The per gallon baseline is used to refer to cost per mile in a manner that the majority of the population can relate to. Not as many people know what a Kilowatt-hour is or how it applies to their electric vehicle and efficiency, so PG&E incorporated the standard that everyone can understand.

The new proposal relates when and how consumers can charge their vehicles most efficiently — and inexpensively — during off-peak hours.  The older proposal only granted night time hours and a hefty 8$ monthly charge. Due to public outcry PG&E has eliminated the monthly charge (for now) and also includes more charging options (nights, weekends, and the ability to keep existing charge plans for customers until 2015).

According to David Goldstein, having a similar charging standard nationwide would save “consumers and businesses $16 trillion (cumulatively till 2050)”. Something that should not go unnoticed.

So implementing this new proposal could mean “a world of difference” for the future and it could be coming as early as in the fall.

Refer to the PG&E website for more information about the proposal and other related news.

Via:  greenbiz.com

File under ‘beach necessity’ — a sturdy, flat-bottomed beach bag to haul all your sun-worshiping gear to the seaside. GypsyStyle offers a large collection of reuseable bags in all shapes and sizes. The bags are made from 100% recycled plastic — post-consumer plastic soda bottles and wrappers salvaged before they have the ability to impact on our environment — creating GypsyStyle’s lightweight, durable fabric.

OKA b eco friendly sandals (above) are super comfy and easy to pack. In a dazzling array of colors & styles, it’s hard to pick my fav slides, heels and flats. Made in the USA in a closed loop system (no waste) and washable. Affordable, $20 – $45. find @ okabshoes.com

Peeps protectors have a tendency to get away from me. I get distracted and they detach … (like some people). So I don’t spend a lot of cash on them (yes, both shades & some people). With frames made of either recycled material or bamboo, ICU Eyewear provides both readers and shades that are sensibly priced and eco chic. Take a look @ icueyewear.com (under $22)

How hard is it to find a bathing suit that fits your unique figure? These handmade swimsuits are made to order by designer Lydia Krupinski to perfectly fit your shape – her Pierogi Picnic design will flatter your curves while setting you apart in the sun. The vintage-inspired suit is made from upcycled t-shirt cotton. The one piece boasts a fast drying lining, a forgiving boy cut bottom, cinched top and removable braided straps. $58 @ the PierogiPicnic Etsy shop.

• Talk about eating left-overs… Tiny Deep-Sea Life Eats Dinosaur-Era Meals – livescience
• Budget cuts and deregulation have limited the NOAA… Tsunami Debris Cleanup Plan is Lacking – seattle times
• Fumigation and chemicals…yuck! The Secret Life of California’s World-Class Strawberries – npr
• Never look directly at the sun… Sunday’s Solar Eclipse: How to Safely Photograph the “Ring of Fire” – yahoo! news
• The UK had the wettest April in over 100 years… Wild Spring Weather Baffles Bugs – bbc
• Wonder what kind of gas mileage he got? Ancient Giant Turtle Was Size of Smart Car – sciencedaily

related: more eco news from The Alternative Consumer

For your steampunk man cave or country living room — a vintage industrial factory cart has been fully restored and upcycled into a rough-and-tumble coffee table.

The table has been fully disassembled, cleaned and refinished. The iron components have also been carefully restored and treated with a blend of wax.

The steampunk coffee table features the original factory stencil – ” LINEBERRY, NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C.” – which appears on both sides. The oak body has been carefully sanded, smoothed and sealed in a clear urethane with wax to retain the original character of the wood. Dimensions are: 54L x 27W x 16.5T.

