Anytime I see rebates being offered, I hear the “caching, caching” sound of money going back to my reader’s pockets.    So, in the mail box today I received the following from the  New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program™Rebates and Promotions:

“Based on the success of the recent ENERGY STAR® appliance promotion in April, additional rebates will be offered once again. The new promotion will cover purchases made from July 1 through August 31 (or while funds last). New Jersey residents will be eligible for rebates ranging from $25 to $100 on the purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers, clothes washers and refrigerators. The rebates are a result of the federal stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Save time and money! Many retailers will provide an instant rebate at the time you make your purchase (so no waiting for your rebate!). However, some retailers may require you to complete a mail-in rebate form.

Plus, a seasonal rebate for ENERGY STAR room air conditioner units was launched on May 14, 2010 and will end August 31, 2010. Don’t wait to take advantage of these hot savings!

Hurry! Additional Rebate Programs end August 31 or while funds last!

ENERGY STAR Dishwashers

There are two rebates available on ENERGY STAR dishwashers. Check the product list for qualifying models before you shop.

$25 rebate for dishwashers that use 5.8 gallons of water or less per cycle and use less than 324 kWh per year.

$50 rebate for dishwashers that use 5.0 gallons of water or less per cycle and use less than 307 kWh per year.

ENERGY STAR Clothes Washers

Our most popular rebate program, energy efficient clothes washers, helps you save both energy and water at home.
For purchases made from July 1 through August 31 – a $35 rebate is available for select ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers with a modified energy factor (MEF) of 1.8 to 2.19 and water factor <=7.5.

There is also a year-round $50 rebate available for select ENERGY STAR units with a MEF of 2.2 or higher.

ENERGY STAR Refrigerators

There are two rebates available on ENERGY STAR refrigerators which are 7.75 cubic feet or greater in volume. Remember, check the product list for qualifying models before you shop.

$75 rebate for refrigerators that are 20% better than the federal standard.

$100 rebate for refrigerators that are 25% better than the federal standard.

There is also a $50 rebate offered through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program year-round to residents who recycle their old, working refrigerators or freezers. This includes free pick-up.

More Rebate News

There are new, higher enhanced rebates available for central air conditioners – up to $600!

Dehumidifiers with the ENERGY STAR label are eligible for a $25 rebate.

Check out our summer tips for more ideas on how to reduce your energy bill this summer.

From cooling and heating equipment rebates to in-home energy assessments, and energy saving tips for saving energy and money, New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program gives residents the Power to Save.

All rebates are subject to change at any time.” [Emphasis added.]

I know.  The rebates aren’t high but every little bit helps.  Just think of how much energy and water you will be saving especially since the utilities hike their rates big time in New Jersey.

Check your own state to see what rebates are being offered. I am sure NJ is not the only one with the rebates.

Readers, are your states offering some sweet rebates?  Let us know.

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Photo by Fernando de Sousa.

Here are the green links for this week!  I have to say, the news get more interesting every week.  In the links are articles ranging from the environmental impact of nuclear, introduction of new electric/hybrid cars to how LCD waste could prevent bacterial infections.  What is this world going to think of next?

• Solar Panels Luring Insects to Their Deaths via Discovery News.  Before, you scoff and throw up your hands up on me thinking I went too far off the green deep end, insects are important and not just pests.  (Couldn’t help myself.)  As a gardener, the insect food chain is really important to keeping my garden healthy.

• Hands On: Smart Fortwo’s Electric Car via PC Mag

• NORTHEAST COLLABORATIVE FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS.  Great article about how all schools can be high performance schools. Facility managers, this is a must read article.

• Panasonic Exceeds 2009 Green Targets

• 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America

10 Innovations Changing the Way Products Are Packaged and Shipped

• Cheaper gallium arsenide thin-film solar cells in the works

• LCD Television Waste Could Help Prevent Bacterial Infections.  I found this article to be extremely interesting since LCD television waste is horrendous and ends up in many third world countries’ backyards.

