Monthly Archives: March 2009

got old Crocs? recycle them!

Posted on March 19, 2009 by wako

Just got new Crocs. The info sheet included their recycling program! Wear your Crocs until they’re all worn out. Drop them at a participating retail shop, which you can find on their site. (I found 11 places within 25 miles … Continue reading →

Posted in children, clothing, environment, everyday, green products, recycle, second life, sustainability, sustainable | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

water audit

Posted on March 17, 2009 by wako

Take shorter showers! That’s the big take-away for today’s Water Wise House Call. The Ssnta Clara Valley Water District offers it free as part of their water conservation program. I signed up a few weeks ago as part of my … Continue reading →

Posted in conservation, energy saving, environment, everyday, kitchen, sustainability, sustainable, utilities, water | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

water wise

Posted on March 12, 2009 by wako

Typical single-family home water use From Santa Clara Valley Water District brochure for Water-Wise House Calls (www.valleywater.org) 52% outdoors 10% toilets 10% shower 9.5% laundry 9% leaks 8% faucets 1% baths 0.5% dishwashers

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

water: how hot is too hot?

Posted on March 10, 2009 by wako

138ºF  water. Scalding hot. Waste-of-energy hot. Hurts-my-hands-to-wash-dishes hot. Risky-to-jump-in-the-shower hot. Sure, it’s better than the other way around–no hot water–but my guess was the water heater in my house was set too high. The recommended temp is 120 F. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in energy saving, environment, everyday, kitchen, sustainable, utilities, water | Tagged | Leave a comment

walker’s paradise: city vs suburban

Posted on March 4, 2009 by wako

When I lived in the city, my Walk Score was 92. Definitely a Walker’s Paradise (their definition), except that I lived at the top of a very steep hill. (So when I was hobbling around on crutches with a broken … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday, sustainable, walkability | Leave a comment

fill your fridge, save energy and money

Posted on March 4, 2009 by wako

Two climate change-fighting volunteers from Green@Home came by for a housecall today. I learned, among other things, that my refrigerator is too empty. Why is this a problem? Because –here comes my simplified explanation–an empty(ish) fridge has little to “hold” … Continue reading →

Posted in energy saving, environment, everyday, food, kitchen, sustainability, sustainable, utilities | Tagged , | Leave a comment

print only what you want: PrintWhatYouLike.com

Posted on March 2, 2009 by wako

I just checked out PrintWhatYouLike.com, which is another tool to help with “smart” printing. This web-based tool focuses on helping you print only what you want and need on websites, which helps the environment by minimizing waste of paper, printer … Continue reading →

Posted in energy saving, environment, everyday, office, paper, sustainable, technology | Tagged | 2 Comments