Regional Renewable Energy Conferences Returning In March

A pair of regional renewable energy conferences announced their return for 2009.

The Sustainability and Energy EXP09: Building a Better Community will be held March 6-7 at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Ariz. The event is expected to attract 60 exhibitors offering solar power, solar thermal and biofuel solutions. The event is a continuation of the 2007 Alternative Energy Expo, which drew 4,000 attendees. The Pima Association of Governments, a nonprofit metropolitan planning organization, will sponsor the 2009 event. For more information, go to www.pagnet.org

The week after the Tuscon event, another renewable energy conference will be held in Boston. The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association is hosting BuildingEnergy09 at Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center. This event will focus on the construction and design aspect of renewable energy, with exhibitors coming from the solar, wind and geothermal sectors of the industry. For more information, go to www.buildingenergy.nesea.org

SOURCES: Pima Association of Governments, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

Recycle your grease into biodiesel

The day after Thanksgiving
Friday, November 28, 9 a.m. to 1p.m.

Recycle your grease into biodiesel.
Recycle your used cooking oil.
All cooking grease accepted!
Get maps and info at Grecycle.com

Grease collection sites:
• Pima County Operations Division,
3390 N. Richey Blvd.
• O’Reilly Chevrolet, 6160 E. Broadway Blvd.
• Pima County Industrial Wastewater Control, 5025 W. Ina Rd.
• El Hogar de la Paz Alternative Learning Center,
450 E. Wetmore Rd. across from Wal-Mart
• Tucson Water Plant #2, 1102 W. Irvington Rd. Located
west of I-19 on the north side of Irvington Road
• Shell Super Stop in Sahuarita, 795 W. Via Rancho
Sahuarita. Located east of I-19 at Exit 75.

Seven Misconceptions about Plastic and Plastic Recycling

Misconception # 1: Plastics that go into a curbside recycling bin get recycled. Not necessarily. Collecting plastic containers at curbside fosters the belief that, like aluminum and glass, the recovered material is converted into new containers. In fact, none of the recovered plastic containers from Berkeley are being made into containers again but into new secondary products such as textiles, parking lot bumpers, or plastic lumber – all unrecyclable products. This does not reduce the use of virgin materials in plastic packaging. "Recycled" in this case merely means "collected," not reprocessed or converted into useful products.

Misconception # 2: Curbside collection will reduce the amount of plastic landfilled. Not necessarily. If establishing collection makes plastic packages seem more environmentally friendly, people may feel comfortable buying more. Curbside plastic collection programs, intended to reduce municipal plastic waste, might backfire if total use rises faster than collection. Since only a fraction of certain types of plastic could realistically be captured by a curbside program, the net impact of initiating curbside collection could be an increase in the amount of plastic landfilled. The Berkeley pilot program showed no reduction of plastic being sent to the landfill in the areas where the curbside collection was in operation. Furthermore, since most plastic reprocessing leads to secondary products that are not themselves recycled, this material is only temporarily diverted from landfills.

Misconception # 3: A chasing arrows symbol means a plastic container is recyclable. The arrows are meaningless. Every plastic container is marked with the chasing arrows symbol. The only information in the symbol is the number inside the arrows, which indicates the general class of resin used to make the container. The attorneys general of 11 states objected to false and misleading claims about plastic recyclability. The recent settlement that they reached with the American Plastics Council paves the way for a first-ever definition of what claims can or cannot be made about plastic recycling and recyclability.

Misconception # 4: Packaging resins are made from petroleum refineries’ waste. Plastic resins are made from non-renewable natural resources that could be used for a variety of other applications or conserved. Most packaging plastics are made from the same natural gas used in homes to heat water and cook.

Misconception # 5: Plastics recyclers pay to promote plastics’ recyclability. No; virgin resin producers pay for the bulk of these ads. Most such ads are placed by virgin plastic manufacturers whose goal is to promote plastic sales. These advertisements are aimed at removing or diminishing virgin plastic’s greatest challenge to market expansion: negative public conception of plastic as unrecyclable, environmentally harmful, and a major component of wastes that must be landfilled or burned.

Misconception # 6: Using plastic containers conserves energy. When the equation includes the energy used to synthesize the plastic resin, making plastic containers uses as much energy as making glass containers from virgin materials, and much more than making glass containers from recycled materials. Using refillables is the most energy conservative.

Misconception # 7: Our choice is limited to recycling or wasting. Source reduction is preferable for many types of plastic and isn’t difficult. Opportunities include using refillable containers, buying in bulk, buying things that don’t need much packaging, and buying things in recyclable and recycled packages

Plastic packaging has economic, health, and environmental costs and benefits. While offering advantages such as flexibility and light weight, it creates problems including: consumption of fossil resources; pollution; high energy use in manufacturing; accumulation of wasted plastic in the environment; and migration of polymers and additives into foods.

