Living Green in Austin

I just saw a new presentation about the new City of Austin Ordinance requiring energy audits. Today’s presenter was Living Green, an energy audit and home energy conservation company in Austin, Texas. Now, since June 1st, 2009, any home sold in Austin, Texas that uses Austin Energy is required to have an Energy Audit. Living Green not only does the energy audit but Living Green can also make the improvements to help you save the Earth, as well as save money on your water, gas and electric bills. Your ROI or Return On Investment can be high.  What this means is the time for the improvements to pay for themselves by saving you money is low.

Living Green uses radiant barriers, solar screens, window tinting, CFL & LED lighting, motion activated light switches & dimmers, low flow toilets, solar wind turbines and Low E windows as elements in your home to save you money.  Living Green also installs rain water harvesting systems.

Green Funeral Home to Open in Leander Texas

I know funerals, funeral homes & death are a taboo subject for many, including my husband. So, if taboo for you too, then move on to another article. Me, I am interested in anything that professes to be “green” or “eco-friendly” even if it is a funeral home.  And funeral homes and dying do not bother me particularly, they are a fact of life. That being said, I’ve see this piece reported now twice and wanted to research it a little myself. Leander has no funeral home now, so Wrench Funeral & Cremation Services will be the first. Even the fact that this business professes to be green appears good but I want to know more, to see if this is mere greenwashing or truly has green features, is a geen service. The Austin American-Statesman ran an article entitled “Leander’s first funeral home to be ecofriendly” Thursday, May 7th, 2009.  The article stated that the funeral home will “offer environmentally friendly options, including green burials”.  I am curious about what that means.  The Statesman also reported that the building will be built from energy efficient materials yet did not report what those will be.  The Austin Business Journal, in an article entitled “Dying to go green” said they will offer green burials & environmentally friendly products.   Paul Wrench, the owner has a position as chairman on the Green Initiative Task Force of the Texas Funeral Directors Association.

In my research I found a site on home funerals.  It reiterated the point that home funerals, like home births had gone by the wayside but are green, legal & now making a comeback.

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Artichoke Plant in My Organic Front Yard Gardens
Artichoke Plant in My Organic Front Yard Gardens

I am so happy that one of my artichoke plants is now budding out.  In the artichoke world this means “bearing fruit”, or “putting on artichokes”.  I am so excited since this is a long awaited event.  I have had the plants a couple of years and this is the first time I have grown them.  I am surprised they are not more popular here in Texas.  A Native Texan, and organic gardener, I have not seen them much here.  The Leander nursery and greenhouse where I bought them has since closed.  The Natural Gardener  had some growing in their garden last time I was there.

Invasive Plant Workshop

An Invasive Plant Workshop will be held at the Austin Nature & Science Center by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Dept.  Invasive plants are harmful and do ecological and economic damage.  This workshop is for “citizen scientists” to volunteer to get expert training on invasives to identify & track plant invaders. 

The “Local Invaders of Texas” workshop will be held Saturday, May 30th, 2009 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Austin Nature & Science Center Multi-Purpose Room, 301 Nature Center Drive, Austin, TX  78746  Cost is $15.00 Lunch is included

May 22nd registration deadline

 

Texas Invasives    

Contact Alice Nance

City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department (512) 327-8181 X 29

Keep Austin Wild! 

To subscribe to the Austin Eco Network   http://aen.austineconetwork.org/mailman/listinfo/aen

Perdernales Electric’s GREEN WORKS Programs

I give happy green kudos to Perdernales Electric (PEC) for their GREEN WORKS Programs.  Among the things PEC is working to help the environment by using organic fertilizers on their properties, using a tree for tree program for construction, Christmas tree recycling, HVAC Rebate Program, using solar energy at the PEC Oak Hill office, providing home energy audits, etc.  PEC has a public presense & provide public speakers about their GREEN WORKS program.  PEC GREEN WORKS was just at Leander’s Green Expo event at the Lowe’s in Leander, 3/29/09 where I was also an exhibitor as a GREEN REALTOR® or EcoBroker®.

The Central Texas Electric Lawnmower Program

The Central Texas Electric Lawnmower Program

The Central Texas Electric Lawnmower Program is a great way to reduce smog & live more sustainable for those of us with lawns.  Trade in your old gasoline powered beast for a clean, electric model at the next  event.  For more information call Scott at (512) 389-2250.

Even Perdernales Electric Coop  has an electricity generated from renewable sources choice of where your electricity comes from.  Renewable energy is only $0.005 (half of one cent) more per kilowatt hour than their regular energy.

Lowe’s Green Expo in Leander

Saturday, March 28th, 2009 from 8am to 4pm, Lowe’s in Leander, Texas is having a Green Expo. I will be set up as a Green REALTOR, EcoBroker & citizen in helping people be green. Register for a Lifetime Storgae Shed that will be given away- no purchase necessary.

Lowe’s in Leander
1495 North Highway 183
Leander, TX 78641

For more details call (512) 260-5670

Simple Composting

Many make composting seem like rocket science. It’s just not that hard!! My grandma, at her home at 608 Texas Avenue in Austin, TX, composted in a box around her fig tree. Nothing fancy, she just thew her coffee grounds, egg shells, etc. in there. I am about the same. I;’ve never had a fancy compost, just a pile or a 3 or 4 sided bin. That’s it. You can compost in a small area or large, doesn’t matter- just get started. Take all vegetable peelings, leaves, coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit rinds & cores and put them on the ground, in a bin or a fancy “composter”, add a little dirt, stir and “voila!”- YOU are composting! That’s it! You’re there! You have arrived!! The dirt is the innoculant- like eating yoghurt for us. The dirt’s full a’ good bugs! It gets the digestion of the organic matter started. Soon, your veggie scraps, leaves, etc. will turn into soil. A healthy pile will also get earthworms crawlin’ through it adding worm castings as well as helping to break stuff down into dirt. You have just created a life giving organic gardening product. Use it to enrich your soil.

Sunshine Garden Plant Sale

Spring has sprung in the Austin Texas area.  The red buds & mountain laurels are blooming, the weather is mild & Sunshine Community Gardens at 4814 Sunshine Drive, Austin, TX is having their annual Spring Plant Sale March 7th, 2009 from 9am to 2pm.  Knowledgeable gardeners will be there to help inform attendees about Spring Gardening in Central Texas.  There will be live entertainment & food and drinks will be available.  FREE admission!  I plan to attend myself after a quick round of my neighborhood Community Garage Sales.