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Eric Corey Freed, architect and author of Green Building for Dummies, met with The Real Story at West Coast Green at Fort Mason in San Francisco last month. Eric likens his role as an architect to a “filter”, someone responsible for pulling from his clients not just what they want, but what they need. He is designing homes as distinctive as his clients and their families, and he is introducing traditional green principles—using wind for cooling, the sun for heat, straw bales for wall construction—to a generation that is much more turned on to living in balance with the planet’s needs.

Historic architectural styles? Eric isn’t interested in recreating the past when there is so much to do right now to enhance lives. When asked if he is espousing the creation of “healthy homes”, his answer is that if we have to go out of our way and create a new standard of architecture to save ourselves from the obvious corollary—unhealthy homes–then we are in deep.

Eric’s practice in San Francisco is called the Organic Architect; his website describes his practice’s values as “sustainable design, unique vision and innovative creativity.”  Download today’s interview here or at iTunes; The Real Story will be talking with Eric all week.

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It looks like the future of California policymaking may be more collaborative and less like silos—according to California Energy Commissioner Anthony Eggert, the CEC is working with such federal departments as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation not only to talk about today’s standards, but to also envision the next steps for the state, 2017 through 2025.

SB 375 is a piece of legislation that goes a long way toward bringing together different cities to think regionally about land use, transportation, and environmental goals—and to see how the decisions of one group affect the others. Anthony says that as local governments see the “co-benefits” as the return on their time and intellect, that the state may well see more of a move toward going above and beyond legislation, instead of simply meeting the requirement. For an interesting tour of the state of California, as seen through the eyes of its Energy Commission, check out: www.energy.ca.gov.

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State Energy Commissioner Anthony Eggert talked to The Real Story about some of the new products and technologies that are changing the way Californians get around town, to their jobs, and deliver their kids to school. With automakers as diverse as Nissan and Tesla bringing new electric vehicles to the consumer market, we are going to be seeing plug-in vehicles and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles on the local roadways. The diversity of consumer profiled within the state means that there is plenty of room for technological innovation, says Anthony.

Won’t these plug-in vehicles drain energy from the very grid that we are trying NOT to overload? According to Anthony, the new vehicles can be charged in off-peak periods, which actually helps integrate such non-solar energy sources as wind energy. The main thing to keep in mind, he says, is that the state is supporting transportation energy options as we move ahead.

A series of celebrations in honor of El Dia de Los Muertos—Day of the Dead—kicks off this weekend and lasts through early November. This annual Mesoamerican holiday, officially marked on November 2nd  (yes, ELECTION DAY!), honors departed ancestors and loved ones with altars of remembrance, processions to celebrate life, music and feasting.

This Saturday, October 23, The Oakland Museum of California will hold its popular Community Celebrations for the Days of the Dead. This year’s theme, VIVO, celebrates the living with connections to those who have gone before. These connections will take the form of an opening ritual, music, dance, food, and an arts and crafts market. Participants are invited to tour the exhibition and galleries. The VIVO exhibition features altars by 10 Bay Area artists, as well as contributions by school and community groups. If you haven’t been to the Oakland Museum since its reopening, this is a great opportunity. Be sure to check out the Pixar exhibition while you’re there.

Also on Saturday, October 23, a Day of the Dead celebration will be held at Crissy Field Activity Center in the Presidio. A day of painting traditional calacas (colorful skeletons), paper flower making, face painting and music is geared as a family educational event.

On Sunday,October 24, the celebration takes to the streets of Oakland’s Fruitvale District with Aztec dancers, food, activities, 25 commemorative altars, live music and much more. Some 45,000 people are expected at this “Local Legacy” designated by the U.S. Library of Congress. Just ride BART to Fruitvale station and follow the aroma of tamales to International Blvd. between Fruitvale and 39th.

Other celebrations to come:

• Saturday October 30, San Jose Museum of Art, featuring free admission all day.
• Tuesday, November 2 in the Mission District, San Francisco, the madre of all Bay Area Celebrations! The traditional procession starts at 7 p.m. at 22nd and Bryant.
• Saturday, November 6,  El Dia de Los Muertos Family Concert, San Francisco Symphony. Traditional crafts, complementary Mexican hot chocolate and pan de muerto, altars, folkloric music and dance.

Photo by Clifford Blueitt courtesy of The Oakland Museum of California.

Resources:
www.redtri.com/san-francisco/celebrate-el-dia-de-los-muertos-around-the-bay-area

www.dayofthedeadsf.org

www.sfmission.com/dod/

events.sfgate.com/san-francisco-ca/events/show/146682825-day-of-the-dead-2010honoring-revolution-with-visions-of-healing

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California Energy Commissioner Anthony Eggert spent some time with The Real Story at last month’s West Coast Green Conference at Fort Mason in San Francisco. What did he see at the conference that he found exciting? The amount of innovation in product development—and the relative speed with which new products can now enter the mainstream of the consumer marketplace, where the REAL market research takes place. Will new products cause consumers to change behaviors? Will consumers pay more for products that are easier on the earth?

He points to the example of hybrid vehicles, saying that roughly one in four hybrids driven today are purchased in California. He also surprised us with the statistic that 400,000 – 500,000 Californians own flex-fuel vehicles, which use gas or 85 percent biofuel in the form of ethanol. The state is supporting the flex-fuel vehicle users by investing in new stations. Anthony shares that there is emerging a new generation of biofuels—the first used food products like corn; the next generation is looking at agricultural and municipal waste. He talks today about algae that can produce a synthetic petroleum product.  There is so much experimentation and research, and so much of it happening right here.

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Commissioner Anthony Eggert of the California Energy Commission is talking with The Real Story about how investing in better land use patterns can actually provide a better quality of life for the residents of our state. He has shared that transit works best when people have direct access to goods and services in the areas around the stations; the next step is thinking how a livable, walkable, bikeable transit hub might pencil, so that private businesses can support and take a creative lead in implementing this kind of transportation-rich master planning.

Anthony tells us today that the Energy Commission has a program to invest in a portfolio of alternatives to petroleum. With $60 billion a year, or $150 million a day, going to transportation fuels for cars, trucks and planes, and two-thirds of that money leaving the state, the magnitude of fuel on our economy is a stunner. The CEC is looking to leverage private investment toward clean energy technology to stop dependence on the petroleum providers, reduce California’s carbon footprint and encourage a healthier lifestyle.