Plastic container producers do not use any recycled plastic in their packaging. Recycled content laws could reduce the use of virgin resin for packaging. Unfortunately, the virgin&endash;plastics industry has resisted such cooperation by strongly opposing recycled -content legislation, and has defeated or weakened consumer efforts to institute stronger laws. Plastic manufacturers recently decided that they will not add post consumer materials to their resins used in the USA.

There is a likelihood that establishing plastics collection might increase consumption by making plastic appear more ecologically friendly both to consumers and retailers. Collecting plastics at curbside could legitimize the production and marketing of packaging made from virgin plastic. Studies of garbage truck loads during the recent plastic pick-up pilot program showed no reduction of "recyclable" plastic containers being thrown away in the pilot areas (in fact, there was a slight increase). Due in part to increased plastic use, glass container plants around the country have been closing, including Anchor Glass Container Corporation in Antioch, putting 300 people out of work

Plastic recycling costs much and does little to achieve recycling goals. Our cost/benefit analysis for implementing curbside plastics collection in Berkeley shows that curbside collection of discarded plastics: involves expensive processing; has limited benefits in reducing environmental impacts; and has limited benefits in diverting resources from waste.

Processing used plastics often costs more than virgin plastic. As plastic producers increase production and reduce prices on virgin plastics, the markets for used plastic are diminishing. PET recyclers cannot compete with the virgin resin flooding the market.

Increasing the capture rates of glass, paper or yard debris in Berkeley could divert more resources from landfills than collecting plastics at curbside. The "recyclable" plastic to be collected in Berkeley at most would only amount to 0.3% of the waste stream.

Five Strategies to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Plastics

1. Reduce the use
Source reduction Retailers and consumers can select products that use little or no packaging. Select packaging materials that are recycled into new packaging - such as glass and paper. If people refuse plastic as a packaging material, the industry will decrease production for that purpose, and the associated problems such as energy use, pollution, and adverse health effects will diminish.

2. Reuse containers
Since refillable plastic containers can be reused about 25 times, container reuse can lead to a substantial reduction in the demand for disposable plastic, and reduced use of materials and energy, with the consequent reduced environmental impacts. Container designers will take into account the fate of the container beyond the point of sale and consider the service the container provides. "Design for service" differs sharply from "design for disposal".

3. Require producers to take back resins
Get plastic manufacturers directly involved with plastic disposal and closing the material loop, which can stimulate them to consider the product’s life cycle from cradle to grave. Make reprocessing easier by limiting the number of container types and shapes, using only one type of resin in each container, making collapsible containers, eliminating pigments, using water-dispersible adhesives for labels, and phasing out associated metals such as aluminum seals. Container and resin makers can help develop the reprocessing infrastructure by taking back plastic from consumers.

4. Legislatively require recycled content
Requiring that all containers be composed of a percentage of post-consumer material reduces the amount of virgin material consumed.

5. Standardize labeling and inform the public
The chasing arrows symbol on plastics is an example of an ambiguous and misleading label. Significantly different standardized labels for "recycled," "recyclable," and "made of plastic type X" must be developed.

Ecology Center
2530 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94702
Phone: (510) 548-2220 x233
email: erc@ecologycenter.org

http://www.ecologycenter.org/ptf/misconceptions.html

Pima County Sheriff's Department safe Halloween event for kids

According to a news release from the Pima County Sheriff's Department;

Join the department's 16th annual "Safe Nights for Kids" from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday at Tucson Electric Park, 2500 E. Ajo Way.

Admission is free. Pizza, soda, games, contests, a haunted house, puppet show and lots of candy will be on hand.

For more information, contact Sgt. James Odgen at 351-4679, Sgt. George Reis at 351-6979 or Sgt. Gerard Moretz at 351-6164.

Save money by turning off home / office electronics

Heard a quick story on the radio this morning, and did a little research on the internet. Did you know 3/4 of the power used by home and office electronics are used when the devices are turned off? Here is some information we collected from Wikipedia and the U.S. Department of Energy website

Heard a quick story on the radio this morning, and did a little research on the internet. Did you know 3/4 of the power used by home and office electronics are used when the devices are turned off? Here is some information we collected from Wikipedia and the U.S. Department of Energy website

In the U.S., nearly 4.2 million people worked from home in 2000, up from 3.4 million in 1990. Working from home saves energy and time by cutting out the commute, but it may increase your home energy bills a lot unless you use energy-saving office equipment

Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These "phantom" loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.