• Debunking the myth of the internet as energy hog, again: How information technology is good for climate

• A $100 Million Pool for Solar Financing.  Making solar affordable is the key to harnessing the sun.  There are now lease options available.  Enjoy the benefits of a cheaper kilowatt price without the upfront cost of the system.

• Carbon Nanotube Electrodes Boost Power in Lithium Batteries, Study Says

• Researchers harness pee for hydrogen and battery power.  yes another invention for urine.  Now the poor man’s hydrogen and battery power rather than the poor man’s fertilizer!

Got Green News?  Green Talk readers want to know.  Self-promotion is permitted (and highly encouraged!)

Readers, which one of the above articles is your favorite news story and why?

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When I first perused the green product shopping website  LivingECHO, my first thought what a great site for  one stop shopping.  I could click on many different organic and sustainable products from various environmentally minded companies and buy them right from the same site.  Think of an open food market place where there are all these vendors and everyone has a table to sell their wares.  In essense a win-win for the consumer and green businesses.

How did I land on LivingECHO’s website? I recently received an email from Ken Spector touting the Company”s concept.  Usually, when another company sends me an email and tell me what a great site they are, I often shoot back a reply,  while yawning from the same old same come-on that I get and ask “how so?”

What Different about LivingECHO?

Well,  Spector of the Company rose to the Anna challenge, and replied why LivingECHO is different.

Many of you buy from such websites such as  BuyGreen.com, Uncommon Goods, and  Amazon.com just to name a few.  Then there is also “direct link” sites which feature  other company’s products.  (Note, “direct link” sites is Anna-speak so don’t quote me on my use of that term.) They differ from the Amazon’s of the world since they simply connect you to the product’s website.  Examples of green direct linker are Pristine Planet and Green Crawler .  LivingECHO is the combination of the two but all the activity stays on their site.

According to Spector, what makes this site different than other web-based direct link  sites, other sites “do not have order tracking, order processing, order management. You cannot add products to a cart, and a third party company cannot run a business through their site. When you click on buying a product, it merely opens up the product page with a tracking code on another site.”   Spector further stated, that most direct link sites  also don’t “have the backend software tools allowing for small to mid sized companies to sell their own products. We do order tracking, order processing, product management, and that is only the beginning. We are building some other wonderful business tools.”

In addition, I noticed sites such as BuyGreen.com, an online green store, was also selling their products on LivingECHO. The old agage rings true.  Why have your eggs in one basket?

Whose Behind the Company?

Who are the visionaries behind the Company?  Abram Santa Cruz and Jonathan Haun.  I love to find out the “why” a Company is formed since it gives me such insight on how it is run.  Abram Santa Cruz, the president, of the Company answered as follows:

“It started with me when my mother sent to live on my uncle’s farm. He taught me the values of caring for animals and caring for the earth which nurtures our food. I was 5 at the time and would spend three summers with him. Thereafter, I grew up in Arizona where I spent most of my free time playing sports; basketball, football, soccer, skiing & snowboarding, scuba diving, rock climbing, camping & fishing. Having spent so much time outdoors and in nature, I quickly became aware and concerned about environmental impacts of human activity. It wasn’t until a long trip through South America in 2005 that I wanted to commit the rest of my life towards giving back to the earth and towards building a sustainable future. I spent some time volunteering for Tree People and Heal the Bay in Los Angeles and one day came up with the idea to start LivingECHO.”

Spector wrote me about Jonathan, CTO of the Company:

“He grew up on an organic farm. As organic farmers, his parents taught him to leave the planet in a better state then when he arrived.  Like all of us, he has read about changing weather patterns and  increasing toxic waste accumulating in our oceans and on land, and he wanted to make a change to help better the planet.

Jonathan met Abram Santa Cruz, the President of LivingECHO through a friend, and together they devised LivingECHO as a comparative shopping site for ecoproducts, which also focuses on environmental education.

