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Green Living News
April, 2008 - Vol 1, Issue 1
In This Issue
Readers' Corner
Eco-Gadgets & Innovations
L.A. Confidential
Eco-Flicks & Books
Good News!
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
Greetings!
Welcome to TeachingGreen's inaugural newsletter! Our mission is to educate and empower people to live greener lives, which we accomplish primarily through workshops, our website and now this newsletter. Reducing theEarth environmental impact of our day-to-day lives has never been easier; our goal is to connect you with the many resources that will help you make it happen.

Features of this newsletter will include:

Readers' Corner: Suggestions from you, the readers, about green products, companies, creative ways to reuse, etc.
Eco-Gadgets & Innovations: Recommended products and services that will help you save the Earth
L.A. Confidential: Information for residents of Los Angeles, including events, pollution warnings, laws going into effect, etc.
Eco-Flicks & Books: Recommended movies and books about environmental issues
Good News!: News to give us hope that we have the power to leave a healthy, productive planet to future generations
Notable Greenies: Highlights of those who are doing, and have done, great things for the Earth and its inhabitants
Veggie Delight: Delicious and nutritious vegetarian recipes (Got a recipe you love? Let us know and we'll spread the word)

Also, if you haven't already, find out how much land and water is needed to supply the resources that you use and absorb the waste that you produce by clicking "Calculate Your Ecological Footprint" under Quick Links.
Readers' Corner
Got a green product, business, contractor or any other resource for greenCompact Fluorescent Bulb living that you'd like to recommend? Or maybe you've found a creative way to reuse something, or to save energy, water, or some other natural resource? Respond to this email with your bright ideas for green living, and we'll include it here so others can benefit from your experience and ingenuity.
 
Eco-Gadgets & Innovations
The The MetlundŽ Hot Water D'MANDŽ System
The MetlundŽ Hot Water D'MANDŽ System

Are you waiting more than a minute for your water to run hot? Assuming your showerhead delivers 2 gallons/minute and you're waiting 1 minute for the water to heat up every time you take a shower, your shower is sending 730 gallons of perfectly potable water down the drain every year just to heat the water! It doesn't have to be this way.

The MetlundŽ Hot Water D'MANDŽ System delivers hot water to fixtures quickly so you don't have to wait for water to get hot. A pump rapidly pulls hot water from your water heater while simultaneously sending cooled-off water in your hot water lines back to the heater to be reheated. Use the Metlund D'MAND System to get hot water in 15-30 seconds without wasting a single drop and use less than a penny's worth of electricity in the process. The Metlund D'MAND System is recognized by the US Department of Energy to save both water and energy. For more information and to purchase a Metlund D'MAND System, visit www.gothotwater.com.

L.A. Confidential
This section is specifically for residents of Los Angeles, with a spot light on the South Bay, where TeachingGreen is based. With Earth Day coming up on April 22, there are lots of events in April for the eco-minded individual, including several Earth Day events. Also, if you're interested in learning more about green living, join us at the Whole Foods Market in El Segundo for our workshops on sustainable living. We hope to see you there!

Upcoming TeachingGreen Workshops on Sustainable Living

Location: Whole Foods Market @ Plaza El Segundo; 760 S SepulvedaWhole Foods Blvd 90245
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Cost: $10

April 9: Stemming the Tide of Toxics and Trash
We're cutting down 100 million trees for junk mail and sending 2 million tons of electronic waste to landfills every year. Do more than you ever thought possible to reduce the flow of natural resources to landfills, and to keep toxics out of your life and the environment.

April 16: Tooling Around Town in (Green) Style
There's a reason cars and trucks are the poster children of environmental destruction: no other single consumer activity causes more environmental harm than personal vehicles. Reducing the impact of getting yourself from here to there is an essential part of greening your life. And with gas approaching $4.00 a gallon, what better time to start than now?

April 22: Helping the Earth with Every Bite
Producing our food takes a surprisingly significant toll on the environment, but it doesn't have to be that way. Thank Mother Earth for her delicious bounty by choosing foods that nourish the body without harming the Earth.

April 30: Your Green Sanctuary...Making your Home a Friend to Mother Nature
Your home represents an amazing opportunity to green your life because most everything involved with running a household affects the environmental in one way or another. Make your home a model of sustainability, inside and out, and give the Joneses something meaningful to keep up with.

Upcoming Green Events in Los Angeles

Alt Build Santa Monica
Interested in greening your home or office? This event will include over 150 exhibits featuring manufacturers of green building materials, landscape and water conservation products, retailers, interior design products & furnishings, utility companies, non-profit organizations, and city and state agencies. There will also be a number of speakers from the California Energy Commission, The Energy Coalition, Global Green, Ashoka, and many others. Visit www.altbuildexpo.com for more information.

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401)
April 26
12:00 noon 

South Bay Energy Fair and Solar Homes Tour
See first-hand how to save fuel, electricity and money with exhibits that will include alternative-fueled cars (electric, biodiesel, and natural gas), ultra fuel-efficient two-wheeled vehicles, solar panel installers, energy-saving home retrofits, bicycle and bus "mapquest" demonstrations for your commute, a green fashion show, and more. For more information, visit www.southbayenergyfair.com.

Pacific Unitarian Church (5621 Montemalaga Drive, Rancho Palos Verde)
May 10, 2008
9am - 2pm

Earth Day Los Angeles
3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica
April 12, 2008
10am - 7pm

8th Annual Sea Lab Earth Day Fair
1021 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach
April 19, 2008
10am - 4pm

Earth Day Celebration at Polliwog Park
1600 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach
April 19, 2008
11am - 4pm

Earth Day Fair at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro
April 19, 2008
10am - 3pm

Hawthorne Community Earth Day Festival
Hawthorne Memorial Park, 3901 El Segundo Blvd, Hawthorne
April 26, 2008
10am - 2pm

Children's Earth Day Event at STAR ECO Station
10101 W. Jefferson Bl., Culver City
April 27, 2008
10am - 4pm
Eco-Flicks & Books
EV1
Who Killed the Electric Car?

Remember the GM EV1 electric car that was all the rage in the mid-1990s and then mysteriously vanished into thin air? This documentary delves into the short life of the GM EV1 to answer the question: how could such an efficient, green-friendly vehicle fail to transform our garages and skies? Available on DVD. For more info, visit www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar.

Good News!
Paper Recycling Jumps to Record High

NEW YORK, New York, April 1, 2008 (ENS) - An all-time high of 56 percent of paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling in 2007, achieving an industry goal five years ahead of schedule, the national trade association of the forest, paper, and wood products industry announced today at the 131st Annual Paper Week conference...

Click here for full article.

Coupon Book for Earth-Friendly Living
If you live in Los Angeles or Orange County, check out the myGreenSpark Redemption Book. A green alternative to the Entertainment coupon book, the myGreenSpark coupon book is full of discounts from local and web-based companies that promote and sell green and healthy products
and services.Green Coupon Book

When you purchase a myGreenSpark Redemption Book ($27 + shipping) by clicking on the image to the right, you'll get over 250 discounts from 150 local and online green retailers and service providers, and TeachingGreen will receive $13.50. The discounts are good until the end of 2008, and just like the Entertainment book, the myGreenSpark Redemption Book quickly pays for itself.

TeachingGreen is a 503(c)(3) organization, and as such, we depend on tax-deductible donations from treehuggers like you! If you'd like to become a member, see the Quick Links above.

We hope you find this newsletter helpful and informative, and should you have any suggestions, questions or general comments, we'd love to hear from you.
 
Sincerely,

Kathleen Jacecko
TeachingGreen