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Mini-Split Heat Pumps: When You Only Want to Heat One Room

You may have a room that is already heated by an inefficient electric-resistance heater (often built into a wall), which you would like to upgrade. Or a room that is now heated by a fossil-fuel heater (perhaps a natural gas burning wall furnace), and

Get Growing this Spring

Secondhand technology: an easy way to save money and help the environment!

In our last newsletter, we wrote about the importance of buying secondhand and buying secondhand clothes in particular. But have you ever considered buying technology like cell phones, computers, or cameras second-hand?

Water Options—Saving a Precious Resource

The California Energy Commission estimates that California uses approximately 20% of its total energy on moving, treating, and heating water. Due to drought and the increasing demand for water for agriculture, domestic and commerical use, our aquife

How and Why to Help Create a Dark Sky

A satellite photo of the earth at night provides a colorful indication of where cities and towns are located. The east and west coasts of the United States are lit up like a swarm of fireflies, along with the big cities of Europe and elsewhere. Th

Are Condoms Sustainable?

It’s not unusual to talk about being sexually responsible when it pertains to birth control or preventing sexually transmitted infections, but what about when it’s good for you, your partner, AND the planet? According to Hank Green, a blogger at Ec

Sexy and Sustainable for Valentine's Day - or Any Day!

 Let’s explore some popular items associated with love, romance, and sex and see just how sustainable they are! 

OYSTERS

Oysters, a well-known aphrodisiac, may be more environmentally friendly than previously thought. Oysters filter up to 50 gallons of

The Conscious Closet - Shop Secondhand First

Did you go through a closet purge or decluttering frenzy to start the new year? Most of us have dropped off bags of clothing culled from our closets over the years to the local Goodwill or Salvation Army and felt pretty good about giving our clothes

Up, up and away? How balloons pollute the environment

For many, balloons are associated with celebrations and remembrances. They’re eye catching, festive and often brightly colored. If you think about it, they are a relatively low maintenance decoration, and are more decorative than interactive; that

February 2021 Action of the Month: Turn Stuff Off!

 by Abigail Stofer

February's Action of the Month from SCOCO's youth team, Sustainable Leaders in Action is “Turn Stuff Off!” This action is super simple and an efficient way to save money!

The first aspect of this is to turn off lights whenever you

Get Involved in your Contra Costa community!

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Are you looking for ways to get involved in your Contra Costa community this year? Below you will find opportunities to engage in environmental activism in Contra Costa County and in your current city.

Get involved

5 Recycling Myths

Have you made a resolution to live more sustainability and reduce waste in 2021? Products and brands may market their goods and packaging as "green" but in reality, the benefits may not be so clear. Here are some common recycling myths:

1. The recycli

How Green Is Your Cup of Joe?

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

Coffee is the most popular beverage in the world and the most widely traded agricultural commodity. What makes it sustainable is whether it is good for the environment and good for the people who grow it. Rising glob

Protect the Ocean with Sustainable Seafood!

Accountant - Part-Time PAID

ACCOUNTANT POSITION AT SUSTAINABLE CONTRA COSTA

Sustainable Contra Costa (SCOCO) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that educates, connects and inspires Contra Costa individuals and organizations to embrace a sustainable lifestyle. We are a community

Can Lights and LEDs

We’ve gone through two energy retrofits at our house in Walnut Creek. The first time was in 2007, the year we bought the house. The second was in 2014. The biggest impacts came from sealing and insulating our recessed can lights and switching to LED

Sustainability News We Can Celebrate!

Photo by Austin Schmid on Unsplash

It’s been a rough time for our country and for the environment, but positive things are happening too. As the young activist Greta Thunberg reminds us, small actions from many like-minded people cause big changes t

Part-Time Accountant: PAID

Sustainable Contra Costa (SCOCO) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that educates, connects and inspires Contra Costa individuals and organizations to embrace a sustainable lifestyle. We are a community of citizens, educators, innovators, and organiza

2020 Holiday Gift Guide

This holidiay season, it's more important than ever to support local and sustainable businesses. This year has been so tough for small businesses, with so many closing due to the pandemic. When your dollars stay local or support a responsible busines

From the Mountains to the Sea

Two recent headlines show how bad plastic pollution has become. Treehugger, whose motto is “Sustainability for All” published in its November 23, 2020 e-newsletter a story, “Microplastics Found Near the Top of Mount Everest”. Another article in