We recently got our house assessed of solar panels. I had picked up a flyer from AES (Alternative Energy Systems) at last spring’s Home, Garden, and Antique Show at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, and this was a free service that they offered.

Our roof provides great exposure for solar, but there is one problem. It is true that the proposed $9,867 system would lower our electricity bill by 86%. However, our present energy costs are pretty low to begin with (we have been averaging $56/month on electricity since purchasing our house), so it would likely take up to 16 years to recoup our investment cost. The Catch-22 is that it would take even longer if we conserved even more energy.

On the plus side, adding solar panels will likely increase the value of our house (which is good, provided we intend to sell it someday), and also makes a statement that we support solar technology and clean energy.

However, an argument can be made that it makes more economic sense to integrate more energy-saving practices in my home and spend, say, $867 to purchase more low energy-use devices, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs or improved insulation materials, be it better windowblinds to reduce summer heat or weatherstripping to keep out the December chill. The remaining $9,000 that would have been spent on solar panels could instead be invested in some other manner over the next decade and a half.

Another thing to keep in mind is that PG&E itself is continuing to add to “clean” energy technologies to the grid such as solar and wind (currently 12% of PG&E’s power is from renewable sources, according to their website), though one needs to ask, is their pace fast enough for my conscience?

September 29th will mark the first anniversary of my wife and I moving to Chico. It is mind-boggling how many amazing people we have met over past twelve months, and we feel truly welcomed into the community. Thank you.

It also seemed like a vast majority of these folks were at Laxson Auditorium this past Tuesday to hear Paul Hawken speak as a part of CSU, Chico’s On The Creek lecture series. His talk was good, though it was certainly not the best lecture I have ever attended. I felt I wanted to hear, as Sue Hilderbrand of the Chico Peace and Justice Center put it, “more meat.” Specifically, who are some of those unsung grassroots organizations that make up “the largest movement in the world” that is dedicated to social and environmental issues? When Mr. Hawken empties his collection of business cards out onto his kitchen table, which ones represent groups that stand out for him, and why? What are they doing? What are some of their stories? Hawken chose instead to spend more time discussing the history of this movement, rather than elaborate its present.

A point he did bring up is that the organizations that champion the environment and social justice look a lot different at the local level than they do at the national and international level. The view from the top paints a picture of organizations that are known though glossy magazines, large lawsuits, sweeping tracts of private lands being converted to wildlife preserves, movie star activists, and globally-broadcast, multi-million dollar benefit concerts.

I hear through the media about the organizations at the national level, but I participate in the local ones, most of which were represented at the lecture. These organizations in turn reach out directly to the rest of Chico—without the press or national name-recognition of a Greenpeace or an Amnesty International—quietly making our community a better place to live. According to Hawken, there are 200,000 other small organizations around the world doing the same thing for their communities. About half of these are listed on his Wiserearth.org website.

A friend of mine sold me his 13" x 9" laptop over the summer, sans a carrying case. Knowing that I would likely drop it someday, use it for a dinner plate, or otherwise abuse it, I went on a quest to find an appropriate vessel for my machine.

A recent errand-run took me out toward Circuit City and Office Depot. Both were out of the right sized case. Disheartened, but not completed discouraged, I remembered that I was an Gen-X’er, and started surfing the web. I began with the online Apple Store. I found a nice case with side pockets, shoulder strap, and water proof, coffee proof, and bulletproof petroleum-based padding was $49.95, made in some faraway country but shipped to my doorstep in 24 hours. But I didn’t like the color.

I also wondered, in this world of hybrid cars, grass-fed beef, and fair-trade hemp hacky-sacks, if I couldn’t find a more local, environmentally-friendly option for my laptop.

So more surfing turned up Timbuk2, a San Francisco-based company that seemed pretty hip, but their cases were made of nylon for $35. I knew I could do better. Then I found cases made from recycled carpet, recycled tires, and even recycled cardboard. The carpet one cost $30, the tire $90 (or $165 for a higher-end model made from tractor tires), and the cardboard one (which looks like a glorified pizza box) is not readily available for sale.

Reassessing my needs, I realized what I really wanted was something simple and inexpensive that would protect my laptop from scratching when taking it in and out of my backpack. Here is my $2 solution, purchased from the Thrifty Bargain Store on the Esplanade:

When I get tired of the cloth and want to upgrade to something more classy, I might try to make my own out of a cardboard boxes and duct tape, using the online instructions provided here.

