January 2010

Five Simple Ways to Green Your Home

by nan on 2010/01/18 · 0 comments

A green home does not have to be built from scratch, nor does it need to be a substantial remodel on an existing home. There are several things you can do right now to lower your utility bills, reduce your carbon footprint, and extend the life of our natural resources.

1) Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). According to the Energy Star website (http://www.energystar.gov/), CFLs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer for energy savings of $30 over the life of one bulb. They also produce less heat, which will reduce your cooling costs in summer. They are most effective in rooms that are used often, such as kitchen and living areas, or where lights are on more than 15 minutes at a time. Call your electric company for possible rebates or reduced prices on CFLs.

2) Buy energy efficient appliances when it’s time to replace them. Energy Star appliances typically use 10-15% less energy and water. An Energy Star washing machine can cut your energy bill by 1/3 and your water use by half. Refrigerators have historically been energy hogs, but they now use half the energy they did in 1993. An Energy Star refrigerator uses 20% less energy than required by federal standards and 40% less than a 2001 model. Check the Energy Star website (http://www.energystar.gov/) for details.

echinacea1.1_3257 3) Use native plants or drought-tolerant adaptable plants. Native plants need no extra care, since they are in their natural environment. Adaptable plants tolerate local conditions well, even though they are native to another region. Put your plantings on a drip irrigation system to save water. Sprinklers waste water due to soaking outside the targeted area and to evaporation. A good resource is Judith Phillips, who has written many books on native gardening in New Mexico. If you are building new, save as many trees as possible; disturb as little of your lot as you can. Plant deciduous trees for summer shade to reduce cooling costs. Grow your own food, and grow organically.

4) Collect rainwater from your roof. This can be an elaborate system of catchment and filtering for indoor use. Gutters run along the edge of the roofing, and downspouts are placed on the corners, leading to an underground cistern or cisterns. Water is pumped through a filtering system and into the house for daily use. This water needs to be tested regularly for human consumption. For outdoor irrigating, run downspouts into 55-gallon drums with spigots at the bottom. Several drums can be connected to catch overflow. The simplest system is placing 5-gallon buckets where rain runs off the roof edge. Your hair and your plants love the pH of rainwater!

5) Insulate your ceiling. remodelimg_3550 Heat rises, and the first place it will leave your house is through the ceiling and roof, increasing your heating costs. It is estimated that 45% of your heat can be lost through a ceiling with no insulation. Summer sun beating on the roof can heat up your house and increase your cooling bills. Ceiling insulation will keep you comfortable and keep your energy bills low year round. Consider using cellulose insulation, which is shredded newspaper that is blown in. This is a great way to recycle!

These are inexpensive and effective ways to start going green. Never feel like you are not doing enough. If you replace one incandescent bulb with a CFL, you can save ½ ton of CO2 from going into the atmosphere. You don’t need to do a lot, but please do something.

Find out Five More Ways to Green Your Home.

{ 0 comments }

Using Psychology to Promote Sustainable Living – Part 2

by nan on 2010/01/15 · 0 comments

(Nan’s Note: Read Part 1 here.)

By Norm Ferguson

Social influences

Our behavior is often highly influenced by the other people around us. A saying related to this is: “Choose your friends carefully because you will become them.” An effective way to change you behavior is to associate with other people who are already doing the behavior you want to do.

When we join a group of like-minded people then peer support and conformity help us act as they do. The point is to choose carefully which group of people you will associate with.

It is also clear that small behavior changes are easier to make than big ones. For example, it is often hard to recruit people to go door-to-door to talk about environmental issues. So, a first step may be to ask them to sign a petition stating they are in favor of a certain environmental change. The next step might be to ask them to attend a meeting where this issue will be discussed. At this point it is more likely that they would agree to go door-to-door to talk to others about the matter. This approach is sometimes called the “foot-in-the-door” technique.

