Eucalyptus Magazine, April 2010

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EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM BAY AREA LIFE VIBRANT HEALTH ECO-LIVING APRIL 2010 FREE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION IN THE SOUTH BAY GREEN RIDES THE ROADSTER FROM TESLA MOTORS OF SAN CARLOS ECO-SAFE PEST CONTROL Healthier choices for a bug-free home WORKING GREEN Five local businesses get green-certified LOS GATOS STAYCATION Discover the charms of this easygoing town

description

Eucalyptus is the San Francisco Bay Area’s resource for green and health-conscious lifestyles. Through our print and online publications, we share knowledge and inspire our readers to celebrate their health, support local businesses and surrounding communities, and protect the environment we live in. In each edition we profile a successful company or individual provider within the health, wellness, and eco-industries, and provide information on local products and services that support healthy and eco-friendly lifestyles. This magazine is named Eucalyptus because we admire the tree’s healing properties. Its leaves and bark have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. We also appreciate its adaptability and hardiness, as evidenced by its ability to thrive despite being transplanted far across the globe from its native home of Australia.

Transcript of Eucalyptus Magazine, April 2010

eucalyptusmagazine.com

bay area life Vibrant HealtH eco-liVing april 2010 FREE

AlternAtive trAnsportAtion in the south BAy

greenrides

the roadster from tesla motors

of san carlos

eco-sAfe pest controlHealthier choices for a bug-free home

working greenFive local businesses get green-certified

los gAtos stAycAtionDiscover the charms of this easygoing town

April 2010

Departments10 Doing good: GuerrillaGardening 13 path to Wellness:GrastonTechnique14 living smart: ToysThatPlaySafe 17 small steps:Eco-FriendlyFlying18 Healing foods:Ginger20 sandbox talk: HikingWithKids23 grown local: HarleyFarms26 staycation:LosGatos

In Every Issue 3 publisher’s note 4 calendar of events 7 stuff We like39 resource guide40 tidbits

On the Cover28 greening your ride

Electricvehicles,carsharing,andridesharing.by alan lopez

Features

32 certified greenFivelocalbusinessesmakethegrade.by alan lopez

35 bug offEco-safepestcontrolwithnaturalorangeoil.by erica goss

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|1

Cover: the roadster

from tesla motors in

san carlos, photograph

courtesy of tesla motors.

This page: Kempton

Twilight, andrew fuller

Eucalyptus istheSanFranciscoBayArea’sresourceforgreen

andhealth-consciouslifestyles.Throughourprintandonline

publications,weshareknowledgeandinspireourreadersto

celebratetheirhealth,supportlocalbusinessesandsurrounding

communities,andprotecttheenvironmentwelivein.

Ineacheditionweprofileasuccessfulcompanyorindividual

providerwithinthehealth,wellness,andeco-industries,and

provideinformationonlocalproductsandservicesthatsupport

healthyandeco-friendlylifestyles.

ThismagazineisnamedEucalyptusbecauseweadmirethe

tree’shealingproperties.Itsleavesandbarkhavebeenusedfor

medicinalpurposesforthousandsofyears.Wealsoappreciate

itsadaptabilityandhardiness,asevidencedbyitsabilityto

thrivedespitebeingtransplantedfaracrosstheglobefromits

nativehomeofAustralia.

ADVERTISEANDGROWYOURBUSINESS

Reachouraffluent,well-educated,environmental-and

health-consciousreaderswhoareeagerlyseekingresources

thatwillimprovetheirhealth,well-being,andsustainability.

Formoreinformation,pleasecontactusat408.335.4778or

[email protected].

DISTRIBUTION

Eucalyptus Magazineisafreepublicationsupportedsolely

byouradvertiserswithawidedistributionthroughout

theBayArea.TofindEucalyptus Magazineatalocation

nearyou,contactusat408.335.4778ordistribution@

eucalyptusmagazine.com.Letusknowifyouwouldlikecopies

placedatyourplaceofbusiness.

Pleasesupportouradvertisersbylettingthemknowyousaw

theminthispublication.

Inkeepingwithourconcernfortheenvironment,Eucalyptus

Magazineisprintedonrecycledpaperusing10%post-consumer

wastewithsoy-basedinks.

MISSIONMichaEla [email protected]

EDiTORialEditorAnnMarieBrown

Associate EditorSueMcAllister

Contributing WritersEricaGoss,DesireeHedberg,JessicaIclisoy,ShannonJohnson,ElizabethKang,AlanLopez,JenniferMoscatello,AllisonSheaMalone

CopyeditorsReneeMacalinoRutledge,ErinSoto

DESiGN aND PRODUcTiONDesignerGregSilva

Photo Editor and PhotographerLaneJohnson

Production ManagerDianaRussell

Contributing PhotographersVictoriaAlexander,AlisonMalone,RobertMarek

chiEF EXEcUTiVE OFFicERReinaldSchneller

aDVERTiSiNG SalESAccount ExecutivesRobertCrumJr.,JulieLynn,RajaniRajan,CariRalstin,JanRowe,JustinetenZeldam,KatheryneTobin-James,CynthiaWehr

bUSiNESS MaNaGERCindyCribbs

cONTacT15559UnionAvenue,Suite215LosGatos,CA95032Phone866.797.6570,[email protected]

Subscriptionrate$24.00peryearAdvertisingratesonrequest

Volume1,Issue10

©2010byEucalyptus Magazine.EucalyptusisaregisteredtrademarkintheU.S.PatentandTrademarkOffice.Allrightsreserved.Somepartsofthismagazinemaybereproducedwithwrittenpermissiononly.Wewelcomeyourideas,articles,andfeedback.Althougheveryprecautionistakentoensureaccuracyofpublishedmaterials,Eucalyptus Magazinecannotbeheldresponsibleforopinionsexpressedorfactssuppliedbyitsauthors.Wedonotnecessarilyendorseproductsandservicesadvertised.Alwaysconsultaprofessionalproviderforclarification.

EUCALYPTUS

2|April2010

EU

CALYPTUS

MAGAZINE

LOCALLYOWNED &

PRODUCED

Growing upintheCzechRepublic,Ialwaysused

publictransportationtogetwhereIneededtogo.Infact,there

wasnootherwaytogetaround.Acarwasconsideredaluxury,

andeventheluckyfewwhoownedonewouldoftenusepublic

transportation.Itjustdidnotmakefinancialsensetodriveacar,

becausepublictransportationwasreadilyavailableandsomuch

lessexpensive.

Asistrueinmanycountriesaroundtheworld,theCzech

Republichasanexcellentpublictransportationsystem.Youcan

hoponabusanywhereandtraveltoeventhemostremote

locations.Theschedulesareclearlypostedateachstation,and

forthemostpart,busesandtrainsrunonschedule.

WhenmyhusbandandItraveledthroughCentralAmerica,I

wasamazedathowextensivetheirpublictransportationsystem

was.Itseemedliketheyhadmini-buseseverywhere.Riders

wouldhoponandholdontighttowhateverpartofthebusthey

couldsotheydidn’tfalloff.InPeru,weboardedalong-distance

busthathadthesameamenitiesasanairbus:toilets,televi-

sions,andstewardessesservingtastymeals.InJapan,wewere

amazedbyhowfasttheShinkansen,orbullettrain,traveled

throughthecountryside.

Allthesemodesofpublictransportationhaveonethingin

common:Theygotuscomfortablyfromonedestinationtothe

next.YethereintheUnitedStates,myofficeisonly12miles

frommyhouseandittakesabout15minutesofdrivingtoget

there.Bycomparison,itwouldtakealmosttwohourstogetto

myofficebypublictransportationso,ofcourse,Idrive.

It’sclearthatourcountry’stransportationsystemhasalotof

roomforimprovement.Ourarticleonpage28givessome

insightintoinnovative,eco-friendlytransportationalternatives

thatareavailablerighthereintheSanFranciscoBayArea.I

hopeyouwillenjoyreadingaboutthem.

AndpleaseremembertojoinusforourEarthDayNetworking

PartyonTuesday,April13.Seepage8fordetails.

Cheers!

MichaelaMarek

PublisherandFounder

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|3

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Saturday, April 3 / 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Workshop: Medicinal Plants of California559 college ave., palo alto650.493.6072/commongroundinpaloalto.org

Wednesday, April 7 / 12 noon

National Start Walking Day Celebrationsan Jose city Hall rotunda408.977.4950/startwalkingnow.org

Friday, April 9 / 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Sharing Nature with Children Workshopananda church, 456 college ave., palo alto 650.462.8150/ livingwisdomschool.org

Tuesday, April 13 / 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Harvesting for the Hungry: Help to Pick Fruit359 n. fourth street, san Jose888.FRUIT.411/villageharvest.org

Tuesday, April 13 / 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Eucalyptus Magazine’s Earth Day Partybloomingdale’s stanford, level 2, palo alto408.335.4778/ [email protected]

upco

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vent

s Saturday, April 17 / 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Earth Day Cleanup on San Francisco Bayravenswood point, east palo alto408.262.5513/southbayrestoration.org

Wednesday, April 21 / 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Lecture: Global Climate Change in the Decades Aheadlos altos library, 13 south san antonio rd., los altos 650.969.0712/greentownlosaltos.org

Thursday, April 22 / 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Research Roundtable LuncheonHyatt regency, burlingame408.977.4950/americanheart.org

Saturday, April 24 / 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Workshop: Eat Your Landscaping559 college ave., palo alto650.493.6072/commongroundinpaloalto.org

Sunday, May 2 / 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour register in advance for a list of locations510.236.9558/bringingbackthenatives.net

4|April2010

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LifewithoutplasticIfyou’vehaditwithbuying

plastic,whethertheproducts

aretoys,bottles,insulated

lunchbags,foodstorage

containers,orevenicecube

trays,there’sanInternet

boutiqueforyou:lifewithoutplastic.com.ThisCanadian-basedcompany

offersnon-plasticalternativesformanycommonhouseholditems.

whatstuffdoyoulike?nominate your favorite stuff by e-mailing us at [email protected]

KrazyforKombuchaManypeoplebelievekombucha

comesfromamushroom,butthe

drinkisactuallymadefromacolony

ofbacteriaandyeast,combined

withblackorgreenteaandsugar.