Jonathan has devised and follows a concept he calls the ‘No Trash Diet’ which basically states that ‘when buying food, you can’t buy anything that produces trash’– no packaging, except that which bio-degrades.  This type of diet eliminates loads of waste. If you eat candy, for example, you have to make it yourself. If you are a meat eater, chances are you will have to get your food from a local butcher, because if you purchase meat  from a super market, it’s packaged in trash most of the time.  This diet encourages those following it to buy locally,  eliminates trash, and creates a healthier diet. The diet also makes the follower much more aware of ways of making far less of a detrimental impact on our planet.”

How can I sell my wares on the website?

After reading what LivingECHO is all about, is your company a good fit to sell your products or services on the site?  Here are the minimum standards as of this date.  The requirements may change as the Company continues to grow:

“Food:  Made With Organic Ingredients: Made with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients with strict restrictions on the remaining 30% including no GMOs (genetically modified organisms) For more info on Organically grown food, please visit http://www.organic.org/home/faq.
Products made from timber: Products made from timber: Must come from sustainably managed forests (See Forest Stewardship Council Certificate below) or must be reclaimed and made into new products.
Clothes: Must be at least 80% organic or made from recycled materials and also must be 90% recyclable.
Electrical Appliances: Must meet or exceed Energy Stars certifications, must be made from recycled materials, or must be used and made in such a way that the intent is to preserve or revive the environment through sustainability.
Services: Must be for the intent of preserving or reviving the environment through sustainable practices.
All other products: Must be made from recycled or sustainable materials and be made for the intent of preserving the environment through sustainable manufacturing practices.”

Interested? See here for more information about selling your services or products as well as the commission fee schedule.

How about the consumer side?

How about us, consumers? We have covered the seller side. So my skeptical green-self rears her wagging finger and says “so how is LivingECHO vetting out who is green or not.” Kind of like how Santa decides who is naughty or nice.  The Company has established their own green rating system ranging in scale from 1 to 100, with 100 being the highest green rating that a product could get.   The rating system takes into account the manufacturing process, packaging, as well as the product.

“Our providers give us the following information on their products:
Recycled? How much of the product is made from recycled materials Recyclable?
How much of the product can be recycled or reused in other ways.
Energy Efficiency? Provided to them by Energy Star or a third party.
Eco-Friendly Packaging? How eco-friendly a products packaging is.
Organic? How much of the product is organic.
Biodegradable? How much of the product is biodegradable.”

The site gives you the ability to have a side by side comparison of products that you want to buy.  However, unlike an Amazon site, it does not compare prices of different companies who sell that a particular product.  Perhaps in time, when more products are added to the site as well as more green products become available.

Green Rating System?

To be honest, their green rating system could be improved, but is not bad.  At least they are trying. They have to rely on the companies to tell the truth as well as know what in their products.  Many companies may not know since they import pieces or parts of their products.

In addition, the product is not rated based upon the chemicals used in making the product.  I eyed a product that I liked, which is made of  plywood. My first thought is the company used regular plywood which contains formaldehyde. After inquiring about the product, I was advised that it did not.

However,  Spector said, given my question, they are going to add to their questions.  In my opinion, their ratings are as good as the questions being asked.  In the Company’s defense, it all goes back to the same problem.  Lack of uniform standards to prevent chemicals from being used in our products.  I still feel you have to do your homework and LivingECHO’s green rating system is only a starting place.

Feedback Incentive?

I would love to see a point system to award people for giving product reviews.  It could be green but fall apart. So, how green is then?  Perhaps, after you get a certain amount of points you could get a certain percentage off a product.  I believe consumers like to hear from other consumers. I always read the negative comments first on Amazon when I am looking at a product.

What Companies are popular on the site? Spector replied:

• PureRest Organics
• EcoBaby
• Chaba Decor and Organic Confections

In addition to the products listing, there are videos and a blog for purchasers to peruse. Readers,

• Let me know your thoughts about the site?
• Would you shop there or would you look for the best price first?
• Does it contain a lot of the products you would want to buy?

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Brendan Gill of Plentyways contributed the following post to Green Talk  about the benefit of Energy Monitors to reduce your energy consumption.  I asked him to write about this topic since I, myself, grapple at which monitors to use.

