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 [Read more...]
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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 [Read more...] 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, [Read more...] 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 [Read more...] 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, [Read more...] 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 [Read more...] 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 [Read more...]
Local green certified contractors from sustainable floorers to landscapers can be found in these [Read more...] 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 [Read more...] Well, Greening Oakland Homes is getting to the starting gate. A group of green-minded Oaklanders gathered last night and got organized for our first Green Fair, scheduled on March 6th. With such a profusion of energy-saving opportunities, it helps that volunteers are bringing their contracting, engineering, selling, marketing, financing, policy-making and even personal experiences to bear.
This Green Fair is focused on helping homeowners [Read more...] |
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Global goes very local here in Oakland—on this non-profit website—where homeowners can link to get the information and resources to help you start greening your home now. Learn practical approaches to small and large greening projects-and find local, state and federal programs that help pay for them!