Harvest Farms and Suwanee Community Garden Volunteer Day “A Success!”

We here at Green In Gwinnett Area posted an event on our Facebook events page that asked for volunteers to assist in the beginning stages at the Suwanee Community Garden.  What a great day it turned out to be.  We would like to thank Jessica Roth from the City of Suwanee for putting together such a successful and community oriented event.  Nearly 60 people showed up to help out!  There were members of Green In Gwinnett Area, Harvest Farms, Georgia Piedmont Land Trust, and other folks from Suwanee and neighboring communities.  Food and refreshments were provided for the volunteers from companies such as Honeybaked Ham and Subway.  There were prizes given away from local companies such as Print Green USA which donated (9) $30 gift certificates for laser toners, ink cartridges, or printer drums.

It is great to have a city like Suwanee Georgia who takes such good care of their residents.  Be sure to checkout the new Suwanee Downtown Website!

Think Green In Gwinnett!

Special Thanks to all of the Sponsors:

• Atlanta Bread Company, Suwanee
• Starbucks, Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
• Krispy Kreme, Buford
• Subway, 3370 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd.
• Honey Baked Ham, Peachtree Parkway
• Wal-Mart, Suwanee
• Kroger, Suwanee
• Publix, Suwanee
• Chick-fil-A, Suwanee
• Print Green USA, Suwanee

GIGA’s Suwanee Cinema Under the Stars July 11th!

Green In Gwinnett Area GIGA “SUWANEE CINEMA UNDER THE STARS” Family Movie Night At Suwanee Town Center Park, In The City of Suwanee, GA. Come join your Gwinnett Community for an evening under the stars with family and friends to celebrate the summer on the green while learning about “green”. Hosted by GIGA and featuring special guests like the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center. Saturday June 13th, 27th, and July 11th. Movies in order are: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Happy Feet, and Wizard of Oz. Free recycling of computers and office electronics. Please bring them to the event! For more information, please email: Green In Gwinnett We would like to thank our Main Event Sponsor for making this possible: Ameriprise Financial at Suwanee Town Center Park “The Practice of Kevin O’Brien” We would also like to thank the Board Member of GIGA for their hard work and dedication to the Green In Gwinnett Area “GIGA” organization and events.

GIGA Board of Directors: James Chronicle – Chairman james@greeningwinnett.org Amy Bray abray@atclawfirm.com Andersen, Tate, and Carr Nancy Martin nancy@greeningwinnett.org Coca-Cola Company Tamela Adkins tamela@greeningwinnett.org Adkins Law Lois Martin lois@loismarketing.com Lois Martin Marketing Robert Mendez rmendez@basisstaffing.com Basis Staffing Mark Thompson mark@greeningwinnett.org Southtrac Bill Rosenberg bill@greeningwinnett.org Ameriprise Financial

-Wizard of OZ Costume contest for the kids(and kids at heart).
– Face painting on site!
– Demonstrations and activities with the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center.
-Free Computer, monitor, and electronics recycling on site.
-Free phonebook recycling on site. Just drop it off!
-Local vendors
-Food and ice cream
-Drawings for refurbished computers, gift certificates to local vendors, and other surprises!
We have had attendance at 3000 people from Suwanee, Lawrenceville, Buford, Duluth, Norcross and all around Gwinnett County!

Green In Gwinnett Area hosts “Suwanee Cinema Under the Stars” June 27th

Green In Gwinnett Area

GIGA

“SUWANEE CINEMA UNDER THE STARS”

Family Movie Night At Suwanee Town Center Park, In The City of Suwanee, GA.

Come join your Gwinnett Community for an evening under the stars with family and friends to celebrate the summer on the green while learning about “green”.  Hosted by GIGA and featuring special guests like the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center.  Saturday June 13th, 27th, and July 11th.  Movies in order are: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Happy Feet, and Wizard of Oz.

Free recycling of computers and office electronics.  Please bring them to the event!

