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Have you seen Walkscore yet? It scores how walkable your house is.

My house got a 75 out of 100. Family Style got a 77, Newton Booth got a 72. If you are so unfortunate as to live at 3218 Yosemite Park Way Elk Grove in Laguna West you would only get a score of 20.

I don’t know about all their picks - I don’t think 7-11 is a grocery store or B Street Theatre is a movie theater, but it is a fun tool!

Steve

I have been thinking that I should be doing posts about cool green technologies for some time now but I just haven’t committed yet. Really the reason is because then I would be obligated (a self-imposed obligation) to keep up on a repetitive basis with bigger and better technology and more astounding revelations. I really have an aversion to repetitive obligations! But I am over that. I am going to give you a little tid-bit when I have time, and I promise no regularity.

So I went to Davis Energy Group’s office in Davis last week to find out the real scoop on the “Night Breeze” HVAC system we’re using on our B Street West project. I am not going to try to give you the full mechanical run-down here but you can follow this link if you want more info.

In a nutshell the system takes in outdoor air when it is cooler outside than the set-point of your air conditioning system. So at night the fan in your fan-coil (furnace) will run at a variable speed in order to maximize the night cooling rather than run the compressor late into the night. I’ve got a neighbor who runs their air conditioning well after the outside air temperature has dropped into the low 70’s. The system is really perfect for the Sacramento climate and the Delta Breezes that we get here.

But wait there’s more . . . The system actually keeps a log of previous days temperatures and the effectiveness of the night-cooling and ramps up or down to compensate in the following days. The premise of the design is to minimize compressor usage and therefore save energy.

Davis Energy Group’s data from two test houses shows that a conventional high efficiency HVAC system uses 21.7 Kilowatt Hours of power per day and the Night Breeze uses only 4.1. 25% of the energy usage!!! That’s pretty cool. Pun intended.

Micah

Thanks to Jessie for pointing us to this blog about low impact week.

Lots of great ideas about how to participate and a ton of other great entries about all sorts of fun things.

We’ve had several of you ask us “will we see you at Earth Day?” A reasonable question to ask a team of eco-urbanists trying hard to bring about a marriage between natural and urban environments.

Here’s the short answer: Regrettably, No.

Here’s why: We signed on with the Washington Music Festival before we had a date from West Sac and had materials from Earth Day. When the date finally came, it was on the same day. There aren’t enough of us to be in two places at once, so we had to stick with our commitments.

Next year will be a different story…

In the Meantime…
If you are planning to go to Earth Day, SN&R has published the “official program”

You can also read the cover story, “5 Things Sacramento Can Do to Save the Planet,” their response to the City’s new Sustainability Master Plan.

In the absence of our own attendance, here’s a few links to inspire and connect you with a few eco-activities this weekend that specifically relate to eco-urbanism.

Eco-Urban EarthDay Happenings You May Not Know About

The End of Suburbia
Showing at Fools Foundation. $5
1025 19th Street

BTW, if you’re a documentary fan, Fools Foundation is a group you’ll want to connect with. They do exclusive premiers of less-known documentaries and films and often invite “people in the know” to attend/speak.
To get on their distribution list, e-mail Robert at shiny-object dot com.

I talked with the shiny object folks this week and they are looking into doing a showing of Radiant City…if that happens, we’ll let you know.

Urban Sprawl Devours Nature
A collection of six local artists “interpreting their own feelings toward the environmental, economical, and social changes of their hometown.” Through May 10th
Sol Collective
2010 Del Paso Boulevard
916-923-3612

Science Friday on NPR
You can now subscribe to a feed for both audio and video for this show. Today had several notables…

Ethanol Fuel And Health / Solar Technology / Battery Challenges
“A roundup on energy and the environment, from potential health effects of ethanol fuels, to new approaches to solar technology. Plus, building better batteries for future environmental applications.”

Of particular note, the study on ethanol showed some telling data about this questionably “sustainable” fuel alternative. Most notably, the E85 (ethanol) would not improve air quality and in many areas of the US (including California) would increase air pollution. Projections showed an actual increase in ozone-related deaths, hospitalizations and asthma due to increased use of E85.

Parks And Climate Change
“A look at how parks and protected areas will have to adjust to global climate change.”

The show’s SciFri Blog posted some useful links and information about the growing “urban agriculture” movement.

20 Minutes with eco-visionary William McDonough

Architect and designer William McDonough asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account “All children, all species, for all time.”

Cool sites We’ve Come Across this Week.

A 1 minute test to see how you rate ecologically. I tested at 10 acres and 2.3 planets. Yikes.