I was in the checkout line at Orchard Supply Hardware when the woman ahead of me made a single item purchase which the clerk promptly and diligently placed into a plastic bag. But here’s the thing—dangling on a clip from the woman’s belt loop was a ChicoBag.

“Excuse me for being forward,” I stated boldy, “but why don’t you just use your ChicoBag?”

A bit embarrassed, the woman replied “Oh. Right I guess I forgot about it. But the clerk already bagged my item.”

“I am sure she would be happy to remove the item and save the bag for someone else.”

And the clerk, being a pleasant person, did just that. I then apologized if I had made the woman uncomfortable, but she said no, my question was a perfectly reasonable.

At least she had her bag with her. Its when I get to the check-out stand and realize that I forgot my bag that I feel bummed and frustrated. Besides being a bit absent-minded (I think it comes with being a guy), I know that I was raised in a "throw-away" era (which started, perhaps, with the post-war 1950's and is only now started end), where having your purchase placed into a bag was never a concern. It takes some thought to get into a mindset that is more sustainably aware.

The solution in my house has been to have multiple reusable bags, everywhere. Bags by the front and back doors, in the car, in the backpack, in the briefcase, and in the bike basket. ChicoBags are certainly represented among our bag menagerie because of their extremely convenient size (but if they have one fault, it is that they may too convenient—they are so compact that at times, like the woman at OSH, I forget when I have one), but I also like bags that are big, gaudy, and obvious. Don’t have that many bags? You can find bags being sold for $1.00 or less as the local thrift stores.

And for the record, a colorfully written note on the chalkboard outside Trader Joe's the other day asked folks if they had remembered to grab their reusable bags from the car. Thanks, TJ.

I just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a must read for any of us who care even remotely about the food we eat. In a series of easy-flowing essays, Kingsolver takes the readers through the different months as her family subsists on a diet that consists almost entirely on food that was produced, grown, or raised in their own community, most of it on their own property. Stories abound of tomato canning, chicken raising, and meal preparation that made my mouth water. I learned that mozzarella cheese can be made from scratch in less than a half hour, chard is an effective wrap for dolmas, and that we are very fortunate here in Chico to live in a place where fresh local veggies are available year-round. Woven throughout are relevant facts, information, and insights about our food systems in general.

The book is inspiring, fun, intriguing, and scary. Think of the most influential books you have ever read. This will be one of them.

Next up for me: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Even after handing out cloth bags as wedding favors, I have friends who quiz me on the "paper or plastic" question. "But if you didn't have your cloth bag, what would you do?"

I get 817,000 hits when I google "paper or plastic," far to much information, I believe, for what should be a pretty simple question. So apparently the debate still rages: Paper, plastic, or your own? For those who still haven't made your decision, here are 817,000 websites, boiled down into one simple post:

This is the second of two posts about basics of Chico's water, where it comes from, and how we use it.

People move to Chico to go to college, escape the Bay Area, or perhaps to take a job. Other folks might make a list of all the things they are looking for in a town, such as bikeability, sunny weather, a vibrant downtown, attractive city parks, and easy access to mountains and wild areas, and realize that Chico might be the place they want to be.

But there are a few folks that move here because of the Tuscan Aquifer. Like the pink sea of spring almond blossoms, it is a bonus that one discovers later (if at all).

This is the first of two posts about the basics of Chico's water, where it comes from, and how we use it.

What is groundwater?

The first thing we Chico residents need to know is that our tap water does not come from Chico Creek, Butte Creek, the Sacramento River, or any other surface source. Rather, it is pumped out of the ground, and is thus termed "groundwater."

The first time I heard the word "groundwater" I imagined (as I am sure many do) an underground lake, or perhaps a series of caves filled with water. To access the wet stuff, one simply dug a hole down to the cave. Lower the bucket, fill it with water, and drink up.

Not quite. If this is still your image of groundwater, now is the time to let it go. This is important to understand, because we are talking about what we bath our children in, shower with, boil food in, and drink.

Wet laundry, hot weather, a phone with a headset, and friends and family to call are a winning combination. Let me explain.

Time, sadly, is a nonrenewable resource. So, if you have the capability to do two things at once, then you are being sustainable. Ergo, if you can find something mindless and productive to do while you are talking on the phone, you are doing pretty good.

My wife’s mindless chore of choice is hanging laundry (my job is doing the dishes). Not that we don’t have a dryer, its just that on a 95 degree day it seems that our back patio heats up to more like 105. Most hung clothes are dry in less than 20 minutes, much faster than using the dryer, not to mention that the capacity of our clothesline is more than that of the dryer. This method uses less energy too. And of course, my wife gets to use the opportunity to catch up with friends and relatives on the other side of the country.

