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Starting on Earth Day, Green Town Los Altos is sponsoring the third annual Drive Less Challenge.  The Challenge is a fun competition to encourage residents to explore alternatives to driving solo in their gas-powered vehicles. Alternative Transportation Ideas The Challenge is aimed at getting residents to think about their daily transportation habits using gas powered vehicles so that they come up with other green options for getting around.  Almost everyone can think about that quick trip to the supermarket for a loaf of bread or the half mile trek to school to “drive and drop” the kids.  Both of these examples are good targets for driving less.  Especially with the beautiful weather, why wouldn’t you consider walking or cycling instead?  Of course there are more impactful changes that you could make.  How far is your commute to work?  Is it 1-10 miles?  Could cycling be an option?  Do you commute up or down the Peninsula close to Caltrain or the light rail?  What a relaxing way to commute that also offers some spare time to read the newspaper, or a book, or just to get ready for the day by checking emails.  Getting to the train station could also include a short bike ride and with 2 bike-cars on trains now, it is a great option. Why Drive Less? There are many great reasons for driving less.  Just to name a few, you can save gas and money, get and stay fit, reduce carbon pollution, traffic congestion and make the streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Bicycles. Photo Joel Bartlett How to Sign-Up To make the challenge fun and easy, we have made the pledge process simple.  Residents simply pledge to drive less during our challenge period April 22 – May 5 by registering on our website, DriveLessChallengeLA.com.  You can choose from a wide range of green transportation options including walking, cycling, taking public transit, or carpooling instead of driving alone.  At the end of the 2-week challenge, check back in via our on-line survey and tell us how you did.  Participants will be entered in to a drawing for a whole host of fabulous prizes donated by local merchants.  These prizes will be awarded at our Bike! Walk! Win! party that will be held on May 9 (Bike to Work Day) from 6-8 at the Costume Bank in Downtown Los Altos. Other Ways to Win Share your story!  Let other residents know what you are doing to Green your transportation.  Post the story on GreenTown Los Altos Facebook page.  Prizes will be awarded for 1. Most inspiring, 2. Most original, and 3. Most impactful green transportation story. Making our Kids Green This year we have set a goal to get our elementary and middle schools involved.  Los Altos and Los Altos Hills schools will compete for “The Greenest School” title by logging the greatest percentage of kids using alternative green transportation, via a poll that will be taken during the challenge period.  We all know that good habits start young and Los Altos Schools are renown for its well-rounded educational curriculum.  If our children are encouraged to walk or bike to school instead of being victims of the deadly “Drive and Drop” syndrome they will be more fit and hopefully make it a life long habit. Results Last year over 170 Los Altos & Los Altos Hills residents helped us win the Peninsula wide challenge by logging over 10,000 green miles by taking the train or bus, cycling, walking or carpooling.  They prevented about 6600 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.  Even though there is no Peninsula-wide challenge this year, we hope that Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents will continue their winning ways by doubling participation and extending carbon savings this year. Make a pledge to drive less today by registering your pledge to drive less on DriveLessChallengeLA.org. #DriveLessChallenge

Hummingbird Sage, Poppies & Dark Star Ceanothus. In 2010, California signed the 20×2020 Water Conservation Plan. The goal is to achieve a 20 percent reduction in per capita urban water use statewide by 2020. In Los Altos & Los Altos Hills irrigation accounts for 50-70% of urban water use, with lawns being one of the thirstiest types of landscaping. Here is an inspiring list for change. Need ideas for native plant landscaping? Don’t miss out on the Going Native Garden Tour April 20-21. Top Ten Reasons to Replace Your Lawn with Native Plants – Benefits to You and Society – 1. Healthier Creeks. Fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides are top polluters in our creeks, killing aquatic life and spreading disease. Lawns should be at least 50 feet away from waterways but even at that distance, these pollutants will still find their way into our creeks. 