Sierra Club Green Home

Sierra Club Green Home will ring in the new year with gratitude for what 2011 has given us and excitement for what the next year holds. Here, writer Roland Oehme shares the top 12 things he is grateful for going into 2012.

If predictions are correct that climate change and rising sea levels will create greater numbers of urban dwellers, the need for greater local food resources will be critical. Back in World War II, a large percentage of Americans had gardens to help supplement their food. This tradition, which continues today, has spread to the middle of some of our largest urban areas.

There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but free mulch is available almost everywhere, and it does grow on trees (and bushes and shrubs). Leaves combined with a small amount of grass clippings and chipped woody plants are the best thing you can spread around your plants to protect them during the winter. It’s important, however, not to just let the leaves lie where they fall, or to rake them into flower beds if you want to use this green gardening technique. (Photo © Jenifoto406 | Dreamstime.com)

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco is famous for many things, not the least of which is being the #1 Green City in the United States. Since the first Park(ing) Day in 2009, the city’s Pavement to Parks program has been creating garden space that is carved out of excess public roadways for city dwellers and visitors to enjoy. (Photo courtesy of San Francisco Planning Department)

It’s one thing to admire a beautiful bouquet, but another to taste it. With this organic autumn bouquet, you could decorate your table, throw it on your salad, or both. (Photo © Kuzsm | Dreamstime.com)

NEW YORK CITY — Question: What is New York’s largest export? If you thought “former super models” or “starving artists” or even “world’s best pizza,” then you would be incorrect. The correct answer is … (Photo courtesy of Greg Barber)

NEW YORK — This race is not about who is the swiftest, unless by speed, you mean quick thinking about ways to protect the environment. The Green City Challenge is a bicycle rally with a mission. On Sunday, October 23, teams will race around Lower Manhattan, stopping at each station to complete a green challenge. (Photo courtesy of Greg Barber)

The beauty of FTL Solar’s larger charging units is that they can provide a sustainable, secure source of renewable power. Able to power everything from small temporary structures that power laptops, cell phones, water purification and sanitation systems to large scale, state-of-the-art installations, the electrical energy produced by these lightweight, high density solar panels can be immediately used, stored in batteries, or even sold back to the grid. (Photo courtesy of FTL Solar)

As summer blends into fall, the annual clearing of clogged rain gutters looms for most homeowners. A thankless but necessary job, it seems no matter what kind of gutters one has, they’re going to require a trip up the ladder. Someone has finally invented a system that changes all this. (Photo courtesy of MasterShield)

SAN FRANCISCO — The EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park is the city’s first building that is completely off the power grid. It features on-site solar energy generation, rainwater collection, and sewage treatment—taking advantage of the sun, the rain, and the natural surroundings. “We don’t want to connect to the grid,” says Tracy Zhu, EcoCenter program manager. (Photo by OpenHomesPhotography.com, courtesy of EcoCenter)