Make my Mark

Growing up, I wondered what I would do when I grew up. How would I leave my mark on the planet? What would I leave for my daughter and grandson. Now that we've learned about the size of our carbon footprints, we know we actually need to leave less of a mark.

I know there are people out there who don't think there is anything they can do. I know because I used to think that. I recycle, I use cloth shopping bags and I try to plan my drives around the city to conserve gasoline. I also know that it's not enough. I want a smaller footprint.

There are so many things available now that we couldn't afford just a few years ago. Solar and wind power, even small turbines made from recycled plastic. We can be eco friendly in our day to day lives. I'll post tips on how to conserve in further posts, so stay tuned.

There are incentives beyond what we want to leave our children, federal and state government, even our utility companies are helping us out. You can check your state incentives here: http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm to find out what's available to you. Don't forget to check with your utility company either, they can be invaluable and even help finance improvements. It never hurts to ask!

More later,

Solar Powered Bus Shelters equals Light Plus Wifi

If you find yourself in San Francisco, new solar-powered bus stops might make the wait for a bus more pleasant. Last week they unveiled the first solar-powered shelter which contains photovoltaic cells on its roof that power LEDs for night-time vision. Excess power is sent back to the grid.

To top it off, San Francisco’s new shelters will have free Wi-Fi access. The city expects to install 1,100 new solar-powered bus stops between now and 2013. That means a blanket of free Internet across the city, handy to get email or work done while waiting.

Each shelter costs between $25,000-$30,000, but they are being paid for in full by Clear Channel Communications.

Check out the prototype shelter at the corner of Geary and Arguello in the Richmond.