The Monthly Newsletter of greenlight magazine

Welcome to the second year of greenlight's monthly newsletter. If you have the strength to raise a glass of something after the Holidays, join us in a toast to a new and greener-than-ever year. Not that 2006 was bad. In fact, it was a great year if you judge by the books we read, the magazine covers, the movies we went to see, the politicians we elected (or didn't), the cars on the road, the flood of new green products. Couldn't you feel the earth shift just a bit?

Thanks for your support of our first year. Please continue to respond to our triumphs and queries (how green is your office? See below) as well as our shortcomings and mess-ups. We're here to help you live a greener life, and we want and need your input.

Happy New Year!

—Bill Marken, editor in chief, greenlight magazine

• Before you go solar
• Greenest car?
• Some sea bass is ok
• Bag it
• Insulation where it counts
• Greenest office?

It's going to be a good year for solar power – maybe the best since energy shortages in the 1970s inspired a bold generation of pioneering inventors and off-the-gridders. Federal tax credits for solar installations have been extended. California's groundbreaking "Million Solar Roofs" bill goes into effect this month. Meanwhile, technology investors and entrepreneurs are jumping on the bandwagon.

Is solar power the right thing for your family and home? No question that the subject is technical, and making the right choice will depend on your location, site, size of home, budget, among other things. Start your homework now.

• To calculate your potential savings from solar power, use this online calculator
• For an up-to-date overview, turn to good old Wikipedia.
• For a technical explanation, see How Stuff Works.
• NorCal Solar is a great source of general information and resources. So is the Solar Energy Industries Association.
• Get the historic perspective on solar from Real Goods, one of the pioneers in the field.
• Among many books on the subject, here are a couple of solid advisors: The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling, by Daniel D. Chiras (Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 2002). Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook, by John Schaeffer (New Society Publishers, 2005).
• Once you get pretty serious, consider a consultation with the new online service offered by The Home Depot.
• Want to dip your toe into solar power? Try an outdoor lighting system or just a garden lantern such as this one at Target.

Green Car Journal, the last word on fuel-saving vehicles, has awarded its first 2006 Green Car of the Year honor to Mercury's Mariner Hybrid. The magazine says that the car is an "excellent example of how automakers can create vehicles that are sophisticated, functional, and appealing on many levels...while keeping an eye on enhanced environmental performance." The Mariner Hybrid's electric motor provides propulsion some of the time and an internal combustion engine provides power at other times, with both propelling the car during periods of high power demand. The combination offers near-zero PZEV (partial zero emission vehicle) emissions levels and an EPA estimated at 33 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. For more on the car's attributes and the selection process, see Green Car Journal.

If you shop at Whole Foods Market, you may have noticed that Chilean sea bass is back. This was the poster-fish for unsustainable fishing practices. Poaching and overfishing were leading straight to extinction until environmental groups stepped in to urge a Chilean sea bass boycott.

According to the Marine Stewardship Council, eating Chilean sea bass now is ok – as long as it comes from a small sustainable fishery in the South Atlantic, the source of the fish at Whole Foods.

Chilean sea  bass that you see sold at other markets may not come from sustainable sources. Ask if it is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. And keep in mind what a recent article on the National Geographic’s web site, had to say: "With the recent certification of the South Georgia fishery, the Chilean sea bass message is no longer a simple one," said George Leonard of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch. But for most consumers who can't find the MSC label, the simple message would still be to continue to stay away."

If you decide to splurge on Chilean sea bass ($25+ per pound), cook it simply to highlight its delicate flavor. Here's a quick and easy recipe from Organic.org. 

More help is on the way for those of us still stumped by the typical check-out line question. We've seen at least three different sturdy, reusable and good-looking bags to carry your groceries home.

• PaperNorPlastic wins the prize for cleverest name. The polyester carrier looks like a grocery bag and folds up like one, but is designed for durability and years of use..
• Green Bag is newly arrived to the U.S. from Europe and Australia. Made from polypropylene, it is strong, reusable, recyclable.
• Earthwise Bags, also made of polypropylene, come in a choice of colors.

Please tell us if you know of other worthwhile products filling this need.

Tip from GreenHomeGuide.com

We know that insulation helps save energy. Where to start? Where can insulation be most effective?

The attic is usually the top priority because it's easy to insulate and insulating it provides immediate benefits. In most cases, homeowners can install attic insulation themselves.

Exterior walls, constituting the largest surface area to be insulated, are also important. So is your home's foundation—uninsulated foundations can account for 20 percent of heat loss in a home. Before installing any new heating or cooling systems, you should insulate your home so that you can scale the systems to the efficiency of your house, saving more energy and money.

For more insulation tips and other helpful home advice, see GreenHomeGuide.

Software maker Adobe Systems received the highest award (Platinum) from the U.S. Green Building Council. It's pretty safe to say that Adobe's headquarters in San Jose, California, is the greenest corporate building in the U.S.  

Adobe retrofitted its office towers with green improvements such as compact fluorescent lights and motion sensors to control lighting. Electricity usage was reduced by 35 percent, even as the company grew. Adobe also has invested in recycling and smart irrigation systems as well as encouraged composting and alternative transportation. The company estimates an investment of about $1.1 million in earth-friendly retrofitting – and an annual savings of almost $1 million in energy costs.

What about your workplace? How green is your office? What have you done personally to make it greener? What more could and should be done?

Please let us know, and we’ll share your tips with fellow greenlight readers. Click here.

If you work at home, don't be shy about telling us what you have been doing in and around your home office and what you would like to do. Click here.

In the Winter issue of greenlight magazine: Great Green Gifts · Readers Share the Holiday Warmth · Holiday Dinner with a Twist · Save Money on Energy Upgrades · Reality Check on Electric Cars · A Movable Fireplace · Smart Gift Wraps · Ski Where It's Green · Best Gift Books (for Kids Too) · Choose a Real or Artificial Tree? · Click to Read!

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Outfit your earth-friendly home office

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