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32 ways to make San Diego green

Monday, March 08, 2010

By Merideth Kimble

Marty Benson whizzes down 32nd Street and swings around the corner on his bike. He jumps off, parks and runs inside. The environmental advocate had just completed a 30-mile trip from Encinitas to South Park, a ride that served as his daily exercise as well as the way he traveled to a meeting.

He acknowledged that it’s not practical for everyone to ride 30 miles on a Thursday to get to an interview.

“But maybe they could just ride to the market,” he said.

Thousands of San Diegans like Benson have made the decision to live a greener lifestyle. They’re concerned about the impact of their consumption of natural resources on the earth’s environment and are making choices daily aimed at reducing their use of those resources. And advocates say that everyone has the ability to contribute, even in small ways, to promoting a sustainable lifestyle.

OurCity Recommends

There are a million ways to cut back on carbon emissions and cut our use and reliance on fossil fuels. We have narrowed it down to 32 recommendations that we feel make the most sense for a greener San Diego. We cover travel, home and food.

On the Road:

1. Ride your bike or walk to the corner store when all you need is one or two items. Reducing the number of miles you drive by 10 miles per week will eliminate 332 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) per year from the atmosphere.

2. Carpool to work, or take public transportation. To find out more about carpooling and public transit options in San Diego, go to http://www.ridelink.org.

3. Increase your gas mileage by keeping your car engine tuned and the proper inflation on your tires. By turning off the air conditioning and opening your windows you can also improve mpg. For more tips on going further on a gallon of gasoline, go to http://www.iwantbettergasmileage.com/

4. When it’s time to purchase a new car, think hybrid or electric vehicle. If you aren’t in the market for something new, keep your current model in tip-top condition so it is the most efficient. To find out which cars have the best gas mileage, go to http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/gasmileage/

To reduce traffic hazards and to maintain effective drainage on San Diego County highways, join the county’s Adopt-a-Road program designed to remove litter and trash from roadsides. http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/dpw/roads/adopt.html or call 858-874-4040.

At Home:

6. Adjust the thermostat to maximize energy savings. If you turn your air conditioner 1 degree warmer, you will reduce the amount of CO2  you produce by 88 pounds a year.

7. Turn off the lights and appliances when not in use. For example, if you enable the “sleep” option on your computer and monitor instead of just leaving it on, you will reduce your annual CO2 output by 86 pounds.

8. Washing clothes in cold water instead of hot, saves 98 pounds of CO2 a year. And using a clothes rack instead of a clothes dryer for just half of your laundry cuts carbon dioxide production by 330 pounds a year.

9. If you recycle newspaper, glass, plastic, metal and magazines you could eliminate 894 pounds of CO2 a year.

10. Purchase locally produced products, and those with less packaging.

11. Take your own, reusable grocery bags to the store. You can buy them at most local markets, including Henry’s, Whole Foods, Vons, Albertson’s and Ralphs or online at http://www.reusablebags.com/

12. Recycle plastic and aluminum at home, first: Wash containers for leftovers; use plastic packaging in lieu of new trash bags.

13. Recycle your clear water with a no-cost option using a container to catch clean running water as your shower heats up. Pour saved water into an outdoor bucket and use it for watering house plants, gardens and lawns, washing cars or windows.

14. Recycle up to 50 percent of your home’s water by using a water recycling system that captures, filters and reuses shower, tub, bathroom sink, laundry and other water for lawns and gardens. That can save up to 46,000 gallons every year.

15. Choose bamboo when you next replace your hardwood flooring as it acts as a natural insulator. It’s also stronger than most woods and less expensive. It can be purchased for nailed down, stapled down, glued down or floated installation.

Appliances and Gadgets:

17. Update to Energy Star-rated appliances and donate the older models. If you replace your old refrigerator with an Energy Star model, you could save 421 pounds of CO2 a year. For details about Energy Star ratings, go to  http://www.energystar.gov/. San Diego consumers can get information about recycling old appliances by going to http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/appliances.shtml

18. Replace your furnace with an Energy Star model and save 3,011 pounds of CO2 a year. For additional information on efficient heating and cooling, see http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac

19. Installing single-pane windows with dual-pane Energy Star models will reduce CO2  output by 2,952 pounds a year.

20. Install solar panels. For information on San Diego programs designed to promote use of solar panels, go to http://www.gstriatum.com/solarenergy/2009/05/solar-power-san-diego/

21. Plug kitchen appliances and electronics into a power strip. Switch everything off before leaving the house.

“Go Low” with dual flush toilets. The American Standard’s H2Option Siphonic Dual Flush Toilet allows you to flush small (1.0 gal) or flush standard (1.6 gal). Replacing a 1.6 gal/flush toilet with H2Option saves 1,400 gallons of water per year. For more information, go to www.Faucet.com.

On the Menu: Meat, seafood & dairy

23. Look for free-range, grass-fed beef and organic dairy products. For ideas on where to buy these products in San Diego, see the Food Lovers Guide on Page 52. 

24. Substitute chicken or seafood in your diet instead of beef to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

25. Purchase seafood that has been sustainably harvested from the ocean. For a guide for seafood available in San Diego that has been sustainably harvested:  http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_WestCoastGuide.pdf

26. Grow your own herbs or vegetables (start with containers) and experience products fresh-picked from your garden.

Shopping

27. Avoid buying processed foods. For information about what processed foods to stay away from, see http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/processedfoods.htm

28. Look for seasonal organic foods. San Diego grocery stores that offer organic on more than 50 percent of their items include Whole Foods and Jimbo’s. Henry’s, Barons, Trader Joe’s and Vons also offer selections of organic foods. For more information about selecting and buying organic foods, go to http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/organic/

29. Shop local farmers markets. For a list of San Diego County markets, go to http://sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Farmers-Markets.php

Eating Out

30. Choose local restaurants, which are more likely to operate sustainably, over chains.

31. Try restaurants that use local ingredients and offer seasonal menus of products. For a list of San Diego restaurants that offer such ingredients on their menus, see the Slow Food story above.

32. Instead of asking for a doggie bag for leftovers, bring your own reusable take-out containers from home.

Read more of OurCity: San Diego's green feature in the Fall issue by subscribing or picking up a copy at a location near you.

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