The Journey of Trash: a simple, interactive site that shows the migration/traffic patterns of trash in the oceans.

Ecolyze your PC (Hey, small changes add up!)

No Impact Man: this guy’s had a lot of (deserved) publicity but, in case you haven’t seen any of it, you can check out his story here.

Happy EarthDay Weekend!

Jason

We just learned about this event but we’re planning to drop in.

Green Exhibits
This first-of-its-kind event at the Ziggurat will feature interactive displays and exhibits showcasing how to save energy, conserve natural resources; and reduce our impact on climate change, both on the job and at home. Plus, there will be food and fun!

Earth Day exhibits will be located in the Ziggurat atrium, parking circle, and along the River Walk from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to the customary booths, there’ll be a couple of free forums.

Green Forums
The Department of General Services will host two educational forums focusing on the state of California’s green building program and green buying practices. These break-out sessions are free-of-charge, and will be held in the first-floor auditorium.

1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Building Green: Attaining LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification for Public Buildings.

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Buying Green: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Contracting Practices.

We think this region has enormous potention to become a “green beacon” for the rest of the nation. So its good to see some momentum from the cities around sustainability.

Jason

Thanks to this new browser toolbar widget, I stumbled upon this site which gives real time carbon dioxide emission levels (and birth and death rates) for every country in the world.

Note which countries are coded “RED”…

Jason

Very cool.

I found this site today and wanted to share it with you all.

It seems that finally people are catching on that to inspire change you need to start a revolution. I am reading a book by Alan Deutchman called Change or Die and he talks about how 90% of heart patients stop taking the prescribed Medication after one year. The primary contributor is that taking the pill every day reminds them of the gravity of their situation. The point he gets at is that the better way to change is to make it a habit and come at it from the positive angle. Because no one responds well in the long run to the negative.

Yeah, we have to do something about it, but we are not going to get anywhere if we are just trying to scare everyone into doing it.

There’s a powerful application to eco-urban community and development here. We talked a lot in the early days about sprawl and how its systematically destroying a culture here in America. We decided the better angle was to make cities better. That way you wont want to contribute to sprawl. You will be missing out on all the cool stuff going on in the core.

Levi

We are always excited to see other developers doing good things and its especially good when its in our area.

I want to point you all over there where you can find all about Leonard Development Company’s newest project.

It’s a much needed addition to the Washington area in West Sacramento and has been a long time coming.

Also we want to congratulate them on receiving the Business Journal’s 2006 Peoples Choice Award for Best New Development and 2007 Judges Choice Award for Best Emerging Infill Project.

They are having an open house on Saturday the 3rd and Sunday the 4th of March. We will be there to support the project.

If you’ve got some time, drop by and check it out next weekend.

Levi

I found some more CSA info for you all. Most of this was from a good Sacramento Magazine article that outlines the local produce options from grocery stores, CSA’s, and farmer’s markets….

Here are some farms in the Sacramento region that offer CSA programs:

