Biking -Get Google Maps Directions and Vote for More Bike Lanes

Did Spring spring there? It did here, so we pulled the bicycles out of the shed, dusted them off and got rolling.

Last weekend we started with our usual route but got home and decided next weekend we wanted something a bit more adventurous. We had a destination in mind but were unsure of the best “family friendly” route.

Of course I didn't buy the local bike trail book last Fall when I was at the bike store so I went to the Internet for some ideas. Luckily for us, Google just launched its new biking directions on Google Maps yesterday. I use the driving resource and knew they provided a pedestrian service as well, but was psyched to see the biking directions.

I read that Google partnered with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and thus now has more than 12,000 miles of trails included in biking directions. I guess they spent the past six months tweaking the mapping service so it could recommend routes that are more biker friendly = less hills and congestion.

I gave it a go. I typed in the address of the destination we had in mind (a family member’s home) and got -- in typical Google Maps style -- a few options. I chose the shortest route. I imagine I can do all this on my cell phone too so I don’t have to print out the directions.

The biggest question is that if we make the 45-minute ride there with the kids, who will drive us all home. Ha ha. Google Maps can’t help with that. Perhaps a bit more training is necessary as the biking season kicks off.

Tread Lighter on a bike,
-Phyllis, Green Expert

Thinking About Spring

In the upper Midwest, Spring is slow to come. February and March often tease us with some nice days, and we believe that this year, we will experience Spring the way much of the rest of the world does; this year, by Easter, we will have plants and trees budding. Alas, that is almost never the case, and this year is no exception.

While other people are preparing their gardens, getting rid of dead limbs, and clearing away the mulch, I am watching the snow melt slowly into ugly, muddy, cold pools of water that my dog loves to run through on our brisk walks through the neighborhood.

Today, the sky is the same color as the snow, so there’s no real way to tell what direction is up. I haven’t seen grass for months now, and the concrete on sidewalks, driveways, and roads is cracked and jagged from a winter of extreme temperatures.

I am starting to hear some birds chirping, however; always a good sign that spring has to come sooner than later. There is that certain spring smell in the air that sends forth some kind of life signs underneath the mountains of snow that still remain. I haven’t had to scrape ice off my car windshield for over a week now, which means it is no longer freezing overnight. These are all the slow, but steady, signs that Spring is on its way to our climate-challenged part of the world.

Sadly, I am nowhere near being able to wear dresses without tights, and open-toed shoes would only mean extremely wet and cold toes, but I am optimistic that soon I will be in my back yard, incorporating my home-made compost into my garden and getting ready for what I am sure will be a lovely spring arrival—around-about Mother’s Day.

-Dayna Del Val

Shower Efficiency

Long, hot showers are one of my guilty pleasures. It’s nice to get a few minutes of quiet away from the noise and chaos of raising a family. The extremely eco-enlightened among us recommend five-minute showers to save water and energy. I’d like to limit myself but, so far, can’t muster the will to get out after only a few minutes.

The US Environmental Protection Agency released shower specifications earlier this month that will save water and energy. Manufacturers may apply and get their products certified in the WaterSense program if they meet EPA’s criteria. The specifications include a 20% reduction in the maximum water flow rate and requirements for performance (e.g., spray force and coverage).

EPA calculated that the average household would save 2,300 gallons of water per year by using WaterSense certified showerheads and enough energy from hot water savings to operate a TV for a year. The payback period for two certified showerheads would range from 14 months to two years, depending on the source of energy for hot water heating. EcoHome Magazine reports that several manufacturers have models that will meet EPA criteria.

I’d like to remodel both of my bathrooms but that isn’t going to happen this year. Maybe I’ll settle for a new showerhead and reduce my water and energy costs.

-Chris, Green

Softer, Less Wrinkled, Faster Drying Laundry

I already “outed” myself. You know that I use my dryer for sheets and towels. So when Gaby gave me a very thoughtful gift called Dryer Balls, I was thrilled to try them out.

