welcome to "assignment 7". today on our program, how slimy green scum could soon be powering your cars. the photograph that outed san francisco as a mecca for gays and lesbians back in the '60s. and an innovative east bay program proving that a man's best friend can lead to a brighter future for at risk chdren. everything from cell phones to digital music players rely on batteries. what you do with those batteries when they're no good anymore cn make a big difference. "7 on your side"'s michael finney with more on a nationwe push. >> reporter: rs and rows of batteries line the wall of radio ack. once they've been bought and used, disposing of them properly can make a big impact. san francisco's one of 22 bay

area communities with curb side battery recycling programs rviced by recollege >> we're trying to help the city of san fraisco get to zero wast that means san francisco wants to send absolutely nothing to landfill >> reporter: the batteries being unloaded from this truck represent just one day's worth of pickups in san francisco. city residents are responsible for more than two-thirds of the 100-to of batteries recycleed by reecology last year. people are encouraged to leave their batteries in ziploc bags on top of their garbage cans on pick up days. >> they cahave metals in them. you want to keep all of that out of the landfills. >> workers sepate the batteries before they're transported to a smoker and made into different metal products. evenective in reducing waste is using rechargeable batteries. >> erybody is moving in the directn of recrgeable so that that's one step towards being eco friendly.

>> reporte even rechargeable batteries can lose their charge. that's why lowe's, staples and radio shack nationde are joining forces to recycle rechargeable batteries as well. >> it is free. take pretty much all types of rechargele batteries, nickel cadmium and others, and the sealed lead acid batteries, alarm system batteries if they're under 11 pounds. >> the call to recycle program is challenging amerins to drop off oneillion pounds of rechargeable batteries before october 1. in the last 15 years, the program has collected 55 million batteries. >> i think mor people are more conscious of whas going on around them. they're trying not to do anytng that is going to damage our environment any further. >> we need to get away from single use products in this country and get closer to

reusable products, recrgeable batteries is one example. a canvas tote bag is another example, something you can reuse again and again. >> i'm michael finney, "7 on your side." >> with growing concern about climate change, scientts have growing concerns about water supplies. will there be enough in rivers and dams to go around to our houses and to our farmers abc 7's wayne freedman reports. >> in a field filled with old hand planted grap in napa, there is an expement underway. it could chae agriculture as we know it. >> the theory is we have to make water from air without using engy and plt our plants with that. >> reporter: petersed to grew tulips in holland, but sees this as a greater calling. since 1994, he's been developing these wate boxes, as he calls them. they cooat night, pull moisture from the air, and use it to irrigate young plants and treeof all kinds. it's t same process you see here when cold liquid in the glass condses water from the outside air.

>> actuay what people forget is that all the water that's withs traveled through the air. >> reporter:here is a scientific name for this. biomimicry. it imitate nature. in this case, the surfa of a lotus leaf. were you skeptical of this? >> at first i was. but once i thought about it for five minutes, i was intrigued. >> reporter: matt manages the vineyards. each deviccollects about 200 cc's of water a day, but if you add it up, he estimates this process could save 175,000 gallons of water a yea and partly because it encouges heartier plants with deer roots. if grapes and other plants struggle when they'r young, they dig deeper roots and might not need irrigation at all. >> what you do is if there i enough water to let it suffice, but not enough to let it grow. >> reporter: peter has exrimented with the water box in eight couries by now and says even works in the sahara desert.

his goal? reforce the planet to save water and consume global warming carbon diode the natural wa at $25 a copy. >> i'm not crazy i'm inspired. >> inspired byature. from the napa valley, abc 7 news. >> a small organism may play a bi part in weaning us from our dependence on oil. vic lee visited a south san francisco start-up that's powering cars with the new biofuel. >> we're going to pour some of this diesel fuel into the tank here. >> reporte the diesel runs this jeep. it's refined from crude oil made from, believe it or not, algae. that slimy green scum that lines ponds, lakes and uept pools. jonathan co-founded a company th is trying to bring algae to the pumps. he says it's no pipe drm. >> we've gotten ver good at taking algae and getting them to make oil for us, very quickly.