A mistake people make in trying to promote behavior change is to argue or debate with a person with the hope of changing their attitude about an issue. The belief is, “If I can get the person to change their attitude, then they will change their behavior.” The data show that this usually does NOT happen. Verbal attitude change is comparatively easy, while behavior change is often not so easy. The lesson is, if you want to promote behavior change, go for the behavior change right away. So, instead of debating someone about the merits of recycling, say to them, “Help me with my recycling.” If they agree, then they will be engaging in recycling behavior and this will likely change their attitude about recycling.

Stress

Stress is a response our mind and body makes to a stressor. A stressor is something in our environment, physical and/or psychological, that triggers a stress response. Due to social expectations and advertising, many of us get caught up in a “stress cycle.” It often goes like this: We think we need more “stuff” (consumer goods) to be happy, so we need more money to buy the “stuff”, so we have to work more to get more money to buy more “stuff.” This becomes a never-ending stress cycle. If we become aware of the stress cycle we are in, then we can do something to get out of it. A concept that applies here is “voluntary simplicity” where a person or family intentionally cuts back on their consumerism.

Unconscious motives

These were first postulated by Sigmund Freud to explain why we do so many counterproductive things. He said our unconscious mind uses a series of “defense mechanisms” to spare us from experiencing conscious anxiety related to our maladaptive behaviors. One is referred to as “denial” which means we refuse to admit that there are negative consequences to our behavior. An example is global warming and some people’s belief that “it’s all a myth!” Another is “rationalization” where we might make a list of reasons why we “have to” have an SUV.

Addictions are behaviors we also use to control anxiety. People may feel deprived, powerless, or have no pleasure in life, so they engage in some form of addictive consumption to alleviate their anxiety. Drinking alcohol, taking drugs, gambling, and shopping are all ways to do this. Addictions like shopping can have negative effects on the environment as well as on the person.

Conscious awareness

Our western worldview focuses on “individualism.” We see ourselves as somehow separate from the environment and dominant over it. Thus, we often fail to see the consequences our behavior has on the environment. However, indigenous cultures have a worldview which focuses on the group rather than the individual and they see themselves as part of the environment instead of being separate from it. We have much to learn from them.

A lot of people believe there is a direct relationship between the consumption of material goods and happiness. This is largely a myth. Above a fairly modest amount of money where there is a relationship between happiness and money, an increasing amount of money is NOT associated with increased happiness. Happiness is mainly associated with having good relationships, meaningful work, and adequate leisure time.

Too many of us are spending very little time out-of-doors directly experiencing the natural world, the sun, and the elements. It is certainly true that, “We abuse the natural environment because we have little direct identification with it.” A lot of us could improve out lives by forgetting the TV, computer, ipod, and cell phone for a while and spending some time out in the natural world. In addition to bettering our own life, it would help our society and our planet.

The environmental problems we face today have been self-created. Sadly, psychological concepts have been used effectively by advertisers and others who are more interested in making money than in doing what is beneficial for our environment. However, with a knowledge of these concepts and the proper application of them, we can move toward reversing the negative environmental trends which exist today and start creating a future which embraces sustainable living strategies. It is in our species and our planet’s best interests to do so.

Norm Ferguson, Ph.D.
Instructor of Psychology
University of New Mexico-Taos
fergus@taosnet.com
575-751-0049

{ 0 comments }

Using Psychology to Promote Sustainable Living – Part 1

by nan on 2010/01/15 · 0 comments

(Nan’s Note: A few years ago at the Taos branch of the University of New Mexico, I took a class called ‘Energy Basics.’ The teacher was my solar installer, Larry Mapes of Valverde Energy. Larry and I had spent hours talking about energy during my installation, so I was looking forward to a full semester of nothing but energy talk.

It changed my life. Literally. Larry made me see energy and politics from a perspective I hadn’t considered. I can’t begin to tell you what I learned in that class, but, trust me, it was plentiful, deep and life-altering.

I was sick on a day Larry brought in a guest speaker, Norm Ferguson, Psychology Instructor at UNM Taos. Of all days to miss, this should not have been the one! Larry said I would have loved it. I am no stranger to psychology, but to attach it to sustainability was new to me. See what I mean about learning new perspectives?

