Approximately 800 tonnes of solvents currently evaporate into the air because of current neoprene laminating processes, so this development will be a huge improvement for the environment and will also benefit worker health.   “Wherever we can we are looking for ways to reduce any impact on the environment that our products may have,” said Mick Ray, Rip Curl Global Wetsuit Chairman.  “The laminating process has always been a particulary toxic one so this initiative of using non-solvent based glues is going to be massive in terms of improving working conditions in the factories as well as reducing the amount of nasty pollutants in our air.”
Rip Curl also runs a “Project Resurrection” program that sees Rip Curl recycle used wetsuits and production offcuts for re-use in other products.

Rip Curl is currently using recycled wetsuits in the production of travel bags and footwear, but the list will continue to grow in 2010.   You can read more information on Enviroweek can be found at http://www.enviroweek.org and get more insight on Mick Fanning at http://www.mickfanning.com.au.

Other environmental measures such as reducing petroleum use in vehicle fleets by 30 percent by 2020, improving efficiency for water usage by 2020, and increasing rates of recycling by 2015 were also included in the order. “The federal government can and should lead by example when it comes to creating innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, conserve water, reduce waste, and use environmentally-responsible products and technologies,” Obama said in a statement.

Obama’s international credentials on fighting climate change have been called into question as chances dim that the Senate will pass a bill mandating emissions cuts across the United States economy by December, when U.N. talks on a global warming treaty take place in Copenhagen.  The White House order may be intended to counter concerns about the president’s climate change commitment.  The federal government is the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the statement noted, occupying nearly 500,000 buildings and operating more than 600,000 vehicles. The order also calls on the government to “leverage federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies.”  This original article was reported by Jeff Mason and Eric Walsh

CA Recyclers can help with any of your E-Waste disposal needs. They offer an environmentally friendly option when it comes to disposing of the electronic hardware you don’t need, want, or use. Learn more about how you can help our environment by calling 

CA Recyclers can help with any of your E-Waste disposal needs. They offer an environmentally friendly option when it comes to disposing of the electronic hardware you don’t need, want, or use. Learn more about how you can help our environment by calling (949)364-9200 or visit CA Recyclers online.

Maintenance work being done in January 2003 to the previous beach erosion fix, a rock wall. Paul Wellman and Surfrider hired the engineering firm Phillip Williams and Associates (PWA) to critique the County’s proposal, and develop an alternative, long term plan for Goleta Beach. PWA designed the Park Reconfiguraton Alternative (PRA) to protect the entire length of beach by relocating threatened facilities and park amenities, while retaining the restaurant, lawn area and parking lot. EDC and Surfrider submitted over 580 letters in opposition to the groin and in favor of the alternative.

Although Commission staff found the alternative to be both feasible and environmentally superior, the staff recommended against the alternative on the grounds that 1.3 acres of turf could be lost. However, this assertion was refuted by EDC and PWA at the hearing.  At the end of the hearing, the Commissioners advised the County to consider an option that respects and incorporates natural processes, and plans for future sea level rise. “We are pleased that environmental solutions are back on the table,” said Scott Bull, Santa Barbara Chapter Surfrider representative and member of the County’s original Goleta Beach Working Group. “Surfrider remains committed to a plan that protects the beach, the Park, and the environment.”  EDC and Surfrider hope to work with the County to develop a workable, environmentally-sensitive solution.

The $1-tickets are limited to 4 per person. There will also be VIP seats, which cost $75 each plus service charge. The VIP seats will be sectioned at the front of the reserved seats.  Also, 30 of the best pairs of tickets in the seated bit will be auctioned. The packages will include a special meet-and-greet after show with Mraz. All proceeds of the auction will benefit The Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protect the world’s oceans.
Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/

The Rob Machado Surf Experience and Green Products Expo is scheduled for Sept. 26 and 27 at Seaside Reef and its parking lot.  The centerpiece of the event will continue to be an all-ages surf triathlon with longboard, shortboard and paddling categories. It’s an open division, winner-take-all contest with a $500 cash prize for first place. The winners are named Cardiff King and Queen of the Reef. A surf contest for children under 16 also will be held.

The green products part of the expo will feature environmentally friendly exhibits. Vendors will demonstrate products such as biodegradable surf wax and nontoxic sunscreen. There will be a surfboard-shaping contest using environmentally friendly boards.  Residents are eager for the return of the popular festival, which the Cardiff chamber and Machado hosted from 1996 to 2005.

Chamber members Betty Steele and Brenda Dizon, along with resident Betsy O’Neill, decided to resurrect the festival because they missed the tradition. They are combining it with the green expo that Steele and Dizon first organized last summer.  “We’re going back to the roots of it being a community event — about the kids, about the contest, about local lore and history — and bringing people together as a community,” said O’Neill, who formerly used the last name Aceti. “It’s a way of maintaining our coastal identity.”

Machado is a big name in surfing. He was ranked among the top 10 surfers for 11 years and was inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame in 2000. Now 35, Machado has established The Rob Machado Foundation, which through an annual golf tournament supports environmental charities — including the Cardiff Education Foundation’s efforts to green the local school district.

Over the years, the King of the Reef contest was run by well-known Encinitas surfers, including “Kahuna Bob” Edwards and Linda Benson. It was held at Seaside, then moved to Cardiff Reef.  For years, the event was called the Hansen/Machado Surf Classic & Cardiff Beach Fair, reflecting sponsorship by Hansen’s Surf Shop in Encinitas. Hansen is providing financial support for this year’s event but is not the major sponsor. 

In the festival’s final year, 2005, it featured a beer garden, Polynesian dancers and a performance by the San Diego rock group Switchfoot, known for its live shows. Former festival organizer Jim Clark estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 people attended over the two days. State officials became alarmed at the number of people, said Ed Vodrazka, a lifeguard supervisor for California State Lifeguards who reviews permit applications for surf competitions in the San Diego area. “The major problem was the contest got too big for a very small venue and they basically had a surf contest, a community fair and a rock concert at the same time,” Vodrazka said. “It became unsafe for the public to have all that activity without adequate law enforcement.”

After the 2005 festival, state officials asked Clark to end the beer garden and live music, and said permit fees would be raised to cover security. The Cardiff Chamber of Commerce then announced that it would stop hosting the event because it would be unable to raise enough money to cover the costs, Clark said, adding that it was a tough decision.  “Without the revenue from the beer garden and what we generated drawing people to the onstage show, we couldn’t put it on,” Clark said. “We very rarely if ever made profit on that event.”

After the chamber pulled out, clothing company Roxy took over the time slot at Cardiff Reef. The company sponsored a women’s surfing competition, the Linda Benson Women’s World Longboard Pro, for three years.  Roxy didn’t reserve the time slot this year, which made it available for the Cardiff chamber volunteers to bring back the Machado event. Clark said he has provided advice, but isn’t involved in planning this year’s festival.  “I think it’s awesome that they’re bringing it back,” he said. “The kids loved it.”  O’Neill said the group is “on board with the state” and its restrictions. “We don’t want a super crowd swell,” she said. “We don’t want a Huntington Beach-type event.”

This year, the event is expected to draw around 10,000 people, largely from Cardiff, said Dizon, one of the organizers. Local musical groups but no “big-name” acts will perform, she said.  To make up for the reduced revenue, the county Board of Supervisors approved a grant of $11,000 proposed by Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, which will cover the state permit fees — around $8,000 for the two-day event — and marketing costs.  Surf clothing company, Hurley International is a major sponsor.  Other activities will be a photography contest, art projects, hula-hoop contests and yoga. “It’s not just for surfers,” O’Neill said. “It’s for everyone.”