And just to provide full disclosure, once the clothes are dry, we do toss them into the dryer for 6 minutes (no heat) to fluff things up a bit.

Our air conditioner is set to 81 degrees, and we are pretty happy with it. In fact, these days when I walk into a supermarket or movie theater, I feel downright chilled.

It also helps that on a typical hot Chico afternoon the temperature in our house is consistently 13-15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature, even without the air conditioner on.

Our house isn't any special icon of insulation and passive solar design. The walls have whatever insulation they were using in 1959, and the largest trees on our land are on the east side of the house, which doesn't really serve to benefit us in terms of shade (though our neighbors on that side have commented how they really appreciate our redwoods). The land immediately west of our house is a vacant, barren chunk of treeless dirt, and sadly our house sits almost right on the property line.

To make things even more fun, our exterior walls are a heat-absorbent shade of dark brown.

However, we do have three things working in our favor: Morning temperatures that are typically 30 degrees cooler than in the afternoon, a whole house fan, and R-38 insulation in our attic (blown-in recycled fiberglass).

Here is how we manage the temperature so that we stay cool in the summer while minimizing energy use:

August 31, 5 p.m. : Today the temperature hit 100 degrees outside. When I got home this afternoon, the temperature inside the house was 87 degrees, (our hottest indoor reading of the summer). Enjoying the 13 degree difference (I had just been on my bike for a 20-minute commute), I was able to turn on a ceiling fan and do chores for a half hour before turning on the air conditioner.

10:30 p.m.: The temperature finally dropped below 81 degrees, which is our signal to turn off the air conditioner, open the windows, and turn on the whole house fan. On a hot day like today the air conditioner will be on for about 4-6 hours (assuming we are home, otherwise we leave it off). Our whole house fan is on a timer, we usually set it for an hour. By the time it shuts off we are sound asleep.

6:00 a.m.: By the time the alarm goes off the temperature inside the house has dropped to 75-79 degrees, while the outside temperature is 65-70. Now is when the whole house fan is most effective. The fan pulls the warmer air from the house up into the attic, while at the same time the cool air from outside rushes in to fill the void. We have seen the temperature in the house drop as much as 5 degrees in an hour in this manner, making it both cheaper and more energy efficient than the air conditioner, which can take twice as long to achieve the same result. Generally speaking, it requires five times as much energy to run an air conditioner as it does a whole house fan.

7:45 a.m.: The last thing we do before leaving the house for day at around is turn off the whole house fan and close all the windows and blinds. This, combined with the attic insulation, helps keep the cool air in the house even as the temperature rises outside. By afternoon, the outside temperature will have climbed 30 degrees, while inside it will climb only about 10-15 degrees.

Next Steps:

--Our house has a concrete patio right by our bedroom (which has a west-facing sliding glass door), which absorbs heat during the day and takes a long time to cool off at night. We are plotting the best way to remedy this situation, through a combination of removing some or all of the concrete and replacing it with plants, adding some sort of shade structure or awning, perhaps in association with vining plants, and planting shade-giving trees (deciduous trees would be favorable, as in the winter months their bare branches would let the sun through, allowing us to save a bit on heating).

--Two of our windows are lacking sufficient blinds to keep out the sunlight.

--Though it is not cost effective to bust open the walls or floors solely to add insulation, in the event that a project does require us to expose large sections of our home, adding wall insulation will be something that we seriously consider.

--We would like to meet the owners of the land adjacent to ours (long story) to see if they might be interested in planting a tree or two (perhaps with some assistance from us) to help shade our house.

Full Disclosure: When we moved in we increased our attic insulation from R-19 to R-38 at a cost of $840 for 1680 square feet.

I have been reading up on traffic circles, and have come to the conclusion that they are pretty good idea. The ones I use most often in Chico are along West 8th Avenue. It has been recommended that the city add more in the upcoming decades. Here is why I think they should:

1) Studies show changing 4-way stops to traffic circles improves safety. A 2001 study of 23 intersections in the United States reported that converting intersections from traffic signals or stop signs to roundabouts reduced injury crashes by 80 percent and all crashes by 40 percent. Similar results have been reported in Europe and Australia.

