sustainability

Those of us interested in LEED were excited last year when the USBGC launched its LEED-H certification for homes. Minnesota currently has about five houses in the process of being certified under this new LEED-H program. One of these is being built in Minneapolis by the design/build firm III AD. This house, being certified in the Gold category, helps shed the old “Earth Shoe” image of environmentally responsible building. See how architect Jonathan Query articulates his "warm modernist" vision in the context of this emerging sustainable vocabulary, at www.3-ad.com.

I read an interesting article in Metropolis last night, "Going Local" by James Howard Kunstler.

I encourage you to read it.

It sent me off on a slightly different tangent of reflection. We are inundated by "green" and we all try to stay on track as encouraging gentle lifestyles in a positive way without sinking into greenwashing’s shiny consumerism or the hoarse blaring of a death-toll message shouted in spittle mouthed fear.

But there was just something there, in this article, that made me think about what my own identity of "green" is, and how it has changed.

Many here were green before there was "green"- I mean, you’re talkin’ to a girl who grew up with a family farm, who always had a vegetable garden and composting, and whose family had solar panels in the ’70s.

What changed?

For myself, my vegetables became not just a pleasure and addition to our table, but where, in an urban environment, I carefully plan and rely on fresh produce from our garden.

It was the perplexing realization that I do not have the *right* in my city to have minigoats for milk or hens for fresh eggs in my large, fenced-in back yard- that just bothers me! I strongly feel that every human should have the right to rely on themselves for sustenance, and as someone committed to helping those less fortunate, it frustrates me that these families with meager incomes don’t have the right to provide their families with fresh eggs and milk.

Having children, it was the knowledge I gleaned from information on GMOs, hormones in meat and milk, pesticides, and the horrible factory farm conditions and the great respect for life I have that led me to only purchase meat from people I know whose animals are free-range and naturally fed, to raise heirloom vegetables, save seed, and patronize our neighbors’ farms.

It was the shock of reading about how our seed companies are purposely creating vegetables and grains that will not produce viable seed so that you (and farmers) will have to purchase their seeds each season!

It was the fun of a science experiment:
I giggle over solar cooking, yet it has changed my life. With two young children whining to stay outside instead of forcing them indoors so momma can make dinner, I now just throw food in the solar oven and… go off and play!

The cold frames I use enable me to defy cold weather, giving the seeds just enough more heat to resist freezing and get an early start on production.

And as someone in the green building industry, it was the disgust I felt as I saw endless tracts of vinyl, huge, ugly, inefficient houses being the major choice a home buyer has, and even then they are out of financial reach for most first time home buyers.

So, there you have it, my latest musings as I stand up on the cafeteria room chair to rant…

So, who is gonna kick me off today?
; )

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GreenerBuildings News
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Welcome to the latest edition of GreenerBuildings News. We are committed
to bringing you the latest information and resources on the full
spectrum of environmental issues related to buildings and facilities.
Log on to http://www.GreenerBuildings.com for more up-to-date news,
tools, case studies, and other resources related to greener building
practices.

A full-color, graphic version of this newsletter is available online at:
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter

=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE LATEST NEWS & FEATURES =-=-=-=-=-=-=

Creating the Greenest Auto Mechanics on the Block
By Matthew Wheeland
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55562
AAMCO, the auto service chain, launched a green certification program that will
close the loop on waste in certified franchises and promote efficiency at every
step. Matthew Wheeland sat down with AAMCO CEO Todd Leff to learn more, and
discuss some of the challenges the company faced in launching the program.

Xcel Energy, PG&E Among Utilities with Leading Energy Efficiency Programs
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55580
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy released its second survey
of the country's best utility-based efficiency programs, finding that a handful
of companies are significantly stepping up efforts to reduce their customers'
energy usage.

Over 4,200 Buildings Have Been Energy Star Certified
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55584
The EPA's Energy Star program has certified more than 4,200 office buildings,
supermarkets, schools and other facilities as being highly energy efficient.

CEOs Increasingly Seeing Real Estate as Key to Sustainability Practices
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55592
Energy efficiency has become one of company leaders' three most important
priorities when it comes to greening operations, and bringing down energy use in
offices and facilities is a significant way of achieving that goal, according to
a new study.

