Design Houston Green

Re:Precision injection moulder and designer

2011-06-16T22:43:00.001-05:00

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is Sandy Deng, the Sales manager in Rukawa Mould Company. Glad to know your company from internet and we can see your company is outstanding in the industry. I am writing for establishing potential business relationship between us

Established in 1996, Rukawa Mould Company is a professional ISO9001 certified mould maker. With more than 300 employees, we have over 10 years accumulated experience in designing and producing plastic injection molds, rubber moulds, aluminum & zinc die casting molds. We provide integrated services from mold design, in house casting, secondary processing, and CNC machining, prototype and surface treatment on your requirement. Every year over 70% of our moulds are exported to the United States and Europe.

In addition to using high grade steel from China,

we stock steel from Germany， USA and Sweden， Such as P20HH, H13, S136,420SS and so on.

We will choose steel according to customers' requirements and longevity of moulds.

We use standard components from equivalent DME and HASCO. Also YUDO, DME,HASCO and Mold Masters standard are used in

hot runner system.

We are open to your visit any time. Please let us know or visit http://www.rukawa-mould.com Our philosophy is to work with our customers in a collaborative way to ensure high quality products and low costs.

If you have any project that we can assist you, please send us for quotation. We will send you quotation with best price and shortest lead time within 1 to 2 working days.

Thank you for your kind attention. We look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,

Sandy Deng

Sales Manager
Rukawa Molds Limited

Factory Address：
No.27 Dongsan Street, Yangwu New Village, Da Ling Shan Town, Dongguan City,
Guangdong Province, China

Tel: +86-769-82186086

Fax:+86-769-85076320

Email: sandy@rukawa-mould.com

Web: http://www.rukawa-mould.com

Re:Potential mould supplier

2011-04-04T03:29:00.001-05:00

Dear Purchasing Manager,
Good Day.
Great pleasure to write to you.

This is Sandy Deng ，the sales manager in Rukawa Mould Company。

Rukawa Mould Company is a professional mould maker with over 15 years experience in designing and producing plastic injection moulds, rubber moulds, die casting moulds. We have advanced equipments and professional workers to ensure the good quality mould and high service.Would you mind to visit our website www.rukawa-mould.com for more information？

Should you have any question, please call or email me,It's my pleasure to be on the service for you.

Best regards!

Sandy Deng
Sales Manager
Rukawa Molds Limited

Factory Address：
No.27 Dongsan Street, Yangwu New Village, Da Ling Shan Town, Dongguan City,
Guangdong Province, China

Tel: +86-769-82186086

Fax:+86-769-85076320

Email: Sandy@rukawa-mould.com

Web: http://www.rukawa-mould.com

Fw: Farmers Market Fruit Tree Sale This Saturday

2011-03-02T15:17:00.001-06:00

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Farmers Market Fruit Tree Sales

Three Saturdays, March 5, April 2, May 7, 2011 -- Urban Harvest Farmers Market Richmond Street & Eastside Street -- 8:00 a.m. - noon

Type and Varieties	Price	Size
Avocados (Poncho, Opal®)	$50	3 gallon
Blackberries (Ouachita)	$4	bare root
Blueberries (Brightwell, Climax, Premier, Austin)	$16	1 gallon
Figs (South Carolina Lemon)	$20	2 gallon
Grape - Muscadine (Late Fry, Darlene, Supreme)	$17	bare root
Grapefruit (Rio Red)	$39	3 gallon
Grumichama	$50	3 gallon
Jaboticaba	$50	3 gallon
Kumquat (Meiwa)	$39	3 gallon
Lemon (Improved Meyer)	$39	3 gallon
Olive (Arbiquena, Mission)	$50	3 gallon
Orange (Olinda Valencia)	$39	3 gallon
Papaya (Tainung Dwarf)	$10	1 gallon
Pomegranate (Red Silk)	$30	3 gallon
Satsuma (Okitsui, Mr. Mac)	$39	3 gallon
Mandarin (Clementine)	$39	3 gallon
® Registered Trademark of Devine Avocados

For more info on raising fruit trees in Houston please check our website here.

Sincerely,

Urban Harvest Staff

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rome rental vol 2

2010-07-24T18:50:00.001-05:00

http://www.vrbo.com/284454 small flat next to colosseum and metro lines $85 per night on 1st floor

that's it....that's all I found worth mentioning so far that are in ROme.

Rain Barrel Buying Guide

2010-04-22T12:58:00.001-05:00

Rain Barrel Buying Guide

March 2010

Photograph by Paul Thompson/Photolibrary

While rainwater may not always be safe to drink, it can be used for a variety of other applications—from watering your lawn and flower beds to washing cars or driveways.

What to Look For

While rainwater may not always be safe to drink, it can be used for a variety of other applications—from watering your lawn and flower beds to washing cars or driveways. And depending on your state and local laws, you may be able to use rainwater for some household graywater uses, like toilets and showers.

A rain barrel is essentially a large tank with a spigot that sits under your home's gutter downspout to harvest rainwater from your roof. You can make one for just a few dollars, or you can purchase a basic model for around $50 to $100. A more decorative model will cost upwards of $300.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Safety: Rain barrels hold 50-plus gallons of water, so be sure the tank is both child- and animal-proof.
Handling overflow: Look for rain barrels with an overflow valve that kicks in when the barrel reaches capacity.
Clean water: A rain barrel topped with a fine-mesh screen will keep out insects and debris.
Materials: Rain barrels come in all sorts of materials, from stainless steel to fiberglass and recycled plastic, so let personal preference be your guide. Some retailers even sell rain barrels made from old whiskey or wine barrels.
Expanding capacity: An average rainstorm can fill one 60-gallon rain barrel within an hour. You can link several barrels to harvest even more rainwater. Look for barrels with an outlet for attaching a linking hose.
Rebates: Check with your local water agency to learn about any rain barrel subsidies or rebates in your area. Some environmental groups sell rain barrels at a discount, saving you even more.

Page 1 of 3

Battery Recycling 101

2008-10-22T13:16:00.001-05:00

Over 3 billion dry cell batteries are sold each year in the U.S. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 350 million rechargeable batteries alone are purchased in the U.S. each year.

Batteries are a unique product, some of which are comprised of toxic components. Rechargeable batteries include heavy metals like cadmium. There are many ways to recycle single use and rechargeable batteries, most of which depends on the type of battery you have. You can also reduce waste with prevention.

Buy only what you need - check to see if you already have the batteries on hand before buying more
When suited to the task buy hand operated items that function without batteries
Look for the batteries that have less mercury and heavy metals
Consider rechargeable batteries for some needs, but remember that they also contain heavy metals such as nickel-cadmium
Batteries can be recycled and there are many locations available at Earth911. Learn more about rechargeable battery recycling from the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.

Battery recycling and reuse can have a positive impact towards our reduction of battery waste and pollution. But first lets understand the basics of batteries.

Batteries 101

Tips on Recycling Batteries

Primary, Single Use Batteries

Secondary, Rechargeable Batteries

Courtneay Freeman-Zadrowski

www.wolvesofsaintfrancis.org & www.designhoustongreen.com

Take Care of Yourself - Howl @ the Moon with Reckless Abandon - Treat Each Other & All Creatures with Kindness & Respect!

My Countertops are Killing Me!

2008-08-14T13:39:00.001-05:00

Filed under: Kitchen, Health hazards

09:38 am - August 5, 2008

Or so I thought, after reading a New York Times article a few days ago about the amount of radon emitted by granite countertops.

Honestly, I rent, so I have no idea what my countertops are made of (I highly doubt they're granite), but my sister just had granite countertops installed in her new kitchen and the article had me concerned. Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas abundant in soil, water and hard rocks because it forms as naturally occurring uranium decays. It's also the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. (the leading cause among non-smokers). But according to the EPA, "the types of granite commonly used in countertops are [not] significantly increasing indoor radon levels." And just because you have granite countertops doesn't guarantee that they're emitting dangerous amounts of radon; the amount of uranium in granite can vary widely, depending on the source of the granite.

Phew…but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take this issue seriously. Radon is like lead. It tends to crop up where you least expect it and there really is no "safe" exposure level. In its warnings about radon levels in homes, the EPA states that any home can have a radon problem, granite countertops or not. Because it forms primarily in soil, radon can seep into basements and ground floors through cracks in the foundation, and it builds up in our indoor air. Some areas of the country have higher levels than others, but the EPA still estimates that one in every 15 homes nationwide has more radon than is considered healthy.