The idea behind energy monitors is that you measure and graph the total amount of electricity that your home is using.  The problem today is that utility bills are too far removed from the actual appliances using electricity.  When we receive a bill for $200, we don’t know how much of that is down to the washing machine or the kettle, or what strategies would most effectively reduce our energy usage.  However, with an energy monitor we can view in realtime how much electricity we are using and learn about the energy use of individual appliances also.

With this knowledge it makes it a lot easier to start to reduce your energy usage.  Using an energy monitor you will notice huge peaks when you run the dishwasher, for example, so you will quickly realize that it is a good idea to minimize its use and decide not to run when it is half empty. Indeed a recent study from the  University of Oxford found that the mere presence of an energy monitor had the effect of reducing people’s energy usage by 5-15% on average simply because people became more aware of the amount of energy they were using.  In short: using an energy monitor will save you money and help the environment.

So, what options are available?

Energy Monitor Devices

The most common energy monitor devices are physical units that work by placing some kind of clip around the main electricity line as it feeds into your home energy meter.  Don’t worry, it’s not an electrical connection it simply cradles the wire and measures the magnetic field.  However, it is a good idea to read the instructions thoroughly and use an electrician if you have any doubts.  The device can then tell how much electricity is being used in your home at any time.  Most good energy monitors will come with a wireless, handheld device which you can place anywhere in your home and it will display key stats such as current electricity usage, average for the day and average for the week etc.  Usually you can enter the amount you page for each unit of electricity (find this on a recent utility bill) and it will calculate how much your current energy use is costing you.  Many will come with software so that you can create graphs and investigate the data in more detail.  Examples of these are Onzo and TED.  They can cost around $200 but you are likely to recoup this money through reduced electricity bills within a few months.

Plug Load Monitors

These are similar energy monitoring devices but the difference is that they will just monitor the electricity used by a single electrical output as opposed to your whole house.  They will sit in between a plug and a socket and display the current amount of electricity being drawn through that socket.  The advantage of these is that you can get a direct, accurate reading of individual appliances.  Using a whole home energy monitor to measure an individual appliance can be tricky unless the appliance creates a very distinct peak when you switch it on, so individual appliance monitors are useful.  They start at around $25 (e.g. Kill A Watt) so can also be a much cheaper route.)

Smart Meters and Energy Dashboards

Part of the reason that energy companies don’t offer you a detailed breakdown of your energy usage is because they actually have difficulty accessing that data.  However, there is currently a trend to what is known as the ‘smart grid’ where energy companies have the ability to track in real time the energy being fed into your home.  This enables them to provide customers with a dashboard that displays detailed real time energy usage data, usually via a website.  The result is similar to the home energy monitors we talked about above except that in order to use them the consumer doesn’t have to install any devices as the data collection is all handled by the smart grid.  Although few electricity providers are set up to provide this service at present there is a definite trend towards this.

Example of data generated from the Google PowerMeter software.

Google PowerMeter

Google have recently got into this game with its new PowerMeter software.  It is partnering with energy companies to provide an energy dashboard for consumers.  If the energy company can move to the ‘smart grid’, Google will provide the software that allows you to view your real time energy usage data and even access this from your mobile phone.  At the moment it is only available with these select energy companies, but look out for PowerMeter in the future.  Knowing Google, there will be some very special features.  If you can’t wait, then  you can get a Google PowerMeter if you purchase the TED 5000 energy monitoring device, which integrates with Google’s software.

Readers, I have really enjoyed reading Plentyways’ blog and encourage you to visit it.  If it wasn’t for Brendan, I would never have learned about the GooglePower Meter.  Also, while you are visiting the blog, pop over to see what they are selling on their  e-green-commerce site.  There are “Plenty ways” to be green!

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Photo by Tracy Olson

When people asked me what I believe in, I tell them  I believe in family, friendship, and sense of self.  But I also believe that living green makes sense.  In fact, I believe  Green makes cents.

