Mindzle

Archive for the ‘Resources’ Category

Whole house rain water system

It should be clear to all of us that water is the single most important “element” for life. When scientists look for signs of life out in the greater universe, they first look for signs of liquid water. And here at home on Earth we know all life needs this fluid of life to exist. Yet when we think of the bright green future, rarely is water put out front. We talk of Solar, wind, algae based bio fuels etc. But not about our diminishing supply of fresh, clean water. It seems that the only people who pay attention to this are in areas where it is already a scarce commodity, such as the Dessert Southwest and the Australia outback.

Here I live in a part of the world known for our over-abundance of fresh water. We have the mighty Columbia River, plentiful rainfall and immense aquifers. But even in this land of abundant water, we are already seeing our resource start to be used beyond the capacity of nature to refill. Many of the local municipalities are spending MILLIONS of taxpayer dollars to increase storage and supply, as growth here has far outpaced the infrastructure.

It hit home recently. We are in need of replacing our gutters. This winter they have been damaged by ice, branches, etc, to the point they no longer work properly. And, properly working gutters are not a nicety, they are necessary. So, I starting doing the math to calculate how much water hits our metal roof in a year, and then travels through our gutters, and is “disposed” of. And then starting looking at our water bills to determine how much water we use in the summer for the yard… We get 20,000+ gallons of fresh rainwater on our roof every year. In the summer we will use 17,000 gallons for our yard…

That water comes from our community well, which is treated with fluoride, chlorine etc. So why am I using this water, that is treated to make it “safe” to drink, to water plants, who then spend energy to get rid of the chemicals we treat the water with? Why am I using it to flush my toilets? The plants would prefer rain water, and the toilets could care less.

The inevitable outcome of this type of thinking is to start capturing and storing the rainwater. Use that water on the garden, toilets etc. In the overall scheme of things, it is a small additional price when adding or replacing gutters to include a cistern. We’d love to capture and store the full 20,000 gallons, but are starting small. As part of our gutter system we are installing 2x 550 gallons tanks that will be used primarily on the garden. When we remodel the house (hopefully soon) we will adding several more tanks and install a Purple Water system (aka grey water, but using rainwater) for the bathrooms.

I promise to post pictures, and a detailed account of how the system goes together. Step one, the gutters will occur March 12th, weather permitting.

If you have been following along with my coverage of the “Everything Green Expo” here in Portland Oregon then you know my excitement about many of the products, services and ideas I learned of while there. This post is another in that vein. I expected to see new products from new companies and hopeful entrepreneurs. I was genuinely surprised to see the number of old established companies in attendance. In part 2 I talked of a local skylight company (Skylights NW) that now installs Solar Water Heaters. In this post one of the largest manufacturers on Earth shows there new Green wares!

The Portland Rebuilding Center

As promised here are a few of my favorite products and services I met at the Everything Green Expo:

1) EcoStone -Eco-Friendly pavers made from reclaimed granite.

Ecostone Booth at the Everything Green Expo

EcoStone is a Portland based company that manufactures tile, landscaping pavers and interior/exterior stone from reclaimed granite and other natural stone. A typical kitchen granite counter install results in a 30% waste of material, most of which ends up in landfills. EcoStone collects this “waste” material from several stone fabricators in the Portland area and uses a patented hydralic press to tranform it into solid granite tile and pavers of various shapes and sizes. Any resulting waste is crushed into gravel and used as aggregate with zero net waste ending up in ladnfills. Thier goal is to keep 1,000,000 pounds of waste out of Oregon landfill each year. I hope they exceed this goal. In fact we will be installing an EcoStone patio to replace our existing ground level deck that is in it’s last years of useability. I will definately be posting more about this product, and the installation of our patio in the near future. Check out http://www.ecostonenw.com for more information.

The Solar Oregon Booth at the Expo

2) Solar Oregon – Good Energy for Oregonians, is there slogan. My first question to them was: Is Oregon sunny enough for solar?The answer a resounding YES! Even portland and the rainy Willamette Valley recieve as much sunshine as the average US city. In fact, solar is Oregon’s most abundant renewable resource. Today, more than 17,000 Oregon households use solar energy systems to generate electricity or heat water. Suprisingly half the power we use in Oregon is generated by power plants that contribute to climate change and pollution. the sun is a clean, renewable source of energy that can help us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Okay, great we can do solar in Oregon, but what does Solar Oregon do? They make it easy for homeowners to install solar energy systems. They are a nonprofit organization that offers free workshops, expert advice, cash incentives from the Energy Trust, State of Oregon Tax Credits, information about Federal Tax Credits, referrals to qualified contractors and access to affordable financing. To learn more or attend a free workshop go to http://www.solarnoworegon.org Their Solar Now! campaign connects Oregonians with the resources and assistance they need to choose solar energy.