Fortunately, it's easy to test for radon, either with professionals or with do-it-yourself kits available at most hardware stores (if you can't find one, call the American Lung Association at 800-LUNGUSA for suggestions on where to look). You may even be able to get a free kit from your local or county health department. If your home has concentrations above 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), these levels should be quickly reduced by a professional (for both testing and mitigation, choose someone approved by the National Radon Safety Board). But lower concentrations are dangerous as well. A study published in the March 2005 issue of the journal Epidemiology found that average residential radon levels of 3.0 pCi/L triggered an 11 to 21 percent increase in lung-cancer risk over the course of five to 30 years.

All in all, if you've got granite countertops, it's not a bad idea to test for radon in your home on an annual or semi-annual basis. And if you're installing new countertops in the near future, you might want to buy something with a little less uranium, such as tiles, concrete or even Icestone, a product made from recycled glass and concrete. But when it comes to home renovations, decorating your basement or ground floor with a new radon detector is some design advice we could all stand to follow.

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Discuss this blog

What Granite Types
posted by sfahrendorf on 2008-08-13 06:39:58

It would be great if the Green Guide would review which varieties (with photos) of granite are most/least likely to have uranium/radon issues. Of course such a review would be only a rule of thumb. But it would be helpful. I have read that the problems are more often because of the "exotic" varieties (one site mentioned was Brazil as I recall).

Radon in Countertops
posted by MaryK28 on 2008-08-13 11:16:27

I think I heard from one of those home shows on cable, that all you need to do is to have a sealant applied to the granite countertop which reduces or eliminates the problem. Has anyone else heard this?

Got Gas Pains?

2008-07-09T13:53:00.001-05:00

Gasoline is making headlines, and while rising prices are showing no signs of slowing, drivers sure are: According to the Department of Transportation, the total miles driven by Americans fell by 400 million from March to April of 2008, and we drove 1.4 billion less miles this April than last. Keeping your car in the garage, however, isn't often an option, and that means gassing up is a painful necessity. If you're feeling powerless at the pump, don't despair. There's plenty you can do to squeeze more miles out of every gallon. Here's our list of tips to save money and reduce your carbon footprint, too:

Slow down. Gas mileage declines rapidly above 60 mph. Each 5 mph increase above 60 is equal to paying an additional 20-25 cents per gallon.
Keep your tires properly inflated, and you'll improve your gas mileage by more than 3%.
Consult your car's manual and use its recommended grade of motor oil to improve your gas mileage by 1%–2%. Use brands with "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol; they contain friction-reducing additives that further enhance engine performance.

Keep your engine properly tuned up to maximize your mileage. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, replacing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve gas mileage up to 40%.
Check and replace air filters regularly. Replacing a dirty air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%. Replacing a dirty fuel filter can also have a positive effect.
When running errands, plan the shortest, most gas-saving itinerary. Avoid retracing your steps and combine multiple errands into a single trip. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multi-stop trip of the same distance with a warm engine.
Mellow out. Aggressive driving wastes gas and can lower your mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent in town. Replace jack-rabbit starts from a dead stop with slow and steady acceleration.
If you have an RPM gauge on your dashboard, watch your RPMs as well as your speedometer as you drive. Find your car's steady RPM "sweet spot" (generally the RPM level it achieves at cruising speed on a flat straightaway) and keep it there. Stop fighting gravity and let your car naturally slow somewhat going up hills and speed up on the downhill.
Avoid excessive idling. The average car uses less gas to start up than it does to idle for 30 seconds. So don't turn off the car unless you expect to be stopped for more than 30 seconds.
Similarly, skip the drive-thru, where you'll idle and waste gas. Park and go inside.
If you have it, use cruise control on the highway to maintain a constant speed and save gas. But don't use cruise control on hilly secondary roads. The constant ups and downs will cause your engine to work harder to maintain a constant speed.
If possible, stagger your commuting and/or errand schedule to avoid peak rush hours.
Avoid carrying items on your vehicle's roof. A loaded roof rack or carrier increases aerodynamic drag, which can cut mileage by up to 5 percent. Place items inside the trunk instead.
Travel light. Avoid carrying unnecessary items, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk cuts a typical car's fuel economy 1-2 percent.
Keep it clean! The reduction in aerodynamic drag created by a clean and waxed auto can boost mileage significantly―according to one cross country experiment by as much as 7%!
Use your air conditioner on the open road! On today's aerodynamically designed vehicles, the drag created by open windows generally uses more gas than A/C. Be aware, however, that in stop-and-go conditions the situation is reversed, and A/C will cause your engine to work harder.
Remember that hybrids work better in stop-and-go traffic than on highways. Hybrids use energy captured from braking to charge their batteries, a savings you won't realize if you do most of your driving at constant, high speeds.
Buy a fuel-efficient car. Visit fueleconomy.gov and greenercars.com for information on buying fuel-efficient vehicles.
Drive less! Take public transportation, carpool, bike, or walk whenever you can. For every gallon of gasoline you save, you'll prevent about 20 pounds of CO2 from being released.

For more ideas and inspiration, visit GasSavers.org. photo: Marshall Astor

Buying Guides By Nat-Geo Green Guide

2008-07-09T12:51:00.001-05:00

Accessories | Apparel | Appliances | Bath | Bedding | Cosmetics | Electronics | Food & Drink | Home Furnishing | Home Improvement | Housekeeping | Kids & Babies | Kitchen | Lawn & Garden | Personal Care | Pest Control | Pet Supplies | School & Office Supplies |

Accessories
- Footwear
- Jewelry
Apparel
- Men's
- Women's
Appliances
Bath
- Bath Towels and Washcloths
- Toilets
Bedding
Cosmetics

Electronics
- Computers
Food & Drink
- Beer
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Meat
- Milk
- Nuts
- Poultry
- Tea
- Wine
Home Furnishing
Home Improvement
Housekeeping
Kids & Babies

Kitchen
- Plastic Containers
- Water Filters
Lawn & Garden
Personal Care
Pest Control
Pet Supplies
- Care & Grooming
School & Office Supplies

Paper

The Green Guide does not endorse products. Please see About the Green Guide to read our statement on product recommendations.

Building an Earth-Friendly Home

2008-06-27T10:38:00.001-05:00

Orientation, Space, Heating and Cooling

Placing the majority of a home's windows on the south side can reduce heating costs.

Get oriented. Before you build, study the lay of the land, and put the sun to work for you and your home. Notice how the sunshine travels across the property, then orient your house so the rooms you'll use most often catch the best rays.

Take your climate into account. Are winters brutally cold? Plan your home so main living areas — or any rooms you might use during the limited daylight hours of winter — receive southern exposure. If harsh winters swing into sizzling summers, invest in high-efficiency windows (such as those with low-E glass) to keep cool.

Don't waste space. Do you really need a guest room? How often would you use a den? Eliminating rooms that you'd rarely use will help keep your building budget in line. In addition, you'll save the cost of heating and cooling these rooms in the future. Sit down and examine how you'll use each space in your home. What you decide might not adhere to conventional design standards, but if it will work for your family, go ahead.

Help out your HVAC system. Make your building materials and home design work double duty. That way, you can purchase a central air-conditioner and a furnace with less power and a smaller price tag. For example, use argon-gas-filled double-glazed windows. Then you can let in vast sheets of sunlight and save on the heat bill at the same time.

Ventilation is also an important part of heating and cooling. Strategically placed doors at either end of the house, along with double-hung windows at reachable heights, can be opened to let breezes sweep through the house. Similarly, an open floor plan allows heated or cooled air to pass easily from one space to the next.

Money, Doors, Surfaces, Water

Openness extends into the children's rooms, where partitions give a dormlike feel while still allowing privacy.

Spend money where it counts. How your building budget is allocated is largely an individual decision, but creating an energy-efficient home usually requires a few up-front expenses that will save money in the future. Paying extra for custom work can maximize a modest space; that can be more economical than spending money and resources on additional square footage.

Skip the doors. Of course, doors on certain rooms, such as closets, bathrooms, and the master bedroom, are a must, but limiting the use of doors can help decrease costs. Consider separating rooms with a simple step down, a corner, or a change in ceiling height that allows the entire space to drink in the same sunlight and air (whether heated, cooled, or fresh from the outdoors), while still visually dividing the spaces.

