing empty printer cartridges in the trash. Supporting hundreds of groups locally, nationally and internationally, GreenFund Network offers a cost-free venue for recycling thousands of printer cartridges each year. Money raised through the GreenFund Network provides critical funding to vital non-profit, educational and environmental programs. In addition, the GreenFund Network will donate $0.05 to Earth Share for each and every printer cartridge recycled through their cartridge recycling network, and has pledged a minimum of $60,000.00 to Earth Share during the next three years.

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"I thought of that while riding my bike."- Albert Einstein

September 12: Save the Date for Trees Atlanta's GreenSpace Management Workshop 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

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"The ultimate measure of a person is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy."-- Martin Luther King, Jr.