Sustainable Peralta

The 18,000 sq. ft. building will be made of steel, glass and concrete. Source: Gould Evans Baum Thornley

Beginning this month (December), Gilbane Building Company begins construction on Laney’s Athletic Field Complex, a new two-story 18,000 sq. ft. athletic facility for Laney men’s and women’s sports. The building is part of a larger project that also includes the complete replacement of the baseball diamond and the multi-use field. When finished, Laney will host events on a new turf fields and have an additional 100 parking spaces on the East side of the campus.

“This building has everyone in the Department [of General Services] excited,” said Dr. Sadiq B. Ikharo, Vice Chancellor of General Services. “Using a Design-Build method, our staff and our designers consulted with many faculty and staff at Laney, and the result is a building that fits their program requirements and our desire to build green.” … continue reading »

Over 1 million plastic bags float into San Francisco Bay every year. Plastic bags pollute our waters, smother wetlands and entangle and kill animals. They also float out into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to join the huge island of plastic trash bobbing the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Although no one wants this kind of devastation, it seems the Plastics industry has convinced us that this is just how things go.

Oakland-based Save the Bay has launched a campaign in the Bay Area to reduce plastic bag litter from the 3.8 billion bags that Bay Area residents use each year. First, they’re asking us to be simply aware of the problem. Then, they’re asking us to each do something very simple: get reusable bags.

Now, if you’d like to do more, here’s what else:

1. Sign this petition to the Mayor to support a fee on single-use bags. Our neighbors in San Francisco already do!
2. Send an email to the Mayor. You can use this form, and type in your name. It’s that easy.
3. Come out to MLK Shoreline on Saturday, January 9th to help with a clean-up and planting native plants.