Scrap the Phonebook

You can sign a petition and opt-out to remove your home or office from receiving the telephone directories from the following sites:

http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/stop-yellow-pages/

http://www.paperlesspetition.org/

New Solar Shingle Hits the Market

A company out of Grass Valley, California – Sun Energy Engineering Co. – has developed a low-profile solar shingle, or Sun Energy Shingle, to be used instead of roofing shingles or over existing shingles. It’s available in custom colors, too, depending on what kind of look you’re trying to get on the rooftop.

New Solar Shingle Hits the Market!

Indian engineer builds glaciers to stop warming

His glaciers have been able to each store up to one million cubic feet of ice, which in turn can irrigate 200 hectares of farm land. This can make the difference between crop failure and a bumper crop of more than 1,000 tons of wheat for the farmers.

Indian engineer builds glaciers to stop warming - SiliconIndia

Solar and Agriculture: Double Cropping Energy and Food

What sets this project apart is that it aims to not just co-exist with productive farm land, but actually enhance the agricultural process.

Solar and Agriculture: Double Cropping Energy and Food : TreeHugger

Green Building Materials Guide on Green Planet

When it comes to building or renovating a home, there are few simple choices. From styles and colors to location and design, there's an awful lot to consider, but, thankfully, you don't have to settle for materials whose production or use has a big-time negative impact on the planet. Here to help is our Green Materials Guide, which will help guide you through the process of finding green materials for every green project in your home.

Green Materials Guide : Planet Green

Michelle Kaufmann's Smart Home

Pretty cool to see it go up like this.

STAR Community Index : A Framework for Green Communities

The STAR Community Index is a new tool designed to help local governments plan, track and measure their sustainability programs. Inspired by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED ® Green Building Rating System ™.

STAR Community Index - ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA

Backyard wind turbine generates generate 25-30% of your home’s power

Windspire a 1 kW vertical wind turbine designed to be placed in your backyard which its manufacturer, Mariah Power claims will generate 25-30% of your home’s power.

Green Home Renovation

More "greening" videos here.

10 Ways to Green your Fridge

Some good tips from Vegetarian Times

Remember as a child when your father yelled, “Close the door!” as you stood in front of the fridge, pondering what to eat? Well, he was right: The refrigerator consumes more energy than any other household appliance. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the average American fridge uses around 1,383 kilowatt hours a year, which is 14 percent of your household’s electrical needs and about $90 a year. But there are simple steps you can take to lighten your refrigerator’s impact on your wallet—and the environment. More importantly, many of these changes—some large and some small—can cut down on the chemicals and bacteria lingering in your fridge, which is healthier for everyone in the house.

1. DITCH THE PLASTIC
Plastic containers may be a kitchen staple, but there are some great reasons to switch to glass storage for your leftovers. Glass keeps food and beverages colder, which means less work for the fridge. Glass is an all-natural, recyclable material, while many plastics are not. And with the potential health hazards associated with leaching plastic, glass containers are a smart alternative because they can go from fridge to microwave to table without having to transfer and generate additional dirty dishes. Finally, when it comes to avoiding spoilage—which is both a waste and a health issue— glass is the clear winner. “Using transparent containers instead of opaque ones is more likely to get leftovers noticed and eaten in a timely manner,” says Kirsten Ritchie, director of sustainable design at Gensler Corporation in San Francisco.

2. UPGRADE (AND DOWNSIZE)
By replacing a fridge bought in 1990 with an Energy Star–qualifi ed model, you could save enough energy to light a household for nearly four months, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). To fi nd a list of Energy Star–approved models, log on to energystar.gov. When you’re out shopping, look for the yellow U.S. Energy Guide sticker, which rates models for effi ciency. Keep in mind that units with the freezer on top perform 10 percent to 25 percent more effi ciently than side-by-side models. Also, consider buying a smaller model that consumes less energy and discourages waste, says Alicia Silva, an interior designer at Synergy Design Studio, a Seattle-based company specializing in green building. “With a smaller fridge, you realize you can only save what you are going to eat,” she adds. When you’re ready to switch out your old fridge, call your local recycling center to ask about proper disposal.

3. FORGET ICE AND WATER DISPENSERS
Automatic ice makers and through-the-door ice and water dispensers increase your unit’s energy use by 14 percent to 20 percent and raise the price of a new refrigerator by $75 to $250, according to the DOE. Skip these features and keep fully stocked ice trays, and use a pitcher-style fi lter to keep drinking water clean and chilled. If you just can’t live without an automatic ice maker, make it the internal variety, advises Ritchie.

