June Green Tidings

Green tidings to you and yours on a glorious summer Maine day!

On long June days full of sun, I like to think about our customers who are harnessing abundant, reliable and clean solar energy for hot showers, dish washing and laundry. Might you be among them next summer?

If you'd like to stop running your boiler or hot water heater all summer long -- or if you'd just like to know more about what's affordable with today's technology -- please join us at 7 pm on Thursday, July 12, for our next Sustainable Living Talk: "Design and Build Your Own Solar Hot Water System".

Read on for more about that and other happenings in the world of sustainable living.

Warmly,
Fred Horch, Founder

P.S. Our store is open Tuesday through Saturday, but our web site is open for business all the time online at www.FWHorch.com.
Design and Build Your Own Solar Hot Water System

Join us for "Design and Build Your Own Solar Hot Water System", our next Sustainable Living Talk from 7:00 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, July 12th.

We will discuss the state of the art in solar hot water systems. Solar hot water systems are clean, quiet and affordable. You get all the hot water you need without pollution or a fuel bill. Within a few years, solar hot water systems are likely to be standard for new construction, but today they are ahead of the mainstream in the United States.

Any building that has a sunny roof and indoor plumbing is a candidate for a solar hot water system. With the sign off of a qualified solar installer, the state of Maine pays a rebate up to $1,250 for each system installed. For structures with direct solar exposures, solar hot water systems are the most efficient way to provide domestic hot water.

Our Sustainable Living Talks are on the second Thursday of each month at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick.

News from Energyworks

Here's the news from Energyworks, our renewable energy partner.

Energyworks North, out of Liberty, Maine, writes:

Summer is here at last and yet it seems to still be 'heating season.' We have been installing about one wood boiler a week! We are also seeing great interest in the new Skystream wind turbine; we have three projects underway and several others in the works. So, we'll carry on this summer installing Solar PV and Solar Hot water one house at a time!

We have also been making some simple boiler upgrades that are proving to save quite a bit of fuel for our clients. Give us a call to find out if these upgrades can save you money. 207/589.4171

Product News

We are now carrying milk paint in our store. Environmentally safe and non-toxic, it comes as a powder. You just add water to mix. There is a slight milky odor when it is applied, but it is completely odorless when dry. The paint is safe for children's furniture and toys, and can also be used for interiors of homes of people who are allergic to latex paints.

No Wet Car Wax is a new product for cleaning and waxing cars without using water. Just apply using a mist applicator with two clean cloths. Not only do you save water, but you also keep dirty runoff out of our rivers and lakes. Makes a great gift for any car buff in your life. This stuff really works!

For gardeners and anyone with houseplants, we are now carrying Earthworm Castings. These are one of the best organic fertilizers available. They are especially good for containers or houseplants, to replace soil nutrients and rejuvenate potting soil. Feed your soil to grow great plants!

We're making it easier to compost with the Biobag line of compostable bags. These innovative corn-based bags look like plastic, but compost when exposed to the proper temperature, moisture and organisms in your compost pile or bin. You can line your compost pail with these bags, and just take out the compost like you would the trash! Keeps down odors and eliminates the need to clean out the compost bucket.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene

Saturday, July 7, 2007 from 7-9 pm. Join the Natural Resources Council of Maine and Frontier Cafe, Cinema and Gallery in Brunswick for a "Live Earth" global concert.

Running from 12 noon-12 midnight, the Frontier Cafe will be airing Live Earth concerts from around the globe in its cinema space. Starting at 7:00 pm, NRCM staff will be on hand to join you with a special message from Al Gore, just before the prime time American concerts kick off.

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. Don't miss out! For more information, contact Ryan Ewing at NRCM: 800-287-2345 ext 243 or ryan@nrcm.org.

Maine Bike Rally, July 6-8 in Yarmouth. Join bicyclists from across Maine, New England and beyond for a weekend of biking, camping, music food and fun! For more info, visit www.bikemaine.org/mainebikerally/

Composting Clinic at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick, Sat. July 21, 11-noon. I'll show you how to make great compost. Call us here (207) 729-4050 for more info.

'Green Space' tent at the Yarmouth Clam Festival: Sunday, July 22 from 8 - 4. See displays of local alternative energy and energy-efficient products. Contact Ami Robbins at afrob2@maine.rr.com for more info.