guidance green

Safety Tips for Tomorrow's Bike-To-Work Day at Guidance

2011-05-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

Before Your Ride:

Plan your route. The Guidance office is a great central location for riding. Bike paths lead to Marina Del Rey from the South Bay, the West Side and Culver City. Two good resources for mapping a bike ride are www.mapmyride.com and www.gmap-pedometer.com.

Check your bike. Do you have air in your tires? Is everything working properly? If you will be riding in the dark, are your lights working?

Do you have everything you need? Be sure to bring a bike lock if you are parking your bike outside! If you need a change of clothes, it will be easier if you pack them the night before. If you are using the shower here, don’t forget your towel. If you don’t have a helmet, pick one up tonight. Be sure to ride with a cell phone, money for emergencies, ID and an emergency contact.

On Your Ride:

Wear a helmet. A helmet is to riding a bike as a seatbelt is to riding in a car.

Watch for cars. While there are lots of bike paths in the area, you will be riding on the streets with cars in part. Do not assume that they see you, even if you have the right of way.

Watch for obstacles and slick streets. Tomorrow’s forecast is sunny, but the streets might still be wet, so ride carefully. Also keep an eye out for potholes and debris. If you are riding by parked cars, be extra careful for people opening their doors.

Wear comfortable clothing. The morning might be chilly, but you will warm up as you ride. Layers will help keep you as warm or cool as you need to be.

Enjoy your surroundings! You will notice a lot more on your bike ride than you do when driving into work. It’s spring and Ballona Creek is blooming! The ocean looks great from the strand, and there are lots of people out and about.

Have a great ride!

Rachele
Guidance Green

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*Participation is completely voluntary.

HP features interview with Guidance CIO Jon Provisor

2011-04-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

HP, the world's #1 provider of PCs and workstations, has featured an interview with Guidance CIO Jon Provisor on their HP Communities blog, 367AddisonAvenue.com (that’s the street address of the birthplace of Silicon Valley - the HP Garage). Check it out at http://bit.ly/gDyont.

It's Earth Day!

2011-04-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day everyone! To honor the occasion, Guidance has joined Tree Musketeers’ Partners for the Planet (P4P) Network. As a P4P Member, Guidance is helping mobilize and inspire communities worldwide to plant and care for trees, while providing leadership opportunities for youth.

How are you celebrating Earth Day? Guidance CIO, Jon Provisor, answered this and other questions for HP’s blog 367AddisonAvenue.com (that’s the street address of the birthplace of Silicon Valley - the HP Garage). Here’s a link to the blog post - http://bit.ly/gDyont.

To learn more about Guidance Green, visit http://www.guidancegreen.org.

Look who's been featured by HP

2011-03-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

HP, the world's largest IT company and leading provider of PCs and workstations, has showcased Guidance on its latest YouTube video campaign. Guidance has been featured alongside HP clients' DreamWorks and Viacom for using energy-efficient HP hardware to reduce our carbon footprints.

Since 2008, Guidance has been working with HP to promote green computing and other eco-friendly solutions as alternatives to traditional computer hardware. Guidance uses HP's energy-optimized ProLiant® servers (DL360 G5 and DL380 G5), with the low-voltage Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® Processor L5420 to offer green hosting solutions to clients. In addition to energy-efficient monitors and desktop solutions, Guidance has also reduced the company's internal energy consumption by virtualizing most of the company’s development environment.

Click on the image below to watch the short video clip HP posted on YouTube. Enjoy!

Guidance Green turns 4!

2011-03-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

Our environmental committee, Guidance Green, is turning 4 next month! Since 2007, Guidance Green has spearheaded our company’s efforts in reducing its carbon footprint and overall impact on the planet’s natural resources.

To celebrate our fourth anniversary, Guidance is hosting an event on Wednesday, March 9th from noon to 1pm at our corporate headquarters in Marina del Rey. Join us as we review our green accomplishments over the last four years, along with catered food, eco trivia, contests, prizes and much more.

You can also enter our “From Trash to Treasure” contest for a chance to win cool cash prizes. Bring something you have created out of recycled items and turn your trash into cash!

For more information, contact us at green@guidance.com.

Hope to see you on the 9th!

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Debbie E.
Guidance Green

Come to the Green Side. They Have Pancakes.

2011-03-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

My foray into Guidance Green started with the promise of an IHOP breakfast. As I enjoyed my blueberry banana nutty grain deliciousness at the Guidance Green Committee meeting in late January, I learned a few things.

For example, you can recycle batteries here at Guidance. As a matter of fact, we'll recycle all your household eWaste and hazardous materials - oil, paints, pesticides, electronics and more. I've been wondering what to do with this bag of old CFL light bulbs. Now I know, and I'll be bringing them by here soon. There's a full list of things you can recycle above the mail cubbies in the kitchen.

There is a Guidance Green section on Guidance Connect (Guidance's Intranet), and a section on the Guidance website. Both of these pages have great information about reducing environmental impact, individually and as a company.

Guidance Green's fourth anniversary is coming up in March. Guidance made a commitment to reducing energy waste, reusing items, recycling as much as possible and expanding the Guidance Green mission into the community back in 2007. Check out this blog post by Debbie to learn more about our upcoming anniversary event --
Guidance Green Turns 4!.

I am excited about being part of Guidance Green. As a member of the Guidance Green committee, I can offer ideas to help make Guidance as environmentally-friendly as possible. Working for a company that has this kind of philosophy is important to me. If you would like to be a part of Guidance Green, just drop us a note at green@guidance.com. It's a chance to do some good things and - if you are lucky - enjoy some pancakes.

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Rachele M.
Guidance

Opting out of Yellow Pages (Guidance Green)

2011-02-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

Yellow Pages is doing things right! Their books are made from outdated directories, with non-toxic inks, dyes and adhesives, and not from freshly cut trees. They have taken proactive measures to decrease their carbon footprint. But even so, I have no need for their phone books (what’s the Internet for?!). And chances are you don’t need yours either.

So, I went online to find out if there was a way to opt-out from receiving the phone book – or phone books (I receive about 5 of them every year!). And surely enough, there is. The site is called YellowPagesOptOut.com and it provides plenty of information on how to opt-out from receiving the books and how to recycle the ones you already have at home. They also have an interesting Resources section with links and additional information on Reducing, Reusing and Recycling, including DMAchoice, an online tool developed by the Direct Marketing Association to help individuals manage mail such as credit offers, catalogs, magazine offers and other mail offers.

I hope you find the site useful. Stay green!

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Gabby M.
Guidance Green

‘Green Your Holidays with Guidance Green’ is Back!

2010-11-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

For the third consecutive year, our environmental committee, Guidance Green, is inviting So Cal neighbors to green their holidays by joining us in donating gently-used items to charities. In doing so, we will bring some holiday cheer to people in need while helping to keep these still useful items form ending up prematurely at the local landfill.

Gently-used clothing, accessories and shoes, as well as brand new toys, will be donated to the Venice Homeless Shelter. This year, we are also collecting new and gently-used jackets, coats, warm socks, hats, scarves, gloves and warm pajamas for children 0 to 10 years old to donate to the Kozy Klothes for Kids organization.

Items can be dropped off at Guidance’s headquarters – 4134 Del Rey Avenue in Marina del Rey, CA. We will be accepting donations until Friday, December 10, allowing us to deliver these to both charities in time for the holidays.

If you have any questions, please contact us at green@guidance.com.

Guidance Green helps restore beauty to a local beach

2010-11-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

The Guidance Green team strikes again! For the fourth consecutive year, the Guidance Green team helped to clean up the beaches in Southern California. For a second time, we returned to Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey on Sunday, November 14th.

Here are some of our stats from our cleanup:

We collected over 10 pounds of trash

The most common piece of trash was bottle tops

We even found a golf ball!

After our busy morning we relaxed and enjoyed the California sun while enjoying BBQ hot dogs.

Check out pictures of our beach cleanup on our Facebook page.

We’ll keep you posted on our next beach cleanup. We hope to see you there!

Guidance employees partner with Tierra Miguel Foundation farm

2010-08-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our two committees, Guidance Green and A Healthy Guidance, have teamed up to offer a unique opportunity to all Guidance's employees and contractors who sign up to participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.

CSAs are communities of individuals who pledge support to a farm -- in Guidance's case, the Tierra Miguel Foundation -- so that the farmland becomes the community's farm, with the growers and the consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Members or "share-holders" of the farm pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the fram operation and the farmer's salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production.

Tierra Miguel Foundation will provide us with organic, locally-grown, seasonal, fresh and nutritous produce delivered every Wednesday directly to Guidance. The commitment per person is 10 weeks @ $250. Each week, for the $25 invested, each participating employee will receive a box of 15 pounds of a mix of produce, including vegetables, herbs, and fruits. This is a great deal for local, certified organic produce!

To learn more about Tierra Miguel Foundation, please go to http://tierramiguelfarm.org/.

Here is to healthy eating!

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Sam G. & Debbie E.
Guidance

Pictures from our 2010 Guidance Green Picnic

2010-08-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd Annual Guidance Green Picnic was a success! It's been our best and biggest yet and we loved having everyone over for a wonderful afternoon of eco-education, delicious food and fun gathering.
On behalf of Guidance, I would like to thank all of our speakers for sharing with us their expertise in areas of sustainable living:

Dave Chameides (a.k.a. Sustainable Dave)
Justin Yoffe
Ron Culver
Samson Gonzalez
Wanda Shapiro
Joseph Culp

I would also like to thank our sponsors and supporters for their generous donations:

Gelson's
Whole Foods of El Segundo
Naked Juice
Buddha's Belly
Veggie Grill

Check out pictures of our event on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=197442&id=11521514227&ref=mf.

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Debbie E.
Guidance

Meet our guest speakers

2010-08-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd Annual Guidance Green Picnic is almost here! We are very excited to be hosting this event for the third year, this Wednesday, August 4th from noon to 1:30pm at Guidance (click here for a map). We’ll have games, prizes, a raffle, great food, giveaways and goodie bags from Gelson’s, Whole Foods, Naked Juice and some of our other sponsors.

This year, we have lined up a great list of speakers who will cover a variety of subjects around sustainable living:

Smarter Commuting: Decreasing our Dependency on Oil

Dave Chameides, a.k.a “Sustainable Dave” is a two-time Emmy award winning cameraman and DGA director (ER, Third Watch, Studio 60), father of two, and self-taught environmental educator. For the year of 2008, he kept all of his trash and recycling in his basement in order to better understand his waste footprint. In the process, he was able to cut his yearly trash output to a mere 28.5 pounds. His website, 365DaysofTrash.com, and story became an international sensation and his message of waste reduction was carried around the world. And what happened to the 28.5 pounds of trash? It ended up at The Museum of Trash of course, where it stands as a permanent exhibit to inspire people to change their ways.

Today, Chameides continues to lecture to schools all over the country and speak about how everyday people can do a tremendous amount to lessen their footprint without living in a cave. His simple, humor filled talks have inspired students to organize, start environmental clubs, and even consider environmental stewardship as their future vocations. He writes a weekly column for the site Care2, and his motto of "no one can do everything but everyone can do something" has been heard by millions.

He is presently writing a book based on his experiences that will tell the story of his journey, but more importantly, will offer concrete simple tips on how everyday people can change their ways. While he still works in the film industry, his hope is to take his seminar on the road and travel the country, impacting students everywhere he goes.

Arts:Earth Partnership

Justin Yoffe is currently the President of the Board of the Electric Lodge Performing and Visual Arts Center in Venice, CA. (http://www.electriclodge.org/) one of the first solar powered theaters in the country and currently powered by 100% renewable energy. He is the Co-Founder of the Arts:Earth Partnership (AEP - http://www.artsearthpartnership.org/) a ground breaking green certification designed specifically for the cultural sector. In February of 2010, AEP was the first organization of its kind to sign a contract with a major municipality (City of Los Angeles) to green-certify all of its 33 city-owned cultural institutions. Mr. Yoffe also currently serves as the Cultural Affairs Supervisor for the City of Santa Monica and is the Director of the historic Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica.

