It’s Easy To Be Green in the Summer

By Beverly McAllister

Living green is an omnipresent theme here in Southwest Colorado. Since beginning my Internship at 4CORE, I have discovered that although there are many ways my lifestyle supports a conscious approach to zero waste living, there are always new ideas to employ toward this goal. The summer season offers a variety of opportunities to improve our efficient use of resources.

One obvious change is to use alternative transportation while the weather is cooperative. The Clean Commute Week, organized by the City of Durango in June, encouraged many alternatives to diminish our reliance on less efficient methods of transportation, and promote cleaner ones. For summertime fun and a healthier lifestyle, participate in zero carbon activities such as utilizing mass transit, walking, biking, and sharing rides. Attend the 3rd Annual Verde Fest in Cortez, CO or the 4 Corners Green Living Expo in Durango, CO for lots of product vendors, sustainability advocates, and fun!

Reducing our footprint by using less electricity can be accomplished a number of ways. To help fund sustainable energy sources you can purchase a Green Power Block from local electric providers La Plata Electric Association and Empire Electric Association.

Our region receives abundant solar energy, and there are tax credits and rebates for adding photovoltaic panels or solar thermal systems to your home or business. This is also a good time to apply for the income-based free weatherization services

Switching to newer, more energy efficient appliances or adding a solar shade to your home could be a summer improvement project. To reduce additional wasted heat and power, turn off unnecessary lighting, use the air-dry setting on your dishwasher, set your water heater temperature lower, switch to compact fluorescent bulbs, and utilize power strips to shut down electric power to appliances and electronics when not in use.

In and around your home consider using a “solar powered’ clothes dryer, an old-fashioned clothes line. Xeriscape your yard or use a push mower to cut your grass (and exercise!). If you have a garden or access to the summer’s bounty of fresh foods, try a solar dehydrator as a preservation method. Build one yourself for almost free.

Recycle and compost your personal waste. Set your thermostats to 78 degrees and run ceiling fans on medium, blowing down in summer, and close shades and drapes during the day to keep the heat out. If you use air-conditioning, have your system checked out by a HVAC technician and remember to clean filters monthly. Evaporative cooling is especially well suited for climates where the air is hot and humidity is low, since it is relatively cheap and requires less energy than many other forms of cooling.

Support the economy by buying locally, and save resources by buying recycled or used items. Shop the flea market, farmer’s market, thrift stores, and yard sales to reuse, recycle, and save money. As an alternative to discarding useful items, donate them, have a sale, or list them on sites such as the Freecycle.

Pay a visit to the “Really Really Free Market" at the Riverfront Park on Sundays 1-3 pm, and not only get free stuff but also free food from “Durango’s Food Not Bombs”.

When dining out, ask if the restaurant uses recyclable food containers for packaging your leftovers. Even if they do not, you can help raise their awareness that their customers feel strongly about this issue. Also, consider bringing your own containers and cutlery if they use disposable utensils (available locally at Nature’s Oasis).

After calculating my carbon footprint (12.47) and interning at 4CORE, I have realized so many more ways to be on a “carbon diet”. It is my hope that some of these suggestions will be beneficial in your life this summer, help you reduce your energy bills, save you money, and make it so you can grow more green.

About Beverly McAllister, Intern
Beverly has lived in Durango for the last 30 years. Before coming to 4CORE, she worked with the Mercy Medical Center's Gift Shop trying out her innovative ideas on customers. Beverly enjoys going to punk rock concerts and taking time off for fishing vacations. She has become an integral part of the 4CORE team by taking on multiple duties and tasks that are requested of her.

Integrating 4CORE into the Fort Lewis College community

[To the left is a picture of FLC students with an IR camera, which are used in the Weatherization Assistance Program]

As a new intern for 4CORE I became very attracted to the Weatherization Assistance Program. It is a great way to strengthen the community because it increases the quality of housing stock, creates work for local contractors, decreases our dependence on foreign oil, and lowers our total energy footprint one house at a time. This program offers free weatherization services to qualified low income households. The only problem is that not very many people know about the program. I have decided it is time to get the word out there and recruit people to apply. It is not easy to get the word out, but I have devised a plan.

Fort Lewis College (FLC) students make up a large portion of the Durango renting community. College students have also always been known for being broke. Incidentally these two factors make them the perfect low-income candidates to qualify for the program. Students are ideal because it is easy to reach out to them. They are already grouped together in classrooms so if I can find my way into classrooms for a few minutes to present the possibilities of the program then just maybe I can attract a good portion of the students one short presentation at a time. Another way it’s easy to reach out to college students in bulk is through Facebook. 85% of college students these days have a Facebook account, and that number is only growing. I will organize a Facebook group dedicated to recruiting FLC students. On the page will be a link to the weatherization application and advertisement of an event where there will be a presentation and incentives to come- such as free pizza. I was a College student for the past four years and if I’ve learned anything about students it’s that they love free, especially free food.

