Save Gas, Money, AND the Earth! April 30, 2011

Imagine, 2.9 billion gallons of gasoline “down the drain” every day (at almost $4 a gallon now… ACK!!!). That’s how much of this limited resource we WASTE every day stuck in traffic. On a more personal note, each of us motorists loses an average of 38 hours of precious time idling in traffic each year, costing $710 per person in lost productivity and out-of-pocket gas expense.

Mother Earth doesn’t get off much better, as transportation accounts for approximately one-third of all the greenhouse gasses produced in the country?  Easy to believe, considering that motor vehicles emit 20 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per gallon of gas burned.  For a national average of 5.5 tons per year, per motorist.

Now for the good news: Given that we each cast a “Shaquille O’Neal” sized footprint on the earth every time we commute to work (what does he wear, a size 16?), we can all do something about shrinking that impact. The following tips can turn our daily trip into a “green” commute, while actually helping to keep a little bit more “green” in our wallet.

• Avoid high speeds. Calculations demonstrate a decrease of 3 miles per gallon between 55-65 mph, which rises to 4.3 mpg between 55-70 because of wind resistance.
• Avoid jackrabbit starts. Gentle acceleration definitely cuts down on gas usage.
• Avoid unnecessary sudden braking. Coast to a stop to save gas and lower the amount of asbestos fibers in the air.
• Only use “cruise control” on the open highway. In heavy traffic, it simply wastes gas.
• Practice optimized shifting techniques. Get into higher gears as quickly as possible.
• Switch off the air conditioner to save 5% to 15% of the energy your car uses.
• If idling is anticipated for over 60 seconds, shut the engine off.
• Keep your vehicle in good state of tune.
• SHARE A RIDE, call 434-295-6165 for RideShare information.

RideShare is a program of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission in cooperation with the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, working to reduce traffic congestion and increase mobility throughout Central Virginia and the Central Shenandoah Valley.  They offer free carpool and SchoolPool matching, vanpool coordination, and they operate a Guaranteed Ride Home program to provide free rides home in an emergency. RideShare also works with employers to develop and implement traffic reduction programs, and they market the region’s Park and Ride lots.

RideShare is a member of the Commuter Information Team (CIT), a partnership that includes JAUNT, Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT), University Transit Service (UTS), and Greene County Transit. Our work with the CIT includes acting as a transportation information and referral center for the region, as well as contributing to joint marketing and awareness efforts.

RideShare   401 East Water Street Charlottesville, VA 22902-1505
 (434) 295-6165     toll free (888) 974-5500

Miracle in Washington! April 26, 2011

Congress agreed on something.  The White House has turned purple.  We’ve paid off the national debt!  Yeah right.  That would be a miracle that would make even Moses stand up and take notice.  Parting of the Red Sea… Pah! 

The miracle that I am speaking of is a GREEN one (go figure).  Washington DC.  Nearly four years after residents rallied to turn a vacant lot on the corner of 13th & C Streets SE into a community park and garden, volunteers gathered to plant nine trees in the newly constructed space under the supervision of Casey Trees, a DC non-profit dedicated to “restoring, enhancing and protecting” the canopy of the nation’s capital. The ribbon-cutting that was to follow has been postponed due to weather until sometime in May or early June. Despite the drizzle, the event was an enormous success.

Once complete, the space will play host to a number of garden plots, a water feature, plenty of turf for enjoying the greenery and even a wall reserved for outdoor movie screenings. And, of course, the nine trees.

    

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But who provided the funding for this green edition to our nation’s capital?  Remember the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009?   Say it with me friends…INFRASTRUCTURE.  That’s what this ‘restoring, enhancing and protecting’ is called, amongst other things.  Billions of tax dollars were supposedly committed to assisting us through the recession.  There’s a photo below that prooves it!!!  Now THAT’S an Earth Day miracle!

To learn more about the park, visit the official site. The story behind this project is as inspiring as it is fascinating!   To read more about the process behind the magic, check out this interview with Rich Lukas, President of 13th Street Park and Community Garden. http://growninthecity.com/2011/03/5-questions-with-rich-lukas-starting-a-community-garden/

Earth Day – Top Five Uber Eco Celebs April 22, 2011

5.  Leonardo DiCaprio

Tireless. Dedicated. And also in one of my favorite movie stars. DiCaprio not only is throwing his Hollywood heavy-weight around to get clean and solar energy used on wasteful movie sets, but he’s pretty much single-handedly leading the charge to save tigers (well, with some help from the WWF).  When he’s not busy donating millions of dollars to help save endangered tigers, traveling around the world to advocate for tigers, or, oh, incidentally, starring in blockbuster and Oscar nominated films like Inception.

