Guidance Shows Support for Hopenhagen, Provides Virtual Hosting Services

You’ve seen the billboard ads. You’ve heard the buzz. It’s Hopenhagen.

Hopenhagen is a movement seeking to encourage global citizens to voice out to world leaders attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark (COP15) the need to establish better sustainability policies. Their Web site, Hopenhagen.org, calls on visitors to become citizens of Hopenhagen by signing the “Climate Change” petition and sharing their messages of hope. The petition – along with every name signed to it – will be presented to world leaders at the COP15 meeting.

In early September, Guidance was approached by Hopenhagen stakeholders looking for application support services as well as eco-friendly solutions to host their site. Guidance presented them with two alternatives: our green hosting solutions using energy-efficient HP servers, and our virtual hosting solutions using VMware software. For both, Guidance offsets all remaining electricity-related CO2 emissions by purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) through BeGreen Business, the carbon offset brand of Green Mountain Energy. The credits are made from wind and biomass sources located throughout the United States.

Hopenhagen stakeholders chose to host their site virtually with Guidance. The site went live on September 15th, and shortly after its launch, Guidance employees went on to show their support by signing the petition.

Leaders from more than 180 nations will meet in Copenhagen from December 7th to the 18th of this year to ratify a new international global climate treaty, which will take effect when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Hopenhagen was created by the International Advertising Association (IAA) in support of the UN’s call for marketing assistance to sign “Climate Change” petition.

To find out how to become a citizen of Hopenhagen, sign their petition before December 7th, 2009 at http:/www.Hopenhagen.org. To learn more about Guidance’s hosting solutions, please visit our Web site at http://www.guidance.com/services/hosting.

Guidance has significantly reduced its overall consumption of electricity and paper as a result of a company-wide commitment to sustainable business practices, known as Guidance Green. Guidance’s purchase of renewable energy credits offset 100 percent of the carbon emissions associated with its business activities.

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Jon Provisor
Guidance

Meet The Dervaes

I have lived in Southern California all my life with the exception of a few years spent in NorCal in the latter half of the 80s and in London in the early 90s. Yet I had never heard of The Dervaes, whom – since the mid-80s – have been doing something quite amazing, right in the heart of L.A. County.

Apparently, I am not the only one who’s never heard of them. So without further ado, meet the Dervaes.

In only a tenth of an acre, the Dervaes family has been able to create what many would consider impossible: an urban homestead. Living in Pasadena, Calif., Jules Dervaes and his three adult children (Justin, Anais and Jordanne) are surrounded by many of the typical things you’d see in an area like L.A. – cars, freeways, houses – and by some that are far less typical – goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and over 350 varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries.

So how do they fit all of that into one-tenth of an acre? It wasn’t easy for the Dervaes but they were really determined to make it happen. And as if that wasn’t complex enough, they wanted to up their ante by doing everything in the most environmentally-friendly way possible. Here are some interesting facts about the day-to-day operations of their urban homestead:

• Up to 6,000 pounds of produce are harvested annually on one-tenth of an acre.


• The Dervaes family grows 99% of the produce they consume; the remaining food that the family consumes is either bought in bulk, organically-grown, locally-grown, and/or are fair-trade certified. The family has kept a vegetarian diet for over 17 years.


• 12 solar panels provide two-thirds of the energy they consume (6 kWh per day), which is already 80-percent less energy than what the average American household consumes (29.2 kWh per day, according to the Department of Energy).


• The family raises small stock like chickens, ducks, rabbits, and goats for eggs, milk and/or manure. In addition, the Dervaes are beekeepers for the extraction of unfiltered/unheated honey.


• Some of the energy and water conservation efforts the family practices include using energy-efficient appliances and lighting (some are even non-electrical or hand-powered, like their stationary bike-blender kit), reusing laundry water, and using a low-flushing toilet along with a toilet lid sink.
  
• Their diesel car runs on homebrewed biodiesel and is driven only 3 out of the 7 days of the week, for approximately 4,000 miles per year. That is 66-percent fewer miles than what the average American drives per year, according to the Federal Highway Administration.


