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Save more you ask? Isnt it common knowledge that going green always costs more? Despite what many people have been led to believe thats just not the case. Here are just a few of the ways to save money and go green simultaneously:

1) Setting your thermostat lower even by just a few degrees can result in a great deal of savings especially in cold weather climates.

2) Unplug electrical devices such as your cell phone charger hair dryer etc. when not in use.

3) Dry as many clothes as possible on a dryer rack or clothesline and then just toss them in the dryer for a few minutes to fluff them up when nearly dry.

4) Make an attempt to shorten time in the shower and install a low-flow showerhead.

5) Invest in a water filter for your kitchen faucet rather than buying expensive bottled water. Carry the water with you in a reusable container.

6) Make use of sites such as Craigs List and E-Bay as well as garage sales etc. before shopping for new products in stores whenever feasible.

7) Learn to make your own cleaning products from simple ingredients such as vinegar lemon and baking soda.

Buy bulk food products and reuse the packaging.

9) Wear clothing that doesnt need dry cleaning.

10) Recycle electronic devices whenever possible.

11) Make use of the library rather than purchasing new books and periodicals.

12) Walk or bike as much as possible. When driving plan your trips to use as little gasoline as possible.

13) Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs in your home and workplace.

14) Collect rain water for watering plants. Plant varieties that require less water and cover topsoil with some type of mulch to conserve as much moisture to the roots as possible.

15) Lower the temperature on your water heater to save money and energy more for an electric water heater than gas.

16) Purchase appliances that meet Energy Star qualifications and keep filters clean.

17) Keep your driving speed to 55 mph. Its the most efficient speed at which to drive.

18) Turn off your vehicle if the engine will be idling for longer than thirty seconds. It takes less fuel to restart the vehicle at that point.

19) Use shades blinds and/or curtains in your home to keep sunlight out on warm days and to keep drafts out on cold ones.

20) Caulk even the most minute leaks in your home to keep drafts from coming inside.

21) Return to using a safety razor rather than disposables.

22) Use less paper towels by saving old clothing items and cutting them up into reusable rags that can be laundered.

23) Attempt to use your printer only when necessary and have your ink cartridges refilled.

24) Carpool as much as possible not only to work but to childrens activities.

25) Have your vehicle tuned up at the manufacturers recommended intervals. A vehicle uses less fuel when the engine is running in tip-top shape.

Pursuing America’s Energy Independence

After many decades Americans are finally waking up to our unhealthy and unsustainable addiction to fossil fuels and in particular our reliance on foreign oil. During the 2008 presidential election campaign soaring gasoline prices national security and global warming concerns made energy independence a key issue on both sides of the debate and it continues to be a central focus of the new Obama administration’s policies. Without a doubt achieving energy independence is critical to America’s future. Yet it remains a complicated goal without a simple solution.

The Reality of Conventional Fuels

Some proponents claim that Drill baby drill is the answer: revoking environmental offshore and wilderness protections in order to develop more domestic oil production in locations like the California coast and Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). However studies show that the actual output of new oil wells in the ANWR beginning in 2018 would have a negligible affect on both imports and prices at the pump. There has also been much media attention on so-called clean coal through Carbon Capture and Sequestration—a technology that exists only in theory leaving coal just as dirty as ever.

Nuclear power is not the solution either for many reasons: long-term storage of radioactive waste is a dangerous problem the risk of accidents like Chernobyl or Three-Mile Island (or terrorist attacks) remain a constant possibility and the source for nuclear energy is Uranium a scarce and non-renewable element.

The stark reality is that non-renewable energy resources such as crude oil coal and natural gas are by definition finite. In fact many experts believe that the peak of worldwide oil production was reached years ago and supplies will only diminish moving forward. For this reason combined with growing evidence of climate change the development of alternative renewable sources of energy—and utilizing what we have more efficiently—must take top priority. Thankfully President Obama has already reversed many of the Bush administration’s disastrous energy policies with more to follow. But the responsibility for a cleaner greener energy future lies not only on the government but on private industry and individuals as well.

What Steps Are Needed?

There are basically three interconnected ways to approach the challenge of weaning the United States off fossil fuels and toward full energy independence:

• A strong commitment to developing more renewable fuel and power resources

• Aggressive support for making systems buildings homes and vehicles as energy-efficient as possible

• Education and encouragement for conservation efforts by businesses and individuals.

