It's been a rainy day here in Los Angeles and I have no doubt that my fellow Angelenos are enjoying the clean air. In 2011, L.A. was rated the second most polluted city in the U.S.. Overall, roughly half of the population of the United States (a whopping 50.3% or 154.4 million individuals) live in counties with unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution.

Air pollution linked to asthma, heart attacks, strokes, cancer...

If you search the Science Daily's index for "air pollution" you'll find over one-thousand articles reporting on the links between air pollution and a host of health problems-- everything from asthma to strokes and breast cancer.

The two leading sources of air pollution in the United States are transportation and coal fired energy plants. While these sources can appear to be mainstays in our country's infrastructure and daunting to change, they also provide a clear view of what needs to be done to tackle a growing problem.

It's tough to feel empowered when reading an article that starts with: Short-term exposure (for up to 7 days) to all major air pollutants, with the exception of ozone, is significantly associated with an increased risk of heart attack.

Quick n' easy solutions:

However, there is reason to feel empowered. Many reasons, actually. If you research "alternative energy" on Science Daily, you'll find twice as many articles about research, development and policy-making revolving around finding solutions to air pollution: Finding clean, alternative energy sources. Although finding the right energy source involves scientific and political integrity-- e.g. cellulosic ethanol produces fewer global emissions while corn ethanol has been shown to have a very large eco-footprint and a system mostly favored by interest groups-- the overall trend is that cleaner energy systems are the way of the future.

So while researchers and analysts find ways to transition our country away from existing and soon-to-be archaic transportation and energy systems, we as individuals can do our part to reduce air pollution by making better choices that reduce the footprints of these systems.

Here are a few ways to reduce sources of air pollution and save money:

TRANSPORTATION:
For every gallon of gasoline that's burned, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are produced. And that's just carbon dioxide. Other vehicular-exhaust air pollutants include mercury, sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide.

• BUY LOCAL CONSUMER GOODS- Sounds simple, but every little bit does add up. Buying from local businesses also helps support the local economy in your own community.
• EAT LOCAL- You breathe what you eat: The average food item on your plate travels a whopping 1500 miles from farm-to-plate! Here's a list of 10 ways on how to eat local, from Eat Local.
  
• WALK, BIKE, SKIP- Leave the exhaust behind by walking, biking and even choosing public transportation when possible. 
• TRIP LINK- If you use a car to run errands, group tasks together so that you can group them together.
• DITCH AAA FOR BW- Consider joining the Better World Club, which provides roadside service, insurance, and other products and services that the American Automobile Association (AAA) does...while taking it farther supporting a smarter and more eco-friendly transportation system in the U.S.
  
• WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS- The next time you're looking to move, consider this: Real estate prices and trends show that more and more people consider the "walkable score" or "walkability index" when looking for a new home.
• DON'T IDLE- If you plan to pull over in your car and sit for longer than a minute, shut your engine off.
  

ENERGY:
No matter which of the 50 states you live in, approximately 54% of your electricity comes from a coal-powered plant. Burning coal is a leading cause of air pollution, smog, acid rain and other global warming emissions.

• UNPLUG, TURN OFF, WALK AWAY- Turn off your computer and any electronics with an LCD screen to reduce standby power. Also turn off your room lights when you walk out. Unless you return in ~3 seconds or less, you'll save money by turning it off. Remember, 50% of your energy comes from dirty coal.
• DIAL IT DOWN- In the winter, set your thermostat to 68 at daytime and 55 at night. During spring and summer, set thermostat to 78 degrees or more. 
• FAN IT- Install a fan to circulate warm air in the winter and cold air in the spring and summer.
• APPLIANCES-
  
• Upgrade to Energy Star appliances to increase efficiencies by about fifty-percent!!
  
• Clean the filter on your fridge every 2-3 months and more often if you have pets.
  
• Set fridge thermostat between 38-42 F, and your freezer to 0-5 F.
• LINE DRY- Get hip with line drying! You'll save a bundle on your electricity bill...and here are 9 more benefits why you should line dry.
  
• WEATHERIZE IT- Weatherize your home!
  
