Just in time for spring planting season, Urban Harvest of Houston has organized a Food for Thought series of panel discussions set for the third Wednesday of each month at the University of Houston.

The seminars will feature experts speaking about how to grow food and eat locally. The next one, on growing gourmet vegetables, will be Wednesday, March 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Oberholtzer Residence Hall.

Urban Harvest, a non-profit formed in 1994, focuses on supporting community gardens, education and the Urban Harvest Farmers Market, which supports a network of gardens, farms and orchards in greater Houston.

The Growing Gourmet panel will feature Ray Sher, an urban farmer with Garden of Eden; Mike Atkinson with Atkinson Farms and Jim Hanka of Hanka Farms.

The seminar is free and open to the public. Urban Harvest is pleased to announce that Chipotle, the chain of burrito restaurants that feature vegetarian options and hormone-free meats, is sponsoring the educational series. Attendees with get a Chipotle coupon and other goodies.

Ongoing sponsors include:  The University of Houston, TX AgriLife Extension Service , Grizzaffi Coffee, Fischer Schalles Associates, Katy Bomar Creative, Patterson Murphy Public Relations.

To RSVP to the seminar go to this link at the website.

Urban Harvest is expanding its reach this year by moving into space at Houston’s Discovery Green, a 12-acre park that opened in 2008. The Urban Harvest Farmers Market at Discovery Green will be inaugurated on Saturday, April 3 in conjunction with the Earth Day Houston celebration at the park.

The regular Urban Harvest Farmers Market at Discovery Green will then continue, every Sunday thereafter  from noon to 4 p.m. Urban Harvest will continue its popular Urban Harvest Farmers Market at Eastside, which is held on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to Noon, 3000 Richmond at Eastside.

Composting can be as simple or as complicated as you make it. From piling green and brown things in a corner of the yard

Compost bins need aeration, like this metal mesh enclosure. (Photo: Bureau of Environmental Services, Howard County, Md.)

to buying that perfect compost bin, you’ll generate the same end result.  Those of us who turn and nurture our piles can expect more compost in a faster time period, but regardless our gardens will benefit from a little or a lot.

There are a variety of containers and methods to composting. They include:

• Plastic bins/barrels.

• Wire mesh enclosures and loose piles.

• Worm composters.

• Indoor composters, even motorized filter composters.

Gardening experts lean toward the simpler methods of piles and outdoor enclosures. Closed systems require more turning because there isn’t as much air and water.

The enclosures and bins are mainly to prevent rodents and other animals from getting into the compost, which may be more of a concern in dense urban areas. Homeowners in the suburbs or rural areas can use compost piles without much animal interference.

If you use the pile method, experts say to add dry materials around the outside of the pile to reduce smells.

Sam Hartman, program coordinator for The Ecology Center of San Francisco, suggests a simple approach. Begin with a 3 foot by 3 foot square area in your yard. Enclose it with wood posts and wire mesh.

The University of Missouri extension service  provides illustrations and instructions this type of compost pile, and others, including using an old barrel to make a spinning composter. The churnable composter will work more quicker.

But because it may be easier to stick with a looser routine, many gardeners say stick close to the ground with this earthy process. Like Hartman, Georgia gardening expert, author and television show host Walter Reeves also advocates simplicity. He suggests homeowners pile compost in the corner of their yard where two fences intersect.

But Reeves cautions gardeners not to rely solely on compost to create a bountiful harvest. Make sure to add soil conditioners to your garden beds.

“(Compost) is a component of your garden, but it will not produce the volume to satisfy all your needs. Adding compost to the soil is gonna really jump start the flower bed or vegetable process,” he added.

Getting Started

After you’ve secured a container, you’ll need a pitchfork or large stick and a pail to collect kitchen scraps.

A bamboo scraps collector that could pass muster in the neatest kitchen.

Once you start collecting food scraps, you may want to make a small investment in a composting pail. These pails, which include carbon filters to destroy any smells, are pretty enough to sit on your kitchen counter and start around $20. Some choices can be found at Gardeners.com, or any of a dozen gardening supply stores online.

Clean Air Gardening offers a bamboo scrap pail with a place for charcoal filters in the lid, a nice combination of design and sustainable materials.

PECO, FirstEnergy and PPL Utilities are working together on an environmental project that will help Pennsylvania residents lower their energy usage — and get rid of clunker appliances.

The energy and utility companies announced today that they have set up an appliance recycling center at JACO Environmental Inc. in Hatfield where they will turn in old, energy-gobbling refrigerators or freezers or inefficient, but working window air conditioning units.

The companies will collect the outdated appliances from customers, who will get paid — $35 for a junker refrigerator, and $25 for an old AC unit — and haul it away for free. About 80 percent of Pennsylvania’s residents are served by these utilities and will qualify to participate.

State law requiring energy companies to help customers reduce energy use is the impetus behind the project. Customers who quit running an unneeded extra fridge can expect to save, on average $150 a year on their home energy bills. In the aggregate, if power consumers reduce their usage, they can help the utilities achieve the energy reductions mandated by Pennsylvania’s Act 129.

That law requires all state electric utilities to help customers reduce energy use by 1 percent by May 31, 2011 and 3 percent by May 31, 2013.

Utilities also must reduce energy demand during the 100 highest use hours of the year by 4.5 percent by May 31, 2013, according to PECO.

Find out more at the PECO website on “Smart Ideas,” an array of programs designed to help customers save energy and money.

The energy efficiency programs cost residential customers about $1.50 additional on their monthly energy bills. The new appliance collection program is expected to create 40 new green jobs.

