“COOL: SAN FRANCISCO & SHAKESPEARE”

Water is one resource that none of us can do without. And for those of us living in an area where rainfall is scarce throughout the year, finding ways to harvest rainwater is a good way to start a “green” home program. To help, rain barrels are the perfect solution. Simple and efficient, they can help you save water for a not-so-rainy day in the future.

Designed to capture rainwater runoff from rooftops, rain barrels are typically placed under residential gutter-down spouts. The barrel’s purpose is to conserve water, so that it may be reused at a later time. Having rain barrels will help with self-sufficiency, as well as reduce one’s environmental impact. For economic reasons too, rain barrels should prove a good long-term investment.

Homeowners can either buy ready-made rain barrels or construct them from scratch. Smaller barrels for garden and lawn use are usually made out of food-storage barrels or for aesthetics purposes, wine or wood-grain barrels. Regardless, any rain barrel should have a spigot at the bottom for easy water retrieval or to attach a hose to. Drums tend to be 55 gallons for residential use.

Such barrels are a simple solution to water conservation and sustainable living. The water can be used for watering the lawn, maintaining the garden, or washing the car during summer months. If properly protected, the water from a rain barrel is perfectly safe to use. In fact, rainwater is “soft water,” meaning the water collected is without chlorine, lime, or calcium.

For drinking, rainwater usually isn’t potable enough – unless a filtration system is implemented; and for residential use, this usually is not the case. However, any harvested rainwater should be protected from debris or insects. If building your own rain barrel, be sure to add a protective screen to the top in order to prevent leaves, dirt, or even breeding mosquitoes from landing in your water.

Lastly, rain barrels help lower the need for domestic water use. Energy and water bills are a fact of life, but they needn’t be so high. With a few workarounds via rain barrels or cisterns, you can lower those bills and also have a positive impact on your immediate environment. Indeed, diverting water from storm drains means reducing stream runoff. In short, saving water for a “dry” day means savings overall – both for your pocketbook and the planet.

Remember this: Rainwater is always free.

###

Searching for eco baby-shower ideas? That’s good news to hear and fine timing too, as the whole world seems to trending towards “being green” and responsible for Planet Earth. Every little helps and making an effort is a big first step in reshaping one’s lifestyle. As poet Gil Scott-Heron once said: “Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something.”

Indeed, for the eco-minded, sustainable living tends to enter the equation no matter what we do. And for a new baby, this means an opportunity to start the little one off on a wonderful green path from Go. When planning a baby shower for a friend who’s environmentally conscious, the most thoughtful thing you can do is to throw her a green baby shower. And with the growing number of stores carrying eco-friendly goods, this is becoming much easier to plan and carry out.

Eco baby shower ideas range from going organic to employing the three R’s: recycle, reduce, and reuse. It’s up to you how much of each you actually employ, but it’s good to keep everything on the plate “green” as you plan the shower. From selecting only eco-friendly products on the gift registry to sending out invitations on recycled paper, the message to guests and the Guest of Honor is clear: May your Baby’s life be sustainable.

When planning a shower, consider adding some of these tips to help green your event. Eco baby-shower ideas are very much like all eco ideas: Buy local, reduce waste, and be creative.

• Invitations: Select invitations made from recycled or repurposed paper. Consider invitations without envelopes to cut down on paper use. Or better yet, consider “plantable” invitations, which contain seeds for planting. Guests can soak the seeded paper, plant them, and watch them grow.

• Decorations: Remember that “going green” doesn’t necessarily mean the color green. These days, eco-friendly decorations are easier to find than ever and with a little creativity, you can make things green yourself. For example, a second-hand table designated for gifts. Perhaps fresh flowers cut from the backyard versus centerpieces delivered from the florist across town. A fun way to decorate is to use items that Mom can use afterwards, so that whatever is brought into the home, won’t go to waste. Think soy candles, biodegradable place settings, and real silverware and plates.

• Food: Locally grown fruits and vegetables (such as from the farmer’s market) are always a success. When possible, look for organic versions. Finger foods that can be served at room temperature are also a thoughtful addition. For serving, use ceramic plates and real drinking glasses in lieu of the typical disposables that only add up to a pile to throw away.

• Gifts: Finally, for gifts, encourage guests to buy their gifts from eco-friendly stores or even, suggest they bring a second-hand toy from their home or consignment store. For wrapping, ask them to use blankets, onesies, or cloth diapers: Things that Mom can use later. Keep in mind that wrapping paper is perhaps one of the most wasteful products around. It makes for beautiful presentation, but the impact on the environment - too high.