Organic,fermented,andraw,

kombuchaisfullofBvitaminsand

enzymesandhasazingyvinegar

taste,whichyou’lleitherloveor

hate.TraditionalChinesemedicine

assertsthatkombuchaaidsin

digestionandmanydevoteesclaim

thatthedrinkmakesthemfeel

alert.WholeFoodsandmany

supermarketscarryG.T.’sOrganic

RawKombuchaandG.T.’sSynergy,

whichiskombuchamixedwithfruit

juice($4fora16-oz.bottle).

CaffeineobsessionFolgersfanscanskipoverthisparagraph.Everyoneelse,embraceyourinner

coffeesnobatgocoffeego.com,awebsiteforjavaloyalistswhodemandtheir

beansberoastedinonlythesmallestbatches.Themail-orderwebsitewasrecently

launchedbySanFranciscansScottPritikinandElisePapazian,makingiteasyto

samplethegoodsfromadozenartisanalroasters,includingZokainSeattle,Novo

inDenver,VerveinSantaCruz,andMetropolisinChicago.Makeaone-time

purchaseorsignupfor“auto-ship”ofyourchosenbeansatregularintervals.

Out,darnspot!Oftenwefindthatold-fashioned

trumpsnewfangled,andsuchis

thecasewithGrandma’sSecret

SpotRemover.Justadropof

thistop-secretfamilyrecipewill

instantlyremovemoststains

fromfabric,hardsurfaces,and

evenskin.What’sinit?Only

grandmaknowsforsure,butit

isbiodegradable,chorine-free,

andenvironmentallyfriendly.

AvailableatmostACEHardware

stores($5fora2-oz.bottle)or

onlineatgrandmassoap.com.

BamboobikesScientistsandengineersatTheEarthInstituteatColumbiaUniversityhavefiguredouthowtobuild

asturdybikeframeoutofbamboo,whichismoresustainablethansteeloraluminumbecauseit

canbeeasilygrownwithoutpesticidesinmildclimates.ThegoaloftheBambooBikeProjectisto

helppeopleindevelopingcountriesbyteachingthemhowtomaketheirownbamboobikes,thus

givingthemviabletransportationandperhapsstimulatingacottageindustry.Ifyouwanttohelp,

visitbamboobike.organdpurchaseaBambooBikeProjectcyclingjersey($75)orT-shirt($25).

ArtfultotesTwowomeninSanJosehavefoundacreativeuse

forJapantown’soldstreetbanners.Underthename

Sak'nSak,LydiaUchida-SakaiandKathySakamoto

makeroomy,waterprooftotebagswiththebanners’

salvagedcanvas.Thecolorfultotesqualifyas

carry-onsforairlinetravel,butyoucouldalsouse

themasgymbags,beachbags,grocerybags,or

evendiaperbags.Availableatsaknsak.comor

UchidaTravelinSanJose,408.293.3399($75-$150).

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|7

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A cooking and tasting demo featuring locally grown, seasonal produce by experimental chef and nutrition aficionado CARMELO SIGONA

Spring 2010Collections byEileen Fisher

« FOOD

FASHION »Featuring a

Presentation of Eco-Friendly Style

Enter to Win a Prize by Clarins Skin Spa. You must be present to win.

Delicious Flavors FromSigona’s Farmers Markets` `

EARTH DAYCELEBRATE

Eucalyptus Magazine andBloomingdale’s Stanfordinvite you to a special Celebrate Earth Day Party!

Tuesday, April 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m.R.S.V.P. to [email protected]

`

Special thanks to event partners:Bloomingdale’s Stanford, Eucalyptus Magazine, Sigona’s Farmers Markets

Culinary / Men’s – Level 2Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto

BLOOMINGDALE’SSTANFORD

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2012: time for change

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A dog in frog’s clothing–hilarious. Greenwashing a toxic product–not so much.

At Green Festival™, you’ll know that each and every company has been screened using Green America’s environmental and social justice standards.

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GFSF10springeucalyptus100.indd 1 3/3/10 11:59:37 AM

Have you heardaboutguerrillagardening?Withincreasing

momentum,thisundergroundmovementistakingholdinplacesasfaras

AustraliaandasnearasSanFranciscoandBerkeley.Guerrillagardenersare

peoplewhoplantflowersorvegetablecropsinbarrenpublicspaces,suchas

vacantlots,trafficislands,medianstrips,andtheedgesofcityparkinglots,

withthegoalofturninganeighborhoodeyesoreintosomethingbeautiful.

Technically,guerrillagardeningisillegal,becausethegardeningtakesplaceon

landthatisnotthepropertyofthegardeners,whooftentendtotheir“illicit”

businessunderthecoverofdarkness.Itmayjustbethemostbeautifulcrimein

humanhistory.

Theterm“guerrillagardening”isbelievedtohavebeencoinedin1973when

LizChristyandherGreenGuerrillascreatedacommunitygardenonthecorner

ofBoweryandHoustonStreetsinNewYorkCity.Butthemovementhasroots

asfarbackas1649,whenGerrardWinstanleyfoundedTheDiggersinSurrey,

England.Andwhatschoolchildhasn’tlearnedaboutJohnnyAppleseed,who

plantedfruit-bearingtreesallaroundOhioin1801?

Guerrillagardening’srecentpopularitycanbelargelyattributedtoRichard

ReynoldsofLondon,England.Hiswebsiteguerrillagardening.orghasinspiredthe

formationof“troops”acrosstheglobe,whohavetakenthecauseofgardening

totheirlocalstreets,fightingurbanblightwithvegetable

crops,daffodils,andsunflowers.Reynolds’websiteis

packedwithinformationonhowtoorganizeyourown

localguerrillagardeninggroup.In2008,hepublisheda

bookonthesubject,On Guerrilla Gardening,which

includesinformationlikehowtomakea“seedbomb”of

plantseeds,compost,andwaterpackagedinabiode-

gradablecontainer,whichaguerrillagardenercanthrow

likeagrenadeintoinaccessibleplaces—evenwhile

drivingbyinacar—andhowtodealwithvandalswho

attempttodestroyanewlyplantedgarden.

Themainoppositionguerrillagardenersencounteris

fromlandowners—bothpublicagenciesandprivate

individuals—whodon’twantthegardenerstrespassing

ontheirlandor“stealing”theirwatertokeepplants

alive.GuerrillagardenersinSanFrancisco,Berkeley,and

LosAngeleshavebeenmetwithcheersand

gratitudeinsomeneighborhoodsandlegal

fightsinothers.Somegardenershave

gottenaroundthewaterrequirementby

plantingagardenfirst,thenconvincing

neighborstocontributewaterfromtheir

faucets.Othersspecializeinplanting

drought-tolerantplantssuchassucculents

andnativeshrubs.

Todate,thereisnodedicatedguerrilla

gardeninggroupintheSouthBay,although

thereiscertainlynoshortageofbarrenlots

andneglectedspacesthatcouldusealittle

greeningup.IfEarthDayhasinspiredyouto

bringalittlebeautytoyourneighborhood,

readandresearchthetopic,doyourdue

diligence,andseekpermissionfrom

landowners.Inthesedaysofbudget

cutbacks,itseemsthatsomepublic

agenciesmightgladlygrantpermissiontoa

bandofdedicatedgardenerswhowantto

turnblightedpublicspacesintoplacesof

beauty.Strategizeaplanthatdoesnot

violateprivatepropertyrights,plantafew

seeds,andyou,too,canbeautifysomesmall

corneroftheworld.

guerrillagardeningBringing life to neglected public spaces /// by kristin carey

10|April2010

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guerrilla gardeners till the soil in a

vacant lot in long beach, california.

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Friday & Saturday: 11AM-7PMSunday: 9AM-3PM

Tickets $10 per day or $20 for weekend passBring 2 non-perishable food items and save $5—

donated to local food banksFor more presentation schedule & more information

go to www.livehealthyexpo.com

The Live Healthy Expo connects people who are interested in making a positive difference both in their lives and in their communities. We bring together local and national natural product companies, alternative practitioners, chiropractors, health food retailers and community non-profit organizations showcasing information about their products and services to thousands of individuals interested in leading a healthy lifestyle.April 16-18 at the Santa Clara Convention Center

Live Healthy Marketplace

Featured Demonstrations & Presentations Celebrity Fitness Experts Presenting Classes

Classes & Workshops Workshops

Healthy Cooking Demos Wine and Food Sampling

Lectures by Leading Industry Experts Lots of Free Product Samples

Featured ExhibitsLiving Green

Relaxation & Meditation Interactive Pilates, Yoga, & Mind-Body Exercises Classes

Transportation & Energy Nutrition & Healthy Cooking

Bookstore sponsored by East West Bookstore Healthy Families Screening

VediyaHeal Your Mind, Body and Spirit

A Center for Well-Being

Hot Stone, Deep Tissue, Aromatherapy, Swedish Massage • Reflexology • Detoxify with Chi Nei Tsang, massage of the internal organs

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12|April2010

If you’ve everrepeatedlystrainedamuscleordeveloped

scartissueaftersurgery,youmayknowthatonecommonsideeffectis

beinglessflexibleinthatinjuredareawhileyourbodyheals.Thatcan

beahindranceforathletesandthoseaccustomedtoanactivelifestyle.

Tohelprestoremovement,breakdownscartissue,andreducethe

needforanti-inflammatorymedication,manyphysicaltherapists,

chiropractors,andphysiciansareturningtotheGrastonTechnique,a

methodofsoft-tissuetherapypioneeredinthe1990sbyanathlete

sufferingfromakneeinjury.