3) McGee Salvage- Purveyors of quality reclaimed hardwood floors. Their business is reclaiming hardwood flooring from gymnasiums, homes, hotels, churches, dance halls, etc. around the Pacific Northwest. They then sell the reclaimed materials to customers who are interested in hardwood flooring that is unique in character, antique out-of-production, and green eco-friendly. You can visit them online at http://www.mcgeesalvage.com

The Master Shield demo at the Everything Green Expo

4) Master Shield – Gutter protection that actually works. the single largest problem with gutters on my own home is pine needles. They clog the downspouts, fill the gutters, and always seem to somehow overcome any device designed to stop them. But, believe me this system actually works. We are having them installed on all our gutters. I will be writing about the install with plenty of photos.  They say it keeps ALL debris, including leaves, pine and fir needles, twigs, seedpods, oak tassels – you name it! And after seeing the product I believe it. They give an unconditional 100% money back warranty if it ever clogs. They say they have never had a gutter clog, anywhere, nationwide.

This makes the water in the gutters the cleanest of any gutter system, and eliminates all debris. Which brings about the real importance of this system, it makes rainwater cistern projects much simpler. And this is why we are so excited to install the system. Our hope is to soon be installing a gray-water system for the toilets and gardens using the rain water from the 8000 gallon cistern.

You can learn more about Master Shield and find a local contractor to install the system at their website http://www.mastershield.com

5) Skylights NW- Adding light to your life. Skylights are less than exciting. Though, we will be adding a few to our home to allow more natural light. What is exciting is this 65 year old, established company is now selling and installing Velux Solar water heating systems. On average, installing a solar water heater, your water heating bills should drop 50%-80%. Also, because the sun is free, you’re protected from future fuel shortages and price hikes. On average it takes 3-7 years to payback the system in most areas.

We have not yet chosen a solar hot water system or contractor, but this Velux system is one of the more interesting ones. You can find more information at: http://www.veluxusa.com/solar

In the next part of this series I will be talking of several photovoltaic systems, and  more from the Everything Green Expo.

Over Valentines weekend we had the “Everything Green” expo at the Oregon Convention Center.

If knowledge is power than a green expo has Megawatts of potential. Very few times in your life do all the right conditions and critical mass come together to spark a massive change. I was at the begining of the dot com’s and fell when it crashed. I’ve also grown through the web 2.0 “thing” and note that it is little more than repackaging of the original dot com’s with realistic expectations. In the same manner, the green movement in the USA has been building from the ashes of the last.

The ideas of the green movement are nothing new, going back to Ansel Adams and others in the late 19th century who didn’t want to see the end of open spaces. It has taken generations working towards a better tomorrow and the looming threat of Global Warming, to gain traction with the US general public.

Much like the dot com bubble burst changed the expectations of the web, and taught a new round of idealogues a better way to move forward. This new web 2.0 movement could not come about without the failings of the dot coms, which weren’t even possible until the break-up of AT&T. Making the internet a tool of more than university scientists and the military. The new green movement feels much like the current web 2.0 and not like the dot coms of the early 1990′s.  I see this as a movement from the ideals down, that is not built on hype and over enflated expectations, but one built on concious decisions of right and wrong, of quality over vollume and healthy versus toxic.

Living in what many consider to be the epicenter of the movement gives you insights and opportunities that cannot be underestimated. Being here, I was able to attend the Portland, “Everything Green Expo”. I went in with, a very broad knowledge, and expectations of seeing nothing new. What I found was renewed energy, new ideas and many exciting new products. By the time I left I had made contact with manufacturers, entreprenuers, idealogues and green merchants galore. All of them excited by the future and the hope that a new day brings. But all of them realistic in their expectations and most built on solid fundamentals. I will be talking about these in the next part of this series.

Recently my friends have been asking me for a good place to buy organic and heirloom seeds and plants. I thought this was a great topic, so here are my favorite 7 suppliers.

Johnny Seeds Offers a wide selection of seeds and plants. They have heirloom, organic, fruit, herbs and vegetables for your garden. They have OMRI-approved pest and disease controls and fertilizers. This is one of the larger seed suppliers in the world, and they are employee owned.

