The Green Life

Not Yanking Your Chain

We raise a leather-gloved hand in salute to Black & Decker. The company  has rolled out a battery-operated chainsaw and a line of electric tools, joining other manufacturers trying to trim pollution from yard work.

Perhaps one day the quieter electric saw will topple the gas-powered chainsaw, that ripsnorting icon so familiar to gardeners, lumberjacks, and fans of horror movies. The gas version has been filling the air with gray smoke--not to mention curses at failed pull chains--since it was invented in 1927.

The Secret Garden

For a decade, Scott Bunnell has been tilling a road median in Long Beach, California, turning dirt into a paradise of aloes and agaves. It's illegal, but he just can't help himself. Recently he learned he's part of an international cadre of guerrilla gardeners--rebels with shovels who plant on neglected public and private land, sometimes in the dark of night. They strategize at guerrillagardening.org, and a related book, On Guerrilla Gardening, arrives in May. "It's like a graffiti artist seeing a blank wall or a surfer seeing a good wave," says Bunnell. "When I see an open area of land, I envision a garden."

Illustration by Mark Matcho; used with permission.

Can You Buy It In Your State?

Find out if you can buy green power (which includes utility green pricing programs, retail green power products, and renewable energy certificate products sold separate from electricity) in your state, here.

Daily Tip: Feb 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thinking about spending some extra time between the sheets today? If so, spend it between sheets made from bamboo. Bamboo sheets are silky soft, and come from a rapidly renewable resource that doesn't require pesticides to grow.

Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.

Fast Fact

If each U.S. household installed one low-flow sink faucet or aerator, it would save more than 60 billion gallons of water annually. epa.gov/watersense

Advice for workers, actors, and shoppers

In the January/February 2008 issue of Sierra, Mr. Green opines on the best way for a touring actor to leave no trace, clears up concerns about cotton, and advises on workplace recycling.

Curious, concerned, or just generally confused about environmental issues of all stripes? Send your thoughts and questions directly to Mr. Green, or weigh in in the comments section.

Help for Holiday Stragglers

OK, people, it's officially the first full week of 2008, the 12 days of Christmas are over and done with, and you can't use your New Year's hangover as an excuse anymore: It's time to take down the holiday decorations. Fortunately, it seems there are many companies and groups eager to help you wrap up the season in a green way:

Lights out: This year, you finally swapped out your incandescent Christmas lights for energy-efficient LED ones. Now, what to do with those old, wasteful, tangled strands? Retailer HolidayLEDs.com is accepting incandescent holiday lights for recycling through the end of the month. Send 'em to:

HolidayLEDs.com
Attn: Recycling Program
120 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1403
Jackson, MI 49201

Back to nature: Cut Christmas trees can--and should!--be mulched to help create healthy new soil. Check with your local recycling and disposal company to see if they do curbside pickup or click on over to Earth911 to find a recycling location near you. The National Christmas Tree Association has stories about other cool ways that trees are being recycled around the country.

We greet again: Old holiday cards can provide cheer a second time around. Send them to CardsDirect, which will distribute those that can be reused to charitable organizations and recycle the rest:

CardsDirect 2007/2008 Card Recycling and Re-Use Program
200 Chisholm Place, Suite 220
Plano, TX 75075

Of course, you can also recycle old cards yourself, and/or turn the images into gift tags or new cards for next year.

The gift keeps giving: No need to hunt for receipts or wait in line at the store. Unwanted gifts can be swapped for what you really want online. Even gift cards can be sold back or exchanged.

New Year, New You

Eight ecofriendly resolutions for a happier, healthier 2008

1. Bring camaraderie to your commute
Carpooling saves gas and turns traffic delays into socializing opportunities. Find fellow riders at goloco.org and zimride.com.

2. Be an informed eater
If you're torn between the trout and the halibut, text 30644 with the message "FISH" and the type you're considering to learn which is the more sustainable choice (fishphone.org).

3. Junk the junk mail
Inundated by catalogs but too lazy to call and get off their mailing lists? Just register with catalogchoice.org, which will do the legwork for you. (Services like greendimes.com and 41pounds.org stop other kinds of junk mail too--for a fee.)

4. Become a mix master
DIY kits make it easy to blend up your own nontoxic household cleansers, skin products, and pet-care items (all from eco-me.com) as well as all-natural baby food (freshbaby.com).

5. Learn to share
At neighborrow.com and borrowme.com, you can find neighbors willing to lend you books, tools, or other things you'd rather not buy.

