The Real Folsom Blog

Green With a Dollar Cap

A couple of years ago, I earned the EcoBroker certification. My goal: to be ready for clients concerned about their carbon foot print when purchasing a home. I learned about environmental issues and hazards, mitigation options, and also about the latest in home energy efficiency. To my surprise, although I've been able to share some of what I learned during the EcoBroker course, there just hasn't been that much obvious interest from home buyers. A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders helps shed some light. Bottom line, even though prospective home buyers want the benefits of more efficient homes, they are unwilling to pay much more for a “green” home, according to the NAHB member survey. So the interest is there but people aren't likely to pay more than an additional two percent in for the green features. Also from the study, in the west, builders report more interest in water efficiency than in other areas. Now you know.

Writing or Printing--You Can Still Go Green

Here is a quick tip to help you live a little greener whether you are writing a note or printing something out. Disposable plastic pens aren’t recyclable or biodegradable. A greener choice is using refillable pens, marker, and pencils. And, when choosing a printer, opt for an inkjet printer. It uses 20 watts of electricity versus 300 watts for a laser printer. See, two quick and easy choices you can make to help the planet!

Landscapers Tips May Help Keep That Folsom Lawn Green a Little Longer

I'm looking out at my nice green Folsom lawn this morning and wondering how much longer I'll be able to keep it in decent shape. The past few days of cool weather are a welcome relief from the scorcher days of last week, but I know that with just two days of watering a week I won't be able to keep the lawn looking good. I did find the following tips from the California Landscape Contractors Association on how to cope with the water rationing.

• Do not use high nitrogen fertilizers during a drought.  They encourage growth but the plants will need more water.
• Heavily mulch all flower and soil beds.  Mulch helps keep water in the soil. Do not use rocks/gravel because they add heat to the soil and moisture evaporates faster.
• Mow grass higher to promote deeper root growth and hold more moisture. Aerate the lawn and fill the holes with compost so the water can infiltrate deeper.

I'm not sure how much these tips will help in the long term but it's at least a little something.

Is It Time To Replace Your Old Refrigerator?

Did you know that old refrigerators (i.e., fridges older than 10 years old) can account for up to 15 percent of a home’s energy consumption. Newer refrigerators, especially ENERGY STAR ones, consume significantly less energy than older ones—sometimes as little as one-quarter of the energy. And, if you are trying to improve your home's energy efficiency don't even think of trying to keep the old refrigerator running in the garage as a back up! Many local utility companies offer rebates to pick up your old refrigerator if it’s still operational. You can find more info on SMUD's rebate program on their Web site.  On the bad news side, due to a freeze on state funding the low-flow toilet rebate program that had been offered on the city of Folsom's Web site has been suspended until further notice.

An Easy Solution to Catalog Overload

Tomorrow is recyclables pick-up day in my neck of the woods. And once again I'm finding my blue can filled with more catalogs than I'd like. Some people opt to go the "no mail" route through the post office which helps cut down on all that junk mail, but I've never been able to bring myself to go there. Always that fear that I won't get that one fun catalog I didn't know existed but will be happy to receive. But I am close to my fed-up limit especially when it comes to shoe catalogs. Really, how many of those can there be out there. Well, today I found a web site that will help cut down on all those catalogs.  It's called CatalogChoice. Simply: it lets you select the catalogs you don't want to receive and sends your requests directly to the merchants (easy and it's free). And the site won't sell, rent or otherwise share your contact details with anyone, according to their site. Catalog Choice is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center and is endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, and funded by the Overbrook Foundation, the Merck Family Fund, the Kendeda Fund, the Weeden Foundation and the Mead Foundation. So check out Catalog Choice and save a few trees!

An Earth Hour To Help Save the Planet

On March 28, when the clock strikes 8:30 p.m. local time, Earth Hour will begin. And people around the globe will switch off their lights to show their support for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower will go black. Now that's a statement of support! For more on the event, check out www.earthhour.org.

Get a Water Wise House Call From the City

It's official: we're now in a Stage 3 Water Warning in Folsom. What does it mean: a requested 20 percent reduction in our water use and landscape watering only 2 days a week. The effects aren't obvious so far, thanks to the rain we've been getting but it won't be too much longer before area lawns show the effect of the reduced water usage. The city is doing what it can to help with information on its Web site on rebates on appliances (http://iconserve.folsom.ca.us), and a free conservation kit with faucet aerators, toilet tank leak dye, low-flow showerhead, and/or a garden hose nozzle. And, you can call 355-7252 to schedule an appointment with one of the city's water conservation specialists. The specialist will analyze your water use and provide customized water conservation solutions. Not a bad deal overall.

Green Tip: More Holes Mean Less Ink

This one is certainly in the category of "what will they think of next." A company called Spranq has a product called EcoFont, which it claims uses less ink when you print something from your computer. Here's how it works: Spranq figured out how much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability. They did extensive testing with all kinds of shapes and decided the best results were achieved using small circles. Eventually Spranq developed a font that uses up to 20% less ink. The font, EcoFont, can be downloaded for free. Check it out at http://www.ecofont.eu/look_at_ecofont_en.html. It looks a bit cartoony but who can argue with a product that enables us to use less ink?

Green Living: Talk About Cutting Out the Middleman

I hear the U.S. Post Office is unveiling a new recycling program that will make it possible for its customers to recycle used envelopes or mail they don't want without leaving the post office. Here is how it will work: you pick up your mail from your post office mail box, open your mail, pull out the mail you want to keep, and put the rest in a recycling bin located in the post office lobby. The bins will be locked with just a magazine sized opening to allow you to insert trash for recycling but secure so no one can get to the mail you threw out. Now that's a good idea!

New Ecover Line Makes It Easier To Go Green When Washing Your Car

More than 25 years ago, the Belgian-based company Ecover began marketing phosphate-free washing powder. That was before most people realized that phosphates were an environmental hazard. Today, they have an extensive line of indoor cleaning products and a new plant- and mineral-based car wash and wax. The car wash product is plant-based, completely biodegradable, with a minimum impact on aquatic plant life, according to the Ecover Web site. And, the packaging is 100 percent recyclable. Now that's going green! You can find their products at Whole Foods or buy them online through the Ecover Web site.