environment

Babylon, New York has enacted an extensive program to work with citizens to pay for energy efficiency upgrades for every home in the town. Under the Long Island Green Homes Program, Babylon will loan residents up to $12,000 at a 3% interest rate to pay directly for energy efficiency improvements to their homes.

Under the program, which has been funded with $2 million in town funds, residents get home energy audits that include recommended actions for renovations, including adding more insulation, changing out the HVAC system, etc. The town pays for the renovations and the homeowner then makes payments to the town based roughly on the reduction in payments caused by having a more efficient home. The homeowner assumes no debt and, should the house be sold, what is remaining of the obligation is assigned to the new homeowner. Homes that go through the program are expected to reduce energy consumption by roughly 20-40%.

Babylon has approximately 65,000 single family homes which collectively emit 1.6 million lbs of carbon on a daily basis. The program will help reduce carbon emissions by 65,000-130,000 tons, reduce energy costs for homeowners and create 6,600 new green collar jobs. Under the program, the average resident will reduce his or her energy costs by approximately $1,160 per year and reduce his or her carbon footprint by 20-40%. The program is a primary initiative of Babylon's soon-to-be-released Climate Protection and Sustainability Plan which will outline measures to reduce the town’s emissions by 12% by 2012.

This program is an interesting model for municipalities on the local, state and national level. We're watching to see if it catches on elsewhere!

On May 27, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) announced a new set of principles for environmentally and socially sustainable construction, called “Sustainability in Building Construction--General Principles.” The principles are a framework for applying a group of related ISO standards on sustainable construction to local conditions. The ISO describes sustainable construction as using related activities, products, or services in a way that maintains the ecosystem for future generations.

The principles include: (1) continually improving building construction sustainability; (2) considering environmental and social equity projects; (3) taking moral responsibility for actions; (4) considering short, medium and long-term implications; (5) managing risk to avoid unwanted outcomes; and (6) providing open, comprehensive, and understandable project information.

In issuing the standards, the ISO said that buildings directly affect the environment, human health, and cultural identity because they absorb considerable resources and contribute to the transformation of areas, so evaluating a project’s effects on the quality and quantity of resources in an area and assessing the project’s lifecycle are particularly important.

We were intrigued that the ISO, a widely respected international organization, has taken a stand on green building principals. There must be something to this after all!

What is this, freakin' nostalgia week?

First I wrote about leetle lamps I saved, then a good friend sent in old pictures of us playing in a band (oh don't think I'm talented- I played the tambourine), then in my green building group I mooned over Finland and my time there in the '90s... think midnight sun, sauna, and lots of berry liquor. (I will overlook describing the mosquitoes the size of small animals in this post. The old growth birch forests more than made up for it.)

Now my dad just sent me a picture of a fox outside their (Crested Butte ski vacation) door, and suddenly I'm pulled into my days living in the Chelsea Hotel, often spent with Vali Meyers. She used to talk about her tamed foxes in Italy, who would follow her around, willing but wild pets who adapted to her presence.

In Virginia, I don't think twice about a fox dashing across the land, far away, across a hill. But this picture from my dad of a fox who adapted to tourists, sniffing about their kitchen door, thus raising the glorious, bad gypsy ghost of Vali, reminded me of the adaptability of wildlife, and that as ignorant suburbs further encroach upon quiet land... I am greatly aware of a shift, a change... They adapt. They adapt or die, and many are adapting to us.

I hear tales of turkey in Boston; friends recount their experiences of coyotes stalking the huntsmen here, peregrine falcons roost downtown, bald eagles and red tailed hawks swoop outside my office window, I see hordes of vultures on suburban doorsteps, otters in the freeway median... and this summer, the first real photo passed on to me (Thank you John! Love my cousins!) of a scouting camera image of a mountain lion in the neighboring county chasing deer... still rejected as myth by the public... (John, you really should pass on that photo to someone.)

