MODERN LIVING

Where does the time go?  We mentioned MyGreenCasa.com in our post about the Green Living Expo.  If you haven’t taken a look at the site yet, you gotta give it a look:  www.mygreencasa.com.  Their self-proclaimed mission is ”a community for green remodeling; for the first-timer to the expert.”  Cool enough, but on top of that, it’s well-laid out and appealing, with tons of great content.  The more folks utilize and add to the site, the more valuable it becomes as a resource, so if you’re involved in a green remodel, add your input, questions, feedback, experiences.  We like it!!

Wow, too much good stuff to write about all at once, so watch this page for more information about some of the great new products, services and ideas we found at the Austin Green Living Expo this weekend.  Previews:  MyGreenCasa.com, ModGreenPod, UpLift Austin, Resolution Gardens, Austin Car Share, Reclaimed Space, Austin Green Art, Landsa.pe, MTH Greenhomes, Mason Greenstar…

Other than the hot tub vendors (seriously, how did they get in??) it was a great show.  Exciting to see so much positive focus on green design and sustainability, and I’m always inspired by the creativity at approaching this effort.  The new wave of eco-living isn’t anything about “giving up” - it’s about great design that improves your life today while guaranteeing resources remain for tomorrow.  Watch for more!

Texas Green Network

“The Texas Green Network (TGN) is an economic vehicle intended to affect positive change for our environment by making it profitable to make the best decisions in how we impact the future of our planet.As a business-to-business chamber of commerce centered around environmental initiatives and responsibility rather than geography, our goal is to accelerate the spread of environmental responsibility in mainstream business practices and thought processes.”

We attended our first meeting a few weeks ago, hosted at the LCRA Redbud Center (if you haven’t heard about the building’s green design innovations - check it out: http://www.lcra.org/library/media/public/slideshows/redbud.htm). We met some great folks - cool businesses trying to do the green thing. Watch for more info on this page.

Rain has never been as satisfying as it was this morning. It has been a long time since a significant precipitation event occurred. Since it is fresh on my mind, I thought I would provide some sources for rainwater collecting and rebate programs from the City of Austin.

The City has a Rainbarrel Sales Program - check out:  http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watercon/rbsales.htm . Another local source is Innovative Water Solutions: http://www.watercache.com - their barrel is a reconstituted food supply barrel. For rainbarrels purchased from sources other than the City there is a Rainbarrel Rebate Program: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watercon/rbrebates.htm

For larger rainwater harvesting systems, there are many local designers and providers - check out this link from the City of Austin’s website: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watercon/downloads/rwsuppliers.pdf . If you decide to do a larger system, you may be eligible for a rebate: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watercon/rwrebates.htm

Happy harvesting!