The EPA says homes use half the water in the U.S.

By Kate Nolan
Green Right Now

If you want to save something, try water. It’s going fast. Depletion of the U.S. water supply isn’t something you can argue about. It’s visible, measurable and predictable. Since 2005, every U.S. region has been short on water, and use increases annually. Even New York City has experienced drought in recent years.

Population growth is one factor in the shortage. But the more sobering issue is that the U.S. water supply itself is in permanent decline.

The country’s breadbasket regions in the Midwest and California are sopping up water faster than rain or snow can replenish it. The Colorado River and its reservoirs, serving seven population-growth states and Mexico, are running dry. Dozens of California municipalities have imposed water rationing, and 500,000 farm acres there lie fallow. A respected study says one Colorado basin boom town — Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the U.S. — has a 50-50 chance of running dry by 2021.

The Ogallala Aquifer (beneath Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming) is running dry with a refill unlikely. The aquifer irrigates most Great Plains agriculture. Switching to low-water crops may be its only hope.

At the same time, the country is switching to “clean” industries, some of which — like manufacturing microchips — use a lot of water. Nuclear power, another “clean” enterprise, could reduce our carbon footprint, but it will require a lot of water.

In view of the great slurp industrial and agricultural users are taking, can mere individuals have any impact on water supplies? Can adopting a green lifestyle put a drop back in the bucket?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says, yes.

“Homes use half the water in the U.S., more than is used by business or industry,” said Stephanie Thornton of the EPA’s WaterSense program. On average, we each use 100 gallons of water a day at home, in addition to the 47 gallons each of us consumes out in the community. Thornton says there is so much waste that relatively small changes could conserve billions of gallons.

“Toilets are by far the biggest water user inside the home, accounting for 30 percent of water used,” she said. “Replacing every old toilet with new low-flow models across the country would save 640 billion gallons annually.”

It’s easy to find the right toilet:  just look for the EPA’s WaterSense label, which identifies high-performing, water-efficient products for use throughout the home. (The agency’s Energy Star label indicates energy efficiency.)

Another thing you can do: eliminate leaks. The EPA estimates U.S. homes leak more than a trillion gallons of water a year. The problem is so crucial the EPA sponsors a national “Fix A Leak Week” each March.

But there’s much more to do. Start small and work up to planning some major household purchases:

Little things you can do

For starters, here are a few simple tips that require nothing but kicking bad habits.

Indoors:

• Meditate without the water feature: Don’t run water while shaving, rinsing dishes, washing hands or brushing teeth.
• Take five-minute showers: turn water off to lather up and on to rinse.
• Collect shower water and flow spewed from faucets while you wait for hot water: reuse it for watering plants indoors and out.
• Keep a container of chilled drinking water in the fridge: avoid running tap water until cool.
• Dispose of food waste in a compost pile or a garbage can: avoid using a high water-volume garbage disposal.

Outdoors:

• Sweep. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks, driveways and patios.
• Seal drippy hose connections. Spend ten cents on a washer.
• Reduce evaporation. Water plants in the early morning and use sprinklers that make big drops instead of a mist that evaporates before it hits the ground.
• Water less. Most people water too much. Use mulch to retain moisture, and very little fertilizer—it needs water to work. Windbreaks and fences can slow evaporation by wind.
• Don’t water when it rains. Sounds obvious, but is a strangely overlooked strategy. Build on the idea with rain shut-off devices for irrigated yards.

Bigger things you can do

Low-water upgrades are available in virtually every appliance that uses water. The federal “Cash for Appliance Clunkers 2010″ program can help take the sting out of the cost of upgrading. Under the plan, appliances may qualify for state or local rebates or tax credits. Run by the U.S. Department of Energy, the $300 million rebate program is already under way in some states. Each state has its own approach and details, such as the amount rebated, the variety of appliances and types of incentives.

Aerators or flow restrictors: Retrofit all faucets with these little gems. At $1 or $2 each, they can save 2,700 gallons a year per faucet. By adding air to the water stream, they reduce the flow rate of high volume faucets to .5-2.5 gallons per minute or less. The result is a spray that maintains water pressure. Each aerator’s flow rate is imprinted on its side.

Low-flow toilets: For $100 you can replace old toilets that use four gallons per flush or more with new high-efficiency toilets (HET), rated at 1.6 GPF (gallons per flush) or less, or dual-flush toilets. The flush rate is posted inside the tank. You can get a pressure-assisted toilet, but traditional gravity-flush toilets are adequate in most homes.

Dual-flush toilets have two options, one for a liquid waste flush that uses less than a gallon, and a second one for solid waste that uses 1.6 gallons. This split option can reduce water usage by up to 67 percent, and you don’t have to think about it — an infrared sensor light activates the appropriate flush.

A high-efficiency toilet can save 4,000 gallons of water per person per year.

If you can’t install a low-flow toilet, try to displace some water in your old tank. But avoid the old trick of putting a brick in it – bricks crumble. Instead, fill a plastic gallon bottle with water and submerge it in the toilet tank. It reduces the volume of water used in each flush.

Replace older showerheads with new low-flow models.

Low-water showerhead: The maximum flow allowed by the EPA is 2.5 GPM (gallons per minute), but many new showerheads use less. Showerheads with the WaterSense label must use no more than 2.0 GPM.