Mr. Yoffe is a produced playwright, screenwriter and won an Emmy Award as a Producer for “Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming” in 2005 for a teen talent showcase called “Downbeat 720”.

Mr. Yoffe holds a BFA and MFA from New York University and currently resides in Del Rey, CA. with his wife Jeanette and son Nathan.

Integrating Sustainable Architecture, Interiors and Landscapes

Ron Culver, AIA, LEED GA is President and Founder of C/ARC (a.k.a. Culver Architects, Inc.), an award-winning architectural firm that melds art and technology to create inspiring architecture, interiors and landscapes. C/ARC emphasizes progressive environmental and sensual modernist sensibilities – inside and out, and utilizes innovative green materials and energy efficient systems such as Adaptabode®, its custom prefab system.

Ron Culver is accomplished as an architect, musician, painter and sculptor. Originally from British Columbia where he became Principal Percussionist for the Vancouver Philharmonic at eighteen, his musical career led to LA where a longstanding passion for design and fabrication resulted in his founding design-build business ventures in both the USA and Canada. He has actively promoted green alternatives since the 1970s. At our event, Ron will be speaking about bettering our lives and the planet through integrating sustainable architecture, interiors and landscapes.

Clean Green and Save Green

Wanda Shapiro has been a member of Guidance Green since she started working at Guidance in 2007. A strong supporter of local and organic farming, Wanda has also gradually replaced petroleum-based cleaning products around her home with more sustainable, less toxic alternatives. You can find Wanda supporting the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market weekly.

In her spare time, Wanda is an indie author promoting her debut novel Sometimes That Happens With Chicken. In the tradition of indie film makers and indie musicians, Wanda is leveraging available technology to bring her novel directly to readers. Visit http://www.onegirlonenovel.com/ to learn more about Wanda, her novel, and her plan.

Born and raised in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York, Wanda attended college at Pace University in New York City, and currently lives in Venice Beach, California with her husband, Billy.

Community Supported Agriculture

Samson Gonzalez has been with Guidance for over 13 years and is currently a Managing Director, working with Guidance’s longest client to date, Foot Locker. Samson comes from a family with a strong history of diabetes, and when he came across alarming statistics about diabetes in the US Hispanic community, he decided to change his lifestyle and serve as example for his children. Additionally, he has been shifting from merely looking at organic labels, to making sure what he purchases is local as well, to save on carbon emissions due to transportation. Samson’s lifestyle changes have resulted in a quick and healthy 10% weight loss, among other health benefits.

In his search for a healthier lifestyle, Samson found out about the concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a new way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer, and his topic of discussion for today’s event.

The Electric Lodge

Joseph Culp is an accomplished film, TV and theater actor/director. His film credits include leading roles in Dream Lover, Iguana, The Arrival, Chase Morran, The Secret Life of Houses, and El Jardin del Eden. He is the first actor ever to play the infamous Dr. Doom in the first film version of Marvel Comic’s The Fantastic Four. He was featured in Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 and Mario Van Peebles’ Panther and Baadassss. His many television appearances include ER, Deep Space Nine and the hit series Mad Men.

Joseph won international critical acclaim for his performance as the starving writer in the award-winning film, Hunger, and he recently co-produced and starred in the investigative drama, The Reflecting Pool.

Active in theatre for many years, Joseph has performed in numerous plays in both New York and Los Angeles, including Nobody Hears a Broken Drum, for which he received a Los Angeles Drama-Logue award and the New York stage premiere of Foul Shots by Raymond J. Barry.

Joseph is the founder and artistic director of the L.A.-based Walking Theater Group, integrating theatre, film and transpersonal work for actors, writers and directors. As a director, his productions with the group include A Wilder Evening, The Judgment, In the Penal Colony, and the Reclamation Shows 1-3. The Walking Theatre Group performs regularly at the country’s first fully environmentally sustainable theater, the Electric Lodge in Venice, California. His musical play The Hound – An American Poem will also be performed by the Walking Theatre Group and is currently in development at the Electric Lodge.

Joseph is very active in social and environmental issues and will speak at our event about the solar powered theatre he is performing in, The Electric Lodge in Venice, and related environmental issues. He will also treat us to a “green” song.

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We hope to see you on August 4th!
Guidance Green

Save the Date! - 3rd Annual Guidance Green Picnic

2010-07-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Guidance is getting ready to celebrate the summer with its 3rd Annual Guidance Green educational picnic, coming up on Wednesday, August 4th, 2010, from noon to 1:30pm.

Under the message of Eat. Learn. Live Green., Guidance's event seeks to educate employees, clients, neighbors and the community in general about green practices that helps us live eco-friendlier lives. Speakers will discuss this year's topic, "Sustainable Living", under a variety of practical applications like sustainable food, sustainable lifestyle, sustainable building, and others.

Save the date!

Catherine L.
Guidance

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Less Waste = More Arts: Networking Mixer at the Electric Lodge

2010-05-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Electric Lodge is hosting a free Networking Mixer this Saturday, May 29th at 3:00pm PST. The event is organized by the Arts:Earth Partnership, which certifies cultural facilities, theaters, museums, dance studios, art galleries, performing arts companies and individual artists that are environmentally sustainable.

The Electric Lodge strongly encourages using alternative transportation to attend the event -- walk, bike, or take take the bus (Blue Bus #2 or Metro #33 or #333). However, they also have free, on-site parking for carpooling and other drivers.

Electric Lodge
Address: 1416 Electric Avenue, Venice, CA 90291 (1 block east of Abbot Kinney)
Phone: (310) 306-1854
Email: livearts@electriclodge.org

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Alejandra E.
Guidance Green

Keeping our Hosting Green

2010-05-13T17:20:00.001-07:00

Committed to providing superior hosting services, including green hosting solutions, Guidance has renewed its investment in Renewable Energy Credits for its co-location facilities.

Last week, Guidance purchased 60 MWhs of Renewable Energy Credits made from wind energy sources located throughout the United States. The credits help offset all of our hosting servers' electricity-related CO2 emissions. The company issuing the renewable energy credits, Green Mountain Energy, is a Green-e certified business.

Guidance's hosting servers are also energy efficient. Guidance uses HP’s energy-optimized ProLiant® servers (DL360 G5 and DL380 G5), with the low-voltage Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® Processor L5420. In addition, Guidance offers virtual hosting servers using VMware technology.

For more information about our Guidance's green hosting services, please contact us at 310.754.4000.

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Catherine L.
Guidance Green

It's Earth Day!

2010-04-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

It has been 40 years since the first Earth Day was officially celebrated in 1970, and boy, have things changed since then! From hybrid vehicles, to reusable grocery bags, to using energy-efficient appliances and offsetting the carbon emissions of our air travel, there are a number of concepts today that we have grown used to, but were foreign to us back then.

So on behalf of the entire Guidance Green, have a happy Earth Day!

Happy Anniversary, Guidance Green

2010-03-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

First time, second round … but third is a charm!

In the spirit of celebration, Guidance has sponsored planting of a new tree during Tree Musketeer's Arbor Day Celebration, this Saturday, March 6th from 9:30am to noon at Washington Park in El Segundo, Calif.

According to Tree Musketeers – the nation’s first youth environmental organization – each new tree planted will generate $163,000 worth of oxygen, air pollution control, water recycling and soil erosion prevention while sequestering 2½ tons of CO2 over 50 years.

Besides helping the environment, Guidance’s sponsorship helps commemorate the third anniversary of Guidance Green. Created in March 2007 by Guidance CTO & Co-Owner, Jon Provisor, the Guidance Green committee oversees the company’s environmentally-friendly practices while keeping employees and the community in general informed about individual and business-wide efforts to help keep the planet green and healthy. Guidance is 100% carbon neutral and has offered carbon-neutral hosting for its clients since 2008.

Happy Anniversary, Guidance Green!

Guidance Shows Support for Hopenhagen, Provides Virtual Hosting Services

2009-11-30T14:36:00.000-08:00

You’ve seen the billboard ads. You’ve heard the buzz. It’s Hopenhagen.

Hopenhagen is a movement seeking to encourage global citizens to voice out to world leaders attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark (COP15) the need to establish better sustainability policies. Their Web site, Hopenhagen.org, calls on visitors to become citizens of Hopenhagen by signing the “Climate Change” petition and sharing their messages of hope. The petition – along with every name signed to it – will be presented to world leaders at the COP15 meeting.

In early September, Guidance was approached by Hopenhagen stakeholders looking for application support services as well as eco-friendly solutions to host their site. Guidance presented them with two alternatives: our green hosting solutions using energy-efficient HP servers, and our virtual hosting solutions using VMware software. For both, Guidance offsets all remaining electricity-related CO2 emissions by purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) through BeGreen Business, the carbon offset brand of Green Mountain Energy. The credits are made from wind and biomass sources located throughout the United States.

Hopenhagen stakeholders chose to host their site virtually with Guidance. The site went live on September 15th, and shortly after its launch, Guidance employees went on to show their support by signing the petition.

Leaders from more than 180 nations will meet in Copenhagen from December 7th to the 18th of this year to ratify a new international global climate treaty, which will take effect when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Hopenhagen was created by the International Advertising Association (IAA) in support of the UN’s call for marketing assistance to sign “Climate Change” petition.

To find out how to become a citizen of Hopenhagen, sign their petition before December 7th, 2009 at http:/www.Hopenhagen.org. To learn more about Guidance’s hosting solutions, please visit our Web site at http://www.guidance.com/services/hosting.

Guidance has significantly reduced its overall consumption of electricity and paper as a result of a company-wide commitment to sustainable business practices, known as Guidance Green. Guidance’s purchase of renewable energy credits offset 100 percent of the carbon emissions associated with its business activities.

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Jon Provisor
Guidance

Meet The Dervaes

2009-11-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

I have lived in Southern California all my life with the exception of a few years spent in NorCal in the latter half of the 80s and in London in the early 90s. Yet I had never heard of The Dervaes, whom – since the mid-80s – have been doing something quite amazing, right in the heart of L.A. County.

Apparently, I am not the only one who’s never heard of them. So without further ado, meet the Dervaes.

In only a tenth of an acre, the Dervaes family has been able to create what many would consider impossible: an urban homestead. Living in Pasadena, Calif., Jules Dervaes and his three adult children (Justin, Anais and Jordanne) are surrounded by many of the typical things you’d see in an area like L.A. – cars, freeways, houses – and by some that are far less typical – goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and over 350 varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries.

So how do they fit all of that into one-tenth of an acre? It wasn’t easy for the Dervaes but they were really determined to make it happen. And as if that wasn’t complex enough, they wanted to up their ante by doing everything in the most environmentally-friendly way possible. Here are some interesting facts about the day-to-day operations of their urban homestead:

Up to 6,000 pounds of produce are harvested annually on one-tenth of an acre.

The Dervaes family grows 99% of the produce they consume; the remaining food that the family consumes is either bought in bulk, organically-grown, locally-grown, and/or are fair-trade certified. The family has kept a vegetarian diet for over 17 years.

12 solar panels provide two-thirds of the energy they consume (6 kWh per day), which is already 80-percent less energy than what the average American household consumes (29.2 kWh per day, according to the Department of Energy).

The family raises small stock like chickens, ducks, rabbits, and goats for eggs, milk and/or manure. In addition, the Dervaes are beekeepers for the extraction of unfiltered/unheated honey.

Some of the energy and water conservation efforts the family practices include using energy-efficient appliances and lighting (some are even non-electrical or hand-powered, like their stationary bike-blender kit), reusing laundry water, and using a low-flushing toilet along with a toilet lid sink.
Their diesel car runs on homebrewed biodiesel and is driven only 3 out of the 7 days of the week, for approximately 4,000 miles per year. That is 66-percent fewer miles than what the average American drives per year, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

Self-employed since 1974, the Dervaes sell their homegrown produce to local restaurants and caterers (through DervaesGardens.com), sell plant seeds through their own seed company (FreedomSeeds.org), and sell eco-friendly goods online (at PeddlersWagon.com).

Since 1999, the Dervaes have been documenting their efforts and sharing them online to help engage others interested in following their footsteps. To learn more about the Dervaes and how to turn your home into an urban homestead, visit their website at PathToFreedom.com.

