Buy green power
PG&E (joinclimatesmart.com, 800-743-5000) The unique ClimateSmart program funds conservation and protection projects that capture carbon emissions, instead of funding renewable energy programs. The average cost is $5 per month.

Alameda Power (alamedamp.com, 510-748-3900) sources 85% of its energy from renewables, but customers can contribute to the Clean Future Fund for 1 cent/kWh, or an average $3.75 per month. Fund contributions go towards pursuing new renewable resources. More...

On a recent trip to the supermarket, my wife brought home a new detergent for the dishwashing machine. We both responded favorably to the “Eco” labeling on the soap, which indicated that it did not include phosphorous.

Increases in phosphorous in waterways can cause harmful algae blooms, so finding an opportunity to cut back can be a good thing. Unfortunately, the good feelings of reducing our impact on the water system faded with each new load of dishes. The soap left a lot of filmy residue, and more importantly failed to remove the food particles we wanted to wash off.

To get them clean, we had to run the dishes through a second cycle, which obviously brings us to the point of THIS SPACE: how to save electricity and keep a few more dollars in your bank account. More...

In my job I attend a lot of community events to share the same energy conservation message THIS SPACE is dedicated to: simple steps can cut your electricity use and keep a few extra bucks in your pocket.

One of the best and easiest options is to switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. They use about a third of the electricity and last up to 10 years, which can save as much as $33 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. More...

After the trick or treaters have retired and brushed their teeth, your neighborhood continues to be home to little vampires. Chargers, TVs, computers and other electronics on standby suck energy without a purpose, but at a cost. Good Magazine estimates that a plasma TV in active standby costs an average $160 per year. Use Halloween as a reminder to unplug electronics on this list and give copies to neighbors.

Next, we look forward to carving this CFL shaped pumpkin from Ready Made Magazine, an especially important reminder as upcoming Daylight Savings Time means earlier nightfall. Go ecomaniac and light your pumpkin with an LED. (Image: Flickr/oskay) More...

Personal behavior change is so subtle you don’t see it happening, and can forget how far you’ve come. There are thousands of tips for reducing your impact and living the green and good life, but realizing which you are really doing and what that means can be difficult to pin down. Your efforts deserve to be recognized, monitored, and charted over time. We'll even throw in some reader prizes eventually, too!

Here’s how to start your own sustainability journal, which you can use to set goals and to look back on as you change your lifestyle. We'll bring you more features weekly, including printable guides to a home waste audit, travel diary, games for kids and a home energy analyzer, all from our green living guides. I’ll also be doing this all myself, and roping in guests from the EcoMetro staff and friends, so we can both gripe and high-five together. Ready? Read on... More...

I’ve been looking to replace the flood light in my small backyard because it makes a loud annoying buzz and puts out a cold unwelcoming light. I suppose these are not bad qualities to keep burglars away, but I’ve wanted something a bit quieter and warmer, while of course making an environmentally conscious purchase.

So I started checking out floodlights powered by their own little photovoltaic cells. I was surprised to find a pretty wide selection. SmartHome.com and SolarHome.org were two of the sites I spent some time on comparing features and prices. Both sites are pretty cluttered and a bit tough to navigate, but while SmartHome has better product information, SolarHome (as the name would imply) has a broader product selection. More...

Electronic gadgets fill our days. At work, I typically carry a pager, a work cell phone and my personal cell phone. And at some point all those devices need to be charged.

Obviously, that uses electricity. What many of us don’t recognize that once our favorite devices are done charging and we unplug them for use, the charger is still drawing electricity from the wall socket. Electricity is being thrown away, just like a leaky faucet wastes water. More...

A planet-friendly trend appears to be taking off around some new thinking in how we use energy.

There are many activities from manufacturing steel to storing data on computer servers that require significant electricity or other power and generate heat as a byproduct. Until recently, much of that heat was considered a problem to get rid of. Data centers use air conditioning to cool server rooms and the furnaces of a steel plant are vented after melting the metal. Now, some organizations are recognizing how that heat can be put to additional use. More...

Your Home Remodel: Before and After Greening

Free Fix for Water Heaters and Furnaces
Before: A water heater set above 120 degrees uses more energy than necessary and raises your bills. After: Turning the water heater down to 120 degrees saves 500lbs of CO2/year and reduces your monthly bill. Cost: Just a trip to the basement. While you are down there, check your furnace filter. Clean filters can save you 5% of your heating costs.