There are a few simple methods to reduce standby power. The easiest way to do that is to simply unplug the unused devices. Replacing battery powered devices, such as cordless phones or rechargeable razors with corded alternatives not only cuts down on the standby power required to charge the battery, but also reduces energy lost in battery charging and discharging inefficiencies.To switch off several devices that are often used together such as a PC, a monitor and a printer it is advisable to use a switchable power bar or surge protector with multiple sockets.Timers can be used to turn off standby power to devices that are unused on a regular automated schedule.

Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.

There is a common misconception that screen savers reduce energy use by monitors; they do not. Automatic switching to sleep mode or manually turning monitors off is always the better energy-saving strategy.

Common misconceptions sometimes account for the failure to turn off equipment. Many people believe that equipment lasts longer if it is never turned off. This incorrect perception carries over from the days of older mainframe computers.

Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers.

http://www.free-pc-help.com/Articles.php?action=detail&g=content1224678566

Home and Garden Show

Brought to you by the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association

October 10, 11 & 12, 2008
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Admission tickets are $8 and half price for 50 and over on Friday. Military discounts will be available all days. Children 12 and under are free. For under 50 on Friday and for admission Saturday and Sunday, $2 off admission coupons are available at sahbahomeshow.com and all local Circle K Stores.


The Southern Arizona Home Builders Association (SAHBA) welcomes you to visit Arizona’s largest home show. With over 350,000 square feet of exhibit space and 450 merchants under ONE roof at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 South Church Avenue, you’ll discover thousands of exciting ideas for your home! And because this is your local, home town home show, you have the confidence of knowing that the business will be here to deliver the services and products.

New Residential Trash and Recycling Schedule

Effective November 10, 2008, Environmental Services (ES) will be implementing a new collection schedule. The new schedule will affect residential and commercial customers with plastic container service for trash and/or recycling service, including shared alley containers. The schedule is being changed in order to maximize the efficient use of collection equipment and staff. Trash and recycling will no longer be collected on Saturdays, except during holiday weeks. ES expects the new schedule will result in increased quality of service. Due to the schedule change, customers with plastic containers may see a change in their collection time. To ensure service, containers should be placed at the curb by 6 a.m. on collection day.

If you have questions, please contact Customer Service at (520) 791-3171.

New Residential Trash and Recycling Schedule
http://www.tucsonaz.gov/esd/newcollect.html

New geothermal assessment of U.S.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey released the first national geothermal resource estimate in more than 30 years.

The results of this assessment show that the United States has an estimated 9,057 Megawatts-electric (MWe) of power generation potential from domestic, conventional, identified geothermal systems, 30,033 MWe of power generation potential from conventional, undiscovered geothermal resources, and 517,800 MWe of power generation potential from unconventional (high temperature, low permeability) Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) resources.

Arizona is shown as having only 0.29% of the currently identified geothermal assessments, 3.47% of the unknown resources, and 10.56% of the enhanced geothermal resource potential identified.

http://arizonageology.blogspot.com/2008/10/new-geothermal-assessment-of-us.html

Food Drive at 2008 Tucson Oktoberfest

October 2, 2008

to

October 5, 2008

The Community Food Bank will conduct a two day food drive at the 2008 Tucson Oktoberfest on Thursday, October 2nd from 5:00 to 10:00 PM and Friday October 3rd from 12 Noon to 5:00 PM. Attendees who donate two cans of food during those hours will be admitted free.

The Tucson Oktoberfest is a four day festival and family event at Hi Corbett Field, 3400 E. Camino Campestre in Tucson. The dates and times for the Tucson Oktoberfest are Thursday, October 2nd - 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Friday, October 3rd -12 Noon to 11:00 PM, Saturday, October 4th -10:00 AM to 11:00 PM and Sunday, October 5th - 12 Noon to 6:00 PM.

This is the 7th year for the Tucson Oktoberfest and will feature 100 Arts and Crafts Booths, a 50% larger children’s play area, constant live entertainment and great food. For information on the 2008 Oktoberfest log onto http://www.tucsonoktoberfest.org/
The Community Food Bank food drive will be located at the main entrance. Most needed items, this time of the year, are canned meats, canned vegetables, canned soups, cereal, peanut butter, canned fruit and canned tomato products. Please, no pre-opened items or glass container.

