Tag Archives: Sustainability

Riverside McDonald’s Sustainability Efforts Receive National Attention

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Demonstrating yet another example of Riverside as a location of choice for sustainability efforts and innovative business best-practices, the Wall Street Journal recently published the announcement that the McDonald’s restaurant located at 2242 University Avenue in Riverside had become the county’s first and only electric vehicle (EV) fast charge station with the installation of its Blink Direct Current (DC) Fast Charger.

McDonald's Riverside-Blink® Direct Current (DC) Fast ChargerThis restaurant is owned and operated by Tom and Candace Spiel and stood as a McDonald’s for 44 years. In 2010, it was completely rebuilt to operate in a more environmentally friendly way. As part of its continued path to greening, the restaurant partnered with ECOtality Inc., a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, to provide the latest EV charge technology to customers. The restaurant will also have a standard Blink pedestal charging station available.

“It’s thrilling to be Riverside’s source for the latest in fast charge technology,” said Candace Spiel, McDonald’s owner/operator. “For us, it all comes down to being able to offer the Riverside community a better customer service experience and further demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship.”

In addition to the new Blink charging stations, current green features of this McDonald’s location include low flow plumbing fixtures saving approximately 250,000 gallons of water; native drought tolerant plants to reduce water consumption; permeable pavers to help divert about 283,000 gallons of rainfall from storm water systems; and solar panels that save approximately 8,950 kWH per month of utility usage, which is equal to the power usage of 13 average Riverside homes for one month. The restaurant also includes an interactive touch screen display for visitors to learn about the building’s features, environmental sustainability and how individuals can reduce their own carbon footprint.

To read the full article as published on the Wall Street Journal website, click here.

City’s Green Fleet Earns Riverside the #1 Rank in Nation

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A CNG fueled truck from the City’s green fleet.

The City of Riverside was named as the winner of the Government Green Fleet Award on Wednesday, October 3rd at the Green Fleet Conference in Schaumburg, Illinois. The award is evaluated based on standards in fleet composition, fuel and emissions, policy and planning, fleet utilization, education, executive and employee involvement, and supporting programs. Riverside ranked #1 over many large cities including Phoenix, Chicago, New York, Long Beach, Santa Ana and Oakland.

The Government Green Fleet award is another example of Riverside’s commitment to serving as a national model for efficient and innovative sustainability practices.

Click here to read the full press release.

Read more about the City of Riverside’s Green Fleet from Green Fleet Magazine: Leveraging Grants to Build a Superb Sustainability Program

Riverside Chosen to Participate in STAR Communities Program

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The City of Riverside has been named as one of 25 participants in a new pilot program designed to evaluate, quantify, and improve the livability and sustainability of communities throughout the United States.

The Sustainability Tools for Assessing & Rating (STAR) Communities Program was created through a partnership of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the National League of Cities, the Center for American Progress, and the ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability out of a growing interest from their member organizations and communities looking for a way to rank and evaluate their ongoing sustainability efforts.

The STAR Communities Program is a national, consensus-based rating system for community sustainability. STAR will provide communities a standard and comprehensive set of goals, objectives and performance measures by which to improve interdependent environmental, economic, and social conditions. As one of the pilot program participants, Riverside will be able to test out the STAR Communities rating system and have access to new technical guides, and online reporting tools when the program commences November 1.

“These will help us set baselines, adopt targets, and provide new ways to measure and validate our progress across a standard and comprehensive set of goals and objectives,” said Riverside’s Sustainability Officer Mike Bacich. “Our data will then become part of the initial STAR Community Index which future participants will be able to rate themselves and their progress with.”

The STAR Communities program envisions a ranking system similar to the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program that rates systems for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods. Future STAR Communities ratings could help cities and counties when applying for state and federal funding for green and sustainability projects.

Riverside is an international magnet and model for sustainable business, environmental innovation and green living. Participation in the STAR Communities program reflects our commitment to “Being a Green Machine” and will bring national attention to the innovative sustainability strategies already in place in Riverside.

For more information about Riverside Public Utilities visit www.GreenRiverside.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Read the full September 27 Press Release from Riverside Public Utilities. 