“TheGrastonTechniquecanbeusedonanysofttissuecondition,

[including]acutemusclestrains,muscleadhesionsfromoldinjuries,

andchronicmuscularconditions,”saysDr.EdwardLeCaraofSports

Plus,achiropracticpracticewithofficesinPleasantonandSantaClara.

HealthprofessionalstrainedintheGrastonTechniqueuseacollec-

tionofsixstainlesssteeltoolstohelptoidentifytroubledareas.Asthe

practitionerappliesthetoolstoinjuredareasofapatient’sbody,the

toolscatcheasilyonfibrotictissue(inflamedtissuethathasbecome

scarred).Thetoolsarethenusedtomassagetherecoveringarea.This

non-invasivetherapystretchesconnectivetissueandincreasesblood

flowtothehealingarea,practitionerssay,whichinturnspeeds

rehabilitationandhelpsbringpatientsrelief.

Dr.SteveCapobianco,ofSymmetrySportsInjuryandPerformance

CareinLosGatos,saysthetechnique“isappropriateduringallphases

ofhealing,fromimmediatelyfollowingtraumatotheremodeling

phaseswhenscartissueiswellformed.”

Thesixinstrumentsareshapeddifferentlytotreatvarious

partsofthebody.“Somearebroadtoaidtreatmentoflarge,flat

regions,andothersarepointedtomaximizetreatmentbetween

bonyareas,”Capobiancosays.Professionalstrainedinthe

GrastonTechniqueworkoninjuredbodypartsrangingfrom

patients’achingbackstothepalms,forearms,andhandsofthose

withcarpaltunnelsyndrome.

Thefrequencyofrecommendedtreatmentsdependsonthe

conditionbeingtreated,saysLeCara.“Certainconditions

requireonlyonetreatment.Chronicconditionscantakelonger,”

hesays.Mostacutestrainsrequiretwotofourvisits,andchronic

conditionscanrequirebetweensixandeightvisits,hesays.

LeCaraalsonotedthatresearchpublishedinThe Journal of

Orthopaedic and Sports Physical TherapyinJuly2009demon-

stratedthatinstrument-assistedmassagehastenedhealingtimes.

“Thepatientdoeshavetotoleratealittlediscomfortduring

treatment,butwhenpairedwithKinesiotapingandrehabilita-

tionexercises,healingisfoundtobemuchfasterthanthe

traditional‘waitandsee’methodofmostsofttissueinjuries,”he

says.Kinesiotapingisamethodofapplyingspecializedtapeto

certainpartsofthebodytogivesupportandstabilitytojoints

andmuscles.

NotallhealthprofessionalsagreethattheGrastonTechnique

isgoodmedicine,however.OnecriticisDr.HarrietHall,oneof

thefoundersoftheScience-BasedMedicineblog,whowrote

thatthetechniqueintroduces“acontrolledamountofmicro-

traumaintoanareaofexcessivescarand/orsofttissuefibrosis,

hopingthatthiswillinvokeaninflammatoryresponsethatwill

augmentthehealingprocess.”Inhercritiqueatsciencebased-

medicine.org,HallquestionswhethertheGrastonTechnique’s

effectivenesshasbeenstudiedsufficiently.

ToolsusedintheGrastonTechniquearesoldonlytothose

whohavebeentrainedtousethem.Formoreinformationas

wellasadirectoryofpractitioners,visitgrastontechnique.com.

healingstrainsand

painsGraston Technique may help you

recover from injuries/// by laura wasserman

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|13

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Dr. edward le cara utilizes

the graston technique on

a patient who sustained a

lumbar disc injury.

Would youwillinglygiveyourchildaleadlollipopwith

PVCcoatingasatreat?Ifyouhaven’tinvestigatedwhatmaterials

makeupthetoysscatteredaroundyourhome,youmighthave

inadvertentlydonesomethingsimilar.

Believeitornot,thetoyindustryishighlyunregulated.Thanks

towhatmanyconsumeradvocatesconsideranobsoletelawknown

astheToxicSubstancesControlAct—originallyapprovedin1976to

regulatechemicalsinconsumerproducts—manyunscrupuloustoy

manufacturersareabletoselltoyscontainingmaterialsthatcanbe

toxictochildrenandtheenvironment.

TheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyacknowledgesthat

themajorityofchemicalsusedinconsumerproducts,including

children’stoys,havenotbeentestedtogaugetheireffectson

healthortheenvironment.Infact,accordingtoTheEcologyCenter,

aMichigan-basednon-profitthatissuesanannualreporton

harmfulchemicalsintoys,only200oftheapproximately80,000

chemicalsthatarecurrentlyusedtomanufactureconsumer

productshavebeentestedfortheirlong-termeffects.

ButStacyScottwho,alongwithherhusband,Dan,ownsthetoy

storeTreehouseintheGleninSanJose’sWillowGlenneighbor-

hood,saysparentstodayhavemanyoptionsinenvironmentally

conscious,non-toxictoys.Herstorespecializesintoysmadelocally,

wheneverpossible,andofnaturalmaterials.

“Webelievenaturalmaterialsaresaferthanmaterialsthatare

synthesized,”shesaid.“It’sourresponsibility,Ithink,asparentsto

makesureourchildren’senvironmentisaslow-toxinaspossible,”

shesaid.

Potentiallyharmfultoysare

certainlycommon.A2009study

conductedbyHealthyStuff.org,a

projectofTheEcologyCenter,

foundthat32percentofthetoys

thegroup’sresearcherstested

containedoneormoreofthese

harmfulchemicals:lead,cad-

mium,arsenic,andmercury.Not

onlycanthesechemicalswork

theirwayintochildren’sbodies

whentoysarehandledand/or

chewed,theycanalsoleak

contaminatingchemicalsinto

watersupplieslongafterthetoys

havebeendisposedof.

Thegoodnewsisthatmore

andmoremanufacturersarecom-

mittedtoprovidingchildrenwith

toysthataretoxin-freeandeco-friendly.Thismeanstheycontain

noharmfulchemicalsandaremanufacturedoutofsustainable

resourcessuchasorganiccotton,rubberwood,bamboo,andother

typesofrenewablewoodproducts.

VaniaHendratnafoundedBabycoo,anonlineretailerofeco-

friendlybabyclothesandproductswithabrick-and-mortarshopin

LosGatos,afteracareerasafoodscientist.Afterherdaughterwas

born,Hendratnasaid,shebegantowonderaboutallthebaby

products:“Howdotheymakethisandwhatdotheyputintoit?”By

offeringcustomersnon-toxicproductssuchasorganiccottonsoft

toys,shesaid,“Parentshavepeaceofmindknowing(children)are

chewingonsomethingthat’sokaytochewon.”

Manyparentsavoidplastictoysbecauseofthepotentialhealth

hazardsposedbyPVC,orpolyvinylchloride,acommoningredient

inplastic.Morethan42percentofplastictoystestedbyHealthy-

Stuffin2009containedPVC.Thematerial“createsmajorhazards

initsmanufacture,productlife,anddisposalandcancontain

additivesthataredangeroustohumanhealth,”accordingtothe

group’smostrecentreportonthechemicalsafetyoftoys.

Leadandphthalates,whichareusedtoincreasetheflexibilityof

plasticandhavebeenlinkedtohormonaldisruptionleadingtothe

onsetofearlypuberty,arealsowidespreadinplastictoys.Stateand

federalbansonthesaleoftoysmadewithphthalateshavebeen

enactedinrecentyears,reducingthechancethatparentswill

unknowinglybuynewtoyscontainingphthalates.

JuliaChen,ownerofThePlaystoreinPaloAlto,recommends

parentschoosetoysmadeof“triedandtrue”materialssuchas

woodandnaturalrubber.“Thesearethingsthathavebeeninusefor

generationsandhavenotbeenharmfultohumanbeings,”shesaid.

FoR MoRE iNFoRMATioN HealthyStuff.orghastestedmorethan

5,000productsandhasratinglistscategorizedbywhichchemicals

weredetected,“levelsofconcern”aboutchemicalspresent,toy

type,andbrand.

Otherwebsitesofferinginformationabouteco-friendlyand

non-toxictoysincludebabycoo.com(LosGatosbabyboutique),

greentoys.com(SanFranciscotoymanufacturer),playstoretoys.com

(PaloAltotoystore),andtreehouseintheglen.com.

Eco-friendly, non-toxic toys for kids /// by sHannon joHnson

playitsafe

14|April2010

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sydney scott, whose parents own

Willow glen’s treehouse in the

glen, finds the fun in natural toys.

We are an eco-friendly, full-service fireplace and barbecue store. We offer solutions for everything

from fireplace inserts and from fireplace inserts and custom mantels to portable

outdoor kitchens.

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EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|15

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16|April2010

whentheyarecruisinginmid-air,buttheyburnthegreatestamountoffuel

(andcreatethemostCO2)duringtake-offsandlandings.

Youcanencouragemoresustainableairtravelbyspendingyourflightdollars

onairlinesthatarestrivingtomakeadifference.Forexample,Seattle-based

AlaskaAirlinesusesaerodynamictechnologyknownas“winglets”(theturned-

upextensionsatthetipsofthewings)toincreaseitsplanes’fuelefficiency.

Alaska’sneweraircraftarebuiltwithwinglets;oldermodelsareretrofitted.The

airlinealsofocusesonweightreductionmeasureslikeoutfittingitsplaneswith

lightercateringcarts,savinganestimated300,000gallonsoffueleachyear.

InLondon,BritishAirwayshasannouncedthatitwillstartproducingjetfuel

fromlandfillwasteinordertoreachitsgoalof50percentreducedemissionsby

2050.Theairlineplanstostartusingthebio-jetfuelby2014.