Group Established for Sustainable Courts, Jails
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55577
The Academy of Architecture for Justice established a Sustainable Justice
Committee to promote green design and construction of police stations, courts
and prisons.

New Campus Sustainability Program Launches Comprehensive Push to Green Campuses
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55574
The Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), developed by
the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, will
bring attention to everything from buildings to food programs to education.

New Green REIT Aims to Make Investing in Sustainable Retrofits Easier
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55560
Green Realty Trust, a new project from real estate investor Rob Hannah, is a new
kind of Real Estate Investment Trust, one that hopes to make it easier to bring
big money to green building retrofit projects.

USGBC Boosts Research Funds, LEED for Homes Network
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55564
The U.S. Green Building Council has doubled the amount of money it will dedicate
toward research at a time when interest in green building is escalating and its
network of LEED for Homes Providers has multiplied.

Denver Company Donates Insulation for Greening Government Program
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=36624
The state government plans to cut its energy use by 20 percent by 2012. To
achieve that goal, the Governor's Energy Office is adding efficient insulation
to its walls and ceiling.

Southern Methodist to Launch Sustainable Design Degree Program
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=36621
Bringing together leaders from industry, government and academia, SMU is working
to develop an advanced degree program in sustainable design that combines ideas
from engineering, architecture and technology into a forward-looking Master's
degree program.

Honeywell Helps Hotel and Motel Rooms Become Energy Efficient
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=36614
Honeywell plans to retrofit some 12,000 hotel and motel rooms in California to
make them more energy efficient on behalf of a program from PG&E.

MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS... http://greenerbuildings.com/news.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TOOLS & RESOURCES =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

WebEx's Green Guide to the Office
http://greenerbuildings.com/tool_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=97275
This report looks at the many ways that businesses of all sizes can contribute
to combating climate change, from employee-level recycling programs to solutions
from the IT department like collaborative working.

MORE TOOLS & RESOURCES... http://www.greenerbuildings.com/tools.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FEATURED EVENT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Cost-Efficient Sustainable Buildings
http://greenerbuildings.com/event_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=94444

Host: American Business Conferences
Date: April 14-15, 2008
Location: Philadelphia

Come hear the country's leaders in green building examine the specifics of
techniques, technologies and case studies how to maximize both your investment
and your environmental performance, as well as discussing what worked, in what
regions, and why.

MORE EVENTS . . . http://www.greenerbuildings.com/search_events.cfm

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2007.

If you measure success by the number of attendees, the sixth annual Green Festival in San Francisco http://www.greenfestivals.org/ on November 9-11 was a winner. It sure felt like the anticipated 35,000 attendees did indeed attend. With over 150 speakers and 400 exhibitors plus workshops about sustainable living, the organizers claim it is the world’s largest sustainability conference.

“Green Building: How a Healthier Built Environment Can Benefit All” was one of the panel discussions that I attended. The panelists included: Sean Culman, USGBC http://www.usgbc.org/ certified architect; Kevin Griffith, real estate developer for affordable housing; Sandy Mendler, sustainable building designer; Michael Willis, architect for neighborhood revitalization projects.

The panelists noted that there has been an important shift in green building in the last few years. Sustainable design was once just an overlay to the existing design process. Now the panelists see more integrative system solutions where the engineers, architects and designers are collaborating closely to create sustainable buildings. It has gone much further than just using green materials such as recycled carpets and cabinetry. Rather than reacting to client’s wishes, the panelists are more proactive about sustainability.

Another key shift in sustainable building is the realization of cost benefits. According to the panelists, until recently the cost benefits were realized over time and initial costs of sustainable building were higher. Now, initial costs are generally the same as non-sustainable design costs. This is a pivotal point for the green building industry. The conversation has shifted its focus on two key issues: site selection and water access/usage. Site selection and health issues are now linked as people pose the question: “Do suburbs make you fat?” The lack of community and the dependence on cars in many suburbs are cited as contributors to poor health. Generally, the feeling is that the denser the city, the better for not only for the environment but for personal health.