$625 @ the brandmojointeriors Etsy shop

related: more eco-friendly home decor items on The Alternative Consumer

The following is a sponsored guest post.
Upgrading a home to be more environmentally friendly can be inexpensive and can also help to save money on bills each month. Reducing the amount of heating and cooling that is needed and cutting the energy consumption in a home can help the environment by lessening the amount of energy that needs to be produced by large generators that emit pollutants into the atmosphere. Simple changes can increase the quality of the air in a house and can also result in better health for everyone.
Install Proper Insulation
A large percentage of the electricity that is used in an average home is consumed by heating and cooling systems. Hot and cool air can regularly escape through an attic or roof that is not properly insulated. It can be very easy to purchase low-cost insulation to line the floor and rafters of an attic to prevent air from escaping. Radiant heat barriers can be placed against the walls and mixed into loose insulation to provide even more insulating power.
Unplug
Electrical devices like a cell phone charger, a coffee maker and a microwave can all consume electricity even when not being actively used. The best policy is to unplug any devices or appliances that are not in use. This can result in as much as a 10 percent savings on electricity bills every year. A more convenient option is to use power strips or surge protectors. These strips usually have an on and off switch that can prevent appliances from drawing power from an outlet while the strip is turned off.
Hang the Right Curtains
The warm sunlight and cold air that comes in through windows even while they are closed can noticeably change the temperature in a home during the hottest and coldest times of the year. Heavy curtains or any window dressing can help to reduce this effect. Curtains can be very inexpensive. It is even possible to find large discounts because credit card comparison rewards programs can be found that makes it less expensive to make purchases at some retailers. Curtains keep out hot sun in the summer and block cold air in the winter.
Put in Fans
Installing ceiling fans under existing lighting fixtures can help to reduce the usage of expensive heating and cooling units. The fans move air through the home and can distribute heat or move cool air around. The fans are not too expensive and can become very affordable when purchased with a credit card. Credit card best interest rates can allow an expensive and efficient fan to be purchased and the paid back over the course of a few months.

When it comes to going green, you don’t always have to take out a second mortgage or refinance your current one simply to afford home updates.  By simply making a few free or inexpensive changes, you can easily reduce your carbon footprint and your utility bills all in one go.

• Just the facts... Medical Records Could Yield Answers on Fracking – npr
• I think I can hear the GOP fat cats uttering a big fat “no” already… 20% ‘Fat Tax’ Needed to Fight Obesity – livescience
• Tsunami debris… Dozens of Branded Flyswatters Wash Up on Alaska Beaches – myway
• Catch limits and regs can succeed… NOAA: Six Fish Populations Restored to Healthy Levels in the US – enn
• Commercial fungicide kills amphibians, snails, aquatic plants and more… Common Fungicide Wreaks Havoc on Freshwater Ecosystems – sciencedaily
• Clean-up in aisle three… Man Bitten by Rattlesnake at Washington state Walmart – reuters

plant grows in desert photo via shutterstock.com

For times when organic isn’t available or I don’t have the extra cash to buy organic, I’ve come to rely on a handy guide created by the Environmental Working Group that came out a few years ago. If you’re not familiar with all the wonderful work done by this nonprofit, you should be. EWG does valuable work – very time consuming research for all of us.

According to Environmental Working Group – here are the top twelve produce items that, when grown conventionally, have the most pesticide residue. They are known as the Dirty Dozen, and you should try to consume the organically grown versions rather than conventionally grown whenever possible. The organic versions are healthier, tastier and easier on your digestive system:

Apples
Celery
Strawberries
Peaches
Spinach
Nectarines (imported)
Grapes (imported)
Sweet Bell Peppers
Potatoes
Blueberries (domestic)
Lettuce
Kale/collard greens

They also list the Top 15 Cleanest items, meaning the lowest in pesticide. So if you can’t find (or afford) these organically grown, don’t fret. Eat and enjoy.
The Clean 15
Onions
Sweet Corn (due to genetically modified, – MGO – seeds, you may still want to buy organic sweet corn)
Pineapples
Avocado
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Mangoes
Eggplant
Cantaloupe (domestic)
Kiwi
Cabbage
Watermelon
Sweet Potatoes
Grapefruit
Mushrooms

Print this out, or download the app so you have it handy when you’re shopping.
via: ewg.org

As for all the other produce out there, if you can’t afford the organic version, just be sure to wash the food thoroughly before eating or preparing. Fresh fruits and veggies are some of the most nutritious foods available to us.