Miller Nurseries -J.E. Miller, Dept 4102, 5060 West Lake Road, Canadaigua, NY, 14424- They have dozens of strawberries, raspberries, fruit, and shade trees. Over 60 varieties of apples, many old-fashioned “heirloom” apples. Winter hardy blueberries. 39 varieties of grapes, including wine making varieties. They have a wide variety of unique fruits such as Pawpaw, Persimmon, Kiwi, Honeyberry, Asian Pears, Cranberries and more.

Bountiful GardensBountiful Gardens sells untreated open-pollinated seed of heirloom quality for vegetables, herbs, flowers, grains, green manures, compost and carbon crops. Offering Bio-intensive and Grow Biointensive sustainable organic seed. Specialties: Rare and unusual varieties. Medicinal herbs. Super-nutrition varieties. You may be interested to know that Bountiful Gardens is a non-profit organization and a project of Ecology Action which does garden research and publishes many books, information sheets, and research papers, some in other languages. Ecology Action operates a research mini-farm in Willits, CA and promotes the GROW BIOINTENSIVE method of food production which teaches people in 130 countries around the world to grow food and build soil with less work, water, and energy by natural methods. Find out more at www.growbiointensive.org

Fedco Fedco Seeds, is an excellent source for cold-hardy seeds and plants especially adapted to the demanding Northeast climate. Each year they observe hundreds of varieties, selecting only the best for inclusion in their catalogs. Through their product lines and cultural hints, they encourage sustainable growing methods. They offer a large selection of certified organic cultivars and regional heirloom varieties. We buy products from all over the world. Fedco is a cooperative, one of the few seed companies so organized in the United States. Because they do not have an individual owner or beneficiary, profit is not their primary goal. Consumers own 60% of the cooperative and worker members 40%. Consumer and worker members share proportionately in the cooperative’s profits through their annual patronage dividends.

A Few Good Seeds Vegetable seeds,Fruit plants or seeds. Specialties: Heirloom Vegetables. All of their plants and seeds are grown without any chemical inputs. Their goal is to test and adapt vegetables for our regional climate and growing conditions.

Territorial Seed Company Currently they find themselves in good company “capital-O Organics”, excited about taking leadership in advising the evolution of organic agriculture from a movement into a mainstream market. There are 20 full-time and 25 seasonal employees locally, strategic alliances with universities and European plant breeders, and a zillion worms making compost and plant teas. They are experts in Organic and Biodynamic seeds and plants.

Willhite Seed They have over 400 varieties of seeds including watermelon, cataloupe, cucumber, bean, corn, okra, peas, squash etc. They have a wide selection of of unusual Indian seed.

It can be quite a daunting experience when you try to make a positive change. In our modern world with the information thrown at the speed of light in your direction 24 hours a day 7 days a week, how do you filter out the important information and make wise decisions about the choices in your life? To help you find a greener path, and probably a happier one as well, here are my top ten web resources for living green:

10) Paystolivegreen.com – This great little blog is about saving money by going green.  They discuss topics including the environment, alternative sources of energy, going green, organic and sustainable products, finance, the environment, nutrition and technology. I have only recently come across this blog, but it is a well spring of ideas and information and anyone wanting to be more ecologically sound should check it out.

9) Dailyecotips.com – A blog with a new daily eco tip listed on the site every day. Find out how to save money, save energy, recycle, reuse and live a greener life! How much more can I say. The blogs author has a done a wonderful job of coming up with a new eco tip every day that is both practical and smart.

Backyardaquaponics.com – Without this website I would have no idea about aquaponics, nor would most of the rest of the world. If you don’t know about aquaponics I suggest you head over there right away. They have opened my eyes to a better way of growing both fish and plants for food. Any self respecting survivalist should have an aquaponics system . In fact NASA is using ideas like this in their long term space exploration plans. Of particular interest is the forums and specifically Member Systems. This is a large group of people who have been building and testing their own designs in sometimes very remote parts of the world, where they actually rely on the productively of these systems to eat.

7) Organicgardeningzone.com - This blog has the best Info You Can Find About Tips And Ideas On Organic Gardening, Gardening Advice, Supplies And Equipment Reviews. They have been a dependable resource with a great deal of knowledge and experience to help the new Organic gardener get up and running successfully.

6) Articlegarden.com – This website is a collection of articles from a wide sampling of blogs on sustainability. Their own self description tells it best: “is an attempt to provide the best outcomes for human and natural environments for both now and the indefinite future. It relates to the connection of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment. It is intended to be a means of balancing civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential today, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and planning and acting for the ability to maintain these ideals in a very long term. Sustainability affects every level of organization, from the local family to the entire planet. We must all strive to live a sustainable lifestyle. From biodeisel to recycling this is a sustainable living resource meant to help us all learn to do this.”

