Remember Bill Nye, the Science Guy on PBS years ago? Mr. Nye has been educating kids about science ever since – and he’s the real deal when it comes to teaching about the climate and greening his own home.
Together with Chabot Space & Science Center, the Science Guy has created Bill’s Climate Lab. This site launched today (!) and you can now check out all kinds of games and tasks about energy conservation.
We’re tickled by this brand-new climate lab, with a twist of interactive fun. Click on the “Waste Not” mission and try out the Vampire Hunt with your grade schoolers: it shows you home energy hogs.
In the fall, Chabot Space & Science Center will debut an exhibit that coordinates with the Climate Lab as well. We’re lucky to learn from Bill Nye, who has that special touch of edutainment which reaches kids well.
Nye tries to practice what he preaches at home. He started simply by replacing light bulbs, and has already progressed to solar panel installations. Outside, he has planted veggie beds. In a New York Times interview, he admits that his home and green lifestyle remains a work-in-progress.
Anyway, we wanted to get the word out about the online launch today. It’s exciting that Oakland’s Chabot Science serves as “Ground Zero” for responding to and teaching kids about climate challenges ahead.
Rain water is a consistently available natural resource, and collecting and conserving it is an efficient way to cut down on the cost of water in your house. Placing a rain barrel underneath the gutters of your home can provide a barrel full of rain water in a downpour, which in turn can be used to water your garden or wash your car. And rainwater is better for your plants anyway!
You can buy a rain barrel and water diverter from home and garden stores for a little as $100. Some cities, like right here in Oakland, have rain barrel programs where you can get them at deeply discounted rates. Check out one you can buy for $45 rather than $150 this weekend.
The Water Cycle and your Rain Barrel
Rain barrels can help the water cycle to normalize. In the water cycle, water that evaporates from lakes, streams and even the sea falls as rain and re-charges ground aquifers. This water again flows back to the lakes and sea, and is also used by people. Now with increasing concrete and buildings, the water does not fall into the ground anymore.
What happens when the water cycle breaks? The water table drops and water shortages occur, and we end up paying higher water bills. And the rain gets diverted into sewers so it flows into the bay with all the garbage and pollution, which also causes erosion. Inadvertently, through human activities, one part of the cycle is out of sync, causing a lot of harm.
Rain barrels act like your own reservoir! On one hand, they help you hold down water bills. On the other, they prevent erosion, which can be important if you live on a hillside. And you do your bit to prevent excessive runoff and pollution – how can you resist?
More info: Check out the Rain Barrel Guide website, to learn how to harvest and use rainwater. Oaklanders may purchase 65-gallon “Moby” barrels online here – and pick them up at Kaiser Elementary, 25 South Hill Court (map) on various Saturdays scheduled by the city.
Kermit was wrong, according to Oakland North’s Melanie Mason. With smaller steps in conserving energy and water consumption, it’s kind of easy being green – and not an all-or-nothing proposition.
Take a look at this great video report about the Greening Oakland Homes Fair last Saturday, where attendees and vendors considered making improvements to neighborhood homes. The fair consisted of exhibits, lectures and time to learn about what could and should be done.
“I think the real green thing is to work with what you have,” declared Wooden Window President Bill Esser, a vendor exhibiting at the Fair. “I think it’s accessible,” agreed Rockridge resident Jean Follette, adding “you can do small projects and not have to do your entire house.”
Our Oakland reported that “one of the main [fair] takeaways is that it pays to look at the process in 3 stages: better sealing of the building and ducts, then correctly sizing HVAC and appliances, and then consider things like solar panels.”
Greening Oakland Homes aims to “educate neighbors about home energy and water conservation, so they are no longer mysterious or difficult to do,” explained Laura Anderson, director of the group, to the Montclarion. “And we want to promote green-building practices, which can be a challenge for homeowners to tackle on their own.”
Right now, Greening Oakland Homes consists of fifteen active volunteers including a physicist, an engineer, and a couple of contractors. “The idea is create something that lives, and serves as a resource for different neighborhoods,” Director Anderson told Oakbook.
