http://www.greenerbakersfield.com Blog highlighting green friendly and environmentally conscience businesses local and national Sun, 31 May 2009 15:20:26 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Have you ever been to freecycle.org? If so, good for you! If not, then you need to. I learned of Freecycle from my girlfriend. She is always on Freecycle finding stuff or getting rid of stuff. Just what is Freecycle? Freecycle is a Network that is made up of 4,751 groups ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/05/24/freecycle-everything-you-can/ It is tough to beat a hot shower first thing in the morning. Research indicates the average shower length is 8 minutes. The 5 minute shower will save about 7200 gallons of water a year over the 8 minute shower. It’s not just the water you are saving but the ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/05/11/the-5-minute-shower/ After many restless nights, I finally settled on the new toilets I would order for my office. What I thought to be a simple task turned out to be not so simple. I make a huge ordeal over everything I buy, and I end up researching the product to death. ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/05/04/caroma-dual-flush-watersense-toilets/ When considering the purchase of disposable batteries, please consider that 3 billion batteries are sold annually in the U.S., averaging about 32 per family or 10 per person. Americans throw out approximately 179,000 TONS of batteries per year! Did you know a common AA rechargeable battery can be recharged 1000 times? ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/04/30/rechargeable-batteries-for-a-greener-planet/ I always mention that Bakersfield is 3 to 5 years behind the rest of the world. Today I proved this to be a correct statement once again. While browsing around in the Best Buy DVD section, I ran across "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. I went ahead and picked ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/03/30/an-inconvenient-truth-in-bakersfield/ This is a great video. Its 20 minutes long, but worth every minute of it. It really made me think about how wasteful we are as people. There is a lot more to being green then buying solar panels or using a reusable water bottle. Understanding the entire process is ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/03/22/the-story-of-stuff/ A swimming pool is a “must” for surviving a Bakersfield Summer. Nothing offsets a 100 degree Bakersfield summer day better than a quick swim in the backyard pool. But let me ask you a question, do you know how much electricity your blue oasis consumes and the cost associated with ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/03/21/eco-swimming-pool-pump-is-a-great-investment/ I would like to take a few and talk about city wide green efforts.  What are people in Bakersfield doing to help?  I’m referring to the common individual, the “Everyday Joes.”  I see small green efforts from time to time; however it’s usually somebody trying to sell me something in ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/03/09/monterey-is-greener-than-bakersfield/ I am always amazed at how many people do not fully comprehend their electric bill and PG&E's pricing structure. Once you understand how PG&E configures residential electric bills, you can effectively begin reducing your overall cost.  In November 2008 I began working with a long time friend on cutting his ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/03/08/understanding-your-bakersfield-pge-electric-bill/ PG&E is diligently upgrading its Bakersfield resident’s antiquated electricity and gas meters to new sophisticated SmartMeters. This new eco smart technology gives PG&E the ability to collect usage data without ever stepping foot on your property. Fortunately this data is available on their website, for its customers to view, along ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/03/02/pges-smart-meter/ Have you ever noticed how many people forget to turn their porch lights off during the day?  On recent tour of my neighborhood in Bakersfield, I counted 11 homes with the exterior lighting competing with the noon sun. You don’t have to be an eco freak to get this concept.  ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/03/01/wasted-days-and-wasted-lights/ It was a grim site, 48 of them, all lying without movement.  Not but moments earlier they were all so full of energy, living their shinny happy lives.  Now….. darkness, but only till the new regime moves in. It all started several months ago with an audit , a walk around ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/02/25/the-fall-of-the-incandescent-army/ Yes, another green gadget that saves time, water and energy. It seems that sometimes we humans cope with inefficiencies and inconveniencies when we really do not have to. My master bath shower is located the absolute longest distance from the hot water heater. The normal winter season bathing procedure is to ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/02/24/chilipepper-hot-water-pump-saves-15000-gallons-a-year/ Here's another tip before you go solar: install a whole house fan. I bought my AirScape Whole House Fan (WHF) about two years ago along with a couple of watt busting buddies of mine.  This summer we installed four more fans for our friends; they couldn't stand to hear us bragging about how much we ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/02/19/whole-lotta-fan-aka-whole-house-fan/ I will admit, I love gadgets, and gadgets that help save energy and money are even better!  Not too long ago, my household utility bill was a major monthly expense ($500+ some months). My home is 2500 sq. ft. with a swimming pool.  My wife, myself, and our two children live in ... http://www.greenerbakersfield.com/2009/02/11/ted-unit-helps-save-energy/