Rye Turning Green » Green Tips

Reconnecting with Earth Discussion Sessions

susananderson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:28:57 +0000

Reconnecting with Earth is a discussion session based on a book by the Northwest Earth Institute which explores our personal knowledge of and appreciation for the natural world, from Wild Nature to Ecopsychology. It will be offered on 6 Wednesday nights, February 15-March 28 at the Rye Public Library, 6:30-7:30. For further information contact Susan at sorazi3@comcast.net

Reconnecting with Earth

Stay Warm – Save Money: November 8 Home Energy Efficiency Program

susananderson — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:43:25 +0000

The Rye Energy Committee and the Rye Public Library are hosting a program: STAY WARM – SAVE MONEY

Tuesday, November 8, 2011, 6:30-8:00 at the Rye Public Library Meeting Room

Topics will include:

Energy Audits – A PSNH rep will talk about the PSNH Home Performance with Energy Star Program
Case Study – Good Neighbor Farm on Washington Road was just audited by this program – pictures, results, work done or to be done
Updates on renewable energy programs
Q & A – Frequently asked questions about energy efficiency and conservation.
Refreshments will be served!

Renewable Energy Program February 1, 2011

susananderson — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:23:33 +0000

Rye Turning Green

The Rye Energy Committee will host an informational session describing the latest state and federal incentives for installing renewable energy systems and programs for improving the energy efficiency of your home on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011, at 6:30 PM at the Rye Public Library. Eric Steltzer of the NH Office of Energy Planning and Rye resident Michele Sopher will give presentations followed by a question-and-answer session. New programs and increased rebates make this a great time to invest in a renewable energy system. Excellent financial incentives currently exist for NH residents or business owners who install solar electric, solar hot water, and central wood pellet boilers. Free and open to the public. Snow date Feb. 22, 2011. For additional information, email Michelle at msmmls79@gmail.com

Easy Produce Storage for Winter Use!

Annette Lee — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:02:58 +0000

As you wrap up harvest of your fall vegetables or stock up at your local farmers’ market, you can easily preserve them for later use this winter by storing them in different parts of your house. Cold storage is as simple as matching the different temperature and humidity levels of your house to the general requirements of each type of produce. The refrigerator is generally too dry for long term storage of produce; plus by storing it elsewhere, you can gain valuable space back in your fridge!

Different locations that may work in your house include the basement (especially if on the cooler side), the bulkhead stairs to the basement, an unheated garage, or in the ground/in an actual root cellar.

Keys to successful cold storage:

Aim to keep the produce between 32 and 50^oF. Don’t let it freeze!
Store the different vegetables and fruit in separate containers and with enough space between the containers to allow air circulation.
Only store produce that is not bruised or has other defects.
Reuse a wooden pallet to keep the containers off of the ground, especially if storing on a dirt or gravel surface.
Check the produce often and remove pieces that show spoilage.

If you don’t have separate locations with varied humidity, you can do what I do and create mini environments in covered plastic bins. For example, my garage is typically between 35 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter. I keep all of my produce in one location, using shelving and plastic bins to keep the different vegetables separate.

The winter squash and pumpkins sit on the open shelves; next to them I keep garlic and onions in wooden baskets. My root veggies, like carrots, rutabega and beets, each have their own bin in which they are layered with slightly moistened sand. Potatoes sit in plastic baskets within a larger covered plastic bin. The baskets sit atop a layer of very moist sand so that the potatoes are not in the sand.

Here is a short list of produce that are easy to store around the house, arranged by moisture/humidity requirements:

Moisture (Humidity)	Vegetable/Fruit	Temperature (^oF)	Approx. Shelf Life (months)	Storage Tips
Dry (70% or less)	Onions	32	4 to 6	Store in a cool dry place.
	Pumpkin	55		Store in a single layer with good air circulation, such as on an open shelf; Can wipe with a soft cloth and a little veggie oil to deter mold from growing on surface.
	Winter Squash	55
Medium Moist (80 to 90%)	Apples/Pears	32	2 to 6	Wrap in newspaper or dry straw within a box or bucket; keep fruit away from veggies – this fruit gives off gases that will cause spoilage in the veggies.
	Cabbage	32	2 to 4	Remove outer leaves and roots; wrap in newspaper and store in a box or bucket; odors from cabbage may promote spoilage in other veggies so store separately.
	Leeks	32	2 to 3	These roots store well layered in damp sand or sawdust within a plastic-lined box or bucket.
Moist (90 to 95%)	Beets	32 to 40	3 to 5	These roots store well layered in damp sand or sawdust within a plastic-lined box or bucket.
	Carrots	32 to 40	6
	Kohlrabi	32 to 40	2 to 3
	Parsnip/Turnip/Rutabega	32	3 to 5
	Potatoes	35 to 40	4 to 6	Contain potatoes in a dark box or bin. To keep moisture high, place the bin within a container that has a couple inches of moistened sand.

Above all, don’t worry if you cannot find the ideal conditions around your house. Finding an area with conditions close to the ideal will still provide some shelf life for the produce and allow you to enjoy the local, fresh produce into the winter.

Honor Your Home – Art Incentive for Rye Homeowners

susananderson — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:45:04 +0000

Come to the Gala Opening and Show of “Honor Your Home” on Friday, November 12th from 5 – 8 pm at the Seacoast Science Center.