One way to boost efficiency is by aerating, or oxygenating, the spray, an especially useful technology for homes with low water pressure – and one that helps avoid the flattened hair-dos featured in a famous Seinfeld episode involving low-flow showerheads. Here are some choices:

• An Aqua Helix model ($30) aerates the flow with a “spinning cone” technology to maintain a strong spray that consumes less than .5 GPM.
• For $20, the Oxygenics SkinCare aerated showerhead reduced water use to 1.5 GPM. It’s sold online and at major home improvement stores.
• Kohler has begun offering low-flow options, with a selection that includes 1.75 GPM showerheads.
• Moen also has brought low-flow showerheads into its inventory, getting water use down to 1.5 or 1.75 GPM with in a variety of models.

Tankless water heater: Seas of water go down the drain while we wait for hot water to flow to us through the plumbing. Tankless heaters, or

Tankless Water Heaters warm the water at the point of use.

“on-demand” heaters, skip the pipes, heating the water as it is used. Low energy electric and gas tankless heaters range from whole-home units, starting around $1,000, that can support two simultaneous showers to smaller under-the-counter units. One under-the counter unit, the Stiebel Eltron Mini 4 ($150) can be installed in a single bathroom, kitchen or laundry room. Generally, gas-units provide more hot water than electric units.

The units also may lower water-heating energy bills by 20 percent because they don’t heat standing water. But on-demand units aren’t right for every household. Some heaters provide only five heated gallons of water per minute. That’s enough for one or two people, but those who need multiple showers or do laundry and wash dishes at the same time may have problems.

If you don’t go tankless, insulate your pipes and water heater to keep the water in them hot or cold, decreasing the need to run water until it’s the right temperature.

Hot water-recirculating system. Here, hot water recirculates between the faucet and water heater to stay hot, eliminating the wait for hot water. Systems include a hot water line that goes from the heater to the farthest fixture and back to the heater, a pump, thermostat, a timer and some valves. Manufacturers estimate 11,000 to 15,000 gallons can be saved annually for average families by eliminating the wait for hot water. Cost is $1,200-$1,500; rebates may be available for retrofitting existing homes.

Low-water clothes washer. Most washers use about 40 gallons of water per load and can account for 25 percent of indoor household water use, according to the EPA. You can halve that figure with a front-loading washer. Look for the EPA’s WaterSense label when purchasing a new washer. If you do your laundry outside the home, look for a business that uses low-water-use washers.

Water-saving frontload washers

New front-loading models use very little water by scrubbing the laundry differently—they drop it, during the spin, instead of using an agitator post. Look for a model with a water volume under four cubic feet that uses less than 6.5 gallons water per cubic foot. Some new top-loaders use high-pressure sprayers to agitate and rinse the clothes, cutting down on water use. But they may not clean clothes as effectively as front-loaders, according to Consumer Reports.

Recently, prices have dropped on the new low water-use models, which are also more energy efficient.

Low-water dishwasher. New dishwashers can use less water than washing by hand — if they are operated only when full and if dishes are not rinsed before loading. Hand-rinsing can consume 20 gallons per load. Water-efficient models use on average only four gallons per load, almost 40 percent less than other dishwashers, saving 1,000 gallons of water a year. Look for dishwashers with the Energy Star label. That means it uses 5.6 gallons or less per load. Others use more than eight gallons.

Water treatment cutback: Water softeners consume 15 to 120 gallons for each 1,000 gallons of water used. Reverse osmosis (RO) units waste from two to nine gallons for one RO gallon. If you have water softeners or RO units, turn them off when you go on vacation. Water softeners should only be used when mineral levels in the water are likely to damage pipes. When necessary, use only as much as needed.

Xeriphytic (low-water) plants. The United States Department of Agriculture says low-water plants grow in every region. Hardy examples include succulents and narrow-leafed evergreens, which can do well even in humid climates. For regional recommendations, visit the Natural Resources Conservation Service online.

Harvest rainwater. Kids ask where does the rain go? You can answer that question by harvesting water for use later. Simple systems use gutters, downspouts and contoured yards to direct rain to the garden.

To get the most from a downpour, collect rainwater in a barrel. Some systems can cost a thousand dollars and involve pumps, multiple barrels and hoses networked from gutters to garden. But it can be much simpler: Get a 50-60 gallon rainbarrel and connect it to a gutter spout. Most are closed with a lid or tightly screen at the top. You can  prevent mosquito infiltration by using a biological mosquito control (mosquito “dunks”).

One well-reviewed heavy plastic barrel is the Achla RB-01 Rain Catcher Water Barrel for $100-$160. It holds 54 gallons, has a flat back to fit snuggly against a house and includes a debris screen, watering hose, connections for multiple barrels and its safe design keeps kids and animals from falling in. But there are many other models available; some are even made of recycled plastic or are re-purposed bulk food containers.

Trickle irrigation. Use a trickle or drip irrigation system instead of a sprinkler. Water loss through evaporation is minimal because the water goes directly to the roots. A drip system requires a few valves, a filter, automatic timer, tubing and water emitters. It may sound complicated, but it’s not, nor is it expensive. But it needs occasional maintenance to make sure the emitters aren’t clogged.

Low-water car wash. Patronize a commercial car wash that recycles water used at the site or sends used water to a treatment plant. It can be the most low-water way to wash your vehicle.

The desert-based Arizona Dept. of Water Resources, explains commercial washing, as follows:

• Self service washes use roughly 12 gallons per car. Water lost to evaporation and carryout (what’s left on the car when it leaves) account for 20 percent of water used. Look for facilities that use low-flow spray wand nozzles that shut off when not in use.

• Automatic washes that convey a car through the wash use 44 gallons per wash with17 percent lost to evaporation and carryout.

• Automatic washes that rotate the washing equipment around a stationary vehicle use about 72 gallons per wash — 33 percent from evaporation and carryout.