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Jon Provisor
Guidance

Beach cleanup, round two!

2009-10-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know this coming Saturday will most likely be L.A.'s last sunny/warm Saturday of the year? Spend it at the beach!

Join Guidance Green this Saturday, October 24, from 9:30am to 11:30am at Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey, CA, for our beach cleanup! See details below.

Next Saturday is expected to be rainy and in the 60s. Then it'll be November. This is really your last chance for some fun in the sun!

Hope to see you there,

Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Sustainable Business Council to host panel, “Sustainable Sales: Profit withPurpose”

2009-09-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) is a non-profit organization that serves California businesses and individuals working with sustainable products, services and processes. The organization acts as a professional networking forum, information clearinghouse and industry advocate with the goal to assist its members to improve their profits, enhance their communities, and protect the environment.

The Los Angeles SBC chapter (SBCLA) provides events and educational opportunities to encourage, support and expand sustainable practices, aiming to establish Los Angeles as a leader in this emerging business sector. Interested in Guidance’s green commitment, SBC contacted us to find out ways in which we could help each other educate the community and extend our green messaging to new audiences.

This coming Wednesday, September 23rd, SBCLA will be hosting a panel to discuss “Sustainable Sales: Profit with Purpose”. The panel will explore rationales for launching a green start-up or a green division within a traditional business, as well as debate the long-term viability of these initiatives. The event will take place at the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum, 4130 Overland Ave. in Culver City, and starts at 7:00pm (ending at 10:00pm). There is a small fee of $20 for admission, which includes snacks and libations.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their questions to the panel. To RSVP, visit http://www.sustainablebc.org/events_registration.html. Here are a few more details about the event:

Moderator:
Laura Berland-Shane, LEED AP, SBCLA Board Member and Business Development Manager-Alternative Energy, SIEMENS Building Technologies, Energy & Environmental Solutions

Panelists:
Lisa Peri, Founder and CEO, Lucky Earth "Waterless" Carwash
Paul Shustak, Co-Founder, KOR Water
Greg Charillon, Co-owner and Vice-president, DECONGREEN environmental solutions
Elizabeth Watson, LEED AP, Partner Real Estate, Climate Change & Sustainability Practices, Greenberg Glusker LLP

WHEN: Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

WHERE: Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum
4130 Overland Ave.
Culver City, CA 90230-3734
(Across the street from the City Recreational Pool)

HOST: Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum

COST: $20 Admission (includes light snack and libations)

Sponsors: Exclusive Founding Alliance: Stonefield Josephson, Inc. under the leadership of its president, Jeff Garrison.
Additional Sponsors: Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum, Summa Marketing Communications, Namaste Interactive, Edge Communications, Inc., O.N.E.: One Natural Experience, Whole Foods Market: West Los Angeles, National & Barrington, Stonehouse California Olive Oil, provisions on Beekman, Clif Bar, New Belgium Brewery, Generate Possibility, Casa Barranca Winery, Inc. and Guidance.

PLEASE RSVP by visiting:
http://www.sustainablebc.org/events_registration.html

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About the Sustainable Business Council of Los Angeles (SBCLA)

SBCLA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization acting as a professional networking forum, an information clearinghouse and an industry advocate. The organization serves California businesses and individuals working with
sustainable products, services and processes. SBCLA's goal is to assist members with improving their profits, enhancing their communities, and protecting the environment by educating business professionals on the
opportunities represented by technologies and management philosophies that reduce negative and non-renewable ecological impact. The Sustainable Business Council of Los Angeles is an activity of the International Humanities Center.

Guidance's Commitment to Green Computing Featured on The Wall Street Journal

2009-09-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Guidance (www.guidance.com), which in 2007 switched to energy-efficient HP desktops for its development environment, was featured on The Wall Street Journal.

Guidance's commitment to green computing and partnership with leading PC manufacturer HP to educate the community on green technology was covered on the September 8th issue of the journal (Carlton, Jim. "The PC Goes on an Energy Diet." The Wall Street Journal 8 Sept. 2009: R8).

Click here to read the article.

It’s Cleanup Time!

2009-09-01T16:59:00.001-07:00

For the third year in a row, Guidance will be teaming up with Heal The Bay on its Annual Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD), Saturday, September 19th.

Guidance will be joining over 12,000 volunteers from all over Los Angeles who will take action to rid our beaches and inland waterways of unsightly and harmful debris. Coastal Cleanup Day is an international event with over 60 countries around the world participating, making it one of the largest volunteer efforts on the planet.

So join us at Dockweiler Beach (11999 Vista del Mar, El Segundo, CA 90293) on Saturday, September 19th at 9:00am. You’ll see us with the light blue Guidance Green shirts. We hope to see you there!

If you can’t make it to Dockweiler Beach, but would like to participate of Heal The Bay’s CCD, sign up today at http://healthebay.org/volunteer/ccd/2009/participate.asp and choose from the list of participating beaches, rivers, parks, lakes, even creeks!

What's in Your Water Bottle?

2009-07-09T10:02:00.001-07:00

Every year, I get a report in the mail from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) with detailed information about the quality of the water that us Angelenos get out of our taps. But have you ever seen a similar report from any of the companies behind the biggest bottled-water brands? I sure haven't.

That is because tap water is more closely regulated than bottled water, even though bottled-water consumers spend over 100 times more for essentially the same product. Companies selling bottled water are not required to disclose where they get their water nor other important information about its quality.

Check out this report featured today on the Today Show:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So what's in your water bottle? Guess we'll never know...

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Alejandra E.
Guidance Green

2nd Annual Guidance Green Picnic - Eat. Learn. Live Green.

2009-06-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

Last week, Guidance hosted its 2nd Annual Guidance Green Picnic – Eat. Learn. Live Green. The event brought together Guidance employees and those of about seven other companies in our business park, for an afternoon of healthy eating and environmental education.

Organized by Guidance’s green committee (appropriately named Guidance Green), our annual Guidance Green Picnic events seek to celebrate Guidance’s green achievements for the year while educating Guidance employees and the community in general about environmental initiatives, tips, and programs that aim to improve the wellbeing of our planet. This year’s event counted with the participation of various environmentally-active guest speakers, including actress and comedienne Mindy Sterling (best known for her role of Frau Farbissina in all Austin Powers movies), actor and singer Joseph Culp (son of legendary actor Robert Culp, and best known for his appearances in Mad Men, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and ER), Dave Chameides (also known as “Sustainable Dave” and his website 365DaysOfTrash.com), and Mary Beth Trautwein (Director of the reDiscover Center in Culver City).

Mindy Sterling educated us on animal wildlife and how our everyday activities can affect their lives. Sustainable Dave emptied out the contents of his backpack to show us that by carrying with a few essentials like a reusable thermal mug, a reusable water canteen, a set of utensils (stored in a toothbrush case), a reusable shopping bag, and other items, we do our part in helping reduce the billions of pounds of waste that are collected every minute. Mary Beth Trautwein spoke to us about reDiscover, a community art center, reuse warehouse, gallery and event space that promotes creativity while encouraging environmental responsibility. Joseph Culp talked to us about the first solar power-based theater, The Electric Lodge in Venice, CA, where his musical play, The Hound – An American Poem, is being performed. Joseph also introduced us to Dr. Joel Shapiro, owner and creator of The Electric Lodge. Dr. Shapiro is also an environmental activist who in 2008 took a three-day journey down the 52-mile L.A. River along with a dozen kayakers to show the river was indeed navigable, therefore preventing the rollback of the Clean Water Act and allowing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to safeguard the river.

Guidance CTO and co-owner, Jon Provisor, also addressed the audience, encouraging everyone to join Guidance's commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility, by following the advice shared at the event.

Businesses like Whole Foods (El Segundo), The Veggie Grill, and Buddha’s Belly were among our event’s sponsors, treating our guests with giveaways, gift cards and prizes. In addition, organizations like Project Aware and the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church were among the supporters this year. And for the second year in a row, Go Earth Central donated its innovative line of compostable, sugarcane-based plates, utensils and cups for us to use at the event. We genuinely appreciate the generosity of these organizations and their support of our mission.

Guidance is proud to be an environmentally-aware, 100% carbon-neutral company that has significantly reduced its overall consumption of electricity as a result of a company-wide commitment to sustainable business practices, which we share in detail in our Green Toolkit. To learn more about our green commitment, and our committee Guidance Green, visit our website at www.guidancegreen.org.

You can check out photos from our picnic at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=83180&id=11521514227&ref=mf. Drop us a line or become a fan while on our Facebook Fan Page!

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Alejandra E.
Guidance Green

Guidance Green Announces New Coffee Grounds Recycling Program

2009-05-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the average American consumes about 3 cups of coffee a day? That’s a lot of used coffee grinds going into the trash.

Guidance Green is announcing an in-house coffee grounds recycling program. Guidance employees and visitors can pick up pre-measured bags of coffee grounds that are being saved and packed by Guidance Green members.

Coffee by-products can be used in the garden, as an exfoliant for skin, as a hair polisher to keep it shiny, as a deodorizer for your freezer, as ant & flea repellant, and to keep cats away from plants and the garden. To learn more tips on how to use post-consumed coffee ground, check out our Coffee Grounds Recycling Program document.

It's Arbor Day!

2009-04-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Before there was Earth Day, there was (and still is) Arbor Day. Founded by noted agriculturalist and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Julius Sterling Morton, Arbor Day originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska on April 10, 1872, when an estimated one million trees were planted. The day itself was first observed three years later. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in the state of Nebraska, and April 22nd, Morton's birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. (Source: The Arbor Day Foundation).

The curret national holiday for Arbor Day is celebrated every year on the last Friday in April. Arbor Day is also celebrated throughout the world on different dates.

If you don't have a front/backyard where to plant trees (or yours is already at capacity) but would like to get involved in tree planting & cleaning activities, and you live in the Los Angeles area, check out Guidance Green eco-partner Tree Musketeers, the nation’s first youth environmental organization dedicated, at http://www.treemusketeers.org.

To learn more about Arbor Day, visit The Arbor Day Foundation website at http://www.arborday.org.

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Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Guidance Green’s Earth Day Potluck

2009-04-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

There’s Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving Day … and then there’s Earth Day. We love Earth Day! That is why on Wednesday, April 22nd, Guidance employees gathered up to celebrate it with a wonderful potluck, which included plenty of organic meals cooked with locally-grown ingredients made by Guidance employees themselves.

The festivities were organized by members of the Guidance Green committee, who took the opportunity to announce the company’s new Coffee Grounds Recycling Program. Guidance will be saving all used consumption coffee grounds to reuse in the garden and as deodorizer. Check out our blog soon for more tips on how to reuse coffee grounds.

In addition, Guidance Green members Catherine and Debbie created a number of handmade crafts using recycled materials that they displayed during the festivities.

We had a blast on Earth Day. Can we top it next year? We'll sure try!

To see more pictures of Guidance’s Earth Day Potluck, check out our Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marina-Del-Rey-CA/Guidance/11521514227. Drop us a line or become a fan while there!

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T00:26:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, while members of the Guidance Green committee helped rescue the Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly habitat, the City of Manhattan Beach, Calif. was celebrating Earth Day with their annual Earth Day Fair at Polliwog Park. I stopped by the fair in the afternoon and boy, was I happy to see so many people attending the event this year!

I was also glad to talk to a couple of people who remembered last year's Guidance Green booth at this event -- they even recalled the booth's exact location (WOW!). It's good to know we had a lasting effect!

Some familiar faces were at the event this year, including the Go Earth team, the folks from Tree Musketeers and reps from Heal The Bay, among others.

The entertainment? A Morrissey/The Smiths tribute band -- and they were phenomenal! Couldn't tell the difference.

It's great to see our community being so active about such an important message. Now's your turn -- what are you doing to celebrate Earth Day this year? Whatever you do, make it a great Earth Day!

Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Guidance Green Celebrates Earth Day

2009-04-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Guidance Green is celebrating
Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22nd
With a Potluck Lunch
There will be Activities Too!
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Happy Anniversary, Guidance Green!