Leave surfaces exposed. Drywall and the labor required to install it can get expensive. Think about leaving ceiling beams — and the recessed lighting therein — exposed in several areas of the house, including the breakfast room and part of the kitchen. Exposed structural elements provide visual interest and give the illusion of more volume and a higher ceiling.

Save water. New toilets are stingy with water, using a standard 1.6 gallons per flush. Some toilets have dual-flush handles, which allow you to choose between flushing less water (just over a gallon) for light waste or using the full amount for solid waste.

Opting for short showers rather than baths will conserve even more water, as will installing low-flow showerheads. Especially if your house has a septic tank, it's important not to overuse water. You're also saving a natural resource.

Coatings, Recycling, Natural

The garage has a fiberglass roof that allows sunlight to filter in, warming the area and eliminating typical garage mustiness.

Use simple (or no) coatings. Chemical paints and coatings can be a source of major irritation in a new home. Not only can they aggravate asthma or allergies — especially in children — but they also require adequate ventilation and drying time.

Use water-base paints. They have less odor and require less cleanup than oil-base or alkyd paints. Treat wood floors with a citrus-base oil for a light sheen rather than with layer after layer of polyurethane.

Use renewable or recycled products. Simple choices in finish materials can help make your home ecologically sound. Opt for flooring manufactured from recycled materials where possible, such as rubber with embedded neoprene chips in an entryway. Not only is rubber resilient, easy-to-clean flooring, but using a recycled version keeps the material from ending up in landfills.

In the absence of recycled materials, select products that are renewable. Purchase exterior wood doors from a company that buys its lumber from a conservation forest (the company plants a new tree for every tree that's harvested).

Use maple butcher block for kitchen countertops, or fireslate, a material that looks like slate but costs about half as much. Fireslate is used in laboratories, especially in school science classrooms, because of its durability, heat-resistance, and low cost.

Go natural, not synthetic. Select cellulose insulation, which is made out of plant fiber, instead of fiberglass, and Homasote, a recycled newspaper product, as a substitute for drywall in some places. Use linoleum for the kitchen floor rather than vinyl, carpet made of wool and sisal, a natural grasslike fiber and wood floors. A metal roof shields the house from harsh sunlight, and since it's not petrochemically produced, is a nontoxic material.

More Tips

Green building, while certainly not difficult, is not quite mainstream yet, at least in most regions. That's why it's a good idea to research the subject on your own so you know what to ask for and what sort of things will work for your new house. Scour home improvement magazines and books for tips, and explore the Internet for information (conducting a search for the term "green building" will help you get started. Your search will lead you to local, regional, and national sources for eco-sensitive materials and methods.

It's important to work with architects, designers, and other home-building professionals who are familiar with environmentally friendly materials on the market. These people will know what's available, where to buy, and how to get a fair price.

10 ways to Save Energy this Summer

2008-06-18T14:50:00.001-05:00

Posted by Jessica Jensen

The heat of summer is coming, and that means many of us are about to crank up the AC, make an extra batch of ice, and generally burn energy like it's our job. But we need all need to continue to try to conserve as much energy as possible to conserve resources and slow the march of global warming. And we get to save money at the same time–woo hoo to that!

Here are the ten things we can all do at home to cut our energy consumption. We start out nice and easy, then ramp up to some extra-credit methods at the end of the list for you Climate Crusaders.

1. Resist the urge to live in a refrigerator. 78 degrees is plenty cool in the house. Turn down the AC and get a programmable thermostat so you're only cooling the house when you really need to.

2. Air dry your dishes and clothes. The dryer and dish washer use a lot of energy– and the air does the drying job just as well. See some great clothes-drying racks here.

3. Take shorter showers and do not take baths. Hot water heating is one of the major uses of energy in any home. Showers are the way to go– and keep 'em short. Baths use much more water and heat than do baths (unless you're taking 30 minute showers!).

4. Make sure you have energy-efficient lighting throughout your home. Everyone has heard about compact fluorescent lights by now– but are you up to date on LED lights? Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have come a long way, baby, and they are often 10 times more efficient than compact fluorescents.

5. Ditch the beer fridge. It's amazing how many homes have two refrigerators. Please do not use more than one fridge. And if you have an old model, get a newer Energy Star model.

6. Use ceiling fans rather than AC. They are much more energy-efficient and you can get very reasonably priced Energy Star models.

7. Get solar screens for your windows. These screens cut 75% of the heat coming through your windows, but don't impact your visibility. They are really great energy savers. See them here.

8. Plant trees! Placing deciduous trees on the South side of your home is a great way to block summer heat, but keep the sun shining on your home in the winter when you need the warmth.

9. Spend one night each week in candlelight. It's romantic, fun and inspires new conversation. If you've got kids, how about turning off the TV one night and playing a board game by candlelight? Clue would be particularly spooky!

10. Use a solar oven for some cooking. They really work! You don't want that hot oven on in your house anyway. You can either buy a solar oven, or you can learn to make one yourself. It's another fun summer activity to do with your kids.

** #11: For the truly hard core, here's a great tip I learned in Africa. If you don't have or don't use AC, at night you can wet a scarf or towel or sheet and lay it on your chest. The evaporative cooling effect will really do the trick for you. Sleep tight!

Natural Pest Deterents to make at home & Safe

2008-06-11T09:49:00.001-05:00

Pest-proof your home: safe for kids and pets, natural pesticides help kick—and keep—bugs out of your living space

Better Nutrition, May, 2007 by Kim Erickson

Bugs. They hang from the rafters and skitter across your floors. And while one or two can be a nuisance, an invasion may tempt you to reach for the bug spray or call an exterminator. But this slash-and-burn approach can unleash a witches' brew of toxins that puts your family's health at risk and negatively impacts the environment.

While organophosphate compounds like chlorpyrifos have been phased out of home-use pesticides because they cause neurological disorders and birth defects, using the popular pyrethrin-based pesticides aren't without risk. According to the Children's Pesticide Exposure Study, residential use of these "naturally derived" pyrethroids may also affect neurological development, disrupt hormones, induce cancer and suppress the immune system. Pregnant women should take extra precautions because pyrethrin-based pesticides can harm a fetus's developing nervous system. Pyrethrins trigger a miscarriage in animals well before the mother's experienced any toxicity.

Related Results

Other pesticides may be more harmful. Propoxur, commonly found in products designed to kill roaches and ants, depresses the central nervous system and respiratory tract and can cause muscle weakness, dizziness, headaches and nausea. Research suggests that exposure may damage DNA and negatively affect fetal growth, early neurodevelopment and respiratory health in kids.

Kids at Greatest Risk

Infants and children may be especially sensitive to the health risks posed by conventional pesticides because their internal organs are still developing and maturing. What's more, young children spend lots of time playing on floors and putting objects in their mouths, which increases their exposure to pesticides used in homes. Along with the neurotoxic effects, small children growing up in homes that routinely use professional pest control are more likely to develop leukemia.

Fortunately, you don't have to choose between toxic pesticides or living with those creepy crawlies.

The Safe Solution

Making your home unattractive to insects is the first line of defense. Clean up food spills immediately, keep hard-to-reach areas reasonably clean, and remove clutter that can hide pests. It's also a good idea to store foods like flour in the refrigerator. And because water generally attracts pests, repair any leaky faucets and pipes.

But even if you keep your home as clean as an operating room, pests occasionally invade your space. When they do, turn to tried-and-tree pest control methods based on nontoxic herbs, minerals and plant oils. Here are a few simple remedies that can help keep your home pest free.

ATTACK OF THE ANTS? Grease and sugar ants are the most common type of ants you'll find indoors--often in your pantry or sink. Deter them by sprinkling peppermint leaves, paprika or cayenne pepper across their trails. If you have a full-blown invasion, try dusting boric acid into cracks and crevices with a soft paintbrush.

CORNER YOUR COCKROACHES. Cockroaches have antennae that can pick up chemical signals in the air. This makes them hard to destroy with chemical pesticides. Soap, on the other hand, can be very effective against cockroaches because the strong scent repels them. According to researchers at Iowa State University , catnip oil is also an effective way to discourage roaches. Make a catnip tea to spray around baseboards by mixing 1 tsp. of the essential oil with 1 qt. of water.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO BEETLES, WEEVILS AND GRAIN MOTHS. These tiny bugs can ruin an entire container of food. Place a cinnamon stick or bay leaf in with your flour, pasta or grains. The strong-smelling spice or herb will repel or kill the insects without affecting the taste or smell of the food.

