| Dear Live Green in Plano Volunteer,
Sign on now to help make the 2010 Live Green Expo the best one yet! Volunteers are needed to research and recruit exhibitors in the lifestyle and recreation, assist with marketing, media relations, and communication. If you have these skills or are looking to develop them, contact Ki-Afi Ra Moyo at ki-afi@livegreenexpo.net
As schools re-open, students need guidance in sorting their organic lunch waste for composting. You can pick your neighborhood school and let us know where and when you can help.
Our most popular presentation involves little trees, miniature cars and boats, tiny houses, and cows. The Enviroscape watershed model engages all ages in understanding how their daily lives impact the water quality in their creeks and local reservoirs. A special volunteer training on how to make this presentation will be held on Wed., Aug. 19 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 4200 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, 75093. RSVP to Deb Bliss at debb@plano.govTell your friends and neighbors there are still a few spots available for the next Live Green in Plano Volunteer Training. Sessions on green living "best practices" will be held Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. from October 1 through November 5. This training is only offered three times a year and space is limited. Contact Deb Bliss to register at debb@plano.gov
Thank you to our guest writers this month: Darrel Dacus, Stephanie Moleski, Lois Schafer, Melissa Baird, and Shari Childers. They've done a marvelous job in researching and distilling the critical information for you on many important topics. Shari's review of Daniel Goleman's Ecological Intelligence is insightful and leaves you with the message: "If what I do matters, then with the right information there is so much that I can do."
Take advantage of the generous Texas Pure Products coupon at the end of this newsletter and make your landscape waterwise.
Deb Bliss
Sustainability Volunteer Coordinator |
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Storm Drains Labeled: Volunteers' Efforts Keep Our Water Clean by Melissa Baird 
Perhaps you have noticed signs marking the storm drain inlets around your home, school, or business. City of Plano Sustainability Volunteers label the drains to remind citizens that each one washes into a water source, and that it is illegal to dump litter, yard trimmings, or chemicals into the drains.
"I'm really interested in water conservation," says Karen Mitchell, a City Sustainability Volunteer since 2007. "I believe in keeping our water quality up, and labeling storm drains is a good way to educate people. Usually people ask me what I'm doing when I'm out placing the labels. Plus it's a good excuse to get outside and ride my bike!" Karen is on the board of directors for her homeowner's association, where she is head of the landscape committee.
Click here to read more. |
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Cash for Clunkers by Lois Schafer 
The term "Cash for Clunkers" is what America and the news media use to describe a new program from the government that will help you pay for a new, more fuel efficient car or truck from a participating dealer when you trade in a less fuel efficient car or truck. The official name for the program is "Car Allowance Rebate System" (CARS). The official rules and conditions for participation in the CARS program are outlined on the official website. It is clear and easy to use. Check the web site if you plan to use this program. The program has had high participation and will only last as long as the funding is available. In order to qualify: The purchased vehicle must be new (2008, 2009, 2010 models). The vehicle can not cost more than $45,000. The vehicle must be purchased, or leased for at least 5 years, between July 1, 2009 and November 1, 2009 You cannot trade in a clunker for a motorcycle. Click here to read more. |
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Graywater: Tap into 40 gallons for landscape irrigation by Darrel Dacus 
As homeowners look for ways to reduce water consumption, the use of graywater is growing. Graywater, by definition, is untreated used water from bath tubs/showers, vanity sinks, and clothes washers that has never come in contact with blackwater (toilet, kitchen sink, and dishwasher drain water ). Residents planning to build a new home have the opportunity to install a whole home graywater recovery system.
Unfortunately, existing homes with a concrete slab foundation really only have the option of using clothes washer drain water, provided it is located on an exterior wall. Installing a recovery system on an existing home with a concrete slab, if even possible, would be too cost prohibitive.
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Earn Tax Credits for Energy Efficient Home Improvements 
Are you ready to replace those single-paned windows, that warped exterior door, your heating and air conditioning system, or ancient water heater? Thirty percent - up to $1,500 - of your cost in the purchase of energy efficient products can be applied as a tax credit on your 2009 or 2010 return through the program funded by the federal economic stimulus bill. Adding insulation, metal and asphalt roofs, and biomass stoves are also covered. (The cost of installation is not covered.)
2016 is your deadline to take an additional 30% tax credit on the purchase and installation of a geothermal heat pump, solar panels, solar water heaters, small wind energy systems, and fuel cells. There is no upper limit on these investments.
You will need a manufacturer's certification proving that the product qualifies and IRS Tax Form 5695 when you file your taxes.
For more information about the energy-efficiency tax credit, visit www.energystar.gov and click on tax credits for energy efficiency. |
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Green Your Decorating by Stephanie Moleski 
Decorating your home can be both a fun and challenging endeavor. Your design choices should reflect your personal style, interests, and passion for a healthy earth. Whether you are just moving in to a new place, or you are sprucing up your current dwellings, personalizing your space is a great opportunity to make a positive impact on our environment. Think of where your money is going; be responsible with your choices and take pause before you purchase.
There are a growing number of greener options out there when it comes to creating a stylish living space. Look for products that are made from sustainable and organic materials. Click here to read more. |
Ecological Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
A Book Review by Shari Childers, PhD 
At some point in every semester, regardless of what college course I am teaching, I pose the same question to my students: "Where is nature?" After a few references to forests and mountains-examples of the enduring interpretation of nature-as-only-wilderness-I ask them, "Yes, but where is nature in this room?" Generally speaking, I get the same blank stares from each class. Most people in contemporary American culture (the only culture of which I can speak) have been taught and re-taught that there is a clear division between nature and culture. Culture is here, where I am. Nature is over there, usually a virgin wilderness. No wonder we are having problems getting people to see that they can or should change their behaviors, right? Littering here or driving here can't impact nature-it's way over there!
And it's hard to blame people because our cultural indoctrination begins very early. My son, a kindergartener this past year, was required to distinguish between natural and cultural items on worksheets-no room for fuzzy overlap here. Unfortunately, it is this legacy of binary thinking that shields my college students from the alarming awareness that everything in our classroom comes from nature: each item in the room required extraction, production, and will require disposal at some point-all processes that clearly puncture the supposed nature/culture divide.
Daniel Goleman, the author of several other books including the #1 bestseller Emotional Intelligence (1995), explores the often-hidden connections between the decisions that consumers make daily, in thousands of Big-Mart store aisles far from "nature," and our collective ecological impacts in his latest book, Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impact of What We Buy Can Change Everything (2009).
Click here to read more. | |
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Backyard Talks
"What are my neighbors thinking, watering everyday?" "It seems like we're the only ones on the block who put out our recycle cart." "All the landscape contractors on our street blow the leaves and grass clippings right into the storm drain!"
If you've got some concerns about what's going on in your neighborhood and want some help in having those crucial conversations, host a social (indoors or out) and book a Backyard Talk. We've got staff and knowledgeable volunteers ready to assist you on a variety of topics: energy efficiency, water quality, water conservation, composting, litter and the cost to you, irrigation, recycling, and landscaping with native plants. It's simple. It's fun. We even provide you with an electronic invitation suitable for emailing or printing. Call Mysha Faithful at (972) 769-4130 to book one soon.
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