1) Alternative Energy/Fuels – Harnessing the natural power of the sun air earth and tides has the potential to provide endless free energy using the best technology in the right locations. Although detractors say that wind solar geothermal and wave power are cost-prohibitive after the initial start-up investment they should pay for themselves in the long run financially and environmentally. Eco-friendly alternatives to gasoline that already exist include: biodiesel ethanol non-fossil methane vegetable oil and other sustainable biomass fuels as well as electric vehicles. Perhaps with ongoing research hydrogen technology will someday be viable although at the moment it is extremely impractical. The government also needs to repeal the tax breaks and subsidies that oil and gas companies have received for so long while earning record-breaking profits.

2) Energy Efficiency – With the continued popularity of heavy trucks and SUVs the automobile industry has long resisted increases in CAFE standards (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) to raise the average miles per gallon of their entire range of models. Between their economic woes and the new government U.S. automakers are now expected to be more accountable for making the necessary advances to improve fuel efficiency and emissions in their fleets. As a result flex-fuel all-electric and plug-in hybrid technologies are actively being developed and marketed by the Big Three and smaller companies.

Powering cities homes and businesses is another area that calls for improved efficiency. Our current administration supports such necessities as updating our aging energy grid nationwide with the latest technology incorporating LEED green building standards into new and retrofitted commercial construction and providing homeowners with substantial tax credits and rebates for energy-efficient upgrades such as solar panels Energy Star air conditioning units and water heaters furnaces windows and doors insulation pellet stoves and even wind turbines—all of which will help create millions of new green jobs in addition to saving energy and the planet.

3) Conservation – We live in a throwaway society. If there is any blessing in the current economic crisis it’s that people are looking for ways to lower their budgets which often means less consumption and making older items last longer. If enough individuals and businesses follow the common-sense conservation tips we’ve all heard so many times it can really have a big impact in our country’s energy usage: turning the thermostat down in the winter up in the summer or even off completely with the windows open turning lights out when you leave a room unplugging appliances when they are not in use switching out incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs etc. On a larger scale there are a growing number of organizations that facilitate the reuse of old building lumber doors cabinets and other materials as well as online resources like Freecycle Craiglist and eBay where you can acquire free or inexpensive previously used items.

What Else Can You Do?

• Purchase wind-power credits to offset your carbon footprint
• Maximize your mileage by keeping your car tires properly inflated (or have them filled with nitrogen) using the A/C system as little as possible and staying close to 55 on the highway
• Trade in your gas guzzler for a hybrid biodiesel or flex-fuel car or convert your Prius with a plug-in kit
• Better yet ride a bike or take public transportation instead of driving
• Remodel your house with green materials Energy Star fixtures and PV (solar) panels
• Large-screen TVs use more power – buy a moderate size instead
• Reduce reuse recycle buy used or recycled goods at thrift stores or online
• Donate to/volunteer for a renewable energy or environmental non-profit
• Call or write your congressional representative and senator to tell them you support the development of renewable energy and green jobs
• Contact the Clean Energy Research Education Institute for more information at: [insert contact info here]

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Office fires are devastating for many reasons. Even in the absence of injury companies organizations often face considerable setbacks when equipment and facilities are damaged or uninhabitable.

A few years ago a fire in an air handling unit building designed and constructed by Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd. destroyed one of the structures buildings air handling units shutting down the system. Luckily for those inside opening windows allowed the building to be operational again in 24 hours. what Manasc Isaac principal Vivian Manasc refers to opening windows as a signature practice of the company.

We focus a lot on the building envelope—the exterior walls says Manasc. Manasc Isaac is known for including high-performance glazing and windows that open in their designs. Its a core practice because we make people feel good and healthy when they can open their widows and we want them to enjoy their work environment she says But it is also an interesting way of saving energy while reducing risk for owners.

In the case of the air handling unit fire the company organizations in question wereas able to resume business as usual by simply opening windows once the fire was extinguished instead of relocating or halting business until the air handling system was up and running again.

Manasc says the serendipitous occurrence was a bonus adding that the real value of opening windows is fresh air and sunshine. And of course better windows and walls bring reduced costs as insulation is improved and heating systems get smaller.

A focus on the building envelope is just one of many things that the Edmonton Alberta company is known for. Over the last fifteen years Manasc Isaac has emerged across Canada as a leader in sustainable design. We focus on improving environmental performance of buildings and creating better workplaces because we recognize our responsibility to be a positive contribution to the community says Manasc.

The 50-person company works on both new and existing buildings such as schools libraries town halls colleges universities and health care facilities. Mid-range construction value is $50 million with some projects taking anywhere from three to five years to complete. They are big projects says Manasc But again we want quality buildings that are good for people and good for the Earth.