I contacted Norm last month to see if he would be interested in writing an article based on what he conveyed in class. He sent the following. When I read it, I was really sorry I’d missed that day, but I’m glad to have it now to share with you! Enjoy!)

By Norm Ferguson

Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior. It uses empirical evidence (observations, facts, data) to draw conclusions by studying how behavior is influenced by what we learn, our thinking, other people, stress, and conscious and unconscious motives. The practical idea here is that if we understand why a behavior is occurring, then we can find ways to change it. With regard to sustainable living, the goal is to increase behaviors that contribute to sustainable living and to decrease behaviors which go against it. This article discusses several ways to use psychology concepts to promote sustainable living.

Learning

One approach is called the ABC model. “A” stands for antecedents or what the conditions are before a behavior occurs. “B” stands for behavior or what a person does and says. And, “C” stands for consequences or what happens after the behavior occurs. The idea of this model is that behaviors can be changed by changing the antecedents and/or the consequences.

One example of changing antecedents is “prompts” such as a sign on the wall which says “turn-off lights”. Another approach is to provide information about previous behavior which can help change our current behavior such as a graph on one’s electric bill giving feedback on previous usage. A third approach is called “modeling” where a knowledgeable person shows you how to do something in a more efficient way.

The two main types of consequences are “punishments” and “rewards.” The goal of punishment is to decrease a behavior. For example, putting a tax on polluting will usually reduce such behavior. Rewards are meant to increase and sustain a behavior. Giving tax breaks for installing solar panels would be an example of this.

Another form of learning which has a huge impact on our behavior is classical conditioning or learning through association. This is the basis of virtually all advertising and it is used to actually create a demand for a product. The idea is straightforward. The product (it does not matter what—beer, shampoo, an SUV, bottled water) is associated with something pleasurable such as sex, people having fun, or power and prestige. We are bombarded with such advertising everyday through TV, radio, the Internet, and print media.

This is a major cause of our over-consumption today. We are constantly being told that our life will be better if we just have product “x” and large numbers of us go out and buy it. Being aware of how this process works can help us be less vulnerable to this powerful technique.

A third form of learning which gets us to do things which are ultimately counter-productive to ourselves and the environment is called the “contingency trap.” What happens in this case is that we are lured into a behavior by the prospect of short-term pleasure while we ignore the long-term negative consequences. A prime example of this is the short-term pleasure of smoking cigarettes and the long-term consequences of lung cancer. Most people’s behavior is determined by its immediate consequences rather than effects which take several years to show-up. This is one reason why long term damaging behaviors are so hard to change.

Lastly, the failure to “delay of gratification” or the “I want it NOW” syndrome also causes major problems for many people. We have been conditioned by mass media advertising that we must have things right away, so waiting and saving to pay for something have become “old hat.” Over use of credit cards and sub-prime mortgages are examples of how the failure to delay gratification has gotten many people into serious financial problems.

Thinking (also called “cognition”)

Here are three example of how our thinking processes can get us in trouble.

One is called “either-or thinking” in which we consider only two alternatives. It’s either this or that, it’s yes or no, it’s right or wrong. This form of thinking, which often makes decisions easier because only two choices are considered, can lead us to make bad decisions because it restricts our range of choices. Considering four or five alternatives may well lead to a more informed decision.

The “frog in the hot water” scenario means that when something in the environment changes slowly over time, we are much less likely to notice it than when a rapid change occurs. If we drop a frog into a pot of very hot water, it will immediately jump out, But, if we put the frog in a pot of cold water and slowly heat it, the frog won’t notice and it will allow itself to be cooked to death. This analogy may apply to how we are responding to global warming.

The “folk-model” relates to buying energy efficient appliances. It says we tend to calculate how long it will take to pay for a new (and usually more expensive) energy efficient appliance using today’s energy costs. But, this fails to take into account that energy costs are going to continue to raise so that the payback for the appliance will be faster. Many people don’t consider this when deciding whether or not to buy a new energy efficient appliance.