For more information on the Community Food Bank food drive, contact Jacob Coldsmith at (520) 622-0525 x 260

http://communityfoodbank.com/2008/09/24/food-drive-at-2008-tucson-oktoberfest/

Copiapoa cinerea

The scientific name of this tiny cactus is Copiapoa cinerea. An extremely slow growing cactus, it seems as if this small specimen hasn't grown at all since I acquired it late last year. Eventually its purple color will change to a dull green, but the spines will remain the same dark color. One of the reasons it has a purple hue (other than its young age) is that I keep it in light shade. In Phoenix, it requires some summer sun protection even as it ages.

C. cinerea is native to northern Chile. ...


http://waterwhendry.blogspot.com/2008/09/copiapoa-cinerea-green-thumb-sundy.html

Save a Life Saturday for Families, free family safety event

We're just days away from Save a Life Saturday for Families, our free family safety event.

• Saturday, September 20, 8am - 12pm
• DoubleTree Hotel Tucson at Reid Park, Grand Ballroom, 445 S. Alvernon Way. See map >>
• Pet adoptions courtesy of Petsmart!
• Get a free prescription discount card!
• Register to win a Wii and more!
• Donate your unwanted cell phone & receive another chance to win!
• Visit over 30 educational and interactive booths, stage demonstrations and helpful services.
• Grab a printable version (PDF) of our event flyer (below), and plan this great event into your weekend!
  

Science Friday, Sept 12th, 2008 Stalking the Wild Mushroom

NPR had a good hour today.. Mushrooms !!

Stalking the Wild Mushroom
Friday, September 12th, 2008

The Fabulous Fungi

In this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at all things fungal -- from shiitakes to mold, and everything in between. (more)

Tucson Home and Garden Blog

Welcome to our new Tucson Home and Garden Blog.. looks like most of the pictures stopped working in our first set of posts, we'll add them a different way next time.

More reviews, photos along with our thoughts on the way..

Electric Poles Knocked Over in East Tucson, AZ

Electric Poles Knocked Over in East Tucson, AZ
Posted By: Crescent Security
Posted: Sat Jul 26 2008
The wind and rain hit a street on Tucsons south east side one night in July 2008. Many electric poles were broken and dropped ...Click Here for full article

Cactus are moved and re-used

Cactus are moved and re-used
Posted By: Customs By Design
Posted: Sat Jul 26 2008
Many home builders move existing cactus from a new area of land they are ceveloping to an area they can live while constructi ...Click Here for full article

Home Automation by Crescent Security

Home Automation by Crescent Security
Posted By: Crescent Security
Posted: Sat Jul 12 2008
Add the convience and security of remote controlled lighting throughout your home.
Crescent Security can install every ...Click Here for full article

Interiors With Flair at Kinney Village Townhomes

Interiors With Flair at Kinney Village Townhomes
Posted By: Kinney Village Townhomes
Posted: Sat Jul 12 2008
The “WOW” Factor is heard often when prospective residents tour our Model Homes. Newcomers are drawn to the high ceilings an ...Click Here for full article

9 — 14 ft. Ceilings Dramatic Great Room with Architectural details Ceramic Tile Entry Hand Trowel Wall Finish

6-panel Raised Interior Doors Decora Rocker Panel Light Switches Double Door Entry to Den (Portofino) 3 Cable TV pre-wiring & Phone Outlets

Need a Junk Car Removed?

Need a Junk Car Removed?
Posted By: Firebird Towing
Posted: Sun Jun 22 2008
Firebird Towing in Tucson, Arizona Specializes in Towing illegally parked cars and Abandoned Vehicles from vacant lots and re ...Click Here for full article

Custom home builder in Tucson, Arizona

Custom home builder in Tucson, Arizona
Posted By: Customs By Design
Posted: Sat Jun 21 2008
Customs By Design utilizes the most current building materials to create beautiful homes with features only a custom home can ...Click Here for full article

Pool Service in Tucson

Pool Service in Tucson
Posted By: Above and Beyond Pools
Posted: Sat Jun 21 2008
Tucson's top home and pool builders use Above and Beyond Pools for reliable, quality work and "above and beyond" se ...Click Here for full article

Funeral Procession to Honor Tucson Police Officer Erik Hite

Funeral Procession to Honor Tucson Police Officer Erik Hite
Posted By: Pete
Posted: Thu Jun 12 2008
Tucson Police Officer Erik Hite, died Monday, after being shot in the line of duty. Hite was a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Ai ...Click Here for full article

Orange Cactus Flower

Orange Cactus Flower
Posted By: Above and Beyond Pools
Posted: Sun May 25 2008
Generally known as prickly pear or Panhandle, it is sceinetific name is Opuntia. Prickly pear species are found in abundance ...Click Here for full article