If you self-wash, try using a waterless car wash, such as Eco Touch ($10 for a  24-oz. bottle that cleans and shines up to six washes).

For a water wash, do it on grass or dirt, which works as a filter and reuses the water as irrigation. A mild soapy solution will not harm the lawn. Use a bucket and a nozzle or water wand with an automatic shut-off.  Nozzles cost $5-$20; wands start at about $10.

Pool sense. Cover pools and spas to reduce evaporation, which can account for thousands of gallons a year. A cover that doubles as a security barrier can cost more than $1,000, but a simple evaporation barrier costs $100-$200.

Of course, water runs through nearly everything we consume. Decreasing the slurp any individual takes means buying goods that are produced responsibly.  Fruit and vegetables grown with pesticides and fertilizers that pollute water and beef raised in water-wasting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) all drive up our personal water consumption levels exponentially.  The best way to control that factor is to know where things originate. Make a habit of asking merchants where things come from.

One last thing you can do: monitor your water use. An easy way to assess it is to pay attention to your water bill. If it spikes unexpectedly, you may have a leak, and you should check for it. The repair may be as simple as replacing a washer. That can save you some water, and some money.

(Kate Nolan writes about the environment and health in Phoenix. She worked formerly as a reporter for The Arizona Republic; managing editor at Phoenix New Times and editor at Playboy.)

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

Get your pipe fittings ready, next week is Fix a Leak week, starting March 15.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsors the annual five-day blitz to promote repair of leaks and replacing appliances with those that have WaterSense labels, the EPA’s designation for low water use products. Did you even know that some faucets are engineering to use less water without a reduction in flow. That’s how they get the WaterSense label, and you can find qualified models at the WaterSense website.

So look for local events sponsored by the EPA and local governments, plumbers, retailers, manufacturers and organizations. An average American home can waste 10,000 gallons of water a year from running toilets, dripping faucets, and other leaks.

For details see the EPA webpage on Fix a Leak Week.

Not so long ago, Mr. Clean and company were considered the good guys, the go-to-gang for a deep house cleaning. But in the past several years, alarms have been sounding about chemicals used in conventional household products.

Be they phosphates, sulfates, bleach, ammonia or phenols, certain ingredients are causing strong concerns among consumer-protection groups, federal and state governments, and even a few manufacturers. The new conventional wisdom asserts that many household cleaners contain compounds that pose environmental risks and can lead to health conditions such as asthma, nerve damage, reproductive damage, even cancer. (See our GRN guide below)

Greener cleaners are non-polluting, indoors and out

Complicating the issue, however, is the fact that many companies refuse to disclose all ingredients in their products, stymieing consumers’ ability to make informed choices. We may be seeing more disclosure, however. The non-profit group Earthjustice recently filed a lawsuit in New York State citing a little-known Empire State statute (circa 1976) that requires makers of HH cleaners to disclose their contents. Filed in February, the suit claims the Commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has the authority to require such disclosures. The lawsuit has obvious national implications, considering that the cleaners used by New Yorkers are the same as those sold in the rest of the states, even the world.

Earthjustice notified several companies about the never-used law last year. SC Johnson and Simple Green responded by agreeing to list ingredients in their products for New York state consumers. Other major manufacturers like Proctor & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Reckitt-Benckiser and Church and Dwight, have refused.

Get the risk out, with eco-friendly cleaners

In the meantime, a new crop of  greener cleaners has emerged over the last two decades, offering consumers healthier alternatives. Companies like BioKleen and Seventh Generation debuted in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Shaklee greened its cleaners and started selling concentrates, saving on bottles. Lately this movement has gone mainstream, with Clorox producing its Greenworks line and Safeway offering the eco-aware house brand, Bright Green. SC Johnson has taken some if its best-known brands, like Windex and Shout, and reformulated them into an eco-friendly variant as part of its Nature’s Source line.

These are but a sampling of the eco-friendly cleaners on the market today.

Design for the Environment is a new EPA endorsement program for safer cleaners

So popular is green-cleaning that the Environmental Protection Agency has just (in 2010) introduced a new Design for the Environment/Safer Product Recognition program, in which manufacturers whose products substitute harmful ingredients with safer ones become DfE “partners” and their products are labeled with DfE seal of approved. (The Design for the Environment program also provides a list of those making the grade.)

For now, consumers seeking green cleaners still need to look carefully. Cleaners that call themselves “organic” or “all-natural” can carry questionable chemicals. Clues to the most eco-friendly products can be found by looking for these words on labels:

• Plant-based cleaning agent — generally gentler and not from petroleum products.

• Biodegradable — which means the ingredients break down when exposed to water, air or soil, generally within days, into simple elements that can be absorbed by the environment.

Readers also might find this list from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works helpful. It categorizes HH cleaners that can be hazardous and warns residents to dispose of them in accordance with new county guidelines. The products to watch out for are conventionally formulated:

• Ammonia-based cleaners, like window cleaners

• Oven and drain cleaners

• Floor care products

• Aerosol cleaners

• Furniture polish

• Metal polishes and cleaners

• Tub, tile and toilet bowl cleaners

All these can be hazardous to waterways, wildlife, soil and air when dumped in the trash or down the drain; not to mention the irritation and health effects to humans breathing their vapors or coming into skin contact with these harsh chemicals. (See more details below.)

By Bill Sullivan
Green Right Now

For most folks, the arrival of the electric bill is not among the month’s highlight moments. Even families who work on conserving energy by turning off lights, unplugging appliances and easing up on heating and cooling, can only do so much. Ultimately, it’s still pretty expensive to keep a household adequately powered up.