2. Less Storm Water Runoff. Deep roots of native plants and trees surrounded by mulch retain more water onsite than turf, and substantially more than synthetic turf. 3. More Free Time. Lawns can take as much time to manage as vegetable gardens, and what do you harvest? Grass clippings, blech! Native plants don’t require fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides and benefit only from annual or semiannual pruning. Not sure about how to maintain your landscaping? Hire a Certified Green Gardener. Baccharis & Salvias on a slope 4. Save Water. Lawns require more water than our climate can provide. Irrigation of lawns accounts for the largest single use of residential potable water, water that may have been transported hundreds of miles to your home. Reducing our draw of water from the Delta and the Sierras helps maintain their ecosystems. 5. Save Money. All the mowing, fertilizer, herbicides and irrigation of lawns cost a lot of money. Native plants need substantially less effort and money to maintain. 6. Cash for Grass. Santa Clara Valley Water District will pay you up to $2000 to replace your lawn. Contact SCVWD or your water company for details. 7. Good Bugs, Not Bad Bugs. Mosquitos in our dry summer? There must be a lawn nearby. Frequent watering creates tiny pools just right for mosquitos to breed. Native plants attract good bugs and birds, ones that eat mosquitos and other pests. Poppies & Salvias with California Fescue 8. Biodiversity. Other than hardscape, there isn’t a more inhospitable surface to biodiversity than the monoculture of lawns. With your excess time and money freed up from lawn care, buy yourself binoculars. You’ll be amazed with the variety of birds, insects and wildlife that native plants attract. Native wildlife evolved with native plants and they depend on them for survival. 9. Less Greenhouse Gases. Manufacture and transportation of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and mowers has a substantial carbon footprint. Transportation, pumping and treatment of water requires energy. When you save water, you also save energy! 10. Smart Choice. Landscaping with plants that are native to our climate is a smart choice. If you want soft areas for kiddies to roll in, native grasses come in all three flavors: seeds, plugs and sod. Questions? Contact Kit Gordon at water@greentownlosaltos.org #Californianativeplants #waterconservation

It’s April, Earth Day is April 22, so GreenTown asks, “What’s the latest on climate science?” Vanessa Warheit from the Climate Reality Project answered, “Weird weather.”  Bigger storms and more of them.  Not just Super Storm Sandy, a storm that caused $72 billion in damages in just New York and New Jersey, but storms in all parts of the world.  Vanessa’s slide show brought that point home in vivid detail to the packed house at our April 3 monthly community meeting. Packed GreenTown meeting, April 3rd She also showed us trends in CO2 levels – stable and below 300 ppm since well before the dawn of human civilization and now spiking to well over 390.  She then showed us corresponding trends in global temperatures that are spiking as well.  There is a connection and every National Academy of Science around the world has reached that conclusion.  Not one disagrees.  Humans are causing the climate to change. That means more weird weather.  Not just storms and rain, but at other times, heat, drought, dust storms and fires.  Last year featured crop failures and food price increases. So what can we do? A lot is happening already. Laws like AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act, require reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  Fuel standards are stricter, so cars are more efficient.  Energy standards are better so new homes are more efficient.  The renewable portfolio standard is moving our electricity to a greener mix.  Credits for solar and electric vehicles are helping. What can you do? Practice the 3 R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle.  Bike more.  Eat less meat.  Plant drought tolerant plants. In Los Altos, the City Council will consider a Climate Action Plan to further reduce our local GHG emissions.  A consultant and the Environmental Commission together have recommended a number of measures.  These measures all benefit the community in addition to reducing GHG emissions.  For example, improving the bicycle infrastructure around Blach and Egan will allow more students to safely walk and bike to school.  This promotes a healthy, fun exercise while at the same time reducing car traffic, congestion and GHGs. Here is a link to the Climate Action Plan report (agenda item #2): http://bit.ly/10FUXTP.  See for yourself, then come to the City Council meeting when the report is discussed.  This is expected to be April 23, but to stay informed, sign up for the GreenTown newsletter and facebook page. This is important – there are things we can and should do.  Your children will thank you. #ClimateRealityProject #EarthDay

