Saving Green Magazine by Tia DB

Saving Green A Local Magazine & Directory for Green Products & Services

Ways Florida can go Solar How to Go Paperless Scary Facts about Plastic Bags

July/August

Calender of Green Events Cloudy Skies for Florida The Green Pages

South Florida Edition

Published by : Saving Green, Inc. 120 E. Oakland Park Blvd. Ste 105 Oakland Park, FL 33334 www.SavingGreenMagazine.com info@SavingGreenMagazine.com 954-993-2177

Letter from the Editor The green revolution is upon us. It’s imperative. We’ve reached the tipping point and yet ‘a call to action’ has

not materialized for most of us in our homes or our businesses. Saving Green Magazine is an attempt to put everything needed to begin GOING GREEN at your fingertips from the smallest acts of conservation to voting with your dollars by buying and demanding green products and services. Going green is no longer a fad. There are no more excuses. It does not depend upon whether you believe in global warming or not. The facts are undisputable; we have passed the threshold with respect to our natural resources and our environment. There are simply too many of us using, polluting, and wasting our natural resources. We’ve had a good run, and like the mortgage crisis, it couldn’t go on forever. Hoping that clean water will come out of our faucets endlessly, and that fossil fuels will power our lifestyles infinitely, is tantamount to sticking our heads in the sand. The good news is that it’s not too late and that going green is easy and it saves green - the kind we put in our pockets. It also forces us to look at our lifestyles and the way convenience has overshadowed sustainability. Our ‘throw-way’ lifestyle from fast food to designer coffee and keeping up with the Joneses is polluting our air and oceans, creating mega-tons of waste with nowhere to go, emitting dangerous amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, supporting terrorist governments with petro-dollars, and threatening the very existence and bio- diversity of our plants and animals. So where do we begin? With what we have control over: what we recycle, what we buy, what we eat, the energy we consume, the garbage we produce, our homes, our cars, the workplace and traveling. Saving Green Magazine is a resource to make these changes easier so that each and every one of us begins saving our money, our health and our planet, today! It is only through our collective actions, not just that of governments, big corporations, and environmentalists, that we may repair what has taken billions of us to damage - our planet.

Cindy Ragan Editor-in-Chief

3 Our mission is to promote green

Saving Green Magazine Issue 1, July/August 2010

living by demonstrating with facts and figures that virtually everything required to ‘live-green’ saves money and our health, and consequently makes sense for everyone. Our goal is to provide the missing link between talk and action. Living green requires information and access. If the green revolution has any hope of materializing, people need education, information and local resources. Our mission is to provide local vendors, service providers, professionals, organizations and community programs to make going green easy, informed,

Ron Gold Jane Falcon Larry Wald Mimi Thompson Cindy Ragan

and affordable.

Copy Editor: Debra Tait Advertising: Mimi Thompson Distribuiton: Larry Wald

Contents Page 5

Section Home:

Feature The Costs & Savings of Home Appliances

Work:

Going Paperless Equation: Technology + Conservation

Personal:

The Scary Facts about Plastic Bags

How Green is Broward County

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Hybrids

Green Your Hurricane Kit

Sustainable Building - The New Standard

Travel:

Buildings:

Green Politics/Gov’t: Cloudy Skies for Florida 22 A Ray of Sunshine for Broward Global Climate Politics Stalemate 24 Green Business:

Seven Ways Florida can go Solar ‘A Entrepreneur Speaks Out’

Green Mart:

Local Green Directory

Calender of Events: July, August & September

If you would like to advertise with us, or be listed in our directory, please send us an email or call. We will be happy to send one of our marketing people out to meet with you. Sales@SavingGreenMagazine.com info@SavingGreenMagazine.com We welcome any ideas, comments feedback, news or opinions you would like to submit. Subscriptions are available by sending $24.00 for 6 issues to our address (bottom left). Saving Green Magazine is printed on recycled paper with ink that contains no VOCs.

© 2010 by Saving Green, Inc. No part of Saving Green Magazine may be reproduced in part or in full without express written permission form Saving Green, Inc. The opinions, comments and advertisements in Saving Green Magazine do not necessarily represent those of Saving Green, Inc. The publishers, editors and advertisers will not be held responsible for any errors found in the magazine after the publication as gone to press. The publisher accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by advertisers. We provide a community service to our readers. As such, all verification of event postings are the responsibility of the reader prior to relying on such information for any action that may be taken on their behalf or the behalf of others.

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HOME

Home Appliances Facts, Figures & Fixes Home appliances represent one of the easiest ways to save money and lower carbon emissions by going green. The pie chart below represents an average 2,400 square foot home in South Florida. It demonstrates that while cooling is obviously the largest portion of energy consumed by our homes, it is followed closely by appliances consuming 27% of the total.

Energy Type

KWts

Cost

CO2

Heating

511

$58

695

Cooling

10219

$1165

13896

Hot Water

3086

$349

4169

Major App.

6898

$786

9381

Lighting

2810

$320

3822

Misc.

2044

$233

2780

Totals

25548

$2512

34745

In Florida, the total kWts used by a 2400 sf home is 25,548, at a cost of $2,912 which yields 34,745 pounds of CO2 (see the Chart above). These costs are based on $.114 per kilowatt hour as charged by FPL for a Fort Lauderdale home in October 2009. The CO2 emitted is determined by multiplying kilowatt hours by an estimated factor of 1.36 (this a common factor used Home appliances are a good place to begin to determine CO2 emissions per kilowatt going green since they offer significant hour). savings without having to make upgrades or modifications to our homes. On average, The table below summarizes the savings appliances consume 6,898 kilowatts hours that would be reaped in kilowatt hours, annually producing 9,381 pounds of carbon CO2 emissions, and dollars spent annually emissions and an estimated utility cost of by going green. As you can see, in each of the categories the savings is more than $786 dollars per household, per year. 50%. Thirty percent of these changes These estimates come from the U.S. would result simply by changing our Department of Energy’s ‘Home Energy behavior, with no investment at all. Saver’ website www.EnergySavers.gov where one can input the parameters of their Current vs. Green Savings home and get an estimate of its energy use Average Florida 2400sf Home based on specifications (website) such as region of the country, square footage, family Current Green members, etc. In 2007, the total CO2 in the atmosphere was estimated at 7,151 million metric tons, up 19% from 1990. These statistics become significant when one considers the amount of energy each American household consumes collectively. In 2007, the United States contributed 5.7 billion metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere of which 17% was from home energy consumption. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA).

Dollars $2,912 Spent Energy 25,548 Used CO2 34,745 Emissions

$1,408

The chart below shows the amount of kilowatts and CO2 emitted by type of appliance. Only appliances with CO2 emissions over 100 pounds per year are listed. There are dozens more but these are the major culprits.

KWts and CO2 by Appliance Appliance kWts CO2 Dryer 1118 1521 Freezer 1027 1397 Refrigerator 876 1191 Range 462 628 Dishwasher 440 599 TV 403 548 Computer 236 321 Cable Box 134 182 Microwave 132 179 Satellite Box 129 176 Stereo 123 167 Washer 113 153 Source: Green Guide, National Geographic, Summer 2008

12,355

Sobering Facts 16,801

Ÿ Appliances on stand-by account for 27 million tons of CO2 annually and cost Americans $4 billion dollars.