How can we avoid sending so much of our monthly income to the local utility company? There are plenty of options, each of which has its good and bad aspects.

Here’s a look at some ways you can take powering your home into your own hands:

Home Wind Generators

Home wind (Photo: Endurance Wind Power)

Having a tower with a whirling rotor in your back yard can take a bite out of your utility costs, but it isn’t for everyone.

For starters, you need a fair amount of space to build a foundation. You’ll also need adequate vertical and lateral clearance. If you don’t live in the country or have a decent-size lot, there very likely are zoning ordinances that would kill your project. Either way, nearby neighbors may not appreciate the addition to the landscape, not to mention the noise turbines make when the wind is up and the rotor is cranking away. (Most aren’t very loud, but “loud” obviously is subject to interpretation.)

And that doesn’t address a basic question: How windy is it where you live? If your breezes are mostly calm, save for the occasional storm, there isn’t much point in going this direction. Also, consider how big an impact the turbine is likely to have on your overall bill.

If, for instance, you live in the South or Southwest, spring storms and wind can keep your turbine humming. Once July and August roll around? Well, they don’t call it “dead of summer” for nothing, and almost nonexistent breezes won’t do much to cool your home on a 100-degree day.

Check this wind map to see where you stand:

This U.S. Wind Map shows that the highest winds, in purple and pink, cut across the nation's midesection (Image: U.S. Department of Energy.)

Assuming other conditions are good, you’ll still have to install a pretty big tower to make it all worthwhile. In Hunt County, Texas, Nancy Riddick went with a 33-footer with 12-foot rotors behind her country home in late 2007. The cost: A little under $12,000. By the following spring, she estimated savings of about 40 percent on her electric bill compared with the same month the previous year.

Last month, Anaba Winery of Sonoma, Calif., installed a 45-foot tower for about $20,000, a figure that should be cut in half by state and federal incentives. The winery anticipates a seven-year return on the investment.

Small wind options for homeowners are expanding quickly, with newer models that are smaller, quieter and in some cases, re-configured. Throughtout 2010, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will be testing small wind turbines so that it can make recommendations about what will work best in the  “small wind” sector.

Mariah Power's Windspire

See this NREL web page for information on new small wind equipment, such as Mariah Power’s space-saving, vertical axis Windspire or Gaia-Wind’s mini tower designed for lower wind conditions.

You also can start your research by looking at the manufacturing companies that are working with the NREL to develop successful wind turbine prototypes for home use.

According to the American Wind Energy Association, “The wind turbine typically lowers your electricity bill by 50 to 90 percent. It is not uncommon for wind turbine owners with total-electric homes to have monthly utility bills of only $8 to $15 for nine months of the year. In northern parts of the country where less air conditioning is used, the bills can be very low year-round. The amount of money a small wind turbine saves you in the long run will depend upon its cost, the amount of electricity you use, the average wind speed at your site, and other factors.”

As you get ready for the annual war on weeds in your front lawn this spring, you can choose to load up on conventional weed-and-feed and launch a chemical offensive, or you can call the local lawn service to begin the assault on your behalf.

Clean Air truck with solar panels charging lawn mowers (Photo: Clean Air Lawn Care.)

Or…you can skip the harsh chemicals and the usual services and find an organic lawn service.

Organic lawn care companies are pushing into the market. So much so, that even Chem Lawn, a king of the old guard, now goes by TruGreen and offers an all-organic plan. These days a check for “organic lawn care” will usually pop up someone in your region, if not your exact town. And a search for do-it-yourself organic lawn care products, like corn gluten pre-emergent weed killer or composts for fertilizing, will turn up products at hundreds of online and off-line retailers.

But we only know of one lawn service, the Clean Air Lawn Care franchise, that is aiming for green on a multiple levels, greening lawns with organic materials while also making its operations sustainable by using solar power and electric mowers.

Clean Air Lawn Care is a pioneer in its industry, based in Fort Collins, Colo., wants to live up to its name, offering customers a chemical-free lawn, mowed by electric mowers that are charged by solar panels mounted on the company trucks, offering a clean, quiet, non-polluting alternative.

“We’re providing sustainable lawn care; it take all facets into consideration. By using electric equipment we’re not contributing to emissions, to climate change, those type of things. We’re also quiet. In a neighborhood, you won’t even hear us. The noise pollution (reduction), that’s a huge issue,” said Skip Vest, owner of the Raleigh, N.C., franchise.

Vest has been an organic lawn care expert for years. His master’s degree from the University of Montana is in natural resources management. For years, he worked restoring natural habitat for industrial construction projects. He decided a lawn care franchise would keep him closer to home, so he searched for the right opportunity.

Green, the color of organically treated lawns (Photo: Clean Air Lawn Care.)

He hit pay dirt with Clean Air Lawn Care – a company devoted to improving lawns by caring for the soil organically and reducing not only pesticide pollution, but lawn mower exhaust also. Franchises use electric lawn mowers made by Neuton and Black and Decker.

Emissions from lawn mowers and leaf blowers are not regulated. According to Clean Air, electric mowers emit 5,000 times less carbon dioxide than gasoline powered lawn mowers, and zero emissions when they are recharged from clean energy sources. (Even electric mowers charged on the grid, with a coal-fired electrical plant or two providing the electricity, still come out with emissions far lower than gasoline models.)

A gas lawn mower operated for one hour emits greenhouse gas emissions comparable to running 40 cars for the same time period, according to the EPA.