“The fair was aimed at average homeowners here in Oakland,” said Our Oakland’s Gene Anderson. “I’ve been following green building for 5+ years as part of the work for the addition I built and remodel…but I learned some things, too.”
Spring is coming, heralding new beginnings by bringing fresh new growth all around. What better time to put a green spin on your home improvement projects? Check out the Greening Oakland Homes Fair at Oakland on Saturday!
Find out how green building and re-modeling can benefit you, the environment, and save you money too! You’ll meet many friendly experts and vendors who can answer your questions about what you can do, talk to like-minded people, and win cool prizes. And, there will be table where your financing questions will be answered too.
When? March 6, 2010 / Saturday, between 11am – 3pm
Where? 1650 Mountain Blvd, Oakland
Greywater is water from your bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines. It is not water that has come into contact with feces, either from the toilet or from washing diapers, which is called blackwater.
About 65 percent of domestic wastewater is greywater, and that translates into 40 gallons of water per person daily. For a family of four, that means about 5,000 gallons monthly – enough greywater fill a backyard swimming pool.
So being able to re-capture and re-cycle greywater means that the homeowner will save money on water bills, and there will be less pressure on the public sewage system too. And with California being an arid state, it’s necessary to preserve our precious water resources.
You can use greywater for toilet flushing and irrigation. Basically the setup of a greywater recycling system involves routing water from sinks, showers, and washing machines to a separate holding tank, rather than allowing it to go into the sewer system. It may be used directly for irrigation and toilet flushing, ideally after being passed through a sand or charcoal filter to remove big particles.
Simple low tech water systems could cost as low as $250, particularly if you are willing to do part of the labor yourself. It’s important to keep health and safety considerations in mind for the holding system, and to maintain it regularly.
California has fairly liberal laws for the installation of greywater systems by homeowners. Different cities have different policies, and you should certainly check the current policy in Oakland as the first thing to do before moving ahead. And in doing so, you will get good information about any on-going current incentives and rebates.
It’s time to plan ahead…for your retrofit projects.
In case you didn’t hear the news, Oakland will soon participate in what’s lovingly known as the “CaliforniaFIRST” program. This financing opportunity enables homeowners to borrow money for their home improvements now, and pay it back through property taxes over the next decade or two.
You may be able to afford air sealing, wall and roof insulation, energy efficient windows, tankless water heaters, low-flow toilets and even solar panels. In other words, investigate your needs and go shopping stat!
According to Oakland Public Works, this program should be launched by June. The application criteria and financing details aren’t available yet, so stay tuned for updates.
Our Greening Oakland Homes Fair is coming up this Saturday, March 6th! And some of our vendors are offering some great gifts and discounts. It’s important to save a little money on your home energy conservation efforts, right?
Everyone who comes to the free fair, taking place at 1650 Mountain Blvd, will be able to sign up and enter a drawing for these freebies:
For Oaklanders who attend the fair, vendors will be ready to share their knowledge in an unpressured environment. But they will be ready with substantial discounts on their goods and services, too.
Energy audits are a recommended first step, and Building Solutions will offer a 20% discount to anyone who signs up for an audit this Saturday. In addition, Ashby Lumber will give out 10% off coupons during this fair, which are good for all purchases.
Assuming you have discovered all the leaky places in your home, it’s time to take some action. Weatherstripping will make all the difference, whether you do it yourself or get a contractor to help you with more ambitious efforts.
To fix windows and doors, there are many options made from vinyl, felt, foam, metal, wood and more. Courtesy of our very own Uncle Sam, here’s a list of the most common choices:
1. Tension seal
Self-stick plastic (vinyl) folded along length in a V-shape or a springy bronze strip (also copper, aluminum, and stainless steel) shaped to bridge a gap. The shape of the material creates a seal by pressing against the sides of a crack to block drafts. Use for inside the track of a double-hung or sliding window, top and sides of door.