Riverside Welcomes Rochester Midland – Leader in Green Housekeeping

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Riverside is proud to welcome Rochester Midland Corporation (RMC) to the City of Arts & Innovation! RMC is a leader in Green Housekeeping and manufacturer of specialty chemicals for food sanitation, industrial cleaning and water treatment. The company held a dedication ceremony for their new facility in Riverside on June 13th. In attendance were several distinguished guests including Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge; Harlan Calkins, Chairman and CEO of RMC; and Glenn Paynter, President of Rochester Midland.

A 3rd generation family-owned company, Rochester Midland was one of the first manufacturing companies to become Green Sealed and AQMD Certified; they strive to maintain green production lines by using renewable resources rather than oil and operate machinery at self-sufficient levels.

The press release from RMC states that, “the new facility in Riverside brings even more value to RMC’s western U.S. customer base in supporting their customers’ position within the Sustainability movement in many ways—i.e. better training for their employees, helping them to improve their profitability, improved cycle counts with a local provider of goods, and by assisting them in their efforts to improve our environment via a local source for green chemistry and water/energy reduction programs.”

“While many other companies have retreated in this economy, with our new Global Headquarters in Rochester and the new building in Riverside, we are investing in the future,” said Harlan Calkins, Chairman/Office of the CEO.

Rochester Midland’s new facility is an example of the continued success of Riverside’s commitment to sustainable practices and cultivation of green businesses.

Read the Company’s “Corporate Sustainability Statement”

Riverside Recognized In Top 10 Cities For Energy Efficiency

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The City of Arts & Innovation has demonstrated a strong commitment to becoming a greener community by reducing our carbon footprint and annual energy use. The results of this are continually shown and most recently Riverside was recognized by the EPA as number 9 of the 25 metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings in 2011. Riverside has a total of 164 certified buildings which amounts to an annual consumer savings of $17.9 million.

Find out more about Riverside’s efforts to go green at www.greenriverside.com

The following is a press release from the EPA about the annual list and the importance of Energy Star certified buildings in our communities:

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On April 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the annual list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings for 2011. The list of 25 cities is headed by Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Houston, Dallas, Riverside, Calif. and Boston. By the end of 2011, the nearly 16,500 Energy Star certified buildings across America have helped save nearly $2.3 billion in annual utility bills and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to emissions from the annual energy use of more than 1.5 million homes.

“More and more organizations are discovering the value of Energy Star as they work to cut costs and reduce their energy use,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This year marked the twentieth anniversary of the Energy Star program, and today Energy Star certified buildings in cities across America are helping to strengthen local economies and protect the planet for decades to come.”

First released in 2008, the list of cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings continues to show how cities across America, with help from Energy Star, are embracing energy efficiency as a simple and effective way to save money and prevent pollution. Los Angeles has remained the top city since 2008, while Washington, D.C. continues to hold onto second place for the third year in a row. Atlanta moved up from the number six spot in 2010 to third place this year and Boston and Riverside broke into the top ten. Tampa, Fla., Colorado Springs, Colo. and Salt Lake City all are new to the list in 2011. California has six cities on the 2011 list—more than any other state.

Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s Energy Star must perform in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide and must be independently verified by a licensed professional engineer or a registered architect. Energy Star certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings. Fifteen types of commercial buildings can earn the Energy Star, including office buildings, K-12 schools, and retail stores.

Launched in 1992 by EPA, Energy Star is a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. This year marks Energy Star’s 20th anniversary. Over the past 20 years, with help from Energy Star, American families and businesses have saved about $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7 billion metric tons of carbon pollution. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products and more than 1.3 million new homes.

More on the 2011 top cities: http://www.energystar.gov/topcities

More on Energy Star certified buildings: http://energystar.gov/buildinglist

More about earning the Energy Star for commercial buildings: http://energystar.gov/labeledbuildings

Urban Land Institute of Orange County/Inland Empire Honors Seizing Our Destiny with 2012 Award for Vision

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The Urban Land Institute of Orange County/Inland Empire today presented the City of Riverside with the Award for Vision in their 2012 Best of Best Awards for its “Seizing Our Destiny” plan.