Mayor Gary Waldeck offering opening remarks There was a big crowd Friday morning (March 29th) for the ribbon cutting at Gardner Bullis School for the new Safe Route to Schools pathway on Fremont Road in Los Altos Hills.  The Mayor and many other officials were present and clearly very pleased with how well the project turned out.  It has vastly improved the path at the dangerous S-curve on Fremont Road and added nearly a mile’s worth of attractive and practical walkway. The pathway is intended for pedestrians, bicyclists and even horses! The goal of the project is to make it safe for kids to walk and bike to school. “Why is this important,” asked Mayor Gary Waldeck?  The kids answered – “It’s healthy, it reduces congestion and it reduces pollution.”  Smart kids. Kids energetically cutting the ribbon The kids got into the act with the ribbon cutting as well.  There were so many scissors it really became more of a ribbon shredding ceremony. The Town of Los Altos Hills provided coffee, donuts and really bright yellow pant leg straps for the bicyclists, and the Gardner Bullis WoW! team provided organic juice and crackers for the kids. The project was funded by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and the Town of Los Altos Hills and represented two years of effort starting with former mayor Rich Larsen identifying funding and the development of a collaborative with VTA, the City Council, the Pathway’s Committee, County officials and many members of the public. Well done to all! The ribbon cutting sign GreenTown’s Margie Suozzo pouring lemonade with Mike McTighe standing in the background #PathwaysRibbonCutting #GardnerBullisSchool #SafeRoutetoSchools #VTA #ValleyTransportationAuthority #LosAltosHills

Shaped by Water exhibition committee members from GreenTown Los Altos (GTLA) and the Los Altos History Museum receive their award from coalition members. (L-R) Anona Dutton (BAWSCA and Coalition member)., Gary Hedden (GTLA), Kit Gordon (GTLA), Linda Gass (GTLA), Elizabeth Sarmiento (presenter, Valley Verde and Coalition member), Jane Reed (Los Altos History Museum), Peter Drekmeier (Tuolumne River Trust and Coalition member) Photo credit: Peg Champion, Champion Organic Communications The Shaped by Water Exhibition was recently recognized for its significant role in educating the public in a fun and engaging manner about the importance of conserving water. The Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards Coalition was formed five years ago to address the difficulties we face in maintaining an adequate water supply while protecting natural ecosystems; a problem that will become even more challenging in the era of climate change and population growth. The Awards recognize organizations and individuals whose programs and leadership have advanced water conservation and recycled water use in Silicon Valley (San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and Alameda County from Hayward south). This year, the Coalition selected six winners: Business: LifeScan (Milpitas) Government Agency: County of Santa Clara Organization: First Community Housing (San Jose) Greenscape Management: East Side Union High School District (San Jose) Education: Linda Gass & Shaped by Water (Los Altos) Water Champion: Arvind Kumar (San Jose) This 72-foot long installation with 153 one-gallon water bottles represents the average daily water use per person in the Santa Clara Valley. The different colors show what percentage of the water is used for different purposes. Photo credit: Joel Bartlett Members of GreenTown Los Altos and many others volunteered hundreds of hours of time to research, design, build and install the exhibition.  They were also instrumental in developing associated programs, such as the rainwater harvesting workshop, educational tours for 5th grade, high school students and scouting troops, and the water-themed Earth Day Festival. The Hidden Water Scale reveals how many gallons of water it takes to produce different foods. The scale lights up when you place a plate of food on it and you can compare different foods such as chicken and beef, or white and brown rice. Photo credit: Joel Bartlett Nearly 9,000 people saw the exhibit when it was on view at the Los Altos History Museum.  The exhibit is now touring, and is on view at History San Jose through September 8, 2013.  Based on past attendance, History San Jose anticipates that 60,000 visitors will see the exhibit.The exhibit has received rave reviews from visitors and the press.  Having it be seen by so many people is a dream come true for those who worked to create it. #SiliconValleyWaterConservationAwardsCoalition #LosAltosHistoryMuseum #GreenTownLosAltos #water #HistorySanJose #waterconservation #ShapedbyWater

