Southeast Green - Speaking Of Green

Araya Clean is the first national franchisor of mobile pressure cleaning property service providers in the nation. Our proprietary configuration of industrial grade pressure washing systems combines heat, variable pressure, non-toxic cleansers and EPA compliant reclamation and recycling systems.

Kilowatt Ours is a timely, solutions-oriented look at one of America’s most pressing environmental challenges.Award-winning film Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America is a timely, solutions-oriented look at one of America’s most pressing environmental challenges: energy. Filmmaker Jeff Barrie offers hope as he turns the camera on himself and asks, “How can I make a difference?” In his journey Barrie explores the source of our electricity and the problems caused by energy production including mountain top removal, childhood asthma and global warming. Along the way he encounters individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities who are leading the way, using energy conservation, efficiency and renewable, green power all while saving money and the environment. This often amusing and always inspiring story shows, “You can easily make a difference and here’s how!”  

Rev. Alexis Chase, Executive Director - Alexis joined the GIPL staff in September 2008 as the Outreach and Communications Director and was hired as the Executive Director in February 2010. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University in 2000 and earned her Master of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 2006. Alexis is a Transitional Deacon in The Episcopal Church and serves as a Deacon at Church of Our Saviour.

Matthew S. Tejada, PhD Matthew S. Tejada joined the EPA in March of 2013 as  Director of the Office of Environmental Justice within the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. As Director, Matthew leads the Office of Environmental Justice staff in working with other EPA divisions, federal agencies, state, local and tribal partners and communities to further the mission of the EPA and the goals of the Office of Environmental Justice. Matthew joined the EPA after spending over five years in the non-profit world as executive director of the environmental advocacy Air Alliance Houston, where he focused his efforts on region-wide ozone reduction policies, alleviation of toxic and particulate matter hotspots and grassroots level work with the many environmental justice communities along the Texas Gulf Coast. In this position, Matthew was also  centrally involved in local, state and federal level legislative and policy formation as regards environmental and public health issues. Matthew received his Doctor

Dominic D’Agostino is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida and teaches courses in neuropharmacology, medical biochemistry and metabolism.  His research is focused on hyperbaric medicine, nutritional strategies and ketone esters for the metabolic management of neurological diseases and cancer.  Metabolic therapies can be used to treat a wide variety of disorders linked pathophysiologically to metabolic dysregulation.  Cancer is characterized by metabolic dysregulation and is responsive to metabolic therapies that lower blood glucose and elevate blood ketones. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used to saturate tumors with oxygen, reversing the cancer promoting effects of tumor hypoxia.  D’Agostino’s laboratory uses in vivo and in vitro techniques to understand the physiological, cellular and molecular mechanism of metabolic therapies and hyperbaric oxygen, including radio-telemetry (EEG, EMG), electrophysiology, fluorescence microsco

Kate Galbraith is an energy and environmental journalist and co-author of The Great Texas Wind Rush (University of Texas Press, 2013). She has covered energy and environmental issues for the Texas Tribune andthe New York Times, and she spent several years as an Economist correspondent. She writes a column on green issues for the International Herald Tribune once a month. Kate got her start in journalism writing for the Lonely Planet and Let's Go travel guide series. She lives in California.

David focuses on large-scale urban design and planning projects for the firm. He has been involved in the execution of hundreds of projects in the past 20 years ranging from the adaptive re-use of multiple historic structures to multi-thousand acre urban design and planning projects. His work and research focuses on issues of development, particularly within an urban framework and the creation of a strategy for sustainable cities that includes aspects of public policy implementation, criteria for implementation of development controls as well as strategic infrastructure implementation. David was awarded the AIA's Atlanta Chapter Silver Medal in 2003 as well as the AIA Georgia Bronze Medal in 2008 for his work in community planning. David received a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has been a member of Georgia Tech's College of Architecture faculty since 1992 where he teaches architecture and urban design and is currently appointed Professor of the

Richard Graves, Executive Director As the Executive Director of the International Living Future Institute, Richard directs the Institute’s signature programs: the Living Building Challenge, Ecotone Publishing and the Cascadia Green Building Council. The Institute’s work moves across scales, offering global strategies for lasting sustainability, partnering with organizations and local communities to create grounded and relevant solutions, and reaching out to individuals to unleash their imagination and innovation to create a future that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Before joining the Institute, he was the Senior Vice President for Community and Education with the U.S. Green Building Council from 2010 to 2012 he directed programs for its national and international members. As a volunteer with the USGBC, he served on the National Board from 2006 to 2010.  Richard is a registered architect previously working on ecologically sustainable building and planning projects around the