• Self-employed since 1974, the Dervaes sell their homegrown produce to local restaurants and caterers (through DervaesGardens.com), sell plant seeds through their own seed company (FreedomSeeds.org), and sell eco-friendly goods online (at PeddlersWagon.com).

Since 1999, the Dervaes have been documenting their efforts and sharing them online to help engage others interested in following their footsteps. To learn more about the Dervaes and how to turn your home into an urban homestead, visit their website at PathToFreedom.com.

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Jon Provisor
Guidance

Beach cleanup, round two!

Did you know this coming Saturday will most likely be L.A.'s last sunny/warm Saturday of the year? Spend it at the beach!

Join Guidance Green this Saturday, October 24, from 9:30am to 11:30am at Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey, CA, for our beach cleanup! See details below.



Next Saturday is expected to be rainy and in the 60s. Then it'll be November. This is really your last chance for some fun in the sun!

Hope to see you there,

Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Sustainable Business Council to host panel, “Sustainable Sales: Profit withPurpose”

The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) is a non-profit organization that serves California businesses and individuals working with sustainable products, services and processes. The organization acts as a professional networking forum, information clearinghouse and industry advocate with the goal to assist its members to improve their profits, enhance their communities, and protect the environment.

The Los Angeles SBC chapter (SBCLA) provides events and educational opportunities to encourage, support and expand sustainable practices, aiming to establish Los Angeles as a leader in this emerging business sector. Interested in Guidance’s green commitment, SBC contacted us to find out ways in which we could help each other educate the community and extend our green messaging to new audiences.

This coming Wednesday, September 23rd, SBCLA will be hosting a panel to discuss “Sustainable Sales: Profit with Purpose”. The panel will explore rationales for launching a green start-up or a green division within a traditional business, as well as debate the long-term viability of these initiatives. The event will take place at the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum, 4130 Overland Ave. in Culver City, and starts at 7:00pm (ending at 10:00pm). There is a small fee of $20 for admission, which includes snacks and libations.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their questions to the panel. To RSVP, visit http://www.sustainablebc.org/events_registration.html. Here are a few more details about the event:

Moderator:
Laura Berland-Shane, LEED AP, SBCLA Board Member and Business Development Manager-Alternative Energy, SIEMENS Building Technologies, Energy & Environmental Solutions

Panelists:
Lisa Peri, Founder and CEO, Lucky Earth "Waterless" Carwash
Paul Shustak, Co-Founder, KOR Water
Greg Charillon, Co-owner and Vice-president, DECONGREEN environmental solutions
Elizabeth Watson, LEED AP, Partner Real Estate, Climate Change & Sustainability Practices, Greenberg Glusker LLP

WHEN: Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

WHERE: Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum
4130 Overland Ave.
Culver City, CA 90230-3734
(Across the street from the City Recreational Pool)

HOST: Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum

COST: $20 Admission (includes light snack and libations)

Sponsors: Exclusive Founding Alliance: Stonefield Josephson, Inc. under the leadership of its president, Jeff Garrison.
Additional Sponsors: Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum, Summa Marketing Communications, Namaste Interactive, Edge Communications, Inc., O.N.E.: One Natural Experience, Whole Foods Market: West Los Angeles, National & Barrington, Stonehouse California Olive Oil, provisions on Beekman, Clif Bar, New Belgium Brewery, Generate Possibility, Casa Barranca Winery, Inc. and Guidance.

PLEASE RSVP by visiting:
http://www.sustainablebc.org/events_registration.html

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About the Sustainable Business Council of Los Angeles (SBCLA)

SBCLA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization acting as a professional networking forum, an information clearinghouse and an industry advocate. The organization serves California businesses and individuals working with
sustainable products, services and processes. SBCLA's goal is to assist members with improving their profits, enhancing their communities, and protecting the environment by educating business professionals on the
opportunities represented by technologies and management philosophies that reduce negative and non-renewable ecological impact. The Sustainable Business Council of Los Angeles is an activity of the International Humanities Center.

