ecoProach Blog

Going Down the Drain: A Baking Soda Story

The more I learn, the more I am consistently aware of how my actions affect the world around me. Sometimes, I find this knowledge staggering. As I have written in the past about green cleaning products and the importance of water as a natural resource, I hit a conundrum the other day when my drains were not…draining. At all. I know that many chemical-heavy products work, but at what expense? I have three drains in my apartment that needed some TLC and a bottle of chemicals going down each caused me to shudder.

So, I did what any person with access to the Internet does and looked up alternative ways to de-clog a drain that do NOT involve chemicals. I found this site, where the writer extols the many virtues of typical household product of baking soda. Here are Bonzia Aphrodite's instructions:

1/2 cup baking soda
1 cup vinegar
1 gallon boiling water

Carefully siphon all the baking soda down the drain. Pour in 1/2 of the vinegar, covering the hole so the fizz is forced down, not up (omit this for toilets, please!). Add the second half of the vinegar, following the same procedure. Allow to sit for 15 minutes or so, and then flush with an entire gallon of boiling water.

Curious and already having the necessary ingredients of baking soda and vinegar in the house, I figured, ‘what the hey, let’s try it!’ I was shocked and pleased at how well it cleared the drains after the first run through and that it removed the funky smell coming from the kitchen sink. A large bag of baking soda and a gallon of vinegar was also much more cost-effective than 3+ bottles of chemical based products it would have taken to do the same job and I have leftovers to use for future cleaning projects.

Do you have any other green cleaning tips? I would love to try them!

Elementary Education: Reduce Reuse Recycle

by Alicia Deadrick

It’s the beginning of the school year here in CA and I thought, ‘What better time to go back over the fundamentals?’ The earliest green advice I ever received started as early as kindergarten and is the basic “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”—the 3 R’s to saving the planet. So, now that it has been 20 years since that first influential lesson, what can we do as adults and how can we teach further generations to “Save the Planet!” Captain Planet style?

Reduce
I think this must be the simplest method with the greatest impact on the environment.
• Bring your own re-usable bags to the market-reduce plastic
• Reduce what you buy—ask yourself: do I really need this?
• Be aware of packaging, select produce and products without extra packaging and plastics
• Reduce the number of foreign-produced items you buy by shop local and organic. This helps to reduce the shipping footprint
• Reduce the amount of food wasted. Take home and eat leftovers from restaurants
• Don’t overbuy produce to just throw it away
• If you print, use recycled paper and be sure to use both sides
• If, like me, you receive countless amounts of junk mail every day, instead of tossing it right away, bring it in, find the service number, and unsubscribe. Saves trees and helps to unclutter the home!

Reuse
I love to reuse items. My family was big on the “Waste not, want not” philosophy. Reusing and repurposing items is a great way to get more for your money without being wasteful of our precious resources.
• Don’t be afraid to shop Craigslist, thrift, and antique stores—there are a lot of quality pieces of clothing and furniture floating around, like the $1200 Thomasville wingback I scored for $20!
• If you end up with plastic shopping bags, reuse them as garbage bags, to pick up after you pet, or return to stores that offer free bag recycling
• Eat your leftovers! Do not throw away food unless it is spoiled (so, you know, eat it before it spoils)
• Learn how to do basic clothing repairs to make clothes last longer
• Or find a tailor!
• Have old bath towels? Keep them around as cleaning rags
• Doing a home remodel? Repurpose as many materials as you can! Want more advice? Contact Chandler Building about Green remodeling practices
• Find new uses for everyday materials. A rolled up magazine keeps boots standing nice and straight!

Recycle
Do you really need tips?
• Don’t be lazy! Actually sort the recycling into the correct bin and don’t just toss it in the garbage
• Donate any gently used items to thrift stores and charities
• Compost appropriate organic materials

The most important part of Reduce*Reuse*Recycle is the willpower to actually follow through with the steps. It may take more time and effort to sort recycling, drive to a donation center, or scour Craigslist for the perfect new coffee table rather than buy it new, but each small thing is a material object kept out of a landfill.

Now that you’ve had your refresher course, be sure to share! What are your favorite ways to Reduce-Reuse-Recycle?

Country Spotlight: Sweden

by Alicia Deadrick

I’ve recently, finally, gotten my hands on The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson and a country that rarely makes the news or pop cultural references is fascinating me. With references to the great blue retailer Ikea and America’s favorite corner-store, 7-Eleven playing prominently in Larsson’s journalistic writing details, I wondered how well the home of my ancestors was fairing in the modern world of green living. Sweden, here we come!

I was happily surprised by my discoveries.

