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Glendale Approves Light Rail Route
Glendale municipal leaders formally approved a proposed light-rail route that would zigzag from the existing route on 19th Avenue in Phoenix to downtown Glendale.
The council voted 4-3 Tuesday to instruct regional transportation planners to move forward on a 7-mile route that Valley Metro officials identified as the preferred route in March.
The measure includes direction for planners to consider extending the planned line west of U.S. 60/Grand Avenue — a key issue for council members earlier this year. Doing so would likely add significant costs to the project due to complicated design issues.
The vote was just one stop on a long political journey for light rail to link the existing line to Glendale by 2026. Transportation planners expect to return to the Glendale and Phoenix city councils with a more detailed plan in about a year for renewed consideration.
Is the way we shop for food sustainable?
Is there an alternative to the big box grocery stores?
Thanks to these two German trend setters who believe that the current grocery system is unsustainable, mainly due to the waste from packaging, who show us the way. They have come up with an alternative to wasteful packaging while shopping, and have launched a new grocery store to show us how we can do it better.
Watch the video about two entrepreneurs changing the grocery store front.
Solar FREAKIN’ Roadways
That’s right, “Solar FREAKIN’ Roadways’
t’s the roadway of the future! Feel inspired? Help us bring this project to the next step:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/so…
Check out our other videos for more info!
“Mid Dream” by Michael Sempert
http://m.soundcloud.com/velvetblue
David Engle music
http://m.soundcloud.com/toypiano
Movement Photographer
http://douglasw.zenfolio.com/
Time-Lapse Photographer Jim MacDonald
http://vimeo.com/m/user8465308
“X-ING” Short film by Michael Naphan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Gva…
Hugging tree can improve your health?
TREE HUGGING NOW SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED
In a recently published book called Blinded by Science, the author Matthew Silverstone, proves scientifically that trees do in fact improve many health issues such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), concentration levels, reaction times, depression and other forms of mental illness. He even points to research indicating a tree’s ability to alleviate headaches in humans seeking relief by communing with trees.
The author points to a number of studies that have shown that children show significant psychological and physiological improvement in terms of their health and well being when they interact with plants and trees. Specifically, the research indicates that children function better cognitively and emotionally in green environments and have more creative play in green areas. Also, he quotes a major public health report that investigated the association between green spaces and mental health concluded that “access to nature can significantly contribute to our mental capital and wellbeing.”
So what is it about nature that can have these significant effects? Up until now it has been thought to be the open green spaces that cause this effect. However, Matthew Silverstone, shows that it is nothing to do with this by proving scientifically that it is the vibrational properties of trees and plants that give us the health benefits and not the open green spaces.
For the full article (we found a better link) http://planetsave.com/2011/07/22/tree-hugging-scientifically-proven-to-improve-your-health/
10 reasons we love Arizona in the summer
When people say they love the weather in Phoenix, they rarely mean the swelter of summer. But believe it or not, there are reasons to love living in metro Phoenix during the summer. (And no, the heat hasn’t fried our brains.)
It’s OK to play in the rain
Phoenix is one of those odd places where people go outside when it rains. The temperature drops, luring people to their patios or Arizona rooms. If they can’t get outside, people gather near windows, praising the precipitation.
The Arizona monsoon season starts June 15, according to the National Weather Service. But because the monsoon is technically a shift in the wind, not a storm itself, you’re not likely to see rain for at least a week later. When you do, go out and enjoy — unless there’s lightning.
Different kind of nightlife
People, animals and plants come to life at night in the desert. Summer nights offer opportunities to kayak by moonlight at Tempe Town Lake, play glow-ball golf at Palo Verde Golf Course in Phoenix, feed a giraffe at sunset during the Phoenix Zoo’s Prowl & Play events, and watch a saguaro’s bloom unfold at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix during a flashlight tour.
Details: Kayaking, 480-350-8069, tempe.gov/boating. Golf, 602-249-9930, phoenix.gov/recreation. Zoo, 602-273-1341, phoenixzoo.org; garden, 480-481-8188, dbg.org.
Heading to the lake
Whether it’s fishing at Lake Pleasant near Morristown or skiing on Canyon Lake near Apache Junction, there are plenty of recreational water activities at the state’s many lakes and reservoirs. And they’re a lot closer than driving to the beach.
Details: Lake Pleasant, 928-501-1710, maricopa.gov/parks/lake_pleasant. Canyon Lake, 480-288-9233, canyonlakemarina.com.
Museums
Summer is the perfect time to educate and enlighten yourself by visiting one of the dozens of museums around metro Phoenix.
See thousands of instruments, including those played by John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Taylor Swift, at the Musical Instrument Museum in northeastern Phoenix. Take your little one to the Noodle Forest at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix. Through July 6 at the Phoenix Art Museum, check out the exhibit “Hollywood Costume,” which showcases more than 100 costumes worn in notable films and gives patrons a look at what goes into a great costume.
Before you go, check each museum’s calendar for free admission days. You can also save money on admission by going to a participating library branch for a Culture Pass, a free promotion that’s good for two admissions to 15 local attractions, including the Phoenix Art Museum (“Hollywood Costume” not included), Arizona Science Center and Children’s Museum of Phoenix.
Details: mim.org, act1az.org.
Down a lazy river
Tubing down the lower Salt River not only is a summer tradition, it’s one of the easiest ways to get a tan. Or a sunburn, depending on the SPF of your sunblock. Salt River Tubing and Recreation, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer, is 7½ miles northeast of Loop 202 on Bush Highway. It’s open daily through the end of September. Look out for themed days, such as Halloween Spooktacular and Mardi Gras Magic.