Enjoy local food, local music and local art. You’ll have a chance to meet the artists and community members who have been part of The Rye Energy Committee’s 2010 art and energy project: Honor Your Home.

Invite friends and family. The more the merrier. This is a time to honor what you and your fellow Rye residents have done to reduce our carbon footprint and to view some beautiful art! Twenty-five homeowners have signed up to take at least three actions to reduce their energy use by improving their home’s energy efficiency. Actions range from replacing bulbs with compact florescent bulbs to insulating attics and lowering thermostats. The culmination of these efforts was having local artists create paintings of various Rye homes and gardens. The Honor Your Home Art Exhibit will take place on November 12 at the Seacoast Science Center, Odiorne Park where the paintings can be viewed and purchased. All the art will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the artists, the Seacoast Science Center, and the Rye Energy Committee.

You can take part in reducing your carbon footprint as well! It’s easy. Here is a list of actions you can take in your home:

Install insulated shades
Wash clothes in cold water
Use dishwasher only when full
Turn off lights when you leave the room
Don’t run water when you are brushing your teeth
Get a rain barrel
Insulate water pipes
Clean furnace annually
Install sweeps at exterior doors
Take the NECC
Shop at the Rye Farmer’s Market
There are so many ways we can reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Join in the efforts to reduce our town’s carbon footprint and save money!

Ten+Things to do to Honor Your Home

susananderson — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:11:52 +0000

The first ten things to do are listed by the Environment Defense Fund, the rest of the list are actions taken by local people. Take or pledge to take only THREE actions and an area artist will paint a lovely painting of your home or whatever part you may want, e.g. an arbor, a shed, a deck. It’s that simple. The art work will be exhibited at the Seacoast Science Center gala opening November 12.

Contact Mimi White, mimiwhite@earthlink.net, 964-6586 for more information and to sign up.

You can also attend the Green Saturday morning programs at the Seacoast Science Center and learn more about how you can tighten up your home. Details are in the Events Calendar on this site.

TEN+ ACTIONS:

1. Recycle and buy minimally packaged goods as much as possible.

2. Wash clothes in cold water. (Ed. – It works as well as warm, really!)

3. Install low-flow shower heads to use less water. (Ed. Feels the same as full-flow)

4. Run the dishwasher only when it is full and don’t use the heat to dry dishes.

5. Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. (Ed. They come in all shapes and sizes now, some dimmable and instant-on)

6. Plug air leaks in windows and doors to increase energy efficiency.

7. Replace old appliances with energy efficient models.

8. Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation whenever possible.

9. Adjust your thermostat – lower in winter, higher in summer.

10. Share these simple steps with family and friends and increase awareness!

Other steps that have been taken:

Put up a clothesline or wooden rack.

Wrap hot water pipes.

Insulate attic and cellar.

Reglaze, recaulk and tighten old windows.

Use cloth draft-prevention “snakes” at bottom of doors and windows.

Have a home energy audit. Call your energy provider – they may do this for free or a very reasonable rate.

Program thermostats.

Compost waste.

Plant a vegetable garden.

Buy local at the Rye Farmers’ Market

Honor Your Home Project

susananderson — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:23:15 +0000

The Rye Energy Committee has partnered with the Seacoast Science Center and

Clean Air Cool Planet to develop their 2010 Honor Your Home project.

To take part in this initiative, you must be a resident of Rye and commit to taking three or more actions to lessen your carbon footprint. Once committed, participants will be “honored” by having an artist paint a picture of their home.

The artwork will be on exhibit at the Center from November 12-December 16. Proceeds from the sale of the artwork support the Rye Energy Committee, the Seacoast Science Center and local artists.

Learn about several actions that you can take to lower your carbon footprint by attending the “Green Saturday Morning Programs” at the Seacoast Science Center, May 1, June 5, July 10, August 7, and September 11. This is free for all Rye residents. All area residents are welcome to learn more about increasing your energy efficiency.

Think Outside the Bottle

susananderson — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 04:00:24 +0000

Lower your carbon footprint and help the environment by using reusable water containers. Watch Think Outside the Bottle by Annie Leonard, author of The Story of Stuff.

Alternative Lighting

susananderson — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:34:04 +0000

Check out this article in a Care2.com blog:

http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/alternative-lighting/

I checked at Lowe’s and led lighting is still quite expensive and not available in many sizes. It wasn’t expensive, however, to get led Christmas lights, so that’s a start. They’ll be available little by little, just like the CFL’s are. This is the way to go both for the environment (no mercury) and for energy conservation. And will there then be something new after that? Maybe, and if it’s even better for the environment, let’s go for it!

SEAREI (Seacoast Renewable Energy Initiative)

susananderson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:15:35 +0000

Seacoast Area Renewable Energy Initiative (SEAREI pronounced Sea Ray) is a program which has turned the old fashion “barn raising” into “energy raisings.” It is a great community based, “pay it forward” program allowing people to have renewable energy systems installed at a more reasonable cost. People interested in installing solar hot water or a photovoltaic grid systems in their home or business “pay it forward” by participating in three other energy raisers before they are eligible for their own energy raiser. So far, seven seacoast area residents have benefitted from SEAREI’s work and more are becoming members of the organization all the time. Go to their website and find out how to get involved, general installation savings information, tax rebate and incentive programs and more.