Guidance's Commitment to Green Computing Featured on The Wall Street Journal

Guidance (www.guidance.com), which in 2007 switched to energy-efficient HP desktops for its development environment, was featured on The Wall Street Journal.

Guidance's commitment to green computing and partnership with leading PC manufacturer HP to educate the community on green technology was covered on the September 8th issue of the journal (Carlton, Jim. "The PC Goes on an Energy Diet." The Wall Street Journal 8 Sept. 2009: R8).

Click here to read the article.

It’s Cleanup Time!

For the third year in a row, Guidance will be teaming up with Heal The Bay on its Annual Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD), Saturday, September 19th.

Guidance will be joining over 12,000 volunteers from all over Los Angeles who will take action to rid our beaches and inland waterways of unsightly and harmful debris. Coastal Cleanup Day is an international event with over 60 countries around the world participating, making it one of the largest volunteer efforts on the planet.

So join us at Dockweiler Beach (11999 Vista del Mar, El Segundo, CA 90293) on Saturday, September 19th at 9:00am. You’ll see us with the light blue Guidance Green shirts. We hope to see you there!

If you can’t make it to Dockweiler Beach, but would like to participate of Heal The Bay’s CCD, sign up today at http://healthebay.org/volunteer/ccd/2009/participate.asp and choose from the list of participating beaches, rivers, parks, lakes, even creeks!

What's in Your Water Bottle?

Every year, I get a report in the mail from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) with detailed information about the quality of the water that us Angelenos get out of our taps. But have you ever seen a similar report from any of the companies behind the biggest bottled-water brands? I sure haven't.

That is because tap water is more closely regulated than bottled water, even though bottled-water consumers spend over 100 times more for essentially the same product. Companies selling bottled water are not required to disclose where they get their water nor other important information about its quality.

Check out this report featured today on the Today Show:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So what's in your water bottle? Guess we'll never know...

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Alejandra E.
Guidance Green

2nd Annual Guidance Green Picnic - Eat. Learn. Live Green.

Last week, Guidance hosted its 2nd Annual Guidance Green Picnic – Eat. Learn. Live Green. The event brought together Guidance employees and those of about seven other companies in our business park, for an afternoon of healthy eating and environmental education.

Organized by Guidance’s green committee (appropriately named Guidance Green), our annual Guidance Green Picnic events seek to celebrate Guidance’s green achievements for the year while educating Guidance employees and the community in general about environmental initiatives, tips, and programs that aim to improve the wellbeing of our planet. This year’s event counted with the participation of various environmentally-active guest speakers, including actress and comedienne Mindy Sterling (best known for her role of Frau Farbissina in all Austin Powers movies), actor and singer Joseph Culp (son of legendary actor Robert Culp, and best known for his appearances in Mad Men, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and ER), Dave Chameides (also known as “Sustainable Dave” and his website 365DaysOfTrash.com), and Mary Beth Trautwein (Director of the reDiscover Center in Culver City).




Mindy Sterling educated us on animal wildlife and how our everyday activities can affect their lives. Sustainable Dave emptied out the contents of his backpack to show us that by carrying with a few essentials like a reusable thermal mug, a reusable water canteen, a set of utensils (stored in a toothbrush case), a reusable shopping bag, and other items, we do our part in helping reduce the billions of pounds of waste that are collected every minute. Mary Beth Trautwein spoke to us about reDiscover, a community art center, reuse warehouse, gallery and event space that promotes creativity while encouraging environmental responsibility. Joseph Culp talked to us about the first solar power-based theater, The Electric Lodge in Venice, CA, where his musical play, The Hound – An American Poem, is being performed. Joseph also introduced us to Dr. Joel Shapiro, owner and creator of The Electric Lodge. Dr. Shapiro is also an environmental activist who in 2008 took a three-day journey down the 52-mile L.A. River along with a dozen kayakers to show the river was indeed navigable, therefore preventing the rollback of the Clean Water Act and allowing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to safeguard the river.



Guidance CTO and co-owner, Jon Provisor, also addressed the audience, encouraging everyone to join Guidance's commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility, by following the advice shared at the event.