SEND HOUSEFLIES PACKING. While window and door screens can keep most flies outside where they belong, some invariably find their way into your home. Hang sticky, nontreated flypaper from the ceiling near exterior doors to catch and kill these pesky insects.

While it's easy to create your own pesticides, many of us don't have the time to do so. Fortunately, a growing number of companies are creating effective nontoxic or minimally toxic pesticides from essential oils. Just be aware that, even though these are natural, you should take the same precautions you would with chemical pesticides. Because these products use concentrated essential oils, prolonged exposure could cause skin, eye or respiratory irritation. Wear gloves, long pants and sleeves, and a mask to prevent exposure.

Products from left to right:

MITES OUT! cleansing spray from BioForce uses neem oil to kill dust mites, a common allergen. Spray directly on fabrics, including mattresses, carpet and other cloth surfaces.

ORANGE GUARD is a water-based indoor/outdoor insecticide that may be used around food, humans and pets. Made from orange peel extract, it works on ants, roaches, fleas and silverfish.

Woodstream Corporation's VICTOR POISON-FREE ANT & ROACH KILLER uses a mint oil and a lecithin formula to help kill soft-bodied insects.

Kim Erickson "Pest-proof your home: safe for kids and pets, natural pesticides help kick—and keep—bugs out of your living space". Better Nutrition. May 2007. FindArticles.com. 11 Jun. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_5_69/ai_n19311254

COPYRIGHT 2007 PRIMEDIA Intertec, a PRIMEDIA Company. All Rights Reserved.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Gale Group

Choosing Green Kitchen Surfaces

2008-06-11T09:47:00.001-05:00

How to get the most bang with the least impact

Photo Credit: IceStone Photo Credit: Neil Kelly

The perfect green product doesn't pollute the home's air or use energy, is manufactured locally with no harmful chemicals and no environmental impact, and lasts forever. There's just one problem — it doesn't exist.

Even so, the sum of all products used in a green project should score high in each of the above areas. How high a product scores on the green scale has as much to do with how it's used as how it's made. In fact, choosing green materials for kitchen surfaces — countertops, cabinets, floors — means recognizing how each material contributes to the overall green design goals. It's part of what green architect Peter Pfeiffer of Barley & Pfeiffer in Austin, Texas, calls "being green by design, not by device."

Reflecting energy savings
The right surfaces can help green a kitchen by reducing the need for artificial light, says Pfeiffer. Black granite countertops and dark-colored cabinets absorb sunlight rather than reflecting it, so people have to provide more light to see that tomato they are chopping. Bright surfaces help minimize the problem.

At Pringle Creek, an award-winning community in Salem, Ore., designers used lots of glass and light-reflecting materials. "Our goal was to maximize light and space," says Mark Kogut, project architect for Opsis Architecture. "The lighter and brighter materials minimized our need for artificial lighting."

A good example of a reflective countertop material is IceStone, made from 75 percent recycled glass and shells bound together with cement. It performs comparably to granite with shimmering glass pieces that help brighten a space. It contains no epoxy or petrochemicals, so there is no off-gassing.

Other green countertop products include paper-based fiber composite PaperStone and the terrazzo product EnviroGLAS. You should do your homework to determine whether these are right for your homes and buyers.

Although engineered countertops look good in modern kitchens, Northport, N.Y.-based interior designer Susan Serra advises builders to try before they buy. "Get as big a sample as you can — ideally a 12-by-12-inch piece — and test it. Leave wine, coffee and vinegar on it for 24 hours, wipe it off the next day, and see what you see. That really tells the story."

For clients who insist on marbles and granites, Serra says these can be considered green if quarried locally, because of the stone's durability and lack of transportation costs.

Cutting-edge cupboards
Transportation costs are an issue with most materials, but advocates say that the greenest products compensate. That's the case with a line of cabinets that Serra designed for Denmark-based Hansen Living. "This is 100 percent eco-friendly furniture. The adhesives are water based and the factory process produces little waste, which is documented," she says. She adds that because Hansen's hardwood cabinets are beautifully designed by an architect, they will likely be kept forever, unlike standard cabinets that are often yanked out after just 20 years. "It is a solid wood with natural finishes that you can sand and oil. People will collect this like they do furniture," Serra says.

Green panel products are also becoming available for cabinets. Neil Kelly of Portland, Ore., was the first green-certified cabinetmaker in the United States. The solid wood in his cabinets is all FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified, while the panels are Columbia Forest Products' PureBond, which Kelly calls the Holy Grail of green engineered products. PureBond uses a soy-based binder and can be used in cabinets, as paneling or in flooring.

Under foot
Green choices abound for kitchen floors, but while products like bamboo and cork became big hits quickly, not all brands are created equal. For instance, cork flooring is comfortable and made from a renewable resource, but you should read the product literature and research user reviews to make sure it will hold up over time.

As for wood floors, one of the best choices is locally reclaimed wood. If new wood floors are required, domestically harvested wood will reduce embodied energy costs. Wood from an FSC-certified forest is grown and harvested using sustainable practices.

Laminate flooring, which uses younger trees in a process that yields a very durable floor, is a good choice provided it's manufactured with no- or low-VOC products.

And don't forget good-old linoleum, made from linseed oil and other natural materials. A high-design option is Forbo's Marmoleum, which includes options for modern and traditional kitchens. "You can do some elegant designs with Marmoleum," says Serra.

Final tally
Be aware that some buyers are still gun-shy when it comes to green products. "[People] like the idea of green, but they don't want to be guinea pigs for new products," says Serra. "They want to be assured that the products are durable and offer solid benefits."

That's why she advises builders to do their homework. The research includes testing product samples, as well as calling distributors and manufacturers to ask hard questions about the materials: where they come from, what testing results they have, and whether they are covered by warranties.

Finally, remember that a green kitchen doesn't have to have 100 percent green products. "It's the strength of the overall green story," says Kelly. "It's all the upsides put up against the downsides."

Feeling the Heat -Houston

2008-06-04T14:13:00.000-05:00

More solar power for Texas?

On April 24 and 25, Environment Texas and our allies held the Texas Solar Forum at the Texas Capitol. The forum brought together solar executives, elected officials, utility providers and many others, to learn more about the global solar industry, how other states and countries have benefited from solar power, and potential methods to create similar solar marketplaces in Texas.

Texas receives more solar radiation than any other state. According to an analysis by the Renewable Energy Policy Project, Texas could attract $5 billion in investment and create 6,000 new jobs by the year 2015 in the photovoltaic industry alone, with the right incentives. Texas is a natural world leader in this important industry; we'll be working to help Texas keep pace with the rapidly-growing global solar industry.

Recent Action

Monopoly Goes Green!

2008-05-01T12:25:00.001-05:00

Do Not Pass Go
Monopoly game gets hip to renewable energy

Refuse to play Monopoly because you fear Electric Company sources its power from coal? Fear not! Game-maker Hasbro is updating everyone's favorite interminable game, and in the Here and Now: World Edition, Water Works and Electric Company will be replaced with Wind Energy and Solar Energy. It's "a nod to the efforts of countries worldwide to increase the effectiveness and availability of renewable energy sources," says Phil Jackson (the Hasbro executive, not the basketball coach). So Rich Uncle Pennybags doesn't need water anymore, huh? Says the chair of the Atlantic Canada Water Works Association, "It just goes to show you that people take us for granted." He'll feel better once he lands on Free Parking.

Spring TIme at the Bayou City Farmers Market

2008-04-07T14:50:00.001-05:00

Every Saturday
Rain or Shine!

Saturday - 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
3000 Richmond (back parking lot)
Directions to the Bayou City Market

Sweet Springtime

The weather promises to be lovely and the market is full of beautiful fresh locally-grown food. If you haven't been to the market in a while, you owe it to yourself to come see how much we've grown. We've expanded to a second aisle, so come check it out. And if you by chance have trouble finding a parking space, feel free to use the parking lot across the street behind Enterprise Bank. It's also owned by Cameron Management, who generously provides our market site.

What's Fresh at the Market

The seasons are changing, as you can tell by the changing roster of produce at the market. The cold season crops are still available--broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages--but the quantities drop a bit each week. Around here, lettuce is a winter crop, so enjoy your salads now. We also have new items appear--look for green garlic, parsnips, pea shoots, and snow peas. We'll also have beets, turnips, fresh herbs, carrots, radishes, spring onions, arugula, asian greens, hothouse tomatoes and cucumbers, and more. And of course strawberries continue to be plentiful--buy them in quantity and freeze them for later, you locavores.