Andrew Schock has been with The Conservation Fund since September 2003 and is currently the Georgia State Director.  At the Fund, he has worked to protect thousands of acres of vital habitat, including parks and greenspace throughout the Metro Atlanta area, Georgia and Alabama. Andrew has past affiliations with the National Wildlife Federation as the Southeastern Center Director managing the field office in Atlanta; The Nature Conservancy, where he completed real estate transactions to protect biodiversity, assisted with the establishment of the botanical inventory at Ft. Stewart, Georgia and established the Integrated Management Plan at Ft. Benning, Georgia; The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission as a District Wildlife Biologist; and The Department of Defense as a Biological Technician working on endangered species management at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Andrew has an M.B.A. from Kennesaw State University, Georgia and a B.S. in Zoology (Wildlife Science) from North Carolina State University, Ralei

Linda Marsa is an award-winning investigative journalist and a contributing editor at Discover who has covered medicine, health and science for more than two decades.  She is a former Los Angeles Times reporter and author of Fevered: Why a Hotter Planet Will Harm Our Health and How We Can Save Ourselves (Rodale, 2013), about how climate change will affect our health. Her Discover story, “Going to Extremes,” about climate change in Australia, was selected for inclusion in The Best American Science Writing, 2012.  She is also the author of Prescriptions for Profits, about corporate intrusion in academic medicine, and she had written for numerous other publications, including Parade,Mother Jones, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Los Angeles, Pacific Standard, Reader’s Digest, Popular Science, Financial Times, and Utne Reader.  

Deron Davis The Nature Conservancy Director of Conservation, Georgia Education: bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Georgia; Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership The Nature Conservancy is the world's leading conservation non-profit, and Davis is proud to be part of the Georgia organization’s leadership team.  He oversees a department of science specialists working to improve forest health, restore freshwater systems and transform ocean management.  Prior to joining the Conservancy, Deron worked for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.  At the agency, he launched a communication and education program to encourage citizens to conserve water during an historic drought, served on the leadership team for the statewide water management plan guiding the development of ten regional water plans, and directed a national school improvement program that provided professional learning experiences, funding and technical support for a network of K-12 educators.    Over more than four d

Gina Coplon-Newfield, Sierra Club Director of Future Fleet & Electric Vehicles Initiative Join us as we discuss the work that the Sierra Club of Florida is doing to promote electric vehicles throughout the state. Gina Coplon-Newfield joined the Sierra Club staff in 2010 to lead a new national Electric Vehicles Campaign and has since expanded to also direct the Sierra Club's Future Fleet Initiative. Coplon-Newfield has more than 15 years of professional experience running campaigns for environmental, health, and human rights organizations. She is based in Boston, MA.The Sierra Club is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with more than 2.3 million members and supporters throughout the country.

Seandra became the Diversity & Community Partnerships Manager for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy in December 2009.  She leads the development and implementation of strategies to increase awareness and community advocacy from non-traditional communities in the southeast for climate and clean energy policies. As the Chair of SACE’s Diversity Committee, Seandra also directs our internal diversity initiatives to deepen our commitment as an organization to diversity and inclusion. Seandra was raised in Georgia and went earned her degree in Political Science from Spelman College. Prior to joining SACE, Seandra worked with the Georgia Sierra Club and with Service Employee's International Union. Summer Feature Fridays is brought to you by Cox Enterprises. Cox Conserves is the company’s national sustainability program that focuses on reducing waste and energy consumption, as well as conserving water

Energy Pro is the name of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance’s initiative that presents the story of energy efficiency and the promise it holds for the southeast region (“energy productivity”), for demonstrating the results its partners and cities have achieved over the past three years (“progress”), and for highlighting how the many facets of this work continue to pave the way for sustained economic “prosperity” in the Southeast. The Energy Pro initiative includes a report that offers an honest assessment of the infrastructure, resources and opportunities in the Southeast that support the deployment of energy efficiency programming; a roadshow to six southeastern cities that highlights the economic revitalization that has resulted from the energy efficiency work done; and a series of awards to recognize the citizens who have significantly advanced energy efficiency over the past three years.

Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram was born to inspire. An exemplification of all that she wishes to create, she is a leading visionary in the raw movement, especially in Houston, TX. Half Lebanese and half Ecuadorian, she is bilingual and carries her cultures with her wherever she goes! She attended both Vanderbilt University and Rice University, and she graduated from Rice University on the top 5% of her class in 2009 with a triple major in Kinesiology specializing in Health Science, Ceramics, and Vocal Performance. Kristina has been 100% low fat raw vegan for 6.5 years, and she was able to overcome her hyperglycemia through these diet changes. After studying under John Rose, she interned under Dr. Graham at many of his health events. She has lived in the Dominican Republic and in Costa Rica, and she has become an avid runner who runs at least 6-8 miles a day!

