Latest Blogs

Innovative Thinking...Tres bien, Paris!

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 17:10:06 -0400

Thanks to a GreenExpo365.com tweet, I saw this great piece on Paris using the heat put off from commuters and trains in the subway to heat the public housing above (Reuters.com article), and it made me stop and think that there has to be great, no brainer ways for us to save energy. I've read the "Story of Stuff" book and I've worked to reduce my usage where I can. But ideas like this subway-body heat one encourages me stop and ask more questions.

What if every manufacturer stopped and found one piece of their product could be done differently? Maybe found that if they wrapped the product once versus twice or used the steam from one machine to run another, how much energy could that save? It might cost a little more up front, but the energy and resource savings might make a difference.

It is thinking like this that we have to dig deep to find. It's more than ridding your bike to work or sorting your cans and bottles. It's opening our eyes and minds to the possibilities.

I applaud the those who are looking for a new way. Tres bien, Paris!

In search of a Durablity Index? It is closer than you think

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 11:25:04 -0400

It seems the time may have finally come that homebuyers are actually starting to ask how well was a home constructed in addition to whether it has wood floors and granite countertops. At least that is what you would think when you look at the number of organizations committed to making current and future homes more durable and more energy efficient. At the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) we call it "A Stronger Shade of Green".

The idea of making homes more durable by retrofitting older homes and applying prescriptive building methods to new homes is not something new. Nor is the ideas of building a home in a sustainable way while making it as energy effecient as possible. But building or retrofitting a home that , depending on it's location, is resistant to Wind, Siesmic, Flood and Wildfire while being a model of energy efficiency is.

At the FLASH Annual Meeting being held in Orlando Florida on October 6-8 a group of government, industry, and corporate leaders as well as a variety of Subject Matter Experts will finalize ongoing work to define the features and performance standards for the Durable and Green house of the future.

Work is already in progress to then take those charactoristics in both Green performance and Disaster mitigation and index them in order to begin to have a common language on strength and sustainablity. This method will allow for national comparisons and will eventually serve as tool for homebuyers all accross the country that rates durability and energy efficiency. It will also help better define the alphabet soup of standards and practices in both movements in an objective and measured way.

The biggest challenge? Gaining acceptance from homebuyers, home builders, lenders, the real estate industry, suppliers, manufacturers, designating organizations, governments and the media.

The combined effort of every stakeholder will be needed, but for such a worthy cause the decision is easy.

In Search of a Durabilty Index or Maybe "A Stronger Shade of Green"

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 10:46:18 -0400

As promised from the comments from the previous post, I didn't have to go far when looking for news on measuring Durability for home construction. I'd love to hear from all of you....are you familiar with the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. (FLASH)® ?

They announced a couple of weeks ago that they are joining forces to promote IBHS’ FORTIFIED code-plus construction program for homes and light commercial buildings that are vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters. In fact, for their annual meeting in October, they are tackling the "Big Question" I posed below... how does durability intersect with green building. They call this initiative "A Strong Shade of Green".

I've called Bruce McCullen at FLASH to catch us up on this via a blog post. Stay tuned....Bruce...take it away...

Insider Information: Responses From Webinar Hosts

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:53:35 -0400

During the "Helping Appraisals Recognize the VALUE of Energy Efficiency" webinar, we had more questions than we had time. Our presenters Clayton Traylor (Leading Builders of America) and Bill Fay (Building Energy Efficient Codes Network) provided the following answers to those we didn't discuss. Feel free to ask more & we will look to them for additional insight.

Q: Can you please clarify, will the SAVE Act require that energy expenses be included in the underwriting of EVERY mortgage, or only for those people wanting an energy efficient house?

Bill/Clayton: The proposal requires the underwriter to use either an average energy cost assumption drawn from a DOE database or, when a HERS Report is submitted by a buyer, that becomes the basis for determining energy cost.

Q: Are you suggesting that every homebuyer wanting a mortgage will have to qualify with these higher monthly expenses?

Bill/Clayton: No, only those who believe their homes are more energy efficient than the average cost assumption.