On a sunny March morning, more than 30 children and parents gathered at the Heritage Oaks Park in Los Altos for the Permanente Creek World Monitoring Challenge, co-sponsored by Acterra and GreenTown Los Altos.  The children examined water chemistry and creek bugs to assess the health of Permanente Creek, which runs from the hills and through Los Altos on its way to the bay. Joanne McFarlin, a senior ecologist at Acterra, engaged the children to demonstrate the mechanics of watersheds. What happens to fertilizer, pesticide, engine oil, trash, as well as animal poop when the rains come?  They all run off the surrounding lands, down the storm drains and into the creek, out to the bay and ocean. Testing for bugs at Permanente Creek Children went through four stations down at the creek, checking pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. The creek water was cool and clear, slightly alkaline (as expected, draining hills rich in limestone), and with good dissolved oxygen for bugs and fish. These four basic water chemistry results looked good. A second test was to look at the creek bugs of Permanente Creek. Some bugs tolerate pollution; they can be found in water of any quality. Others are sensitive to pollution, so they are only found in clean water. We found over a hundred creek bugs, and every bug was pollution tolerant. The absence of pollution-sensitive bugs in Permanente Creek means there are contaminants stressing the creek bug population. Sources of pollution include discharges from the Lehigh Cement Plant and run off from streets and residential properties. We don’t know which pollutant is impairing the creek the most, and there’s little funding to find the root cause. I volunteered to help children learn about science and our environment, and through the children, I learned more than I wanted on that sunny morning in March. Written by Charley Pow for GreenTown Los Altos #PermanenteCreek #waterstewardship #GreenTownLosAltos #Creekpolution #Acterra

GreenTown Los Altos is very fortunate to have Vanessa Warheit from the Climate Reality Leadership Corps at our next Community Meeting. She will be presenting the latest evidence and a call to action regarding climate change. This is critical for all of us to hear and particularly timely as the Los Altos City Council will get an update on the city’s Climate Action Plan at an April Council meeting (either April 9 or 23). WHAT:   Climate Reality Bites WHEN:   April 3, 2013, 7-9pm WHERE:  Neutra House, 183 Hillview Ave., Los Altos If there is one meeting you should absolutely not miss, THIS IS IT. Please help spread the word – invite your friends and family – then sign up here. #climatechange #ClimateRealityLeadershipCorps #GreenTownLosAltos #Meeting

Indradeep Ghosh lives in Silicon Valley with his wife and two children. A few years ago, inspired in part by the film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” Ghosh began a quest to end his family’s direct consumption of fossil fuels. His goal was to do this without taking on a “minimalist lifestyle,” but to maintain his family’s current levels of comfort and convenience. Along the way, he learned a number of lessons, including many tips and tricks that can be applied by any homeowner, even those with more modest energy-efficiency goals. Ghosh shared his story with a rapt audience at the 2/7/13 meeting of the EcoGreen Group in Santa Clara. Typical Household The Ghosh household was typical of Silicon Valley, with two working adults, two school-age children and two gasoline-powered cars. Their home, built in 1997, comprises 2200 square feet, just about average for its vintage. Between the home and cars, Ghosh estimated that they were directly using the equivalent of 41,600 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy per year. (He converted gasoline and natural gas consumption into kWh equivalents.) With a goal of “zeroing out” his electric, gas and gasoline bills, Ghosh set out to discover whether it was possible. He learned all he could about energy-efficiency and renewable energy that might be applicable to a typical middle class home. Then, he laid out four clear steps to his destination. Step 1 – Energy Efficiency Kill-a-Watt Meter (photo from HomeDepot.com) Ghosh needed to get an idea of how his family was using those 41,600 kWh of non-renewable energy.  So, he conducted his own whole house energy audit. Using a combination of measurements from a Kill-a-Watt meter and readings from his utility meter, he developed a pie chart that showed how the family used power.  (You can borrow a Kill-a-Watt meter from the local library. Here’s a link to the meter on the Santa Clara County Library website.  Or if you live in Los Altos or Los Altos Hills, you can get a free online energy assessment.  Check it out here.  The first 50 Los Altos homeowners who sign up, will get a free assessment, courtesy of GreenTown Los Altos.  