Washing Machines and the Original Eco-Fashion Tip
Before: Washing clothes in hot water dulls fabrics and costs an average of $1,310 over the lifetime of the machine.  After: Washing clothes in cold water reduces your carbon footprint by 500lbs of CO2/year. Installing an Energy Star rated washer saves an average 700 gallons of water and $550 in operating costs over the life of the machine. Cost: The price tag may be more upfront for Energy Star machines, but get $125 or $200 off with rebates. Energy Star does not rate dryers, because the energy use is similar between models. The best option is a clothes line, perhaps the oldest eco-fashion practice in the book. The cost is minimal, or you can spend more an automated clothes line.

The following information originally appeared in our monthly green tips email. Sign up for your own monthly copy by creating a user profile.

Envision the following improvements on your home and the resulting reduction in carbon emissions and utility costs. In addition to our exclusive coupon offers, we tracked down the local rebates and federal tax credits available to you if you make your home more efficient. If you have a vision but need the tools, register and check them out of the Tool Lending Library (at the Oakland Public Library in Temescal) for free if you are a resident of Oakland, Piedmont or Emeryville. Experienced remodelers or those just brimming with ideas will love the non-profit Build it Green, which has a directory of builders, product lists, lists of loans for green building, and a useful spreadsheet of the incentives and tax credits available to us in the East Bay. You can also call their "Ask and Expert" hotline at 888-40-GREEN for any home building questions, so if you get stuck on one of these projects, you know who to call.

Insulation and Leaky Ducts
Before: Uninsulated attics in older homes release as much as 40% of home heating and cooling costs into the air. Leaky ducts release home air into attics and walls. After: Insulation reduces heating and cooling costs and increases home comfort. Cost: Rising Sun Energy Center gives a sample cost of $500 to insulate a 1,000sq foot attic through their co-pay program. PG&E also offers a rebate of $0.15 per square foot on attic or wall insulation and a duct sealing rebate of up to $600.


Roofing
Before: Roofs absorb heat, causing home temperatures to rise and increased use of air conditioning. After: Using cash incentives through Go Solar California, you can install solar panels for electricity or for solar hot water. Cost: Up to 50% of the project can be covered through cash incentives and income tax deductions, then bask in the reduction in your monthly energy bill. A second option is a Cool Roof, which reflect sunlight. PG&E has rebates up to $200 per 1,000 sq.ft.

Materials for Floors, Decking and Cabinetry
Before: Lumber may come from a poorly managed forest far outside of North America. Lack of accountability makes it difficult to know the impact and can disguise habitat destruction and social impacts. After: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood comes from managed and protected forests, and ensures loggers meet social, economic and environmental criteria.  Cost: Square foot per square foot, building with FSC lumber does not have to mean spending more. We love the comparison Green on a Budget by ecohaus, a business in EcoMetro cities Seattle and Portland similar to our own Ecohome Improvement. They compared FSC wood flooring with non-FSC wood and found the FSC cost $6,435 for 1,500sq.ft while the non-FSC wood cost $10,365. Make use of bamboo, cork, marmoleum, and recycled tiles from new or salvaged sources.

Smaller Fixes and Adjustments

Water
Before: Older model toilets, showerheads and faucets use more water than needed. Toilets are the largest home water hogs at 4 gallons per flush, matches by showers at nearly 4 gallons per minute.  After: By purchasing dual flush toilets (with a half-flush option), you use less than 2 gallons per flush and save up to 6,000 gallons/year. Cost: Aerators and efficient showerheads are free to pick up through EBMUD, or ask for a free home water survey and have them brought to you. Toilet rebates of $150 are available to EBMUD customers until June 30th.

Phantom Power
Before: Phantom power from TVs, gadget chargers, appliances, and more sucks up power and costs you money. After: By plugging all appliances into a power strip or purchasing a self-regulating Smart Strip, you can save 1,000-1,500 Co2/year. Cost:  About $30 per strip, which the company claims you will save in several weeks of regular use. More...

The dark of night has an incredible impact on humans. It limits our vision and heightens our sense of vulnerability. Neighborhoods that are friendly, bustling or eclectic during the day become vacant no-walk zones after sundown. More...