Of course we'll have the staples you rely on, like yard eggs, goat cheese, grass-fed beef, whole pastured chicken, Gulf shrimp, honey and beeswax products, fresh-baked breads, fair trade organic coffees, shelled pecans, cut flowers, knife sharpening while you shop, and a big variety of prepared foods and baked goods.

Not this week: Belly Rub Bakery (gourmet dog treats) had such a successful market last week that Jennifer needs to rest up, but we hope to see her back at the market soon.

Music: Tallcotten

Tallcotten will be featured musicians at the market
this Saturday, playing homegrown acoustic bluegrass,
blues, folk, and contra-dance fiddle tunes.

It is completely safe for small children to get up
close to and feed the fiddler, as long as they don't
get too close to his tip jar.

We Need a Music Coordinator!

This person schedules the musicians, composes the blurb about them that we include in this email newsletter, and keeps the music calendar for the market. The job can be done mainly via email and telephone, although an interest in and familiarity with the city's musicians is helpful.

Honestly, don't you need an excuse to hang out with cool musicians? You'll have their phone numbers!

A Note on Growing Practices and Boxes

As you know, we are a producers-only market, with products grown or produced within 150 miles of Houston. We've put out easel signs on the main aisle to let you, our customers, know that a wide variety of growing practices are used by our farmers--you should pay attention to each vendor's signs, but the very best way to understand what the farmers are doing is to ask them. They are standing right there and they are happy to answer.

Lots of you prefer organic growing methods, and some of our products are organic, but most of them are not, at least in the sense that they are not certified organic by the government. (And if you are not certified organic, you are not permitted to use the term organic.) Nevertheless, even our "conventional" farmers are using much less pesticides than the standard large-scale industrial farms. It's expensive and troublesome to spray, and they don't do it unless they have to. They are also living and working on the land, so they have a vested interest in keeping it in the best shape possible.

We are working on improving our signage so that every booth and every product is labeled clearly and accurately as to the growing practices, but this is tricky, since most farms do not fall neatly into one category or the other but are somewhere in between. If something is not labeled "organic" it's probably best to assume that it is not organic. Still, we urge you to ask each farmer--it might be the start of a nice conversation.

And some of you are concerned when you see produce boxes labeled "California" or "Timbuktu" that these vendors are selling products that are not locally grown. Don't worry! Those waxed boxes are expensive and hard to come by, and the ones preprinted with somebody else's name in California or wherever are cheaper and easier to get. The vegetables that you see coming out of them are grown here in southeast Texas--we do farm visits to see what each of our farmers is up to and make sure of it. And we thank you for supporting locally-grown food!

Thanks

Cameron Management graciously permits us to use their parking lot for our market and we wish to express our deep and abiding gratitude for their generosity. Visit their website, www.cameronmanagement.com to find our more about their excellent company. Also, Croxson Design has provided our very beautiful logo as well as ongoing design assistance. Check them out at www.croxsondesign.com.

Jacquie Miller

Market Manager

832-656-2819 cell

jacquie@urbanharvest.org

www.urbanharvest.org

Meet the Vendors
Get to know your local growers and vendors. Their success depends on your support.

2Dull4You -
Bob Nagode
Animal Farm -
Gita VanWoerden
Belly Rub Bakery -
Jennifer Gillaspie
The Center/Willow River Farms - Gingersnaps ETC
Claybury Products -
Richard Cole
Cuts of Color -
Rita Anders
Fir Forest Harvest -
Tom and Maxine Yunker
Garden of Eden -
Ray Sher
Gundermann's Peachland Farm -
Joan Gundermann
Hattermann Poultry Farms -
Leon Hattermann
The Herbal Goat -
Debbie Tubb
Homestead Gardens -
Jim Bundscho
J.D.'s Organic Farm -
Jackie Bass
Katz Coffee -
Mickey Morales
Marian Bell's Healthy Kitchen -
Marian Bell
Olde World Farms -
John & Karla McLaughlin
Reed Family Honey -
Wendy and Kenny Reed
Texas Select Seasonings -
Billy Powell
Village Botanica -
Rick & Georgia Bost
Wood Duck Farm -
Van & Morgan Weldon
Words and Food -
Janice Schindeler
Yaya's Raw Rah -
Patricia Greer

The Bayou City Farmers' Market is a project of Urban Harvest and is a Certified Texas Farmers' Market.

Urban Harvest
P.O. Box 980460
Phone:713-880-5540
www.urbanharvest.org

How can you
support the market?
1. Come and shop (of course)
2. Tell two friends and they'll come!
3. Purchase Market Bucks as gifts. Ask for them at the info table.
4. Volunteer at the market.
5. Join Urban Harvest.

You are subscribed to this list as courtneayf@yahoo.com. Click here to unsubscribe, or send email to unsubscribe.250498.202117079.4357655043940891753-courtneayf_yahoo.com@en.groundspring.org.
Our postal address is
2311 Canal St. Suite 122
Houston, Texas 77003
United States

Are CFLs All They're Cracked Up to Be?

2008-04-01T13:47:00.001-05:00

There's no disputing the environmental benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs, but lately there's been a lot of talk about their potential dangers. Since CFLs contain mercuryalbeit tiny amountsthey require special cleanup if they accidentally break, and disposal at a qualified recycling facility when they eventually burn out.

Do the energy savings of CFLs outweigh the hazards? Find out what other iVillagers are saying, and weigh in with your thoughts.

Plus, check out the most popular features on iGo Green:

Have a great week!

Erin Walsh | Associate producer, iGo Green

Nader for a Green President?

2008-02-26T12:58:00.001-06:00

He's Back
Ralph Nader jumps into the presidential race

"I have decided to run for president," Ralph Nader declared on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday morning, after listing a litany of problems in America and citing polls that have found citizen discontent with the direction of the country and with both main political parties. Washington, D.C., is "corporate-occupied territory," he said, and he accused Barack Obama of leaning "toward the corporate side." He also had harsh words for Hillary Clinton, and harsher still for John McCain. Nader's campaign website promises to fight "corporate greed, corporate power, corporate control," citing among other scourges polluters, agribusiness giants, nuclear power, and Big Oil. Also on his site, he calls for a carbon tax, which the other remaining presidential candidates do not support, and he declares "no to nuclear power, solar energy first." Do you think Nader should run? Take our poll.

Seven Steps to a Zero Energy Home

2008-02-02T16:51:00.001-06:00

The means to achieving a successful ZEH are not the same for all homes. There are new building systems that can be used to increase the insulation of the walls and the roof, including Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS), Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF), and typical frame wall systems which can be used with new types of insulation. Research into energy-efficient construction techniques will prove fruitful in designing and constructing the most energy efficient home for the least amount of money. The NAHB Research Center's technical resource for building products can be found at toolbase.org.

As a quick summary of the process to construct a ZEH, consider the following steps.