All homeowners in the Town of Los Altos Hills may obtain a free online energy assessment. See the town’s sustainability page for more info.) For the Ghosh household, the biggest uses of energy were typical of a Silicon Valley home: Heating and Cooling Water Heating Lighting and Appliances A Vampire in the House – Standby Power One thing that came as a bit of a surprise was that the Ghosh home was using a total of 220W all the time, even when nothing was running.  This equates to 2000kWh of electricity per year that is essentially wasted. How is that power being used? It is basically keeping certain devices ready just in case someone wants to start using them.  For example, the garage door opener is always ready to receive a signal from a remote control device; a personal computer is ready to be used; or a DVR is waiting to record or play back a show instantly. This type of standby power usage, also called “vampire” or “phantom” power, is estimated by the Department of Energy to cost the average U.S. household $100 per year and accounts for more than 100 billion kWh and more than $10 billion in annual energy costs. Find out how to estimate your home’s standby power by checking out this resource from the Lawrence Berkeley Lab. As a result of his audit, Ghosh made the following changes: Replaced 50 lightbulbs with LED lights. This reduced his lighting load from 900 watts to 150 watts. While the LED lightbulbs are more expensive than compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), Ghosh points out that they may last longer and they do not contain mercury (a hazardous waste contained in CFLs). Replaced all appliances with EnergyStar appliances. These typically consume less energy than older, less efficient appliances. Reduced standby power use by installing a cut-off remote device.  This consists of receivers with electrical plugs that are inserted into certain outlets and then turned off by using a remote control. Stanley Indoor remote control switch (photo from www.homedepot.com) Did not improve the home’s insulation.  Since he had a newer home (built in 1997) with double-pane windows and good insulation, R20 in the walls and R50 in the attic, he decided it was not worth the expense to make improvements. (In his case, this would have necessitated drilling holes in the walls and blowing in insulation.) Installed a programmable thermostat so that he could better manage his use of heating and cooling.  He aims for 68-70° in winter and 79-81° in summer. Replaced the water heater. Ghosh knew that he wanted to electrify his home (and not use any natural gas), so he replaced his water heater with a heat pump water heater (more on that later). If you plan to operate a natural gas-powered water heater, he recommends that you ensure that it is well-insulated. (Newer models include internal insulation.) Changed water fixtures and habits. In order to reduce the amount of water heating required, Ghosh replaced his faucets and showerheads with low-flow fixtures. (This has the additional benefit of conserving water.) The family makes sure to wash only full loads in the washing machine and uses only cold water for washing. Step 2 – Home Electrification Since Ghosh was planning to power his home solely through rooftop solar panels, he needed to eliminate his home’s use of natural gas.  Here’s what he did: Replaced gas cooktop with an induction stove top. This was a big win in terms of energy efficiency since a gas cooktop is only 40% efficient (i.e. only 40% of the gas burned is used for heating food; the rest is wasted) and an induction cooktop is 85% efficient. Replaced the  natural gas-powered water heater with a heat pump water heater. A heat pump water heater uses electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. (See this description on the website of the U.S. Department of Energy.)  According to Ghosh, this type of water heater is 100-300% energy-efficient compared to a natural gas water heater which is typically 58% efficient (i.e. uses only 58% of the natural gas to actually heat water and wastes the rest). The reason the heat pump water heater can exceed 100% efficiency is that, most of the time, it is just capturing and moving (i.e. pumping) heat from the surrounding air into the water rather than using electricity to directly heat the water.  However, when the air temperature surrounding the water heater is so cool that this heat transfer is no longer efficient, then the water heater does use electricity to heat the water. The efficiency claim is debatable and depends on the conditions in which it is installed.  (See this post from BuildingGreen.com.) Replaced the gas furnace with an air source heat pump. Ghosh estimated that his gas furnace was about 80% energy efficient (i.e. uses 80% of the energy for heating the air and wastes the remaining 20%). An air source heat pump which uses electricity to move heat from one place to another would be more efficient. This was one of the most expensive retrofits due to the installation costs, which brought the total to about $8,000 ($3,000 for the system and $5,000 for installation). Induction cooktop from GE The Great Debate – Gas vs. Induction Cooktop Switching from natural gas to an induction cooktop was challenging – not because of any particular technical difficulty, but because Ghosh had to convince his wife that it would not make cooking more difficult. The induction cooktop had two disadvantages when compared to natural gas:  1) it does not heat up as quickly (However, it does heat up much faster than a standard electric cooktop.) and 2) since it runs on magnetism, it requires the use of iron or stainless steel pots and pans. (One member of the audience noted that he had purchased a 10 piece set of stainless steel pots and pans for $40 from Costco.) On the other hand, an induction cooktop is much more energy efficient and it is a much safer stove. Ghosh likes to demonstrate its safety by placing a paper towel between the cooktop and the pot and then boiling water without burning the paper towel. Step 3 – Electrify the Cars The Ghosh family’s gasoline-powered cars comprised the majority of the family’s fossil fuel consumption. The family decided to keep one of their existing vehicles, a Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicle that averages 28 MPG. This vehicle is now used only for camping trips or when large items must be transported. Ghosh purchased two new vehicles which are used for most trips, including commuting.  Ghosh considered purchasing two new all-electric vehicles but compromised with his wife since she had some range anxiety (i.e. the concern that the vehicle’s electric charge will not be sufficient to go a desired distance).  The Ghoshes purchased: Chevy Volt electric/gas hybrid car – This vehicle has a range of 40 miles on electricity and then relies on gasoline for distances beyond that. It gets the equivalent of 500 miles per gallon given the family’s driving habits. Ghosh estimates that this car requires about 3000 kWh per year to power its annual usage of 10,000 miles. Ford Focus all-electric car – This vehicle has a range of 80 miles. The family drives this car about 5,000 miles per year and it requires 1600 kWh per year. Step 4 – Renewable Energy – Solar Power After Ghosh improved the energy efficiency of his home (Step 2 above), he estimated that he would need about 9,900 kWh per year to power his home and an additional 4,600 to power the two electric cars for a total power requirement of 14,500 kWh per year.  A 10 kilowatt solar system would meet his needs if all his solar panels were optimally positioned and facing south. However, he had to account for several factors in sizing his system: Not all the solar panels could be optimally positioned for maximum power generation, given the angles and slope of his roof. Losses occur when converting the direct current (DC power) to alternating current (AC power used in U.S. homes). There is an expected degradation in the power production of the panels over time – about 0.5% per year – and Ghosh wanted the system to produce plenty of power over the long term. Ghosh has a PhD in electrical engineering and seemed to enjoy the process of designing his own system, which he says took the equivalent of three full weeks of his time.  He purchased his solar panels and related equipment (e.g., inverters) online for about $3/watt (before rebates) – a significant costs savings on materials.  He then had to search for a company to install the panels.  The only local firm that was willing to do so was Intelisolar. Solar is a Great Investment It’s a safe bet that most of our readers do not have PhDs in electrical engineering or do not want to take on the design of solar power systems as a hobby. However, even paying “retail” prices for solar systems still makes sense for most homeowners. Most solar providers will: 1) develop free estimates for homeowners, 2) calculate the estimated savings and payback, and 3) offer financing options, some of which are entirely “pay as you go” plans such as leases or power purchase agreements with virtually no out-of-pocket, upfront expenditures. With federal and state tax incentives, solar power is well worth investigating. The Bottom Line for the Ghosh Family The Ghosh family ended up reducing their total direct fossil fuel consumption (house and cars) by an estimated 65% and have eliminated their electricity, natural gas and gasoline bills (except for a very small amount of gasoline purchased for the occasional use of their Toyota Highlander hybrid vehicle). Energy Consumption (kWh or kWh-equivalent) House AloneHouse + CarsBefore21,38041,600After9,90014,500 Ghosh estimated that he spent a net amount of $49,000 and expects that this will investment will be paid back in 11 years.  (See table below.) Ghosh expects that the amount required for these investments will continue to decline as the benefits increase with the rising cost of power. For his family, the best investment was in the vehicles, especially given the extraordinary level of rebates and incentives. Investments, Rebates ($000’s) Home RetrofitCars*Solar PowerTotalCost15303984Rebates/Incentives2191435Net Cost13112549 * The cost of the cars is the estimated premium paid over the cost of similar, gasoline-powered cars. Ghosh also recommends that homeowners calculate a statistic of kWh/square foot for their home to assess its energy efficiency.   He likened this to an MPG for your home.  The Ghosh home uses 4.5 kWh/square foot/year (9,900 kWh/year ÷ 2200 square feet), which compares to ratings for typical Energy Star homes on a rating scale that Ghosh compiled from various sources. How Does Your Home Compare? If your home uses both natural gas and electricity (true for most of us in Silicon Valley), you must first convert your natural gas usage to kWh equivalents by multiplying the therms used times a factor of 29.3 to obtain kWh.  Here’s how to calculate your home’s efficiency rating: From your electric bills, total the total therms of natural gas used for a 12-month period.  Multiply total therms by 29.3 to obtain kWh equivalent. From your electric bills, total the total kWh of electricity used during the same 12-month period. If all your electricity is sourced from the grid (i.e. not generated at your home via solar panels), then, according to Ghosh, you should multiply the kWh from your electric bills by 2 because only 50% of the primary energy used in generating stations in California is actually delivered to the consumer. Add the two amounts calculated above for your total kWh equivalent used during a year. Divide the calculated annual kWh usage by the total “conditioned” square footage of your home (typically does not include unheated garage space).  This is your home’s efficiency rating. Compare to the scale below to see how your home stacks up! Energy Efficiency Rating (kWh/square foot/year) Minimalist:  0 – 2.5 Passive House:  2.5 – 4 Energy Star:  4 – 7 Energy Conscious:  7 – 10 Most U.S. Homes:  10-20 Wasteful:  over 20

Don’t let expensive, imported tap water drain away. Reuse it on the garden. Greywater, once a subversive act, has now reached mainstream.  Greywater, also known as graywater, is wastewater from washing machines, bathroom sinks, showers and tubs. Route it outside through a subsurface drip system and plants will love it. Dirt, soap, oils, hair and certain cleaning products in greywater are safe and even beneficial as irrigation water. If released into creeks, the nutrients in greywater become pollutants, but to plants, they are valuable nutrients. Over 50% of water used inside the house is suitable for greywater use, a potential and significant reduction in sewer and septic demands. Wastewater from toilets or kitchen sinks, designated as blackwater, is never recycled in greywater systems. Unfiltered greywater cannot be stored more than 24 hours or it is classified as blackwater. Simple to Complex, Know the Code The simplest method of greywater reuse is to capture shower warm-up water in a bucket and use it to flush toilets or water plants. The most common residential greywater system is laundry-to-landscape. California law allows laundry-to-landscape and single-fixture (shower or bathroom sink) to landscape use without requiring a permit. More complex systems require permits and inspections. The Packard Foundation’s LEED platinum building in Los Altos re-routes sink basin and HVAC condensation water to flush toilets and irrigate plants. Better For You “When I built my first greywater system I investigated the contents of my soaps and detergents and found they contained toxins and carcinogens, even though they were advertized as all “natural”. I changed all the products I used so they would be good for me and for my plants.” Laura Allen, founder of Greywater Action. Boron, bleach and other common chemicals in laundry soaps are toxic to plants and not so good for humans either. Conservation is still the best approach to reduce your water budget. In Los Altos Hills, irrigation accounts for nearly 70% of residential water usage. Climate suitable plants, such as California native plants, significantly reduce water requirements. Make a water pledge and reduce your draw of water from California’s sensitive watersheds.Learn more at Greywateraction.org, Whollyh2o.org, Santa Clara Vally Water District (valleywater.org). Attend a DIY Graywater Workshop March 23, 10am – 1pm. Contact Kit Gordon at water@greentownlosaltos.org for more information or register on Eventbrite. The workshop is sponsored by Los Altos Hills Water Conservation Committee and GreenTown Los Altos, a non-profit serving Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. #greywater