Eco baby showers may take more time to plan, but they’re well worth it in the end. The message sent and received will prove a wonderful welcome party – for both Baby and Mom to Be.

###

These days, more and more couples are choosing green weddings over traditional ones. In this respect, “green” is in reference not to the color scheme, but to the way the wedding is planned and carried out. The hope is to be as eco-friendly and earth-responsible as possible.

One of the biggest days of your life often also means leaving a big ecological footprint. To actively try and reduce this impression by any measure is a good step toward being green. You may not be able to achieve eco-friendliness across the board, but a little can mean a lot in the end.

Speaking of which, what’s the cost of green weddings? While “earthy” weddings may have once been associated with dressed-down ceremonies of the ’60s, today they’re much more elaborate. In some cases, going green can mean spending even more than for a traditional ceremony. However, savings are found in other ways, like in the reduced impact of your Big Day on Planet Earth.

Weddings on average cost over $25,000. This number includes rings, the ceremony, and reception, as well as transportation, gifts, and all-important wedding attire. Green weddings forego much of the decadence historically associated with nuptials. Instead, rather than indulging in all the frills, they tend to be simpler, more personal celebrations: One that will have guests talking still years from now.

Here is a quick look at what makes green weddings so “green”:

1. The size of your guest list is a good place to start. While many of us dream of a big wedding, the truth is, is that more people means a larger ecological footprint left behind. If possible, try and limit the size of your guest list to family and closest friends. You can always send digital photos and announcements post-ceremony to everyone – including those who did not attend.

2. Choose a venue that’s close to everyone. Though this is ideal, if not possible, consider renting a fleet of luxury hybrid cars to provide transportation for all. Carpooling will reduce emissions by a fair amount and transportation is probably the biggest contributor to any carbon footprint. Though destination weddings have become popular in recent years, the ecological and economic cost of such an affair seems far too indulgent. Go green, with personal touches instead.

3. Maintain a green theme throughout your planning process, from invitations to favors. For invites, look at ones made from recycled paper and that use soy ink versus traditional dyes. Note that the chemicals put into the making of a beautiful invitation are quite deceiving. As for the RSVP, simply use a postcard to cut down on paper use or even, request guests to send their answers digitally. Consider venues that are LEED-certified.

4. As for gifts, request that guests actively partake in your green wedding. Point them in the direction of eco-friendly retailers and let them know how important it is to you that you be able to use their gift for years to come. While guests will surely get the message behind your wedding theme once there, it also doesn’t hurt to further educate them as to how your wedding day was a green success.

5. And finally, the wedding attire and rings. This is where you can really stand out with your green choices and feel good about what you wear. Consider the material from which your wedding dress or tuxedo is made from. For example, many “green” brides will only consider vintage gowns, as it falls under the green categories of reuse and repurpose. As for the rings, research where the metal was mined.

The above merely scratches the surface. As you can see, green weddings require a good deal of planning, research, and thoughtfulness. Even more so than traditional weddings, a “green” affair can be a considerable undertaking, as the stream of details and related questions can seem endless. However, in the end, the reward of a successful “Green Day” to kick off your new, sustainable life together – should prove the stuff of dreams.

###

In March 2007, San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban the use of plastic checkout bags at large supermarkets and chain pharmacies. Instead, the city allows compostable bags or bags made from recyclable paper. The groundbreaking legislation, which was sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, was approved by the Board of Supervisors 10-1.

While the California Grocers Association was disappointed with the decision, city residents overall seemed to support the measure – even if it meant higher prices to pay for the new bags. The reason? The price seemed small when compared to the litter/pollution, threat to marine life, and shrinking landfill space which plastic bags cause.

To make petroleum-based plastic bags, it takes 430,000 gallons of oil for every 100 million bags. An approximate 180 million plastic bags are (were) distributed in San Francisco every year. Now with the ban on the biggest plastic bag consumers, that number should reduce considerably.

The success of the plastic-bag ban could lead to similar legislation. Supervisor Mirkarimi is also looking to ban Styrofoam food containers for much of the same reasons. In addition, S.F. recently adopted the use of clean-fuel construction vehicles too, which is good news as city construction is endless here!

FYI: It should also be noted that while San Francisco is the first city in the nation to pass a plastic bag ordinance, plastic bags have already been outlawed in South Africa, Taiwan, and Bangladesh. Ireland levies a tax on plastic bags to curb usage, which was actually the approach San Francisco first attempted in 2005. After two years of debate, the ban was imposed.

###