Apparently, in an oil crisis in 1973, Sweden declared it’s intentions to lessen reliance on fossil fuels and they actually saw some success. By 2005 “only 32% of the country’s energy [was] obtained from oil fuels, nuclear power and hydroelectricity completing the country’s energetic needs.” It is the most eco-friendly country in all of Europe and rivals for the top in the world. Inspired by their success, 2 years later big environmental goals were set in the land of meatballs (seriously, you need to try Ikea’s Swedish meatballs), and by the Commission of Oil to be reached by 2020:
- Oil consumption for road transportation to be reduced by half;
- Oil use for heating buildings to be totally eliminated;
- Oil consumption in industry to be reduced by 40%;
- The use of energy to be more efficient by 20%.
The fossil fuel will gradually be replaced by biofuels, solar cells, wind farm, wave energy, fuel cells and geothermal energy.

In addition to the government’s role in limiting fuel usage, Sweden’s architects and designers have for long revered a natural, Spartan aesthetic to live harmoniously with the outside world.

Not just limiting themselves to a few homes here and there, the entire city of Malmo has pledged that “[b]y 2020, the City of Malmö's own organization will be climate neutral and by 2030 the whole municipality will run on 100% renewable energy.” Unfamiliar with Sweden’s geography, I thought Malmo must certainly be a smaller town developed principally for this purpose, a case-study in the form of a village. No. Malmo is the third largest city in all of Sweden with a population exceeding 280,000. Also, many of the building have existed since the Middle Ages and many districts and neighborhoods have developed distinct methods of contributing to greener living, including roof gardens, electric street trains, solar panels, and water energy. Another excellent plus, the entire city is bike and pedestrian friendly, which, locally we are not (the fact that 2 weeks ago I was yelled at while biking from a man in an oversized truck).

Outside of personal home design, the eco-travel and hotel industry is blooming, including the ingenious and whimsical Treehotel, where guests book private rooms actually individually built in a forest of trees. The sparse, but thoughtful designs in many hotels evoke a simpler understanding of our needs and limit wasteful tendencies and inspire simpler living within the visiting guests.

I was not expecting Sweden to fare so well in the great race to epic greenness, but I am pleasantly surprised by the efforts of this Nordic culture and proud to share a in this rich heritage. Perhaps it’s time to plan a visit!

What country would you like to see in the Spotlight next?

Green Travel: Hotels

Last week’s post regarding what to do for those fabulous 3-day weekends and a sister-in-law’s upcoming visit have me thinking more and more about homes away from homes. As a travel enthusiast, I am always on the lookout for unique and pleasant experiences, whether local or international, historic or avant-garde.

Fortunately, I’m lucky enough to live in the gorgeous Bay Area with 3 international airports nearby and more awesome tourist attractions and natural and urban wonders than one can visit in a week. With so many exciting options in an eco-conscious area, it is easy to find a home-away-from-home while taking in the sights.

I’m all about a win-win situation. I love win-win-win situations even more! All over eco-boutiques are emerging as well-established hotels revamp their policies to be more environmentally friendly. The simplest measure: don’t change your linens if it isn’t necessary! This isn’t just a method for the hotel to safe money; this saves gallons upon gallons of water and avoids adding extra pollutants in the form of detergents into the wild. Think about it, if we "Do one less load of laundry a week saves as much as 2,000 gallons of water a year, so think how much water a hotel would save by doing less laundry," Buchholz suggests. So, save the linens and just be happy somebody has to make your bed each morning.

So, what do you look for in a hotel? Do you always request room service or are you taking advantage of greener policies?

Share your recommendations for Bay Area Green hotels below!

Celebrate Our Independence in (Green) Style

by Alicia Deadrick

Happy Fourth of July!

When the weather finally gets warm and three-day weekends are aplenty, I can’t wait to get outdoors and explore. As a Bay Area transplant originally hailing from Minnesota, I love the lack of intense humidity and the active, outdoor lifestyle of the Bay.

As a three-day weekend quickly approaches to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, I thought I would share some great local activities to check out, if, like me, you are not taking off to some exotic locale for the holiday.

Surfing Lesson at Capitola
Now, laugh as you will, but as a naïve Midwesterner, I assumed all Californians surfed. Now that I’ve been here for four years, I would love to finally learn. Last summer I checked out the beach where the lessons take place and it looked like nice, easy waves crashing onto a sandy beach. Much less threatening than the cliff walls in Santa Cruz! Interested in getting your own lessons? Check out Capitola Beach Company.

Biodynamic Wineries in Napa/Sonoma
Sure, you’ve visited Wine Country before, but have you toured any biodynamic wineries? Biodynamic vineyards must follow strict guidelines regarding planting and soil and are usually organic too! For Sonoma, I personally recommend the Benzinger Winery, which had an excellent tour highlighting biodynamic farming.