6. Give back on your next getaway
Count whales or plant trees in exotic locales--opportunities abound at greenvolunteers.com and in The Ethical Travel Guide (Earthscan) and The 100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life (National Geographic Books).

7. Just say no to bottled water
If tap water is good enough for some of the country's top restaurants, isn't it good enough for you?

8. See more meaningful movies
Sick of Hollywood fluff? Subscribe to a socially conscious film series at earthcinemacircle.com or ironweedfilms.com and get cinematic conversation-starters delivered to your door.

What's your green new year's resolution? Share it with us in the comments section.

(Illustrations by Josef Gast)

O Christmas Tree...

...O Christmas tree, Much pleasure doth thou bring me! And much consternation, if the inquiries we get about whether to buy real, fake, or none at all are any indication. Here are some things to keep in mind when decking your halls:

Cut trees generally come from tree farms. See if there's an organic one near you on this list, or ask around at your local farmers' market. Avoid buying trees with flocking (fake snow) on them, and be sure to have your tree composted or mulched after the holiday season is over. Many cities now offer this type of program; some even provide curbside pickup!

Fake trees are often made of nasty plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and some even have lead in them. Most are also made in other countries and shipped long distances. If you do decide to go faux, be sure to buy a sturdy one and use it for many years.

Living trees are a good option since they can be kept in a pot on your deck during the rest of the year and planted in your yard once they grow too big to bring inside. Just be sure that the tree isn't an invasive species for your area (check with your state forester or a local nursery, cooperative extension, or tree-planting group) and take care of it properly. Some cities even have programs to collect your potted tree and plant it in a low-income neighborhood that needs more trees.

No matter what kind of tree you choose, string it with energy-efficient LED lights!

Design on a Dime

You won't find green bling at Solara, just practical and cost-effective features that make this 56-unit ecofriendly apartment complex near San Diego affordable for low- to moderate-income families. "Green doesn't have to look different," says project manager Mary Jane Jagodzinski. "It can fit into any community."

(Illustration by Rodriguez Associates Architects & Planners Inc.--click on the image to see a larger version)* * *

Breathe Deeply
Formaldehyde-free insulation keeps indoor air quality high.

Up on the Roof
Photovoltaic panels on roofs and carports generate all of Solara's energy, so residents have no power bills to pay.

Windows of Opportunity
Low-emissivity (low-e) windows reduce heat loss and gain and are positioned to allow maximum ventilation.

Healthy Living
Each family gets a shopping cart to take on walks to the farmers' market and other nearby conveniences.

Lush Life
Native plants make up almost half of the landscape. There's also an organic lemon grove and natural grasses instead of lawns.

Your Gifts Are On Our List

Finding one of these presents under the tree could turn the most ardent Hummer driver into a tree hugger. What green gift would you be most grateful to receive?

FOR YOUR BROTHER
He'll have style and substance with a fresh renewable-energy T-shirt (pictured; organic and sweatshop free), hipster hoodie (made from organic fleece), rugged wallet (made out of discarded truck-tire inner tubes), geek-chic luggage tags (made of old circuit boards), or recycled messenger bag.

FOR YOUR SISTER
She'll toast your thoughtfulness when she unwraps this recycled-glass necklace (pictured) by artist Kathleen Plate. Or send her out on the town with a pull-tab clutch or shoulder bag and some ecofriendly lipstick to stick in it. Sis the shy and retiring type? Encourage her to express herself in a vintage-record-sleeve journal or one made from elephant poop (no, really).

FOR YOUR FOLKS
Decorative bowls woven from telephone wire (pictured) or vases made from recycled paper will add beauty to their home and benefit craftspeople in South Africa and Vietnam. Foodies or green thumbs will appreciate an herb-garden kit with organic seeds in a biodegradable pot.

FOR YOUR (FURRY) BEST FRIEND
Fido will drool his appreciation for a fabric chew toy made of recycled soda bottles (pictured) and rest easily on an organic, hemp, or recycled doggie bed.

Elemental advice on fire and water

In the November/December 2007 issue of Sierra, Mr. Green figures out the most ecofriendly way to feed a fireplace and debunks beliefs about bottled water.

Curious, concerned, or just generally confused about environmental issues of all stripes? Send your thoughts and questions directly to Mr. Green, or weigh in in the comments section.

