Bottom Line: A home energy efficiency audit will identify ways that you can save money on your energy bill and improve the comfort and health of your home.

Ever wondered how your building envelope affected your home’s energy efficiency? Probably not. Ever had a thermostat war in your family?

Bottom Line: The federal government makes it easy for homeowner’s to make energy improvements to their homes through energy efficient mortgages.

What is an Energy Efficient Mortgage?

An Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) is a mortgage that credits a home’s energy efficiency in the mortgage itself. EEMs give borrowers the opportunity to finance cost-effective, energy-saving measures as part of a single mortgage and stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans thereby allowing borrowers to qualify for a larger loan amount and a better, more energy-efficient home.

Bottom Line: Reducing your business’ carbon footprint will not only make your operations more sustainable, but it will also improve your financial bottom line.

PG&E has teamed up with the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) and San Mateo County RecycleWorks to provide energy efficiency services and incentives to the County’s qualifying businesses. The San Mateo County Energy Watch project aims to help businesses save energy and money while reducing their carbon footprint.

Countless San Mateo County residents (and many from outside the county) look to the Pacific coastline for recreation and relaxation, or for their jobs in agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. In all cases, the preservation of this critical resource is of paramount importance, and there are a number of organizations working towards that goal that you can get involved with.

JobTrain, a vocational education and job placement program based in Menlo Park, has found a way to help those residents of San Mateo County who need assistance in building a path to a successful career.

Bottom Line:  Green Teams can make organizations more sustainable and businesses more profitable.

Some employees respond to our current sustainability challenges and opportunities by becoming intrapreneurs, regardless of their role or positions. These intrapreneurs start green teams in their organizations to make them more sustainable and--for businesses--more profitable.

In 2007, Sustainable San Mateo County and The City of Menlo Park Environmental Quality Commission recognized Atherton's Laurel School for their efforts in reducing school waste. With the help of Allied Waste’s Composting for Business program, Laurel School’s Zero Waste efforts have saved more than 11 tons of garbage since 2005. By bringing recycling and composting practices to the school’s cafeteria, the zero waste program makes responsible environmental action part of the students’ daily routine.

Both Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and POST exist primarily to preserve areas of undeveloped land in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties for recreation use and habitat.

On July 1, 2008, California banned all public schools from selling junk food under the Food Nutrition Standards Bill. The purpose of this bill was to reduce the rate of childhood obesity. As a result, food manufacturers have tried to change their snacks to meet the standards in the bill.

Hidden Villa's Environmental Education Program
Hidden Villa's Environmental Education Program (HVEEP) was founded in 1970 as a hands-on environmental educational experience for young, school-aged children. The program “teaches concepts of ecology, organic food production and environmental education” by providing a direct and guided experience of Hidden Villa’s farm and wilderness land.