Home and Eco-Hearth

TIPS FROM BETTER WORLD BETTY
Home fires burning

February's Abode Column - read it here or there

Warning: Betty is about to put a serious damper on your cozy fireplace scene (pun intended).

Most fireplaces and woodstoves are energy losers, sending heated air (and money) right out the chimney—not to mention air-polluting carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), PMs (particulate matter), and other toxic emissions.

You can, however, reduce wood smoke pollution and get more heat for your fuel dollar. Consider using fire heat by installing a heat air exchange system and tempered fireplace glass doors. A gas or electric fireplace or fireplace insert can save money on heating. Check out EPA-certified ultra-efficient wood appliances. Not using your fireplace? Seal the damper permanently or purchase a fireplace draft stopper (95-98 percent sealed).


Can’t break the habit?

Keep the damper tightly closed when not in use. Caulk around the hearth and anywhere air could escape. Creosote buildup reduces efficiency and increases the threat of chimney fire, so hire a local chimney sweep for yearly cleaning. Darker smoke means more pollutants, so check your smoke plume from the outside regularly.
Always use seasoned firewood (dried for 6-12 months) from sustainably harvested forests (FSC label) or locally felled wood (check Munson’s at Whole Foods). Tree-free options are Dura-flame or Enviro-logs made from recycled cardboard. The absolute cleanest burning fuel alternative (virtually no particulate emissions) is pellet fuel made from sawmill waste. It’s easy to store and lightweight for transport. Check manufacturer’s instructions for compatibility.

Important Community Clean Energy Meeting!

As I mentioned on the Bruce and Betty show on Friday - 60% of our energy here in Virginia is generated by dirty coal burning power plants. Our political leaders are feeling the HEAT from big coal and oil companies and therefore need OUR help!

Do you care about clean air? Do you care about becoming energy independent? Do you care about our planet?

You can do something tomorrow night... Attend this important COMMUNITY MEETING at CCDC's City Space on the Downtown Mall from 7-8pm (TUESDAY, JAN 19th)

According to the Sierra Club's field organizer, Ryan Doyle, whom I met on Thurs evening at Betty's two-year anniversary, America is still sending 1.2 BILLION dollars overseas for foreign oil, not to mention the impact on our environment and the threat on our climate.

We DO have solutions and Ryan along with Sierra Club members are excited to share and make a difference by passing KEY legislation which would bring Virginia CLEAN ENERGY JOBS - bringing economic prosperity, protect national security, and cut pollution at the same time.

Take action, attend tomorrow night. Steps to a better world, y'all!
BWB

Betty says, you are so NOT terrible!

The other day I went to pick up some necessities at the local grocer and as I got out my reusable bags and placed them on the counter, the woman in front of me got a sad look, sighed and said to her husband, "I'm so terrible! I'm always forgetting my bags! I feel so guilty!"

I wanted to scream out loud You are so NOT terrible. You are lovely and wonderful and human. And for Earth's sake, stop feeling guilty and use that as fuel for change! Clearly this person CARES or she wouldn't have had such a strong reaction.

Is feeling guilty really going to help her remember her bags next time?

Now, I'm no social scientist, but likely if she that's the reaction she feels when she sees others doing a green action, no wonder she is not remembering her reusable bags!

Here's the truth y'all. Forget your bags? Left the light on again? Forgot to turn the thermostat down before you left on vacation? Let it go in the moment AND then put something in place to help you make the right decision. I.E. Take action. Give yourself a pat on the back for caring and renew your effort at change.

Research says it takes less than 90 days to formulate a habit. I was just reading up on it, because I have some habits of my own I desperately need to curb (uh-humm the hot shower buzzer goes off and I'm still lingering in the steam with this FREEZING weather we've been having). Try ...