The ULI OC/IE Best of Best Awards recognize projects, programs, and policies which show an exemplary approach in regard to sustainability in community development within Orange County and the Inland Empire.

The Award for Vision recognizes community planning ideas and concepts that propose creative solutions to specific sustainable community issues; examine transformative approaches to land development and building scenarios; and promotes healthy communities through comprehensive community and/or building design and programming.

Developed with the local community in 2009, Riverside’s “Seizing Our Destiny” plan is serving as a comprehensive roadmap designed to guide the city toward a prosperous, healthy, and sustainable future.

The Award for Vision presented by the Urban Land Institute is an honor and holds testament to the quality of the Seizing Our Destiny campaign and the lasting impact it will continue to have on the community. Seizing Our Destiny is a reflection of the strives made by the City of Arts & Innovation to provide the highest quality of life for its residents. 

To view the full list of 2012 Best of the Best award winners, click here. 

UC Riverside Listed in “Guide to 322 Green Colleges”

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Article reproduced from UCR Today:

As the nation gears up to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, The Princeton Review and the Center for Green Schools at theU.S. Green Building Council(USGBC) today released the third annual guidebook saluting the nation’s most environmentally responsible “green colleges.”

“We’re happy to see UC Riverside on the list, with a score of 95 out of 99 possible points,” said John Cook, UCR’s sustainability coordinator. “From research into battery technology to solar-power farms, to a student organization called Sustainable UCR. To LEED-certified buildings, we will be celebrating quite a bit this Earth Week.”

“The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition”profiles 322 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. The list is part of the Center for Green Schools  intended to improve how campuses are designed, constructed and operated.

The guide includes:

  • School profiles with application, admission, financial aid and student enrollment information
  • “Green Highlights” write-ups detailing each school’s most impressive environmental and sustainability initiatives
  • “Green Facts” sidebars reporting statistics and facts on everything from the school’s use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation programs to the availability of environmental studies programs, and green jobs career guidance
  • A glossary of 40+ green terms and acronyms from AASHE to “zero waste”
  • Lists identifying schools in the book with various green distinctions – among them: those with LEED-certified buildings and those that are signatories of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

The Princeton Review chose the 322 schools based on a survey it conducted in 2011 of hundreds of colleges across the U.S. and in Canada to tally its annual “Green Rating” scores (scaled from 60 to 99) of colleges for its school profiles in its college guidebooks and website. The survey asks administrators more than 50 questions about their institution’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs.  The Company tallied Green Ratings for 768 institutions in summer 2011.  The 322 schools in this guide received scores of 83 or above in that assessment. (Note: The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in this guide hierarchically (1 to 322) according to their Green Rating scores, nor does it include those scores in this book’s school profiles.)

This Green College ranking for UCR reflects the passion for sustainability found both in the University and in the community. The City of Arts & Innovation has always shown a commitment to limiting our impact on the environment and becoming a much more sustainable place. 

Click here to view the article from UCR Today.

Riverside Recognized as an International Model for Its Green Initiatives

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The Republic of Zambia’s Ambassador to the United Sates Sheila Siwela and a small delegation met with representatives from the mayor’s office and Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) last week, to discuss how Riverside has molded itself into a leading green community in the state, and throughout the world.

“We were searching for a city that we could meet with to discuss new advancements in water and power utilities technology, including green energy and water conservation,” said Robert Sichinga, founder of the Zambian-USA Chamber of Commerce who arranged the meeting between Riverside officials, Ambassador Siwela and Zambia’s First Secretary of Trade Inonge Limbambala. “As we continued to do research on Riverside, we found out that it had been recognized with many awards for its progressive projects and policies,” Sichinga said.

“They were very interested in our hydroelectric power pipe project,” said RPU Assistant General Manager Kevin Milligan, “and how they might be able to utilize that technology.” The group toured the site where since 2010 RPU has been working in partnership with LucidEnergy of Portland, Oregon as the pilot test facility to develop their new LucidPipe Power System.The city’s International Relations Officer Lalit Acharya, along with representatives from RPU met with the delegation to talk about Riverside’s water and energy delivery systems, renewable energy projects and programs, and what has been done to help create a thriving sustainable community here.