Kinney Village Townhomes MODEL HOME located in Phase II

Kinney Village Townhomes MODEL HOME located in Phase II
Posted By: Kinney Village Townhomes
Posted: Mon May 5 2008
We are excited to announce the Grand Opening of our new MODEL HOME located in Phase II.
Visit us at 5766 W. Treasure ...Click Here for full article

Residential Services by Crescent Security

Residential Services by Crescent Security
Posted By: Crescent Security
Posted: Sat Apr 26 2008
Residential Security
Home Audio
Home Lighting
Home Automation
Central Vacuum ...Click Here for full article

4th Ave Street Fair - April 4th, 2008

4th Ave Street Fair - April 4th, 2008
Posted By: Kinney Village Townhomes
Posted: Sun Apr 13 2008
The Fourth Avenue Spring Street Fair is the 4, 5, 6th of April 2008. It takes place between Ninth Street and University Blvd. ...Click Here for full article

Installing a Roll Up Shed Door

Installing a Roll Up Shed Door
Posted By: Joe F
Posted: Sat Apr 12 2008
We recently installed a roll up door on a backyard shed. This door takes up little space inside the shed (like a typical roll ...Click Here for full article

Fixing a broken Refrigerator / Freezer

Fixing a broken Refrigerator / Freezer
Posted By: Joe F
Posted: Wed Mar 19 2008
We were getting a lot of frost on the inside of the freezer and the refrigerator was not staying cold. Turning the fridge off ...Click Here for full article

Corona ACE Hardware NOW OPEN

Corona ACE Hardware NOW OPEN
Posted By: Corona ACE
Posted: Wed Mar 5 2008
At last, an Ace Hardware in your neighborhood! ...Click Here for full article

Tucson Gem Show 2008

Tucson Gem Show 2008
Posted By: JiveOne
Posted: Sat Feb 16 2008
For 50 or so years now people have visited Tucson, Arizona in Feb for the Gem and Mineral Show. This year it was larger than ...Click Here for full article

Home Repair Tool Kit - An overview with pictures

Home Repair Tool Kit - An overview with pictures
Posted By: Bubba
Posted: Sun Jan 6 2008
This is an overview and review of this wide mouth / soft side style of bag for a home repair tool kit. I am not sure of the m ...Click Here for full article

Native Seeds - SEARCH in Tucson, Arizona

Native Seeds - SEARCH in Tucson, Arizona
Posted By: Bubba
Posted: Sun Jan 6 2008
We stopped in to visit and join the Tucson, Arizona based Native Seeds / SEARCH. Located on 4th Ave just north of downtown, S ...Click Here for full article

Arizona State Home Show 2008

Arizona State Home Show 2008
Posted By: FamilyAir, LLC
Posted: Sat Jan 5 2008
We visited the AZ State Home Show. It wasn not the largest show of this type that we have in Tucson, but it drew many people ...Click Here for full article

Getting a furnace ready

Getting a furnace ready
Posted By: Joe F
Posted: Wed Dec 26 2007
There is not too much to do to get a furnace ready for winter, Check it over for use, change the filter and move your cookie ...Click Here for full article

Winterize your Garden and Landscape Plants

Winterize your Garden and Landscape Plants
Posted By: Leads Unlimited
Posted: Sun Nov 4 2007
This week topic at the Leads Unlimited breakfast meeting was How to Winterize your Garden and Landscape Plants. It was presen ...Click Here for full article

Kinney Village Townhomes

Kinney Village Townhomes
Posted By: Kinney Village Townhomes
Posted: Wed Jun 1 2007
Kinney Village Townhomes offers a dedicated park-like area for family and friends to gather around our refreshing pool, spa a ...Click Here for full article

Tour of West Side Tucson, Arizona Attractions

Tour of West Side Tucson, Arizona Attractions
Posted By: Kinney Village Townhomes
Posted: Wed Jun 13 2007
Here is some information, maps and pictures taken around the westside of Tucson in June 2007 ...Click Here for full article

100 Questions and Answers About Buying a New Home

100 Questions and Answers About Buying a New Home
Posted By: Customs By Design
Posted: Tue Jun 12 2007
Here is some great information from our government on how to buy a new home. ...Click Here for full article

Tucson Food Markets

Tucson Food Markets
Posted By: Pete
Posted: Sun Jan 28 2007 9: 07 pm
We collected information on many of the local farmers markets and open air markets in the Tucson area ...Click Here for full article

Can Your Kitchen Pass the Food Safety Test?

Can Your Kitchen Pass the Food Safety Test?
Posted By: Joe F
Posted: Sun Jan 28 2007 11: 53 am
What comes to mind when you think of a clean kitchen? Shiny waxed floors? Gleaming stainless steel sinks? Spotless counters a ...Click Here for full article