InJet Offers Eco-Friendly Flying with TerraPass Partnership

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–It’s nothing but blue skies for InJet members, and the private jet services provider wants to keep it that way. That’s why InJet is going green through its partnership with TerraPass, a leading consumer retailer and marketer of greenhouse gas reduction offsets. Through the partnership, InJet members can subscribe to offset the carbon emissions from their flights—essentially erasing their air travel carbon footprint. “The InJet jet c

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InJet Offers Eco-Friendly Flying with TerraPass Partnership

Tips to Help You Stay Cool, Save Money and Be Green This Summer

It may not be a “scorcher” but the heat of summer is right around the corner, and it’s never too early to begin preparing. You can use less energy and help the environment and your wallet this summer, all by following a few simple tips from PECO. Electricity usage normally increases during hot humid days because of the use of cooling appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators and freezers. And more electric usage means higher bills for customers.

But you can minimize these effects by following these suggestions, which can help you reduce energy usage by 30 percent or more and save on overall home energy costs.

• If you have central air conditioning, keep thermostats at a constant, comfortable level (74 to 76 degrees) when at home. Raise the thermostat setting for days with extreme heat (90 degrees or higher) to save even more. Lowering the thermostat setting below the desired temperature will not cool the home faster.
• For those with room air conditioners, ensure that the appliance is sized properly for the room and turn the unit off if someone is not going to be in the room for an extended period of time.
• Place window air conditioners on the north or shady side of the house to avoid overworking the unit in the hot daytime sun.
• Use fans to evenly distribute cool air and reduce the air conditioner’s “on” time.
• For those without any air conditioning, we recommend ceiling fans or portable fans operating with the windows partially open to circulate fresh air into the home.
• To reduce heat and moisture during the warmest part of the day, run appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers in the early morning or evening hours when it’s generally cooler outside. Also, use a microwave to cook, or barbecue outside, if possible, during the hottest days.
• Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows. Simply drawing blinds and curtains, which act as a layer of insulation, can reduce heat gain to your home. Awnings are even better and can dramatically reduce radiant heating. Window coatings and window film can reflect as much as 80 percent of direct rays from the sun.
• Turn off all unnecessary lighting and appliances, which add heat to the home.
• Keep doors to the outside, garage or attic firmly closed to keep cool air in and hot air out.
• When shopping for appliances such as refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners, look for the Energy Star label, and purchase the most affordable energy-efficient unit. Newer more energy-efficient models lower monthly operating costs.
• Replace your old standard incandescent bulbs with new compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL). They use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, and they last up to 10 times longer.

Going Green at Balboa Park

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Members of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership are “going green” to enhance and preserve San Diego’s iconic park as it approaches its 100-year anniversary. Representatives of the park’s 24 cultural institutions are participating in a series of workshops to learn how to incorporate sustainability practices into the workplace. The curriculum covers sustainability techniques that, when implemented, will not only contribute to park preservation efforts but also save money and natural resources.

“These workshops educate by encouraging our Partnership members to adopt sustainability practices,” said David Lang, executive director of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership. “By pooling our knowledge and resources, Balboa Park is well on its way to incorporating environmentally friendly operations. Our efforts in 2008 produced a cost savings of $420,000 through substantially reduced energy consumption.”

The workshop series covers an introduction to sustainability and life cycle costing, energy management, water management and green building basics.

“It makes so much sense that we continue to integrate sustainable practices into Reuben H. Fleet Science Center operations,” said David McGrew, director of Facilities and Engineering for the Center. “Balboa Park is not only a cultural treasure but it is also a natural resource for San Diego residents and visitors from around the world. It is in everyone’s interest to manage the park in a sustainable manner.”

Arts, science and cultural institutions participating in the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership include: Balboa Park Central, Centro Cultural de la Raza, House of Pacific Relations, Japanese Friendship Garden Society of San Diego, Mingei International Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego Air & Space Museum, San Diego Art Institute; Museum of the Living Artist, San Diego Automotive Museum, San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum, San Diego Historical Society, San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Man, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Youth Symphony, San Diego Zoo, Spanish Village Art Center, The Old Globe, Timken Museum of Art, Veterans Museum and Memorial Center, and WorldBeat Center.

