The PEA Pod, October 2008

From the Executive Director

PEA hosted a booth at Rock the Block in Winston-Salem last month. We had a lot of fun playing “Are You Greener than a Fifth Grader?” Few were. Only three people won a PEA tote bag by answering more questions correctly than our fifth-graders, most of whom were children of Board Members.

One of the questions posed to the contestants in our game was how to eat more sustainably at school. The choices included “have your Mother bring you a happy meal.” Clearly that was not the correct answer. The right choice was to take your lunch in a lunchbox. Another question asked why eating less meat was an eco-friendly choice. Our fifth-graders knew that the answer was because it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from methane.

Many of us recycle.. and use CFL bulbs.. and take our own bags to the grocery store. But are you eating sustainably? Fall is a great time to start by purchasing locally grown produce. I love visiting the Farmers’ markets this time of year, which are brimming with locally grown butternut and acorn squashes. Local apples are bountiful and delicious. This weather could not be better for picking cool season vegetables from my backyard garden – lettuce, radishes, spinach, carrots.

On October 23rd, PEA will host an Environmental Exchange on eating sustainably. Come learn how you can make a real difference in the sustainability of our planet just by doing what we all love to do – eating! It will be a special evening. I hope you will join us.

Terri E. LeGrand
Executive Director

PEA Annual Meeting and Environmental Exchange

“If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meat and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.” --Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

How to eat sustainably will be the topic of the fall Environmental Exchange and PEA Annual Meeting. The event will kick off with our PEA annual business meeting at 6:30 p.m. We will elect new members to our Board of Directors and hear a report from our Executive Director. All are welcome to attend, but only members can vote.

At 7:00 p.m. PEA will host a meet and greet at which you are invited to sample local foods from area establishments that offer sustainable menu choices. At 7:30, we will unveil an exciting new program, the PEA Partner Savings Program, and announce the Green Business of the Year and the PEA Volunteer of the Year.

All of this excitement will be followed by our keynote speaker, Jennifer Curtis, Executive Director of NC Choices, a nonprofit organization working to support the growth of sustainable food systems in N.C. Jennifer’s talk will be followed by time for Q&A and networking. The event will be held at the new “green” Family Services building, at 1200 S. Broad St. in Winston-Salem --located in the new Gateway Center at the intersection of Salem Ave. and S. Broad St. Their building is the first LEED-certified building in Forsyth County. Please plan to join us for the exciting, informative event.

2009 Piedmont Earth Day Fair Planning Underway

The organizing team for the 2009 Piedmont Earth Day Fair held its first planning meeting on September 3rd. The team celebrated the success of the 2008 Fair while setting ambitious goals for 2009. Goals for the 2009 Earth Day Fair include 7,500 visitors, 100+ booths, a Green Jobs Fair, a Green Cars Parade and expanded activities for children.

The 2009 Fair will be held on the campus of Wake Forest on April 18, 2009. We will register participants and volunteers through our website starting in November. This effort will help us to further reduce the ecological footprint of the Fair.

So what does it take to create the best Earth Day celebration in North Carolina? Enthusiastic volunteers, talented team members, generous sponsors – and good weather. Positions remain on our 2009 planning team. Join the team (email volunteer@peaNC.org) and help us make the Piedmont Earth Day Fair the best in the state.

Earth Day Fair Sponsorship Materials Available

We are putting the finishing touches on the Earth Day Fair sponsorship packet. If you would like to receive a copy, please email info@peaNC.org. We have a variety of sponsorship opportunities at varying levels. Thank you for supporting this important community event.

PEA to Launch Green Business Partner Savings Program at Annual Meeting

Come to our annual meeting to find out just what the PEA Partner Savings Program is all about. This program will connect community members with green-friendly businesses and organizations, while motivating consumers to use green products and services by offering them discounts. PEA Members can participate free, so come to the meeting Oct 23rd to get your special PEA Partner Savings card.

At the meeting, PEA will announce the growing list of participating “green” businesses. Come find out more about the exciting offers they are extending. Also, join with us in thanking the following sponsors, who donated time and resources to help us promote this exciting program:

• Graphic Printing Services (printing of cards and brochures)
• xpedx (100% post consumer recycled paper)
• Kirschner Agency (design/PR and marketing consultation)

Nomination Period Underway

Nominations to the Board of Directors of Piedmont Environmental Alliance are now being accepted. You may nominate yourself or any qualified member of the Piedmont Triad community. The nomination period ends on October 12, 2008. Five positions are open for election, including the position of Secretary to the Board. The board term is two years. Please contact Board Member Pam Stamper-Brandt at psbrandt@msn.com for more information on board position requirements and qualifications.

Welcome to Our New Organization Members

We appreciate the support of the following new business and non-profit members:

• Caffe Prada
• Deep Roots Market
• Digital HighPoint Graphics Solutions
• Doedreamers
• Graphics Printing Services
• Green Girl Gift Wrap
• Green Village Concepts
• Kirschner Agency
• NCFI Polyurethanes
• New Planet Yoga
• O Baby Organics
• Progress Environmental
• xpedx

Keep Your Eye on our Home Page

Did you know there are free state funds available to remove and cleanup unused, buried home heating oil tanks? Can you guess why there isn’t more solar power in NC? Are you familiar with the details of the proposed Winston-Salem tree ordinance? Answers to all these questions and more can be found on the PEA home page. Alerts and news bulletins change frequently, so add us to your bookmark favorites: www.peaNC.org

Not a Member Yet? Join Today!

Please join and become part of the solution for a sustainable future. To become a member, you may join on-line or download the membership form from our website and mail it to us. PEA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported solely by membership dues and donations.