>> reporter: it star with petri dishes andeakers in the south san francisco fermtation labs. they feed the algae with all kinds of biomass. >> we can feed them yard clippings. we can -- from a golf course or from your backyar or leaves. wean feed them woodchips. >> reporter: the algae fatte themselves and are taken through a process which eventually produces oil. >> they do it in big stainless steel tanks, in a few days. we take the oil out and when you put it into a refinery, it comes out as the same kind of fuel that you would get at the gas station today. >> reporter: but he says his fuel is biodegradable and more sustainable th petroleum-based diesel. >> it's domestic, it's renewable, and dramatically reduces the carbon foot print d allows us to get off foreign oil. >> reporter: he says pple won't notice the difference when they're driving. >> what wee going to do now is get in and you' going to

drive. burn some rubber. let's make it happen. very few people in the world have driven in 100%lgae derived vehicle. >> is it cost effective? >> we don't believe we have a prodt until we can sell at the same price as petrole, which right now is in the 60 to 80-dollar a barrel range and that's the target and we're just about there. >> reporr: and what about the ride? >> nice. amazing. >> reporter: vic lee, abc 7 news. >> solar power in the central valley. why renewae energy prodts are getting off to a slow start in california.

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for education today. california leadshe nation in the development of renewable energy. few projec are actually underway. bureaucracy, environntal concernsnd neighborhood complaints have sled the process. abc 7's dan ashley reports

sandwiched in san benito county, this may be as close to the middle of nowhere as you can get. >> we std on a hill and looked out over the valley and i said, this is where i want to spend the rest of my life. >> reporter: this valley could one day provide enough electricity to powe315,000 homes across the state. >> never occurred to me that it might be in view of two story solar panels. >> it has 90% of t solar. >> his company wants to buil one of the largest solar power ojects in the nation here. 1.2 million solar panels could cover an area the size of 3500 football fields. >> it's perfect for solar. >> it's very irresponsible place to build a solar facility. >> california is very difficult to find transmission lines. >> could possibly jeopardize their recovery and possibly cause the extinction of some animals. >> we're raising the panels so

the sheep can graze because the species here are used to and thrive on a graz environment. >> debates like this are being played out around california as more and more companies try to build new power facilities. in california, they weigh the benefit of green power against the impact on open spaces. >> very difficult to build any structure on land in california. >> reporter: there are roughly 150 solar projects seeki permits toperate in california. mostly in southern california deserts. stringent environmental review political wrangling, and lengy permitting processes are keeping many companies are breaking ground. in the mow half desert, one company had to scrap plans because of concerns about endanged squirrel habitat. another hato reduce the size of its plant because it might disturb dert tortoise. then the are arguments over what should be o limits all together? california senator feinstein has introduced legislation that

establishes nation monuments in the area. the solar industry says the federal govement historically has been slow to embrace large scale solar projects. >> they're actually zero solar prects on any public land in the country right now. to put that in perspective, over the last two decades, 74,000 perms have been issued for oil and gets projects. >> reporter: california has laid outhe welcome mat for renewable energy. last year governor arld schwarzenegg signed an executive order mandating 33% of california's electricity come from renewable sources like wind or solar. >> i wouldn't sa that this is easy it's not easy for any of these projects. ankly, you're right. th is a green on green kin of issue. it not greedy coal or grey oil companies that are really the big problem here. it's variaons of our environmental groups. >> picker is the senior advisor. >> i'm confident we're going to make rl progress just in this

one year. >> reporter: he says the sta will need to move quickly if it is going to take advantage of billions in tax credits and grants for green power. they expire on december 1. that could mean five to 10 billion in stimulus dollars just for the largest projects. >> federal stimulus dollars will prove jobs here in calirnia stting late this fall. >> reporter: he expects to hire as many as 200 people to build the project. 50 will stay on after it's built. unemployment in san benito county stands at 22%. peterson says if we don't build plants like his here, they will be built over state lines. >> they're being built in nevada and arizona and then they're wheeling the electricity into california. the net results we don't get the jobs. we don't get the clean air here. what we get is the higher electricity pre. >> some resents here say no number of jobs or megawatts of green energy will make up for

eir loss. they want the projt to go somewhere else. a compromi is out of the question. >> no. i don't think so. not for this valley. >> d ashley, abc 7 news. >> when "assignment 7" continues, the promise of more high speed internet and fewer dropped cas. plus, the photograph that deared san francisco the gay capital of the u.s. and two friends carry on a lega and memory of a friend who died fiber one chewy bar. how'd you do that? what? tastes too good to be fiber. you made it taste like chocolate. it has 35% of yr daily value of fiber. do it again. turn it in something tasty. this guy's doing magic. there's chocolate chip in here now. how'd you do that? ght! tasty fiber, that's a good one! okumm...read her mind. what's she thinking? that's right! i'm not thinkingnything! [ male announcer ] fiber one chewbars. cardboard no. deliciouyes.

