GREEN LIVING ENERGY EXPO

Is this on your calendar?  From 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Saturday, May 8th is the next Green Living Expo at Riversprings Middle School in Wakulla County.  This expo is always informative, always fun with lots of interesting vendors and exhibitors.  

Check out the Green Living Expo website and plan to attend.

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GO GREEN WITH NO PAPER RECEIPT

According to 'Please Kill the Paper Receipts,' 50% of forests have been cleared and 50% of that is for paper. This equates to 9,600,000 million trees cut down each year just to produce paper receipts.  Do I need the receipt?  Sometimes I do.  Most times, I do not.  I've given up getting gas receipts, I don't use 99% of any coupons that are printed on a receipt.  I pay my bills electronically. I can definitely significantly reduce the paper receipts I collect. 

Here's a poll to voice your opinion and a little humor to bring home the point.  

Take the poll here:  

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THE PASSIVE GREEN HOUSE

As a big fan of the Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka, the article in this week's USA Today's Earth Day edition (four whole pages) was interesting as an experiment in downsizing as well as a look at a couple's adventure in building a 'green home.'  Smaller?  yes.  Solar and geo-thermal? no. Wind power? no.  But, the construction of the 2500 square foot home will include material selections that will result in a house that is so well insulated, together with mechanical ventilation improvements, that it will qualify as energy efficient through passive energy design. 

A building standard in Germany and emerging in the US, the Passive House is a comprehensive system that places its emphasis on creating a tight envelope that is very well-insulated, and virtually air-tight, that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. thereby minimizing energy losses. 

Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, combined with ventilation that provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is a system that can save up to 90% of space heating costs, while providing improved indoor air quality.

Components of the home featured in USA Today include a white membrane roof to reflect daylight, low VOC paint, a metal roof made of recycled materials, gutters to redirect rainwater to a cistern, exterior walls with insulation value of R26, cement fiber siding with recycled content, concrete masonry, landscaping with native plants and no grass, glass faced to the southern exposure with shade overhangs and fiberglass serious windows with R5 casements.  

Deep research on passive houses can be found compiled by the Passive House Institute is here.  The Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) is a consulting and research firm working to further the implementation of Passive House standards and techniques nationwide by:

 

• Constructing, measuring, and verifying performance of Passive Houses in all US climate zones

• Contributing to the development of minimized mechanical systems for heating, cooling, and dehumidification

• Creating design guidelines for Passive Houses in all climate zones

• Providing energy calculation and consulting services

As of January 2008, PHIUS is authorized by the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt as the official Certifier of Passive Houses in the US.

 

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RETHINK, RECYCLE, REWARD?

This month's Wired magazine talks about the future of money and focuses on how major corporations are enticing customers to buy product and modify their brand loyalty through systems of points that are awarded based upon purchases or other actions.  Not unlike getting 'reward points" for using a airline branded credit card, this concept now extends into gaining 'points' or virtual currency that can be spent in places like Second Life. 

Now a recycling bin has been morphed from something good for the environment to something altruistic and consumer driven all at the same time.  PepsiCo, is the company that produces carbonated liquid sugar in cans and plastic bottles, the Doritos Super Bowl and bottles millions of gallons of water branded as Aquafina, Poland Springs, Deer Park, Ozarka and others.

PepsiCo’s has created its Dream Machine recycling kiosks to help consumers increase the US beverage container recycling rate from 34% to 50 % by 2018. It will give  points for depositing a bottle, if you have registered with the participating website.   

Kiosks will be located in grocery and convenience stores, and will accept plastic bottles and aluminum cans.  Created by a subsidiary of Waste Management, the first kiosks will appear in North Carolina and southern California.

The first recycling kiosks will not, however, impact the point of consumption of the drink which will be in the car, at home or some location other than the point of purchase.  This means bringing the bottle back to the kiosk at some other time.  Future plans do include locating kiosks at parks and stadiums.  For those of us who have curbside recycling, is the point system enough of a bribe an incentive to load up the bottles for the next trip to the grocery or convenience store?

But wait!  There's an app for that. 

The participating website,Greenopolis, has an App for iPhone that will allow its members to use their phone to scan materials destined for recycling and automatically upload points! 

PepsiCo is also donating a portion of its recycling profits to Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities--thus, the "dream" machine in the recycling kiosk name.   

The points earned are accumulated for the consumer on a site called Greenopolis, a social networking website that is sponsored by Waste Management of America, Seventh Generation, Green Mountain Coffee, and others.  It advertises that is brings people together who are interested in the environment and it links to Facebook, etc.  

