Go Green - by Lawson Schaller
2011 and 2010 Columns
December, 2011 Shop Local for the Holidays
Holiday shopping is upon us and the choices we make in gift giving have an impact on the environment and our local economy.
November, 2011 The Bioneers are Coming to Town Again! II
This year's Central Coast Bioneers Conference proved to be as inspiring and informational as last years. There were great international and local speakers. The Slo Coast Journal's Jack McCurdy spoke about today's mainstream 'news organizations'—perhaps 'news corporations' is more accurate.
October, 2011 The Bioneers are Coming to Town Again! I
Thanks to Stacey Hunt and Ecologistics, a local non-
September, 2011 Net Zero Energy Homes
Last week David Knight from the Monterey Energy Group spoke to a group of architects here in SLO. David is an engineer, proponent, and leader in Net Zero Energy (NZE) homes. NZE basically means that the homes will produce as much energy as they consume. David has designed and worked on many NZE homes.
August, 2011 Change
To say change is a comin' is to state the obvious. It is ironic how often we overlook the obvious. As I write this the Fed's have not yet resolved the looming budget/debt limit crisis. If their inaction leads our country into deeper recession or greater uncertainty, we may see continued dramatic change. The Fed's seem to be reacting, allowing change to create the agenda, with too much posturing and politickin'.
July, 2011 Net Metering Surplus Compensation
Looks like progress is being made toward the investor owned (not municipalities, etc.), utilities being required to buy back excess or surplus power generated by those utilizing renewable energies—i.e. wind and solar. The excess power produced is fed back to the grid and resold by the utilities. Recently the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a proposed decision establishing a rate for excess power via distributed generation (i.e. homeowner rooftops as opposed to the utility sized systems such as the one proposed at Carrizo Plains). This took place on June 9, 2011 and fulfills requirements of Assembly Bill 920.
May, 2011 Food Not Lawns
A food mile, simply put, is how far food travels to get to our plate. Estimates vary, but here in the U.S. food for a typical meal travels roughly 1,000 to 2,000 miles. Oddly enough, local food is not always more affordable. On the other hand, the true cost to the environment is not always accounted for fully. Beyond costs and resource allocation is the choice for more flavor and freshness. More and more people are growing local.
April, 2011 Add Solar Electric to Your Home
People can start saving money in the first month after installing a solar electric system. Over time, the cost difference between paying PG&E and your solar electric system becomes even more significant. This is why solar is an excellent investment. Many sources and studies show attractive payback periods and return on investment with solar electric systems. Paybacks are often in the five to seven year time frame. Future payback and savings are even greater. Once installed, a solar electric system will reliably produce power for decades to come with inflation protection.
March, 2011 Save Money, Help Save Mother Nature
Frugality is good for the environment. I was going to write this column in November but was concerned about being called a scrooge during the holiday season. Encouraging my fellow citizens to spend less and conserve more during the biggest time of the retail fiscal calendar could be controversial. Many of you may have noticed the articles and books that were out over the holidays on making (vs. buying) gifts for others, or buying used, and consuming less.
February, 2011 Solar Hot Water
Solar hot water for houses has been going on for a long time—more than a century
in the southern warmer states. Like many things it is simple in concept. Simple
batch-
January, 2011 Geothermal Heat Pumps -
Solar and wind seem to get most of the attention in the realm of renewable energies these days. Geothermal (ground source) heat pumps generally get less exposure. They are underground after all, but can be an attractive option for those wanting to cut energy usage.
December, 2010 Cleantech
It was a tumultuous time for our country and the world. 1967. Mr. McGuire pulls Benjamin Braddock from a bustling cocktail party to have a word with him outside, just one word actually. Plastics. That's right—a young Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate) gets the tip of a lifetime.
November, 2010 Bioneers 3
The past two months I have written about the Bioneers and the local satellite Bioneers Conference that took place this month at Cal Poly. I went to the event and for me it was one of the more inspirational and informative I have ever attended.
October, 2010 Bioneers 2
First I want to jump back to Septembers' column and remind everyone that the Central Coast Bioneers Conference is this month. It will be at the Cal Poly campus from October 15th thru the 17th and should prove to be a wonderful event. Much of what has been written about in this column over the last year or so is aligned in many ways with the Bioneers. The Bioneers have much of their focus on emerging technologies and ideas, but also support and encourage community networks, alliances and common sense approaches like growing your own fruits and vegetables and helping out your neighbors.
September, 2010 Bioneers 1
Bioneers are looking out over a vast new frontier, a frontier of challenges, and a frontier of opportunities. From world class scientists to ordinary citizens, Bioneers are mustering up the gumption to make meaningful change for our World. Bioneers is the name of a group founded 20 years ago by Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons. Bioneers are courageous and industrious souls striking out to improve the world. Some may feel ‘improve' is a little on the light side. A heavier opinion may weigh in as…we need to make a huge change from the path we are on in order to save the world. These needed changes are not only environmental in scope but also social.
August, 2010 Transportation of the Future
Transporting ourselves and our baggage throughout our daily lives requires a significant
amount of energy. There are a number of eco-
June, 2010 Excess Packaging
Packaging is something that uses up an awful lot of resources. To make matters worse, it is often used only once and immediately discarded. However, more and more packaging is recyclable, made from recycled content and/or reusable. Remember the milk crates with the reusable milk bottles?
April, 2010 Urine Sequestration -
Urine sequestration -
Feb, 2010 Ecologically Responsible Toilets
Waterless toilets are growing in popularity and are quite practical for many applications. There are a number of people I know who have composting toilets and like it. They feel they are doing the right thing by not using potable water to flush waste and also avoid the costly traditional treatment methods associated with waste water. They safely and responsibly compost it right on site.
Jan, 2010 Rain Harvesting II
In this New Year I am compelled to revisit and touch upon some of my past articles that relate to water, our carbon foot print, and growing our own food. Some laws and incentives have changed since those writings and will hopefully inspire you.
Back to Go Green 2013 and 2012 Go to Go Green 2009