(Continue to Part 2)

{ 0 comments }

Strong Forecasts for Green Business and Building in 2010

by nan on 2010/01/14 · 0 comments

(Nan’s Note: Yeah! This sounds great to me! This shows, too, that ‘green’ is not just about energy. It’s about decentralizing and supporting your neighbors. Technology is great, but we are so global, we forget we have a local world. That is where our sustainable efforts should begin – at home.)

By Leanne Tobias

What’s in store for green buildings and green business in 2010? Here are my predictions for the year’s emerging trends.

Retrofits – The mainstreaming of LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) — which requires compliance with EPA’s Energy Star program — gives property owners…

Energy Efficiency – As in 2009, operating cost efficiency remains an imperative for…

Alternative Energy – The use of the 30 percent investment tax credit for alternative energy should…

Localism/Regionalism – I’m also seeing reports that community or regional brands (as opposed to national or multi-national chains) are the hottest…

Greener Agriculture and Cityscapes – Localism/regionalism, when applied to the food chain, translates into…

Read the ends to those sentences at Greenbiz.com, and check out these books:

{ 0 comments }

Green Remodeling 101

by nan on 2010/01/13 · 2 comments

If you are thinking of remodeling, go green. From simple painting to a major overhaul, you can incorporate green features that create a healthier environment for you, the planet and your pocketbook.

You will:
• save energy and natural resources
• reduce your emissions and your carbon footprint
• save money
• increase your home’s value
• improve your health

According to the EPA, buildings in the US account for:
• 39 percent of total energy use
• 12 percent of the total water consumption
• 68 percent of total electricity consumption
• 38 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions

You can help reduce those numbers with a green remodel of your home.

By adding green features, you will cut back on energy consumption. This conserves our finite resources and reduces the emissions created through their mining and drilling, production, transportation and final use.

Energy is expensive, and cutting back will reduce your bills. You already save money by turning down your thermostat and shutting lights off when not in use. With a green remodel, you would reduce your bills even further. Energy efficient appliances and ceiling insulation are two low-cost, effective ways to save money.

By installing solar hot water and/or electric, or a wind turbine, you generate your own power, greatly reducing power production, coal consumption and transportation costs. Anytime you reduce the demand of a utility, you are saving money, reducing emissions and extending the life of our natural resources.

A green home will increase in value, as all homes do, but green features will become more and more desirable as fuel sources become scarce and prices rise. Many real estate associations now offer green features on their multiple listing services, allowing you to buy or sell with energy efficiency in mind.

Health problems today, such as asthma, ADD, cancers and allergies, can be attributed to the toxic air inside our homes. Paints, sealants, glues and new furniture can ‘gas out’ while we live with them. Remodel with non-toxic paints and finishes low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Buy natural fiber rugs and natural flooring, or use recycled materials that have already gassed out. Increase the ventilation in your home to keep fresh air moving in and unhealthy air moving out. Better indoor air quality will improve the health of you and your family.

Remodeling is more environmentally friendly than new construction. Fewer materials are used, creating less waste, and large pieces of land are not eaten up. Land is finite, and once it’s built on, it can never revert to its original condition. Consider remodeling your home or buying a home to remodel instead of building new.

When you remodel, recycle as much waste as possible. Windows, bathroom fixtures, lighting fixtures and doors can be donated to a Habitat Re-Store or other facility.

Before you remodel, consult with a certified energy rater. Find one through RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network).

A rater will conduct an energy audit of your home and recommend the best ways to improve your energy efficiency. The report will indicate what will give you the quickest and highest return on your investment. You shouldn’t spend more than you can reasonably recover in a short period of time.

Check the Database of State Incentives for Renewable & Efficiency for federal and state tax credits for adding energy efficient features to your home. This will continue to save you money while you enjoy your newly remodeled, healthy, energy efficient home.

