Elizabeth "Lisa" Bender

First, let me apologize about being so sporadic with my entries, but my 12 week old doesn't like to let me get too much work done, so I have to fit a lot of things into short amounts of time. Second, my thought of the day is household hazardous waste. I know - sounds scary, but most people really do have hazardous waste in their homes without even thinking about it as hazardous. What brought this to mind was the lawn guy coming to clear our irrigation lines for the winter. Yes, it's time to put the lawn mowers and weed wackers to rest for a few months, but do you really want them sitting around in your garage or shed all winter with gasoline inside?

Casual exposure to gasoline fumes are irritating to your lungs and can cause nervous system effects like dizziness and headaches. So, why not get rid of the unused gasoline and start fresh in the spring? Since gasoline is considered a household hazardous waste (HHW), it must be disposed of properly which consists of taking it to local organizations that accept it. Luckily, in both Cape May and Atlantic Counties in New Jersey (my work area) the local utilties hold household hazardous waste disposal days throughout the year for residents of their county. The ACUA (Atlantic County Utilities Authority) now holds 7 HHW daysa year, bi-monthly plus an extra one in October. The CMCMUA (Cape May County Municipal Utilites Authority) has two drop-off days per year - one in Fall and one in Spring. Both of these facilities collect gasoline and other fuels, and I confirmed with ACUA that they even accept gasoline mixed with oil as from a weed wacker. I didn't confirm with CMCMUA, but I would assume they accept it mixed as well. Of course, there are so many items considered HHW and you can check with the sites of the two facilities for exhaustive lists (acua.com and cmcmua.com), but here are a few:

- traditional household cleaning products (if you already choose natural alternative products -yeah for you!)
- paint thinners and solvents
- pesticides and herbicides
- glues and adhesives
- pool chemicals
- mercury containing devices (Flourescent bulbs, Compact Flourescent Lights (CFLs), older thermometers and thermostats)

and the lists go on. Please understand that it is important to do our part and properly dispose of these items or the toxins can pose a threat to the environment and our health. It's simple to do, especially if you are residents of these counties that provide such great services.

Another thing you can do before next spring... since you've already gotten that gasoline out of the house, switch to an electric mower. No, you don't have to worry about having a cord to run over because there are now choices for battery-powered, cordless electric mowers. Using an electric mower helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because the only fossil fuels being burned are those that are burned at the power generating station to charge the battery for the electric mower and not directly from the source. I have read varying reports that say that running a gas mower for 1 hour produces air pollution equivalent to driving a car anywhere from 20 miles (2003 USEPA study) to 100 miles (2001 Swedish study). At least power plant emissions are controlled and the user is not directly inhaling them.

Just a thought if you are in the market for a new mower, why not go electric? Also, less risk of spilling gasoline from those portable containers (a very common occurrence that is polluting). But, don't forget to properly dispose of that battery when the time comes or you could be polluting in a different way.

You may be wondering why this is a real estate blog, yet I haven't focused specifically on green building techniques. Well, that is because if you are trying to help the environment, there are many things you can do that are not related directly to your home itself, but what you do in it, and my passion for the environment drives me to tell you about all sorts of tips and info, rather than just focus on business. Also, green building is costly, and with the current economic conditions, it might be hard for people to make the commitment to go green when the technologies are still quite costly compared to traditional building (though, I think the environmental benefits are worth it). Plus, the majority of houses bought and sold are not new and unless major renovations are taking place, most green "building" is not applicable.

However, today I will talk about green choices for the home since there are many earth-friendly ones homeowners improving their interior can make that won't break the bank. If you happen to be a potential seller, it can't hurt in the marketing of your home since the general public is becoming more aware of the need to "go green", whether they are true believers in the cause to combat global warming or are caught up in the hype. Here are a couple quick things I would suggest to people updating their home (of course more will follow in future entries).

Thinking about new floors? Think bamboo instead of laminate or hardwood, especially if you live on the coast. It's as durable as hardwood with a great resistance to moisture, it's a quickly renewing resource, is easy to care for and it looks great! Additionally, it costs about the same as hardwood.

Need new paint just to spruce up? Go with the low VOC (volatile organic compound) varieties. So many companies are making them now, you can even get them at the big box home improvement stores for a pretty affordable price. This is not only good for the earth, but for your health. Check out the EPA's website on the subject at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html#Health%20Effects.

That link addresses household cleaners, too, and I'll need to save all of my discussion for green cleaning for another blog post. I have used so many different products, and some of them are completely amazing... so much better than traditional. Please comment on the blog or contact me directly if you want to talk more about green choices of traditional products.

Today I attended the Dedication of the Ocean City, NJ Solar Project. They "turned on the switch" to the alternative energy system that will provide the city with 17% of their electric needs. It is one of the largest (if not the largest) municipal solar projects in the state of New Jersey and was really cool to see. When the project is complete, it will consist of over 2000 panels, saving over 900 barrels of oil per year. From this project, the solar power produced is equivalent to the annual usage of nearly 50 homes.

It is great to see municipal government being so proactive in the alternative energy arena. Ocean City is such a great place. On the beach in the summer enjoy the sun on your skin and in the winter when you're not feeling the warmth, know that same sun is helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The total project cost was $4.5 Million, but the City didn't pay any of that out of pocket (minus some minor expenses). They created partnerships and with rebates from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Federal Tax Credits, and Solar Renewable Energy Credits, were able to do it at no cost to taxpayers.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilites does not only provide rebates for businesses and governments, but also for individual homeowners through its New Jersey Clean Energy Program. Visit the following website for more information about how you can save money and energy http://www.njcleanenergy.com/residential/programs/programs. Of course, you can always call or e-mail me to learn more. I'm here to help.

Hi! Well, this is my first blog post. I am looking forward to maintaining this blog about my real estate business and about something that may or may not always relate directly to my business - green living. I read a lot and with my science background am always picking up on things that we can do to help our planet and ourselves by making healthy environmental choices. As I come across new products or ways to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas, etc., I will relay them in this blog. I look forward to getting this going.