Daily Loaf

If you live in Sarasota or Pinellas County, you may have heard of the fitness club chain Youfit. They are a relatively new fitness club chain aiming to promote energy efficiency and an environmentally friendly atmosphere, as well as maintain low membership fees.

Right now, they are having a special for new members. You pay a $29 enrollment fee and only $10 per month for 12 months – that’s it! There are other specials as well that include unlimited tanning, drink specials, etc. They also have some of the most up-to-date fitness equipment, including cardio machines with individual televisions so clients can have a personal workout experience.
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A great opportunity crossed my path when Jamie Trahan from the USF Clean Energy Research Center called. As a local green builder, she thought I could help her search for homes to feature on the 14th annual ASES National Solar Tour being held across the country on October 3rd.

Sadly, I informed her although I researched installing solar on our super energy efficient homes, I couldn’t find a way to make it work. Our mission is to build sustainable and affordable. We went with a gas fired tankless hot water system. Yes, it is natural gas, not a renewable, but still better than a traditional water heater sapping electricity around the clock. I know everyone can relate to waiting for water to come from the tank to your shower and up to a comfortable temp, wasting gallons upon gallons of water in our already deprived region. Tankless saves money and almost more importantly, water. Would I have preferred solar? Damn straight I would, future homeowners of our Ec0-Craftsman would have benefited from a zero energy home, but solar is caught in a conundrum of sorts. There’s not the demand to spur mass production, which leads to lower costs while at the same time, there isn’t the mass production leading to lower cost which would spur demand.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Living with the land: Florida’s first Earthship (video) – Eric Stewart gives a firsthand look at Florida’s first Earthship in Manatee County, and gets his hands dirty while helping out.

Not getting a million-dollar bonus this year? Think local stimulus- Scott Milinder shows us a real stimulus package that will work for us: we all commit to “Buying Local First.” According to recent economic studies, shifting your buying habits to locally owned businesses creates more circulation of money, more economic activity and more jobs in the local economy.

Eco-friendly summertime fashion accessories- Are you searching for a unique and beautiful purse to enhance your summer wardrobe? Then why not consider one of these recycled handbags that are made from recycled items that help to promote a cleaner and healthier world, reports Jen Meier.
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I just participated in a panel discussion on offshore drilling of our Florida beaches, sponsored by the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce. Also joining me were Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch, Senator Nelson’s staff Shahra Anderson, and the Ocean Conservancy’s TJ Marshall, as well as two other panelists acting essentially as lobbyists for the oil industry from the Southern Strategies Group – the firm that came close last spring to getting our state legislature to okay oil drilling within three miles of our beaches.

Over and over, their message came across: “Trust us. The oil companies would never do anything to harm your beaches. Honest, we can drill and you’ll never see a spill, nary a drop nor a tar ball. Never mind that Texas beaches, naturally as nice as Florida’s, have almost zero tourism revenue because of the muck and tar balls that ruin a nice walk on the beach there. If we had anything to do with that, we’re sorry, but that would never happen here. We’re much more careful now. Trust us.”

Two problems with this argument:
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

TRA’shion Fashion and Art Show 2009 (photos) – The fabulous trashionistas were out in force for ARTpool’s annual TRA’shion Show, and photographer Chip Weiner caught all the recycled green glamour.

Letting go of addictions: Using alternative methods to release addictions of any type- Kelly Rothwell gives us alternative methods such as energetic healing, visualizations and affirmations, that can be used to not only cope with such addictions but to understand the reason behind the addiction and let it go for good.

Living sustainably in Tampa Bay: Dave Starman’s biodiesel fueled car and green lifestyle – The first in a series of profiles, by Jack B., of individuals who are living sustainably in Tampa Bay. This profiles Tampa Bay resident Dave Starman.
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They say the “greenest” watt of electricity is the one you never use. Here is an easy way to learn ways to reduce your energy consumption and beat the heat this summer. My colleagues at Progress Energy, calling themselves the EnergyAdvisors, are now sharing energy saving information through the social media microblog Twitter. Followers of the new Progress Energy EnergyAdvisors account will receive regular tweets throughout the summer that include practical ways they can save energy and save money on their energy bills. The program begins today and will run through Sept. 20.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Celebrating Independence Day or creating environmental disaster? – Kelly Rothwell looks at the littered aftermath of Fourth of July celebrations and wonder why, instead of giving back in celebration of their freedom, people decide to light off fireworks, leaving mass amounts of debris in the water and on the beach.

Local Food: Dinner in, and from, the garden at Gateway Organic Farm – Chef Gui Alinat gives information about Gateway Organic Farm’s next “Dinner in the Garden” event, an incredible local foods experience featuring nine Bay area chefs.

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Back in 2007, when Congress passed a law setting more stringent rules on the manufacture of light bulbs, a lot of people sounded the death knell for Thomas Edison’s incandescent bulb. Australia got rid of them, along with a few other countries, and news articles and blog entries in the United States dubbed the planned phasing out as a full-on “ban.” Now, with President Obama’s most recent call to make lighting more efficient in homes and businesses, it again seems that the incandescent bulb will go the way of the dodo in the name of energy savings.

Or will it? It seems that some folks are instead using this governmental push for efficiency as the kick in the pants they needed to finally stop making outdated products. Read the rest of this entry »

The EIZO Nano Corporation recently announced two new models of their FlexScan series of LCD monitors.

The new monitors are part of Eizo’s EcoView products, touting ergonomic, environmental, and economic improvements and features. Additionally, these are some of the world’s first products to receive TCO Displays 5.0 certification and the first Eizo products given EPEAT Gold status. Read the rest of this entry »

So you’re not the type to schlep to all those Earth Day activities, but the little voices in your head are nagging you to do something? Have your own Earth Fest at home. Not only will you silence the voices (sans chemical laden meds), you will save money and precious resources over the hot summer months ahead. Here are some simple do-it-yourself things you can do: Read the rest of this entry »

With Earth day quickly approaching, now is a great time for each of us to consider our own environmental impact. We all hear that energy efficiency is one of the key factors for both reducing our personal carbon footprint and helping the environment in general, but sometimes it’s difficult to know where to begin. When I heard that Sears was offering a sale on home energy audits, I was definitely interested. Unfortunately, I found out the sale is in California only (sorry) but I continued looking for something a little more local.
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