4.  Bob Barker

There is a reason that Bob Barker was recently named an Honorary Fellow by the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. It’s because he’s devoted an entire life to the well being of our furry friends. He’s made it possible for chimps and other abused wild and captive animals to find sanctuary and new homes. He’s advocated for the responsible ownership of pets for years and years.   His efforts don’t end with furry animals,they include huge, water-dwelling MAMMALS as well.  As Barker told the Associated Press, he met Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society through mutual friends in the animal rights movement. Mr. Watson, who uses aggressive, confrontational tactics with a rag-tag fleet of black-painted boats against Japanese whalers every year in the Southern Ocean, made the following pitch, according to Barker: “He said he thought he could put the Japanese whaling fleet out of business if he had $5 million… I said, ‘I think you do have the skills to do that, and I have $5 million, so let’s get it on.”  Bob Barker is an animal rights godfather and he should be listed right here with all of the other cool, hip, celebrities.

3. Pam Anderson

We may not always like her methods (Really, Pam, must we see you naked again?), but I can’t fault Pam Anderson’s passion for her work for animal rights with PETA.

Pam has dedicated huge amounts of her own time, energy and money to what she considers her life’s work (other than, of course, her children) and has become a moving force in the quest for fair treatment for animals.

Her passion has even rubbed off on ex-husband Tommy Lee a bit! 

2. Kevin Costner

This year, I officially forgave Kevin Costner for that hot mess “Waterworld” and instead dubbed him an eco hero. First, there were his many, many involvements in trying to clean up the Gulf of Mexico after the oil spill. Then he started saving dogs, too. Before long, he’ll make a movie as good as “Dances With Wolves” again and be right back on our A-list all year long.

And my NUMBER ONE Uber-Eco-dubbed celebrity is Charlottesville’s very own…

1.  Dave Matthews Band

 The Dave Matthews Band are on the front lines of the environmental musicians’ movement, though their humanitarianism transcends green causes. The group’s BAMA Works Fund, founded in 1999, worked initially to bolster arts and environmentalism in their hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia but has since spread internationally, donating more than $8.5 million to charities over the years. Known for the spectacle of their live show and near-constant touring, DMB have been extra committed in their eco-friendly efforts — particularly since 2004, when 800 pounds of human waste was dumped from their tour bus into the Chicago River and partially onto a tourist boat below. In an attempt to make amends, the band donated $50,000 to the Friends of the Chicago River and $50,000 to the Chicago Park District. Since then, the band’s bonds with Reverb have strengthened and upon their fifth year as a partner, Dave Matthews Band used their spin-off Bama Green Project to run a tour last summer in which fans were encouraged to volunteer, showing up early for the show to learn more about the ecological causes and to help set up the Eco-Village recycling, water and information stations. In exchange, fans received a work pass to watch the show. Attendees of DMB’s legendary concerts have also been encouraged to use online carpooling services to cut down on CO2 emissions in accordance with the band’s own attempts to neutralize the waste produced by touring vehicles, hotels and venues.

Better World Betty April 19, 2011

One of Charlottesville’s greatest green-advocates is ‘Better World Betty.’  She broadcasts live from 106.1 The Corner on Friday mornings with tips for the eco-friendly and makes a HUGE overall effort to supply her green followers with significant information. 

Betty’s website includes a search tool offers you a quick way to find out the what, where, and when of donating and recycling here in the Charlottesville area. You may want to donate clothing or ensure that broken microwave doesn’t end up in a landfill somewhere. Perhaps consider purchasing gently used (and sometimes new) items at one of the local consignment shops or thrift stores. You’ll find that here, too. If you can’t, try craigslist or freecycle.  Always REDUCE REUSE AND RECYCLE.  Check out this link to find out where to fulfill your best GREEN Intentions!  http://www.betterworldbetty.org/searchlaunchpad.php

Contest Entry (Organic) April 15, 2011

Go Green Garden Flag Contest

First entry for the flag contest is from Caleigh Clawson.  The design is very organic, PERFECT for it’s uber-eco message.  Simple, to-the-point message.  Good job Caleigh!  I can’t wait to see more.