2009-03-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today, we mark the two-year anniversary of Guidance Green! Created in March 2007 Guidance by CTO & Co-Owner, Jon Provisor, the Guidance Green committee has since achieved many accomplishments including turning Guidance into a carbon-neutral company, organizing, hosting and attending over dozen environmentally-friendly events and initiatives, and offering carbon-neutral hosting services to eCommerce clients, among others.

Our commitment to sustainability, corporate responsibility and the environment stands stronger than ever. Happy Anniversary, Guidance Green! To many more years of great work and dedication.

Palos Verdes Butterfly Plant Nursery Volunteer Opportunity

2009-03-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

Guidance has Partnered with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy

Saturday, April 18, 2009
9:00 a.m. to Noon

Who: Everyone is invited to join us, including spouses, children, friends, family.
When: Saturday, April 18, 2009, 9:00 AM to Noon.
Where: Land Conservancy Nursery at 3171 N. Gaffey, San Pedro [Defense Fuel Supply Point (DFSP)].
What to bring: Nursery supplies will be provided by the Palos Verdes PLC. Please wear sunscreen, dress appropriately and bring a bottle of water. Please wear your Guidance Green T-Shirt (let Catherine know if you don’t have one already).
What to Expect: The project is to transplant native seedlings at the nursery. Flats of crowded seedlings need to be transferred into individual, larger pots. It’s a great project because volunteers can quantify the amount of good work they have put in and they’re helping us propagate host/food plants that are an integral part of our PV Butterfly Habitat Restoration efforts. This will also help the threatened California gnatcatcher, a small gray bird that is on the endangered species list with the PV Blue Butterfly.
Signing Up: Please let Catherine know by Wednesday, April 15th, if you will be participating and whether or not you will have additional adults and/or children joining you, along with their names.
Posted by Catherine Lanzarotta, clanz@guidance.com

This March 28, Turn Off Your Lights

2009-03-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Earth Hour returns this year! It’s really simple: turn off your lights for 60 minutes – from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m on Saturday, March 28th. Guidance offices are closed on Saturday, but employees will be participating of Earth Hour from home that night.

The first Earth Hour was held in Australia in March 2007, and more than 2.2 million Sydney residents and 2,100 businesses switched off their lights, reducing energy consumption by 10.2%, according to Yahoo! News. The initiative has since traveled from the South Pacific to Europe to North America. Last year, lights on more than 200 downtown buildings were dimmed in Chicago, IL. Workers in Phoenix turned out the lights in all downtown city-owned buildings for one hour. Darkened restaurants glowed with candlelight in San Francisco while the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower and other landmarks extinguished lights for an hour.

To learn more about Earth Hour, visit http://www.earthhour.org/.

Ale Espinosa
Guidance Green

Save the Blue Butterfly!

2009-02-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

Guidance Green Volunteer Opportunity

Who:
Everyone is invited to join us, including spouses, children, friends, family.

When:
Saturday, February 7, 2009, 9:00 AM to Noon.

What to bring:
Restoration supplies will be provided by the Palos Verdes PLC. Please wear sunscreen, dress appropriately and bring a bottle of water.

Where:
Defense Fuel Supply Point (DFSP)
3171 N. Gaffey St.
Los Angeles, CA 90731

View Larger Map.

What to Expect:
Volunteers will be enhancing endangered Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly habitat by planting Lotus scoparius (deerweed), which is the food plant for the butterfly, and/or removing non-native plants that may be overtaking the habitat. This will also help the threatened California gnatcatcher, a small gray bird that is also on the endangered species list.

Signing Up:
Please let our Guidance Green team leader, Catherine know by Wednesday, Feb. 4th, if you will be participating and whether or not you will have additional adults and/or children joining you, along with their names.

We hope to see you on Saturday!

Ale Espinosa
Guidance Green

Paper Holiday Cards? Not Guidance...

2008-12-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

Each year, around 2.5 billion paper holiday cards are sent in the United States — enough to circle the planet 10 times! That is why this year, Guidance opted to send digital holiday cards to clients, vendors, partners, friends and family members in an effort to reduce additional, unnecessary paper waste. It's all part of Guidance's continued commitment to green living and sustainable business practices.

Paper Holiday Cards are so last holiday season! Spread the word...

Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Green Your Holidays with Guidance Green!

2008-12-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

Guidance Employees Invite So Cal Neighbors To Join Them In Recycling ‘Gently Used’ Items By Donating To Charity; Drop Off Items at Guidance Headquarters in Marina Del Rey

Guidance invites its Southern California neighbors to green their holidays by joining the company in donating “gently used” items to local Southern California charities.

Anyone is welcome to donate gently used clothes, shoes, accessories and toys. Drop them off by Friday, Dec. 12, at Guidance headquarters in Marina del Rey: 4134 Del Rey Ave., Marina del Rey, CA 90292. Click here for the Google map.

Guidance will deliver the items in time for the holidays. For more information, contact Catherine Lanzarotta at clanz@guidance.com.

“This is the season for us to share something of ourselves, and this is a fun way to do it,” said Jon Provisor, Guidance owner and CTO. “Plus, what better way to honor our company’s commitment to reuse and recycle than to give someone else a chance to enjoy the items we don’t need anymore – and to make it easy for others to do the same. We welcome any chance to get to know our neighbors here in the Marina. Come on by and donate.”

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

2008-11-29T15:26:00.001-08:00

Anyone who considers themselves green in any way should read this book. In fact, everyone should read this book. It’s a much needed paradigm shift from eco-friendliness to eco-EFFECTIVENESS.

The back of the book explains it best.

“Reduce, reuse, recycle,” urge environmentalists; in other words, do more with less in order to minimize damage. But as architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart point out in this provocative, visionary book, such an
approach only perpetuates the one-way, “cradle to grave” manufacturing model,
dating to the Industrial Revolution, that creates such fantastic amounts of
waste and pollution in the first place. Why not challenge the belief that human industry must damage the natural world? In fact, why not take nature itself as our model for making things? A tree produces thousands of blossoms in order to create another tree, yet we consider its abundance no wasteful but safe, beautiful, and highly effective.

Waste equals food.

Guided by this principle, McDonough and Braungart explain how products can be designed from the outset so that after their useful lives, they will provide nourishment for something new. They can be conceived as “biological nutrients” that will easily reenter the water or soil without depositing synthetic materials and toxins. Or they can be “technical nutrients” that will continually circulate as pure and valuable materials within closed-loop industrial cycles, rather than being “recycled”—really, downcycled—into low-grade materials and uses. Drawing on their experience in (re)designing everything from carpeting to corporate campuses, McDonough and Braungart make an exciting and viable case for putting eco-effectiveness into practice and show how anyone involved in making anything can begin to do so as well.

Posted by: Wanda Shapiro

Guidance Green Pictures

2008-10-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Coastal Cleanup Day with Heal The Bay
September 20th, 2008

Tree Care Event with Tree Musketeers
July 19th, 2008

Guidance Green Picnic
July 11th, 2008

iPhone Applications for the Environmentally Friendly

2008-10-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

If you own an iPhone, you are probably as addicted to their AppStore as I’ve been over the last couple of months. From silly (yet shockingly addictive) mobile games to restaurant-finder apps, there are over 4,900 applications to choose from (and counting!). There’s really something for everyone at the AppStore. Even for those who care about the environment, like the members of Guidance Green. Check these out:

Local Reuse
Did you know the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in 2008 Americans will send over 12.5 million tons of reusable items to their local landfills? You can help reduce that number by listing your items on Local Reuse, an iPhone application that lets users post and search for used goods in their area.

Green Tips and Go Green
So many eco-friendly tips, so little time to learn them … so why don’t you learn them on the go?! With Green Tips and Go Green, you’ll get a brand new eco-friendly tip every time you launch the application. They are both fairly similar, but each will give you a different tip. Double the tips, double the fun!

Enjoy the apps!

Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

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Local Reuse™ is a registered trademark of Gigoit, Inc.
Green Tips is a copyrighted work of MacAppetite.
Go Green is a copyrighted work of Webworks and Applications, Inc.

California Coastal Cleanup Day

2008-09-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

September 20th, 2008
9am to noon
Over 70 coastal sites throughout
Los Angeles County, Calif.

For the 18th consecutive year, Heal The Bay, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds healthy and clean, has organized the Coastal Cleanup Day. This year's event will take place at over 70 different locations throughout Los Angeles County on Saturday, September 20th from 9am to noon.

As expected, Guidance Green will be there to help collect what Heal The Bay predict as the 1-millionth pound of trash they have collected in 18 years. The Guidance Green team will report at Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey, CA.

If you'd like to join us, here's how:

Download and print a copy of the Coastal Cleanup Day flyer to display on your car dashboard to benefit from the free parking from 9 to noon.
Download and print the event's waiver and sign it. Bring it to the event with you.
When you arrive at Dockweiler State Beach (or any of the 70 CCD-participating sites), turn in your waiver at the registration table or station #1.
Proceed to station #2 to receive a safety and education talk with instructions for the day and to know where to clean, what to clean, and why.
Once you are instructed you'll be ready to receive your cleanup supplies (trash bag, recycle bag, data card, pencil, and glove) from station #3.
Please return everything at the wrap up of the event at 11:30am. Each site will have special instructions to follow day of, so pay attention to your cleanup captains.

Please note:

All minors under the age of thirteen must be accompanied by an adult.
All toddlers and babies must be with their parent at all times.
All scouts, cubs, and youth groups should follow a reasonable adult-to-kid ratio for the safety of all participants at this event.

If you're wondering what to bring to the event, here's a list:

a water bottle
a hat
sunscreen
close-toe shoes
appropriate clothing for a day of cleaning (if you plan on attending a beach site like Dockweiler State Beach, wear layers; if you're going inland to clean, wear clothes that will allow you to work in creek beds and rivers)

Cleanup supplies are provided by the California Coastal Commission at all sites.

For more information, contact Heal The Bay at (800) HEAL-BAY or visit their webiste at http://www.healthebay.org/.

See you on Saturday 9/20!

Guidance Featured in New Green Book!

2008-08-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

One of our goals when Guidance started Guidance Green was “to expand the ‘Guidance Green’ mission into the community.”

So we’re thrilled to announce that Guidance and Jon Provisor are featured in the new book, Going Green: Case Studies in Outstanding Green Business Practices.

The story leads off Chapter 3 and is titled, Beyond Do’s and Don’ts – The Life of a Green Initiative Is Its Community.

Guidance is featured alongside companies like GE, Nickelodeon, HP, Walgreen's, Travelocity, National Geographic and more.

The article shares green actions that Guidance has taken and lessons learned along our company's path toward sustainability. Jon talks about the community-building benefits of collectively working toward a goal – getting beyond a list of do’s and don’ts to engage with others in a more personal way.

Many of you already know that Guidance was inspired to green action by one of our clients, Bentley Prince Street. So as you can imagine, it feels good to tell our own story, and maybe inspire someone else.

To quote from our own chapter:

“We’ve seen first-hand how one company sharing its story can influence another – and we’re hoping we can continue the legacy given to us by our client who inspired us.”

The book is available at www.prnewsonline.com/store/13.html. It’s published by the Media/Communications Group of Access Intelligence, from PRNews.

And - in case you were wondering - the book is printed on recycled paper!

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

2008-08-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

It certainly isn't news anymore in my circle of friends and co-workers (I couldn't stop talking about it). However, more people need to know. More people need to know just how toxic plastic bags are to the environment, more people need to know that there is an "island" in the Pacific Ocean (twice the size of Texas) mainly composed of plastic bags! The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Before I found out about the plastic bag island, I did what most Americans do everyday. I picked up my groceries in plastic bags, food delivery, my shopping bags, my leftovers, my trash bags you name it and I was carrying it in plastic! However, I couldn't believe that my everyday actions contributed to the growth of plastic island, the destruction of the surrounding water systems, the endangerment of animals...

So what are you supposed to carry all your goodies with? Well you don't need a plastic bag for that soda you're buying and you certainly don't need a plastic bag for that one toothbrush you're buying! Deny the plastic bag, tell it you don't need it, because most of the time...you really don't.

