The Following story comes to us from our vendor member Patagonia. They are on the front lines of working for corporate environmental consciousness and this is an interesting take on the waste that is produced by all of us using offices and computers each day and an effort they took part in last month.

Read on...

Anthony Garcia from Patagonia Ventura's I.T. department, shares this story about an e-waste collection day he coordinated back in July:

Think back to the day you walked into the office and those nice folks from the I.T. department had visited your desk during the night. What do you see in front of you but a new computer and the latest and greatest flat-screen monitor. You are in heaven as you mouse around and are amazed at the speed of the computer and the vibrant colors of the new screen. Fast forward three maybe four years: oh, how that feeling has changed. You wonder how you are expected to get anything done on this dinosaur of a computer they have you working on. And how are you supposed to see any detail on this tiny 17” screen? Don’t they know that you are going to need at least a 22” flat screen to keep from straining your eyes?

Such is the life expectancy of new computer equipment. It’s a scenario that happens day-in and day-out at tens of thousands of offices around the world, and the same one that I am faced with working in the I.T. department at Patagonia. Granted, we do our best to extend that lifespan as long as we possibly can, and we probably get more years out of our computer equipment than most companies do. [Ed’s note: I can attest to that.] Eventually though, that computer system does have to be discarded.

What happens to the old stuff once the I.T. folks come to your desk and replace your computer equipment? Does it end up in landfills across the country? Does it end up stockpiled in warehouses of companies that have no idea how they are ever going to get rid of tons of what is now known as “e-waste?” According to Wired, e-waste “often ends up in landfills or incinerators instead of being recycled. And that means toxic substances like lead, cadmium and mercury that are commonly used in these products can contaminate the land, water and air.” Similarly, a USA Today article warns, “Items collected at free events are sometimes destined for salvage yards in developing nations, where toxins spill into the water, the air and the lungs of laborers paid a few dollars per day to extract materials.”

Recently, one of our sales reps brought me a very interesting recording of a Public Broadcasting System presentation by one of their favorite personalities, Huell Howser. In this episode, Huell featured a company out of Los Angeles, Ease E-Waste, that collects electronic waste from businesses like ours. Once gathered, they crush and pulverize the electronics into what looks like sand. The original materials -- copper, plastic, glass, and even gold -- are then separated using centrifugal force and sold on the open market. In a sense, this is the new version of “strip mining” via unwanted electronic waste.

In addition to disposing of our corporate waste in this manner, I felt it would be great if we gave our employees the opportunity to do the same thing. If my garage was any indication of the amount of e-waste that a home can collect over the years (radios, TV, toaster ovens), the event would be pretty popular. On July 18, Patagonia hosted a visit from Ease E-waste for our Ventura-based employees to drop off unneeded electronic waste. The truck drove into the parking lot at 8:00 am, and two minutes later, they had a delivery. By 8:05 there were already computers, printers and a TV stacked up in the truck; we were off to a great start. The truck sat in the parking lot until 10:30 am and there was a steady stream of deposits, filling up half of a very large truck.

Overall, the event was a huge success.

Big thanks to Anthony and everyone in the I.T. department for everything you do to keep us connected and working efficiently.

Midwest Mountaineering has announced recipients of their Environmental Grants Program.  Midwest has long committed to donate 10% of  pre-tax profits to environmental causes that they support. This is the first year employees of Midwest Mountaineering have voted to decide on the funding.  Owner Rod Johnson said of the grants this year, “We support their efforts and enjoy the benefits of their programs and hope you will, too!  These are the people who make sure we keep our outdoor treasures for future generations.”

Recipients of Midwest Environmental Grants
• The Conservation Alliance – www.conservationalliance.com
• Eco-Education – www.ecoeducation.org
• Kinnickinnic River Land Trust – www.kinniriver.org
• Lonnie Dupre – www.lonniedupre.com
• Mississippi Whitewater Park – www.whitewaterpark.canoe-kayak.org
• North Country Trail Association – www.northcountrytrail.org
• U of MN Raptor Center – www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu
• Superior Hiking Trail Association – www.shta.org

Midwest is passionate about these causes and about promoting outdoor recreation in general.  Each year Midwest host’s two Adventure Expos (April & November) and many clinics, sales and trips to support outdoor enthusiasts in Minneapolis.  The most recent Spring Expo yielded 60 Exhibitors, over 60 Presentations, and a screening of the Banff Film Festival.  Beyond special events, Midwest has its own climbing cave, open daily and encourages climbers with special programs like  Bouldering Divas! 

At the Winter Adventure Expo in November, Midwest is proud to announce that they will have Dr. John Francis as a key speaker.  Dr. John Francis, is an environmentalist best known as for his actions famously lived without car transportation for over 17 years and started Planet Walk in 1982.  He was recently profiled in Backpacker Magazine, and spoke at The Conservation Alliance Breakfast this past winter.

