Green Options

Composting will prevent tons of material from going to the landfill, create healthy soil for our local farms and help us fight global warming.

Today at the Farmer’s Market in front of San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Building I am signing the nation’s first mandatory composting law. It’s the most comprehensive recycling and composting legislation in the country and the first to require residents and businesses to compost food scraps.

Achieving a goal of 100 percent energy independence is a little closer for San Jose thanks to a momentous move by the City Council today. The City Council authorized the City Manager to negotiate and execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop potential lease terms and guidelines for developing an organics-to energy bio-gas facility.

Ever wonder why people forget to turn off the lights on their way out of a room? Maybe a simple sign is all they need. 

Studies have shown that people significantly increase their recycling behavior when signs are present. So, posting signs around your workplace reminding everyone to conserve and recycle is one of the most effective and inexpensive green practices you can implement.

In-workplace signs are a valuable way to reinforce your commitment to your green practices and an excellent way to get people to stick with internal programs. If there’s a green aisle in your retail store, post a sign. If you’re starting a carpooling program, post a sign—and a ride-share sign-up—on your office bulletin board.

Here are the three keys to posting effective reminders:

1. Include a specific request (i.e. turn off lights on your way out).
2. Place signs in close proximity to the area in which people are expected to respond.
3. Request actions that are convenient for the end user.

Is your home healthy?  Residents in Calgary, Alberta, are getting answers to that question from the Healthy Homes Calgary program offered by Clean Calgary Association.

The new residential service provides free home visits to Calgarians who are interested in “creating a healthy living environment, while reducing the home’s eco-footprint.”  A staff member or trained volunteer shares tools and information city residents need to improve indoor air quality, energy and water efficiency, waste reduction and more.

Should environmentalism be taught in public schools?

The endless parade of papers sent home, the individually wrapped snacks, the juice boxes at lunch, the idling of school busses, and, lest we forget, the possibility of toxic air: schools have a lot of areas where they could stand to go green. 

If, like me, you are a parent looking for ways to take action and help your child’s school become more environmentally friendly, consider suggesting a lesson in waste reduction through involvement with National Green Week:

“During this week schools can participate in the nationwide waste reduction program (optional). They will simply encourage students to bring their snacks and drinks in reusable containers for the week and weigh their total classroom snack trash the week prior to and during National Green Week….

The objective of National Green Week is to empower children to become environmental stewards to protect our planets valuable resources. The program will also encourage families to consider healthy snack options and save money by buying in bulk and recycling. “

How carelessness on the job site leads to overflowing landfills, with tips on how to reduce construction waste

If you feel like you are doing your part for the environment by taking your box of recycling to the curb, consider how much went to waste in the construction of your house.  According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) study, an estimated 8,000 lbs of waste is created from the construction of a 2,000 square foot home.  The majority of the 8,000 is wood, cardboard, and drywall.  Almost all of that waste ends up in landfills.  More than one green builder I’ve met first looked into green building after growing increasingly disgusted at the tons of debris carried away on a construction site.  Much of the debris was either unnecessary material or material that could be salvaged or recycled.  The problem can be solved by streamlining the material coming into the construction site and better managing how the waste is separated and where it ends up.

A focus on waste reduction comes with three major benefits:

According to James Poterba, Head of the National Bureau of Economic Research, we are officially in a recession, so it’s more critical than ever to start cutting expenses wherever possible. 

One of the biggest areas in which you can reduce spending — especially in households with children – is right in your own kitchen. Here are some helpful tips for meal planning, food preparation, and grocery shopping that will reduce the strain on your wallet while offering some significant health benefits to boot.

Put on your Planning Cap

Planning your meals at least a week ahead will drastically reduce waste, and keep you from the trap of randomly tossing items into your grocery cart.  Figure out what your menu will be and buy only those key items.  And be sure to stock up on non-perishable goods that have longer a shelf life so that you’re armed with the right ingredients for each meal — dry and canned foods (rice, pasta, tomatoes) and powdered milk.

I have been coming across some devastating statistics on office paper waste in the U.S. Did you know:

• The typical office worker uses about 10,000 sheets (20 reams) of paper per year.
• A typical office discards almost 350 pounds of paper per employee each year.
• About 1 trillion sheets of paper are used for digital printers and copiers in the U.S. each year.
• The average document gets copied 19 times.

The waste of time and money is mind boggling. But, there are several easy, free ways to use less paper in your day-to-day printing and copying.

I hate throwing anything away, especially food, and every time I do, I remind myself that there are starving people in the world and that I should be a little more conscientious. Apparently I should also be reminding myself that there are thirsty people in the world.

An article on the Environmental News Network recently pointed out that when you throw away that wilted, smelly broccoli or container of moldy, left over spaghetti you have sitting in the back of your fridge, you’re throwing away more than just food. You’re also tossing out water along with it. The article references a report by the Stockholm International Water Institute, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and the International Water Management Institute. According to the report, the amount of food thrown away in the US alone is equivalent to turning on your faucet and dumping 40 trillion liters of water into your garbage can.

Where is that universe "far, far away?" And how do they like all of our garbage?

When we throw something away, it doesn’t actually go "away." It doesn’t leave the planet or magically disappear into thin air, but instead ends up in a landfill. In California, we produce garbage to the tune of 46 million tons of trash each year.

According to Sustainable Works here in Santa Monica, landfills are filling at

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