• WASH IN COLD- Washing your clothes in cold water will reduce the cost by 90%! You should also opt to wash full loads.
• Visit the U.S. Dept. of Energy's comprehensive list of energy saving tips.

If you think that the problem is too large to face,

that individuals cannot make a difference,

that you needn't bother taking steps to reduce air pollution (and global warming gases),

I leave you with these words from Michael Pollan:

If you do bother, you will set an example for other people.

If enough other people bother, each one influencing yet another in a chain reaction of behavioral change, markets for all manner of green products and alternative technologies will prosper and expand. (Just look at the market for hybrid cars.)

Consciousness will be raised, perhaps even changed. (Pollan, 2008)

At Working for Green, our mission is to build an interactive community of everyday people going green to save or make money. Each Wednesday, we'll introduce you to a Facebook fan who is doing just that! These Eco-Warriors are joining the ranks of the fifty-plus Eco-Warriors who we have featured in our video series, and the other nameless Eco-Warriors doing good work near and afar.

By naming and featuring Eco-Warriors, our hope is to show just how many ways everyday people can go green and save or make money-- whether it's with lifestyle choices, eco-friendly projects or a green career. If you'd like to be considered as an Eco-Warrior, please email us at info@workingforgreen.com and we'll send you a questionnaire.

Let's meet this week's warriors, Michaela Miller and Steve Sadler, with Built Totally Green. After a tropical storm toppled their Florida home, Michaela and Steve decided to turn tragedy into opportunity by constructing a new home with a greatly reduced environmental impact and maintenance costs. And boy did they take this goal to the next level...their home became the first Platinum LEED certified home in NE Florida! Talk about Eco-WARRIORS!!

Studies show that the intensity of such tropical storms will escalate with increased global climate change if human-produced global climate change emissions continue to be spewed into our atmosphere. Michaela and Steve can rest peacefully at night knowing that they are doing their part as environmental stewards!

Today, their waterfront Florida home is more than just a juncture where economic and environmental sustainability meet beauty and functionality. Michaela and Steve's commitment to starting anew with NE Florida's first Platinum LEED certified home is a true testament to how going green is a win-win for our pocketbooks as well as the environment. Even though we're not all going to have the opportunity to build a new home, our interview with Michaela demonstrates just how many different ways builders, homeowners and even renters can incorporate sustainable living choices into their home-- from replacing a lawn with a native garden to building it totally green!

Way to go Michaela and Steve-- we admire your decision to build totally green and are honored to spread the word about your accomplishments and continued hard work with Built Totally Green! We're proud to have you become part of Working for Green's growing community of Eco-Warriors!!!

If you've got questions for Michaela and Steve, please contact Michaela via our Facebook page!



WFG: What green action(s) are you taking specifically to save or make money? Name as
few or as many as you'd like.

Michaela: We have 68 photovoltaic panels and a solar water heater on our roof; #14 geothermal
wells (175'-225') deep in the ground; two 1,500 gallon rainwater collection tanks; no
lawn to maintain and 1,000+ native plants and ground cover; 300 sq. ft. organic food
garden, plus orange, grapefruit, fig, lemon and lime trees. Our utility bill averages $125/
month for the 4,170 sq. ft. home. The HERS rating is 18 - one of the most energy
efficient in Florida. We don't use any pesticides or chemicals inside or outside the
home. We don't even burn candles inside - only outside, because it negatively affects
the air quality. Now we only use battery (rechargeable) operated candles to provide
ambience.

WFG: Approximately how long have you been going green with this/these actions?

Michaela: Since March 2010.

WFG: What initially inspired you to go green? Was there a specific time, event, person...?

Michaela: Tropical Storm Fay destroyed our old home on 8/22/08. We decided to rebuild totally
green and became the 1st Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) home in NE Florida (Jacksonville). We deconstructed the original house and
rebuilt while only sending 4 dumpsters to landfill! We recycled, reused and repurposed
virtually everything. Roof shingles, drywall and damaged timber was ground up for
landscaping providing nutrients and mulch to the soil.

WFG: What helpful tips or experiences can you share with our community about the economic benefits of your green actions?

