The average U.S. household uses 300 gallons of water daily, with about 30% going to lawns and gardens. In hot, dry areas like the Bay Area, the percentage of household water that is used outdoors is well over 50%. This varies widely by region and ty
This August, get to know your home's energy usage by completing a Home Energy Audit! Make sure to check out (pun intended) the BayREN Home Energy Efficiency Toolkit available at any County library branch and find out how to increase your energy eff
Read more…Photo by PHÚC LONG on Unsplash
There are so many different types of lettuce on the market these days. You can whip up a crisp Caesar salad with Romaine lettuce, a tangy wedge salad with iceberg lettuce, or an artisanal salad with a nifty head of hydro
Read more…Can you make your commercial airline flight carbon-free? Probably not. There is much work being done on potential hydrogen and electric powered aircraft, but in the meantime you may be able to offset the carbon emissions from your flight by purchasi
Read more…Looking for something to do this summer? Check out the Summer Bike Challenge!
The Summer Bike Challenge is a county-wide activity with prizes and fun events that lasts through August! To participate, visit 511 Contra Costa’s challenge website, regi
Read more…It's Plastic-Free July, and we're thinking about what we wear. Two-thirds of our clothing contains a synthetic fiber that is the bane of environmentalists, and yet the fashion industry promotes it as being sustainable. Apparel companies like J. Crew
Ask a home performance professional what energy measures you should take to maximize comfort and efficiency, and you will probably hear, “It depends.” It depends on the characteristics of the house, the behavior of the people inside it, and, of cours
It seems that fire season comes earlier each year, so it's never too early to prepare your home and community.
Common sense tells us that the risk of wildfires is heightened during periods of extreme heat and amid the worsening drought. However, in
Read more…Today, we are facing many complex challenges. We have all experienced challenges from more extreme weather - bigger storms, droughts or fires - to health, economic or social challenges like we experienced in the recent pandemic. These often can seem
Anxiety over climate change can affect the psychological wellbeing of kids, just as it can for adults. As much as we want to shield our kids from unpleasantness and reassure them that their world is stable and secure, it’s impossible to ignore the re
Read more…Swimming pools use a fairly high amount of water and energy. So if you are thinking of installing a pool, you might consider joining a community pool instead. If you already have a pool, you can enjoy it and still claim bragging rights for a sustaina
Mark your calendars for the East Bay Green Home Tour on May 14th and 15th! This virtual program consists of 12 short video tours of different homes in the East Bay and includes a Q&A with homeowners interested in similar home upgrade projects.
The E
Read more…Spring is in full swing, and this May we are celebrating Bike Month! Cycling is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, get in some exercise, and commute in a low carbon way.
The annual Bike to Wherever Day (formerly Bike to Work Day) will be on May 20, 2
Read more…Those of us who can’t wait to fire up the barbie will rejoice that May is National BBQ Month! In fact, with the pandemic waning in some areas, many homeowners are catching up on kitchen renovations and depending on outdoor grills for cooking meals. B
Read more…SPRING into the Cleaner Contra Costa CHALLENGE! May 2022
We are in the final month of the Spring Challenge!
Are you getting your garden ready? Remember that completing just one new action on the Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge earns you a free yard
Read more…Spring is here, and the masks are coming off. If you’re like me, you’re recovering from “maskne,” but you might be worried about the single-use packaging and chemical additives that come with many skincare products. Fear not! Consider these face mask
Every spring, asparagus fans eagerly anticipate the arrival of this delicacy and look forward to preparing it in a myriad of ways: steamed, simmered, roasted, grilled, sautéed, wok-fried, and more! Unfortunately, it is getting harder and harder to fi
Several years ago, at the Behavior Energy and Climate Change conference, a social scientist described a study of people's attitudes towards their cars. One person represented the results of the entire investigation. "I used to drive around in an old
SPRING into the Cleaner Contra Costa CHALLENGE!
The Spring Challenge is here! We need your help to reach our goal to save 1,000 tons of C02 (currently at 840 tons) and 2,500 households participating (currently at 2,387) in the Cleaner Contra Costa C
Read more…This article was written by Sustainable Leaders in Action interns Sarah, Stella and Alexi
“You have 12 years to limit climate catastrophe.” Our biology teacher stood at the front of the class, pointing at the headline projected onto the whiteboard.