Q: But if you want an Energy Efficient Mortgage, you have to pay for a HERS test?

Bill/Clayton: Yes.

Q: Which of your Websites can I go to get this info in a more detailed form?

Bill/Clayton: Try www.IMT.org

Q: What is the baseline energy cost when determining that a certain house saves energy?

Bill/Clayton: The legislation references the residential energy consumption survey published by the DOE.

Q: Do realtors give a reason for not recognizing labeling?

Bill/Clayton: They don't want to disadvantage older, less efficient homes.

Q: Is there one rating system better than another - HERS; LEED; ENERGY STAR, NAHB, ETC.?

Bill/Clayton: Strictly speaking, we don't care which of these systems are used, but whichever is utilized, it must be recognized by HUD as a rating system that can accurately predict annual energy costs.

Q: What are the names of these bills?

Bill/Clayton: The SAVE Act has not yet been introduced, so we don't have a number yet. However, it will be introduced by Senator Mike Bennet (D-CO) so check back with them following the Labor Day break.

(note: The documents Bill and Clayton referenced in the webinar regarding NREL energy efficiency studies from Greensburg, KS are available with the on-demand webinar in the auditorium)

I can’t drive 55: Whatever happened to the idea of sacrifice in the U.S.?

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:23:49 -0400

Living in Western states all my life, the federally imposed 55 mph speed limit on rural freeways was a hassle. Nobody complained when the government de-linked the purse strings of highway dollars from state-set speed limits in the 1980s. Now, 70 and 75 mph signs are common throughout America, and many states are lax in enforcing even those limits. I have to admit I’ve enjoyed traveling across southern Idaho at (ahem) 90+ and driving into the sunset west of Albuquerque at speeds that would make an Indy driver proud.

What does this have to do with being green, you may ask.

Simple, our society spends a lot of time, brainpower and money looking for technical fixes to environmental issues, without also asking how we might change our own behavior. And heaven forbid, perhaps even consider how we might reduce our impacts by doing with less or doing without.

In that regard, speed limits are a useful discussion point. We tend to overlook behavioral changes since they’re often inconvenient and don’t fit our desire for new gadgets.

There’s much difference of opinion on whether lower freeway speeds indeed reduce fuel usage and save lives, but it’s curious that with all of the hand-wringing over lowering energy demands that it’s not even part of the conversation.

Admittedly, I myself would be hard pressed to drive 55 again and would hate a lower limit, but is that the criteria we should use in deciding what to do? Sometimes we have to give a little for the greater good. It’s how we won two world wars and has been a big part of what has made our country great, but seems lacking in many areas today.

Whatdayathink?

Why am I blogging and what does a tee shirt have to do with it?

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:18:10 -0400

Ever ask yourself... "What common household objects stay out of landfills and why?" Me too, so here I go blogging...

Here's something you should never admit to on a "green" blog -- I'm the opposite of a hoarder. I buy stuff and then throw it out when I'm tired of it, so I'm certainly not some sort of green guru anyone should look up to.

I recently started a blog "Made to Last" (http://tookalicking.blogspot.com) about why some items are saved and others are tossed into landfills, in order to better understand my own bad behavior, maybe fix it and ultimately reduce some personal guilt.

Selfish, really, but you can't fault me for being truly sickened by the vision of all of the things that I whimsically purchased and soon after, banished to landfills while continuing to gorge on cheap, meaningless items. The thought of it all is enough to turn me "green."

So, in response to this self reflection, I posted an innocent question on Face Book tonight, "I need some ideas for a blog I'm writing... what are you favorite objects that are 10 years old or more and why?"

I was thinking folks would respond with testimonials about lawn mowers or salad spinners, but I was wrong.

The first post came from a childhood friend, Geoff. He said it was a baseball cap with "my submarines name on it (USS Lewis & Clark; SSBN 644). It was one I wore while in the Navy, on shore and at sea. It's just a reminder of those days. It's kind of floppy and the brim is partially tore off, but it's an original."

Straightforward answer from a straightforward guy.