Greening of the Nation’s Capital

Coca-Cola is going green in Washington, D.C. in some pretty innovative ways. These efforts include climate-friendly beverage coolers, hybrid electric delivery trucks and trailers, and a recycling program for the National Mall and Memorial Parks.

“With more than six million visitors each year, there is no better place to launch a comprehensive greening effort than here in the nation’s capital where people from all walks of life celebrate our country’s rich history and enjoy our beverages,” said Sandy Douglas, president, Coca-Cola North America. “We are exploring new ways to protect the environment, and Washington, D.C., is a visible demonstration of the innovation that Coca-Cola is implementing around the country.”

“From hybrid delivery trucks to climate-friendly coolers to support for recycling at our National Parks, we are showcasing our innovative approach to going to market in an environmentally responsible way,” said Steve Cahillane, president, Coca-Cola Enterprises North America. “Our work in Washington, D.C. and across the United States demonstrates our commitment to supporting sustainable communities.”

New Climate Friendly Coolers

The House of Representatives will be among the first locations in the country to test new climate-friendly, HFC-free, energy-efficient Coca-Cola coolers. Four beverage coolers will be installed at the House of Representatives in the coming weeks, and up to 1,800 Coca-Cola coolers and vending machines will be deployed throughout the U.S. and Canada later this year. These include 1,400 climate-friendly coolers and vending machines that will be deployed at the venues during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The new climate-friendly Coca-Cola coolers use carbon dioxide (CO₂), a natural refrigerant gas and HFC-Free insulation, eliminating 99 percent of the direct green house gas (GHG) emissions. The coolers include an intelligent energy management system (EMS-55) that cuts energy use by an average of 26 percent. CO₂-based cooling technology ensures a natural, climate-friendly alternative to HFCs and reduces energy use. CO₂ has 1,400 times less global warming impact than R-134a, the most typical HFC refrigerant gas, and will reduce indirect green house gas emissions by more than three tons over the lifetime of the machine.

Hybrid Electric Delivery Trucks

Coca-Cola Enterprises, the world’s largest bottler of Coca-Cola products, has deployed 20 hybrid electric delivery trucks and tractor trailers throughout the Washington D.C. area in the last year. CCE’s hybrid electric trucks use about 30 percent less fuel and produce about 30 percent fewer emissions than standard trucks, and use technology to drastically reduce emissions when they’re idling or in traffic.

CCE will deploy 327 hybrid delivery vehicles throughout the United States and Canada by later this year, the largest heavy-duty hybrid electric delivery fleet in North America. The fleet will include more than 150 hybrid electric tractor trailers, the largest hybrid vehicles in North America, and more than 170 hybrid electric 12-bay delivery trucks.

Support for National Parks

Building on more than 75 years of support for America’s National Parks, Coca-Cola, the National Park Service (NPS), the National Park Foundation (NPF), and the Trust for the National Mall (TNM) today launched a partnership to create a recycling program for the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Coca-Cola Recycling will work with NPS and TNM to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the waste stream at the National Mall and develop a sustainable recycling program. The program will be designed to suit the needs of special events and include recycling education for visitors to the parks.

“As one of our valued ’Proud Partners’, Coca-Cola is stepping up to help us preserve, enhance and ensure the sustainability of our country’s beautiful National Parks and recreation areas for generations to come,” said Peggy O’Dell, Region Director, National Capital Region, National Parks Service. “Through Coca-Cola’s support for the new recycling program, we hope to achieve the Interior Department’s goal of diverting 50 percent of solid waste from landfills through recycling by 2010.”

Coca-Cola also announced the year two, $600,000 expansion of the National Parks’ Active Trails program which targets an additional nine parks during 2009. In 2008, Coca-Cola committed $1.2 million in funding to promote and preserve National Parks trails for active recreation, community volunteerism and environmental education. Through this program more than 100 miles of trails in seven parks have been restored or enhanced and used to engage urban youth and local communities in active recreation at the National Parks.