Seven Important Steps to a Successful ZEH

Decrease the energy requirements for space heating, cooling and water heating:
1. Orient the home with smaller walls facing west and include overhangs and porches (See Passive Solar Design Fact Sheet)
2. Increase foundation, wall and ceiling insulation (See Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Insulation Fact Sheet and ENERGY STAR's Recommended Levels of Insulation)
3. Use low U-value, low-E windows in all climates and low solar heat gain (low SHGC) windows in cooling climates (See Efficient Windows Collaborative)
4. Seal all holes, cracks, and penetrations through the floor, walls, and ceiling to unconditioned spaces (See Department of Energy's Air Sealing Fact Sheet)
5. Install adequate ventilation, especially from kitchens and baths (See Ventilation Control Systems and Whole House Mechanical Ventilation Strategies)
Increase the efficiency of the furnace (or heat pump), and the air-conditioner:
1. Buy as high-efficiency equipment as affordable for the climate
2. Design the supply and return duct system appropriately and seal tightly using approved tapes or mastic
3. Consider ground-source heat pump technology where space and cost conditions permit
4. Where climate-appropriate consider alternative cooling systems such as ventilation only or evaporative coolers
5. Find addtional information at:
Install a solar hot water pre-heat system, an efficient backup water heater, and an efficient distribution system:
1. Consider a parallel, small diameter piping system for the hot water outlets
2. Install low-flow fixtures
3. Choose water heating equipment with a high Energy Factor
4. Look for a knowledgeable solar hot water installation company
5. Evaluate solar systems using the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC)
6. Find addtional information at:
  - National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
  - DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Install efficient lighting fixtures:
1. Consider permanent fluorescent fixtures in as many locations as possible
2. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label
Install efficient appliances:
1. Include the refrigerator, dishwasher, and laundry appliances
2. Look for the ENERGY STAR label
3. Compare appliance efficiencies (See American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy - Consumer Resources)
Install a properly sized photovoltaic (PV) system:
1. Look for a knowledgeable solar PV installation company
2. Evaluate tax and other incentives (See Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy)
3. Use PVWATTS for a quick estimate of PV output
4. Find a Certified Solar PV Installer from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
Turn off lights, computers, and appliances when not in use
The successful Zero Energy Home doesn't end with the designer and builder. The homeowner plays an extremely important role as they do with any well-maintained home. Throughout the life of the home, the homeowner has the most significant impact on the actual performance of the ZEH. Therefore, the ZEH homebuyer must be conscious of daily habits and patterns that affect energy use in the home as well as proper maintenance of equipment and appliances. For instance, understanding the way certain energy efficiency features of the home work such as programmable thermostats or photo-sensitive outdoor light fixtures is essential. Simple things such as turning off lights when leaving a room or closing doors when performing even quick tasks outdoors can eliminate "wasted" energy. Paying careful attention to actual energy needs and avoiding unnecessary energy use are the first steps in ensuring that the ZEH performs as it was designed and built. Secondly, as with any valued property, equipment in the home and the structure itself must be carefully maintained. Changing furnace filters, having heating and cooling systems cleaned regularly, periodically checking the operation of solar systems, and maintaining exterior caulking and painting are only a few examples of ways in which a homeowner can assure a long-lived, high-performance, and zero energy home.

Green Home Checklist

2008-01-10T15:02:00.001-06:00

Whether you're a homebuyer or a renter looking for a green home, how do you know if a home is truly green? What should you look for? This checklist will help you identify a truly green home and ensure you get a healthier, high-performance green home that costs less to operate and has fewer environmental impacts:

Location: New green homes and neighborhoods must not be built on environmentally sensitive sites like prime farmland, wetlands and endangered species habitats. The greenest development sites are "in-fill" properties like former parking lots, rail yards, shopping malls and factories. Look for compact development where the average housing density is at least six units per acre. Your home should also be within easy walking distance of public transportation like bus lines, light rail, and subway systems so you can leave your car at home. A green home should also be within walking distance of parks, schools, and stores. See how many errands you can carry out on a bicycle. That's healthier for you, your wallet, and the environment.
Size: No matter how many green building elements go into your home, a 5,000-square-foot green home still consumes many more natural resources than a 2,000-square-foot green home. The larger home will also require more heating, air conditioning and lighting. If you really want a sustainable home, choose a smaller size.
Building Design: The home should be oriented on its site to bring abundant natural daylight into the interior to reduce lighting requirements and to take advantage of any prevailing breezes. Windows, clerestories, skylights, light monitors, light shelves and other strategies should be used to bring daylight to the interior of the house. The exterior should have shading devices (sunshades, canopies, green screens and best of all trees), particularly on the southern and western facades and over windows and doors, to block hot summer sun. [t4]Dual-glaze windows reduce heat gain in summer and heat loss during cold winter months. The roof should be a light-colored, heat-reflecting Energy Star roof, or a green (landscaped) roof, to reduce heat absorption.
Green Building Materials: A green home will have been constructed or renovated with healthy, non-toxic building materials and furnishings, like low- and zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and sealants and non-toxic materials like strawboard for the sub-flooring. Wood-based features should come from rapidly renewable sources like bamboo, but if tropical hardwoods are used, they must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. A green home uses salvaged materials like kitchen tiles and materials with significant recycled content.
Insulation: A non-toxic insulation, derived from materials like soybean or cotton, with a high R (heat resistance) factor in a home's walls and roof will help prevent cool air leakage in the summer and warm air leakage in the winter.
Windows and Doors: Windows and exterior doors should have ENERGY STAR® ratings, and they should seal their openings tightly to avoid heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.
Energy Efficiency: A green home has energy-efficient lighting, heating, cooling and water-heating systems. Appliances should have ENERGY STAR® ratings.
Renewable Energy: The home should generate some of its own energy with technologies like photovoltaic systems.
Water Efficiency: A green home has a water-conserving irrigation system and water-efficient kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Look for a rainwater collection and storage system, particularly in drier regions where water is increasingly scarce and expensive.
Indoor Environmental Quality: Natural daylight should reach at least 75% of the home's interior. Natural ventilation (via building orientation, operable windows, fans, wind chimneys and other strategies) should bring plentiful fresh air inside the house. The HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system should filter all incoming air and vent stale air outside. The garage should not have any air handling equipment or return ducts, and it should have an exhaust fan.
Landscaping: Vine-covered green screens, large canopy trees and other landscaping should shade exterior walls, the driveway, patios and other "hardscape" to minimize heat islands. Yards should be landscaped with drought-tolerant plants rather than water-guzzling plants and grass in most regions.

Info from https://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=147

Green Myth Busters from Grist

2008-01-08T14:16:00.001-06:00

Green Myth Busters
Your most pressing eco-dilemmas, solved

Paper or plastic bags? Aluminum cans or glass bottles? If you want to go green but are locked in frozen inaction by such quagmires, take heart: The eco-experts behind the green news and humor site Grist.org get to the bottom of these and other puzzles of the universe in their new book, Wake Up and Smell the Planet. Read on, and watch the layer of fog start to lift away...

Plus, take this quiz to test your environmental IQ and get tons of great tips on greening your day. Have a good week!

Erin Walsh | Associate producer, iGo Green

Solar Prices Decrease 40% by 2010

2007-12-31T08:10:00.001-06:00

Solar Prices Set to Plummet

The solar industry is poised for a rapid decline in costs that will make it a mainstream power option in the next few years, according to a new assessment by the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, D.C., and the Prometheus Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Global production of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells has risen sixfold since 2000 and grew 41 percent in 2006 alone. Although grid-connected solar capacity still provides less than 1 percent of the world's electricity, it increased nearly 50 percent in 2006, to 5,000 megawatts, propelled by booming markets in Germany and Japan. This growth, while dramatic, has been constrained by a shortage of manufacturing capacity for purified polysilicon, the same material that goes into semiconductor chips. But the situation will be reversed in the next two years as more than a dozen companies in Europe, China, Japan, and the United States bring on unprecedented levels of production capacity, stated the assessment. Read more on Renewable Energy Access, or on Grist. Read More: PV Costs to Decrease 40% by 2010

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'Green Flooring Put to The Test' from The Green Guide

2007-12-27T14:31:00.001-06:00

Courtneay Freeman-Zadrowski thought you'd be interested in this article from The Green Guide,
the green living source for today's conscious consumer.

Green Flooring Put to the Test

Green Flooring Put to The Test
by Kate Harris

You've torn up the carpet and now you're faced with a hard choice:
bamboo, reclaimed wood, natural linoleum or cork?

Responsible Recycling 101 (Plus, Where to in Houston)

2007-12-19T17:12:00.001-06:00

It's not enough to recycleyou need to do it right. Use a minimum of water to rinse out containers. Learn your recycling center's sorting needs, and follow these general guidelines carefully.

Newspaper
Do pack newspapers in large brown grocery sacks or weigh them down in the bin with a rock or other heavy object. Keep the newspapers dry and clean.
Don't forget to remove rubber bands, plastic bags, and product samples.

Glass

Do recycle unbroken glass containers. Lids can go with metal recycling.
Don't include tableware, ceramics, Pyrex, windows, light bulbs, and mirrors.

Plastic

Plastic
Do recycle plastic containers marked with #1 or #2. Caps are usually a different type of plastic, so remove them and toss them in the trash.
Don't include plastic types #3, #4, #5, #6, and especially #7. Even a small amount of the wrong plastic can ruin the whole batch.

Metal
Do recycle metal cans, caps, lids, bands, and foil.
Don't recycle spray cans or cans containing paint residue or hazardous waste.

Office Paper and Junk Mail

Do recycle junk mail (including envelopes with plastic windows), photocopies, and computer printouts printed on white or pastel paper stock.
Don't include stickers, napkins, tissues, waxed paper, laminated paper, wet paper, or bright, neon paper.

