Nothing says “fresh” and “new” like a thorough spring cleaning. Before you start scrubbing, you might want to focus on stuff. Even the tidiest of households seem to accumulate things over the winter, so this is a good time to assess stuff and do some clearing out.

The sustainable approach is to keep items out of landfills by donating and recycling. Decide where you’re going to start collecting piles for each, then start checking through drawers, closets, seldom-used rooms and the garage. Ask yourself: When did I last use this and will I ever use this again? You may have items that can be repurposed to new functions. For ideas, check out the Real Simple web site. If a item has no present or potential use—out it goes.

Donate it
One person’s old coat is another’s vintage find! Just think about what organizations might be able to use your castoffs. A local theatre’s prop department may need that end table or a college student, a set of dishes. Donate old books to your library for their book sale. Out-grown toys can always be used by a local preschool or younger kids in the neighborhood (with parent’s consent). Donate an old car to the autoshop program at the high school. Take things to any number of charities in your area that reuses items for fundraising and income.

For where to donate specific items, check out these links:
www.clutterfreeservices.com/resources.html
www.usedcomputer.com/nonprof.html
parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/charity/clothes.html

Recycle it
Anything paper can be recycled: magazines, newspaper, catalogs, mail, paper shopping bags, kids’ artwork. Put it in your recycle bin. Cardboard boxes are also recyclable, but you may want to keep a selection of sturdy boxes for your own mailing purposes. Take plastic shopping bags to the collection boxes at most grocery stores.

Sell it
If you’re interested in extra cash, consider a yard sale or reselling household items on eBay.

Remember: The important thing is to keep household items out of the waste stream.

There are sunny days ahead for the rooftop solar industry.  Last Friday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 510, which doubled the cap on net metering, an arrangement that allows solar customers to get fair retail credit for excess electricity their systems generate.

The Real Story has been following this issue since last June. Originally introduced as AB560, the bill had widespread support, but languished in the final days of the 2009 legislative session after the introduction of an amendment on ancillary contractor certification issues. It died in committee.

Reintroduced this year as AB 510, the bill is now law, which is good news for solar customers and California’s solar industry. The bill’s author Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) said, “California leads the nation in solar energy, accounting for more than 65 percent of all solar installed in the U.S. The passage of this bill means continued green job growth, further energy bill savings, progress in the fight against climate change, and a brighter future for California.”

According to the Vote Solar Initiative, more than 50,000 California homes, school and businesses currently take advantage of the state’s net metering program. The higher cap will allow the state to achieve its aggressive environmental and renewable energy goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

When jobs start to grow again in Northern California, they’re likely to be green. Both federal and state stimulus programs are investing heavily in stimulating green jobs and developing a clean energy workforce.

According to a report of green job growth for the state by research firm Next10,
green jobs expanded by 36% between 1995 and 2008 in California, while “traditional” job growth grew at 13% during the same period. A few highlights from the report:

The San Francisco Bay Areas leads the state’s total green job growth with 41,674 green jobs.

Green jobs grew 48% in the San Joaquin Valley with the highest concentration in the wind energy sector.

Sacramento experienced an 87% growth rate in green jobs, primarily in air quality and environment.

How can you gain the skills needed for the new green future California’s job growth? The California Energy Commission suggests you contact your local workforce investment board or community college. Thirty-four of these institutions throughout the state have received $27 million for clean energy educational programs.

Here are some additional resources for job listing and training programs:

greenjobs.greenjobsearch.org/a/jobs/find-jobs/q-environmental/l-california

california.greenjobs.net/

www.usgbc-ncc.org/

Here at the height of an El Niño year in the Bay Area, it’s hard to remember to conserve water. Yet, the supply of clean drinking water is increasingly precious. We are fortunate to live in a place where the water supply is good quality, but it is in limited supply as our population continues to grow. Water conservation is one of our most important environmental challenges, according to The Green Gate published by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Water for the Bay Area comes from a variety of sources, the largest being the Hetch Hetchy reservoir near Yosemite. Water from this reservoir is considered some of the nation’s highest quality, because it originates as snowmelt.

We also benefit from the standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Water Act, which were adopted in the late 1980s. An interesting sidebar: bottled water is regulated only by the FDA, which has less stringent standards for contaminants than the EPA.

In the Bay Area, we take for granted clean, good tasting water from our home taps at low cost. Most of the world is not so lucky. Here are some sobering statistics:

According to the World Bank, some 2 billion people live in areas without adequate sanitation systems to protect them from water-borne diseases and 1 billion do not have any access to clean water.

So enjoy the rain while it lasts. And in the meantime, here are 100 ways to conserve water. www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php

Resources:
www.bayareascienceforum.org
www.environment.about.com/od/biodiversityconservation/a/watersupply.htm
www.nrdc.org/greengate/water/residential.asp” www.nrdc.org/greengate/water/residential.asp

Is sustainability compatible with shopping? It will be this Sunday—and every first Sunday of the month—at the Alameda Point flea market.

Officially called the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire, the event is in its 11^th year. For one day a month, the old asphalt of the former Naval Air Station transforms into a massive treasure hunt. Some 800 booths and 10,000 shoppers gather in one of the most sustainable activities around: reusing consumer goods. According to the event’s official web site www.antiquesbythebay.net, everything on sale “must be at least 20 years old. No reproductions are allowed.”

So what’s there to buy? Acres of fascinating stuff: furniture, dishes, clothes, books, jewelry, shoes hats, candlesticks, pottery, artwork, glassware, vintage kitchen items, architectural salvage, even deer antlers, according to one report. It’s recommended for people who are decorating a home, or for collectors of antiques or vintage clothing.

One of the three tenants of sustainability (along with conserve and recycle) is reuse. This monthly event is a reuse heaven. All with views of the beautiful Bay and San Francisco.

Admission gets cheaper as the day goes on. A $5 ticket and free parking lets you in at 9, when there’s plenty of merchandise left. Bring cash or checks and dress for the weather. Hint: this Sunday, it will probably be cool and windy.

Air travel is second nature to how people in the Bay Area work and play. But, even with more fuel efficient aircraft, operations and practices, passenger jets are damaging to the environment. A typical flight from SFO to JFK releases 2,238 pounds of carbon dioxide per person into the atmosphere. By contributing to carbon reduction programs, such as clean energy and wind farms, farm power and landfill gas capture, travelers are able to offset the carbon emissions caused by their flight.

Is it expensive? Costs vary according to aircraft and airline, but on that same SFO to JFK round trip, it costs $17.85 to offset the carbon footprint. TerraPass.com, a web site that offers offsets for businesses and individuals, estimates a cost of $50.60 per individual to offset the emission a full year of flying.

Here’s where you can purchase carbon offsets:

Most airlines—Delta (since the merger with Northwest, the nation’s largest carrier),  American Airlines, Continental, JetBlue and Virgin America and United Airlines to name a few—offer an opportunity to purchase carbon offset online at the time of e-ticketing. On some it’s a separate transaction. For some reason, European airlines have taken the lead over domestic carriers on incorporating a carbon offset option into the transaction.

Expedia and Travelocity have both partnered with carbon offset organizations:  Expedia with TerraPass and Travelocity with The Conservation Fund’s GoZero® program.

SFO offers carbon offsets through their web site, and also at freestanding kiosks in the terminals.

There are numerous web sites that handle the purchase of carbon offsets for all forms of travel, as well has household energy consumption and business operations.  Check these out:
terrapass.com
sustainabletravelinternational.org

Additional sources
www.energybulletin.net/node/6372
sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/18/MNO719OQN8.DTL
sightline.org/research/energy/res_pubs/rel_air_travel_aug04