6 Stand-by, or idle current, contributes 5 to 15% of monthly utility bills.

No-Cost Savings

America's refrigerators use about 7 percent v If everyone in North America cooked excluof the nation's total electricity - the output sively with a microwave for a year, we'd of about 25 large power plants. save as much energy as the entire continent

Products/Services In 2006, ENERGY STAR products helped US consumers save an estimated $14 billion on their utility bills. In addition to energy savings, there are rebates and federal tax credits available for some ENERGY STAR products. (ENERGYSTAR.gov)

of Africa consumes during that same time. The refrigerator is the single biggest energy consuming kitchen appliance, and open- v Unplug appliances when you're not ing the refrigerator door accounts for using them or use a "smart power strip" between $30 and $60 of a typical family's that senses when appliances are off and Energy Star Appliance Example: electricity bill each year. cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use. The cost of a non-Energy Star washing Microwaves are between 3.5 and 4.8 times v Wash clothes in cold water whenever machine could be $150 less expensive, more energy efficient than traditional elecbut the annual saving in energy by using possible. As much as 85 percent of the tric ovens. If it costs ten cents to cook one Energy Star is $50 per year. In addition, energy used to machine-wash clothes item in a microwave, it would cost fortyit would save 7,000 gallons of water per goes to heating the water. eight cents to cook the same item in a year. standard oven. v Use a drying rack or clothesline to save energy otherwise used during machine dry- Energy Star appliances save 50% on elecPlasma TVs use twice as much energy as tricity, and up to 150 million tons of CO2 ing. If you must use a dryer, consider adding LCD screen TVs, and three times as much over their lifetime. as a standard TV. TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make-up 4% of the dryer balls to cut drying time. total national energy consumed annually. v Share power tools and other appliances. Get Power Strips cost $35 and save $94 per to know your neighbors while cutting down year, and 1400 lbs of CO2 per household. 85% of energy in the US is from fossil on the number of things cluttering your Energy audits save consumers up to 30% fuel, coal, oil and gas all of which pollutes and is non-renewable. closet or garage. on costs and 9515 pounds of CO2 per year. v Turn off your oven 15 minutes early. v Put a lid on pots that you want to boil

Programmable thermostats cost $70 and save about $150 per year in electricity.

v Thaw food before cooking.

Allow dishes in the dishwasher to air dry.

Energy Star appliances are available at all home goods stores. By Jane Falcon

WORK

The Paperless Equation; Technology + Conservation Many offices today boast that they are “going paperless” with the many software products now available to replace the traditional filing cabinet with an electronic one. While this is a step in the right direction, there are dozens of ways to save our trees, our eco-systems, our health and our money by making paper conservation a corporate and household priority. Each year the world produces more than 300 million tons of paper. The U.S. annually consumes the lion’s share.

United State Paper Consumption 4 Million Tons 2 Million 350 Million 25 Billion 90 Billion

Copy Paper Books Magazines Newspapers Junk Mail

The cost for our insatiable demand for paper is devastating our #1 Objective; Recycle, Reuse, Reduce eco-systems. Nearly 30 million forested acres are lost annual-ly. More than 40% of the logged trees are used for paper. For Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 every ton of paper products produced, two to four tons of trees gallons of water, three cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels are brought to the mill. It is estimated that 1.5 acres of of oil and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity – enough energy rainforest are lost every second to deforestation resulting in to power the average US home for five months and 60 pounds tremendous losses to habitat and bio diversity. In fact, the of air pollution. (U.S.) EPA number of plant, animal and insect species lost every day is estimated to be over 100, equating to roughly 50,000 species Almost 40% of America's waste is paper and could be recycled, per year lost forever. meaning fewer trees cut down. These statistics are staggering and have a direct impact on all The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is of us. Paper manufacturing requires huge inputs of chemicals, enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years. energy and water which pollutes the air we breathe and the water we drink and swim in, and increases the cost of Using recycled paper for one print run of the Sunday edition purchasing and using non-renewable energy. Reducing, of the New York Times would save 75,000 trees. Recycling and using alternative papers will greatly minimize these environmental impacts. If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees a year. Source: Resource Consumption Alliance, WoodConsumption.org, “Paper Consumption” Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.

Fresh Produce from the Farm Buy Local - Know Your Farmer

Ways to Reduce Office Paper Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø

Fresh Selection of Fruits & Vegetables Field Trips & Tours Delicious Juices, Honey, Coffee, Nuts Fresh Fruit & Veggie Platters Herb Plants & Hanging Baskets Seasonal Strawberry & Tomato U-Pick

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Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø

Distribute memos via email Bookmark web pages instead of printing them Use electronic business forms Store records electronically on CD-ROMs Get electronic subscriptions, only Share master copies of documents Adjust page settings on printers to get the most type on each page Print letterhead when needed internally Eliminate junk mail Replace faxes with emails Only print fax confirmations when needed Print on both sides of each sheet of paper Use scrap paper to print drafts or internal items

Cost Savings Minimizing paper consumption also yields significant cost savings for businesses by: Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

reducing paper purchases decreasing storage space for file cabinets lowering postage costs reducing phone charges for faxes lowering the energy costs of operating office equipment.

Products/Services Today, there are over 500 recycled printing and writing papers available, yet recycled paper accounts for only 10% of the total paper market. Recycled paper means that some percentage of the paper has ‘post-consumer content’. That percentage can vary from 30% to 100%. The higher the percentage of recycled content the better. Paper made from agricultural products is also available. An example is kenaf and hemp fibers. These papers are more expensive, but can be offset by the savings that accrue from reducing overall paper consumption. Recycled office paper is readily available in all office supply stores such as Office Depot, Staples and Office Max. Each of these retailers supply their own name brand which is not much more expensive than virgin paper. By Cindy Ragan

Organice Hemp and Cotton Shower Curtains will bring nature into your home. Don't forget our wide line of organic cleaning products! 15% off everyday using coupon code LL36912. www.BuyGreenSavvy.com, save today!!

Stop junk mail and save millions of trees and tons of waste in the landfills. Go to www.dmachoice.org and www.private-citizen.com and stop your junk mail.

PERSONAL

PLASTIC BAGS The Scary Facts!!! ""Paper or plastic?" should be replaced with, "Do you have your reusable shopping bag with you?" The challenge we now face is to replace the throwaway economy with a reduce, reuse, recycle economy. Our earth can no longer tolerate the pollution, the energy use, the disruption from mining, and the deforestation that our throwaway economy requires. It is easy to forget how many throwaway products there are until we actually begin making a list. We have substituted facial tissues for handkerchiefs, disposable paper towels for hand towels, disposable table napkins for cloth napkins, and throwaway beverage containers for refillable ones. Perhaps the ultimate insult is shopping bags that are used to carry home throwaway products and are themselves designed to be discarded, becoming part of the garbage flow. We are literally choking the planet with products that cannot re-enter the life cycle. If we all take a moment and become conscious of our waste it can be the beginning of an awareness that can affect positive change. (Source: The Earth Policy Reader)

Plastic Bag Facts ü Approx. 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. ü Approx. 100 billion of the 380 billion are plastic shopping bags. ü An estimated 12 million barrels of oil are required to make that many plastic bags. ü Only 1 to 2% of plastic bags in the USA end up getting recycled. ü Thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution. ü Plastic creates 4 times the solid waste vs. paper bags; enough to fill the Empire State Building 2 1/2 times a year. ü It takes up to 1000 years for plastic bags to biodegrade in our landfills. ü The average family of four uses 1460 plastic bags a year. ü An estimated 500 billion plastic bags are sold worldwide each year. ü Plastic is getting into the food chain. Even the finest particles of plastic represent a threat to creatures at the lowest level of the food chain in the marine environment - the filter feeders. Then, toxins in filter feeders are passed up the food chain to fish and other marine animals, which humans then consume. ü Plastic is over-running our planet. Estimates run as high as one million pieces of plastic per square kilometer (0.6 mile) floating in specific areas of the Pacific Ocean. ü When one ton of plastic bags are reused or recycled, the energy saved is equal to 11 barrels of oil.

Paper Bag Facts §

Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags per year.

Approximately 14 million trees are cut down every year for paper bag production.

Most of the pulp used for paper shopping bags is virgin pulp, as it is considered stronger.

Paper production requires hundreds of thousands of gallons of water as well as toxic chemicals like sulfurous acid which can lead to acid rain and water pollution.

Only 20% of paper bags get recycled. Ÿ When one ton of paper bags are reused or recycled, three cubic meters of landfill space is saved and 13-17 trees are spared!

