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Are YOU A Neoconservative?
If one had to choose a word to describe neoconservatism,...
Roses:
Gift of the Angels for Gentle Healing Roses have seduced people...
Leaks and Landscape During a Dry Winter
Did you know that most water customers start off the...
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Thom Hartmann

The nation's #1 progressive radio talk show host and the New York Times bestselling, 4-times Project Censored winning author of 21 books in print. In its eighth year, The Thom Hartmann Program  airs live daily, NOON – 3pm, ET simulcast as both radio and TV on over 120 radio stations. into more than 50 million homes via both nationwide satellite TV systems (DirecTV and Dish Network). http://www.thomhartmann.com

Catching the Rain

Written by Sandra Marshall | 02 November 2010

Shifts from sweltering heat, to sudden bouts of monsoon rains, are the examples of the weather extremes to be experienced in the years to come. This unpredictability expresses the pure necessity to conserve water and develop mechanisms that attempt to keep it stay where it falls.

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A Great Time to Prepare Your Soil for Spring

Written by By Bob Nicholson | 01 November 2010

The condition of your soil is a huge factor in the health of your garden, and November is a perfect time to begin preparing your soil for the spring growing season. Most people only see what grows above ground, but a plant is like an iceberg, in that most of it can be found below the surface. Most of your garden lives below the ground, so the importance of the health of your soil cannot be minimized.  

A healthy soil will use water more efficiently, but it’s not just about water.  A healthy soil is alive with Microorganisms including algae, bacteria and fungi, and Macroorganisms, such as earthworms and ants. Earthworms tend to the soil and their castings, or feces are an important source of nutrients. Castings can weigh over 300 pounds per 1,000 square feet of healthy soil, and the weight of the earthworms themselves can exceed 20 pounds within that same area. Microorganisms, while mostly unseen, are also valuable in the production and health of soil, and they can weigh as much as five to 10 tons per acre of soil. 

There is a lot you can do to improve the health of your soil and make all those critters that live there happy and more abundant. If you spread compost over your garden areas, the winter rains will help break it down and move it into the soil structure. Don’t be afraid to put it on thickly, in that it will provide your soil with oxygen and nutrients and help create an environment favorable to the valuable organisms that call it home. You can enhance that application by spreading a small amount of organic fertilizer under the compost. Make sure that you use fine textured compost that has been broken down, as opposed to wood chips. Wood chips have their value as well, but that’s a topic for another time.

 

October Water Conservation Tips

Written by Bob Nicholson | 01 October 2010

October can be a great time to begin planting a garden, because the coming winter rains will help establish it, and the new plantings will require only a little supplemental water before those rains begin. 
There are a few things to keep in mind. First, plants should be placed in hydrozones.  A  “hydrozone” is an area where plants with similar water needs are placed together, so they can be watered with a common irrigation valve.  Hydrozones keep us from grouping water loving plants with drought tolerant plants, because you would be throwing unnecessary water on the drought tolerant plants just to keep the water loving plants alive.  Frequent watering has another drawback for most drought tolerant plants (particularly natives) because it will greatly shorten their life, and even kill them. 
If you plant a native that is truly drought tolerant, like some of the Manzanitas, you may have to water deeply, once every week or two, until the rains begin.  The following summer, you will want to water deeply about once per month, but thereafter, you may never have to water again!  If this seems like too much information, just remember that water loving plants will require more frequent irrigation, and that is why they should be kept on their own irrigation schedule.
Lastly, don’t forget to apply a thick layer of surface mulch around new plantings.  It will help the soil retain its moisture, and provide many more benefits that we will discuss next time.  So, keep tuned in during the following months, as we discuss more techniques that will allow you to keep your bills down and the care of the local environment, up!
Bob Nicholson has a degree in Natural Resources Management, and is a water use expert for a local municipality. Look for his insights in future editions of Information Pres

LED vs. CFL

Written by Lauren Bell | 01 October 2010

A headline on a supermarket tabloid in the next fifty years: “Baby Born Deformed! Pregnant Mom’s Accident with CFL Bulb to Blame?”
 Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to man. It is a mutagen that actually changes the structure of our DNA and is particularly dangerous to those of childbearing age because of its link with deformities. Mercury remains in the body and accumulates higher concentrations over time and can be found in old thermometers and as a contaminant in some fish. It is the substance used in the production of CFL light bulbs. With the mass production of this bulb came its decrease in cost, making it more cost efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. The long replacement cycle and energy efficiency found its way into all our homes and businesses, making this product a success.
 LED is by far a more superior strategy. LED uses about 1/one hundredth of energy as an incandescent bulb. Instead of watts used in traditional bulbs, LED light is measured in lumens. The watt measure is no longer relative to the light produced because an LED uses 1.5 watts or about ¢16 per year. LED comes in any type of light bulb and in any range of light, from soft white light to simulation of daylight.
The key in making the switch is phasing. Start with 3-8 bulbs. Next year, add 3-8 more bulbs, and so on. With phasing, you allow the technology of the bulb to improve but you get immediate savings in your first rotation. The very selective bulbs on the market are primitive by LED standards, but the technology is improving fast.
 A gas station certified with the Green Business League conducted an independent lighting study. The study included 8 lights: 4 traditional metal halide lights and 4 LED lights. They experienced nearly 80% reduction in lighting expense, saving $500 over 10 months. With just one lighting strategy, the gas station will save over $3,860 in 5 years. Doesn’t the sound of making a smart decision in this scary world of rapid change make you giggle with delight?
Completely switching to alternative sources of energy will be difficult and require a mighty collective effort. However, by “efficient-izing” our operations with new technology in a smart organized plan, we can use dirty coal as efficiently as possible and thereby reduce our carbon footprint. So next time your light goes out, what will you choose? CFL or LED?
Lauren of GLO-Bell Consulting is licensed by the Green Business League. As part of a global network of consultants sharing ideas, Lauren brings real working solutions.

