LEED

Government Involvement in Green Initiatives A Big Trend

jchait — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:42:28 -0400

A "2008 U.S. Construction Overview" released by management consultant FMI shows that construction industry is taking green building very seriously.

Results of the report, posted in Commercial Building Products note the following big points:

Three main trends are happening; a high level of government involvement in green initiatives, residential demand for greener structures, and a better selection of green materials. All are good trends, but one in particular is a trend you should stay on top of.

Government participation in, and support for green building practices has the ability to make or break the amount of green building going on. In 2007 over 100 new bills related to green building were released at the state level. More bills are on the way, and many states are promoting sustainable policy for any new government building being constructed. There's also been a much heavier release of green tax credits in recent years - all of this promotes green building and makes it more accessible.

However, right now green is the new black of building. What's important is to keep government agencies involved, even as the green rush cools. As a consumer, you can help the green building movement to stay fresh by voting for greener candidates and by pushing ideas and questions at leaders in your state.

Resources:

The Green Party

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)

Built Green

Green Your Vote 2008

Support that can help you go green with your mortgage

Earth Friendly Building Materials

jchait — Sat, 10 May 2008 02:40:27 -0400

Green is fairly subjective. We do have LEED and independents (folks not following LEED but who do set and follow green building standards), so there is green building and green material use. It's complicated because so far no one has been able to ultimately agree on what's the greenest list of building products. Some people think that a lower VOC paint is just fine, while some think truly green would be no VOC. Some think reclaimed is better than sustainable harvested woods, and some people think you shouldn't build at all new, no matter the greenness of a product.

If you do want to build or renovate green, how then, with all the opinions, do you choose green building materials?

Environmental Building News (EBN) published a useful list that I read a while back with some great tips about how to choose green building materials. Technically it was what makes a material green, but same idea; it helps you choose. Summed up, EBN notes the following traits of green building materials.

Products made from one or more of the following - recycled materials, salvaged materials, or agricultural waste content. This seems pretty basic, but check your products carefully. Some reclaimed or recycled products have newer materials added to them. If your goal is full on green, you'll want to aim for a high percentage of reuse or recycled material.

Materials that preserve natural resources: Materials that last a long time (thus not needing to be replaced), use less of a natural resource than a conventional brand, or materials that we can reproduce rapidly are examples.

Materials that don't produce harmful toxins or emissions, or reduce toxins and other problems (like pesticides) by a decent percentage.

Materials that contribute to a healthy and safe environment: For example, products that help to remove indoor pollution, or block the production of something harmful like mold.

Each of these material issues is made up of many smaller factors and examples. Eventually we'll look at each more in-depth, but now at least you have a good basic check off list.

An Eco Living Pod Built for Two

ckane — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:44:57 -0400

Where to after the green wedding?

If you're looking for a sustainably-built living space, here's an option: the 850 square foot prefab residence from Canuhome. The name comes from "canoe," (as well as "can you?"--make a difference, that is) and the pod may look small, but it's not much different in living space from a condo. It has a kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom and bedroom, and was designed precisely for young couples (and older ones downscaling for retirement).

The customizable residence is meant to fit in city-size back yards or even on top of other buildings, and they're also designed for relocation. They're energy, water, and resource-efficient, and Canuhomes use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood products and "glocal" materials, and they also meet LEED standards.

So where do these forward-thinking, fanciful, sustainable living spaces of the future come from? Blame Canada.

via EcoGeek

photo: Canuhome

Justin Timberlake to Make a Greener Golf Green

ckane — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Justin Timberlake has just signed on for a partnership with the sports/entertainment/media conglomerate IMG, which will lead to a JT-branded eco-golf course and the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open tournament this October in Las Vegas. (Say that name three times fast.)

The golf course will be in Justin's hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. It was rescued from the auction block by JT, his mother, and his stepfather last year. Now in the works are plans for LEED-certified facilities, and more. From an article in the Memphis Daily News:

"Also anticipated is... a renewable energy field and a walking trail with educational placards and seating for the public to learn about responsible energy and natural resource usage," wrote Eric Criswell, of the engineering firm Davis Patrikios Criswell Inc.

Justin's other new role is as the co-star of Madonna's new hit "4 Minutes," which has the line, "four minutes to save the world." The real-life task of saving the world isn't as easy as one eco-centric golf course, but at least there may soon be less toxic lawn chemicals seeping into the Memphis ecosystem.

Photo: Getty Images

Green Building: Effects on the Environment

Marcus — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

So what exactly is “green building?” And what effect will it have on the environment? When it comes to the future of design and architecture, phrases like “LEED-certified” and “eco-friendly housing” get thrown around pretty liberally.

But what characteristics qualify a structure as being LEED-certified? And, perhaps more importantly, what do these shifts in the way we design our buildings mean for the preservation of our planet in the generations to come?

GREEN BUILDING

Green building is essentially any type of architecture that incorporates the idea of sustainability into its concept, design and execution. Architects who have adapted a green aesthetic into their work try to incorporate sustainable systems into the entire vision of their projects, so that new construction is sustainable from the ground up.

There has been an architectural trend in recent years in which sustainability and contemporary architecture seem to be merging. That is, green building is starting to become the norm. In the years ahead, the two may become indistinguishable. Sustainability will be inextricably linked to modernity in the architectural world.

LEED CERTIFICATION

LEED (Leadershipin Energy and Environmental Design) certification is the most widely accepted set of criteria to determine whether a building is sustainable. To get such certification, five areas are considered:

sustainable site development
water savings
energy efficiency
materials selection and
indoor environmental quality

A building can receive different levels of LEED certification, based on how well it meets each requirement. The highest LEED rating is platinum.

THE BENEFITS ?

As sustainable building begins to dominate new construction in the years ahead (or so we hope), we will begin to see a decrease in our carbon emissions, both as a nation and as a planet. That said, we cannot simply build green and expect it to completely alleviate the problem of climate change. Sustainable design is just one part of a whole in which we need to shift the way we think about living on this planet if we want to truly make a difference.

Green building is great. We also need to live green lives in our green buildings.

Blessed Unrest

ellen — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Continuing on the theme of optimism (better do it now while the New Year is still fresh!), I want to recommend Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken, subtitled How the Largest Movement In the World Came Into Being and Why No One Saw it Coming.

When I started the research on green products, sustainable practices and environmental problems in need of green solutions that would become the basis of our “How to Green your Home” seminars last summer, I started getting really depressed. It felt like conventional building methods were condemning the world into an apocalyptic cave from which we would never emerge. Then a friend recommended Blessed Unrest.

It is an incredibly inspiring book. Paul Hawken, who gave the plenary address at the 2007 Greenbuild, writes about how this is the first time in human history that so many disparate groups of people have joined together to help others. He charts the history of civil disobedience from the latter part of the 19th century and attests to the power of individuals against political leaders and corporations. He is so hopeful that the millions of people involved in hundreds of thousands of large and small non-profits throughout the world will truly manage to save the day.

At the end of the book is a 110-page appendix listing an unbelievable number of non-profits that work on issues as far ranging as children’s rights, forests, cultural diversity, democracy, human rights and, of course…sustainable building and design. You can see the up-to-date list of organizations at WiserEarth.

So I’m reading the book and I get to page 153 where he talks about how the USGBC, in it’s short life,

“may have had a greater impact than any other single organization in the world on materials saved, toxins eliminated, greenhouse gases avoided, and human health enhanced.”

This was right around the time I was starting to volunteer as the LEED for Homes Advocate for the NY Chapter of the USGBC and, I have to say, it helped me clear a path through the brush of skepticism and helped me clarify my focus.