My Green Sonoma

Whatever you do, don't wash those medications down the drain!  Those medicines may be good for you but they are very bad for our water.

Water treatment facilities do not have the ability to remove toxins.  They are better off in a landfill than in our waterways...but now there is another option.  Take your old medications (including expired, over the counter medicine) to a participating pharmacy. 

A pilot campaign to keep medications out of our waterways has started in Sonoma County. Participating area pharmacies in Cotati, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Rohnert Park include Longs Drugs, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Tuttles.  Not every location will have the program to begin with so call before you make the trip.  

Want to know more?  Visit www.srcity.org/safemed.  Also check out http://www.recyclenow.org/ ... you'll be surprised at what can be recycled these days.

From Companies that run trucks on bio-diesel to green packaging the moving industry has entered the green movement.  Here's some companies to check out:

Earth friendly moving http://earthfriendlymoving.com/ "a buck a box a week".  This company rents heavy duty stackable moving containers from recycled materials delivered to your door in trucks running on biodiesel. When you are done with them they'll pick them up.

Go Green Moving www.gogreenmoving.com runs its moving vans on biodiesel.

www.Boxquest.com  Find and Buy recycled and used boxes, packing material and more.  When last checked there were more than 125,000 recycled boxes for sale in California including 75 in Napa and 200 in Vacaville.

I was at the Annual Santa Rosa Chamber meeting the other day and picked up a flyer on a Santa Rosa company called The Computer Recycling Center.  You can donate your computer and more.  They also take electric appliances ("everything with a battery or a plug except large appliances"). 

They have a drop off location in Santa Rosa at 3227 Santa Rosa Avenue, 95407.  They will also pick up larger donations.  If you have large quantities to drop off or something unusual that you are not sure they will take in, give them a call at 707.570.1600 or 1-888-8usedpc or check out their website at www.crc.org.

They also have locations in Sunnyvale and San Francisco.

We need more places like this!

PG&E is helping consumers save money AND reduce green house gas production by sending out Smart Home Rebate booklets upon request. 

Rebates include:

• $75 for High Efficiency Clothes Washer
• $50 for High Efficiency Dryer
• $100 for qualifying swimming pool pump, motor and controller
• $30 for an energy efficent storage water heater
• $375 for Atic and Wall insulation
• $300 for Cool Roof
• $600 for AC system ductwork sealing
• $300 for 94 AFUE Furnace, $200 for 92 AFUE
• $50 for an Energy Star Room Air Conditioner
• $35 to recylce your old refrigerator

They also offer a free Energy Star New Homebuyers Kit and a Free Smart Energy Plan.  For more details visit www.pge.com/smartenergy .

Want to know more about how you can bring about positive changes for the environment?  At their website you'll also find a carbon calculator so you can determine your carbon footprint, paperless billing so that you can precycle, not recycle, and sign up for their Climate Smart program.  http://pge.com/myhome/environment/whatyoucando/climatesmart/ 

PG&E is helping consumers save money AND reduce green house gas production by sending out Smart Home Rebate booklets upon request. 

Rebates include:

• $75 for High Efficiency Clothes Washer
• $50 for High Efficiency Dryer
• $100 for qualifying swimming pool pump, motor and controller
• $30 for an energy efficent storage water heater
• $375 for Atic and Wall insulation
• $300 for Cool Roof
• $600 for AC system ductwork sealing
• $300 for 94 AFUE Furnace, $200 for 92 AFUE
• $50 for an Energy Star Room Air Conditioner
• $35 to recylce your old refrigerator

They also offer a free Energy Star New Homebuyers Kit and a Free Smart Energy Plan.  For more details visit www.pge.com/smartenergy .

Want to know more about how you can bring about positive changes for the environment?  At their website you'll also find a carbon calculator so you can determine your carbon footprint, paperless billing so that you can precycle, not recycle, and sign up for their Climate Smart program.  http://pge.com/myhome/environment/whatyoucando/climatesmart/ 

Want to learn and stay informed about what our local government is doing to support energy conservation?  I'm pleased that even in the current economic climate, progress continues to be made.

Sonoma County has a number of Energy Conservation Projects and Programs in the works.  Summaries can be found at  http://www.scwa.ca.gov/environment/sustainability/energy.php.

Also check out Santa Rosa's Environmental Stewardship programs:   http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/environmental_stewardship/Energy/Pages/default.aspx

And of course, the City of Sebastopols Climate Protection Campaign:  http://www.ci.sebastopol.ca.us/climateprotection.shtml