ASU wants REAL food.

Crossing the dusty deserts of the Southwest, comes an organization caravanning their way to Tempe. Stopping at the ASU campus this weekend, on February 11th to the 13th, the grassroots organization, Real Food Challenge, plans on hosting a summit for college students and faculty to advocate for a change in the university food system.

Through the voices of local food producers and student leaders, Real Food Challenge builds support for their cause as they trek across the nation seeking to educate vegetarians, omnivores, and especially the carnivores of this country about the processes and influences of corporate food. They demonstrate their belief in “real” food for students, by showing universities how to shift their budgets away from large corporations and junk food and instead implement locally farmed and wholesome goods to create a more sustainable and healthier food system for its students.

The upcoming Regional Southwest Sustainable Food Summit consists of speeches from the movement and youth leaders, interactive workshops, and an Opportunities Fair populated by Fair Trade and local food representatives. Three days will be spent talking over healthier choices for eating, smarter ways to purchase food, and developing a more cohesive understanding of the companies who control the food served in universities and across the country. Feel like securing a spot? Click here to join in on the fun:  http://realfoodchallenge.org/Southwest

Thank you to Clean Air Cabs for taking interest in the actions of ASU campus and helping to spread the word!

Story by: Sharyn Tom
Social Medial Intern
Beyond Green

Your Newest Green Team Intern--->

Greetings Cab Riders and Drivers!

I’m Sharyn, a local ASU Business Sustainability student and I’m here as a personal blogger to help maintain the online community here at Clean Air Cab. In addition to giving the website a youthful twist, I’ll also be reporting and photographing the ways in which Clean Air Cabs is helping to solve and address the environmental issues affecting Tempe.

Be on the lookout for my follow-up story about the Sustainability Summit that's happening at ASU this upcoming weekend!

Also, feel free to leave me comments regarding story ideas or other issues you want to see publicized here on the blog!

Wait, did I just see Clean Air Cab?

You probably did, we are the adorable little blue and green cabs (and sometimes other fun colors depending on the charity the cab was designed for) that are actually comfortable, clean, and environmentally friendly Prius state-of-the art vehicles.

Clean Air Cab will not only be seen on the road, but soon it will be featured on the tv show, Destination Arizona, which airs Saturdays at 2:30 pm.

if you have ever wondered what the on-set filming of an interview looks like...

Here it is, there is expensive film equipment and a hip setup.

 Just to make the shot cooler, you should take a cab driver and dress him up like he is a Sheriff in a John Wayne movie. Everybody, meet Baldo~ cab driver and mechanic extraordinaire.

 This is Lauren Burgoyne, the hostess of Destination Arizona, featured with Pablo, her talking pinata.

 Back to the serious nature of filming. You have to drive a white van and have a few more expensive camera, along with reverse umbrellas to capture the best lighting. Don't we look professional?

Olivia, holding the baby, like a baby sitter; Brandy, making phone calls, like a boss.

 We brought Lily because we thought this could be her first real break in the film industry, and she is our good luch charm, and the camera loves her.

 This is Lily loving nature, something we really admire here at Clean Air Cab.

 This is Clean Air Cab's multi-colored fleet;

 not only are the causes behind each of these cabs beautiful, but this is the first time all of our specialty cabs have ever been in the same place, at the same time.

We just wanted to tell you all thankyou, for making this dream a reality.

 You can't see it, but in this picture, all the cabs were in a single line and it was a beautiful sight.

This picture is symbolic in the fact that while our eyes our forward, we remember the past and the journey taken in order to get where we are today.

 Arizona State University, Susan G. Komen, Mesa United Way, Make a Wish, and Phoenix Children's Hospital... along with our everyday cab just trying to make a difference.

 We just wanted to remind you what a beautiful concept we have,

 and how that concept can make a difference,

 like sending someone to get a higher education, or fight a disease, or build a community.

Overall, we determined that the filming session was a success and we want you to be part of it, become part of the solution,

and that's a wrap.

photos by Kylie Johnson

Earth Trivia

 

How much do you know about the planet you live on?

 

Earth is mostly iron, oxygen and silicon 

Our planet is 32.1 % iron, 30.1% oxygen, 15.1% silicon, and 13.9% magnesium. Most of this iron is located at the core of the Earth, which is roughly 88% iron.





70% of Earth's surface is covered in water

The planet Earth doesn't actually take 24 hours to rotate on its axis.

 ( It’s roughly 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. )                                   

One year on Earth is NOT 365 days 

 A year on earth is really 365.2564 days. This extra .2564 days is why there was the creation of "leap year," the addition of one day, every 4 years, in the month of February.

The Earth has one moon and two additional asteroids locked into co-orbital orbits 

These two asteroids are called 3753 Cruithne and 2002 AA₂₉. 3753 Cruithne is 5 km across, and referred to as Earth’s second moon. It doesn’t actually orbit the Earth, but has a synchronized orbit with our home planet.

Only 3% of Earth's water is fresh, while the other 97% is salted 

Of that 3%, over 2% is frozen in ice sheets and glaciers. Means less than 1% fresh water is found in lakes, rivers and underground.

The world's deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1557

 It was located in central China, more than 830,000 people were killed.

Angel Falls in Venezuela is the worlds highest waterfall  

The water of Falls drops 3,212 feet (979 meters).