This plan should attract FLC students to apply for the weatherization program and increase the number of homes weatherized in Southwest Colorado. My basic theory of the whole plan is to keep it simple and to the point. Let them know they can help decrease energy use for free and be helped by 4CORE for free; It’s a win-win situation. I want the students to get the idea that there is no reason they shouldn’t apply.

Hopefully while I am recruiting students to apply I can make the 4CORE name recognizable to the FLC student community. 4CORE exists “to decrease the emission of pollutants, protect public health, and strengthen the economy” as declared in the mission statement. Considering the amount of students enrolled at FLC is roughly one third of the population of Durango, the school could be a great portal to help accomplish the mission statement, especially strengthening the economy.

About the Author:

Cara was born and raised in New Hampshire. Upon completion of her internship at 4CORE, Cara will receive her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy. After four years in Durango, she has fallen in love with the mountains and claims she will never move back to the east coast. Cara enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, traveling, reading, dancing, and floating down the river with a good group of friends.

Resource and Energy Action Plan- REAP

Southwest Colorado plays an important role in the burgeoning New Energy Economy in our state. Much of our landscape receives 7 kilowatt hours of sunlight per square meter per day, there is enough of a breeze in many places to make wind power possible, and the feasibility of at least a few win-win off-channel hydro power projects is currently being studied.  Combined with traditional sources of power, such as natural gas, this makes our region a valuable commodity as our state looks into increasing the diversity of our energy portfolio.

As the recipient of the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) Community Energy Coordinator (CEC) program grant, 4CORE is convening a five-county advisory board that will provide input and feedback on the Resource & Energy Action Plan (REAP) for Southwest Colorado. In addition, 4CORE has been busy getting the word out and answering questions about incentives to save energy through the new RechargeColorado Campaign. These efforts are aimed at creating new jobs,  developing the region’s three- to five-year strategic sustainability plan, and positioning our region for future New Energy Economy activities and funding.


This point in history poses an incredible opportunity for evaluating the way our region uses energy and how we can positively benefit from decreasing our energy use. Incentives provided by Federal and State programs are making it increasingly realistic to save money on our individual energy bills and decrease our dependence on foreign oil, all while improving our quality of life.


Much of the motion toward the New Energy Economy is being generated from the top down through government programs. Constituents are taking advantage of these programs. However, in order to create real energy savings, each of us needs take a focused look at our homes, work place, schools and public buildings, and how we move between these places. There are many ways to save energy.

Clean air, trails, and mountain views are why we live here. Learn about how to get involved in REAP and how to thrive using less energy. Stay tuned here, at www.fourcore.org, and contact us if we can help!

Community Energy Coordinator Announcement & FREE Zero Waste Event!

Governor Ritter recently announced Colorado’s new Community Energy Coordinators (CEC), naming the Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) as the CEC for La Plata, Dolores, San Juan, Montezuma and Archuleta counties. “We’re excited to see champions for the New Energy Economy on the ground in these local communities, working closely with citizens, businesses and governments to help them save money, create jobs and increase our energy security,” Gov. Ritter said.

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this 30-month grant from the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) will provide a way for smaller or “non-entitled” communities to prepare and position themselves for renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation opportunities as well as develop local sustainability strategies and energy action plans.

Key components of the Energy Action Plans will include:
•    A public outreach and education plan
•    A plan to attract new energy efficient (EE) and renewable energy (RE) businesses to the five county region
•    Contractor EE and RE training
•    Identification of residential, commercial and utility-scale RE opportunities in the region
•    Opportunities to reduce energy-related impacts of transportation
•    A plan to increase participation in material conservation programs such as recycling and zero waste
•    The development of water conservation plans

Join us for the Community Energy Coordinator Kickoff event!
The public is invited to 4CORE’s Community Energy Coordinator kick-off event, an Introduction to Zero Waste workshop featuring Gary Liss on April 15, 2010 from 8am – 11:30am at the Durango Public Library. This FREE event will cover the features, issues and applications of zero waste principles. Come learn what Zero Waste communities and businesses are doing to divert over 90% of their waste from landfill and incineration.

Locally made bagels and coffee will be provided in the morning for participants. Click here to learn more and RSVP or view the event flyer.

Stay in the Loop!
Interested in staying up to date on CEC events, educational sessions, contractor trainings, GEO rebate programs and grants? Subscribe to 4CORE's monthly e-newsletter!