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that's why i got them pillsbury tster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling mkids will love. plus i get twooxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the e kids want to eat. and these are the ones you'llove on a tuesday. pillsbury crescent dogs, with just a feingredients, you have an easy to make dinner th're crescents for the other 364. try them tonight the federal government is promising better internet access and fewer dropped cell phone calls. present obama signed an executive order in june to double the space available on air waves for wireless high speed internet. david louie with what this mes for silicon valley. >> reporter: you've seen how

people snap up new mobile devices and use them for surfing the internet and watching video the obama administration wants to double the spectrum available and auion it off to private companies to reduce the federal deficit d to finance a new public sety communications network. >> this is the prime thing th everyone wants and the question is, how do we use this to better our society and reduce the federa budget? >> reporter: it's expected to sell for billions of dollars because exting frequenes can't keepace with the demand for more band width. >> if we dent give me spectr, we will all be much more limited in what we can do wi our mobile devices. we're capping today at at & t is between 2 and 3 gigs of what used to be an you will you can eat data plan. >> reporter: marvin, an expert in media policy and visiting scholar at stanford, expects years of fhting to free up the air waves. the spectrum is currently used by tv stations and government agencies. >> you'll see a knock down, drag

out fight to hold on to this worth billions of dollars to broadcasters and could bworth billions to at & t, verizon or google and others. >> reporter: opening up more spectrum is expected to stimulate the economy, creating new start-ups and jobs. as entrepreneurs invent ne ways to use the airways. silicon valley is a leader in mobile technology. >> you might want to see some spectrum be unlicensed as was the current plan and then you can see new tec companies using th to create new device, olympics in ways we can't even predict in the licensed model. >> the battle over who will give up spectrum couldake years. th means new devices using the new air waves could be ten years off. in san jose, david louie, abc 7, money scope. >> san francisco's rputation as a gay mecca goes backo the 1960s when the city came out on the pages of life magazine. abc 7's carolynyler reports. >> this conoversial life magazine photo spread back in

1964 put gays on coffee tables across the country. >> it was against the law for mosexuals to congregate even, but they -- >> mike caffey is a well-known artist. he remembers the photo very well. he was there when it was taken. >> my mother actually recognized me. >> repter: that's him in the back, partially obsced at the tool box, a gay motorcycle bar. >> we chose the people in the picture on the grounds they were people who, like, were self-employed or worked for gay organizations so thathey could not be blackmailed. >> reporter:he article that followed this picture proclaimed san francisco as the gay capital of the nation. >> we were the only placen th countr that had let up on rsecuting gays. >> reporter: theriginal magazine is a treasured possession of the glbt

historical society in san francisco. >> this is one of the earliest otos of the commuty, particularly gay men tt the nation saw. life magine was an enormous thing. >> reporter: my gays across the country saw the photo as an invitation to move to sa francisco. >> it told gays tw things. one, that not all gays are criminal and second, that in san francisco, they'll pretty much let you be yourself. >> people come and said, this is the first time i saw a phograph of people like me. >> a lotas changed for gays and lesbians i the four decades since the photo was taken. most no longer worry about being blackmailed or touching someone on the shoulde kathy says the fight for recognition and rights has not ended. >> with this ring, i thee wed. >> today it's gay marriage. what's it goingo be tomorrow? >> reporter: carolyn tyler, abc 7 news. >> a follow-up now to an