*use 100% recycled paper post-it notes
*tell people your intention/goal - you are more likely to do it
*consistency builds habit Always hang your bags on the exit door or put them in the passenger seat of your car.
*feel the internal reward when you DO remember
*buy a LOCAL, farm-fresh yummy treat as an external reward when you DO remember

Hope that helps!
BWB

Betty's help in the kitchen, saving energy

This article appears in this month's issue of Abode magazine. Read it here or on their website: www.c-ville.com
Let’s take a tour of your kitchen, where refrigeration and appliances use 17% of home energy, and see if Betty can create an energy saving recipe for the New Year!

Your biggest energy loser in the kitchen is the refrigerator.

*Does your fridge door hold a dollar bill in place? If not, seal those gaskets

*Up the temperature to 37 or 38 degrees and the freezer temp as high as 5 degrees (don’t have a read out - stick a glass of water in the middle of the fridge w/an appliance thermometer and read it after 24 hours)

*If possible avoid putting the fridge in a warm spot

*Regularly defrost your freezer

*Let hot foods cool and keep your freezer full

*Finally, keep dust bunnies on the coils in the back at a minimum

Cooking

*Reduce your cooking time by microwaving and skipping pre-heating

*Match your pot size with your heating element

*Defrost frozen foods before cooking

*Avoid peeking in the oven

*Toaster ovens use a third less energy than regular-sized ovens

Dishwashing
I for one cringe when a well-intentioned friend offers to wash the dishes and proceeds to chat while the hot water is running full blast. More studies are proving modern dishwashers outperform even frugal dishwashers (are you reading this, mom?) Also, scrape, don’t rinse, and wash only full loads. Take advantage of the energy settings and if you haven’t already, turn down your water heater to 120.

Finally, keep the kitchen faucet lever in the cool position – when it’s turned to the hot position it uses energy even when it’s not running. Remember to unplug all surface appliances when they’re not in use so they don’t waste energy.

Happy Savings!
Better World Betty
Green living made easier in the Charlottesville Area
website: www.betterworldbetty.org
blog: www.cvillebettyblog.blogspot.com

What to do when you're snowed in? Make a plan for ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Researching my next article for Cville Weekly's Abode I came across a FABULOUS and TOTALLY user-friendly 36 page booklet


http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/pdfs/energy_savers.pdf

from DOE's , Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department. OK so maybe you are in front of the fireplace, snuggled up reading the latest copy of DWELL magazine or the latest Barbara Kingsolver. Betty's telling you this is worth a glance, if not a good read. As I tuned into the coverage from Copenhagen, I was reminded of just how urgent climate change is. It's overwhelming, but it begins with the one step you are doing right now.

So how's this: read the booklet and right down 1 thing you can do RIGHT NOW to save energy. Then right down three things you can do in the NEXT MONTH. Then formulate a plan for the year 2010 and post it on your big home energy loser appliance (your fridge) - it'll make him feel better (he knows man's gotta eat) and you too for TAKING AN ACTION.

I'm pleasantly surprised by just how quick, informative and easy-to-implement some of the tips are.

The chart telling you what home plug ins use the most energy is worth a peruse. And news to me: if your kitchen faucet lever is turned toward hot, it's costing you money!! Turn it to COOL.



http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/pdfs/energy_savers.pdf

Snuggled-in,
BWB

Building a Better World starting right here!

Exciting things were happening all over Charlottesville this weekend. It was hard to choose where to be and when and of course try to fit some holiday shopping in there somewhere, even for the Bettiest of Charlottesvillians. Saturday I found myself connecting with two wonderful segments of our green community here: local craftspeople and designers at CRAFTACULAR AND sustainable minded builders, architects, planners, political leaders at the 4th EcoMOD home on Elliot Avenue!

Cary and Kristen and Patty and Kim and other local artists and designers and craftspeople and "upcyclers" (I love this term!) were at Craftacular in the new Open Space at the corner of Monticello Ave and 2nd Street near ACAC). Of course I had to get over my initial "grrrr" feeling at the building for those of you who remember the majestic trees that were on that corner which had to be cut down. But the space is a very beautiful gathering place and cool community concept of rentable space for working and meetings of all types and the building's concierge informed me that they are striving for an all paperless work environment. Excellent.