Paper cannot be recycled indefinitely. It can only be recycled 4-6 times. Some virgin pulp must be introduced into the process to maintain the strength and quality of the fiber, so no matter how much we recycle we will never eradicate the need for virgin fiber.

Paper is the number one material that we throw away. For every 100 pounds of trash we throw away, 35 pounds is paper. Newspapers take up about 14 percent of landfill space, and paper in packaging accounts for another 15 to 20 percent.

http://environmentalactivism.suite101.com/article.cfm/say_no_to _plastic_bags

Plastic Bags People forget to Recycle Most people don’t know that virtually every type of plastic bag and wrap can be recycled. We all know that plastic grocery bags can be recycled, but only at the grocery store, so remember to bring them back when you go along with the many other plastic bags and wraps listed below. Ø Grocery bags Ø Retail bags (remove hard plastic or string handles) Ø Plastic newspaper bags

. Ø Dry cleaning bags (remove paper and hangers) Ø Bread bags (with crumbs shaken out) Ø Sealable food storage bags (with hard parts removed) Ø Bags from boxes of cereal and crackers (with crumbs shaken out) Ø Plastic wraps from products such as paper towels, bathroom paper, napkins, diapers, and cases of soft drinks. All clean plastic bags labeled #2 (HDPE) or #4 (LLDPE)

Products/Services BioBag (biobagusa.com) is the world’s largest brand of 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable bags and films made from the material, Mater-Bi. All products contain GMO free starch, biodegradable polymer and other renewable resources. No polyethylene is used in the production process. BioBag products meet ASTM D6400 specifications and California Law requirements. They have been awarded numerous environmental friendly certifications. Types of BioBags Available: v Kitchen Garbage Bags (2 Sizes) v Lawn & Leaf Bags (2 Sizes) v Dog Waste Bags (2 Sizes) v Cat Pan Liner v Shopping Bags (3 Sizes)

BioBags are comparable in price to their non-eco-friendly Make sure bags are clean and empty. Do not include used counterparts and are sold at Whole Foods Markets as well as plastic food wrap, bags with food residue, or material that has online green retailers. For a complete list of retail web sites go been painted or glued, as other substances can contaminate the to www.biobagusa.com/order_retail.html recycled material. In addition to recycling, reducing and reusAlternatives to Plastic Bags ing are equally important. Reduce: Shoppers can always decline a bag at check out (is a bag really necessary for carrying that pack of gum?). Reuse: More than 90 percent of consumers reuse their plastic grocery bags at home for purposes ranging from waste basket liners to lunch bags to pet clean up. What new ways can you think of to reuse your plastic bags? Source: Plasticbagfacts.org/recycle

Two large canvas bags of premium quality cost about $30 and should last about 10 years. If plastic bag fees, under consideration in some California communities, are instituted at a conservative 15 cents per bag, a family switching from four plastic shopping bags per week will recover its purchase cost in the first year. Not to mention that most retailers sell biodegradable bags with their logo on them for as little as one dollar. There really is no excuse for not using plastic or paper anymore. By Jordan Wald

1) International Council for Local Envir-onmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Milestone Award: ICLEI recognized Broward County for its commitment to the Five Milestone Methodology in By Ron Gold setting a reduction target and completing a GHG emissions invenComparatively speaking, Broward County is quite green. Bro- tory.

ward has been quietly addressing green issues for the past two decades and has an impressive list of achievements to its credit.

Broward's Green Accomplishments: Ÿ The lighting in 4 million square feet of Broward County space has been upgraded to CFLs. Ÿ 4000 Exit Signs have been replaced with LEDs Ÿ 74 County Vehicles use alternative energy such as compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum or are hybrid electric vehicles. Ÿ The Southeast Regional Library is LEED Certified as well as the County’s new Environmental Laboratory. Ÿ All new County buildings must be LEED Certified Ÿ There are 12 Hybrid Diesel Electric Buses in the County’s fleet Ÿ Ft Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is the first airport to be fully biodiesel Ÿ 26,000 Traffic Lights have been replaced with LEDs Ÿ Broward County has implemented a NatureScape Program that uses native plants for landscaping thereby reducing water and electricity requirements. It is the first county in the country to receive an official certification from the National Wildlife Federation.

2) Personal Computer Replacement Energy Reduction: Enterprise Technology Services replaced an estimated 1,500 County workstations last year. The efficiencies of new workstations are realized by reduced heat generation and electrical use resulting in an estimated reduction of 200 tonnes of eCO2, equal to the emissions from the electricity of 24 homes for one year. 3) Recycling: County employees and facilities recycled over 1,211 tons of waste resulting in 3,802 tonnes of eCO2 avoided. This is equivalent to the emissions from the combustion of 427,672 gallons of gasoline.

4) South Regional Courthouse LEED-EB Certification Project: Coordinated by the Facilities Maintenance Division. A Since 1997, the county has reduced GHG emissions by 61,000 GHG reduction of approximately 139 tonnes of eCO2 per year is tonnes, the equivalent of taking 11,000 cars off the road. The expected after the project is completed. This is equivalent to the County’s goal is to reduce GHG by 7% below the 1997 levels emissions from the electricity use of 17 homes for one year.

by 2015 which translates into 222,099 tonnes. To meet this target Broward County government operations carbon footprint must be reduced by 6,826 tonnes per year which is equivalent to emissions from the combustion of 767,829 gallons of gasoline. As of May 2010, Broward County exceeded the annual reduction target with a reduction of 8,130 tonnes eCO2 from 2008 levels. Over 75 percent of the emissions are from electricity use at Port Everglades, the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Wastewater Services, and other county facilities.

2009 Highlights In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint while increasing the efficiency of its operations, Broward County has implemented numerous measures in the past year. The following are a few highlights:

5) AgendaQuick: The implementation of this system has streamlined the agenda preparation process for Broward County Commission meetings, thereby effectively eliminating the use of hundreds of pounds of office paper. Once implemented countywide, the expected annual reductions are estimated to be more than 11,023 pounds of eCO2, equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 128 tree seedlings grown for ten years. 6) “Go Green” Education: Broward County government agencies organized multiple outreach events to educate its employees and residents about ways to reduce their carbon footprint. In June 2009, Broward County Public Communications developed an educational video called “Broward County…Our Green Government”. The video is the County’s green initiatives. To the answer the question, How Green is Broward County?, in our opinion - commendably GREEN!! Source:Broward County Climate Change, Second Annual Progress Report, May 14, 2010

12 12

TRAVEL

Hybrids Are They Really Worth It? A Cost-Benefit Analysis Hybrid cars are continuing to gain momentum in both the marketplace and in the car manufacturers’ plants as the demand for green energy takes center stage. The motives are simple, pollution and the cost of foreign oil. Today, over half (57%) of the oil used in the U.S. is imported and our dependence is expected to increase as we use up domestic resources.

Congress recently passed legislation to decrease our dependence on oil by increasing corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards on new cars and trucks to 35 mpg by model year 2020. This could reduce our petroleum use by 25 billion gallons by 2030. Ultimately, the solution to this problem lies in technological progress: ·

Most of the world's oil reserves are concentrated in the Middle East, and about two-thirds are controlled by OPEC members. Oil price shocks and price manipulation by OPEC have cost our economy dearly—about $1.9 trillion from 2004 to 2008—and each major shock was followed by a recession.

We may never eliminate our need to import oil, but we can reduce cartel market control and the economic impact of price shocks by reducing our demand.