Submit your JPEG or PDF file to cvillegogreenfest@gmail.com

The winner will receive over $1000 in prizes and the winning flag will be produced and sold at Snow’s Garden Center with a portion of the proceeds going to the Save The Bay Foundation.

Deadline is May 10th!  Design your flag today.

Green Energy News April 12, 2011

April 11, 2011 – Vol.16 No. 4

GE GOES SOLAR.
by Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News

General Electric is particularly good at NOT paying corporate income taxes. They got considerable flak in the mainstream media for that. General Electric relies heavily on its financial dealings to make money. Yet it has been particularly good about financing renewable energy projects.

Think what you want about the company, but they’ve been a star in green energy.

They grabbed the wind turbine division of Enron Wind out of a bankruptcy courtroom and turned it into a global wind turbine powerhouse.

They’ve supported the commercialization of electrically-driven cars by a commitment to purchase 25,000 of them for fleet use.

Now they’ve positioned themselves to go big time with solar energy.

The giant global conglomerate has announced it will build a 400 megawatt annual production capacity thin-film solar manufacturing plant in the U.S. This largest solar manufacturing plant in the U.S. will employ 400. GE will announce the plant site, or sites shortly. Multiple locations are possible, sharing the wealth among communities as it were.

Related Links:

GE Energy
PrimeStar Solar
First Solar

Green my ride! April 9, 2011

Feeling guilty about driving your gas-guzzling SUV or mini-van?  Now you can now ease your mind with green car tune-ups — no Prius necessary.

Eco-friendly auto shops are popping up nationwide — from Green Garage in Denver to Green Drop Auto Shop in Portland, Ore. — offering green tune-ups for the masses with gas-guzzling vehicles. Think recyclable windshield wipers, biodegradable engine additives, recycled motor oil, low-VOC paint and non-toxic shop cleansers.  These new eco-friendly tune-ups have spawned dozens of green auto products — from EcoTouch, a non-toxic automotive cleaner, to MicroGreen oil filters promising lower oil consumption.

Phil Reed, a consumer advice editor for www.edmunds.com, is wary of claims that a green service will make a car run better. Edmunds has done testing for fuel efficiency, he notes.  “I would be skeptical of people who say they can do something to your car that can boost fuel efficiency,” Reed said. “There’s little that can be adjusted, tuned up or improved in a way that would improve fuel economy more than just the regular maintenance.”  The best way to protect the environment, Reed said, is to look out for how a car shop handles, recycles or disposes its hazardous liquids and materials.  An estimated 200 million gallons of oil are improperly disposed of each year into storm sewer drains. That’s dangerous when just one gallon of oil can contaminate 1 million gallons of drinking water.

But many mechanics are cleaning up the way they do business and getting green certifications from groups in Arizona, New Jersey, Oregon, Florida, Rhode Island, Washington and California. In Oregon alone, 150 car shops — some new and some existing — received green certifications from a quasi-governmental group called Eco-Logical Business Program, or EcoBiz. The voluntary certification program recognizes businesses that reach high standards in environmental protection. 

Honest-1^® is the only national company to operate full-service, customer centric, and eco-friendly auto care centers AND they offer franchise opportunities so other auto care businesses might expand upon this concept.  In late 2007, Honest-1 Auto Care discovered during a research project that consumers wanted an environmentally responsible company to provide their car repair and maintenance needs. Based on what we heard from consumers, Honest-1 decided to take extraordinary steps to protect the environment by helping our customers maintain the most efficient and safe vehicles possible.  A relatively small company that  can make a big difference in reducing harmful auto emissions.  By August 2008, every Honest-1 Auto Care shop was Environmentally Sustainable Actions Certified (ESA^®). The ESA Certification is implemented by the company through its own standards for pollution prevention, recycling and resource conservation. Every franchisee is required to update their certification when significant updates to the program or system are needed.  If you are interested in opening a ‘Green Garage’ in your area, check out their business model and franchise information at http://www.honest-1.com/franchise-programs

Shop owners say that by going green they can cut operating costs, reduce waste disposal costs, cut long-term liability and improve employee health. They can also benefit from the marketing power of being green, said Brett Hulstrom, chair of Portland’s Eco-Logical Business Program.

Farhad Ghafarzade, founder and president of Green Drop Garage, a seven-employee auto repair shop in Portland, says too many people believe that driving green means buying a $30,000 hybrid. But the manufacture of any new car eats up natural resources, such as water, electricity and mining of materials, he notes.  “You’re doing a bigger service to the environment by keeping your old car and making sure it lasts longer,” Ghafarzade said. 