5) Mindzle.com – Yes, I know, shameless self promotion. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this site, which has been one of my top resources for living a more sustainable life. It has motivated me to make better decisions and is a repository of knowledge I have compiled from literally thousands of sources.

4)The Green Guide – National Geographic magazines Green Guide is a deep resource, whether you want tips to green your life, or to research which product you should buy. It tends to be heavily leaning towards the latter.  When my wife and I decided to buy a new freezer it was the first place we looked. Some of what they are selling is little more than green-washing, but a savvy individual can usually find useful information regardless.

3) Organicgardening.com- This is the website for the magazine of the same name. If you are looking for anything related to organic gardening you will find it here. We will be using thier Organic Gardening Composter plans to build our own version.

2) Mother Earth News – The Original Guide to Living Wisely. This website for the oldest magazine related to green living and homesteading with 40 years of articles and how-to’s in one place is an imeesruarable asset. It was tough deciding these top two places, and Mother Earth News could easily have taken the top spot. It is hard to argue with 40 years of environmental and rural knowledge available in one place. From this singular resource you can learn anything related to organic gardening, home power generation, alternative fuels, electric cars… well pretty much anything green.

1)Treehugger.com – Arguably the top online news and information portal on sustainability in business, home, politics and products. There is an ocean of articles by many of the top experts in every related field.  There are interviews, how-to’s as well as the news you need to know. They easily made my top two, but it is the constant updates daily that moved them into the top spot. They have been a big motivator for me and my family.

Roxy, one of my "kids"

In my case the kids refers to 2 dogs and 2 cats with a taste for house plants. The cats in particular are fond of anything green trying to survive indoors. But not to be outdone Roxy our precocious 3 year old Blue Heeler mix has a thing for my small grove of citrus trees. I find her munching on the leaves regularly. So when I noticed several of the citrus trees infested with spider mites… well lets just say I thought I was faced with a choice of the trees or the kids. And some times that is a tough choice to make.
 
I have grown the little trees from seeds. The seeds all came from the old fashioned method of saving seeds from fruit rather than tossing them out. Everyone told me “They will never grow” or “They will never produce fruit”. The common assumption being fruit is irradiated to kill bugs and such, so the seeds would not be viable.

I have withstood much ribbing and teasing by my spouse and friends, regarding their viability. Much to their chagrin, the seeds did sprout. In fact nearly all of the seeds sprouted and several of the little trees have flourished. These I have protected and pruned. they have become more than the little experiment that I started on.  They are still little more than tiny saplings, and consequently none have flowered, yet. Regardless they have become a symbol, of something bigger. That I was right, and they were wrong.

 Even more than the validation of my idea, they make me feel anything is possible. Very few citrus plants can grown in my region. So these little guys surviving is a symbol of hope, and survival.

The orange Grove winter home

 Attributing so much to these 7 little trees, is a bit much, and setting yourself up for heartbreak, I know. But here I am with all this hope, anticipation and everything.

 Now imagine my horror when I noticed something attacking one of the little trees. It seemed to be sucking the life out of it. Once I noticed, the infestation was quite advanced. Several of the trees were affected, and one was in dire shape indeed.

 I started the way I always do, pruning away the most affected areas. This had a minimal effect.

 So now there I was, my hope infected with mites. Could I disregard my deep sense of dislike for chemicals, to save the “orchard”? Or was there another, better way?

 I always want to use organic methods. Up until that point, I had no real nasty bugs to eliminate. So it had been easy, and I was clueless.

 I didn’t want to make the kids sick. I want to use organic methods, if possible. I want to save the little trees. So, what to do?

 The internet is an amazing tool. After a few minutes of research I found a whole host of solutions, and in that search I located a site that has become a lifeline, Arbico Organics.

 For the past 30 years Arbico Organics has been producing and marketing natural products for organic homes, businesses, lawns, gardens, farms and pets. They had several products that work for the problem I was faced with.

 Since purchasing the  spray for my little trees, I have not noticed any recurrence of spider mites. The trees again look healthy. And none of the kids seems to have had the slightest ill effects. I am hopeful that after 2 or 3 more growing seasons they will finally flower, but if they just survive that long I will be proud. For now they are a nice little edition to our deck in summer, and our guestroom in winter.

About the Author: Christian Hammer is a self proclaimed Serial Entrepreneur, inventor and green advocate. His website, www.mindzle.com is a resource for people who are wanting to live a more sustainable life, but don’t necessarily know how to get started, or are worried about how they can afford it. He tries to lead by example, with a wide variety of projects, ideas and how-to’s.