Furry Friend Vacay
Some weekends, you want the whole family to join in the fun, including man’s best friend. Looking for a quaint getaway for the whole family? Check out pet-friendly Carmel, where your pooch can spend the day soaking up sand, sun, and surf with the rest of the family.

Take a hike!
No, literally. My favorite trails are at Big Basin, which features epic redwoods and trails for all hiking levels. Support our state parks and enjoy spending a day feeling like one of the nine from Lord of the Rings.

A Cosmopolitan Adventure
San Francisco is a top urban travel destination, with people coming from all over the world to experience our City by the Bay. Rediscover you love for the city, visit some museums or take in a show, and treat yourself to a relaxing weekend by staying in an eco-friendly hotel. The Orchard Garden Hotel meets the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council and based right in Union Square makes it a great destination to visit tourist attractions, hit up a few museums, or take in a show, whether at the symphony or the Warfield.

Happy Independence Day! Now get out there and celebrate!

Sustainable Schools Part 2

by Alicia Deadrick

Here at ecoProach, we care about education. We are part of initiatives such as Efficiency First and Energy Upgrade California to help spread the word about the personal and environmental benefits of green homes. We organize free lecture tours in the South Bay to share our knowledge of green building and the advantage--no, the necessity--of having a home energy audit performed on your home. We also care about the education of our children. A while ago, we did this piece on sustainable schools in our backyard and this week we are beyond excited to see that the US Department of Education has announced the creation of the Green Ribbons Schools program!

The Green Ribbon Schools program was created to "recognize schools that are creating healthy and sustainable learning environments and teaching environmental literacy." It was said about this initiative, “Preparing our children to be good environmental citizens is some of the most important work any of us can do,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said at an event announcing the new program. “It’s work that will serve future generations and quite literally sustain our world.” Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality added “Each day, we ask students across the nation to demonstrate excellence, integrity and leadership in the classroom, and in return, the Federal Government must do the same. The Green Ribbon Schools program will recognize healthy learning spaces that promote environmental literacy and prepare our leaders of tomorrow to win a clean energy future.”

Green Ribbon Schools are based on the Blue Ribbon Schools program, which honors public and private k-12 learning institutions that are high-performing or have shown a significant increase in closing the achievement gap. Success will be measured according to "energy conservation, creating healthy learning spaces, and teaching environmental literacy" and the first ever winners will be announced next year.

It is exciting to see that not just personal homes and small businesses are going green, but educational institutions as well. Not only are implementations encouraged, but also educating today's youth about how to be environmental stewards. A worthy endeavor, indeed!

Want to learn more about what YOU can do? Start at home and call ecoProach, the South Bay's premier home energy audit company today! Rebates for remediation are available!

Radiant Barrier Sheathing

by Alicia Deadrick

Radiant Barrier Sheathing is a new product where a special layer of highly reflective aluminum foil/kraft paper laminate is within the plywood. This layer of sheathing acts similar to a mirror to help reflect heat waves away from the home, thus reducing indoor heat.

At Chandler Building & Development, we always use Georgia-Pacific Thermostat Plytanium Plywood with Radiant Barrier Sheathing because it comes with a Lifetime Limited Warranty, is able to reduce heat flow through the ceiling up to 50%, reflect 97% of radiant heat, has received the Energy Star rating, and is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

Radiant Barrier Sheathing is typically applied to the roof of a home, which enables it to control air, heat, and energy flow between the roof or attic of the home and the great outdoors. This allows your heating and cooling systems to work more efficiently (reducing cooling-energy consumption up to 17%) and increases appliance and duct efficiency by not forcing them to control attic temperatures.

So, for a quick re-cap, the the two main advantages of Radiant Barrier Sheathing are:
• Eco-Friendly – Energy Star rating and Sustainable Forestry Initiative Certified
• Utility savings – Reduces unwanted heat entering the home and wanted heat from escaping

Interested in greening you home? Contact us today about installing radiant barrier sheathing! Want to learn more ways to reduce your energy bills, increase the comfort of your home, and help the environment? Contact us, your local Sunnyvale energy audit company today serving the South Bay and the Peninsula!

Earth Day 2011

by Alicia Deadrick

Did you know that Friday, April 22nd, is Earth Day? That’s right, this Friday. Now, I’m sure many of you did know, because your children or job have given you a memo about upcoming events in honor of the day. So…what are you going to do to celebrate?

Here’s a hint, visit the Earth Day Network and join in this year’s theme: A Billion Acts of Green. People across the world are giving their personal pledge for the year or, hopefully, for life. Some of these are as simple as “Remember to turn off the lights when I leave the room” and to “not drive on April 22nd.”

