Dream (Your Schools) in Green

On Friday, I attended the launch party for a new non-profit organization, Dream in Green. It was held at the new Karu restaurant and Y (bar). During this inaugural celebration, Dream in Green was also kicking off their first project, Green Schools Challenge.

From their press release:

Dream in Green, Miami’s new non-profit organization dedicated to promoting conservation, environmental sustainability and renewable energy, launched the “Green Schools Challenge” at Miami’s first zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions event, where the organization offset nearly 10,000 pounds of CO2 with 7,000 kilowatt hours of solar power credits. The Green Schools Challenge was developed in partnership with the City of Miami and seeks to involve K-12 students in energy conservation, waste reduction and recycling and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions.

I’m very excited about Dream in Green in general, and especially about the Green Schools Challenge. MAST Academy and Palmetto Senior High School have already signed up. These schools will work with Dream in Green to eco-ize their schools and educate their students on enviro-concepts. Simple concepts such as turning off lights when a room is not in use, and shutting down computers and printers in the afternoons will be implemented. Trees will be planted and the opportunity for classroom-related projects are endless.

This inaugural event was touted as Miami’s first carbon neutral event. We’ve talked about carbon neutrality here before. There are multiple ways of attacking this. Dream in Green purchased credits from Sterling Planet. With this purchase, they basically purchased local, Florida generated solar power to offset the carbon created by the event.

For more information: Dream in Green (website), Green Schools Challenge (pdf)

Thoughts on Karu & Y

Karu & Y have been holding invitation only events through August and September to prepare for their official October 10 public opening. We arrived from I-95, and were shocked to cross over actual tracks and see this incredible building that seemed like an oasis. On the eco-side of things, I was impressed that they had the dual flush toilets installed and motion-water sensors to both turn on and off the water faucets (normally it just turns the faucet on, leaving the off up to a timer). On the downside, it was way too cold in there. For more on the location, visit All Purpose Dark’s review of the Karu & Y.