And when in doubt....BYOB. Bring Your Own Bag. And if you don't have your trusty reusable bag, then please recycle that plastic bag. And please tie it in a knot so it doesn't fly off to be part of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Good luck fellow green-minded world citizens! :)

For those who want a choice: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/shopping-bags-modern-totes-c-2_41.html

Take the Guidance Green Eco-Trivia Quiz!

2008-07-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how many trees does the average American consume in paper or wood materials over their lifetime? Do you know how many plastic bottles are used every hour in the U.S.? What percentage of car journeys are made with only one occupant in the vehicle?

Find out answers to these and other greenteresting questions in the Guidance Green Eco-Trivia Quiz! Click here to download.

Guidance Offers Green Hosting for eCommerce Websites

2008-07-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

Guidance (http://www.Guidance.com), which helps online retailers achieve market domination by creating captivating and engaging online shopping experiences, today announced that it is now providing its clients with hosting solutions that are 100 percent carbon-neutral.

The move will not require any upgrades or additional investment on the client's part. It's a new standard practice for Guidance - the latest in a series of changes undertaken over the past year to help the company achieve its goal of operating as an environmentally aware, carbon-neutral company.

To reduce overall energy use, Guidance bought and is now using energy-efficient servers and processors to host its clients' websites: HP's energy-optimized ProLiant(R) servers (DL360 G5 and DL380 G5), with the low-voltage Quad-Core Intel(R) Xeon(R) Processor L5420. Guidance also is moving to more virtualization in the company's development environment to reduce internal energy consumption.

Guidance has successfully offset all of its remaining electricity-related CO2 emissions from its servers by purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) through BeGreen Business, the carbon offset brand of Green Mountain Energy. The credits are made from wind and biomass sources located throughout the United States, helping avoid an average of more than 52,500 pounds of CO2 emissions annually.

This has the equivalent environmental benefit of not driving a car roughly 58,500 miles, or of recycling almost 130,000 aluminum cans and more than 21,000 pounds of newspaper.

"We're giving online retailers an easy way to embrace green hosting," said Jon Provisor, Guidance co-owner and CTO. "We've been working for more than a year now to make our business operate in a more sustainable, environmentally responsible way. We're especially excited about this achievement, because it's something we can offer our clients - making sustainability a shared effort." Data centers account for 1.5 percent to 3 percent of electricity consumption in the United States, according to CIO Magazine's special report, "Green is Better." A recent report by Stanford University researcher Jonathan Koomey says worldwide energy consumption for servers, cooling equipment and related infrastructure doubled from 2000 to 2005, and could nearly double again by 2010 - unless companies make a concerted effort for change.

Guidance has significantly reduced its overall consumption of electricity as a result of a company-wide commitment to sustainable business practices, which Guidance shares in detail in the Green Toolkit offered here. For 2007, Guidance's purchase of renewable energy credits offset 100 percent of the carbon emissions associated with its business activities.

About BeGreen
Carbon Offsets BeGreen Carbon Offsets (www.begreennow.com) is a division of Green Mountain Energy Company, the longest serving green power provider in the U.S. BeGreen provides education about the serious effects of harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and offers businesses and consumers simple and effective ways to reduce their carbon footprint through the purchase of renewable energy, forest sequestration and other project-based offsets. BeGreen's carbon calculators follow the EPA Climate Leaders methodology, which is based on the World Resources Institute's Greenhouse Gas Protocol (WRI GHG), a widely accepted industry standard. All purchases and sales of BeGreen's carbon offset projects are also verified by an independent auditing firm to ensure their quality and effectiveness.

About Guidance
Since 1993, Guidance (www.guidance.com) has helped companies seize opportunities and solve problems through the innovative and practical use of technology. Guidance designs, builds and maintains eCommerce websites for retailers that are pure-play online or multi-channel - creating captivating experiences so consumers will buy more, come back often and value greater engagement with the retailer. Guidance software systems facilitate $500 million in online sales every year. Members of the Guidance team are seasoned professionals, passionately committed to providing technical leadership and powering ingenuity.

Saving the planet one tree at a time!

2008-06-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

Guidance Green to attend Tree Care Event on July 19

Want to have a great time while doing a great thing? Then join Tree Musketeers and Guidance Green on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 for a morning of fun and tree caring.

Here are the details:

Who: Everyone is invited to join us for some fun in the sun!
When: Saturday, July 19, 10:00 a.m. to Noon.
Where: 600 West Grand Ave., El Segundo, CA 90245. From the Marina, take Culver to Vista del Mar and make a left on Grand at El Segundo Beach. Look for the Tree Musketeers pick-up truck on the North side of Grand, on the South border of the power plant.
Parking: Park in the inlets on Grand. Carpool if you can, because parking is limited. Otherwise, the closest parking is on Loma Vista, farther North on Grand.
What to bring: Tree Musketeers will provide all needed tools, gloves and water. Make sure to wear sunscreen and dress appropriately.
What to Expect: We will weed, mulch, prune, water the trees and pick up litter.
What if I'm not a tree-hugger: Rest assure, at no time we will ask you to hug a tree! But if living in a healthy planet is as important to you as it is to us, then feel free to join us.

See you on July 19th!

Guidance Green

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About Tree Musketeers

Founded in 1987 by a Brownie Girl Scout troop as the nation's first youth environmental organization, Tree Musketeers (http://www.treemusketeers.org/) continues to expand the vision of its founders, while operating as a nonprofit where kids are the decision makers. The mission of the El Segundo-based organization is to empower young people to be leaders of environmental and social change in the Earth's communities, with kids teaching other kids to become active citizens and community leaders.

Leaning Green: How to reap the benefits of sustainability

2008-06-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

(Excerpted from Fast Lane, Smart Business Los Angeles, May 2008, by Patrick Mayock)

The next time you clock out, Jason Meugniot would like you to turn off your computer. It may seem like an odd request, but it’s just one of many rituals that he and his 75 employees at Guidance Solutions Inc. engage in on a regular basis.

The reason? Environmental sustainability.

“[The green movement] brings integrity to the business,” Meugniot says. “In today’s economy and business climate, integrity is essential to growth.”

At the information technology service company, the owner and CEO has embraced the employee-led initiative, which he says has contributed to the company posting $6.3 million in 2007 revenue.

Smart Business spoke with Meugniot about how to go green at your own company.

Q. How do you begin to establish an environmentally friendly workplace?

We put together an Environmental Toolkit that lists simple but key areas that we can look at to understand our carbon output and start the education process. We talk about hibernating or turning off our computers and using energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs, optimizing the AC usage, or [using] light sensors in restrooms.

We talk about things like carbon credits and working with other companies who are committed to alternative energy sources. We talk about looking at your suppliers. Almost every company purchases certain staple products: paper, electricity, telephone service. Guidance, for example, works with Internet hosting vendors who use solar power instead of diesel generators as a backup source of power.

In order to establish carbon neutrality or really get serious about carbon neutrality, we look at education, measurement and action around reducing waste, improving air quality, eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and finding renewable sources of energy.

Q. How can other leaders implement programs at their companies?

To start an effective program, you need to walk the walk. You need to be carbon neutrality. As the executive, you set the example.

I’d also say you need commitment at all levels. You can’t do it alone. Let the initiative live and grow. Don’t stifle the conversation. When I say conversation, I mean the ongoing conversation at the office or at the business about the environment.

Allow employees to share ideas. Allow them to set up blogs. Talk about it. Don’t just post signs around the office.

Q. How do you get employees involved?

Start with education. We provided, very early on, links to Web sites. We shared personal stories. We screened movies [about environmental sustainability] here at the office. We talked about the impact of our own carbon imprint and helped employees to determine what their carbon footprint was at home.

We have a Guidance Green committee. The committee meets regularly throughout the month. They lead various initiatives, and they collate information.

Use your core values to generate buy-in. The first core value is honesty, integrity and fairness. If we’re to have any integrity or fairness in our consumption of nonrenewable resources, we all need to be committed to the environment.

A key component in the program is not creating a top-down program. It’s really creating a program that’s created and even led by the employees. To create this momentum, the employees really need to be a part of it at the onset.

Q. Do you choose the committee, or is it run by volunteers?

The people who serve on our committee are not asked or chosen. It’s a voluntary committee.

Look for people with energy, with commitment to the environment. Look for people who are open to ideas and then sharing those ideas.

Q. How has this movement benefited your company?

It’s really made an impact on our employees and how they work together and the bonds and relationships that keep them together.

We also have prospects who call us out of the blue wanting to work with us because they’ve heard we have a green program. I don’t want to give you the impression that it happens every day, but we are working with clients today who sought us out because they were referred to us from someone who’s heard that we have a green program.

It also filters into recruiting.

As your employees are talking to candidates and new recruits, they’ll say, ‘This is an amazing company. We take a stand for the environment in the face of various circumstances, and I’ve never worked at a company like that.’

You’ll have employees talk to other folks about it, and it gives them a sense of pride in the company they work for, in the work that they do and in their relationships together at the office.

"Green" Vehicles

2008-05-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

It’s amazing to see such great demand for environmentally friendly vehicles nowadays, mainly driven by the rising price of gasoline. However, the cars available in the market are not as eco-friendly as we would hope for.

Electric vehicles are not really all that “green”. What will everyone do with those batteries after their life expectancy is reached? Electric vehicles are not convenient either! How many charging stations can we find on our way to and from work? What are we going to do when we want to go on a long trip? An alternative is to go with hybrid cars, but the number of miles per gallon (mpg) is not as great as we would expect. For example, the regular Ford escape does 22 / 28 mpg, while the hybrid version does 34 / 30 mpg – definitely not an impressive difference! Well, one could say that motorcycles are “green”, as they are fuel efficient, although not many people are willing to risk their lives in such an unsafe vehicle.

It seems like there’s technology already out there to build real green vehicles! Check out Aptera, a 3 wheel vehicle that does over 230 miles per gallon: http://www.aptera.com/ . The company is based in Carlsbad, CA and they are already taking reservations. When I was getting my MBA at UC Irvine, a couple of my classmates and I got together and wrote a business plan to build a vehicle similar to Aptera – fuel efficient, convenient, comfortable and safe. We even borrowed a 3-wheel prototype from a designer in Texas and showed it in a couple of car shows in Southern California in order to gauge consumer’s interest. The results of our surveys and interviews were excellent. Everyone we talked to was on board with the idea and ready to buy such vehicle. Unfortunately, we were not able to raise funds to move forward and start the manufacturing process.

There are a few questions that I still haven’t been able to answer: When will the large car manufacturers start investing in this kind of technology (cars that do over 200 miles per gallon)? Will people start driving smaller and more fuel efficient cars to save the environment or simply to save money in gas? Will they forgo the large SUVs or at least use them on weekends to go out with the family, but drive the small cars to commute to and from work? I sure hope that a true eco-friendly vehicle arrives here soon!

Tatiane Perazzo
Guidance Green

Is eCommerce GreenER?

2008-05-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

Recently, I toured an apparel retail outlet in Amsterdam. I work with the same retail company in the US by providing various ecommerce technology services. And I wondered, is eCommerce greener than operating brick and mortar retail stores?

In terms of electric energy, a retailer with even a few retail stores probably consumes more energy when you account for simple must-haves like bright lights, cash registers, building signage and air conditioning. In fact, if you imagine a large, multi-channel retailer, it's not uncommon to have one website and hundreds of stores.

The electric energy required to operate a multimillion dollar (in sales) website is assuredly less. Sure there are PC's, Mac's, servers, power supplies, air conditioning and even air conditioning for the computers. You also have gasoline used by employees going to work and running the website. But that's generally limited to a single physical site or hosting company, along with the retailer's web development office.

In terms of shipping, I think it would vary quite a bit by retailer. Consider that most online retailers use expensive and non-renewable energy (i.e., airplane fuel, diesel gasoline) to ship the overwhelming majority of their products sold to their customers.

Stores also require the same costly shipments from distribution centers to their physical stores which in some cases can be spread across the country or the globe. But if you think about it, a UPS truck is already passing by your house once per day. Rather than driving to the store, why not just add another stop to a route that already exists?