Greenopolis has even adopted the recycle mantra and made it their own: Rethink, Recycle, Reward.

What does one do with the reward points earned by rethinking where to recycle bottles?  Points at Greenopolis are to be used to buy stuff:

• Exclusive travel related benefits just for members.
• An online system to purchase discounted tickets to first run movies playing at more than 1,400 theaters nationwide. (Tallahassee?)
• Access to a members-only on-line shopping mall that offers major discounts and cash rebates for purchases.

Your thoughts?

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THE TRAIN: SAVING TIME AND ENERGY

It took me a little while to get this, but thanks to the explanation at Kottke, it makes sense.  The train never stops, thus saving time and the energy normally used to slow and re-accelerate.  A mere 5 minute stop per station would result in a total loss of 5 minutes x 30 stations or 2.5 hours of train journey time.

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SUSTAINABLE TALLAHASSEE CELEBRATES EARTH DAY

Sustainable Tallahassee will have displays today, April 22, at the Capitol from 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Stop by and say 'hello.'

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How To Make a Solar Cell with Donuts and Tea

This is why I love science.   How To Make a Solar Cell with Donuts and Tea video:

Read More at Wired Science.

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FLORIDA SOLAR REBATES GONE FOR THIS YEAR

After reading about the energy efficient appliance rebate, several Green readers asked about the status of Florida's solar rebates.  There are no more funds for this fiscal year.  Funds should become available again after July 1, 2010.  
More information on solar rebates is available at
My Florida Climate. 

         

 

solar panels at Oak Ridge Elementary School, Tallahassee

Here's a look at Florida's renewable energy map from
the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which shows all renewable energy plants, both existing and proposed.  It also can show the areas    
on the map with 'potential' for renewable like solar. 
Here's a link to Tallahassee's map of solar installations.  

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ENERGY STAR REBATES START TOMORROW!

Florida's rebates for Energy StarTM appliance purchases starts tomorrow!

The $17.5-million rebate program will provide Florida residents discounts on approximately 68,000 ENERGY STARTM appliances purchased from Florida retailers between Friday, April 16, and Sunday, April 25, 2010. 
 
Beginning April 16, 2010, at 11:00 AM, you can obtain a Priority Number online at this website:   www.rebates.com/florida 

Based on the amount of funds reserved, the Web site will countdown the remaining available rebate funds. 

Rebates of 20% of retail purchase price of the following designated appliances: Refrigerators
Freezers
Dishwashers
Clothes Washers
Room Air Conditioners
Hot Water Heaters –
Gas Tank-less 

PLUS $75 for Recycling the old appliance.  

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IS THE SUNSHINE STATE IN CANADA?

Sunpluggers reports that Canda's province, Ontario, began its feed-in tariff last fall. In a few months, its planned or installed solar PV generating capacity will exceeded that of sunny, populous U.S. states such as Texas and Florida.

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WHERE DOES FLORIDA'S NUCLEAR WASTE GO?

The new Miami Solar Forum discusses the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's  upcoming special meeting to discuss three apparent violations involving a spent-fuel pool at Turkey Point and the fact that used nuclear fuel has been building up at Turkey Point near Miami for the 35 years of its operation.

Reiterating the fact that Florida has no plan for disposal of spent fuel.

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EARTH MACHINES AND RAIN BARRELS ON EARTH DAY

How do you prevent over 600,000 of organic waste from going into the landfill each year? Composting!  If 1,000 residents started actively composting, we'd save at least that and would realize a great nutritional resource for our gardens.  

On April 24th, Leon County is again sponsoring a sale on Earth MachinesTM  and this year is also offering rain barrels for sale. 

Details are on the Green Calendar 

Why compost?  In many local areas, our clay textured soil can be greatly enhanced by compost that reduces the soil's bulky density, increasing it porosity while reducing erosion. Compost keeps plants more moist and can improve the pH of the soil, while supplying a variety of nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.

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HOST A GREEN CLEANING PARTY FOR EARTH DAY

Women's Voices for the Earth suggests that we celebrate Earth Week (April 19 - 25) by hosting a green cleaning party and raise our voices in support of policies that protect us from toxic chemicals. 

Legislation will be introduced in Congress next week that will restrict the use of harmful chemicals in cleaning products and others we use everyday, and you can help ensure it passes!

Click here for Nontoxic Cleaning Recipes

 

 

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