Your House: A Machine for Living

Since starting as an intern at 4CORE on January 4^th I have been on a steep learning curve in the weatherization program. I have been exposed to a wide variety of tasks and gaining on the job training in a number of different aspects of the program. I am gradually finding my niche, and feeling like a member of the 4CORE team with something to contribute.

The part of the weatherization program that I find most fascinating are the investigations of client’s homes. Over the years I have owned several different houses, but I really didn’t understand how the different systems of a house, such as heating, hot water, insulation, the flow of air and moisture (to identify just a few) all interact to form one big system that affects your comfort, health, and energy use. The first thing 4CORE does when weatherizing a home is to investigate all the systems of the house, looking for ways to improve its efficiency. This investigation is called the ‘home energy audit’. If you think of your house as a machine for living and the different systems of the house as its parts, the energy audit is the diagnostic tool used to identify the inefficient and unsafe parts.

An example of an unhealthy condition that is caused by the interaction of the house systems is something called back-drafting. Back-drafting is when combustion exhaust is pulled back into the living area of the house instead of venting up the chimney, resulting in pollution of indoor air. There are many unhealthy gases in combustion exhaust but the gas we are most concerned with is carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide or CO, is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sickness or death.

When a furnace starts running, it takes the chimney five minutes or more to heat up enough to start a draft, and small amounts of combustion gas may enter the living space. This temporary back-drafting is called spillage. The type of back-drafting we are more concerned with is continuous, and can be caused by the interaction of other exhaust air systems in a house. In houses with a mechanical room that has the furnace and the water heater next to each other, the stronger combustion of the furnace can potentially pull exhaust fumes out of the water heater vent, creating unhealthy levels of CO.

Another situation is when several exhaust air appliances are operating at the same time and create enough air suction in the house to draw furnace exhaust into the living area. Let’s take a house where a fire place is burning, the hot water heater is operating, the gas clothes dryer is on, and the range exhaust fan is running. All these systems are sucking air out of the house and up the vents. In a case like that there is potential for back-drafting of the furnace combustion exhaust and CO accumulation. It is these types of “worst case scenarios” that energy auditors test for, and correct if necessary.

As a footnote, it is a good idea to install combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in bedrooms and hallways.

Learn more about how your house works and ways to make it more energy efficient: check out the book Cut Your Energy Bill Now (150 Smart Ways To Save You Money & Make Your Home More Comfortable & Green), by Bruce Harley, 2008.

About the Author:

Tom Zajicek is interning for 4CORE through the Rocky Mountain Senior Employment in Community Program. His interest in green building and energy efficiency lead him to choose 4CORE for an internship. He is presently getting training in weatherization, including energy audits and inspections. In addition he is working on client utility data, and developing a respiratory safety program.

Tom moved to Durango two years ago from Ithaca, New York. His varied previous experience includes home building, field biology, outdoor education, and industrial roped access inspection. When not working Tom is off to the mountains, canyons and deserts of the four corners area.

Colorado’s New Energy Economy

In November of 2007 Governor Bill Ritter announced Colorado’s first Climate Action Plan with the goal of establishing “clear strategies to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” for the purpose of ensuring Colorado's "energy, economic and environmental future," according to a Governors Energy Office GEO press release.

Following the Governor's action plan there have been significant advances toward a new energy economy for Colorado in addressing greenhouse gas emissions, both statewide and at the local level. In addition to advances in renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency through weatherization and certain insulation practices has helped to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

One way in which greenhouse gas emissions are being addressed locally is through the 2009 La Plata Climate Energy Action Plan (CEAP) in response to a US Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement. CEAP provides a tangible way in which concerned citizens can get involved in identifying ways "our community, individuals, governments, businesses, and other groups can reduce greenhouse gasses throughout La Plata County."4CORE is currently initiating the creation of a collaborative region-wide strategy to decrease emissions in for Archuleta, Dolores, Montezuma and San Juan Counties.

Currently, 4CORE works to decrease emissions in Southwest Colorado through the CEAP Process in La Plata County, by providing weatherization assistance to low-income households, and through providing information about energy efficiency. Other strategies include community education and outreach as a way to increase local participation, and an incentives and services strategy that reinvests funds into the community and offers individuals a rebate to facilitate effective and sufficient energy services.

To date 4CORE has issued 199 rebates to community members, totaling approximately $135,000.

These programs resulted in 2,730 Metric Tons of Greenhouse Gas Emissions prevented annually. To get a better idea of this quantity, it is equivalent to 125,391 mature trees consuming carbon dioxide each year, or taking 641 cars off the road for one year.