I know! The physical space and the materials that make up the stores could be eliminated, too. The distribution centers that currently supply stores could service online customers. So all of the paper, concrete, steel, paint, plywood and other materials used to create retail space – even those crazy mannequins – they could all be spared!

It's quite likely the rising costs of fuel, the value of the dollar and the general economic slowdown in the U.S. is driving the closures of the dozens of huge retailers closing their stores down this year (Home Depot, CompUSA, Starbucks).

But imagine… what if we started to get used to fewer stores? What if the convenience of driving to the mall and buying a pair of shoes was supplanted with the convenience of a mouse click? Would we miss all those stores? Would our environment? Our planet?

Jason Meugniot
Guidance Green

Faking Green: Spotting the Greenwashers

2008-05-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

Non-toxic. Chemical-free. Eco-safe. All natural. Every day, more and more companies roll out new products and services that claim to be eco-friendly. Some also claim their business operations are environmentally safe, but not necessarily their products. So how do we know who’s really green and who’s faking it? Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear answer to this question, but there are ways you can detect the signs of greenwashing.

Greenwashing are marketing practices that are meant to deliberately mislead consumers about a company’s environmental practices. According to a report released by Terrachoice Environmental Marketing, there are six sins and signs of greenwashing. These are:

Hidden trade off
Companies use this technique to highlight one eco-friendly attribute, and intentionally overlook other – and potentially more important – environmental concerns. This is the most common of all greenwashing practices.

No proof
This is the practice of using environmental claims that cannot be substantiated by supporting data, evidence or certification. The Terrachoice study found that 26% of environmental claims fall into this category.

Vagueness
Describes the use of broad and poorly defined terms like chemical-free or non-toxic which are both universally true and false depending on interpretation. For example, no product can claim to be chemical-free as nothing is really free of chemicals. Water is a chemical, and all plants, animals, and humans are made of chemicals as are all products.

Irrelevance
Irrelevant environmental claims may be truthful but are unimportant and unhelpful. The most frequent example of an irrelevant claim relates to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have been banned for almost 30 years.

Lesser of Two Evils
These are green claims that may be true for the product, but underplay the greater environmental impacts of the product category as a whole. Examples are organic cigarettes and green pesticides.

Fibbing
While rarely in use, this is the practice of making environmental claims that are completely false. The study shows that less than 1% of today’s products use this greenwashing technique.

At Guidance, we disapprove the practice of greenwashing. From following a green office etiquette, to using energy-efficient equipment and buying renewable energy credits to offset remaining carbon footprint, we take sustainability and social responsibility very seriously, and are committed to operating as an environmentally aware, 100% carbon neutral company.

So, if helping the environment and living a green lifestyle are important to you, consider doing a bit of research before shopping for products or services that claim to be green. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll find.

Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Check out this month’s issue of Smart Business L.A., where Guidance CEO Jason Meugniot shares his thoughts and tips on reaping the benefits of sustainability. (“Leaning Green”, Smart Business L.A.- May 2008)

Pictures of Earth Day 2008 at Polliwog Park

2008-04-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

Earth Day: 20 Years in the Making

2008-04-22T00:21:00.000-07:00

I was about 7 or 8 years old when my father first introduced me to the concept of Earth Day. At first, the thought of celebrating the planet for a full day sounded a bit trivial to me. I remember asking “Do we get to open presents on Earth Day?” Since the answer was a sad “no”, I never made a big deal of it. But not my father. He had been celebrating Earth Day since 1970, when it was first observed, and was into recycling, reusing, even regifting way before they became popular concepts. He also had a huge Earth Day poster hanging from his office wall, which he kept there for many years, even after he took it down, as the poster’s outline was permanently stained on the wall.

Two decades have passed and it wasn’t until this year that I officially celebrated my first Earth Day. You know how the saying goes: better late then never! But the day 20 years in the making couldn’t come at a better time, nor with a better way to celebrate it.

I recently joined Guidance, a Southern California-based developer of e-Commerce and Web 2.0 solutions. Interestingly enough, I was immediately drawn to the company’s Green committee, called Guidance Green, and decided to join. If this is the first time you come across our blog, then you probably don’t know that Guidance Green is a committee formed by Guidance employees who value the importance of living and working in a healthy planet. We seek to spread the word in favor of eco-friendly practices that can be carried out by companies and their employees.

This year, Guidance Green chose to have a booth at a local Earth Day fair. The main goal for attending the event was to inspire the audience to join our movement by employing new techniques to make their work a whole lot eco-friendlier than before. If you are wondering how to do this yourself, then you may want to try talking to your company’s management team and asking them to consider eco-friendly practices like recycling, company-wide carpooling programs, and even buying Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset your company’s carbon footprint. To learn more, check out our Green Toolkit on How to Operate as an Environmentally Aware Organization and Reduce or Eliminate Your Carbon Footprint. You can also try modifying your work routine by following our 10 Tips to Make Your Day-to-Day Work Eco-Friendlier.

To draw people into our booth, we gave away three baskets filled with eco-friendly products, including reusable shopping bags from one of our favorite customers- Bentley Prince Street, gift certificates to The Veggie Grill and Buddha’s Belly, reusable mugs, containers and water bottles, organic snacks, and a lot more. Even the baskets themselves were made of recycled materials and the cellophane used to wrap them up was 100% biodegradable. The three lucky winners were overjoyed with their prizes.

I had a chance to talk to the event organizers, who confirmed that this year’s attendance and sponsorships had significantly surpassed that of previous years. It was a great experience to be part of such a rewarding event.

After what I think was a very successful day, I got home extremely exhausted but very exhilarated. I immediately laid on my couch to take a quick nap, but first I turned on the TV to watch the news. To my surprise, one of the major networks was airing a show called “Greening the Earth”. “What a great way to end my day!” I thought.

And so today we celebrate the real Earth Day, and all I can think of is how twenty years ago I didn’t know -much less care- about Earth Day and how much it matters to me now. So here’s to you, Dad! You never thought you'd hear me saying this, but -- Happy Earth Day! And Happy Earth Day to all of you.

Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Guidance Green at Polliwog Park April 19

2008-04-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

Guidance Green Table at Manhattan Beach Earth Day Fair

Date:
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time:
11:00am to 4:00pm
Set-up: 8:00am – 11:00am
(cars for unloading won’t be admitted after 10:00am)
Breakdown: 4:00pm
Location:
Polliwog Park
1601 Manhattan Beach Blvd.,
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Parking:
Street parking (there are plenty of side streets near the park)
What to expect:
Your typical town fair; food kiosks, artisans, live music, etc.
Objectives for attending the event:
To incentivize booth visitors to join our movement in favor of eco-friendly practices that can be carried out by companies and individuals.
To get visitors to sign up for our raffle and ask them to check out the links printed on their end of the raffle ticket
To promote Guidance as…
…an environmentally-friendly company committed to serving its community by supporting local events and green initiatives
…a first-class provider of custom eCommerce solutions for companies seeking to dominate their markets
…a great place to work!
Earth Day Fair Schedule of Events:
· 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Stephen Michael Schwartz (Children’s Entertainment)
· 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Environmental Hero Awards Presentation
· 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM Fab Forever (Beatles Tribute)
· 2:15 PM - 2:30 PM Awards and Raffle
· 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Pretzel Logic: A Steely Dan Revue

Catherine

Rub a Dub Dub

2008-04-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

"I don't make that big of an impact..."
"I can't change it..."
"My carbon footprint isn't that bad..."

If you're like, me those thoughts constantly run through your head when it comes to tackling global warming and caring for our environment. I was in constant denial about the impact my lifestyle has on the environment that my kids are going to inherit! Fortunately, I woke up one day and it hit me like a ton of bricks; too many people think the way I do...that's why our environment is in crisis.

I took a long hard look at my life (note: this is usually the hardest part, actually doing what's right is MUCH easier!). Over my next few posts I will chronicle the small steps I have taken to" lower my carbon footprint, recycle, reuse and save water!

First up: Showering

My showers aren't about just getting squeaky clean, they're cathartic. Wash off the day and time to relax! Unfortunately my showers contribute to 2781 lbs. of CO2 emission a year! And if I were to cut my 10 minute showers (much more if I'm washing my hair) by just one minute I would reduce my CO2 emissions by 278 lbs. It's that simple...and it's that easy. Voila -one giant leap out of denial! More to come...

Calculate your CO2 emissions here

~Francine

GOING GREEN ISN’T ALL ABOUT THE CAR YOU DRIVE

2008-03-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

On January 27, 2008, the New York Times ran an eye-opening article titled, “Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler.” When we talk about energy consumption, we tend to talk about transportation, but transportation isn’t our only problem when it comes to the environment. We also have to rethink the amount of meat we consume and, more importantly, the way we produce it.

Here are a few quotes from the article that will probably surprise you and you can use the link below to read the whole article.

“… an estimated 30 percent of the earth’s ice-free land is directly or indirectly involved in livestock production, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, which also estimates that livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation.”

“… a study last year by the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science in Japan estimated that 2.2 pounds of beef is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the average European car every 155 miles, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?em&ex=1204606800&en=6823b9a5c8f1c620&ei=5087%0A

Wanda Shapiro

Carbon Atlas

2008-03-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Amazing cartogram on world carbon emissions. Click on the image below to view the full article with downloads and additional images.

How to green your electronics

2008-03-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

We all love our electronic devices (for the most part)! There are many ways you can be green with your electronics. The key is to know what tech to get, how to use it best, and what to do with it when its useful life is done.

Here are a few tips:

1. Go rechargeable
Only a fraction of batteries are recycled. Look for electronics that are rechargeable.

2. Kill vampire power
To make sure you aren't wasting energy, pull the plug on devices when not in use. There are also a number of "smart" power strips on the market that sense when electronics are turned off

3. Buy with energy in mind
Doing research on different technologies and their respective energy consumption can save you a lot in the long run. For example, LCD TVs use much less energy than plasmas. The Energy Star site will help you identify energy-saving electronic devices as well.

4. Make it a short circuit
So, you just bought an iPhone. What should you do with the old phone? Whatever you do, don't just throw it in the trash. There are plenty of organizations and charities that recycle and reuse old electronics.

5. Bright idea: The solar charger
There are an increasing number of options for on-the-go solar power. From handheld to backpack power, solar chargers now come in a spectrum of types for juicing up phones, PDAs, Bluetooth headsets, iPods, and laptops.

6. Look for EPEAT
EPEAT (electronic product environmental assessment tool) is a new attempt at environmental certification for computers (CPUs, monitors, and notebooks). Released in early 2006, only a limited number of products have been registered with EPEAT so far, however, look for this certification to pick up steam in the near future.

Tatiane Perazzo

Guidance Recycling & eWaste program

2008-02-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

I don't want to toot the Guidance horn, but beep beep! We are doing our best to engage all of the Guidance employees to contribute to our green initiatives. Last week we had a successful e-waste week, where Guidance employees dropped off their e-waste for proper recycling. Here is a sample of items (with their nasty chemicals) that should never be thrown in the trash, but instead recycled properly:

Lead: solder, CRT monitors (lead in glass), lead-acid batteries
Tin: solder
Copper: copper wire, printed circuit board tracks
Cadmium: light-sensitive resistors, corrosion-resistant alloys for marine and aviation environments
Aluminium: nearly all electronic goods using more than a few watts of power (heatsinks)
Iron: steel chassis, cases and fixings
Silicon: glass, transistors, ICs, printed circuit boards.
Nickel and cadmium: nickel-cadmium batteries
Lithium: lithium-ion battery
Zinc: plating for steel parts
Gold: connector plating, primarily in computer equipment
Americium: smoke alarms (radioactive source)
Germanium: 1950s–1960s transistorised electronics (bipolar junction transistors)
Mercury: fluorescent tubes (numerous applications), tilt switches (pinball games, mechanical doorbells, thermostats)
Sulphur: lead-acid batteries
Carbon: steel, plastics, resistors. In almost all electronic equipment. *

*Full Wkipedia entry

This is a great way to engage your own co-workers/peers because it is not only good for the environment, but there were laughs galore at the antiquated laptops, computer monitors, CPUs etc. that people had! It was a fine collection that Old-Computers.com would have been proud to exhibit!

