| Action | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Installing Water-Saving Devices | SF - WaterWise House Call |
Request a free Water-Wise evaluation at your home, which will walk with you through your home and garden and provide information about your water use, point out potential water-savings measures, and help identify leaks that can cause increased water and energy bills. The technician can also provide water-efficient showerheads, faucet aerators, and standard toilet repair parts. |
| Sharing Tools with Neighbors | SF - Shareable SF |
Check out San Francisco's "Shareable" page, to find resources for sharing cars, food and all kinds of things. |
| Maintaining an Efficient Car | SF - Recycle Used Motor Oil |
Learn more about changing your motor oil, choosing motor oil, and where to dispose of motor oil responsibly. This resource provided by SF Environment. |
| Participating in Community-Supported Agriculture as a Block | LA - Review of CSAs |
This article reviews the various Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes that can be found throughout LA. |
| Developing Alternative Heating Sources | SF – Residential PACE |
Residential PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) allows homeowners to access simple, affordable financing for home upgrades that save energy and water. Whether you’re looking to replace a broken furnace, add insulation to a chilly home, or install solar panels, Residential PACE is a smart – and simple way to make it happen. |
| Creating a Community Vegetable Garden | SF - Community Gardens Program |
The SF Recreation and Park Departments supports and manages a program of 38 community gardens (and growing!) on city-owned property, where members can grow produce and ornamental plants for personal use. |
| Planting Gardens Together | SF - Garden for the Environment |
Garden for the Environment (GFE) is a ½ acre teaching and demonstration garden located in the Inner Sunset. This link includes an extensive list of resources recommended for Bay Area gardeners. |
| Reducing Paved Surfaces on Your Property | Palo Alto -- Permeable Paving Rebates |
Standard paving materials (such as concrete and asphalt) used for driveways, patios, walkways, and parking lots prevent water from being absorbed in the ground. Thus, the water that falls on these materials becomes runoff that can cause flooding and pollute the Bay. Rebates are available for installing permeable paving materials. Rebates of $1.50 per square foot, up to $1,000 are available. |
| Eliminating the Use of Toxic Pesticides, Herbicides, and Fertilizers in Your Garden | LA - Native Plants |
The Theodore Payne Foundation sells native plants in order to promote, preserve and restore California landscapes and habitats. The staff are well educated and can help you make the most appropriate selections for your yard. |
| Eating Lower On the Food Chain | LA- Community Garden Council |
The Los Angeles Community Garden Council manages 40 community gardens and offers advice, workshops, and community organizing assistance to more than 125 community gardens in Los Angeles County, serving more than 6,000 families. Find a community garden near you. |
Our neighborhood. Our planet.
Resources
“Cities are the platform for change in our world today. The Cool Block links the challenges facing our planet to the intimate, personal, social scale of the city block. This program starts and ends with the premise and promise—that the individual, household, and neighbors are the way forward in the face of seemingly insoluble global problems.”