emotional story we brought you earlier this year about a bay area performer batting als. two friends are hoping to turn her legacynto funding for care and research into lou gehrig's disease. here is c 7's carolyn johnson. >> jennifer and alexa mtinez are training for a bike ride that wl take them 100 miles and every push of the pedal is inspired by the memory of a friend. >> superior, amazing woman within the most pain i ever saw. if she can do it, i can do anythi. i can ride 300 miles. >> reporter: the twore raising money fight als, also known as lou gehrig's disease in honor of carla zilbersmith. >> she never shied away from anything. this is a big thing to ride 100 miles. a ls is a lot harder than riding 100 miles. we want to d it in honor of her. >> reporr: she first revealed her dinosis to a live audience in 2008. >> i was diagnosed with lou gehrig's disease, which sucks

because i hate baseball. [ laughter ] >> reporter: we caught up with her earlier this year when she was launching an als fundraising effort am her own, convincing fell als patients to pose for this movie themed calendar. >> theneed lots of money for research. >> reporter: s lost her battle with als in may. >> there is two hills, but nothing too drastic. >> reporter: that's en jennifer and alexa, who had been her care giver, decided to create team carla, along with two friends that will attempt to colete the ride to defeat als which winds through the napa vaey in september. it'she largest fund-raiser of its kind in northern california and team carla already ha pledges of several thousands dollars. we said0,000 first, but to be honest, i uld much rather be looking at 25,000. >> reporter: they've created a web site to track their progress as they connue to train, hoping to raise both their stamina and money to fight als.

carolyn johnson, abc 7 news. >> we have more information on the ride and team carla on our web site, abc7news.com under see it on tv. up next, a first of its kind program inhe bay area, ewing shelter dogs to help some of the east bay's most at risk children. ♪ [ fele announcer ] yoplait's real fruit and the goodness of dairy... gives yo a little slice of happy. and happiness come in 25 delicious flavors.

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>> welcome back. it's a first inhe bay area. a local group is using shelter dogs to help teach compaion to inner ty kids who are at risk of going in the wrong direction in life. abc 7's thesa garcia shows us how it works. a he's really hyper and seven or eight years old. >> reporter: meet rocky, he's been doing intensive tlc training. teaching, love and compassion program, a new partnership between oakland' lighthouse charter school and the east bay spca. >> one of our main goals is teaching respect for all begs, and that's a really important

educational lesson that everybody needs to learn. >> reporter: this vience prevenon and intervention program focuses on at risk youth ages 11 to 13 with an after school opportunity to care for and train shelter dogs, preparing them for adoption. >> i like being able to work with rocky. i like that it's not only about dogs, but we learn about other animals and the program is love and compassion. >> reporter: lighthouse vice incipal says it comes at a critical time period in these kids' lives. >> i think e most important thing for me is giving kids something to do after school from 4:00 clock to 6:00 o'clock. those are usually hours where kids can get into trouble. >> reporter: theids invest two hours daily for six weeks. th have to maintain good grades and good behavior to participate. spcataff and a professional dog trainer work with them in a program designed to increase attitudes of kindness, caring and responsibility for both animals and felw humans. >> it's an important lesson because it's something that they can carry over into their classroom with their fellow students that aren even in this program. somethinthat they can take

home into their neighbhoods and with their families at home. >> reporter: some of the lessons learn include public speaking, anger managementconflict resotion, and personal delopment. >> it definitely got me to be moreatient 'cause i'm not a patient person. >> as soon as i entered the tlc, i wanted to do more of my homework 'cause i was more interestedn workg with this. >> the dogs bring out something that i haven't seen before, smiles and compassio kids who wouldn't normal be interested in school love being in the program. so it gives them a success. >> reporter:he east bay spca is the first organization to bring e tlc program to the bay area. it's already proven successfu in high crime gang plagued urban areas of los anges and new york. fundg is minimal right now a so far, lighthouse is the only local scho participating. 36 students have graduated from three sessions. many with new outlooks. >> when i grow up, i want to be a verinarian.

>> theresa garcia, abc 7 news. >> best of luck to her. if you want more information on the stories on our program toy, go to our web site, abc7news.com. look under the news links on the left side for "aignment 7". that's all for this edition of "assignment 7". i'm kristen sze. thank you for joining us. we'll see you back here next time. [ male announcer ] have somhing you love doing? cheerios cou be your ticket to do it. big time. you could win a once in lifetime chance to live your passion

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