The architects sustainable design principleals include water conservation storm water management solar orientation energy conservation materials selection and indoor environmental quality. They utilize reclaimed and renewable materials when possible.

One project the Government of Canada Building in Yellowknife was designed to aand has achieved a LEED silver Gold standard. It will includes:

• A green roof
• High-fly ash concrete
• A high-performance building envelope
• Building-integrated photovoltaics

For their renovation of the Shenfield Centre City Hall of in the City of Spruce Grove Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd. also met the LEED silver certified standard. The plans which maximize the use of natural light and improve air quality will have reduced operating costs by 20 percent.

Increasingly the firm is focusing on the re-use and re-imagination of existing buildings as a core aspect of sustainable building practice. With the large aging building stock in North America Manasc Isaac sees the re-skinning of 30-year-old towers and the renovation and re-use of vacant school and commercial buildings as the most important next step in working towards to 2030 Challenge targets – having buildings use only as much energy as they can generate or no net energy by 2030.

The firm faced significant challenges sustainable design opportuntiiesopportunities with another LEED Ssilver standard project the Boreal Centre for Birds near the Town of Slave Lake. The building site has no access to potable water and no connection to sewage or gas. Manasc Isaac solved addressed these challenges these problems by constructing designing a system that captures water from the buildings roof and purifies it on site. Heat pumps and a geothermal field provide heating and cooling for the building.

An interior design group also works with clients to select plants lights carpet paint and other materials with Manasc Isaacs commitment to the environment in mind. Healthy materials with fewer chemicals can improve workplace productivity and lower maintenance costs. Services in the interior design group include space planning plant selection renovation custom furniture design and materials selection.

To produce their progressive and innovative designs Manasc Isaac collaborates heavily with clients and communities by embracing integrated design. We decided very early to involve communities and owners as well as engineers and builders in our design process because we realized that if we integrate design we have good engagement with communities and create good synergy between our buildings and systems to achieve sustainable results Manasc explains.

Manasc says that her companys work is informed by Northern and First Nations people who are involved in the discussion about a buildings purpose from the projects inception. We discuss how it is expected to work and how we can make it work without costing the Earthearth she says. Manasc estimates that over 50 people participate in the discussions a series of workshops for owners communities engineers planners landscape architects industrial designers and interior designers. All of these people are part of our team from the very beginning. They hear our conversations and can contribute input says Manasc. The talks often last a full day and are planned periodically until a project is completed.

Manasc says that response to integrated design has been overwhelmingly positive from owners and communities alike. Communities enjoy the opportunity for involvement and clients and engineers see how they can contribute to the larger success of their environment she says.

Consistent and cutting-edge work in sustainable design has brought many awards to Manasc and her associates. The Water Centre building resulted recently received numerous prizes including a in the Design Exchange Award the Emerald Award and the Prairie Design Award. Manasc Isaacs Greenstone Government of Canada Building also received the RAIC Innovation Award and several other accolades and was the first LEED gold Gold building in Canadas Arctic. In fact the Boreal Center for Bird Conservation the St. John Ambulance Building The Hinton Government Centre and seven other structures have all received industry prizessignificant peer and public recognition in the last 15 years.

Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd. is indeed a groundbreaking company with several milestones to their name. The first LEED silver building in Edmonton and the first LEED certified building in Alberta were both Manasc projects.

Manasc Isaac believes that their projects are successful and interesting because they fully explore clients goals involve local communities and focus on improving the environment. We look for as much synergy as we can find says Manasc and we always try to make people—and the Earth—better.

NYC Green Building – Monthly Forum
Green Building in New York was designed to construct and maintain healthier homes and environments in the New York area. They also deconstruct buildings neighborhoods and cities to get rid of the toxins found in these areas.
The new buildings Green Building designs allow people to control temperature and humidity which means less mold and these buildings do not have as many toxins. Green Building will take into consideration the health and well being of the people who will be living in those buildings and then they will find ways to reduce toxins in the environment.
New York Citys Green Building holds events for the community. They hold a Green Building Forum on the third Wednesday of every month except for December. This months forum will teach you the basics about your broiler in your basement and how to plan for a greener hot water system for next year!
Henry Gifford who is the president of Gifford Fuel Saving Inc. will be speaking at the next forum. He has experience in talking with people about the boiler steam and hydronic heating systems water pressure boosting systems ventilation systems and other parts of a buildings energy system.
The meeting will be held on October 15 2008 at The Art Institute of New York City Gallery on 11 Beach Street New York NY 10013 at 6:30 PM. Please RSVP if you plan on attending this meeting.
The Green Building also holds other events throughout the month.

