Wind power farms, Solar panel installations, hydroelectric and geothermal power; our planet and Sun is pulsing with all kinds of renewable energy sources.  So, what is renewable energy, how are cities all over the world advancing renewable energy projects, and how can each of us become more aware of the nontoxic opportunities to meet our ever-growing energy needs. Here are some tips on energy that is clean, climate resilient and sustainable:
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• What is renewable energy? Renewable energy is power that comes from natural sources like the Sun, wind and hydro- and geo-thermal power. Electricity is generated through these sources, stored and distributed to people, businesses and governments. And while renewable energy is more and more accepted as a viable alternative to fossil fuels, we are still slow to significantly use renewable energy sources. According to the US Energy Information Administration, in 2016, renewal energy sources accounted for only 10% of the total used in his country. Learn more at: https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/index.php#renewables.
• How much energy do we use here in the USA? Americans use 18% of all the energy globally, even though our population is only 5% of the world’s total. Therefore, adding new ways to generate power without harming the Earth are becoming a higher priority daily.
• What are the strategies for increasing renewable energy use? One aspect of sustainable building has to do with being environmentally responsible throughout the building’s life cycle. That is, through the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and demolition of the building are considered from the beginning of the process. Eco-friendly buildings cost less to operate and are more popular with the people that occupy or work in them. And we can all be more aware of the way our homes and offices use water, energy and waste. Once you notice a place to improve, do something! For example, start a compost or rideshare program at work.
• What are clean power companies and how can I find out about my local options? Clean power companies like Sonoma Clean power are committed to providing clean energy at competitive rates and enhance the local economy and community health. Check out Sonoma Clean Power at: www.sonomacleanpower.org. There is also a Marin Clean Power company; their website is: www.mcecleanenergy.org.
• Can bicycling, walking, and using public transit support sustainable living? Yes, taking cars off the road greatly reduces emissions, which have contributed to global warming and the destruction of the ozone layer of our atmosphere. Each gallon of gas burned emits 24 pounds of Carbon Dioxide, according to the EPA. Cities encourage biking and walking by creating and maintaining public paths. And personally, we can take public transportation more often and support legislation for public transportation projects. Get inspired by websites like: www.voicesforpublictransit.org.

Thanks for checking out this article and look for more information about renewable energy in your own way. Let us know if you have any questions by writing: jude@sbs.green. 

Air travel is awful for the environment – its impact on Mother Nature is huge, representing the worst form of travel in terms of greenhouse gases per passenger mile. According to the Air Transport Action Group, 12% of all CO2 emissions are generated by airplanes. So, save the Earth, some money and time, by staying close to home this season and enjoying the wonders close to you. Here are a few ideas for your next eco-friendly stay at home vacation:

• Check out the tourist spots near you (that you never go to). You know how you might only go to that National Park, hot air balloon event or natural wonder if the relatives are in town? Well, you may be missing out on lots of opportunities to have fun close to home! If you don’t already know what’s around you that might make for a fun day-trip or family outing, check out your local chamber of commerce for community event listings, TripAdvisor (an online travel site), or the National Park Service (www.nps.gov) for ideas.
• Create a family scrapbook, memory box or photo collage together. A lot of the fun of vacationing with family is making memories and spending unscheduled leisure time together. How about dragging out the old photo albums and spend some time talking about the events and places in the photos? Or maybe a family game evening or afternoon? Putting down the tech devices and allowing space for family to share can be one of the best ways to spend vacation time together.
• Turn the back yard into a place for adventures. Plant a garden with your family; look for native plants to reduce water use and have been adapted to the environment. Check out the California Native Plant Society for more info: www.cnps.org.  Host a cooking competition for your neighbors; provide reusable containers for leftovers. Create a fort or tree house together, get the kids involved!
• If you’re driving, take care to go more green. You can do that simply, by using your cruise control when appropriate; not accelerating rashly; avoiding (as much as possible) sharp braking; and, taking your time, remember, you’re on vacation! And for the cheapest gas prices in your area, try this website (or download the app) that finds low prices on fuel, has a trip calculator, blog and other info: www.gasbuddy.com.
• Have you heard of “Geocaching”? According to the official Geocaching website, “Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.”  Get more information here, or find local Geocaching groups here.
• Get creative. How about playing paintball or Lasertag? Miniature golf or batting cages? Getting a summer pass to the local pool? Paddleboarding? Canoeing? Get outside, be healthy and go gently on Mother Earth.

 
Thanks so much for reading this article. We encourage you to search the internet for more info and have fun; it doesn’t take a long distance trip to make summer memories. For more info, email Jude Frates of Sustainable Business Solutions: jude@sbs.green.
 
 

Summer is officially here, and the hot weather is upon us. Energy consumption rises significantly in the summer mainly due to increase cooling needs, both for products and people. Here a couple ways to lower your energy consumption and costs while remaining comfortable.
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1. Keep windows and blinds closed during the day and open during the night: Windows are the lease insulated part of your house, letting the cold air inside out, and hot air outside in. Keeping the windows closed and blinds or curtains closed during the day will decrease the amount of hot air entering your house. Additionally, letting the cooler night air in during the night will help keep your interior temperature cool. 
2. Build a homemade A.C. unit: Fans help circulate air keeping indoor temperatures lower. If you have a free standing fan you can keep a frozen item (typically a small bucket of water) behind the fan. As your frozen item thaws the cold air is circulated by the fan.
3. Turn off heat sources inside: Electronics and applicances give off heat as they’re used. Keep your lights off, cooking outside, and using major appliances after the sun goes down will help keep your interior temperature down
4. Drink lots of liquids: Keeping your body temperature down helps deal with the heat. Make sure to drink lots of water of cool day. Also switching coffee and tea to an iced beverage will give that caffine kick you need without warming your insides.
5. Use old rags, shirts, etc to keep as cooling towels: Find an old shirt, or any cloth (preferably cotton), soak in cold water and put on the back of your neck or head. This will instantly lower your body temerature
6. Wear natural fiber clothing: Natural fibers “breathe” better than most synthetics. This allows for greater flow of air through your clothing, allowing your bodies natural cooling system to work more efficiently. 
7. Go to a body of water and enjoy: As water evoprates it cools the air. Going to your local river, lake, or pool will keep you cool on these scorcing summer days.
We hope you find these tips helpful and stay cool this summer while using the least amount of water possible. For more green tips visit SBS.GREEN