The GEO is a leader in promoting Colorado's New Energy Economy by pushing for the production and manufacturing of clean modern energy technologies. In addition, the GEO currently offers the Insulate Colorado Program for homeowners wishing to make energy efficiency improvements to their existing homes. The GEO partners with local Colorado organizations such as 4CORE to offer rebates directly to qualifying homeowners for the installation of insulation and air sealing measures through the Insulate Colorado program. For more information please visit the Partnership Opportunities Section for an application.

As a student of Environmental Studies interested in the preservation of natural resources, it is my hope that this push for a new energy economy in Colorado will eventually be translated into a shift from excess and shortages to a relationship of social restraint for the purpose of both ecological and economic sustainability and the overall health of people and the landscapes we live in.

Through my experience studying environmental policy and culture, although short, it is my opinion that the support and efforts made by local organizations are vital to the stability and effectiveness of programs and efforts like the Climate Action Plan and the Insulate Colorado Program.

Being apart of the 4CORE team is an exciting opportunity to experience this process first hand and witness change.

About the Author

D. Linnea Decker is interning for 4CORE through the Environmental Studies department at Fort Lewis College. Linnea is a Colorado native living in Montezuma County, and attends Fort Lewis College as a full-time student working on a Bachelor’s of Art degree in English/Writing and Environmental Studies/Policy and Culture. Her interests, not surprisingly, reside in spending as much time in the Colorado wilderness as possible snowshoeing, hiking, biking and writing about nature.

Resolve to Evolve

Its traditional to start the new year off on a diet, right? You've been consuming lots of carbon with all those holiday lights, travel, and excessive amounts of wrapping paper. Why not start 2010 off right by pledging to lose some weight?

You could lose 5000 pounds in 30 days! All you need to do is join the Low Carbon Diet Club. Here is how it works:

Step 1: Weigh-In

Figure out your current carbon footprint by using the carbon calculator. Think about how much you could lose, and pledge to do it here.

To do this you will need the following information for the past year:

• Number of gallons of trash per week (tall kitchen bag = 13 gal)
• Total kWh usage
• Total therms natural gas
• Total gallons propane
• Total gallons fuel oil
• Miles and miles per gallon on each vehicle (up to three)
• Air miles

Tip: Rather than calculating all these numbers from the past year’s bills, you can call your utility companies to get the most updated information.

Step 2: Get together

Optional but fun: Find a group of 5-10 friends, family, or co-workers to take the plunge with you- everything is more fun with friends, and a little group competition makes things lively!

You can diet on your own, as a household, form your own club, or find a group to join here.

Step 3: Start the diet!

Here are some things you can do at no cost (see the tracking sheet for more):

• Eliminate the need for one dryer load per week - dry clothes outside
• Set thermostat at 65-68 deg when active in home & 55-58 deg at night
• Reduce shower time to 5 min. or less
• Reduce dishwasher use by one load per week
• Minimize hot water use in hand dish washing (Bonus Credit for an Energy Star front-loading washer)
• Switch one load of laundry a week from hot to cold water
• Set water heater thermostat at 120 deg.
  

Step 4: Track it

Record your progress on the following spreadsheets:
(courtesy of Montezuma Climante Action Network, or M-CAN)

Household Carbon Loss tracking sheet

Individual Carbon Loss tracking sheet

Step 5: Share

Upload your group's progress here. See the progress of other groups, and share ideas too.

Guidelines

Meetings

Regular meetings should be held monthly over a period of three to six months. Ideally, these should be held during the first week of the month to gather the previous month’s information. A potluck is a great way to do this!

Recommended club size is five to ten persons.

Members

• Choose a club leader
• Initially and finally, calculate carbon usage by using the carbon calculator at www.empowermentinstitute.net * under Low Carbon Diet Climate Change Program.
• Print this information and keep for your records.
• Discuss new ways to reduce carbon emissions with other club members.
• Create a personalized plan to reduce carbon emissions.
• Report specific changes made to leader during monthly meetings.

Leader

• Maintains contact with individual club members
• Disseminates information as provided by M-CAN
• Provides M-CAN with contact information for club members
• Collects records of individual household carbon reductions monthly
• Collates information or assigns someone to do this
• Sends club carbon reduction totals to simma.w@gmail.com by the 10th of each month.

M-CAN or 4CORE will provide (at your request)

• orientation meeting and starter materials
• regular updates on ways to save
• informative articles and resources
• events - including films and workshops
• report on monthly total carbon emission savings on this web page

Note: Club carbon savings are based on information from the book, Low Carbon Diet by David Gershon. It is recommended that your club use this book as a reference.