2) Traffic circles reduce vehicle emissions and fuel consumption. Why? Because the traffic is kept moving, and is not required to come to a full stop (except to yield). Much of our fuel use and car exhaust comes as a result of idling (0 mpg) and then accelerating from a full stop. In one study, replacing a signalized intersection with a roundabout reduced carbon monoxide emissions by 29 percent and nitrous oxide emissions by 21 percent. In another study, replacing traffic signals and stop signs with roundabouts reduced carbon monoxide emissions by 32 percent, nitrous oxide emissions by 34 percent, carbon dioxide emissions by 37 percent, and hydrocarbon emissions by 42 percent. Constructing roundabouts in place of traffic signals can reduce fuel consumption by about 30 percent.

3) Traffic circles can be landscaped to look pretty. It is nice to see a small island of green in the middle of an intersection, a big improvement over a patch of asphalt.

You can read more about traffic circles and roundabouts from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.

After about five minutes of talking to Max through the window I noticed that I was really heating up, and quite likely a few parts of me were beginning to cook.

"Wow, this thing really works."

Max was sweating quite a bit too in the 97 degree heat, but unlike me, he was standing on the outside of The Cause's new greenhouse. Being the brilliant person I am, I had been conversing from the inside, where it was more like a solar oven than a greenhouse.

Of course the 6' X 6' structure will be more functional in the early spring, but what is more impressive are the construction materials--all salvaged. Panes of glass and plexiglass are creatively pieced together with discarded lumber like a patchwork quilt. I recognized a pane that said "Tropicana."

"Wasn't that at a house over on Warner?" I ask.

"Yep. The owners were redoing the windows, and they were getting rid of it and a bunch of others. I asked if I could have it, and they said 'No problem.' 15 minutes later, I returned with the truck."

I am also trying to take note of how discarded building materials can find a functional use at my home. I have been particularly keen to wood pallets and broken up concrete ("urbanite"). The pallets are as close to free lumber as one can get, while I have seen the concrete turned into backyard stepping stones and attractive borders for landscaping. A great example of the latter can be seen at the garden in back of the Chico Peace and Justice Center on Broadway near 5th Street.

When I began biking to substitute teaching jobs last October I was still new to Chico and I did not yet have a grasp of the best ways to navigate the city on pedal power. Assignments at Pleasant Valley High School were the worst, as all-too-often I found myself risking life and limb on East Avenue or Esplanade.

Thankfully, I have since discovered there are better ways, and I have been impressed with the convenience afforded by navigating Chico's bike paths. Though I enjoy a creekside cruise through Bidwell Park as much as the next Chicoan, here are three of my favorite routes based on their more utilitarian merits:

Little Chico Creek After a quiet ride east up Humboldt Avenue past Cafe Coda and the Square Deal Mattress Factory (there is great blackberry picking in the park across the street), the actual bike path starts at the end of Humboldt where it makes a left turn and becomes Clover Street. After ducking beneath Highway 99, the path runs along Little Chico Creek out to Bruce Road. This route allows one to avoid the intersection at Humboldt, Highway 99, and 9th Street, and provides access to the police station and doctor's offices on Humboldt Avenue, Marsh Junior High, residences off of Forest Avenue south of Humboldt Avenue, and the future Merriam Park community.

11th Ave & Esplanade to the Airport I have been told that this path follows an old railroad line. Though I haven't made it all the way out to the airport yet, I have been using this route extensively to head out to the North Valley Plaza for banking, food shopping, and movies. Conveniently located along the way are Grilla Bites and the Chico Sports Club.

Holly Ave at Lindo Channel to Mission Ranch Boulevard This lovely 1/2 mile stretch isn't on the BCAG Chico Bike Map yet, but it is a good route especially for folks living in the vicinity of Holly Avenue and Lindo Channel. It feels like a slice of Bidwell Park, with a handsome grove of massivevalley oaks and sycamores draped with wild grape vines. And for a bonus, the path drops you off on Mission Ranch Blvd behind Raley's and Orchard Supply Hardware, providing access to those and neighboring businesses without having to flirt with disaster on East Ave or Esplanade.

More than 50 refurbished bikes will be for sale by auction today (Thursday, September 6) at the Free Speech Area at CSU, Chico. The viewing period is from 10 a.m. - noon, with the live auction starting at noon. The event is open to the public and is organized by the Adventure Outing's Bike Cart. Call (530) 898-3362 for more information.

I don't think they will have a Columbia Racer for sale, however (though it would be really cool if they did).

For those of you who have heard of, but haven't yet made it out to a Gardeners' Swap Meet, now is your chance!

