Archive for April, 2009
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
While most people continue to look upward (into the air) as far as CO2 emissions, many people have overlooked looking down (into the oceans) but they won’t make that mistake after seeing the interesting, informative yet personal enviro-doc Sea Change. Unlike so many other “green” films and documentaries that hit people over the head with stats and charts not to mention fire and brimstone, director Barbara Ettinger (”Independent Lens” – Two Square Miles) takes a more personal approach (aided by having her on-screen husband Sven Huseby) to explore the causes behind the rapid rate of ocean acidification. And rapid it is.
As a former college professor and current grandfather, Sven serves as a genteel informant/host/interviewer willing to learn and listen rather than comment and direct. He offers the natural ability to teach and engage in conversation. Even non-greenies can admire his feelings and interest as a grandfather intested in educating himself and others about the dangerous status of the ocean life for the sake of his grandson.
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Tags: co2_emissions, college_professor, enviro, Exxon, exxon_valdez, fire_and_brimstone, greenies, independent_lens, natural_ability, nuclear_war, ocean_acidification, ocean_life, rapid_rate, san_francisco_international_film_festival_2009, sea_change
Posted in Environment, Films and Documentaries, Water | No Comments »
Friday, April 17th, 2009
If it works for one San Fran hotel then it must work for another. No, we’re not talking about more upscale mini bar items but Greening a hotel. In this case, the Orchard Garden Hotel’s (which garnered LEED-NC certification) sister property the Orchard Hotel just nabbed LEED-EB certification.
The Orchard represents San Francisco’s only hotel to earn this honor, the Orchard Hotel is the second hotel in California and fourth hotel in the world with this certification. The inspiration from these green hotels comes from its 85-year-old owner, Mrs. S.C. Huang, who has pushed her environmental agenda and created more environmentally safe and sustainable hotels after the untimely cancer-related deaths of three family members.
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Tags: bed_bases, california_farms, climate_control, energy_star, fibers, forests, forest_stewardship_council, garden_hotel, green_building_materials, LEED, mini_bar, night_guests, orchard_garden, orchard_hotel, organic_produce, roofs, san_fran, scorecard, sister_property, vignette
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Materials | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
Although the 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival didn’t set out to program Green films, it may be no coincidence that several environment related or themed features and docs snuck their way into the diverse programming.
One of those films, first time director Aristomenis Tsirbas’s lushly animated Battle for Terra spotlights the peaceful planet of Terra where these wide-eyed tadpole looking denizens live. The Terrareans share the landscape (and skyscape) with sucking plants (a la Fantastic Planet) and flying whales in a healthy, peaceful environment – until the aliens attack. Only this time, humans represent the invaders complete with a jingoistic and aggressive mentality. The thing is that the humans used up all their resources back on Earth so then they decided to try their luck next door – Mars and Venus. Soon after colonizing the virgin neighbors, the three planets got into a battle royal and blew each other up so now the humans (in the form of Earth Force) need to take over the unspoiled Terra.
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Tags: battle_for_terra, battle_royal, earth_force, environmental_films, fantastic_planet, first_time_director, mars_and_venus, moral_dilemmas, peaceful_environment, peaceful_planet, planet_of_the_apes, san_francisco_international_film_festival, starship_troopers
Posted in Films and Documentaries, San Francisco | No Comments »
While most people continue to look upward (into the air) as far as CO2 emissions, many people have overlooked looking down (into the oceans) but they won’t make that mistake after seeing the interesting, informative yet personal enviro-doc Sea Change. Unlike so many other “green” films and documentaries that hit people over the head with stats and charts not to mention fire and brimstone, director Barbara Ettinger (”Independent Lens” – Two Square Miles) takes a more personal approach (aided by having her on-screen husband Sven Huseby) to explore the causes behind the rapid rate of ocean acidification. And rapid it is.