Before you pooh-pooh me, realize being green does not mean you have to live in an extravagant green home as you might see on television, have the newest green tech toys, or follow Hollywood’s latest trend.  I am talking real dollar to dollar savings based on good, honest thriftiness and back to nature living of our grandparents.  Follow along and start adding up the dough.

Saving Energy

I have extensively written about how to save energy by simply buttoning up your house. A little weather-stripping and caulk can go a long way to close up those drafts.  Insulate your attic floor in accordance with Department of Energy’s guidelines and seal around those protrusions in your attic. Before you know it, the money that went up the chimney, will be staying in your house.

Consider using no added formaldehyde free insulation such as Johns Manville’s or, a fiberglass and formaldehyde free, itch-less option (albeit more expensive) Ultra-Touch cotton insulation.  For more information on how to make your home energy efficient, see my articles, here, here, and here.

Don’t stop at those drafts.  Consider your appliances. Make your appliances work for you.  Clean the filters of your refrigerator and stock it to make it more efficient.  If your appliances are over ten years old, consider replacing them with energy star appliances. Not only will you have new appliances, but they will save you money as well. Check to see if any governmental rebates are available.

Oh, while we are in the kitchen, don’t forget to install an inexpensive aerator for your faucet to reduce your water usage as well as your bill.  Don’t stop there.  Plants need water? Water them with leftover cooking water or half drunken glasses of water.

Zap those energy suckers. Unplug used electronics in the house.  This goes for televisions, play stations, computers, faxes, and printers.  If you just can’t muster the energy to do this, consider purchasing either a Smart strip, which automatically powers down the appliance or an outlet strip so you can turn off several electronics with one switch.

Hey, we are not done yet. Before you leave the room, turn off the lights.  How easy is that?  While you are at it, replace your light bulbs with CFLs.  Light up and save.  However, don’t forget to take them to Home Depot, IKEA, or your county for recycling. Pitching them in the garbage is a mercury no-no.

Although these are only a few energy saving suggestions, you get the picture on how to save money by just doing the little things.

Improving Air Quality

Do you realize how many chemicals are in our household products? What can you do about it?  First, take your shoes off when you come into your house, so you don’t track pesticides and other outside toxic chemicals into your house.

Secondly, be mindful what you bring into your house.   Wonder why when you go into some furniture stores, your eyes water or you get a headache?  You smell chemicals off-gassing.  More and more medium priced furniture companies such as Lee and Viesso are making furniture with organic cotton, water based adhesives, FSC certified wood, and low voc stains and sealers. There are a multitude of green fabrics as well.  (See my green fabric articles here, here and here.) When you are visiting such stores as Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn, ask them which furniture is eco-friendly.   (Be sure to ask about all the parameters I mentioned above. The use of natural latex is an added bonus.) You might be surprised.

But to be ¨ϋber green, consider antiques and used furniture. (See my article about the hunt for used and antique furniture.) I love garage sales, EBay, Craig’s List, and FurnitureFindex.  Not only will you be lowering your carbon footprint by using something that is already here, you will be spending less money for quality.  I tend to purchase high end used timeless furniture since it is more affordable than buying new. Think antiques are only for your parents?  Think again.  Many interior designers combine the new with the old to give a room that lived in look.

Now, that I have you sold on what to bring into your house, don’t forget how to clean your house.  Throw out all those toxic cleaners that you have, and consider using three things:  baking soda, vinegar, and Bon Ami.  That’s it.  Here are some recipes from Annie Bond of Care2 to make your own cleaners.

My friend and fellow green mom carnival member, Karen is not only a green blogger, but a Shaklee distributor and wellness consultant.  She swears by their products.  Check out her website for more information about Shaklee.

Waste Free

Moving on from indoor air quality to the garbage can! Let’s see how reducing your garbage can save you some money.  Just take a peek inside.   What do you see? Perhaps, single serve wrappers, plastic water bottles, plastic forks and knifes, napkins, paper towels, veggies and fruit peels, so on and so on?  Sound like your garbage can?

Where to begin?  Single servings may make life easier, but in reality they cost more, and deplete natural resources. Every individual serving size has plastic all around it. Plastic is made out of petroleum products and does not degrade for hundreds of years. Consider buying in bulk and creating single servings when you want that particular item.