So Clean Air comes by its name honestly. And people are noticing. Founder and CEO Kelly Giard was named Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year by Entrepreneur Magazine in late 2009.

The only not-green aspect of the Clean Air program has been that there are no electric light-duty trucks available for crews to use, says Vest. He is looking at buying hybrid trucks, Toyota Tacomas, but until then, all the crews can do is drive responsibly.

They can do much more in yards, where they reclaim a healthy environment by adding organic fertilizers that feed the soil and ultimately, sustain heartier grass. Crews also mow the grass at a higher level than other services, leaving taller grass to shade out weeds and form drought-resistant roots. And they leave clippings on the lawn, providing a free nitrogen boost.

“What we’re after is the soil,’’ says Vest. “And what we’ve seen is that by doing this (enriching the soil) after a while, you almost work yourself out of a job.”

Daniel Whittaker, owner of Green Planet Catering in Raleigh, is a customer of Clean Air Lawn Care. He started the service after scouring ads for an organic lawn service to revive and maintain the small front yard of his downtown area house.

Whittaker appreciates that when the Clean Air crew arrives to mow outside his bedroom window early in the morning, they don’t even wake him up. But his lawn is waking up after nearly a year of organic care.

“As far as the results, it’s a twofold thing,’’ he said. “One, the lawn looks really good and it was in horrible condition when he (Vest) started; it was nothing but crab grass and clover. He put down some organic pre-emergents and reseeded with some organic seed.”

Even casual visitors have noticed the turn-around.

“One guy said he stopped and ran his hands thru the lawn because he said it looked so soft.”

• To find a Clean Air Lawn Care service in your area, see the website location tool.
• Other organic lawn services are available, including  Natural Lawn, with more than 20 years in the business, and the green wings of TruGreen and Scotts Lawn Service.
  (Warning: Some of the organic lawns services are only partly organic because they kill pests like fire ants chemically, though sometimes with “safer” chemicals.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa today confirmed earlier reports that the city will partner with RecycleBank to launch an incentive program that will reward households for Blue Bin recycling. Initially, a pilot program will serve 15,000 single family homes along selected routes in the West Valley and North Central sections of the city.

The program is designed to encourage additional Blue Bin recycling.

In announcing the pilot program, the mayor said it is designed to encourage additional Blue Bin recycling, increase recycling rates and put meaningful savings in the pockets of participating residents.

“The City of Los Angeles has worked tirelessly to ensure that recycling is accessible to every single resident. Los Angeles’ ambitious environmental agenda is one of the reasons why we already recycle more than any other big city in America and why we will be the cleanest, greenest big city in America,” Mayor Villaraigosa said in a statement. “To reach our goal of zero waste, we are building innovative partnerships that will employ outside resources. We are proud to be the biggest city to work with RecycleBank, since the program will motivate residents to recycle more and will pump money directly back into the local economy.”

RecycleBank measures the amount of material recycled in a community and converts that amount into points that can be redeemed for rewards at hundreds of local and national RecycleBank Reward Partners. Rewards come in the form of groceries, gift cards, school supplies, restaurants, among other choices. RecycleBank works to involve local merchants so residents can enjoy savings while helping the local economy.

There also is an option to donate reward points to local schools through the RecycleBank Green Schools Program. National RecycleBank partners include retailers and brands such as Kraft Foods, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ruby Tuesday and CVS/pharmacy.

The goal of the pilot program is to elevate environmental stewardship, personal responsibility and volunteer action in recycling on a community wide basis. Residents in the pilot areas must sign up for their personal RecycleBank account, either online or by phone, to begin earning reward points.

Officials said the 12-month pilot program will be studied by the City’s Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Sanitation, which implements the city’s solid waste recycling and collection programs. The City will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the program in raising its leading 65-percent diversion rate of residential and commercial waste out of the nation’s 10 largest cities.

The City said no money from the its general fund will be used for the test. Citywide, the residential Blue Bin recycling program collects an average of 4,600 tons of recyclables every week or more than 240,000 tons annually.

Reward points will be earned on a community weight based approach with points and rewards shared equally with participating households on each collection route. Once a RecycleBank member, program participants can redeem their points online, where they can also learn about their personal environmental footprint through recycling. Participants can also access their account information by calling the toll free RecycleBank Customer Care Center, 1 (888) 727-2978.

Currently, RecycleBank services more than one million people across 25 states and also provides service in the United Kingdom. These households have cumulatively saved more than 4.3 million trees and more than 292 million gallons of oil through their recycling efforts, according to RecycleBank.

Lately, it seems, just about everyone is taking an interest in helping you manage your home energy consumption.

Hohm is Microsoft's attempt to get into home energy management. (Image: microsoft.com)

Microsoft weighed in with its Hohm offering last summer. Google touts its PowerMeter service. Apple is patenting a system to optimize the powering of your network of iPods, laptops, and electronic gadgets. Intel has added an energy component to its Home Dashboard Concept.

Small wonder. According to a December, 2009, report from Pike Research, the market for home energy management systems and energy information displays (EIDs) will include 28.1 million users worldwide by 2015.

“Energy information displays are the face of the smart grid,” managing director Clint Wheelock said. “These systems will provide consumers with an unprecedented level of visibility into, and control over, the consumption of electricity within their homes, providing a significant opportunity for efficiency improvements and cost savings.”

Pike forecasts that in-home display devices will be the largest EID category, with 14.4 million units shipped by 2015. Web-based dashboards also will be a major component with 11.1 million users, followed by mobile phone energy applications with 2.6 million.

