Unemployment Olympics in NYC Tomorrow

Ever wanted to “Pin the Blame on Your Boss”? How about “Toss the Fax Machine” when it was giving you grief? Well if you are unemployed, can prove it and collect benefits from the state of New York, head on down to Tompkins Square Park tomorrow to compete in the first annual Unemployment Olympics!

In addition to the games above, contestants will also take part in smashing of piñatas and the “You’re Fired” race. The event will be held on the corner of East 10th and A beginning at 1:30 in the afternoon. Local businesses have donated fabulous prizes to the cause which is being held by Nick Goddard, an out of work computer programmer.

Sounds like a great way to not only get off the couch and get some fresh air but also network with people and enjoy some laughs, which could be seriously lacking in a time like this. Never hurts to have a little fun and make the best of any situation!

I would like to point out that I do believe this is legitimate as I heard an advertisement for it on the radio this morning. If the fun flyer below does not give enough information, more details of the event can be found here.

Its Time to Celebrate Earth Hour Everyone!

Yahoo is reporting that hundreds of cities in time zones ahead of us (beginning with the anchor locations of Australia and New Zealand) have begun making the commitment to lights out at 8:30 PM local time. Buildings in Sydney and Paris, Germany and Dallas, TX have all agreed to turn out and unplug.

I encourage everyone to make the commitment even if you have not yet taken the pledge.

In our house we will be doing the following:

Unplugging
Microwave
Toaster
Living room & bedroom lamps (3)
The laptop
VCR
DVD player
Sewing machine

Shutting Down
The desktop PC
Printer

It is just an hour and such a simple thing to show support for the planet.

What are your plans to turn off for the short sixty minutes?

Free energy audit provides the info to go greener

Hey all, Melissa here. Jenn's painting today (for me, no less), so I'm blogging for her...nice trade, eh?

About a month ago, in what I like to refer to as one my “get off the fence moments,” I finally signed myself up for a free home energy audit. I'd heard or read countless times in recent months and years that this was an option, and, after checking out a seminar in my town on ways to save energy, I decided, what the heck? I figured it would be a good reality check to see how we're doing around the house, and where there might be room to do better.

I'd been warned that Conservation Services Group (CSG, which performs this service for MassSAVE, the group that conducted the energy-savings workshop I went to) has been swamped with audit requests, especially since our recent brush with upward-spiraling oil prices. But since I'm a stay-homer anyway, the flexibility in my schedule meant I only had to wait a few weeks.

My auditor, Jim, started off with a few questions about the size of my house, the type of heat we had and how we heated our hot water. He also looked over last month's electric bill to see what we were spending. Then, he began his circuit of the house.

Good news, bad news
Well, the bad news came first. When we recently replaced our old furnace as part of our basement-finishing project, we were told we could no longer have a tankless hot water heater because it wouldn't work with the furnace the HVAC contractor recommended. So instead, he installed a hot water heater – an electric one. At the time, a little voice in my head said, “Electric? Isn't that going to be pricey to run?” But because I am no expert (not to mention happily related to my general contractor), I told the voice to pipe down. Not, apparently, a good move.

“What did they do that for?” Jim asked, and then enumerated several other possibilities that would have worked as well or better and for less long-term cost. Right off the bat, Jim observed, my electric bill is going to be on the high side in every season, even when it would have previously gone down (in the summer), because we are now using electricity to heat water. Alas, that ship has sailed, so we moved on.

One thing he noted was that a few feet of pipe wrap insulation on about the first six feet of pipe coming out of the water heater would help maintain water temperature longer. (I knew pipe wrap was a good idea, but having him show me exactly where it would be most beneficial was probably just what I needed to get me moving on installing it.)

At 87 percent efficiency, the new oil burner itself was a piece of good news. If you've got to burn oil, 87 percent is pretty nearly as good as it gets. It was definitely an improvement over our 12-year-old model, which had dropped to between 79 and 81 percent efficiency and would not have supported another zone (hence the replacement).

I had expected to get some grief about our “beer fridge” downstairs (chock full at all times with my husband Jeff's home brews), since second fridges are notorious power suckers. But it turns out that our downstairs model is actually newer and more efficient than our main refrigerator (which Jim also told me wasn't as inefficient as I feared...though it's getting closer by the day!). If we didn't need both, I would contemplate ditching my main fridge for the basement one! Jim also pointed out that the downstairs model actually has an energy-saving setting (to which it was already set) – something I had never noticed.