Use this same logic when buying single servings of yogurt, potato chips, popcorn, cheese, and other single serve items.  Buy a large container or bag. Consider putting what you want to eat in small containers to be re-used day after day.  For those opposed to plastic, consider using stainless steel tiffins. See Beth of Fake, Plastic Fish’s review of stainless steel tiffins she liked. (Another fellow green mom carnival member.  Who else are you going to trust?)

Okay, let’s not forget the endless plastic bags for the lunch and from the grocery stores.  Consider using containers or sandwich wraps for lunches and storage containers in lieu of plastic baggies.  Just think how much money you will be saving by not buying that endless supply of plastic baggies.

Back to the trash can. Did you reach in and grab a plastic bottle or two?  Perhaps you recycle them, which is commendable.  However, think of all the money you spend on supposedly better water?  Consider a stainless steel water bottle instead that you can re-use over and over again. Concerned about your own tap water? Filter it so that you can kick the plastic water bottle habit, in which millions go into a landfill every year. Using a Brita filter?  Now you can recycle them.

How about paper napkins, paper plates, and utensils?  Green answer:  napkins, disposal compostable plates like Verterra (made out of leaves) or biodegradable corn or sugar plates, provided your area has a commercial composter to send those biodegradable corn and sugar plates.  (How do you know?  Check here.) Veterra will compost anywhere.

Entertain a lot?  Consider buying a bunch of mismatched table settings at a thrift shop to add to the festive nature of your parties.  Same goes with utensils.  I actually have had the same box of plastic utensils forever, since I wash mine and re-use them over and over again. (Can’t you just hear ca-ching every time I throw you an eco bone?)

How about those spoiled veggies and fruits? Try and buy less, so less spoils. Think of all the money you throw down the drain.   Want to buy on sale, but worried about spoiling?  Freeze extras with those leftover spaghetti sauce jars. I have a bunch of green peppers, herbs, and tomatoes in my freezer that I use for cooking as well as an on occasion spoiled bananas for muffins.  If you must use plastic baggies, wash them and re-use them.

What about all those potatoes and carrot peels?  Send them to your composter so you can have sweet compost for your plants.  Don’t forget to collect free leaves in the fall so that you can have the right mix of brown and green to make compost. Your lawn loves compost as well. And by the way, don’t forget to sprinkle your used coffee grounds around your plants.  They will love you for it.  (How can coffee grounds help your plants?   Read my much read article, using coffee grounds for your plants.)

Are you getting the picture? See, I told you. Being green made cents, and I have barely scratched the proverbial green iceberg.  What suggestions do you have?

This month on the Green Moms’ carnival the discussion of “I Believe” is being hosted on Jennifer’s The Smart Mama’s website.

Update:  11/15/2009:  This post is also being use for Green Mom ‘s carnival for how green make sense being hosted by Lisa at Condo Blues.

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Photo by Henry Heatly

On this week’s You’ve Got Mail segment, I have included seven eclectic articles ranging from an amazing Solar-powered green slug to the USDA’s deregulation of an industrial genetically modified corn crop.  If you would like to add a news item to this list, which can include one of your own posts, then please do in the comment section.  All I ask if that you keep it green, scientific, or health related as well as provide GT readers a brief summary of the post.

Solar-powered green sea slug steals ability to photosynthesise from algae: Previously, I wrote about the study of biomimicry, which I feel is one of the up and coming science field of this decade.  Basically, scientist studies how nature has perfected some of our own design challenges to create new solutions for our world.  Take for example, the emerald green sea slug (Elysia chloriotica) which steals genes and photosynthetic factories form  a type of algae that it eats (Vaucheria littorea), so that it can independently draw energy from the sun.  Read on how we can learn from this creature.

The “Green” Cigarette? Is there such a thing as a healthy, green cigarette?  Can growing tobacco without pesticides make a seemingly bad habit healthy, or is this concept simply green smoke?