4. FILL ’ER UP
A full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one: The more space to cool, the harder the fridge has to work. However, Ritchie warns, “You don’t want it too full because you still need room for the chilled air to circulate and cool down new items.” If you live alone and often have bare shelves, the California Energy Commission recommends fi lling the extra space with water-fi lled containers (plus you’ll have water on hand in case of an emergency).

5. MIND THE (EXPIRATION) DATE
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, warns that most people keep foods much longer than they should. “Check labels for dates and throw out anything that is past expiration,” says Gidus. Better yet, get expiration-date savvy, and use up your groceries before they have a chance to expire. A “sell-by” date tells grocers when to pull a product off store shelves; as a consumer, you have a few days past this date to use a product. A “use-by” date means exactly that: Use by that date, or toss the food. (For more guidance on the shelf life of common perishables, see “Is It Safe to Eat?,” right.) In general, leftovers should not be kept longer than three or four days.
6. KEEP IT CLEAN … NATURALLY
Even the tiniest spills can lead to bacterial growth, which speeds up food spoilage—and waste. Yet conventional cleaning products introduce toxic chemicals into your food zone. Instead, Gidus suggests these simple, homemade formulas for effective natural cleaning: For a quick wipe down of shelves, use mild liquid soap or a one-toone solution of white vinegar and water; for sticky spills that require gentle scouring, use baking soda and a damp sponge.

7. VACUUM THE COILS
The refrigerator coils, located both behind and underneath the fridge, are at the heart of the unit’s refrigerant system. They are also natural dust magnets: A cooling agent passes through the coils, and a fan blows across them, stirring up and attracting dust. The more dust, the less effi cient the fan is at removing heat. Twice a year, use a vacuum cleaner with a long brush attachment to clean thoroughly around the coils.

8. CHECK THE SEALS
While you’re examining the exterior of the fridge, make sure the seals on the doors are tight. Place a dollar bill in the refrigerator door and close it. If you can easily pull out the dollar bill, the door needs to be adjusted or you may need to replace the rubber seal. Also, be sure to wipe down the seals regularly to prevent dust and grime buildup, which can interfere with the seals and, over time, lead to brittleness.

9. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
If your refrigerator is sitting next to the stove or a sunny window, consider moving the fridge to a different spot. For each degree above 70°F surrounding the fridge, the unit uses 2.5 percent more power to keep its contents cool. Moving a fridge out of a potentially 90°F spot could save you up to $70 a year. The best location is against a north or east wall, says Ritchie.

10. TAKE YOUR TEMPERATURE
The optimal temperature range in the refrigerator is 36°–38°F (in the freezer, it should be 0°F). But, for every degree below 38°F, the unit consumes 5 percent more energy. Because a built-in thermometer might not tell you the whole story, purchase a refrigerator thermometer, leave it in an easy-to-see spot, and check it periodically. Move the thermometer around in the refrigerator to determine which spots are coldest, and use this information to help guide storage decisions. For instance, spoilage-sensitive eggs generally should not be stored in the door, which tends to be a few degrees warmer than interior shelves.

Young farmers: An emerging social movement

A new farming movement is afoot.

Steeped in years of talk around college campuses and in stylish urban enclaves about the evils of factory farms (see the E. coli spinach outbreaks), the perils of relying on petroleum to deliver food over long distances (see global warming) and the beauty of greenmarkets (see the four-times-weekly locavore cornucopia in Union Square), some young urbanites are starting to put their muscles where their pro-environment, antiglobalization mouths are. They are creating small-scale farms near urban areas hungry for quality produce and willing to pay a premium.

Leaving Behind the Trucker Hat

REGREEN: Remodeling Guidelines to Re-Green Your Interior Design

Interesting new initiative to set guidelines for remodeling, similar to LEED certification for new building construction. A set of guidelines are available as a PDF download from the REGREEN website.

Last week, at its annual conference in New Orleans, the American Society of Interior Designers released REGREEN, its set of guidelines for home remodeling with a shade of green.

In contrast with LEED, which scores and certifies green buildings, REGREEN is a set of guidelines, designed to give homeowners and interior design and buildings professionals the background and resources to evaluate green products and energy systems in the systems-based context of how an entire home operates.

REGREEN: Remodeling Guidelines to Re-Green Your Interior Design (via Treehugger)

Green Home Guide

Green Home Guide: Here's a website that has reviews and advice on Green products and services, from professionals and homeowners.

50 Quick, Painless Ways You Can Help the Environment Today

[Playing] your part to help the environment doesn’t have to be difficult, time-consuming, or sweeping. You can help out in little ways, making gradual changes, baby steps.

Starting today.

Pick one, and start today.