Attic time
Here's where Jim found some real opportunity for us to save some energy and some funds. He noted that the insulation in our attic is R30, which is adequate, but that today, professionals use R38 or better. He suggested blowing in another four inches of cellulose to give us better insulation, and thought we should be able to save as much as $300 to $400 a year by doing so.

Part and parcel of that process would be sealing cracks in the attic with expandable foam – and when my eyebrows went up at the suggestion that I had cracks in my attic, Jim assured me that everyone does...just one of those things you can chalk up to settling.

I should point out that Jim asked up front if I had any particular areas of concern, so as we walked and talked our way around the house, he was great about fielding my random questions.

A couple of other checks he made: verifying that our bathroom fans vent properly, instead of directly into our attic, which can cause moisture problems, and doing a carbon-monoxide test to ensure that the furnace is venting properly, as well.

Bring on the free bulbs
As we passed by our newly finished basement, Jim gave us props for lighting it with compact fluorescents throughout.

Then, after having gone through most of his checkpoints, Jim broke out a bag loaded with CFLs and to my surprise began replacing the bulbs I hadn't yet gotten around to changing out. He had a supply of multiple style bulbs – everything from regular spirals to dimmable CFLs, even the small bulbs for the kind of reading lamp where the shade clips directly to a bulb! When he was done, we had replaced more than 15 bulbs – for free!

I don't know if he intended to wind up doing all of them, but every time I thought of another one that hadn't been changed yet, he cheerfully handed me another. It was, er, illuminating to see how many incandescents I had left!

Results in writing
To conclude the audit, Jim sat me down and went through his written report (of which I have a copy to refer back to – very helpful in relaying all this to Jeff), detailing things we could do to save energy, including the cost, the potential amount per year we could save, and the amount of time it would take to recoup the expenditure. He also pointed out a couple of incentive programs available to help cover the cost.

Two examples are a 75 percent instant rebate on work to help reduce energy consumption, up to a cost of $2000, and the HEAT loan program, a 0 percent interest loan for up to seven years to help finance updates to heat and hot water systems that will result in greater energy efficiency.

MassSAVE Home Energy Solutions – the group that did the energy-saving seminar that got me moving on this – is a public/private partnership that was created to help Massachusetts residents save money through energy conservation. You can reach them at 800-632-8300 to make an appointment for your free audit. Or if you live elsewhere, a little online research might reveal that your state is running a similar program.

Jim says he's been doing these audits for four years, and works with people who've been doing it for much longer. He says auditors usually do three audits a day, five days a week, and sometimes more. And it seems like a sign of good things to come when he notes that CSG, the company he works for, recently hired 10 new people to help meet the demand for audits.

Jeff and I still have to decide when is the best time to go ahead with the insulation project, but I feel like this audit gave us a great mix of practical tips, free stuff and even recognition for what we've done right so far. That makes them five-leafers, in my book!

Amazing News and a Huge Eco Step Forward

Although we do not generally like to reprint news stories around these parts, this one is just too perfect not to. Not to mention I am too busy doing the happy dance to rewrite it; the EPA just gained a few coolness points in my book. The original article location is linked to the title. How do you feel about this?

EPA review of mining permits signals policy shift

By DINA CAPPIELLO, Associated Press Writer Dina Cappiello, Associated Press Writer – Wed Mar 25, 4:07 am ET

WASHINGTON – Breaking with the policies of the Bush administration, the Environmental Protection Agency is sharpening its oversight of mountaintop coal mining to ensure projects do not harm streams and wetlands.

EPA administrator Lisa Jackson on Tuesday directed the agency staff to review 150 to 200 applications for new or expanded surface coal mines, many mountaintop removal operations, pending before the federal government.

The agency also objected to two permits slated for approval by the Army Corps of Engineers because the companies had not done enough to avoid and minimize damage to water quality and stream channels.

The permits authorize mining companies that blast away mountaintops to access coal to dump the waste into streams and wetlands.

The actions "reflect EPA's considerable concern regarding the environmental impact these projects would have on fragile habitats and streams," Jackson said in a statement.

