It's that time of the year to think about tax credits

Well, the fourth quarter is upon us, and it's a good time to review the tax credits available to homeowners for 2009. Here's the link to the government's document of the tax credits http://www.energy.gov/media/HR_1424.pdf You may want to make particular purchases now, or put them off until Jan 2010 depending on how the tax credits fall.
Beware of searching for info on the web and clicking on a site which is cleaverly disquised as a government information site and is really just a sales site for a particular company. I find this especially true of review sites, for example you are trying to find a review on a new green cleaning product, and you search "reviews on green cleaning products" and you get a site called"
www.consumerreviewsoncleaningproducts dot com. However, this is merely a particular manufacturer who made up a web site reviewing cleaning products and coming to the concusion, of course, that their products are the best by far.
So, be sure your site ends in .gov and when you look at the web page, it really has government logos on it, and on the contact page an address and e-mail that is official.

Get off your butts and clean up some butts!

When I did my first coastal clean-up I was surprised to find that the #1 trash on the beach was... you guessed it... cigarette butts. I have never been a smoker, but I can't imagine anyone could think it's OK to just drop your butt into the sand. Anyway, this Sat all along all coasts, 9am-noon is the Coastal Clean up. Most beaches have give aways and supply you with gloves and bags. So, get off your butt and clean up some!

For more info, go to ocwatersheds.com:

http://www.ocwatersheds.com/publiceducation/pe_CA_cleanup.asp

Are Solar Panels the Way to Go?

Are you thinking of making some energy efficient improvements to your home? The first thing most people think of is solar panels, right? After all, solar panels save lots of energy. Some people even sell the excess electricity generated back to the power company and have a $0 electric bill. Larry Hagman, of "I dream of Jeannie" and "Dallas" fame actually creates enough energy to power his 5,000 square foot mansion and creates enough extra energy to power 13 inner city homes, which he does as a gift - awesome!

However, for our smaller homes, solar might not be the answer. In many cases than not, taking advantage of other energy efficient improvements such as insulation and weatherstripping, energy star appliances, native plant landscaping and irrigation on timers and sensors, will actually bring you a greater return in money savings and energy in the long run without the huge expense of solar panels. But then on the other hand, with manufacturer and government rebates for solar panels, now is probably the time to buy! Do your due diligence and research.

Also...

The best way to find out what course of action to take is to have an Energy Audit done on your home. It will factor in rebates, and government incentives and give you a report stating exactly what improvements will bring you the most return financially and on energy efficiency.

Here's a website with the energy audit info:http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/tightenup/audit.html

Here's a website detailing government rebates: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?state=CA&re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1

Don't forget that manufacturers also have rebates. And energy star rebates: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

Let the Sun Shine In!

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.