July 2010 eMail Update
Driving with a glass of water...
On the rare occasions (right?)
that you take your car out for a spin you can now use your iPhone to
help you drive more efficiently and save! Toyota believes that by
having a glass of water on your dashboard that you don't want to spill
you can increase your fuel efficiency by 10%.
They have developed an APP for your iPhone so you don't have to get your passenger wet. Check out A glass of water
to learn more and download the FREE APP that records your driving
distance, time, fuel consumption and water spilled. After each drive
you can analyze your results and see on a map where you can improve
your driving for the future. The results are automatically uploaded to
this website and compared to other participants.
If
you would like to share your experience using this APP with other
Mpower Pledges, please email your stories to info@mpoweringmadison.com
and we will highlight them in a future newsletter.
Rideshare, etc. Commute Calculator
If you are commuting alternatively every day or even one day each month, check out Rideshare's
commuting calculator. It take about five minuets to create an account
and allows you to track your daily commute and produces an interesting
report with your cost and pollution savings. The options it provides
are: No commute, Carpool, Park & Ride - Carpool, Vanpool, P&R -
Vanpool, Transit, P & R - Transit, Bicycle, Walk, Telecommute, or
Drive Alone.
High Efficiency Toilet Rebates expected to run out soon
The
Madison Water Utility high-efficiency toilet rebate program still has
funds available for new applications. However, funding may be exhausted
before the end of the year, so interested customers should not wait to
submit applications. Don't loose out on this great opportunity to
reduce your water consumption (and bill).
Speaking
of water bills, the Madison Water Utility will be upgrading their meter
system to provide monthly bills instead of six month bills. They expect
the new system to be fully operational by 2013. This change will help
you save water and money by seeing the effects of your conservation
changes and detecting leaks more quickly.
Information for Residential Toilet Rebate Program
Information for Apartment Toilet Rebate Program
Willy Street Coop Eat Local Challenge
Sign up in their store or online starting July 15th
What is the Eat Local Challenge?
Willy
Street Co-op is challenging YOU to eat more local foods, whether
they’re from farmers’ markets, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture),
your garden or their store.
Why eat local?
Local
foods tend to be fresher than those shipped from across the country or
farther away, and fresh food has more nutrients. Transporting food long
distances requires more fossil fuels and packaging than those grown and
prepared closer to home. You’re also supporting your local farmers and
keeping the agricultural viability of their communities alive.
Sign
up for any of the levels and Willy Street Co-op give you coupons,
recipes, a food diary and other resources to help. The first 300 people
to sign up will also get a free "I've Gone Local!" t-shirt.
Not
quite ready for the Challenge? See the recipes online, buy some local
products. Try it for a week, a day or even a meal. You’ll see how easy
– and delicious – it is to eat local.
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