Happy Holidays and New Year!

The Mar Vista Farmer's Market and the Green Tent will be closed for the holidays. See you back on January 8th!

Sustainable Works Visits on December 18th

Sustainable Works is back!

Sustainable Works is a non-profit environmental education organization and a project of Community Partners. Their mission is to foster a culture of sustainability in cities, colleges, and businesses.

Sustainable Works offers programs in Santa Monica and now in Los Angeles!

They will be here to sign up willing participants for the next Green Living Workshops, one of which will be offered at the G2 Gallery starting January 25th. Several of us at the booth are happy alums of this important, fun and informative course. See here .

The Green Living Workshop covers the following topics, one per week:

Water | Energy | Waste | Chemicals | Transportation | Shopping & Food

In class each week you will spend time learning about the problems related to each of the above topics on a global, national and local scale. Then with the help of the WorksBook, a comprehensive sustainability primer that all participants receive, you will review ten related solutions.

There will also be opportunities to receive sustainability tools to help participants carry out the solutions discussed during the workshop!

Please stop by to have your questions answered to and say hello!

California Green Designs- Sunday December 11th

Did you know?: 1 Solar Home = 1,000 Trees.

Just one of many surprising facts you will learn this Sunday when Mona Asinovski, a solar consultant for California Green Designs, pays a visit to the Green Tent.

Mona is passionate about going solar for all the right reasons. Come visit this dynamic Solar Expert at the MVCC Green Tent this Sunday and learn some surprising facts about going solar in 2012.

Here are just a few of the topics that Ms. Asinovski will clarify for you:

Solar energy brings you security and independence.

Debunking myths and providing information- Most homeowners think that solar is expensive, out of their range, and requires a large down payment. In fact going solar empowers you to lock into current electricity rates instead of exposing yourself to rising LADWP electricity prices. As of this summer, The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials say the utility needs rate increases of at least 15 percent over the next three years. SCE is proposing a 7.2% increase in 2012 alone.
A Home with Solar Sells Twice as Fast

Solar power dramatically increases the value of your home. The house you live in is your greatest asset. Instead of remodeling the bathroom and kitchen with the hopes of adding value, add solar panels instead. The Appraisal Journal recently reported that a home's value is increased by $20 for every $1 reduction in energy savings. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy says that a home with solar will sell twice as fast as a home without solar. Learn more at the Green Tent…

Energy Independence for You and Your Car

With the trend toward availability of electric cars, generating your own electricity makes even more sense! Imagine generating your own fuel while you sleep!

1 Solar Home = 1,000 Trees

Don't forget, the side effects of solar are a reduction of air pollution, and CO2 emissions. We're talking about up planting over a thousand trees with a single solar installation and less demand for dirty fossil fuel.

The Peaceful Solar Warrior

Solar also supports the US economy. As the solar industry grows, it brings job and infrastructure back to the United States. Supporting this local economy is a great way to bring your area financial stability in the future. By reducing our reliance of foreign oil, we may just be able to halt the high cost in human life that we currently pay for our military presence abroad.

Solar energy is about independence, freedom from rising prices and the availability to control your expenditures in the future.

California Green Designs is a local solar company that's been installing panels since 1985. They operate work within a 60 mile radius, and use only in-house staff, with no sub-contracting.

They look forward to meeting you and answering all of your questions on December 11^th. Stop by and get a free site evaluation! Check them out www.ca-green.com.

Mona also sets up sun-worship booths at farmers markets all over LA, and if you catch her, she'll offer you a coconut water, some sunglasses, while you get your solar questions answered. You can follow her @sun_salutations.