On a Winter's Day

With the price of oil approaching $100 a barrel, plenty of people are going to be looking for ways to save money at the gas pump. But residents of the Northeast, where heating oil is commonly used to warm homes in winter, may see their energy bills soar too. No matter where you live, you can save money and energy this winter by following a few simple steps:

Run a tight ship. Minimize the energy needed to heat your home by making sure your windows and doors are well-sealed with caulking and weather-stripping. This easy and inexpensive fix can save as much as 10 percent of winter heating costs.

Seal your ducts. Homes with forced-air heating systems can lose up to 40 percent of their heat if duct joints are poorly sealed. You probably want to get a qualified contractor to do this one, but some states will offer a tax credit to help pay for the work.

Watch your windows. Since most heat loss occurs through the windows, installing thick curtains and drapes can help keep you toasty. Open them during the day to allow warming sunlight to enter, then close them at night to keep the heat inside. Double-paned windows cost more but are worth looking into too.

Temper the temperature. Turning your thermostat down just 5 degrees can cut energy bills (and pollution) by 10 percent, so keep it at 68 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, and 60 degrees or less while you sleep. Chilly? Put on a sweater or add an extra blanket to your bed.

Fan the heat around. Running your ceiling fan clockwise, at a slow speed, recirculates warmer air that accumulates at the ceiling, reducing energy consumption by up to 10 percent.

Put on a greener log. Fireplaces aren't the most efficient--or cleanest--way to heat a home, but they can be awfully cozy. Look for artificial logs made of wood only, avoiding those that contain paraffin, a petroleum-based by-product with dubious emissions quality. (Duraflame has phased all petroleum-based waxes out of its logs). Some cool alternatives include fireplace logs made of recycled cardboard boxes, recycled-paper briquettes, and logs made of used coffee grounds, which burn hotter and longer than wood while producing fewer emissions and less soot.

Heating water is another big energy-hog year-round. A simple insulating blanket to improve the efficiency of your water heater costs only about $20 and is readily available at most hardware stores. Another way to save energy is to wash your laundry in cold water whenever possible. Since each load uses about 40 gallons of water, this small step can make a big difference: One household can eliminate more than a thousand pounds of greenhouse gas emissions in a year just by washing in cold.

Walkin' the Talk

I don't think anyone likes to hear the phrase "do as I say, not as I do." But when you find yourself in the advice-giving business, as I now seem to be, it can be hard to have all of your own habits aligned with the practices you know are best for the planet. Take composting, for example. Although I live in an apartment with no yard, I knew that San Francisco offered a green-cart program for just such folks; that is, a bin to collect food scraps and yard trimmings that gets picked up along with your recycling one. The only problem? My building didn't have a green bin, and as a renter, I was a little bit reluctant to rock the boat. So I was totally gratified when I finally broached the subject with my landlord and he enthusiastically took it up with the homeowners' association. Now I've got a little green bin under my sink for food scraps--though truthfully, I don't cook much, so it's mostly full of coffee grounds--and a big one out back to empty it into. It was that easy.

Another little victory I had recently was figuring out what to do with the many promotional CDs and DVDs (not the fun kind with music or movies on them, which can usually find a new home) that often now accompany press releases. Green Citizen, a computer recycler just down the street from my office, happily took them--and some old floppy disks I'd been carting around for years--with a promise to demanufacture these items into their recyclable components without sending them overseas to developing countries with few environmental or safety standards. Got your own heap of obsolete electronic items lying around? Find a responsible recycler in your area through the Computer TakeBack Campaign. And let me know what new environmental accomplishments you're reveling in lately.

Now You're Cookin'

They say a watched pot never boils, but a covered one boils extra quickly, saving cooking time--and energy. Using smaller appliances, like a microwave, toaster oven, rice cooker, or crock pot when appropriate to the task; choosing the right size pan and burner for meals prepared on the stove; and keeping the oven door closed while baking are other great ways to conserve energy in the kitchen. It also doesn't take as much energy to reheat food as it does to cook it in the first place, so make enough for leftovers!

When buying new appliances, look for the Energy Star label. And when picking out new pots and pans, skip the nonstick ones. Teflon is made with a chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), that is a "likely carcinogen" (according to the EPA) and a major polluter of air and water near where it's produced. Old-fashioned cast-iron pots and pans are a safe alternative, as are those made out of anodized aluminum and stainless steel (unless you're allergic to nickel).

