Sustainable Fairfax

Bringing people together to support a vital environment and thriving community

Maya Butterfield

All Natural Scrubbing Cleanser

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There’s no need to buy harsh toxic cleansers to have sparkling clean porcelain, stainless steel, ceramics (mugs, dishes, knobs and basins), grout and counters. Use the simple recipe below for an all-natural scrubbing cleanser:

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  • 1 1/2 c baking soda (more or less as needed)
  • 1/2 cup biodegradable liquid laundry detergent or soap.
  • 10 drops of disinfecting natural oil, such as grapefruit seed, lavendar, or tea tree oils. If adding more than a total of 10 drops, increase the baking soda slightly to keep consistency.

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Mix wet ingredients first, then add baking soda slowly until it makes stiff peaks. If needed, add water to make the cleanser more fluid. Store in an airtight container. If the mixture dries out in storage, mix in small quantities of water until the right consistency is achieved.

Rub cleanser on surfaces with a clean sponge or damp rag. Rinse, then polish with a dry rag.

Announcing the Third Annual Streets for People

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When: Sunday, August 31, 2014 11:00am-4:00pm
Where: Bolinas between Broadway & Elsie Lane, Fairfax

The Third Annual “Fairfax Streets for People” is taking place on Sunday, August 31. Join us for a fun and relaxing Sunday afternoon on Bolinas Road in downtown Fairfax without cars! The blocks on Bolinas Road between Broadway and Elsie Lane will be open to community members of all ages for activities, games, dancing, yoga, live music, tea, shopping, food and fun, all in a car-free environment.

So Much to See and Do

There’s going to be a lot of action on the street! Make sure to catch:

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  • The Youth Music Showcase
  • The Strider Adventure Zone by Krakatoa
  • Clothing Swap by LoLa’s
  • Hair braiding booth by Hairfax
  • Make Your Own Sushi by chef Christin Anderson
  • An outdoor cafe by the Coffee Roastery
  • A tea garden by Herban Garden
  • Tacos in the Street by Grilly’s
  • Free hot dogs by Gestalt
  • Pet adoption by For Paws
  • The Bubble Man
  • A raffle for $50 worth of Scoop ice cream
  • Henna by Culture Shock

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… as well as Yoga, Belly Dancing, Break Dancing and Acro Yoga in the street.

In Bolinas Park, there will be free Yoga, Qi Gong and Tai Chi classes. We’ll be posting the schedule soon!

Keeping Fairfax A People-Powered Community

Streets for People is modeled after the successful Ciclovia weekly Sunday open streets event that started in Bogata, Columbia over 30 years ago. Hundreds of cities and towns around the world and across the US now feature their own versions of car-free weekends.

In the words of City Repair, the vision behind open streets events is “to take back the public realm and create memorable beautiful vibrant places where people want to gather and participate in the community.”

Fairfax’s Streets for People is a collaboration of Sustainable Fairfax, The Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, and the Fairbuck.

 

 

The Sustainable Garden is Flourishing

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The Sustainable volunteer crew was out this weekend putting the final touches on the paths and installing the first round of plants at the Sustainable Garden at the Women’s Club Building (46 Park Road). Thanks to all the volunteers who turned out, and special thanks to Christian Douglas of The Backyard Farm Company for all of the hard work and expertise!

Our accomplishments this weekend include:

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  • Spreading the last of the decomposed granite for the path
  • Compacting the decomposed granite
  • Finishing the field stone edging and repairing the cobblestone pavers of the patio
  • Planting 50+ native and low-water plants!

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Stop by and check out our progress!

Streets for People Modeled After Ciclovia

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Also published in the San Anselmo-Fairfax PATCH, August 23, 2012

The upcoming “Streets for People” in Fairfax this Sunday is an event modeled after a successful car-free program in Colombia. Ciclovia is a program that started in Bogota, Colombia more than 30 year ago. Every Sunday, 70 miles of roadway are closed, allowing two million participants to safely ride bicycles, walk, dance, eat and celebrate the city free from cars.

Gil Penalosa, one of Ciclovia’s founders describes such events as “releasing the energy of the streets back to the people.” Hundreds of cities around the world now feature their own versions of car-free weekends, including San Francisco’s Sunday Streets.

Sustainable Fairfax, the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Fairfax and Fairbuck are collaborating to bring Streets to People to Fairfax. Bolinas Road between Broadway and Elsie Lane will­­ be closed to traffic, providing residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy shopping, outdoor dining, live music, and activities for children. Local businesses will provide free services including back-to-school haircuts, mini-bicycle tune-ups, street photo portraits, dance and yoga.

According to Renee Goddard, the creator of the Fairfax event, the goal is to “create community resiliency and positive spirit, while celebrating what makes Fairfax unique.” The concept of placemaking is an important aspect of the event which Goddard describes as “creating beautiful and vibrant places within the urban environment.” The event will feature a street mandala, and a demo of a street parklet (parking spots transformed into small urban parks).

“The Scoop and the benches outside are an excellent example of the positive effects of making a place for people. I think many folks would describe sitting outside the Scoop eating ice cream watching children park their bikes at the rack and enjoying shopping at the Variety Store as one of the happiest places to be in town,” Goddard said.

Streets for People will bring the same spirit to downtown Fairfax.

The event is expected to generate business for local shops as well. Studies show that local businesses benefit from increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic along the routes. This event will provide a model for how cities can make space to provide healthy, environmentally-friendly outdoor activities alongside shopping and dining opportunities for residents and visitors.

To learn more about the event, or to volunteer for the event, please visit www.sustainablefairfax.org, or join the event on Facebook.

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Label GMO Symposium

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50 Countries, Including China, Label Their GMO’s – Why Not Us?

Despite polls that indicate Americans overwhelmingly want GMO foods labeled, the USDA continues to allow their production and sale without labeling or adequate testing. On November 6th, 2012, Californians will have the chance to vote YES, on CA Proposition 37 ‘Our Right to Know-Label GMO’s’.

Come find out what is happening with GMOs and why we should be concerned! An outstanding panel of experts on GMO technologies will discuss how recombinant DNA are affecting our health & environment, and what we can do politically.

Cost: Recommended $10-$20 Donation at the door.

Schedule:

6:30 pm- Meet & Greet- Interactive tables with speakers and local community groups

7:30 pm- Panel discussion followed by music from acclaimed singer Maria Muldaur

Guests include:

  • Claire Cummings, Environmental Lawyer and author of “Uncertain Peril”
  • Jeffrey Smith, author of “Seeds of Deception” & “Genetic Roulette”
  • Pamm Larry, Leader of the California GMO Labeling Initiative
  • Maria Muldaur, renowned singer/performer
  • Moderator, Robin Carpenter, KWMR Radio Talk-show Host

For more information, contact (415) 454-9898.

Home-Scale Energy Independence

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Check out the below resources on home-scale energy independence.

The Marin Solar Program by the County of Marin: http://www.marinsolar.org

Clean Energy Authority: http://www.cleanenergyauthority.com/solar-rebates-and-incentives/california/  Provides an overview of local incentive programs.

Home Power Magazine: http://www.homepower.com/
The magazine’s mission is to change the way people generate and use energy and reduce the use of polluting fossil fuels replace with infinite supplies of renewable energy.