HomeTown News HomeTown News By Rita Hart Staff writer FORT PIERCE - Treasure Coast residents now have the opportunity to meet friends over drinks while at the same time learning how to be more "green." And it's got nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day. John O'Neill, of Port St. Lucie, is an independent distributor for Infection Control Technology, while Jeffrey P. "JP" Gellermann is the growth management agent for the University of Florida's St. Lucie County Extension, Institute of Flood and Agricultural Sciences. Together, the two friends traveled to West Palm Beach with their wives to attend a meeting of people interested in sustainability, or self-sufficiency options for the future. While there, they sat next to a member of Boca Raton's Green Drinks International. They were "blown away" by what they learned that evening, and decided to form the first Green Drinks International organization on the Treasure Coast. Their first meeting was held on Tuesday, Jan. 29 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Alumni's International Grill in downtown Fort Pierce. "We would have been excited if 15 people came," said Mr. O'Neill. "But 115 people showed up." Green Drinks has more than 315 chapters worldwide. According to their Web site, "These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. It's a force for the good." Mr. O'Neill said the informal atmosphere allows people from all walks of life to mingle in a relaxed atmosphere, sharing ideas both simple and large and getting everyone personally and professionally involved in a sustainable future. "It brings everybody to the same level and tremendous things happen," said Mr. O'Neill. "Powerhouses speak with local government officials. These are people who might never come into contact with each other." At the first meeting last month, Fort Pierce Mayor Bob Benton, members of the planning staff of St. Lucie County and members of the St. Lucie County School Board all mingled with local residents and business leaders. There were five speakers at the event, with each being allowed just five minutes to talk about their ideas for going green. The speakers are advised to stay away from politically charged discussions. "It's a win-win," said Mr. Gellermann. "If you are green, you are going to save money and make money." The group plans on meeting the last Tuesday of every month. Next month's locale will again be at Alumni's International Grill beginning at 6:30 p.m. This time, however, everyone who arrives with one fluorescent light bulb will receive one free drink. In exchange, Alumni's International Grill will donate those light bulbs to area non-profit organizations that need them, such as Habitat for Humanity. One outcome of last month's meeting resulted from a simple conversation between a local environmental service business owner and the owner of Alumni's International Grill. "The business agreed to take the leftover grease from the restaurant and use it on their farm," said Mr. O'Neill. "That's exactly the kind of thing we want to see happen." Mr. Gellermann agreed that individuals who share stories of what they are doing to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable is what Green Drinks is all about. "We love to hear some crazy, out-of-the-box type of things. We'd love to have that happen," he said. And, perhaps, make a few new friends along the way. Green Drinks International meets the last Tuesday of every month. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Alumni's International Grill, 122 North Second St., Fort Pierce. Those interested in attending should contact John O'Neill at activteck@aol.com . For more information on Green Drinks International, visit http://www.greendrinks.org. _________________________________________________________________________________________

Palm Beach Post Treasure Coast metro report St. Lucie County commissioners took the following unanimous actions Tuesday night: Energy savings: Agreed to let two companies use two county buildings to demonstrate products that are supposed to reduce electricity consumption. ActivTeck Environmental Co. will install equipment at the agriculture office on Picos Road. _________________________________________________________________________________________

