Daily Loaf

The 14th annual ASES Solar Home Tour this Saturday, October 3rd will be the first time tour conducted in Tampa. Don’t miss the opportunity to see some demonstrations, learn how solar photovoltaic installations work and how to save money by using energy efficient systems in your home.

In my last post, the energy savings I mentioned weren’t all that’s available for those of you who want to harness some of the sun’s power and claim it for yourself.  Unfortunately, there seems to be a little placating going on between the citizenry’s desire to move our state toward renewable energy and our legislator’s desire to make us think that they are on our side. Last November, Florida voters passed Amendment 3. What? You don’t remember Amendment 3? Not many people do, but then again, it seems there’s not much of a reason to.

What you may remember about November 2008’s ballot: the long lines for a voting booth, media hype and all of those pesky Constitutional Amendments. One of them, Amendment 3, was placed on the ballot under the authority of the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission; a gubernatorial appointed board that meets once every 20 years. Every 20 years – really? One of the ideas they managed to place on the ballot was amazingly clearly worded, but honestly, I don’t think it was the renewable energy part that prompted so many Floridians to vote for Amendment 3. Authors cleverly name amendments to attract attention, and often word them to confuse the general public, designed for a pass or fail depending on which outcome they prefer. Remember the “Florida Marriage Protection Amendment”? In the case of Amendment 3 it was the storm protection component that played to fear-stricken Floridians: fear of not only hurricane force winds, but fear that they’d improve their homes to protect themselves, and then get taxed. It passed. Couldn’t have been because of the renewable energy, there’s already an exemption on the books for that, but who knew?
Read the rest of this entry »

After debating STD rates this weekend despite the fact that I had no solid evidence, I decided to research the matter. Below is a brief overview of the STD situation in the bay area. Keep in mind that while some of these rates may seem low, they are significantly higher among sexually active demographics.

According to Avert.org, in 2007 the Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater area reported 11,754 AIDS/HIV cases. For every 100,000 people, 17.2 people are living with the disease, or roughly 0.017 % of the total population. Read the rest of this entry »

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.
Read the rest of this entry »

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:
Read the rest of this entry »

As the hunt for my next fuck-buddy continues, I’ve expanded my search parameters and raised my age limit. At least I tried to.

When I was younger I vowed I wouldn’t date anyone more than eight years older than me, but as I grew up, my lovers and boyfriends got progressively younger. To be honest, I hadn’t even thought about dating older men until the other night. Read the rest of this entry »

Have fun while benefiting your health and the environment. You remember how to ride a bike, but do you remember how much fun it is to ride your bike? The feel of the wind as you ride down the hill as fast as you can, exploring all day through the neighborhood with your friends, or in college around campus in between class. Not only is biking fun for the whole family, all ages and skill levels, it is a great exercise and totally green.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money either for a good bike. With last Christmas’ bonus check, I purchased a used bike on craigslist of Tampa for $75, put new tires on for $30 and got a $50 tune up at Revolution Bikes; I now have a great bike I paid only $155 in total for what I have been told is worth $200-$300. It is a great and comfortable bike for cruising the Pinellas Trail or just riding through my neighborhood. Read the rest of this entry »

St. Petersburg, charming and picturesque as the city is, has suffered one consistant complaint from its residents: the lack of a city curbside recycling program. I’ve even made this complaint from myself, finding it odd that North Pinellas would have curbside recycling, while a more progressive and environmentally aware area of the same county would not.

Under the watch of Mayor Rick Baker, St. Petersburg became the first “green city” in Florida, and once the example was set, many other Sunshine State cities followed (often encouraged by Mayor Baker himself). The Mayor even drives a hybrid car, so the lack of curbside recycling is not through a lack of consideration for the environment, inconsistent as that seems at the surface.

I knew there had to be a logical explanation for it, though. Surely Mayor Baker must have a reason for not implementing such a program, especially with so many voter’s voices in favor of it, so when I had a chance to talk to the man, it was one of the first questions I asked him.

Read the rest of this entry »

Just in case you needed reminding, or a little bit more stress in your life, this came in from the Pinellas County Health Department:

The Florida Department of Health has set up a Swine Flu Information Line that gives information regarding precautions to take to avoid getting the flu, symptoms, how the disease is spread, and what the DOH is doing to protect its visitors and residents.

The toll free number is 1-800-775-8039.

For a different perspective, check out this swine flu reality check.

Also … just wondering: What if this purported pandemic were just called “the flu?”

A few weeks ago, Wayne Garcia gave you a ton of ideas for how to celebrate Christmas in an environmentally-responsible way.

Well, even though the gift-giving has stopped, it doesn’t mean you have to stop conserving. Hillsborough County is offering free Christmas tree pick-up in front of your house or at other various locations. Then, your trees will be ground up into mulch that county residents can pick up for free.

Here are the guidelines for unincorporated Hillsborough County residents.

Here are the guidelines for the urban dwellers in Tampa.

Pinellas County residents, don’t fret. Find your community’s tree pick-up policy here.

(Photo Credit: qnr/Flickr)

Jen, Alchemy and I early voted on Sunday. We stood in line for a good 3 1/2 hours. Got in line around 9:30. Doors opened at Noon. The line soon wrapped completely around the block. Actual voting took around 15 minutes.