Developing advanced vehicle technologies that use energy more efficiently Creating new energy sources that can replace petroleum cleanly and cost-effectively

13 We can help improve our energy security by selecting a vehicle that uses less petroleum. We can also decrease our petroleum use by getting the best fuel economy possible out of our current car by driving sensibly , keeping our car in shape , and planning and combining trips In recent years, hybrid cars have become increasingly popular. With rising gas prices and greater environmental awareness, consumers are turning to alternative technology. Manufacturers are making significant efforts to design cars that will satisfy all of their customers’ demands: low fuel consumption, low cost, low noise pollution, Lowment-Emission A Green Design state-of-the-art technology, and environmentally friendly. Enter the hybrid car - not only is it fuel efficient, but its emissions are much Hybrid cars emit far lower levels of Fuel efficiency in hybrid cars stems from pollutants in the air than conventional cars, lower than conventional cars. numerous improvements. resulting in decreased pollution and reSource: Energy Information Administration. 2009. AnnuŸ Improved aero dynamics al Energy Review 2008, Table 5.1 Petroleum Overview, duced effects of global warming. Because Selected Years, 1949-2008, p. 129. no two people drive the same way, it is Ÿ Lower body weight therefore difficult to estimate, but emis- Reducing weight, especially engine sions can be reduced from 25% to 90%, weight, will substantially improve a car’s when comparing hybrid cars to convenHybrid Technology mileage. Hybrid cars were essentially detional gas-powered vehicles. Hybrid car signed for use in the cities, where traffic Hybrid technology has been in use for years emissions also vary depending on the in the making of locomotives, submarines, type of car. Some manufacturers add is a daily occurrence, in order to reduce and buses. Hybrid cars rely on a combina- hybrid technology to existing car models gas emissions and slow down global warming. What a great way to help save tion of two sources of power – electricity while other manufacturers completely re- the environment and improve our overall and fuel injection. design cars with low emission and effiquality of life. An idling or stopped hybrid car automatical- ciency as the core concepts. In any case, Alexandria Haber http://www.carbon-monly uses electrical power. Once the car begins lower toxic fumes are appreciated in our Sources: oxide-poisoning.com/ to accelerate, it reverts to using the fuel oil-based economies. engine. Also most hybrids recharge the batFacts about Hybrid Cars teries automatically by converting the energy during braking. Different models of cars Hybrid vs. Electric The first commercial hybrid car was the vary in terms of when the electric power is used. For example, the Honda Civic Hybrid Many people associate hybrid cars with Toyota Prius which was manufactured in uses electric power to assist the gas engine electric cars. However, the two are quite Japan in 1997. during acceleration or going up hills. Other different. The hybrid does not need to be models run on rechargeable electricity plugged into an electrical outlet to re- Hybrid cars are good for the environduring city driving at low speed but run on charge. In hybrids, gas motors switch on ment. They reduce almost 90% of the gasoline when the car’s speed increases automatically when the battery gets low, smog released into the environment. and proceeds to charge the battery. Theresuch as during highway driving, fore, hybrid cars still use gas while elec- Hybrid cars are very economical, as they give you 50-60 miles per gallon, tric cars do not. and use just one third of gas which is used by conventional cars. Save a Trip. Don’t use

your car one day each week and save over $250.00 annually and 149 million tons of CO2 collectively

Hybrid cars do not require any plug-in. They get recharged automatically as you drive. Hybrid cars have lower depreciation rates when compared to other gasoline cars. So they will be in demand for many years to come.

1414 14 Though hybrid cars are made of very expensive parts, they also come with warranties offering free replacement. Buying a hybrid car is a sound investment since they have an excellent resale value. They are very quiet when they run, as they run most of the time off batteries. The speed of a hybrid car is as fast as any conventional car. The battery pack in the hybrid cars comes in 38 modules. Therefore, it is not necessary to replace the entire battery which costs a lot, but instead you can just replace the one which is not working which is inexpensive. Source: www.carjunky.com

Reducing Climate Change The vehicles we drive release over 1.7 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, contributing to global climate change. Each gallon of gasoline you burn creates 20 pounds of CO2. That's about 6 to 9 tons of CO2 each year for a typical vehicle. Pollution control devices cannot reduce your car's CO2 emissions. You can only reduce them by

Walking, biking, or taking pub- who drives 15,000 miles per year. How lic transit more often great is that? Aren’t you tired of throwing all that money out the window on gas Source: www.fueleconomy.gov each week? I am. So I purchased a Prius late in 2009 for exactly $22,400 (without Hybrid Cars 2010 the navigation). Now all I keep wonderThe table on the following page lists the ing is - why didn’t I do this sooner?. hybrids available in 2010 ranked by com- By Cindy Ragan bined gas mileage. As always, the Toyota Prius ranks number one in ALL categories; it’s the least expensive at $22,400, Keep your tires the most fuel efficient with combined city properly inflated and increase and highway mileage of 50 mpg, and it your mpg up to 3% saving you has the smallest carbon footprint.

Choosing a car with better gas mileage

Getting the best fuel economy A car like the Prius is a ‘no brainer’. out of your car Imagine this, the annual estimated fuel Using a low-carbon fuel, such cost is $825 per year with gas prices at $2.75. If you divide that number by 52, it as ethanol or CNG yields $16 per week in gas for a person

up to 10 cents per gallon of fuel.

Top 20 Hybrids Listed by Combined MPG, 2010

Sources: fueleconomy.gov and carjunky.com * Based on 45% highway driving, 55% city driving, 15,000 annual miles and a fuel price per gallon of $2.75. The carbon footprint measures greenhouse gas emissions expressed in CO2 equivalents. The estimates presented here are "full fuel-cycle estimates" and include the three major greenhouse gases emitted by motor vehicles: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. Full fuel-cycle estimates consider all steps in the use of a fuel, from production and refining to distribution and final use. Vehicle manufacture is excluded. (U.S. Department of Energy) GREET Model 1.7, Argonne National Laboratory)

UP YOUR WATER!

Water is the second most important substance to sustain human life. After all, water makes up 70% of the human body. The recent explosion in the bottled water market is testament to the fact that people get how important clean water is to their health. Yet most people have no idea what is contained in the water they drink, much less the role pH ‘acid and alkalinity’ plays in our bodies, our health and our water.

more acidity. Coffee, tea, soda and alcoholic beverages are examples of very acidic beverages.”

Mr. Adam James, a local researcher, converts everyday tap water (which includes chlorine) from highly acidic water, into healthy, healing, alkaline water. “Mr. Adam James, what does acid and alkalinity have to do with the water we drink”? “The tissues and organs of our bodies do best if they are sustained at a more alkaline rather than acidic pH environment. The term “pH” refers to the level of acidity and alkalinity in any environment. The pH scale goes from zero to 14 with zero being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. The human body must maintain a balance in the mid ranges of this pH scale - a bit over 7.0. The trick is to maintain a balance that is higher in alkaline pH than acid pH, through diet and fluid consumption.” Which foods are alkaline and which are acidic? “Foods which are alkaline nourish and strengthen the body and give us plenty of energy. Acidic foods on the other hand metabolize into acidic residue that is toxic and leads to stress on our organs which can lead to disease. An overly acidic body is a toxic body. Microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and yeast thrive in an acidic medium, as do cancer cells. However, they do not thrive in an alkaline environment.” Mr. Adam James continues, “Unfortunately, many of the typical American foods are acidic. These include, meats, poultry, dairy products, fried foods, sugars of all kinds, refined flour products, including pastas and breads, and all junk food. Alkaline foods are more healthy. They include vegetables, goods oils, such as olive oil, nuts and legumes and ALKALIZED WATER.” What about what we drink? “As we all know, there are many types of water available to us today. Yet what most people do not know is that their water can either be a great source for alkalinity or a destructive source of acidity. Fresh drinking water production is increasingly more difficult to supply because of population growth. In addition, some bottled water can be worse than tap water. Purified water, reverse osmosis or distilled water should be completely avoided. It is water that has had all the minerals removed. And without minerals our bodies become acidic and therefore, toxic. “Basically, degenerative diseases are the result of acid waste building up within us,” states Mr. Adam James. We gradually build up these acids as we age by eating the wrong foods, drinking the wrong beverage. Stress and negative emotions contribute even

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The 2010 Hurricane season is upon us. Forecasters have predicted a very active season this year. As we dust off last year's supplies and shop for new replacements, it's a great opportunity to make "greener" choices while getting our Hurricane Kits together. Here are some simple tips and suggestions to help you do just that, before and after the storm.

