http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com The Green Leaf Fri, 04 May 2012 15:00:15 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en [caption id="attachment_2582" align="alignright" width="374" caption="Dozens of plastic bottle caps collected over the months to be recycled. Photo by Nina Wu."][/caption] It's amazing how many plastic caps you can collect in a month — they're on half-gallon milk cartons, Trop50 juices, water bottles, pretty much any beverage that comes in a plastic ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/05/04/recycling-plastic-lids-and-caps/ [caption id="attachment_2564" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Plastic carryout bags are expected to be banned in Honolulu starting in 2015, if the mayor signs it into law. Star-Advertiser photo."][/caption] Honolulu City Council passed a bill on Wednesday banning nonbiodegradable plastic bags at checkout starting July 1, 2015. Well, it's about time, given that the ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/04/26/plastic-bags-and-dog-poop/ Earth Day on Sunday marked the two-year anniversary of the BP oil spill. Two years ago, the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig sank into the Gulf of Mexico, creating the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Two years later, the people and environment are still suffering from the after-effects of the ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/04/24/the-big-fix-bp-oil-corruption/ [caption id="attachment_2534" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Here's the typical weekday takeout lunch waste in a trash can at Restaurant Row, which includes single-use Styrofoam cups and clamshells and plastic bags (and plastic utensils). Lunch probably took about 30 minutes, but these will take 100s of years to break down. Surely we can ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/04/23/make-earth-day-every-day/ [caption id="attachment_2495" align="aligncenter" width="576" caption="Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii is organizing a large-scale cleanup of the coastline, from Makapu‘u to Kaupo Bay on Earth Day (Sunday, April 22). Volunteers are then invited to a special event including educational booths, games and music at Sea Life Park for a $5 entrance fee. Courtesy ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/04/19/earth-day-is-sunday/ There's this Hawaiian Electric Co. commercial that ran at the start of the year, as part of a series of ads aiming to educate the public (and paid for with shareholder funds). No, not the one where Jade Moon interviews HECO executive Robbie Alm. It's the one where Jade Moon interviews ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/04/02/time-to-go-solar/ [caption id="attachment_2451" align="aligncenter" width="546" caption="Volunteers help count Hawaiian humbpack whales at "Shark's Cove" on Oahu's North Shore. Photo by Jeremy Mitchell/Courtesy of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries."][/caption] St. Patrick's Day may be over, but there are plenty of "green" things to do over the next few weekends. Here's a roundup: 9 a.m. to ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/03/23/green-weekends-aloha-aina-whale-count-earth-hour/ [caption id="attachment_2439" align="aligncenter" width="628" caption="PACT Keiki Day's Writing and Art Contest is themed "Energy Super Heroes." Deadline for submission is 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 29."][/caption] Parents and Children Together (PACT) has launched a Writing and Art Contest for Oahu students in partnership with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii Energy. Students in ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/03/21/keiki-energy-super-heroes-contest/ [caption id="attachment_2423" align="alignleft" width="435" caption="Van Jones, founder of Rebuild The Dream and author of "The Green Collar Economy," will be on hand for a pop-up dinner conversation at the Capitol Rotunda on March 20. Photo from Van Jones Facebook."][/caption] In a first of its kind event, Kanu Hawaii is co-sponsoring what ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/03/16/dialogue-music-action/ [caption id="attachment_2433" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Volunteers at a Sustainable Coastlines beach cleanup. Oceandig, a beach cleanup at Kewalo Basin is scheduled for March 31, with an After Party at Fresh Cafe. Photo courtesy Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii."][/caption] Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii is organizing a family-focused beach cleanup at Kewalo Basin Park from 9 a.m. ... http://thegreenleaf.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/03/15/get-ready-for-oceandig/