Seeing the Light

A little darkness can be eye-opening. At this weekend's Lights Out SF event, San Franciscans turned off lights at City Hall, local bars, and in their own homes for one hour to raise awareness about energy conservation. A similar event in Sydney, Australia, reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 24.86 tons. (An added benefit, as one commenter on local blog SFist.com put it: "Your fellow partygoers are much cuter by candlelight.")

Organizers are already working on a nationwide follow-up for Saturday, March 29, 2008. Also carrying the energy-conservation idea forward are members of the Sierra Club-sponsored S.F. Climate Challenge, in which teams of households compete (for some pretty nice prizes) to reduce their utility bills over the next month. Tomorrow, October 24, is the final day to sign up. Not the competitive type? You can still celebrate the remaining week of Energy Awareness Month by taking some simple actions. According to the EPA, "If every U.S. household changed a single light bulb to an Energy Star bulb, it would save enough power to light more than 2.5 million homes."

Fuel for the Fire

As Halloween approaches, people in nippier parts of the country might be thinking about curling up in front of the fireplace. On this week's Sierra Club Radio show, we discuss greener ways to light your fire, including:

• looking for artificial fireplace logs made of wood only and avoiding those that contain paraffin, a petroleum-based byproduct with dubious emissions quality (an easier task now that Duraflame has switched to non-petroleum waxes); and
• checking out cool ecofriendly alternatives like logs made of recycled cardboard boxes, recycled-paper briquettes, or logs made from used coffee grounds.

Although they're cleaner than they were 20 years ago, wood stoves can cause dangerous microparticulate pollution too. Before burning wood, check to see if the particulate level is high in your area by visiting airnow.gov.

LEAFHouse in the Lead

A home inspired by "the simple, yet vastly complex leaf," is currently in the lead in the Solar Decathlon, a biannual competition for college and university students to design and build solar-powered homes. The University of Maryland's LEAFHouse (shown) and 19 other entries are on display to the public on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., through Saturday. The winning team will be announced at an awards ceremony tomorrow afternoon.

UPDATE (10/19/07): The team from Germany's Technische Universität Darmstadt ended up besting the University of Maryland for first place. Congratulations to all the winners!

(Photograph by Jim Tetro, Solar Decathlon)

Solar Showdown

Talk about cramming for a test: Student teams from 20 colleges will have just ten days to assemble solar-powered houses before putting them through their paces in the biannual Solar Decathlon. Instead of discus and hurdles, the ten events will assess qualities like curb appeal and temperature control. Homes, like the 2005 entry above, will be open to the public October 12-20 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Too far to trek? Find local green homes to visit at nationalsolartour.org.

(Photograph by Stefano Paltera/Solar Decathlon)

Fast Fact

The average U.S. house creates double the greenhouse-gas emissions of the average car. Audit your home's energy use (and learn to reduce it) at hes.lbl.gov.

Insulating Made Easy

We've got a nice sunny weekend predicted for San Francisco, but in many parts of the country, people are starting to think about getting ready for winter. If you listened to Sierra Club Radio today, you know that adding insulation and improving the air sealing in your home are two key ways to improve energy efficiency year-round and minimize heating costs in the winter.

Not sure where to start? Cruise over to the Department of Energy's website for some good DIY ways to detect air leaks in your home and tips for hiring a pro to do a more thorough energy audit. (The agency's guides to caulking and weather-stripping are heck of useful too.)

Once you know what some of the problem areas are, check out Sierra's July/August 2007 article "Remodeling Right" for simple, sophisticated, and "whole hog" ways to get your home in tip-top shape.

Build a Better Lightbulb

Say so long to flickering, unflattering light: Energy-efficient compact fluorescents now come in various shapes, brightness levels, and hues--some even work with dimmers. Find bulbs for every socket at environmentaldefense.org/maketheswitch. Proper disposal is a snap with prepaid recycling kits from www.sylvania.com/recycle.

(Chart by Peter Hoey--click on the image to see a larger version)

That Not-So-Fresh Feeling

Sickly sweet smells aren't the only potential hazard of air fresheners. According to a report released this week by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), these scented sprays can aggravate asthma and contain hormone-disrupting chemicals known as phthalates. In response, drugstore chain Walgreens has already pulled some brands from its shelves. Today's San Francisco Chronicle names some of the problematic air fresheners and provides a list of easy, ecofriendly alternatives, including:

• "Mist a solution made from water and items like lavender or lemons."
• "Use a cup of baking soda in problem areas such as the fridge or the trash cabinet."
• "Make your own potpourri with dried flowers and fruits."
• "Grind up half a lemon in the garbage disposal."
• "Bake something. Nothing makes a home smell nicer than fresh cookies or bread."

