New Santa Cruz Safeway showcases its environmental-friendly fea...

The sand-based fuel cells mix methane, hydrogen or natural gas. I am struggling to understand how this is renewable energy.
Safeway's effort is outstanding nonetheless.

Eric Smith wrote:

The sand-based fuel cells mix methane, hydrogen or natural gas. I am struggling to understand how this is renewable energy.
Safeway's effort is outstanding nonetheless.

Actually, that Safeway uses more than 896 solar panels on its roof too.

"While a diesel-refrigerated trailer emits 25 to 30 tons of carbon each year, the alternative cooling system reduce those emissions to none, said Tom Roller, EcoFridge chief executive officer."
Yeah, the liquid-nitrogen refrigerator trucks are probably more efficient and more economical, but to claim they "reduce these emissions to none" is ridiculous. That liquid nitrogen is being created somewhere else, probably with a diesel-based refrigeration system.
It's just like claiming your plug-in electric vehicle has no carbon emissions--while the power plants that provide the electricity have plenty!

The only problem I find with this Safeway is that the prices at this Safeway unless advertised specials are exceedingly higher than the store located in Chico CA. My house mate lives there but is here in Santa Cruz through the week for his job and has shown me the receipts for the same items at each store to prove his point. Should you really charge the Santa Cruz locals for this if you are going to claim fame for your efforts? My feelings is NOT! The prices for my regular items jumped when the new store opened definitely!

Well, this just makes my day. Finally, there is a grocery store in town -- a business in town -- that walks the full walk. Instead of making superficial gestures toward that nebulous "green" status, Safeway has gone all the way and purpose-built the store for optimum energy efficiency. They've even extended that to the delivery trucks. And they've even been open minded enough to invest in Bloom Boxes. I'm impressed.

Do you hear this Staff of Life (re: your new store)? New Leaf? Whole Foods? Your stores pretend to be so PC, so green, and yet you do just enough to make the claim. You don't follow through all the way, though.

I haven't made a habit of shopping Safeway in the past. The old Westside store was a wreck. But I will be increasing my visits in the future. I want to support their efforts.

westside homeowner wrote:

The only problem I find with this Safeway is that the prices at this Safeway unless advertised specials are exceedingly higher than the store located in Chico CA. My house mate lives there but is here in Santa Cruz through the week for his job and has shown me the receipts for the same items at each store to prove his point. Should you really charge the Santa Cruz locals for this if you are going to claim fame for your efforts? My feelings is NOT! The prices for my regular items jumped when the new store opened definitely!

It's pretty common for big stores to adjust prices to the local pocketbook (admittedly, that doesn't make it right). The old Long's Drugs used to have different prices for many items among the Front Street, Mission Street and 41st Avenue stores. The higher prices were -- don't laugh -- at the Front Street store.

westside homeowner wrote:

The only problem I find with this Safeway is that the prices at this Safeway unless advertised specials are exceedingly higher than the store located in Chico CA. My house mate lives there but is here in Santa Cruz through the week for his job and has shown me the receipts for the same items at each store to prove his point. Should you really charge the Santa Cruz locals for this if you are going to claim fame for your efforts? My feelings is NOT! The prices for my regular items jumped when the new store opened definitely!

most verything is cheaper in Chico, why should Safeway be any different? Housing prices and rents are also lower.

Tearing down a perfectly good building and building a huge one in it's place is hardly green. I prefer the simple Safeways like Morrissey. I applaud the green investments, but why not simply to an existing building?

citizen wrote:

Tearing down a perfectly good building and building a huge one in it's place is hardly green. I prefer the simple Safeways like Morrissey. I applaud the green investments, but why not simply to an existing building?

Did you ever go into the old Safeway? It was at teardown stage at least a decade ago. The new design is on an entirely different footprint (it was built behind the old store), so a remodel was never in the picture. I do agree that the store is bigger than it needs to be, and could be better organized (dairy should be all together, and should be along the back wall so people aren't so crowded, for instance).

You are wrong about a new building never being the eco choice, btw. You can retrofit an old building for energy efficiency only to a point, at which it makes no economic sense to continue. As the owner of an old an inefficient home, I know.

This is very, very funny.

OOOOOOOOoooooooooooooohhhhhhh an environmentally friendly safeway. What happens (and it will, very soon) when chain super stores like this become far "greener" than the mom and pops can afford to become?

Will the city council tell us to shop at the environmentally dangerous local places, like the Book Shop Santa Cruz or New Leaf who do not spend millions on these new technologies? Or.....will we be told to shop environmentally sound first.....at safeway and quiznos?????

Finally a Real LEED wrote:

Well, this just makes my day. Finally, there is a grocery store in town -- a business in town -- that walks the full walk. Instead of making superficial gestures toward that nebulous "green" status, Safeway has gone all the way and purpose-built the store for optimum energy efficiency. They've even extended that to the delivery trucks. And they've even been open minded enough to invest in Bloom Boxes. I'm impressed.
Do you hear this Staff of Life (re: your new store)? New Leaf? Whole Foods? Your stores pretend to be so PC, so green, and yet you do just enough to make the claim. You don't follow through all the way, though.
I haven't made a habit of shopping Safeway in the past. The old Westside store was a wreck. But I will be increasing my visits in the future. I want to support their efforts.