Lastly,youcanhelptomitigatetheimpactofyourflightbypurchasinga

“carbonoffset”fromterrapass.orgorcarbonfund.org,thuscontributingtoclean

andrenewableenergyprojectsandsupportinggreenhousegasreduction

programs.Ifyoupreferthatyourcarbonoffsetmoneybespentlocally,

purchaseyouroffsetatSanFranciscoAirport’sClimatePassportkiosks,orat

sfo.3degrees.com.

Currently,offsettingthecarbonfootprintofaround-tripflightfromSan

FranciscotoLasVegascosts$4.33throughClimatePassport.Thesefunds

supportaCaliforniagreenhousegasreductionproject,theGarciaRiverForest

inMendocinoCounty.Redwoodforestsstoremorecarbonperacrethanany

otherforesttype.In2008,theGarciaRiverForestwasverifiedasasourceof

greenhousegasreductionsundertheprotocolsoftheClimateActionReserve

(climateactionreserve.org),makingitoneofthefirstforeststobesodesignated.

Takingthehybridcarforaroadtripacrossthecountryisnotalwayspracti-

cal,butwithalittleplanningandasmallextrainvestment,it’spossibletotravel

byairandstillhaveaneco-consciousjourney.

You’re ready to go.You’vepacked

yourSherpanibag,madeof67percentrecycled

materials,withyourhemp,bamboo,andorganiccotton

clothing.Yourboardingpassisprintedonrecycled

paper,andyouaredrivingyourhybridcartothe

airport.Clearly,youhavetheenvironmentinmind.But

theplaneyouareabouttoboardisgoingtoleavea

yeti-sizedcarbonfootprint.

AccordingtotheU.S.EnvironmentalProtection

Agency,aircraftproduceabout9percentoftransporta-

tiongreenhousegasemissionsintheUnitedStates.But

theEPAalsonotesthatit’sdifficulttoknowthetotal

effectofairtravelonglobalwarming.That’spartly

becauseofuncertaintyaboutwhetherthecondensa-

tiontrailsplanescreatehaveagreenhouseeffect.

So,howdoyouenjoyyourplanetripwhileminimiz-

ingthefootprintyouleavebehind?

First,chooseanairlinewithanewerfleetofplanes,

whicharemorefuel-efficientthanolderaircraft.Fuel

economyhasimprovedanaverageof1to2percentper

yearsincethe1950s.Amongthoseairlineswiththe

youngestfleetsareCompassAirlines(0.2years),Virgin

America(1year),andJetBlue(3.2years).Visitthe

websiteairsafe.comtolearnaboutvariousairlines’

averagefleetage.

Choosingonlynonstopflightswillalsohelptoreduce

yourtravelimpact.Nonstopflightsgenerallyusethe

shortestroutetoyourdestination,andextramileage

equalsextrafuelburned.Nonstopflightsalsoreduce

theamountoffuelrequiredfortake-offs,landings,and

circlingatmultipleairports.Planesflyquiteefficiently

Minimizing your carbon footprint at 30,000 feet /// by carolina moore

takingflight

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|17

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Revered for itsmedicinalpropertiesandslightlysweet

andspicykick,gingerisconsumeddailyinmanypartsoftheworld

infresh,powdered,candied,orpickledform.Althoughgingerisa

naturalcombatantofmanycommonillnesses,manyAmericanseat

itonlyafewtimesayear,oftenintheformofaholidaycookiewith

candyeyesandanicingsmile.

That’sunfortunate,becausegingerhasbeenproventobeasafe

andeffectivetreatmentformanyailments.NutritionistJuliaCox,

whorecentlygraduatedfromSanJoseStateUniversityandhas

studiedmodern-daynutritionextensively,recommendstheancient

spiceintreatingavarietyofillnesses,includingmotionsickness,

nausea,andmorningsicknessduringpregnancy.

Someanti-nauseamedicinesmayharmafetus,sopregnant

womensufferingfrommorningsicknessoftenchoosegingerfor

relief.CoxsaysthatinMarch2000“ananalysisofclinicalstudies

publishedintheBritish Journal of Anaesthesiaonginger’s

effectivenessindecreasingnauseareportedthatthestudies

collectivelyfavoredgingeroveraplacebo.”

AndinthejournalObstet Gynecol,studiespublishedin2001and

2004concludedthatgingeriseffectiveforrelievingtheseverityof

nauseaandvomitingduringpregnancy.

Ginger,theundergroundstemorrhizomeoftheplantZingiber

officinale,isalsoaremedyforheartburn,nausea,irritablebowel

syndrome,andulcers,Coxsays,andiseventhoughttorelievehigh

bloodpressureandlowerLDL,the“bad”cholesterol.Scientistsare

alsoresearchingtheuseofgingerasapossiblecancerinhibitor.

Ginger helps ease stomach problems and other ailments /// by elizabetH kang

“Afewpreliminarystudieshavebeenconductedonpreventing

thegrowthandspreadofovarianandcoloncancers,”Coxsays,

notingthatfurtherresearchisneededonthesubject.

Becauseofitsanti-inflammatoryproperties,gingerhasalsobeen

usedeffectivelytotreatarthritisandotherproblemscausedby

inflammation.Usedtopically,gingerhasanti-bacterialbenefitsand

alsohelpsrelievepainfuljoints.

Oneeasywaytoincorporategingerintoyourdiet,saysCox,isby

makingasimpletea.

“Justboilapieceoffreshgingerinwaterandaddhoneyand

lemontotaste,”shesays.Thebrewalsomakesarefreshingicedtea.

Althoughgingerismostpotentwhenfresh,youcanstillbenefit

fromeatingpowdered,pickled,andevencandiedginger.Gingerale

andgingerbeerhavelongbeenusedtosettleupsetstomachs,but

Coxwarnsthatmanygingeralesonthemarkettodaydon’tactually

containanyginger.Mostgingerbeers,however,arenon-alcoholic

andmadewithrealginger.

Forthosewhofindthepotentbiteofgingertoostrong,fresh,

younggingermaybemoretolerable.CommonlyfoundatAsian

markets,younggingerhasamilderflavoranddoesn’tneedtobe

peeled,astheskinisthinandedible.Powderedordriedgingeris

easytofindinanysupermarketspiceaisle,andcanbesprinkledin

curries,soups,andstir-frydishes,orincorporatedintobakedgoods.

Toensureitspotency,besuretoreplacepowderedgingerevery

year.Fresh,unpeeledgingercanbestoredintherefrigeratorforup

toonemonthandinthefreezerforuptosixmonths.

spiceoflife

18|April2010

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520 E. Santa Clara St. San Jose, CA 95112408.292.3798 | www.VegetarianHouse.us

Vegetarian HouseOrganic Vegan Restaurant

Compassionate Food For a Healthy PlanetB

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EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|19

Locally owned and operated since 1980

*Available for in house or takeout. One coupon per group/ family. Not valid with other offers. Expires 05/15/10

Buy one dinner entrée at regular price and the second dinner entréeof equal or lesser value is 1/2 OFF*!

1560 Hamilton Ave, San Jose(@ Meridian - in the Safeway Shopping Center)

408-723-7333www.tomato-thyme.com

Open 7 days a week with Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays

thatadultshave,sobecreativeaboutkeepingthem

interested.Identifyflowers,trees,andplants.Sing

songs.Playgamessuchas“ISpy”or“20Questions.”

Encourageyourchildrentoexplore,touch,andask

questions,butnottodestroyorcollect.

EAT AND DRiNkOnequartofwatereverytwohours

isagoodruleofthumb.Skipthesugarydrinksorfruit

juice;whenyourkidsareexercising,theyneedwater.

Anddon’tforgettopackalongafewtrailbars,oranges,

orotherhealthysnacks.Afteronlyanhouronthetrail,

yourkidsmaygethungry.

BE SuN-SMARTSunscreenisamust,evenwhenyou

arehikingonacloudyday.Chooseaprotectionlevelof

SPF30-plus.Fragrance-freeversionsarelesslikelyto

attractbugs.Reapplysunscreeneveryhourorso,

becauselittleonescan’talwaystellyouwhenthey’re

gettingsunburned.

Hit the trails safely this spring /// by jessica iclisoy

Seeing the worldthroughyourchild’s

eyesisjustoneofthejoysofbeingaparent.Whatbetter

waytointroducethemtothewondersoftheworldthan

totakethemonahike?You’llenjoyqualitytime

togetherasafamilywhilegettingfreshairandexercise.

Whetheryourbroodisbigorsmall,hikingwithkids

canbesafeandeasy.Thesetipswillhelpkeepyour

familyhappyandhealthywhileonthetrail:

CuT THE DiSTANCEExcursionswithkidsmustbe

keptshort.Ifyourkidsareunder6yearsold,startout

withnomorethanaone-miletrip,thenslowlybuildup

toadistancethatfitsyourfamily’sfitnesslevels.Of

course,olderkidswillbeabletodomore.

BE FLExiBLEKidsarecurious.They’regoingtowant

tostopoftentoexaminetherocksalongsidethetrailor

playinthestream,soplanonplentyofextratimeto

completeyourhike.Rememberthatwhenhikingwith

kids,gettingtoacertaindestinationdoesn’tmatter.

Justbeingouttherematters.

MAkE iT FuNKidsdon’thavetheattentionspans

hikingwithkidsLEAvE oF THREE, LET THEM BEPoisonoakgrowsprolificallythroughoutthe

BayArea,andcontactwithitsleavesorstemscanresultinanasty,itchyrash.If

youdon’tknowhowtoidentifyit,justremembertheoldBoyScoutrhymeabout

“leavesofthree.”

BEAT BuG BiTESYourkidswilllovegettingupcloseandpersonalwithmost

creepycrawlerstheyfindonthetrail.Buttwoinsectsthatnobodylikestomeet

aremosquitoesandticks.Toavoidthem,useaDEET-freeinsectrepellent.Many

naturalrepellentsareavailable,usuallymadewithplantoilssuchascitronella

oreucalyptus.Springisanespeciallyactivetimeforticks,sowhenyou’ve

completedyourhike,checkeveryone’sskinandclothesforcrawlingticks.