Now a general audience in the US could be anyone we are a broad range of people here. It is difficult to write something without input or dialog with the primary contractor. So I kept it fairly generic sometimes we need to be more specific talking to school children is different than talking to families than talking to politicians than talking to farmers etc. So that being said see below.

Energy independence is more than just reducing our dependence on foreign owned oil fields. We could come up with a simplistic solution simply raise taxes on oil imports to the point where consumers voluntarily reduce their use of oil simply because the cost is too high this has worked up to a point in Europe for several years. While this would indeed reduce our usage of foreign oil it does not reduce our dependence. It also does not solve the issue of the critical need for alternative fuel sources that would reduce the cost and increase the availability of fuel to fill a world wide need. It also increases the risk of our economic status becoming dependent on the political stability or instability of a foreign power that holds control of the oil.

Alternative energy sources not only create new markets contributing to internal economic stability they also provide choices for Americans who wish to be in control of their own environment. While the US may never be completely independent from the demands of foreign owned energy sources (nor should we focus on that as our primary goal) we would be more able to control our own energy market by providing the tools to support a transition from a totally oil controlled market to a multi-sourced alternative energy market dominated by our own ingenuity and desire to provide alternatives to the world‘s populations. We need to develop alternative solutions which work together rather than cancel out each other an example utilizing a food source for fuel causing issues with the increased cost and lack of availability of grain i.e. ethanol from corn. We need to look at the alternative energy questions as a global classroom where we become the teachers learn from our early mistakes and grow into our potential as leaders in a clean and safe world

It is vital to the whole earth concept that we begin to teach our children from pre-school on that there are alternatives encourage the development of educational processes that are as much as part of the day to day school programs as are Math and English. It is absolutely necessary to establish collaborations in the field of education corporate America government agencies and within the world-wide scientific community and encourage our young people to be part of the development of these alternative energy programs. We need to encourage and fund cutting edge scientific research encourage environmental renewal teach conservation of energy in daily activities provide alternative energy sources to be utilized in all aspects of day to day life as simple as routinely installing solar panels and as private citizens selling back the excess power to the power companies to developing wind energy or utilizing existing clean technologies such as fuel cell and solar hydrogen energy. The development of safe alternative energy resources is necessary to ensure our energy independence and provide a safe and clean environment. The programs we fund and develop now will be vital as we transition over the next several years from dependence on non-renewable resources to clean alternative and renewable energy choices.

Now that we finally have some societal consensus that fossil fuel dependence threatens our national and economic security as well as our planet’s ability to support life responsible Americans are looking for ways to help America become energy independent. We all feel the urgency of implementing cleaner energy sources and reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. But while technologies like solar and wind power can indeed help right now it’s also critical that we maintain a strong focus on the most promising long-term solutions that can provide America and the world energy sustainability.

Three of these longer-term solutions hydrogen fuel cells biofuels and education deserve our immediate attention. The good news is that fuel cell and biofuels research are advancing rapidly and with adequate financial support may not be so long-term after all.

Clean Energy Research & Education Institute (CEREI) a national educational and scientific non-profit based in Delaware is doing cutting edge work in all three areas. As the name suggests clean energy research is just half of its mission. If our energy independence is to be sustainable preparing college students to address future energy needs is as urgent as R & D.
CEREI recognizes that once hydrogen fuel cell (FC) technology can be implemented cost-effectively we will solve several problems at once. We’ll reduce our dependence on oil air quality will improve and we can effectively eliminate greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. CEREI’s hydrogen projects include development of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). Like other fuel cells the PEMFC produces clean energy with only water vapor and heat as by-products.

Biofuels another focus of CEREI’s R&D have been the subject of debate in recent years. Seemingly even dismissed at one time because of the excessive energy required to produce ethanol biofuels retain immense promise. As Washington-based Innova-Tek demonstrated in 2008 biofuels can be used to produce not just ethanol for burning in combustion engines but hydrogen which can be used in fuel cells.

Finally CEREI’s commitment to education is very much in tune with a growing academic consensus. Leading energy experts like Dr. Daniel Kammen Professor University of California-Berkeley have issued calls for increased energy education. Dr. Kammen has proposed a national clean energy education act with the goal of making energy and the environment a core area of education in the United States.