# 1 Scan all of your important documents and photos and save on a removable drive and keep around your neck.

# 2 Can as many of the fruits and vegetables growing in your garden as possible! Call your local county cooperMany of these products are available at your locally ative extension service to learn how.

owned Ace or Tru-Value Hardware stores, local phar#3 macies or online:

Stock up on instant soups, rice, mashed potatoes, coffee, and hot chocolate mix. You need only add hot water to get a satisfying meal or beverage.

1) 2) 3)

4) 5) 6) 7)

8) 9) 10)

11)

12)

Wind up powered radios, lanterns, and TV's Solar ovens (www.solarovens.org) Solar powered & hand cranked radios, lanterns & TV's (www.thereadystore.com) Solar cell-phone chargers and inverters Portable solar camping shower (for that much needed warm shower) Rechargeable batteries and charger Clothes line and clothes pins to dry off and naturally disinfect any damp linens or laundry (maybe you'll like your sun dried laundry so much you'll retire your dryer and save lots of money) Natural insect repellents such as citronella or lemon balm. Battery powered alarm clock Stove top coffee pot (to use with your solar oven or on your outdoor grill) Dehydrated foods that don't require cooking

Buy big 5 gallon water bottles instead of cases of tiny little water bottles. If every house hold in South Florida invested in those larger bottles we would save millions of little plastic bottles from going into our landfills!

#4 Use exterior removable solar lights in doors. If your power's out, you can bring them in after dark, place near a large mirror and amplify your illumination. #5 Stuff your freezer full of ice in bags. This will keep the temperature cooler in your freezer while your power is out. #6 Stock up on white vinegar ( a great natural surface cleaner when mixed with 2 parts water, 1 part vinegar) #7 Buy a case of 2 lb boxes of baking soda. It will come in very handy if you have water penetration or simply lose power. Baking soda can be sprinkled on damp linens, clothes, or mattresses to suppress mold formation. It can also be liberally sprinkled on carpets and rugs that are damp from leaks, in order to suppress mold. You can even spray a mixture of 1/2 water & 1/2 baking soda on freshly damp drywall to alter the pH on the surface. Mold prefers a more acidic & stagnant environment in order to bloom.

After the storm try to separate all of your debris into piles along your curb or swale. Scavengers will come driving by within hours of a storm looking for scrap metals, plastics, and wood. Try to remove all nails. This will keep a tremendous amount of debris from needlessly ending up in our landfills. Also try to cut up large leaf debris, such as Halycinia leaves and palm leaves into small pieces and scatter over your mulch beds. It will decompose in less than a month! If your mulch beds are wood chips, try breaking up twigs and small branches (carefully) and tossing them onto your mulch beds as well. Again it will keep it out of the landfills. Stay safe! By Mimi Thompson

BUILDING

Sustainable Building The New Standard LEED Certification Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) By Ron Gold

USGBC Mission: A non-profit organization was formed in 1993 called the United States Green Building Council. It “To transform the way has become the leading authority buildings and communiboth domestically (79 US Chapties are designed, built ters) and internationally (projects and operated, enabling an in 70 countries) for green building environmentally and sostandards. It is an organization of builders, architects, engineers, recially responsible, healthy newable energy professionals, conand prosperous environsultants, students, professors and ment that improves elected officials dedicated to susquality of life” tainable building. The organization’s standard for both residential and commercial buildings is called “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” or LEED. This is a voluntary certification program that can be applied to any building type, in any stage of its life cycle.

Source: USGBC Booklet, “YOUSGBC”

Many government agencies are now requiring all new construction to be LEED certified. In addition, private companies are also jumping on the band wagon as LEED certification saves them money on operating costs while improving their competitive edge in the market Earning the LEED certification place. demonstrates that a building has been built, renovated or operates Employees and consumers alike based on the organization’s mis- prefer companies that deliver sion; healthy, socially conscious and environmentally friendly goods and services to those that don’t.

US Building Facts Both construction and existing buildings are responsible for a huge amount of resources and CO2 emissions in the United States. What US Building Consumes CO2 Emissions

39%

Primary Energy Use

40%

Electricity Consump.

72%

Building green saves energy, reduces CO2 emissions, conserves water, improves health, increases productivity, and costs less to operate and maintain than conventional buildings. As such more than 32,000 homes and commercial buildings are LEED certified or seeking certi---fication around the world.

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Upcoming Issues

Saving Green Impact of BP Oil Spill

Saving Green Recycling Squared

Saving Green Saving Green Magazine Living off the Grid For Real

Green Politics In Florida Jan/Feb 2011

Sept/Oct

Nov/Dec 2010

March/April 2011

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CO2 Emissions

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ü ü ü ü ü

American Lung Association Energy Star (EPA) Environments for Living National Green Building Program Florida Green Building Coalition

Finding Local Green Builders Earning LEED certification is becoming a coveted There are several web sites that list local green achievement. Depending upon the level of certifica- contractors and energy professionals as well as architects, tion - silver, gold or platinum, buildings must meet a interior designers and every trade required to build or certain number of points in each of the categories renovate your home or office.The United States Green below in order to be certified. The more points the Building Council (USGBC) has a local chapter for higher the rating. South Florida called USGBCSF.org . This site lists every person who is a LEED Professional and thereLEED Certification Categories by qualified to build for Green Certification. In addition you can find Broward County builders Ø Sustainable Sites www.Builderspro.com under ‘Green Building ProfesØ Water Efficiency sionals in Broward County’. Other sites with local Ø Energy & Atmosphere listings include the SourceGuides.com that lists contractors specializing in renewable energy. Two other Ø Materials & Resources valuable sites that list vendors locally are Ø Indoor Environmental Quality GenGreenLife.com and the National American Board Ø Innovations in Design/Operations of Certified Energy Professionals, NABCEP.org.

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Location & Transportation Awareness & Education Neighborhood Design Green Construction & Technology

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Cloudy Skies for Florida A Ray of Sunshine for Broward County

POLITICS

Florida’s Energy Policies Still Lagging in 2010 Florida is famous for its abundant sunshine. Yet the state's small solar businesses are expecting cloudy skies this summer. The Florida Legislature, citing another tough budget cycle, has failed to renew a state rebate program which provided incentives for solar providers working to sell renewable energy to Florida customers. It was called the Solar Energy Systems Incentives Program, and it came to an end on June 30th, 2010. Meanwhile, Florida still hasn't created what 29 other states and the District of Columbia did some time ago -- a Renewable Portfolio Standard. An RPS establishes that a certain percentage of a state's energy must come from renewable sources -- be they solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, or others. According to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the upfront costs of establishing an RPS would be offset by the growth of cleantech jobs that follow investment in clean energy. They project some 50,000 jobs in this space over the next ten years if Florida gets serious about renewables. Tom Larson, Florida Energy Policy Manager for the advocacy group, told our "First Coast Connect" audience that the key to making renewables more affordable and accessible over time is allowing third parties to sell power -which is still not legal in Florida. There are still Federal incentives, although they are not sufficient enough to subsidize solar installations. In the Energy Act of 2005, the U.S. Congress passed an income tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of a solar electric or solar domestic hot water system. Consumers that purchase solar energy systems are eligible for the Federal tax credit of 30% of cost with no upper limit through 2016.

of its addiction to oil. The foot-dragging to renewables until everyday Americans isn't new -- or confined to just a few states. drive up to the pump and gas is $7 a A recent report from the Pew Charitable gallon.” Trust found that for the first time ever, the United States has fallen behind China in overall clean energy investment. In fact, America trails several of our G-20 partners in what we're spending to develop alternative and renewable energy sources.