Free ways to help the environment

2008-01-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, going green isn’t always cheap. At least that’s what I’ve noticed in my efforts to live on the green side of things. For example, organic food is better for the environment but it’s usually more expensive. The same goes for the plethora of green products on the market.

Here are a few free things you can do to help the environment today.

1. Stop the catalogs.

Clean out your mailbox by going to http://www.catalogchoice.org/#welcome. This free service lets you say no to all those unwanted catalogs that make their way into your mailbox each week.

2. Inflate your tires.

Consult your owners manual to find the appropriate pressure for your car’s tires. By keeping your tires properly inflated you save a little gas, but more importantly you reduce the wear on your tires. You’ll leave less rubber on the road and your tires will last longer.

3. Switch to online bill payments.

This service, available at most banks, will reduce the number of envelopes being driven around the country and this little tip can actually save you money. Many banks are now offering incentives for online bill payment services.

4. Educate yourself.

If you’re not sure where to start, let me suggest a book called Cradle To Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. This book will change the way you think about green. Even the book itself is constructed with the environment in mind. And you don’t have to spend money to read. This book and many others are available at your local library.

Each of us can effect change one little step at a time. If you’d like more ways to help the world in which we live, visit http://blog.blogactionday.com/environment/50-quick-painless-ways-you-can-help-the-environment-today/. This website offers 50 quick, painless ways you can help the environment today.

Wanda Shapiro

Oak Woodland Restoration at Malibu Creek State Park

2008-01-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Guidance employees teamed up with Culver City
Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts in November to plant
Oak trees and native grasses and to pull mustard plant
weeds at Malibu Creek State Park. We drove through
burn areas but were happy to discover that the park itself
was spared in the recent wildfires. Oak Woodland Restoration
volunteers provided all the tools and instructions.

Oak Woodland Restoration volunteer, Jo, demonstrates
native grass planting techniques.

Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts work side by side with
Guidance volunteers.

The Guidance Green Team

Nothing satisfies like a good dibble!

Jon tries his hand, or foot, at dibbling while son, Alex,
admires his technique.

Alex gets to the root of the mustard plant problem.

Steven between two freshly planted Oaks. Job well done
Everyone!

Green IT

2008-01-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

Data center energy savings are a huge opportunity. Data centers consume more energy per square foot than any other part of an office building. But they're part of an information and services supply chain that begins with raw materials and ends with the disposal of waste. The chain includes people, the space they occupy, and the cars they drive. Along the way, the chain increasingly gobbles energy and spews greenhouse gases. The it department is in a unique position to change that. And therefore as per Gartner Green IT is in top 10 strategic technologies for 2008.

Please find some recommended resources for Green IT below:

Yet Another Green Sighting on Abbot Kinney

2007-12-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

Your fellow green commuter here with another report on a sighting in Venice that yet again demonstrates the ever-growing buzz and support amongst the organic and eco-friendly townspeople on the west side.

Smart Car USA just opened up shop on Abbot Kinney, and as seen from the picture below they are making every effort to get noticed and draw in the crowd of the many in this area who want to improve the health of our planet.

In addition to this report, the Venice house we visited just recently has officially been posted on eBay and is up for auction for the highest bidder. With a starting bid of $2.85M, and the recent upset in the housing market, it might be a while before someone picks it up.

In any case, do try and visit the Smart Car store once they officially open up shop... Who knows, you might walk out with one of those pocket-sized vehicles racing up and down the streets of Venice with an organic soy latte in the cup holder and the latest hip and flashy hemp outfit money can buy!

- Patrick

On the way to work...

2007-12-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

It's amazing the things you see on the way to work these days... Particularly the multitude of green and organic stores that have cropped up along Main Street and Abbott Kinney in Santa Monica and Venice.

One such store is epOxyGreen. According to their profile on GreenHomeGuide.com - another excellent online resource for green-living:

epOxyGreen offers the highest quality in sustainable building and design products. epOxyGreen has set a mandate within its business philosophy to distribute products that adhere to the standards of a review process by experts in this emerging industry. We are committed to maintaining the integrity within the definition of “sustainability” and “Green,” while helping to create an economy of scale so that these products become more available and affordable to the public. epOxyGreen offers full-service project management to address clients’ specific needs. Each client project is assigned a project manager to ensure clear communication and seamless follow-through of product orders and licensed professionals referred by epOxyGreen. 602 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291, Phone: 310-578-2123.

So next time you're driving around that area, have a look around... You will be surprised at the number of stores opening up offering eco-friendly services and products.

- Patrick

Programs for Green LA

2007-11-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

While browsing the web I came across the web site of “Programs for Green LA". These programs are green initiatives from Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

I found information on this site very useful and thought to share with you. They have a verity of Green initiatives for LA including:

1. Trees for a Green LA
2. Energy Efficiency for a Green LA
3. Solar Energy for a Green LA
4. Electric Vehicles for a Green LA
5. Green Power for a Green LA
6. Recycling for a Green LA
7. Educational Services for a Green LA

I will recommend visiting @ http://www.ladwp.com/library/statichtml/homepage_greenla.html , http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/areaHomeIndex.jsp?contentId=LADWP_GREENLA_SCID

Zia

Venice House at 710 Milwood

2007-11-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Guidance employees were invited to visit the environmentally friendly house at 710 Milwood Ave in Venice.

The house was developed as part of a combined effort between various sponsors and charities. The information site for the house can be found here.

Some intelligent and eco-friendly features of the home, besides it's $3M+ price tag, include solar panels for zero external power dependency, automatic ceiling vents to control room temperature during all seasonal cycles, and some of the most modern and high-end appliances and furniture.

The home is built without the use of any toxic materials. Rainwater is captured to irrigate its own landscape. The garden is composed of drought tolerant and indigenous plants. The hardscape is permeable, so that rain water seeps back into the earth, helping to prevent erosion.

Every aspect of the home is practical, highly efficient and green. It is an example of how man can live in harmony with the environment.

Below is a list of pictures from that visit:

Connect with Nature

2007-11-09T12:29:00.000-08:00

When we told Guidance employees to “take a hike,” we meant it!
And take a hike we did at beautiful Malibu Creek State Park.
In an effort to connect with nature and be reminded of the
environment we’re helping to protect through our
Guidance Green Initiative, on September 23rd we enjoyed a hike
to the Rock Pools with a stop at the Visitor Center along the way.

Ready, Set, Hike!

Nature in the Balance, or
is it Balance in the Nature?

Catherine and Mia

The Stewarts enjoy the
Visitor Center

Thanks to rain a couple of days

before, the creek was bursting with

life, including turtles.

Mia at our final destination,

the Rock Pools.

Greening Your Business

2007-11-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Valerie from Bentley Prince Street, an eco-friendly manufactuer of broadloom and carpet tile, alerted me to this site-- http://greenbiz.com/ -- which has tons of resources and information for greening your business and understanding more about the industry.

I have subscribed to all of their news feeds and email blasts-- here's are a few examples of what they have:

Enjoy!
Jeff

The race to create a more fuel-efficient vehicle

2007-11-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

Exciting news from our neighbors in Santa Monica, the X Prize Foundation. If you aren’t already familiar with them, the X-Prize Foundation “creates and manages prizes that drive innovators to solve some of the greatest challenges facing the world today.” They do this by staging competitions, offering large monetary rewards for winners in categories that include aerospace technology, genomics, and now, automotive innovation.

According to their press kit, the goal of the Automotive X Prize is: “To inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change.”

The grand prize will be awarded to the teams that “win a stage race for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 MPG equivalent fuel economy.”

So far, more than forty teams in five different countries have signed up for the challenge. The competition will take place in stages that will culminate sometime in late 2009.

If you’d like more detailed information on the Automotive X Prize or the X Prize Foundation, you can visit their web site at http://www.xprize.org.

So Cal Fires and Air Quality Effects / SF Climate Challenge

2007-10-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

Fourteen large wildfires have developed spanning seven counties in California since Saturday, thanks to the Santa Ana winds, and the prevailing extreme drought conditions... I had been looking around the past couple of days for information on long-term air quality effects and pollution rehab after firestorms past and found some interesting stuff on Wunder Blog:

"Air quality
Not surprisingly, air quality due to particulate matter has been awful in Southern California (Figure 1). Exceedances of the Federal air quality standards by more than a factor of two have occurred the past three days in both Los Angeles and San Diego. Hightened particulate pollution is strongly correlated with increased death rates, particulary in vulnerable populations, such as those with heart conditions, athsma, or other lung diseases. Everyone should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, and children should remain indoors. Keep your windows and doors closed unless it is extremely hot inside. In these cases, seek alternate shelter. Run your air conditioner if you have one. Keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent bringing additional smoke inside. EPA's Airnow website has more information.

Figure 1. Visible satellite images taken midday on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Overlaid on the images is the peak daily particle pollution Air Quality Index (AQI) levels due to smoke. Poor air quality became more widespread across the region as the number and size of the fires increased from day to day. Smoke is visible as white or bluish-white streaks. Blowing dust (brown streaks), reducing visibility under three miles, is also apparent on the images. Image credit: NASA and EPA."

As horrifying and post-apocalyptic as that all may sound, it also led me to find information about the San Francisco Climate Challenge, which I think is a fantastic resource for those interested in better understanding the impact that our long-term choices concerning energy consumption can have on the planet. Although the cash prizes they are offering are for SF residents only-- we Southlanders can learn a lot from this initiative and perhaps establish one for LA. I expect there to be more info coming soon on this...

Montreal Ahead of the Green Curve?

2007-10-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

During my visit to Montreal last month, I came across a variety of "eco friendly" initiatives across the city that demonstrated some of the more advanced recycling programs the city has in place.

One of the most surprising findings, were these 6 foot tall transparent plastic recycling bins placed on every floor in every corner of their shopping malls. I also noticed these placed in locations across the city in smaller forms - sometimes attached directly to a trash bin to encourage recycling.
One other interesting thing I learned that nearly everyone in Montreal is very environmentally conscious. On several occasions when parking my rental car to pick some one up, or even step out for a second, I had someone ask me to turn the engine off - it became a habit right before leaving that I've even become conscious about it today. When your car is idling and parked, turn it off! Simple, yet effective enough that if you aggregate all the minutes your car spends idling in park it has a fairly big impact.

Finally, Montreal is a very clean city. Trash is rarely found lying around in the streets. People are more responsible and aware about waste. Almost every household I went to had a recycling bin nearby. Overall, it gave me a very positive impression of the city and how mentally aware everyone is - if people care, then the impact is much greater!

Patrick Rayes
Guidance Green

CEO Jason Meugniot Rides The Bus

2007-10-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

(Thursday October 4, 2007)

As part of Guidance's commitment to a sustainable environment, we celebrated National Rideshare Week today by altering the way we commute to work.

So, this morning at 8:15 A.M. PT, I left the Porsche in the garage, kissed my kids and wife goodbye after breakfast, helped them into their SUV, and I walked up my street headed for the bus stop.

This morning's ride marked my first local bus ride in over 20 years. As a kid, my buddies and I used to ride the "Big Blue" from our homes to the beach to surf in the summer. But this was the first time I rode the bus to work. And while it was new in many respects, the trip itself was quite familiar...

To read the entire post click here.

http://meugniot.blogspot.com/2007/10/bus-ride-to-guidance.html.

Upcoming Webinar: Learn Powerful Sustainable Business Tools

2007-08-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

Forwarded to us from our friends at Interface / Bentley Prince Street:

JOIN OUR INAUGURAL WEBINAR SERIES: HOW SUSTAINABILITY IMPACTS YOUR BUSINESS

Hosted by InterfaceRAISE Managing Director Jim Hartzfeld, this webinar series will show you:

~How Interface became a world leader in sustainability
~How emerging challenges pose new business risks and opportunities
~How customers, shareholders, employees and the planet can benefit

Register For The First Webinar In Our Series

The Business Case for Sustainability: The Interface Story Featuring John Wells, CEO, Interface AmericasWednesday, September 1911 AM EDT

You'll learn:
~What sustainability is in the business context
~How Interface has turned sustainability into a competitive advantage
~Practical steps that every company can take to be more "green"

InterfaceRAISE is a strategic resource for sustainability education and guidance based on the dramatic metamorphosis of Interface, Inc., into a global sustainability pioneer.