The system, which is attached to a 60 inch water main, generates electricity through a spherical turbine that spins as water passes by it. The unique project which provides a new way to create clean, renewable energy by harnessing the power of moving water received an Outstanding Energy Management Award last year from the American Water Works Association, which gained the attention of the Zambian delegation.

“I am sure in the future, we will reach out to the developers of that technology to see how it can be used in Zambia,” said Sichinga. Another connection Sichinga would like to see made is through Riverside’s Sister Cities program. “We would be very interested in fostering a sister city relationship with Riverside,” he said. Currently, the only African sister city Riverside has is Obuasi, in Ghana.

This  meeting further emphasizes Riverside’s reputation as an international magnet and model for sustainable business, environmental innovation and green living. It is such an honor for the community to be recognized at the international level for its strong commitment to sustainablilty.

For more information about Riverside’s green initiatives visit: GreenRiverside.com

The City of Riverside Achieves “Silver” Status as a California Green Community

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Council members accept award from actress Amy Smart

The City of Riverside has achieved “Silver” status from the California Green Communities Challenge (CGCC), an environmental recognition program designed to encourage cities to reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Addressing 10 key environmental challenges, CGCC believes these green goals can be accomplished while also building vibrant and sustainable communities.

Riverside Public Utilities is one of only two municipal utility providers participating in this Southern California Edison-sponsored program. CGCC has also partnered with Toyota, Environmental Media Associates, Green Seal, and other corporate partners. View the full list of partners.

On January 24, 2012, the City of Riverside was recognized for achieving “Silver” status from the CGCC.  Representatives from the Environmental Media Association (EMA), Southern California Edison and Green Seal – founding partners in California Green Communities – presented the honor to the Riverside City Council.

“We created California Green Communities to showcase what cities are doing to improve the quality of life for their residents,” said EMA President Debbie Levin.“Riverside is a leader among southern California cities who are modeling sustainable practices for others.”

California Green Communities is a community-based effort that encourages cities to adopt environmentally sound practices involving energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, renewable and alternative fuels, efficient transportation and other activities. Cities develop unique action plans to identify projects and activities they will implement to reach Silver, Gold and Platinum status in the program.

To reach the Silver level, Riverside completed many initiatives including the creation of the Whole House Rebate program allowing customers to upgrade the efficiency of their homes through a one-stop shop program.

“We are delighted to be recognized by California Green Communities with the Silver status. The California Green Communities Challenge program has given us a terrific opportunity to share, and learn, ‘best practices’ with our fellow green cities from all over the state,” said Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge.

In addition to Riverside, the cities of Claremont, Monrovia and Santa Clarita have reached California Green Community Silver status. Other cities taking the challenge include Culver City, Los Angeles, Redlands, San Gabriel, Santa Monica, Simi Valley and Ventura. Additional Southern California cities are expected to join the program this year. To learn more about the California Green Communities Challenge, click here.

For more information about the many green initiatives Riverside Public Utilities are implementing, visit GreenRiverside.com

Habitat For Humanity Riverside Hosts TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” Viewing Party

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The “TEDxManhattan event, “Changing the Way We Eat” was a collaborative effort between Habitat for Humanity and community members to bring  the live webcast to Riverside.

The viewing party included time for collaboration, networking, and guest speakers from Riverside Food Coop, Growcology, Wood Streets Green Team, and the Riverside ReStore. This event truly evokes Riverside’s passion for all things sustainable and is another step to further the communities’  efforts in “Becoming a Green Machine”.

The second annual TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” – an independently organized event, licensed by TED – was held in New York City on Saturday, January 21, 2012. The Glynwood Institute for Sustainable Food and Farming was the lead sponsor of the one-day TEDx event that explored the issues, the impacts and the innovations happening in the world of food as we shift to a more sustainable way of eating and farming.

The program was enthusiastically received and brought community members together in a synergistic relationship around local issues. Fresh and Easy provided full lunch and juices, and Starbucks provided coffee for all of the attendees.