Being a dog-mom is one of my favorite things, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world. When I got my pup, however, many of my environmentally-conscious friends and families made sure to let me know that having a pet isn’t a very eco-friendly choice.  

 Why you ask? Well, to start, pets consume a lot of resources and they produce massive amounts of noxious waste. UCLA published a study on the amount of meat consumed and carbon dioxide produced by cats and dogs, and it’s all pretty astonishing.  

 So, I decided it was important to figure out how to be more eco-friendly with my dog-related purchases and activities. Here are a few tips that I try to follow: 

Every year there is such buzz over what some call the granddaddy of them all…the Super Bowl. With over 75,000 people filling the street of this year’s site along with endless numbers of media and celebrities how does the NFL claim to make the event “sustainable”? With that question in mind I did some digging and am glad to say that the NFL proved my skepticism wrong.

The San Luis Obispo County government reduced its energy use by 15 percent since 2010 in its efforts to save money and reduce environmental impacts — leading to big savings.

The county currently spends about $4.5 million on electricity and natural gas every year. By taking on some simple and more complex projects to retrofit buildings, staff estimate the county is saving $600,000 to $700,000 annually in energy and maintenance costs.

Savings will likely continue to grow as the county approaches its goal to reduce energy at county facilities by 20 percent by 2020.

“Through the collection of data from our new energy management software and having the right team in place, we are in a position to recommend and implement future energy efficient projects which make the best use of our taxpayer’s money,” Colt Esenwein, county Public Works director, said in a news release.

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We hear so many people express interest in renewable energy, but they also share with us that they don’t know much about renewable energy or which types are best for their homes.

So how do you get started?

I rarely make New Years resolutions because I can rarely keep them. Terrible, I know. However, I have vowed to turn a new leaf in 2019. While these resolutions may not be particularly lofty, they are ones I know I can keep and they are environmentally friendly to boot!

Even though we’re not in Buffalo or Mammoth Lakes, the Valley still gets chilly in winter and we use extra energy to keep our homes comfortable.

The good news is that there are some things you can do keep your home heated and your energy bills low during this time of year. Make your home cozy this winter with some of these tips:

Whether or not you can install solar panels, a wind turbine, or a geothermal system, you can still make a difference with renewable energy investments and fossil fuel divestment’s.

In order to meet climate change goals, we have to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Studies have shown that 80% of the world’s fossil fuels must remain underground in order to ensure we can still mitigate climate change impacts. To make matters a bit more challenging, the UN recently reported that we have little more than a decade to curb our emissions in order to minimize risks of catastrophic drought, famine, poverty, and uninhabitable regions.

Who would have guessed that 1 of the top 25 most advanced water reclamation facilities in the world would be right here in the valley! Those who are not familiar with the valley I am sure have not heard of the City of Visalia. Visalia is located off the highway 99 just 45 minutes south of Fresno and the location of mentioned advanced facility.

Mark your calendar for our next Fund-It Fast Chat.

San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization Appoints New Associate Executive Director

Improving the Quality of Life by Increasing Clean Energy Resources

Fresno, CA - SJVCEO (http://www.sjvcleanenergy.org) named Samantha Dodero the Associate Executive Director of the Organization.  In four years with the Organization Samantha has shown leadership and innovation in energy efficiency program delivery and a commitment to reaching the regions most disadvantaged utility customers through targeted community campaigns.  Samantha graduated from California State University, Fresno with a degree in business marketing and came to the SJVCEO with experience in non-profit client management and events. In 2016 Samantha oversaw the expansion of the SJVCEO into the High Desert Region of California, allowing the Organization to increase services to rural utility customers.