Details: Tube rentals end at 3 p.m. daily. The final bus pickup is at 6:30 p.m. $17 for shuttle ride and tube rental, $14 for shuttle only. Cash only. saltrivertubing.com.
Reading for fun
Summer reading isn’t a Phoenix-specific activity; it’s part and parcel of summer days everywhere. But we have the excuse of having to stay indoors to survive — which means many guilt-free hours of reading. (Of course, the same standard applies to time spent watching TV.) Check in with azcentral.com during the summer for reading ideas as new titles are released.
Professional sports
Baseball isn’t the only sport in town during the summer — not that there’s anything wrong with watching the Arizona Diamondbacks play in the cooled confines of Chase Field. The Diamondbacks’ free fireworks shows are held after games on Friday nights through Aug. 22.
The Arizona Rattlers play fast-paced arena football at US Airways Center through the end of July. The Phoenix Mercury, one of the original WNBA franchises, play at the same arena through August. Downtown Phoenix will host the WNBA All-Star 2014 festivities and game, on Saturday, July 19.
Details: arizonadiamondbacks.com, azrattlers.com, phoenixmercury.com.
Discount luxury
Phoenix’s world-class hotels and spas stay afloat during the summer by offering deals and special packages. Visit travel.azcentral.com for consumer travel reporter Dawn Gilbertson’s Phoenix summer resort bargains.
Details: travel.azcentral.com
Summer dress code
Bright colors, straw hats, no ties and never having to remember a jacket. Summer style is easy.
The sunsets
We’re not being romantic. It’s a simple truth that Arizona sunsets, which tie-dye the sky in purple, orange, yellow and pink, are stunning. And because the sun doesn’t set in the summer until after 7:30 p.m., people are more likely to be outside to enjoy the daily disappearing act.
Reasons why Phoenix Sucks
Reasons why Phoenix is the worst place ever
I am a resident of Phoenix, Arizona.
If you count all the surrounding districts, more than 4.1 million people crowd into this sprawling, suburbanite wasteland, yet no one really likes it here. We really try, but every boring list we dominate (we’re safe drivers, apparently, and we’re a top city for “entry-level jobs.” Whoopee) and every whine for relevance smacks of some deep, inner denial.
This metropolis is squatted in subtropical desert. It shouldn’t even exist. It’s spitting in God’s face. Yet rather than owning our survival prowess like some badass Road Warrior tribe, we’ve allowed ourselves to become complacent, as vapid as the arid air around us, too numbed up on prescription narcotics and reality TV to reach self-actualization. There’s also a negative side.
Here are a few reasons why Phoenix sucks:
Invalid Arguements: Climate Change / a Youtube video gone viral
Video provided by vlogbrothers on Youtube.com. Here is what they had to say about the video on their page.
here are only a few topics that seem less obvious but more hotly debated than climate change. It’s here, it’s happening, it’s caused by humanity, and it is one of the largest problems humanity will ever face. But I believe we will face it, and we’ll face it with the desperate ingenuity and bravado with which we have faced our entire history on this planet. And we will survive it, as long as we can finally freaking agree that “it” isn’t a conspiracy theory made up to annoy the rich and powerful.
So, as I know this is a hotly debated subject, this video has sources… CO2 greatly amplifies warming after it is initiated:http://www.skepticalscience.com/co2-l… After 1975 there was little connection between solar activity and the earth’s temperature: http://www.mps.mpg.de/dokumente/publi… Indeed, if it were the sun, we should be cooling:http://rspa.royalsocietypublishing.or… Detailed look at how the urban heat island affect is removed from climate science data: http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2001/2… Satellite measurements show warming trends as well as surface measurements: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/… Ice core reconstructions show the same thing:http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/global… The earth is not cooling: http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2011… The myth of the 70’s Cooling Consensus:http://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/1… Loss of Antarctic Land Ice: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.122… Melting land ice results in increase in sea ice:http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v6… For a great resource on this stuff: http://www.skepticalscience.com/
UPDATE: GCC Environmental Club Pallet Garden – 04/30/2014
Environmental Club Pallet garden progress update 04/30/2014
Students at GCC have built a pallet garden to show off at the Earth Day festivities at the Glendale Community College campus.
Now that the festivities have passed we still have a garden to take care of.
The pallet garden has been moved from GCC to my house (Shan Gilbreath Student at GCC/Senator of the Environmental Club).
“We have been watering the pallet garden every other day, it seems to have good drainage and the plants are coming along nicely”
My neighbors have been regularly stopping by to check out the new garden. I live along a jogging path and joggers are even taking time out to see the garden. They are surprised at how the rustic look is appealing. They seem to really like it. I have even been asked if I plan to make more. Some of my neighbors agree that I should build 15 more and put them in front of my house. I am not sure if I am lagging with my aesthetic appearances or if they really like the idea. Being a realist leaning towards optimism, I will go with the latter.
Here are some pictures I took today. You can see that the tomatoes and peppers are turning a nice color, almost time for pickin’.
Sustainability and Housing / The Tiny House Movement
Sell Your Crap, Pay Off Your Debt, And Do What You Love! This Makes It All Possible! at collective-evolution.com
Lifestyles and needs are changing, and consequently, our houses are shrinking. The tiny house movement has blown up in the past few years, shifting the traditional North American housing models towards a more practical, finance-friendly blueprint. The movement is garnering attention from people fed up with the current consumerist/utility-based lifestyle which has placed millions of people in debt. Now, the idea of living your dream is no longer a cliché. READ MORE>>>
GCC Environmental Club 