Dryer balls are supposed to reduce the amount of drying time by 25% while eliminating some lint and wrinkles, and soften clothes. The theory is that they lift and separate the laundry while its tumbling so there is less static and wrinkles. Also, while they are circulating, they are separating the clothes, enabling the warm air to disseminate. The balls retain the heat as well and transfer it to the clothes making them dry quicker.

The ones she bought me are guaranteed to last up to 2 years. I did give up dryer sheets years ago but for those who are still using them (have you ever looked at the ingredients - you probably would toss them out if you had), these balls would save you boxes of dryer sheets.

I am testing them out now to see if they are truly doing all they claim to do and so far so good. Drying times seem shorter, and socks are not stuck together. I am not sure if I see less wrinkles (although I am known to wear wrinkled clothes, but hey they aren’t miracle balls).

These balls are becoming quite popular, but be sure to buy ones that are PVC-free. Alternatively, you can buy or make wool dryer balls.

Skeptics say "why bother" with these balls and suggest adding a half a cup of baking soda or white vinegar to the rinse cycle to soften clothes instead. To reduce dryer time (and energy usage), as well as static cling you can also use the dryer until your clothes are nearly dry, then hang them on the rack until they are completely dry.

I think we have found a few options for softer, less wrinkly, faster drying laundry.

Treading Lighter with help from Gaby,
-Phyllis, Green Expert

Energy Efficient Appliance Rebates

Phyllis recently covered the advantages of replacing appliances with Energy Star models, and I want to follow up a bit. As part of the federal stimulus bill last year, the federal government offered $300 million to states to promote the purchase of Energy Star appliances. Of the total amount, $5 million went to my state.

The rebate program in Minnesota opened on Monday of this week and the money was gone by late Tuesday. I'm not surprised. Free money is popular around here. Iowans also collected their rebates in short order. Some other states, including Wisconsin, still have rebate money months after their programs began. Maybe they should give away cheeseheads with new appliances. Interstate snark aside, I wonder how the programs in other states are structured and publicized. I don't think Minnesotans are more likely to buy new appliances that our eastern neighbors. I do wonder how many of the rebate recipients would have purchased their new appliances even if there were not rebate.

It is good to see people buying new, efficient appliances. Energy use and related air pollution will decrease, as will family expenditures on electricity and gas. If you’re looking for appliance rebates in your state, the federal Energy Star site has a handy rebate finder. Take a look.

-Chris, Green

Green Roofs

I was at our local children's museum last week and was pleasantly surprised to see a “green roof” on the new building. It is covered with plantings and organic material. Not only will it look nice in the spring when the plantings are hanging down over the entrance way welcoming all to the museum, it has many benefits as well.

Green roofs (sometimes called roof gardens) cool buildings down, increase insulation, control and collect stormwater (the EPA reported that stormwater runoff could be lowered from 65-94%), all the while contributing to reducing air pollution. The museum is also excited because the green roof will reduce the noise by up to 30 decibels and for a children's museum that's a plus. As the museum is in the middle of the city, it will also provide a nice habitat for birds and insects.

How do green roofs benefit homeowners like us? Dr. Karen L. Weber, LEED AP and Executive Director of the Foundation for a Green Future said green roofs have the potential to extend the life of a roof up to 50-100 years while reducing energy costs.

Green Roof For Healthy Cities, a green roof industry organization, says there are other potential benefits as well, including reducing the size of HVAC equipment, the amount of insulation, and the potential to reduce or eliminate roof drains.

The EPA estimates the costs of installing a green roof at $10 per square foot for simpler roofing, and $25 per square foot for intensive roofs with annual maintenance costs for either ranging from $0.75–$1.50 per square foot.

The cost would be offset by lowering your energy costs, adding to the lifespan of the roof and savings on stormwater management.

From what I have read, this is not necessarily a DIY job (climbing on the roof and all) so you may want to find a local expert and they are popping up everywhere.

