The tide is turning.

Incandescent and even fluorescent lights are becoming a thing of the past. I have used the same Par 38 flood light in my public space for the last 7 years. It is a warm inviting light that is dimmable and really creates a wonderful atmosphere. I called my supplier to order some replacement bulbs and he said NO they are no longer making them and they have none in stock. He suggested a new LED dimmable light that is 3000k (this means warm light) so I tried it out. WOW, I was surprised how much it looks like an incandescent light!

So it is time to start thinking and changing to LED and what a cost savings. My par 38 was 65 Watts, now the new LED is only 13 Watts. There all different kinds of LED lights out there so check them out and save more energy.
According to this article in the Wall Street Journal all light bulbs will be mandated to be LEDs by the year 2020.

Robert Marshall, Green Guru of Inn Marin

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending the Green Meetings Industry Council’s Sustainable Meetings Conference in Chicago. Attendees at this conference come from all over the world to learn ways in which we can make the meetings, hospitality and tradeshow industry’s more sustainable. This conference featured a lot of great information which I will share in future columns, but one very simple concept really resonated with me, and is something that we can all apply to make our own lives and businesses more sustainable. This came from our keynote speaker Eric Ryan of Method, a San Francisco based company which makes green cleaning products for home and personal care.

This concept is, don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. Get started, maybe you can’t do everything you would like to do to live a more sustainable life or run your business sustainably, but get started. Don’t let the fact that you can’t do everything become an excuse to do nothing. As our own Green Guru Robert Marshall says Green is not a destination but a journey. When the Inn Marin first opened its doors we began our journey to sustainability. We began with things like compact fluorescent light bulbs and a linen reuse program, since then we have continued to add sustainable products and operational practices every year. We have been certified and re-certified at the highest level by the State of California’s Green Lodging program and it all began with a few baby steps. We did not let the quest for perfection stop us from making progress. Each year, as part of our goal setting program we pick a few sustainable products/practices to institute.

Kris Hillard, director of sales at Inn Marin

Spring has sprung!

As we move from winter into spring and summer we need to think about managing our water irrigation. I have met with a company who has combined technology with irrigation to create the perfect system to manage your water usage and have the best landscaping. ET Water has developed and specializes in water management systems that take all the elements into account. Their computer based system checks the weather forecast to determine how much to water you need or if you need to water at all. Hot summer days it will increase watering whereas cooler cloudy days it will automatically reduce the watering. They also provide great landscape management tools.

ET Water Headquarters
384 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. Suite 145
Novato, CA 94949
415-945-9383
Etwater.com

Robert Marshall, Green Guru of Inn Marin

On February 1, 2013, I attended my Rotary Club lunch as I normally do on Fridays.

We had a speaker by the name of Jim Phelps. His presentation made my head spin! He spoke on the newest scam in the Green Industry. They are called REC’s (Renewable Energy Certificates). Basically it is like buying carbon offsets. In other words, you pay for a piece of paper that says you support green energy. I did some research and looked up REC’s and essentially they say that green energy was produced and went into the grid but who knows where it went or who used the energy. So the energy can be produced in Oregon and the REC’s can be sold in California and the Brown energy can be produced somewhere else and you buy the Brown energy as Green energy, because they bought REC’s to make the Brown energy GREEN.

Wow my head is spinning just trying to explain this. I have enclosed a link to Jim Phelps presentation that I found on the internet. It is the same presentation he gave at my Rotary club. Check it out and see if your head spins. Then check with your Green energy supplier and see if they buy REC’s.

http://millvalley.patch.com/blog_posts/marin-energy-authority-same-power-just-greener

Robert Marshall, Green Guru of Inn Marin

What is your green initiative for 2013? Are you going to conserve more energy, use less water, compost, trade in your gas guzzler for a hybrid or an electric car, install solar panels?

It really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do something. Maybe you have been doing something at work that you aren’t doing at home? That’s what happens to me! For some reason I do more at work or I do it first at work then incorporate it at a later date at home. Maybe your initiative will be truing up both environments so you are doing the same thing in both places.

What can you do this year that will make a bigger difference in reducing, reusing or not using at all?

“Go For It!” I DARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy New Year!

Robert Marhsall, Green Guru of Inn Marin