Businesses like Whole Foods (El Segundo), The Veggie Grill, and Buddha’s Belly were among our event’s sponsors, treating our guests with giveaways, gift cards and prizes. In addition, organizations like Project Aware and the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church were among the supporters this year. And for the second year in a row, Go Earth Central donated its innovative line of compostable, sugarcane-based plates, utensils and cups for us to use at the event. We genuinely appreciate the generosity of these organizations and their support of our mission.

Guidance is proud to be an environmentally-aware, 100% carbon-neutral company that has significantly reduced its overall consumption of electricity as a result of a company-wide commitment to sustainable business practices, which we share in detail in our Green Toolkit. To learn more about our green commitment, and our committee Guidance Green, visit our website at www.guidancegreen.org.

You can check out photos from our picnic at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=83180&id=11521514227&ref=mf. Drop us a line or become a fan while on our Facebook Fan Page!

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Alejandra E.
Guidance Green

Guidance Green Announces New Coffee Grounds Recycling Program

Did you know that the average American consumes about 3 cups of coffee a day? That’s a lot of used coffee grinds going into the trash.

Guidance Green is announcing an in-house coffee grounds recycling program. Guidance employees and visitors can pick up pre-measured bags of coffee grounds that are being saved and packed by Guidance Green members.

Coffee by-products can be used in the garden, as an exfoliant for skin, as a hair polisher to keep it shiny, as a deodorizer for your freezer, as ant & flea repellant, and to keep cats away from plants and the garden. To learn more tips on how to use post-consumed coffee ground, check out our Coffee Grounds Recycling Program document.

It's Arbor Day!

Before there was Earth Day, there was (and still is) Arbor Day. Founded by noted agriculturalist and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Julius Sterling Morton, Arbor Day originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska on April 10, 1872, when an estimated one million trees were planted. The day itself was first observed three years later. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in the state of Nebraska, and April 22nd, Morton's birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. (Source: The Arbor Day Foundation).

The curret national holiday for Arbor Day is celebrated every year on the last Friday in April. Arbor Day is also celebrated throughout the world on different dates.

If you don't have a front/backyard where to plant trees (or yours is already at capacity) but would like to get involved in tree planting & cleaning activities, and you live in the Los Angeles area, check out Guidance Green eco-partner Tree Musketeers, the nation’s first youth environmental organization dedicated, at http://www.treemusketeers.org.

To learn more about Arbor Day, visit The Arbor Day Foundation website at http://www.arborday.org.

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Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Guidance Green’s Earth Day Potluck

There’s Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving Day … and then there’s Earth Day. We love Earth Day! That is why on Wednesday, April 22nd, Guidance employees gathered up to celebrate it with a wonderful potluck, which included plenty of organic meals cooked with locally-grown ingredients made by Guidance employees themselves.

The festivities were organized by members of the Guidance Green committee, who took the opportunity to announce the company’s new Coffee Grounds Recycling Program. Guidance will be saving all used consumption coffee grounds to reuse in the garden and as deodorizer. Check out our blog soon for more tips on how to reuse coffee grounds.

In addition, Guidance Green members Catherine and Debbie created a number of handmade crafts using recycled materials that they displayed during the festivities.

We had a blast on Earth Day. Can we top it next year? We'll sure try!

To see more pictures of Guidance’s Earth Day Potluck, check out our Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marina-Del-Rey-CA/Guidance/11521514227. Drop us a line or become a fan while there!

Happy Earth Day!

Last Saturday, while members of the Guidance Green committee helped rescue the Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly habitat, the City of Manhattan Beach, Calif. was celebrating Earth Day with their annual Earth Day Fair at Polliwog Park. I stopped by the fair in the afternoon and boy, was I happy to see so many people attending the event this year!

I was also glad to talk to a couple of people who remembered last year's Guidance Green booth at this event -- they even recalled the booth's exact location (WOW!). It's good to know we had a lasting effect!

Some familiar faces were at the event this year, including the Go Earth team, the folks from Tree Musketeers and reps from Heal The Bay, among others.

The entertainment? A Morrissey/The Smiths tribute band -- and they were phenomenal! Couldn't tell the difference.