WHERE To GoIntheSouthBay,checkouttheSantaClaraCountyParks’

website,parkhere.org,fordirectionstoparksandtrailsnearyou.Ifyourkidsare

between9and11yearsold,enrolltheminthecounty’sJuniorRangerprogram

(clickonthe“ForKids”link),andsoonthey’llbeleadingyouonhikes.

Jessica Iclisoy is the founder of California Baby, a natural skincare line for babies,

kids, and sensitive adults. Visit her website at californiababy.com.

20|April2010

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This Historic gem provides a unique setting for meetings and special events, specializing in weddings.We are proud to be an environmentally friendly

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Beautiful, award winning Orlo’s restaurant, located in our hotel, offers fabulous Early Bird Specials each night.

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22|April2010

Nestled in the coastalhillsofPescadero,12milessouth

ofHalfMoonBay,HarleyFarmsishometo200AmericanAlpine

goats,whoseprimarytaskisproducingthemilkusedtocreatea

varietyofgoatcheesesandothergoatmilkproducts.

It’salsothehomeofDeborah(Dee)Harleyandherfamily,who

havelivedherefor17years.Originallybuiltasadairyfarmin1910,

thepropertywasdilapidatedwhenthefamilytookover,Harley

says,buttodaythefarmisthriving.

“Itisverysatisfyingtolookoutthewindowandseesomething

productiveandrealhappening,”shesays.

Aregulardayonthefarmbeginsat5:30a.m.withthemilkingof

thegoats.Theanimalsarethenletouttograzeonthefarm’snine

acresofgrassland.Harleysaysthatthesalt-ladenbreezeandsea

fogplayanimportantroleintheflavorofthegrassthegoatseat,

harley farmsThe San Mateo Coast’s goat dairy /// by aparna prakasH

whichinturnimpactstheflavorofthegoats’milk.

Thegoatsreturnintheeveningforasecondroundofmilking,

bringingthetotalmilkproducedeachdaytoaboutonegallonper

goat.Atnighttime,theyaresentintothesafetyofthepen,wherea

treatofgrainsawaitsthem.

Harleysaysherfarmuses“gentle,traditionalfarmingmethods,

makingitanoverallgoodsituation”fortheanimalsthatlivethere.

Thefarmhas11full-timeemployees,sevenwholiveonthepremises,

andalltheactivitiesexceptmilkingaredonebyhand.Although

Harleyistheboss,shesaysshehaswornmanyhatsonthefarm.

“Ihavedoneitall,themilking,birthing,andeverything,”she

says.Herfocusnowison“thevisionanddevelopmentandkeeping

thefarmaliveandviable.”

Harleysaysthatalthoughhercompanypracticessustainable

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|23

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babes in their arms: Dee Harley, owner of Harley farms, is flanked by manager ryan andrus (left) and marketing director annie rowden (right), each holding one-day-old baby goats.

farming,shehaschosennottobecertifiedorganicandprefersto

leaveituptoherfarmvisitorstojudge.Sustainablepracticesare

apparent:Twobigtankscollectrainwatertodistributetothegoats.

Themachinesthatareusedtocoolthegoatmilkutilizerecycled

water,runningthesame80gallonsthroughthepipesrepeatedly

untilthewaterisfinallyreleasedandusedforirrigation.

Thefarmproducesfourdifferenttypesofaward-winningcheeses:

chevre,fromageblanc,feta,andricotta.Harley’schevresareeasily

recognizedinanygrocerydelicasebecausetheyareartfully

decoratedwithedibleflowers—johnnyjump-ups,calendula,and

cornflowers—orwithbrightgreenchives.

In2009,HarleyFarmswonfirstplacefortheirplainchevrelogat

theAmericanCheeseSocietyAwardsinAustin,Texas.Their

fromageblanclandedsecondplaceinthe“CulturedProductsMade

fromGoatMilk”category.

Harleycreditsthelandandthecoastalclimateforhercheese-

makingvictories.“Youcan’tmakethesecheesesanywhereelse,”

shesays.“Thefeedandthegrasshavebeenthesameandallthe

goatsarefromthesamefamily…Ithasbeenconsistentoverthe

yearsandthecheesehasitsownflavor,or‘terroir’astheysayin

thewinebusiness.”

Thefarmisoftenbustlingwithvisitors,typicallygroupsofschool

childrenonweekdaysandgourmetfoodaficionadosonweekends.

Thegoatsseemtoenjoytheattention,andtheyoftenseekout

affectionfromvisitors(beware,theywillsometimeschewonloose

sleevesorpurses).

Harleysays,“Theagro-tourismpartofourincomehasskyrock-

eted.Ithasbeenunbelievable,fascinating…Peoplewanta

relationshipwiththeirfood.Theywanttoknowwheretheirfood

comesfrom.”

FarmtourscanbescheduledontheHarleyFarmswebsite,harley-

farms.com,orvisitorscanphoneaheadat650.879.0480.Harley

Farmsalsohostsmulti-courselunchesanddinnersfeaturingthe

farm’sownvegetablesandeggs,aswellasgoatmilkandcheese

products.Themealsusuallyselloutfarinadvance;checkthe

websiteforacurrentschedule.

24|April2010

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Dee Harley cuddles with a baby american alpine goat

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PokE ARouND Treasurehuntersseekinggemsfromthenot-so-

distantpastaredrawntovintages’eclecticcollectionofnearly

forgottenephemera.Theseantiqueswereoncecommonhousehold

objects:tinysilversaltspoons,multicoloredrhinestonebrooches,

silver-platedmagnifyingglasses,letteropeners,1930sskeleton

keys,andhandkerchiefs.Craftersandscrapbookersstopinfor

decorativepapers,ribbonsbytheyard,andhandmadetrims.

130N.SantaCruzAve.,408.399.9090,vintagesantiques.com

SLEEP GREENCertifiedbySantaClaraCountyasaBayAreaGreen

Business,theMediterranean-styleHotel Los Gatosoffers71rooms

andsuites,manyboastingfireplacesandbalconies.Alloffersmall

luxurieslikecushyEgyptiancottonlinens,downcomforters,plush

bathrobesandslippers,andaccesstotheon-siteEliaSpa.Petsare

welcome,too.210E.MainSt.,408.335.1700,hotellosgatos.com

DiNE LikE THE GoDSopa!servesuptraditionalGreekfavorites—

rice-stuffedgrapeleaves,spinachandfetapie,avgolemonosoup,

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PRETEND You’RE iN PARiSExtra-darkchocolateisthekey

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chocolatemoussewithdarkchocolatespongecakesoakedinGrand

Marnier.Notcravingchocolate?Nibbleonanappletartenormande,

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DRiNk AND Do GooDRaisefundsforbreastcancerresearchby

visitingFleming Jenkins Winery Tasting Roomandbuyingabottle

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main street, los gatos

losgatosFor Sunday strolling or Mondayprocrastinating, there may be no better South Bay town than Los Gatos, cradled in the foothills off Highway 17. Wide, shaded sidewalks skirt three adjacent streets North Santa Cruz, Main, and University—where boutiques, cafes, and tasting rooms are housed in tidy storefronts spanning the architectural gamut from art deco to mission revival. Those who grow weary of cappuccino-powered browsing can set off on a hike or bike ride to the high dam at Lexington Reservoir. /// by Ann Marie Brown

BayArearesidentsthinkoutsidethePrius

byAlanLopez

greeningyourride

28|April2010

Weallhaveplacesweneedtogo,butdrivingagas-poweredcarisexpensiveandpolluting,and

walking,biking,andpublictransitcanonlytakeussofar.

Thankfully,transportationalternativesaregrowing.Fromcar

sharingtocarpoolingtoowningyourownelectricbikeorcar,

fromthefree-of-chargetotheveryexpensive,numerous

transportationoptionsintheSouthBayarebothinnovativeand

environmentallyfriendly.

car sharingCarsharingprogramsaresponsoredbymunicipalities,non-

profits,andprivatebusinessesthroughouttheUnitedStates.

Anyonewhooccasionallyneedstouseacarcanobtain

amembershipinacar-sharingservice,usuallyforabout$50

peryear.Whentheneedarises,heorshereservesacaronline

oroverthephone,choosingoptionssuchaswhattypeofcar

andwhereandwhenitwillbepickedup.Anelectronickey,

providedwitheachmembership,opensthechosencaratthe

pre-selectedtimeandplace.

CarsharecompanyZipcar(zipcar.com)hasonestationinthe

SouthBay,locatedoffPalmDriveontheSantaClaraUniversity

campus.StanfordUniversityinPaloAltohas27Zipcarsonor

nearcampus,makingitthelargestuniversityprograminthe

UnitedStates,saysaZipcarspokesman.

Dependingonthetypeofmembership,Zipcarchargesabout

$8perhouror$66perday,andslightlymoreonweekends.The

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|29

averagetriplastsabout30milesandthreetofourhours.

Membersmustbeatleast21yearsoldandhaveacleandriving

record.Forprogramsoncollegecampuses,theageprerequisite

dropsto18.

Ingeneral,saysZipcarspokesmanJohnWilliams,members

saveabout$600amonthcomparedtocarowners.

Carsharingdiffersfromrentingacarinseveralways.Itisnot

limitedtoofficehours;carsareavailable24/7.Carscanbe

rentedbythehour,ratherthanin24-hourperiods,andtherate

includesgas,maintenance,roadsideservice,andinsurance.

Onceamembershipisestablished,theentiretransactionis

self-service.Onthedownside,vehiclesarenotcleanedand

refueledaftereachuse.

ride sharingIfyou’reinterestedinridesharing,alsoknownascarpooling,

considersigningupwithZimride(zimride.com).Zimrideuses

theFacebookmodelofonlinesocialnetworking,buttohookup

withridesaswellasfriends.