By Melissa Ross on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MelissainJax from WJCT 89.9 FM

PACE, A Ray of Sunshine for Broward County

PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy financing. This program began in California and has rapidly spread across the country. On March 17, 2010 PACE legislation passed the Florida House EnerFossil fuels supply 85% of the nation's gy & Utilities Policy Committee and the energy. That percentage won't change Senate. Governor Crist signed PACE legiswithout a wholesale commitment to stake lation into law on May 27, 2010. out a new path, both at the state and federal levels. Floridians are bracing for tar balls PACE programs allow homeowners and on our beaches this summer, and a small businesses to finance energy effidevastating blow to our tourism-based ciency retrofits and renewable energy ineconomy. That's bad enough -- but as Dr. stallations through their municipality or Quinton White, who heads up the Marine special district. They can amortize Science Research Institute at Jacksonville expenses over 20 years and pay them back University, said recently on WJCT radio through supplements to their property taxprogram: es. If a customer chooses to move, the This begs the question -- if the oil spill isn't the tipping point that finally forces Americans to commit to a renewable energy future, then what will be?

Florida may well lag behind other states in financing stays with the home along with converting to a clean energy economy, but “As bad as it is, and as bad as it's going to the technology. as Jon Stewart so incisively pointed out get, the oil spill probably won't force real last week, the last EIGHT American change. I don't think we'll see a major shift presidents have promised to cure America

POLITICS

PACE programs allow consumers to move to renewable energy without any upfront costs. Because of the long term financing, many energy efficiency retrofits will actually make the customer cash positive day one: the amount of money they save on energy costs will exceed their loan payments. These programs are therefore extremely popular. In Sonoma County California, their PACE program increased construction the first year by 8.4%. The Harvard Business Review described PACE financing as one of the 10 Breakthrough ideas for 2010 (January 2010). State Representative/Majority Leader Adam Hasner, a Republican from Delray Beach, is handling the bill and explains that "PACE is a no-cost to taxpayers, no mandate, consumer opt-in approach to bringing clean energy technology to homeowners and businesses which will help create jobs for Floridians at a critical time when we are working to get Florida's economy back on track," said Leader Hasner. "The biggest challenge most Florida homeowners face is paying the upfront costs to retrofit their homes with energy improvements. PACE presents a commonsense, innovative policy initiative that will remove this significant financial burden for homeowners and allow them to buy solar panels and implement energy efficiency in their homes." In October of 2009, Vice President Biden released Policy Framework Guidelines for PACE programs in an effort to encourage their use. Indian River County, Florida Commissioner Peter O’Bryan proposed a PACE program for his county in February. Broward County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs said in February 2010 that the county was interested in researching PACE programs, particularly the model used in Sonoma, California. In Sonoma, the county has given $24 million to 770 property owners with an 8% increase in construction activity according to attorney Paul D’Arelli of Berger Singerman in Miami. (www.greenworkforce.wordpress.com The Broward

run by the North Bay Institute of Green Technology called Youth Green Jobs Sonoma. This program takes at-risk youth with barriers to employment and provides them training for energy efficiency jobs. The training is provided using local contractors. The PACE financing program therefore not only benefits these contractors, it also benefits the troubled youth that are trained by them. (www.greenworkforce.wordpress.com The Broward County Green Workforce Innovation Project 17)

able to keep pace with the demand for green jobs given the lack of government incentives. The task force found that implementing PACE should have a substantial impact, particularly working in conjunction with the job training programs already in place. PACE bonds would be issued only by municipalities that opted into the program. According to Hasner’s staff, Miami-Dade and Broward counties have formally adopted resolutions supporting PACE, as have Sarasota and St. Petersburg. A nonprofit group called PACE Now, www.pacenow.org, estimates the U.S PACE market could exceed $500 billion someday, and could dramatically accelerate the energy efficiency of America’s buildings.

A task force of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward Alliance, Workforce One Employments Solutions and Citigroup released a study on June 21st, enCounty Green Workforce Innovation Project 16 ) dorsing PACE in Broward County as a of creating green jobs. The study PACE Hopes to Create Green means reported that Broward County received Jobs for Broward County over $4 million in Federal grants in 2009 for workforce training. These efforts repSource:BrowardAlliance.org The PACE program in Sonoma works in resent the largest county oriented green conjunction with a job training program workforce training effort in the Nation By: CindyRagan Yet the local green economy has not been

POLITICS

Global Climate Politics A Stalemate ! The Copenhagen deal, approved by the 193 participating nations, seeks to reduce green house gas emissions sufficiently to prevent global temperature increases of no more than 2 degrees centigrade by 2020. There was a pledge by leading industrial powers to give $30 billion in emergency aid to unspecified underdeveloped nations over the next three years and to increase it to $100 billion a year by 2020.

Adding to the difficulty of devising a binding carbon-reduction pact is the significant skepticism, and even denial, that global warming is a major threat. Doubts about the science of climate change have grown with the release of e-mails from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit indicating a lack of scientific objectivity and transparency, if not outright misuse of climate data.

A renewed commitment to building nuclear power plants, as France and Japan have done, also could reduce greenhouse gases. Longer term, replacing motor vehicle fuels with ethanol from biomass or hydrogen produced by non-fossil fuels, along with accelerated research on developing fusion energy could eventually replace fossil fuels. But it will take considerable time and investment to wean us from fossil fuels.

Even if there were an agreement on how Perhaps it would be wise to also consider much and how fast to reduce carbon efforts to counter the impact of carbon dioxide emissions, it would be nearly dioxide emissions or devise ways to deal

The United States, China, India, Brazil and South Africa decided on a method for verifying reductions in heat-trapping gases, something China had previously opposed. Also, the agreement requires industrial countries to list their individual targets for reducing greenhouse gases. Most significantly, there were no legally binding commitments, nor was there any agreement on how much and how fast carbon dioxide emissions should be reduced. The reason Copenhagen fell short was not from a lack of effort, but because the task of cutting back carbon dioxide emissions enough to make a difference in global climate is indeed daunting. Just to stop increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, global emissions would have to be cut back by 45 percent. The only way to achieve such a goal would be for industrialized nations to severely reduce their use of fossil fuels. This is especially difficult for emerging industrial powers like China and India, which rely heavily on coal and plan to continue building more coal-burning power plants. Cutting carbon dioxide emissions by more than 45 percent would require extreme conservation efforts and the rapid development of alternative, cost-effective fuels, both of which are unlikely. The massive negative economic impact of quickly transitioning away from fossil fuels, which provide 85 percent of the world's energy, places the goal of cutting carbon dioxide production early in half well beyond the political will of most, if not all, nations.

impossible to distribute the economic burden, particularly among rapidly industrializing countries like China and India, whose economies depend on even greater use of fossil fuels. The failure of a binding agreement at Copenhagen does not mean we should do nothing, even if there were no threats of global warming. Eventually, the world will run out of fossil fuels, and they will become far more costly well before they are consumed. Conservation can begin to make a significant dent in the growth of carbon dioxide emissions. Also, natural gas, which is being discovered in huge quantities, could replace coal and oil, both of which emit far more carbon dioxide. Solar and wind power can help cut emissions, but are far from able to make a major difference anytime soon.

with the effects of climate change as well as moving ahead with ways to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Most significantly, transitioning to non-carbon-based fuels must be economically viable. It is unrealistic to believe that any nation, regardless of climate threats, is going to destroy its economy to meet drastic greenhouse gas reduction goals mandated at a global climate conference like the one in Copenhagen.