For more about Midwest Mountaineering go to their website http://www.midwestmtn.com.

For more on owner Rod Johnson see his profile in Outdoor Business Magazine.

Rock/Creek and Greenlife is proud to present a special private viewing of the IMAX film, Grand Canyon Adventure 3D, River at Risk. The event is scheduled for Thursday, July 17th. Proceeds from the night will benefit the Tennessee Aquarium's conservation programs. In addition to full admission film, tickets include complementary Atlanta brewed Sweetwater Beer and hors d'oeuvres from local grocer Greenlife. The event begins at 6:30 with a welcome reception in the IMAX Theater's lobby . The theater is located at 201 Chestnut Street. The private showing of the 3D film will follow the reception. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Rock/Creek's North Shore location and at neighboring Greenlife Grocery. Both are located in the Two North Shore shopping plaza on Manufacturers Road.

The spectacular film, Grand Canyon Adventure 3D, is featured worldwide in select IMAX 3D Theaters and is produced by Macgillivray Freeman, the world's largest distributer of giant screen films. The film showcases the stunning aerials and unique action sequences that millions of Freeman followers have come to adore. Like other Freeman Films, Grand Canyon Adventure pulls the viewer into the heart of one of the world's richest and most awe inspiring ecosystems. For this particular film, the viewer is introduced to some of the perils that face the Earth's most fragile life support system, its great rivers.

Once one of the world's mightiest rivers, the Colorado is currently under threat of overdevelopment and unsustainable resource use. Today agriculture and development intercept the the river before its natural journey to the Gulf of California is complete. The once expansive Colorado River Delta is now only a trickle and supports but a fraction of the diverse plant and animal species it once did. Grand Canyon Adventure follows environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., anthropologist and author Wade Davis, and their two daughters as they navigate the waters of the Colorado River through the 277 mile long Grand Canyon. The goal: to bring awareness to the treats that the Colorado River, and many of the world's other rivers, face.

In addition to the visual and auditory thrills that viewers have come to expect from IMAX films, audiences will learn how they can help threated rivers through conservation and restoration projects. With impassioned narration by Robert Redford and music by multi-Grammy Award winning Dave Mathews Band, the film promises to stimulate the environmental fervor within outdoor recreational users, conservationists and film fanatics of all types.

This special event is a unique opportunity for Chattanoogan residents to simultaneously support both the Tennessee and Colorado Rivers. Area residents are well familiar with the value of protecting the life sustaining capabilities of America's grandest rivers. News stories, such as Atlanta's drought and current water crisis, highlight this fact. In addition to its role as a major attraction for both Chattanoogan residents and visiting tourists, the Tennessee Aquarium serves as one of the region's most effective education and conservation based organizations. For more information on the efforts of the aquarium and how you can get involved locally, check out the Tennessee Aquarium online.

Rock/Creek and Greenlife's private event is scheduled for one night only; don't miss this chance to support the majestic rivers that make your life, and the life of all other species on this planet, possible. Tickets are limited, so be sure to stop by Rock/Creek or Greenlife to guarantee your entry into the film today.

CCC receives 2008 Access Fund Grant, 1% For the Planet and Triple Crown Donation!

The 1% For the Planet Program made a $1500 donation on behalf of Travel Country Outdoors.  This unique program allows Patagonia retailers to designate awardees who are actively working to preserve, conserve and protect natural resources.

In Spring 2008, the CCC received an Access Fund Grant for $6,000 towards the Laurel Knob Project.  The Access Fund has been behind the landmark purchase of Laurel Knob since the start, both in financial and moral support.  The CCC wants to publicly thank the Access Fund for this recent award.  Folks should join the Access Fund with confidence that they are bringing it home to the local level.

Just this week, Chad Wykle and Jim Horton, the Organizer Extraordinaires of the Triple Crown, stepped up with a $1,000 donation from the SCC and the Triple Crown to kick-off the “Playing for the Payoff” event.  The Triple Crown is recognized as one of the leading grass-roots events in the US for raising money that promotes climbing access.  We are psyched that these NC gents do what they do and bring it back to all of us.  Many thanks!!

To date, the CCC owes roughly $29,000 on the Laurel Knob bridge loans. (The ‘roughly’ is due to the changing timeframe of the interest.) The CCC greatly appreciates the generosity of both the Access Fund and the 1% For the Planet Program who are giving back.  These monies will lower the overall bridge loan balance to around $20,500.

There is still a lot of work to be done to dissolve these loans.  Watch for more info on the CCC sponsored event “Playing for the Payoff” on July 19th, the upcoming 2009 CCC Calendar and other local fund raisers.  Check the Events and Meetings forum often!

To support Carolina Climbers Coalition in all of the projects they are working on, go to http://www.carolinaclimbers.org