...whoops, wrong Vulcan....

The origin of the word "volcano" is derives from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.

there we go, there's that Roman god of fire

The Peshtigo fire was the worst recorded forest fire in North American history.

On the evening of October 8, 1871, it raged through Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, destroying millions of dollars worth of property and timberland, and taking between 1,200 and 2,400 lives. It is said to have been so hot, that it turned sand into glass.

There now you know 10 more facts about the planet your reside on. May you continue to learn more, in order to preserve the natural beauty all around us and become part of the solution.

The Resolutions

So the New Year has come and gone, and so have the in-laws.... and if they haven't you can just call one of our cabs and we will whisk them away for you.

This new year marks the time of rebirth, revitalizations, and.... resolutions.

This year Clean Air Cab's goal isn't to lose weight, in fact, we wouldn't mind a little growth.

We want to become a larger part of the community.

We want to provide more jobs.

We want to plant more trees.

We want to give better service.

We want to be part of the solution, your solution for this next upcoming year.

Heralding in the New Year

Another year has come and gone, and in commemoration of that we present this poem by Joanna Fuchs,




New Year’s Reflections



Looking back on the months gone by,
As a new year starts and an old one ends,
We contemplate what brought us joy,
And we think of our loved ones and our friends.



Recalling all the happy times,
Remembering how they enriched our lives,
We reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.



And when we ponder those who do,
we immediately think of you. ~Joanna Fuchswww.poemsource.com



From Clean Air Cab we would like to thank you for being one of the reasons we will have a Happy New Year! 

We would like to thank you for being part of the solution, and for all the support you have shown our little local company.

 We thank you for helping the children at the Phoenix Children's hospital,

 those fighting Breast cancer,

your local community through Mesa United Way,

 the sick children at Make-a-Wish foundation,

and the college students at Arizona State University.

 We are grateful you helped us help the environment, and that we were able to plant large quantities of trees~ so we can not only make a difference today, but also tomorrow.

 

Let's talk trash (seriously!)

 Today, Clean Air Cab's blog has the pleasure of having a guest writer from Arizona State University. Danielle Barrs is a junior in Earth and Environmental Studies with a minor in Sustainability. She just transferred to ASU this past August from a University in Montreal, Canada. Danielle was born in the United States but grew up in Canada, and in so doing, was blessed with dual citizenship. Her most recent accomplishment was volunteering for the World Wildlife Fund of Canada doing business outreach for Sweater Day and Earth Hour. She did a blog post concerning her volunteering experience that you can read here. Currently She is working with Environmental Health and Safety at ASU on a project called Green Labs/Green Offices which encourages labs and offices across campus to become "green certified" and more sustainable, through a checklist of accomplishments and regulations. Without further ado, I give you Danielle's thoughts on the plastic Island, recycling, and our part in it all...

We all know that ocean currents are responsible for climate change phenomena like El Nino and La Nina (well if you didn’t before, you do now), but did you know that it is also responsible for an island of floating debris in the middle of the Pacific Ocean called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Of course, the currents can’t shoulder all of the responsibility, now can they? In the United State alone, approximately 65 lbs. of plastic per person is dumped into landfills every year, and only 5% of that ever gets recycled.

            The ocean is especially vulnerable to plastic pollution for many reasons. Because most plastic floats near the surface, it is often mistaken for food by birds and fish. Oceanographer Charles J. Moore recently discovered a fourth month old albatross chick (below) with a full stomach of cigarette lighters, bottle caps, and other trash on a Northwestern Hawaiian Island called Kure Atoll.

Also, plastic - like diamonds - are forever! Traditional plastics do not biodegrade, meaning organisms cannot break them down. Sunlight breaks the material down as far as specs of plastic dust, but it still persists in the environment.

            There are plenty of corporates that aren’t helping these types of environmental tragedies either. Just last month, Coca Cola was blamed for halting plans to ban the sale of plastic water bottles in the Grand Canyon, probably due to their role as a Dasani bottled water manufacturer and distributor. Need I bring up the Exxon-Valdez and BP Oil Spills or The Love Canal chemical waste dump?
            Are these events unfortunate? Yes. Are they irreversible? Maybe. Are they uncontrollable? No. The good news is, there are plenty of things that we as individuals can do on a daily basis to help control, regulate, and manage all kinds of environmental pollutants. Need some ideas? Well that’s what I’m here for!

1. Make smart consumer choices! Opt for a stainless steel canteen instead of the conventional plastic water bottle. For avid hikers, attach a carabiner to hook on to your bag for extra portability.

2. Join a great cause! Every September The World Wildlife Fund assembles The Great Shoreline Cleanup to encourage shoreline rehabilitation areas through annual litter cleanups.

3. Get involved with your school! Arizona State University has recently launched a Green Labs/Green Offices program aimed at encouraging labs and offices across campus to become "green certified" and more sustainable through a checklist of guidelines and accomplishments.

4. Give back! Treasures 4 Teachers is an organization that collects unwanted (but reusable) materials and makes them available to teachers at  little to no cost, relying on the generosity of the community to continue to do so.

5. Stay informed! Environmental blogs such as TreeHugger, Planet Forward, and EnviroLite provide great mediums to stay connected with environmental current events.

Become Part of the Solution.