For more information, please email:
Green In Gwinnett

We would like to thank our Main Event Sponsor for making this possible:

Ameriprise Financial at Suwanee Town Center Park

“The Practice of Kevin O’Brien”

We would also like to thank the Board Member of GIGA for their hard work and dedication to the Green In Gwinnett Area “GIGA” organization and events.

GIGA Board of Directors:

James Chronicle – Chairman
james@greeningwinnett.org

Amy Bray
abray@atclawfirm.com
Andersen, Tate, and Carr

Nancy Martin
nancy@greeningwinnett.org
Coca-Cola Company

Tamela Adkins
tamela@greeningwinnett.org
Adkins Law

Lois Martin
lois@loismarketing.com
Lois Martin Marketing

Robert Mendez
rmendez@basisstaffing.com
Basis Staffing

Mark Thompson
mark@greeningwinnett.org
Southtrac

Bill Rosenberg
bill@greeningwinnett.org
Ameriprise Financial

What is Sustainability? Green In Gwinnett Area

Bringing The Green Back To Gwinnett

Sustainability, in a broad sense is the ability to maintain a specific process or state. Today however, it is most commonly used in reference to biological and human systems. In an ecological context, sustainability can be defined as the ability of an ecosystem to maintain ecological processes, functions, biodiversity and productivity into the future.

Sustainability has become a complex term that can be applied to almost every facet of life on Earth, particularly the many different levels of biological organization, such as; prairies, forests, and wetlands, and is expressed in human organization concepts, such as; eco-municipalities, sustainable cities, and human activities and disciplines, such as; sustainable agriculture, sustainable architecture and renewable energy. Many sustainable practices are being identified as “green” initiatives.  Terming this practice as “green” as we do with GIGA, Green In Gwinnett Area, stems from the forests and environments we are surrounded by.

For the human race to live sustainably or “green”, the Earth’s resources must be used at a rate at which they can be replenished. However, there is now clear scientific evidence that humanity is living unsustainably, and that an unprecedented collective effort is needed to return human use of natural resources to within sustainable limits.

Since the 1980s, the idea of human sustainability has become increasingly associated with the integration of economic, social and environmental spheres. In 1989, the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) articulated what has now become a widely accepted definition of sustainability: “[to meet] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  Simply put, we must put the needs of the future as a top priority when using resources.  You wouldn’t want your child or parents or anyone else in your family to suffer.  Our actions now directly impact our families in the future.

We currently have facilities in Gwinnett County such as the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center (Buford), Suwanee City Hall (Suwanee), and Brandsmart which is a commercial building in Buford, Georgia that are striving towards sustainability.  These facilities are all LEED facilities.  We hope to see more of these practices in other areas in Gwinnett County in the immediate future and your voice counts.  What counts more than your voice however, are your actions.

The Gwinnett Chamber and The Green Chamber of the South Presents:

Green In Gwinnett Area GIGA would like you to consider attending this event.  If you can’t attend, please at least read about it.

Join the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce & The Green Chamber Of The South for their:

BUSINESS GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY FORUM
Presented by E.R. Snell

This forum is comprised of four seminars, the first will take place on March 24, 2009 at the Gwinnett Chamber Of Commerce – 11:30 am – 1:30 pm.

By attending this forum, you will learn about opportunities to green your business operations while growing a profitable business. We will discuss topics such as energy conservation, tax incentives, alternative financing options and tips on communicating your goals internally and externally.

Each program will focus on specific topics and recognized experts who can offer sound legal guidance, financing advice, an overview of tools to help businesses establish baselines and measure improvements, and local case studies. Participants will have an opportunity to network with other environmentally concerned business leaders in the area and learn how they are implementing sustainability measures into their operations.

