The California Academy Of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is a modern marvel, focusing on sustainability in an interactive way. Here were thousands of visitors from all over the world, checking a climate change exhibit where kids sat at a kiosk and contacted their local representative to request carbon caps and incentives for renewable energy. Visiting from a town where, in the last primary election, only four out of the twelve City Council candidates believed humans impacted climate change, DTE felt like we had stumbled out of a bizarre dimension where hamburgers ate people.

Seriously. At the Carbon Café, you were greeted with “Food is 25 percent of our carbon footprint.” The objective: Pick a breakfast, lunch, dinner menu and then add up your points to see your score and what you could do to lower it. For example, when you ordered a slice of pizza, you earned two points since most dairy comes from industrial farms responsible for emissions. Sorry but add another point for pepperoni.


Wandering outside the climate change exhibit, every water fountain had a conservation tip. One, titled “Pure Drink or Pure Hype” said “plastic bottled water is tested less often and subject to weaker safety standards than tap water.” The museum even knocked off $3 for admission fees if visitors took public transportation.

 

















 

 

Their eco-friendliness was on full display during a tour of “The Living Roof” which has native plants and engineered drainage, taking up 2.5 acres. The building earned Platinum LEED certification with the following features:

---Produces 50 percent less rainwater than the old building
---Uses recycled rainwater for irrigation, retaining 98 percent of falling rainwater thus reducing runoff pollutants.
--- Carries 60,000 photovoltaic cells for solar power

---Natural lighting in 90 percent of occupied spaces
---Constructed of more than 20,000 cubic yards of recycled concrete
---Constructed of 11 million pounds of recycled steel
---Wall insulation made from recycled denim scraps.

Best part: The green roof created a wildlife corridor with a visible diversity of birds, butterflies, and insects like bees pollinating.

They also picked some wonderful quotes from environmental authors Bill McKibben and James Bruges, respectively.




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Yes, most people go to see the albino alligator, the aquarium, and the planetarium but in all likelihood they left with a deeper ecological appreciation and understanding how everyday climate solutions are within their reach.

Check it out: http://www.calacademy.org


 

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