2. Felt
Plain or reinforced with a flexible metal strip; sold in rolls. Must be stapled, glued, or tacked into place. Seals best if staples are parallel to length of the strip. Use around a door or window (reinforced felt); fitted into a door jamb so the door presses against it.
3. Reinforced foam
Closed-cell foam attached to wood or metal strips. Use in door or window stops; bottom or top of window sash; bottom of door.
4. Tape
Nonporous, closed-cell foam, open-cell foam, or EDPM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber. Use on top and bottom of window sash; door frames; attic hatches and inoperable windows. Good for blocking corners and irregular cracks.
5. Rolled or reinforced vinyl
Pliable or rigid strip gasket (attached to wood or metal strips). Use for door or window stops; top or bottom of window sash; bottom of a door (rigid strip only).
6. Door sweep
Aluminum or stainless steel with brush of plastic, vinyl, sponge, or felt. Use in bottom of interior side of in-swinging door; bottom of exterior side of exterior-swinging door.
7. Magnetic
Works similarly to refrigerator gaskets. Use in top and sides of doors, double-hung and sliding window channels.
8. Tubular rubber and vinyl
Vinyl or sponge rubber tubes with a flange along length to staple or tack into place. Door or window presses against them to form a seal. Use around a door.
9. Reinforced silicone
Tubular gasket attached to a metal strip that resembles reinforced tubular vinyl. Use on a doorjamb or a window stop.
10. Door shoe
Aluminum face attachment with vinyl C-shaped insert to protect under the door. Use to seal space beneath door.
11. Bulb threshold
Vinyl and aluminum. Use in door thresholds.
12. Frost-brake threshold
Aluminum or other metal on exterior, wood on interior, with door-bottom seam and vinyl threshold replacement. Use to seal beneath a door.
13. Fin seal
Pile weatherstrip with plastic Mylar fin centered in pile. Use for aluminum sliding windows and sliding glass doors.
14. Interlocking metal channels
Enables sash to engage one another when closed. Use around door perimeters.
More info: Read more about these weatherstripping alternatives from the U.S. Department of Energy. We’re pleased that Uncle Sam helps you consider costs, advantages and disadvantages.
Greening Oakland Homes is an all volunteer, not for profit organization whose mission is to address global warming and our environment at a local level.
Established in 2009, our goal is to bring together Oakland homeowners with contractors, suppliers and service providers, at neighborhood fairs and even online. We think the time has come to get more practical – and rely on the credibility and recommendations of your neighbors.
We are getting inspiration from homeowners who have lived through greening projects. You’ll discover contractors, auditors and resources that are recommended by your neighbors. And you’ll be able to learn from these local suppliers, including what works and doesn’t work on greening projects here.
–> Find hand-picked, recommended green contractors – click here
–> Search for ways to save and afford greening your home – click here
As you know, Greening Oakland Homes aims to help Oakland homeowners improve their carbon footprints. We are now looking for input, regarding your energy-saving priorities – and here’s note from our director, Laura Anderson:
You can make a difference for your family and even the world by “greening” your home. We’re Greening Oakland Homes, a new all-volunteer group that wants to help you do that. And we could use a little help from you, too.
First, here’s how we can help you. There’s more green information out there than most of us can handle. To help each other makes sense of it all, we’re setting up local fairs where you can get information about greening your homes from selected vendors, contractors, and government agents. Learn about ways to weatherize your home, use solar power, and save water. Find out how to get tax breaks and government rebates to help pay for it. No sales pressure or pitches, just information.
Here’s how you can help us help you. When we all do a little, we can make a big difference. Please take 5 minutes and fill out our survey. We want to know what green information you are most interested in, so we can be sure to provide it: here’s the survey link.
We spent under five minutes on this multiple-choice survey, and it’s a snap to take. There’s also a little room for comments. It is hard to know whether water heaters or solar energy devices matter more to you – and just have to find out, thanks!
Update: Results from the survey are pouring in, and you’re an opinionated group. We can’t wait to share everything, so stay tuned.
