Trash for Trees & S.A.V.E Fundraiser Saturday and more! / New Daily Habits!

Earth Day Fundraiser!
S.A.V.E. will be holding an Earth Day Fundraiser on April 25th from 6-9pm at Exploration Works featuring live music by Sassafras Stomp and silent auction by Clay Arts Guild.

Trash for Trees
Trash for Trees will be held from 9am-4pm at Northgate Plaza on Montana Avenue on Saturday, April 25th.

Business Recycling Route
To green your office sign up to be on our business recycling route at www.Savemobile.org/business.html or call us at 406.449.6008!

Energy Conservation Fair at Capitol!
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry will hold an Energy Conservation Fair at the Capitol on Earth Day, April 22nd from 9am-3pm.

Planet Earth Series at Carroll
S.A.V.E. will be playing the BBC's Planet Earth Series at Simperman Auditorium on the Carroll Campus from 7-9pm April 26th, May 3rd, and May 10th.

Legislative Update
An update on bills S.A.V.E. worked on as a primary proponent over the session.

Joint Resolution 28
A joint resolution requesting an interim study on recycling and solid waste recovery.

New Daily Habits!
The latest edition of Daily Habits can now be viewed online at www.Savemobile.org/dailyhabits.html.

New AmeriCorps and Summer Positions with S.A.V.E.
S.A.V.E. still has three summer AmeriCorps positions and one full-time AmeriCorps VISTA position open, visit http://www.savemobile.org/volunteerandwork.html if interested!


For more information on these stories, read below.


Earth Day Fundraiser!
Saturday, April 25th, S.A.V.E. will be holding an Earth Day celebration fundraiser. This event will be held from 6-9pm at Exploration Works in the Great Northern Town Center. This fundraiser will include a silent auction with the Clay Arts Guild, live music by Sassafras Stomp, recycling and policy information, beverages and snacks provided, with beer and wine for purchase. This fundraiser will be in support of our expanding plastic recycling program and events across Helena. We need continued community support as we build a more sustainable recycling program. The economic recession has caused major cuts in our commodity revenues.

Trash for Trees!
On Saturday, April 25th, S.A.V.E. along with Growing Friends of Helena will be holding Trash for Trees from 9am-4pm at Northgate Plaza on Montana Avenue. Items recycled at this event include newspapers, magazines, corrugated cardboard, glass, aluminum and steel cans, type 1 and 2 plastics, cell phones, print cartridges, and rechargeable batteries found in cell phones and power tools. The recycled items will raise money to support expanded recycling and planting trees across the community. Our next Plastics Drive will be May 1st-4th. Volunteers are needed for both events! Sign up at http://www.savemobile.org/volunteerandwork.html or give us a call at 406.449.6008!

Business Recycling Route
S.A.V.E. would like to announce the expansion of our business recycling route! We currently recycle corrugated cardboard, office paper and newspaper, glass, plastics, and aluminum for many businesses around town. If you are interested in greening your office sign up to be on our business recycling route at www.Savemobile.org/business.html or give us a call at
406.449.6008. Pick up fees are between $10 and $25 depending on amount recycled and frequency of pick ups. Bins can also be leased from us for the year!

Energy Conservation Fair at Capitol!
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry is proud to sponsor the 2009 Energy Conservation Fair including the latest energy saving technologies, representatives from solar and wind energy companies, insulation contractors, heating companies, Northwestern Energy, and more! Join us in the Capitol Rotunda from 9am-3pm on Earth Day, April 22nd! S.A.V.E. will be recycling at this event and also have our newest edition of Daily Habits and gray water and recycling information!

Planet Earth Series at Carroll
Throughout the month of April and into May, S.A.V.E. is also showing the BBC Planet Earth Series. Join us Sunday Evening April 26th, and May 3rd and 10th from 7-9pm at Simperman Auditorium on the Carroll College Campus. This amazing series takes you from pole to pole, deep in the ocean, to the tops of mountains and inside caves for an in depth look into our amazing planet Earth.

Legislative Update
S.A.V.E. worked on several bills this session, often as a primary proponent. With gray water, recycling, green building, and low carbon fuels, opportunities exist to continue working with rule-making, finding additional partners, and working with local governments. Governor Schweitzer signed or will sign the following bills that S.A.V.E. worked on: HB 285, authorize use of gray water in commercial and multifamily structures; HB 21, repeal termination date for recycling tax incentives; HB 416, exempt biodiesel made from vegetable oil from state road tax; HB 420, allow local governments to adopt incentive based energy conservation codes; SB 73, revise laws on medium-speed electric vehicles; and SB 424, control disposal of mercury thermostats. Joint Resolution 28, an interim study on recycling and solid waste in Montana, has recently passed through the House! At the end of the session, legislators rank all the studies by their priority. The top studies get selected and funded. Please let your legislator know you support this choice!