So there you have it!  Now if we only had a “Green Garage” in Charlottesville.  Anyone know of one?

No time/space for a garden? Use the EarthBox! April 6, 2011

Have you heard of the EarthBox growing system? It’s very popular.  For those of you who haven’t heard of the EarthBox, it’s a self-contained, self-watering growing system. The EarthBox uses wick hydroponics; soil works to stabilize plants and “wick” water to the roots. You can grow tons of delicious, fresh produce in a small space. No garden - no problem!

We all know that eating fresh veggies is good for you.  We also know that prices are SO HIGH for the best produce.  The  Earthbox is the PERFECT solution.  You Charlottesvillians can purchase one (as well as the plants you’d like to grow in it) at Snow’s Garden Center at 1875 Avon Street Extended.   Here are the basic elements of the EarthBox:

A few selling features of the EarthBox:

• Self-contained, so you can garden even without a plot of land to till.
• Conserves water (up to 60%) and is low-maintenance (water every 2-3 days).
• Small container for the amount of yield produced.
• Covered so weeds and pests are deterred and water doesn’t evaporate in the hot sun.

You’ll have everything you need except for the plants for $60 if you purchase the Earthbox.  But, if you’d like to be adventuresome and use your engineering prowess, I’ve got some do-it-yourself instructions for you.

I found this DIY makeshift version.  It does generally the same thing as the Earthbox once you’ve completed building it.  It does a great job at yielding TONS of veggies!

The DIY version we’re going to make has a couple minor negatives:

• It’s pretty heavy, so make sure the box is essentially in place before you fill with soil and water. You do, however, have the benefit of more growing space as this is larger than the original system. The original Earth Box has castors for easy relocation, but I haven’t adapted that to this version.
• By some standards, it’s not as pretty as the commercial Earth Box. However, that could be modified using a more fashionable container/cover system.

However, for the me the positives of the DIY version outweigh the negatives:

• Much more cost effective, especially when compared to the organic version of the EarthBox.
• Larger growing space and water reservoir than the original Earth Box.
• I have the freedom to modify any of the components.
• The yield compared to space is incredible. Our tomato plants grew to nearly 8 feet while only using a couple square feet of floor space. This makes our boxes fantastic for patio gardening or for those with limited growing space.

Enough of the talk, let’s get to work. There are several other DIY methods out there, but after much consideration, this is the method I decided to take (with the help and consult of my hubby). My supplies consisted of the following:

Tools:

1. Drill and 1/4-1/2″ bits
2. A cutting tool to modify your grating system (scissors and a Dremel, if you have one) to cut down a plastic ceiling grate.

Supplies:

1. Zip ties
2. Waterproof covering material (Igarbage bags work)

3. A container (I’ve had an empty rubbermaid container in my garage forever, so I used it)

4. A sheet of rigid grate (plastic ceiling grate works – you can get it at Lowes)

5. About two feet of 1″ pipe and 6 pieces (6″ long) of 4-6″ pipe (also at Lowes if you need it)

6. Loosely woven burlap (The roots need to be able to push through – ideally, you can reuse a bag from potatoes, coffee or a Virginia ham   If not, you can get recycled burlap several places online or at your local fabric store)

7. Fertilizer (Buy LOCAL – Snows Garden Center has it)

8. Lime (Buy LOCAL – Snows Garden Center has it)

9. Potting soil

10. Compost (optional)  (Buy LOCAL – Snows Garden Center has it)

Follow these steps to create your own fabulous EarthBox

This is my EarthBox after a week of growth, and the plants seem to be liking their new home.

Most of this detailed information is from Cultivating Conscience – A channel to share the struggles and achievements we all experience in caring for ourselves, Earth, and its inhabitants.

Will you raise “eco-aware” kids? April 1, 2011

As my friend’s offspring stumbles and waddles his way from infancy to full-blown, upwardly mobile toddlerhood, I’m discovering that it’s never too early to steer him toward healthy, eco-conscious choices. Though I don’t doubt that he is smart and capable, it’s clear that he’s not going to magically morph into a responsible citizen without some coaching and encouragement.   He are a few tips that I’ve found from Eco-Mommies and have come up with on my own.

Be the kind of person you want your child to be.
The quickest way to teach your kid to recycle or to conserve energy is to do those things yourself.  Monkey see monkey do, and guess what?  YOU are the monkey.