For Local Houston Recycling centers:

General Resources: http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/recycling.html

Metal: http://www.recyclehouston.com/

Main Recycling Hub:

HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
5900 Westpark / Houston, TX 77057
PHONE: 3-1-1

The department has seven permanent sites and two alternate weekend sites where residents can bring recyclables:

Westpark Consumer Recycling Center at 5900 Westpark (also includes tires, BOPA, and Scrap Electronics recycling)
Environmental Service Center (South) at 11500 South Post Oak (For household hazardous waste and scrap electronics recycling only)
Kirkpatrick Depository at 5565 Kirkpatrick (Tires and oil also)
Lawndale Depository at 9200 Lawndale (Tires and oil also)
Sunbeam Depository at 5100 Sunbeam (Tires and oil also)
3602 Center (newspaper, magazines, office paper; glass food & beverage bottles and jars; #1 & #2 plastic jugs; tin & aluminum food cans; cardboard boxes-broken down) -- Open 24/7
Vista Fibers at 1200 Brittmoore
1245 Judiway (Glass only)
Kingwood Park & Ride at 3210 W. Lake Houston Parkway (2nd and 4th weekends of the month)
- 2007 -- February 10 and 24, March 10 and 24, April 14 and 28, May 12 and 26, June 9 and 23, July 14 and 28, August 11 and 25, September 8 and 22, October 13 and 27, November 10 and 24, December 8 and 22
- 2008 -- January 12 and 26
Ellington Field (Clear Lake Area) at Highway 3 @ Dixie Farm Road -- Open 24/7

More information on 2007-2008 Christma Tree Recyclling

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Green Job Sites and list your Resume here too!

2007-12-12T15:12:00.001-06:00

Energy and environmental positions throughout the world, the following are some good websites for your review:

I am also starting a section on www.designhoustongreen.com that will have postings for people looking for a "green" career and businesses in the Southern US states that are looking to hire. If interested in posting either a resume or a job opening contact me at courtneayf@yahoo.com

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.

Green Rebates & Tax Incentives

2007-12-12T15:05:00.001-06:00

Get Green Rebates & Tax Incentives

Posted by Cassie Walker

Oh yes, there is a Santa Claus. Well, maybe not in the whole red suit, bowl-full-of-jelly way, but there are gifts with your name on them in the form of rebates and tax breaks available for greening your home. But, since they won't arrive in your stocking on Christmas morning, you'll need to know what to look for and where to find them.

In general, there are four major areas of incentives for homeowners looking to lower their environmental impact:

   + Energy-saving appliances
   + Energy efficiency through insulation and windows
   + Solar and other alternative power
   +  Miscellaneous (water efficiency, mortgages, etc.)

Since incentives vary by location, it can be tough to know what applies to you. Fortunately, several easy-to-use resources exist to help you figure out what incentives are available. The most comprehensive of these is the national Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE). Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE lists the renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives available from all levels of government: federal, state, and local. Just select your state and you're on your way to savings!

Energy-Saving Appliances

If you've been thinking about installing new energy efficient appliances, but haven't been able to make the leap and plunk down the cash, maybe this will help: many state and local incentives exist to give you that nudge.

California probably leads the way in providing all sorts of incentives. In addition to the DSIRE database, a great way to see what's available to residents of the Golden State is to go to Flex Your Power, California's statewide energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign. There, you can search for incentives by zip code. The listing includes rebates on appliances among other things, offered by all levels of government so you can find the best deal for you.

For example, PG&E in San Francisco and the Los Angeles DWP offer residential energy efficiency rebate programs, which provide for rebates on new Energy Star appliances, including clothes washers and dryers, air conditioners, and even pool pumps. A word to the wise: make sure to check the details of the program before making a purchase - though Energy Star is the standard for environmentally-friendly appliances, some may not qualify for specific rebates.

Anaheim Public Utilities offers its customers similar rebates, but then go a step further. They will come to your home to perform an efficiency inspection, recommending energy saving steps and appliances free of charge. They will also provide customers a free energy-efficient light bulb. Who says you can't get something for nothing?

In addition to appliances, New York's Long Island Power Authority's incentive program includes a focus on geothermal heat pumps in its residential rebate program, as well as rebates for energy-efficient air conditioners. Other areas offer additional rebates for specific items, like ceiling fans (Burbank, CA) and even LED holiday lights (Lompoc, CA). Now that's what we call the holiday spirit!

There may even be money available for your old appliances. After heating/air conditioning and water heaters, the biggest energy-hogger in a home is the refrigerator. Many areas offer a buy-back program for the old ones in Los Angeles, you'll receive $35 and 6 free compact fluorescent light bulbs in exchange for ol' Frosty. More importantly, recyclers will properly dispose of harmful contaminants like used oil, mercury and refrigerants. So even if there is no money in it for you, be sure to contact your local utility to ask about proper disposal of any used appliance.

In addition to rebates, keep an eye out for other incentives promoting energy efficiency - low interest loans, for example, like those offered in Austin, TX and many areas in Florida. These loans give you the cash you might need to make the switch to energy efficient appliances; and remember, you'll save money on the back end with lower energy bills.

Some areas of the country entice consumers with tax breaks. For example, if you live in Texas you're familiar with the sales tax "holiday" one glorious day when purchases are exempt from state sales taxes. Now, the state is making the event more meaningful by designating a three-day tax holiday over Memorial Day weekend for energy efficient products, like air conditioners, dishwashers, and even programmable thermostats. For all three days, these products are tax-free, so why not start saving now for the washing machine of your dreams?

Insulation and Windows

One of the best things that you can do to increase the energy efficiency of your home is to provide better insulation to keep out the cold and heat in the first place. Many areas have rebates available for adding insulation or energy efficient windows.

In Los Angeles, SoCal Gas offers a rebate of $.15/sq ft. of insulation, and $1.00 for every six linear feet of pipe wrap. Springfield, Illinois' City Water Light and Power ups the ante with a rebate of 30% of your insulation project costs, up to $500. And just like with appliances, the initial investment will pay you back with lower energy bills all year round.

To help Texans cope with their sweltering summers, Austin Energy and CPS Energy in San Antonio offer rebates on solar screens and film, as well as on radiant barriers for attics. Not familiar with these? A quick primer

Solar screens cover the outside of a window just like standard window screens. But, solar screens block the heat generated as the sun's rays passes through the glass windows. Radiant barriers, on the other hand, are reflective sheets usually laid across the top of exposed insulation in the attic. As solar energy is absorbed by the roof, much of the heat radiated from the hot roof is reflected back up, away from the insulation. This makes the top surface of the insulation cooler, thus reducing the amount of heat that moves through the insulation into the rooms below the ceiling. Pretty cool, in that "How did we not know about this sooner?" kind of way, huh?

Though we always think of insulation and windows when it comes to making our homes more energy efficient, don't forget the nature's candy of insulation - trees. Strategically placed trees can maximize the amount of sun that hits your home in the winter, and minimize it in the summer. Utilities in some cities, including Los Angeles and Anaheim, CA, will recommend the best types of trees and locations for planting, and will even give you one or more trees for free.

Solar and other alternative power

With more and more interest and investment going towards alternative energy, states and municipalities have enacted several types of incentives to encourage residential adoption of its production. Illinois, among other states, offers a rebate program for solar equipment including solar water heaters and even solar pool heating. At 30% of costs up to a maximum of $10,000, the rebates are nothing to sneeze at.

Several programs in California provide payments for installing alternative energy sources. The state has adopted the California Solar Initiative to reach its goal of providing 3,000 MW of solar capacity by 2017. By providing a payment ranging from $2.50 to $3.50 per Watt of power generated, the program is designed to increase the use of photovoltaics in the state. Rebates are also available statewide on solar water heaters, and on the purchase and installation of photovoltaic systems through local utility programs.

In addition to solar, California also supports the Self-Generation Incentive Program, which offers incentives to those resourceful folks who produce electricity with micro-turbines, gas turbines, wind turbines, fuel cells and internal combustion engines. The incentive payments range from $1 - $4.50 per Watt, depending on the type of system used. Retail electric and gas customers of San Diego Gas & Electric, Pacific Gas & Electric (San Francisco), Southern California Edison or Southern California Gas are eligible for the program.

In New York, the state has enacted a personal income tax credit for residential photovoltaic systems and solar-thermal equipment. New Yorkers can claim a credit equal to 25% of the cost of the equipment and installation. Credits like this one are more valuable than tax deductions, as credits are deducted directly from your tax bill, not just your income. In addition, some local municipalities have granted an exemption from sales tax for these types of systems.

