Environmental changes

At Greyhaven we’ve managed a number of environmentally friendly changes this year.

1. Got the house re-piped so we don’t have to run the upstairs water for a half hour to get it warm.
2. Got the south side of the house reshingled and repaired, so less cold air gets into the basement.
3. Did more shopping at the Berkeley Bowl, where they have recycled napkins, paper towels, and toilet paper, as well as locally grown produce.
4. For most of the year subscribed to the Full Belly Farms program that delivers local produce every two weeks.
5. Gratefully participated in the new Berkeley recycling program that accepts food waste as well as garden trimmings.
6. Got two new low-water flush toilets.
7. Stopped using paper plates for most of our house events.

We had already switched most of our lights to flourescents, and we’ve kept the thermostat at around 60 for years. Supporting a household of 9 people on one car, washing machine, dryer, etc. also saves some energy, I hope.

Things we should do in the future.

*Fix the rest of the outside of the house and insulate the basement.
*clean the heating ducts.
*replace the other appliances with energy-efficient versions
*buy more local produce
*buy carbon credits when I travel