Greeneroo

Check out the California Organics…. beautiful Reds and whites…. biodynamic farms…we have it all:

• Organic Vintners 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon  ~$17
• Organic Vintners 2006 Merlot (Vegan) ~$17
• Check out Lolonis Wines – organic wines for years… you’ll remember the ladybug on the label
• Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga, is a wonderful and beautiful winery, tram ride, great views and  has organic offerings:Organic wines from Sterling: Made With Organic Grapes 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and
  Chardonnay ,  Cabernet Sauvignon made from organic fruit is scheduled for release in April 2009.
• Benziger Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, about $30 – crafted with organic and biodynamic wine growing practices
• AND Didier Goubet organic grape juice….artisanal organic from France, not local but yummy

What are your favorites?

IF you had limited time and money [do you like this so far?] then you might want to do the BIG Green actions first right? Here is a list of things you can do right now, that will really help. AND I’ve listed next steps, when there are other actions that are just so important and need to be mentioned!

1. Stop wasting water. Turn off the Tap. Fill up your dishwasher and run it – it saves water over handwashing. next step…. install water saving devices in your bathroom and kitchen.
2. Stop buying individual servings of water, drinks, packaged food. Concentrate on water bottles first, they create a mountain of plastic in landfills, and pollute our waterways and oceans. Get a Water Filter instead of bottled water.
3. Use a clothesline. Summer is coming. Sundried clothes smell great. Give your dryer a rest.
4. Insulate your pipes, water heater and attic. These are “forgotten” in many homes, and can save alot of heat loss. Use Curtains, and close them at night. Put “draft dodgers” [long padded tubes] pushed up to the doors where cold air leaks in.
5. Put on a sweater, turn the thermostat down.
6. Walk. Telecommute. Carpool. Start evaluating if you really need to drive. Consolidate trips. next step... get out the bicycle, dust it off and ride to your destination! It is fun, and you’ll feel great.
7. Get rid of your grass, put in a small vegetable garden. Some communities offer a “rebate” or reward for doing this. If you advocate – BUY LOCAL – then think about how local this is. Grow your own. If you are really attached to your lawn…. switch to a hand mower. It is great exercise and it’s outdoors.
8. This is an expensive action item, but so important. If you have appliances from the 70s in avocado green or harvest gold…. replace them with Energy Star appliances. A new energy star frig consumes 75% less energy than the 1970s clunker. Also pick one with the freezer on top or bottom, it will consume less energy than the side by side.
9. The easiest switch of all, go to Compact Flourescent bulbs. CFLs now cost close to the same as the old style incandescents and use FOUR times less energy. next step… try modifying your behavior to more closly match the suns light… do you really need to stay up till midnight?  You will feel more relaxed and sleep better if you pay attention to your dirunal clock.  AND are their lights in your home that are always left on? Install a occupancy sensor and they will automatically turn off. Our garage light is a culprit, it gets left on and we don’t notice.
10. Switch to Green Cleaners. Here are some suggestions: ecover – healthy products and company dedication to green. Seventh Generation has a full line of products and I’ve seen them in many grocery stores. Mrs. Meyers products look retro and smell great. Method offers many great products in nice packaging and simple all-natural ingredients.

I just listed my top 10. What are yours?

What are you going to do for Earth Day?Will you make a commitment, join a environmental group, take a walk outside, inspire someone else to work with you on environmental improvements?  Take a look at our links for our favorite groups and there are also some below. There are many events to attend, local organizations that have activities and things to learn about.

Sacramento Earth Day http://www.sacramentoearthday.net/

Oakland Zoo Earth Day Sunday April 19 http://events.sfgate.com/oakland-ca/events/show/86290602-earth-day-2009

CLEAN UP day April 25 at California State Parks: http://calparks.org/programs/earth-day/

Upcoming Events

Coyote Ridge Hike
Saturday, April 4 • 9am–1pm
You’re invited to a special hike up to the top of Coyote Ridge, which provides prime habitat for the threatened Bay Checkerspot butterfly, and beautiful views of Coyote and Santa Clara Valleys. Sponsored by the Committee for Green Foothills, you can add your name to their mailing list for future hikes & events.

Aerospace Meets Green Tech Evening Series Green Technologies and Aerospace Convergence:  The European Example

Anewworld Consulting is celebrating its opening of a Silicon Valley office with this exciting event, co-sponsored by the FACC – French American Chamber of Commerce. “Aerospace meets green Tech”
When: Thursday March 19 6pm to 10pm
Where: Garden Court Hotel, 520 Cowper in Palo Alto
This is the first in a series of business / green tech events. For more information on this fantastic organization go to FACC

There are great Farmer’s markets all over the Bay Area. We are lucky to have such an abundance. I see return customers every weekend happily chatting with their favorite vendors and growers. Everyone exchanges recipes, stories of cooking adventures and fun tale of a new way to cook ”xxx” with quinoa or mustard greens or whatever they have invented. One of my favorite Farms and Growers in the Prevedelli Farms and their amazing selection of organic APPLES. I am quite sure that an apple a day [especially one of their apples] keeps the doctor away. Check them out at www.prevedelli.com and say hi to Nick or ask about a great Apple Brown Betty recipe. Make sure to talk to your growers and the folks that you see every time at the farmer’s market. They are a wealth of information and inspiration.  And bite into a crunchy juicy Jonathan (apple)!!

San Bruno Mountain. Big, green and beautiful…. you’ve probably never been there. The great views, empty hiking trails and misty retreats make this one of my favorite spots to clear my head. Located at the Gateway to the Peninsula [Daly City] easy to reach from 101 through Brisbane, near the Cow Palace or from 280 – Mission St. exit and head east toward the Mountain. Get there and enjoy. There are endangered plants and a butterfly in this area,. Picnic tables lawn area, easy parking and big changes in elevation. A Jacket and water are recommended!

And while you are thinking about this great expanse of open space — rent the old movie BULLIT, guess where they have the crazy car chase — Guadalupe Canyon Parkway… over San Bruno Mountain.

Dick Jackson discusses the relationship between community health, open space preservation, and urban planning! This event is THURSDAY March 5, Santa Clara University. More events coming up! You can sign up for email alerts with the Committee for Green Foothills or volunteer events.
Richard Jackson, M.D., M.P.H., Chair and Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, UCLA and co-author of Urban Sprawl & Public Health: Designing, Building and Planning for Healthy Communities.
“No one chooses to be obese, in poor health, or stuck in traffic. Frumkin, Jackson, and Frank make the compelling point that unless Americans are given more choice in where and how they live and travel, all of us will bear the burden, not just in terms of extra pounds, but also in terms of lower quality of life, higher health care costs, reduced life expectancy, and greater isolation, especially at the vulnerable beginning and end of our lives. I hope every elected and appointed official in the U.S. reads this book and then acts on it to avert the economic and health crisis that is fast headed our way.” — Governor Parris N. Glendening “president, Smart Growth Leadership Institute”
sponsored by the Committe for Green Foothills.