This Wednesday's (9/5) Swap Meet will be from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. on the front lawn of 726 West 11th Ave, just past Holly. (There was a miscommunication with the ER, and it will NOT be at the American Heart Association office--that was last week)

WHAT IS A GARDENERS' SWAP MEET?
Do you have an excess of eggplants and a shortage of tomatoes? A plethora of peaches but a craving for apricots? Fill your Chico bag (or container of choice) with your extra (but edible) fruits and/or veggies and SWAP them with another grower for something you like better.

COST:
None! These are swap meets. Bring your own fruits or veggies and a smile.

WHAT DO I DO IF I DON'T HAVE A VEGGIE GARDEN OR FRUIT TREES?
No problem--Feel free to pick and bring edibles from publicly owned plants (for example, figs, plums, and blackberries are all plentiful along the creeks), though please avoid picking from trees growing close to major roads.

DO YOU WANT TO HOST A VEGGIE SWAP?
Contact me by responding to this post! September 19 and all October dates are open. It's easy and fun--You pick the day, time, and duration, sit outside in your front yard with a cold beverage and chat with folks who come to your house with home-grown produce!

ALSO:
--Bring your own bag(s) or containers
--Biking or walking is recommended, as parking is limited
--Excess produce will be donated
--Mason Jars! Ball Jars! Canning Supplies! If you have them and want to donate them, please bring them. Also, if you know a good free (or very cheap) source of canning jars etc., the folks at The Cause want to know.

Feel free to share this information with friends!

Reply to this post if you would like to learn about the locations of future swap meets (Your name will be added to the Gardeners' Swap Meet email list, and you will receive one email a week announcing time and location).

My residence lies three houses down from a stop sign on a 35 mph street that heads out of town. After cars come to a complete California stop, you would think there is a man standing at the corner vigorously waving a green flag. By the time some of the vehicles pass my house they are well on their way to reaching a cruising speed of 80 mph.

I must say that there are some impressively loud engines in Chico.

If I had a dollar for every unnecessary pedal-to-the-metal decibel, I would be a rich man.

Conversely, those folks could all likely save a couple of bucks each time they fill up by removing some of the lead from their right foot.

There is quite a bit of information out there on how to bump up your car's fuel efficiency by as much 30% or more over the EPA's official estimates (depending on your car, that's roughly a 5-10 mpg improvement). One Butte College student I spoke to mentioned that a little bit of patience and extra driving awareness earned him 75 miles more miles on a tank of gas, a savings of about $9.

So, for the times that biking simply isn't a feasible option, here are the seven fuel-saving tips that make the most sense to me. I encourage someone out there to try some (or all) of these tips for the duration of a tank and report how many more miles they are able to go. I am going to do my best as well, and will report back when my tank is empty.

1) Drive slower. In addition to being safer, the closer your speed is to matching the speed limit sign, the more gas you save. Most cars achieve their top fuel efficiency when in the highest gear at about 45-55 mph. Being realistic, I don't expect that everyone will drive 55 on the highway, but dropping one's top speed 5-10 mph can still make a difference (like setting the air conditioner to 80 degrees instead of 78).

2) Go easy on the accelerator. On a level highway, use cruise control. In town, accelerate in a leisurely fashion after a stopping at an intersection*. And when driving through downtown Chico, I have found that the traffic lights on Main and Broadway are timed at around 21-22 mph. When I go this speed, I almost always make every light and I rarely need to slow down or speed up. The bottom line is, the less you need to stop or slow down, the less you need to accelerate, and accelerating is what burns gas.

3) Keep your tires properly inflated. Though the gas savings is minimal, it is still an easy thing to do, and also improves the safety of your vehicle and increases the life of the tires.

4) Keep your car maintained.

5) Remove the luggage rack or bike rack when not in use for long periods, to decrease wind resistance. (Yes, even those sleek-looking cargo pods cause drag, which reduces fuel efficiency). Especially at speeds above 55 mph, wind resistance is one of the biggest factors affecting fuel efficiency.

6) Link errands into a single trip, and plan your route accordingly.

7) Carpool. A mid-sized SUV with four adults is more fuel efficient than a Prius with a single driver, when figured in miles per gallon per person. Better yet, figure out which of your carpool buddies has the most fuel-efficient vehicle, and try to use that car most often.

*According to the Toyota website, Prius owners should "accelerate moderately" from a stop, as the gas engine won't kick in until the car reaches about 15 mph. This is one reason why the fuel efficiency of a hybrid is better in the city than on the highway.