* * *

{ 2 comments }

Sustainable Consumption: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?

by nan on 2010/01/12 · 0 comments

(Nan’s Note: “The need to develop new consumption patterns is the mother of all innovation challenges. The race to dematerialize is on.” That was all I needed to read to convince me to post this article!

Consumers and businesses need to work in tandem to reduce waste. Corporations are making strides in waste reduction, but if consumers became more eco-conscious, it would double up the efforts of the business world.

Simplify! Consume less! Way less! Your planet and future generations depend on it!)

By Aron Cramer

With climate negotiations reaching an inconclusive end in Copenhagen, the action swings back from national governments and the intergovernmental process to you and me.

For many years, the idea of sustainable consumption has been embraced by NGOs and others, but widely shunned by business.

This is changing fast. Not only that, the signs of growing interest are coming from unlikely locations.

Find out where and what the solutions are in this article from Greenbiz.com – another on of my favorites for green business news.

{ 0 comments }

ModCell’s Stunning Straw-bale Prefab Homes

by nan on 2010/01/10 · 3 comments

(Nan’s Note: Strawbale meets prefab! I love it! It works, and it’s beautiful. Top that! This firm has even achieved Passivhaus standards with this method. A passivhaus can reduce your utility bills by 90% with a tight envelope, lots of insulation and an air exchanger.)

By Bridgette Meinhold

Straw bale construction is both sustainable and remarkably energy efficient, and its organic nature can create some incredibly beautiful homes. But this building technique is not for everyone, nor every climate, and using straw bales in construction requires an almost artisan-like craftsmanship. A prefab company in the UK called ModCell, has taken an innovative approach that merges straw bale construction with prefabricated panels, with an end result that is highly attractive, energy-efficient and very sustainable.

Read more and see pictures of this beautiful and simple building at Inhabitat.

More on strawbale construction.

* * *

{ 3 comments }

Big Ideas for Small Spaces

by nan on 2010/01/08 · 3 comments

(Nan’s Note: Small homes are where it’s at. I’ve felt this way for a long time, having grown up in a house half of which was rarely used. After the McMansion period in building history, homeowners are finally getting sensible – they want smaller homes. This is great for the environment, because a smaller home uses fewer materials in construction and less energy to be run.

McMansion owners may feel cramped in a small home, but it’s a matter of learning and getting used to a new lifestyle. There are construction tricks that can give the feel of space when there is less of it. When the furniture and fixtures are of proper scale, a small space can be very comfortable, too. Read on to find out some construction secrets, and if you are a downsizing McMansion owner, bravo to you!)

By Vishu Magee, Taos, NM architect and designer

One theme stands out as the housing industry comes back to life: people want to build smaller homes. Have we finally come to our senses and embraced a greener outlook? Or are we just cutting back because economics are forcing us to?

In either case, a preference for smaller homes will endure only if we can be happy with a little less. Lifestyles will have to become less consumerist, and we must explore more substantial, nonmaterial sources of fulfillment. On a practical level, we’ll be designing more efficient spaces, shoehorning our stuff into a smaller footprint, and getting rid of things we don’t really need.

Before you build, read the rest of this informative article at Su Casa Magazine.

{ 3 comments }

Bessie Carmichael School Awarded $100,000 For LEED Certification

by nan on 2010/01/07 · 0 comments

(Nan’s Note: Quite a challenge here to revamp this school building! It is creative, beautiful, efficient and historical! I’m impressed!)

By Piper Kujac

Recently the Bessie Carmichael School in the South of Market (SOMA) area of San Francisco received a grant from software manufacturer Adobe Systems, in conjunction with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) to green its campus, and the results uncover an inspiring renovation to a tight urban site…. The San Francisco Unified School District hired Plum Architects to redefine the school structure.

Restructuring the school included more than just structural upgrades and extended to include smart design solutions that promote creativity, self-discipline, cultural and linguistic sensitivity, and physical and mental health for students within this local community.

Read more and see the pics at Inhabit.com!

{ 0 comments }

The 2010 Garden Begins in Earnest

by nan on 2010/01/05 · 0 comments

Last month, I posted this list of seed companies to get your mind off the holiday madness. The way I deal with the seasonal chaos is to savor the seed catalogs that come with the junk mail catalogs.

