The PEA Pod, October 2011

Nominate Your Favorite Green Business 

Is there a business that inspires you to take action and reduce your impact on the planet?  Nominate them for the PEA “Green Business of the Year” award.  Each year this award is given to a business in the Piedmont Triad area that is helping our community to be more sustainable by selling eco-friendly goods or services, adopting green business practices and supporting Piedmont Environmental Alliance and the Piedmont community.  We will honor one of our eco-directory members at our Annual Meeting on November 10, so take a look at the eco-directory and let us know your favorite.  

To nominate a business please send the business name, a brief description of why you think they deserve to be nominated, and your contact information in case we have any questions, to Amy at aoves@peaNC.org.  Check out our eco-directory for potential nominations. 

The 2012 Piedmont Earth Day Fair Planning Team Has Kicked Off 

The first official meeting of the Piedmont Earth Day Fair planning team was a great success with enthusiastic volunteers and many great ideas.  The 7^th Annual Piedmont Earth Day Fair will be held Saturday, April 28, 2012 at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds in Winston-Salem.  The success of the Fair depends on many volunteers just like you.  If you are interested in being part of the planning, there are still a few coordinator positions open.  Plus, we welcome “helpers” in any of these key areas: food, marketing, children’s programming, logistics, set-up and diversity recruitment.  For more information on the positions still open and how to get involved, visit our Volunteer page.

Meeting Space Needed

The Earth Day Fair Team is looking for space to hold their meetings.  The meeting space must accommodate up to 25 around a table(s) and be located in Winston-Salem.  Meetings are held on weekday evenings from 7-8:30, once a month. The team meets Oct-April.  If you have space available you are willing to lend us, please email jloew@peaNC.org.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will speak at Wait Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University on Thursday, November 3, at 7:00pm.  Kennedy has been a champion for environmental issues throughout the United States, Canada, and Latin America.  He is a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and President of Waterkeeper Alliance.  For his success in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River, Kennedy was named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet.”  Mr. Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University and has a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School and a Masters Degree in Environmental Law from Pace University School of Law.  Click for more information 

Business Spotlight-Dry Cleaning Station is Moving 

Dry Cleaning Station, a long time supporter of PEA and the Triad’s only cleaner using the environmentally friendly GreenEarth® Cleaning solvent (www.greenearthcleaning.com), is moving to 133 Oakwood Drive (the corner of Oakwood and Cloverdale Ave) in Winston-Salem.  The move will enable them to offer same day service and a drive-thru lane.  Dry Cleaning Station uses a liquid silicone that is biodegradable, hypoallergenic, and odorless.  Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it is gentle on clothes.  Owners Gray and Bill Patton were awarded by the County Commissioners and the Environmental Affairs Board of Forsyth County a Special Environmental Award for “investing in environmentally responsible technology, significantly reducing adverse environmental impacts and providing the citizens of Forsyth County a safe dry cleaning alternative.”  If you aren’t already using Dry Cleaning Station as your cleaner, PEA encourages you to give them a try.  PEA members receive 5% off every order.  (Remember you must show your membership card to get a discount.  Offer excludes specialty items and cannot be combined with other offers.)  For more information on Dry Cleaning Station, go to www.carolinagreenclean.com.   

Individual and Group Volunteers Needed for Habitat Green Build 

Individual and group opportunities are available to help build an advanced Green Home with Habitat for Humanity. No construction experience is necessary - only a willingness to help, learn, and have fun.  The house will include new sustainable products, construction methods, and practices that might be used on more Habitat homes in the future.  Two-story architecture, thicker and better-insulated walls, advanced design windows and heating and cooling systems are just a few of the exciting eco-friendly approaches being used. Construction starts later in October and will be completed early next year. Can you volunteer a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday to work on the project which is located in north Winston-Salem just off of 52 near Germanton Road?  Or better yet, can you organize a team of 8 to 12 volunteers from your organization for a day or two?    Please contact Sherry Flynn at sherry.flynn@habitatforsyth.org or (336) 765-8854 ext. 105. Mention that you are a PEA volunteer.