Happy New Year... now throw out your old electronics

Get rid of your old electronics.

• Where: Oak St & Alameda Ave, Alameda, CA 94501
• Date: January 9, 2011
• Time: 10:00am–4:00pm

• Did you get new electronics for Christmas? REcycle your old ones! Alameda High's Students On Skis and Snowboards is hosting an electronic recycling event to fundraise for our upcoming ski trip! Support the Ski Club and Nature~ RECYCLE your old electronics!!

  FREE to recycle TVs, Moniters, Laptops, Flat Screens, Cell Phones and InkJet Cartridges!

  $5 to recycle CPUs, Stereos, Telephones, Printers, Copiers, DVD players, Fax Machines, Hard Drives, VCRs, Motherboards, and Video Games.

  Donations accepted! Thanks for Supporting the AHS Ski Club!

Fall colors

Every year the Ginkgo Trees turn a beautiful yellow gold color in my neighborhood.

Wow a long time since I posted

It has been a few months since I posted anything on my GoGreenAlameda blog page.

Someone recently told me about the California Cash for Appliances program.
If you purchase a new energy efficient appliance and recycle your old one you will be eligible for a rebate.
There are some conditions of course you must recycle your old appliance with one of their platinum partners. PG&E also has an appliance recycling program.

There are 2 costs to owning an appliance. The price you paid and the cost for the energy it uses.
Most newer washing machines are also more water efficient which can be a big deal here in California since we almost always seem to be in a drought.

Click on the links below to check out the programs.

http://www.cash4appliances.org/
http://www.pge.com/rebates/

Will it make you happy!

Came across this article in the New York Times today. Seems to echo sentiments we are hearing about and living with. The simple process of being happier with less. Less car, less vacation, less things, less money.
I have been on this quest for awhile, at least in theory. Always trying to reduce the amount of things that are non essential. I am not perfect, not a zen master. I still want things, a newer bike, car. However it is nice to read and be reminded that these don't ultimately make us happier. People, connections and relationships do. I have been trying to strengthen those and make them more important in my life.
Read the full article here.

e-waste recycling event this saturday 8/14

Nothing warms my heart more than getting rid of stuff. Especially electronic stuff. They had one recently at Lincoln School and I was so happy to get rid of those useless wall warts, old cell phones, cable modems and bunch of useless gizmos clogging up my closet. They also took a bag of alkaline batteries I had laying around, thank goodness. Get rid of it while its easy. There is an e-waste recycling event happening at the Harbor Bay Community Parking Lot this saturday 8/14 9am-1pm 

44th Annual Sand Castle & Sculpture Contest

June 19th marked the 44th annual sand castle and sand sculpture contest. Where people came to Crown Beach to recycle the sand, seaweed and beach debris and created some unique and creative sand castles and sand sculptures. The beach was crowded with onlookers to view the creations. Here are a few of my favorites.

Bike to Work Day

Everyone who knows me knows I love to ride my bike. I have 4 of them. It used to be more for intense recreation (I used to do Triathlons and raced Mountain bikes) but over the last few years I have grown to enjoy, ney love biking to work and around the Island just for fun. I even joined BikeAlameda.

This year I participated in BTWD helping out an Energizer Station on Webster St. handing out bags filled with goodies, water, oranges, bagels and info to those riding by. Many of them biking to work.
And all of them smiling.



From left to right Jon Spangler, Clarke Cole, Kathy Moehring and Me (Philip Kaake)

Here are some bike to work day stats.

We had a total of 493 riders who signed in at energizer stations this morning and 307 who rode bikes but didn't sign in for a grand total by our count of 800 bike rides today.

Change your mind ride a bike instead of using your car once.
I probably ride my bike to work 3 to 5 days a week and on brokers tour whenever possible. I also try and do as many errands and shopping when possible (2 large bike bags help). If you are using your car for all your errands and shopping I encourage everyone to try it and see if you don't enjoy the journey rather than just rushing to the destination just a little bit more. If you haven't ridden your bike for awhile and it's getting a little hard to shift or brake I suggest you take it to one of great local bike shops and have it tuned up. Or better yet get a new bike, or new used bike. This will really give you incentive.

Bike on Alamedans, and cyclists everywhere.