Park City Blog

Go Green this Thanksgiving!

Here are five ways you can lower your impact on the environment this thanksgiving!
1) Buy locally and regionally produced food!  Most farmers markets will carry locally and organically grown sweet potatoes, carrots, home made jams, cheeses, breads, and much much more!  If you're family tradition includes a turkey, look for an organic, free-range turkey.  Yes, it does cost a few bucks more, but it's also much healthier! 
2) Minimize your use of Plastics!  Use re-usable leftover containers instead of disposable plastic wrap, and even tin foil wrap!  Try to avoid using plastic plates, silverware, etc.  Plastic never fully breaks down, so if you MUST use plastic, make sure it gets recycled.
3) Celebrate at home!  Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel weekends of the whole year!  Why not help to reduce global warming?  Skip the stressful holiday travel, and celebrate an eco-friendly Thanksgiving at home.  If you MUST travel, be conscious about the environment.  Drive as little as possible, and take your most fuel efficient vehicle. Carpool whenever possible. If you're flying, consider purchasing carbon credits to help offset your portion of the carbon dioxide emissions. 
4) Don't OVER Cook.  While Thanksgiving leftovers are great, most people end up THROWING OUT over half of their leftovers  Spend a few extra minutes planning, and try to cook only what you and your family will be able to eat.
5) Here's a great way to give back on Thanksgiving.  Consider donating to a local charity or food bank, or give a donation to The United Way. Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for everything we have - why not help by giving back to those who need it most?
Please comment if you have any questions, or other ideas I can share with others!

Finally, a health plan that makes SENSE!

I have just finished reading in detail the Obama/Biden health plan... and what do you know - it makes SENSE!!  Finally, self employed individuals, such as Realtors, will have access to health coverage at a decent price... and here's the best part!  Insurance companies will NO LONGER BE ALLOWED to exclude people for pre-existing conditions!!! 

This is issue #1 to me this time around... It has gotten absolutely outrageous!  I am a 26 year old, very healthy, active, non-smoking female, who can NOT get health insurance coverage because of a small spot of Melanoma that I had removed from my back over 3 years ago.  It's considered an "uninsurable condition", and I've been declined numberous times. 

My ONLY option in the state of Utah is a state insurance pool called HIPUTAH.  They have to accept anyone, but they are still allowed to exclude coverage for a period of time on whatever the "pre-existing" condition is/was.  And for me, a single, 26 year old, non smoker, coverage is a WHOPPING $400 PER MONTH, for CRAPPY coverage.  I mean crappy, it has high deductibles (you can opt for lower ones, but a LOT more $$), it does not cover chiropractic, and physical therapy, and does not cover most preventative treatments.

It is absolutey outrageous that the United States is still the only civilized nation that does not provide health care for all of it's citizens.  This plan is definitely a huge step in the right direction!

For more information, and to download a full pdf of the Obama/Biden health plan, visit http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

Yes... "that one" definitely has my vote!

Tip to save energy! Use your AC LESS! Use Fans!

Here in Utah, Summer temperatures are still hot!! But the nights are starting to cool off, so instead of cranking your AC all ay, instead try opening windows at night, and using a fan to help bring in some of the cool night air!  Then, in the morning, close your windows and the house will stay cool most of the day!  You'll save energy, and $$!

 

As always, feel free to comment with questions or if you have anything to add!

             

How's the market in your state?

How's the market in your state?

Here in Utah, as is true with Most places I think, the residential market has slowed down significantly in volume.  Prices haven't plummeted here in Utah the way they have in some areas, but we are seeing more and more REO properties, and short sales.  I think it's a great time for people to make a lateral move in our market, or for people who want to upgrade a bit.  The next few months, between now and a year from now, It will be a great opportunity for buyers to get some real 'deals'.

As always, feel free to comment if you have anything to add, or with any questions!

Dispose of hazardous waste PROPERLY! Tip of the day to help save the earth!