Zimridefocusesprimarilyonuniversities.Amajorityof

UniversityofCaliforniacampusesaresignedontothenetwork,

saysZimrideco-founderJohnZimmer.Thecompanydoesn’t

releasethenumberofpeopleinvolvedonaregionallevel,but

saysithassome300,000peoplesignedupnationwide.

Abrowsingfeatureallowspeopletofindotheruserslooking

forridesintheirarea,whethertheyaredaytrippersordaily

commuters.Arecentsearchfound19peopleintheSanJose

arealookingforrides.

ZimridestartedatCornellUniversityasafreeFacebook

applicationandisnowaSiliconValleystart-upwitheight

employees.Zimmersayshebelievesthecompanywillhave

morethan100schoolsandcorporationssignedonforthe

creationoftheirownprivateridesharingcommunitybytheend

ofthisyear.

TheBayArea’strafficandtransportationresource,511.org,

alsooffersaridesharingservicetohelppotentialcarpoolers

findeachother.Userslogonto ridematch.511.organdcreatea

profilethatdescribestheirtypicalcommutingroutesandtimes.

Likeanonlinedatingservice,thesystemmatchesthemwith

otherswhohavesimilarschedules.Matchedcommutersare

abletocontacteachotherbyemailorphone.Forsafety

reasons,carpoolersareencouragedtomeeteachotherbefore

thefirstsharedtripandtalkabouttheexactroute,schedule,

andwhowillbethedesignateddriver.Theyshouldalsodiscuss

insurance,parking,andevenmattersofetiquette,suchas

whetherornotit’sokaytoeatinthecar,wearperfume,talkon

cellphones,andthelike.

Asimilarservice,butwithlessfrills,isErideshare.com,which

Silver, sexy, and so

expensive: The all-

electric Tesla Roadster

appeals to the eco-

minded driver for whom

money is no object.

EVprototypewasintroducedtothemarketinApril2008and

includesalithium-ionbatterypack.

“It’stheworld’sonlyaffordableadvancedelectricvehicletoday

under$25,000,”saysLeeEdwardColin,thevicepresidentof

businessdevelopmentforGreenVehicles,Inc.,whichproduces

thevehicles.

Sofar,fiveofthe“earlyadopter”versionsoftheTriacEVhave

beensold,Colinsays.About35ofthevehiclesremain,although

Salinas-basedGreenVehiclesInc.expectstomanufactureabout

1,000ayearbeginningthisOctober.

Acheaperelectric-vehiclealternativeisZAP(ZeroAirPollution),

aSantaRosa-basedcompanywhichmanufacturersanumberof

differentelectricvehicles,includingthree-wheelsedansand

three-andfour-wheelvansandtrucks.The$9,0002009five-door

hatchbacksedan,whichincludesanoptionalsolarpanelchargeron

theroof,cango40milesonaneight-hourcharge.

O’ConnellElectric,locatedat1537WebsterStreetinAlam-

eda,has12ZAPvehiclesinstock,includingfourscooters

andonemotorcycle.

In2008,SanJosebecamethefirstUnitedStates

citytoofferelectric-carchargingstationswithinits

existinginfrastructure.Thestations,whichcan

befoundattrainstationsandoutsideSan

Jose’sCityHall,are110-voltoutletsthat

anyelectriccarownercanpluginto,

thenpaywithacreditcard.Several

SouthBaycompanieshavealso

installedelectric-carcharging

stationsintheiremployee

parkinglots,includingGoogle

andAdobeSystems.

Cupertinoresidentandelectric

vehiclechampionTerryWilson

soundedanoteofcautionforthose

lookingtouseelectricvehicles.

“They’resomewhatlimitedinhowfar

yougo,”saysWilson,whoisalsothe

secretaryoftheSanJosechapterofthe

ElectricAutoAssociation.“Ifyou’reusing

hasbeenaroundsince

1999.Thecar-sharingsite

chargescompanieswith

200ormoreemployees

fortheprivilegeofhaving

theirownwebpages,but

it’sfreeforeveryoneelse.

electric scootersForanenvironmentally

consciousridewithmore

powerthantheclassic

bicycle,anelectricscooterorbikeisaviableoption.

WithtwoshowroomsintheSanJosearea,ScooterLandUS

(scooterlandus.com)offers12differentmodelsofelectricbikes.

Ridingthemdoesnotrequireaspeciallicensebecausethey’re

poweredbylessthanonehorsepower.

Thebikes,whichcostbetween$699and$1,395,cantravelupto

35milesonone6-to8-hourcharge,andcanberiddenonbike

lanes.Thebikesarestylishandappealtoyoungerconsumerswith

cutenameslikeTyala,Mulayo,andBumbleBee.

“Oneofthem,calledtheDragon,willgo30milesperhour,”says

JoeFarris,thedirectorofoperationsforScooterLandUS.“Itwill

giveyoua35-milerange.”

electric carsElectriccarsarealsobecomingmorecommon,includingtheTriac

EVthree-wheelelectriccar,whichhasatopspeedof80milesper

hourandarangeof100milespercharge.

Atacostof$24,995,theTriacEVcanbedrivenonfreeway

carpoollanesandcostsaboutapennyamiletooperate.TheTriac

30|April2010

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This model of the ZAP

(Zero Air Pollution) car,

made in Santa Rosa, comes

with an optional rooftop solar

panel and costs about $9,000.

The Bumble Bee

from Scooter Land

uS can hold two

riders and has a

maximum speed of

20 miles per hour.

New Porsche Hybrid

in march 2010, porsche

announced its eco-friendly 918

spyder Hybrid, which gets 78

miles per gallon and has a top

speed of 189 miles per hour.

the sportscar can also run

on electric power only with a

range of up to 15 miles.

somethinglocallythat’sgreat…It’sgood,usefultransportation,but

youhavetoknowwhereyou’regoing.Youcan’tpluginreallyfast

andgetafastchargeandkeepgoing.”

Wilsonspentabout$2,500toconverta1980gas-powered

motorcycleintohisownelectricvehicle,whichcangoupto20miles

onacharge.Ahand-builtsidecarmadeoutofrecycledpartscarries

theninerechargeablelead-acidbatteriesthatpowerthevehicle.

“Igotalotofstuffreally,really,reallycheap,”Wilsonsays.“It

takestimetofindallthisstuff.”

Publictransitplaysabigpartofusinghisvehicle,Wilsonsays.If

hewantstogotoSanFrancisco,heridestothestation,parks,and

boardsatrain.

RonFreund,thenationalchairoftheElectricAutoAssociation,

drivesthenow-defunctelectric2002ToyotaRAV4EVandsayshe’s

abletodriveat60mphfor100milesafterafive-hourcharge.

Therearenostopsatthegasstation,maintenancecostsvirtually

nothing,andthevehicleissilent.

Thevehiclecosthim$29,500aftera$13,000rebate.“Thecost

permileisvirtuallyzero,”saysFreund,whoalsopowershishome

andchargeshisvehicleusingsolarenergy.

Likeotherelectriccarenthusiasts,theLosGatosresidentblames

politicsandbigbusinessforprohibitingamass-marketelectriccar

thatoffersthepowerandrangeofgas-poweredautomobiles.

Butforthosewithmoneyandpatience,TeslaMotorsisexpecting

toproduceasmanyas20,000seven-passengerModelSvehiclesby

theendof2013,thankstoa$465millionloanitreceivedfromthe

UnitedStatesDepartmentofEnergy.

TheModelSwillhavearangeofupto300milesandtake

about45minutestocharge.Pricesareexpectedtostartatjust

under$50,000.

Since2008,TeslaMotorshasproduced900electricvehicles

intwomodels,theRoadsterandRoasterSport.TheRoadstercosts

$109,000whiletheRoadsterSportacceleratesfaster,hasamore

luxuriousinterior,andcosts$128,000.Ifthepricetagseemstoo

steep,TeslawillalsoleaseitsRoadstersfor$1,658permonth.

Thethree-year,30,000-milecontractrequiresmorethan$12,000

atsigning.

IstheTeslaworththeprice?DougCheeseman,aRoadsterowner

andretiredbiologyprofessorlivinginSaratoga,saysthecarisfun

todriveandopensupconversationsaboutenvironmentalismwith

peoplecuriousaboutthevehicle.

“It’sthemostfuncarI’veeverhadbyfar,becauseofthe

accelerationandreliability,anditburnssoclean,”saysCheeseman,

whonowconductsworldwidewildlifeandenvironmentalismtours

throughCheesemans’EcologySafaris.

Cheeseman,whopurchasedthevehiclein2009,saysitcango

244milesperthree-hourchargeandonlyneedsa15-or20-minute

chargetogoabout30miles.“Idrivealotaroundtown,”hesays.

HesayshelikestheRoadstersomuchthatheplanstopurchase

aModelSwhenthatvehiclebecomesavailable.

looking for a more eco-friendly ride? the following is a list

of transportation alternatives.

Scooter Land uS sells 12 different models of electric

bikes. call 408.888.4999 or go online at scooterlandus.com.

o’Connell Electric in alameda has 12 zap electric

vehicles in stock. call sales associate larry cerqueira at

510.865.7255.

located in salinas, Green vehicles, inc., is the manufac-

turer of the electric triac eV. call 408.688.1210 or go online

at greenvehicles.com for more information.

the Electric Auto Association is a worldwide non-profit

organization that promotes the advancement and wide-

spread adoption of electric vehicles. go online at eaaev.org.

the Zipcar car share service has two vehicles at the santa

clara university campus and many more on or near the

stanford university campus. go online at zipcar.com.

to share rides with local carpoolers, go to zimride.com,

erideshare.com, or ridematch.511.org.

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|31

This Scion xB is one of

two cars available at

the Zipcar location at

Santa Clara university.