Exactly!

westside homeowner wrote:

The only problem I find with this Safeway is that the prices at this Safeway unless advertised specials are exceedingly higher than the store located in Chico CA. My house mate lives there but is here in Santa Cruz through the week for his job and has shown me the receipts for the same items at each store to prove his point. Should you really charge the Santa Cruz locals for this if you are going to claim fame for your efforts? My feelings is NOT! The prices for my regular items jumped when the new store opened definitely!

Everything in Santa Cruz is more expensive than in Chico, just like everything in CA is more expensive than in Oklahoma. It doesn't matter if you shop at the same store - it's price descrimination and every successful business practices it.

Finally a Real LEED wrote:

Well, this just makes my day. Finally, there is a grocery store in town -- a business in town -- that walks the full walk. Instead of making superficial gestures toward that nebulous "green" status, Safeway has gone all the way and purpose-built the store for optimum energy efficiency. They've even extended that to the delivery trucks. And they've even been open minded enough to invest in Bloom Boxes. I'm impressed.
Do you hear this Staff of Life (re: your new store)? New Leaf? Whole Foods? Your stores pretend to be so PC, so green, and yet you do just enough to make the claim. You don't follow through all the way, though.
I haven't made a habit of shopping Safeway in the past. The old Westside store was a wreck. But I will be increasing my visits in the future. I want to support their efforts.

Except... that the first major contributor to pollution today is industrialized, non-organic farming. It produces nitrogen runoff that goes to streams. rivers, and eventually the ocean, causing dead zones, etc. Safeway does not sell% organic produce like New Leaf and Staff.

westside homeowner wrote:

The only problem I find with this Safeway is that the prices at this Safeway unless advertised specials are exceedingly higher than the store located in Chico CA. My house mate lives there but is here in Santa Cruz through the week for his job and has shown me the receipts for the same items at each store to prove his point. Should you really charge the Santa Cruz locals for this if you are going to claim fame for your efforts? My feelings is NOT! The prices for my regular items jumped when the new store opened definitely!

It is more expensive in Santa Cruz stores then over the hill. I'm sure the prices are even cheaper in Chico. What you need to do is shop at different Safeways HERE and see if indeed the prices are more expensive in the new store.

what a joke ... this store sells some of the most unfriendly foods to the environment you can imagine !! in fact , probably 99% of their food is factory farmed from meat & dairy to vegetables. the dry "food" section is just pure poison !

Finally a Real LEED wrote:

Well, this just makes my day. Finally, there is a grocery store in town -- a business in town -- that walks the full walk. Instead of making superficial gestures toward that nebulous "green" status, Safeway has gone all the way and purpose-built the store for optimum energy efficiency. They've even extended that to the delivery trucks. And they've even been open minded enough to invest in Bloom Boxes. I'm impressed.
Do you hear this Staff of Life (re: your new store)? New Leaf? Whole Foods? Your stores pretend to be so PC, so green, and yet you do just enough to make the claim. You don't follow through all the way, though.
I haven't made a habit of shopping Safeway in the past. The old Westside store was a wreck. But I will be increasing my visits in the future. I want to support their efforts.

are you that stupid !??? safeway green?? compared to new leaf?? LOL ...

I guess people don't know that the New Leaf in Felton has a roof full of solar panels. They've been running on those for a few years now, and if I'm not mistaken, they give power back to the grid. But, please, don't let me stop you from ranting.

Way to go Safeway, your setting a good example.

Oh wait, I almost forgot I'm a Santa Cruzan and its wrong to say anything nice about any business unless it's local and brings in less then $1 million a year. Darn you Safeway, whats wrong with you for doing this?

ATTENTION ANYONE IN THE SANTA CRUZ AREA. MISSING PERSON ALERT. PLEASE SEE LINK FOR INFORMATION. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_14940667...

5genSC wrote:

<quoted text>
Except... that the first major contributor to pollution today is industrialized, non-organic farming. It produces nitrogen runoff that goes to streams. rivers, and eventually the ocean, causing dead zones, etc. Safeway does not sell% organic produce like New Leaf and Staff.

Huh? That's because it is not an organic market, obviously. And New Leaf and Staff of Life do both sell some conventional produce.

Are you aware that the vast majority of people in this country cannot afford to buy organic produce and other organic foods (ignoring the fact that many would not have any desire to do so)? Safeway serves those customers, as well as those who can afford organic. Say what you want about conventional farming, but it is one of the things that makes food so affordable in the USA. I buy organic most of the time, but I can afford the high prices. Others can't. I'm not going to judge them for that. Where are they supposed to shop? Do you think that all markets should be organic?