CEREI is just one example but its work raises an important aspect of our effort to achieve energy independence. Today environmentally minded individuals and corporations face a dizzying array of green giving opportunities. While we are all hungry for immediate solutions to our energy dependence support for long-term research and development at non-profits like CEREI gets right to the point. We need to be working on breakthrough sustainable solutions now while ensuring that we will have the scientists and engineers we need in the future.

No matter what our political or religious affiliation most Americans agree that we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil and work toward energy independence. Today American oil imports feed a twenty million barrel a day habit. This reveals a major flaw in our fight against terrorism. Ironically while our tax dollars have financed the U.S. military our oil purchases have provided the major source of funding for regimes that are deeply hostile toward us. In affect we have financed both sides of the war on terrorism! As James Woolsey the former C.I.A. director once said We are funding the rope for the hanging of ourselves.

As stewards of the Earth our goal toward energy independence must be two-fold we must reduce our oil imports and create a more carbon-free world. Otherwise health issues climate change and energy wars will be a part of our childrens and grandchildrens future. New technologies for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are extremely promising. But in order for these renewable energy sources to fuel our future we need to get serious about the costs the effort and the scale of change that will be required to change our country and eventually the world to a largely emissions-free energy infrastructure. Of course it cannot and will not happen overnight. Critics say that were decades away from being able to create meaningful oil replacements. But the huge environmental costs of oil and its finite supply leave us no choice. The buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reaching a level unknown in recent geological history and most scientists predict that the earths climate system is already starting to react with violent and unstable weather patterns melting glaciers and prolonged droughts.

Today our immediate financial crisis has taken center stage and everyones focus is on the recession: the housing crisis our high unemployment rate and collapsing financial institutions. These financial problems have also slowed down the progress weve been making toward developing environmentally friendly technology. Today it is extremely difficult for companies to raise the venture capital necessary to develop and improve alternative energy. Additionally sales of hybrid cars are down by over 40%. This could cause carmakers to reduce their investments in more energy efficient transportation.

Our goal toward energy independence must not be put on the back burner. In addition to continuing our individual conservation efforts the government needs to step up to the plate. They must set high standards let the market reach them and then raise the standards more. They must continue to raise the efficiency standards for buildings and appliances and stipulate that utilities generate a certain amount of electricity from renewable energy sources—like wind or solar. Embedding clean-tech into everything we design and manufacture is a way to revive our economy and re-establish America as a manufacturing power. Americans have a reputation for being innovative and our next great global industry will be clean-technology. Our children—and our childrens children will reap the benefits. We cant let them down.

New in Santa Barbara this month is Conserv Fuel a progressively eco-minded gas station. This is the second in a franchise that began in Los Angeles managed by Kris Moller son of the Danish immigrant who started the USA Gasoline company 50 years ago. Now the family that created one of the strongest independent gas station chains in California is one of the leading names in eco-friendly fuels.

When USA Gasoline was purchased by a larger domestic company in 2007 with it went the Mollers policy of selling bio diesel fuel to the wider public – a niche now being occupied by Conserv Fuel.

Conserv sells nearly pure bio diesel. B99 – an epithet which means that diesel is 99% made from biological material – is a nearly carbon neutral fuel which works as well as any other diesel in any diesel burning engine. The fuel is primarily made from plants and is a blend of different combustibles. Though there are many large users of diesel in Santa Barbara [Marborg City of Santa Barbara MTD] bio diesel can be a hard sell.

According to Moller this is in part due to the fact that California is the only State in the Union which does not recognize bio diesel as a fuel but classifies it as a fuel additive. Hard to believe that a State so stereotyped for its ecologically minded attitude would be the last to embrace cleaner fuel. In fact every customer who purchases a nearly pure bio diesel in California has to join a ‘users group – which is nothing but a way for the State to get them to waive liability while using the fuel.

Theres been a lot of top down support [at the State level] says Moller. The problem is the odd amount of red tape. Its not widely available. Most retailers dont want to deal with it because its a hassle for them.

Still Moller reminds us that the joining of a ‘users group while possibly ridiculous is free and takes little to no effort on the part of the consumer and bio diesels benefits go beyond the environmental. Its high viscosity says Moller actually helps to keep your engine working smoothly.

Conserv Fuel has even received a bit of endorsement from the government – in June of 2007 Barrack Obama thanked the station for its environmental endeavors while campaigning in Los Angeles.

Conserv Fuel reminds Moller sells regular gasoline in addition to bio diesel. The station caters to all drivers who share the Mollers concern for ‘quality conservation and sustainability. For some people the price of gasoline is not as important as the ideals behind being responsible in your burning of fuels and the mark youll leave on the environment.