Introduce your child to the source of the food he or she eats.
Tending a garden or visiting a farmers market can help your little one understand that vegetables don’t grow on supermarket shelves. From here you can begin to emphasize the importance of choosing organic foods.

Choose better goodies for your child.
You don’t have to deny them everything that’s good, just set limits on it.  When I was a kid WAY before anyone was environmentally conscious, my parents let us drink milk, juice or water.  ONLY soda on a very special occassion.   Candy was for Halloween and Christmas.  McDonalds was VERY limited.  Today, it’s a lot easier to feed your kids healthy foods.  You need to start early or the next thing you know, you’ll have a kid who only eats chicken fingers.

Don’t take your toilet paper for granted.
My Dad used to tell us “only 3 squares” when we were kids.   He was trying to keep us from clogging up the toilet, but more importantly, toilet paper is PAPER and that means it comes from killing trees.  I don’t know if explaining that every tree that is cut down contributes to carbon emissions, which contribute to global warming, which is simply not good at all with actually penetrate a small child’s brain.   But if you choose paper products made from recycled paper — available in most grocery stores today — that will help save trees. In fact, the Natural Resources Defense Council has found that if every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of virgin-fiber toilet paper with the recycled variety, more than 400,000 trees would be saved.

BYOB:  Bring your own bag.
Before setting out on a grocery expedition, I always grab a couple of canvas bags so I can avoid adding more plastic to the world.  I personally have about 12 bags in my trunk.  If you can use the bags everytime you shop, you will be setting a clear eco-aware example for your child.

Clean green.
When your kid is finally ready to pitch in with the house work, he’ll find that Mom and Pops only use nontoxic cleaning products. If he asks why (and even if he doesn’t), I’d break it down like this:  Using cleaning supplies — laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, toilet bowl cleaner and the like — made from natural ingredients ensures that no harmful chemicals end up in the earth, our water supply and ultimately, our bodies.  Don’t scare the child, but let him know that natural is the way to go whenever possible.

Reuse regularly.
Each of the 3 R’s — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle — plays an essential role in living a greener life, but acquiring a child, and the piles and piles of stuff that has accompanied said child, makes people especially fond of reusing. When it comes to kids — especially babies — most gear can be reused. Everything from clothes, toys and books to furniture, bath gear and even the giant hunks of plastic that form Exersaucers and swing sets can have a second life. Resist the urge to buy something new or to dump something you own by using sources like Craigslist.org, Freecycle.com and Freepeats.org to find gently used items and to pass on your goods to those in need.

Throw a smart party.
Entertaining is often where eco-values get compromised. What’s a handful of plastic cups, plates and utensils for a good time? What’s a bunch of plastic balloons (AKA sea-turtle killers)?  But before you succumb to the single-use temptation, think about the many birthday parties you’ll be hosting and then think about all that cake-coated plastic and all those popped balloons sitting in a landfill for decades.  A better option is to use reusable dishes and skip the balloons for multiuse alternatives like paper Chinese lanterns or biodegradable streamers (check out greenpartygoods.com for more ideas). And if you use canned or bottled beverages, make sure you provide clearly marked recycling bins. Be sure to involve your child in the planning process so he begins to understand how a party comes to be and what happens when it’s over.

Earth Energy March 30, 2011

I just got back from a vacation in the Dominican Republic. Although the country is very poor apart from a select few all-inclusive resorts, I noticed several things. 1. Although the water was undrinkable, the resort had huge jugs of spring water all over the place so every single person didn’t have to have their own little bottle. 2. They had signs in bathroom asking you to save energy by re-using the towels. 3. There were energy-saving bulbs in every single light fixture. 4. Walking or utilizing an electric golf cart were the main modes of transportation.

If THEY can do it, so can we. These are very simple tips which can help you to make the world little bit more greener.

Change to Fluorescent Bulbs – If every house in the United States changed all of the light bulbs in their house, that would be equivalent to taking one million cars off the streets.

Hang Outside to Dry – Get a clothes line or rack to dry your clothes. Or just hang them up in your bathroom or laundry room inside like I do. Your clothes will last longer and you will save money.

Use Both Sides of Paper – if you have a printer with a double sided print option use it. You will save half of the amount of paper you would have normally used.

Do not take baths often, take showers. As much as you may love a nice hot soak, you will in average use half the amount of water to take a shower as you would if you were taking a bath.

Recycle Glass – If you do not recycle this, it will take a million years to decompose.