Wasn’t it just winter a short time ago? And now we’re facing high temperatures and hot cars and homes. What can we do to keep ourselves more comfortable this spring and summer? Here are some energy-efficient, low-cost and environmentally friendlier tips for staying cool:
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• Keep the blinds closed in your home. This probably seems obvious, but we often forget how much heat comes in through the windows all day-- a full 30% of your stuffy home’s temperature. Keeping blinds, shades and curtains closed during the day can lower temps by up to 20 degrees, so give it a try. It’s a no-cost way to keep cool, save money and lower your energy footprint.
• Use a sun shade in your car. Reducing car temperatures by up to 40 degrees, sun shades are inexpensive, protect your dashboard and upholstery, and come in a variety of sizes and styles.
• In both the car and at home, try focusing on lowering your body temperature instead of the temperature of the space. After all, your ancestors survived without air-conditioning, so you can too! To reduce your body temp quickly, sip a cool drink or put a cold cloth on your pulse points, particularly your neck and wrists. Check out cool packs--filled with gels that retain a low temperature--online.
• Turn off the oven. Heating the oven often means heating the house. We still have to eat, though, so how about learning to make some meals without using your oven? Of course, summer salads are a nutritious and quick way to create a meal without cooking. Try adding non-meat protein like tofu, cooked beans and rice, tempeh, and nuts to your salad to make a healthy, satisfying and eco-friendly meal. And remember, organic produce is good for you and the planet.
• Cook outdoors. Use your grill and you won't heat up the house. Gas grills use non-renewable fossil fuels, though they get hot quickly and emit less smoke and particulate matter than charcoal or electric grills. Charcoal grills add more flavor to your food than either gas or electric grills, though they release more carbon than either type. Lighter fluid and charcoal briquettes add ground-level ozone to the air, according to the EPA. To offset those effects, use lump charcoal (produced from wood) and a charcoal chimney (instead of lighter fluid). Electric grills have the highest Green House Gas footprint, unless the electricity you're using is from a sustainable source.
• And one more for the car, freeze glass water bottles to use as ice packs. Wrap the frozen bottle in a towel and put it behind your neck to keep you cool while driving. Once it thaws, enjoy the cold water!

 
Thanks for reading this article; we hope you have a cool and sustainable summer. For more information, email Jude Frates at jude@sbs.green.
 

California had the wettest winter in 122 years, so we must have enough water now, right? Unfortunately not. As we warm up this spring, we encourage you to continue to conserve water. Here are some interesting facts about the state of our State’s water supply. We hope this reinforces our personal and community-wide water conservation behavior. With the effects of climate change creating a new “normal”-- like longer drought periods and wetter, more destructive rainy cycles-- conserving one of our most precious resources should be a year-round habit. Feel free to pass this article along to a friend; together we can save the planet…and ourselves:

• How much water have we lost? “As of August 2014, California had lost 63 trillion gallons of groundwater in one 18-month period of drought—a combination of no replenishment from surface water, increased evapotranspiration rates, and increased groundwater pumping by users without water in their rivers or their wells,” according to the Arid Lands Institute of Burbank, California. And that 63 trillion gallon figure was only for half of the drought we have been experiencing!
• How much rain would it take for California’s drought to be over? It’s taken years of ongoing drought to deplete the groundwater levels, and low snowpacks for the last several years has allowed the ground to soak up more sun, adding even more to the environmental warm up. The Sierra snowpack, according to National Geographic, was at a 500-year low before this 2016-17 rainy season. Not only do reservoirs need to fill up around the state, we also need to have the groundwater aquifers replenish. A combination of a lot of rainfall, falling in the right places (up and down the state), with below-freezing temperatures (so the water freezes and turns to snow) over a sustained period of time would go a long way towards overcoming this devastating drought.
•  How much rain did we get this season? “Fueled by a parade of ‘Pineapple Express’ storms, California is in the midst of its wettest water year in 122 years of record-keeping, according to federal scientists. Between October 2016 and February 2017, California averaged 27.81 inches of precipitation, the highest average since such records began being kept in 1895,” according to data released Wednesday by the National Centers for Environmental Information, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• What can I do to help? Did you know that the Governor’s proclamation of drought is still in effect? Continue to conserve water by not: using potable water to wash sidewalks and driveways, allowing runoff when irrigating with potable water, using hoses with no shutoff nozzles to wash cars, using potable water in decorative water features that do not recirculate the water, or irrigating outdoors during and within 48 hours following measureable rainfall. When indoors you can reduce consumption by taking shorter showers, flushing your toilet less, and soaking dishes prior to washing to reduce the time running water is on. Those prohibitions, and more information about conserving water can be found on the state’s Water Conservation Portal: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/conservation_portal/index.shtml