The theme of the first seminar on March 24th is:

ENERGY CONSERVATION STRATEGIES for BUSINESS

SPEAKERS:
Richard Ross & David Dungan – Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority
Peter Revesz – Global VP Business Development, Metrolight
Dick Harvey – Energy Retrofit Sales Leader, Honeywell
Brenda Bailey – Facilities Manager, Unisource

The cost to attend is:
Gwinnett / Green Chamber Members: $15.00
Non Members: $35.00

For more information and to register, please go to: http://www.gwinnettchamber.org/bugs

The Gwinnett Chamber is located in Duluth, GA at 6500 Sugarloaf Pkwy… Very close to i85 and sugarloaf pkwy exit.

Green In Gwinnett Area GIGA Supports Earth Hour 2009!

Earth Hour 2009 by WWF – Sign up for Earth Hour!

Green In Gwinnett Area GIGA supports the efforts of Earth Hour 2009.  We are encouraging Gwinnett residents to take part in this global effort to impact energy consumption.  Join millions around the world who will turn off their lights on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm during Earth Hour. So tell everyone around you!  Suwanee, Lawrenceville, Norcross, Duluth, Braselton, Hamilton Mill, Buford, Lilburn, Grayson, Sugar Hill, and all of Gwinnett.  Lets show our support for a green and sustainable future.  Lets be Green In Gwinnett Area.

“Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning their lights off for one hour. Only a year later and this event had become a global sustainability movement with up to 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.”  – Earthhour.org

Earth Hour is a message of hope and a message of action. Everyone can make a difference.

Gwinnett’s Green Generation

At a time when environmental issues are at the forefront it is critical that teachers integrate environmental education into their lessons. Children need to be given the skills, knowledge and resources necessary to positively impact the environment. There are many sources of information now available.

We are fortunate in Gwinnett County to have an effective and innovative program designed to enhance the available resources. Green In Gwinnett Area, better known as GIGA, founded by Gwinnett county resident James Chronicle, is designed, in part, to promote environmental consciousness. Area residents are encouraged to participate and support this endeavor. Information can be found by emailing giga@greeningwinnett.org. In addition, the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center offers programs and interactive exhibits for people of all ages, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. It is a collaborative effort of the county’s board of Commissioners, public school system, The University of Georgia, and the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Foundation.

There are a multitude of websites available to promote environmental awareness. These websites can be accessed through search engines and many of them offer information geared to elementary age children. As a Suwanee resident and a Barrow County third grade teacher, I have used a website found on the National Education Association list called Eco-Bunnies. This site was designed to help students understand “carbon footprints” and how to reduce environmental impact. For more information, visit www.eco-bunnies.com/ Use EarthLab’s live calculator with your class and empower them to discover the amount of energy they use and ways to conserve. Suggestions such as energy saving light bulbs, developing conservation habits, and ways to recycle are outlined. Students can find their score and save it and return to see the positive impact they have affected through small changes in behavior.

There is a plethora of information available on the Internet to enable teachers to inform and educate their students, not to mention community based nonprofit organizations such as Green In Gwinnett Area GIGA. The future of the planet hangs in the balance. Teachers have a responsibility to ensure that they are promoting environmental awareness on a regular basis.

Who owns those organic companies anyways Gwinnett?

Do you know what companies own the organic food lines that you are currently or may be consuming in the future?  Go to the link at the bottom of this article to find out.  You may be surprised!  You are probably buying one or more of these brands currently.  I would be surprised if you aren’t.

Where are the best deals for organic foods in Gwinnett?  Let us know about organic shopping in Suwanee, Lawrenceville, Norcross, Lilburn, Duluth, or whatever part of Gwinnett you are from.  Comment on this blog.

Is eating green always the sustainable way?  Look for more information soon from GIGA Green In Gwinnett Area concerning this topic and many others.

Find GIGA Green In Gwinnett Area on Facebook and Linkedin!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Green-In-Gwinnett-Area-GIGA/31363412243?ref=ts

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=119817&trk=hb_side_g

Thanks

James Chronicle

Click here to see who owns these organic companies:

http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/features/009/009buyingorganic.html

We wish everyone a safe and Happy New Years!

We at Green In Gwinnett Area wish everyone a safe and Happy New Years! Thanks for your support and make one of your resolutions for the New Year to be environmentally conscious!