Editorial: Climate conference in Copenhagen, MediaNews editorial Posted: 12/27/2009 12:00:00 AM PSTUpdated: 12/28/2009 01:01:57 PM PST

GREEN BUSINESS

Seven Ways Florida can Go Solar ‘A Local Entrepreneur Speaks Out'

It seems almost embarrassing that the ‘Sunshine State’ does not rank among the top 10 states using solar power. Yet it doesn’t, and what’s worse is that the successful Florida Solar Rebate Program is bankrupt and expired June 2010 when the State Legislature failed to fund it citing budget constraints. And while the Florida legislature recently passed the PACE financing program (explained under "Politics" in this issue) which is slated to create a different type of solar incentive in lieu of the Florida Solar Rebate Program. Florida needs to consider the many solar incentive programs available to them that are currently being used by other states. Several renewable energy incentives will be required to make Florida a renewable energy State, as well as create the critical jobs and economic stimulus that its so desperately needs. Paul Farren, CEO of The Energy Store in Hollywood, Florida is one of the many solar entrepreneurs lobbying the legislature. The following are excepts from a position paper authored by Mr. Farren to the Florida Legislature “Solar Energy Systems Installations Can Provide Thousands of Jobs in Florida’s Stalled Economy” in January 29, 2010. It explains several incentive programs available to Florida in addition to the Rebate Program and PACE. 1) Production Based Incentives (PBI) & Feed in Tariffs (FIT) There are several groups within the solar community who advocate Production Based Incentives (PBI) and/or Feed in Tariffs (FIT). These are two similar programs with the Production Based Incentives providing additional Incentives for Solar Thermal Systems (hot water) as well as for Solar Photovoltaic Systems (electric). Production Based Incentives provide consumers with affordable solar systems for a low initial down payment and the systems pay for themselves with payments from the utility company. The utility companies pay the consumer a premium (higher) price for the solar energy that they produce and give them a twenty (20) year contract for that produced energy. The cost of the program would be paid for by a small increase (1% to 2%) in consumer utility rates throughout the state. The money from the modest rate increase would be used by the utilities to pay for the renewable energy produced. Once installed, solar systems provide free clean renewable energy for decades and the price is already paid for over the system's lifetime (which is usually 25+ years), unlike, fossil fuels whose price will steadily rise or spike as demand encroaches upon supply.

2) Renewable Portfolio Standards Renewable Energy Standards (RES)

(RPS) aka

A renewable portfolio standard is a state policy that requires electricity providers to obtain a minimum percentage of their power from renewable energy resources by a certain date. (For example: reduce emissions by 20% by 2020.) Currently there are 24 states plus the District of Columbia that have RPS policies in place. Together these states account for more than half of the electricity sales in the United States. Five other states, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Vermont, have non binding goals for adoption of renewable energy instead of an RPS. Florida does not have a Renewable Portfolio Standard in place as of this writing. 3) Renewable Energy Credits and Certificates (RECs) Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), also known as Green Tags, Renewable Energy Credits, or Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), are tradable, non-tangible energy commodities ...that represent proof that 1 megawatt hour (Mwh) of electricity was generated from an eligible renewable resource (renewable electricity). These certificates can be sold, traded or bartered, and the owner can claim to have purchased renewable energy. In states that have a REC program, a green energy provider (such as a wind farm) is credited with one REC for every 1,000 kWh or 1 MWh of electricity it produces (for reference, an average residential customer consumes about 800 kWh in a month). A certifying agency gives each REC a unique identification number to make sure it doesn't get doublecounted. The green energy is then fed into the electrical grid (by mandate), and the accompanying REC can then be sold on the open market.

26 4) Cap-and-Trade Cap-and-trade is an environmental policy tool that delivers results with a mandatory cap on emissions while providing sources flexibility in how they comply. Successful cap and trade programs reward innovation, efficiency, and early action; and provide strict environmental accountability without inhibiting economic growth. The way it works is that the government sets an overall cap on emissions and creates allowances or a limited authorization to emit up to the level of the cap. Sources are free to buy or sell allowances, or “bank” them to use in future years. Sources have the option to lower their emissions so that they may trade, sell or bank their savings. Or, they can continue emitting at levels higher than their allowance holdings and

Carbon atoms are present in every fossil fuel (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) and are released as CO2 when they are burnt. In contrast, non-combustion energy sources like wind, sunlight, hydropower, and nuclear do not convert hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide. A carbon tax can be implemented by taxing the burning of fossil fuels—coal, petroleum products such as gasoline and aviation fuel, and natural gas—in proportion to their carbon content. If carbon dioxide emissions are not released into the atmosphere on combustion of fossil fuels, e.g., carbon capture and storage, then a carbon tax will not apply. Accordingly, a carbon tax increases the competitiveness of low-carbon technologies, such as renewables, compared to the traditional burning of fossil fuels. 6) Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Explained in detail under "Politics" in this issue. Passed in Florida May 2010 7) Florida Solar Rebate Program Terminated in June 2010. Provided up to $20,000 in rebates for residential installations and up to $100,000 for commercial.

purchase allowances to cover the excess. The Government sets a goal that the industry must meet (i.e. the cap) and monitors compliance. 5) Carbon Tax

A carbon tax is a tax on the carbon content of fuels - effective ly a tax on the carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. Thus, carbon tax is shorthand for carbon dioxide tax or CO2 tax. Carbon dioxide is considered to be a heattrapping "greenhouse" gas, and the purpose of a carbon tax is to protect the environment by penalizing emissions of carbon dioxide, which may cause global warming. Some environmental taxes include other greenhouse gases; the global warming potential is a internationally accepted scale of equivalence for other greenhouse gases in units of tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

By Mimi Thompson

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If you enjoy gardening, but have limiting factors such as very little gardening space, problems with pests or unsuitable weather conditions, then hydroponics is your answer. Cultivating plants hydroponically is an easy and environmentally sound way to grow a wide variety of healthy plants, such as strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce and many non-fruit or vegetable plants, such as orchids. How does it Work? Hydroponics basically is growing plants without soil because it is simply a more efficient way to provide food and water to your plants. Soil's function is to hold nutrients and anchor plants' roots. In a hydroponic garden you provide your plants' roots so they have easier access to food and water. What are the Benefits? • Plants grow up to 50% faster with better access to food & water • Plants become "vacation-proof" and "neglect-resistant" as rockwool retains water so well, you only need to water every 3 to 6 weeks. • Plants can "tell" you when to water, because they droop before wilting and damage occurs. • • Little or no pesticides are needed. • If disease occurs, it may only affect one plant, not a whole row. • You use smaller containers, because the roots can grow throughout the media without being root bound. Whether you’re a "beginner or a pro" come visit us at Green Barn Hydroponics (see our ad on this page) for all your hydroponic supply needs.

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Business Green Earth Cartridge, Llc Nationwide Payment Systems Fort Lauderdale Nationwide Payment Systems Fort Lauderdale Up Your Water 954-721-3024 Margate Change your water, empower your health"

Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Lauderdale Hill Pembroke Pines Plantation Plantation Plantation Sunrise

Dry Cleaning OXXO Care Cleaners Eco-Safe Cleaning Solutions

Boca Raton Davie Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Highland Beach Medley Miami Sunrise Fort Lauderdale

Eco Products Think Green Make Green Total Eco (online baby store) Rock Encounters Flush Choice TrueGreen

Coral Springs Dania Beach Davie Deerfield

Eco Products EcoGems BuyGreenSavvy.com Wow Green BoxQuest Used Moving Boxes, Inc. Infinite Canopy Forlife Products Green Dwellers Green-Wise Inc (candles) Recycled Bags Direct

EcoGems.org Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Hollywood Miramar Plantation Plantation

Education Nova Southeastern University Earthprints (edu env materials k-12)

Fort Lauderdale Plantation

Energy Alternatives

Café's & Restaurants Berry’s Café & Juice Bar Daily Squeeze Green Bean Cafe Green Zone Eatery Natural Vibes Pizza Fusion Smoothie Jungle Sublime Gourmet Green House Woodlands Olive Green Cafe Inc Bamboo Hoahs Green Wave Café Smoothie King Simply Natural Café & Restaurant

Carbon Solutions America Green Irene Eco-Consulting Green Irene/ Bridget French Green Pea Consulting, Llc Green Tech (Energy Consultants) Ecovation 3 Smart Energy Energy Chek Sdii Global Corporation (env consulting) EE Consulting Group Inc (env consulting)

Hollywood Coral Springs

Florida Solar Energy VB engineering Advanced Green Technologies Clark’s Pool Heating, Inc. DMSolar.com Lynnette Granger Solar Tek International Wisdom Tree Green Solution Biofuels Inc Green Wave Biodiesel The Energy Store Orion Efficient Energy Aztec Solar Power Electron Solar Industries Q Power Atlas Solar Innovations First Call Services Super Green Technologies Sun Futur