The Garden Classroom

Written by Lauren Bell | 02 September 2010

The Garden Classroom, also known as Sustainable Schooling, is an innovative method of teaching children for the future. Goals of this method reach farther than merely surviving and trying not to make a degraded planet worse. Children learn to support healthy communities for present and future generations. Curriculum nurtures respect and honor for physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual diversity with recognition for the need of justice.
Smart by Nature, motto of the Center for Ecoliteracy predicates that Nature is our teacher and sustainability is a community practice. Co-founded by Fritjof Capra, physicist and systems thinker authored “The Web of Life” in which he defines life as the integrative actions of living organisms. By exposing children to more information about themselves, their peers and their environment, their integrative actions become more conscious with a greater reward for all. For students showing interest long-term projects are supervised by educators. As more students come to find interest in a project, say a chicken coop expansion, students can teach others thereby reinforcing their own knowledge and passing it on as equal and engaged learners.
Children learn science, math, english, social skills, culture and more using real life activities in and out of a classroom. Teachers create an atmosphere of meaningful conversation where creativity and problem solving can grow. Information retention is high because the learning environment is tailored to child development. Projects are phased in stages so that kids can learn to stick with projects until a stage is completed giving them the pride of accomplishment. Working together teaches patience, team work, understanding of people’s strengths and tolerance for difference, and due process.
A goal is the recognized need for justice. A system involving student run government, elected positions and case hearings have worked well. Student officers enforce the voted in laws and when they are broken cases are heard in front of an elected student jury and judge. There may be civil cases or criminal cases between students. Overseen by educators, the kids learn to respect authority and to become political participants in their world. What an inspiring way to reinvigorate patriotism in today’s youth.
Thousands of educators across the country are recognizing the benefits of this method of teaching. The quality of life is raised for the children, parents, faculty and neighbors. These methods bring people together strengthening the character and values of the community. For instance, an ongoing project to restore a watershed in Sonoma, California, brought students together with government and ranchers to be more accountable and take better care of the creek. Teachers, parents, ranch owners and politicians were in awe at the power of the children to bring about such profound change.
Change is something we can learn from the children who will be our future. It is important to nurture in them a strong sense of responsible stewardship toward each other, their community and their planet. What they achieve will be extraordinary.
Lauren Bell is a Green Consultant and the founder of GLOBellConsulting.com. Advocating for education, Lauren is working toward implementing these methods in our local schools.
References:
Capra, Fritjof. The Web of Life, A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems. Anchor Books, Doubleday. New York. 1996.
Co-founder of Center for EcoLiteracy. www.Ecoliteracy.org

Coastal Cleanup Day

02 September 2010

The Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo County (ECOSLO) will once again coordinate the annual California Coastal Cleanup Day at twenty-three beaches throughout SLO County on Saturday, September 25, from 9 a.m. to noon at. This is the 26th annual and to reduce the amount of trash generated during the work efforts volunteers are being asked to B.Y.O. (Bring Your Own) bag, bucket, water bottle and gloves. Home Depot of San Luis Obispo has generously donated 150, five-gallon utility buckets for use at the larger beach and remote sites. 
Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) removes marine debris from the state’s beaches and waterways, identifies its sources and implements education to support the change in behaviors that cause pollution. In 2009, SLO County had 1,425 volunteers pick up 4,129 pounds of debris. Volunteers are needed to gather and record the debris found. The data is entered into the Ocean Conservancy Database and that information assist in the development of Environmental Policy. Marine debris not only destroys oceans and beaches, but also creeks, streams and other waterways.
A new addition to the cleanup efforts is the removal of invasive species at one of the sites. Biological debris has been recognized as having a potential negative impact on the native coastal habitat.  If you are interested in invasive species removal, this site is by specific RSVP only. Contact ECOSLO directly.
Raffle tickets will be given to each participant who brings their own supplies. Local businesses have kindly donated prizes that will be raffled on the day of the event.
• Novo’s of SLO – Lunch for 2
• The Natural Café – 2 entrees
• Shore Cliff Lodge, Pismo– 1 night deluxe accommodations
• Shelter Cove Lodge, Pismo – 1 night deluxe accommodations
• Avila Lighthouse Suites, Avila – 1 night stay in a Master Suite
The first California Coastal Cleanup Day was in 1985 with 2,500 volunteers turning out statewide to help. Since then, the event has become International Coastal Cleanup Day. It’s the largest volunteer event of its kind in CA. Last year, 80,622 volunteers removed almost 1,387,541 million pounds of trash from the coast of California.
ECOSLO is still accepting financial support from the community. For more information contact Maria Kelly at 544-1777 or visit ECOSLO’s booth at Farmers Market on Thursday nights. A list of SLO County locations is available at www. ecoslo.org.

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