FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                & nbsp;       &n bsp;       &nb sp;       &nbs p;         ;        Contact: Cristina Dayton
March 26, 2009       &nb sp;       &nbs p;         ;                 & nbsp;       &n bsp;       &nb sp;       &nbs p;         ;         (916) 204-6715
 
Free Emissions Testing Hosted at Bakersfield College
Non-profit Group Hosts “Tune In & Tune Up” Event to Encourage Car Cleanups!
------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------
WHEN:       &n bsp;    Saturday, March 28th from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
 
WHERE:       & nbsp; Bakersfield College, 1801 Panorama Drive, Parking Lot on the corner of Haley and University
 
WHAT:       &n bsp;    Free emissions testing and repair program hosted by Valley CAN (Clean Air Now), the Advanced Transportation Technology and Energy Initiative (ATTEi) Center, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), and Bakersfield College. A tailpipe emissions test will be conducted in minutes with an emission testing device.  If necessary, vehicles will proceed to the FREE on-site diagnostic station for an under the hood check.  If the vehicle does not pass the emissions test, Valley CAN will provide a coupon for up to $500 worth of emission related repairs at a local Gold Shield certified smog shop. No paperwork or reporting is part of this process! 
 
**At 10:00 a.m., a representative from Congressman Roy Ashburn’s office and a representative from Senator Dean Florez’s office will be available for media interviews.**
 
Participants also may qualify to participate in the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Consumer Assistance Program (CAP). DCA may pay for up to $500 in emission related repairs to qualified motorists.  Or, in exchange for their polluting vehicle, qualified participants may receive $1,000! 
 
MAXIMUM 500 VEHICLES WILL BE TESTED. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.
 
FREE HOT DOGS and SODAS for all participants!
 

Valley CAN is proud to sponsor a car clean up effort to help reduce pollutants generated by “out of tune” and “high polluting” cars in the San Joaquin Valley. The Valley is home to a large number of older cars, many of which do not pass smog check.  The Tune In & Tune Up program helps vehicle owners take voluntary steps to improve air quality.  For more information please visit: valley-can.org

 
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I'm working on a story for this weekend on ways people can reduce their spending on food while still staying healthy. One of the first bits of advice offered by a UC Davis food expert I talked today was to cut out organic products.

"That's an arena that has a pretty hefty premium, around 25, 50, even 100 percent" more than conventionally-grown food, said Christine Bruhn, a consumer marketing specialist.

She added: "Keep in mind that organic is a marketing program and it's about the style of production. It does not relate to safety, the environment or nutrition."

The value of the organic label has been topic following Michelle Obama's announcement last week that an organic garden was being planted on the White House lawn. The New York Times had several stories this week about the value of organic food. A couple good ones are:

Mark Bittman, a food writer, on how organic food "offers no guarantee of eating well, healthfully, sanely, even ethically."

A news story about the fact that the Georgia peanut factory implicated in the salmonella outbreak had organic certification.

I'm one of those people who does buy some organic food. It started out with lettuce and fresh vegetables but lately I've also started buying organic olive oil, chicken and even chicken broth. I drew the line this past weekend, though, as I reached for the carton of organic eggs and realized they were double the price of regular eggs.

To be honest, I'm not sure now what to think about organic. For some reason, it feels good to buy organic but other times I do wonder if I'm just a sucker for a good marketing tactic. Still, I'll probably stick to the $4 organic greens I usually buy. I started purchasing them after reading that some foods retain more pesticides than others, lettuce being one of them. Plus, the quality of the organic lettuce is far superior to the store's other options.
 

But when it comes to other organic products, I may just start taking Christine Bruhn's advice and go for price over label. Anyone else have thoughts on this issue?

If you're in need of a new router or storage enclosure for your home or office computer or network, head over to www.dlinkshop.com.

D-Link, a digital electronics developer and manufacturer issues this press release today about its sale on energy-saving products:

"D-Link is helping customers keep a little more green in their pockets on this St. Patrick's Day -- Tuesday, March 17 -- by offering a 10 percent discount on all green energy-saving technology products including switches, routers, and storage enclosures.

D-Link, as the first company to introduce green technology to computer networking, is offering this special pot o'gold savings to celebrate its expanded leadership role in the development of energy-saving products and initiatives.

This lucky offer will last one day only at local computer retailers or D-Link's vast network of value-added resellers, solution providers and distributors, so tell your readers, listeners, or viewers to head on over to www.dlinkshop.com and everything will be hunky dory."

According to the company's site, D-Link Green devices "are designed to help conserve energy, protect our environment from harmful substances and reduce waste by using recyclable packaging."

Happy shopping.