This is not a nice post. But, learn from my grievances. I am steamed with ContractorTalk.com. Never have I met such unprofessional, backward, good ol' boy mentality contractors that live in plastic bubbles. Don't go there, as you'll be told by a lot of unprofessional folks WRONG information. These are people that believe global warming doesn't exist, and their most famous argument "I've been working with building for 30 years, and we know better than you about building" is meritless, they only look at bottom line dollar figures, and call me a zealot because I like SIPs. They try to call you names like hippy, tree hugger because you want to see change in the industry. When all they are doing is covering up their ignorance and closemindedness with name-calling and irrational arguments.

Never have I been treated so poorly by a company site. I am very level headed and don't name call, but I was basically kicked off for having such progressive views in building. These guys will try to talk homebuilders out of building green because they don't understand these green concepts or they will say they'll do it cheaper going stick built. It is a very very closed minded, conservative way of living, which I highly disapprove of. It's either take the bus or stay behind, and there's a big ass group of them back there picking their teeth and holding their precious dollars until their hands bleed.... MORE HERE

Yeehaw, that was a great Renewable Energy Roundup 2007 in Fredericksburg, TX! I didn't bump into anyone I knew, but I met some people and learned a lot in the 2 short days there. It went fast and furious, and the people were very interesting. I was overall impressed by the level of advice and amount of information that was presented for so little money ($20 for all 3 days!), which is very much what we believe in. This information should be had by all! We also felt the hippy vibe there, and everyone was friendly and really wanting to share the information in true Texan spirit.

Here are some highlights of the event. Jan and I tried to split up and cover as much ground as possible. He leaned towards the highly technical parts and landscaping lectures, and I towards the more understandable and design lectures :-).... READ MORE HERE.

If you find yourself in the Texas area end of September or are lucky enough to already live here :-), make sure you come to the 8th Annual Renewable Energy Roundup at http://theroundup.org/ in Fredericksburg, TX September 28th-30th in the center of Texas Hill Country.

It's $10/Friday, $12/Saturday or $20 for all three days! That's a bargain for the amount of information you can get on these hot topics:

* Solar
* Wind
* Geothermal
* Water Use & Reuse
* Energy Conservation
* Rainwater Harvesting
* Green & Sustainable Building
* Organic Growing
* Alternative Transportation
* Straw Bale Construction

And there will be:

* Exhibits
* Free Guest Speakers
* Natural Food
* Family Activities

Come and learn something new or meet contacts in the green field. Besides, it will be a fun trip and nice drive over there, as you'll pass some beautiful areas, and the historic town of Fredericksburg with its German influence and charming old west appeal.

Our architect and I might exhibit there and advertise our blog and my upcoming e-book. Let us know if you live in the Austin area and want to carpool! Thanks to Maverick for passing this information along! READ MORE AT SjodinDreamHome.Blogspot.com ...

Do you need some tips on the whole "owner-builder" building process and you want to get with the Green kick and learn about eco-friendly, healthy or energy efficient features and methods that are in use today? Visit this blog by clicking the icon below!



http://sjodindreamhome.blogspot.com

We want to implement the latest and best green design principles in the most cost-effective and/or affordable way. We are in the process of building our home in Austin Texas (one of the hottest places in the U.S.) and feel we will be a good test case being in such warm climate where we live in energy-sucking, air-conditioned abodes.

We will blog as often as possible - letting you know our successes and pitfalls (hopefully very few!) as well as tips and non-sales biased reviews of materials or products we want to use.

Here are the green design features we hope to have for our home:
- Rainwater collection
- Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) walls and roof
- Solar water heating
- Geothermal cooling/heating
- Geothermal mass
- PVs (Solar panels)
- Stained concrete floors with fly ash
- Bamboo flooring
- Space efficient design (2419 a/c sf, 4 bedroom, 3 bath space)
- House orientation to sun
- No VOC paints
- Graywater use
- Compost use
- Dual, low e windows
- Use of recycled materials (for our concrete countertops and catwalk)
- Eco-smarte chlorine-free pool sanitation

We want to do a lot ourselves (DIY) and are trying our hardest to minimize costs without compromising quality. It's not an easy feat, but we are up for the challenge! Please visit our blog and feel free to contact me with questions or suggestions!