Terry Wilson, secretary of the San Jose Chapter of

the Electric Auto Association, shows off his electric

motorcycle made from recycled components.

pHotograpHs bylane joHnson

GreenCertified

south bay companies choose

eco-conscious business practices

by alan lopez

Dr. pedram malek of malek Dental in mountain View

Nguyensayshewasinspired

afterheheardaboutadental

officeinOregonthatwasthe

firsttobecertifiedasagreen

buildingbythestandardsof

LeadershipinEnergyand

EnvironmentalDesign(LEED).

Hedidn’treachhisinitial

ambitionforLEEDcertification,

buthisbusiness,NocaDental

Care,wasrecentlycertifiedasa

greenbusinessbytheBayArea

GreenBusinessProgram.

“Sixmonthsbeforeweeven

startedconstructioninsidethe

space,wedesignedittobe

green,”Nguyensays.“Itwas

conceivedonpapertobegreen;

itwasn’tdesignedafterthefact.”

NguyenisoneofseveralBay

Areadentistswhohave

recognizedthebenefitsofbeing

certifiedasagreenbusiness.

AnotherisDr.PedramMalek,

whoopenedhiseco-friendly

dentalofficeinMountainViewin

2008.Someofthepractices

thatmadeMalekDentalqualify

forgreenbusinesscertification

includetheuseofsteam-based,

non-toxicsterilizationprocedures;aspecialfiltrationsystemtoallowenviron-

mentallysounddisposalofoldmercuryfillings;andacomputerizedchart

systemtoreducetheamountofpaperused.Malekalsousesnewdental

technologythatreducestheamountofwaterrequiredwhencleaningteeth.

Hesaysitwaseasyfortheserene,spa-likeofficetobecertifiedgreen.

“ThewayIwasoperating,itwasalreadysetupforagreenbusiness,”says

Malek,whoisamemberoftheEco-DentistryAssociation.

NocaDentalCareandMalekDentalareamongsome2,000businessesinthe

BayAreaand470inSantaClaraCountythathavebeencertifiedthroughthe

BayAreaGreenBusinessProgram,whichisadministeredatthecountylevel

butcoordinatedregionallythroughtheregionalplanninggroup,theAssociation

ofBayAreaGovernments(ABAG).

BeguninmostBayAreacountiesin1996,theprogramhasseenadramatic

increaseinparticipationinthelastfiveyears,asthegeneralpublicbecomes

moreenvironmentallyconscious,saysLisaRose,whooverseestheprogramfor

SantaClaraCounty.

WhilethegreenbusinessprogramhasbeenembracedprimarilyintheBay

Area,therearealsoprogramsinSantaCruzandMontereycounties,anda

fledglingprograminLosAngeles,saysregionalgreenbusinesscoordinatorCeil

Scandone.

iN 2009,whenNamNguyenopenedanewdentistofficeinwhatwasabarren1,700-square-footstripmallonEastFremontAvenueinSunnyvale,hedecidedtocreatethemostenvironmentallyfriendlyspacehecould.Theresultisasleekyethomeyoffice,whichisbuiltwithrecycledmaterials,hasconsistentlylowwaterandenergyusage,andutilizeseco-friendlydentistrytools.

It’sunclearwhattheenvironmentalimpactfromthe

programhasbeen,buteffortsarebeingmadeto

determinethatinformation,Rosesays.

Severalbusinessownerswhohavebecomecertified

saythatmeetingtheindustry-specificstandardsto

becomegreen-certifiedisn’tnecessarilydifficult,

althoughitcancostthousandsofdollarsandtake

considerabletimetomakethenecessarychanges.But

oncethechangesarecomplete,thegreen-certified

businesshasanewmarketingtool,amoreenvironmen-

tallyfriendlybusiness,andreducedcosts.

ThatwasthecaseforStraitsCafé,aZagat-rated

Singaporean-fusionrestaurant,whichisthefirst

green-certifiedrestaurantinPaloAlto.

ManagingpartnerLouisLeongsaysthe11-year-old

restaurantwascertifiedgreenattheendofNovember,

ninemonthsafterhebeganlookingatwaystoimprove

thebusiness’senergyefficiency.

Hesaysthewholeprocesscostabout$20,000,

althoughabigchunkofthatmoneywasspentupgrad-

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|33

Green Husband-and-wife dentists nam nguyen and n. anne nguyen of noca Dental care in the lobby of their green-certified office.

ingtherestaurant’sheatingandcoolingsystems,whichwasnot

requiredbytheGreenBusinessProgram.

Therestaurantalsoreceivednewenergy-efficientlightinganda

low-flowtoilet,anditnowcompostsabout80percentofitsfood

waste.Thesealersontherefrigeratorswereupgradedandair

curtainswereinstalledsocoldairdoesn’tescape.Someofthework

ingettingcertifiedinvolvedtrainingthestaffoncompostingand

thetreatmentofwastewater,aswellasonsmallertasksliketurning

offlights.

However,itwasworthit,Leongsays,sinceamongotherthings,

therestaurantnowsavesmoneyonitswaterandgarbagebills.

“Tomeit’sverynaturaltowantthebusinesstobeenergy-effi-

cientandgoodfortheenvironment,”saysLeong,whohasa

backgroundinmarinebiology.“Youalsoknowitsavesmoneyfor

thebusiness.It’sawin-winsituationforthebusinessandthe

environment.Itjusttakesalittleefforttomakeitwork.We

encourageallbusinessesaroundustodoit,too.”

Awidevarietyofprimarilysmallbusinessesaregettinggreen-

certified,includingKossCollisionCenter,aSanJoseauto-body

shopownedbybrothersBobandDonKoss,longtimeindustry

veteranswhostartedthebusinessfiveyearsago.

Whilethebrotherssaytheywerealwaysenvironmentally

conscious,theywereforcedtotakeaharderlookattheirgreen

practicestomeetnewlocalstandardsfortheamountofvolatile

organiccompounds(VOCs)thatwereallowedintheirpaints.

LastFebruary,theKossbrothersswitchedtowater-basedpaints,

whichrequiredathree-daytrainingsessiononhowtomixand

applyit.Whilegoingthroughthatprocess,theydecidedtolookinto

becomingagreen-certifiedbusiness.

“WecontactedtheGreenBusinessProgramandtheykindof

walkedusthroughitandtolduswhatweneededtodoifwewanted

tocomply,”saysBobKoss,addingthatachievingthecertification

requiredsomesimplechangessuchasusingrecycledpaper.

Healsohadtoreplaceasmuchas60percentoftheshop’s

fluorescentlightsandswitchtoultra-efficientelectronicballasts,

whichafter$4,500inrebatescostthebusiness$8,000.The

rebateswereprovidedthroughtheRightLightsprogram,an

energy-efficiencyprogramtargetingsmall-andmedium-sized

businesses,whichisfundedbyPG&Eratepayers.

Becausehe’sultimatelysavingmoneyonhisenergycosts,Koss

saysheexpectstobreakevenonthelightingexpenseinabout

18months.

JoanEscover,theownerofJPGraphics,anoffsetprinting

companywith10printingpressesand40employees,saysshewas

happythatitdidn’tcostheranythingtobegreencertified.

ForEscover,thecountygreencertificationwaseasybecauseshe’s

inarelativelynewbuildingthatdidnotrequirealotofupgrades,

andthecountywaivedarequirementtoinstallalow-flowtoilet.

Furthermore,herbusiness,whichhasbeenaround11years,was

alreadyenvironmentallyconsciousandfewchangeswereneeded.

“Ifyoualreadyarepracticingagreenapproachtotheworld,”she

says,“you’regoingtopassveryeasily.”

Escovercontrastedthatexperiencewiththeapproachusedby

theForestStewardshipCouncil(FSC),anenvironmentallyconscious

organizationthatsherefusestojoin,inpartbecauseofthe$2,500

costshesaysittakestobecomecertified.

EscoversaysshealreadyusesFSC-certifiedproductsbecauseher

clientsdemandit.

“I’mnot[FSC-certified],”Escoversays.“Irefusetopaytodowhat

aclient[already]toldmetodo.”

NamNguyen,whodesignedhisdentistofficetobeagreen

business,alsopassedthegreencertificationeasily.

Hesayshehadtheofficerebuilt,installingcabinetsmadefrom

recycledwoodandreusingtheoffice’soldceilingtiles.Hisrecords

aremostlyrecordedontoacomputer,reducingtheamountofpaper

hisofficeuses.

Asforhisdentistry,heusesanadvancedX-raysystemthat

requiresnotoxicchemicalstodeveloptheimages,aswellas

waterlessvacuums,whichhesaysconserve22,000gallonsofwater

ayear.

Hesaystheprocessofgreeninghisdentistofficecostabout20

percentmorethanitwouldhaveotherwise,althoughheconsiders

thegreaterexpense“upfrontcosts,”andsayshemaycomeout

aheadfinanciallyoverthebuilding’slifetime.

Inaddition,theremodelingworkhedidtooklesstimethanwhat

hehadplannedtodowhenheconsideredhavingthebuilding

LEED-certified.Afterconferringwithhisarchitect,hedecidedit

wouldtaketwotothreetimesaslongtomakethebuildingLEED-

certified.Heoptedforalocalenvironmentalcertificationinstead.

Nguyensaysevenafterhewentthroughdesigninghisown

building,helearnedmuchfromgettinghisgreencertification.

“Ilearnedalotfromthecityandfromthecounty,”hesays.“I

thinkeverybusinessshouldfindoutmore.Ifyoucan’tgetcertified

rightaway,youcandooneortwothingsayeartomakeithappen.”

FormoreinformationabouttheBayAreaGreenBusiness

Program,call408.282.3166orgoonlineatgreenbiz.ca.gov

34|April2010

bob (left) and Don (right) koss of koss collision center in san Jose

bug off

Elizabeth and Paul Patterson

of San Jose play outside

their orange-oil treated home

with daughter Elizabeth

Grace and son Flynn.

EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM|35

la

ne

Jo

Hn

so

n

pest-freewithout pestiCides

by eriCa Goss

a lineofantsappearson

thekitchencounter.

Mothsflutteroutofa

favoritewoolsweater.

Yellowjacketsdescendon

aplayground,scattering

children.It’senoughtomakemostpeople

reachforthebugspray.

Butnopesticidesarecompletelysafe.

Mostchemicalsdesignedtokillinsectshave

otherseriouseffects.Theycanleadtothe

evolutionof“superbugs”thathave

developedresistancetoinsecticides,kill

bug off

thestateDepartmentofPesticideRegula-

tion.Usebyagricultureandpest-control

businessesisincludedinthenumbers,but

householdandindustrialuseisnot.And

while162millionpoundsmaysoundlikean

enormousamount,itactuallyrepresentsa

steadydeclineinoverallpesticideusesince

peakusageof200millionpoundsin1992.

“Californiaexperiencedanotherdry

winterandspringin2008,”whichde-

creasedtheuseoffungicides,saidMary-

AnnWarmerdam,directoroftheCalifornia

DepartmentofPesticideRegulation.The

pests’naturalenemies,andharmthehealth

ofreptiles,birds,andhumans.

Evenasmallamountofpesticidecan

harmwildlife,saysFreddyHowellofLos

GatosBirdWatchers(formerlyWildBird

CenterofLosGatos).

“Thenorthernflicker,arelativeofthe

woodpecker,isveryprevalentthiswinter.

Antsareitsfavoritefood,”shesays.Any

pesticideappliedtoantswillfinditsway

intotheflickers’bodies.

Californiansusedatleast162million

poundsofpesticidesin2008,accordingto

agencysaidfewerpoundsofinsecticidewere

used,butmoretotalacresweretreatedwith

suchchemicals,achangethattheagency’s

scientistssaidreflectedcrop-growersshifting

frombroad-basedinsecticidestonewer

productsthataremorespecifictothepestand

lesstoxictopeopleandtheenvironment.

Onesuchapproachtolesstoxicpestcontrolis

IntegratedPestManagement,orIPM.IPM

practitionersattempttoharnessinsects’natural

enemies,usespecificplantstolureinsectsaway

fromtheirfavoritefoods,andemploychemical

pesticidesonlyasalastresort.Tocombat

commonArgentineantsindoors,forexample,

IPMmethodssaytospongeawayantsandtheir

trailswithsoapywater,pluguptheirentrypoints

withcaulkorpetroleumjelly,andremoveany

ant-infestedhouseplantsaswellasanysugary

food-spillsthatmaybeattractingtheinsects.

“Indoorspraysarenotusuallynecessary,”

accordingtoguidelinesfromtheUniversityof

CaliforniaStatewideIntegratedPestManage-

mentProgram.

Forthosewithpestproblemsinthehouseor

garden,asolutionbeginswithidentifyingthe

pestcorrectly.Ifyouaren’tsurewhatkindof

insectsyou’redealingwith,visittheUC’s

IntegratedPestManagementProgramwebsite

atucdavis.edu,orconsultyourlocalUniversity

ofCaliforniaAgricultureandNaturalResources

CooperativeExtensionoffice(gotoucanr.orgto

findthelocationnearestyou).Researchingthe

basicfactsabouttheinsect’slifecycle,feeding

habits,andenvironmenttakesmoretimethan

grabbingacanofRaid,butthosewhodotheir

homeworkwillbeabletochooseamuchless

toxicwayofcontrollingpests.

EventhosewhohaveswitchedtoIPM

methodsmaystillhavetoxicproductsintheir

garagesandsheds,however.Apamphletfrom

AuduboncalledGuide for a Healthy Yard and

Beyondadvisesconsumerstocheck“thestuff

onyourshelves”forthefollowingpesticides:

acephate,bendiocarb,chlorpyrifos,diazinon,

anddimethoate.Someofthesecommon

ingredientscarryatoxicitywarningfromthe

EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,andthe

federalgovernmentisphasingthemout.

Environmentallyfriendlyalternativesinclude

utilizing“good”insectssuchaslacewingsand

ladybugs(availablebymailorderandat

well-equippedgardenstores),stickytraps,

insecticidalsoapsforaphidsandcaterpillars,

andboricacidbaitsforfleasandcockroaches.

Ideally,thefirststepindealingwithinsectsin

yourhomeconsistsofkeepingthemfrom

enteringinthefirstplace.Checkforopenings

whereinsectscanenter,andcaulkaround

windows,doors,andairvents.Vacuumoften,

Freddy Howell of Los

Gatos Bird Watchers

says pesticides cause

harm to wildlife.

The Planet orange team:

Carl Nelson, Greg Hansen,

Cory klausmann, and Patrick

Becker strike a pose by one

of the company vehicles, a

volkswagen Beetle.

36|April2010

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Muchastheycanannoyhumans,insectsplayavitalroleinourecosystems.

Fortunatelywecanreduceandeveneliminatemostinsectpestproblemswithoutharmingtheenvironment.

McBride drills small holes

in the wall where orange

oil will be injected.

andstorefoodinsealedcontainersorinthe

refrigerator.Keeptreelimbsprunedawayfrom

thehousesothattheydon’tcreateabridgefor

invaderstocross.

NathanCocozzaofPlanetOrange,aBayArea

pestcontrolcompany,saysnon-toxicpest

controliseffectiveevenontermites,whichare

acommonplagueamongCalifornia’swood-

framedhomes.

“ThestateofCaliforniaismandatingthe

removaloftoxicpesticides,”hesays.“Our

companyusesorangeoilleftoverfromcrushing

orangesforjuice.Orangepeelhasanaturalsub-

stancethatrepelsinsects,butiscompletely

safeforhumansandtheenvironment.”

PlanetOrange’sworkersspraytheorangeoil

intoinfestedwalls,whereitworksitsway

throughthehouse,smotheringtermites,

Cocozzasays.

Topreventtermiteinfestation,wooden

porches,decks,sheds,anddecorativeelements

shouldnotbeindirectcontactwithsoil.

Concretefootingsshouldbeemployed,and

homeownersshouldavoidover-watering

landscapeplants,aswetsoilharborstermites.

Fornewerhomes,termiteshields,mesh

barriers,andwaterproofingmembraneskeep

termitesout.

Addingcompostandorganicmaterialtothe

soilcanhelpkeeptermitesawayfromthe

house,andusingtermite-repellingplantssuch

asgarlic,aloe,andsweetbasilcanhelp,too.

Frogs,reptiles,birds,bats,andantsare

termites’naturalenemies.

Mosquitoes,anotherannoyingpest,alsocan

carrydiseasessuchasencephalitisandWest

Nilevirus.Luckily,naturalmosquitocontrolis

fairlyeasy.Repellentscontainingcitronellaor

soybeanoil—suchasNatrapelorBiteBlocker—are

effective,andwearinglongsleevesandlong

pantswhenspendingtimeoutdoorsinmosquito-

proneareascanhelpkeepbitestoaminimum.

Homeownerswithdecorativeponds,which

arebreedinggroundsformosquitoes,can

obtainmosquito-eatingfishfromSantaClara

County’sVectorControlDistrict.Thosewho

wanttoencouragelocalbrownbatstoeattheir

fillofthepeskyinsectsmayopttoinstall

woodenbathousesintheiryards.Thehouses

shouldbe10to20feetabovethegroundso

batscanswoopinandouteasily.

Muchastheycanannoyhumans,insectsplay

avitalroleinourecosystems.Fortunatelywe

canreduceandeveneliminatemostinsectpest

problemswithoutharmingtheenvironment.

FormoreinformationfromAudubon’s

Guide for a Healthy Yard and Beyond,visit

Audubon.org,andclickon“AudubonatHome,”

andthen“CreatingaHealthyYard.”

Applicator Sean McBride

inserts a scope into the wall

to look for termite evidence.

orange oil is applied into

the pre-drilled holes.

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award-winning residential remodeling firm, serving discerning santa clara county homeowners for over 32 years. personalized customer service, combined with sustainable and healthy design, yield unique remodeling experiences.

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We are a unique design studio specializing in sustainable and toxin-free materials. We design and sell locally made, sustainable custom cabinetry. We also supply ecologically responsible flooring, wall, and countertop materials, and we provide complete interior plans for remodels and new construction.

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6‚233HoW To

SAvEENERGYAND STiLL oWN

A HoT TuB

hot tubs & spas

hot tublung

Investinagoodcover,

heatwaterto102degrees

orless,andhaveatimer

thatallowsyoutoturn

downtheheatwhenthe

tubisnotinuse.

Weightinpoundsofa

500-gallon,seven-person

hottubbymanufacturer

HotSprings,whenfilled

withwater(butnotpeople).

˙Ah,theblissfulfeelofasoakinhotwaterunderastarrysky.Ahottubofyourowncanbeanindulgentdreamcometrue,oritcanbealittle-usedenergy-hogthattakesupvaluablespaceonyourpatio—dependingontheageofyourtubandhowoftenyouuseit.Californialeadsthenationinthenumberofhottubs,withapproximately1,128,893oftheminthestatein2009.

george steinbrenner, owner of the new york

yankees, in the Seinfeld episode “the Hot tub”

3-45-7Numberoftimeseachyear

ownersshouldcompletelydrain

theirhottubsandrefillthem.

Ahottubisaself-contained,portable,open-toppedtankoutdoors.Aspaistypically

in-groundandbuilton-site,oftenaspartofapool/spacombination.

HoT TuB VS. SPA

40|April2010

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kWh

Thenicknamegiventoaformof

pneumonitissometimescontracted

bythosewhousehottubsthatare

pronetomold.Themistthatrises

fromthesurfaceofthebubbly

watercanbeinhaledandinflame

tinyairsacsinthelungs.

Anewer,energy-efficienthottub

usesabout5-7kilowatthours

(kWh)ofelectricityperday,whilea

poorlyinsulated,olderhottubmay

use12-18kWhperday.

“then I found a way to relax. I've got two words to say to you, George...

hot tub!”

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