1. Take a shorter shower.
2. Use a rag or hand towel instead of napkins or paper towels.
3. Don’t print at least once today.
4. Carpool once this week.
5. Turn off the TV for an hour.
6. Turn off the lights.
7. Use a coffee mug instead of disposable.
8. Use CFC light bulbs.
9. Skip the foil and plastic wrap.
10. Inflate your tires.
11. Clean up.
12. Talk to your kids about the environment.
13. Reuse printed paper.
14. Turn down your water heater.
15. Plant a tree.
16. Hang out your clothes.
17. Buy a manual reel mower or electric mower.
18. Get a low-flow shower head.
19. Lower your thermostats.
20. Participate or organize a clean-up.
21. Avoid fast food.
22. Use acryllic paint.
23. Coat your roof.
24. Clean your filters.
25. Telecommute.
26. Wash clothes in cold water.
27. Fill your toilet tank.
28. Buy recycled products.
29. Recycle.
30. Buy a smaller car.
31. Buy a smaller home.
32. Look for energy efficiency.
33. Water grass early in the morning.
34. Plant shade trees near your house.
35. Use rechargeable batteries.
36. Buy used.
37. Walk instead of drive.
38. Unplug appliances.
39. Unload your car.
40. Try cycling.
41. Install a water filter.
42. Use cloth shopping bags.
43. Mend your stuff.
44. Compost.
45. Try mass transit.
46. Buy in bulk.
47. Buy durable.
48. Use your oven less.
49. Join a local organization.
50. Join Blog Action Day.

Read the entire article with more detail here.

Riding the Green Wave

A "green wave" is sweeping Canadian residential development. Here are some of the highlights...

Top five trends:

• More "free" power through the increased use of geothermal, solar and wind energy in new home construction

• Widespread use of paints, carpets and other building materials that are free of volatile organic compounds, commonly referred to as VOCs

• The use of more recycled or salvaged building materials such as glass, steel, aluminum, plastic and drywall

• More building products from rapidly renewable natural sources such as bamboo, jute, cork and sisal

• Products made or harvested using processes that use little energy or water, are free of pesticides ,and don't produce any emissions or other pollutants

Riding the Green Wave (TreeHugger)

Finding a Green Contractor

Considering an eco-friendly home renovation, new kitchen or roof but don’t know where to look for contractors or architects? Shop around at the sites below and remember to always ask for several references.

Your first (and maybe only) stop is the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) website. It lists building professionals accredited by the USGBC for having “demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and familiarity with LEED requirements, resources and processes.” To find LEED accredited professionals in your city and state, see www.usgbc.org.

Non-profit Co-op America’s Green pages also lists architects and designers that have been screened for a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. See www.coopamerica.org.

Also, many green businesses are members of local chapters of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), a network established to ensure “that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and natural life.” To find local members, see www.livingeconomies.org.

Finding a Green Contractor

Slow Home: An alternative to suburban sprawl

An excellent 10 step guide to sustainable living.

1. GO INDEPENDENT
Avoid homes by big developers and large production builders. They are designed for profit not people. Work with independent designers and building contractors instead.

2. GO LOCAL
Avoid home finishing products from big box retailers. The standardized solutions they provide cannot fit the unique conditions of your home. Use local retailers, craftspeople, and manufacturers to get a locally appropriate response and support your community.

3. GO GREEN
Stop the conversion of nature into sprawl. Don’t buy in a new suburb. The environmental cost can no longer be justified. Re-invest in existing communities and use sustainable materials and technologies to reduce your environmental footprint.

4. GO NEAR
Reduce your commute. Driving is a waste of time and the new roads and services required to support low density development is a big contributor to climate change. Live close to where you work and play.

5. GO SMALL
Avoid the real estate game of bigger is always better. A properly designed smaller home can feel larger AND work better than a poorly designed big one. Spend your money on quality instead of quantity.

6. GO OPEN
Stop living in houses filled with little rooms. They are dark, inefficient, and don’t fit the complexity of our daily lives. Live in a flexible and adaptive open plan living space with great light and a connection to outdoors.

7. GO SIMPLE
Don’t buy a home that has space you won’t use and things you don’t need. Good design can reduce the clutter and confusion in your life. Create a home that fits the way you really want to live.

8. GO MODERN
Avoid fake materials and the re-creation of false historical styles. They are like advertising images and have little real depth. Create a home in which character comes from the quality of space, natural light and the careful use of good, sustainable materials.

9. GO HEALTHY
Avoid living in a public health concern. Houses built with cheap materials off gas noxious chemicals. Suburbs promote obesity because driving is the only option. Use natural, healthy home materials and building techniques. Live where you can walk to shop, school and work.