The lemon and baking-soda tips have definitely worked for me. What are your favorite green ways to clear the air?

Fast Fact

Constructing green buildings can reduce costs for the average U.S. elementary or high school by $100,000 annually.

Advice for better homes and gardens

In the September/October 2007 issue of Sierra, Mr. Green considers concerns about mulching, answers a question about cleaning up after a paint job, and reflects of the need to save energy, no matter how virtuous its source.

Curious, concerned, or just generally confused about environmental issues of all stripes? Send your thoughts and questions directly to Mr. Green, or weigh in in the comments section.

The People's Choice Awards

It's time to vote--no, not for Alias and Ellen, but for the best, most environmentally friendly building and building-component concepts. This clever, student-designed modular row house is just one of dozens of easily disassembled, reused, or adapted innovations up for a public-selected award in the Lifecycle Building Challenge. The winners of this national competition will be announced on September 20 at the West Coast Green ecobuilding conference in San Francisco, but to have your say, you have to vote today!

On the Air

Tune into Sierra Club Radio on Saturday for the scoop on plug-in hybrid cars and this weekend's big marches to stop global warming, plus some tips from me on remodeling green. For more on that last subject, check out "Remodeling Right" in the July/August issue of Sierra.

Advice on cooling beers and cooking out

In the July/August 2007 issue of Sierra, Mr. Green weighs the benefits of a new energy-efficient refrigerator against the environmental costs of replacing the old one and contemplates the campfire.

Curious, concerned, or just generally confused about environmental issues of all stripes? Send your thoughts and questions directly to Mr. Green, or weigh in in the comments section.

Healthier Hardware

Water-saving plumbing fixtures and nontoxic sealants can make your next home-repair project more sustainable, but they don't always stand out on the shelves. Plan-It Hardware is trying to fix that. The California-based distributor screens home and garden supplies for recycled content, energy efficiency, biodegradability, and other criteria to find the best products in each category. Retailers that stock Plan-It's selections get vivid "Greener Choice" labels and product guides to point eco-conscious shoppers in the right direction.

What's Hot (or Not)

When it comes to "chic alternative lifestyles," gay is out and green is in, according to the latest Vanity Fair.

Ties are "out" in Italy, where the government is following Japan's lead and encouraging employers to allow casual dress in the summer to reduce air-conditioning demands. (C'mon, Italy, you're going to have to get ahead of the eco-curve if you want to keep setting the fashion agenda.)

Cheese-wedge houses are out, and good design is in, says Witold Rybczynski, whose architectural commentary accompanies a slideshow of ecofriendly, but aesthetically pleasing buildings on Slate.

Ban the Bulb

Incandescent lightbulbs are already persona non grata in Australia and Canada, with other countries and U.S. states contemplating their own bans on the energy-inefficient lights. Among them is the United Kingdom, where Dr. Matt Prescott of Ban the Bulb is making the case for incandescents' extinction. In the U.S., the urban advocates at The New Colonist have added a little flair to the cause with a full line of "Ban the Bulb" clothing and accessories--including dog T-shirts, BBQ aprons, messenger bags (above), and thongs.

Still wondering what all the fuss is about? The Washington Post expertly breaks down the benefits of switching to efficient compact fluorescents, which the New Yorker celebrates as a patriotic move on its recent "Bright Idea" cover (at left). Just be sure you recycle them properly.

Trendsetter

Stephen Aiguier, age 30
Founder, Green Hammer Inc.

Although he comes from a long line of builders, and put himself through college as a journeyman carpenter, Stephen Aiguier didn't cut a straight line back to his family profession. Only after getting a degree in community development and applied economics, working for an organic chocolate company, and putting in a short stint at a securities brokerage did he found his Portland, Oregon-based contracting firm. greenhammerconstruction.com

Q: What makes the houses you build green?

A: All our new homes are LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified. We build with 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council-certified or salvaged wood, and we're trying to get all of our materials from within 100 miles of the site.

Q: What aspects are hardest to sell clients on?

A: The hidden items, like weatherization and energy systems, but those are what make your home efficient in the long run.

Q: What do you see for the future of green building?

A: "Green building" shouldn't even be a term; it should just be the way we do things: low-impact, using the materials around you. Thirty years from now, our children are going to be asking, "Why did you build any other way?"