Landmark legislation to protect natural resources is under attack. CEQA, introduced in the 1970s, was designed to provide environmental protections and public participation as part of local land-use decisions. Let’s face it: developers want to develop and not necessarily in an environmentally-friendly way. CEQA ensures that developers of significant projects document and mitigate the environmental impacts of their projects and provides an opportunity for the public to comment on the project’s impacts. Last August, current California Senate majority leader, Michael Rubio, led an attempt to gut the bill, but failed. This year, with more time and a big ally in Governor Brown, he plans to try again. Some say Brown’s motivation is to ensure that CEQA doesn’t kill his legacy project: high-speed rail. Here’s an example of CEQA at work: As originally planned, Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters, near the San Francisco Bay wetlands, was a hazard for birds. When Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society raised this issue during the CEQA process, Facebook implemented bird-safe window designs in their new campus. Closer to home, is the case of Lehigh Southwest Permanente Cement Plant. According to Nancy Couperus, member of Los Altos Hills’ Open Space Committee: “Because of CEQA, Lehigh was required to an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for significant proposed changes in land use. As a result, citizens learned for the first time the total pollution arising from Lehigh’s operations. These findings were so significant that the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District filed a lawsuit against Lehigh and the County to hold the company accountable. We do not yet know the outcome, but the scrutiny will help ensure positive changes for the environment and human health.” So what can you do? Log onto CEQAworks.org to learn more. Write your state representatives asking them to support CEQA and environmental values in local land-use decisions: State Senate (District 13): Jerry Hill State Assembly (District 24): Rich Gordon Attend Assemblymember Rich Gordon’s February 21 Town Hall Meeting in Mountain View to get his perspective. Learn more about Lehigh by reviewing the Draft EIR and comments. #CaliforniaEnvironmentalQualityAct #CEQA

Missed the 2012 Shaped by Water exhibit? In 2013, you’re getting a second chance to see the exhibit. Where: History San Jose, 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose, CA (City Parking available for $6) When: February 10 – September 8, 2013 Tuesday – Sunday 11 am – 4 pm Admission: free Tuesday – Friday, Admission fee on weekends Reserve a few hours to enjoy the exhibit as well as the campus of historical and cultural activities in the History Park, a family-friendly exhibit that teaches us about the history and future of water in the Santa Clara Valley—from the indigenous tribal people, the Spanish, Mexican, and Gold Rush immigrants, and the present-day population to the uncertain future of our water resources—through photographs, art installations, stories, and engaging interactive activities. Everyone in the family will gain a greater understanding of the role water plays in our lives—and leave with resources and ideas for action! More info at http://historysanjose.org or call 408-287-2290 #HistorySanJose #ShapedbyWaterExhibit

GreenTown Los Altos is thrilled to receive the 2012 Community Partnership Award from the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ At a special ceremony at Chef Chu’s Restaurant on January 23, 2013, the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce recognized GreenTown Los Altos for its contribution over the past five years to environmental sustainability in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. As part of the ceremony, the California State Senate and California Assembly also offered Certificates of Recognition to GreenTown for being selected by the Chamber as the 2012 Community Partnership award recipient. GreenTown volunteers and supporters work to reduce waste, conserve energy and water and encourage alternate transportation, such as walking and biking to school and for errands. Among GreenTown’s activities are twice-yearly Permanente Creek clean ups, bike tours, bike valets at local events, the Walk or Wheel (WoW!) walk/bike to school program, a buyers co-op for discounted compostables, and energy-saving initiatives. GreenTown Leadership Team Chair, Mike McTighe, volunteers Margie Suozzo, Maddy McBirney, and Gary and Pat Hedden attended the event to receive the award. #2012CommunityPartnershipAward #GreenTownLosAltos #LosAltosChamberofCommerce