As always, there is lots of information to share this week! You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook for the stuff I didn’t have room for here.
> My idea (for now) of rain harvesting is a bunch of buckets and 55-gallon trash cans lining the house under the roof. I use the water mostly for garden irrigation, but I have been known to dunk my head in it on a hot summer day. Someday I will get official with gutters and a cistern, and when I do, this item will come in handy.
> You don’t need LEED certification to live in an efficient, healthy home. You can, however, use their guidelines to make improvements. Start with an energy audit, and caulk and seal obvious leaks, then move up to larger items. Greening your home is not beautiful, until you get your utility bill. Here are five simple ways to get started.
> Get prepared for when the economy picks back up. There will be a demand for workers in sustainable fields. Here’s a projection on green jobs for the next ten years.
> I love beer. What I have been drinking for the last ten years or so is Fat Tire, one of several brews of New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado. New Belgium is one of the most sustainable businesses in the US. Serendipity that I like their beer AND they are green! Here are four other eco-friendly craft breweries, and be sure to read the comments for even more.
> Consumption is evil. We need to cut back and do without every new gadget that comes along, repurpose what we have, and recycle what we don’t need anymore. Check out this list of anti-consumers, and get inspired to live a simpler life.
> It wouldn’t be a recap without a green building! This comes from the Draw-Your-Own-Conclusions Department. Being green, to me, is holistic. It’s a lifestyle, a complete way of living, including appreciating nature, taking care of each other, and staying healthy. The largest cosmetic company in Brazil is embarking on a country-wide green building project. They are creating places for thousands of employees, sales people, consultants and contractors to meet, have trainings, stay and feel at home. The buildings are efficient modulars, which I love. What I don’t love is that (and I hope we all know this by now!), cosmetics are loaded with toxic ingredients, including lead and other heavy metals. So how green is this company? To me, not very. You can build green all you want, but if your product is toxic, it means little. Is this greenwash, hypocrisy, or just lack of education? Draw your own conclusions.