Want some ideas?

Read more of our blog to see the many ways you can do little or big things to live a green, healthy life. How about pledging to buy most of your produce at Farmer’s Markets? Not only is the food fresher, there are lots of organic choices, and you get some fresh air and sunshine while supporting local farmers and food artisans. Have you switched to eco-friendly cleaners to help save the environment from dangerous pollutants? Not to mention placing those chemicals on your dishes and clothing. Have you changed your light bulbs to CFLs or LEDs?

Looking to do something bigger?

Instead of just remembering to turn off lights, install a Sun Tunnel sunlight to bring in more natural light for the dark areas of your home. Upgrade to Energy Star appliances and start reducing your energy usage and saving money. Weatherize your home for all season.

Bigger yet?

Energy Upgrade California is trying to change the facade of California homes, lower our collective carbon footprint, and save us money all at the same time! Contact us today to learn how ecoProach and Chandler Building can help you get up to $4000 in energy rebates today! It all starts with a phone call and a professional home energy assessment to learn how we can make your home a “whole house.”

My pledge for Earth Day: to keep spreading the word about home energy audits and green building/living. What will you pledge?

Fresh Dining

by Alicia Deadrick

I love eating out.

I dine out maybe once a week, which keeps it in the realm of a special treat rather than the norm. Along with discovering amazing new cuisines, I love not having to prepare the meal and I especially love not having to clean up when I would rather be enjoying post-feast relaxation.

In the past, my dining out plans only meant consulting my body on what type of food it was craving: Mexican? Italian? Ethiopian? Cheeseburger? From there, I would determine if I was craving a regular location (turkey burgers at The Counter anyone?) or, if feeling someplace new, check out some trusty reviews Yelp. Lately, however, I have been applying my typical grocery shopping techniques and preferences to restaurant fare. Is it organic? Local? How fresh are the ingredients?

Eco-friendly eating should refer to all the foods I put into my body, not just those that I buy from the farmer’s market or grocery store.

A major plus of living in a metropolitan Californian area is the availability of restaurants that care about their product and their effect on the environment. The best way to select a restaurant is to look for ones that obtain the majority of their food locally. By using local farmers, the food has fewer miles to travel, which has several benefits. First, less travel equals less resources used and pollution put into the air; decreasing the transportation duration decreases the carbon footprint. Another benefit to locally grown foods is the freshness. Once harvested, fruits and vegetables lose freshness quickly, and spending 3-7 days on the road soaking up exhaust greatly reduces the taste and shelf duration. Buying local also puts more money into the local economy and helps support an organic or all-natural farming lifestyle. We are all about supporting our neighbors and increasing opportunities for independent businesses to bloom in this economy.

Personal benefits: tastier, healthier food! Kitchens that use primarily local ingredients mainly prepare fresh foods, instead of prepackaged items full of preservatives. This makes sure that my body is receiving the best fuel possible while still delighting the taste buds. The next time you get a craving for a dinner out, do a bit of research first—all types of food are available, from fine French dining at Left Bank Santana Row or burritos at your local Chipotle, fresh doesn’t have to be out of your reach.

Country Spotlight: Costa Rica

by Alicia Deadrick

Costa Rica has long been a hotspot travel destination for biologists, ecologists, nature-lovers, and adventure seekers. Its stability is impressive for a Central American country—especially one that abolished its army in 1949 and instead spent funding on education—is only rivaled by the acres of lush green jungle, gorgeous beaches, and bountiful and diverse flora and fauna.

Foreigner travelers are not the only people who value the lush landscape Costa Ricans do as well. They credit their longer lifespan and healthy living to a true appreciation of nature and lack of emphasis on material objects. To protect the various ecosystems and lower their collective carbon footprint, Costa Rica was the first country under the categorization of “Developing Nation” to declare a green initiative. Their efforts are having great results, and the 2010 Environmental Performance Index 3rd out of 163 countries! For a bit of perspective, the United States placed 61st. Additionally, The Happy Planet Index is “the first ever index to combine environmental impact with well-being to measure the environmental efficiency with which country by country, people live long and happy lives.” They ranked Costa Rica as their number one nation in terms of overall well-being, environmental interactions, and efficiency.

Congratulations Costa Rica on your green accomplishments!

Now, fellow Americans, let’s raise our national standing on the aforementioned indexes! Start today by getting a professional home energy audit by ecoProach to learn how to increase the efficiency of your home, while lowering your carbon footprint and your utility bills! Want to get a rebate for the energy audit and the remediation? We are participating contractors with Energy Upgrade California!

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