Image: Pike Research

With that kind of interest, Pike notes, the vendor landscape is crowded and competitive. In addition to the aforementioned heavy hitters, Pike cites Control4, eMeter, Energate, Energy Inc., Green Energy Options, GridPoint, Onzo, OpenPeak, Silver Spring Networks, and Tendril Networks as potential major players.

Obviously, plenty of folks have come to believe there is money to be made in helping you save some green of your own. For the moment, however, there seems to be less than universal agreement on just how to go about all that.

Here’s a look at some of the contenders and their current approach:

Microsoft Hohm: We start here simply because Hohm is one of the more accessible of the new tools. It’s also free, and your home doesn’t have to be equipped with one of the new Advanced Metering Systems to use it (although this last point seems to be a decidedly mixed bag).

Hohm allows you to answer up to 200 questions, describing your residence and appliances in detail. If your local utility is on board (and very few are at the moment), you can have your consumption fed directly into Hohm. If not, you can enter the numbers yourself. If you are really lazy, you can do as little as punch in your zip code to get information of average costs where you live.

The more data you enter, the more relevant your feedback will be. Hohm (the names stems from “ohm,” a unit of electrical resistance) will produce a pie chart of average consumption in different categories (heating, cooling, lighting, etc.) It also offers a look at where you stand on a spectrum of efficient and inefficient homes in your area, based on monthly energy costs. Your zip code allows the program to use analytics to factor in weather patterns, etc.

Once a profile is established, Hohm offers a set of recommendations to help you trim consumption, anything from replacing your hot water heater to changing out windows, doors, or insulation. By using Microsoft’s Bing search engine, you also can access information on contractors in your area who can help you with those improvements or repairs.

One problem: Without the “smart” meter, Hohm is only as good as the information you plug into it. When I entered my usage for the period between Dec. 21 and Jan. 21, for instance, the program distributed it evenly over those days. I’m pretty sure more of that usage came between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1, when Christmas tree lights were burning and people were coming and going.

Microsoft emphasizes that Hohm will get better as more people use it and the analytics become more refined. At the moment, Hohm has some good information and fun bells and whistles, but news you can use — “What time of day is my peak usage? How do things change when the kids are home?” – still requires more on the hardware end.

Google's Powermeter is designed to work with "smart" meters. Photo: Green Right Now

Google PowerMeter: This is a Web application for monitoring home energy use that requires an advanced or “smart” meter. The company has partnered with utilities and smart meter manufacturers to offer an energy-tracking dashboard through the meter.

Another option: The Energy Detective, a home-monitoring device from Energy, Inc. Eventually, Google plans to add features, including providing consumers with information to help ratchet down power use during peak times to get cheaper rates.

Currently, PowerMeter delivers more detailed and specific information than Hohm. The downside: You either need a smart meter, or you’ll need to spend some cash on The Energy Detective (TED) to make that connection.

A bit later to the game,  Apple has applied for a pair of patents to monitor how power is supplied to electronics such as computers and iPods.

One is called “Intelligent Power Monitoring” and describes a system that would allow consumers to reduce energy use by providing better tools to control how connected devices are powered. For instance, users could learn when to schedule charging to take advantage of off-peak rates or how to put devices in hibernate mode.

The other patent application – “Intelligent Power-enabled Communications Port” – suggests a system that could distribute an efficient amount of power to a range of electronics. The idea calls for using the wiring of buildings to run direct current devices without using AC to DC adapters. The port also would be able to deliver and store data over home wires.

Intel, meanwhile, has launched a Web site supporting its Intelligent Home Energy Management Proof of Concept. A touch screen device allows people to record video messages or (through third-party applications) track packages or access online yellow pages. The energy component will help families control and reduce energy use.

As the Pike report suggests, the list of contenders expands regularly. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, General Electric and Whirlpool unveiled plans to work with display maker OpenPeak to monitor energy cost and control over appliances.

How will all this information be gathered? That, too, is an issue with more than one potential solution. Many companies anticipate using wireless home networks to allow appliances, a central console, and smart meters to communicate. Another alternative is to use smart plugs, electrical outlets that will allow for energy management without the presence of a smart meter.

Bottom line: Interest is growing, big players are charging in, and there are plenty of strategies for cornering the home energy management market. For consumers looking to save money and be a little more green, competition figures to be a good thing.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

A new Harris Poll finds that Americans are still acting cautiously when it comes to weathering the sour economy.

And some of  the money-saving steps they are taking qualify as green behaviors, though whether or not this has been intentional was not addressed in the poll of 2,576 adults surveyed online between January 18 and 25, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

The poll found, for instance, that:

• 34 percent of Americans polled said they had switched to using refillable water bottles instead of purchasing pre-bottled water.

• 22 percent said they had cut down on dry cleaning

• 14 percent said they had begun carpooling or using mass transit

The switch to refillable water bottles will save on landfill space, and the manufacturing costs of disposable plastic bottles. Even though this type of plastic bottle is recyclable, studies show that the vast majority are simply discarded, filling up landfills and persisting in the environment for hundreds of years.

Reducing one’s exposure to dry cleaning chemicals can be a healthful switch because the main dry cleaning agent, perchloroethylene, known as “perc,” is considered to be a likely human carcinogen, according to government reports. The dry cleaning industry says personal exposure to perc from dry cleaned clothes is small and not harmful, and it points to recapture efforts that are reducing the amount of perc released into the natural environment. Still, a robust alternative network of cleaners is emerging. These new green cleaners shun perc.

