Home & Garden...

HGTV Green Home 2008 is a big deal. For one thing, there are not too many green residential shows on TV (too bad). Secondly, they've taken the show and turned it into a sweepstakes.

About the show:

HGTV Green Home 2008 is a new special kicking off March 23 at 9pm. The show will be hosted by Carter Oosterhouse - a great handyman expert and tree hugger. HGTV Green Home 2008 is actually the first green home HGTV has created in this manner (don't let the "2008" throw you off). Still, the show has it's own world going on over at HGTV right now. It looks like there's soon to be a blog, there are interactive home tours, a message board, a place to submit your own green project photos, Q&A about green building and much more.

About the house:

This green home is located in Tradition Hilton Head, an environmentally responsible community in South Carolina. With this first green home, HGTV's goal was to prove that green houses can be both beautiful and eco-friendly. A point I'm hoping people already know. I think in the past, some people thought green building turned out bulky clay structures, or hippie havens most of the time, but I don't think people believe that now. Of course, I could always be wrong.

The house is a nice size, not too big, not too small, maybe a little big for my taste, but not obscene. In the email press release HGTV sent me, they note, “The home has received a significant Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and the Environmental Media Association’s (EMA) Green Seal Award for the production of the HGTV Green Home 2008 television special.” That's cool news. The home was also furnished and finished in all eco-friendly paints, furnitures, accessories, and so fourth. It's green from head to toe.

About the Sweepstakes:

You can win the green home this year. It's a huge prize package too. Besides the house you win a brand new GMC Yukon Hybrid, plus all the eco home furnishings, which adds up to a total prize worth $850,000. Keep in mind, that they went top of the line, and paid for the land and car, it honestly does not take this much cash to build a green home (I didn't want to scare you).

Tune in to the HGTV Green Home 2008 special on March 23 at 9pm. You're sure to pick up a green building tip, or two, or three...