One last thing – you make want to poke around the EWG site … they also list the Best and Worst Sunscreens for 2012, and an ever growing database of healthy & beauty items – all rated according to how safe they are for our skin and bodies. Important stuff … bon appetit!

There’s a new kid on the prefab home block — Connect:Homes, a Los Angeles-based prefab innovator, soon to be launching their new line of prefab, “ship anywhere” modular homes.  The company is marketing these homes as affordable, exportable, and sustainably built.  The home designs, though not based on shipping containers, do ship like shipping containers — making them available worldwide.

The new prefab designs are “affordable” because Connect:Homes has a patent-pending technology that allows them to build modules to within 90% of completion at the factory, surpassing industry standards that are typically closer to 50%. Providing an almost-complete home reduces finish time and construction costs considerably.

The company emphasizes the fact that their distribution is not limited by the geographic location of their factory. Modules are designed to ship like shipping containers via truck, rail, or ship.

All Connect:Homes one and two story home designs are certified LEED for Homes Silver out of the factory.  And once installed, they come with systems and finishes that could potentially help them reach Gold or Platinum. They feature a plethora of eco-friendly, sustainable design components, efficiencies  and customizing options.

The company will be unveiling its Connect:2 prototype pop-up house at the Dwell on Design show at the Los Angeles Convention Center June 22- 24, 2012.

Prices for the homes will start at around $110,000.

• Navy Raises Estimate of Potential Harm to Dolphins and Whales by Sonar – msnbc
• Sea Shepherd Founder Paul Watson ‘Arrested in Germany’ – bbc
• Population Pressure Impacts World Wetlands – sciencedaily
• Science and the Fracking Boom: Missing Answers – npr
• Rhinos & Elephants Seed-Eating Habit Helps Biodiversity – livescience

Last week, my Ecology professor began his lecture with the trite cliché “You are what you eat”. Because the words are overused, they are not often taken seriously, but in the case of seafood selection, the phrase is important to remember. As you’re savoring your morsel of imported Mahi Mahi, do you consider how it made it to your plate? There are many more attributes of food that should be considered other than taste. Imported Mahi Mahi, for example, may be delicious, but it is also one of the fish listed in the “Avoid” section of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch pamphlet. The Aquarium provides basic seafood consumption tips for the general public in order to promote sustainable and healthy seafood consumption. The pamphlet is divided into three sections: Best Choices, Good Alternatives, and Avoid. Under each category, there is a list of fish with specifications on how each is caught/farmed as well as where the fish is from in order to direct seafood connoisseurs to make wise meal choices.

The aquarium published its first guide in 1999 and has since created an iPhone app that can be used as a portable source of sustainable seafood consumption tips. Many of the fish found on the “Avoid” list are caught using methods that are harmful to the rest of the marine environment such as trawl nets that destroy the benthic ecosystem in the process of catching fish. Other species are listed because they are already overfished and without mitigation, the populations will not recover. The rest of the fish listed under the “Avoid” category are a health hazard to the consumer because they contain potentially high mercury levels or hormones used during fish farming. In fact, according to the aquarium’s website, “Nearly 85% of the world’s fisheries are fished to capacity, or overfished”.

Monitoring your own seafood consumption is one way in which this problem can be mitigated and Monterey Bay Aquarium has made that task easier for everyone. Their goal is to “help sustain wild, diverse and healthy ocean ecosystems that will exist long into the future. We do this by encouraging consumers and businesses to purchase seafood that is fished or farmed in ways that don’t harm the environment. When there is scientific uncertainty, we err on the side of conservation”.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has already done all the dirty work for seafood lovers. It is now up to the consumer to make wise, well-informed choices. For as we all have been reminded time and again, we are what we eat.

For more information on seafood selection as well as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, visit:
montereybayaquarium.org

For a printout or download of the pamphlet based on your geographic location, visit:
seafoodwatch/download

Related: more about sustainable seafood on The Alternative Consumer