Tread Lighter with a green roof,
-Phyllis, Green Expert

Solar Leasing

I would love to install a solar array on my roof and generate some or all of my electricity using the sun, but the cost of purchasing and installing the equipment is more than I can justify (or at least convince my wife is reasonable). A Texas utility is implementing a program that would allow homeowners to generate their own solar power at lower costs, reports the New York Times.

Texas utility TXU Energy is partnering with renewable energy start-up SolarCity to lease solar arrays to residential customers. SolarCity will design, install, and retain ownership of the systems. The utility will get a referral fee for each system sold. Homeowners will pay a monthly fee. According to TXU, the monthly fee for a typical house would be about $35. That's not too bad, given the upfront cost of a typical system: $26,000.

It is not clear from the TXU's program description, but I expect the monthly fee covers the use of all electricity generated from the solar array. I assume the homeowner would then pay TXU for any electricity used beyond that generated by the solar system. It is also not clear who would benefit if the solar system generated more power than the home used in a given period.

Many folks pay less than $35 each month for cable TV or cell phone service, but should be compared to typical costs of electricity. My utility offers a buy-in program for wind energy, and I pay, on average, $60 per month for my electricity plus $5 for 100% wind power. A leased solar system that provided all my electricity for $35 would save me money and keep me on renewable energy.

-Chris, Green

Eco Friendly Siding For Your Home

Friends of ours are excited to get the old siding off their early 1900's home and put on new siding. Not only will it give their home a new look, but it will protect them against the elements making it more energy efficient. This wasn't just an aesthetic undertaking, their siding was rotting and warping, letting in some of what Mother Nature had to offer.

So far they have taken off the old siding (hopefully their contractor will reuse it or find another home for those materials). Once the rain stops, they will cover their home with a “green” material. They chose a new product which uses more than 30% post-industrial recycled fly ash. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mentions fly ash – the residue from the combustion of coal – as an industrial material with reusable applications such as siding.

Before choosing this product, they looked around for a long lasting product that needed little maintenance and stayed in their budget. As I tend to be their green voice of reason, suggestion, and annoyance I am so glad they chose a more eco friendly product. If you are considering new siding and eco is your game, here are a few other questions that the Sierra Club suggests you ask:

• Where did the raw materials come from and were they responsibly harvested or mined?
• Is the manufacturing process energy intensive or polluting?
• When the siding reaches the end of its life, can it be reused or recycled?

There are a variety of siding materials out there and green pros and cons to each. Since The Sierra Club did such an eloquent job of describing them, I won't repeat, but simply share the link so you can read their advice.

I look forward to the rain stopping but probably not as much as my friends. Their house is a bit naked at the moment without the new siding on, making it chilly and wet.

Tread Lighter with eco siding,
-Phyllis, Green Expert

What’s your home’s theme song?

What makes your home sing? Manage My Life has created a Facebook quiz to help you find out. Just answer a few easy questions about your home and your style, and we’ll choose the perfect song for you. Visit the Manage My Life Facebook Fan page to take the quiz.

I took the quiz and got "A Change Would Do You Good" by Sheryl Crow as my home’s theme song. What’s yours?

Alex, Marketing Manager
ManageMyLife.com

Natural Products

I have never understood the term “natural” as it is applied to products or food. I do understand it is meant to imply purity, as though the product is a simple mixture of mountain stream water and fairy dust (Is fairy dust natural?). But what ingredient is “unnatural?” Pesticides are made from petroleum-based chemicals and oil is certainly “natural” in a literal sense, as it is created by geologic and biological processes. Like the organic classification, the natural descriptor is probably most useful if it is well defined instead of meaning virtually anything.

CleanTechies reports that the National Products Association is moving forward with specific standards for products that want to be certified as “natural.” Covered products include laundry detergents and household cleaners. Requirements preclude the use of ingredients with suspected health risks and specify the allowed percentage of “synthetic” ingredients.

Creating these standards is difficult for experts, who argue about the purity of their products, but helpful for health or eco-conscious consumers as we cruise the aisles at the grocery store. Watch for the certifications as you shop. The products may not be 100% pure but as least someone has taken a look at the ingredients and it's not all marketing.

-Chris, Green