New Daily Habits!
Our latest edition of Daily Habits has just been printed and will be sent out to our mailing list and set out at businesses around town! This edition includes a Legislative Update, Upcoming Events, Information on an Online Technology Course, and an announcement of our expanded business recycling route! If you would like to view this online visit www.Savemobile.org/dailyhabits.html or sign up for our mail list by calling 406.449.6008 or visiting http://www.Savemobile.org/form.html.

Earth Day Helena 2007 a success!

Earth Day Helena 2007 a success! (quick link, to be expanded soon)

Huge thanks to all the volunteers, speakers, sponsors (links below), guest exhibits, and all the participants that made it Earth Day Helena 2007 a memorable success. Here are a few photo highlights, links to some of the print coverage, and tidbits from the days events. Special thanks to the City of Helena for making plastics recycling possible at the event, Montana Department of Transportation for providing a functioning exhibit to recycle mercury containing light bulbs, The Third Wheels, S.A.V.E. students of Carroll and the College for being our host, Scott Settle for providing beef for our barbecue (local organic), and, again all the volunteers who helped plan, setup, take down, run the plastics drive, and the rest.

The S.A.V.E. Awards:



Student Advocate of the Year: Tyler Evilsizer
S.A.V.E Legend (highest honor): Jason DeShaw

Sponsors:
Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO)
Montana Renewable Energy Association (MREA)
The Real Food Store
Saturn Resource Managemental
The S.A.V.E. Foundation, 501(c)(3)


Featured Speakers:
- Steve Loken
- Bob Raney
- George Ochenski
- Senator John Brueggeman

Activities:
- Opening Music, The Recycling Games (Youth Activity), Slack Line Competition by ClimbHelena.com, Plastics Recycling, The Third Wheels of Helena, and environmental exhibits.


Articles (more added soon):
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/04/19/outdoors/c02041907_02.txt

More photos of Earth Day Helena 2007 here

Celebrate Earth Day! by Charlie Speicher

Celebrate Earth Day

by Charlie Speicher

In 1970, a few concerned yet passionate individuals joined forces to create the first annual Earth Day. This newly created holiday was to be set aside as a day, amongst other things, to reflect on the impact that humans have upon the earth. It’s also a day which allows us to highlight ways of ensuring that future generation’s quality of life will not be inhibited by our actions in the present. In the spirit of those original Earth Day pioneers, The S.A.V.E. Foundation will be hosting Helena’s annual Earth Day festivities on Sunday, April 22nd at the outdoor commons area of Carroll College from 12 to 4 p.m.

For the past several years, The S.A.V.E. Foundation has held similar Earth Day celebrations in Helena. This year will be no different as S.A.V.E. has gathered a remarkable lineup of speakers, musicians, exhibits, and festivities for the day’s events. This year’s speakers include Steve Loken, a nationally recognized Alternative Building Specialist from Missoula; Senator John Brueggeman, one of Montana’s strongest bio-diesel advocates; Bob Raney, a member of the Public Service Commission and tireless advocate for a clean environment; and George Ochenski, a widely published Montana writer and adventurer.

Local exhibits on conservation will be provided by groups such as the Alternative Energy Resource Organization, Montana Renewable Energy Association, NorthWestern Energy, and several other groups to display key environmental issues facing Montana today. Also, S.A.V.E. will be collecting Type1 and 2 plastics to be recycled throughout the day’s events.

Local musical talent The Third Wheels will be taking the stage at 2:30 with their eclectic blend of booty shaking soul, reggae, and Americana. The ClimbHelena organization will be in attendance as well unveiling their first annual slack-line competition for all brave attendees to participate. Prizes will be awarded to the most successful slack-liners.

While Earth Day is a time to celebrate what we can all do in terms of environmental stewardship, this year will also celebrate some of the proactive legislation that will benefit Montana's environment. Three bills in particular including Senate Bill 449, which will increase the efficiency of state-owned vehicles; SB 185, which creates a new category of electric vehicle to be used by urban residents; House Bill 259, which will legalize the use of grey water systems to conserve household water; and House Bill 555, which will create an education program to help facilitate electronic waste recycling. “These are very simple yet effective bills that allow important conservation choice to take place in Montana,” says S.A.V.E. Director Matt Elsaesser, who was S.A.V.E.'s Co-lobbyist with student intern Tyler Evilsizer of Carroll College. "Our niche this session was legislation that connected us to positive choices for the environment," said Evilsizer, a junior in political science. "This will be another great Earth Day with that same positive message and a fun time for all ages."


For more information regarding this years Earth Day events or SAVE news in general, please visit www.Savemobile.org.

Charlie Speicher is a Board Member of The Student Advocates for Valuing the Environment Foundation, a Helena based non-profit that promotes recycling and environmental stewardship. Charlie is Senior at Carroll College majoring in Environmental Studies.