St. Lucie County Friday, May 16, 2008 - St. Lucie Commissioners to Speak at Green Drinks May 27 St. Lucie County Commissioners will speak at the next ''Green Drinks'' event to be held Tuesday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m. ''Green Drinks'' is a monthly event held on the last Tuesday at Element Martini Lounge, 2096 N.W. Courtyard Circle, St. Lucie West to promote sustainability and living green. St. Lucie County Commissioners will each speak briefly at the May event to educate residents on how to save money, while at the same time raising awareness of ''green practices.'' Commissioners Joe Smith, Doug Coward, Paula Lewis, Charles Grande and Chris Craft are all scheduled to attend. Each commissioner will discuss their personal vision of a ''greener'' community, and what steps St. Lucie County is taking to lead by example. ''Green Drinks has become more than just a networking social; it has become a forum for the community to be educated on different methods of creating a greener world. When we first brought this concept to St. Lucie County, we had no idea of the response we would get from the community,'' said event coordinator John O�Neill of ActivTeck Environmental Green Consulting & Solutions. ''We want to say that we truly appreciate the fact that the community wants to be involved selflessly in creating a more sustainable Treasure Coast.'' To find out more about �Green Drinks� or to register visit: http:///www.FloridaBusinessReview.com/GreenDrinks or http://www.greendrinks.org/. _________________________________________________________________________________________

St. Lucie County TV Clip from St. Lucie County TV.

St. Lucie commissioners tout energy saving technology By Susan Burgess Sunday, July 20, 2008 PORT ST. LUCIE — With utility costs rising and fewer tax dollars flowing into county coffers, St. Lucie County's interest in "going green" and being eco-friendly is growing. After applying to the Tallahassee-based Florida Green Building Coalition in February to begin the lengthy process of becoming certified as a "green county," county commissioners have agreed to test two new energy-saving devices on air conditioners in two county-owned buildings. ActivTeck Environmental of Port St. Lucie is testing power savers on the chillers at the Agricultural Extension Office on Picos Road, and Green Products LLC of Fort Pierce is installing ColdPlus, a refrigerant additive oil, in the air conditioners at the county's mosquito control headquarters. Both tests are free with no obligation to purchase the products. The power savers were developed 80 years ago to increase the life of industrial motors by cutting their amperage use in half, said ActivTeck owner John O'Neill. "This keeps the motors cooler," he said. "There is a significant savings on electrical use." The ColdPlus supplied by Green Products works to prevent a restrictive build-up in air conditioner tubing, allowing the air conditioner to work more efficiently at a reduced cost. "At the end of these tests, we weigh the cost versus the savings," said Assistant Central Services Director Don McLam, "and we see if this will be good for the long term." The county has been moving toward more eco-friendly buildings for several years, he said. When the new clerk of courts building was constructed in downtown Fort Pierce, it was designed with air conditioning vents in the floor instead of the traditional ceiling location. They raised the floor so that openings to the cooled air flowing unconfined through the entire under-floor space could be placed anywhere workers want them. The system requires less force to move the air, which also saves on costs. Central Services Director Roger Shinn said a water savings project completed at the county jail is saving 15 million gallons of water a year. Inmates were using their toilets as garbage cans, flushing them all day long, and were leaving showers running, he said. The new water system operates by touch and allows each toilet to flush two or three times an hour, and shuts off shower water after three minutes. Sandra Bogan, the education and outreach manager for the county's environmental resources department, said efforts to become certified as a green county began with a survey of department heads to find out what eco-friendly strategies are already in place, in the works, or under discussion. "A lot of actions can be taken that don't necessarily need funding," Bogan said. "For example, we can use non-toxic cleaners, xeriscaping in parks, and drought-tolerant native plants in medians on divided roads." "For our residents, conserving resources like energy, water and materials enables better use of a limited number of tax dollars," Bogan said. "It can also enhance our economy by promoting ourselves as a 'green community,' which is attractive to a lot of businesses. "It encourages smarter development patterns, the integration of alternative transportation systems, and the reduction of water consumption to name a few of the environmental benefits." Officials noted conserving resources like energy, water and materials enables better use of a limited number of tax dollars. • Testing two new energy-saving devices on air conditioners in the Agricultural Extension Office on Picos Road and at the county's mosquito control headquarters • New clerk of courts building designed with air conditioning vents in the floor instead of the traditional ceiling location. The system requires less force to move the air, which saves on costs. • Water savings project completed at the county jail is saving 15 million gallons of water a year. • Use of non-toxic cleaners, xeriscaping in parks, and drought-tolerant native plants in medians