10. GO FOR IT
Stop procrastinating. The most important, and difficult, step in the slow home process is the first one that you take. Get informed and then get involved with your home. Every change, no matter how small, is important.

Slow Home Principles [via TreeHugger]

GoodCleanTech - The Independent Guide to Ecotechnology

Good site for info on the latest in Eco technology.

GoodCleanTech aims to provide you with news, tips, advice, and ideas about how to do more with less. With the help of the editors and analysts at PC Magazine, we'll praise those companies that have committed to better ecotechnologies and hold to the fire the polluters and resource hogs. And we'll keep you informed about the latest environmentally friendly developments in the worlds of computers, automobiles, fuel, power, and more.

GoodCleanTech - The Independent Guide to Ecotechnology

Wozniak's New Goal is Efficient Housing

Interesting interview with Apple co-founder and legendary hacker Steve Wozniak where he talks about building an energy efficient home using Southern Yellow Pine which has a natural property of heating and cooling homes, eliminating the need for A/C and heating. He also takes about a company called Enertia that has kit houses made of Southern Yellow Pine, ready to assemble without using any nails. This is a really intriguing idea!

You build a home out of a type of wood that keeps the temperature constant without air conditioning or heaters. The miracle wood in this category is Southern Yellow Pine. As for renewable resources, more Southern Yellow Pine trees are planted each year than are used. I'm told this is the only tree with this benefit. The Southern Yellow Pine has a resin inside that melts and freezes at 71 degrees F., a very comfortable temperature for humans. The chemical actions of melting and freezing work to balance the temperature. If it's a hot day, some small amount of the resin melts (it takes a huge amount of energy to melt a tiny amount) and the melting process pulls heat from the surroundings, from the home. When it gets colder at night, the resin-wood emits heat as it freezes.

In high school chemistry we had the latent heat of fusion concept. You let ice settle in water. You can measure the temperatures. The ice and water are both 32 degrees F. It seems like the tiniest amount of energy would cause the ice to melt. After all, you only have to change it maybe a hundredth or less of a degree. But it takes a huge amount of energy to accomplish melting. This represents the difference in energy between the solid and liquid states. In this way, large amounts of energy can be stored. In the case of Southern Yellow Pine, energy from the summer can even be stored in the wood until a later season in some cases.

This company Enertia prepares blocks of this Southern Yellow Pine with grooves and sells the pieces as kit homes that you build yourself. The only tool you need is a power drill. No nails are used in the construction. I suspect that's because the metal of nails helps outside temperature conduct to the inside. The homes are also designed in an envelope fashion with 2 layers of wood and a space between them for natural air circulation around the home. The Southern side is all glass to collect sunlight. The homes are designed for more sunlight getting in during the Winter, when the sun is lower in the sky, than during summer, when the sun is higher in the sky.

All of these simple principles wind up with a very attractive house that is as normal and livable as any other, but without insulation or air conditioning or heating. The typical energy bill might be as low as $30 a month, depending on where you live. The outside temperature can be 50 degrees hotter or colder than the inside temperature of 71 degrees.

Recently I bumped into the builder of my first home. We reminisced and I told him of my plans to build one of these Enertia homes. He had built many homes with the efficient ram-dirt process and for one of them he used the resin-wood (presumably Southern Yellow Pine) for the roof. With only the roof being of this resin-wood the temperature inside never varied more than 5 degrees he told me. So the combination of approaches is one thing I'm considering too.

Wozniak's New Goal is Efficient Housing

Rebuilding Greensburg as "green'' town

The tornado flattened town of Greensburg, Kansas, is thinking Green as it rebuilds itself. The news was featured on Good Morning America, reported by Bob Woodruff. Greensburg plans to be the first green town, in the United States, built from ground up. The biggest challenge seems to be the other kind of "green - money." So they are looking to funding from being part of "Eco-Town," a 13-part reality series on cable television being considered by Discovery Communications. Leonardo DiCaprio is executive producer of the series.

"The task of rebuilding Greensburg is presenting the supporters of so-called 'green' design with an opportunity to display the environmental-friendly philosophy on a community-wide scale.

But determining what a green Greensburg will look like will require careful maneuvering around issues of politics, financing and even reality television in the town devastated by a May 4 tornado .

For starters, there isn't another 'green town' in the United States on which to base Greensburg's redevelopment, said Stephen Hardy, a city planner with a Kansas City, Mo., architecture firm brought in by the state to do consulting work. That gives planned 'an endless list of opportunities,' Hardy said."

Rebuilding Greensburg as "green'' town will be a challenge - AOL News