Michaela: We are dedicated to educating others about environmental responsibility, energy
efficiency and sustainability. We produced a documentary "Built Totally Green - $ave
Our Future" to show the deconstruction and rebuilding of our home and to showcase
eco-friendly products as well as lessons learned. One highlight of our food garden is
that it's "mounded." It give us more area to plant and the drip irrigation hose snakes across the mound and works beautifully, since the thirsty plants are on top of the mound and the less thirsty plants are on the sides and bottom of the mound.

WFG: No matter what shade of green any of us are, there are always more opportunities to go even more green. What would you say is your next green-challenge and what, if any, barriers are stopping you from going there?

Michaela: We're asking friends, family and neighbors to save and/or bring their glass bottles to us. We've collected for a year and we're nearly ready to start our next project. We will cut the necks off the bottles and lie them on their sides to build a wall underneath the house
(it's on 9 ft. steel stilts). The wall will 'hide' my messy garden preparation area.

WFG: Please share any other info you would like about your money saving or making green
actions!

Michaela: Growing our own food is one of the simplest and most rewarding things we do!
I learned this great trick from my mother-in-law, who is an avid gardener.  Use a zippered
"bed in a bag" and in the bottom place a tray with rows of toilet paper
rolls (standing up). Fill them with soil and start your seeds in it and be sure to label the
rows. A daily misting gets the plants started and it becomes a mini greenhouse. When
the plants are ready, plant the rolls directly into the soil. It helps carrots grow straight,
too!

Virtually anything can be reused or re-purposed. Mirrors can't be recycled, so we took
all the mirrors from the old house and laid them on a sheet outside. We folded the
sheet over an area and began breaking the mirrors into various sizes. We painted a
couple of 4x8 sheets of plywood black and nailed them side by side on a wooden fence.
Then (wearing heavy gloves) we glued the pieces of mirror to it and made a mosaic and
even layered it to make it 3D. It's behind the grapefruit and orange trees and reflects
the trees and flowers in a unique and beautiful way AND saved the mirrors from the
landfill.

Michaela Miller & Steve Sadler
Homeowners and Florida Sustainability Ambassadors
Michaela@BuiltTotallyGreen.com
Steve@BuiltTotallyGreen

Now that the eggnog and other heavy holiday meals are behind us, we could all use a little re-tightening around our waist. Even if you were a good little healthy eater during the holidays, chances are you were less active than your usual self.

Going vegetarian is a recent tried and tested factor to losing weight; even celebrities have been doing it. As long as your healthcare professional OK's a major diet change, you're sure to become a healthier you both on the inside and out if you eat less meat, go vegetarian...or vegan!

TOXINS IN, WEIGHT IN:

Environmental toxins have been shown to make weight loss a difficult task. We all have toxins. We're exposed to so many environmental toxins in a day that it's impossible to find anyone without harmful toxins settled in their bodies-- even newborns! But some of us have been exposed to more than others.

Welcome 2012 with open arms and plans for a food garden! Before you sigh and look away, trust me when I say it's well worth it and much easier than it sounds!

There are inexpensive, easy and innovative ways to grow foods no matter what shade of green your thumb is or how much space you have. And if you still find yourself in a pickle without a clue of what to do, just refer to some of the expert online advice and local resources outlined below.

WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY!

An avid gardener once told me something that kept me from giving up after I repeatedly killed my container gardens. He said that all beginner gardeners with a passion to grow anything-- whether it's lettuce or lilies-- should know that it's okay to start off with a brown thumb because with some patience and

With all the flurry surrounding the upcoming holidays, it's easy to forget about Mother Earth. Hunting for last minute gifts and attempting to stretch your dollar as far as it will go can be especially burdensome.

Most of us are so heavily bogged down by everyday life that an escape into la-la land is more than welcomed, and "going-green" when holiday gift shopping can feel like a tremendous waste of time and money.

But it doesn't have to be! I've found a great source for finding special gifts that you can feel extra-good about because of their safe and nontoxic components. And the best part are the amazing coupons that make an array of different products incredibly affordable! So to