Green Laguna Beach and Gardening in Costa Mesa

I pride myself as someone who knows what's going on in the world of green in So Cal. I just found out about http://www.greenlagunabeach.com/ which was launched on Earth Day (that would be back in April!) It's a great site with lots of resources, including green homes in Laguna Beach.

And for a green yard, we all should know by now that we should rip up our green lawn and plant native plants (- how about that for a segway. ) A great FREE way to learn about native plant landscaping is to go to the workshop sponsored by one of my fav organizations Back to Natives. It on Sat, August 29, 9AM - 1PM. I love the idea of a free workshop in exchange for planting a garden, this is collaboration at its finest - everyone wins!

Here'e the info from their site: Back to Natives is excited to be providing landscape design services for the "Costa Mesa Green Home," which many believe will be the greenest home in Orange County, California when certified 'Platinum' by the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) for Homes Program. Members of the community are invited to a Native Plant Landscaping Workshop, to learn how and why planting native plants is beneficial. During the workshop, participants will assist in installing the design. The workshop will be held on August 29th, from 9AM to 1PM. To RSVP, call 949-509-4787 or send an email to info@backtonatives.org

How Green is it Anyway?

NPR is running a great series this month, called "How Green is It?" it's been running during All things Considered, their afternoon news show. I catch it on 88.3 KPCC in the Los Angeles/OC area. I just discovered it, and I know August is almost over, but you can go to their website and listen to each episode: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111519254
I was intrigued by the thought of reusable shopping bags maybe not being a green thing, as they are shipped thousands of miles oversees, and they brought up the fact that people will now have to buy plastic bags to pick up their dog poop, however there are biodegradable plastic dog poop bags also, so all the variables have to be considered.
Here's a summary of the segments:
Green Cars The new "cash for clunkers" law is designed to get Americans to replace old cars with new ones that get better gas mileage. So is it really more environmentally friendly to buy a new hybrid car to replace your perfectly good 5-year-old gasoline-powered vehicle?
Bring Your Own Bags Reusable shopping bags are popping up everywhere — from the grocery store to the home improvement warehouse. Ikea now charges a bag fee to customers who don't bring their own, and some cities are imposing taxes on plastic bags or banning them altogether. Are these totes as environmentally friendly as they seem?
Green Electricity If your electric company offers you the chance to buy power generated from wind, solar or other types of renewable energy, should you do it? Many utilities offer that option, and as prices have come down, more and more people are signing up. But what are you actually buying?
Energy Star Does that star automatically translate into lower electricity bills and less impact on the planet? Energy Star products are supposed to be 30 percent more efficient than standard products, but some still use a lot of power.
Replacement Windows The federal government will give you a tax credit of up to $1,500 to replace your old, drafty windows with new energy-efficient ones. NPR examines whether your energy savings make up for that energy expenditure, or whether it's better to keep your old windows and make them more energy efficient by adding weather stripping and storm windows. Bamboo Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth. But how green is it really? Shogren examines what factors into this equation.

My opinion is you do the best you can. Making small changes will make a big difference. Something as simple as putting your TV, VCR, DVD, etc into a power strip and turning it off when not in use saves a lot of electricity in the long run, as they constantly draw power to enable them to turn on instantly. So we have to wait a minute for the TV to turn on, but we are doing our bit to help, and saving a little on our electric bill. That's what matters to me.

Yes, there are not a lot of green homes....yet, but soon all homes will be in some way or another. As older homes are remodeled, they have better insulation, weatherstripping and energy efficiency and hopefully, some recycled materials are being used too. New homes will be built to more eco-friendly standards, so it will all be better little by little.

BTW, I have a list of homes under $350K within 10 minutes of the coast in South OC that are single family, not condos. So, even if you are not able to build green, you can sure save a lot of green on a home or second home to use as a rental or vacation home right now! Just go to my website on the home page for a link to the flyer: www.ocgreenrealty.com

The Organization protecting our Blue Oceans is Green!

As we in So Cal and around the world celebrate the Surfrider Organization's 25th anniversary, I thought I'd let you know about an exciting green happening with the local chapter. They recently moved to their new eco-friendly offices in San Clemente.
What makes the offices green?

• Reused furniture, recycled materials, donated artwork and surfboard memorabilia to start with.


• Energy efficiency through automated lighting fixtures, using natural lighting as much as possible and task lighting, which gives each employee control over the lighting of their own workspace.


• Water efficient fixtures


• Natural ventilation


• Reuse and repurpose of doors, frames, hardware from the precious office. They even used the door as desktops!

Membership is only $25 a year, check it out: https://www.surfrider.org/surfrider_membership/join/member_main.cfm

Can your yard be a wildlife habitat?