Cross-posted from www.sustainabuild.net. Though I represent the construction industry, we actively promote sustainable practices in our business, in our personal lives, and in the lives of our friends, family, and associates.

Enjoy!

There's so much talk about Indoor Environmental Air Quality, and reducing our carbon footprint... Former NASA scientist, BC Wolverton, PhD. reminds us that we have a very simple tool available to us:

Plants.

*insert 'duh' here*

Of course... Plants.

"Plants are the lungs of the earth: they produce the oxygen that makes life possible, add precious moisture, and filter toxins. Houseplants can perform these essential functions in your home wih the same efficiency as a rain forest in our biosphere." -BC Wolverton, PhD "How to Grow Fresh Air - 50 Houseplants that Purify Your Home or Office"

Betsy Robinson recently wrote an article for Spirituality and Health Magazine that focuses on how plants can improve your health, your well-being, and most importantly, your actual indoor air quality. Here's an interesting statistic quote from her January/February 2007 article:

"Since room conditions are unique, it's impossible to prescribe how many plants are needed to clean a given space, but consider this: a 100-square foot room with an 8-foot ceiling contains 22,640 liters of air filled with perhaps 3,917 micrograms of formaldehyde, the predominant indoor pollutant. The common Boston fern removes 1,863 micrograms of formaldehyde per hour."

Makes you want to go buy a plant, doesn't it? Well, if you do, here's a list of plants to consider. Wolverton rates these as the top ten in terms of their pollutant filtering capabilities, ease of growth and maintenance, and resistance to pests:

1. Areca Palm
2. Lady Palm
3. Bamboo Palm
4. Rubber Plant
5. Dracaena "Janet Craig"
6. English Ivy
7. Dwarf Date Palm
8. Ficus Alii
9. Boston Fern
10. Peace Lily

Want to make a difference today? Go to your local nusery, buy one of these for every member of your staff and get one for yourself, too.

Give the gift of fresh air to your staff, your family, your friends and your clients.

Grow some fresh air.

Is green building attainable for anyone?

I would argue that it is... but only if your contractor is passionate about sustainability.

Passionate. Not just "versed" in it. But passionate about it. Your contractor has to believe in it because it's the right thing to do. Your project manager has to look at every bit of construction debris as something that can be redirected and recycled. They don't cut corners; they don't throw trash on the ground when no one's looking. Your contractor has to be the one that calls you first thing in the morning because she found a paint that's an even lower VOC than the one you'd chosen. Everyone on her team knows that those drains nearby lead right to the river and there's no way they're letting any pollutant near it.

Every day, we see something in the news about a Green Building. The Bank of America Building in New York is getting a great deal of airtime right now because of the magnitude of this project. It's HUGE. It has state-of-the-art Green Technology. Its innovation in design is newsworthy.

It's not gonna happen in my little office. You're probably thinking the same thing, especially if you're a small business owner. But, with the right team focused on your sustainability goals, you can earn a LEED Certification.

What if your goal is water conservation? We focus on low-flow toilets, waterless urinals, aerated faucets, xeriscaping, draught-resistant local foliage. Many of these items can be found at nearly the same prices as good-quality traditional alternatives.

What if your goal is energy efficiency? Let's outfit the place with CFL's (that are rarely replaced! Mine are still running after 4 years). Let's open the blinds and let in some daylight. How about investing in a high-performance HVAC system and then do a life-cycle analysis to see what you're going to save on your electric bill over the next 5 years?

Maybe you want to recycle, reduce, and reuse? Set a goal for 90% construction debris recycled on your renovation project. We'll reuse those flourescent light fixtures, paint those doors instead of purchasing new ones, and use the money we save to purchase FSC wood book cases.

What if you wanted a little of each? A passionate, educated contractor will make it happen for you. Another contractor might tell you what you want to hear to get the job. Do you really want to be out on the site every day checking up to ensure your recycling isn't ending up in the landfill? or do you want to trust your contractor to do what's right because you know she's as passionate as you are?

I want passion. And I want sustainability.

I challenge that you can't have one without the other.

www.sustainabuild.net