It made me question the primary supposition of this blog i.e. "Made to Last" -- a cotton ballcap doesn't apply, does it? And then I remembered the description and mission:

"This blog is dedicated to reviewing ordinary household objects that have stood the test of time and are still useful and most of all - Not in a Landfill."

Doesn't a ballcap or my husband's torn 20 year-old tee shirt count, even though they never represented significant environmental hazards to begin with?

As I pondered this, I toggled back to Face Book to see if I had anymore more responses and indeed there were many. All of them echoed this same theme.

My friends posted comments about cherished items that meant something to them -- whether through an appreciation for craftsmanship, as a symbol of important moments or simply because the objects are beautiful. No one mentioned a salad spinner tonight.

Not what I expected, but I'll take it and maybe there's something here for home builders, too. Should we examine what makes things in general durable beyond the examination of their parts and construction? And if so, what are those attributes. Thoughts?

Changes in Green Product Definition? Only For The Common Good.

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:54:54 -0400

Not sure if you saw this, but the Federal Trade Commission is re-evaluating its “Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims.” An Advertising Age report shared that updates to the 12-year old guides (expected by end of summer) could potentially eliminate “most of the more than 300 environmental seals of approval” currently used on a range of products and packages, and bolster standards for terms such as “recyclable,” “biodegradable,” “carbon neutral,” and “sustainable.”

I think this could really change how green building (and living in general) is communicated...but for better or worse, I don't know. I am all for clearer explanation of what "part" of green a product serves (i.e. energy savings, material use, etc), but not so that some products can communicate "green" better than others if they provide a better good. What do you think?

(If you missed it, you can check it out here: “FTC Green Guidelines May Leave Marketers Red-Faced” (I think subscription is required).)

GreenExpo365 wins International Award!

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:34:53 -0400

Surprised? No. Pleased? Absolutely. When we found out GreenExpo365 won an International Summit Green Marketing Effectiveness Award it reconfirmed to us that our vision is embraced. Not only are we excited about what is happening here, other professionals see how effective such a platform can be. The best part, is so much more is coming. We have big plans for GreenExpo365 that we are sure our members are going to be excited about. If you have ideas on how we can improve GreenExpo365 -- we want to hear them! Thank you for being part of our interactive green community!

Cement / Concrete that can be screwed easily

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:13:34 -0400

Hi

I am looking for a cement / Concrete that we can easily attach backer board or dywall easily with screws. Normal concrete wont take the screw properly, so I am looking for some suggestions,

thanks in advance

Welcome to the August Live Show.

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:48:11 -0400

We have a great event scheduled for our registered users (not registered, now is a great time to do so here). Our webinars offer unmatched insight into green building/design, from actor, author, sustainable-living enthusiast Ed Begley, Jr (8:30a PDT, Tuesday) to National Director for ENERGY STAR, Sam Rashkin (11:30a PDT, Wednesday). The whole line-up is available here as well as in the auditorium.

We also have new content on the expo hall floor. We welcome Boral Roofing and invite you to stop by their booth to see what they offer the green builder or designer. You’ll also find new content with exhibitors including Simpson Door company, Environments for Living, BSF, and others. GreenExpo365.com exhibitors provide you these great webinars and resources – please support them with your interest and business.

Are you using IE8? We have recently seen some issues with Internet Explorer 8 users and are working to resolve them. If you are not seeing the chat area in any of our booths or auditorium, we recommend you view our recommendation.

If you can’t make all of the webinars you want to, we always record them and make them available on-demand in the auditorium. We also have a number of AIA/CEU eligible courses to keep our architect visitors up to speed on industry insight. Checkout the Launch Pad for a full list available.

Are you on Twitter? Tweet as you listen to the webinars or are in the booths. Feel free to use the #gexpo365 call tag to let others know. You can follow the GreenExpo365.com Live Event Twitter action at http://tweetchat.com/room/gxpo365

Check out the “Networking Lounge” for the question of the day…share your thoughts & see what others are thinking.

Like what we are doing here? Tell others to join you here at GreenExpo365.com

Thank you again for participating in the GreenExpo365.com discussion. Watch for more great webinars and our November Live Event (November 2-3, 2010) coming soon.