As for the shift to mass transit, the Harris Poll found that this behavior was most evident among the youngest generation of adults, with those in middle age preferring to remain in their cars. Moving to mass transit or carpooling is among the biggest green shifts that a person can take to reduce their carbon footprint, because vehicle emissions are a leading cause of dirty air.

The Harris survey aimed to see what Americans were doing to cope with difficult times and whether they were feeling more at ease with recent improved economic predictions. It asked, simply: “Have you done, or considered doing, any of the following over the past six months in order to save money?” It then offered a menu of choices.

The results:

• 63 percent said they are purchasing more generic brands

• 45 percent are brown bagging, at least part of the time, instead of purchasing lunch

• 39 percent are going to the hairdresser/barber/ stylist less often

• 34 percent have switched to refillable water bottles

• 33 percent have canceled one or more magazine subscriptions

• 22 percent have cut down on dry cleaning

• 22 percent have cut back on cable television service

• 21 percent have quit buying coffee in the morning

• 19 percent have canceled a newspaper subscription

• 17 percent have canceled cell phone service

• 15 percent have canceled land line service and only use  cell phones

• 14 percent have begun carpooling or using mass transit

Where have Americans refused to cut back? On their cell phones. The poll found that 52 percent said they have not, and were not considering, canceling that service.(Though, obviously, 15 percent did cut cell phones from the budget.)

A sudden cold snap creates a spike in consumption. Christmas lights are fun at the time, but they, too, keep that meter running. Kids routinely leave electronics on, even when they’re not in the room.

Advanced Metering System

Sure, you try to do all those little things that, in a perfect world, can help keep cost and environmental impact down. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world, and a big number on that electric bill each month can come as a shock to both the system and the budget.

But what if your world was just a little more perfect? What if you could log on to your computer and check consumption down to, say, a 15-minute period? What if you could figure out that your teenager is running the TV, stereo, a game player (or two) and every light in his room — all despite the fact that he’s spending the night at a friend’s house?

That’s the future of the Advanced Metering System (AMS), and that future is closer than you may think.

In Texas, electric infrastructure provider Oncor already has installed more than 700,000 of the new meters as part of its Smart Texas program, and the company plans to roll out a total of about three million by 2012. The technology feeds information directly to your electricity service provider, eliminating the need for anyone to come read the meter. Once a new website is launched in the next few months, users will be able to access reports broken down into 15-minute intervals, allowing them to chart how much energy is being consumed in their home or business.

It may not make your teen any more energy-efficient, but at least you’ll have a little more information in the fight against high bills and increased carbon footprint.

“The great thing about these meters is that they allow consumers to have, in their hands, real-time information so they can make better decisions about how they can use their electricity,” said Megan Wright, an Oncor spokesperson.

“You can see, at 3 p.m, my energy use is spiking. That’s when my kids are getting home from school. I need to talk to them about shutting the doors and not leaving the TV on while they’re doing things in their room. It allows you to have control over your electric consumption.”

How is all this being funded? By a service charge on the monthly electric bill, even for those who have yet to receive the new meter. According to an agreement with the Public Utility Commission, consumers will be levied $2.21 per month for the next 11 years to pay for equipment and installation.

(And what about all the money saved by eliminating the meter readers? According to Oncor, the reduced personnel savings were built into the surcharge.)

While Oncor’s project is one of the largest around, it is only part of a larger movement toward more manageable energy.

In the Houston area, CenterPoint Energy is working with GE Digital Energy to provide similar service. Southern California Edison is implementing the new technology in portions of 15 counties. Pennsylvania Power & Light has already outfitted more than a million customers in the Philadelphia area. In Canada, Toronto Hydro has transitioned more than 600,000 customers to smart meters.

Meanwhile, General Electric is expanding its smart metering efforts into China. GE is working with the city of Yangzhou, beginning with building a 100,000 square-foot lab to serve as a grid demonstration center.

As often happens, progress comes with a price, and not just the one being added to your electric bill.

Earlier this month, the Maine Public Utilities Commission approved Central Maine Power Company’s proposal to spend $190 million (about half of that coming from a Department of Energy grant) to convert about 600,000 residences to advanced metering. The move immediately drew cries from union officials protesting the elimination of more than 100 jobs, but the PUC ignored the objections, citing overall cost savings.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is looking at getting into the game in a different way. The software giant’s  Hohm application is designed to help users assess usage without having a smart meter. The process requires the cooperation of the local utility, however, or users will have to enter their own data.

Once installed, an Advanced Metering System will be able to communicate with in-home devices (display monitors, smart thermostats) to provide access to your usage information. Oncor currently is creating a Web portal where users will be able to view their information on a “day after” basis.

In addition to the Web portal, customers will be able to employ an in-home display monitor, a wireless device that communicates with the AMS. The monitor also can convert that usage to a dollar amount to allow you to see how much you are spending at a given time. (The in-home monitor can be purchased through your retail electric provider or a retail specialty store.)

The AMS also should allow the power company to know almost immediately if an outage has occurred at a home or business, speeding response time. The technology may even help identify  issues before they turn into outages.

Oncor Smart Texas Program

As part of the educational process, Oncor created the Smart Texas Mobile Experience Center, a 53-foot trailer filled with interactive videos and live demonstrations. The trailer visits local fairs, festivals and the like, in addition to making stops at Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe’s parking lots.

“We’ve had a lot of people react very favorably about it,” Wright said. “They come, they ask questions, they really want to know what they can do to use these meters to the best of their ability.”

“Right now, you’re constantly hearing about the ‘green’ movement. People are really concerned and wanting to be a part of it.”

(Coming soon: Another, smarter tool to help them do just that.)

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by Green Right Now Network