Yes! San Clemente Resident Lori Morgan, did this, and got her yard certified through the National Wildlife Federation. The plants in her yard are specifically planted to attract certain wildlife like butterflies, blue jays, and other birds who next or find shelter in her beautiful yard. She even harvests the seeds of the plants to replant instead of purchasing new seeds. Next, she is shooting for the Certified Monarch Weighstation Habitat.

My daughter is reading a lot of Bride and Bloom magazine, preparing for her wedding next year, but did you know there is also a Bird and Bloom magazine specifically for planting a garden to attract Birds and Butterflies?

This is a photo I took in Costa Rica in a Butterfly Garden. See how when they close their wings, they look like a lizard with an eye open? Inside they are an amazing iridescent blue.

Saving money on your water bill - free worksop in SJC

When I lived in Arizona, we either had ugly painted gravel in our yards, or xeriscaping, which is a yard designed with native plants that require very little water. The gravel was so tacky and ugly, but served a purpose, no mowing and no water. I had a xeriscaped yard with a gravel "wash" flowing under a little bridge, it was rather nice. In California, as I have said in previous blog entries, we treehuggers urge you to rip up your lawn.

This just in from the city of San Juan Capistrano:
Landscape watering workshop to save water, money on tap July 30

The public is invited to learn how it can reduce water usage, save money and help the City stay in a "Stage 1" voluntary water-conservation mode in two workshops on July 30. The workshops are designed to encourage water conservation and help deter mandatory rationing. The City's wholesale water supplier Metropolitan Water District of Southern California in April ordered 10 percent water cutbacks this summer. The City Council declared the voluntary water conservation measure and voted for stricter enforcement of year-round mandatory conservation provisions with financial penalties for non-compliance. Workshop participants will learn invaluable landscape-watering techniques and about plant material for the future that will help reduce water usage and save residents money. The workshops will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and again from 6:30 to 8 p.m. July 30 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. For more information, contact Francie Kennedy at 949-487-4304 or fkennedy@sanjuancapistrano.org.

Open your windows!

Do you know that indoor air quality is so much more unhealthy to the average American than outdoor air quality - even in Los Angeles!

Studies by the Indoor Air Quality Association have shown that most people spend 90% of their time in indoor environments. Indoor air quality (IAQ) issues impact the lives of people across the globe. Problems with poor air quality in buildings and homes can result in health concerns, liability issue, lost productivity, and decreased property values. Here are some causes of IAQ according to the Environmental Protection Agency's website:

Asbestos
Biological Pollutants
Carbon Monoxide
Formaldehyde/Pressed Wood Products
Household Cleaning and Maintenance, Personal Care, or Hobbies
Lead
Nitrogen Dioxide
Pesticides
Radon
Respirable Particles
Secondhand Smoke/Environmental Tobacco Smoke
Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, and Chimneys

So, how can you reduce the negative impact of poor IAQ? Here are some quick tips:

• Choose low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints, varnishes, and finishes -easily available at any hardware or home improvement store
• Choose furniture and carpeting that does not produce harmful "off gassing". Often, pressed woods and particle boards are made with harmful chemicals.
• Properly ventilate your home, have working clean exhaust fans, and in nice weather, keep windows open to encourage outdoor air to come in.
• For most indoor air quality problems in the home, source control is the most effective solution. So if you can find the source of the issue and deal with it, do so. Some of the most common indoor asthma triggers include secondhand smoke, dust mites, mold, cockroaches and other pests, household pets, and combustion byproducts.

There are certified Indoor Air Quality specialists you can hire to assess your particular situation. Go to: http://www.iaqcouncil.org/ for resources on this.

Go go outside and breathe....

When you think of green cities, do you think of LA?

I attended a great seminar on transitional towns. Laguna Beach is a transition town, along with over 185 other cities in the world. Transition Towns are committed to reduce their reliance on peak oil through grass roots action and volunteerism. The movement is growing by leaps and bounds with no paid staff. Core groups of citizens agree to the guidelines and on their own follow an extensive procedures manual that details what they can do to reduce their dependence on peak oil. ("Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline" according to wikipedia.) You can read all about Transition Towns on: http://transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/TransitionNetwork

So, I wondered what cities in the US were integrating green principals, and I found a ranking on sustainlane.com. And, was I shocked! LA (28) and NYC (5) front and center. http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/

Bet you didn't guess those cities. Oh, yea Portland was of course number 1, followed by San Francisco and Seattle. NYC, my little home town, made it high in the rankings due to their excellent mass transit amongst other things, and LA partly due to the LA River Project. Read more about this at: http://www.lariver.org/