Environmentalists hailed the decision as a sea change in policy. The EPA has always had the authority to review and veto permits issued by the Corps of Engineers, but it rarely did so during the Bush administration.

The Corps has long been criticized by environmental and community groups and has been sued for failing to thoroughly evaluate the environmental impact of mountaintop removal.

Under the Clean Water Act, companies cannot discharge rock, dirt and other debris into streams unless they can show they will not cause permanent damage to waterways or the fish and other wildlife that live in them.

Last month, a three-judge appeals panel in Richmond, VA, overturned a lower court's ruling that would have required the Corps to conduct more extensive reviews. The appeals court decision cleared the way for a backlog of permits that had been delayed until the lawsuit was resolved.

The EPA's action on Tuesday could leave those permit requests in limbo a little longer.

Ginger Mullins, regulatory branch chief for the Corps' Huntington District, which covers portions of Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina, said the EPA reviews will delay approval of projects.

"It will take more time," said Mullins.

Fun and Funky Jewelry from Artwork by KD

Recently I chatted a bit with Kathy DellaValle, fellow Team Eco Etsy member and owner of Artwork by KD located in Susquehanna, PA, because her super funky jewelry really caught my eye as a fun and fresh approach to a hip retro style. Her use of bold colors and large shapes seem to scream hey check me out! Oh and did I mention all the materials used in her fashions are completely recycled or upcycled? She was willing to share a little bit of what encouraged her to pursue a career with an eye on both the planet and funky fashion.


How long have you been creating jewelry from recycled/upcycled materials?

A little over 1 year.

Where do you acquire the materials that go into your pieces?

I collect on a daily basis in my house (some kind of container is always being emptied) and I also receive lots of donations from friends and family!

What inspires you to create a piece?

I am inspired by colors big time!! They are usually my first inspiration. I love creating color combos that just make you stop in your tracks. Or a really rich color all on its own! Colors make me happy! Shape/texture come next.

Do you wear your own jewelry? What kind of reactions do you get from people on the street?

I wear my jewelry all the time! I had a post mistress that would order just about every pair of earrings I wore to the post office! It's great to get compliments from people in public. It makes me morph from artist to business woman; I then flash a business card and a smile ;-)

When did you become interested in protecting the environment?

Ever since I could walk! I always wanted to reuse things; it made me feel like I was hurting it's feelings to throw something away. Here's an embarrassing fact: When I was a little girl, after using a paper napkin I would keep it in my hand and call it my little napkin dog (I also did that with small brown paper bags too!). You can imagine the sadness when little paper dog went in the trash!

Are there other ways you are Green?

I recycle everything I can. Even tiny pieces left over from making things are sent to the recycle bin. I'm also a big conserver of water and electricity (I don't let the water run, I turn off lights when I'm not in a room, etc.). I enjoy picking wild apples and berries when they're around and making things from scratch. I park in a central location and walk to where I have to go and I also plan errands on the same day to avoid driving to town every single day.

What is one thing you do everyday that is considered Green?

Making wearable art from disposable objects and containers!

Do you have a tip for artists that are new to their industry?

Live by the 3 P's:
Passion - Love what you make/do so much that even if you don't make a dime for 3 months you still can't wait to wake up in the morning to get to work again.

Patience - Typically a successful business does not happen over night, maybe not even in a year! But you get what you put into things, so be patient and know success does not come fast or easy.

Lastly, Persistence. You need to have a daily plan and be aggressive every single day. Persistence in promotion, and in art making. Constantly try and make your work better, and think how you can reach more people. Sell at lots of shows. Don't give up! Everyday is a new chance.

Where can we find your items?

Web:
Artwork by KD Etsy Shop
Artwork by KD Artfire Shop

Brick and Mortar Locations:
Greenbeing in Scranton, PA
Earth and Wears in Dallas, PA
Pure Pennsylvania in Great Bend, PA
L'aveggio Roasteria in Binghamton, NY
Sea Hag Soaps and Art Mercantile in Brackney, PA

To keep up with the happenings of Kathy and her latest creations or show appearances you can also stop by her Artwork by KD blog which she updates frequently. She is running featured artist spots as well (I will be one of them in a few days too, thanks Kathy!).