• Soil Born Farm, Sacramento; (916) 486-9686Soil Born delivers boxes of produce to its subscribers the very same day the produce is harvested—an advantage of its urban location. Subscribers’ fees also assist in the farm’s ambitious goals of establishing a community-run farmers market in Del Paso Heights and the implementation of an “edible schoolyard” program at Jonas Salk Middle School.
• Del Rio Botanical/Peabody Ranch, West Sacramento; (916) 919-1843 / delrioseed@direcway.comOwner Suzanne Ashworth calls her CSA boxes “gourmet” because subscribers find a number of lesser-known “specialty” items mixed in with more predictable fruits and vegetables. For instance, in a recent box, Ashworth tucked colorful calendula flower petals, pineapple sage, lemon grass and fava bean leaves in with the more recognizable fennel bulbs, spring salad mix and kumquats.
• Full Belly Farm, Guinda, Yolo County; (530) 796-2214 /”We grow over 100 things at Full Belly,” says farm partner Dru Rivers, “so subscribers will probably get 100 different items in their box over the growing season.” Rivers emphasizes that 95 percent of the box’s contents come from her farm. “If we do supplement, we don’t buy anything outside of the Capay Valley,” she says. “This is a really regional CSA box.” Full Belly is situated on Cache Creek and serve Sacramento, Davis and Woodland. Subscriptions can be renewed on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
• Good Humus Produce, Capay, Yolo County; (530) 787-3187In addition to Good Humus’ regular weekly seasonal CSA box, the farm offers a separate “fruit only” box from May through February. The fruit box is composed of produce from not only Good Humus but a handful of neighboring farms. The farm also invites subscribers to a yearly working day and a peach celebration day. Owners Annie and Jeff Main currently are working to put their land in a land preservation trust—”to keep it as a farm, always,” she explains.
• Terra Firma Farm, Winters, Yolo County; (530) 756-2800Terra Firma’s popular CSA program offers subscribers the opportunity to purchase extra fruit when its fruit crops are in season. “Our customers play a crucial role in helping our business succeed and in inspiring us,” says the farm’s website. “Many of our subscribers have been with us since the beginning of the CSA . . . their kids have grown up with the memories of running through our fields and playing in our orchards, and they’ve grown up healthy while eating our vegetables.”
• Foothill Organic Growers, Newcastle, Placer County; (916) 663-2146Owner Jack Hertel gives subscribers a choice: Accept what he chooses for them, or decide for themselves what they want to receive. Hertel supplies a telephone “veggie line” so subscribers can call to find out what’s available and to select what they want in their box. Interesting factoid: He delivers $400 to $500 worth of fresh, organic produce to the Folsom City Zoo each week. “Those animals,” he chortles, “eat better than 98 percent of [consumers]!”
• Riverdog Farm, Guinda, Yolo County; (530) 796-3802Riverdog Farm has operated by Trini Campbell and Tim Mueller for the last fourteen years and has drop locations in Davis, Sacramento, and other cities in Napa County with subscriptions that can be paid monthly, quarterly, or annually. Riverdog provides produces directly to several restaurants in Davis and Woodland.
• EEatwell Farm, Dixon, Yolo County; (800) 648-9894Eatwell Farm is a family farm run by Frances and Nigel and their twin sons, Eric and Andrew. Eatwell’s 70 acres are located at Pedrick and 1-80. The farm grows numerous crops for farmers’ markets and their own CSA produce program. CSA members can choose a 4, 13 or 26 box subscription with an option for an organic free-range egg share as well. May have a waiting list. Serving Davis and the Bay Area.

Vanessa

I recently joined up with Full Belly Farm’s CSA program thanks to the offer of our neighbors to pick up our box for us. We’d been thinking about doing it for awhile, so their offer motivated us all the more to join. We’ve had two boxes thus far and really like what they are doing. Our daughter gets excited each week when the box comes: she loves the fresh carrots especially and I just observed today that she’s subsequently picked up her pretend-bunny play again–complete with bunny ears and bunny stuffed animal.

More than a Box of Produce
CSA programs are truly wonderful community assets on so many levels. They produce food for a variety of outlets: some goes direct-to-consumers via their membership program or farmers markets, other foods go to restaurants and local markets like the Co-op—this approach allows them to have a much more diverse range of crops and minimizes the amount of fuel and energy/resource consumption—both of which have clear connections to a healthier eco-system. They also educate the public about food issues—recently Fully Belly’s newsletter has been addressing the issue of e-coli bacteria as it relates to farming practices, and I’ve been impressed with their honesty and genuine concern and care. Their practices are far more conscientious than conventional industrial models of agriculture: everything we get from them is 100% organic. In many ways, CSA programs like Fully Belly’s bring us that much closer to the quality of life that I associate with the long-standing village communities in Europe where the ties between land and agriculture and the urban core have remained strong for centuries.

From the Earth to the Table
I come from the Wine Country (Sonoma County) which established its culinary reputation on the same application of earth-to-table practices found in wine-producing regions all over the world. So, its no surprise to me that as Sacramento’s culinary reportoire expands, its restaurants and farms are forming stronger relationships. Those of us who revel in the artistry of fine cuisine can thank local farms like these for the diverse, fresh, local seasonal produce discriminating chefs rely on to ensure excellence.

Personal Perks
On a personal level, farms like these enable eco-urbanists like myself who don’t have much land for growing our own foods to feel that we can still do something to narrow the gap between earth and table. The pick-up location is in the grid so we don’t have to drive far. Plus, I get to try out ingredients I’ve never used before which adds more diversity (ie. nutritional balance) to my diet. And my daughter gets one more reason to be a bunny. I’m looking forward to one of their events where we can take the family out and see the farm, making the food to table connection that much stronger.

Healthier choices for better living. Supporting the local economy. Being a part of a community of conscientious consumers. Inspiring creativity and excellence. In many ways the CSA’s embody the very kind of eco-urban community we’re working to create.

If you haven’t checked one out yet, here’s a list of three CSA farms that supply Sacramento to start you off:
Good Humus
Full Belly
Soil Born

Jason