(Photograph by Annie Portlock)

* * *

Want to learn more about green building? Check out our interviews with green builders in Seattle and Asheville, North Carolina. Then click on over to the latest issue of Sierra magazine for remodeling tips and author Bill McKibben's account of building his ecofriendly dream home. And read the rest of our interview with Stephen Aiguier after the jump.

Trendsetter

Steve Fradkin
Fradkin Fine Construction

As part of our continuing series on green building, The Green Life talks with Seattle-based builder Steve Fradkin of Fradkin Fine Construction:

How did you get into the green-building business?

When the idea really started to take hold five or six years ago, we were already incorporating some sustainable practices in our operations--separating waste, recycling as much as we could, and doing salvage--and we wanted to start bringing it into the buildings too. A couple of the employees I've hired recently have environmental degrees and they're really leading the charge.

Trendsetter

Rob Moody
Owner and President
The EcoBuilders, Inc.

Rob Moody has deep roots in North Carolina. His ancestors came to the Asheville area around the turn of the last century, and Moody grew up in the home where his grandfather was born, one of three "Arts and Crafts-style, a little bit Queen Anne, a little bit shingle-style" houses his great-great-grandfather had built for the family in downtown Waynesville.

How did you get into the green-building business?

I studied biology and environmental science at UNC-Asheville, but I also grew up loving old houses because of the ones in my family. About five or six years ago, I bought the house I lived in as a child, and it needed work. I ended up doing those renovations while teaching environmental science, and the two meshed very well. I just fell in love with the whole remodeling process and I came up with the basic philosophy for the EcoBuilders during that time: a marriage of aesthetics, green building, and urban infill. In 2003, I started building my first new construction. It was the first house in North Carolina certified by the state standards for green building, which had started up the year before.

Be Wise About Water

Sierra Club organizer Melissa Damaschke of Royal Oak, Michigan, got some great water-saving tips published yesterday in her local newspaper, The Oakland Press. They're not available online (what's up with that, Oakland Press?), which is too bad, because you don't have to live in Michigan to benefit from suggestions like these:

• "Instead of letting the water run in the sink when you want a cool drink, keep a jug or pitcher cooling in the refrigerator."
• "Test your toilet for silent leaks, which can waste up to 150 gallons of water a day. Put a dozen drops of red food coloring into the tank. If the dye appears in the bowl...you may need to change the flapper or ball."
• "Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway."
• "Your lawn only needs .5 to 1.5 inches of water per week, so put out an empty tuna can to measure how much you need."

What have you done lately to save water?

Help With Home Improvement

Green building is one of the hottest sustainable trends, but contractors familiar with all the ecofriendly options can still be hard to find. I tracked down a few recently for the July/August issue of Sierra and gleaned a few tips. Good builders understand that people want some pizzazz in their green home--like bamboo flooring or countertops made from recycled glass--but they hope potential clients will keep in mind that "hidden" things like insulation, weatherization, and energy systems are what really counts in the long run. Here are some questions to ask to suss out a potential builder's green qualifications:

• What kind of certifications (e.g., LEED, Energy Star) are you getting for the homes you build?
• Where are your homes sited? Do you look for in-fill building opportunities?
• What do you do to minimize the footprint of your homes and control erosion?
• Are you using salvaged or FSC-certified lumber?
• What are you doing to minimize waste during the construction process? How much are you recycling?
• How do you work to improve indoor air quality? A radiant or decentralized heating system, for example, is a better bet than a forced-air one, because the latter's duct work may house mold and dust that can then blow through the house.

A local association like Build It Green in Northern California can provide referrals to green builders, and often some free advice to homeowners too. If you can't find a contractor who specializes in environmentally friendly projects, see if you can find one who wants to learn and will work with you to investigate greener options. And check back next week as we start a series of interviews with green builders and provide more resources for new homes and remodels.

A Tip a Day...

...keeps global warming at bay. (And other environmental problems too!)

Want to start living a lower-impact, higher-quality lifestyle? Not sure where to begin? Sign up for our new Green Life newsletter and receive an easy tip every day about a small change that can make a big difference. Simple steps like replacing conventional lightbulbs with more efficient ones, keeping your car tires properly inflated, or adjusting your thermostat a degree or two can save you money, reduce waste, and help save the planet. Don't delay, sign up today!

A City's Crash Diet

To successfully combat global warming, we need to cut carbon-dioxide emissions 80 percent by 2050--or 2 percent each year. How would that change our daily lives? Residents of Berkeley, California, may be