Where I'm going with this is that green building is not just about efficiency, it's also about preservation of national resources through private purchase of acreage on the market now, to preserve and conserve. It's smart, slow, well-planned growth, allowing habitats to continue unmolested so that there is still a buffer between wildlife and allowing their avoidance and shying away from us, instead of overcoming a fear of, then depending on, then, frankly, preying on us.

Through smart growth planning, homes can cluster together, enhancing community interaction, while leaving the rest of the tract of land for wildlife and outdoors enjoyment.

I'm just saying that we need to value more our undeveloped land and let the animals be. Not that the copperheads or black widows care. But I do know that a fed bear is a dangerous bear, and it is our fault our careless communities are blending wilderness with completely-ignorant-to-real-life-in-the-country people. It is not an easy balance, and everyone loses.

Through conservation through private and public land purchases and deeds, we protect our national resources and treasure our landscape, local histories, and wildlife.

Building Green is one of the most important things we can do. When it is done on a neighborhood scale the advantages are multiplied exponentially. One inspiring example of building green on a neighborhood scale is the New Urbanist sustainable community of Oshara Village now under construction in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

This unique New Urbanist environmental village, the first to combine New Urbanism and Sustainable Neighborhood Design, is the first example of its kind in the United States. Oshara will allow residents to drastically reduce their use of non-renewable resources and overall energy consumption. Studies by New Village Institute in Santa Fe estimate that energy used for driving will be cut by 60% and home energy use by over 50%. Through wise land planning, mixed-use zoning, green built homes and commercial buildings, and water recycling, Oshara Village will become one of the most green communities in the Unites States.

Though this post is not about green building per se, think of it in the general category of irrigation. I think you will thank me if it compels you to see the new movie "Sharkwater." Not only is this an extremely important topic, but it's an amazing story and a beautiful movie. Of course I am biased, because our own Tippy Bushkin and Jeremy Stuart were key members of the production team, working closely with director Rob Stewart to tell the story of his international journey to save and demystify sharks.

A series of trailers on the website will give you glimpse.

And if you live in the SF Bay Area, below you will also see an invitation to the San Francisco premier for Tuesday Oct 30-- it is a private screening, but I've been given permission to extend the invitation to you.

And in the meantime, I hope you are enjoying water week at Building Green TV!

SHARKWATER MOVIE PREMIERES IN SAN FRANCISCO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: sharkwatersf@yahoo.com

Since premiering to great acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival, SHARKWATER (www.sharkwater.com) has gone on to win 21 awards at film festivals all over the world.

We would like to invite you to attend a private screening and be one of the first to see the film on the west coast and meet director Rob Stewart who will be on-hand for a Q & A session after the screening.

Private Screening

Roxie Theatre, San Francisco

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

VIP @ 6 pm

Screening @ 7:30 pm

For tickets and more information visit:

www.roxie.com

About SHARKWATER:

SHARKWATER takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations.

In an effort to protect sharks, director Rob Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Their unbelievable adventure together results in pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, forcing them to flee for their lives.

Through it all, Stewart discovers these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how if something is not done to protect them, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed and the barbaric practice of shark finning.

Here are some facts to consider:

~Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discard at sea of the carcass. The shark is most often still alive when it is tossed back into the water. Unable to swim, and bleeding to death, the shark suffers a slow death where 95% of the animal is wasted.

~Shark specialists estimate that 100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually.

~The shark population is down 90% over the last 30 years and experts estimate that within a decade, most species of sharks will be lost because of finning.

SHARKWATER opens nationally on November 2, 2007. Please visit www.sharkwater.com for more information and to sign the petition to save sharks. Most importantly, help support the cause by forwarding this email to all your friends.

Thank you,
Sharkwater staff

The average person spends 80% of their lives indoors. Public awareness about the health effects of poor Indoor Air Quality has increased demand for building products that do not pollute the air in our home or office.