This one is pretty obvious, but still you see some people who just dump out old oil, antifreeze, etc without thinking about it's impact on the earth.

Nearly every household has some kind of hazardous waste: old paint cans, used motor oil, unused pesticides and weed killers.  If you dump these things down the drain, you'll end up polluting the water supply. Old Batteries, CFL Light bulbs, and other hazardous solids should be considered as well. They should be disposed of in a site specially designed for hazardous or toxic wastes.  Some cities and counties have monthly or annual pickups.  Other areas have special drop-off sites. Call your city or county government to find out the proper way to dispose of such trash in your area.  Try organizing a hazardous-waste-collection day in your neighborhood or at your school, encouraging others to dispose of materials properly.

As always, feel free to comment with questions, or if you have anything to add

             

Elect Green! Tip of the day to help save the earth!

During this heated election season, this is a great one, and it can REALLY make a difference, especially at the local level!  During election campaigns, ask candidates about their position on the environment.  Try to ask specific questions that relate to situations in your community-- whether they support a mandatory recycling program, for example, or whether they plan to get tough on polluting companies.

A little can go a long ways here, if you have a little time, work as a volunteer on a "green" candidate's campaign.  As a volunteer, you can canvas neighborhoods in your local community, make phone calls, and help with fund-raisers!  This is also a great opportunity to meet some like-minded individuals to network with, perhaps you will even get some business!

As always, feel free to comment with any questions or if you have anything to add!

             

Avoid fast food! Tip of the day to help save the earth!

Today's tip is a very easy one!  SKIP the fast food joint!  Most fast food is overpackaged and most fast-food companies are responsible for producing mountains of trash.  By avoiding fast food whenever possible, you'll help reduce this needless waste, AND help reduce your waist line!!  Fast food is often made with unhealthy preservatives, from meat laced with hormones and drugs of all kinds!  Ditching fast food for good will improve your overall health in addition to the other benefits I have listed!

As always, Please feel free to comment with questions, or if you have anything else to add!

             

Ditch Styrofoam! Tip of the day to help save the eath

This one is obvious to some people, and not so much to others!  Did you know that a SINGLE polystyrene (Styrofoam) cup conains ONE BILLION BILLION molecules of CFC's?  That's 1,000,000,000,000,000,000.  Once a CFC atom reaches the ozone layer, it can take over 100 years before it breaks up and becomes harmless!

Think about this when you're buying picnic supplies, and especially when you're at the restaurant!  Most "to go" containers are made out of Styrofoam!  Consider taking your own re-usable plastic Tupperware container instead of the one that will end up in the land fill, and likely even the atmosphere!

As always, please feel free to comment with questions, or if you have anything to add!

Adopt! Tip of the day to help save the earth - June 2nd!

An animal, a stream, a whale, a highway, a child!  There's almost no limit to the number of environmental causes to which you, your friends, or your family can turn.

If you're looking for a new pet, adopt one from the shelter, and give a chance to a pet that might otherwise not get one.

If you're looking for a community service project, adopt-a-highway litter control is a good one!

Adopting a child is an amazing way to add to your family WITHOUT addint additional impact to our earth!

As always, please feel free to comment if you have any questions, or anything to add!

             

Buy in Bulk! Tip of the day to help save the earth

Buy in bulk. One 32-ounce bottle will use less packaging than two 16-ounce ones, even though the total size is the same. Plus, the larger bottle will probably cost less per ounce than the other two combined! For an example, let's look at pop. A 2-liter bottle of pop costs $1, or about 1.5¢ per ounce (there's 67 ounces). The packaging comes to about 163 square inches. Opposing this is the 12-pack of cans. The cost is about $3 for 144 ounces, or 2.1¢ per ounce. The total packaging here comes to 600 square inches! The 2-liter is much better! Less cost per ounce, and a lot less garbage in the landfill!

As always, Please feel free to comment with any questions or anything to add!