Aventura Boca Raton Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Holly Wood Hollywood Miami Miami Palm Beach Pompano Beach Pompano Beach St. Petersberg Miami

GET LISTED!! If you would like to be listed please call 954-993-2177 or email Sales@SavingGreenMagazine.com

2929

The Green MarketPlace Local Businesses & Professionals (For Complete Listings go to www.SavingGreenMagazine.com)

Gardening /Farming (Organic) Green Barn HydroPonics 561-499-2810 Delray Beach www.greenbarnhydroponics.com Eden Organic Nursery Services 954-382-8281 Davie www.eonseed.com Organic Seed Company

Paint

Landscaping

Personal Care

Eden Organic Nursery Services, Inc. Total Landscape Concepts EEI Landscaping Green Tree Imports, Inc Gentile Holloway O’Mahoney Operation Green Leaves

Davie Davie Hobe Sound Hollywood Jupiter North Miami

Nature’s Paint Store Eco-Simplista

Blessed Love Health Care Affordable Mineral Makeup Fitness & Nutrition Center Waterlily Beauty Boutique Green Wave Body Wax Specialist

Fort Lauderdale Oakland Park

Fort Lauderdale Pembroke Pines Pompano Beach Pompano Beach Weston

Pest Control Lighting Lighting Designs Fort Lauderdale The Green Savings Company Llc Fort Lauderdale Green Led Solutions, Llc Hollywood Kwik Screen Miami Lighting Solutions of Miami Miami www.lightingsolutionsofmiami.com 305-470-8900 Dimmable LED & Flourescents Specialist Lumiron Miami Led Source Wellington Lighting Source Group Wellington Sesco Lighting Winter Park

Markets & Grocers Bedner's Farmers' Market Boynton Beach www.bedners.com 561-733-5490 Palm Beach County's First Family Farmers' Market Whole Foods Market Aventura Whole Foods Market Boca Raton Tunies Super Nutrition Coral Springs Whole Foods Market Coral Springs Whole Green Market Davie Parsi Herbs Deerfrield Beach Apples To Oranges Produce Fort Lauderdale Green Store Fort Lauderdale Herbal Garden Fort Lauderdale Nature Boy Health Foods Fort Lauderdale Whole Foods Market Fort Lauderdale Mr Green Produce Inc Hollywood Whole Foods Market Palm Beach Gardens Dai Ware Naturals LLC Pembroke Pines Smitty’s Farmers Market Pembroke Pines Pompano Beach Green Market Pompano Beach Pompano State Farmer’s Market Pompano Beach Green Natural Produce Weston

Kids Yummy in my tummy Flora Ottimer Green Kidz, Green Children's House Operation Cloth Diapers

Davie Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Pompano Beach Sunrise

Medical Kimberly Marin AP, RD The Natural Anti-Aging Clinics Mind over Matter Consulting Services Scott Denny, PhD, MS, LAc,

Davie Davie Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale

Platinum Mosquito Protection & Services Go Green Pest Control

Orange Pest Control Pompano Beach Sunrise

Printers/Graphics Aprinters All Graphics Impressions Ecobabble by Atlas Embroidery Squeegee Science

Miami Pompano Beach Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale

Realtor Green World Realty Browne Pearson – RE/MAX Haskell’s House Erica Davey – RE/MAX Partners Ken Shapiro – Triple Nickel Realty

Coral Springs Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Lighthouse Point Wilton Manors

Recycle Nike Reuse-A-Shoe Drop-Off

Sunrise

Retail Mission Gifts The Wasp Nest

Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale

Tours Eco Afrika, Inc (tours) Eco Nature Reef

Fort Lauderdale Plantation

Vitamins Health & Vitamin Concepts, Inc 561-392-8448 The Pill Box Supplement Warehouse Discount Vitamins & Health Food Health & Vitamin Concepts

Boca Raton

Davie Hallandale Boca Raton

Waste/Recycle Greener Waste Services, Inc Waste Management Southern Waste Systems, SWS

Miami Gardens Pompano Beach Lantana

Water Ionizer & Alkalinizer Up Your Water 954-721-3024 Margate Change your water, empower your health"

GET LISTED!! If you would like to be listed please call 954-993-2177 or email Sales@SavingGreenMagazine.com

Calendar of Green Events Everglades Evening at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary July 16th : 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (Free)Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, Jupiter, FL, 561-575-3399, http://bwseducation@aol.com

USGBCsf.org. - Miami-Dade & Keys Branch Meeting in Key West: Two-day Program and Networking Event

Museum of Discovery and Science Sea Turtle Walks

July 23, 2010 6:00 PM and July 24, 2010 12:00 PM, Marriott Key West Beachside Resort, 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West, FL 33040

The Museum of Discovery and Science, Fort Lauderdale, FL Nature permitting, participants will have a chance to watch a 400pound Loggerhead sea turtle venture out of the ocean to lay her eggs. July 17, 2010 9:00 p.m.

Plantation Green Market Volunteer Park, Come get your fill of organic and locally grown produce, including fresh beans, potatoes, broccoli, oranges, apples, peppers and more. July 17, 2010 8:00 a.m.

Tours of the Green Cay Wetlands Green Cay Wetlands 12800 Hagen Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL July 13, 2010 4:00 p.m.

The Cost of Sustainability: Real World Data -- ULI Breakfast Program July 30, 2010 (seflorida.uli.org), 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM. Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel, 1825 Griffin Road, Dania Beach, FL 33004, The Cost of Sustainability: Real World Data -- Urban League Institute Breakfast

Environmental Workshop - IKEA Save the planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural resources by learning how to practice the 3Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of recycling. These monthly 'green' workshops are provided by Young At Art Children's Museum, SR-84, Davie, FL33325 August 3, 2010 5:00 p.m.

USGBCsf.org Meetings Scheduled for August USGBCsf.org - Treasure Coast and Palm Beach Branch Meeting , Topic: LEED Gold Facility July 15, 2010, 06:30 PM - 08:00 PM 2101 N. Australian Avenue, WPB, FL 33407 Guests / Non-Members of USGBC - $10.00 (USD) This month's program features a LEED Gold Facility in West Palm Beach the American Lung Association/Quantum Foundation

USGBCsf.org - Jul 20 Broward Branch Meeting (go to site for agenda) USGBDsf.org - Miami-Dade & Keys Branch Meeting: Topic :Introduction to LEED NC Building Commissioning July 21, 2010, 5:30 PM - 08:00 PM, University of Miami School of Architecture, Stanley and Jewell Glasgow Lecture Hall, 1223 Dickinson Drive Coral Gables, FL

USGBCsf.org - Miami-Dade and the Keys Branch Workshop Topic: REGREEN 301: Implementing Residential Remodeling July 22, 2010 and July 23, 2010, Design Centers of the Americas, 1855 Griffin Road, Room C332, Dania Beach, FL 33004

Aug 17 Broward Branch Meeting Aug 18 Miami-Dade and the Keys Branch Meeting: Green Horticulture Aug 19 Treasure Coast and Palm Beach Branch Meeting

USGBCsf.org - Gala Verde: Green Awards August 28, 2010. 06:00 PM - 11:00 PM, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, Crystal Ballroom, 2301 S.E. 17th Street Causeway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, The 2010 LEEDership and Green Awards Program will recognize and honor those outstanding projects, inspirational businesses, dedicated individuals, and instrumental Chapter members.

USGBCsf.org Meetings Scheduled for September Sep 15 Miami-Dade and the Keys Branch Meeting: Annual Meeting Sep 16 Treasure Coast and Palm Beach Branch Meeting Sep 21 Broward Branch Meeting

International Coastal Cleanup - 25th Anniversary! Saturday, September 25, 2010 with additional cleanups scheduled throughout the months of September and October. The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is the world's largest, one-day volunteer effort to clean up the marine environment. Palm Beach County participates in the ICC due to the efforts of Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, Inc. (KPBCB. See web site for more info. www.keeppbcbeautiful.org

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