January is serious garden-planning time, so I am sending this to you again. I’m sure you have more presence of mind now to think about summer, rain, fresh vegetables and maybe even your fire escape!

Winter is a quiet time for planning and drawing your gardens, imagining and planning putting up food, and maintaining your tools. I used to have stacks of notebooks of garden plans, and I finally broke down and bought A Gardener’s Journal – A Ten Year Chronicle of Your Garden. I used that up years ago, and now I plan my garden on the freebie calendar that either comes in the mail or is on the counter at the hardware store.

My considerations for buying seeds

1) cool weather/short season plants for outdoors.

2) appropriate varieties for the greenhouse in summer and winter.

3) open-pollinated (OP) and heirloom seeds, not hybrids.

4) organic seed is a bonus.

My favorite seed companies (in no particular order)

sunflower 1) Territorial Seed Company This is where I bought my seeds for 2009. It’s a big, fat catalog printed on newsprint that I can either burn, recycle or compost. There is a huge selection of OP seeds, so many, I had a hard time deciding what to buy! The stock is mostly vegetables, but there are also flowers, herbs and fruit as well as supplies for garden and kitchen.

2) Johnny’s Selected Seeds Lots of great greenhouse varieties, not a huge selection of OP seeds, but everything is clearly labeled in the catalog. Wonderful gardening advice throughout. I bought from these folks exclusively when I lived in NH, but they have since included too many hybrids now. They do have commercial size offerings for market farmers.

3) Nichols Nursery I love Nichols! They have an extensive herb seed collection and other unique things for cooks and the kitchen. I usually buy a few things from them every year, since it is such a treat. They have items I haven’t located elsewhere. Their catalog is printed on newsprint to burn, compost or recycle.

carrots

4) Renee’s Garden Seeds (formerly Shepherd’s Garden Seeds) Renee Shepherd is a great cook, and she offers unique gourmet vegetables and herbs. Her cookbooks are also available, as well as an extensive collection of flowers. Her catalog is online only.

5) Seed Savers Exchange You can buy directly from SSE or become a member to save and share your heirloom seeds. SSE ‘is the largest non-governmental seed bank in the United States. We permanently maintain more than 25,000 endangered vegetable varieties, most having been brought to North America by members’ ancestors who immigrated from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the world.’

6) Bountiful Gardens Another awesome source for heirloom seeds. Vegetables, fruits, green manures and supplies. Bountiful is a project of Ecology Action, which developed ‘GROW BIOINTENSIVE®, a high-yielding, sustainable agricultural system that emphasizes local food production and is based historically on intensive gardening systems.’

7) Seeds of Change I am adding SOC here, because their seeds are certified organic. I don’t buy from them. I actually have a bone or two to pick with these people. I used to buy from them exclusively when I first came to New Mexico in the late 80s. I was living and working on a seed farm, and the plan was to grow bulk seed for them. They were local and organic. Since then, they have been bought by Mars (M&M Mars), although that is not clear on their website. To top it off, in the last couple of years, they started packaging their seeds in plastic zip lock baggies to ‘save the environment’ by making them reusable. I have to throw away that little plastic baggie, but I could burn or compost the paper packaging. I don’t see how moving from paper to plastic helps the environment. So even though SOC’s farm is just down the road in El Guique near San Juan Pueblo, and the offices are in Santa Fe, I only buy from them in a pinch when I am at Cid’s Market and need something right away.

For all you greenies, I love catalogs. I love to turn the pages, scribble, make notes and fold over the corners of especially interesting pages. I love to sink into a hot bath with a seed catalog and a pen. Sorry. I am not 100% green. No one is, and this is one of my sins.

Nevertheless, each of these websites and catalogs is a wealth of information for gardeners of all levels. That is why I keep them around long after their season.

Here are a few must-read gardening books. I have read them all and owned them all at one time or another.

And check out this site for supplies: