Saving Energy During the Holidays

The holiday season is in full swing, which often means family and friends coming together to celebrate. Hosting a holiday party can seem counter to conservation efforts at times but your efforts should be not be neglected! This is the perfect time to continue saving energy while striking conversations about why you partake in these conservation-minded behaviors. In lieu of Energy Action Month, which takes place every October, we thought we would remind our readers about the simple ways to save energy when guests are over for the holidays.

Before Guests Arrive

  • Order a no cost water and energy saving kit from SDG&E. The items in the kit are easy to install and slick looking too!
  • Set your refrigerator temperature between 35° – 38° F. The cooler the temperature, the more energy is being used.
  • Thaw food items in the refrigerator overnight instead of running water over them. Saving water saves energy! Collecting, treating, and distributing water can be costly and energy intensive.
  • Use a power strip to easily turn off power to several devices. Chances are you will be too busy mingling to be using your game console, television or computer.
  • Invest in appliances that save money and energy. SDG&E’s Marketplace makes shopping convenient and informative. Compare prices on typical models, calculate how much energy would be saved over periods of time and explore energy scores for each product.

 

ABOVE: SDG&E provides no-cost energy and water saving kits
SDG&E provides no-cost energy and water saving kits

 

During Your Holiday Celebrations

  • Kindly remind guests to turn off lights when leaving a room. Making this simple practice a habit will create energy savings all year long.
  • Phantom energy draws electricity from outlets when devices are plugged in but not in use. Remember to unplug fully charged devices and unplug chargers that are not in use to avoid phantom loads.
  • For overnight guests, encourage shorter showers to conserve water and energy. Have a discussion about the importance of water and energy savings on the individual level and praise your guests for incorporating this simple action into their routine. The best way to instill good practices is to remind others about how easy it is to conserve.

 

light switch
Turn off the juice when not in use!

 

After Guests Leave

  • Remember to fully load the dishwasher. One full load will save between 25% – 50% more energy than two small loads. Not to mention the water savings as well!
  • The same applies for your washing machine. Use full loads AND set the water temperature to cold. Using cold water costs about 4 cents, compared to hot/warm water which can cost up to 68 cents per load.

Sam’s First Time Driving Our EV

Many of us know by now that the benefits of driving an electric vehicle are plentiful, but a lot of us don’t know what it actually feels like to drive one. If you’ve been wondering about the experience of driving an EV, keep reading to hear what it was like for I Love A Clean San Diego’s Contract Manager, Sam:

Alright, step on the brake, I’m 90% sure this works just like any other car, I said to myself as I hopped into our Fiat Electric Vehicle for the first time. It was definitely unusual to see the layout of this car vs. a standard car. No stick shift, just buttons for transmission, battery life display, the works. It felt a little like I was in the DeLorean from Back To The Future. This car was so simple that it made me a little nervous at first, like I had to be missing something. Turns out, it was really just that simple.

I pushed the key into the ignition and began to rotate the key to start the engine, immediately noticing how quiet the engine was. I sat in limbo for a few seconds, wondering if the car was actually on and ready to go .  Compared to my own car engine, which rumbles really loudly (I prefer the term purr) the electric vehicle is as quiet as a church mouse. It’s actually a very strange, and pleasant experience. Press the “D” button, and you’re ready to go on a smooth, fast, quiet ride.  Handling was great, acceleration was great, and there really didn’t feel like much of a difference from a standard car at all. If anything, it felt like I was floating around instead of operating a very noisy piece of machinery.

sam-ev2

One of the most unique parts of the electric vehicle is the battery life display on the dashboard. It shows how the battery seems to magically charge in stop and go traffic. We’re in the future kids! Turns out that unlike conventional vehicles, that annoying foot-on-and-off-the-brakes traffic is good for electric vehicles, because they charge every time you stop. And you can top off the charge when you get home with the same ease of plugging in your cellphone.

“Wait, so, I can just plug the car into the wall at home? Are you serious? It charges like that?” It sure does. Like I said, the fact that it’s so simple scared me at first, but it’s the real deal, easy as pie. There’s no secret that this is the way of the future. Tesla, GM, Toyota, and virtually any automaker knows this. It’s just a matter of time before these babies are popping up all over the place.

It would be a major deal to have electric vehicles dominating San Diego streets instead of standard combustible engines. Think about it this way: the driving of conventional vehicles accounts for a whopping 47% of greenhouse gas emissions in San Diego County. If we all start driving electric vehicles, which don’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, it wouldn’t just be a step in the right direction. It would be an Olympic leap in the right direction. So, if you’re in the market for a new automobile, check out the electric vehicles that are currently on the market. There are great rebates to encourage people to buy them, so it’s a financially smart decision, too. SDG&E has a ton of information to help you find the one that’s right for you. We’ll see you on the road!

ZERO WASTE HALLOWEEN

Zero Waste: ENERGY

Whether you have a gas burning stove or an all-electric stove, this Halloween challenge yourself to make delicious treats without them! Most common nowadays is the electric stove, which can typically use between 1000 to 5000 watts of electricity, depending on the temperature needed. You can save energy, money, and time when you choose to utilize your oven less often. I found countless no-bake recipes with a quick search and tried out a few. ILACSD staff member, Erika, also had a no-bake cheesecake recipe up her sleeve!

Here are some simply spooky spells & treats:

No Bake Monster Teeth:

haloween-pic-1

Erika’s no-bake cheesecake:

halloween-pic-2

Zero Waste: PLASTIC PACKAGING

No Halloween is complete without candy! Unfortunately, most candy comes wrapped in plastic packaging that is then placed in more plastic packaging to hold the assortment of treats. This creates unnecessary waste that will end up in our landfill since candy wrappers are not recyclable. One of the great things about buying in bulk is that you can control the amount you purchase and often times the price of candy is way cheaper than mainstream options. Bring a reusable cloth bag or mason jar to fill up on wicked treats that range from chocolates to gummy worms! Buying in bulk completely eliminates the need for single-use plastic bags and excessive packaging.

Zero Waste: GOURDS (PUMPKINS AND SQUASH)

Every year millions of pounds of pumpkins make their way into trash cans and ultimately rot in the landfill, adding to the amount of methane released into our environment. The Fall season is the perfect time to decorate with a variety of squash, but it also is the perfect time to cook or bake with them too. These delicious fruits often meet an early grave so consider these good, better, best, worst practices when picking out your pumpkin this year.

Good: Carving the pumpkin à baking the seeds or saving the bigger seeds to grow for next year à throwing away the rest of the pumpkin

Better: Carving the pumpkin or opt to decorate it with non-toxic materials to extend its life as decor à baking the seeds or saving the bigger seeds to grow for next year àcarving out most of the pumpkin flesh to puree and cook with à composting any leftover pumpkin material

Best: Decorating the pumpkin with non-toxic materials (so it will last longer as a decoration) or not decorating at all (the pumpkin is a work of art itself!) à bake the seeds or save bigger seeds for next year’s harvest à puree the pumpkin flesh to make countless yummy Fall season dishes (pumpkin bread or pie, pancakes, hummus, lasagna), freeze leftover pureeà peel the skin to dehydrate for delicious crispy, pumpkin crisps à compost any leftover pumpkin material

Worst: Carving the pumpkin à throwing every part of the pumpkin away

halloween-3

Zero Waste: Shopping

Streamline your Halloween shopping this year by incorporating some zero waste techniques. Repurposing is a tier in the zero waste hierarchy that is perfect for the occasion and allows for creativity to flow. Create your haunted Halloween world by reusing or repurposing decorations. If you’re planning a spooktacular celebration, borrow decorations from friends or hit some thrift stores. Second-hand stores are gold mines for inexpensive décor and costumes!

NEW WASTEFREESD COMING SOON

Feeling inspired? Look out for a freshly redesigned WasteFreeSD.org coming to a computer, phone, or tablet near you! This is San Diego County’s zero waste database, a resource that allows residents to find options to Reduce, Repurpose, Donate, Repair, and Recycle a certain item. The database has served as a resource for nearly 10 years and we are excited to share all the new features of it soon.

TRASH OR TREAT

Attention all ghouls, goblins, and witches! If you’re looking for one more way to get involved this Halloween, join the ILACSD and Surfrider Foundation’s Hold On To Your Butt Committee to help remove debris on October 29th in North Park! For additional information, visit the event page.

I Love A Clean San Diego’s Fall Social

This blog post comes from staff member, Nicole, who is on the planning committee for this year’s Fall Social!

My favorite season in San Diego has always been autumn. The temperatures drop to a brisk 75 degrees and a few leaves fall here and there. The tourists return home until next summer, leaving the beaches, bays and hiking trails free for locals to enjoy. It’s a well known secret that the best time to get outdoors in San Diego is October– it’s still warm, but way less crowded.

Yep, October in San Diego is as good as it gets. That’s why I’m so excited to be on the planning committee for I Love A Clean San Diego’s Fall Social this year. Happening October 13th at the famous Catamaran Resort, the social combines three of my favorite things: a celebration of the fall season, breathtaking views of the San Diego Bay, and a good cause– keeping San Diego clean. 

What am I looking most forward to at the Social? It’s hard to choose. I think everything that we have planned is a great representative of America’s finest city. For instance, CNN named San Diego one of the 8 best beer towns in America, so its only fitting that our Social features a Karl Strauss Beer Tasting. I can’t wait for guests to try the seasonal Oktoberfest beer and take home the signature ILACSD glass that it comes in.

Heavy appetizers will also be available to fuel the fun conversations with old friends or new connections made throughout the night.

The social combines three of my favorite things: a celebration of the fall season, breathtaking views of the San Diego Bay, and a good cause–keeping San Diego clean.

Fall Social 15_Belmont Park_Chris Brake Photography (124).jpg

As a self-proclaimed Instagram addict, I’m also looking forward to our #ILACSDFallSocial photo booth. When you need a break from dancing to the live music, grab your friends and take a few snapshots. I think it’ll be a great way to capture the magic of the night. 

One more thing I can’t wait for…the Silent Auction! We have some seriously incredible prizes this year. Think staycations in La Jolla and Coronado, Disneyland trips, and even some cool gear from Patagonia, REI and Adventure 16.

It’s not too late for you to come be part of an incredibly fun night that also benefits our local environment. Get all the details below, and reserve your spot today. I’ll see you there!

I Love A Clean San Diego’s Fall Social 

October 13th 2016, 5:30pm-8:30pm

The Catamaran Resort

Click here to reserve your place

Thank you to the incredible sponsors who are making our Fall Social Possible: SDG&E, Catamaran Resort and Spa, Sycuan Casino, San Diego County Airport Authority, and Sony.