Loans are also available to customers looking to finance home improvements using green technology, like in south-central Pennsylvania and parts of Georgia. These loans might be low- or no-interest, but terms vary so make sure you understand the details before signing on the dotted line.

As always, you can find solar system installers at Low Impact Living, as well as wind system installers.

Miscellaneous

As the Southwest and other parts of the country struggle with long droughts, programs to conserve water are more important than ever. In Los Angeles, for example, homeowners can receive a $100 rebate on an ultra-low-flush toilet. San Francisco residents can receive free low-flow aerators and shower heads. Even if your utility doesn't provide these for free, consider purchasing them for your home. They are an inexpensive way to save a scarce resource.

And finally, a gift from your favorite uncle, Sam. Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM) help homeowners finance energy efficiency measures, like renewable energy technologies, in both new and existing homes. As some EEMs are insured through FHA or VA programs, they provide a measure of security to lenders for customers whom they would usually deny, and thus allow borrows who might otherwise be denied loans to pursue energy efficient improvements. I knew that he would come through.

Whatever path you choose on your way to lowering your home's impact, spend a little time researching the incentives available. Though your mom may have said that it's better to give than to receive, receiving ain't too bad either.

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Greening Your Kitchen

2007-12-05T11:15:00.000-06:00

Posted by Jessica Jensen

You may not know it, but your kitchen is one of the biggest resource hogs in your house. You use electricity and natural gas for your appliances. You use water in your sink and dish washer. Your fridge is stocked with foods grown and transported from all over the world that require chemicals, water and fuel to be produced and transported. And then there's the non-recyclable packaging that goes straight to a landfill.

Here is a list of things you can do in your kitchen to lower your environmental impact, and also to live in a healthier home. We have recommendations for appliances, products and new behaviors.

Any chance you are planning a kitchen remodel? We also have great recommendations for you wonderful new materials for countertops,cabinets and floors, leads on top-rated green architects and interior designers, and more. Just scroll down if you're focused on a remodel.

Get Green in the Kitchen

1. Use energy-saving appliances. You can greatly reduce your power and water usage and your greenhouse gas production by using Energy Star appliances. Energy Star appliances can save as much as 50% of your energy and water use, and can cut your carbon footprint by 1000+ pounds, compared to standard appliances. Click here to see Energy Star models.

2. Use compact fluorescent lighting. Compact fluorescent lights use 1/4 the energy and last up to 10 times as long as standard bulbs. And they come in versions that are dimmable, recessed-ready, and daylight spectrumany version of light type you can think of. Each high-use bulb you replace will save up to $10 and 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, and they last for many years. Click here to see our wide range of CF lighting options.

3. Recycle and Re-use. Can you rinse that ziplock and use it again? Can you reuse the containers you got from take-out? And don't get plastic bags every time you go to the store for groceries take durable reusable sacks with you. Click here for reusable grocery bags..

4. Eat Organic, Eat Local. Not only is eating organic healthy for you and your family, but it keeps chemicals from running off into our oceans and rivers from non-organic farms. Eating food sourced locallylike from farmers' markets means tons of carbon dioxide are not released into the atmosphere in the process of transporting food to you. To learn more about eating organic,see our selection of great books on organic food and cooking. Also, you can find a farmer's market near you to get delicious, organic, locally-grown foods.

5. Get green cleaners. Each time you spray a standard cleaner on your counter you breathe in a fine mist of harmful chemicals. Use non-toxic, organic dish soap, detergent and cleaners to protect yourself and your family. See our selection of green cleaners.

6. Compost. Don't throw out those coffee grounds and banana peels save landfill space and make your own rich potting soil using a composter. It's easy! And there's even a model that works right in your kitchen. Find the composter that's right for you.

7. Only run your dishwasher when you have a full load. It takes the same amount of energy to run a full or a half load so wait another day and fill up that machine. Also, remember that washing dishes or pots by hand takes more water than doing them in the washer so go ahead and put them in the machine.

Remodel Your Kitchen the Great Green Way it's healthy, sustainable and gorgeous!

If you remodel a kitchen the "normal way" you'd likely use some combination of new woods for cabinets, marble or tile for countertops, and perhaps some new tile or wood flooring. These standard materials consume resources and contain many toxic chemicals. Fortunately there is a very different way to design and build your new dream kitchen a way that is sustainable, healthy and jaw-dropping gorgeous. We'll show you how.

First you should find an architect or an interior designer who is skilled in working with sustainable materials and knows how to build in an eco-friendly manner. Use our nationwide listing of green architects and interior designers to find a great one near you.

Now let's focus on materials you should consider. Let's talk about countertops.

Terrazzo is so beautiful you will not believe it is sustainable. Terrazzo consists of recycled glass and crushed stone held together by cement or epoxy. It is buffed to give it a smooth finish. Terrazzo is low maintenance, long-lasting, and has high recycled content. Recycled materials can make up as much as 95 percent of the materials in terrazzo. Terrazzo from EnviroGlas(pictured at right) and Icestone are particularly good for their high recycled content.

"Paper Stone" is another great countertop option. Comprised of paper and other fiber suspended in resin, these materials look surprisingly like stone and come in a variety of exciting colors. The material is heat resistant and very durable. It is also easy to maintain with a nonabrasive cleaner and a cloth. PaperStone and Richlite are two of the more well-known brands. Richlite (pictured at below) uses pulp from sustainably managed forests, and PaperStone incorporates up to 100 percent recycled paper pulp.

On to kitchen cabinets.

Everyone automatically thinks "new cabinets" when they start to plan a kitchen remodel. But cabinets are often made from wood harvested unsustainably and saturated with chemicals used in sealing, gluing, and painting. Many of the chemicals used can be cancer-causing and can offgas into your home for years. Fortunately there are some great, safe alternatives.

First, save whatever parts of your existing cabinets that are still servicable. Are the shelves okay but the fronts have to go? Already, you've saved a lot of wood and money. For the new cabinet elements, you can use reclaimed wood, or formaldehyde-free pressed fiberboard. Or you can even get cabinets made from compressed plant material (such as wheatboard).

For the best in wood cabinets, you want to find ones that use either reclaimed wood or FSC-certified wood (FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Councilwww.fscus.org and they assure that wood is grown and harvested in a sustainable manner). For reclaimed wood, you can turn to several companies that make cabinets using salvaged wood. CitiLogs uses reclaimed wood and custom milling to produce beautiful products. A company that will sell you reclaimed cabinet-grade wood is Elmwood Reclaimed Lumber.

You can also go the "new but sustainable route" with cabinets. AlterECO manufactures cabinets out of bamboo (a fast-growing grass) and wheat board. (Pictured at right.) Check out AlterECO's cabinet selection here. Another great supplier is Breathe Easy. Breathe Easy cabinets are made using bamboo, FSC Certified plywood and/or wheatboard (all formaldehyde free). Both companies offer low- or no-VOC finishes. Also check out Kirei board, which makes panels out of the pressed stalks of harvested Chinese sorghum. Visit www.kireiusa.com.

You also have some great flooring options.

Marmoleum is not your grandma's linoleum. (Pictured at left.) It is made of linseed oil, rosins, and wood flour, affixed to a natural jute backing. It is durable, comfortable to walk on and comes in a mind-blowing array of colors and patterns. To learn more about Marmoleum and find a dealer near you, please click here.

Another great sustainable flooring option is bamboo. Bamboo is a fast-growing grass and is very renewable, durable and attractive. We recommend Teragren bamboo flooring, a company whose mission is to help reduce our dependence on dwindling timber resources by manufacturing flooring, stairs, and panels from bamboo sustainably harvested in the Zhejiang Province of China. Click here to find a Teragren supplier near you.

Also have a look at these amazing tiles made out of recycled rubber they come in blue, gray, shades of orange, and many other colors. They are both durable and springy, which means they're easy on your knees. Visit www.ecosurfaces.com to see samples.

Lighting is also critical

Why not use some skylights or solar tubes? Natural light is best for your health and for the environment. If you do need electric lights, there are many great recessed, track and decorative light fixtures that work great with compact fluorescent bulbs. You'll save a lot of power and money going this route.

Last but not least, don't forget about appliances. We've already mentioned them in the section above, but don't forget that appliances will consumer energy for as long as they are in your kitchen, so make the right choices from the start and buy Energy Star appliances.

Thanks for learning how to green your kitchen. Please make sure to check out our new Green Products Ratings & Reviews on main site at www.lowimpactliving.com where we're adding new and exciting features every day!

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