Conventional paints, finishes, flooring, adhesives, cleaning products and carpeting are known to contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, polybrominated Diphenyl ethers (PBDE), phthalates and many other hazardous chemicals that can result in health problems like allergies and asthma, especially in children.

Using Low- or No-VOC materials, reclaimed or sustainably-harvested wood products, wood alternatives such as bamboo and palm wood, natural flooring, carpets, rugs, and decor can make your house greener.

Building with tested and proved green materials also provides an alternative to products that degrade the environment we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. In buying green building materials, you can cast your economic vote for a better world, personalize your home or office, and make the air you breathe cleaner.

Okay, this is a bit off topic, but it's too outlandish not to mention: The government of Thailand has launched the world's first environmental satellite, according to Lime.  The satellite will help Thai government agencies monitor crops, and also to track illegal logging and spot the cultivation of opium poppies.  Big Green Brother? Maybe so, but they say you can't fool Mother Nature anyway. 

image sxc.hu 

We hope that someday soon all mainstream building practices will be green, and we won’t have to use the word “green” to describe these best practices. In the meantime, to help spread the word and build awareness among real estate shoppers, homeowners, developers, and, well, everyone else who lives in a house, Building Green TV has partnered with real estate advisors RCLCO (Robert Charles Lesser & Co.) to bring you ongoing research on green homebuilding trends.

There is good news. Including signs that green building is well on the way to going mainstream. RCLCO reports in a recent survey of home builders that 40%-50% of homes built in 2010 are expected to employ green construction methods.

But there’s still a long way to go. Commercial construction is leading the green building movement. 50% of new construction is residential, yet residential construction comprises only 5% of all green building today.

The environment presents a challenging market position for home buyers, who are largely unaware of the impact homes have on global warming. The EPA estimates that buildings contribute as much as 40% of our environmental impact. By contrast, 73% of homeowners thought their homes had either “no impact” or an “acceptable impact” on the environment.

Only 3% of home buyers check off “environmental methods and materials” as a purchasing priority, though 10% list energy savings, and environmental interests are not incompatible with the most popular motivators like change in family status, retirement, and moving up to capitalize on appreciation.

RCLCO and Building Green will be bringing you a lot more hard information like this over the coming weeks, so check back often for updates.

I recently found a deck of Karma Coaching Cards at the bottom of my goodie bag at a trade show in Chicago. I got the Environment Deck, 50 clever cards meant to inspire action, awareness and positive impact for the planet. Card #37, for example, urges use of the 10 second rule when idling our cars. “More than 10 seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it.” (I had no idea!) “Well done is better than well said,” is their basic motto. They are “preach-free, fat free, sugar-free and carb-free.” The cards are the invention of Jane Clayton of Vancouver. They make a great gift or fundraising tool. To earn their own karmic rewards, the company has a “Karma Bank,” a pay-it-forward foundation that provides funding to a variety of initiatives with no request for financial payback. Check out their website where you can learn more about the company and its range of decks. They are looking out for the moral well-being and consciousness of everyone -- kids, office workers, dog and cat lovers and my favorite at-risk group – the rich and utterly immoral.

On Tuesday I attended a panel discussion at the NEOCON World Trade's Fair on a new book by Kira Gould and Lance Hosey, Women in Green, that asks an intriguing question: Is there a greener gender? According to Gould and Hosey’s research, women are more likely than men to support environmental causes through voting, activism and consumer choices. The authors spent hundreds of hours in conversation with leading voices in the field such as architects, designers, consultants, policy makers, educators and students to determine the unique impact of women on the sustainable design industry (both women and non-women as Dianne Dillon-Ridgley wryly observed during the panel discussion). The end result is a convincing argument that women may be changing how we all see our world and our work. Just a few of the facts from the book:

• Women are up to 15% more likely to rate the environment as a high priority;
• Women represent 2/3 of voters who cast ballots on environmental issues;
• Women are more likely than men to volunteer for and contribute to environmental causes, particularly those related to the health and safety of their community.

image stock.xchange