Time’s 50 Best Inventions of 2008:  Time details the best 2008 inventions ranging form their number one pick of the $399 Retail DNA Test that tells you what diseases you are predisposed to the sexy electric sports car, Tesla Roadsters as well as such other remarkable inventions as  the Bionic Hand and the Montreal’s public bike system web and solar enabled. Read on to find out about Time’s list of  the best 2008 inventions.  Which invention did you like the best?

Drug from genetically engineered goats a first: The first an anti-clotting drug made from the milk of genetically engineered goats is seeking FDA approval.  This drug was created to help people with a rare hereditary disorder that makes them vulnerable to life-threatening blood clots.  How do you think this discovery will impact our world?

‘Air-purifying’ concrete sucks up pollution (found via GreenIdeal.com’s  Air Purifying Concrete: Coming To A Road Near You? ): In a small Dutch town, a road was paved with concrete paving stones, which contain a titanium dioxide-based catalyst. “In laboratory conditions, the additive – under the influence of sunlight – binds the nitrogen oxide particles emitted by car exhausts and turns them into harmless nitrates.” Could this new discovery help with car exhaust pollution?  Is this the panacea that we need to clean up our air quality?

Stop Work Impact:  Responding to California’s Sudden Bond Funding Freeze Ning Forum: Laurie Schoeman, Green Building Project Manager/City Planner via a Linked-in discussion group, alerted me to the Governor of California’s freeze on all capital and infrastructure development.  According to Laurie, “[t]his has stalled and halted all environmental and restoration projects backed by state funding–which is about 90% of all green projects that are not private in the state. These projects are the very backbone of greening up our cities!” California is one of the fifth largest economies in the world. Check out the above listed Ning forum, which outlines what is happening. What impact do you think this development will have on the rest of the building industry?

USDA Proposes First-Ever Industrial GE Crop:  The USDA in typical business as usual fashion is poised to deregulate the world’s first genetically engineered industrial corn product to be used for ethanol production. According to the article, “[t]his unprecedented, industrial application of a GE technology poses a variety of environmental, health, and economic risks that must be carefully evaluated to determine whether the widespread use of this GE industrial corn crop should be allowed on farms across our nation.”  Read on as this article further details the risks involved.

Poison Solar-How the World Works:  According to the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition, the gas, sulfur hexafluoride, which is commonly used to clean reactors in silicon production is considered by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change to be “the most potent greenhouse gas per molecule; one ton of sulfur hexafluoride has a greenhouse effect equivalent to that of 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide.”  Read on to as how this gas poses serious environmental problems.

Readers, which article was your favorite this week?

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Photo by permission of Shira Gal

2009 is going to be an amazing green year. My bones can feel it and they are never wrong.  In the green mail box this week is an eclectic mix of topics ranging from the old stand-by of green building articles, kiddies’ green TV to greening your business’ IT (information technology) Department.  Remember, to add your own favorite Green article, which can include you own, to the mix. (Self promoting is okay.) All I ask is that you provide a short summary of the article so Green Talk readers can decide if they want to read it.

 Mail Time….

 USGBC Opens Door To Ending FSC’s Green Wood Monopoly via Builder.  Under the current LEED system, points are given for the use of FSC certified wood.  Although the article is written in August, 2008, I thought it was interesting that the USGBC was seeking comments to expand wood certification to other agencies.  FSC has always been known as the gold standard despite grumblings amongst the timber industry.

 What Is Green IT? Part 1: Cutting Emissions and Energy Use Enterprise-wide and Part 2 What Is Green IT? Part 2: Converging with the Shadow Network via Energy Priorities. According to Part 1 of the articles, data centers in companies consume the most energy per square foot than any other part of an office building.  Instead of solely focusing on the amount of energy used for lighting, read both part one and two of the above articles to  turn your attention to  reducing your companies true energy hog, the IT center.

 Nickelodeon’s Big Green Help.  The Nickelodeon’s entertaining website is chalk full of daily green messages, videos, and quizzes to help our children get their green groove on.  We all know that kids love to play video games.  Have them head on over to play LeBron James’ video to teach kids to “curb the car” and use their bikes instead.