It's great to see our community being so active about such an important message. Now's your turn -- what are you doing to celebrate Earth Day this year? Whatever you do, make it a great Earth Day!

Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Guidance Green Celebrates Earth Day

Guidance Green is celebrating
Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22nd
With a Potluck Lunch
There will be Activities Too!
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Happy Anniversary, Guidance Green!

Today, we mark the two-year anniversary of Guidance Green! Created in March 2007 Guidance by CTO & Co-Owner, Jon Provisor, the Guidance Green committee has since achieved many accomplishments including turning Guidance into a carbon-neutral company, organizing, hosting and attending over dozen environmentally-friendly events and initiatives, and offering carbon-neutral hosting services to eCommerce clients, among others.

Our commitment to sustainability, corporate responsibility and the environment stands stronger than ever. Happy Anniversary, Guidance Green! To many more years of great work and dedication.

Palos Verdes Butterfly Plant Nursery Volunteer Opportunity

Guidance has Partnered with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy



Saturday, April 18, 2009
9:00 a.m. to Noon


Who: Everyone is invited to join us, including spouses, children, friends, family.
When: Saturday, April 18, 2009, 9:00 AM to Noon.
Where: Land Conservancy Nursery at 3171 N. Gaffey, San Pedro [Defense Fuel Supply Point (DFSP)].
What to bring: Nursery supplies will be provided by the Palos Verdes PLC. Please wear sunscreen, dress appropriately and bring a bottle of water. Please wear your Guidance Green T-Shirt (let Catherine know if you don’t have one already).
What to Expect: The project is to transplant native seedlings at the nursery. Flats of crowded seedlings need to be transferred into individual, larger pots. It’s a great project because volunteers can quantify the amount of good work they have put in and they’re helping us propagate host/food plants that are an integral part of our PV Butterfly Habitat Restoration efforts. This will also help the threatened California gnatcatcher, a small gray bird that is on the endangered species list with the PV Blue Butterfly.
Signing Up: Please let Catherine know by Wednesday, April 15th, if you will be participating and whether or not you will have additional adults and/or children joining you, along with their names.
Posted by Catherine Lanzarotta, clanz@guidance.com

This March 28, Turn Off Your Lights

Earth Hour returns this year! It’s really simple: turn off your lights for 60 minutes – from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m on Saturday, March 28th. Guidance offices are closed on Saturday, but employees will be participating of Earth Hour from home that night.

The first Earth Hour was held in Australia in March 2007, and more than 2.2 million Sydney residents and 2,100 businesses switched off their lights, reducing energy consumption by 10.2%, according to Yahoo! News. The initiative has since traveled from the South Pacific to Europe to North America. Last year, lights on more than 200 downtown buildings were dimmed in Chicago, IL. Workers in Phoenix turned out the lights in all downtown city-owned buildings for one hour. Darkened restaurants glowed with candlelight in San Francisco while the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower and other landmarks extinguished lights for an hour.

To learn more about Earth Hour, visit http://www.earthhour.org/.

Ale Espinosa
Guidance Green

Save the Blue Butterfly!

Guidance Green Volunteer Opportunity

Who:
Everyone is invited to join us, including spouses, children, friends, family.

When:
Saturday, February 7, 2009, 9:00 AM to Noon.

What to bring:
Restoration supplies will be provided by the Palos Verdes PLC. Please wear sunscreen, dress appropriately and bring a bottle of water.

Where:
Defense Fuel Supply Point (DFSP)
3171 N. Gaffey St.
Los Angeles, CA 90731

View Larger Map.

What to Expect:
Volunteers will be enhancing endangered Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly habitat by planting Lotus scoparius (deerweed), which is the food plant for the butterfly, and/or removing non-native plants that may be overtaking the habitat. This will also help the threatened California gnatcatcher, a small gray bird that is also on the endangered species list.

Signing Up:
Please let our Guidance Green team leader, Catherine know by Wednesday, Feb. 4th, if you will be participating and whether or not you will have additional adults and/or children joining you, along with their names.

We hope to see you on Saturday!

Ale Espinosa
Guidance Green