Offsetting your Carbon Footprint through Renewable Energy Credits

2007-08-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

2007 has been a watershed year for Guidance in terms of our environmental policy and the actions we’ve taken to reduce our impact on the environment. Guidance’s use of Renewable Energy Credits to offset the carbon emissions associated with our business activities led this Green Team member to wonder how I could become personally carbon neutral.

The website http://www.begreennow.com/, a unit of Green Mountain Energy, provides a great tool called the Carbon Calculator that makes it easy to calculate your own personal carbon footprint in five easy steps.

I was surprised to discover it will cost me less than well under $100 per year to purchase enough Renewable Energy Credits to become carbon neutral.

Want to calculate your personal carbon footprint and take steps to become carbon neutral?

Click on this link – http://www.begreennow.com/redoffset/begreenreduceofset_cal – then follow the five steps below.

1) You'll be prompted to enter your electricity usage. You can determine the number of kilowatt hours of electricity you use by looking at your electric bill. Enter your monthly usage and the Carbon Calculator will multiply that figure to arrive at your yearly usage.

2) The Carbon Calculator will ask you to enter information about the number of cars you drive, the makes and models, and number of miles you log each year. Your work commute has already been included in Guidance’s carbon emissions calculation, so you only need to calculate the miles you drive in your personal time.

3) You’ll be prompted to enter some information about your personal air travel for the year. Guidance has already included your business travel in calculating our company carbon footprint, so you’ll only need to enter your personal air travel here.

4) You’ll be asked to enter some information pertaining to the amount of natural gas you use. Here again, you can get this information from your monthly Gas Company bill.

5) Once you’ve entered all the information, click the button labeled “Offset my emissions”. The Carbon Calculator will calculate your total emissions and tell you how many Renewable Energy Credits you will need to purchase to become carbon neutral.

Nothin' But Sand

2007-08-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Guidance hit the beach on June 30th as the Green Team spent the morning cleaning up Mother's Beach in Venice.

The project was a joint effort between the Guidance Green Team, Heal the Bay, and local Boy Scout Troop 108.

A huge thank you to all of you who joined in the clean-up effort. It was great seeing familiar faces and meeting new people too.

Particularly satisfying was the number of children who participated, and we applaud the adults for setting an example and teaching them the importance of respecting our planet.

We most certainly made a difference and left the beach in a much cleaner state than we found it, and had fun and good food in the process!!

A few statistics from the event --

In total, we collected:

28 Band aids/bandages

29 Plastic grocery bags

44 Balloons/ribbons

49 Plastic straws/stirrers

101 Plastic bottle caps/rings

Plus countless cigarette butts, styrofoam pieces, broken glass, unidentifiable plastic and paper pieces, as well as 3 articles of clothing and a bar of soap!!

46 adults and children participated !!

75 hot dogs and 20 turkey dogs were consumed!!

And coming up next...

Our next outing will be a tree planting event with the Tree Musketeers!!

Dates will be announced soon, so keep checking back.

The 11th Hour

2007-08-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Coming to theatres this Friday August 17th is The 11th Hour, Leonardo diCaprio’s feature-length documentary about the impact humans are having on the earth and what the film’s producers refer to as the “environmental crisis.”

If you didn’t know, diCaprio isn’t just a talented actor, but also a passionate environmentalist who is using his Hollywood clout to draw attention to environmental issues.

Despite the use of the word crisis, The 11th Hour’s media kit emphasizes the film does not paint a doomsday scenario, but rather attempts to offer "hope and solutions." Featuring a slate of prominent environmental activists and thought leaders, the film’s message is that “the time for action is NOW” and “most of the solutions are available now.”

As a documentary, The 11th Hour will be opening in limited release, with only two threatres in Los Angeles showing the film this weekend. If you’re interested in seeing it, here’s some info on theatres and showtimes.

The Landmark - 10850 West Pico Blvd (Across from the Westside Pavillion)

Showtimes: The film will be playing this Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday at 12:10pm, 2:30pm, 5pm, 7:30pm, 10pm each day

The ArcLight - 6360 W Sunset Blvd (between Vine and Ivar)

Showtimes: The film will be playing this Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday at 11am, 2:10pm, 4:50pm, 7:30pm, 10:20pm each day

For more information about the film, visit The 11th Hour website at www.11thhouraction.com.

Instant Messaging for a Good Cause

2007-08-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

Members of the Guidance Green Committee recently became aware of a really cool initiative ongoing at Microsoft that makes it easy to contribute to your favorite social and environmental causes.

Tied to Microsoft’s Windows Live Messenger, the “I’M INITIATIVE” gives a percentage of the ad proceeds from your instant messages to the cause of your choice. Since starting the initiative in March 2007, Microsoft has raised more than $35,000 for these worthy causes.

Here’s how it works:

Make sure you’re using Microsoft Windows Live Messenger version 8.1. If you’re not currently using version 8.1 you can download it here.
From your Contacts window, click the arrow next to your name and select "Options".
Next to your name, type one of the following codes (including the asterisk) for the cause you'd like to support, and click OK.

To select American Red Cross code = *red+u
To select Boys & Girls Clubs of America code = *bgca
To select Humane Society of the United States code = *hsus
To select National AIDS Fund code = *naf
To select National MS Society code = *mssoc
To select ninemillion.org code = *9mil
To select Sierra Club code = *sierra
To select StopGlobalWarming.org code = *help
To select Susan G. Komen for the Cure code = *komen
To select U.S. Fund for UNICEF code = *UNICEF

It’s that simple.

So take five minutes today to choose an organization to support and add it to your Windows Live Messenger. If you’re not currently using Windows Live Messenger, you can download it by clicking the banner below.

Guidance Achieves Carbon Neutrality

2007-08-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

Guidance is excited to announce that we have achieved a goal we set for ourselves in early 2007 to achieve carbon neutrality by 2009. We did it – a full eighteen months earlier than expected!

For 2007, Guidance’s purchase of renewable energy credits offset 100% of the carbon emissions associated with our business activities. The renewable energy source derives from wind and biomass production facilities.

Our commitment to utilizing renewable energy credits helps avoid over 99 metric tons – or 219,000 pounds -- of CO2 per year, which has the equivalent impact of not driving over 243,000 miles.

We are extremely proud to have reached this important milestone and will continue to look for other ways to lessen the impact our activities have on the environment. Our environmental policy, published as a Declaration, details the many ways in which we are working to reduce or eliminate our impact on the environment.

Acknowledgement and thanks goes out to Green Mountain Energy Company who worked with us to calculate our carbon footprint and secure the renewable energy credits to offset our carbon emissions.

Tree Musketeers: How the Provisor's spent a Saturday

2007-08-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

My son Alex and I took a Saturday and participated in the Tree Musketeers "Trees to the Sea" event off the Imperial Highway median. The objective on that day was to spread mulch across a two mile section of the median; the mulch helps the trees by preventing weeds and trapping moisture. It was a hot day and a messy job, but our team spread 1000's of pounds of wood chips (mulch).

Alex felt great helping out and we met some very friendly people.

Tree Musketeers is a non-profit organization with a mission to help young people become leaders of environmental and social change in the Earth's Communities. For more information you can visit their Web site at http://www.treemusketeers.org/

Volunteer Opportunity

2007-05-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

Nothin’ but Sand

Saturday, June 30
9:30 a.m. to Noon
(bottled water and lunch will be provided)
Guidance has Adopted a Beach in Marina del Rey
Who: Everyone is invited to join us for some fun in the sun, including spouses, children, friends, family.
When: Saturday, June 30, 2007, 9:30 AM to Noon.
Schedule: 9:30 a.m. arrival; 9:45 a.m., Heal the Bay Speaker presentation; 10:00 a.m., begin clean up; noon, lunch provided if you can stay.
What to bring: Supplies will be provided by Heal the Bay. Guidance will provide bottled water and lunch. Please wear sunscreen and dress appropriately.
Where: Mother’s Beach, 4101 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey.
What to Expect: A free educational presentation by a member of Heal the Bay’s Speakers Bureau 15 minutes prior to starting at 9:45 a.m. Volunteers will be picking up trash and compiling data on trash they collect.
Signing Up: Please let Catherine know by Wednesday, June 6, if you will be participating and whether or not you will have additional adults and/or children joining you. Guidance Green T-shirts are being ordered, so please let Catherine know how many and what sizes for you and your party in your email response.
Catherine Lanzarotta Office Manager310.754.4000 direct clanz@guidance.com Guidance www.guidance.com
4134 Del Rey Ave Marina Del Rey, CA 90292310.754.4000 main 310.754.4010 fax

Carbon Footprint

2007-05-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Your carbon footprint is a representation of the effect you, or your business, have on the climate in terms of the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions you produce. Many of your actions generate carbon emissions, which contribute to accelerating global warming and climate change. By measuring your carbon footprint, you can get a better sense of what your individual impact is and which parts of your lifestyle deserve the greatest attention. Over 88% of Guidance's carbon footprint is a result of electricity usage! Remember to power off your computers and turn off lights when not in use.

Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel

2007-04-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is diesel fuel with substantially lowered sulfur contents. As of late 2006, most diesel fuel sold in the US and Canada is ULSD.

Moving to lower sulfur content will allow the application of newer emissions control technologies that will lower emissions of toxic gases from diesel engines. These new emissions standards will extend to some US states in 2007.

ULSD was proposed by the EPA as a new standard for the sulfur content in on-road diesel fuel sold in the US since late 2006, except for California and rural Alaska. This new regulation applies to all diesel fuel, diesel fuel additives and distillate fuels blended with diesel for on-road use, such as kerosene, however, it does not yet apply to train locomotives, marine, or off road uses. By December 1, 2010, all highway diesel will be ULSD.

The allowable sulfur content for ULSD (15 ppm) is much lower than the previous U.S. on-highway standard for low sulfur diesel (LSD, 500 ppm), which not only reduces emissions of sulfur compounds (blamed for acid rain), but also allows advanced emission control systems to be fitted that would otherwise be poisoned by these compounds. These systems can greatly reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen and particulates.

Because this grade of fuel is comparable to European grades and engines will no longer have to be redesigned to cope with higher sulfur content and may use advanced emissions control systems which can be damaged by sulfur, the standard may increase the availability of diesel-fueled passenger cars in the U.S. European diesels are much more popular with buyers than those available in the U.S.

The refining process that removes the sulfur also reduces the aromatic content and density of the fuel, resulting in a minor decrease in the energy content, by about 1%. This decrease in energy content may result in reduced peak power and fuel economy. The reduction is only slight and will likely go unnoticed.

Other countries, including Canada, China, Russia and Sweden have mandated similar requirements.

More info can be found here:
http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/

Green is Better

2007-04-05T15:03:00.001-07:00

CIO Magazine (April 1, 2007) just published a special report Green Is Better http://www.cio.com/article/101506/Green_IT_Leading_Your_IT_Department_Toward_Environmental_Sustainability_and_Increased_Profits The story of how VistaPrint reduced their data center costs was intriguing, especially as it made a decision to move away from blade servers to virtualization. According to the article, data centers account for 1.5% to 3% of electricity consumption in the United States. WOW! We’ve just begun to evaluate our hardware choices based on environmental impact, but there are very real TCO savings to be had by doing so. The challenge is great, but the beneficial impact can be greater.

Jon Larsen, Vice President

The Green Challenge

2007-03-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

At Guidance, we have recently been inspired to explore how our company can positively impact the environmental issues that affect us today. We have all agreed wholeheartedly that this issue is an important one and must be addressed, and action must be taken.

But what does it take to "go green"? How will it affect our company? Who do you go to for support? These are some of the challenges that face us during the "Greening of Guidance". We are hoping that by documenting our process that we can begin to create a community of like minded individuals and companies that together can respond as a community to the "Green Challenge".