 ”Duke Wants to Rent Rooftops for Solar Power” via Greener Buildings Staff (Greenbiz.com).  This is my favorite of article on the list.  Duke Energy is seeking approval to lease commercial and residential roofs to install solar panels for a cleaner creation of energy.  All utility companies should take notice of what Duke Energy is doing.

 ”Can you super insulate that house, please?” via CNET’s Green Tech. Super insulating your house is not a new concept but CNET’s article brought the concept into the mainstream consciousness of insulating your house from the outside as well as inside.  What about the cost, you might be thinking.  Read on.

“Dell: Apple’s Green Claims “Are Not Accurate“  via GreenerComputing.com. Dell is screaming hog wash about Apple’s green claims.  Not only do companies have to worry about the consumers screaming greenwashing, they have to worry about their competitors as well. The motto? Keep it honest, boys and girls.

 ”Vegawatt plugs in grease-fired restaurant generator ” via CNET’s GreenTech.  Restaurants can now use their own oil to power up part of their electricity with a Vegawatt system by Owl Power Systems.  With a monthly lease payment of $435 a month, a restaurant using the machine found that it cut its monthly utility bill by $800.  Talk about burning the midnight oil.

Which article is your favorite this week and why?  Do you have a favorite green article that you read this week?  Even if it is yours, let Green Talk readers know.

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Photo by Henry Heatly

Here is another I’ve Got Green Mail for the week of December 7, 2008.  Just to make this concept interactive, please add any new reports or concepts that you found interesting in your own comments.  You can include one of your own blog posts if you like, with a few sentences of what it is about so GT readers can decide if they want to click on the link.  I will delete anything that is not green or health related.

• “Change Coming to Green Building Industry“  A must read for builders, architects, engineers, designers, and attorneys. One issue that concerns me is how is the insurance industry dealing with green building especially in the professional capacity.  This article warns those involved in the green building area to read the fine print of your insurance coverage as to what is covered or not.
• “Health Risks of Hybrid Cars Have Been Misrepresented by the Media” via Mercola.com: What health risk, you are probably asking yourself?  Recently the NY Times ran an article about the possible danger of  the exposure of EMFs (electromagnetic field) eminating from  hybrid vehicles.  This article dispels some of the dangers but not all them.  It is a must read for those who have children sitting in the back seat of a hybrid.  Increased EMF exposure is a  deep concern of mine.

• “Major Threat to Human Fertility and Very Existence of Human Life on Earth”
  Yes, this a very dramatic title to the article but the title is intended to get your attention.  It is about GM corn (genetically modified corn).  Based upon research done at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, they found that genetically modified corn developed by the US-based Monsanto Corporation led to lower fertility and body weight compared to mice feed a non-GM corn diet.  Other studies have also found that offspring of rats fed GM soy “showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce.”  Read the discussion about how GM corn causes health risks in our society.
• “Compact fluorescent bulbs can be a significant source of exposure to high frequencies both transmitted and “dirty” power.  This article was listed under the News section of the Electric Pollution Solutions.com website.  Dr. Magda Havas, B.Sc. Ph.D., Environmental & Resource Studies, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada wrote that some CFLs emit radio frequency radiation and cause people who are sensitive to it to get sick (Electrohypersensitivity or Radio Wave Sickness.)  Note, not all CFLs emit this radiation.  She provides  advice  in the article on how you could find out if your CFL could be a culprit. See her detailed report .  This is one issue that I will be following.
• “Power from the Graveyard.” At first glance, I thought this article was about having a greener burial.  In fact, it is about installing solar power on top of mausoleums. It is great concept for those wishing to leave a living legacy behind.
• “Vegan Baking-Yes You Can!“  I love this post because substituting ingredients in a regular recipe when you are vegan is really hard.  In this article, Alline provides tips for substituting eggs in baking.  She outlines which substitute are good for certain baked items.  This article is one that people with egg allergies, those who wish to stay away from eggs, and vegans should bookmark.

So, what is articles have you found interesting this week?

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