Wilf Nicholls Director - State Botanical Garden of Georgia Born in London, England, Wilf Nicholls graduated with a B.Sc. (Botany) from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1972 and then a Ph.D. (Botany) from the University of British Columbia in 1984. He spent 22 years in Vancouver; first as a graduate student, then as an entrepreneur, before his 9 years as a research scientist at UBC Botanical Garden. There, he managed the Plant Introduction Scheme and bred ‘Mandarin’ honeysuckle and ‘Starbright’ mock orange. In 1997 he moved to St John’s, Newfoundland to take up the position of Director of Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden. Wilf has taught undergraduate classes in applied biology and plant biology, established an ornamental R&D program called Plant Atlantic and joined a team to investigate the potential of native rose species as sources of food and medicines. Wilf has spent considerable time in the wilds of Morocco & Spain, the western provinces and states, the Yuko

Jim Renner, PG Manager of Environmental Stewardship Southern Ionics Inc. Mr. Renner is a geologist and environmental planner with 25 years of experience in natural resource consulting. He has worked on a wide variety of projects related to mining and mineral processing, water supply, and environmental impact assessment and management. A few examples of his work include permitting water supply reservoirs in DeKalb, Gwinnet, and Whitfield Counties (Georgia); developing consistent wastewater treatment standards for Coca-Cola’s worldwide operations; and identifying conservation and recreation options and economic impacts, leading to The Nature Conservancy’s and State of Tennessee’s purchase of the 8000 acre Doe Mountain tract in Mountain City. Jim recently joined Southern Ionics, a southeast regional chemical producer. He is working to advance a company-wide commitment to environmental stewardship and is assisting the newly-formed mining group in developing mines and mineral processing facilities in southeast

Join us for our Summer Feature Friday as we talk to board member Glenn Kurtz for the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Glenn has been involved in Transportation Planning and Management for the past 20 years with a focus on Parking and Transportation Demand Management (TDM). Glenn Kurtz is presently an Executive Vice President for Lanier Parking Solutions. Glenn is responsible for developing and marketing new services for Lanier that integrate parking and TDM. Glenn has built a long-term business model for Lanier and the parking industry that brings together parking and alternative transportation management services under one roof.  Mr. Kurtz played key roles in Lanier’s efforts to bring the Streetcar and Carsharing (Zipcar) to Atlanta.  Recently, Mr. Kurtz created LANIER consulting which focuses on parking and transportation planning for small downtowns and mixed use developments.  Glenn came to Lanier from the Perimeter Transportation Coalition (PTC), were he served as the Transportation Management Association's

In order to provide better areas to fish and dive and to enhance local fisheries, artificial reefs are being deployed to provide additional hardbottom areas.  These reefs have been created using donated heavy concrete and steel materials like culverts, concrete pilings, light poles, and steel vessels. We also talk lionfish. Why are they a hazard? Recent Developments In December 2012 and January 2013, four barges of light poles donated from Florida Power and Light were deployed to create two reefs.  The first reef, located in 62-foot depths, had a profile of 27 feet, while the second reef, located in 102-foot depths, had a profile of 25 feet.  Post deployment dives on the reefs showed fishes (i.e. triggerfish, black seabass, pelagic baitfish) already utilizing this new habitat. All of these artificial reefs were deployed with the help of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Artificial Reef Construction Grant.  The reefs help provide destinations for recreational anglers and divers and habitat for over 11

Todd Holbrook, the new President and CEO of the Georgia Wildlife Federation. Holbrook, of Conyers, comes to GWF after a 27-year career with Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), including stints as Assistant Director of the Wildlife Resources Division and Chief of Game Management. A certified wildlife biologist, Holbrook was responsible for several groundbreaking studies in Georgia into the decline, recruitment and retention of hunting and angling participation. “The Georgia Wildlife Federation has always been - since I’ve been interacting with them - about sound, scientific wildlife management. Professional wildlife management. How we go about making these wildlife policy decisions. And that’s huge. Because people sometimes get shunted off on what’s convenient and resource decisions need to be made out of the foundation of science.” During his career withe the DNR, Holbrook applied the curiosity of a trained wildlife biologist to study the broader social and economic aspects of wildlife managem