I met Lindsay Mears who makes beautiful booklets made from old books and (think back now) old floppy disks. I met Kim who creatively upcycles old things she finds in antique or consignment shops or friends' attics, giving them a second life as beautiful bags and artful objects. She likes to take things apart - voila Cary's earrings.

After chatting with the artists and Roger Voisinet, green solar real estate outdoor adventure guy, I headed to the dedication of EcoMOD. Community members from all walks - students, UVA officials, professors, activists, we all braved the cold temperatures to celebrate an important piece of the sustainability puzzle: innovative sustainable modular and affordable home design otherwise known as EcoMOD,which is getting not only community attention, but national and international attention as well!!

EcoMOD is a UVA interdisciplinary project joining UVA's Architecture school and School of Engineering and Applied Science professors and students along with affordable housing organizations like Piedmont Housing Alliance and Habitat for Humanity. This home was a Habitat for Humanity home (the Andesha's home) and required cooperation of MANY students groups, area businesses, and city leaders. The lofty goal of this fourth EcoMod home was a net zero carbon footprint. WOW. And they are going for a LEED platinum rating as well as fulfilling the Habitat Mission of a modest, affordable home. This is a pre-fab home with energy star features, solar roof, and other sustainable feature. To quote Habitat's Executive Director Dan Rosenweig, to be sustainable, designs have to be attainable. This innovative, inter-disciplinary, inter-community effort is now being looked at in other parts of the world and it started with the work of Paxton Marshall and John Quale here in Charlottesville. Green hats off!!

I toured the home, spoke with Betty board members Paxton Marshall and Ryan Jacoby, as well as Mayor Dave Norris about the successful partnership and also about the future plans for the house next door.

The home at the corner of Elliott and Ridge (across from Tonsler park), once a drug hub, has been condemned for years, but through joint support of many organizations in our community, it looks like it's going to be transformed into a state of the green-art educational, living example of sustainable design and energy efficiency! Plans are currently being tossed about (I'm privileged to be a part of some of the dialogue via the Local Climate Action Planning Committee work I'm involved with), but if all funding goes well it should house LEAP, the Local Energy Alliance Program: a comprehensive program launching in Charlottesville to reduce our energy use.

Despite the bitter cold event (held outside the homes), I was inwardly glowing at all the good intention, Better World actions that continue to transform our community, our state and the planet, really. 'Tis the season, everyone!

Best,
BWB

Join the Green Party!

Join the green party
An article from Betty's monthly column in Abode magazine!

One way to survive the cold, dark, post-Fridays-After-Five season is to host or attend a cozy, holiday party. But if December is already booked with invitations, your carbon snow-print might be mammoth.

Follow these tips for green merrymaking:

Choose invitations printed on recycled paper; or postcard-sized, bamboo or hemp invites; or simply welcome friends with digital e-vites.

If you must have a tree, splurge on a fresh, local Christmas tree from the nearest tree farm (consult the Buy Fresh Buy Local guide at buylocalvirginia.org).

Do you really need another seasonal decoration? Search your home for lost treasures, or ask close friends to loan decorations for the night of your party. Gather fresh rosemary or holly berry branches to garnish your soy, beeswax or palm wax candle.
Fill your favorite glass bowl or jar with cranberries and water and top with a tea light. Old CDs make glittery hanging ornaments; so do non-toxic gold and silver painted pinecones. Create recycled magazine Christmas trees by folding down every page. And garlands of leftover greenery, apples, cinnamon sticks and twine provide fragrance and fun.

Why not explore a local menu with Caromont chevre and a bottle of Gabriele Rausse’s Rosso? Be sure to serve guests on real or biodegradable plates. Here’s a gift idea for you and the planet: a set of sturdy, fashionable bamboo plates suitable for future parties!

And a beautiful handcrafted gift from local artists at the farmers’ market, or a gift certificate to your favorite locally owned business, captures the seasonal spirit of giving.

In-Joy,
BWB